September StLGS Meetings and Events

Our August monthly meeting on researching the history of your house was the first time for us at the Grant's View branch of the St. Louis County Library, and we were so pleased to see some familiar as well as some new faces for the in-person meeting and to greet many more who attended via Zoom. Our September schedule includes a monthly meeting at the Thornhill branch of the library, a German Special Interest Meeting at the Oak Bend branch, and a hybrid class, for StLGS members, at our office in Maplewood. We are also very excited to be hosting nationally known genealogist, D. Joshua Taylor, for our Fall Speaker Series on Saturday, 1 October. Early registration ends on 17 September, so be sure to register soon! More details coming up . . .

Volunteers Needed!

Like many others in the business world, St. Louis Genealogical Society rode out the storm of the "pandemic years" with a skeleton crew of hard-core workers. This was an amazing feat, considering that our society has no paid staff. Everything we accomplish is because of our volunteers. Elected officers, members of the board of directors, and office "regulars" all pitched in to keep the society moving along during those months of uncertainty. As it became safer to work together at the office, volunteers relied on each other to follow safety protocols, and we were able to pick up the pace. However, although many of our volunteers have returned to work, there is currently more to do than there are people to do it!

Fifteen Years of Google Street View

(Many thanks to StLGS publicity and social media director, Laura Mackinson, for writing this week's blog. All images from Google Street View.)

Go back in time with this interesting Google Maps feature!

By now, most everyone has heard of Google Maps, but perhaps you haven't heard of Google Street View. Essentially, Google sends vehicles with 360-degree cameras mounted on top to drive up and down streets taking panoramic photographs. These images are then uploaded to Google Maps and linked to the corresponding locations on the map. Google Street View began in 2007, and the past images were made available beginning in 2014.

Obsolete Occupations: Factors and Commission Merchants

Perhaps, as you have been researching your male ancestors, you have come across some that were factors or commission merchants. Have you wondered what these people did for a living? Are there modern equivalents for these jobs? We will take a look at this obscure occupation in this week’s post.

Farewell to Our "Guardian Angel" and Recovering Photos from Flood Damage

We lost a very special StLGS member this week, Mary Berthold, whom we frequently called our "guardian angel" because of her never-ending support and generosity. We say a brief farewell here but will celebrate her life more fully in a future Quarterly article. 

It feels as if it has been a week of losses. Not only did we have record-setting rainfall in St. Louis City and County, but flash floods have affected our members throughout the country. Our hearts go out to those of you whose basements and homes have been swamped by rain water and backed up sewers. We want to offer some hope for your photos and documents that have been soaked, and, more importantly, some advice about how to protect those precious keepsakes for the future.