Goal Setting Workshop with Marian Pierre-Louis

It is an understatement for me to say that the workshop I attended today with Marian Pierre-Louis and 13 other talented, dedicated, professional genealogists was an excellent way to spend 3 hours on a day when there is certainly no lack of many projects to attend to.  For those who know Marian, you'll agree with me that she is as professional as they come.

Today's workshop was aptly entitled, "Setting Business and Marketing Goals for 2015."  As the workshop opened and all the participants came into the webinar, we all had already come to know just a little bit about each other.  Since Marian always comes prepared, she wanted all of the rest of us to come prepared as well.  Part of our pre-workshop preparation was to visit each other's website, blogs and any other social media pages such as Facebook, Twitter, Pinterest and Google+.  That was a great strategy to get to know each other before any of us met.

But that's not the only part of our pre-class assignment.  A little soul-searching was in order. Describe your strengths; your weaknesses. Did you have goals written for 2014 and did you have a plan to achieve them?  And it certainly didn't stop there.  Not painful, just introspective.

Here are a few of Marian's websites and blogs:

Fieldstone Common: www.fieldstonecommon.com/
Facebook: www.facebook.com/marianpierrelouis
The Genealogy Professional www.facebook.com/marianpierrelouis
On-Line House History: www.fieldstonehistoricresearch.com/
Marian's Roots and Rambles: rootsandrambles.blogspot.com/


She'll be presenting the same workshop webinar to another group on Saturday.  I'm not sure if there's room, but if there is and I know it's short notice, but I recommend you sign up! Click here to read about it. 

I believe I speak for every participant that it was a great 3 hours, especially being led by a professional of Marian's caliber. If nothing else, it's a name to remember.  If the opportunity presents itself to spend some time to learn with her, make sure you put in your schedule.  

As a matter of fact, make it a goal!

DDOS, sync'ing FTM and other genealogy subjects

Diagram of Stachledraht attack (Photo credit: Wikipedia)

The DDOS at Ancestry is behind us....almost.  I was still having sync problems and the solution was to delete one and upload or download the remaining file to create a new replacement, a strategy that didn't exactly hold my interest.  It's my "master" file which, today, has 40,004 individuals, countless photos and even more documents, notes and everything else you can thing of.

For those who are wondering, I un-linked my tree this morning, re-uploaded FTM to Ancestry and I now have a new "sync-able" data base, with a name that ends in "(1)". 

So from here, I'm going to re-invite all my previous guests and see who stays and who goes.  It's like this blog.  I tried to make a shift from one service to the other and lost 3/4 of the content. I guess that means it's time for a fresh start in a lot of areas.

The only other thought that's on my mind tonight is my schedule.  It has slowly crept up on me.  For the first time, I had a minor panic attack thinking that as I was sitting here in my office I was supposed to be somewhere teaching something to someone!

Well, don't worry!  It's next week, not this week.  The rest of July has a few "engagements" but then August, September and October will be the busiest I've ever been. The Yellow House Center of Community Learning, Hitchcock Free Academy, Wistariahurst, 4 public libraries and a few other locations!  On top of that, in response to "popular demand", I'm putting together an advanced genealogy program which I think will be 5 or 6 sessions in all.  Should be interesting!

The big announcement for me is coming up in the spring.  I'll get the details and post about that later.

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How would you find them without an index?

[caption id="" align="alignleft" width="75"] English: 145-volume stack of the 1959 World Book Encyclopedia printed in Braille. (Photo credit: Wikipedia)[/caption]

How's that for a question?  Back...way back...when I first began researching on the internet, there weren't

[caption id="" align="alignright" width="75"] Advertisement for Encyclopedia Brittanica, 1913 (Photo credit: Wikipedia)[/caption]

very many records that were "indexed."  What that means specifically can be explained best by thinking back ....way back....when we had giant sets of books like the Encyclopedia Brittanica or World Book Encyclopedia.  There were thousands and thousands of pages of articles that talked about everything you can possibly imagine.  Have you ever used an encyclopedia?  If not, I can tell you that they were usually 20 to 25 volumes, each of which contained 400 or 500 pages of information.

Now picture having an encyclopedia in place of Google.  Except that this imaginary encyclopedia isn't even arranged alphabetically.  Everything is just sort of piled in there, stuck every which way with the first article about watermelons followed by zebras then something else totally unconnected to what came before or what came after.  How long would it take you to find the article about Hawaii? I can tell you, you'd be late for dinner!  But these volumes were "indexed" so that you could go to the back of the book and look up your subject in an alphabetical index.  That would send you not only to the right volume, but the exact page you needed....a primitive Google, if you will!  No bells and whistles....just words and pictures.

[caption id="" align="alignright" width="75"] English: Google Logo officially released on May 2010 (Photo credit: Wikipedia)[/caption]

Welcome to the world of un-indexed US Census records or un-indexed city probate files or un-indexed anything!.  How is it that finding what we're looking for is so easy today?  The answer is simple: indexing!

[caption id="" align="alignleft" width="75"] Adriana Hernandez baptized 1925 (Photo credit: GoCal83)[/caption]

 

So who does all this indexing? Family Search just announced that they have a billion records indexed.  That will sure help all of us in our diligent search for any genealogical records.  But the mystery remains: Who does all this indexing? The answer is so simple, I'm sure you already know.  It's you and me!  Well, I can say "you" if you've ever signed up as a volunteer indexer.  How did the search engines get the 1940 US Census up and searchable so fast?  Indexers, volunteer indexers.

Here's my point: If everybody, and I mean EVERYBODY could find the time to get involved just a little imagine the amazing, mind-numbing volume of records could be indexed in a single day!  Family Search has already had one "mass indexing day" back on 2 July 2012 when a total of nearly 50,000 indexers and arbitrators set a record for the most number of indexers working in one day!

Well they're planning on it again and YOU can help!  On Sunday, July 20, 2014 at 9 PM eastern time and continuing for 24 hours, Family Search is challenging all genealogists to break that 2012 record and index as many records as possible. Have you been indexing right along?  Then please be sure to participate in the "World Indexing Project" by indexing just one record...and more if you can!  But they're only asking for 50,000 plus to help with just one record.  That's all!

If you've never indexed records for Family Search, click on the "Indexing" tab on the home page and you'll discover how interesting it can be for a researcher to see how it all works.  Here's the "Worldwide Indexing Event" page at Family Search and here's "Worldwide Indexing Event" at their Facebook page which was set up strictly for this project. If you've never been to the site, you'll have to establish a user name and password.  But there's no cost, no membership fees, no worries!

Good luck!  Give it a shot!  No one starts out running, there's a short learning curve with plenty of on site assistance every

step of the way.  Like the commercial, "Try it!  You'll like it!!"

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Facebook for Genealogists

Facebook (FB so I don’t have to type it a thousand times in this blog) to me was a big waste of time.  I don’t need to know what all my friends and family are doing 24/7.  I suppose I got roped in a little when the grandchildren began to arrive.  Who can resist that??  Or, worse, who wants to get caught NOT seeing “that” pic or “that” video….Not me!

Facebook logo Español: Logotipo de Facebook Français : Logo de Facebook Tiếng Việt: Logo Facebook (Photo credit: Wikipedia)

In addition to the social mania of social media, there are really a lot of FB pages that are pretty interesting, at least from a genealogical point of view.  FB is rife with useful stuff.  Who knew!  So I began following a few, especially the pages of the organizations to which I belong: “New England Chapter of the Association of Professional Genealogists,” “Massachusetts Society of Genealogists,” “Haplogroup Rib” (What the heck is THAT), “Autosomal DNA” and the list goes on.

Not only did I get involved in all these pages, I actually contribute!  Yes, I have opinions….can you believe it? So, I thought that the world would be a better place if I started my own genealogically oriented FB page.  It’s called “Find-A-Grave Genealogy Discussion.”  Brilliant, right?

Roy, Thomas & Mary A. (Photo credit: WillynWV)

Well, we loped along for several months with 100 or so members who exchanged questions and answers and stories and problems and so forth.  Suddenly in February, I was receiving 3, 4, 5 requests a day to join.  That billowed in to 8, 9, 10 a day.  We’re now at 1,249 members.  Scratch that, the number is 1,256…

So, maybe it’s worth a look.  People ask questions about Find A Grave, genealogy in general, how to handle difficult research problems….whatever!  The only thing I don’t tolerate is negativity.  Right after the page began to blossom, one of the members was waging a battle with some other member who “done her wrong!”  Well, that lasted about a day.  Now they’re both deleted and blocked.

Recommended Genealogy Websites (Photo credit: brizzle born and bred)

 Take a look: Find A Grave Genealogy Discussion

 In the meantime, Bruce Cortis who is a friend and a member of some of the organizations I belong to, started a FB page of his own: Genealogy - Improving your searches.

There’s been a lot of people who say they've benefited from the posts and many others who have offered help.

 Facebook…it’s a good thing!

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Facebook for Genealogists

Facebook (FB so I don't have to type it a thousand times in this blog) to me was a big waste of time.  I don't need to know what all my friends and family are doing 24/7.  I suppose I got roped in a little when the grandchildren began to arrive.  Who can resist that??  Or, worse, who wants to get caught NOT seeing "that" pic or "that" video....Not me!

 

[caption id="" align="alignright" width="75"] Facebook logo Español: Logotipo de Facebook Français : Logo de Facebook Tiếng Việt: Logo Facebook (Photo credit: Wikipedia)[/caption]

In addition to the social mania of social media, there are really a lot of FB pages that are pretty interesting, at least from a genealogical point of view.  FB is rife with useful stuff.  Who knew!  So I began following a few, especially the pages of the organizations to which I belong: "New England Chapter of the Association of Professional Genealogists," "Massachusetts Society of Genealogists," "Haplogroup Rib" (What the heck is THAT), "Autosomal DNA" and the list goes on.

 

Not only did I get involved in all these pages, I actually contribute!  Yes, I have opinions....can you believe it? So, I thought that the world would be a better place if I started my own genealogically oriented FB page.  It's called "Find-A-Grave Genealogy Discussion."  Brilliant, right?

 

[caption id="" align="alignleft" width="75"] Roy, Thomas & Mary A. (Photo credit: WillynWV)[/caption]

Well, we loped along for several months with 100 or so members who exchanged questions and answers and stories and problems and so forth.  Suddenly in February, I was receiving 3, 4, 5 requests a day to join.  That billowed in to 8, 9, 10 a day.  We're now at 1,249 members.  Scratch that, the number is 1,256...

 

So, maybe it's worth a look.  People ask questions about Find A Grave, genealogy in general, how to handle difficult research problems....whatever!  The only thing I don't tolerate is negativity.  Right after the page began to blossom, one of the members was waging a battle with some other member who "done her wrong!"  Well, that lasted about a day.  Now they're both deleted and blocked.

[caption id="" align="alignright" width="75"] Recommended Genealogy Websites (Photo credit: brizzle born and bred)[/caption]

 

 

Take a look: Find A Grave Genealogy Discussion

 

In the meantime, Bruce Cortis who is a friend and a member of some of the organizations I belong to, started a FB page of his own: Genealogy - Improving your searches.

 

There's been a lot of people who say they've benefited from the posts and many others who have offered help.

 

Facebook...it's a good thing!

 

 

 

 

 

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Lessons in Marketing a Genealogist's Website

Although I had to drive about 200 miles round trip to Boston last month, it was worth it and I’d do it again.  I belong to the New England Chapter of the Association of Professional Genealogists.  We call it  simply NEAPG.  That’s a lot easier to get off your tongue!  As a matter of fact, I happen to be this year’s vice president.  It seems to be just like Joe Biden, who doesn’t seem to have a lot of “real” responsibilities, he just has to try to stay out of trouble!

The big focus for me today was a presentation by fellow genealogist, Marian Pierre-Louis. She’s well suited to today’s subject matter which had to do with marketing your website:  Getting focused, making a business plan, using the internet to your advantage and, my biggest mystery, social media.

Last week, the membership was asked to volunteer their websites for Marian’s critique at today’s meeting.  Since I just rehashed my own, I wanted to get someone who knows a whole lot more than I do about such mysteries to help me get it polished up.  I had no idea how many offered their sites or if she’d pick mine.

website ideas (Photo credit: Sean MacEntee)

Well, she picked 3 sites, largely because I think that only 3 people offered to participate. Luckily, my site was one of the 3.  Well, I learned a great deal about structuring my web site.  Truth be known, I had already done a lot of things right!  But she had some very helpful insights to tweak it up.  For example, she thought I had too many pages, visitors would have to click too many times to get to what I wanted them to see. So, tonight, and it’s well after midnight, I just finished restructuring the largest part of what she suggested I do.  I’ve got a few more issues to remedy.

But I was particularly glad that she covered blogs, Facebook, Twitter and a couple of other social media issues.  I’m not ready to talk much about it tonight.  But I plan on re-reading my notes, tweaking all the sites where I want a presence and watching to see if it impacts the results. Then I can talk about what she suggested, what I did and how well it worked.

I will say that after the first week or so of working this new site, I contracted with a new client out of California.  I asked the client, for the sake of knowing which marketing was working for me, how did they find me.  They said they simply searched Google for a professional genealogist in this area and my site popped up first!! Not bad for an amateur webmaster!

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Josh Taylor Quote and his RootsTech Presentation

DISCLAIMER: Understand that I was not at RootsTech this year as much as I would like to have gone. Maybe next year? However, this is a reblog of a post by THEGENEALOGYGIRL with a Josh Taylor quote and a link to his RootsTech presentation. I thought it well worth spreading it around!  Scroll to the bottom of this post.

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Sanborn Maps

How many of you have used Sanborn Fire Maps in your research?  They can come in very handy when you have a cluster of folks you're researching that live in one particular area.  It's a little like finding a family on a census record and then paging backward and forward looking for other relatives who might be neighbors.

There's a very good description of the Sanborn maps at Wikipedia, so I won't have to go into very much detail, but it's definitely worth a look and you'll see the value.

I spend quite a bit of time at the Lyman and Merry Wood Museum of Springfield History in Springfield, Massachusetts.  It's one of the best kept secrets on all of Western Massachusetts!  Among the millions (Yes, MILLIONS) of documents and records archived there are a set of Sanborn Fire Maps of the area.  And they are a boon to anyone doing research in the area.

The idea of blogging about Sanborn to provide everyone with a pretty good research tip came from a member of a Facebook group I moderate.  You can find that group here: https://www.facebook.com/groups/findagravediscussion/.  Feel free to request an add!  Anna Rees, a member of the group, is the person who made the recommendation.  Thanks, Anna!  See that?  I promised to give you full credit for the idea!

] Sanborn Fire Insurance Map, District of Columbia 1888 (excerpts): Center Market (Photo credit: lacafferata)

Location in Hampden County in Massachusetts (Photo credit: Wikipedia)

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The 11 Nations of the United "States"

Posted at Facebook by a fellow genealogist, Deborah Lee Stewart, I found this article intriguing to say the least.  Click "Continue reading" to activate the links to this article and others.

See, my paternal ancestors were Scotch-Irish and settled in "Greater Appalachia" and many of those descendants still live there!  My English maternal lines have, in large part, been in the "colonies" from Mayflower days (John Howland...he's the one that fell overboard and had to be rescued) and my most direct ancestor William Bassett who arrived in the Fortune in 1621.  And there are many others, legions of others, all of whom occupied "Yankeedom" at some point in the history of the US.

Here's the link to the NPR article.

[caption id="" align="alignleft" width="300"] English: Mayflower_1920_Issue-1c.jpg (Photo credit: Wikipedia)[/caption]

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New Family Research Photo Site in the Works: YouWho.com

The latest web site hoping to appeal to family researchers is being developed by former Ancestry.com executives.  That may be good news or bad news depending how you feel about Ancestry.com!  With $5 million in seed money from Lightspeed Venture Partners, it looks like they're taking a very serious run at it.

Today, I took a look at their site, or tried to anyway...  YouWho will show you a few bits and pieces of what's to come in a brief video.  What is being attempted may prove to be an interesting variation on the "cloud" by virtue of the fact that what you upload can remain private, shared with who you choose or offered for sale to the researchers who visit the site. Like I said, "interesting"!  Joining and, apparently, uploading photos and documents will be free.  I can only assume that revenue will be generated through a share of the sale of genealogical material from one person to another.

Andre Brummer, a co-founder, has stated that they expect an integration with Facebook (another red flag in my opinion) will allow people to upload and tag items.  He also states that the company has 200 million items awaiting the opening of the site.

Another co-founder is Thomas G Stockham, a former CEO at Ancestry.com who left that company "quietly"...whatever that means...

So I signed up to see what was beyond the introductory video.   User name, password, etc... and so far, all I've gotten is a cheery message: "Sweet! You are *so* on the list! We're rolling out our red Beta carpet right now.  We'll send you a link to your spiffy new 'My Home' page soon."

"Spiffy"??? I can't wait...

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Gravestone Photographic Resources - A Research Resource Website

Here's a site I found while poking around one of Facebook's genealogy focused pages.  Take a look at Gravestone Photographic  Resources.  (You may have to expand this to see the full post in order for the links to work.)  It''s an impressive website, but it is totally focused on the British Isles.  They are actively seeking volunteers in the US which is why I'm posting this in case any of you have any gravestone photos you'd like to share.

I have a number of questions for them such as if I'll be able to stamp my photos with a copyright.  Most of what I've uploaded lately to my Ancestry.com tree or to Find-A-Grave have been so marked.  If I decide to contribute, it would be a huge project as I've accumulated hundreds of photos over the years.  And I certainly have enough to do other than filling out spreadsheets!

But I thought if anyone else is interested, I'd spread the word.

Have fun!  And good luck in your own research....

 

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Hezekiah Robertson? Robinson? Robison? Robrson? Chapter One

There's a lot to this story and I'm trying to get this up on the blog quickly...I should never rush a post...but I've got some family members I've met only of Facebook who would like to see some of the data I've compiled on the past 15 years or so.

I'll begin this post with a quick story on my 4th great grandfather.  Hezekiah was born, probably in Virginia.  Exactly where is a mystery but it might even be that part of Virginia that is now West Virginia.  His year of birth was sometime between 1777 and 1784, the discrepancy due to what he reported on various records and what is inscribed on his gravestone.  His gravestone....more on that later!

Hezekiah joined Andrew Jackson's East Tennessee Volunteers and served in the War of 1812.  He left his you wife at home with their 2 sons.   Anne Grantham took sick and died shortly after Hezekiah returned home.  He then soon married his sister-in-law, Tabitha.  This was a common practice which was clearly beneficial to the children and also freed Hezekiah to farm what became about 660 acres of land just over the Tennessee line from Giles County to Limestone County, Alabama.

The area is known as Robinson Hollow, where Robinson Road runs right through it.   It's also where you can find Hezekiah's resting place in the Robinson Cemetery.   According to the gravestone, he died in 1852 at age 75 and here's where the odd spelling "ROBRSON" comes from: That's what's inscribed on the stone in the Robinson Cemetery!

The vagaries of how to spell "ROBINSON" continued for generations.   When the widow Tabitha applied for her War of 1812 Widow's pension, she was denied many times.  The correspondence clearly shows that even Hezekiah wasn't consistent.  Various records use at least three spellings of the name: "Robinson", "Robertson" and "Robison".  And of course, there's the gravestone! Tabitha's efforts to collect her pension as a widow of a veteran of the War of 1812 was thwarted for a number of years.  I have copies of the correspondence form the National Archives showing how many times her claim was rejected. She outlived the denials and managed to collect for a couple of years before she died in 1884 on their farm in Robinson Hollow, Limestone County, Alabama.

[caption id="attachment_1296" align="aligncenter" width="300"] ...or is it Robertson. Or maybe Robison?

English: The signature of Andrew Jackson. (Photo credit: Wikipedia)[/caption]