August Genealogy Meetings and Classes

In spite of the disruption at our office caused by ongoing roof and ceiling leaks, we continue to carry on with our scheduled meetings and classes. (If you didn't read about our water woes, be sure to take a look at last week's post.) We are excited about the grand opening of the Emerson History and Genealogy Center at the new Clark Family Branch that opened on 9 July, and we have already begun to avail ourselves of the library's new meeting spaces. Our friends there came to our rescue in providing space for the Irish SIG meeting on 27 July, and our first monthly meeting will be held at the Clark Branch in August. You are invited to tour the new facility, if you haven't already done so, this coming week. Read on for more information . . .

StLGS Office Faced with Extensive Water Damage!

The week of July 4th brought intensive rain to the St. Louis area, mostly carried in by the hurricane that blew into the Gulf Coast. For many years, the flat roof of our building has leaked sporadically, but this month's torrents were relentless, and rain poured into our office. When the first of the office volunteers opened the doors on Saturday, July 6th, they were greeted by collapsed ceiling tiles, soaked countertops, and dripping holes, some of which were directly over very expensive equipment. These first volunteers began to clean up and cover surfaces, but the worst was still to come.

July Genealogy Meetings and Classes

It's almost July 4th, which means summer has officially begun! Enjoy the upcoming holiday week, but don't forget to get out your calendar and make note of some of our upcoming programs. This month's general meeting will be our last at the Grant's View Branch of the St. Louis County Library system. With the new Clark Family Branch opening on 9 July, we will finally be able to go back to meeting at one location, now with ample room and state of the art technology! We'll have more for you on that soon; meanwhile, please read on for July's offerings. . . .

Postcards Help Us Picture the Past

More than a century before anyone sent an email or text message, the postcard was born. Evolving from a series of alternatives to long, tedious letter writing, the postcard as we know it was created by Dr. Emanuel Herrmann, an economics professor in Austria, whose ideas came to the attention of the Austrian Post, which, on 1 October 1869, created a Correspondenz-Karte. Printed on light-brown paper, about the size of a 3" x 5" index card, it had space on one side for an address, a blank back for a message, and a pre-printed stamp in the upper right. Most importantly, it cost half the price of a letter! Within just a few years, postcards were in wide use throughout the world. Today, postcards can assist in your genealogy research as well.

Last Chance for Some Group Photos: Can You Help?

We've talked often about how sad it is when lost photos can't find a home. At the StLGS office, we've been custodians of three group photos for several years, and no one has come forth to claim them. After a trip to the Missouri Historical Society's Library and Research Center, the photos have come back to us; the Historical Society can't keep them, since they don't know who took them and can't obtain copyright permission to make them part of their collections. So, before these lovely images are forever lost, we thought we'd try one more time to see if anyone recognizes a relative or has a connection with a group and wants one of the photos. 

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.

Missouri Historical Society's Recently Digitized Atlases and Guides

The StLGS monthly meeting on Saturday, 8 June 2024 featured Emily Jaycox, librarian at the Missouri Historical Society (MHS), and what a treat she brought us! Emily has given us permission to share some of what she presented to the group, which we are delighted to do, and we are sure that once you dig in to the items now posted on the Missouri Historical Society's website, you will be hard-pressed to leave your computer! Read on for all the exciting details.