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January 2015, Vol. 9, No. 1
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Editor's Note
| A New Year and New Opportunities
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Happy New Year to our more than 3,500 eNews subscribers!
A brand-new year typically involves resolutions, the setting of goals, and sometimes changes. What will you do in 2015? Will you explore a new branch on your family tree, hammer away on one of your brick walls, build new "search" skills, or write a summary of a particular family group or line? The possibilities are endless!
For me, the new year brings a change in my role at the California Genealogical Society: I'll be transferring the editorship of the eNews to CGS member, Stewart Bland�n Traiman.
I will continue to serve on the Board of Directors and I'm looking forward to supporting the society in other ways. It's been a pleasure and honor to be the editor of CGS's eNews this past year. Read on to "meet" Stewart!
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Passing the Baton to a New CGS eNews Editor
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California Genealogical Society & Library
2201 Broadway, Suite LL2, Oakland
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I'm pleased to announce that Stewart Bland�n Traiman will be the new editor for the California Genealogical Society's eNews, beginning in February.
Stewart is an internist currently working as a clinical informaticist turning data into medical information. And he's found a way to use those skills for his genealogy work -- raising data to the status of substantive information. He's been tracing family roots in Poland, Ukraine, Nicaragua, Canada, Ireland, and the USA for 25 years. He lives in Alameda with his husband and children.
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Annual Business Meeting -- January 24, 2015
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California Genealogical Society & Library
2201 Broadway, Suite LL2, Oakland
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Photo: Ron Madson
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The annual business meeting for members of the California Genealogical Society will be held Saturday, January 24, 2015.
The meeting will be preceded by a social hour, which begins at 11:30 a.m. Bring your appetite, a dish to share, and good cheer for the festive potluck lunch. Beverages and dessert will be provided.
The official meeting will begin at 1:00 p.m. President Ellen Fernandez-Sacco's agenda includes committee reports, approval of the 2015 society budget, and the presentation of the new board nominees. An election of the new board members will follow.
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January Meetings and More
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California Genealogical Society & Library
2201 Broadway, Suite LL2, Oakland
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Saturday, January 10: Stephen Harris City Directory Library, 10:00 a.m. - 4:00 p.m.
Tuesday, January 13: Book Repair Committee, 9:30 a.m. - 3:00 p.m.
Friday, January 16: Stephen Harris City Directory Library, 10:00 a.m. - 4:00 p.m. Saturday, January 17: San Francisco Special Interest Group, 10:00 a.m. - 11:30 a.m. (Please sign up so we know you'll be attending!)
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January and February Classes
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California Genealogical Society & Library
2201 Broadway, Suite LL2, Oakland
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Registration Now Open -- Scots-Irish Family History Research Seminar, March 2015
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Holiday Inn & Suites Oakland Airport
77 Hegenberger Road, Oakland
|  Are you one of the more than 34.8 million Americans who can claim Irish or Scots-Irish ancestry? If so, our Scots-Irish Family History Research Seminar is right for you!
This all-day event will take place Sunday, March 29, 2015, and will feature presentations by Fintan Mullan and Gillian Hunt of the Ulster Historical Foundation in Belfast, Northern Ireland.
Topics for this lecture-filled day include:- Introduction to Irish and Scots-Irish Family History Research
- Records Related to the Different Churches in Ireland
- Using land records: Griffith's Valuation, Tithe and Estate records
- Emigration from the North of Ireland to North America and the Sources for its Study
- The Ulster Plantation: Sources for 17th Century Families in Ireland (not just Ulster)
- Solving Your Brick Walls: Practical Internet Tutorial and Resolving Research Problems
There will also be books for sale, such as Researching Scots-Irish Ancestors: The Essential Genealogical Guide to Early Modern Ulster, 1600-1800 by William Roulston, a silent auction, and a raffle. In addition to all of the presentations, the registration fee includes: - Buffet breakfast
- Buffet lunch
- Afternoon snack
- Coffee, tea, & water throughout the day
- Free parking in the parking lot and free shuttle service from the Oakland Coliseum BART stop.
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Early Bird Discount until January 31, 2015
| Cost Starting February 1, 2015
| $90 -- CGS Member
| $100 CGS Member
| $110 -- Non-Member
| $125 Non-Member
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The 2009 version of this seminar was very popular, so book your seat now by taking advantage of the early bird discount. Register early! |
| 15th Annual Salt Lake City Research Trip -- Registration Now Open | |
Family History Library
Salt Lake City, Utah
|  Our annual research trip to Salt Lake City will take place April 26 - May 3, 2015. This is a fun opportunity for members to explore the library together, with guidance from experienced genealogists and CGS members, Nancy Peterson, Jane Lindsey, and Lisa Gorrell.
The trip package includes:
* 7 nights at the Salt Lake Plaza Hotel
* Shuttle service to and from airport
* 3 group dinners
* Orientation and lectures; computer assistance with the online catalog
* Optional pre-trip consultation
Cost: $845 per person, double occupancy; $1,180 for a single room. Final payment due March 15, 2015. Learn more and register today -- the spots fill up quickly!
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Did You Miss These Posts?
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Highlights from the California Genealogical Society Blog
Blog Editor, Ellen Fernandez-Sacco
In case you missed these posts during the busy holiday season, here's your chance to catch up!
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| New Membership Perk! | |
California Genealogical Society & Library
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 We're proud to announce a new membership perk: a discount on new annual World Subscriptions with FindMyPast.com.
FindMyPast offers more than 1.7 billion international family history records from around the globe, including more than 1,000 exclusive collections that you won't find online anywhere else. With this partnership, CGS members will receive a $40.00 discount on an annual world subscription.
To take advantage of this discount, sign in with your membership number and email address on CaliforniaAncestors.org -- the discount code is posted on the main "welcome" page for members. Look for the blue "FindMyPast" in the middle of that page. Forgot your number? Contact the CGS Membership team.
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Ancestor Tribute: Deep California Roots
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A Hard-Working Sierra Lumberman
By Susan Young, member since 1998
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Winnie Smith next to one of the sugar pine trees he felled. Winnie was 5' 11" tall, so the tree was close to 6' wide.
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Irwin "Winnie" Albert Smith was born in Bangor, Butte Co., California on July 19, 1857, to Freedom D. Smith and Angeline Adams Smith. By the time he was 13 years old, he was living with his father in Sierra township in the Sierra Valley and was a "sawmill man" and attending school.
After his father's death in 1880, he moved on to other lumber/logging areas in the Tahoe region. In 1890 he married Nellie Capitola Welton ("Tola") in Reno, Nevada. On October 25, 1890, he joined the Native Sons of the Golden West-Donner Parlor. For the next 25 years his main home was in Truckee, California, where he had a planing mill in 1901, a box factory in 1910, and various sawmills in the Russell Valley, on Alder Creek, on the Little Truckee River, and in the Sierra Valley.
Three sons were born to Winnie and Tola between 1892 and 1902. Several photos in E.B. Scott's The Saga of Lake Tahoerecord his logging operations around Lake Tahoe. His mill site in the Sierra Valley, the Winnie Smith Mill Site, is recorded on the California Register of Historic Sites. (Edited by Lorna Wallace.)
******************************************************************************** We enjoy honoring members' ancestors. Please email a photo to Lorna Wallace, along with a short summary about why the ancestor featured is important or interesting to you. Photos should be in .jpg format with a file size over 100 kb; photos and text may be edited for space.
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Four Big Conferences in Salt Lake City, January and February 2015
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Salt Palace Convention Center
Salt Lake City, Utah
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There are four -- yes, four! -- upcoming genealogy conferences in Salt Lake City: - The APG PMC (Association of Professional Genealogists Professional Management Conference), January 8-9
- SLIG (Salt Lake Institute of Genealogy), January 11-16
- FGS (Federation of Genealogical Societies), February 11-14
- RootsTech, February 12-14
If you plan on attending any of these events, please contact Kim Cotton or Linda Harms Okazaki. It's fun to know which CGS members are attending conferences and a group photo is always a must.
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San Francisco History Expo, February 2015
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The Old Mint
Fifth and Mission, San Francisco
 The 5th Annual San Francisco History Expo will occur at the Old Mint on February 28 and March 1, 2015. The California Genealogical Society is proud to be participating in this event.
The details aren't finalized, but we'll share them as soon as they're available. In the meantime, visit the San Francisco History Expo's Facebook page to see the latest information and to learn why this event was almost cancelled!
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