Amanuensis Monday: Dear Folks - Feb 26, 1937

Amanuensis: A person employed to write what another dictates or to copy what has been written by another.

Since February 16th I have been transcribing letters, audio, and other documents and posting some of these transcriptions every Monday morning.

The below letter was sent not long after my maternal grandparents, Martin and Myrtle (Van Every) Deutsch were married on December 31, 1936. It was sent to my great grandparents, Samuel and Helen (Lichtmann) Deutsch. And my grandfather wrote it - Most of the letters I have were written by my grandmother.

---

BENDER HOTEL
LAREDO, TEXAS
St. Louis, Mo –
Feb. 26, 1937

Dear Folks:

Sorry to hold out so long with this check, but I lost track of when it was due. You probably have learned that Ted’s making up for half the amount I used to send, and I hope that $50 every 10 weeks will be alright from now on. Myrtle is afraid you’ll be thinking that she was to blame for my delay in sending the check, but, as I said before, there was no other reason but that I forgot the date.

We certainly received a pleasant surprise on Washington’s Birthday when we opened up the large package from Chicago and found that it contained such a nice radio. I’ve placed it in a nice corner of our home with a big easy chair on the side of it and from now on, when ever I’m in St. Louis, you’ll find me in that corner each evening. There was no letter or card with the radio and we’re not exactly certain who sent it, but we want to thank everyone who had a hand in it.

We might be around in a short while and will thank you in person – and we can tell you of our trip to Mexico.

Best regards to everyone, and many thanks –

M. & M

---

Many of the letters my great grandmother received from my grandparents began with mentioning the regular check, though this is the only one that specifies how much they were sending. Ted was an older brother of Martin's (the two of them recorded the family history tape I have also been transcribing.)

Near the top of the second page you can see where my grandfather scratched out the word 'nice'. I think he realized he had just used that adjective in the preceding sentence. It's interesting to see the word was just as overused back in the 1930s as it is today, and it's also pleasing to see my grandfather concerned about his word choice.

The 'dateline' says they're home in St. Louis, MO, but the hotel stationery is from Laredo, Texas. The stationery probably indicates Laredo was a stop on their honeymoon in Mexico.

The signature surprised me. My grandmother died in 1951, and my grandfather remarried in 1965. His second wife was named Marjorie. Almost every letter or greeting card I received from them was signed M&M.

---

If you choose to join me in Amanuensis Monday and post your transcriptions, feel free to add a link to your post below, or in the comments.

Genealogy Wise and its most active and most popular groups

OK. Despite my statements of a week ago, I haven't managed to completely avoid the new Genealogy social network, and I have enjoyed participating in several group and forum discussions.

As of this morning, here are the twenty "most active" groups on Genealogy Wise. I'm not sure how the term "Most Active" is measured.

1. Ireland and Irish Ancestry
2. Ancestry Family Tree users
3. FindAGrave Addicts
4. Germany and German Ancestry
5. Scrap Your Family History
6. Southern California Genealogy Jamboree
7. Scotland and Scottish Ancestry
8. Legacy Family Tree fans
9. Surname Groups Needed
10. Missouri Genealogy
11. Genealogical Proof Standard
12. Ships Passenger Lists to USA
13. DNA and Family Research
14. Internet Research Tips & Treasures
15. American Revolutionary War Ancestors
16. Iowa Genealogy
17. Lost Faces: Ancestor Photos & Albums
18. MacGenealogist
19. Genealogy in St. Louis
20. Genealogy Tips and Links

And as of the moment, here are the 20 "most popular" groups (measured by number of members).

1. Germany and German Ancestry 341 members
2. FindAGrave Addicts 327 members
3. Ireland and Irish Ancestry 302 members
4. Ancestry Family Tree users 297 members
5. Legacy Family Tree fans 261 members
6. Genealogy Tips and Links 255 members
7. Scotland and Scottish Ancestry 211 members
8. American Revolutionary War Ancestors 169 members
9. England Family History 158 members
10. Lost Faces: Ancestor Photos & Albums 156 members
11. Internet Research Tips & Treasures 151 members
12. I am a Geneaholic 148 members
13. Genetic Genealogy 136 members
14. Southern California Genealogical Society and Family Research Library 133 members
15. MacGenealogist 132 members
16. RootsMagic Fans 131 members
17. GeneaBloggers 130 members
18. National Genealogical Society 116 members
19. Missouri Genealogy 116 members
20. The Genealogy Guys Podcast 115 members

I am very impressed that Missouri Genealogy is high on the list in both measurements. I created the group when I realized no one else had yet done so. I've been quite pleased with the participation, and I've learned of several new resources . (This is where I learned about the Springfield/Greene County Library)

Genealogy Wise shows a lot of promise. The administrators of the site have made several mistakes, which may have irrevocably repelled some potential members, in their opening week. Most of it I would ascribe to lack of preparedness. Tamura Jones points out that they announced on July 7th they were hiring 15 people to help launch the site. And for all intents and purposes it was launched later that day through it being blogged about on several Geneablogger websites. So they weren't fully staffed when the initial wave of genealogists joined up.

However, they have responded well, I think, by listening to the complaints, and seeking input from the community. Any social network is a product of its members, and there are a lot of experienced genealogists participating on the website, so it could be a valuable resource to expand one's genealogical knowledge, as well as a potential place to discover kin.

Poetry - A Tale of a Grandfather - Charles Stuart Calverley (1831-1884)

The following poem in my Friday Poetry series may remind some of family history interviews they've conducted.

A Tale of a Grandfather
Charles Stuart Calverley

I KNOW not of what we ponder’d
Or made pretty pretence to talk,
As, her hand within mine, we wander’d
Tow’rd the pool by the lime-tree walk,
While the dew fell in showers from the passion flowers
And the blush-rose bent on her stalk.

I cannot recall her figure:
Was it regal as Juno’s own?
Or only a trifle bigger
Than the elves who surround the throne
Of the Faëry Queen, and are seen, I ween,
By mortals in dreams alone?

What her eyes were like I know not:
Perhaps they were blurr’d with tears;
And perhaps in you skies there glow not
(On the contrary) clearer spheres.
No! as to her eyes I am just as wise
As you or the cat, my dears.

Her teeth, I presume, were “pearly:”
But which was she, brunette or blonde?
Her hair, was it quaintly curly,
Or as straight as a beadle’s wand?
That I fail’d to remark: it was rather dark
And shadowy round the pond.

Then the hand that repos’d so snugly
In mine,—was it plump or spare?
Was the countenance fair or ugly?
Nay, children, you have me there!
My eyes were p’haps blurr’d; and besides I ’d heard
That it ’s horribly rude to stare.

And I,—was I brusque and surly?
Or oppressively bland and fond?
Was I partial to rising early?
Or why did we twain abscond,
When nobody knew, from the public view
To prowl by a misty pond?

What pass’d, what was felt or spoken,—
Whether anything pass’d at all,—
And whether the heart was broken
That beat under that shelt’ring shawl,—
(If shawl she had on, which I doubt),—has gone,
Yes, gone from me past recall.

Was I haply the lady’s suitor?
Or her uncle? I can’t make out;
Ask your governess, dears, or tutor.
For myself, I ’m in hopeless doubt
As to why we were there, who on earth we were,
And what this is all about.

Springfield/Greene County Missouri records

I don't know of any kin who lived in Greene County, Missouri (Springfield area). However, I wish I did.

The Springfield Library has a great collection of digitized documents.

Including the White River Valley Historical Quarterly (1961-1988, 1991-1998)

Indexes to a variety of Greene County Records
Index to Alms House Records (1875-1955)
Index to Coroner's Records (1875-1972)
Abstracts of Circuit Court Record Books (1833-1866)
Divorce Records Index (1837-1950)
Justice of the Peace Docket Books Index (1835-1885)
Naturalization Records Index (1868-1906)
Stray Records Index (1833-1913) [Records of stray livestock]

And the Turnbo Manuscripts by Silas Claiborne Turnbo 1844-1925."a collection of approximately eight hundred short tales, stories and vignettes that reflect life along the White River Valley in northwest Arkansas and southwest Missouri during the latter half of the 19th century."

There's more too. Collections of photographs, postcards, maps, and local histories.

GenealogyWise hiccup

An indication that there are some people in Provo, UT right now scrambling to figure out what happened.



I suspect it will be fixed soon. And then everyone who has become addicted to this new social network can return from whatever productive activity they were replacing it with.

Wordless Wednesday: Xmas in July - Part Two

Source: Postcards (circa 1930s) come from my maternal grandparents' collection
Part One

Amanuensis Monday: A Gay Nineties Affair

Amanuensis: A person employed to write what another dictates or to copy what has been written by another.

In January of 1934, after graduation from high school in 1933, my paternal grandmother spent a few months in California with her family. It is said her parents were considering moving out there, but that she was able to convince them to remain in St. Louis. (She wanted to remain near my paternal grandfather, Melvin Newmark, whom she would marry in 1936.)

Before they left, a party was thrown for her by her cousin. A write-up appeared in three newspapers. Unfortunately, while she saved the newspaper clippings, my grandmother neglected to note which newspapers, or the date.

Update: The 3rd article was from the St. Louis Post  Dispatch, Dec 24, 1933, p. 14

---

Miss Belle Feinstein Given Farewell Party

A ‘gay nineties’ party with the hustle and bustle and leg of mutton, brown derbies, high-water pants, misplaced eyebrows and swallow tail coats reminiscent of what the well-dressed males and females wore back in the good old days, was given last Saturday night by Miss Belle Wyman, daughter of Mr. and Mrs. Jacob Wyman, 5467 Delmar boulevard, in the form of a farewell party for her cousin, Miss Belle Feinstein, daughter of Mr. and Mrs. H.M. Feinstein, 6422 San Bonita avenue. The guest of honor wore a gown belonging to her great aunt.

Miss Feinstein will leave for the west coast early in January and will visit several months with relatives and friends.

Present at the party were: Misses Belle Feinstein, Belle Wyman, Bonnie Schwartzman, Belle Hoffman, Stella Samuels, Florence Greenberg and their escorts, Morris Pearlmutter, Bennie Feinstein, Harold Newmark, Melvin Newmark, Sandy Adler, Bob Kalm, Barney Cruvant, Harry Klein, and Meyer Brownstein.

***

A farewell party in form of a “Gay Nineties Affair” was given in honor of Miss Sis Feinstein, daughter of Mr. and Mrs. H.M. Feinstein of Clayton, Mo., last Saturday evening at the home of her cousin, Miss Belle Wyman. Guests dressed in costumes of the 1890 period arrived in carriages. The guest of honor was attired in a gown belonging to her great-aunt. It was made of brown brocade, trimmed with heavy ruchings of Irish lace. The hostess wore a gown of coral velvet resembling those worn by Mae West. The house was decorated in cabaret style. Miss Feinstein is departing on January 3 and this is the first of a series of parties to be given in her honor. She will remain in the West for several months.

***

Miss Belle Wyman, daughter of Mr. and Mrs. Jacob Wyman, 5467 Delmar boulevard, gave a farewell party at the home of her parents last night for her cousin, Miss Belle Feinstein, daughter of Mr. and Mrs. H. M. Feinstein, 6422 San Bonita avenue. It was a “gay nineties” ball with setting for the dancing and entertainment in a cabaret. The guests appeared in the costumes of that period and arrived and departed in carriages. The guest of honor wore a gown belonging to her great aunt. Miss Feinstein will leave early in January for a trip to the west.

---

Belle Feinstein and Belle Wyman were both named after their grandmother, Belle Wyman Blatt, who I mentioned on Saturday. My grandmother's brother nicknamed her 'Sissie', and the nickname stuck with her her entire life, often shortened to 'Sis'. However, I am a little surprised that one of the three newspapers used the nickname.

I'd love to know for certain which great-aunt's dress she wore. My suspicion is that it belonged to Tillie Oberman, the sister of her grandfather, Selig Feinstein. Tillie lived in St. Louis, so would have been around to loan my grandmother her dress.

---

If you choose to join me in Amanuensis Monday and post your transcriptions, feel free to add a link to your post below, or in the comments.

SNGF: Time Travel

Randy at Genea-Musings for his weekly Saturday Night Genealogy Fun asks us to travel in time.

1) Let's go time traveling: Decide what year and what place you would love to visit as a time traveler. Who would you like to see in their environment? If you could ask them one question, what would it be?

2) Tell us about it. Write a blog post, or make a comment to this post, or on Facebook, or in Genealogy Wise.

So many choices.

Option 1)

Travel back in time to 1850. My great-great grandmother Sarah Ann Hartley was about 16 years old, and according to the census, I believe she is a helping hand for Sarah and Hardy Ware in Houston County, Texas. Her mother, Eliza, and brothers William and Samuel are in a different Houston household, along with a Wheeler family. I'd like to interview Eliza: "Tell me everything you know about your parents, and your late husband George's parents." Maybe Eliza can help me get the facts of our Native American ancestry straight. By 1900 when they were standing in front of the Dawes commission, Eliza's son Samuel, and several grandchildren, were mightily confused. Sarah passed away in 1898.

[I'd travel back in time to when both Eliza and George were alive, but my knowledge of where they were when is confused, so I might get the settings incorrect.]

Option 2)

Travel back in time to 1890 Losice, Poland. Great great grandparents Morris and Belle Blatt should still be married with two infants: Blanche and Anna. [I'll need an interpreter who understands both Yiddish and English for this trip.] Since I can only ask one of them the question, I'll ask Belle to tell me everything she knows about her parents and Morris's parents.

Family lore, directly from her daughters, says Belle's maiden name was Wyman. Her daughter Blanche also married a Wyman. Research has found *a* Morris Blatt in Losice who married a Chaia Beila Boksern. The middle name is close enough to Belle, but it is doubtful her daughters would have confused the surname, especially since one of them married a Wyman, resulting in the obvious family jokes. However, one of Belle's granddaughters thinks Morris was Belle's second husband, making it possible Boksern was her first married name. Hopefully Belle/Beila can straighten this out.

If the research found the correct Morris Blatt, it tracks the Blatt line back several more generations.

There are more people I'd interview, but choosing one from my maternal and one from my paternal lineage seems like a fair place to stop.

Respect for the Dead

In Oxford, Alabama a 1500 year old Indian mound (likely a burial mound) is being destroyed and replaced by a Sam's Club.

Four employees at a cemetery outside Chicago are accused of digging up bodies and reselling plots at a historic black cemetery.

In positive news, the Osage Tribe may purchase an ancestral mound in the St. Louis area

Poetry: Dorothy Q - Oliver Wendell Holmes

Oliver Wendell Holmes is a distant cousin of mine through shared Stoughton ancestry, however, the below poem is about his mother's mother's mother - Dorothy Quincy.

Dorothy Q
A Family Portrait
by Oliver Wendell Holmes

GRANDMOTHER’S mother: her age, I guess,
Thirteen summers, or something less;
Girlish bust, but womanly air;
Smooth, square forehead with uprolled hair;
Lips that lover has never kissed;
Taper fingers and slender wrist;
Hanging sleeves of stiff brocade;
So they painted the little maid.

On her hand a parrot green
Sits unmoving and broods serene.
Hold up the canvas full in view,—
Look! there ’s a rent the light shines through,
Dark with a century’s fringe of dust,—
That was a Red-Coat’s rapier-thrust!
Such is the tale the lady old,
Dorothy’s daughter’s daughter, told.

Who the painter was none may tell,—
One whose best was not over well;
Hard and dry, it must be confessed,
Flat as a rose that has long been pressed;
Yet in her cheek the hues are bright,
Dainty colors of red and white,
And in her slender shape are seen
Hint and promise of stately mien.

Read the rest of the poem

Thoughts on GenealogyWise

Disclaimer-wise: As an aficionado of the English Language, I am predisposed against the new social network website –GenealogyWise – due to their appropriation of the painful-to-the eyes ‘wise’ construction. If there was a way to kill usage of ‘wise’ as a suffix, I would do so. Yes, I am aware there is also a pun on ‘wisdom’ in this case, but this isn’t sufficient to get me to support the corruption of the English language.

The new website was announced on Wednesday, and there was a heavy stampede from geneabloggers – many who had been utilizing Facebook. Several individuals were heard saying that they planned to leave Facebook entirely.

I, for one, am not leaving Facebook. Of course, I was a member of Facebook before the geneablogger stampede towards it, and have many non-genealogist friends with whom I keep in touch using it. My non-genealogist friends won’t be switching to GenealogyWise so there’s no reason for me to leave. If I only networked with other genealogists on Facebook, I could see the temptation to delete my account. But that doesn’t define me.

Those genealogists who do leave Facebook are going to lose a few advantages to my mind.

1) Facebook is a great way to find living cousins – just by searching the directory for your surnames. 99% of these cousins won’t be on GenealogyWise.

2) I have found and left a message on one Facebook group set up for an annual family reunion of not-too-distant cousins. These too can’t really be set up on GenealogyWise since it will be difficult to get family members who aren’t genealogists to join. But a Facebook group could be a great way to keep younger family members interested inbetween reunions.

3) Those genealogists who do research for others may find Facebook is helpful in letting those in your social network know what you are doing as a business. When they decide they want some research done – or someone they know is asking for references – they are more likely to think of you. Your social network isn’t going to follow you to GenealogyWise.

On the other hand, there are a couple things I like about GenealogyWise.

1) I like their option of one rss feed for every blog post on the site. You can subscribe to rss feeds for individual members as well, if you don’t want every post, but the one super-feed is very useful. I find the effect similar to subscribing to tags on Wordpress. Every time someone tags a WordPress.com post with ‘genealogy’ it appears in my blog reader. And every time someone posts a public entry on their GenealogyWise blog, it will now appear in my blog reader.

[Note: by default all profiles and blog posts are readable by anyone on GenealogyWise, meaning they are also likely to get indexed by search engines such as Google. You can go to your settings, and under ‘privacy’ change that to either ‘members only’ or ‘friends only’. However, the posts shouldn’t appear in the rss feed if it is restricted.]

2) Like the Facebook Notes application which allows you to display your outside blog posts on Facebook – or the TwitterFeed application that automatically posts links to your blog posts on Twitter -- GenealogyWise allows you to display your blog posts on your profile page. I know I have friends who read my blog posts on Facebook who otherwise wouldn’t, and I have been told by fellow geneabloggers they are often more likely to read a blog post when they see a link to it on my twitter feed. Similarly, I suspect some may now find my blog posts through my GenealogyWise profile.

Of course, both of these advantages occur from me setting up the profile and respective rss feeds. I don't actually have to ever return to GenealogyWise beyond accepting any friend requests that come in.

There may be some interesting forum and group discussions, but I find I prefer email mailing lists, such as those available on Rootsweb, for these types of discussions. If upon GoogleWave's release, GenealogyWise releases an application that turns these forum discussions into waves accessible through a Wave browser, I anticipate I may well become a participant in some of the forums.

Update: it appears they are now displaying their site name as two words. This change doesn't predate the initial drafts of my post, but does predate the final posting, so unless they're psychic, or have access to my drafts, I can't take credit.

Wordless Wednesday: Xmas in July - Part One

Source: Postcards come from my maternal grandparents' collection

Explanation of Xmas in July

Amanuensis Monday: 146 Years ago

Amanuensis: A person employed to write what another dictates or to copy what has been written by another.

Ebenezer Denyer, a 2nd great grandfather on my mother's side, was a Confederate soldier, captured at the Battle of Vicksburg. Below is the oath he signed upon his release. (Emphasis is my own)

---

Vicksburg, Mississippi, July 7th 1863.

TO ALL WHOM IT MAY CONCERN, KNOW YE THAT:

I, Ebinezer M Denyer Private of Co. “E” Reg’t 2d Texas

Vols. C.S.A. being a prisoner of War in the hands of the United States Forces in virtue of the capitulation of the city of Vicksburg and its Garrison, by Lieut. Gen. John C. Pemberton, C.S.A., Commanding, on the 4th day of July, 1863, do in pursuance of the terms of said capitulation, give this my solemn parole under oath ----

That I will not take up arms again against the United States, nor serve in any military, police, or constabulary forces in any Fort, Garrison or field work, held by the Confederate States of America, against the United States of America, nor as guard of any prisons, depots or stores nor discharge any duties usually performed by Officers or soldiers against the United States of America, until duly exchanged by the proper authorities.
E. M. Denyer (signature)

Sworn to and subscribed before me at Vicksburg, Miss this 7th day of July 1863.

[illegible]Co. “G” Reg’t 31st Illinois Vols and Paroling Officer

---

After being duly exchanged, though, all bets were off. His name next appears in Confederate records in February of 1864, and his service was uninterrupted after that through April of 1865.

---

If you choose to join me in Amanuensis Monday and post your transcriptions, feel free to add a link to your post below, or in the comments.

Don't Rely Completely on Google Alerts

Google Alerts is a great concept, and can be useful for genealogy research.

1) You select whether you want Google to search News articles, blogs, the web, video, Google Groups, or a "comprehensive" search.
2) Then you select how often you want an email sent to your email address.

3) Then you indicate the email address in the field: "Deliver to." If you are signed in to a Google account, it will default to that gmail account. But a gmail account isn't required.

It's tempting to think your work is done for you, and Google Alerts will now prevent you from missing anything important. But if you stop doing the manual searches, you may very easily miss important items.

According to the FAQ (Frequently Asked Questions) this is what Google Alerts does for each setting (emphasis mine):

• A 'News' alert is an email aggregate of the latest news articles that contain the search terms of your choice and appear in the top ten results of your Google News search.
• A 'Web' alert is an email aggregate of the latest web pages that contain the search terms of your choice and appear in the top twenty results of your Google Web search.
• A 'Blogs' alert is an email aggregate of the latest blog posts that contain the search terms of your choice and appear in the top ten results of your Google Blog search.
• A 'Comprehensive' alert is an aggregate of the latest results from multiple sources (News, Web and Blogs) into a single email to provide maximum coverage on the topic of your choice.
• A 'Video' alert is an email aggregate of the latest videos that contain the search terms of your choice and appear in the top ten results of your Google Video search.
• A 'Groups' alert is an email aggregate of new posts that contain the search terms of your choice and appear in the top fifty results of your Google Groups search.

Problems

1) How often when conducting your Google Search do you find the treasure on the second, third, or a later page?

It probably depends upon how specific your search terms are. If, for example, you have provided the specific name of a particular ancestor, you might not miss much, unless the full name is common. If you entered a surname, you're likely going to be missing some results, especially if you maintain a family website, or blog, since hits on your own site might legitimately monopolize the top results.

2) Comprehensive is 'comprehensive' for News, Web, and Blog alerts. It won't capture the results from Google Video or Google Groups alerts.

3) Google Books results are now appearing in Google web searches. However, only for "full view" and "limited preview." Searching Google Books directly will yield results in the categories of "Snippet View" and "No Preview Available". The publishers of these books haven't given Google permission to show you a preview, but have allowed the books to be scanned in. You often have to track down these books in a library to see what the text says, but Google Books does provide the source information, including the page number where your search terms appeared.

Google Alerts is useful if your search is very specific (of course, the more specific you get, the more likely that you might be missing something because you are too specific.) Google Alerts is also useful if you are only interested in the "top results" for a broader search. But you need to be aware that Google Alerts isn't a catch-all system.

Smile for the Camera: They Worked Hard for a Living

The word prompt for the 15th Edition of Smile For The Camera is "they WORKED hard for the family." The professions of our ancestors are almost as interesting as the people themselves. Some of our ancestors worked very hard; they took in laundry, worked the land, raised many children, or went to school and became professionals. Photographs of them working are called occupational photographs and are rather hard to find.

I agree, they definitely aren't easy to find. However, I have found a few. I'll start with my maternal grandparents Martin Deutsch (1907-1991) and Myrtle Van Every (1900-1951) who worked at the St. Louis Post Office together in 1935 when this photo was taken, less than a year before they were married. I've drawn a box around my grandparents.
The below photograph of my paternal grandfather, Melvin Newmark (1914-1992), shows him with gavel in hand as a City Judge. I like how the nameplate reflects in the photo.
Here's a photograph of my great grandmother, Margaret (Denyer) Van Every (1868-1923) at work on the farm. The photograph was likely taken after 1920, as the writing on the back suggests my grandmother, the recipient of the photograph, had already moved to St. Louis. The writing also indicates that El Paso had received some snow. Which isn't completely unheard of.
Finally, I have a photograph - circa 1935 - of the Lichtmann Leatherworks shop in Margitta, Hungary - Address: 43 December Street - birthplace of my maternal great grandmother, Helen (Lichtmann) Deutsch (1881-1958). The people in the photo are my grandfather's first cousins, Andre and Sanyi Lichtmann, sons of Helen's brother, Frank (Fere).

The 75th Carnival of Genealogy has been posted

The 75th Carnival of Genealogy has been posted, and is filled with entries on Justice and Independence.

The topic for the next edition of the Carnival of Genealogy is: How I spent my summer vacation... a favorite summer memory from your youth. Tell us what summers were like when you were a wee tad pole. Did you vacation with family? Go to a youth camp? Hang out at the local park? Watch fireworks? Catch fireflies? Share those lazy, hazy, crazy, days of summers past with us! Deadline for submissions is July 14, 2009. [more info]

Happy Independence Day!

Good-night - Carl Sandburg (1920)

MANY ways to spell good night.

Fireworks at a pier on the Fourth of July spell it with red wheels and yellow spokes.

They fizz in the air, touch the water and quit.
Rockets make a trajectory of gold-and-blue and then go out.

Railroad trains at night spell with a smokestack mushrooming a white pillar.

Steamboats turn a curve in the Mississippi crying in a baritone that crosses lowland cottonfields to a razorback hill.
It is easy to spell good night.

Many ways to spell good night.

Poetry: A Toast to the First and the Fourth of July

A Toast to the First and the Fourth of July
for David Van Every (1757-1820)
©July 2009 - John Newmark

For two years my fourth great fought
for the creation of our nation
then in seventeen seventy seven
he deemed his disloyalty a disservice
and joined the other side.
Finally, he and his family fled to Canada.

His motivations are unrecorded.
Beyond his appearance on muster rolls,
a few brief mentions elsewhere,
we have nothing. No inkling
of the wherefores behind his decision
either in seventy five, or seventy seven.

In July’s opening barrage
of national celebrations
I honor both of his decisions -
whatever the reasons, and his willingness
to fight for what he believed
even when those beliefs changed.

---

I've previously blogged that I only have Loyalist direct ancestors and no Revolutionaries. I've learned that's not exactly true. My fourth great grandfather, David Van Every, was a Revolutionary who became a Loyalist. Though I do note he was 18 years old in 1775, and 20 in 1777.

I think about the decisions I was making at that age. My 4th great grandfather left one side of a war, and went to the other; I left one college and went to another. There's a long story behind my actions; I'm sure there's an equally long story behind his.

While there's no certainty, one researcher suggests there may have been a familial reason David (and his brother, Benjamin) initially joined the New York militia.

David and Benjamin Van Every perhaps had decided to join the New York Militia, as it was in this Regiment that the cousins of their father, McGregory Van Every had been serving: Martin as a Lieutenant, Cornelius (1730 - 1815) as an Ensign and later as a Lieutenant, and Rynier as a Captain. However, soon after deserting from the New York Militia, both David and Benjamin transferred themselves to Butler's Rangers, within which they fought for the duration of the American Revolution, David as a Sergeant and Benjamin as a regular soldier.

--- "Warner Cemetery: an important piece of Canada's heritage worth preserving," Robert Collins McBride, The Loyalist Gazette, March 22, 2000.

I think my decision has just been made for me.

I just received in my email box the monthly issue of PastPorts, the newsletter for the St. Louis County Library's Special Collections department. The first sentence of the first article?

Footnote is now available in the Special Collections Department or at public
computers at any St. Louis County Library branch.

Unlike Ancestry.com, where I find myself searching their databases so often, free library access isn't sufficient -- at this point in my genealogy research, library access to Footnote will definitely be sufficient. My paid account will expire in September.

Footnote partners with Gannett Newspapers

I received the below in my email from Footnote on June 26, with a note that the information wasn't to be released until today - July 1st.

We wanted to let you know of an exciting new partnership between Footnote and the largest newspaper publisher in the US, the Gannett Company. Gannett, publisher of 84 daily newspapers including USA Today, will be able to digitize their vast archives for the first time by working together with Footnote. Through this partnership Footnote Members will be able to access valuable historical newspapers never seen before on the internet.

In celebration of the 40th anniversary of the Moon Landing and Woodstock, we have kicked off our partnership by digitizing the newspapers covering those events. We have recently launched the first runs of Florida Today and the Poughkeepsie Journal (NY). Footnote will continue to digitize the full run of those newspapers including all of the Poughkeepsie Journal, which goes back to 1785.

Visit our Moon Landing and Woodstock pages today and relive the 60’s man.

I'm sure the timing of this announcement isn't completely coincidental with their recent announcement that as of August 1, Footnote Annual Membership will increase by $10. Current subscribers can get a reduced subscription through the end of July.

I have to admit that while I have been very happy with what I have so far found on Footnote (in particular several Dawes Commission transcripts and some civil war documents) I was asking myself whether it was likely that enough information would be added to make extending my subscription worthwhile. I find myself searching Footnote every couple months to see what new items I find, which suggests I might be better off saving some money by buying an occasional monthly subscription, as opposed to the annual.

I found a list of Gannett newspapers; the only Missouri newspaper is The Springfield Leader, and there are no Illinois, or Texas newspapers. The Poughkeepsie Journal might provide some interesting finds for some of my early American ancestors, but as long as I'm only researching for myself, I'm not sure I really need daily access.