Review of 2013 Genealogy Goals; setting new ones for 2014

Reviewing my accomplishments this year it was evident that making local history available to genealogists was a main goal, one in which I will continue into the new year. I will also concentrate on finishing the Tucker Family monograph.

2013 Accomplishments:

1.    Attended the New England Regional Genealogical Conference in Manchester, NH;

2.    Blog posting of family information;

3.    Digitized thousands of City of Fredericksburg, VA marriage records encompassing years 1995-1955. These records available online include parents’ names, mother’s maiden name, occupation, race, and marital status (single, divorced, etc.), supporting documentation scanned as part of file - a goldmine of information;

4.    Digitizing photo archive for Historic Fredericksburg Foundation, Inc.;

5.   Published polio article from blog post in Ithaca Journal;

6.   Web site development and management, support of spring genealogy series for the Fredericksburg Regional Genealogical Society;

7.   Progress on Agard family line;

8.   Manage Random Acts of Genealogical Kindness on Genealogy Club of Newtown site;

9.   Transcribed diaries of Jessie Tucker Agard;

10.  Started monograph of the Tucker family of Enfield, New York;

11.  Indexed monograph of the Cutter Family of Elkhart, Indiana.

2014 Genealogy goals:

1.   Finish Tucker monograph;

2.   Attend NGS Conference in Richmond;

3.   Continue supporting HFFI through file management and photo archive project;

4.   Continue management and content addition to FRGS website;

5.   Continue digitizing marriage licenses for City of Fredericksburg;

6.   Finish transcribing diaries of Jessie Tucker Agard

7.   Continue blog posts;

8.   Continue Random Acts support for Genealogy Club of Newtown

Merry Christmas

Christmas Tree at Riverside Lodge
Celebrate Virginia Del Webb
December 2013
Surrounded by presents to be delivered to Stafford County
Social Services to fulfill Christmas dreams for three families in need

It is the time of year when I think about holidays past and all the family members no longer with us.  I feel good about the fact that I spend a fair amount of time documenting the lives of my ancestors so that they will always be remembered. That is what genealogy is all about.  May you all be blessed this coming year and I wish you every success in your particular ancestral journey. 

In Memory - Perform a Random Act of Kindness Today

“Perform a kindness in honor of those who lost their lives at Sandy Hook School; and spend some time in reflection about how our future can be made better for all persons. We have the opportunity to continue to move toward positive change — there is no greater gift of love than to act on behalf of those whose lives were taken.”

 - Pat Llodra, Newtown First Selectman

Wordless Wednesday - Ulysses Ladies

I have named this photo "Ulysses Ladies," because it came in a packet of family photos sent to me by my cousin this past week.  There is no identification on the back ... and I don't recognize any of these women in their lovely dresses and hats ... but since it was among our family's photos, I can only guess they may have resided in the Town of Ulysses, New York. 

Shopping Saturday - Going to Trumansburg

I wish I knew this family ...

In the early 1940s Maude and Merritt Agard lived in a house on the Jacksonville Road, halfway between Gorge Road and White School House Road (later Agard Road) in Jacksonville, New York. I believe this photo was taken alongside that house, though I have no idea who this family is.  The wagon is labeled: "Sold by The Biggs Co. Trumansburg, N.Y." and the family appears to be dressed for a day in town, or possibly on their way to church.  

The Biggs Company was located on Main Street in Trumansburg and sold everything from harnesses, nuts and bolts to fine china. Reminiscent of Rothchild's in Ithaca when I was growing up.

For those who remember the large horse mannequin in the window of Biggs, he now safely resides in the Ulysses Historical Society building. 

State Census Years – A valuable list

The Elkhart County Indiana Searcher, Volume 45, Number 4, a quarterly of the Elkhart County Genealogical Society published a listing of if/when each state census was done.  Receiving this newsletter underscores the importance of supporting local genealogical and historical societies.  For searching Elkhart County ancestors this issue alone also has the 1909 Elkhart School Enrollment Part 17 R-S, List of 1883 Pensioners, Tidbits from the Past, 1911 county commencement names, and Hiding in Plain Sight.  We value and support the small libraries, genealogical and historical societies in the localities where our ancestors lived. We encourage you to do the same. 

State Censuses

State censuses can be as important as the federal census to genealogists but, because they were taken randomly, remain a much under-utilized resource in American genealogy.  State censuses often can serve as substitutes for some of the missing federal census records - most notably the 1790, 1800, 1810, and 1890 censuses.  Many state censuses also asked different questions than the federal census, thus recording information that cannot be found elsewhere in the federal schedules.

While not all states took their own censuses, and some have not survived, state and local census records can be found in many locations.  Most states which took censuses usually did so every 10 years, in years ending in "5" (1855, 1865, etc.) to complement the federal census.  These state census records are most often found at the state archives or state library.  Many are also on microfilm through a local Family History Center of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints and online via commercial genealogy databases.

Alabama - 1818, 1820, 1821, 1823, 1850, 1855, 1866, 1907.

Alaska - 1870, 1878, 1879, 1881, 1885, 1887, 1890-95, 1904-07, 1914, 1917.

Arizona - 1866, 1867, 1869, 1872, 1874, 1876, 1880, 1882.

Arkansas - 1823, 1829, 1865, 1911.

California - 1788, 1790, 1796, 1797-98, 1816, 1836, 1844, 1852.

Colorado - 1861, 1866, 1885.

Connecticut - No state census records are known to exist.

Delaware - 1782.

District of Columbia - 1803, 1867, 1878

Florida - 1825, 1855, 1866, 1867, 1868, 1875, 1885, 1895, 1935, 1945.

Georgia - 1798, 1800, 1810, 1827, 1834, 1838, 1845, 1852, 1853, 1859, 1865, 1879.

Hawaii - 1878, 1890, 1896.

Idaho - No state census records are known to exist.

Illinois - 1810, 1818, 1820, 1825, 1830, 1835, 1840, 1845, 1855, 1865.

Indiana - 1807, 1853, 1857, 1871, 1877, 1883, 1889, 1901, 1913, 1919,

1931.

Iowa - 1836, 1838, 1844, 1846, 1847, 1849, 1851, 1852, 1854, 1856, 1885, 1895, 1905, 1915, 1925.

Kansas - 1855, 1865, 1875, 1885, 1895, 1905, 1915, 1925.

Kentucky - No state census records are known to exist.

Louisiana - 1853, 1858.

Maine - 1837.

Maryland - 1776, 1778.

Massachusetts - 1855, 1865.

Michigan - 1837, 1845, 1854, 1864, 1874, 1884, 1888, 1894, 1904.

Minnesota - 1849, 1853, 1855, 1857, 1865, 1875, 1885, 1895, 1905.

Mississippi - 1801, 1805, 1808, 1810, 1816, 1818, 1820, 1822, 1823, 1824, 1825, 1830, 1833, 1837, 1840, 1841, 1845, 1850, 1853, 1860, 1866.

Missouri - 1797, 1803, 1817, 1819, 1840, 1844, 1852, 1856, 1860, 1864, 1876, 1880.

Montana - No state census records are known to exist.

Nebraska - 1854, 1855, 1856, 1865, 1869, 1885.

Nevada - 1862, 1863, 1875

New Hampshire - No state census records are known to exist.

New Jersey - 1855, 1865, 1875, 1885, 1895, 1905, 1915.

New Mexico - 1790, 1823, 1845, 1885.

New York - 1790, 1825, 1835, 1845, 1855, 1865, 1875, 1892, 1905, 1915, 1925.

North Carolina - 1786.

North Dakota - 1885, 1915, 1925.

Ohio - No state census records are known to exist.

Oklahoma - 1890, 1907.

Oregon - 1842, 1843, 1845, 1849, 1850, 1853, 1854, 1855, 1856, 1857, 1858, 1859, 1865, 1870, 1875, 1885, 1895 1905.

Pennsylvania - No state census records are known to exist.

Rhode Island - 1774, 1777, 1782, 1865, 1875, 1885, 1905, 1915, 1925, 1935.

South Carolina - 1825, 1839, 1869, 1875.

South Dakota - 1885, 1895, 1905, 1915, 1925, 1935, 1945.

Tennessee - 1891.

Texas - 1829-1836.

Utah - 1856.

Vermont - No state census records are known to exist.

Virginia - 1782, 1783, 1784, 1785, 1786.

Washington - 1856, 1857, 1858, 1860, 1871, 1874, 1877, 1878, 1879, 1880, 1881, 1883, 1885, 1887, 1889, 1891, 1892, 1898.

West Virginia - No state census records are known to exist.

Wisconsin - 1836, 1838, 1842, 1846, 1847, 1855, 1865, 1875, 1885, 1895,

1905.

Wyoming - 1875, 1878.

Courtesy of: Elkhart County Genealogical Society Elkhart County, Indiana

Volume 45 Number 4 Winter 2013

The Ford Family of Gorge Road Trumansburg, NY

Seasons Greetings from the Fords.
House overlooks Cayuga Lake just south of Taughannock Falls State Park

Anna and Elwyn (Pete) Ford lived a short walk up the road from our family restaurant.  Pete and Anna purchased the small farm in 1920 from Kathryn Utter.  On this farm they raised nine children – Verna, June, Caryl, Frances, Leon, Muriel, Frank, Virginia and Louise, along with many peach and apple trees.

Pete used one of his barns to build his sailboat (see on lift at left side of house). The fact that Pete Ford was building a fair-sized sailboat in his barn always intrigued us (reminiscent of Gibbs on NCIS).  When it was finished he sailed out of the Finger Lakes and headed south to the Bahamas. He and his wife lived out their live on his sailboat, and in later years a houseboat in Florida.