| FHC Info | |
Hours of Operation:
Mon: Closed
Fri: 9:30 am-1:00 pm
Saturday:
9:30 am-4:30 pm
Tues, Wed, Thurs:
9:30am-4:30pm, & 7-9:30 pm
Directors: Linda & Kurt Christensen Washington DC Stake Carol & Gary Petranek, Silver Spring MDStake |
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WDC FHC News
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Upcoming Classes
This fall, our classes will focus on learning all aspects of the FamilySearch FamilyTree. Sessions will run from 9:30-11:00 a.m.
Saturday, September 21 - Navigating the FamilyTree - learn how to add, edit, and correct information
Saturday, October 26 - Photos and Stories - learn how to add photographs and personal stories to "bring your ancestors to life." [note: this class is on the 4th Saturday]
Saturday, November 16 - Searching & Finding - learn how to find additional information about your ancestors using FamilySearch
All classes are free of charge, but registration is requested. * Join a Focus Group to Enhance Your Research Skills * DNA Group: meetings on Sept. 18, Oct. 2 & 30 at 7:00 p.m. RootsMagic Users Group: monthly meetings on the 2nd Saturday at 9:30 a.m. Irish Group: bi-weekly meetings on the 1st, 3rd & 5th Tuesday evenings at 7:00.
African-American Group: weekly on Monday mornings, 9:30 a.m. |
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Where Did They Go?
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Migrating ancestors can present quite a challenge to genealogists as they pick up and move, sometimes seemingly without specific purpose or to a location that doesn't make immediate sense. At least, that is, until we really dig into the records and piece together the when, where, why and how of everything surrounding the family's migration. So where do you look next when your family disappears from the records of a town or county?
In this article, Kimberly discusses how the following record collections can help you locate your missing ancestor: Census, Land, Tax, Will & Probate and Church. She also discusses looking in adjoining jurisdictions and how to use online databases.
Click here to read Kimberly's tips.
Source: About: Genealogy, September 3, 2013
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8 Ways to Overcome OCR Newspaper Errors
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by Kenneth R. Marks
Everyone who has searched newspapers online will fail to find something. It happens incredibly often. The stakes are high for genealogy researchers, where finding an article about an ancestor can make a huge difference in filling out a family tree. I have often heard researchers say "I can't find a single article about my ancestor, even though I have searched for hours!"
Laying competency aside as a factor, the biggest reason is that scanning of one and two hundred year old newspapers, either from paper or from microfilm, produces way less than optimal results. Please take a look at the following list, and hopefully some of these errors and anomalies will provide you with some hints to overcome them and actually find what you are looking for.
To read this insightful article, click here.
Source: The Ancestor Hunt Blog, September 3, 2013 |
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Headstone Symbolism
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Have you ever stopped to take a look at what you find onheadstones besides names and dates? Cemeteries are filled with symbolism that you may not even realize at first glance. As I payed close attention to the symbols on the headstones around me during my last visit to the cemetery, I was fascinated by what I found. These simple symbols are very thought provoking and gave me a deeper understanding of the people who are buried there.
You never know why people choose to put certain symbols on their headstone, but here are some symbols you might find on a headstone and a few ideas of what they might mean: click here.
Source: BillionGraves Blog, August 20, 2013
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Immigrant Arrivals in U.S. Since 1798
| | | by William Dollarhide
I hope your immigrant ancestors were not like mine. I am convinced that some of my ancestors arrived in America by way of a rowboat, probably in the dead of night, and for which there is no written record. And, of course, I have several ancestors who I believe did not officially immigrate to the United States, they just appeared one day. Some were undoubtedly the products of some miraculous beginning - one in which no parents were involved at all. But I keep looking for some evidence of their immigration to America anyway, just in case they turn out to be mere mortals after all. Here is a review of the types of records available to genealogists looking for their (mortal) immigrant ancestors.
William reviews the following resources:
- Customs Passenger Lists
- Immigration Passenger Lists
- National Archives Indexes
- New York & Other Port of Arrivals
- Balch Institute Indexes
To read this article, click here.
Source: Genealogy Blog, August 13, 2013
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Using Tax Records
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 | | Using Tax Records for Family History Research |
How does the saying go? There are only two things certain in life - death and taxes. Join Crista Cowan as she helps you discover how tax records can help you find your dead.
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Exploring Sanborn & Other Fire Insurance Maps
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by Kimberly Powell
Fire insurance maps, produced by SanbornŽ and a number of other companies, are large-scale historical city/town maps that document the size and shape of buildings, locations of windows and doors, and construction materials, as well as street names, and property boundaries. Dating back to the mid-1800's, fire insurance maps were originally created to assist fire insurance agents in assessing potential fire risk, and setting insurance premiums.
To read this article, click here.
Source: About.com: Genealogy August 28, 2013
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How to Spot and Avoid 9 Common Genealogy Errors
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Family history researchers are often frustrated by the mistakes of others-particularly when there is an obvious error in identity. Unfortunately, once a mistake is written in a book or newspaper article, the mistake is often carried into other research-forever frustrating the more serious genealogists. Genealogical mistakes are not often easy to sort out, and this article discusses some strategies.
Source: Genealogy Bank Blog, August 7, 2013
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Beyond Evidence to Proof
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by James Tanner
Let's suppose that you are looking for your great-grandfather and his family and with a little effort, you find an entry in Ancestry.com showing, what you assume to be, the family in the U.S. Census record. Is the entry proof or evidence? What is the difference? And who cares? As usual, there are levels of awareness of different issues in genealogical research depending on the sophistication and background of the researcher.
First of all, it may seem simplistic, but evidence is not proof. What you are looking at when you find a source document is evidence. How you view that document and what you do with it becomes proof.
This is an important subject; read the article here.
Source: Genealogy's Star, July 9, 2013
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Genealogy "Tips of the Day"
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by Michael John Neill
Occupational Consistency. In connecting names from different records or sources, make certain that the occupations and apparent social status implied by the occupations are consistent. An indentured servant in 1754 is most likely not listed as a planter in 1758. While occupations and social status can change, the changes are usually gradual and over time, not overnight. Unless they married well--which sometimes happens.
SSDI. When using any of the online versions of the "Social Security Death Index," remember that the location of the last benefit may not be where the person lived in their final days or even the last few years of their life. The benefit could have been sent to an heir or someone overseeing the estate some distance from where the deceased actually lived.
Anniversary Notice. If a set of relatives lived to have been married fifty or more years, have you searched for an announcement of their anniversary in the newspaper? The item may have made the social pages and may provide clues as to where various family members lived at the time--in addition to other details.
Two with the Same name. Just because two individuals have the same name does not mean that they are the same person. They could be first cousins, uncle and nephew, or just un-related. In any of these cases, they are not the same individual. Don't use name alone to "match.
Read About Another Family. Occasionally read something about a family that is similar to yours, but is unrelated to your family. The family being written about should share something in common with your family--the location, time period, ethnicity, etc. County histories, genealogy newsletters and magazines, blog posts, etc. are great places to find these articles. Reading about a family similar to yours may give you insight into your own family and their research challenges.
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Thank you for subscribing to Generations. We hope this publication will motivate you to successfully begin or continue your family history research. We would like to hear from you! Please submit your questions, research tips, and favorite websites to us at info@wdcfhc.org
Sincerely,
Carol Petranek, Newsletter Editor
Linda & Kurt Christensen
Gary Petranek
Co-Directors, Washington DC Family History Center
10000 Stoneybrook Drive, PO Box 49
Kensington, MD 20895
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