Secrets of the Census, Part 7: 1900

Our last post in this series was in January when we reminded our readers of what happened to the 1890 census and why we don't have digital copies of it for most of our ancestors. (Did you miss that post? You can read it here.) We now come to the start of a new century and a world that was in the throes of major changes. It was the year The Wizard of Oz was published, work began on the subway system in New York City, and those new-fangled automobiles scaring horses and humans were labeled "devil wagons." Hawaii became a U.S. territory, McKinley was president, and a new baseball club, the American League, was formed in Chicago. The census takers for the 1900 federal census began their jobs on 1 June and were given just thirty days to complete their tasks, no small feat for a U.S. population that exceeded 76,000.000! This first twentieth-century census gives us new and important information on our ancestors.

Visiting an Ancestral Town in France

As anyone who lives either in St. Louis or New Orleans knows, the beginning of March is the time for all of us to dig deep to find some French roots as Mardi Gras approaches. (Or we can just enjoy celebrating, no matter what our ethnicity!) Regardless of where your ancestors are from, we hope you will enjoy a bit of a travelogue this week, as one of our members, Joan Koechig, who does have roots in France, shares an interesting research experience in the land of her ancestors. Thanks, Joan, for writing this week's post! Perhaps Joan's experience in France will motivate you to travel to your own ancestral cities! Joan writes . . .

How Did Our Immigrant Ancestors Get Here?

Many of us spend countless hours of genealogical research time searching for records for our immigrant ancestors. Our forebears arrived here either by land or by sea, depending on when they settled on this continent, and not all came of their own free will. We have learned more in the last few decades about how Native Americans made the trek from Asia, how early groups came north from Central and South America, and how those who arrived in bondage were transported in horrible conditions on overcrowded sailing vessels. Many of our people only arrived in the last few hundred years, and we find ourselves wanting to know when and from where they came. But perhaps we might also think about how. Clearly, they did not swim! What kinds of vessels did they travel on? How many sails or steam funnels were on them? How many decks? Most ships that our more recent ancestors used did not resemble the elegance of the Titanic, nor did most of our ancestors dine on unlimited buffets or have scenic balconies leading to well-ventilated cabins. In fact, most of our ancestors did not have cabins at all, but more likely single bunks and limited, shared eating and sleeping areas. Wouldn’t it be satisfying to find out more about the ships on which your ancestors traveled? Well, with a little bit of time and effort, you probably can.

May/June StLGS Genealogy Meetings and Events

This time of year is filled with happy celebrations: Earth Day, Mother's Day, graduations, Father's Day, and perhaps you have family birthdays or other special days in the spring too. We hope you enjoy spending time with your loved ones, but we also hope you will find a bit of time to spend with your fellow genealogists enjoying a meeting or other event. Here is what is on offer for May and June.

Action Needed from Genealogists to Prevent Unreasonable Fee Hike!

Did you know the U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Service (USCIS), formerly known as the Immigration and Naturalization Service, has a genealogy records program? This program gives the public access to copies of immigration and naturalization records dating from the beginning of federal immigration records in 1893 into the 1950s. However, the program has not been supported adequately, and now, because of a proposed hike in fees, these valuable documents may become far less available to genealogists. Read on for more information and how you can help to save access to these records.

Registration Open for the 2023 StLGS Annual Family History Conference!

 51st Annual Family History Conference!

Explore Unique Pathways to Smash Brick Walls!

Saturday, 6 May 2023

Featuring Judy Russell, JD, The Legal Genealogist®

Also: Jen Baldwin, John Dougan, Greg Hilton, and Christina Miller

Maryland Heights Community Center, 2300 McKelvey Road, St. Louis, MO 63043

This will be held as a hybrid event. Join us for a full day of lectures, exhibitors, and a chance to chat over morning coffee or lunch. If you can't attend in person, join us via Zoom. All the lectures will be recorded, and everyone will have access to all eight lectures after the conference. For those coming to the Maryland Heights Community Center, a box lunch can be purchased for an optional fee.

Saturday's Program (All times are Central Time Zone)

9:30 a.m.: Doors open

9:50 a.m.: Opening Remarks 

10:00 a.m.: "Through the Golden Door: Immigration After the Civil War," by Judy Russell

AND "Documents to Databases: Using the Missouri State Archives' Newest Resource," by John Dougan

11:15 a.m.: "Advertising the Law: The Gems in the Legal Notices," by Judy Russell 

AND "Documents to Databases: Using the Missouri State Archives' Land and Judicial Databases" by Christina Miller

1:15 p.m.: "Of Delinquents and Common Scolds: Women, Children, and Criminal Justice," 

by Judy Russell AND "Findmypast: Your Source for British and Irish Research," by Jen Baldwin

2:30 p.m.: "After the Courthouse Burns: Rekindling Family History Through DNA," by

Judy Russell AND "Why You Should Care Where Your Family Bible Is," by Greg Hilton

Complete details of each lecture and speaker bios are on our website. When you go to the conference page, be sure to click on the links to the Lectures and Speakers pages. (Those links are in the upper right-hand corner of the page.)

Registration for the Conference

Registration for the 2023 Family History Conference is now open. The cost is $60 for StLGS members and $70 for non-members. All of the information you need to register is on our website. 

Once you have registered, you will receive an invitation to the FHC via the email address you provide. (Note: The email will come to you during the week before the conference.) Those attending in person will receive a paper syllabus. Everyone will have access to the syllabus as a downloadable PDF from a link on our website as well as all eight digital recordings.

Questions? Send an email to programs@stlgs.org and the vice-president for programs will get back to you. 

We can't wait to help you "Explore Unique Pathways to Smash Brick Walls!"

February 2021 Upcoming StLGS Meetings and In Memoriam for Three Long-time Volunteers

As we enter the heart of winter, we hope that wherever you are located, whether it's snowing, raining, or mild and sunshiny, you can brighten up your February by attending some of the upcoming StLGS meetings we have scheduled. In addition, we hope those of you who are society members will take advantage of our free classes for members coming up in March and April.

Searching for Canadian Ancestors

Library and Archives Canada

If you have Canadian ancestors in your family tree and you are looking for online assistance with your research, the best place to get started is the wonderful website of the Library and Archives Canada (LAC). Start on their home page to learn more about the records they have and/or to submit information to their ongoing Canadian heritage projects. Across the top is a tab bar, and by hovering your mouse over a tab, you will see the drop-down menus in each category. For instance, in the illustration below, you can see the contents of the Discover the Collection tab.

Of course, you can explore, but if you want to go directly to their genealogy offerings, you can do so on their "Genealogy and Family History" page. Here is where you will find databases, sources for research by topic (census, military, immigration, etc.), and sources for genealogy research by location in Canada. There are also links to searching archival records, published sources, digitized photos, maps, and records specific to different ethnic groups. Instructions appear on that page on how to access the records and how to visit the actual library, which is located in Ottawa. You will also find contact information and ways to request assistance.

The "Links and Related Research" page is exactly what you need if you want to look for specific resources by Canadian province or by other countries. You will find dozens of links here to genealogical and historical societies as well as libraries and archives (including religious archives of all faiths) across Canada and several other countries.

Canadian Museum of Immigration at Pier 21

Another helpful resource, the Canadian Museum of Immigration at Pier 21, is located in Halifax, Nova Scotia, and also has an interesting website. The museum occupies part of the pier that functioned as an immigration station from 1928 to 1971 and a departure point for about half a million Canadian soldiers during World War II. As you did on the previous site, you will want to explore the drop-down menus on the tab bar. 

The selection under the Research tab will be especially helpful in learning more about what is available and how to access it. Unlike the LAC, this facility does not have actual records; however, they are happy to assist you in finding what you need and in answering questions. If you or your family are recent immigrants and have stories to share, this museum has an active oral history project and instructions for submitting digital files are also under the Research tab.

(Thanks to StLGS volunteer, Barb Ilges, for alerting us to this helpful website.)

Fall Classes Announced; July Genealogy Meetings and Events

Fall Classes Now Open for Registration

Check out the StLGS website for the complete list of fall classes that begin in August and run through October. Once again, StLGS offers a two-part class called "Foundations of Genealogy" for those just beginning or needing some refresher hints. Are you interested in learning how to use the FamilySearch website, or are you going on our Salt Lake City Research trip? We have a class that will give you great information on the catalog, wiki, and other parts of the site, and can help you prepare for the trip. Classes on German and Irish research, using technology in your research, and the Legacy FamilyTree PC software are also available. For a complete schedule and/or to download a PDF, go to the StLGS website. (Sorry, but there is no online registration for classes. Please either mail in the registration form or call the office.)

Upcoming StLGS Meeting

 No meeting in July. We look forward to seeing you at our special events:
Summer Speaker Series and/or the Writing Institute
You can still register for both by clicking the buttons on the StLGS website's home page.

There are also just a few rooms left for the annual Salt Lake City Research Trip.
More information and online registration on the StLGS website.

August StLGS Monthly Meeting
Saturday, 10 August 2019

"Finding the Civilian Conservation Corps," by Nancy Schuster, St. Louis County Library Headquarters Auditorium, 10:00 a.m.; free, open to all, no pre-registration needed.

    
Upcoming Irish Special Interest Group (SIG) Meeting

  Tuesday, 23 July 2019

"Using Social Media for Irish Research," by Laura Mackinson and Ilene Murray; St. Louis County Library Headquarters Auditorium, 7:00 p.m. Free, open to all, no pre-registration needed.

 More information on the Irish SIG page on the StLGS website.

Other Upcoming Meetings/Events

Czech Genealogical Researchers Monthly Meeting
Saturday, 20 July 2019

"Escape to Freedom," by Mary Ann Sulz, St. Louis County Library Headquarters East Room, 2:30 p.m.; free, open to all, no pre-registration needed.

More information on the group's website.

St. Louis County Library Classes
Tuesday, 16 July; 2:00 p.m., Daniel Boone Branch
Wednesday, 17 July; 6:30 p.m.; Cliff Cave Branch
Thursday 25 July 2019; 2:00 p.m.; Headquarters

"Finding Ancestors in U.S. Census Records," class given in three locations; free, but pre-registration is needed and there are limited spaces.

Information/registration for the 16 July class; information/registration for the 17 July class; and information/registration on the 25 July class on the library's website.

Tuesday, 23 July 2019; 10:00 a.m.; Weber Road Branch
Monday, 29 July; 2:00 p.m.; Headquarters

"Finding Immigrant European Ancestors," class given in two locations; free, but pre-registration is needed and there are limited spaces.

Information/registration for the 23 July class and
Information/registration for the 29 July class on the library's website.

Sappington-Concord Historical Society Monthly Meeting
Thursday, 18 July 2019

"A 150-year Journey Toward Hope: St. Louis State Hospital," by Amanda Hunyar, Friendship Village South, 12503 Village Circle Drive, Sunset Hills, 2:30 p.m.; free, open to all, no pre-registration needed.

More information on the group's website.