Eastman's Online Genealogy Newsletter

APG to Meet in Austin

The following is an announcement from the Association of Professional Genealogists:

The place "where family history professionals meet" this fall to develop business skills is in Austin, Texas at the Association of Professional Genealogists (APG) Seventh Annual Professional Management Conference.

Genealogical Society of Hispanic America Conference

The following is an announcement from the Genealogical Society of Hispanic America:

The Genealogical Society of Hispanic America will hold its annual national conference in Trinidad, Colorado from June 25-27, 2004. The Fray Angelico Chavez Chapter of Pueblo is hosting the event.

Polk County, Missouri, Genealogical Society Receives Nearly $5,000 Grant

Missouri Secretary of State Matt Blunt has announced that the Polk County Genealogical Society has been approved for the Missouri Historical Records Grant program award. The grant program was created in 2001 through a $300,000 appropriation by the Missouri Legislature and matching funds from an arm of the National Archives.

The Family of Ronald W. Reagan

In last week's newsletter I mentioned an online site that contains a brief report on a few of Ronald Reagan's ancestors. This week I had a chance to look at a much more complete work. In fact, this book contains detailed information on 2,000 individuals, all related to the 40th U.S. President.

MyFamily.com, Inc. Names New CFO

The following is a press release from MyFamily.com, the owners and operators of Ancestry.com and Genealogy.com:

New Genealogy Travel Service Announced

Millisecond Publishing Company has been mentioned in this newsletter several times. The company produces the Family Forest CD-ROM disks with data that shows how many famous and not-so-famous people are related. Now the company is getting into the travel business, although with a genealogy-related twist.

Congressional Bill Aims to Stop Spyware

I have written before about software that is surreptitiously installed on your PC without your knowledge, then displays pop-up ads or spies on your habits as you surf the Web. (See February 9, 2004, and May 31,2004, Plus Edition articles.) Some of these programs, although not all, will even report confidential information about you back to a central database.

Spyware and obnoxious pop-up advertising is a genealogy-related issue as well; at least two genealogy companies use or have used these products.

Follow-up on EOGN Blog Beta Test

In last week's newsletter I introduced a new concept for this newsletter: a Web log, or blog. You can read that article at http://tinyurl.com/268ad. Forty-three comments were posted on the blog to that one article, almost all of them supporting the new format. I am delighted with this response and plan to continue developing blogs for the Standard Edition newsletters and soon for the Plus Edition as well.

Increased fees at Detroit's Burton Historical Collection

The following is an announcement from the Detroit Public Library Commission:

For Immediate Release
June 15, 2004

State Funding Cuts Result In New Library Fees

Today the Detroit Public Library Commission approved a new fee schedule for non-Detroit residents. Effective August 1, 2004,

Rebuttal to the Burton Historical Collection List Announcement

The following is a message from John P. DuLong:

Hello Folks,

Well it has happened. The Detroit Library Commission voted on 15 June 2004 to impose fees on non-Detroiters starting 1 August 2004. You have to pay this fee if you want to check out any books AND IF YOU WANT TO USE THE BURTON HISTORICAL COLLECTION and the other special collections. The fee is $100 per year.

This Newsletter's Blog

I am experimenting with a new delivery method for this newsletter. I would like to invite you to help test it and offer your comments and suggestions.

BlogLines

While Web logs, or blogs," typically are available in a Web browser, many people prefer to use specialized newsreader programs. I have been using SharpReader, a free blog newsreader for Windows, and I am quite happy with it. However, some readers of this newsletter may prefer to use a specialized Web service.

Ronald Reagan's Ancestry

The United States lost a remarkable leader this week with the passing of Ronald Reagan. He was a "man of the people." Unlike many U.S. Presidents, Reagan came from humble beginnings. His ancestors were working class people from Ireland, England, and Illinois.

World War II Enlistment Records Available Online

The following is a press release from the U.S. National Archives and Archives and Records Administration:

National Archives Makes World War II Enlistment Records Available Online

19th Century British News Going Online

The BBC reports that approximately a million news stories from the 19th century are going online. The project will cost roughly £2 million ($3.6 million US Dollars) and will include 100 years of news and images from publications that are no longer copyright protected. At the moment, anyone wanting to look at the texts needs to visit the Newspaper Library in Colindale, North London.

English-Scottish Borders People May Be Descended from Africans

We all tend to make certain assumptions about race when reading about history or researching ancestors. Many of us think of international travel as a relatively recent phenomenon of the past few centuries. However, that is not true. In fact, mankind has been roaming around the globe apparently since the beginning of the species.

Vermont History Expo 2004

If you have an opportunity to be in Vermont on June 26 or 27, I suggest that you visit the Vermont History Expo 2004. Anyone with an interest in history (that includes almost all genealogists) will find it interesting. Anyone with Vermont ancestry will find this expo to be fascinating as it provides an excellent glimpse of how your ancestors lived and the events that shaped their lives. I attended the Vermont History Expo 2003 last year and loved it.

Gateway to Vermont

Speaking of the state of Vermont, the Gateway to Vermont website is an excellent resource for anyone with ancestors in that state. The site contains sections for Vermont history, Vermont counties, photographic images, cemeteries listings, business directories, and a variety of other records.

FGS Conference in Austin

Now is the time to start planning your trip to the next major genealogy conference in the United States: the Federation of Genealogical Societies' annual conference will be held in Austin, Texas on September 8 through 11. This year's theme is "Legends Live Forever: Researching the Past for Future Generations."

Find IGI Entries by German Town

Michelle Stone wrote this week with information about a Web site that will interest many with German-speaking ancestors. The site is mostly in German but has enough English to allow navigation for those who cannot read the language of their ancestors.