Public Records

National Archives to Host Public Interest Declassification Board

 

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Spring/ Summer Hours begin at the National Archives on March 27

 

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Preview of Magna Carta

I just received this update from the National Archives last week; I won’t be able to make it, but if you’re in the D.C. area, this is quite an opportunity. The National Archives will be holding an exclusive preview of the Magna Carta for members of the press before it goes back on display. This will be a once in a lifetime opportunity to photograph or videotape the Magna Carta outside of its display case. Press will also have the opportunity to talk to its new owner, David Rubenstein, as well as the Archivist of the United States, Allen Weinstein and National Archives Exhibits Curator, Terry Boone.

 

This exclusive event will take place from 1-2p.m. on Monday, March 3^rd, at the National Archives Building Conservation Lab.  Please note that NO ARTIFICIAL LIGHT MAY BE USED.

For background on the Magna Carta, as well as directions, please view the entire press release at: http://www.archives.gov/press/press-releases/2008/nr08-67.html.

 

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Noontime Programs at the National Archives in April 2008

During the month of April, the National Archives will be presenting three free programs available to the public:

 

 

 

 

1.      Preserving America’s History, April 9^th, will explain how the National Archives protects and preserves the documents and artifacts it holds.

2.      White House Ghosts: Presidents and Their Speechwriters, April 16^th, will be presented by Robert Schlesinger (son of famed JFK speech writer Arthur Schlesinger, Jr.), and will discuss how the relationship between President’s and their speechwriters can impact a presidency.

3.      Summers with Lincoln, April 17^th, explores the meanings of monuments erected in memorial to Abraham Lincoln.

 

All three events will be held at noon at the National Archives Building, located on the National Mall in Washington, D.C. For more information, please visit: http://www.archives.gov/press/press-releases/2008/nr08-66.html.

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Are You up to Date? By Paula Stuart-Warren, CG

I came across a heartfelt genealogy post at another blog and felt it was very much worth sharing. In her article, “Are You Up to Date,” Paula Stuart-Warren writes about keeping your family tree current with events in your family. While we may spend the majority of our time looking for distant ancestors, we need to remember to enter recent family data as well. She also discusses such topics as:

 

 

• Obituaries and Tombstones
• Family Group Sheets
• Funeral Guest Books
• Social Security Death Index
• Other key considerations

Paula, if you read this, my condolences and thank you for sharing such a great article. It is truly the testament you intended and a solid introduction to Genealogy and thus I felt it fitting to share it with the visitors here.

You can read Paula’s full article here.

Thank you – Chris

 

 

 

Social Security Death Records

Another great article by Leo Talbot:

The Social Security Death Index (SSDI) contains the names and vital information of around 65 million deceased Americans. It is an extremely large and important database for genealogy enthusiasts. Information is archived in the SSDI when a death has been reported to the Social Security Administration (SSA), such as when a family member stops the Social Security Benefits (SSB) of a person, or applies for survivor’s benefits.

 

In the early 1960’s, the SSA began using computer technology to store vital records. Therefore, most records included in the SSDI have death dates of 1962 or later, and birth dates from the early 1900’s. Although there are a few birth dates as far back as the 1850’s, and death dates prior to 1960, not all earlier data has been entered into the current SSDI.

Social Security Death Records

Social Security Death Records (SSDR) usually contain the following data on a deceased individual:

• Last name
• First name
• Date of Birth
• Date of Death
• Where the last SSB was sent
• State of residence
• Where the SSN was issued
• Last known address

SSDI Search Tip #1: Use maiden names when searching for women. SSDI is a valuable genealogy tool. The SSDI can assist your genealogy research by providing data that will help you locate birth certificates and death certificates. By providing the names of parents, a female’s maiden name, people’s places of residence and their occupation, it may also assist in the search for marriage certificates and other vital records.

SSDI Search Tip #2 : Start your search on the SSDI with just a few facts. You can search on any combination of data. A last name and known possible birth period may be a good place to start. If the results are too large, add additional data and search again. Also, do not use middle initials – middle names are not recorded in the SSDI.

Soundex Search is a very useful feature that can assist where names may have been misspelled.

Leo Talbot writes genealogy articles such as the social security death index and others

(A Genealogy Beginner Sponsor)

 

National Archives Celebrates Black History Month in February

The National Archives will be celebrating Black History Month in February with special films, lectures and public programs. These events will be at the National Archives Building in Washington, DC, and are open to the public. Some programs will also be held at the National Archives in College Park, Maryland. Unless otherwise noted all events are free.

 

 

• Panel Discussion and Banneker Monument Unveiling, February 15, at 7 P.M
• What’s New in the ARC (Archival Research Catalog)? February 20, at 11:30 A.M.
• Using Federal Records for African American Genealogical Research, February 23, 10:15 A.M.-1:30 P.M.

On Tuesdays and Fridays throughout February, the National Archives will be showing the landmark 14-part PBS series Eyes on the Prize. For the complete film schedule, as well as more information on other events taking place, please visit: http://www.archives.gov/press/press-releases/2008/nr08-42.html.

 

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National Archives Marks World War I Veteran’s 107th Birthday

Archivists present last living American WWI veteran with a copy of his military file. WASHINGTON, DC* The National Archives celebrated the 107th birthday of the nation’s last living World War I veteran, Mr. Frank Woodruff Buckles, this week.  To honor Mr. Buckles — and by extension all of the men and women who served — National Archives archivists Mitch Yockelson and Richard Boylan visited with Mr. Buckles at his home in West Virginia and presented him with a copy of his military service record.

Frank Woodruff Buckles was born in Harrison County, Missouri, on February 1, 1901.  He enlisted in the US Army in 1917, at the age of 16 (he said he was 18).  During the war, he was stationed in the United States, United Kingdom, Germany, and France.   He served as an ambulance driver, and after the Armistice was signed in 1918, he escorted prisoners of war back to Germany.  Following the war, he was stationed in Germany, and he was discharged from service in 1920 having achieved the rank of corporal.

In the Second World War, Mr. Buckles was a civilian working for the White Star steamship line and was in Manila on business in December 1941 when the Japanese attacked Pearl Harbor.  He was captured by the Japanese and spent over three years as a POW at the city’s University of Santo Tomas.

The archivists located records relating to much of Mr. Buckles’ service in Europe.  The National Archives photo lab then scanned and made prints of nearly three dozen documents that comprise his military file.  His file includes his troop ship manifest, personnel rosters, and a history of Base Hospital 35 in Winchester, England, where Mr. Buckles spent part of his military career as a driver.

More than 4,700,000 men and women served in the U.S. Armed Forces during World War I.  Of that number, roughly 2,000,000 served on foreign soil.  Today, Mr. Buckles is the only living veteran.  Ninety years after the end of World War I, Mr. Buckles recalled his service and said he was honored to be “the last known American veteran.”  He pondered how World War I will be remembered when there are no surviving veterans.

Background
Among the vast holdings of the National Archives are the official historical records relating to the American participation during World War I.  Such records are housed at the National Archives in Washington, DC, College Park, Maryland, and the National Personnel Records Center in St. Louis, Missouri. Among the holdings are several million pages of unit files and personnel records, and close to a million maps, photographs, motion pictures and posters.  For information, see Archivist Mitch Yockelson’s article entitled:  “They Answered the Call:  Military Service in the United States Army during World War I, 1917-1919” at:

http://www.archives.gov/publications/prologue/1998/fall/military-service-in-world-war-one.html

 

 

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Free Death Records at Ancestry.com

Today Ancestry.com announced a suite of new free death records databases including:

• 1641-1819 Emigrants to Pennsylvania
• 1750-1886 Burials at St. Mary’s Church, Gateshead, Durham, England
• 1844-1884 Missouri State Census Collection

 

 

This is in addition to the following databases updated in the past 10 days:

• Beaver County, Pennsylvania Families
• Every name Index to Egle’s Notes and Queries Chiefly Relating to Interior of Pennsylvania
• Early Pennsylvania Land Records
• Early Friends and Families of Upper Bucks
• Colonial & Revolutionary Families of Pennsylvania, Volume III
• Colonial & Revolutionary Families of Pennsylvania, Volume II
• 1903 Edition of the Complete American Armoury and Blue Book
• 1907 Edition of the Complete American Armoury and Blue Book
• The History of Haverhill [Massachusetts]

The folks at Ancestry.com seem to keep at it around the clock, providing us with abundant resources.  If you haven’t visited recently, it is worth viewing this amazing site for free death records and other vital genealogy information.

 

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Special Programs to Highlight National Archives Records in March

Washington, DC. . . In March, the National Archives will feature a series of programs highlighting records from its holdings.  All programs are free and open to the public (unless otherwise noted) and will be held in the National Archives Building and at the National Archives at College Park, Maryland The National Archives Building is located on Constitution Avenue, between 7th and 9th Streets, NW, Washington, DC.  Visitors to all programs in the National Archives Building should use the Constitution Avenue entrance, except for programs in the Research Center.

 

For Research Center programs, the public should the Pennsylvania Avenue

entrance, between 7th and 9th Streets, NW.  The National Archives at College Park, MD is located at 8601 Adelphi Road.  For directions to both locations, see:  http://www.archives.gov/dc-metro.

But grandma never carried a gun
Locating Women Using Records Created by the Military Friday, March 7, 10:15 a.m. – 12:30 p.m., Jefferson Room, National Archives Building Marie Varrelman Melchiori, CG, CGL, will provide an overview of records created by the military which will help researchers locate information on the women who were the mothers, wives and sisters of soldiers. Reservations are required, and a fee of $20 is payable by cash or check (payable to NATF) at the door. Call 202-357-5333.

Effective internet genealogy searching
Wednesday, March 12, 10:15 a.m. – 12:15 p.m., Washington Room, National Archives Building Elizabeth Kelley Kerstens, CG, CGL, will provide instruction on how to search the Internet when conducting research.  Participants will learn ways to creatively and effectively search the Internet for hidden tidbits to help them progress in their family history research. Reservations are required, and a fee of $20 is payable by cash or check(payable to NATF) at the door.  Call 202-357-5333.

Beginning your Irish genealogy research in US sources
Friday, March 14, 10:15 a.m. – 1:15 p.m., Jefferson Room, National Archives Building Elizabeth Kelley Kerstens, CG, CGL, will cover the basics of finding the origin of Irish ancestors using resources available in the United States.  She will share strategies for using passenger lists, immigration records, military records, census records, city directories, and other original sources of value in tracking down the origin of Irish immigrants.  Reservations are required, and a fee of $20 is payable by cash or check (payable to NATF) at the door. Call 202-357-5333

Footnotes
Tuesday, March 4, 10:00 a.m., Room G-24, National Archives Building Research Center Please use the Pennsylvania Ave. entrance National Archives Librarian Jeffery Hartley will discuss how the National Archives and Footnote.com are working as partners to bring unprecedented access to selections of the vast holdings of the National Archives.  He will focus on what is currently available and how to access and use Footnote.com.  (This lecture will be repeated at the National Archives at College Park, MD, in Lecture Room B, on Thursday, March 6, at 10 a.m.)

Civil War records at Footnote.com
Tuesday, March 4, 11:00 a.m., Room G-24, National Archives BuildingResearch Center Please use the Pennsylvania Ave. entranceBeau Sharbrough, Vice President of Content for Footnote.com, willdiscuss Civil War records at Footnote.com.  (This lecture will berepeated at the National Archives at College Park, MD, in Lecture RoomB, on Thursday, March 6, at 11 a.m.)

Irish history
Thursday, March 13, 11 a.m., Room G-24, National Archives Building Research Center Please use the Pennsylvania Ave. entrance Fintan Mullan, Executive Director of the Ulster Historical Foundation in Belfast, will discuss Irish records and Irish migration to America.

Researching electronic records via the access to archival databases (AAD)
Wednesday, March 19, 2008, 11 a.m., Room G-24, National ArchivesBuilding Research CenterPlease use the Pennsylvania Ave. entrance Archives Specialist Lynn Goodsell will offer an introduction to electronic (“digitally-born”) records of interest to genealogists and how to access the records online via the Access to Archival Databases(AAD) resource.  (This lecture will be repeated at the National Archives at College Park, MD, in Lecture Room B, on Thursday, March 20, at11a.m.)

From the records book group
Tuesday, March 18, 2008, 11 a.m. and noon, Room G-24, National Archives Building Research Center  – Please use the Pennsylvania Ave. entrance Following a lecture at 11 a.m. on records relating to Gettysburg, the Book Group will discuss These Honored Dead:  How the Story of Gettysburg Shaped American Memory, by Thomas A. Desjardin.  Please check the Archives Shop (202-357-5271) for book availability and a special discount for participants.  NOTE:  April’s book selection is All You Need is Love: the Peace Corps and the Spirit of the 1960s, by Elizabeth Cobbs Hoffman

SAVE THE DATE!
National Archives Genealogy Fair The National Archives’ annual Genealogy Fair will take place Wednesday, April 23, from 9:30 a.m. – 4:30 p.m., in the National Archives Building Research Center.  This event is free and open to the public.

Both Archives facilities are fully accessible.  To request an accommodation (e.g., sign language interpreter) for a public program, please email public.program@nara.gov or call 202-357-5000 at least two weeks prior to the event.  To verify the date and times of the programs, the public should call 202-357-5333, or view the Calendar of Events on the web at: http://www.archives.gov/calendar.

 

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