NORTH TEXAS
Trail
Tracers
Happy Birthday, Texas!
North Texas Genealogical Association • First Quarter • 2016
INFORMATION ABOUT THE NORTH TEXAS GENEALOGICAL ASSOCIATION
PURPOSE: The purpose of the North Texas Genealogy Association is to promote and preserve
genealogical and historical data of Wichita Falls and the surrounding area.
MEETINGS: Regular meetings are held the first Thursday of each month, January through
December (excluding July). Social time starts at 6:30 P.M., and the business meeting begins at
7:00 P.M., with the program following the business meeting. Meetings are currently held at
the Museum of North Texas History, located at 720 Indiana Avenue, Wichita Falls, Texas.
MEMBERSHIP: Membership is open to all persons or institutions who are interested in family
records, family history, general and local history.
PUBLICATIONS: The North Texas Trail Tracers, published in March, June, September, and
covers the North Texas area with major emphasis on Archer, Baylor, Clay, Hardeman, Jack,
Montague, Wichita, Wilbarger, and Young Counties. Each issue is indexed. A journal will
be published annually, in accordance with TSGS guide-lines, and will be printed, bound, and
distributed to all paying members in December of each year.
EDITORIAL POLICY OF THE NORTH TEXAS TRAIL TRACERS: Neither the editor nor the
North Texas Genealogy Association and/or the members of the editorial staff assumes any
responsibility for error of fact or opinion expressed by the contributors. Correction of proven
errors will be published. All subscribers are invited to submit material for publication. When
submitting materials, send to ATTN: EDITOR.
QUERIES: Queries will be published as space allows, and the Editor reserves the right to edit
the copy.
BOOK REVIEW: Donated publications or books sent for review will become the property of the
Association for donation to the Wichita Falls Public Library. The Association maintains a close
relationship with the Wichita Falls Public Library Genealogy Department.
SEMINARS: Seminars are held annually. Every other year, an experienced genealogy speaker
will present the seminar, and on alternating years, club members will present the seminar.
PROGRAMS: Programs are given at regular monthly meetings, and are informative, interesting,
thought provoking and fun. Our speakers share their knowledge of genealogy research and
other historical information.
Please visit our website
www.ntgaTrailTracers.org
North Texas Genealogical Association
Mike Moody, President; Gil Allison, Vice President; Cheri Rix, Treasurer;
Sue Ramser, Secretary; Marilyn Meador, Membership; Chris Chandler, Programs
Directors, John Yates, Joan Gray, Judy Brunson
Paula Ballard - TSGS District 9 Representative
Table of Contents
From The President ................................................................................................ page 1
Genealogy Seminar ................................................................................................ page 2
52 Questions .......................................................................................................... page 3
Census Search Secrets .......................................................................................... page 5
Texas Vital Statistics Indexes ................................................................................. page 7
My Genealogy Hound Website ............................................................................. page 10
Ancestry Academy ................................................................................................ page 12
The Door of Reconciliation ................................................................................... page 12
The Banshee ........................................................................................................ page 13
Locating Passenger Arrival Records .................................................................... page 14
From the President
I want to express my excitement about having Lisa
Louise Cooke as the speaker for our seminar.
Also to thank all the members (especially Paula
Ballard!) who have (and will) volunteer their time to
make it a success.
Mike Moody, NTGA President
Page 1
GENEALOGY SEMINAR
Presented by the
North Texas Genealogical Association
September 10, 2016
First United Methodist Church • Tenth and Travis St.
Wichita Falls, Texas
Registration 9:00 am • Seminar 9:30 am - 3:30 pm
Please send your check:
North Texas Genealogical Association
P.O. Box 4602
Wichita Falls, TX 76308
Pre-registration (before August 19) - $45.00
After August 19 and at the door - $55.00
A light lunch is included
Topics Include
• Google Tools and Procedures for Solving Family History Mysteries
• Get the Scoop on Your Ancestors with Newspapers
• Tap Into Your Inner Private Eye: Nine Strategies for Finding Living Relatives
• Google Earth for Genealogy
Lisa Louise Cooke • Speaker
Lisa Louise Cooke is
the owner of Genealogy
Gems, a genealogy and
family history multi-media
company. She is Producer
and Host of the Genealogy
Gems Podcast, the popular
online genealogy audio
show available at www.
GenealogyGems.com, in
iTunes, and through the Genealogy Gems app.
Her podcast brings genealogy news, research
strategies, expert interviews and inspiration to
genealogists in 75 countries around the world,
and recently celebrated 1.5 million downloads!
Lisa is the author of a variety of multi-media
materials including the Genealogy Gems
Premium website subscription, and four books:
Turn Your iPad into a Genealogy Powerhouse,
How to Find Your Family History in Newspapers,
The Genealogist’s Google Toolbox, and
Genealogy Gems: Ultimate Research Strategies,
and the video series Google Earth for Genealogy.
In addition to Genealogy Gems, Lisa works
closely with Family Tree Magazine as producer
and host of the Family Tree Magazine Podcast,
a regular article author for the magazine, and
curriculum developer and instructor for Family
Tree University.
Lisa’s offerings are not limited to online. She is
a sought after international genealogy speaker.
Whether in person or online, Lisa strives to dig
through the myriad of genealogy news, questions
and resources to deliver the gems that can
unlock each genealogist’s own family history
treasure trove!
Family is not just a priority professionally. Lisa
is a doting wife to Bill, the proud mom of three
daughters, and has added the role of Grandma to
her resume. She counts her blessings every day
for the love, fulfillment and laughter that family
brings to every aspect of her life.
Page 2
52 Questions in 52 Weeks:
Writing Your Life Story Has Never Been Easier
By Steve Anderson
Few people would argue the value of creating a story about a life lived. In fact, it’s really quite a noble
idea to create a story of your life for your descendant. From it, they will likely learn something valuable
and endearing from the things you experienced and will get to know you as an individual.
Many people believe that it takes a lot of time and work to write their life story and feel that the task is
just too big. Because of that, they never start. But sharing memories of your life does not have to be a
big, involved effort. Imagine how much easier the task of writing about your life might be if you were to
focus on writing about just one topic each week. It doesn’t matter if you write a few paragraphs, a single
page, or several pages. The important thing is that you write something. Anything is better than nothing
at all.
Now imagine if someone provided you with one question to write about each week for 52 weeks. At the
end of just one year you will have created your own life story to share with your children and your future
posterity. You will never be forgotten because your own life story will bear witness to your existence.
Add some pictures, and you can make it even more inviting to read.
Below are 52 questions. Each week for one year, take one question and write as much or as little as
you want. Don’t worry about how much you write for each question, but do write something. Questions
do not need to be answered in any special order.
When you are done, go to FamilySearch.org, and add your stories to your family tree. By adding your
stories to your own branch of your family tree, you are assured that your life story will be safe and secure for future generations. Your great-grandchildren will be able to read them and enjoy learning about
your life and getting to know who you are. Future generations will be glad that you took the time to write
something about your life and that you left them with such a valuable legacy.
1. What is your full name? Explain why your parents gave you that name.
2. When and where were you born? Describe your home, your neighborhood, and the town you grew
up in.
3. What memories do you have of your father (his name, birth date, birthplace, parents, and so on)?
4. What memories do you have of your mother (her name, birth date, birthplace, parents, and so on)?
5. What kind of work did your parents do (farmer, salesman, manager, seamstress, nurse, stay-athome mom, professional, laborer, and so on)?
6. Have any of your family members died? If so, explain what they died from and what you remember
of their death; the circumstances of their death.
7. What kind of hardships or tragedies did your family experience while you were growing up?
8. Are there any obvious or unusual genetic traits that run in your family line?
9. What are the names of your brothers and sisters? Describe things that stand out in your mind about
each of your siblings.
10.What were some of your family traditions that you remember?
11.Did your family have special ways of celebrating specific holidays?
12.Share some memories of your grandparents.
13.Did your grandparents live close by? If so, describe how they were involved in your life. If they lived
far away share some memories of visiting them or of them traveling to visit you.
14.Who were your aunts and uncles? Write about any of your aunts or uncles who really stand out in
your mind. Give some details about them (names, personalities, events that you remember doing
with them, and so on).
15.Where did you go to school? Give some details about what was school like for you and some of
your memorable experiences.
16.What were your favorite subjects in school? Explain why.
17.What subjects did you like the least? Explain why.
18.Who were some of your friends in school? Explain what your friends were like and what they are
Page 3
doing today if you know that.
19.If you went to college or a vocational school, what school did you attend? Describe what memories
you have of those years and what subjects you studied.
20.What do you see as your greatest strengths?
21.What were some of the challenges you have had to deal with in your life?
22.What medical issues have you had to deal with throughout your life?
23.Was religion an important for you and your family? If so, explain what religion your family practiced
and what it meant to you. Explain if it is or is not an important part of your life today.
24.What foods do you like and dislike? Describe any food allergies you or other family members had.
25.Were there two or three food dishes your mother or father made that were especially memorable?
26.How did you meet your spouse?
27.What was your courtship like? Describe your marriage day.
28.Share some stories about your spouse.
29.How many children do you have? List their names and share a few memories about each one.
30.Describe some of the major community, national, and world events you lived through. How did
these events change your life?
31.What are some of your life philosophies or life views that you would share with others?
32.What are some of the personal values that are very important to you? Share some examples of
what have you done and what are you doing now to teach these values to your children, grandchildren and others.
33.List at least five people who have had a memorable influence on your life. What did they do that had
such an influence on you?
34.What are 20 things about yourself that make you uniquely you?
35.What are 50 things that you are grateful for?
36.What is your philosophy on money?
37.If you could spend a day with any famous person in the world, who would it be, and what would you
do during your day with him or her?
38.What scares you?
39.What makes you stop and go “Wow!”?
40.What are some of the things you enjoy doing in your leisure time?
41.If you could go back in time and spend an hour visiting with yourself at age 15, what would you tell
your younger self?
42.What are some of your talents? Explain how you discovered them and what you have done to cultivate and improve them. Describe how your talents have they affected your life.
43.What did you do for a career? Explain how you chose that career.
44.What were some of the jobs you had throughout your life? Explain some of the memorable experiences you had with these jobs.
45.What are 5 significant events or experiences in your life, and explain what effects they have had on
you.
46.What are some of the life lessons that you have learned and would like to pass on to your descendants?
47.In how many places have you lived during your lifetime? Provide a brief description of each place
you’ve lived, why you lived there, and why you moved.
48.If someone gave you $10,000 and told you that you could NOT give it to any of your friends, family
members or use it for yourself, what would you do with it?
49.If you could go back in time and do things over again, what would you change?
50.When all is said and done, what do you want to be remembered for? Explain what you are doing
now to create a legacy worthy of remembering.
51.If you were to leave 5 different bits of advice for your future posterity, what would they be?
52.Have you traveled to any place outside of your home country? If so, explain the reasons for your
trip(s) and what memorable things happened on some of those trips.
Page 4
Census Search Secrets
other family members who would have been
enumerated with your ancestor, locations, birth
dates, etc.
If family historians had ruled the world, I’m sure
things would be quite different. Vital records
would have been recorded since the beginning of
time-in triplicate. Courthouses would have been
built fireproof, bug- and rodent-proof, and on high
ground. There would have been no records lost
to wars. (Who has time to start a war when you’re
hot on the trail of your third-great-grandfather?)
In the case of censuses, census enumerators
would have had to pass rigorous exams, be multilingual, and have perfect penmanship. Alas, this
was not the case. Enumerators were often political
appointees who just happened to have the right
connections, and anyone who has worked with
census records can attest that nice handwriting
was definitely not a requirement!
Despite inaccuracies, unreadable handwriting,
faulty copies, and numerous other obstacles,
family historians still turn to these records
frequently because of the wonderful things we find
in them. Here are some tips to help you find those
seemingly un-findable families.
- Search the census you’re missing directly.
While the global search forms on the homepage
and search tab on Ancestry.com are great for
searching all of the collections and quickly
capturing the closest matches, if you’re missing
an ancestor in a particular census, your best
approach is to search it directly. Plus, individual
census search forms may include fields tailored
to the content in that enumeration. For example,
since the 1900 census asked married couples how
many years they had been married (and that field
was indexed by Ancestry.com), you can include
that detail. If you don’t know the exact year, you
can estimate it and add a date range of plus or
minus one, two, five or ten years. Scroll down on
this page to access individual census collections.
Or customize your homepage so that the Record
Collections widget is always on your home page
and census records are always at your fingertips.
- Search without a last name. Too often we
continue to search for variations of the last name,
but overlook the possibility that the details we
have beyond the surname may be enough to
narrow the search to a manageable number of
matches. If you’re really having trouble, stick
to given names, including the given names of
- Searching phonetically can be useful. Some of
our ancestors simply weren’t concerned about
how their name was spelled. I’ve seen one of my
ancestor’s name spelled Dwyer, Ware, Wire, Toire,
Wyre, and Weir.
- Use wildcards to pick up name variants. An
asterisk (*) matches zero or more characters
and a question mark matches one character.
Last year wildcard functionality was improved so
that now the first letter can now be a wildcard.
The only restrictions are that a) either the first or
last character must be a non-wildcard character
and b) names must contain at least three nonwildcard characters. I find this really helpful when
I’m searching for my Huggins ancestors-a family
who had a rather casual attitude when it came to
the vowels in their name. H?gg?ns will pick up
the variations of Huggins, Higgins, Higgans, and
Huggans that I often see.
- Try searching for other family members who
might be living in the same household (for
example, the individual’s parents or siblings).
Their name may be clearer than that of your direct
ancestor. Relatives with more unusual given
names can be particularly helpful.
- Locate a neighbor (preferably a home owner
who is more likely to be living in the same place)
in a previous census and search for them in the
subsequent census. See if your ancestor is still
nearby. Where available, try to locate a state
census since they were typically taken between
federal censuses and may shorten the time span
between.
- If you can’t find the individual you are looking
for, do not give up. Narrow your search using
city directories, and then browse through the
census for that area. (Tip: Use a directory for
the year after the census year. They were often
created beginning in May of the previous year,
which would have been right around census time.
You’ll often find this type of information in the
introduction to the city directory.)
Page 5
Dear Family Tree Maker™ community,
Since our Family Tree Maker announcement last December, we have continued to actively explore
ways to develop and support Family Tree Maker and ensure you have choices to preserve your work in
ways that matter to you.
Today, we are pleased to announce two options for desktop software that will work with Ancestry.
Software MacKiev
Software MacKiev, with whom we have a
long-standing relationship, is acquiring the Family
Tree Maker software line as publisher for both
Mac and Windows versions. Software MacKiev
has been the developer of Family Tree Maker for
Mac for more than six years and is thrilled at the
opportunity to publish future versions of Family
Tree Maker for Mac and Windows.
This new agreement means you will receive software updates and new versions from Software
MacKiev, and have the ability to purchase new
versions of Family Tree Maker from Software MacKiev as they are released. You will have continued
access to Ancestry Hints, Ancestry searches, and be able to save your tree on Ancestry with Family
Tree Maker moving forward.
RootsMagic
We have made an agreement with RootsMagic, a leading genealogy desktop software program publisher, to connect Ancestry
with the RootsMagic software by the end of 2016. With this new
relationship, RootsMagic can serve as your desktop family tree
software, while having access to Ancestry hints, Ancestry searches, and the ability to save your tree on Ancestry.
We have heard your concerns and are working to provide the
solutions you requested. These new agreements will make it possible to preserve your work on Ancestry and Family Tree Maker
and enable future features and benefits to help you discover
your family history. Be assured that Ancestry, in cooperation with
Software MacKiev and RootsMagic, will continue to support you
as you discover your family history.
We ask for your patience as we work diligently through all the
details to make these solutions available. You can find additional details about these Family Tree Maker
partnerships on our blog. We also encourage you to continue to check back on our blog for future updates in the coming months.
Did Your Ancestor Understand the Question?
Most of us have asked someone a question or said something to someone only to have their response
to us make it clear that they did not understand what we said.
Is that why your relative gave “off-the-wall” answers to the census taker, records clerk, etc.?
A person’s difficulty in understanding the question can be compounded by age, hearing difficulties, cognitive abilities, native language, etc. Do not assume that your relative really understood what they were
being asked.
Page 6
Frequently Asked Questions
About Texas Vital Statistics
Indexes
one cumulative index for the years 1903 through
1940, one index for 1941 through 1945, and one
index for 1946 through 1955. Beginning with 1956,
each year is indexed separately.
What records are available in the Genealogy
Collection?
Why can’t I find a death record listed?
The Genealogy Collection has indexes to some
Texas births, deaths, marriages and divorces but it
does not have the actual certificates.
What information will I find in an index?
Entries are arranged alphabetically by name and
provide the date of the event, the county in which
the event occurred, and often the certificate file
number.
What birth indexes are available in the Genealogy Collection?
The collection includes birth indexes from 1903
through the most recent year available. There
are also some delayed birth indexes that include
births as early as 1880. There is one cumulative
index for the years 1903 through 1909. Beginning
with 1910, each year is indexed separately.
Why can’t I find a birth record listed?
Births in Texas were not recorded at the state level
until the establishment of the State Department of
Public Health and Vital Statistics in 1903. It was
as late as the 1930s before births were consistently recorded. The notation “Inf of”, meaning “infant
of”, may appear instead of a first name in the birth
indexes.
What about Birth records prior to 1903?
If births were recorded before 1903, they were recorded in the county clerk’s office in the county of
birth. Many people whose births were not officially
recorded at the time had records established later
in life. These records are called delayed certificates and the Genealogy Collection has indexes to a small portion of them. The indexes are
arranged alphabetically and include births from
as early as 1880 and as late as 1975. The Vital
Statistics Unit and the county clerk’s office should
be contacted directly for other possible delayed
records.
What death indexes are available in the
Genealogy Collection?
The collection includes death indexes from 1903
through the most recent year available. There is
Deaths in Texas were not recorded at the state
level until the establishment of the State Department of Public Health and Vital Statistics in 1903.
It was as late as the 1930s before deaths were
consistently recorded. In the case of the death
of an infant, the notation “Inf of”, meaning “infant
of”, sometimes appears instead of a first name in
the death indexes. Women are sometimes listed
under their husband’s first name.
What about death records prior to 1903?
If deaths were recorded before 1903, they were
recorded in the county clerk’s office in the county
in which the death occurred.
What marriage indexes are available in the
Genealogy Collection?
The collection includes marriage indexes from
1966 through the most recent year available. Each
year is indexed separately.
Why can’t I find a marriage record listed?
Marriages in Texas were not recorded at the state
level until 1966. Records of marriages before
1966 are located in the county clerk’s office in the
county where the marriage license was obtained.
What divorce indexes are available in the
Genealogy Collection?
The collection includes divorce indexes from 1968
through the most recent year available. There is
one cumulative index for the years 1968 through
1972. Beginning with 1973, each year is indexed
separately.
Why can’t I find a divorce record listed?
Divorces in Texas were not recorded at the state
level until 1968. Records of divorces before 1968
are located in the district clerk’s office in the county where the divorce was filed.
How do I get a copy of the actual certificate?
For complete and up-to-date information on
obtaining birth and death certificates, contact
the Department of State Health Services, Vital
Statistics Unit, PO Box 12040, Austin, Texas
Page 7
78711-2040; 512-776-7111 or 888-963-7111 (tollfree). You may also visit their office at 1100 West
49th Street or their Web site at:
www.dshs.state.tx.us/vs/reqproc/certified_copy.
shtm
Certified copies of marriage licenses are only
available from the County Clerk of the county in
which the license was obtained.
Certified copies of divorce decrees are only
available from the District Clerk of the county
where the divorce was filed.
Addresses and telephone numbers for both
County and District Clerks are available at:
www.cdcatexas.com/Directory/Clerks
May I request that you search for me?
Although we do not undertake genealogical
research or verification, we are happy to search
for specific names (no surname requests) in our
Texas vital statistics indexes. Due to the high
volume of requests, we must limit each request to
five specific searches. Once we have responded
to your request, you are welcome to submit
another.
Requests may be submitted by email to reference.
[email protected] or by mail to:
Texas State Library and Archives Commission
Archives and Information Services Division
PO Box 12927
Austin, Texas 78711-2927
What information must I provide?
information:
• First and last name of the individual
• Type of record (birth, death, marriage,
divorce)
• Specific years you wish to have searched
(or, in the case of cumulative indexes, the
range of years)
• If known, the following facts may help us
with your request:
• City or county where the event occurred or
the person resided
• For birth records, names of mother and
father
• For death records, name of husband
• For marriage or divorce records, name of
spouse
• Requests to search for name variations,
including “Inf. of” or a woman listed by her
husband’s name, are counted as separate
searches toward our limit of five. Requests
that fall outside of our search limit or scope
will be returned for clarification.
Anything else I should know?
This information provides an introduction only to
the vital statistics indexes held in the Genealogy
Collection. Other resources for vital records
may be available. Please remember there are
many variables that affect vital records research,
including name variations, recording errors and
inconsistencies, and record availability.
It is best to conduct your research in person. If you
are unable to do so, you may borrow microform
copies of the indexes through interlibrary loan.
Contact your local library for more information
about the interlibrary loan program.
Your request must include the following
How to Save Gasoline
(from the “Ft. Smith Tribune” Arkansas , Friday, March 6, 1936)
submitted by Cheri Nix
The 26,250,000 automobile drivers in the United States use 17,000,000,000 gallons of
gasoline annually. If they follow these nine simple rules they can save themselves
$180,000,000 in 1936 in gas and oil bills alone:
Don’t tramp on the accelerator.
Don’t start unnecessarily often.
Don’t drive with the choke on.
Don’t drive too long in second gear.
Don’t accelerate on hills, go up at a uniform speed.
Don’t drive fast against the wind.
Don’t race the motor.
Don’t practice sustained high-speed driving.
Page 8
Freedman’s Cemetery
The North Central Expressway in Dallas was built along the old path of the Houston and Texas Central
railroad. The railroad, in turn, had been built along what had been an old cattle trail which itself had
been established along an old migration route for millions of bison. It's kind of strange, sitting there in a
traffic jam, to consider that you're in fact following along an ancient bison pathway, but you are.
If you go to Dallas and stand at the corner of Lemmon Avenue and the Central Expressway and look
southwest, you will find yourself looking at a small, one-acre cemetery known as the Freedman's
cemetery. The cemetery was once part of a larger, four acre plot in which were buried 9,000 slaves and
ex-slaves between 1860-1911. Most of the cemetery, over time, was lost, paved, and built over, so that
today all but one acre of the original cemetery is covered with buildings and roads.
As Dallas grew around the old graveyard and the Houston and Texas Central railroad was built, AfricanAmerican residents of the nearby area, which was one of the Freedmen's Towns, were dispersed,
and the cemetery fell into disuse and became overgrown with weeds. Eventually, buildings were built
literally on top of the the graves. The Baylor Medical Center at Uptown is just one of them.
In 1986, the Texas Department of Transportation (TexDot), in conjunction with the widening of the
Central Expressway, conducted an environmental impact study and rediscovered the old cemetery
remains. After three years of consultation with local African-American history organizations,
exhumations began. And so, as thousands of cars rushed past them on a daily basis, archaeologists
and workers carefully removed caskets and human remains, cataloging each and being very careful
to show respect. The entire area was enclosed under a big tent for privacy and protection from the
elements.
It was originally thought that some 1,600 graves were located in the cemetery and Dallas purchased
enough land south of the cemetery to relocate that many graves. But as work went on it was discovered
that the original Freedman's cemetery was much larger than originally thought and that 9,000 people
were buried there, including many graves with one person buried on top of another one.
The city of Dallas formed the Freedman’s Art Council to oversee the preservation and memorial for the
cemetery. Eventually, 800 bodies were exhumed from their original resting places and reburied at the
adjoining Freedman's cemetery and Memorial Park.
Page 9
My Genealogy Hound Website
My Genealogy Hound is your completely free site to view thousands of family biographies from early
and rare history and genealogy references. These biographies can often be valuable for discovering
details about ancestors in your family tree research.
A continually growing genealogy resource
Additional family biographies are being added continually so be sure to bookmark this page. We also
offer a free newsletter which will update you weekly of the latest additions. Subscribe to the free weekly
newsletter here.
Browse by state and county or by family surname
The links at the upper right will make your family history search fast and easy. Additional states and
counties and family surnames are continually added.
Discover long forgotten and obscure settlements
A growing free collection of rare and vintage county map images are an important resource for locating
long forgotten and obscure settlements where ancestors one lived. Visit the map collection here: County Maps
Our newest feature: Historic Photos, Images, and Vintage Postcards
This new feature makes it possible to view what life was like a hundred or more years ago. Street
scenes, court houses, schools, hospitals, factories and all other sorts of views of life from times of long
ago. This collection, while relatively small at present, will grow to large proportions over the coming
months. View the historic photos and vintage postcard collection here: Historic Photos, Images and
Vintage Postcards
There is so much more to come!
We have hundreds of thousands of family biographies, maps and vintage images available and many
more are being added to this website each week so be sure to check back often!
My Genealogy Hound is a free resource provided by Hearthstone Legacy Publications
Translated Surnames
Minor’s Naturalization
If your relative’s last name is a word that is easily translated (such as a color or an occupation),
is it possible that some records refer to him by
that translated version of his name?
Individuals who immigrated to the United States
as minors were subject to a slightly different
(shorter) naturalization process than those who
immigrated as adults. As a result these naturalizations were sometimes filed separately from
“adult naturalizations” in a separate book.
Was your ancestor with the last name of White
actually a German with a different original such
as Weiß?
Was your ancestor with the last name of Baker actually a Spaniard with the last name of
Panadero?
In some counties, the minor naturalizations
may be filed in a separate part of the book that
contains the “normal” naturalizations.
Individuals under the age of majority could not
naturalize of their own accord. That’s not the
way “mino” naturalization should be interpreted.
Page 10
Page 11
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Our Irish Ancestry: The Door of Reconciliation
In 1492, two Irish families, the Butlers of Ormonde and the
Fitzgeralds of Kildare, were involved in a bitter feud. This
disagreement centered around the position of Lord Deputy.
Both families wanted one of their own to hold the position.
In 1492 this tension broke into outright warfare and a small
skirmish occurred between the two families just outside the
city walls.
The Butlers, realizing that the fighting was getting out of
control, took refuge in the Chapter House of Saint Patrick’s
Cathedral. However, the Fitzgeralds followed them into the
Cathedral and asked them to come out and make peace.
The Butlers, afraid that if they did so they would be slaughtered, refused.
As a gesture of good faith the head of the Kildare family,
Gerald Fitzgerald, ordered that a hole be cut in the door. He
then thrust his arm through the door and offered his hand in
peace to those on the other side. Upon seeing this, Fitzgerald was willing to risk his arm by putting it through the door
the Butlers reasoned that he was serious in his intention.
They shook hands through the door, the Butlers emerged
from the Chapter House and the two families made peace.
Today this door is known as the “Door of Reconciliation” and
is on display in the Cathedral’s north transept. This story also
lives on in a famous expression in Ireland “to chance your
arm”.
Page 12
Our Irish Ancestery: The Banshee
The Banshee is the ghost of a young woman who was brutally killed and died so horribly that her spirit
is left to wander the world warning when a violent death is imminent. The word comes from the Gaelic
Bean Sí, literally - Fairy Woman.
She appears as an old woman in rags with dirty grey hair, long fingernails and sharp pointed rotten
teeth. Her eyes are blood red and filled with so much hatred and sorrow that to look into them will
cause instant death. The Banshees mouth is permanently open as she emits a long and painful scream
to torture the souls of the living.
According to legend there are a few Banshees that relish in taking a life and will stalk their victim wailing and screaming at them to the point that the victim goes insane or dies. It has been told that the Banshee has ripped many a brave man to death with her bare hands. This is the type of Banshee portrayed
in Hollywood horror films.
Here in Ireland we have a much less gory view of the Banshee. She does attach herself to families
usually with an O or a Mc in the surname such as O’Brien or McNeill etc, and she does indeed foretell a
death in the family.
The Banshee does not bring death but warns that death is near and this gives the family a chance
to prepare and it is not necessarily a violent death it may be of a family member that has lived to 106
years of age. She is there as an escort to ensure that the loved one passes safely to the other side.
Stories have been passed down through generations of families of ‘O’s and ‘Mc’s of their personal experiences with their own Banshee. I remember being told of an uncle who was walking home one cold
blustery night and on arriving home told my grandmother that he had tried to comfort an old woman,
dressed in black with a veil over her face, who was crying and wailing outside the house but every time
he went over to her she moved away and kept pointing at the house.
My grandmother knew straight away what this old lady represented and sent my uncle to bed telling
him she would have a look. Needless to say she didn’t dare look herself. Three days later my grandmothers brother died peacefully in his sleep.
The Banshee may sometimes only be heard keening (an Irish word used to describe the wailing that
women used to do over the body of a deceased person to ward off evil spirits) but when the Banshee
decides to appear she may take the form of the following:
- An old woman dressed in black with long grey hair and covering her face with a veil.
- An old woman with long white hair, red eyes and dressed in a green dress.
- A deathly pale woman with long red hair dressed in a white dress sometimes a shroud.
- A beautiful woman wearing a shroud.
- A beautiful woman with silver-white hair wearing a long shimmering silver dress.
Page 13
Locating Passenger Arrival Records
1. Estimate the Arrival Date
The date of immigration can be found in a number of records including some census records (the U.S.
Federal Censuses for 1900-1930 all ask for year of immigration), death records (often recorded “How
long in the U.S.?” on death certificates), obituaries, and many other records and home sources. Often a
combination of resources can help pin down the elusive dates. Using a combination of birth dates and
birth locations, particularly among siblings in the family that immigrated, it is often possible to narrow
the arrival date to within a few years. Include your estimated immigration date in your search on Ancestry.com to narrow your results to those that would apply. You can add +/- 1, 2, 5, or 10 years to give
yourself a little wiggle room for rough estimates.
2. Gather Identifiers
Sometimes the challenge isn’t so much finding your ancestor’s name in the records, as determining if
it really is your ancestor. It’s helpful to compile a mini-profile of your ancestor based on the information
you may find in the record.
How old was your ancestor? Census records are also a good source for estimating age at the time of
immigration, as well as information from death records, tombstones, correspondence, marriage records, etc.
What did he or she do? Some passenger lists will list occupations. While this information typically isn’t
indexed in passenger arrival records, in some cases it can be helpful in “thinning the herd” to focus on
the most promising individual(s).
Who might they have traveled with? Family structure can be helpful in locating families who traveled
together, although it bears mentioning that it wasn’t unusual for the head of the family or some family
member to come over first and then send for the family later, once employment and a living space had
been secured.
It can also be handy to have a list of other surnames that have appeared with your ancestor. Witnesses
and sponsors, neighbors, collateral relatives, and anyone whose name keeps popping up in conjunction
with your ancestor, could turn up as travel companions who arrived with your ancestors.
3. Learn Ethnic Names
Our ancestor’s may not have traveled with the Americanized version of their name that we’re familiar
with. Look for your ancestor’s given name in his native language. BehindtheName.com is helpful in
finding some variants.
For surnames, look for information online and in print publications that can teach you the ins and outs
of surnames in the land of your ancestors. For example, the website PolishRoots.org has several articles and helpful resources on Polish surnames.
Search the Internet for other similar sites for your ancestor’s background (e.g., German given names,
Hungarian surnames, etc.)
4. Check Multiple Ports
The story of ancestors arriving through Ellis Island is a popular one and although New York was the
port of choice for millions of immigrants, many traveled through Baltimore, Boston, Philadelphia, New
Orleans, and other U.S. ports (all of which can be searched here). In addition, for many years travel to
Canada from Europe was cheaper and you may find that your ancestor took that route to the United
States. Border Crossing records from Canada to the U.S. are available for the years 1895-1956, and
Canadian Passenger Lists are available for 1865-1935.
5. Don’t Stop Looking
Don’t overlook the possibility that your ancestor may have made more than one trip. Sometimes—particularly in later years when steamships made the trip easier and faster—immigrants made several trips
before finally settling in.
Page 14
From
“Traces of Texas”
Traces of Texas reader Mike Wagoner was to thoughtful as
to send in this really stellar photo of his grandmother and her
sisters being baptized in the Red River north of Odell, Texas.
Says Mike:
“I found a picture of my Grandmother, whom we all called
Mama Wagoner - maiden name Laura Effie Barnes. My
Grandmother is in the middle in the white dress with three
sisters to the left and two sisters to the right. It is their Mom
and Dad on the far left and their Uncle performing the baptism on the far right. He was the preacher in the area. This
was in the Red River shallows north of Odell, Texas and
south of Altus, OK. I was told by my Dad that all the folks
there were pretty much farmers. This picture was taken in
1910.”
This is a photo of the last meeting of the survivors of the
Battle of San Jacinto. It was taken on 21 April, 1906, 70 years
after the battle that won Texas independence. The men
are, from left, William P. Zuber, Austin; John W. Darlington,
Taylor; Asa C. Hill, Oakville; Stephen F. Sparks, Rockport; L. T.
Lawlor, Florence; Alphonso Steele, Mexia. Zuber was the last
survivor
The Alamo, late 1860s. This was taken not long
after the U.S. Army had refurbished it and put
the famous campanulate on the top.
It was during this period that the first work was
really performed to rebuild and restore the
Alamo. In fact, under the direction of Major E.B.
Babbitt, the now famous Campanulate, or bellshaped facade, atop the front wall of the chapel, was erected. That facade, of course, is the
image that immediately comes to mind for most
when thinking of the Alamo, and it’s difficult to
accept that it never existed while Crockett and
Bowie and company lived and died within the
walls of the Alamo.
Page 15
Samuel “Sam” Houston
March 2, 1793 – July 26, 1863
An American politician and Soldier, best known for
his role in bringing Texas into the United States as
a constituent state. His victory at the Battle of San
Jacinto secured the independence of Texas from
Mexico. The only American to be elected governor
of two states (as opposed to territories or indirect
selection), he was also the only governor within
a future Confederate state to oppose secession
(which led to the outbreak of the American Civil
War) and to refuse an oath of allegiance to the
Confederacy, a decision that led to his removal
from office by the Texas secession convention.
Shortly afterwards, he relocated to Coahuila y
Tejas, then a Mexican state, and became a leader
of the Texas Revolution. After the war, Houston
became a key figure in Texas and was elected as
the first and third President of the Republic of Texas. He supported annexation by the United States
and after annexation in 1845, he became a U.S.
Senator and finally a governor of Texas in 1859,
whereby Houston became the only person to have
become the governor of two different U.S. states
through popular election, as well as the only state
governor to have been a foreign head of state.
Houston was born at Timber Ridge Plantation
in Rockbridge County of Virginia, of Scots-Irish
descent. After moving to Tennessee from Virginia, he spent time with the Cherokee Nation (into
which he later was adopted as a citizen and into
which he married), military service in the War of
1812, and successful participation in Tennessee
politics. In 1827, Houston was elected Governor of
Tennessee as a Jacksonian. In 1829, he resigned
as governor and relocated to Arkansas Territory. In
1832, Houston was involved in an altercation with
a U.S. Congressman, followed by a high-profile
trial.
As governor, he refused to swear loyalty to the
Confederacy when Texas seceded from the Union
in 1861 with the outbreak of the American Civil War, and was removed from office. To avoid
bloodshed, he refused an offer of a Union army to
put down the Confederate rebellion. Instead, he
retired to Huntsville, Texas, where he died before
the end of the Civil War.
Stephen Fuller Austin
November 3, 1793 – December 27, 1836
“The Father of Texas”