THE GENEALOGY CENTER IS NOW OPEN! UNCOVER YOUR FAMILY HISTORY IN FORT WAYNE , INDIANA “ The Genealogy Center at the Allen County Public Library in Fort Wayne, Indiana is home to I have been there one of the largest genealogy collections in the [the Genealogy world. Even better, they offer free, one-on-one Center] many times help from professional genealogists—making and found a lot Fort Wayne, Indiana one of the best places in of information on the country to research your family history. different branches of my family. Anyone IT’S WORTH A TRIP: interested in Located in downtown Fort Wayne in a 42,000 sq. ft. state-of-the-art facility, the genealogy research Genealogy Center is just a block from dozens of restaurants, museums, hotels, and should go there. other welcoming amenities. From our top-rated Fort Wayne Children’s Zoo and minor league ballpark, to our JANICE M. USA Today-lauded food, arts, sports and recreation scene, Fort Wayne is sure to delight the entire family. It’s worth the trip! Start Planning your Family History Getaway at: VisitFortWayne.com/GenealogyGetaway The Genealogy Center at the Allen County Public Library 900 Library Plaza, Fort Wayne, IN 46802 927 S Harrison St, Fort Wayne, IN 46802 (260) 421-1225 | Genealogy@ACPL.info (260) 424-3700 GenealogyCenter.org VisitFortWayne.com/Genealogy contents J U LY / AU GUS T 2022 46 branchingooouuuttt (cid:597)(cid:597) E Look for the green arrow 12 Walk of Fame 42 Saving Face(book) throughout this issue These blockbuster 101 Best Geneal- Archive the photos, memories and for hints to expanded ogy Websites will leave you on the genealogical details you and others versions, free downloads and related products at edge of your seat. have shared on social media. familytreemagazine.com! by David A. Fryxell by Rachel Christian 26 Birthday Wishes 46 Eastward Bound No need to blow out the candles— Go beyond vital records with these you can resolve confl icting birth- 14 often-overlooked resources for dates in records. Here’s how. Eastern European genealogy. by Lindsey Harner by Lisa A. Alzo 33 State Research Guides 52 Show and Tell ON THE COVER: Tips and resources for tracing your Share treasured family photos and 101 Best Websites 12 ancestors in US states. videos online with these top tools. Share Family Photos 52 IOWA 33 by Rick Crume Fix Confl icting Birthdates 26 by Ricki King MAINE 37 COVER: JULIE BARNETT SOURCES: ISTOCK; APPLE STOCK by B.J. Jamieson 1 familytreemagazine.com J U LY / AU GUS T 2022 8 departments 3 Out on a Limb 6 Tech News A note from the editor. FamilySearch volunteering, by Andrew Koch photo and story tools at Ances- try.com, and other can’t-miss 4 Tree Talk genealogy news. We asked about your favorite by Sunny Jane Morton online record collection. Here’s how you responded. 8 Lisa’s Picks Family history faves from 5 Stories to Tell the founder of Genealogy A woman turns her grand- Gems, LLC. mother’s school archive by Lisa Louise Cooke into a celebration of local Black history. by Sunny Jane Morton treetips (cid:601)(cid:603) 63 58 Source Spotlight 68 Now What? A deep dive into tax records. Expert tips on your brick walls: by James M. Beidler a missing English census entry and laws about cemetery 63 Photo Detective visitation. What’s the story behind by David A. Fryxell this photo of a large family gathering? 70 Resource Roundup by Maureen A. Taylor Websites for learning social history. 64 Website Tutorial by Sunny Jane Morton Finding maps at the David Rumsey Map 71 DNA Q&A Collection. What is DNA Painter and why do by Sunny Jane Morton I need it? (Or do I need at all?) by Diahan Southard 66 Family History Home Preserve old luggage with 72 Your Turn these tips. Find key usually-for-subscription by Denise May Levenick records on free websites using 66 this guide. Family Tree Magazine (ISSN 1529-0298) is published six times per year: January/February, March/April, May/June, July/August, September/October and November/December by Yankee Publishing Inc., PO Box 520, 1121 Main Street, Dublin, NH 03444. Copyright ©2022 Yankee Publishing Inc., Vol. 23, No. 4, July/August 2022. Subscription rates: one year, $36. Canadian subscriptions add $8 per year, other foreign subscriptions add $10 per year for surface mail or $35 per year for air mail and remit in US funds. Postmaster: Send all address changes to Family Tree Magazine, PO Box 37900, Boone, IA 50037-0900. Periodicals postage paid at Cincinnati, Ohio and additional mailing offi ces. Produced and printed in the USA. 2 FAMILY TREE MAGAZINE JULY/AUGUST 2022 out on a JULY/AUGUST 2022 / VOLUME 23, ISSUE 4 limb Editor Andrew Koch Art Director Julie Barnett Digital Editor Melina Papadopoulos We cover a lot of genealogy New Media Editor Rachel Christian websites and news here at Family Tree, eLearning Producer Amanda Epperson so I’m often studying the latest family Contributing Editors Lisa A. Alzo, Rick Crume, David A. Fryxell, Nancy Hendrickson, history developments and networking Sunny Jane Morton, Maureen A. Taylor with researchers. Every now and then, someone asks for my impression of the VP Production and New Media Paul Belliveau, Jr. genealogy community and the many Production Director Dave Ziarnowski historians who comprise it. Production Manager Brian Johnson My first response is simple: Genealo- Senior Production Artists Jenn Freeman, Rachel Kipka gists love to share. Whether it’s a new Senior Ad Production Coordinator Janet Selle database, a photo or record, an article, New Media Designer Amy O’Brien or a tech tool, researchers’ first instinct Digital Marketing Specialist Holly Sanderson is often to send their new find to friends Email Marketing Specialist Eric Bailey and family. And there’s no shortage of eCommerce Manager Alan Henning VP Consumer Marketing Brook Holmberg ways to do so—Facebook posts, tweets, VP Single Copy Sales Sherin Pierce blogs, YouTube videos, forums, and even “old-fashioned” emails. EDITORIAL OFFICES: In that spirit of collaboration, this PO Box 520, 1121 Main Street, Dublin, NH 03444 issue covers some of the ways you can familytree@yankeepub.com share research with others. On page 52, ADVERTISING: Tim Baldwin, (248) 837-9293, Contributing Editor Rick Crume high- timbaldwinmedia@gmail.com lights some of the best places to share SUBSCRIPTION INFORMATION: U.S.: (888) 403-9002; international: (515) 248-7692; family photos and videos online, from customerservice@familytreemagazine.com megagiants like FamilySearch to more techy hubs like Photobucket . Visit FamilyTreeMagazine.com for more genealogy information and products. And Rachel Christian, who manages our Family Tree Magazine, published in the United States, social media accounts, shares her tips is not affiliated with the British Family Tree Magazine, for archiving genealogy tidbits you find with Family Tree Maker software or with Family Tree DNA. on the likes of Facebook and Twitter (page 42). FAMILY TREE MAGAZINE IS A DIVISION OF We’re also sharing some of our own YANKEE PUBLISHING, INC: President and CEO Jamie Trowbridge finds—our annual list of the 101 Best Vice Presidents Paul Belliveau, Jr., Ernesto Burden, Genealogy Websites (page 12). This year’s Judson D. Hale Jr., Brook Holmberg, Jennie Meister, Sherin Pierce article also includes our roundup of the 75 Best State Websites (page 24), a great resource for those looking for ancestors Copyright © 2022 Yankee Publishing, Inc. All Rights Reserved. in the United States. Family Tree Magazine is a registered trademark of Yankee Publishing, Inc. Family history isn’t a competition. It’s how we connect with others—our ancestors, as well as each other. And as they say, “sharing is caring.” (cid:4) S O T O H P S O T O B T: DI E R C O T O H P 3 familytreemagazine.com TREE TALK Ancestry’s yearbooks! We asked about your collection. Here’s how I love seeing my parents’ you responded. and grandparents’ old photos. @rememberingtheozarks via Instagram Georgia Historic Newspapers! They have so many NORWAY’S DIGITAL ARCHIVE —free access to hundreds of years of clear scanned original documents. Church, cen- of Georgia! I’ve found so many sus, probate and emigration records can pro- articles related to my family! vide complete documentation for generations. Historic[al] photos as well. Option for English Pamela Aban (@pamelaaban) via Twitter for searches. Renae Dorrity via Facebook My favourite record collection is not E online. Most records are not online. Check out our staff’s website The court records for the Manor of recommendations in this year’s list Moulton Harrington are held in an of the 101 Best Genealogy archive, @LincsArchives Websites (page 12). Sue Adams (@sue_familyfolk) via Twitter JOIN OUR COMMUNITY! Our members-only online <> SHOP @FamilyTreeMag Genealogy how-to downloads and videos, plus PDF back-issues of Family Tree Magazine Family Tree Magazine Free genealogy advice from host Lisa Louise Cooke and expert @familytreemag guests Apple Podcasts/Spotify/ PODCAST familytreemagazine> Detailed online courses and webinars full of expert advice about key research subjects Subscribe to our free email newsletter for how-to articles. Daily and weekly options available 4 FAMILY TREE MAGAZINE JULY/AUGUST 2022 departments S T O R I E S T O T E L L Class Act Trisha Mays-Cummings in front of a W.F. Branch High School history display that she curated A woman turns her grandmother’s school archive into a celebration of local Black history. W hen Trisha Mays-Cummings of Newport, Ark., grandmother did in education,” Trisha says. “The integrat- cleaned out her late grandmother’s home, she ed school wasn’t interested in the history, memorabilia or discovered photos, yearbooks, graduation pro- traditions of W.F. Branch, so my grandmother kept them.” grams, report cards and other memorabilia from Wil- Trisha wanted to share her grandmother’s collection liam F. Branch High School, a nearby school that her with local alumni, retired teachers and younger genera- relatives attended. The records span nearly 40 years, tions who didn’t know the school’s importance. Much to from her grandmother’s 1931 graduation to her mother’s her delight, both the local historical society and Arkan- graduation in 1970, when the school closed. sas State University—Newport campus library respond- For Trisha, it was like going down memory lane. ed to her off er to curate a W.F. Branch display. Although she didn’t go to W.F. Branch High herself, the “This display puts our local Black history front and school’s documents included familiar faces: Trisha’s par- center,” she says. To Trisha, the display also honors the ents, siblings, friends, and grandmother. people who taught generations of African American chil- S NG W.F. Branch High School served African American dren, who went on to succeed despite Jim Crow South MI M students during a time when Arkansas’ school districts rules because of their foundation at W.F. Branch. U C S- were segregated by race. And when Newport School Dis- “I always say that, for me, family history is about fi nd- Y A M A trict fully integrated, the school closed. ing history within your own family,” Trisha says. “For H S RI Trisha’s grandmother, who worked as a teacher and me and my family, that history includes W.F. Branch T Y TES counselor at W.F. Branch for 50 years, helped clean High School.” (cid:4) R U O out the school. “I never knew the trailblazing work my Sunny Jane Morton C 5 familytreemagazine.com departments T E C H N E W S WHAT’S NEW FamilySearch Opens New Portal for Volunteer Indexing ARTIFICIAL INTELLIGENCE NOW HELPS with record indexing at the free genealogy website FamilySearch . State-of-the-art handwriting- recognition technology extracts data from historical records to auto-generate indexes. The tool fl ags entries that don’t seem right, then sends them to virtual volunteers who will review them and off er corrections. The tool dramatically speeds up the indexing process, especially in non-English records where volunteers are fewer. “Volunteers can select records of personal interest to them—like those that may include their ancestors—increas- ing the likelihood of fi nding an ancestor in the records they are helping refi ne,” says a FamilySearch press release. One early focus for volunteers who use the tool has been the 1950 US census. Learn more at , where you’ll fi nd links to both the browser tool and the Get Involved mobile app. Index review screen on FamilySearch NEW PHOTO AND STORYTELLING TOOLS AT ANCESTRY.COM Thanks to a partnership with Photomyne , Ancestry.com released a new tool on its mobile app that can quickly and easily scan multiple images. Users can also N O then rotate and enhance scanned images as needed. RT O M From the app, tap Trees, then the photo icon and a plus sign to scan E N A new photos. The image-enhancement features can be used on newly Y J N N uploaded images as well as those they’ve already added to the site. U S Y The tool also supports Ancestry.com’s new story platform, which ES T R allows users to curate and share ancestral stories within the app that OU C incorporate photos, life events, records and personal memories. RS: E H T O L L A S. N Photos being O M M scanned via Sunny Jane Morton O C A the Ancestry is a contributing editor for Family Tree DI E Magazine, content manager at Your DNA M mobile app KI Guide and industry expert on the giant WI H: genealogy websites. C R U H C 6 FAMILY TREE MAGAZINE JULY/AUGUST 2022 CONGREGATIONAL ARCHIVES ONLINE The Congregational Library & Archives published an online digital collection that has tens of thousands of historical record images from churches around New England. The Congre- gational Church was an outgrowth of early Puritan com- munities, and most records in the collection date between 1634 and 1850. “The records of these congregations document births, deaths, and marriages, but also open a window onto the lives of ordinary people deliberating on matters both sacred and secular,” states a press release. “For much of the Colonial period, [these records] show ordinary people making decisions about property, taxation, and their representation in the larger affairs.” Leverett Congregational Church in Massachusetts MyHeritage Launches LiveStory USERS OF SUBSCRIPTION GENEALOGY COMPANY MyHeritage can now create animated versions of ancestors’ photos, in which the subjects “narrate” their own stories. Movements are generated and mapped to ancestral photos using artificial intelligence, an extension of MyHeritage’s well-known Deep Nostalgia tool. Users can write and edit the text of these videos, or have the site generate a script from details and photos in their MyHeritage tree. They can select from more than 140 voices in 31 languages, then preview the result. The company describes the result as “a tech- Complete subscribers at MyHeritage have LiveStory video nological simulation of how the person in your unlimited access to LiveStory; others have limits created using photo would have moved and looked if they on how many they can create. Access LiveStory MyHeritage were captured on video and spoke the words in the Photos section of the app or website, or get that you provided.” started at . (cid:4) 7 familytreemagazine.com L I S A’ S P I C K S Heirlooms on Display (cid:83)HEIRLOOM DIY: Old-Fashioned Ground Cherries One of my favorite picks for the garden has roots in my family history. Ground cherries (also called husk tomatoes) were my ancestors’ favorite substitute for fruit pie fi lling and preserves. These pineapple-berry fl avored fruits are easy to grow—no staking required!—and especially fun for kids to work with, since their “paper lanterns” need peeled to reveal the fruit inside. I grow a Polish variety called Aunt Molly’s Ground Cherry, and buy heirloom seeds for them from Baker Creek . (cid:88)SIDE TRIPS: Bent Bucket Bakery Backroads are my favorite way to travel when driving to genealogy speaking engagements. Recently the road led to the Bent Bucket Bakery , a rustic cottage nestled out- side the small town of Lipan, Texas (right). On one wall were numer- ous photos, recipes, kitchen utensils and even an apron. Proprietor Deiann Davis (above) stepped out from behind the coun- ter to answer my questions about the heirlooms. They belonged to Dei- ann’s grandmother and great-grandmother (“They were great wom- en,” she says), and Deiann found an Etsy shop that turned their old recipes into artwork. Her father used mesquite wood from the family ranch to frame photos of family gatherings where (according to Deiann) they “just pulled up a wagon and set the food out … all the aunts and uncles and cousins here at the home place.” 8 FAMILY TREE MAGAZINE JULY/AUGUST 2022

Family Tree USA - July 2022

Similar Family Tree USA - July 2022