Sunday, April 5, 2009

Port Byron History Blog

I received an e-mail from the Port Byron Historian, Dawn Roe. She has started a blog for Port Byron. You can check it out at http://portbyronhistorian.blogspot.com/.
There is a lot of history in Port Byron, I have saved Dawn's blog address so I can "follow" it - be made aware when she posts an update. I look forward to learning more about this town, especially its ties with the Erie Canal.

Chamberlain Family Tree

It happens every year about this time. The weather gets nicer (well, for a day or two) and people start thinking about vacations and visiting their ancestor's hometowns. I have been busy working with some folks doing just that. The Chamberlain family name has been in Scipio from early days, and I have found ties to several other families, including Schenck, Bliss, Post, Truesdell, and Bush - yes like the former Presidents. So I have spent some time at our Records Retention Office, the Cayuga County Historian's Office, and with the old Town meeting and town assessment records in an effort to help verify relationships back to Abner Chamberlain, a Revolutionary War veteran from Vermont who lived out his days in Scipio and Springport.
First up is to construct a family tree. I use Family Tree Maker software so I can add photos, comments, and facts about each family member then print a tree. This lets me see what is missing and who I need to concentrate on.