Civil War Content Free at Footnote.com for the Month of June

I received the below press release in my email:


June 10, 2010 – Lindon, UT – Today Footnote.com announced that its U.S. Civil War Collection will be made free to the public through the month of June.  Footnote.com has worked with the U.S. National Archives over the past three years to create the largest repository of Civil War documents on the web featuring over 30 million documents, photos and maps. 

“Our strong partnership with the National Archives has allowed us to build an extremely valuable resource for researchers, historians and genealogists,” explains Russell Wilding, CEO of Footnote.com.  “Now more people than ever have access to records relating to one of the most prolific events in our history.”

The original documents found in this collection provide a different perspective on the “war between the states.”  Major events as well as accounts from individuals are brought to life on Footnote.com. Visitors to Footnote.com will find:

• Union and Confederate Soldier Service Records
• Widow’s Pension Files
• Emancipation Documents and Slave Records
• Confederate Amnesty Papers and Citizens Files
• Lincoln Assassination Investigation and Trial Papers
• U.S. Civil War Photos and Maps

More than just a repository, Footnote.com incorporates community contributions and interactions to enhance these records. “When documents and member contributions come together, a more powerful side of history is revealed,” says Justin Schroepfer Director of Marketing at Footnote.com.  “Our members have added comments, insights and information that significantly increase our understanding of these events and the people involved.”

On Footnote.com members can also create their own pages to highlight their discoveries and research.  Members have created Footnote Pages relating to the U.S. Civil War that cover topics such as:

• Female Civil War Soldiers & Spies
• Papers of Robert E. Lee
• Union African Americans in the U.S. Civil War
• Confederate Soldiers Graves

To see how Footnote.com is changing the way we view U.S. Civil War history, visit http://go.footnote.com/civilwar/.  

Additional Resources
Follow us on Twitter – http://twitter.com/footnote
Join us on Facebook – http://www.facebook.com/pages/Footnotecom/52981708480

About Footnote, Inc.
Footnote.com is a subscription website that features original historical documents, providing visitors with an unaltered view of the events, places and people that shaped the American nation and the world. At Footnote.com, all are invited to come share, discuss, and collaborate on their discoveries with friends, family, and colleagues. For more information, visit http://www.footnote.com.

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The documents on my second great grandfather, Ebenezer Denyer's service during the Civil War are the first thing I found on Footnote back in 2008 when I initially explored the site.

The Civil War collection has grown since then, and it's definitely worth your time to take a look at it while it's free.

Footnote.com Press Release - Free Access to Census Documents for Limited Time

I received the below in my email

Lindon, UT - March 11, 2010 – In order to encourage more people to find their ancestors and connect with family, Footnote.com, the web’s premier interactive history site, is opening all of their U.S. census documents for free to the public for a limited time.

Unlike any other historical collection on the web, the Interactive Census Collection has the unique ability to connect people related to ancestors found on the historical documents. Simply by clicking the “I’m Related” button for a name on the document will identify you as a descendent and also list others that have done the same. Never before has it been as easy to connect with distant relatives through historical documents. To learn how to get started with the Interactive Census, visit: http://go.footnote.com/discover.

Finding a record featuring an ancestor’s name provides not only an emotional experience but also a connection with the past. On Footnote.com it’s more than just finding a name on a census record. Interactive tools allow people to enhance the documents by adding their own contributions including:

• Photos
• Stories
• Comments
• Other related documents

Each contribution is linked to a Footnote member and provides a means for people to find each other and exchange more information about their ancestors.

“TV programs including ‘Who Do You Think You Are?’ on NBC and ‘Faces of America’ on PBS will surely increase the interest in family history in the United States,” explains Russell Wilding, CEO of Footnote.com. “We believe that using our Interactive Census Collection is a great way for those who are new to genealogy to get started.”

In addition to providing the basic information about ancestors with the census documents, Footnote.com has been working with the National Archives and other institutions to digitize and index over 63 million historical records that include:

• Military documents
• Historical newspapers
• City directories
• Naturalization records

“Using the records on Footnote to go beyond the names and dates is like adding color to your tree,” says Roger Bell, Footnote’s Senior Vice President of Content and Product. “The more details you add, the more colorful your family tree becomes.”

To search for an ancestor and experience family history like never before, visit: http://go.footnote.com/discover.

The Dead are Rising From the Grave in St. Louis!

It seems fitting that this is announced a couple days before Halloween.

But when a business closes its doors, and the doors remain closed for 23 years, you pretty much assume it's dead.

There are those who will likely argue that if a business opens under the name of a business that died 23 years before, it's not really the same business, and they can't really claim "134 years of Public Service" or whatever the number of years of public service the former business claimed. Even if they hire some of the same employees.

Their Press Release follows.

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

October 29, 2009

St. Louis Globe-Democrat returning to St. Louis

ST. LOUIS – Twenty-three years ago today the St. Louis Globe-Democrat published its last print edition. On Tuesday, December 8, 2009 the St. Louis Globe-Democrat will again serve the metro area as an online newspaper via our website www.globe-democrat.com.

Dan Rositano, publisher of the Globe-Democrat, announced today that the site will focus on providing the best user experience in St. Louis, utilizing the latest technology and news distribution methods.

“We are excited to combine today’s online technology with the storied tradition of the Globe-Democrat,” Rositano said. “We are proud to continue the history of the Globe-Democrat in the new digital world.”

The website will be a free service, and readers can register their e-mail addresses on the site beginning today, Rositano said, to receive more details about the technology and people that will make the site unique in St. Louis. Readers will also be able to sign up to receive breaking news, sports and topical alerts through email, smart phone or on their mobile phone.

“We are putting together a quality staff whose names will be familiar to former Globe-Democrat readers and all St. Louisians,” Rositano said. “Our columnists will be among the most-read voices in both St. Louis and the world today, covering news, sports, politics and all issues of the day.”

The St. Louis Globe-Democrat was first published on July 1, 1852 as the Missouri Democrat and in 1875 merged with the St. Louis Globe to become the Globe-Democrat. The newspaper’s last print edition was published on Oct. 29, 1986.

“For more than 134 years, St. Louisians received their news from the great writers at the Globe-Democrat,” Rositano said. “We are going to build on their legacy and combine great reporting and writing with the cutting edge of technology, giving readers today’s news and sports on multiple media platforms.”

(For more information, please call Dan Rositano at 314-487-3569)

Whether it is the return of a 134 year old newspaper that disappeared 23 years ago, or a brand new newspaper, it still could provide another news source for St. Louisans. The quality of that news source remains to be seen.

Ancestry.com JewishGen.org collaboration announcement

On Tracing the Tribe I read a combined press release from Ancestry and JewishGen.

ANCESTRY.COM AND JEWISHGEN ALIGN TO PROVIDE MORE ONLINE ACCESS TO MILLIONS OF JEWISH HISTORICAL DOCUMENTS

Partnership Enables Broader Research of Jewish Ancestry Through Powerful Search Tools in One Centralized Location

CHICAGO – Aug. 19, 2008 – The Generations Network, Inc., parent company of Ancestry.com, and JewishGen, a non-profit organization dedicated to researching and promoting Jewish genealogy and an affiliate of the Museum of Jewish Heritage – A Living Memorial to the Holocaust, today announced a partnership designed to provide easier online access to millions of important Jewish historical documents. JewishGen's collection of databases will be integrated and be made available for free on Ancestry.com, making these historical Jewish records and information ore accessible than ever before. As part of the agreement, the JewishGen site will also be hosted in Ancestry.com's data center.

I think this will be great for the genealogist interested in these databases. The one difficulty I have had with JewishGen is the ability to only search by surname. There is a paid membership option which allows for more search options which I haven't tried yet, but the promised ability to search the databases with Ancestry's search capabilities is exciting. (The press release suggests it will be available by the end of the year.)

The rest of the press release suggests not all databases at JewishGen will be available at Ancestry, but many will, providing data to many researchers who may never have thought of researching JewishGen's databases, and Ancestry will provide JewishGen with hardware and network support making JewishGen a 'more robust' web experience, and allow JewishGen to be able to afford to keep the data free. It looks like a win-win collaboration.