Volume XXX, Number 1 GRIVA News & Notes September 2009 W e are pleased that Christine Rose, CG, CGL, FASG has agreed to be the presenter at this year's GRTVA Fall Conference. The overall theme of the day will be Work Smarter, Not Harder Genealogical Problem Solving. Christine's lecturing experience includes the national conferences of the National Genealogical Society, Gen Tech, and the Federation of Genealogical Societies. She has lectured locally and regionally many times across the country. She is a very busy woman and we are fortunate that she could include us in her schedule for October 24, 2009. ; Christine's first topic will be The Evidence Conflicts. What Should I Do? Do we have enough evidence? Is it all circumstantial? What if it conflicts? What is more believable? How is it weighted? If your case convincing? If not, how can you make it so? Christine wili discuss specific examples. Secondly, Avoid the Crooked Pat: Genealogical Problem Solving will be presented. In this session Christine will discuss actual case studies and show us how to zero in on our goal, reduce the problem, and stay on the path to solve the big problem. Following lunch, Christine's third presentation will be Leaping to Erroneous Conclusions: What did the record REALLY say? Not that any of us had ever done this, but the danger is always there. We need to look at our documents carefully. Often we can come to an incorrect conclusion through our j assumptions. I Christine's final presentation will be 'Solving' The Problem in 25 Hours or Less! This one is among the most requested of Ms. Rose. It's a favorite. Strategies will be presented that can maximize research with a detailed case study for illustration. Christine told us that these same strategies can be used both on- site and off-site. This promises to be a fun and educational day. Registration forms will be mailed to members. Additional forms may be found at <www.griva.org>. ie Rose, CG, CGL, FAS' GRIVA Fall Conference by Brent Morgan GRIVA .. . lo promote, foxier and encourage serious and accurate genealogical and historical research by all means possible, including inslruc/ion, seminars, workshops and field trips.
Transcript
Volume XXX, Number 1
GRIVA News & NotesSeptember 2009
We are pleased that ChristineRose, CG, CGL, FASG hasagreed to be the presenter at
this year's GRTVA Fall Conference.The overall theme of the day will beWork Smarter, Not HarderGenealogical Problem Solving.
Christine's lecturing experienceincludes the national conferences ofthe National GenealogicalSociety, Gen Tech, andthe Federation ofGenealogical Societies.She has lectured locallyand regionally manytimes across the country.She is a very busy womanand we are fortunate thatshe could include us inher schedule for October24, 2009.
;Christine's first topic will be TheEvidence Conflicts. What Should IDo? Do we have enough evidence? Isit all circumstantial? What if itconflicts? What is more believable?How is it weighted? If your caseconvincing? If not, how can you makeit so? Christine wili discuss specificexamples.
Secondly, Avoid the Crooked Pat:Genealogical Problem Solving will bepresented. In this session Christine
will discuss actual case studies andshow us how to zero in on our goal,reduce the problem, and stay on thepath to solve the big problem.
Following lunch, Christine's thirdpresentation will be Leaping toErroneous Conclusions: What did therecord REALLY say? Not that any ofus had ever done this, but the danger is
always there. We need tolook at our documentscarefully. Often we cancome to an incorrectconclusion through our
j assumptions.
I Christine's finalpresentation will be'Solving' The Problem in25 Hours or Less! Thisone is among the mostrequested of Ms. Rose.
It's a favorite. Strategies will bepresented that can maximize researchwith a detailed case study forillustration. Christine told us that thesesame strategies can be used both on-site and off-site.
This promises to be a fun andeducational day.
Registration forms will be mailed tomembers. Additional forms may befound at <www.griva.org>.
ie Rose, CG, CGL, FAS'
GRIVAFall
Conferenceby Brent Morgan
GRIVA .. . lo promote, foxier and encourage serious and accurate genealogical and historicalresearch by all means possible, including inslruc/ion, seminars, workshops and field trips.
GRIVA News & NotesQuarterly newsletter published in
September, December, March, and June
Asya L. Simons, Student Editor
Clover Hill High School Editorial StaffAngela Best Matt WesdockCameron Butter
Submission DeadlinesDeadlines for submitting articles are August 1,November 1, February 1, and May 1, Membersand the public are encouraged to submitmaterial for publication to:
QueriesQueries must be typed or printed legibly. Freefor members; $2 per query for non-membersplus $1 if copy of newsletter is requested. Allqueries will also be posted on GRIVA websiteunless specified otherwise.
Board of DirectorsDel Agec Brent MorganPeter Broadbent Sharon MorganJcanChilds Emily RuskCharles Dickens A. J. SeamonsPat Dickens Bill ThalhimerDrew Hogwood James TrieslerDebora Ken-
Federation of Genealogical SocietiesNational Genealogical Society
In This IssueFeatures
GRIVA Fall ConferenceLocal History in a Ledger Book 4Recording Oral Histories 5Developing a Love of Genealogy 10Bobbv Chandler Student Research Award 15
Also, congratulations to thosemembers who are assuming new
roles as GRIVA Officers.
September 2009 GRJVA News & Note< Page 3
Dates to RememberSeptember 15 Board MeetingSeptember 17 Research Trip to Washington D.C.September 22 GRIVA Program MeetingOctober 24 GRIVA Fall ConferenceOctober 27 GRIVA Program MeetingNovember 12 Research Trip to Raleigh, N.C.November 17 Board MeetingNovember 24 GRIVA Program Meeting
GRTVA program meetings are held the fourth Tuesday of March,April, May, September, October and November at the Bon AirPresbyterian Church, 9201 West Huguenot Road, Richmond,Virginia, unless otherwise noted.
Coming ProgramsSeptember 22, 2009 - evening (7:45p.m.)Topic: Using DNA for Genealogical ResearchGuido Deboeck from the Washington D.C. area will present aprogram on DNA. He will also speak on research he has doneon his Flemish family. He has used DNA for identifying hisfamily origins. He will explain DNA research and how itfacilitated his genealogical research. He is an ISOGG Speaker.
October 2 7, 2009 - evening (7:45 p. m.)Topic: Ballooning in Virginia in the Civil WarFor the October Program Meeting, Mike Boehme, the currentpresident of the Virginia Aviation Museum, will talk aboutflight development with balloons, spying, and how thisprotected people and helped in battles during the Civil War.
November 24, 2009 - afternoon (1:45p.m.)Topic: Preserving World War IINews & Notes editor and Clover Hill High School teacher JimTriesler will share his experiences interviewing World War IIveterans around the world and will provide some helpfulinterview techniques. He will describe his students' project,the // Took a War website, which is currently in its eighthyear. Jim will also have a selection of WWII items on display.
President's Cornerby Debora Kerr
It's summer, and the public's interestin genealogy is as hot as theweather! Family history is in the
news, edging into conversations aboutcultural heroes, prominent celebrities,and even fictional characters. Everyoneloves a good story, and GRIVAmembers know that their own families'experiences can stand proudly next tomany adventures of the more famous.While our ancestors may perhaps belesser known, the lessons we learn bypreserving their histories are aninvaluable help in our own journeythrough life.
Good stories make for great programs,and I hope the topics we have lined upfor the next year pique your interest.We' 11 be hearing about conductingfamily DNA studies, the exploits ofCivil War balloonists, and steps forresearching and preserving records ofWorld War II veterans. GRIVA strivesto present a wide variety of genealogicalpresentations to our membership. If youhave an idea for a program, or a speakerthat you would like to recommend for afuture meeting, please send yoursuggestions to [email protected].
Another resource that I'd like to remindeveryone about is the list of surnames atour website, <www.griva.org>. If youhaven't visited the list for a while, youwill find that it is now being regularlyupdated. The surname list comes fromthe names submitted on yourmembership/renewal forms. If youneglected to fill in your family names, orif you have discovered a new line sinceyour last submission, you can get thosenames added simply by sending an emailwith that information to the address
-see President's Corner, page 7
GRIVA News & Notes September 20Q9
Local History in a Ledger Book by R. Neil Netting
All of us, at one point oranother, have gone throughvarious family possessions to
find keepsakes put aside in odd places.I well remember a relative telling meabout how, after his mother died, heand his brother were going to throwaway all of the greeting and birthdaycards she seemingly saved forever. Hisbrother got curious and decided to readseveral of these old cards and foundthat each of the cards she savedcontained a US savings bond whichended up being worth several thousanddollars.
Such is a similar story associated witha store ledger that was given to my latefather. Though the unexpected"treasure" was of no monetary value, itadds to the history of PowhatanCounty.
Store ledgers, or daybooks, were keptby most country stores and are awealth of information. These recordsare interesting because they tell us thenames of customers, the items theybought and how they paid for themusing the credit system of the times.For instance, when cash was hard tocome by, goods were paid for byexchanging or trading farm produce.These accounts, and the namesassociated with them, provide aglimpse into the daily lives of thosewho were living in the county at thattime.
These books were used for more thanjust recording the purchase of goods.The ledger in my possession alsocontains the records of a saw mill
operated by my family in the county.This is interesting in and of itself,because I did not previously knowabout the existence of the saw mill.The real gem included in the ledger isa history that is probably not foundanywhere else. Tucked away in itspages is the history of the PowhatanCounty Fair from its beginning in 1910until 1914, and is very likely the onlyhistory of these early years.
The Powhatan Fair Association wasorganized April 4, 1910 with the goalof improving the condition of countrylife in Powhatan by "stimulating aspirit of progress in agriculture, in ourschool, in our highways and in oursocial intercourse and health." TheAssociation was to hold annual fairs inthe autumn of each year. Tt was a co-operative educational associationsupported by paid memberships andmanaged by a ten member board ofdirectors. Board officers included aPresident, Vice - President andSecretary/Treasurer. Initially onehundred tbirty-six subscribers paid a$1.00 membership fee. Members hadto be of good moral character.
The board appointed both a GeneralManager and an Assistant Manager torun the fair. General admission was 25cents, admission for eight to ten-year-olds was 10 cents and children undereight were admitted free. The first fairwas held September 27* and 28lh
! 910, at the Powhatan TobaccoCompany's warehouse and grounds,with the grounds fenced off.
-see Ledger Book, page 8
September 2QQ9 GRIVA News & Notes
Recording Oral Histories by Asya L. Simons
On May 26, 2009, GRIVAmembers had the opportunityto learn tips on recording oral
histories from Mary Virginia Currie, ahistorian at the Virginia HistoricalSociety. In 2008, Currie led a four-week course on the topic of oralhistory. For GRIVA members, Curriecondensed the course into a singleProgram Meeting.
Before Currie spoke, anotheremployee from the Virginia HistoricalSoceity, Laura Stoner, gave a briefglimpse of the business collectionshoused at the VHS.
Stoner began by explaining theimportance of business records. "Welike to think of business history aseveryone' s history... Sometimes abusiness life is the only documentationsomeone will leave behind." The VHShas been working to collect recordsfrom local businesses, in order topreserve these valuable records.
Stoner presented the business recordsof the Reynolds Company, mostfamous for its Reynolds aluminumfoil. However, this company alsoproduced the first aluminumsubmarine. A lot of this company'sproduction was done in Richmond.
Currie and a consultant interviewedover 100 employees. In theseinterviews, the employees were notonly asked questions about their worklives; they were asked "about theirparents, about their children, abouttheir education, so [they got] a lot ofinformation about people thatresearchers can use."
the Elaine Furniture Company and theBest Products Company. One commonthread Stoner pointed out was thateach of these companies wereoriginally run by entire families.
Before beginning her presentation,Currie stated that although manymembers may already have experiencerecording oral histories, she was goingto cover the basics so as not to leaveanything out.
"Storytelling is an essential part ofbeing human. Long before writtenlanguage, the memory of the tribe,culture, civilization, faith and familywas passed down through oraltradition," Currie began. From there,she went on to stress the dualimportance of not only the telling, butalso listening. According to Currie, agood listener avoids interjectingcomments about their own life duringan interview. Nodding silently is agood way to show interest, withoutinterrupting the flow of the interview.Another important thing to rememberis that how an event affected someoneis just as important as the event itself.
Before conducting the interview,Currie suggests completing a shortchecklist. A legal release form shouldbe discussed between both theinterviewer and the interviewee toensure a mutual agreement as to theextent of the public nature of thecompleted interview. Also, determinethe expected length of the interview,where the interview will be conducted,and whether or not a family memberwill be present. Currie warns againstgiving the interviewee a list of
GRIVAProgramMeeting
Presenter:Mary Virginia
Currie
Other collections presented included ~see Oral Histories, page 7
GRlVANews & Notes
Ask Genie
Ask GenieDear Genie,
Who is the newGRJVA
President,Debora Kerr?
GRIVA's President for the 2009- 2010 term is Debora Kerr ofMidlothian, VA. She has been
a member of GRIVA since 2007 afterlearning about the group at the NGSConference in Richmond that year.Prior to making her home inMidlothian, Kerr spent 22 years inArizona. Her time in the desert beganwhen she chose Arizona StateUniversity for college as a breakawayfrom her hometown of Akron, OH. AtASU, Debora achieved a B.S. inComputer Information Systems justwhen the first personal computerswere beginning to hit the market. Shehas always had a keen interest intechnology, and began her service toGRTVA by assisting on the ComputerInterest Committee.
Debora's interest in genealogicalresearch began at a Family HistoryCenter in Mesa, Arizona about 1990.A friend found her great-grandfatheron the 1900 U.S. Census whichspurred her to begin her own researchin earnest. To increase her skills, shecompleted the National GenealogicalSociety's Home Study Course in2002, attended many conferences andworkshops, and is currently a memberof the online Professional GenealogyStudy Group.
Although GRIVA is the first society inwhich she has served as a BoardMember, Kerr's past careers inpublishing, libraries and museumsincluded many tasks central togenealogical society work. She ranmembership programs, producednewsletters and magazines, createdand installed exhibits, and acted as aliaison to non-profit volunteer andfundraising groups. One responsibilityshe particularly enjoyed was working
publicity for events and exhibitions.This included preparing press releases,writing articles for the media, andcreating commercials for radio andtelevision. Additionally, the libraryand museum experiences introducedher to archival procedures, properhandling of historic documents,photographs, and objects, and livinghistory interpretative presentations.This broad knowledge base has provedto be a useful foundation indeveloping an intuitive and inclusiveapproach to her genealogical researchstrategies.
From 1996 to 1998, Kerr was a staffwriter for The Arizonian, a monthlynewspaper published in Snowflake,Arizona which focused on featuresabout the history of the ArizonaTerritory. Her research blog, (West)Virginia Wykles and Kin, publishestranscriptions and abstracts fromoriginal source documents nototherwise available in books or on theInternet. She is a member of theVirginia Genealogical Society andseveral lineage societies including theContinental Society Daughters ofIndian Wars and United StatesDaughters of 1812.
Kerr is married to William ArcherKerr, II, who teaches computersecurity to U.S. military bases aroundthe world. They have no children, butdo live with three cats that greatlyenjoy lying on family group sheetsand attempting to eat familyphotographs. Outside of genealogy,she enjoys sewing, machineembroidery, and creative writing.Debora invites GRIVA members onFacebook to become her friend, andlooks forward to getting to know all ofyou in person at member meetings.
September 2009 GRIVA Ne»s & Notes
Oral Histories -from page 5
questions ahead of time to preservethe spontaneity of answers andemotions.
In preparation for the interview, oneshould gather basic information aboutthe interviewee, such as where theywere born, where they went to school,basic information about their familyand their family origins. Other familymembers and friends may also beinterviewed to help create questions.Also, think about the major events thatmay have happened during theperson's lifetime. How did theseevents affect the person?
Currie outlined the basic types ofquestions that could be asked. Forexample, "universal questions" askabout things such as how they wereexpected to act as children. "Earliergeneration" questions seek to gaininformation about older familymembers. One may also ask aboutfamily traditions or family structure.
The method of recording the interviewrequires as much attention as theinterview itself. "The first recordedoral histories were conducted in themilitary during World War II. Earlyinterviews were conducted on bulky,
open-reel recorders, then transcribedand the tapes...discarded or erased.The transcript was considered theprimary document." It wasn't untilafter the 1970s that the original tapewas considered the primary document.Until the 1990s, voice recording wasthe only way to record interviews, butnot long after, historians began to tryvideo as a recording medium.
Currie suggests conducting a testinterview with a personal friend orfamily member in order to familiarizeyourself with how your equipment isset up and run. The last thing aninterviewer wants to happen is forrecording equipment to malfunctionduring the actual interview.
Lastly, Currie advised this: "Assure[the interviewee] no one will judgetheir performance and that how theyreally talk is what you want to capture.Their own unique accent, expressions,and way of speaking are quiteimportant."
And for those who get nervous beforeinterviews, chatting and laughing withthe interviewee about nerves maysmooth the way and make you bothmore comfortable.
President' s Corner -/mm page 3above. Queries based on these surnames are published both on the website and in Ne\vs and Notes in orderto help members make new discoveries and research cooperatively.
Speaking of cooperative research, in my next President's Corner I will be telling you how to access thenew GRIVA Resources Wikispace. This new online archive will contain material on family linessubmitted by our members. Data is still being scanned and uploaded with a goal of having about half of thearchive available by the end of the year. We are excited to provide this resource to our membership, andthank you for your patience as we get it up and running. I wish all of our members, old and new, the verybest of luck with their research for the remainder of 2009.
GRIVANeusXXoi
Ledger Book ~from page 4
A committee was formed to solicitsponsors and exhibitors. Exhibitcategories included agricultural orhorticultural products, articles of ladiesfancy or needlework, art, children'sschool work, culinary arts, domesticanimals, birds, fowls and farmmachinery. The by-laws provided forcompetent judges who were to awardpremiums for exhibits based on themerits of the articles displayed. Inaddition, lectures were to be offered onany theme pertaining to the bettermentof farm life.
Thirty-two sponsors who supported thefirst fair were mostly local orRichmond businesses and includedHening & Nuckols, Diggs & Beadles,W. H. Harris Grocery Company, WattPlow Company, James Paint & OilCompany and the Mechanics &Merchants Bank. Examples of
premiums donated by sponsorsincluded paint, cigars, feed, a buggyharness, seeds, a horse blanket and aplow. Though not intended to be acommercial success, as the goal was tomeet expenses, at the end of the firstfair the organization netted $156.14,after meeting its obligations.
In addition to the sponsors reflectingthe Powhatan business community, themembership list provides the names ofcommunity members. The names ofthe officers of the board of directorsare also provided and identify some ofthe county leaders.
With so much local history andgenealogy contained in a simplecountry store ledger, my researchrecommendation is to look at all typesof records and expect to be surprisedby what you find.
The North East Ohio Civil War Round Table Will Return to Richmond Again This Year
This year's field trip will be October 3 and 4, 2009. We will concentrate on the second half of Grant's OverlandCampaign. Sites of visit and study will include North Anna, Hanover Junction. Cold Harbor, Haw's Shop,Totopotomoy Creek, Yellow Tavern and Drewery's Bluff.
Our leader this year will be R. E. L. Krick. We have a 47 passenger bus each day. The bus will leave theWyndham Virginia Crossings Resort promptly at 8:30 AM each morning.
We have a limited number of openings available to members and friends of the Richmond Civil War Round Tablewho would care to join us.
We anticipate that the total cost of the two day trip will be $100 - $125. Folks can reserve their spot by forwardinga $100 trip deposit to me. The fee includes daily box lunches and the Saturday night dinner.
Brent MorganRichmond Coordinator, NEOCWRT Field Trip
9091 Pantego LnMcchanicsville, VA 23116-5837
804-550-3039
September 2009 GRIVA News & Notes Page 9
Photogenealogy by Drew Hogwood
If genealogists take their familyphotos seriously (and they should),they will endeavor to manage their
collection of images as orderly as theyhave managed their data. Thedisciplined family photo collector willactively manage the collection in away that exhibits an understandingand appreciation of its lifecycle, fromthe time it is initially assembled (orinherited from parents and otherfamily members) until it is passedalong to subsequent generations.
Carg and PreservationIn order to ensure their survival, it isparamount for the contents of thecollection to be physically protected,in whatever form they exist - alburns,framed pictures, paper prints, slides,negatives, movies, videotapes anddigital media (CDs and DVDs). Thecollector has the obligation to learnthe'enemies of photographic materialsand take action to preventdeterioration as well as to repair andrestore artifacts that have alreadysuffered damage.
figproduetion and Baek-apThe loss of priceless images isprevented by making copies of themthrough conventional photographicmethods or by digitization. Scannershave made electronic back-upexceedingly economical but theprocess is tedious and time-consumingwhen done properly. Interimmeasures such as photocopying entirealbum pages can be very usefulpending higher quality back-up.
ldg.ntification and BatingSadly, a collection's contents arerelatively worthless to familymembers if the images cannot bedated and the subjects cannot beidentified. Depending on the size andcomplexity of a collection, it can takeyears of research to label its imagessatisfactorily. Indeed, some imagesmay never give up their secrets.
Sharing Imaggg andInformation
Much of the reward of owning acoliection of photographs comes frombeing able to share the images withother family members and withorganizations that serve otherresearchers. This includes makingspecific provision for disposition ofone's collection to responsible partiesat the appropriate time. Digital imagescanning and enhancement, burningimages on CD/DVD, e-mailtransmission and online storage andarchiving techniques greatly facilitatesharing with others withoutjeopardizing the contents of theoriginal collection.
locating Additional ImagesJust as genealogists continually seeknew information for our family database, collectors of family photos arenever satisfied. They are always onthe lookout for new images relevant totheir collections. Friends andrelatives are probably the mostobvious and responsive sources of
-see Photogenealogy, page 14
TheLifecycle of
a PhotoCollection
GRIVA News & Notes September 2009
Developing a Love of Genealogy bv James E. Triesler
How do we cultivate a love ofgenealogy in our children andgrandchildren? We have to
interest them with something beyondthe pedigree chart or the censusrecord, even if these are the buildingblocks of our research. Story tellinghelps, although I know I have told myyoung son at least three times aboutthe day our ancestor was wounded inthe Civil War Battle of New Market.By combining stories with things theycan see and touch, and gettingadditional senses involved, ourchildren and grandchildren willbecome more interested in genealogy.We can really get them hooked byhaving them participate in some typeof genealogical activity.
Recently our family spent a few daysin Hagerstown, Maryland. Theattraction of Hagerstown for my wifeis shopping at the outlet mall. Theattraction for my son is attending the
900 Oak Hill Avenue, Hagerstown, Maryland (1918)
Hagerstown Suns baseball games inthe evening. The attraction for me isthat my family lived in Hagerstownand the surrounding area for over onehundred and sixty years. The dilemmafor my son was whether to goshopping with his mother or visit thepublic library, the historical society,and the cemetery with me. This iswhen a ten-year-old must wonder,what have I done to be punished likethis?
In addition to the usual pedigreecharts, census records, and newspaperarticles, I came to Hagerstown armedwith old photographs. 1 decided thatin between visiting the library, thehistorical society and the cemetery, wewould make a game out of finding theactual location where historical familyphotographs had been taken.Although mom had the car and wouldbe shopping in an air-conditionedmall, my son decided he would ratherspend six hours walking aroundHagerstown on a hot summer dayconducting genealogical research.
Our adventure began when momdropped us off near the public library.I knew that my great-grandfatherCharles Sites (1869 - 1927) was atrain engineer for the WesternMaryland Railway. Using<www.newspaperarchive.com> Irecently learned that he had been in atrain accident in 1910 and had beensent to a hospital in Baltimore to havehis leg amputated. Although I wasanxious to search through pages of un-indexed microfilm to learn more aboutthe train accident, T knew that my sonmight lose interest if we started at thelibrary. So, instead of turning left
-see Love of Genealogy, page 11
GRJVA News & Notes
Love of Genealogy ~/«-from page 10
toward the library, we turned rightwith photos in hand and headed for thetown square. The first photo was of alightning bolt darting through the airabove the library. A photographerfriend lived for a year in Hagerstownduring the early 1990s. I knew thather apartment had been near thelibrary and, although we could not getinto her old apartment, the photographclearly showed the buildings acrossthe street from the apartment, all theway down to the public library. Wediscovered that three of the buildingsdirectly across the street from herapartment had been replaced bymodern brick buildings. My sonseemed to enjoy our quest to find thefirst location, so we continued on ourjourney.
The second picture showed a group ofboy scouts near a street corner in1910. My great-grandfather ChristianTriesler (1869 - 1930) was one of thefirst scout leaders in this city and healso appeared in the photograph. Ourmission was to find the corner wherethe photo was taken. I knew theintersection was just a block away, butinstead of telling my son about thespecific corner where the scouts hadstood, I took him to the vicinity andallowed him to make the discovery.The stores had changed names, but thewindow shapes and the drain pipewere the same. I asked my son tostand near the spot where our ancestorhad stood ninety-nine years ago, sothat I could take his picture. Perhapsin a century, someone will be trying tolocate where we stood?
The third picture was of my great-uncle Robert Triesler (1898 - 1958),standing on the steps of a buildingdowntown that appeared to be a bank.
900 Oak Hill Avenue, Hagerstown, Maryland (2009)
A church steeple was reflected in theglass behind him. As we surveyed theskyline, we noticed three or fourchurch steeples scattered throughoutthe town and quickly assessed theshape of each steeple to see if anymatched the one in the photograph.The steeple that most resembled theone in the picture was on top of theold Court House. We walked aroundthe building, looking for steps and thelocation of the possible reflection;however, we did not find the spot wewere looking for. We observed thatmany of the buildings in the city hadbeen demolished and replaced and wecame to the realization that this maybe the case with the building we werecurrently looking for. It was time to
take a break from our search and headto the library to look for informationon the 1910 train wreck. No indexexists for the 1910 Hagerstown DailyMail, so we scrolled through themicrofilm for September and October1910, and although it felt like lookingfor a needle in a haystack, we diddiscover one article about CharlesSites. The article mentioned that hehad "recently" been in a train accidentand that he was headed to Baltimore tosee a surgeon about his leg. Thearticle we had previously found on theInternet was from a week later andtold us that his leg had beenamputated. After an hour readingmicrofilm, we decided that our searchfor an article about the train accidentwould have to wait for another day.We did show the photo of UncleRobert to the librarians; however, theydid not know where the steeple or the
building was located.
Our search then turned to a group ofphotos that had been taken of thefamily outside the house of ChristianTriesler, located at 900 Oak HillAvenue. The photographs were takenin 1918, just prior to the death of theirdaughter Edna (1891 - 1918), apediatric nurse who perished in the1918 flu epidemic. The family woretheir "Sunday best" and was sitting onthe stairs to the porch in front of thehouse. 1 knew that 900 Oak HillAvenue was located about one milenorth of the town squaj-e, so on ourway there, we stopped for ice creamfloats at a drug store counter that hadbeen serving the community since1926! A short while later we arrivedat the house in the photograph. Thefront porch had been enclosed, butotherwise the house looked much as itdid ninety-one years ago. We tookturns photographing each other, sittingin the spot where my great-grandfatherhad sat in one of the original photos.Since the house is on a corner lot, wewere also able to photograph the sideand rear of the house. Photos takenfrom those angles also appeared in theoriginal collection.
Our final photo was of a storefrontwindow display located somewhere indowntown Hagerstown. DuringWorld War II, my great-grandmotherSophie Triesler (1872 - 1967) madedoll clothing that was raffled off tobenefit war relief. The clothing wasdisplayed at Bernard's Dry GoodsStore. While at the library we asked ifanyone remembered Bernard's andwhere it was once located, but no oneremembered the store. After we left
-see Love of Genealogy, page 13
GRIVA News & Notes Page 13
Love of Genealogy ^y™™^page 12
Oak Hill Avenue, we walked to thelocal Historical Society. No one thereremembered Bernard's either. So, werequested any City Directories theymight have from the war years. Firstwe looked in the 1940-41 Directoryand found nothing in the alphabeticallisting for Bernard's. Fortunately theyalso had the 1942 directory andBernard's was listed at 49 WestWashington Street. With greatanticipation we hurried to number 49and found an abandoned store that hadbeen gutted by workmen. The originalwall boards and flooring wereexposed. Very little remained of whatBernard's had once looked like. Itwas at this point that we noticed anold window that had originally beenabove the entrance to the store, butwas now partially blocked by a newerentrance. That old window was aperfect match for the one in theoriginal photo. We also noticed thatsome of the wood and metal trimaround the window display seemed tomatch the photograph.
As 1 looked at that old dilapidatedstore, I reflected on how that spotrepresented so many things that wereonce great about America. Thesacrifices we were willing to make forfreedom, from rationing to a raffle,came to mind as I gazed at thoseempty windows. There is so muchmore to remember about our familyhistory than just the names and datesof our ancestors. While walking, myson and 1 had time to discuss the livesof our ancestors. What did they value?Where and how did they live? Havingchildren walk the paths of theirancestors is a great way to interestthem in genealogy. They get to havefun while using their creative minds tosleuth their way around. Mixing the
activities between photo searching andrepository research made the day morefun for both of us.
Upon returning home, I asked my sonwhat the best part of the day had been.In typical fashion, he said "the bestpart was buying the ice cream floats,but the next best part was looking forand finding the location of Bernard'sDepartment Store." My son is aboutto enter middle school which will befollowed by high school, college,marriage, and a family. In twentyyears, he will look back and realizethat the best part of the day wasn't icecream, train wrecks, church steeples,or department store windows. The bestpart of the day was that a father andson got to spend six uninterruptedhours walking and talking together,although, the ice cream was prettygood too!
Jonathan Triesler with a photo of the oldBernards Store, 2009
GRJVA News & Notes September 2009
Photogenealogy ~>< m page 9
new images, but the resourcefulcollector will investigate a hugevariety of libraries and societies,including virtual repositories.
Organizing Images andInformation
Our collections are less valuable ifthey do not facilitate ready access tothe images they contain, along withthe facts and folklore associated withthose images. As impractical as itsounds, every collection should becatalogued in order to guide presentand future users to the physical and/orvirtual location where our albums,prints, slides and motion pictures arestored. Cross-referencingphotographic prints and the negativesfrom which they were made tests boththe physical and intellectuallimitations of our collections. Indeed,the organizational "infrastructure" of acollection is its lifeblood, since it mustexpand and contract to accommodatethe acquisition of new materials and toannotate older images withinformation discovered duringongoing research.
teplauing ImagesSelect photos in collections scream tobe displayed - perhaps because oftheir age or the uniqueness of thesubject. Some will hang on walls;others will go in frames displayed on amantle or in a curio cabinet like theVictorians would have done. Somephotographic prints will remainmounted in their original albums,while newly created albums madefrom modem materials will houseothers. Color transparencies are moredifficult to display and may requireconversion to photo enlargements. In
virtually all cases, the imagesdisplayed should be reproductioncopies, while the originals resideelsewhere in a safe and soundenvironment.
IncorporatingCbntgrnporarq photos
Genealogists tend to value olderpictures more than they do snapshotsthat were taken last week. However,today's photographs will be treasuredequally by future generations.Unfortunately, the sheer number ofimages that are being taken today bydigital cameras, cell phones andpocket camcorders is a mixedblessing. On the one hand, there arelots more images being taken andcirculated to illustrate our family'shi story. On the other hand, theproliferation of images may very welloverwhelm, confound and de-sensitizefuture generations. For this reason,we must take steps to promote thequality and significance of thephotographs in our collections bycarefully editing and printing theimages that are the most informativeand visually appealing. A corollary tothe qualitative issue is the need toredouble our efforts to label thesubject, location and date of ourimages before our memories fade.
Needless to say, the Hfecycle elementsdescribed above rarely occur in order.The size, nature and condition ofdifferent collections will dictatepriorities, if not the precise actionsthat are taken to follow them. Oursuccess will also be determined by theavailability of time and money, thecooperation of others, the proximity of
September 2009 GRIVA News & Notes
Bobby Chandler Student Research Award by James E. Triesler
Leah Tarns, a rising senior atClover Hill High School inChesterfield County, Virginia,
is the 2009 winner of the BobbyChandler Student Research Awardfrom the Virginia Historical Society.Her research project was entitled "ACommunity Analysis of Trenton, NewJersey in 1900." Leah described herproject as "an analysis of a sample offifty households taken from the 1900Federal census records of Trenton,New Jersey, where the Tarns familylived. Also included...is a separatehistorical analysis of how majorevents in United States history from1890 to 1910 and growing [historical]trends affected the prominent potterybusiness in Trenton, especially the
Greenwood Pottery Company, whichwas owned by the Tarns family."Leah used books, census records,maps, and historical newspaperarticles to analyze how economicdepressions, trusts, and the Spanish-American War, among other things,impacted the family pottery. She wasalso able to gain information fromBarbara Springsted, a prominentarcheologist, who had recently beeninvolved with excavations at theoriginal Greenwood Pottery site. Leahwill receive her award at the VirginiaHistorical Society in November 2009.In addition to a certificate, she willreceive a monetary award of $250.Congratulations to Leah Tarns forwinning this prestigious award.
Do you love checking lists of names?(Of course you do; you're agenealogist!) Do you like to bring joyto others by passing out snacks? (Onesyou don't even have to buy?) Are yougoing on a GRIVA bus trip toWashington, D.C. or Raleigh, N.C?
If you answered yes to all thesequestions, you can be of great serviceto GRIVA as one of our bus helpers.A bus helper's job is to take attendanceas the bus is loaded and make sure thatno one is left behind when the busleaves. On the way home, helpers
distribute GRIVA-provided drinks andsnacks. This fun volunteer opportunityis a great way to meet your fellowmembers. We are seekingmultiple people to become bushelpers, so you can even do this jobwith a friend!
Please respond by email to ourPresident, Debora Kerr, [email protected] if you can be ofservice on one or more of our trips, orneed more information. Thank you allfor your continuing support as amember of GRIVA.
GRIVAVolunteer
Opportunity
Sepiember 2009 CRIVA News & Notes
Toolbox
Digital Genealogy Resources for the Eastern United States
This resource list was developed by checking out suggested web sites and by using search engines to finddigital sources for state digital resources that may be useful to people living in Virginia and other Mid-Eastern states. This list provides suggestions to help individuals identify their ancestors, where they livedand what their lives may have been like. The digital sites are categorized by states which are in ABC order.The digital addresses for each state are also in ABC order. A few resources have short descriptions so thatit may help die user find what they need. Most listings seem to be self explanatory.
MaryCancC<aomol.net/html/index.html><www.msa.md.gov><query. mdarchi ves .state.md.us><www .rootsweb. ancestry. comA-rndgairet/index. html>
North Carolina<statelibrary.ncdcr.gov/patrons/ genealogists. html><www.accessgenealogy.com/cemetery/northcarolina.htrn><www.ancestorhunt.com/north-carolina-genealogy.htm><www.archives.ncdcr.gov/default.htm><www.ncecho.org><www.northcarolinagenealogy.org><www .north carol inagenealogy. net>
Pennsylvania<cocalicovalleyhs.org><www. digi talarchi ves. state. pa.us><Johnream .com/Reamstown.htm><ph i 1 adelphia. pennsyl van i a. staterccords. org><www.digitalarchives.state.pa.us><www.gendir.com/locales/2781><www.genealogical.com/index.php><www. genpa. org><www.kindredtrails.com/PA_Philadelphia.html><www.lancasterhistory.org/index.php><www .portal, state .pa.us><www. statelibrary. state. pa.us/librari cs/cwp/view. asp>
South CaroCina<archi ves. sc.gov/genealo gy><mysouthcarol inagenealogy.com/index.html><www.southcarolinagenealogy.org><www.scgen.org><www. s cmemory. org/index .php>
West Virginia<distantc ousin.com/States/WV.html><www.censusfinder.com/west_virginia.htm><www. libraries. wvu. edu/wvcol 1 ecti on/genealogy. htm><www.wvculture.org/history/archivesindex.aspx><www.wvgenweb.org>
Complied by Dr. Pat Dickens
GRIVA News & Note; September 2009
Membership News byDelAgee Southpawag@aol. com
Welcome to ourNew Members
Joan Jackson Arthur M. Moody
.Gloria. Serfass.
Dues are Due
This is a friendly reminder that GRIVA membership dues for the 2009-2010 year are payablenow. If you have already sent in your dues payment, thank you for your promptness! If you
have not sent in your dues payment, now is the time to do so! You don't want to miss a singleissue of GRIVA News & Notes or lose your member discount for bus trips and the fall
conference! GRIVA is operated entirely by volunteers, allowing us to keep your dues low.Individual membership is $15, while a couple's membership is S20. Naturally, we areespecially grateful to those members who sign up at the "Friend of GRIVA" ($25) and
"President's Club" ($50) level. These individuals are digging deeper to ensure that GRIVAcarries on its legacy of service to the genealogical community.
Membership application forms appear in every copy of News & Notes or you can download acopy from our website, <www.griva.org>. You can also simply drop your check in the mailnoting your most current address, telephone number and e-mail address. Make your checkpayable to "GRIVA" and mail it to GRIVA, P.O. Box 29178, Richmond VA 23242-0178.Please note that if you want to have your surnames included in the annual list, you will need
to submit an application form listing your research interests.
Fall Conference Registration
Watch your mail for the registration brochure for our Fall Conference. In the meantime,reserve Saturday, October 24 on your calendar, as that is the day Christine Rose will be
sharing secrets for Working Smarter, Not Harder. This fall's conference will be held at theVirginia Historical Society.
September 2009 GRIVA News & Notes. Page 19
Queries editor@griva. org
Please type or print clearly. Each quei'v should he li/nia'J to one family and a maximum of fiftywords. Standard abbreviations will be lined, \iembers may submit queries not to exceed twelvequeries in a year or three per newsletter. Be <twe to include your name and full mjiunti addn^^.Queries will also be puiiet/ on OKI I-'A.org unless von specifr otherwise. There is no charge forGRIVA members. Non-members must submit a $2.00 fee with each query (plus $1.00 postage ifyou desire a copy of the u-siie containing the qverv) Send queries 10 ednar'a,griva.org.
Carr: Seeking information on Thomas Carr, b 15 SEP 1920, d 24 APR 1998,lived in Kansas City, Kansas; s/o Thomas Carr; h/o Naomi Berg, b 20 SEP 1920,d 14 FEE 2004; ch Randy Carr; World War II veteran.Asya Simons [email protected]
Schultz: Seeking information on Julian Schultz, b 4 AUG 1915, d 19 SEP 2007,lived in Worcester, MA. s/o Samuel and Eva (Krock) Schultz; h/o LillianNewfield, b 12 AUG 1918, d 27 NOV 2001; ch Gordon N. Schultz; World War IIveteran.Jim Triesler [email protected]
Hopkins: Seeking information on Alexander Hopkins; b b/n 1778-1784 OldRichmond, VA m Peggy Jackson, 1806, Burke County, NC. Veteran of War of1812. Emigrated to Buckingham County, VA, Burke & Rutherford Co., NC,Laurel Co., KY by 1829, d Laurel County, KY, 1851. Seeking information on hisparents and siblings.Douglas Hopkins [email protected]
Trammell: Seeking information on the ancestors of Jeremiah Trammell (ca 1767-1851, Halifax, VA) m 1800, Mary Stubblefield Colquitt; dau?, Mary Trammell(m Gregory Orell 1826); Relationship w/ Susannah Baker; dau, SusannahTrammell (m Booker Epps 1828), son Jarrott B Trammell (m Constant DunnEpps 1830), dau, Orpha (Orpher) Trammell (m Reuben Ragland 1824; WillieRaynor 1850 in Caswell Co, NC).Phyllis Trammell Hancock [email protected]
Baker: Seeking information on the ancestors of Susannah Baker (ca 1785-1865,Halifax, VA), Relationship w/ Jerremiah Trammell; Susannah Trammell mBooker Epps (Thomas W. Epps, m Lucy A Ragland 1867); Jarrott B. Trammell mConstant Dunn Epps, (George Washington Trammell, abt 1831 - (m Elizabeth A.Gibbs Calaway Co, MO, 1859 (8 ch) and Emily G Crenshaw (1 ch)); CarrollJackson Trammell, 1832-1912 m Manerva Jane Dickson (ten ch); Orpha mReuben Ragland (five ch) and Willie Raynor of Caswell, NC.Phyllis Trammell Hancock [email protected]
Query Abbreviations
abt=aboutafi=aficrancs=ancestor(s)b=bornbef=beforebp!=birthplacebro=brother(s)bur=burkdca=circacb=childrenCo=countyd=dieddau=daughterdi^c~de^c;iiJ;;:il(>)d/o=daughter offath=fatherg=grandgg= great-grandh/o=husband of
m=marriedmoth=m otherpars=parentsposs=possiblyprob=probablysibs=siblingssis=sister(s)s/o=son ofwid=widoww/o=wife of
GRIVA News & Notes
GRIVA News & NotesGenealogical Research Institute of VirginiaPO Bo\ 29178Richmond, VA 23242-0178
Addn 5 Service Requested
2009 CALENDARProgram meetings are held at the Bon Air Presbyterian Chuiotherwise noted. Visitors are welcome!
September 15 (7:30 p.m.) - Board Meeting
September 17 - Research Trip to Washington D.C.
September 227:45 p.m. - GRIVA Program MeetingGuido Deboeck - Topic: Using DNA forGenealogical Research
October 24 - GRIVA Fall Conference atthe Virginia Historical Society
:h, 9201 West Huguenot Road, Richmond, Virginia, unless
October 277:45 p.m. - GRIVA Program MeetingMike Boehme - Topic: Ballooning in Virginia inthe Civil War
November 12 - Research Trip to Raleigh. N.C.
November 17 (7:30 p.m.) - Board Meeting
November 241:45 p.m. - GRIVA Program MeetingJim Triesler- Topic: Preserving World War II
