July 2014 Scanfest

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Scanfest is Coming!

The July 2014 Scanfest will take place here at AnceStories this coming Sunday, July 27th, from 11 AM to 2 PM, Pacific Daylight Time.
 
What is Scanfest? It's a time when geneabloggers, family historians, and family archivists meet online here at this blog to chat while they scan their precious family document and photos. Why? Because, quite honestly, scanning is time-consuming and boring!

Scanfest is a great time to "meet" other genealogists, ask questions about scanning and preservation, and get the kick in the pants we all need on starting those massive scanning projects that just seem too overwhelming to begin.

To get started, you need to know the basics about scanning:

1. Don't use commercial glass cleaners (i.e. Windex) or paper towels to clean your scanner's glass plate. Use a soft, clean cloth, preferably microfiber. If you must use a liquid, use water sprayed directly onto the cloth  and make sure to let the plate dry thoroughly before placing photos or documents on it.

2. Wear cotton gloves (available at many art and/or photography supply shops) when handling photos and old documents.

3. Don't slide the photos around on the glass plate. Place them exactly where you want them. Photos should NEVER be scanned by a scanner that feeds the document through the machine, but ALWAYS on a flat-bed scanner.

4. Set your scanner to scan at no smaller than 300 dpi (dots per inch). Many experts recommend 600 dpi for photographs.

5. Photographs should ALWAYS be scanned and saved as .tif files. Use "Save As" to reformat the .tif file to a .jpg file for restoration and touchups, emailing, or uploading to an online photo album. ALWAYS retain the original scan as a .tif file.

6. Documents can be scanned as .pdf files or .tif files.

7. When you are done scanning your photos, don't put them back in those nasty "magnetic" photo albums. Place them in archival safe albums or boxes found at websites such as Archival Products or Archival Suppliers. Do NOT store any newsprint (articles, obituaries, etc.) with the photos. The acid from the newspaper will eventually destroy the photograph.

Now about the chatting part of Scanfest:

We will be using Blyve, a live blogging platform that you access right here at AnceStories. On Sunday at 11 AM, PDT, come right here to AnceStories and you'll see the Blyve live blog/forum in the top post. It's not really a "chat room," per se, it's more like a live forum and anyone visiting this site can read and see what is happening in the forum.

You will not need to download any software.

We look forward to having you participate with us!

Tuesday's Tip: Using the Internet Archive Lending Library

This past week, I came across a fabulous new-to-me resource: the Internet Archive Lending Library.

Now, if you've been doing genealogy for a while, you probably already know about the Internet Archive, a repository of free digitized out-of-copyright books and documents: books that have your ancestors' names in them; city directories; county histories and biographies; church membership and history books; fraternal organizations' membership lists; newspapers; and vital and cemetery records books, just to name a few.

You may also be aware of the Internet Archive's Wayback Machine, a handy tool for finding digitized archives of those obsolete genealogy websites that may have had part of your family tree on them.

There are even video and audio files, and live music. There's historical software, and vintage video games, and TV news. You could spend days, weeks, years browsing through the goodies on this site, and still never glean all its treasures, because it is being added to in great quantities, daily.

But did you know that besides all those great, free, out-of-copyright books, you can also access some that are still under copyright? Think about it! No more waiting for weeks for an Inter-Library Loan book to arrive at your public library. No more restrictions on where you can access the ILL, as some lending libraries require you only access the loan inside the borrowing library's building. Yes, you can access these books in the comfort of your own home, in your jammies.

Here's how you get to the goodies. Go to the Internet Archive Lending Library link. You may wish to bookmark it. Click on the "Account" tab in the top menu.

You'll need to log in. If you aren't already a registered user, click on the words "Join us" to the right of "Anonymous User."

Either way, once you've registered and/or logged in, you'll see "Get a Virtual Library Card. Fill out the form (don't forget to read and agree to the Terms of Use) and submit. You're done with your first step!

Now return to the Lending Library main page. A good place to start is to click on the "Browse by Subject / Keyword" link.

You'll then view this page with an alphabetical list of subjects. I use the CTRL+F feature (hold down the Control [CTRL] key while clicking the F key to bring up a search box for the page) to search for subjects I'm interested in. You'll note that "genealogy" only brought up one hit. "History" brought up 57 hits. "Family," however, brought up 1,267 hits.

Clicking on these subject links brings up the list of titles within that subject category. You can then click on the title link for more information about that book. Once you find a book you'd like, click on the "Borrow" link underneath the slideshow of the book images.

If it is available, you'll be prompted to either read the book in your browser (the easiest option, as you won't have to download software), or download and open it with Adobe Digital Editions. This is free software that you can install right from that page.

If the book is not available, you'll get a notice that it's already checked out, and you'll need to try again later. Putting a book on hold is not possible right now, although the Internet Archive website states they hope to add it in the future.

Now there are some restrictions. Remember, these are books that are still under copyright. You can't copy the books to your computer's hard drive. You can download five books at a time; each will expire after two weeks and automatically be "returned" (removed from your device) when that time period expires.

The Frequently Asked Questions link is in the left-hand menu of the Lending Library main page, or you can go directly to the FAQ page here.

Now go find a good family or local history book to borrow!

Surname Saturday: REDENBAUGH

This is one of my children's paternal grandmother's lines. According to the Dictionary of American Family Names at Ancestry, the name REDENBAUGH is an altered spelling of the German "Redenbach" or "Rettenbach;" these are habitational names from any of various places in Bavaria and Austria named Rettenbach. I have seen it spelled as "Redenbo" in some records.

Stories and History:

Ahnentafel #220 - Henrich "Henry" REDENBAUGH (c. 1874 - 1828) - born in Hamburg, Germany, he married Margaretha Jane BARNHART (c. 1735 - 1828) in Germany before 1776. Henry served in American Army during the Revolutionary War from Cumberland Co., Pennsylvania. He and Margaret both died in Hamilton Co., Ohio. They were buried near the west line of their farm in Section 27, near Reading, Hamilton County.

Ahnentafel #110 - Frederick REDENBAUGH (1773 - 1856) - born in Germany, he married Anna Margaret HANEY (c. 1768 - 1852), another German immigrant, in 1790 in Pennsylvania. By 1840, they were in Scott Twp., Montgomery Co., Indiana. Frederick died in near Crawfordsville in Montgomery County.

From Portrait and Biographical Record of Montgomery, Parke, and Fountain Counties, published by Chapman Brothers, Chicago, 1893:

Frederick Redenbaugh...was a native of Germany, came to this country some time during the last century, and first located in Pennsylvania, whence he moved to Ohio, and from there to Indiana in the early days of the settlement of the state. After coming here he first settled among the pioneers of Jefferson County, and then came to Montgomery County, where his life was closed at the advanced age of eighty-six years [sic - he was not quite 83]. He was a soldier under Gen. Harrison at the famous battle of Tippecanoe, and he served with the General during the war of 1812. He married Margaret Haney in Pennsylvania, and they had twelve children, of whom their son William, who lives in Fountain County at the advanced age of eighty-one years, is the only survivor. [He] was an ardent Democrat in his day, and was a leader in local politics.

Ahnentafel #55 - Hulda REDENBAUGH (b. c. 1808 - 1890) - born in Ohio, she married William DAILEY (c. 1794 - bef. 1880) in 1826. It's not known where they married, but the first of their 14 known children were born in Rushville, Rush Co., Indiana. In 1840, the family was found in Scott Twp., Montgomery Co., Indiana, and by 1849 they were located in Green Twp., Parke Co., Indiana. In 1851, however, they were in Wapelo Co., Iowa and in 1853, Fremont Co., Iowa! In 1880, Hulda was living in the household of her son, Samuel Dailey, in Fremont City in Fremont County.


More About the REDENBAUGH Family:

1. Online database (I update this at least once a month): REDENBAUGH ancestors and relatives (no info on living persons available)

2. Posts about REDENBAUGH ancestors and relatives on this blog

3. My  REDENBAUGH Virtual Cemetery on Find A Grave

4. Portrait and Biographical Record of Montgomery, Parke, and Fountain Counties, published by Chapman Brothers, Chicago, 1893 - mentions the REDENBAUGH family


My Children's REDENBAUGH Immigration Trail:

Hamburg, Germany > Cumberland Co., PA > Hamilton Co., OH > Jefferson Co., IN > Rush Co., IN > Montgomery Co., IN > Parke Co., IN > Wapelo Co., IA > Fremont Co., IA > Butler Co., NE > Fremont Co., IA > Clay Co., SD > Yankton Co., SD > Prowers Co., CO > Cheyenne Co., KS > Payette Co., ID > Clackamas Co., WA > Clark Co., WA > Yakima Co., WA > Pierce Co., WA > Clark Co., WA > Spokane Co., WA

Surname Saturday: WOLT or WOLD

Intro
WOLT, sometimes spelled WOLD is apparently the Frisian form of wâld, which means forest. It is one of my maternal step-grandfather's surnames.

Stories and History:

The earliest WOLD ancestors I can find originated in the province of Groningen, in the villages of Westeremden and Bierum.


(I use the letter "C" to differentiate between my biological family tree and my step-family tree. Similarly, I use the letter "B" to mark my paternal grandmother's adoptive family tree.)

Ahnentafel #440C - Hindrik (dates unknown)

Ahnentafel #220C - Jan Hindriks WOLD (dates unknown) - married Anje Sierts (dates unknown)

Ahnentafel #110C - Siert Jans WOLD (b. 1804) - born in Westeremden, Groningen the Netherlands; married Antje Alberts van DIJKEN (b. 1802) at Bierum, Groningen in 1824.

Ahnentafel #55C - Anje WOLT (b. 1829) - born in Bierum; married Klaas ZIGTERMAN at Bierum in 1854; six known children. At least two of their children, Trientje ("Catherine") and Zigert ("Silas") immigrated to Western Michigan.

Ahnentafel #27C - Trientje "Catherine" ZIGTERMAN (1856 - 1835) - born in Bierum, she married Melle "Millard" BOS there in 1877. They immigrated to Western Michigan in 1879 and had three children. The first was born in the Netherlands, the second in Missauke Co., Michigan, and the third in Ottawa Co., Michigan. After Melle's death c. 1888, Trientje married Pieter BARSEMA in 1889 in Ottawa County and had four more children. She died in Grand Rapids Twp., Kent Co., Michigan.

Ahnentafel #13C - Johanna BOS (a.k.a. Josephine BUSH) (1885 - 1946); m. 1911 in Grand Rapids, Kent Co., Michigan to Jarig Egbert Binnes DeVRIES (a.k.a. George Edward Benjamin DeVRIES)

Ahnentafel # 6C - Adrian "Ed" DeVRIES (1916 - 2007) - my beloved maternal (step) grandfather, greatly missed; m. 1947 in Wyoming Twp., Kent Co., Michigan to Ruth Lillian (HOEKSTRA) VALK (1919 - 2001)

Ahnentafel #3 - My mother (living)

Ahnentafel #1 - myself


More About the WOLD Family:

1. Online database (I update this at least once a month): WOLD ancestors and relatives (no info on living persons available)

2. Posts about WOLD ancestors and relatives on this blog


My WOLD Immigration Trail:

Westeremden, Groningen, the Netherlands > Delfzijl, Groningen, the Netherlands > Missaukee Co., MI > Ottawa Co., MI > Kent Co., MI > AK > Stevens Co., WA > Spokane Co., WA

Happy Independence Day

I thought I would share with you a postcard from my personal collection. This was given to me by my cousin, Steve Robbins, in a box of personal Robbins family papers. I thought it was appropriate to use this year, not only because of the flags, but because this year marks the 100th anniversary of the beginning of World War I, a reference which is made in the caption of the postcard above.

I'd also like to honor my known Revolutionary War ancestors. Their ranks are given, if known:

Elisha Dickinson

Capt. Israel Lewis, Jr.

Joel Strong

Pvt. Josiah Strong, Jr.

Pvt. Jacob Fredenburgh

Capt. Peter Westbrook

Benjamin Willis, Sr.

Pvt. Daniel Zwears, Jr.

In addition, my children have four known Revolutionary War ancestors on their fathers' side:

Joseph Chaplin

Henry Redenbaugh

Jonathan Brooks Stamper, Sr.

Jesse Taliaferro

Wishing each and every one of my fellow Americans a safe and enjoyable Independence Day!