Friday, March 25, 2011

Update: Ancestry.co.uk to Offer FREE Census Access on 27th March

Update: Ancestry.co.uk to Offer FREE Census Access on 27th March

Ancestry.com is one of the largest genealogy resources on the internet. I have been a subscriber for several years now. When I checked Dick Eastman Online this morning (another long-time genealogy researcher with a web presence) I saw the information about free access to England's census records on ancestry this Sunday. Take a look, you may find where that immigrant ancestor lived!

Thursday, March 24, 2011

Cayuga-Owasco Lakes Historical Society: COLHS Banquet 2011

Cayuga-Owasco Lakes Historical Society: COLHS Banquet 2011: "Save the date - the annual COLHS banquet will be held on Thursday, April 28, 2011 starting at 6:30 PM at Christ United Methodist Church, 36 Church St., Moravia. Program tbd. Reservations required." Visit their website at http://www.colhs.org/ to see what they are doing these days.
One focus of the Cayuga Owasco Lakes Historical Society is Millard Fillmore, our 13th President, who was a native of our area. Hope to see you at the banquet!

Tuesday, March 15, 2011

Auburn's Historic Post Office Building Twin?

http://www.flickr.com/photos/sminor/3536286181/
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This is a link to an article with a photo, found on Flickr, of a building that so closely resembles our Historic Post Office Building in downtown Auburn, NY that I had to investigate. It may be just the style of the day, but I wonder if the same architect was involved for both buildings. Here's what the article says:
Temperance Building (1905), 330 Roane Street, Harriman, Tennessee
built as East Tennessee Land Company office • soon taken over by American Temperance University • prohibition in force in Harriman from founding until 1993 • city was major steel producer until depression • now houses City Hall and Harriman Heritage Museum • National Register of Historic Places, 1971 • nearby plaque reads: “Harriman: Utopia of Temperance. Incorporated in 1891, this was to be an ideal industrial city, an object lesson for thrift, sobriety, superior intelligence and exalted moral character, where workers would be uncorrupted by Demon Rum. Named for Union General Walter Harriman, former governor of New Hampshire. Leader of movement was Union General Clinton B. Fisk, founder of Fisk University and Prohibition candidate for President in 1888.”

The Avery Trace Chapter of the Tennessee Daughters of the American Revolution recently dedicated this plaque.
A little time spent Googling the Temperance Building found some interesting news, including a few ghost stories! Go take a look and let me know what you think.

Saturday, March 12, 2011

New York History

I have just added a new link to one of my favorite blogs: New York History. Blogman John Warren has a good eye for news about this great state of NY; in particular, news about her history and the many others on the internet who work to keep history alive for us and for our future generations.
Exploring this blog today, I found a link to the Huguenots of New Paltz. I have been working off and on to find my missing link to my Dickerson ancestor, who was at Valley Forge, and whose discharge papers were signed by George Washington himself. In the Historic Huguenot Society website, I found the Dickerson name in their surname listing, so I am planning to contact the Society to see if they may have what I seek.
Everything I need to plan my visit is on the website, it couldn't be easier. Thanks, John!

New York History: Welcome New Genealogy Visitors!

New York History: Welcome New Genealogy Visitors!: "New York History is honored to have been named one of Family Tree Magazine's 'Family Tree 40' for 2011. I hope you'll take a look around th..."

Genoa - King Ferry Tribune

I received my Spring 2011 issue of the Genoa - King Ferry Tribune yesterday, and I was pleased to see that most of pages 10 and 11 (and a little of page 12) were given over to my article about the two Jacquard coverlets that Scipio has become the proud owner of. This is the second issue with one of my articles.
Those in the Scipio zip code of 13147 receive a copy in their mailbox. Many of Scipio's residents are in the Auburn NY zip code of 13021, and if that includes you, to get a copy of this fine quarterly publication you can send $18 for a one year subscription to GHA, P.O. Box 316, King Ferry, NY 13081.
I will continue to write articles on Scipio and her wonderful history for the Tribune. If you have suggestions for articles, send me a comment or an e-mail and I will try to accommodate them.
I also write occasionally for the Auburn Citizen, and that is available through a regular subscription or you can check out an online version at www.auburnpub.com. Right now, I am spending a lot of my time on Civil War research. Many Scipio men fought in that war and I will be writing about them as we enter the Civil War sesquicentennial in April of 2011.

Sunday, March 6, 2011

Philips Family and USCT of the Civil War

Some of you may have noticed in our local newspaper The Citizen that I spent a pleasant evening at Seymour Library in Auburn last week, watching Dr. David Anderson portray Frederick Douglass, a former slave then freedom fighter whose own paper, the North Star, was founded in 1847 and was a lodestone for abolitionists and emancipation for those of color as well as women. Dr. Anderson was great at this living history portrayal, and I did manage to speak to him briefly beforehand about the upcoming sesquicentennial of the American Civil War and the lack of resources at the state level to commemorate it.
Dr. Anderson is also a Senior Fellow with the United States Colored Troops (USCT) Institute, and I have been working for some time now to discover records for Scipio men who served with the USCT. Two men were officers, Daniel Perrine Van Liew and Ed Fells. In addition, James Philips of Sherwood NY fought with the 39th USCT.
A free black man, James was at risk as a soldier if captured by the Confederate Army but he enlisted and saw plenty of action.
James and his family lived out their lives in Scipio, and are buried in Sherwood Cemetery. Their story deserves to be told and I am researching our local records as well as using resources found on our Cayuga County Rootsweb, Footnote.com, the NYS Library, and other internet sites to share it with you. Stay tuned!

Saturday, March 5, 2011

Owasco Lake

I heard on the news this morning that Niagara Falls may be frozen over, an event that hasn't occurred in several years. It has indeed been a long cold winter here in New York State!
Owasco Lake has also been frozen, if not completely then certainly more than I have seen in some years myself. When I drive down Wyckoff Hill in the winter (sometimes a scary excursion on that "big hill") I glance across Route 38 at Owasco Lake. In February, there were so many trucks parked along the end of Wyckoff Road that I wondered if there was a party going on at the neighbors house! Then I looked at Owasco Lake and saw all the ice fishermen. Conditions were ideal for this winter activity, and all along Route 38 heading north to Auburn, I saw evidence of how many people enjoy being outdoors in our Finger Lakes.