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The Parke Society Newsletter Issue 2007 - Vol. 44 No. 3 |
As our convocation in Fort Wayne, Indiana draws near, members planning to attend should begin preparing in order to take maximum advantage of our proximity to the Allen County Public Library (ACPL). To acquaint oneself with the resources available at ACPL, an exploration of the library's genealogy webpage is an excellent introduction: http://www.acpl.lib.in.us/genealogy/ While many of the resources available at the library (census, military records, etc.) can now be accessed online through various subscription services, the one resource unique to ACPL is the focus of this article. To answer the question posed in the title above: No, your best friend in Fort Wayne is not named Percy, but PERSI, an acronym for PERiodical Source Index. PERSI is the largest subject index of genealogical and historical periodical articles in the world, covering genealogy and local history periodicals written in English and French (Canada) since 1800. The time period of the articles ranges from the 1700s to the present. More than 1.8 million index entries from nearly ten thousand titles are represented by this work.
You may search the PERSI resource from within any Allen County Public Library facility. Outside of ...
PERSI provides family historians with access to articles, photos, and other materials that they may otherwise never locate through traditional search methods. PERSI can be a great way to locate cemetery transcriptions and other records that have only appeared in a serial publication, as well as family histories and articles on your ancestors locations.
...
As an example of how PERSI can be helpful, I recently did some research for someone, tracing his Parks family from Texas back to Baxter County, Arkansas. The Parks ancestor there was named William Carroll Parks. While a good deal of information could be gleaned about this family using census and other records found online, a search of PERSI revealed an article from the periodical "Baxter County History" entitled, "Wm. C. Parks wives & children, 1856-91, AR." I will pull this article while in Fort Wayne, and hope to glean valuable information which could lead to further paths for research.
As I mentioned in our last newsletter issue, advance preparation is the key to success for any genealogy research trip. Whether accessing the resources of ACPL, or utilizing the Parke Society materials available at the convocation, knowing in advance the family history questions you need answered, and what types of records are likely to answer those questions, can lead to breakthroughs which can make your trip worthwhile.
See you in Fort Wayne!
(Page 33)
From time to time, members ask us about the various genealogical programs that can be found in the market place, what we think of them, and so on. Doing full-blown reviews are really not our expertise. Plenty of reviews can be found on the Internet. A word of caution, though, is that you need to read widely, and to weigh what you read carefully. ...
The source of problems with FTM 2008 is that it's not really an upgrade, but a whole new program, ...
What I don't understand is why they made some of the changes they did. The interface is completely different from anything previously seen in FTM. It is somewhat reminiscent of The Master Genealogist, a program only for the brave. This new FTM will take some getting use to, and if you thought that the change from Version 11 to 2005 (Version 12) was difficult, wait until you see this; it will require a fairly steep learning curve. Buyer, beware!
...
If you already have a version of FTM (almost any
version) on your computer, stay with that for the
time being. If you do want to upgrade, donŐt go any
further than FTM 2006. If you're looking to buy and ...
... (page 35)
Many of the problems encountered when working with genealogical programs have to do with locating something, or apparent loss of data.
Genealogy programs are essentially databases. The data you type in becomes the various data elements that the program manipulates in order to create the various reports that you request. When you look at a family group sheet in one of these programs, what you see is a template with various data elements in appropriate places (populated) by the program, so that it makes sense as a group sheet.
However, this data will only make sense if you follow the rules of the program, and exercise com- mon sense in entering your data. In the end, it comes down to establishing rules and standards that you follow consistently. ...
[Six rules are given.]
... (page 37)
Years ago, searching for your ancestors meant going from court house to court house, to town halls, cemeteries, and churches, looking at indexes and huge bound volumes to find the item you wanted. It often entailed travel expenses, lodging costs, and meals away from home, not to mention the some- times less-than-helpful clerks that you tried to tactfully deal with at the various locations. And when all was said and done, you might come away empty handed.
Then there were the census microfilms. If you were lucky, your local library might have a set of them, at least for your own state. Otherwise, ...
This is one reason I'm really happy to have the Internet. As much as we complain about the Web, the range and scope of original genealogical materials available on-line is truly mind boggling. You can ...
The scope of this piece is to discuss some of the sites and source materials available on the Internet, and what you need in terms of Internet access and equipment to make your on-line research profitable, and hassle free.
[Connecting to the Internet, computer selection, and
both subscription and free sites are described.]
... (page 38)
Loudon H. Park(s) (b. ca. 1802 VT, d. bef. 1870), possible brother of Silas L. Parks (LK=CU) and Peter G. Parks (LK=IW)
According to Family Bible Records, provided by an earlier Parke Society member, Mr. Parks of Bennington Co, Vermont had four sons: Silas Leonard (b. 1801 VT-d. 1876 MI); Peter Glick (b. 1807 VT-d. 1891 MO); George; and Loudon. More recent research shows that George, who notarized at least one of the Broome County, New York deeds, was from the Robert MA 1630 lineage. However, in 1824, Silas L. Parks and his wife Lozina sold ...
[This family has been traced in Census records from 1830 through 1930.]
... (page 41)
With the DNA test, the Park Society shared what is called, "An Analysis of the Thomas (VA 1728) LK=C DNA Group." This information was expertly prepared by Ken Parks (PS # 1706), the group administrator for the Park/e/s DNA Surname Project. Included in the DNA information was a family descendant chart. I decided to trace the family descendant chart from Thomas I of VA 1728 forward ...
Lo and behold, there was Samuel Waitstill Parks being the seventh and last child named. Along with this important information came the sources I needed. After searching for fifteen long years, there was my answer. I'm still awestruck receiving this great news.
...
(page 44)
Legend tells that James was only twelve when he made this foot-journey. Later, James moved a little south, to the area around Williamsport, PA., where he lived for several years, eventually returning to the home-area between Litchfield, PA and Nichols, NY.
[Some interesting events in life of Thomas' family are described.]
The major crossing of the Susquehanna in this area
is now US Route l7, which bypasses Nichols, just
north of the village. But the old River Road from
Athens, PA to Nichols is still in good repair, and you
can follow it to-day, finding the Park cemetery
beside it, on the north side of the road, straddling the
state line. Three generations of Parks are buried on
the Pennsylvania side. ...
(page 45)
Bill Dollarhide, a long-time genealogist, founded the Genealogy Bulletin, writes features for Heritage Quest Magazine, and has published numerous books on the subject of genealogy. He has prepared the following 45 pointers for genealogical researchers. There's a kernel of truth in each.
... (page 47)
Former Registrar, Dead at 89
...
Long time member, deceased at 91.
...
(page 49)