Public Libraries

Genealogy tip for today:  Local Libraries

This library in which I work does not have a genealogy section per se` but don’t let that stop you from coming here – or going to any library that is the same. If you are fortunate to live in the same area as all your ancestors, than your local will be your best friend.

If you are not that fortunate, then be sure to seek out the nearest public library to your place of research. With the Internet now, it is easy to research libraries in a given area, find their address and phone number and hours of operation. Most will now even have an email address. Some do not charge a fee; others often do, at varying rates. So first of all, you can find out their contact information.

Now, what will they have? Even our “non-genealogical” library has sources peculiar to the area that genealogists use: past phone books, old city directories, yearbooks, published obituaries, newspapers, county histories, and even plat maps.  Sometimes, local genealogy societies will publish vital records of the area. Some of these items may or may not be in the library you need, and they may have some things that we don’t.  You would need to look at their catalogs and do a keyword search. Or, of course, if you are able to visit on location, you can just go in and browse. Sometimes you will see things that you didn’t necessarily think of.  The point is: don’t discredit them just because they may not have a “Genie Dept.”

Now…on the other hand, if the library you need doesn’t have what you are looking for, think of other places where you might find them. City Hall may have old city directories; School District offices may have old yearbooks. And while you’re at it, see if they have school records on your ancestor. If it has been about a century since that person was in school, they may not have a problem giving you what you want. I wrote a school district one time and just asked. Turned out they didn’t have my person in their records even though she told me she went to school there. But you don’t know if you don’t ask.

Speaking of which - assumption is a dangerous thing! Let curiosity reign! You don’t really know, until you ask. So get those letters and emails rolling and see what you can dig up (pun intended!).  Don’t forget letter writing etiquette. Send an SASE – self addressed stamped envelope and make only one request, or not more than 2 simple ones at a time.

Never know - you just might find what you need in the most unexpected places.

 

COMING SOON - 

Our Library's Foundation board sponsors every year a Conversation With event, bringing in a well known author. This year's author is Debbie Macomber. It will be held at the Roger's Little Theater on Friday, October 11th. You can go online to www.rplfoundation.org or contact the library for your $39 tickets.

 

Tickets include meeting the author, 1 signed copy of Starry Night (not yet released), appetizers and drinks. Come join us, meet the author and help support our library as well.  

 

 

Today in History

 

876   Charles the Bald is defeated at the Battle of Andernach.

1690 Belgrade is retaken by the Turks.
1840 King William I of Holland abdicates.
1855 Arrow, a ship flying the British flag, is boarded by Chinese who arrest the crew, thus beginning the Second Chinese War.
1862 The Union is victorious at the Battle of Perryville, the largest Civil War combat to take place in Kentucky.

1871 The Great Chicago Fire begins in southwest Chicago, possibly in a barn owned by Patrick and Katherine O'Leary. Fanned by strong southwesterly winds, the flames raged for more than 24 hours, eventually leveling three and a half square miles and wiping out one-third of the city. Approximately 250 people were killed in the fire; 98,500 people were left homeless; 17,450 buildings were destroyed.

1897 Journalist Charles Henry Dow, founder of the Wall Street Journal, begins charting trends of stocks and bonds.
1900 Maximilian Harden is sentenced to six months in prison for publishing an article critical of the German Kaiser.

1906 Karl Ludwig Nessler first demonstrates a machine in London that puts permenant waves in hair. The client wears a dozen brass curlers, each wearing two pounds, for the six-hour process.

1912 First Balkan War begins as Montenegro declares war against the Ottoman Empire.

1918 US Army corporal Alvin C. York kills 28 German soldiers and captures 132 in the Argonne Forest; promoted to sergeant and awarded US Medal of Honor and French Croix de Guerre.

1919 The U.S. Senate and House of Representatives pass the Volstead Prohibition Enforcement Bill.
1921 First live radio broadcast of a football game; Harold W. Arlin was the announcer when KDKA of Pittsburgh broadcast live from Forbes Field as the University of Pittsburgh beat West Virginia University 21–13.
1922 Lilian Gatlin becomes the first woman pilot to fly across the United States.
1932 Indian Air Force established.
1939 Nazi Germany annexes Western Poland.

1956 Don Larsen of the New York Yankees pitches the first perfect game in World Series history against the Brooklyn Dodgers.

1967Guerrilla Che Guevara captured in Bolivia.
1968 U.S. forces in Vietnam launch Operation SEALORDS (South East Asia Lake, Ocean, River and Delta Strategy), an attack on communist supply lines and base areas in and around the Mekong Delta.
1969 The "Days of Rage" begin in Chicago; the Weathermen faction of the Students for a Democratic Society initiate 3 days of violent antiwar protests.
1973  In the Yom Kippur War an Israeli armored brigade makes an unsuccessful attack on Egyptian positions on the Israeli side of the Suez Canal.

1978 Ken Warby of Australia sets the world water speed record, 317.60 mph, at Blowering Dam in Australia; no other human has yet (2013) exceeded 300 mph on water and survived.
 

1982 The musical Cats begins a run of nearly 18 years on Broadway.

1991 Croatia votes to sever its ties with Yugoslavia.
2001 US President George W. Bush establishes the Office of Homeland Security.

 

Birthdays today      

 

1810 James Wilson Marshall, discoverer of gold in California.

1890 Eddie Rickenbacker, U.S. fighter pilot in World War I, aviation pioneer.
1895 Juan Peron, Argentinean dictator.
1917 Rodney Porter, British biochemist and Nobel Proze winner.
1926 Cesar Milstein, molecular biologist.
1936 Rona Barrett, gossip columnist; co-host of NBC's Tomorrow program (1980-81).
1939 Paul Hogan, comedian, actor; won Golden Globe for his role as "Crocodile" Dundee (1986).
1939 Lynne Stewart, US attorney convicted of conspiracy and providing material support to terrorists (2005) and perjury (2010).
1941 Jesse Jackson, civil rights leader.

1943 R. L. Stine, author, screenwriter, producer; known as the "Stephen King of children's literature" for his hundreds of horror novels written for younger readers.

1943 Chevy Chase, actor, comedian, known for his roles on Saturday Night Live TV series and comedic movies (National Lampoon's Summer Vacation, Caddyshack).
1948 Johnny Ramone, musician, songwriter, founding member of The Ramones band.
1949 Sigourney Weaver, actress; (Aliens film series, Gorillas in the Mist).
1952 Edward Zwick, director, producer whose films often are based on historic events (Glory, The Last Samurai).
1959 Erik Gundersen, motorcycle speedway rider; won 3 Speedway World Championships, 2 Long Track World Championships, and 7 World Team Cup awards (riding for Denmark in the latter).
1965 C. J. Ramone, musician, sometimes vocalist of The Ramones.
1970 Matt Damon, actor, screenwriter, producer, philanthropist; shared Academy Award and Golden Globe for screenplay Good Will Hunting; appeared in Saving Private Ryan, Invictus.

 

 

 

 

Word for the Day

pediculous

PRONUNCIATION:

(pe-DIK-yuh-luhs) 

 

MEANING:

adjective: Infested with lice: lousy; contemptible.

ETYMOLOGY:

From pedis (louse). Earliest documented use: 1540.

USAGE:

"We prisoners called ourselves the Jerseys, not out of respect for this vile, pediculous hulk, but because it was our commonality, the glue that held us in its glorious stink."
Jerome Charyn; Johnny One-Eye; Norton; 2008.

"Harris called one of the pair a 'slimy, contemptible oaf ... ignorant pediculous loafer ... untalented, worthless, parasitical bloodsucker."
Jim Seavor; Our Town Controversial? Providence Journal (Rhode Island); Oct 5, 1985.

 

 

Quote for the Day

What is life? It is the flash of a firefly in the night. It is the breath of a buffalo in the wintertime. It is the little shadow which runs across the grass and loses itself in the sunset. -Crowfoot, Native American warrior and orator (1821-1890) 

 

 

 

Today’s Recipe

Treats, No Tricks!

 

CandyCorn – Krispies Treat

 

Ingredients:

Cooking spray
9 tablespoons unsalted butter, divided  
12 cups miniature marshmallows, divided
3/4 teaspoon fine salt, divided
9 cups crisp puffed-rice cereal, divided
1 tablespoon grated orange zest
Yellow and red food coloring
1 tablespoon grated lemon zest

 

Directions:

Lightly coat a 5-by-9-inch loaf pan with cooking spray. In a large saucepan, melt 3 tablespoons unsalted butter over medium. Add 4 cups miniature marshmallows and 1/4 teaspoon fine salt; stir until melted. Stir in 3 cups crisp puffed-rice cereal and immediately transfer to pan. Coat an offset spatula with cooking spray and firmly press mixture into an even layer.

 

Rinse saucepan. Repeat step 1 twice: To second batch, add orange zest and enough yellow and red food coloring to tint marshmallow mixture orange before adding cereal, then press into pan. To third batch, add lemon zest and enough yellow food coloring to tint marshmallow mixture yellow. Press third batch into pan.

 

Let set 2 hours (or overnight). Run a small knife around edges of pan and invert loaf onto a cutting board. With a serrated knife, cut loaf into 10 slices. Cut each slice in half crosswise.

 

Using your hands, gently mold each treat into a candy-corn shape.

 

 

ENJOY! 

Now You Know!