Occasionally I discover that I know a little more than others on some subjects. It is an infrequent occurrence, but the positive feedback which I received from my article about the National Road in my Smith family history book; “I don’t know you from Adam”, prompted me to share it with a broader audience. The article is a very intimate account concerning my gggg-grandfather Adam Smith Jr., who not only traveled to Ohio on portions of the road, he helped build it, haggled with congress over being paid for his work on it, depended on the traffic of the road for a good portion of his annual revenue, and when he passed away, the national road was mentioned in his will.
   Adam Smith Jr. settled near the Licking and Muskingum county border in Ohio in the year 1811 where he erected a saw mill, grist mill, tavern and store. Family lore has it that Adam called his new community as Smithfield, though today it is called Gratiot, Ohio.
   It was indeed a good location for the inevitable explosions of migrating families which would flow west on this road.
   The favorable climate and the geography of the Ohio region was ideal for early Americans to settle. There were mountainous sections and level plateaus; broad valleys and extensive plains; rich forest and open prairies, with it’s own peculiar products of animal, vegetable and mineral wealth.  However in the late 1700’s the only way into this territory was to skirt around the great lakes or travel along the winding Ohio river until reaching one of the tributaries like the Muskingum, Scioto or Miami rivers.
  In 1797 Ebenezer Zane opened “Zane’s Trace” which traveled westward through present day Fairfield county.  Funding for the National Road was arranged in 1802 and Jefferson signed legislation in 1806 to officially establish a national highway to run from Cumberland to the Mississippi with the stipulation that the road had to run through each state’s capital.
   Ohio became a state in 1803 and my gggg-grandfather Adam Smith Jr. traveled from the Shenandoah valley in Virginia over parts of this road in 1811.  In 1838 Adam petitioned congress to be compensated for the rock which he had  provided for what was called then the Cumberland road.  The 1st session of the 23rd congress took up the matter and it was confirmed that indeed Mr. Smith had delivered both prepared stone and unbroken stone.  By this time the road had reached Indiana. The road was often referred as the Pike by settlers in Perry County, Ohio.  
   Genealogists can appreciate the date coincidence in many family migrations with the building of roads, railways and canals. Suddenly we find entire families moving by leaps and bounds across America, instead of a few counties. One of the earliest questions about the National road was, “Who used it?” 
   The simple reply is, “Darned near everyone!”
   In the early 1900’s efforts were made to promote the national road to an ocean to ocean highway which would stretch from New York city to Los Angeles. Today, like in many locations, the old US highway 40 was bypassed in lieu of other freeways. My grandfather’s town is now off the main drag as Interstate 70 runs around the outskirts of Gratiot, Ohio and only the echo’s of the past reverberates where my relatives use to live.
                                                                 ###  

Writing & Editing Credits:

Member of the qualifications department of Bridge Publications 1994 to 1995 in Los Angeles, CA.

Freelance articles for Daily Record Newspaper in Ellensburg, WA. 2002 to 2003


Freelance Writer for Genweekly.com magazine with over 37 articles from 2003 to present.

Freelance Writer for 5+ articles with the Kittitas County Genealogical Society newsletter 2004 to present, Ellensburg, WA.

Contributing Writer and Member of the Editing committee for the Owen Family Association newsletter , 2007 to present.

Writer & Editor of Alkali Flats Gazette 1-10th issue; (365+ circulation)
Positive Spin Newsletter 1-6th issue.

Membership of:

Willamette Writers association, Pacific Northwest Writer's accoiation, Ellensburg Pictures words writing club

Published Author:

Science fiction novels published; "The Corridor" 1999, "The T'na Chronicles" 2004, The Prophesy of Arden 2005
Chapbooks Published: "The IOD's" 2003(Also published on "Bewildering Stories", "The Throne Cult" 2004, "The Time merchant" 2005, "The Sudoku Code" 2006, "The GPS Murders" 2007, "The Adventures of Captain Adam Smith" series. 2006 to present.
Genealogy Books: "I don't know you from Adam" Vols. I & II 2003, The Owen Family 2nd Edition 2003.

Conventions I attend:
Radcon (February) Pasco, WA.
Norwestcon (April) SeaTac, WA.
You can purchase the above books at PGE Publishing website at: www.eburg.com/~positivepr/

PGE Publishing Round UP<?xml:namespace prefix = o ns = "urn:schemas-microsoft-com:office:office" />....

PositiveSpin Newsletter Update for fall of 2008

                                                         “Author A.D. Smith Hospitalized”....

   In the course of human endeavors, one must confront his own mental, physical and spiritual short comings. Sometimes the cure is far scarier than the problem.  But the loving and nurturing nurses and doctors of the sixth floor in the University of Washington Medical Center in Seattle Washington , and The Seattle Cancer Care Alliance aided me greatly in what turned out to be an important chapter in my own life’s memoir (aptly entitled: “The Memoir of a Minion”) .   In July of this year I had the front portion of my foot amputated which had a cancerous tumor. If this was not hard enough, I also battled an auto-immune disorder called Pemphigus and at the same time, I was informed that I proved positive for type II diabetes.  

    Today, September 24, 2008, I am being fitted with a prosthesis, my sugar has come back into range, my foot is mending, my white count is normal and I am back banging on computer keys.  Foot loose and fancy free, I am no worse for wear in the mental and spiritual categories, but that darn club foot sure is not coopering when it comes to running around.  Who knew how a few inches of anatomy being snipped off could change one’s approach to life?  Being butt naked in front of strangers for two and a half weeks strips all of your sense of modesty and you find yourself indeed grateful for all the little things in life, like a good hot meal, your own bed at night and the warm afternoon sun. I extend my thanks to all the medical professionals whom helped me through the worse of times.  As a writer, and a dirt poor one at that, the only way I can illustrate my sincere gratitude is to write a story called:  “PEMPHIGUS! The Positive Pig”, which contains some 37 names of the dedicated staff members who helped me.  If you want to follow in my travails with my club foot you can go to www.carepages.com .

                                                    What is new at PGE publishing for 2008?....

   Our newest releases and updated information is now on our Positive Gain Enterprise Blog.  You can take a look at our blog at:  http://blog.myspace.com/675044807.  Our book selling website is at:  www.eburg.com/~positivepr/.  Among the added features is an expanded writing section complete with the release of our 4th Edition, 2008-2009 PGE WRITING MARKETING REPORT which features over 500 online fictional genres, and non-fiction markets. This publication has 153 new markets!

                                    New Children Book nearing release....

We are nearing the launch of our first children book entitled:   “PEMPHIGUS!”  The Positive Pig. This story is dedicated to the wonderful nurses and doctors of the University of Washington Medical Center (UWMC).

                                                               ....

.. ..

                                                                 Science Fiction ....

   In our science fiction section we are nearing the completion of the third episode, ”The adventures of Captain Adam Smith” chapbook. This series follows Adam from earth to his becoming stranded in another universe and his quest to get home while bumping into the queer and alien of alien natives.

                                      How can I get a free book written by author A.D. Smith?....

  It’s easy! Just go to the PGE website and add your name, address and which book that you are interested in, to the visitor’s log. We choose an individual each year to receive one free novel by Mr. Smith. 

                                                        What can I find on your blog?....

   We have three blogs to choose from. The PGE Publishing blog is dedicated to keeping our customers and readers up to date on what is happening at PGE Publishing.  You can now find this blog address on the Yahoo search engine under the title of “PGE Publishing Blog” or go directly to the site at: www.geocities.com/eightsidedhouse/index.htm . Note: This blog is a bit hard to read.

   We also have an “Author blog” at http://blog.myspace.com/675044807  which has miscellaneous information about the author and is monthly updated with genealogical articles, SF convention results and other stories that Mr. Smith is working on.

   The third blog is located at http://positivepr.livejournal.com  which features “Writing tips and writing ideas Blog” which Mr. Smith is working on or has discovered. 

.. ..

                                                    New Online Promotional Project....

   PGE Publishing is starting a new online marketing plan which strides to increase web presence of author A.D. Smith books and PGE services.  The plan is called the “Advance Article Marketing Project”.  The idea is to write articles about various appropriate subjects and send them to websites, e-mail addresses and include them on the PGE website.  The purpose is to encourage potential customers whom are surfing the web to read the articles and link to the home website where they can find other products and services of similar design.   Websites recently accumulated in this program are: ANobii.com, ExperienceProject.com, Facebook.com, Goodreads.com, LibraryThing.com, LiveJournal.com, MySpace.com, DeviantArt.com and Geocities.com at Yahoo.com.

                                   What about Mr. Smith’s genealogical research & articles?....

   Due to a recent illness, Mr. Smith was unable to write articles for the online magazine, Genweekly.com, from June to August of this year.  But he has begun again with his latest (37^th article in the Genealogy series entitled); “Memoirs vs. Family History writing”. You can read this article and many of his genealogy articles at: http://blog.myspace.com/675044807 . Recent correspondence with a new cousin in Ohio has uncovered the Mooberry Smith line with much more clarity and the Owen DNA project continues to grow with more entrées.

                                                        ....

                                                             What about Alkali Flats Gazette?....

   PGE Publishing plans to continue to issue the annual newsletter publication of Alkali Flats Gazette with Issue “ten” for both the Smith and Owen families as well as an issue “six” of Positive Spin.  If you want to subscribe to AFG or PS for free, e-mail your postal address to eightsidedhouse@yahoo.com .  A complete collection of all back issues of Alkali Flats Gazette is also in the Genealogical section of Fort Wayne Indiana library.

.. ..

                                             What writing project is Mr. Smith working on now?....

   After having been in the hospital for most of July, Mr. Smith has renewed his writing with his fifth science fiction manuscript entitled, “The First Phylum”.  The story is about a member of one planet sent to spy on another as a prelude to invasion and war. Phillip, a first phylum member, finds the people of his targeted destination to be quite different than his own society. He learns that differences are not always bad and he begins to wonder about the faults of his own harsh civilization for the first time. Caught in a dilemma as to inform his new friends about the impending invasion or to remain loyal to the militaristic society of home, Phillip must re-evaluate what his beliefs are.  

                                         How is the business end of PGE publishing doing?....

   If you are talking sales, well were not making anybody in the industry turn their heads, but we feel each day is another day to build on our ideas, network, and products. Concerning Internet marketing, we found in 2007 that our second SF novel, “The T’na Chronicles” was listed some 50 times over 6 pages from a search engine request.  We found references to PGE Publishing website & blog and many other products that we have completed. The website LibraryThing (www.librarything.com/profile/positiveness ) lists three of our books, including “I don’t know you from Adam” and “The Prophesy of Arden”. It was nice to see our good works in print!  Book Sales are ahead of last year’s total with a strong interest in our chapbooks which includes the new series: “The adventures of Captain Adam Smith”. ....

   ....

                                           What is author, A.D. Smith’s schedule for 2008/09?....

   Mr. Smith has already attended the Norwescon in Sea Tac, Washington during April of 2008. He is also planning to present a poster size cover art of his new Children’s book: “Pemphigus” The Positive Pig” to the sixth floor nursing staff of UWMC in October of 2008.  He hopes to rehabilitate himself with his new prosthesis and walk into the Radcon convention in Pasco, Washington in February of 2009. He is also looking at attending Worldcon 2009 in Canada and the Owen family reunion in Big Lake, Alaska in July of 2009. Once he can hop up stairs again, he will be attending weekly meetings with “Word Pictures”, a writer’s group of Ellensburg.

                                                          What is PGE publishing schedule?....

Project No. 104-3

We are nearing the launch of our first children book entitled:   “PEMPHIGUS!”  The Positive Pig. This story is dedicated to the wonderful nurses and doctors of the University of Washington Medical Center (UWMC).  It is a story of Pemphigus’s adventure in the Northwest and Southeast 6 farms located in the Pacific Northwest.  Pemphigus places his positive attitude to the test as he is chased by two mean Rottweilers by the name of Blood and X-ray. Scared half to death, injured, and trapped in the boiling afternoon sun, Pemphigus begins to loose hope and with it, starts to have doubts about his positive attitude.  Artwork is by Bee Madison which can be seen at;  http://madolin.deviantart.com . Publishing deadline is set for December 15^th, 2008, just in time for the holidays!

Project No. 94-8

Our 3^nd episode of “The adventures of Captain Adam” (The Doll Planet) manuscript is nearing the end and will be on the editor’s desk in the next couple weeks. We expect that it will be in print by late November 2008.   ....

Project No. 97

  We are about to start a whole new area of writing with “Grandma’s Kitchen” Cook Book which will be filled with generations of family recipes.  This book is dedicated to the memory of my sister Gale A. (Smith) Gladson whom died of cancer and always wanted to write this book. In an era where every dollar is precious, it is time we re-think how to prepare basic meals which our ancestors made.  This project is scheduled to start in the winter of 2008/2009. We are looking forward to sampling the recipes. Research is such tough work!

Project No. 103

  We will be starting our third family history book on “The Miller family”. The research is scheduled to begin in March of 2009

Project No. 105

  We are presently in the stage of inventorying over 300 items in preparation of the publication of the “Wayne Smith Collection”. This publication will be an Antique Tool Catalog illustrating over 300 tools, household items, wagon parts from the 1800’s to the present.  If interested in purchasing any of this estate’s treasures, send a mailing list by e-mail to positivegain@hotmail.com .  The catalog is scheduled to be ready for distribution in October of 2009. Items will be first come first serve basis.

.. ..

          

  

                       Memoirs verses family history outlines..:namespace prefix = o ns = "urn:schemas-microsoft-com:office:office" />

   As a freelance writer I have seen various family histories. Some are better than others.  When a family member decides he wants to disseminate what he knows of his family to others, the potential author should decide on whom he wants to communicate to and how elaborately does he want to present the materials.  The number of individuals whom may want a copy and the intensity of interest should be part and partial to how much effort the author expends in creating a family book or CD. The greater the audience and interest, the greater the responsibility is to create an effective publication.

                               Why write about your family history?

    There are many reasons to write one's family history.  Some reasons do not have anything to do with being a published author or making money.  When you write about your past or your family's past, you become a proprietor of family memory.  Despite how you present it, the history of your relatives become an important type of writing which can be a legacy for generations to come.  Among valuable information is the medical history of your family. Detecting what family lines have a high chance of some hereditary disorder may save future generations some unneeded suffering.   Writing of your past is often very therapeutic.  As you work through periods of your life which are incrusted in pain, laughter and small victories you may come away with a deeper understanding of yourself.

                                        Do I need to be a writer?

   Being a profession writer has little to do with crafting one's memoir.  In fact, it is often the distinctive voice and experience of the individual family member which brings about a voice unsurpassed by what can be contributed by a ghost writer.  Often the recounting of past echoes and the quaint expressions from distant localities make the reading experience unsurpassed by critical and proper English.  Too much correction negates the humor and personalities of beloved relatives. 

     What's the difference between a memoir and a family history?

     A memoir is defined as an author's commentary on his life, his experiences and the times. It usually focuses attention on personalities and events that the author feels have been significant.  Writing any history is a factually based recount of dates, places and events as they occurred. Often, history should be written without any commentary or evaluation by the author. This difference should be considered when one is doing pure genealogical research as appose to consulting family lore.  That does not mean that a mixing of the two writing forms can not be executed.  Often the mix of both forms of writing can be used in a publication.

                                           Be Accurate

   Despite how many copies or how professional the audience may or may not be, the first priority should be to make sure your data is as accurate as possible.  One should take as much care to document all data, no matter if it is on a family tree outline or data that you have deposited on an internet database.  An example of this is illustrated when I recently discovered an entrée on Rootsweb site's WorldConnect Project.  It proposed to have connected my ggggg-grandfather as the son of Carl Smith, yet gave no evidence as to how. When I reached one of the posters, he told me it was a guess, due to a birth date (an estimated birth date).  Without knowing anything about the previously researched Smith family history, he decided to post the data. It turned out that many conflicts arose and made the connection highly doubtful.  Yet, there is this data that Carl is the father of Adam Smith Sr. and many unsuspecting family researchers may accept it as fact.   It is alright to publish a guess or estimate as long as you make it abundantly clear that it is an estimate.  Attention to details is quite important when you are disseminating history.

                                      Skeletons in the closet

   The question of privacy and the dissemination of what some may consider less flattering events most likely will arise in any family writing.  Do not worry about this subject in your first draft.  After you have written and edited your story, you will have all the time in the world to consult family members whom may be rebuffed by what you wrote.  Of course, if you publish a manuscript into a widely distributed book, privacy laws have more teeth.

                                           Organizing

   The best advice that I can give is to write your story in installments, like chapters or episodes and then decide in what order you want them to appear in your manuscript.  It does not matter where you start writing about your life. Most often it is the most vivid recalls which you write first.  Photos and graphics are placed into the story after your final draft is done.  Memoirs should focus on one thing, and should be limited in scope or size to a particular family line. Too many off-shoots cause the reader to get lost.

                                         The story's voice 

   Memoirs are best presented in first person and are best in the author's own voice.  This is why taped interviews are good for background information and story guidance, but should not be used to change the number of voices in the story.  It is important to realize that you do not need to write about everything that happens to you. 

                                                 Impact

   The Story's subject often has less of an impact than the significance which lies behind the story. The greatest impact which reverberates from stories is the connection it makes with the audience.  The location of the story can be quite plain, the people quite ordinary, and yet the event has such an impact that it causes an emotional response from the reader.  One's life is full of episodes which can be strongly identified by others. After all, memoirs and family history is an accounting of life itself.

                                                 Photos

    Photos, memos, copies of documents, sketches, maps etc. can add a lot to a story. It gives many memoirs and stories balance.  A keepsake or possession can drive home the point of a story, or be used as a foreshadowing of the story to come.

                                            Conclusion

   In conclusion, writing of one's life can be the most rewarding and important writing you will ever do. In the field of writers, it is often advised to write what one knows. What does one know better than his or her own life?  So write your story and never be the same again.

                                                  

                              Why is it so hard to get my book published?

                                  Article based on panels attend at the 2008 Norwestcon

   Let us assume that you have written a fictional novel-size or short story-sized manuscript or a non-fictional piece of work and you have done a reasonable job of editing and proofreading it.  All of the usual spelling and grammatical errors have been fixed and you've-read it several times.. Let us further assume that you think your story is good, and that you have some sense what a good story reads like. Further more, you have done your homework and figured out what publisher or publication would be interested in the genre or subject matter of your story.
     You are ready to send it off to a publisher and you want to know what your chances are for getting it published?.
   Answer: "Slim!" 
   Or as one writer mentioned, "Start pasting rejection letters on a wall. When your wall is almost covered, then you can expect to get a story published."
     Or put another way as a joke by another author whom tells the story of the writer whom dies and wants to find out if Heaven or Hell is a better place to go. To the writer's horror, both have writers strapped to chairs with task masters behind them cracking a whip. When he asked what is the difference? The writer was answered with, "In Heaven you get published!"

    For all of the integral points of the journey your story travels from idea through publication to the hands of a reader,  it becomes obvious that the industry is filled with overwhelmed editors with too many submissions and too little money to launch many titles each year.  Arbitraries and human considerations are huge barriers in the process of evaluating your manuscript.  You should completely understand that the industry is solidly subjective and not a science. What one likes, another may ad horror and if your manuscript is legible, with a good plot, you can still make no progress in the submission of your manuscript. 
   "Small presses" hope to publish any where from four to seven titles a year from stacks of thousands of submissions. The editors of small presses often hold down full time jobs beside running a small press.  They're favorite joke is about how one can earn a small fortune in the small press arena .  The punch line is to start with a large fortune.

   POD (Print on demand) publishing has aided the small press owner to gain ground in the publishing field against a long time history of large "Madison Avenue" press operations using off-set presses which required larger runs of a title.

    When I  tried to reveal what criteria editors used to determine if a short story or novel would be acceptable, it was described as the story had to "grab them" or the story had to 'suck them in" within the first paragraph or page.  But when I pressed them as to what "grabbed them", one editor admitted that he ran by no standard at all. One editor admitted that editor's were of the mind where they are looking for reasons to say no. He also admitted that even though he listed genres and subjects which his publication did not accept, that on occasion he broke his own guideline recommendations because he could not put down a particular manuscript.
  
    In a "large press" operation, another factor enters into the calculation of an editor and that is; "Can I sell this story to the bean counters." This is probably the largest difference between the two type of publishing houses. Other than the fact that slush piles are often sorted through by some intern whom quickly realizes he won't be getting through the avalanche of submissions by reading each one. Thus a manuscript may never even reach an editor of a large press before it is sent back with a standard form rejection letter. That is if they take submissions at all, as most now require an agent, which is really another filter between the writer and the publisher. 
   The accountants are making decisions in large press operations, artistic license and even a compelling story take a back seat to the countless biographies of famous people or known authors. Only with a small press can publishers make money if they sell 2,500 copies of a 5,000 book run.  Large Presses have to make substantially larger runs to break even. 
  
    If your book does get excepted, marketing and promotion become the difference in many cases between a successful book and the many whom go bust. When it comes to marketing a book, most small presses have no money left to use for a publicist or campaign which blankets national book chains. They rely on a sexy book cover, a non-generating website and the author to get the word of mouth out. Do not be naïve, books do not sell themselves! A sure barometer of a certain type of book reaching an end in popularity coincides with the event of many duplicates of that type of book on the market. 
    Even the book buyers of book stores cater to their own understanding of the type of books their audience and customers want, not what the industry purports as hot. They rarely read any books they purchase, only wanting to know what the author could be compared to. Was a story like this or was the author like that. The whole marketing plan boils down to how they can associate a book with something else which is considered popular. Sometimes it is carried to such an extreme that the cover, title, and summary of the story doesn't reflect what the story is about.   

   An author's purpose in writing a story, book or novel has much to do with the choices in the effort in pursuing the type of binding and the number of copies made. Most self-publishing is an important alternative when you are intending to send a few copies to family and friends.

   My advise for any new writer or otherwise unpublished author is that you have to love to write, because the thrill of creating a phrase or the telling of a story may be the entire joy that you will ever gain. If you enjoy the process, the rest is frosting on the cake. Besides as one editor told me, the odds of getting published is better than winning the lottery!

 

                                   Genealogy and the law..:namespace prefix = o ns = "urn:schemas-microsoft-com:office:office" />

 

   Recently our genealogical group had a visiting new lawyer come to speak to us. He really was not versed  in the ins and outs of genealogy, but he did have some general concepts as to how to approach the law.  There were three areas which seemed the most important to genealogy: 1.) Copyright laws, 2.) identity fraud  3.) and the  freedom of information act .

                                            Copyright Laws

   Copyrighting your genealogical data is not very important in the early stages of collecting information. For the most part data you acquire from various public sources are not protected. Often as genealogists, the data we delve in has been duplicated several times over and the original source has long been obscured.  In some ways copyright concerns bleed into the privacy laws when you are dealing with publicizing information about living family members whom may not want data about them sent out to the general public. It is always a good idea to get permission from family members before you post information about them on the web or print in a book.  Copyright laws are extensive, but mainly the law boils down to a couple simple rules for a genealogist, 1.) Do not copy large portion of another's work unless you place quotation marks around the passage and cite the source the material came from.  Just remember if you are citing another's idea, then credit it to the other, and if it is your idea, you don't have to.

   The website of the United State Copyright Office is at: www.copyright.gov/  and has more information, including a FAQ section.

                                          Identity Fraud

     As genealogists we have to be particularly aware of the information we post on the internet and in books.  While unscrupulous people are digging through garbage cans and tracing vital data online in order to steal money, we have to make sure we do not inadvertently assist their sick efforts.  Identity theft is the fastest growing crime in the United States for the last seven years. It has cost businesses 49 billion dollars during last year alone.  You should never post a living person's social security number or other vital information. For more information about Identity Fraud and how to combat it I suggest you go to The Federal Trade Commission website at: http://www.ftc.gov/bcp/edu/microsites/idtheft/

 

                              Freedom of Information Act

     The right to privacy and government officials creating barriers to data bases often collides with the genealogist whom is seeking information concerning family members.  This is further complicated after the September 11 attack which focused agencies to deny potential national security threats from US data bases.  One example is RootsWeb deciding to limit access to California birth records which they had purchased. Pressure from the California legislature due to cries of concern over privacy caused RootsWeb to back away from their own investment.  At the same time some data like birth certificates only require a signature that you are a relative of the individual in order for you to get a copy.  It would be too easy for someone to pose as a relative in order to gain an identity for criminal means.

   Fortunately most genealogical research does not require access to such sensitive information. However you should understand that private record holders are not under the same regulations as government offices.  Many have noticed the 72 year delay in the publication of the US census. The latest census that can be accessed is the 1930 census.  The census data base is covered by law and you will not be able to see 1940 census until 2012. 

 

                                      Tips from a lawyer

   To avoid road blocks the lawyer whom gave us a speech offered up the adage of, "You collect more flies by using honey than vinegar."  Ideally, you will never run into a belligerent clerk whom lords over a data base in which you need access to.  But, it is a good idea to not blow your cool and engage a clerk with banter of name calling. Most often, when you describe your project to the clerk and what you would like from his files, he may relax the restrictions for you. Just be sure to thank them for their efforts. A court room is the last place you want to settle a dispute over access to a record.

 

                           Books and genealogy research..:namespace prefix = o ns = "urn:schemas-microsoft-com:office:office" />

   When it comes to sources of genealogical information there is no other source which has more variety and sheer bulk than the old paper filled book.  By far, the book media can claim to be the first mass distributor of genealogical data and yet today with the advent of the digital age, books often lies on a shelf collecting dust. With the creation of new electronic tools that were used for other purposes, the subject of genealogy has come along and found a use for them.  For example e-books (electronic books) with data stored on disks instead on paper has greater application to the researcher with indexing that can speed up finding information. Computers are now, without a doubt, indispensible in the subject of family history research.  An important difference between genealogical books and others which should be understood is that genealogical books mainly deal with a very specific topic, such as locality, event or period of time. Thus they attract smaller readership and are subject to smaller runs. What this means to the researcher is to not under estimate how quickly a title can be sold and once sold, it can be a long time before any re-prints are made.

                      Methods of accessing information

   There are four primary methods today in accessing information from a book, 1) Is to buy a book and read it from cover to cover or skip around from important chapter to chapter, 2.) Buy an e-book which is a book in an electronic format which often affords easier access to small portions of information, 3.) Check out a book from the library, and 4) Use a Look-up resource to find the information you want.

                                     Purchasing Books

   The problem with purchasing all of the books out there with bits and pieces of your family history in them is that you will need a fat wallet and a large area of book shelves. Most researchers purchase only the most personal of books, or books and manuscripts which have much concentrated information concerning the family history that they are researching.  There are so many sites which sell genealogical books, that it would take too long to mention them all. Genealogical non-profit groups whom use volunteers  offer greater reliability and good selections. The New Boston Genealogical Society actually purchase various books from all of the states and offer copies for sale. They are at www.newbostontx.org/genealogical_society.htm  There is a  site which offers a few favorite dealers whom have been tested is at www.livgenmi.com/books.htm .  Another site is www.barnettesbooks.com/ . Googling and the use of a search engines can help locate just about any book for sale.

                                     Books and Libraries

   Most of us can check out an occasional book and copy the necessary pages but many of us can not travel to every appropriate library in the nation which holds certain books. Fortunately many genealogical societies have posted the vital data of their counties and offer them on their web pages or has some sort of publication of the information.  Libraries also have online indexes which afford a list of what subjects they have in their collections.  A great source of libraries is on the "Directory of Genealogical Libraries in the U.S." at www.gwest.org/gen_libs.htm.  You can scroll through this 41 page site looking for just the state you are interested in.

   Libraries also subscribe to genealogical databases which can assist the researcher to access large selections of materials. Ask your local librarian if they subscribe to Ancestry Library edition, Heritage Quest , Proquest Obituaries or perhaps Historical newspapers collections.  Some libraries have a trading or loaning program where they share copies of certain books between them. Always ask if your library is part of a network of libraries.

   Other libraries like the Allen County Public Library and the LDS library in Utah have genealogical collections which far exceed the county they are located in.

                                                  E-Books

   A more recent introduction to genealogical data is the E-book which stands for electronic book. This form of digital recording on CD’s and electronic readers is a great alternative to storing the paper volumes on a shelf. The advantages is that E-books are often less expensive and have a scrolling or menu programs that enables the reader to quickly zoom in on the subject matter which he is interested.  But electronic storage is not indestructible and the owner should take efforts to store discs and digital data in secure storage areas which are free of the environments which can degrade digital recordings.

   One site which carries E-books with genealogical data is the Bush’s E-Books at www.bushbooks.com/digitaldownloads.html .  Another source is the United States Internet Genealogical Society at www.usigs.org which has as its primary purpose is to see a maximum number of primary source documents online.

                                      Look-up Services

    Look-up services are mostly handled by volunteers, bless their hearts. It is surprising the network of  "look-up" volunteers which may live in another state and county than the county genealogical website offering the service. Many people own certain rare and highly valuable copies of books and are willing to look up information on request. Be sure to thank anyone whom looks up information for you. I also found a website at  www.rootsweb.com/~bwo/ .  This is a resource for International Genealogical Research with a list of books that they own.  

                                  Scams to be careful of

   Unfortunately, in recent times unscrupulous individuals whom are more interested in getting a share of the millions spent in genealogical research than to publish a worthy product, have begun to scam the buyers of genealogical books.  They often use some generic template and offer a book in one’s surname which is not unique and often uses the buyer’s information to publish.  One particular scammer would insert your surname as her middle name in order to help sell you a genealogy "product".  You can find many discovered hoaxes, frauds and scams listed on Cyndi’s website.   If you receive a questionable advertisement or offers concerning genealogical products, you can contact the Genealogical Web Site Watchdog at:  www.whitmania.com/genscams.htm   or at "The national Genealogical Society’s Consumer protection Committee" at:  www.ngsgenealogy.org/comconsumer.htm .  

   I hope this aids your quest in researching of genealogical books .

                                        Web sites for Genealogical Research..:namespace prefix = o ns = "urn:schemas-microsoft-com:office:office" />

   Most researchers, including novices, have already explored the internet world in regards to finding sources of information about family history.  But every once in a while it is good to update the list of web sites available.  I was surprised to see how many new sites had popped up into view since I did my last surfing of sites.  I decided to list some of the old and new sites with a brief description of what can be found on each. The * asterisk means I have already devoted a written article about the site.

Access Genealogy:  This site is user friendly and I recommend it to anyone new to genealogy. This site includes several common records and sources, like census, family tree searches and surname databases. You can create your own family tree or browse to see what new data has been added to the site.  

Ancestry.com : I can remember when this site was free, which shows how long I've been trying to find information on the web.  Ancestry.com has many traps and links to draw you into their web and entice you with some possibility of information for a fee.  I recommend paying the yearly subscription only when you have a truck load of ancestors to get back ground information for, or to join up with others to share the fee.  Otherwise you will soon find yourself exhausting the lists and menus and finding no further help in the later part of your yearly subscription.  My local genealogical society has subscribed to this site and members of good standing can use the site.

Castle Garden:  Offers free access to a database of 10 million immigrants from 1830 to 1892. Castle garden is now known as Castle Clinton National Monument which is a 23 acre waterfront park in New York, City. 

County Genealogical websites:  A majority of counties in all fifty states have organized enough to incorporate some kind of website. Some have used the GenWeb Project as a host and others have established their own websites. You should always visit the county in which your relatives have or are living in.  Some of these websites are very easy to access and are extremely helpful. Some can refer or link you to many other databases and websites.

Cyndi's List: Cyndi's list has been around for quite some time and is really the premier first stop for any new researcher. It is a website which has hundreds of links to alphabetical zed subjects. It is a great site to surf and not only track down sources, but also gain ideas, insights and subjects which you might not otherwise think of.

*DAR (Daughters of American Revolution):  The DAR Library has several online databases.

Deathsearch.org:  This site has a database with death records and obituaries.

Ellis Island Family Center: Useful for researchers looking for passengers and crew lists who landed at the New York port between 1882 to 1924.

Family Associations:  Many surnames have one or perhaps several associations which maintain their own websites. Some associations do not offer much in services while others provide a unique network of features which can enable a researcher of a particular surname a lot of information.  Mailing lists, DNA projects and family tree postings are some of the examples of services available with properly maintained and managed associations.

Familysearch.org: This is a site run by the LDS Mormon church and is by far one of the most useful databases which can be accessed for free.  I particularly like the way you can search census and other databases at the same time.  The search engine also provides a useful  up to 20 year date range so that you can narrow down when a document may have been created.

Family Tree  Maker:  This commercial web site affords both free and subscription fees. It is useful in finding other family websites.

Genealogy Encyclopedia:  Here is a site devoted in helping researcher to understand the terms and definitions of genealogical words. The site which is entitled "Family History 101" has several links to many other sites for references.

Genforum:  An online bulletin board where researchers can post questions  or messages about family history.  Genforum is part of genealogy.com which is part of The Genealogy Network.

USGenWeb Project:  Established in 1996, GenWeb is a project consisting of volunteers working together to provide Internet websites for genealogical research.  A majority of County genealogical organizations use the project to host their websites.

Libraries:  Thousands of libraries have their own websites and many devote complete sections to local and general genealogical research.  A researcher should check City, County and State libraries for information concerning your family history. Some Libraries have massive collections which not only feature local family history but data concerning families from all over the Unites States.  It is surprising the many resources including periodicals and specialized collections which may afford a whole new slant on your research project. Most libraries have an online catalog of the materials which you can find on their shelves.

JewishGen: This website features "Shtetlseeker" which is a database that provides a way of locating towns in Central Europe.

Myheritage.com:  Is located in Israel and features a large search engine devoted primarily to finding research data about people in the world.

*NARA ( National Archives and Records Administration) Has 2 million maps  since 1774 and services to aid in finding area maps both of the past and present.

*National Achieves:  This site has a collection of records from every branch of the government and some are accessible by the web while others must be accessed by formal means to be released to the public.

*National Genealogical Society:  This website has many links to library & Archives, Societies & Organizations, Ethnic Resources, immigration sites and others miscellaneous and general sites. 

Olive Tree Genealogy:  Is a FREE website with several accessible databases with genealogical information.  It has both American and Canada databases.

RootsWeb:  The primary purpose of Rootsweb is to help people connect with other people in Genealogy.  Here you can submit data, upload information, post your surnames, join a mailing list or scan databases. 

Search Engines: Search engines like Yahoo, Google and others, offer a starting point to search the web for relevant information concerning your family.  Do not underestimate what can be found by typing key family surnames, locations and other key nouns pertinent to your research.

 

How do I use Newsgroups & Mailing Lists in genealogy?..:namespace prefix = o ns = "urn:schemas-microsoft-com:office:office" />

 

      Some times we ignore or pass up sources and avenues of resources because we do not fully understand their purposes or we are not sure as to how they might help in research.   A couple tools which have been used in the computer field like, Newsgroups, Mailing lists and Bulletin Boards can be valuable in sharing problems in genealogical research. 

   Newsgroups: is a noun which refers to an area on a computer network, especially the Internet, devoted to the discussion of a specified topic. For example, a messages posted to a newsgroup may discuss a particular surname or historical period.  Anything posted to a newsgroup will be seen by all the readers of that particular newsgroup or mailing list.

   A Newsgroup can cover a general subject matter such as genealogical internet resources or be as specific as a subject like a particular surname.  A good general list can be found at: http://www.genhomepage.com/communications.html .  This site lists many queries concerning other nations and ethnic groups. Soc.genealogy.misc  is an example of an unmoderated Usenet newsgroup which is intended for any genealogy related posting which is not appropriate for one of the other genealogy groups. GenForum which is part of genealogy.com, hosts many surname based discussion groups at http://genforum.genealogy.com . .  Newsgroups can also be found at Genealogy Newsgroups Finder page . This page is linked to Genealogy.com and has 8 pages of newsgroup listings. One such group, Dejanews.com is a site in which you can start your own discussion group and has archives of past discussions for future references.

   Usenet:  Is a world-wide distributed discussion system. It consists of a set of "newsgroups" with names that are classified hierarchically by subject.  It is sometimes used in conjunction with the term Newsgroups .

  Mailing Lists: This is a deceptive term because it concerns e-mail addresses and postal addresses.  But for genealogical use on the computer, a mailing list is a collection of participants and their e-mail addresses by an individual or organization for the purpose to send material to multiple recipients. It allows members of the mailing list to broadcast to all other members of the mailing list.  This is a great way to disseminate a subject to many researchers of a certain subject or family at the same time.  Participants respond to your query or comment, and perhaps add to your knowledge of the subject or give you clues and sources to explore. GENMSC-L  is much like it's counterpart, soc.genealogy.misc mentioned above under newsgroups, except it is a mailing list.

Bulletin Boards Systems (BBS):  is a computer system running software that allows users to dial into the system over a phone line (or Telnet)  and, using a terminal program, perform functions such as downloading software and data, uploading data, reading news, and exchanging messages with other users.

   The term BBS currently may also be used to refer to any online forum or message board.  It is the online forum, which is often a present time discussion of a subject which could help a researcher.

   Advertising is generally frowned on and should be placed in soc.genealogy.marketplace.   I suggest a person new to the on-line newsgroup and mailing list scene to read the Frequently Asked questions at www.genhomepage.com/soc.genealogy.misc.html .  This 8 page site has information on how to join a group and how to use various features afforded by some sites.

   I was surprised at the sheer number of mailing lists and newsgroups available. It is a growing resource which can be used by researchers every where.

 

                                             Pioneer Migration Routes..:namespace prefix = o ns = "urn:schemas-microsoft-com:office:office" />

  Some times it is important to know how a family relation traveled from one location to another, than it is to know about the final destination. Our ancestors had to endure many hardships through rugged mountains, across swollen rivers and streams and over some of the most fearsome deserts of the southwest.  They gave a lot of thought about how they were going to travel from one  location to another.   

   Routes taken were well known to the pioneers. They knew of the canals, river crossings, trails, wagon roads and paths which they had to use in order to arrive at their new destinations.  Routes were not only seen as routes to other locations, they were also aware of how such well traveled routes provided a boost to trade for any one whom lived along them.

   A good example of this was my gggg-grandfather Adam Smith Jr., whom started a tavern along side the National Road and provided rock for the builders of the road in the 1830's.  The National road was originally called the Cumberland Road because it started in Cumberland, Maryland.   It traveled through central Ohio west to Indiana and Illinois and is today US 40. It was started in 1811, which was the same year Adam Smith Jr. moved from Virginia to Ohio. He obviously was well informed of the route and took advantage of its existence.

  My other gg-grandfather, Joseph Owen traveled through the Cumberland Gap on the "Wilderness Road" in 1845. He moved from Person County, North Carolina to Webster County, Kentucky.  His move was well documented. The story of the wagon train added a lot of colorful history to my family's epic.

  If you have a family whom seemed to have moved to another location in the 1800's, it may assist you to discover what noted road or trail which lead out of the area and where the general population were bound for.  An ancestor of mine ran a pack mule team from Iowa to Sheridan, Wyoming. I discovered that many in the area used this route and it was Sheridan, Wyoming where I found a branch of my family had moved to.  Another tool can be the migration project which is often run by county genealogical society websites. They invite new entries of who moved from where to their county and when this move occurred. A quick glance over such a list will soon illustrate the most popular routes that people in the area used.   

   Another tip is that it was common for pioneers to follow along at pretty much the same latitude. They were accustomed to a certain range of weather and the crops that grew at that latitude, and often did not part dramatically from it. Thus families would not move from the north to the south as much as from east to west.  A study of the local papers of the time may also give the researcher insight into what distant locations were popular and being talk about.  Jobs, the opening up of new territories or the establishing of new rail lines often prompted individuals to migrate. Know your history, like when were the gold rushes, etc. and perhaps you can figure out where a relative disappeared to.  New land opening up was often the cause of such migrations, so check when the latest land rushes occurred.   

   For sure there were many shorter and less acclaimed moves by families from the east to the west.  There are 18 of the most well known trails listed on website: http://freepages.genealogy.rootsweb.com/~gentutor/trails.html .  

    We should not forget the waterways and canals which were also used. These routes were unique among themselves and have there own jargon.  A thesaurus of terms for waterways can be found on pages 3-5 of : http:///freepages.genealogy.rootsweb.com/`gentutor/rivers.html.   There are also links to information concerning flatboats, keelboats and steamboats  in the 1800's as well as canals, rivers, and lakes.

   An ancestor or his family moving to a new location was always a momentous and key incident in one's family history. I hope this helps in finding out more about they're journeys.