HISTORICAL Newsletter
Vol. 51 No. 1 - July 1998

By Cindy S. Drake, Library Curator

The National Genealogical Society
1998 Conference in the States (Part 1)

   The National Genealogical Society 1998 Conference in the States was held in Denver, Colorado, May 6-9, with a preconference for genealogy librarians on May 5. The preconference was held at the new (opened 1995) Central Library of the Denver Public Library. DPL's Western History and Genealogy Department (which was merged in January 1995) has world-renowned collections of books, journals, newspapers, photographs, maps, art, and manuscripts that chronicle the American West. The Gates Western History Reading Room and the O'Fallon Genealogy Reading Room are located on the fifth floor. The Genealogy Reading Room is a regional center for research, with resources on a variety of ethnic groups. The collection is considered one of the top ten genealogical resources in the United States.
   The conference was held at the Colorado Convention Center in downtown Denver with more than 1,400 in attendance. The programs covered a variety of genealogical topics. I will attempt to review in two columns some of the highlights of the four-day conference.
   Barbara Renick (coauthor of a book titled The Internet For Genealogists: A Beginner's Guide) in her program, "How Computers Are Changing Genealogical Research," explained how the survey, research, evaluation, and publication phases of genealogical research are changing with the use of computers. From her handout in the NGS syllabus she stated that genealogists can now divide their hobby and/or profession into two historical eras: B. C. ("Before Computers") and A. D ("After Disks"). She commented that over three thousand libraries in Germany are now online.
   I attended two presentations, both excellent, by Richard S. Wilson. His programs were titled "Managing Your Research with a Computer" and "Comparing Genealogical Software." In the latter he compared the features of all the major genealogy programs now available. If you can't decide which software to purchase for your genealogical material check his web site at <http://www.compuology.com/ngs98/>. Both of his programs are online. He plans to update the software information regularly.
   Sharon Boatwright presented "Tots to Teens: Genealogy and Genealogical Sources." Sharon specialized in genealogy for young people. She is a retired teacher and a member of the National Genealogical Society Youth Resources Committee. She gave me more ideas and titles to share with teachers in the state regarding the use of family history in the classroom.
   While in Denver, I visited the Colorado Historical Society Stephen H. Hart Library and the Colorado State Archives. Besides the Denver Public library, these are two other repositories you should visit if you are researching Colorado ancestors. All three locations are within a few blocks of each other. Before visiting the Hart library contact them for the "Brief Overview" to familiarize you with their collection. Their address is 1300 Broadway, Denver CO 80203-2137. The State Archives has a booklet titled "Researching the Colorado State Archives." Their address is Division of State Archives and Public Records, Centennial Building, Room 1B-20, 1313 Sherman Street, Denver CO 80203.
   An advantage of attending a large genealogical convention is the number of vendors you can visit to catch up on new ideas, books, and software in the field of genealogy. There were almost one hundred vendors at the conference. A Computer Learning Center was available with documentation and volunteers to help with various genealogical software programs. Demonstrations by program experts were provided as well. Another area that interested me was the number of original records now being scanned and made available on CD-ROM. One company is marketing census records. Their major concentration at this time is the 1850 census.
   There were several programs on the Grand Army of the Republic (GAR) and the history of the Civil War. Again, there are numerous sites on the web to help with your research. Two general sources given in the NGS syllabus, from a program given by Pamela Boyer Porter titled "The Civil War in the American West," are: Civil War Soldiers System <http://www.itd.nps.gov/cwss/> and U.S. Civil War Center <http://www.cwc.lsu.edu/civlink.htm>.

LIBRARY/ARCHIVES WISH LIST
By Cindy S. Drake, Library Curator

   The following are high priority titles we wish to purchase for the library. The title and author are given, along with the approximate price (including postage if known). Members are encouraged to donate funds toward the purchase. Please direct monetary donations to me with a note on your check specifying "L/A Wish List" to alert our accounting staff.
   African Americans In the West: A Bibliography of Secondary Sources, compiled by Bruce A. Glasrud, Center for Big Bend Studies, 1998. $23.
   The Black West: A Documentary and Pictorial History of the African American Role in the Westward Expansion of the United States: With a New Introduction, by William L. Katz, Touchstone Books/Simon & Schuster, 1996. $14.
   Buffalo Bill: Myth and Reality by Eric V. Sorg, Johnson Books, 1998. $14.45.
   Burning the Hymnal: The Uncollected Poems of William Kloefkorn, A Slow Tempo Press. $13.95.
   By Grit & Grace: Eleven Women Who Shaped the American West, edited by Glenda Riley and Richard W. Etulain, Fulcrurn Publishing, 1997. $26.95.

HISTORICAL Newsletter
Vol. 51 No. 2 - August 1998

By Cindy S. Drake, Library Curator

The National Genealogical Society 1998
Conference in the States (Part 2)

     Sandra Clunies, a New England genealogist, provided a lengthy bibliography in the NGS Syllabus for her program tided, "Computer Creativity For Family Reunions or Any Gathering of Your Genealogical or Historical Society." This listing includes web sites.
     Sharon DeBartolo Carmack gave a humorous presentation on "Colorful Colorado Characters," as well as co-presenting with Roger D. Joslyn, "Recipe for Writing Your Family History." Sharon and Roger are collaborating on a family history tided American Lives and Lines: Ancestors and Descendants of Roland J. McMahan and Mildred Elizabeth Fearn that will be out later this year.
     In this book Roger will be doing the "reference writing," which is "bare bones" genealogy, and Sharon will be doing the "narrative family history," based on what she calls the "Carmack Formula." She transports the current generation back to Colonial times for both ancestors, then brings them to the present. Her narrative is based on: (1) facts (2) stow-why, how, what (3) background, based on the time period within the county and state where the family lived (4) social history, a study of everyday lives of ordinary people in a society (including the social life and customs of the ethnic group) and (5) theme, which may be based on a conflict within the family, whether immigrants adjusting to a new life, young widows with children, or a wife abandoned by her husband.
     Roger and Sharon supplied some excerpts from their book which make for an interesting reading style that you don't normally find in genealogies. Check out their book later this year. It will be published by Newbury Street Press in Boston. Sharon is also the author of A Genealogist's Guide to Discovering Your Female Ancestor: The Genealogy Sourcebook; and Italian-American Family History: A Guide to Researching and Writing About Your Heritage.
     I also renewed my contacts with staff from the Kansas State Historical Society who were at the conference. For those of you doing Kansas research, there is a new "Guide to Research Resources in the library and Archives Division of the Kansas State Historical Society." Contact them for a copy at the Kansas History Center, 6425 SW Sixth Avenue, Topeka, KS 66615.
     If you have not located this web site on your own, I want to give you the new URL for "Cyndi's List of Genealogical Sites on the Internet." It is <http://www.CyndisList.com/>. Several sources have proclaimed it as absolutely the best compilation of links (over 28,000) to Internet sites for genealogists. Cyndi Howells is the owner and webmaster of this site, as well as being the author of Netting Your Ancestors: Genealogical Research on the Internet.
     Former Nebraska resident Ruby Coleman gave a program on "Locating and Utilizing Social Security Information." In regard to using the Social Security Death Index at LDS Family History Centers, she commented that the preferred site on the Internet for using this index is from Ancestry. Their URL is <http://www.ancestry.com/ancestry/search.asp>. REMINDER: Individuals who died before 1962, when the records were computerized, are not in this index, even if they had a social security number.
     John W. Carlin, archivist of the United States, attended the conference to address questions about the National Archives and Records Administration's space planning. As part of the discussion at one of the sessions his staff mentioned that the National Archives Preliminary Inventories (NAIL) are going online and the project should be completed by 2002.
     In closing I would like to share with you a saying by Hodding Carter that Sharon Boatwright gave us during her program: "There are only two lasting bequests we can hope to give our children. One of these is roots, the other, wings."
     Next month's column will be devoted to New Acquisitions of Interest to Genealogists.

LIBRARY/ARCHIVES "WISH LIST"
By Cindy S. Drake, Library Curator

     The following are high priority titles we wish to purchase for the library. The title and author are given, along with the approximate price (including postage if known). Members are encouraged to donate funds toward the purchase. Please direct monetary donations to me with a note on your check specifying "L/A Wish List" to alert our accounting staff.
     Cheyenne Memories, 2d ed. with a new preface, by John Stands in Timber and Margot Liberty, Yale University Press, 1998. $16.
     A Common Land, A Diverse People: Ethnic Identity on the Prairie Plains, by Harry F. Thompson, et. al., Nordland Heritage Foundation, 1987. $7.
      Creators of the Plains, by Thomas E. Mails, Council Oak Distribution, 1997. $10.95.
     Dakota War: The United States Army Versus the Sioux, 1862-1865, by Micheal Clodfelter, McFarland & Company, 1998. $42.95.
     Discovered Lands, Invented Pasts: Transforming Visions of the American West, by Jules David Prown, et. al., Yale University Press, $25.00.
     We would like to thank the following donors: William Slaughter for donating two copies of his book titled, Trail of Hope; The Story of the Mormon Trail; Lori, Dixie, and Cheyenne Gottula for donating the funds to purchase Bartenbach's Opera House.

HISTORICAL Newsletter
Vol. 51 No. 3 - September 1998

 By Cindy S. Drake, Library Curator

New Acquisitions of Interest to Genealogists

   Balbach Family History: Including Balbac, Balback, Balbaugh, Ballbach, Ballback, by William J. Balbach (Family in Douglas County).
   The Blowers Connection: A Blowers Family Newsletter. (Family in Gage and Dixon Counties).
   Alla Lizzie, by Helen Eichstaedt. (Maser family in Lancaster County).
   The Times I've Seen: A Familyography, by William E. Ramsey. (Family in Douglas County).
   The Schutz (Scheetz) and Uhlig Families of Nemaha and Adjoining Counties, Nebraska: Forebears of Lillian Belle (Lilly Bell) Romero Harrity, Includes Origins and Settlement in the United States From 1847, [compiled] by Rodney M. Sherard. (Families in Hall and Loup counties).
   The Descendants of Merle Adam Sherard and Ida Eleanor Waddington, [compiled] by Rodney M. Sherard. (Families in Hall and Loup counties).
   Guide to Naturalization Records of the United States, by Christina K. Schaefer.
   When the Midwest and I Were Younger: The Story of a Pioneer, by Christina C. Ernst. (Family in Dixon County).
   The Croesen Families of America: Kroesen, Krewsen, Krewson, Cruzen, Cruser, Crusen, Cruise, Cruse, Krusen, Kroes, Croes, Kruser, by Warren D. Cruise. (Families in Buffalo and Cheyenne counties).
   A Collection of Pictures & Stories of Union, Nebraska, by Larry Cook.
   Parkin's Guide to Tracing Your Family Tree in Missouri, edited by Jeannine T. and Joseph A. Preston.
   Producing a Quality Family History, by Patricia L. Hatcher.
   Genealogical & Local History Books in Print: US. Sources & Resources, Volume 3 & 4, compiled and edited by Marian Hoffman.
   Where the Wind Blows Free, by Burhl Gilpin. (Family in Furnas County).
   History & Descendants of John Howland ... booklet compiled by Betty W. Acker with the help of Dorothy H. Miller. (Family in Chase County).
   "A Good Place to be From": The Story of the Milford Mennonite Experience, 1873-1997, by Eldon Hostetler.
   Chris P. Ostergard Family in America, [compiled] by Albert J. Ostergaard.
   The Mullen Roundup: The Local History of Mullen, Nebraska, 1884-1917, a Collection of Stories About the Pioneers of this Sandhills Frontier, by students of the Mullen Public Schools.
   Descendants and Ancestors of Consider Wood and His Wife Mary Adams of Middleborough, Massachusetts. . . , compiled and written by Norris P. Wood. (Families in Sioux, Otoe, Saline and Douglas counties).
   Family History of Herman F. and Lisette Merten Diekmann Stiegemeier: United States and Germany, compiled by Norma H. Babcock. (Family in Hamilton County).
   Utts (Utz) and Allied Families, [compiled] by Darilla U. Matthews. (Family in Douglas County).

Bible Records

   We have recently finished cataloging photocopied pages from family Bibles that once were in our collections. In most cases the residences of the families are not given, and information about the Bible may no longer be available. The following family pages have been copied and cataloged: Alfred and Anna Anderson; Birky Family; Samuel and Peggy Haycraft; Pehr and Mari Hedman; Oliver and Abbie Humphrey; Samuel and Katherine Thorington; Uriah W. Oblinger Family; Kaspar Schmidt Family; Schutz Family; August and Wilhelmina Speth; James and Sarah Sullivan; Tibbles Family; Henry and Emily (Hale) West; John and Rachel White.

LIBRARY/ARCHIVES "WISH LIST"
By Cindy S. Drake, Library Curator

   The following are high priority titles we wish to purchase for the library. The title and author are given, along with the approximate price (including postage if known). Members are encouraged to donate funds toward the purchase. Please direct monetary donations to me with a note on your check specifying "L/A Wish List" to alert our accounting staff.

   Dress in American Culture, edited by Patricia A. Cunningham and Susan V. Lab, Popular Press, 1993. $17.95.
   Empire By Default: The Spanish-American War and the Dawn of the American Century, by Ivan Musicant. $29.95.
   Folklore of the Winnebago Tribe, by David Lee Smith, University of Oklahoma Press, 1997. $26.45.
   The Forgotten Heroes: The Story of the Buffalo Soldiers, by Clinton Cox, Scholastic Inc., 1993. $6.24.
   Growing Up in the 40s: Rural Reminiscence, by Jerry L. Twedt, Iowa State University Press, 1996. $16.95.
   We would like to thank the following donors: Lucy Ann Bean for donating funds to purchase Burning the Hymnal; and Patricia and James Taylor for donating funds to purchase Cheyenne Memories (2d. ed.). A donation to the Nebraska State Historical Society Foundation from The Willer Foundation of Omaha enabled the Library/Archives to order twenty-six new titles as of August 1, 1998.

HISTORICAL Newsletter
Vol. 51 No. 4 - October 1998

By Cindy S. Drake, Library Curator
Nebraska Mortuary/Funeral Home Records

   Mortuary/funeral home records generally have the same information about a deceased individual that appears on the death certificate, as well as some additional information. The mortician or funeral home director usually obtains the information for the required death certificate and turns it over to the Vital Statistics Division of the Nebraska Department of Health. The funeral home may be in charge of contacting selected newspapers with information from the family that will appear in death notices. Information requested by the funeral home for its records may include full name of deceased; address; date and place of birth; relatives of deceased; if a veteran; spouse or next of kin, perhaps with addresses; information provided by the attending physician for date, time, and cause of death; illnesses leading to the cause of death; where the body was picked up; pallbearers; perhaps a copy of the obituary; and details about the funeral, including costs, type of casket, when and where buried, which church (if any) held services, and the person officiating at service.
   Morticians and funeral home directors contact the cemetery sexton to arrange for the interment of the deceased. Their records may include information about cemeteries in their area that might otherwise be difficult to obtain. If a mortuary or funeral home changes ownership the records almost always are transferred with the business. In a small community it is not difficult to determine whether the previous funeral homes' records are available. In communities the size of Lincoln or Omaha it can be more difficult. Usually the mortuary or funeral home will help you secure information. They may also know which funeral homes own the records of earlier funeral homes in the area.
   Many of these records were kept prior to the. time that death certificates were filed in Nebraska (1904) and can be the key to additional information for your research. When contacting a funeral home, ask what time would be convenient for them to check their records. If you are writing for information, ask if there is a fee and always send a S.A.S.E.
   Funeral homes should have a copy of The National Yellow Book of Funeral Directors, which will help locate a funeral home location in the United States. The name of the funeral home is included, along with the address and phone number, alphabetical by state and then by town.
   (Cynthia Monroe, NSHS reference assistant, supplied the information for this article.)

LIBRARY/ARCHIVES WISH LIST
By Cindy S. Drake, Library Curator

   The following are high priority titles we wish to purchase for the library. The title and author are given, along with the approximate price (including postage if known). Members are encouraged to donate funds toward the purchase. Please direct monetary donations to me with a note on your check specifying "L/A Wish List" to alert our accounting staff.
   Gendered Justice in the American West: Women Prisoners In Men's Penitentiaries, by Anne M. Butler, 1997. $33.45.
   Hollow Victory: The White River Expedition of 1879 and the Battle of Milk Creek, by Mark E. Miller, 1997. $30.50.
   Archaeology on the Great Plains, edited by W. Raymond Wood, 1998. $32.95.
   Indians, Bureaucrats, and Land: The Dawes Act and the Decline of Indian Farming, by Leonard A. Carlson, 1981. $59.00.
   The Irish in the West, edited by Timothy J. Sarbaugh and James P. Walsh. $16.74.
   The Farm and Home Publishers of County Farm Directories and Plats distributes free copies of yearly updated township directories for most of eastern and central Nebraska. We are requesting donations of these township directories for our library. Old and new editions may be sent to my attention at our address.
   We would like to thank K. Roy Bailey for donating funds to purchase A Common Land, A Diverse People: Ethnic Identity on the Prairie Plains.

HISTORICAL Newsletter
Vol. 51 No.5 - November 1998

By Cindy S. Drake, Library Curator
Nebraska Birth and Death Records

   The column this month will include brief information on birth and death records that may be located in Nebraska. Genealogists and historians researching in this state may find unofficial records compiled by individuals or counties that are not consistent for the entire state.
   Birth and death records for Nebraska were not consistently kept prior to 1904 at either the state or county level. The Historical Society does not have official records of births and deaths on file, with the exception of an Omaha Birth Registry, 1869-1907; an Omaha Death Registry, 1873-1915; and a few vital records for early eastern Nebraska, which can be found in The Nebraska and Midwest Genealogical Record.*
   Some earlier birth and death records for Lincoln and Omaha have been filed with the Bureau of Vital Statistics. According to a letter received by the Historical Society in 1980, these earlier records include: City of Lincoln, two volumes of deaths, 1890-1910 and 1889-1913; one volume of births, 1889-1913; and one volume containing deaths, October 1, 1889, to December 1, 1913, and births from April 23, 1875, to September 29, 1921; City of Omaha death certificates, 1855-1901, 1890, 1873-74, 1891-1903, and birth certificates, 1890-1914. For these records and available statewide records of births and deaths after 1904, contact the bureau at 301 Centennial Mail South, Lincoln NE 68509-5007 to obtain prices and procedures.
   The bureau often refers inquiries before 1904 to our reference staff because the Society has other sources that might be checked for information regarding births and deaths. These include census records, newspapers, church records, and probate records. Our Nebraska local history collection includes various volumes that individuals and organizations have compiled pertaining to births and deaths. They include (but are not limited to) cemetery transcriptions, compiled baptisms and funerals from church records and funeral homes, and published material from fraternal organizations.
   The 1860, 1870, 1880, and 1885 census records include mortality schedules that list individuals who died during the year previous to June 1 of the census year. The information contained in these schedules may include age, sex, race (usually the term "colored" was used), whether slave or free; whether married or widowed; place of birth; occupation; month of death; cause of death; number of days ill; whether father and mother were foreign born; place of death; cause of death; and name of attending physician.
   The Omaha City Directories for 1892, 1893, and 1894 include a list of names of those who died during the previous year. The G.A. R. Burial Cards are an alphabetical list of Grand Army of the Republic members buried in Nebraska. If you have an ancestor who was a Union veteran during the Civil War, he might have been a member of the G. A. R. These cards provide the military unit in which the veteran served, date of death, place of burial, and often the place and date of birth. These cards are on microfilm in the Library/Archives Reference Room. Sources such as these that provide the death date and burial information can provide clues on where to search for a newspaper obituary. If you have suggestions for future articles in this column, please contact me at this address.

New Acquisitions of Interest to Genealogists
   Abstractions of Deaths and Miscellaneous Items, 1916-1927 Krestanske Listy (Christian Journal), Czechoslovak Weekly, translated by Karleen C. Sheppard and compiled and indexed by Margie Sobotka. (Czech American Genealogy in Colfax County).
   Colorado Resource Handbook, by the Colorado Council of Genealogical Societies.
   Indian Blood II: Looking for Your Native American Ancestor, the Hunt Continues, by Richard Pangburn.
   The Ancestry Family Historian's Address Book: A Comprehensive List of Local, State, and Federal Agencies and Institutions and Ethnic and Genealogical Organizations, by Juliana S. Smith.

* Several issues of the Nebraska and Midwest Genealogical Record are on-line.

HISTORICAL Newsletter
Vol. 51 No.6 - December 1998

By Cindy S. Drake, Library Curator

     As of January 1999, this column will appear bimonthly. There will also be a new format. Each time the column appears it will have a set topic devoted to a genealogical resource. There will be a general introduction about the resource, followed by references to material in the Society's collection that will help Nebraska researchers with this genealogical resource. I will end each column with a "Tip of the Month," which may be an up-to-date note on new sources, ideas, or definitions to help in genealogical research. The column will continue to include New Acquisitions of Interest to Genealogists.
     The schedule for 1999: January, adoption records; March, atlases; May, Bible records; July, biographical dictionaries, directories, and biographies; September, cemetery records; November, census records. If you have questions or suggestions about these topics you may address them to me at our address.
     The end of the year brings the announcement of a discount for the 1999 Supplement to the Passenger and Immigration Lists Index. This is a heavily used source in our library, but because of the price we are only able to purchase it with donated funds. This is an index to published immigration, passenger, and naturalization records of individuals who came to the U.S. and Canada between the sixteenth and mid-twentieth centuries. Entries in Passenger and Immigration Lists Index provide name and age of immigrant; year and place of arrival, naturalization or other record that indicates person indexed is an immigrant; code indicating the source indexed and the page number in the source that contains the record; and the names of all listed family members with their age and relationship to the main entry. We have the complete set, which began yearly publication in 1982.
     There are two parts for the 1999 Supplement. If purchased by December 31, 1998, there is a five percent discount. Each part sells for $223.25 plus postage. Your monetary donation win insure that we have a complete set of this reference source for our researchers. Any monetary donations for this title and others should be directed to my attention and indicate what title should be purchased with the donation.
     Eula Brown from Beaver City has published a genealogy titled Ancestors and Descendants of George Washington Parks: Civil War Veteran and Adams County Nebraska Homesteader. It is available for $70 plus $3.59 for postage. We do not purchase family genealogies from our limited budget. Leo Baca from Richardson, Texas, has published Volume VII of his series titled Czech Immigrations Passenger Lists. We have Volumes I-VI. The postpaid price is $19.95. Clearfield Company has reprinted the title Pioneer Families of the MidWest by Blanche Lea Walden. This title was originally published in 1939 and 1941. It consists of three volumes and includes information on the Doff family in Nebraska. The price is $25 plus $3.50 for postage. We will accept a monetary donation to purchase these titles for the library or donated copies.

New Acquisitions of Interest to Genealogists

     I want to apologize to Ralph D. Harrity of West Caldwell, New Jersey, for the error in the September Historical Newsletter. He, not Rodney M. Sherard, is the compiler of The Schutz (Scheetz) and Uhlig Famlies of Nemaha and Adjoining Counties, Nebraska: Forebears of Lillian Belle (Lilly Bell) Romero Harrity, Includes Origins and Settlement in the United States From 1847.
     The following cemetery transcriptions were compiled by Ellen and Raymond DeVries of Lincoln and have recently been cataloged: Adams Highland Cemetery: Gage County, Nebraska; Liberty Cemetery (Gage County); Odell Cemetery and Odell Czech Cemetery: Odell, Nebraska, Gage County; Pleasant View Church Cemetery: Pickrell, Nebraska, Gage County; St. James Cemetery; Catholic Cemetery: Cortland, Nebraska; and St. John Lutheran Church Cemetery (Gage County).
     Platte County, Nebraska Cemeteries Addenda [Updates and Corrections for all Platte County Cemeteries], was published by the Nebraska State Genealogical Society.
     The Frank Family History, compiled by Leo H. Frank. (Families in Lancaster, Merrick and Dodge counties).
     Immanuel Zion Lutheran Church, Albion, Nebraska; 1874-1974 Centennial, published by the church.
     Greater Prairie Home School, 1987-1997, by Friends of Prairie Home, Rosemarie A. Blundell, editor.
     The Terhune Letter. (Families in Webster, Scotts Bluff and Richardson counties).

LIBRARY/ARCHIVES WISH LIST
By Cindy S. Drake, Library Curator

     We would like to thank Charles Bukin from Texas for donating the funds to purchase all the titles we requested on our October Wish List.
     The following are high priority titles we wish to purchase for the library. The title and author are given, along with the approximate price (including postage if known).. Members or others are encouraged to donate funds toward the purchase. Please direct monetary donations to me with a note on your check specifying "L/A Wish List" to alert our accounting staff.
     Ho for California! Women's Overland Diaries from the Huntington Library, edited and annotated by Sandra L. Myres, 1980. $17.63.
     The Jesuit Mission to the Lakota Sioux: Study of Pastoral Ministry, 1886-1945, by Ross Enochs, Ph.D., 1996. $12.95.
     The Moccasin Speaks: Living as Captives of the Dog Soldier Warriors, by Arlene F. Jauken, 1998. $24.95.
     Native America in the Twentieth Century: An Encyclopedia, edited by Mary B. Davis, 1996. $27.95.

HISTORICAL Newsletter
Vol. 51 No.7 - January 1999

By Cindy S. Drake, Library Curator

Adoption Records

Adoption records are the court records made at the time of the adoption. Availability of these records varies from state to state. Today right-to-privacy laws often make it more difficult to access these records.
     There are many sources to search in regard to adoption records. There is a National Adoption Information Clearinghouse (NAIC) from which you may get a copy of your state's adoption laws at no charge. The address is P.O. Box 1182, Washington D.C. 20013-1182. Phone: 888-251-0075; Fax: 703-385-3206; E-Mail: naic@calib.com. and Web: <http://www.calib.com/naic/> (Accessed 12/4/98). A genealogical website you might want to check is Cyndi's List of Genealogy Sites on the Internet. The URL for Adoption at this site is <http://CyndisUst.com/a!doption.htm> (Accessed 12/4/98). One of the major guidebooks published on this subject is Search: Handbook for Adoptees; and Birthparents by Jayne Askin. The third edition of this title published by Oryx Press has just become available.
     Adoption records in Nebraska may be located in the county court probate records before 1895. After 1895 they would be on file in a separate journal for adoption records. Although adoption records in Nebraska have been closed to the public since 1943, the status of earlier adoption records is unclear. Most county courts probably consider all adoption records closed and would not allow you to see these records. For questions about adoption searches in Nebraska contact Gerardo R. Dominguez, Nebraska Health and Human Services, at P.O. Box 95044, Lincoln, NE 68509-5044, 402-471-9254.
     Newspapers published adoptions before and after 1900. A law stated they were to be published in the newspaper for three weeks. We have not researched the laws in depth about when adoptions were no longer published in newspapers, but they have been located as late as the 1920s. Nebraska Genealogists have indexed some of these adoptions in various genealogical publications.
     The NSHS has some of these early records, but because of the uncertainty regarding the various laws on adoption records,, we would require a court order to release them. Guardianship records are open, but they will not state if an adoption occurred.
     There are several support groups in Nebraska for adoptees, birthparents, and adopted parents. Adoption Triad Midwest has been in existence for twenty years. The address is P.O. Box 45273, Omaha, NE 68145.
     Although I have not helped directly in locating actual adoption records, I have helped friends with research in available public sources when they have had the name of one or more birthparents. Several sources that I and other staff found useful in locating information about birthparents include newspapers, city directories, high school annuals, local histories (county, town and church), school census records, and cemetery transcriptions.
     Cynthia Monroe, Pat Churray, and Steve Wolz from the Library/Archives staff helped in reviewing some or all of the material in this article.

Genealogy Tip of the Month

    Genealogical Publishing Company has published a new book titled Genealogy Software Guide by Marthe Arends. It is a guide to genealogy software with "reviews of the major software programs, including commercial and shareware software as well as utilities." This title "concentrates solely on software that is current and is still supported by the author or publisher." It is available from GPC for $24.95.

HISTORICAL Newsletter
Vol. 51 No.8 - Feburary 1999

By Cindy S. Drake, Library Curator

New Acquisitions of Interest to Genealogists

     Treasured Memories, by Pauline Neale. (Stoltenberg family in Washington County).
     Growing Up in Aunt Molly's Omaha and Facing the World Beyond, 1920-1965, by Eleanor H. Murray. (Greusel and Reynolds families in Douglas County).
     The Henry Rieke Family History, compiled by Marjorie N. Maguire and Don Neben. (Family in Cass County).
     Frontier Nebraska: Boone County Stories of Hardship and Triumph in the 1870s, compiled by Stephen K. Hutchinson.
     A History of Anders Nilsson in Sweden and America: Anders Nilsson, 1820-1914, researched and written by Russell R. Nery. (Family in Kearney County).
     Evolution of Ella Wheeler Wilcox and other Wheelers, by M. P. Wheeler. (Family in Valley County).

LIBRARY/ARCHIVES WISH LIST

     As of December 29, 1998, we have received $50 towards the purchase of the 1999 Supplement to the Passenger and Immigration Lists Index. (See the December 1998 Genealogy Column). There are two parts for the 1999 Supplement. As of January 1, 1999, the price for each part is $235 plus postage. Your monetary donation will insure that we have a complete set of this reference source for our researchers. Any monetary donations for this title should be directed to my attention and include a note with the title so it may be applied towards the purchase of this set.

HISTORICAL Newsletter
Vol. 51 No.9 - March 1999

By Cindy S. Drake, Library Curator

Atlases

     "Atlases are bound collections of maps. Atlases may also include charts and illustrations, tables, and detailed explanations of the maps featured." Historical atlases for counties throughout the United States can be useful in searching for the homes of your ancestors.

     Historical atlases are often called plat books because they featured land ownership plat maps. (A "plat" is a map or chart of a piece of land.) Various companies in the Midwest published historical or county atlases during the late nineteenth and early twentieth centuries with individual maps of each town or township (precinct) and special maps of villages and urban areas. Many of these atlases included local history (statistical information and biographical sketches) and patrons' directories (with portraits, sketches, and lithographs). A major source that lists all known pre 1900 plat maps and plat books for the states of Indiana, Illinois, Iowa, Kansas, Michigan, Missouri, Nebraska, North Dakota, Ohio, South Dakota, Wisconsin, and the Great Lakes and Northern Great Plains regions is Checklist of Printed Maps of the Middle West to 1900 by the Newberry Library, 14v. in 12. (Boston: G. K. Hall, 1981-83).

     The earliest landowner atlases in Nebraska were published in 1884 for Burt and Washington counties. Approximately 150 of these atlases were published for Nebraska counties during the next forty years. Most of these early atlases in the NSHS Library/Archives collection have been microfilmed, and are available for interlibrary loan. Later original editions are not available for interlibrary loan. The library is updating the finding aid to the Nebraska atlas collection and making it available on the Society's website. We plan to include an index to the microfilmed atlases currently being prepared by a volunteer. Landowner atlases are still published in Nebraska for use by real estate companies and others. Although not as elaborate as early atlases, they are useful for genealogists. The Historical Society is always anxious to accept donated copies of these current atlases, as well as any others that might be missing from the collection.

     The 1885 Official State Atlas of Nebraska by Everts and Kirk is the first major atlas published for Nebraska. It was reprinted in 1976 by the Eastern Nebraska Genealogical Society and includes a 10,000 name index compiled by Margie Sobotka. Usually one page is devoted to each county and another to major towns in that county. Although landowner names are not given, ranges and townships are clearly marked. Symbols designate post offices, schools, churches, and cemeteries. Current Nebraska atlases include: Nebraska Atlas & Gazetteer ... (Freeport, Maine: DeLorme, 1996) and "Big Red" Atlas of Nebraska (South Sioux City, Nebraska: Western Cartographers, 1984).

     Several sources were used for this article including The Source: A Guidebook of American Genealogy, Revised Edition (Salt Lake City: Ancestry, 1996) and "The Map Collection" by Michael J. Fox (revised by Michael Edmunds) in Genealogical Research: An Introduction to the Resources of the State Historical Society of Wisconsin (Madison: State Historical Society of Wisconsin, 1979).

     Correction to August 1997 article on Nebraska State Gazetteers: The last year we have in this series is 1917, not 1916. Thank you to Brenda Busing, who read this issue on our website and brought the error to my attention.

Genealogy Tip of the Month

     If you are looking for a comprehensive listing of libraries, archives, genealogical societies, historical societies, government agencies, and vital records offices that have materials of value to genealogists, check out The Genealogist's Address Book by Elizabeth Petty Bentley. Genealogical Publishing Company publishes this title and the fourth edition was published in 1998. Also, each year the May/June issue of Everton's Genealogical Helper has a "Directory of Genealogical Libraries."

New Acquisitions of Interest to Genealogists

     Colorado, D.A.R. Member and Ancestor Index, compiled by the Colorado State Society, N.S.D.A.R., 1990.

     It's a Long Way From Tipperary, by Emmett C. Hoctor. (Family in Douglas County).

     Ord Weekly Quiz: Valley County, Ord, Nebraska, Located in the Beautiful North Loup River Valley ... Events in the Lives of the Pioneers Who Settled Here January 25-December 30, 1892, by Patricia J. Turek.

LIBRARY/ARCHIVES WISH LIST

     Since the beginning of the new year, I have been checking eBay (the online auction house) and Alibris (out-of-print online bookstore) for Nebraska-related items to add to our Library/ Archives collection. In this short time we have either been outbid or found titles to purchase that exceeded our budget. I am going to start notifying our members of these titles to see if anyone has them in his/her collection and would donate or sell them to us. Our acquisition committee has some guidelines on the amount we will spend to purchase an item, based on the content and value to our collection.

     Thoughts in Prose & Rhyme, by R. H. Langford (of North Platte, Nebraska). East St. Louis, Illinois: East St. Louis Pub. Company, 1904.

     Golden Rod and Dialect Poems, by Idael Makeever. Privately published, Stromsburg, Nebraska, 1898.

     Poemry, by J. Simmons Davis. Omaha, NE: Woodson Press, 1943.

     The Little Daisy Salad Book, by Marian Weber. Privately published, Minden, Nebraska, 1923.

     The Ladies of the Congregational Church of Wisner, Nebraska [Cookbook]. Published before 1925.

     We would also accept a donation of a copy or funds to purchase Railroads in the Heartland: Steam and Traction in the Golden Age of Postcards, by H. Roger Grant. This title is available at $33.45. We are still accepting donations to purchase the two parts of the 1999 Supplement to the Passenger and Immigration Lists Index. Contributions or donations should be directed to my attention at our address. The title that you wish us to purchase should be clearly indicated with your monetary donation.

HISTORICAL Newsletter
Vol. 51 No.10 - April 1999

LIBRARY/ARCHIVES WISH LIST

     The following list consists of interesting titles from Nebraska we were pursuing on eBay (the online auction house), but for which we failed to win the bid. If you are aware of the availability of other copies of these titles please contact Library Curator Cindy Drake, 402-471-4786.
     LeeWay Poultry Book: A Practical Guide to Poultry Health, Omaha, Nebraska: Geo. H. Lee Company, 1947.
     1942-43 American Goat Society, Inc. Yearbook. University Place Station, Lincoln, Nebraska.
     The Leeway/Diseases of Poultry & Swine. Omaha, Nebraska: Geo. H. Lee Co., 1929-1930 edition.
     So Many Winters, by Willard Hallopeter. (Nebraska Cowboy).
     R. P. Smith Original Cowboy Poetry Cassette. (Nebraska Cowboy).
     Grammar: Warps Review Books, by Oscar Warp. Minden, Nebraska. Warp Publishing Co., 1933?
     We are still accepting donations to purchase the two parts of the 1999 Supplement to the Passenger and immigration Lists Index. As of March 1, 1999, we had raised $75 towards its purchase. Please indicate this title with your monetary donation. Thank you.

HISTORICAL Newsletter
Vol. 51 No.11 - May 1999

By Cindy S. Drake, Library Curator

Bible Records

   Bible records are created to record the vital statistics (marriages, births, and deaths) of family members. The family Bible record is considered a primary source document because it establishes the relationship of family members. An individual who was present when the event happened usually recorded the information. In some cases several entries were recorded at one time after accumulating for months or years.
   Family Bibles provide some of the most important records available from the early years of our country. Vital records may not have been kept or were destroyed, leaving Bible records as the only information available. Researchers should be aware that family Bibles might come in all sizes, small or large. The family record may be in the front, just before the New Testament, or in the back. All information recorded in a family Bible should be analyzed. Was the Bible printed after the dates in the record, proving that someone recorded them from memory or from an earlier record that is no longer available? Examine the handwriting for each entry to see if it is the same, which means it was written by the same person. If several entries are written with the same ink, they may have been completed at the same time. If entries appear to have been written one entry at a time (as the event occurred) the rate of accuracy is higher. When discrepancies exist between Bible records and vital records, these evaluations will help the researcher determine which record is more reliable.
   Family Bible entries have been used as supporting evidence for legal purposes. Bible records were one source that was used to document the age of an individual for a delayed birth certificate. A large number of these birth certificates were issued in the early 1940s as proof of age for Social Security applicants. Families often used Bible pages, torn from the book, as evidence for government claims such as pensions and land claims. These pages may still be with the original records, or removed to collections of Bible records in the National Archives and Library of Congress. Local and regional historical societies and other agencies may also have acquired Bible records from early families in their area.
   Cyndi's List of Genealogy Sites on the Internet has a link for family Bibles at <http://www.cyndislist.com/bibles.htm>. Nebraska researchers might be interested in a site on NEGenWeb titled, "Ancestors' Lost and Found," where you can list family memorabilia (such as Bibles) to share or reunite with family members. The URL is <http://www.rootsweb.com/-neresour/ ancestors/index.html>.
   The NSHS library/archives has photocopied Bible pages on permanent paper and includes the title page and date of publication. These pages have been cataloged as part of the Family File Collection in the library and may be located by the major family names within the Bible record.

Genealogy Tip of the Month
   GEDCOM (Genealogical COMmunication) is a special computer protocol that was developed by genealogists to facilitate transfer of data between different genealogical software and online databases. Any producer of genealogical software products must meet this standard to ensure record compatibility.

New Acquisitions of Interest to Genealogists
   Maria: Bertha Marie Thompson Nelson ... The Story of Her Life as Remembered and Written by her Daughter, Amelia M. Vandenberg. (Norwegian-American Family in Boone and Greeley counties).
   Descendants of Daniel Spence (1802-1875) of Islay, Scotland: Including Depew, Dunham ... and Other Families, [compiled] by John R. Spence and Donna G. Spence. (Scottish-American Family in Red Willow, Frontier, and Jefferson counties).
   Maggie First, by Margaret Donohoe Agnes. (Donohoe and Agnes families in Holt County).
   David City Cemetery: Butter County, Nebraska, [compiled by Myron and Clarabelle Kilgore].
   Romance From the Old Family Tree: ... Presenting the Family of Guthrie in History, Story, and Genealogy (family in Cass County); Romance From the Old Family Tree: A Genealogical Record Concerning the Family of Park (family in Thayer and Pawnee counties), both titles by Charles A. Park and Mai L. Park.
   Marriage Records, Dodge County, Nebraska, 19 Sept. 1907 to 19 Apr. 1910, Book 12, by Clarabelle Mares, published by Eastern Nebraska Genealogical Society.
   Marriage Records, Jefferson County, Nebraska, published by Jefferson County Genealogical Society. (Books A-C cover June 11, 1864, through April 7, 1891).
   Ancestors and Descendants of Jotham Martin.... compiled by Josephine B. Knight. (Family in Webster County).
   McMullin Family History, [compiled by Larry Murphy. (Irish-American family in Washington County).
   Fillmore County Obituary Index.... by the Fillmore County Genealogical Society, published by the Nebraska State Genealogical Society. (Obituaries from 1920 to 1948).
   Potter's Field Burials: Columbus, Nebraska, 1866-1960, published by the Nebraska State Genealogical Society.
   The Family of Linnie Fay Rockwell, by H. Earl Close. (Family in Dakota County).
   Genealogy of the Snider-Snyder Family, 1743-1998, compiled by Ila S. Christensen. (Family in Sherman and Buffalo counties).
   Romance from the Old Family Tree: Genealogical Record and Historical Story of the Family of Vance, by Lillie M. L. Park. (Family in Pawnee County).
   That You May Know, as told by Margaret Mitchell Womer to Leslye Hardman Women (Scottish- American Mitchell family in Franklin County).
   The library would like to thank Reva V. Randall for the monetary donation to purchase Railroads in the Heartland, which was mentioned in our March Wish List. Donations for the 1999 Supplement to the Passenger and Immigration Lists Index are still at $75 as of April 1. Monetary donations for this title should be directed to my attention with the title clearly indicated.

LIST OF HISTORICAL RESEARCHERS TO BE UPDATED
   The Library/Archives Division is revising its list of historical researchers and will be accepting entries for this list through June 15, 1999. This list is provided to patrons when their request for assistance goes beyond the scope of research provided by Library/ Archives staff. This list is for researchers in historical subjects only; for genealogical requests that the staff cannot answer, the patron is referred to our list of local and state genealogical organizations. To receive a copy of the entry form for inclusion on the list, write to the Library/Archives Division, Nebraska State Historical Society, P.O. Box 82554, Lincoln NE 68501 or e-mail us at <lanshs@nebraskahistory.org>.

HISTORICAL Newsletter
Vol. 51 No.12 - June 1999

LIBRARY/ARCHIVES WISH LIST

The following list consists of interesting titles from or about Nebraska that the Society was pursuing on eBay (the online auction house), and alibris (out-of-print and rare books online). In each case we failed to win the bid, the item had been sold, or the price was too high for our budget. If you are aware of the availability of other copies of these titles, please contact Library Curator Cindy Drake, 402-471-4786.
   The Family of Hy-Vee. Sixty Years of Tradition. A History of Hy-Vee Food Stores, by E. Mae Fritz, 1989. (Nebraska references)
   Missionar Fredrick Fransons Lif och Verksamhet af, by Josephine Princell, 1909. (Swedish missionary works in Colon, Nebraska...).
   Monitor and Ceremonies, Ancient, Free, and Accepted Masons Nebraska, by George Thummel, et al., 1912. We have other material in the library on this organization, but not this particular title.)
   The library is seeking donated copies of Lincoln City Directories from 1996 to the present.
   Donations to purchase the two parts of the 1999 Supplement to the Passenger and Immigration Lists Index totaled $175 as of April 27, 1999. Donations are still being accepted. Please indicate this title with your monetary donation. Thank you.

© 1998, 1999, 2000, 2001 for NSHS at their request and with their approval by T& C Miller