SATURDAY NIGHT FUN–SURNAME CHRISTMAS TREE

Randy at Genea-Musings http://www.geneamusings.com/2013/12/saturday-night-genealogy-fun-make.html has suggested another good, fun idea for Saturday Night Fun.  

He suggested that we create a Surname Christmas tree.  Great idea!  

Here’s mine.

I don’t think this is as clever as Randy’s, but it was fun to create.

I used Tagxedo http://www.tagxedo.com/app.html  This is a site that you can use to create all sorts of cloud type designs.

Show me what you created.  

Thanks Randy for the great idea.  And thanks Leslie Ann for giving Randy the idea.

Copyright © 2013    Diane Gould Hall

HOW I FOLLOW A TRAIL OF RECORDS & ANALYZE WHAT I FIND–HENRY HART FAMILY–PART 2

MY GOAL:  CAN I PROVE A RELATIONSHIP BETWEEN MY 2ND GREAT GRANDFATHER, HENRY HART & A REPORTED FIRST WIFE?  

 

HE IS REPORTED TO HAVE MARRIED & HAD 4 CHILDREN WITH THIS WIFE, PRIOR TO MARRYING MY 2ND GREAT GRANDMOTHER.
 
I WILL SHARE WITH YOU, IN THIS POST AND UPCOMING POSTS, HOW I FOLLOW THE LEADS AND WHAT I FIND.
 
THIS IS AN ONGOING SERIES.  PLEASE REFER TO PREVIOUS POSTS, IF NECESSARY. 
Here is a link to the first post: HOW I FOLLOW A TRAIL OF RECORDS & ANALYZE WHAT I FIND - HENRY HART FAMILY - PART 1

I HAVE RESTATED MY GOAL ABOVE AND WILL RE-STATE THAT GOAL AT THE BEGINNING OF EACH POST FOR THIS SERIES. 
 
According to the information from cousin Judy, Hiram Harper Hart was born on 11 Sep 1818. No place of birth is listed nor is there a death date or place.
 

There is some handwritten information on the sheet from cousin Judy (see above photo of same) that seems to contain specific information related to Hiram. I can read most of it, but what does it mean? 
 
Here is what I think it says, I am trying to interpret the printing to the best of my ability.
 
“1850 census list Hiram 32, Clorasis-younger, Curtiss
1859 – son Seth, d-Nancy, s-Elijah, d-Clarassia, son-Arthur
Believe there were 6 children (must be 3rd wifes 6 children)”
 
The first place I will look will be on the census reports. 
 
NOTE:  Before 1850, only the heads of household were listed on the U.S. population census reports.  This means that we can look at the census records from 1790-1840 and try to ascertain from the ages of those enumerated, who they might be.  However, since this family was living in Canada prior to about 1838, as far as I can tell, this makes finding them a little more challenging.  Here is the chronology report with the information I currently have on Henry HART & his first wife, Sarah SUMNER:
 


Your looking at this for the first time and so am I.  What does that “verified” word at the top mean?  I haven’t verified any of this information yet.  I am using Legacy version 8, which just came out last week.  Is this an anomaly in the report?  For now we will ignore that word.
 
What I have found online on Ancestry.com as far as early census records, is NOTHING.  

There is a family tree on Ancestry that states that Henry was living in Cambria, Niagara Co., New York in 1840.  Would Hiram have been living with him then?  How about the other children?  I cannot locate that census record.
 
Let’s move on then.  Our focus is Hiram Harper HART.  It is very easy to get sidetracked when we are researching.  I can tell you that I am a HUGE offender.  FOCUS, FOCUS, FOCUS!  Those are words I repeat to myself often.
 
I’m going to go to familysearch.org and put in Hiram Harper Hart, with a wife named Clara (instead of Clarissa, I will enter Clara or even Clar* as it gives me a broader search).  Parents names Henry & Sally Sarah.  
 
NOTE:  I tend to put in minimal amounts of information to broaden the net of my search.  If you enter too much you will restrain the search and I’d rather scroll through some data and pick what is relevant, than have too little.
 
Here is what I entered for my search:
 
 

Notice I have not entered a last name or even a complete name for Clarissa, his wife.  Nor have I entered a last name for his father or mother, only first names.
 
Here are some of the results of this search:

As you can see we have plenty of results.  And what excites me is that the names are a match to what is on that family list from cousin Judy (see above).
 
Now to examine each and every one of these records.  Since several of them have images (as indicated by the camera next to the record source) we will be able to actually look at the record, rather than just an index/transcription of the record.  However, any record is better than no record.
 

NOTE: It is extremely easy to get sidetracked when doing any research.  I am a perfect example of that.  I had to stop writing the draft of this post due to other priorities (you know…regular life things, especially during the holidays).  

 

Before being able to examine the records I have posted above about Hiram Harper Hart, I found one of those “oh so tempting” shaky leaves on my Ancestry tree for Clarissa Curtis, Hiram’s wife.  I took the bait and clicked on the hints and have now gone down the road with Hiram’s wife, Clarissa.  This isn’t a bad thing to do because, after all, it’s still the same family and you don’t know what records you will find.
 
Here is what happened.
 
I followed one lead, which led to another and don’t you know I have FINALLY located her death certificate!  That’s a big find!!!  Up until now I had not located her death date or record.  WHY?  Because I would have been searching under the surname Hart.  
 
She must have remarried to someone named PARKS.  She was living with her son Arthur in the 1900 census listed as Clarise Parks, widowed mother of the head of household, her son, Arthur Hart.  Does this help me with Hiram.  YES.  Because if Clarissa remarried and I can locate the marriage record, then I may be able to determine if Hiram died or they divorced.  At least I will have a time frame.
 
The steps I followed to locate her death record were as follows:

• Click on her name in the 1900 census and this is what comes up.

Notice it states she is widowed.  Also over on the right hand side you will “other records that may be relevant to Clarrisa Parks.”  There is a listing for a Michigan death record.
 
I clicked on the link for the Michigan death record and found this:
 


You can see that it gives the name of her father, Asa Curtis.  Based on the information from cousin Judy, I believe her maiden name to be Curtis.  And from a couple of Ancestry trees I have found her father listed as Asa Curtis.  Along with that is a year of birth 1829, which is in keeping with other records for her.
 
Notice over on the right hand side of this record there is listed an 1891 Canadian census.  

Let’s see what that contains.
 


I reviewed this record and some of the other records listed on the right side of the page above. In evaluating those records I have concluded that there may be two Clarissa Parks. 
I won’t go into detail here as this post is already too long.  

However, let me share the marriage record I did find for Clarissa Curtis Hart to Edward Parks.
 


The entry for Clarissa Curtis Hart & Edward Parks is the second one from the bottom and here is a close up.  (Remember you can click on any of these image to make them larger)
 


As you can see this marriage record not only lists Clarissa’s last name as Hart at the time of the marriage, but it also gives her maiden name as Curtis.  Her place of birth is New York, which matches other records.  As far as her age, it’s within a year or two of other records. 
 
TIP: Always pay attention to the ages & year of birth, but be sure you don’t disregard a record because those figures don’t match exactly.  People didn’t always know their exact dates of birth, like we do now.  And, remember, those ladies and even the men, weren’t always truthful about their ages.
 
Now I am convinced that the Clarissa Parks listed in the Michigan Death record is our Clarissa.  I know that there are online images of Michigan Death Certificates from 1897-1920 at a site called seekingmichigan.org.  I have used this site MANY times.  I went to that site and that's where I located Clarissa's death certificate.
 
Here is Clarissa’s death certificate:


You can see that her year & place of birth match other records we have for her.  That her father’s name is given as Asa Curtis and that the informant is her son, Elijah.  I am further convinced that this is the correct Clarissa Curtis, wife of Hiram Harper Hart.
 
I am going to close this post for now as it’s already too long.  This is a good research day as I have discovered that Hiram Harper Hart’s wife, Clarissa, married a second time and I’ve found her death certificate.
 
Next time, we will continue our search and see what we find.
 
REMEMBER:  When we have a plan for what we “think” we want to do, sometimes we need to be ready to go in another direction, at least temporarily.  
 
We are still trying to find proof of the marriage of Henry Hart to his “said to be” first wife, Sally Sumner.  It just may take us a while to get there. But, aren't we having fun in the meantime.  I know I am :)
 
I will continue with this search and share it with you. Stay tuned.
 
Happy hunting,
Michigan Girl
 

Copyright © 2013   Diane Gould Hall 

HOW I FOLLOW A TRAIL OF RECORDS & ANALYZE WHAT I FIND–HENRY HART FAMILY - PART 1

MY GOAL:  CAN I PROVE A RELATIONSHIP BETWEEN MY 2ND GREAT GRANDFATHER & A REPORTED FIRST WIFE?  SOMEONE HE IS SAID TO HAVE MARRIED & HAD 4 CHILDREN WITH, PRIOR TO MARRYING MY 2ND GREAT GRANDMOTHER.

I WILL SHARE WITH YOU, IN THIS POST AND UPCOMING POSTS, HOW I FOLLOW THE LEADS AND WHAT I FIND.

Here’s how it began today
I wanted to find out more information about a first wife for my 2nd great grandfather, Henry HART.  According to some online trees at Ancestry.com and information I have rec’d from a descendant of the first wife, her name was Sally “Sarah” SUMNER. 
I knew that, according to this information, Henry & Sally had four children, Lucy A., Hiram Harper, Benjamin Tyler and Nancy Malinda.  

What I have:  This is the typed family group sheet I received from my cousin, Judy.  There is a lot of information on this page.  HOWEVER – no sources are included.   
NOTE:  There are very specific dates on this sheet, so you have to assume they came from somewhere.  The question is:  WHERE?

What I don’t have:

• Proof of the marriage of Henry HART & Sally SUMNER
• Birth records for any of the four children

What I need:

• Records that will provide the information listed above
• Records that will link any of the children to their parents, such as marriage records listing the parent’s names or death records listing the parent’s names, census records with children living with the parents, cemetery records, probate records.
• It would be nice to have more than one source that provides evidence of the family bond.

How I proceeded:

I began with the first child I had listed.  Lucy A. Hart  born 5 Sep 1816 (this date comes from information from a cousin named Judy, and has not been verified or sourced). Further reference to this source will just say "cousin Judy.”

• I looked on familysearch.org for any record of Lucy A. Hart.  I searched using many criteria beginning with what I knew, her name, her date of birth (I only entered the day), her probably place of birth, Canada, and her parents names.  During the process of the search I added & deleted many different criteria, like first names, places and even dates.

 TIP:  By doing this you are broadening your search and increasing your chance of finding what you are looking for.

Results for this search – Nothing that matched.  Now what?

Let’s go over to my tree on Ancestry and see what I have for her.  Are there any new hints on the tree?

Here is a screen shot of my entry for Lucy and the hints attached.


As you can see I only have her name & date given to me by cousin Judy.  The only hints given are several Ancestry Family Trees (which I’ve already reviewed and have nothing more to offer) and the exact same typed family sheet I already have.
I conducted a search on Ancestry and did not find anything new for Lucy.

TIP:  Since I have 3 other children listed for this couple, my time can be better spent by moving on to the next child, for whom I have more information.   I can come back to Lucy later.  Maybe in researching her siblings I will find more information on her too.

In the next post of this series, I will move on to the second child, Hiram Harper Hart.  I have a lot more information to begin my research on him.

Until then, keep searching,
Michigan Girl

Copyright © 2013    Diane Gould Hall

MYSTERY MONDAY–WHERE IS THE WRECK OF THIS CIVIL WAR ERA PADDLE STEAMER?

SHIPWRECK HUNTER FINDS STEAMER "KEYSTONE STATE" IN LAKE HURON

 

This photo is from Wikipedia and would be similar to the Keystone State.  Although it is a picture of another vessel of the same name that served during the Civil War.

I found this article in the USA Today this morning.  It’s the story of a wooden steamer ship that sank in Lake Huron during the Civil War.  This was a Union Navy vessel.

Here is the article from USA Today:

“The Keystone State was in trouble. Big waves slammed into the wooden steamer's sides as it rocked in the water near Port Austin under the weight of a powerful November storm.
And then it was gone, swallowed up by Lake Huron that day in 1861, claiming the lives of all 33 on board.
 
The ship's final resting place was a mystery for 150 years. But Monday, veteran shipwreck hunter David Trotter, 72, of Canton plans to announce he and his crew found the side-wheel steamer in July at the bottom of Lake Huron — the latest in the nearly 100 vessels Trotter has discovered in more than 35 years of Great Lakes shipwreck hunting.
 
Trotter — who will announce the discovery on his website,www.shipwreck1.com — said he didn't think he'd ever find the Keystone State.
"My expectations were diminished because there was no reason to think she was this far north and in the middle of the lake," Trotter said.
 
Steamer history

The ship was among the largest steamers of its time. According to some historians, it might have sunk with its crew while secretly hauling Civil War supplies.
 
The Keystone State also was notable for helping European immigrants settle in the Midwest during the mid-19th Century, according to maritime historian C. Patrick Labadie. He said its discovery can shed light on ship construction methods of the era and how people used to travel.
 
"This one stands out," Labadie said. "It's a unique wreck."
 
The Keystone State was built in Buffalo, N.Y., and launched in 1849, when most shipbuilders didn't use written plans. It was just under 300 feet long and had twin stacks, a walking beam engine and giant paddle wheels on either side that were nearly 40 feet in diameter.
 
It was the second-largest steamship on the Great Lakes at the time and was among a class known as palace steamers, said maritime historian, author and artist Robert McGreevy.
"The interiors were made to look like the finest hotels. They were quite beautiful inside," he said. "They had leaded glass windows and carved arches and mahogany trim."
Along with posh accommodations for the wealthy, its steerage had plenty of space for immigrant travelers heading from Buffalo to destinations like Chicago or Milwaukee. Records show the boat also had room for 6,000 barrels of freight.
 
An economic downturn in 1857 sidelined the Keystone State and other similar ships, which were deemed too expensive to operate. Some were scrapped. Railroads had been expanding, offering more ways to travel and move goods.

"But when the Civil War started in 1861, all these ships that were laid up, all of a sudden they were worth a fortune again," McGreevy said. "(The Keystone State) was pulled out of storage in 1861, refurbished and sent to Detroit to pick up a cargo that was already waiting for her."

Emergency shipment

The Keystone State set out from Detroit, bound for Milwaukee, around Nov. 9, 1861.
Its manifest listed iron hardware, farm implements and barrels of grain. But some believe those words disguised the real cargo: munition or other Civil War supplies.
"It was an emergency shipment," McGreevy said. "It was in November, and usually a ship like this would not make an urgent trip the full length of the Great Lakes that late in the year. ... There was a lot of southern sympathy in Michigan at the start of the Civil War, and there was a real threat of sabotage."

Others are skeptical. Wayne Lusardi, state maritime archaeologist, said it seems unlikely that the ship would have carried munition in a direction away from the conflict at a time when many didn't expect the war to last beyond a few more months.

For several days, no one realized the ship had sunk, Trotter said. Then debris was spotted by another ship and later washed ashore near Lexington.  The ship wasn't carrying any lifeboats, a curious detail that could point to the urgency of its final voyage.

Side-scan sonar

Using a side-scan sonar device on Trotter's 32-foot powerboat — the Obsession Too — he and his team found the shipwreck the weekend after July 4.

“It's the sense of discovery, the sense of exploration. It's always been a passion of mine to find things that no one has found before.”
— David Trotter, shipwreck hunter

The zebra mussel-covered wreck is in nearly 175 feet of water, 25-30 miles northeast of Harrisville. Trotter said the location is 40-50 miles from where the ship was last seen on the surface.

Crew members made 30 dives on the site from July through September.
"The stern is kind of broken up and crumbled. The boilers are in good condition, the engine is in good condition," said diver Marty Lutz, 56, of Warren. "The wheels are both standing. ... It was pretty amazing to see those sitting upright on the bottom like that."

Divers shot video for DVDs that Trotter will sell online and use in presentations as part of his Great Lakes Adventure Series program. Trotter has a surveying company, Undersea Research Associates.

Still, excitement about the discovery was tinged with disappointment. Divers didn't find any cargo or the gold that was rumored to be on board, Trotter said.
"We still haven't unlocked the key to what her intent was at the time she left Detroit," he said.

Shipwreck experts believe the crew may have jettisoned the cargo in a panicked, desperate attempt to save the doomed ship. McGreevy said the only way to know what the Keystone State contained would be to search the vast area believed to be its final route.”
"I think it's going to remain one of the mysteries of the Great Lakes," he said.

To see articles from the Detroit Free Press back in 1861, concerning this vessel, go to this site http://images.maritimehistoryofthegreatlakes.ca/42563/data

I enjoy finding articles and stories about our history.  Until today, I had never heard of this steamer or the story behind her.

Happy hunting,
Michigan Girl

Copyright ©  2013   Diane Gould Hall

SATURDAY NIGHT FUN–DEAR SANTA-GENEALOGY WISH LIST

WHAT ARE YOUR GENEALOGY ORIENTED WISHES FOR SANTA TO LEAVE UNDER THE TREE THIS YEAR?

 Your list can include technology items, apps or research related items.

Here is my letter:

Dear Genea-Santa,
I have tried to be good this entire year.  I have begun posting regularly on my blog and hope that it is helping people.  I have joined a couple of new societies in order to show support.  I’ve helped family and friends with their genealogy questions.  I have added a lot more people and sources to my database.  I’ve even tried to spend more time on other things in my life, like family & friends and spend less time in my office.  

Dear Santa, here is my list:

1. Absolutely my number one wish is to be able to link (with substantial proof), my 2nd Great Grandfather, John C. Gould to his parents and/or any siblings.  Oh please Santa!
2. To become a bit more focused in my research….well, ok, a LOT more focused. 
3. To get a  1T or larger external hard drive for backing up all my data.
4. To make another trip to Salt Lake City.

I have left you some egg nog and special snicker doodle cookies so you won’t leave here hungry.  
Thanks for listening and tell Rudolph and the elves hello for me.

Now, readers, tell me what your genealogy wishes are this year.  Leave me a comment or a link to your own blog.

I have posted this as a response to a post on Genea-Musings at http://www.geneamusings.com/2013/12/saturday-night-genealogy-fun-your-dear.html

Thanks for the suggestion Randy.

Here’s to all your wishes being fulfulled,
Michigan Girl


The URL for this post is: http://www.michiganfamilytrails.com/dear santa

Copyright © 2013   Diane Gould Hall

DECEMBER 7, 1941

"A DAY THAT WILL LIVE IN INFAMY"

Let us remember on this day, all those who died, were injured and went on to fight in a brutal and long war for our freedoms.





GOD BLESS ALL OUR VETERANS, SOLDIERS & THEIR FAMILIES - WE ARE GRATEFUL BEYOND WORDS

LEGACY 8–A QUICK GUIDE TO LABEL & TAB COLORS

I’ve been playing around with the color schemes in Legacy 8.  I have found SO many ways that you can customize your colors.  Even BETTER than version 7.5!

However, I apparently missed one little thing regarding the label colors when you view the Individual’s Information screen.  The labels for entries that have sources was colored red and I wanted them to be blue.  I went to one of my favorite Facebook pages TECHNOLOGY FOR GENEALOGY (here is the link to the page: https://www.facebook.com/groups/techgen/) and posed my question about how to get those labels to change.

   

Of course I knew that someone in the group could answer my question, and they did.  Thank you to Michael Giallella.  And now, as you see in this screen shot, my labels are blue.

HERE IS THE ANSWER TO MY QUESTION:
Click on the “Options” tab, then click on “Change Colors.” 
When the little box pops up, then click on “Click here to change other user-interface colors.”  

      
Now you’ll see a screen called “Set Interface Colors.”  Click on the “OTHER COLORS” tab.

From there you can click on each of the choices at the bottom of the screen and change those colors to any number of choices.  I clicked on “Sources” – “Text color for Label Showing Attached Sources” and selected my blue.  Then I clicked on “Select this Color” and BINGO!  My labels were now blue.

Sometimes it takes us a while, when we get an upgrade or new version of a favorite program, to get used to the new interface.  

TIP:  When you are using a new version or upgrade of any software, be sure that you really play around with it and become very familiar.  Otherwise you will become frustrated and spend too much time looking for things you used to know how to do.  If there are tutorials, read them, if there is a book or CD’s, consider purchasing them.  And never ever be afraid to ask.  For us as genealogists we have access to so many others who share our passion and are happy to help.  If you haven’t taken advantage of the wealth of information and help available on the Technology for Genealogy page on Facebook, then I highly recommend you check it out and join the group.  You’d be surprised what you will learn.  

SOMETHING ELSE I LEARNED JUST A DAY OR TWO AGO – How to change the colors on the tabs

Go to OPTIONS and click on the “Tab Color” icon third from the left.  You can also use the “Tab Style” icon to change how your tabs will look.   You’ll get a drop down list when you click on the icon.  

I chose “Access 2007” and “Multicolor Tabs” and this is how mine now look.  You can tell that I like colors.

Have fun with your program and don’t be afraid to “play” with your options. 

Happy hunting,
Michigan Girl

Copyright © 2013 Diane Gould Hall