ROOTSWEB REVIEW: RootsWeb's Genealogy News Vol. 2, No. 38, 22 September 1999, Circulation: 360,899+ (c) 1999 RootsWeb.com, Inc. RootsWeb.com, Inc., P.O. Box 6798, Frazier Park, CA 93222-6798 Editors: Julia M. Case and Myra Vanderpool Gormley, CG RootsWeb HelpDesk: CONTENTS. News and Notes at RootsWeb (Last Minute Announcements from the CEO; New Zealand and Australian State and Territorial Resources; RootsWeb's Guide to Tracing Family Trees; RootsWeb in the News; RootsWeb WebRing; Change of E-mail Address; New Communities Mailing Lists and Web Pages); Genealogical Treasures -- A Commentary; Connecting through RootsWeb; Mailing Lists; Web Pages; USGenWeb Archives Project; USGenWeb Census Project; Letters to the Editors; Humor; Reprint Policy; Back Issues; How to Subscribe/Unsubscribe * ADVERTISEMENT * TWO GREAT SALES THIS WEEK AT FamilyStoreHouse.com o TMG -- Gold: THE MASTER GENEALOGIST for Windows at a new low price, $79.95. That's $20 off the list price. This premier Gold Edition 4.0 personal genealogy program includes significant improvements to TMG features, navigation, and reports. TMG is a great software program. Only 66 in stock at this price. Order quickly as TMG will sell out at this price. o 3Com PALM V. Special $399, regularly $449. One look and you'll know it's special. Palm V will organize your life. Store thousands of names and addresses; manage to-do items; track expenses; send and store hundreds of e-mails. Accessories available. Order both items on the secure site or call 1-800-725-5013. FamilyStoreHouse.com donates 10% of all sales to Rootsweb.com. * * * * * NEWS AND NOTES AT ROOTSWEB LAST MINUTE ANNOUNCEMENTS FROM THE CEO by Bob Tillman FLASH: No One Died in August. Last week we received the August 1999 update to the Social Security Death Index. It contained 1.8 megabytes of corrections, which are now included on the RootsWeb site, but no new names. We can only conclude that no one died in August. We are very happy not to have lost any of you. See: . RootsWeb's daily traffic is up over 6% on a day to day basis from August 1999, which was itself an all-time record month. We are now routinely hitting our maximum bandwidth of 12 megabits/ second each evening at peak hours, which results in slow loading of pages and which limits our ability to add new features. Over the next month, we will be moving our servers to a new expanded location and installing a new 45 megabits/second line. As a result, you will see faster loading times at peak hours and a number of new site features which we previously simply did not have either the bandwidth or the server capacity to introduce. As you can imagine, all of this is VERY expensive. Now would be a good time for you to become a contributor or, if you are already a contributor, to contribute more. Please click on or e-mail to learn how to contribute. * * * NEW ZEALAND AND AUSTRALIAN STATE AND TERRITORY RESOURCES ADDED. RootsWeb now has New Zealand and Australian state and territory resource pages online. Start your visit for Australia at: and New Zealand at: At the resources page, you can search many databases, subscribe to the state mailing list, and take advantage of many other genealogical resources, such as calendars and guestbooks. Also there are links to classified advertising boards, which are specifically for commercial activity. RootsWeb encourages all genealogy vendors to post advertisements on these boards. * * * ROOTSWEB'S GUIDE TO TRACING FAMILY TREES consists of brief interactive genealogy lessons with research tips, links to relevant resources at RootsWeb and elsewhere on the Internet, and suggested reading and reference lists. While there is no lesson "What is the Meaning of Life?," there is one called "What is the Question?" Fifteen lessons are online now and more will be posted beginning again in a few weeks. This wee hiatus gives those who haven't yet joined in the fun a chance to catch up, and those who haven't taken a second look a chance to marvel at the changes, among which are the absence of the infamous wide black right margin with Day-Glo lettering, some additional links and references, and improved printing instructions. The lessons are available also in PDF format. Suggestions are welcomed (please use the Feedback button at the end of each lesson). * * * ROOTSWEB IN THE NEWS. RootsWeb is featured in the October 1999 issue of READER'S DIGEST. The article is entitled "Click Here for Your Roots" and starts on page 79. It is condensed from the TIME magazine cover article on online genealogy from April 1999. RootsWeb is mentioned in the 20 August 1999 issue of FORBES magazine. * * * ROOTSWEB WEBRING. Is your genealogy home page at RootsWeb? If so and if you'd enjoy more visitors, join RootsWeb's WebRing at: . * * * CHANGE OF E-MAIL ADDRESS. If you are like most users, there will be multiple areas at RootsWeb that need to know when your e-mail address changes. If you have recently changed your address or know it will change soon, please read the FAQ "Email: Changing Email Addresses" , which reviews the areas you might need to notify and how to contact them. * * * NEW COMMUNITIES MAILING LISTS. New communities mailing lists are listed at as soon as they are established. You can subscribe to a list at that page. Collecting Community DOLLIKINS Computers Community WEB-DESIGN Cultures Community ALL-THINGS-IRISH, GERMAN-LIFE, LANGUAGE-LEARNING, SICILIAN-FOOD Dance Community BALLROOM-DANCE Folklore Community COMPUTER-HOAXES, SCARY Health Community HEPATITIS Living Community HOLIDAYS Science Community ARCHAEOLOGY Women Community BIG-BEAUTIFUL-WOMEN, STAY-AT-HOME-MOMS, WOMENS-ISSUES Writing Community JOURNALING NEW COMMUNITIES WEB PAGES Crafts Community http://www.crafts.rootsweb.com/~dollhouse-miniatures/index.html Education Community Food Community History Community Rural Community * * * * * GENEALOGICAL TREASURES -- A COMMENTARY by Dean DeBolt As an archivist, I both wince and applaud when I review the list of genealogical treasures. Let me explain. I, too, go through flea markets, antique shops, and the like looking for historical records -- and there's a lot out there. Because so many folks simply pitch their family papers, we lose quite a bit of the historical record, especially in genealogy. Since I direct a Special Collections and Archives with emphasis on the Florida Gulf Coast/West Florida, I look for materials from this area, about this area, and about the people who have lived here. When I purchase something, I donate it to our collections where it is cataloged. So I applaud those folks who are considerate enough to do what I'm doing -- and that is preserve records. But I also wince when I think about what will happen to the bits of materials that good-hearted genealogists have saved. If you get no response from a RootsWeb list, do you keep it? Sell it? Toss it? What I urge folks to do is donate these items to an archives or historical society -- first making sure that the archives or historical society fully catalogs such items. A key point is whether their materials are cataloged into OCLC or RLIN. These are national online card catalogs that make it possible to find out where information is. I know quite a few historical societies that do good work but no one outside of their building knows what they have. But when an organization catalogs on a national online card catalog or database, thousands can discover family papers and research records throughout the country. The RLIN catalog is online at . Select the RLIN AMC search -- you can search a family name and other terms. For example, you might be interested in the Blount family. Type "Blount Family" and you'll find a list of collections with materials, and the name of the archives that has them. Checking further you can locate a Web site, e-mail address, etc. to get more information. Archives catalog and list their family Bibles, family papers, marriage licenses, and other records. Donating genealogical records to your archives and making sure they are online will do wonders to make materials known and accessible -- especially in the future when a family member catches the "genealogy bug." [The author is University Librarian, Special Collections and West Florida Archives, University of West Florida, Pensacola.] * * * * * CONNECTING THROUGH ROOTSWEB. Thanks for sharing your stories. While searching for information about my great-great- grandfather's Civil War service I found the name of his company and regiment on an Iowa Civil War Web page. I had been searching for some time for the 2nd Iowa Cavalry Co. M and was so excited when I found this name beside an e-mail address. I wrote to the man right away asking for information on the 2nd Iowa Cavalry and received so much more. To try to make a long story short, this man's great-great-grandfather had served with mine in the same outfit. Unfortunatly, his ancestor had been killed toward the end of the war. This dead soldier's son wrote to many of his father's fellow soldiers in 1882 asking for information about his father's last days. One of the men he received a letter from was my ancestor and the man I e-mailed had this letter in his possession and was kind enough to send me a copy. So, keep searching, don't give up; someone, somewhere has the information (and maybe more,) you are seeking and maybe they will be as generous as the man I wrote. Barb Stowe, Kansas City, Missouri * * * I was orphaned at age two, made a ward of the state, lived in perhaps 15 homes of varying quality, was denied an education and so forth, and came of age in 1934. Many times I asked, "Who am I?" The answers were, in effect, "none of your business." Reaching adulthood, my inquiries become more demanding, but still there was little return. Even to this day I am cited privacy laws and about anything else you can think of. I have a brother and sister and we talked about this. All attempts to gain our rightful information failed. I continued to search while in the military and the years following. Here and there I'd find a piece of the puzzle, but never a complete story. I kept at it for many, many years. Several years ago my daughter became more ill leading to another three years of terrible times, ultimately death. A few months after, my emotions went to pieces. Part of my recovering was facing my childhood. She never had the opportunity to know her heritage. I purchased a computer and went to work. It was a great experience. I learned where to look and asked many questions. Bit by bit -- then out of the blue a solid lead. Onward. I met so many wonderful and helpful people. I have a list to give to anyone who wants it. One day, an e-mail showed up. "Dear PJ, I read your post and felt obligated to end your suffering . . ." In it was the name of my grandfather with the source of information. I cannot tell you how I felt. More than 50 years of looking and here he was. What I want to say to all who search is never stop asking for what is rightfully yours. RootsWeb and other resources on the Internet will get you results. I now am making my file back to 1600s. This will go to my brother and sister and their families -- a gift from my daughter and many Internet friends. I will share my blessings with all who need. We will now go on and fill in the rest of the story. P.J. MATHON * * * * * MAILING LISTS. For an index to most user mailing lists hosted by RootsWeb, visit . IF YOU DO NOT HAVE WEB ACCESS but would like to know if a RootsWeb-hosted mailing list exists for a particular surname, send a SUBSCRIBE request in accordance with the instructions below, filling in the desired surname where the example shows [name of list]. If the list exists, you will receive confirmation that your address has been added to the list. If the list does not exist, your message will bounce back to you with a message advising there is no such address. Try alternate spellings. NEW MAILING LIST REQUESTS. USGenWeb and WorldGenWeb hosts may have FREE locality mailing lists for the areas they host and for that purpose may ignore the "Contributors only" warning on the list request page. Please request new mailing lists at: TO SUBSCRIBE OR UNSUBSCRIBE from any RootsWeb-hosted mailing list, send an e-mail message with only the word SUBSCRIBE (or UNSUBSCRIBE) in the subject and the body of the message to [name of list]-L-request@rootsweb.com (for mail mode) or to [name of list]-D-request@rootsweb.com (for digest mode). FOR EXAMPLE, if you are interested in County Longford, Ireland, send a SUBSCRIBE message to: . NEW SURNAME MAILING LISTS BREITENSTEIN (includes BREIDENSTEIN) BYLER (includes BEILER, BOILER, BEYELER; especially Jacob BEILER (BEYELER) family, circa 1687/98-1771, Berks County, Pennsylvania) CRUCE DASHNER (Canada, New York, Michigan) DE-BRACY DENBOW (includes DENBO, DENBOE, DENBOWE) DUROSE (includes DUROSE) GAPPA MCBATH MCMURDY (includes MacMURDY) MORGAN-IRISH (Morgan surname of Irish descent) NUNER (includes NOONER) PAZICS PUJOL SABEL SMITS TACKABERRY (includes THACKABERRY) VARNER-John-Mary-Bitz (descendants of John and Mary (BITZ/ BITTS/PITZ) VARNER of Pennsylvania) ZERKEY NEW REGIONAL MAILING LISTS AFRICA IVOIRE -- Cote d'Ivoire (Ivory Coast) IRELAND IRL-LONGFORD -- County Longford, Ireland U.S.A. KYMADISO -- Madison County, Kentucky * * * * * NEW WEB ACCOUNT REQUESTS. Please see the instructions at . NEW WEB SITES. Some of these might not yet be accessible. If one that interests you isn't up yet, please check again in a few days or a week. . Note that the ~[tilde] before the account name is required. FOR EXAMPLE, to visit the Salzburg, Austria Web page, go to . AFRICA afrciv -- Cote D'Ivoire (Ivory Coast) AUSTRIA autlit -- Austrian Littoral autooe -- Oberosterreich autsab -- Salzburg MEXICO mexmorel -- Morelos U.S.A. cacvgs -- Conejo Valley Genealogical Society (California) ilscgs -- Stark County Genealogical Society (Illinois) kykenton -- Kenton County, Kentucky kypendle -- Pendleton County, Kentucky laclgs -- Central Louisiana Genealogical Society mtbgs -- Bitterroot Genealogical Society (Montana) ncbiog -- North Carolina Biographies Project nhcossip -- Ossipee, New Hampshire (city) wiilbig -- British Interest Group of Wisconsin and Illinois WALES wlscfhs -- Carmarthenshire Family History Society NEW HOME PAGES AT ROOTSWEB BARNHART's Genealogy Page CORSON-COLSON Family History Association The EVERALL Home Page FULGHAM-FULGHUM Family National Association GIUFFRE/GUIFFRE Family Home Page JAYNE's Derbyshire Sites The MABRY Family STINCHCOMBE Families Descendants of Thomas TOBEY The YELTON Family * * * * * USGENWEB ARCHIVES -- CENSUS IMAGES ONLINE ILLINOIS. 1850 Logan County (completed) WEST VIRGINIA. 1900 Greenbrier County USGENWEB ARCHIVES -- OTHER SUBMISSIONS [Note: Everything between a pair of angle brackets is a part of the URL.] CALIFORNIA. Federal Land Records (under construction) COLORADO. Mesa County. Potters Field (Cemetery), Grand Junction HAWAII. 1920 Hawaii Terr. Census, Midway Island, Honolulu County IOWA. 1922 Iowa State Gazetteer and Business Directory by Polk IOWA. Palo Alto County. Curlew IOWA. Palo Alto County. Cylinder. IOWA. Palo Alto County. Emmetsburg IOWA. Palo Alto County. Mallard IOWA. Palo Alto County. Rodman IOWA. Palo Alto County. Ruthven IOWA. Palo Alto County. West Bend OHIO. 1820 Athens County Census Transcription OHIO. Washington County. Hearn Cemetery SOUTH DAKOTA. Bureau of Land Management Records. WEST VIRGINIA. Forts -- Names, Locations, and Dates Established WEST VIRGINIA. 1902 Yearbook/Membership Roll of Society of Sons of the Revolution in the State of West Virginia USGENWEB CENSUS PROJECT -- TRANSCRIPTIONS ALABAMA. 1880 Chilton County Census (Partial - Beats 2 and 8) ILLINOIS. 1870 Fulton County (Partial/4 wards of City of Canton) ILLINOIS. 1860 Vermilion County (Partial -- Vance Twp.) INDIANA. 1850 Noble County IOWA. 1840 Lee County Census IOWA. 1860 Palo Alto County Census KENTUCKY. 1830 Boone County Census MISSOURI. 1880 Lewis County Census (Partial - Canton Twp.) NEVADA. 1870 Esmeralda County Census OHIO. 1820 Athens County Census PENNSYLVANIA. 1830 Bedford County Census (Partial -- Bedford Borough and Twp.) PENNSYLVANIA. 1840 York County Census (Partial -- Carroll, Conenago, Dillsburgh, Fairview, Franklin, Lewisbury, Monaghan, Newbury, Warrington, and Washington Twps.) TENNESSEE. 1860 Dickson County Census TENNESSEE. 1840 Jefferson County Census TEXAS. 1850 Grimes County Census WASHINGTON. 1860 Whatcom County Census * * * * * LETTERS TO THE EDITORS may be posted to the GenConnect board at http://cgi.rootsweb.com/~genbbs/genbbs.cgi/RWR-LettersToTheEditor or sent to RWR-Editors@rootsweb.com. Thanks to RootsWeb and all those who answered my plea for the Rice family in the last newsletter. The reponse in just a few hours after it appeared was overwhelming. Thank you for the SSDI. I found the birth and death dates of seven of my mom's siblings. Rosemarie Burtchell Roots Web Guide to Tracing Family Trees. The lessons you have designed for tracing the family tree are the most informative instructions I have ever come across. They have really helped me in my genealogy searches. I have passed along your Web site to several of my friends who are doing their family trees. Thank you for being so helpful. Keep up the good work. Nancy Corlew * * * * * HUMOR. Thanks to George Thurston , who first obtained permission from the author and then called to our attention this message posted to by John Herold . Most of you would've enjoyed, as I did, watching a lady at a local LDS library. She was lamenting to the kindly volunteer that she'd just purchased their genealogy software, PAF, and put it on her computer only to discover, to her chagrin, that NONE of her family was in it. I just tiptoed away, leaving the librarian to try to explain. * * * * * PERMISSION TO REPRINT articles from ROOTSWEB REVIEW is granted unless specifically stated otherwise, PROVIDED: (1) the reprint is used for non-commercial, educational purposes; and (2) the following notice appears at the end of the article: Written by Previously published by RootsWeb.com, Inc., RootsWeb Review: RootsWeb's Genealogy News, Vol. 2, No. 38, 22 September 1999. RootsWeb: BACK ISSUES OF ROOTSWEB REVIEW are available for download from . BACK ISSUES OF MISSING LINKS are available for download from . TO SUBSCRIBE OR UNSUBSCRIBE from ROOTSWEB REVIEW and MISSING LINKS, send e-mail with only SUBSCRIBE (or UNSUBSCRIBE) in the message area to: .