Eastman's Online Genealogy Newsletter

Everton's Genealogical Helper Returns

I have written several articles in recent months about Everton's and the magazine known as Everton's Genealogical Helper. The company was sold a couple of years ago, the magazine was changed in format by the new owners, financial difficulties ensued, the company folded, the assets were sold to new owners, the company's extensive library was donated to the city of Logan, Utah, and the new owners announced they would resurrect the magazine in its original format. Whew!

DNA helps New Mexico Hispanics uncover links to Judaism

As a boy, the Rev. William Sanchez sensed that he was different. His Catholic family spun tops on Christmas, shunned pork, and whispered of a past in medieval Spain. If anyone knew the secret, they weren't telling, and Sanchez stopped asking.

Students Shun Search for Information Offline

I read an interesting story today. The story was online, of course. An Associated Press article reports that when college students do research online these days, many educators worry that students never look for information in books they way they used to. If they can avoid a trip to the library at all, many students gladly will.

Record Your Legacy for 50,000 Years

What can we leave of ourselves after we're gone? In the case of the KEO Project, we can leave a few words about ourselves; who we are (or were) and our parents, spouses and children. Then we can add a brief synopsis of the accomplishments of our lives. We can also give our advice to our descendants. Those words, up to 6,000 characters (roughly 4 pages of text), can even be preserved for 50,000 years for future generations to read. However, you need to act now.

The Colonists of California

A new reference book offers details about thousands of Spanish colonists. California Colony: Genealogy, Landgrants and Notes of Spanish Colonial California presents a complete guide to the people who lived there. The thing that fascinates me is that the book is available both on paper as well as in electronic format that can be downloaded online.

Acadian Genealogy Homepage Completes a Major Upgrade

Here is a message that I received from Yvon Cyr, the owner of the Acadian Genealogy Homepage:

I've finally completed the major update of my Acadian Genealogy Homepage web site which I undertook to complete before the end of this year (2004) and you can now connect to its Master Index at http://www.acadian.org/tidbits.html to see the result!

President Signs National Archives Budget

The following is an announcement from the National Archives and Records Administration:

COLLEGE PARK, Md., Dec. 9  -- Congress has passed and the President has approved a budget for the National Archives and Records Administration for Fiscal Year 2005 of $321,291,000, which exceeds the President's request.

TeenGenes: Genealogy for Teenagers

The following is an announcement from TeenGenes in Independence, Missouri:

Join the TeenGenes group Saturday for a trip through the history of the United States and learn about some people you have never heard of.

Each TeenGenes member will portray a documented ancestor they have found through their personal research at the Genealogy and Local History Branch of the Mid-Continent Library.

Casting Call for a new TV Genealogy Series

Here is one of the more interesting news releases I have seen in some time:

SEEKING HOST & REGULARS FOR A FAMILY HISTORY SLEUTHING SHOW

Looking for ENTHUSIASTIC GENEALOGISTS (amateur and professional) and ACTORS (non-union)

Auditions will be held in three locations to find a host and on-camera regulars for a new family history sleuthing television series. Interest and/or experience in genealogy a definite plus!

Encyclopedia of Genealogy

I have spent some time building a new online service that I think genealogists at all levels will find useful. In fact, I'm pretty excited about it.

The Encyclopedia of Genealogy serves as a free compendium of genealogical tools and techniques. It provides reference information about everything in genealogy except people. Look to the Encyclopedia of Genealogy to provide explanations of how to look up your family tree. It will also provide explanations of terms found in genealogy research, including obsolete medical and legal terms. In addition, it will describe locations where records may be found. Within a few months, this online encyclopedia will describe how to research Italian, German, Polish, French-Canadian, Jewish, Black, Indian, and other ancestors. In short, the Encyclopedia of Genealogy will serve as your standard genealogy reference manual.

Ancestry Research Exposes Hanky-Panky

An article in the Johannesburg Sunday Times illustrates just how accurate DNA research can be when applied to genealogy. The island of Tristan da Cunha lies some 2800 km off the African coast. The inhabitants of the island share only seven surnames, and each of these can be traced to the original male founders. The island, which boasts rich and detailed historical and genealogical records, has a population of just 300, believed to have descended from 15 ancestors - seven men and eight women who arrived on the island between 1816 and 1908.

Genealogical Data from Holland in your Mailbox

I received an announcement of a new genealogy service that looks interesting. However, I don't have the proper Dutch ancestry to check it out. I looked at the Web site mentioned, and it appears to be a legitimate service.

I'll post the advertisement here for all to see and then ask if someone with Dutch ancestry who is interested would check it out for me. Please let me know of your successes and/or failures. I'll publish your comments in a future newsletter, with or without your name attached: your choice.

New British & Irish Genealogy Records Available

The following is an announcement from the Origins Network:

The Origins Network announces new exclusive online access to Irish Militia Records at www.irishorigins.com, plus recent English and Irish genealogy dataset additions including London Census, Dublin City Census, Essex Militia Records & an Irish Image Gallery, all available at www.originsnetwork.com.

Bobbie Coray Takes the Helm at Genealogy Online

Cache Valley, Utah Chamber of Commerce director and one-time congressional candidate Bobbie Coray has spent 20 years helping entrepreneurs start up and develop new businesses in order to enhance the community's future. She's now starting her own business to help people develop the past.

Coray will resign in January to become co-owner and CEO of Genealogy Online, which will provide a Web site for genealogy work and publish the Genealogy Helper Magazine, a reference guide for the 50-year-old Everton Genealogy Library, which recently was donated to the city of Logan.

Keep Your Family Tree Maker Files Safe with Family File Saver

Pearl Street Software has just announced a new program that will interest anyone using Family Tree Maker. When I say they "just announced" it, I mean it was announced just a few minutes ago! If you worry about losing the valuable data from your Family Tree Maker files due to a hard drive crash or corrupted file or other disaster, or if you grow tired of back up your information to a floppy disk or CD, Family File Saver may give you the peace of mind you crave.

Missing in Action: Artifacts from the National Archives

The movie "National Treasure" suggests that the Declaration of Independence might be vulnerable to theft. That may be fiction, but it does seem that hundreds of thousands of dollars' worth of other irreplaceable artifacts are missing from the National Archives and Records Administration - either stolen or lost. Handwritten letters by Ulysses S. Grant, a photo of President Ronald Reagan with Margaret Thatcher, and a portrait of Franklin D. Roosevelt are just some of the historic artifacts that have disappeared. Dozens of presidential pardons also have disappeared.

This Newsletter is Available in RSS

Really Simple Syndication (RSS) is an XML-based format for content distribution. Eastman's Online Genealogy Newsletter is available in RSS format for those readers who wish to receive regular updates and news without relying on email. To read this newsletter in your RSS newsreader, use this address: http://eogn.typepad.com/eastmans_online_genealogy/index.rdf

Fight for Public Domain Goes On

Genealogists and many others received a legal setback this week. An attempt to declare several present copyright laws unconstitutional was dismissed before the arguments were even presented in open court.

ISFHWE Writing Competition

The following is an announcement from the International Society of Family History Writers and Editors:

Recognizing Excellence in Family History Writing

The International Society of Family History Writers and Editors (ISFHWE) is sponsoring its annual "Excellence in Writing" competition to recognize excellence in genealogical columns and articles. The contest is open to all members of ISFHWE, both published and unpublished authors. Entrants may join ISFHWE at the time of their contest submission.

Debrett's sold for £1m

Debrett's, the 235-year-old publisher of "Peerage & Baronetage," the genealogical reference guide to the British aristocracy, was today sold in a deal worth £1m.