Serendipity Friday, 27 February 2015

Guess what? New flash! Cyndi Ingle, of wide renown in the genealogy world, is coming to Spokane to be the presenter at the EWGS Fall Workshop. Practically everybody has learned from CyndisList as part of their research and now we get the chance to hear from her face-to-face. I've heard her in person several times and she is worth the time, money and effort to come to the EWGS Fall Workshop. Details to be announced, but save the date:  Saturday, 3 October 2015. 

Besides hosting that wonderful show, Genealogy Roadshow, Josh Taylor is president of the Federation of Genealogical Societies. As such, he was a keynote speaker at the recent FGS/RootsTech conference. Toward the end of one of his sessions (a presentation on society management), he said this:  "To help your society take on a new idea and  start it and take another new idea and apply it to something you are already doing and make it better."  I thought that was sound and wonderful advice and could apply to any group of any ilk.

A genealogy friend who lives in New York once told me that she suffers from Squirrel Syndrome. She explained that just like a squirrel, she gets distracted and side tracked very easily. I can identify with that!  Also with Shiny Object Syndrome......... past EWGS member, Cecily Kelly, explained this malady to me. "I easily get distracted and side tracked by "shiny objects" which in my world are too many websites to click!" 

From a brochure I picked up at the Family History Library in Salt Lake:  "The People's Collection Wales is a contemporary, dynamic and bilingual online experience dedicated to the history of Wales and its people. People's Collection Wales is a place to discover and learn, contribute your own content and share your story of Wales with the world. Discover. Contribute. Share. To find out more go to www.peoplescollectionswales.co.uk "

The Arecibo Observatory is a radio telescope in the municipality of Arecibo, Puerto Rico. 

The film shown in the Visitors' Center at the Arecibo Observatory contained a wonderful quote:  

"Awaken within yourself the fascination of the universe." 

During our January 2015 visit to this island commonwealth, I spotted many names that "belonged" to the U.S. mainland:  Salinas, San Antonio, Carolina, Virginia, Rio Grande. Point is that it seems quite seldom to find a place name that has not been used more than once, somewhere. Do you know of any?

Bet you did not know that Spokane has a Slavic Newspaper. Slavic Ways "is a publication in the Russian language for Slavic people in Washington, Idaho and Oregon, educating legal immigrants and refugees on how to become productive and independent ASAP in the land of the free, home of the brave."  Of course, I could not read this newspaper but I could see ads for services and products that might be useful to this community plus several articles which were interesting, I'm sure. Check it out at www.slavicways.com

In early February, 2015, an AP story appeared in our local newspaper:  "Four Magna Cartas united; First-ever event marks anniversary." The blurb went on to say that a "unification event" was held in the British Library when the four surviving copies of the priceless document were put on display together for the first time, marking the 800th anniversary of the Magna Carta, which established the timeless principle that no individual, even a monarch, is above the law." What does this have to do with your family history? It is believed that the Magna Carta influenced not only Thomas Jefferson when he helped draft the Declaration of Independence, but also the writers of the French Constitution and the late South African leader, Nelson Mandela. Perhaps you live freely under the law because of the Magna Carta??

Donna Potter Phillips, until next Friday. 

Lesson On Local Land Records

EWGS member Anna Reeves emailed an interesting question to our local-records-research guru, Charles Hansen. Their emails and answers were shared with me to share with all of you.

Anna wrote to Charles:  "My grandparents came to Spokane in 1884 and became property owners Here. Several years ago I could do down to the courthouse and search through the grantor/grantee direct/indirect indexes. Then I would go look at the deeds. The last time I was there, they were in the process of digitizing all of those records. So you know what the process is nowdays in order to do that type of research? Do I still go to the courthouse or can it be  done line? Also, what happened to the original books? I figured that they would be transferred to the state archives in Cheney but I don't see them listed anywhere."

Charles's answer was, as always, right on:  "Anna, yes, all the grantor/grantee records were digitized, and at the courthouse they can bring those records up on their computers and make a print copy for you in seconds. There is an index online; I Googled it and it is listed with several other counties, so be sure you are in the Spokane County records. The actual record books are now at Cheney. The cost for copies is $1.00 a page at the courthouse and 25 cents a page at Cheney."

Thank you, Anna, for asking such a great question and thank you, Charles, for such a thorough answer.

Latah County Historical Society Seminar

Want to discover your Irish and Scots-Irish Ancestors?

Many people believe that researching Irish ancestors is impossible because of the destruction of the Public Record Office in 1922. While many records were destroyed, others survived and have come online in recent years.

Join experts Fintan Mullan and Gillian Hunt from the Ulster Historical Foundation to learn how to get the most out of Irish resources and records, gain strategies for breaking down brick walls, and grasp important historical context that may help fill in gaps in your research. Whether you are just beginning your Irish research or have been at it for years, you won’t want to miss this workshop!

Find out more at http://uhfonthepalouse.com/ about a special Irish and Scots-Irish seminar from the Ulster Historical Foundation to follow up St. Patrick’s Day:

Tracing Your Irish and Scots-Irish Ancestors

Best Western Plus University Inn

Moscow, Idaho, March 27, 2015, 11:30 a.m.-4 p.m.

Lunch included; Pre-registration required

Sponsored by the Latah County Historical Society

Kathy and Bruce Pitman

Mary Wack

Staff from the Ulster Historical Foundation – Fintan Mullan and Gillian Hunt-- will present a seminar on Irish and Scots-Irish genealogy for beginners and active family historians. Mullan is Executive Director of the Foundation, an educational nonprofit organization which specializes in historical research and publications. Hunt is Research Officer with the Foundation.

Topics will include:

·        Introduction to Irish and Scots-Irish Family History Research

·        Emigration from Ireland to America and the Sources for its Study (including Famine emigration) 

·        Using land records: Griffith’s Valuation, Tithe and Estate records

·        Q&A and solving your brick walls (includes using online databases as part of solving brick walls)

   

The programme includes “Solving your brick-walls” – a practical internet tutorial for trying to resolve research queries. It is an extended question and answer session, where the speakers use online resources and their local knowledge to offer participants practical tips and specific advice about their personal research interests.

This seminar provides very practical and detailed information on how to trace your Irish ancestors. The presenters are from one of Ireland’s foremost genealogy research organisations and publishing houses and they will give advice on what to do and where to go next. These sessions will help the beginner and the seasoned genealogist alike.

What better way to celebrate St Patrick’s Day itself, than by making a start on your Irish and Scots-Irish ancestral quest? Your Irish genealogy is waiting to be discovered.

With over 55 years’ experience of serving Irish people everywhere, let the Ulster Historical Foundation help you discover your family’s story.

EWGS 80th Birthday 2015

February 19, 1935

Modern Bakery Bakes Animal Food.

Income Tax Bill Introduced in Lower House

The CCC was busy.

EWGS 80th Birthday 2015

February 16, 1935

Draw Up Plans for Airport Hanger at Felts Field Plans for a city owned commercial airplane hanger at Felts Field being prepared by volunteer architects. The hanger is designed to hous the largest commercial airliners and would cost between $100,000- $150,000.

February 18, 1935

February 19, 1935

EWGS 2015 Writing Contest......... Did You Get The Word?

2015 EWGS Writing Contest

In honor of the 80^th Anniversary of

Eastern Washington Genealogical Society

My Family in 1935

            This topic allows any EWGS member the opportunity to write a piece of their family history and genealogy, no matter where their family lived in 1935.

Subject: You may choose either your paternal or maternal line or do both and show how living conditions may have been different for both families in 1935 because of where they lived, occupations, etc. 

Documentation: Include your sources at the end of your entry.  This is an opportunity to use both the 1930 and 1940 census records.

Length:  One to six pages.  For your final entry, please convert your text to Arial 12 font. This gives everyone pages of equal size and makes it easier for the judges to read.

Prizes: $100 - First Place   $75.00 - Second Place   $50.00 - Third Place

Winners Announced: 2015 October Workshop/Seminar

Judging: By EWGS members (who will remain anonymous throughout the judging)

Final Thoughts: Run your spell checker.  Have someone preview your story before entering it to ensure you said what you wanted to say with good grammar. 

Contest Deadline: May 31, 2015

Email entry to: digestcoordinator@ewgsi.org

Enjoy digging out your research, dusting it off and writing about your family all the while creating a story you will enjoy sharing with your family.

EWGS

1935 - 2015

80 years

Serendipity Friday, February 20, 2015

Sharing some bits and pieces brought home from RootsTech 2015 last week:

Going to be in Indiana this summer?  The Indiana Historical Society is holding their annual Midwestern Roots conference on 1-2 August in Indianapolis. Advance notice:  the dates will be 15-16 July in 2016, also in Indianapolis.  Google it to learn the details.

FamilySearch Apps.... did you realize you can have a whole family of genealogy apps on your phone from FamilySearch? And of course they're free. FamilySearch has partnered with many companies to offer to you their services. Companies like Ancestry,  Billion Graves, FamilyTree DNA,  Find A Grave, Find My Past, Fold 3, Kinpoint, Genealogy Bank, My Heritage, NEHGS, RootsMagic and Legacy and several more. Such a nice deal.  Stay tuned to www.familysearch.org/partneraccess. (If only I had a smart phone..... I'm in the dwindling army of those with dumb phones.)

The U.S. Citizenship & Immigration Services has a genealogy program. Who would have thought? If you are seeking records between 1906 and 1951, you might want to click to www.uscis.gov/genealogy. 

The BYU Family History Library (http://sites.lib/byu.edu/familyhistory) offers you direct links to research sources. For instance, under Digital Archives, there are links to all fifty U.S. state archives. Another link is for Libraries & Historical Societies and there is one for Periodicals & Newspapers. How will you know that there is nothing there for you unless you go looking??

Here's a fun one: Text in a Bottle (www.TextinaBottle.com). Set up a free account on this website and you can send very special messages to friends and family. I say "special" for the message pops from a bottle and unrolls for the recipient to read. And you can post-date these messages to come tomorrow, next month or long into the future. Great to go through your birthday calendar and have birthday messages all done and ready to be sent!!

Anybody but me ever do a book using Ancestry's MyCanvas? And remember how bummed we were to hear that Ancestry was discontinuing this service? Well, as you might have guessed would happen did happen. Now it's MyCanvas by Alexander's and is still reachable from a link at Ancestry or directly at www.mycanvas.com.  Sigh. All is not lost.

Ancestor Cloud (www.ancestorcloud.com) is another new opportunity I learned about at RootsTech 2015. Their blurb reads:  "AncestorCloud is a global marketplace of passionate researchers that work together to solve their research problems. Whether you're stuck and need a records lookup, local photograph, translation, research help, or anything else, AncestorCloud is the online community for you." Here's how it works. Click to the website and create a profile. Then type into the box what you are wanting and how much you're willing to pay for the help. When somebody responds, offering to help you, that amount is deposited in their online-money account built into the website and then they can use it to "buy" help they need. Pretty cool idea, really.


Whenever I'm in Salt Lake City, I try to attend the "Music & The Spoken Word,"  the live half hour broadcast on Temple Square. Before RootsTech, I was lucky! Lloyd D. Newell always gives an inspirational and non-denominational message and this time his message centered around Broadway musical star Idina Menzel. She realized that in her performances on stage that she might not hit every note correctly every single time. But that's life and that's okay. Lloyd Newell ended his remarks that Sunday with this:  "We are all far more than the notes we hit....or fail to hit. Perhaps we should define ourselves not by what we are today but by what we can be, by what we aspire to be. Wherever those aspirations are leading us, let us accept that success can happen over time, little by little. With this perspective, our mistakes and shortcomings can teach us instead of condemn us. In reality, this is what it means to do our best."

EWGS 80th Birthday 2015

February 15, 1935

Mary Lou Petty National Champ: The brilliant Spokane swimmer won as expected in the National 500 yard junior freestyle event at Seattle swimming the distance in 3 minutes 39.5 seconds. Betty Lea a 15 year old was second. Eleanor Siemon of Crystal Pool in Seattle was third.

February 16, 1935

EWGS 80th Birthday 2015

February 14, 1935
Board Refuses Sales Tax Veto:  The Idaho legislature adopts a sales tax as a means for raising revenue for relief and other purposes. The Board of Trade refused to go on record opposing the enactment of the sales tax.

February 15, 1935
Dam Site Power Measure Passed by State House: Showing faith with President Roosevelt in the construction of Grand Coulee Dam, the house today passed and sent to the senate a constitutional amendment authorizing the state to produce and distribute electric power. The vote was 91-2.

EWGS 80th Birthday 2015

February 14, 1935
Snow depth at Lookout summit is greater than anytime in the last ten years. Snow measured 139 inches, previous maximum was 120 inches March 1, 1927. Last year 42 inches, while 1933 99 inches, 80 inches in 1932, 33 inches in 1931 and 35 inches in 1930.

Spokane business and Professional Women are opposed to HB 23 which would provide a 6 hour day for women. The bill is discriminatory. Why legislate for women only.
Sect 1 All women will be paid a minimum of 50 cents an hour.
Sect 2 No woman shall work for more tha 6 hours an any 24 hours or 30 hours a week.
If they want a 30 hour week don't limit it to women only.

 Did industry make a profit in WWII??

Aerial Program Set for Sunday. Aerial demonstration and Open House at Felts Field with the National Guard flyers of the 116th Observation Squadron as hosts. This is part of the National Defense week program. A detail from the 161st National Guard infantry will cooperate with the air corps in staging ground demonstrations.

Volkswagen??

Kamloops Family History Society May Seminar

Click on any of these pages to enlarge them.

EWGS 80th Birthday 2015

February 12, 1935

February 13, 1935

Olympia Plans Public Hearing. The House gave approval for an all day public hearing Saturday on proposed revenue raising measures including Governor Martin's Business and Occupation and Luxury Tax bills.
Inclusion of Life Insurance at Olympia appears to be ill advised as government aims are concerned with social relief. House Bill 237 would tax Life Insurance as part of the inheritance tax.

CCC Lads Builds Miles of Roads. More tahn 696 miles of new roads were constructed by the CCC and blister rust control groups from November of 1933 to October 1, 1934.

Gonzaga Tastes Sweet Revenge. Gonzaga finally won by defeating the Desserts 32 to 28 Tuesday night at Gonzaga. The Desserts had won the first two games of the series, and atfter trailing 23 to 9 at the half nearly caught the bulldogs. 

EWGS 80th Birthday 2015

February 11, 1935

Joe Cronin thinks night baseball is a "big joke" and hopes the American League will never play it. He believes owl baseball is a fad and nothing else. If the National league wants to switch on the light, let them do it. That will make the American League the only big league in the country.

Admiral Byrd is leaving Anartica for home.

Mead wins basketball Championship with One-Point Victories

Ewgs 80th Birthday 2015

February 6, 1935
Tax on Payrolls Illegal Claim Manufacturers,  Congress was told by the National Association of Manufacturers that the unemployment insurance tax proposed by the Social Security bill is unconstitutional. They objected to the 3% tax on payrolls.

February 7, 1935

February 8, 1935

February 9, 1935

Figure Skaters Plan Sensations:  Four sensational skating acts featured at the carnival to be held Wednesday night at the ice arena. 
George Owen Brian and Miss Ellen Kavanaugh will do an acrobatic specialty number.
Alex Lingren and Miss Margaret Clark of Lewis and Clark  will also appear.
The "Whirling Dervishes" will be presented by Bill Nolan and Miss Gladys Rudstone.
Claude Malone Spokan's skating fireman will off er a ghost number on the darkened ice.
Art Pohl will clown around on the ice.
Proceeds will be given to the Shrine hospital.

Serendipity Friday

Did you see this on the news back in October? Our Spokesman reported that "as slow-moving lava approached a cemetery in a rural Hawaii town, Aiko Sato placed flowers at the headstone of the family plot she's tended to over the years, thinking it would be the last time she would see it."

By a miracle of nature, the lava swirled around the tombstone and left it standing and visible. The family feels that Pele, the Hawaiian volcano goddess, spared the headstone. "We're so thankful we know the tomb is still there."

Has the lava continued its rampage? Is the tombstone still standing? Wouldn't we like to know?

I took this photo of a tombstone under a rock on a beach in Puerto Rico. Did not have paper and pencil to take notes, but it was only a few years old. Wonder if Mother Nature will let this be???

Many wonder why pay thousands of dollars for a fancy casket??? Here were two, surely very expensive in their day, sitting in the corner of a cemetery in San Juan, Puerto Rico, quietly rusting away. Very sad.

Hope you enjoyed Serendipity Friday from Donna.

EWGS 80th Birthday 2015

February 4, 1935
Single Primary Bill is Beaten in Upper House.  A tie vote 22 to 22 in the senate today defeated initiative #2. The Grange sponsored blanket primary that passed in the House last week 86-11. They did move for reconsideration.

Delinquent Tax Cause of Worry.  COLVILLE  The report of county auditor Ben P. Taylor was submitted to the state auditor. The Report shows tax delinquency is a growing problem.


Tiny Warships Best Says British Expert.  LONDON  The 10,000 ton cruisers of the German Navy are rapidly making obsolete the huge dreadnaughts of the US, Great Britain and Japan. They are well armed and faster than the battleships.

February 5, 1935

142 to Graduate at Havermale Junior High.  Of the group one will go to Lewis and Clark, one to Rogers and the rest to North Central. John A. Shaw the principal is in charge of the graduation. Program will present the orchestra. Class will be honored at a final assembly Thursday and a dance on Friday night.

February 6, 1935

More Fashion news.

EWGS 80th Birthday 2015

February 2, 1935

Solar Eclipse February 3, 1935

More fashion news.

February 4, 1935

Set New Record in Bobsled Race.  Lake Placid, NY.  J. Hubert Stevens and brother F. Paul Stevens won the National AAU 2 man Bobsled Championship with record smashing 4 heat total of 7 minutes 50.57 seconds a new record. (They owned the old record also).

Cheney Defeated by Ellensburg.  Ellensburg won 34 to 32 setting the stage for another tri normal title match between the two teams February 20 at Cheney.

The teams shared the championship last year and if Cheney wins at home on the 20th, the Savages will share the championship again.

Social Security Will be Speeded.  Chairman Doughton ( Dem. NC) said today the Ways and Means Committee may bring the Social Security bill on the floor early next week for passage.

Sales figures for Spokane in 1933.