by Juliana Smith

Did you ever have one of those nights of research where it just seemed like someone was reaching through time trying to tell you something? That happened to me last week. I don’t know what exactly they were getting at, but what I do know is that I am re-energized and ready to pursue what has been one of my more difficult family lines.

I set aside a night of research figuring it would provide me with a good topic for this week’s column. I was wrong. I actually ended up with several ideas. As I went through my typical methodologies, a few points came to mind that thought I’d share. Continue reading →

by George G. Morgan

We all have special memories from different times in our lives. My childhood is filled with memories of spending time at the home of my Aunt Mary Allen Morgan and my Grandmother Morgan. I spent weekdays in the summertime with these ladies while my parents worked. I learned a great deal about life, family history and traditions, and love during those summers.

October is Family History Month, and once again we have the opportunity to celebrate family and traditions. I’m sure that some of the special memories in your life are stories that you can share with relatives of all generations. Family History Month provides the opportunity to do just that. Make the time and create an opportunity to get together with family members and share some of these wonderful stories.

I like to share one of my favorite memories with you. After all, you as my readers have become family to me too. One of my most favorite memories involves blackberry cobbler.

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from Maureen Taylor

The kids are back in school. Got a few extra minutes on your hands? Now might be a good time to label all those summer photos before they remain unidentified for the great-grandchild to puzzle over.

If you print your digital pictures, use a black marker labeled that it is safe for pictures. Look for specific terms such as odorless (when dry) quick drying, water resistant, and light fast. One such product is a Zig marker, available at scrapbook supply stores, craft outlets, and even office supply stores like Staples. “Creating Keepsakes,” a scrapbook magazine, offers a list of pens and pencils that their preservation advisors gave the okay to on their website.

Don’t use these markers on your heritage photos. Purchase instead a very soft lead art pencil..

If your digital images are sitting on your hard drive and need captions. Use your photo organizing software, such as Google’s free download Picasa, or download the free Foto Tagger. You won’t believe what you can do with these tools!

Click here for a printer friendly version of this article.

Mom’s Memory Box
As the holidays approach, many of us are scratching around for the perfect gift for older family members who are living in nursing homes or assisted living. They don’t have much room for “stuff” and with limited mobility, gift certificates are not really practical. Since I’m the family genealogist and have loads of family photos, I made up a “memory box” for my mother-in-law who is in an assisted living facility. I started with a photo storage box, which was sturdy and a good size. To personalize the box, I scanned a wide variety of photos of her family–siblings, ancestors, and descendants. I used a photo editing program to arrange them, then printed out the sheets to glue onto the box. Then I used decoupage glue to seal the photos and make the box water resistant. Finally I filled it with greeting cards, stamps, notepaper, return address labels, an address book, pens, etc. Several years later, it is still in good condition and continues to be used for storage, as well as bringing back memories.

Betty Jo Stockton
Orlando, Florida

(Click on the image to get a closer look at Betty Jo’s Memory Box.)

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The year was 1850 and the U.S. Federal Census counted 23,191,876 residents. Of this number, 2,244,602 were enumerated as being of foreign birth. Not surprisingly, due to the Irish Potato famine of the 1840s, 961,719 people claimed Irish origins–or 42%, making it the largest single country of origin cited. These numbers did not go unnoticed in urban areas and resentment of the Irish Catholic immigrants gave birth to a period of nativism. Irish immigrants found themselves discriminated against during this period as cartoons portrayed them with simian features, and newspaper help wanted ads sometimes specified that “Irish need not apply.”

In California, immigrants were also being shunned as people from all over the world converged on the soon-to-be-state in search of gold. To help stem this tide the California legislature passed a Foreign Miners License Tax of $20 per month. Continue reading →

Contributed by Gail Swan, Los Angeles, CA
Catherine Thompson Clark was born into slavery in Rappahannock, Virginia, about 1837. She was the daughter of Burwell and Catherine Thompson. Catherine married Thomas Clark, son of Benjamin Clark and Elizabeth “Betsy” Crenshaw. Their slave marriage took place in 1856 and was registered with the Rappahannock County Clerk of Court in 1866. As far as census records and the Rappahannock Historical Society can determine, Catherine and Thomas were blessed with ten children, James Edward, Mary Jane, Betty, St. Cyr, Benjamin, Josephine, Thomas, Matilda, Martha and Louella. (The second picture is Catherine’s great-grandson, James Edward Swan, MD.)