PERIODICAL SPOTLIGHT: ISGS QUARTERLY

Illinois State Genealogical Society Quarterly

Their Fall 2013 issue features these articles:

Wish You Were Here: Travelers’ Postcards Sent to Illinois (article by postal historian James R. Miller)

Peter Miller’s Civil War Years (Miller served in the 79th Illinois infantry, Co. E)

William Stewart Harvey, 1851-1880 (article about life and family of this Scottish immigrant)

Fitting Tributes: Military Headstones, Certificates, and Stamps (article about acquiring free government grave markers, Presidential Memorial Certificates for vets, and the Civil War Sesquicentennial Stamp Series)

Faces From the Past—Identifying Photos With Marge Rice (ISGS member Rice collects unclaimed family photos in hopes of reuniting them with the right family—five such finds reproduced here)

Confessions of a Hero-Appreciating Genealogist (article about genealogist Charlotte Goldthwaite)

Family Bible Collection (transcribed entries from Riggs; Blane; Clarke; Allen; Sykes; Bates; Hindman; and Herbert family bibles)

The Steve Neal Reading Room Collection at the Abraham Lincoln Presidential Library (article about the ALPL’s open stacks area, named for Chicago Sun-Times columnist Steve Neale)

New Headstones for Civil War Veterans (lengthy article about securing free government grave markers for Civil War vets buried in Lyonsville Cemetery, Lyons Twp., Cook County, IL)

You can read this magazine (and other issues of this title) in the Genealogy Room at Central Library (St. Louis).

Genealogy pages on the SLPL website

PERIODICAL SPOTLIGHT: NGS MAGAZINE

NGS Magazine

Quarterly publication of the National Genealogical Society. Their July-September 2013 issue features these articles:

Online Newspapers (covers both free and subscription sites featuring digitized newspapers)

Creating Memoirs (as the author notes, if you don’t stop researching long enough to write up the story of your own life, you will deprive your descendants of this important record)

Finding Facts to Support a Family Tradition (many families have a family “legend”—and these family traditions are sometimes [at least partially] true)

Five Tips for Starting Research in a New Locale (a little time spent researching that new locale can save you hours of dead-ends and genealogical dry wells)

Native Americans on the Trail of Tears, Part I—Census Rolls Relating to Indian Removals, 1817-1857 (information about existing records of these removals)

Headstone Records for US Military Veterans, Part II—Records for Headstones Requested 1925-1985 (article about government headstones requested for veteran burials in private cemeteries during the period noted)

Family Bible Collection (transcribed entries from Riggs; Blane; Clarke; Allen; Sykes; Bates; Hindman; and Herbert family bibles)

It You Build It… (creating genealogical websites, blogs, and online family trees)

German Town Anniversary Books (there may well be a celebratory book about a significant anniversary of the German town your ancestors came from—article describes five such books the author has managed to acquire)

History, Content, and Format of German Church Records (church records are often the only sources of information about the lives of German commoners prior to 1800)

Big Data and Genealogy (what Big Data is, and why it’s going to be increasingly important to anyone with an interest in genealogy)

You can read this magazine (and other issues of this title) in the Genealogy Room at Central Library (1301 Olive Street, St. Louis, MO 63103).

Genealogy pages on the SLPL website

WELL-GROUNDED: CEMETERY RECORDS & RESEARCH

INTRODUCTION

The Genealogy Room collection includes many books of cemetery records, plus numerous books on cemetery research. This list includes just a few of our titles on these subjects.

The following online article is a good introduction to cemetery research for novices:

Tiptoeing Through the Graveyard

ABBREVIATIONS

DA—Julia Davis Branch
GEN—Genealogy Room (Central Library)
ST—Stacks (Central Library)
STL—St. Louis Room (Central Library)

SELECTED BIBLIOGRAPHY

Amsler, Kevin. Final Resting Place: The Lives and Deaths of Famous St. Louisans. St. Louis, MO: Virginia Publishing Co, 1997. STL—929.5097786

At Rest in Wildwood: Burial Sites, History of Cemetery Traditions, and Stories of Our Passing : Wildwood, St. Louis County, Missouri. Wildwood, MO: Wildwood Historical Society, 2005. GEN—929.3778

Carmack, Sharon DeBartolo. American Cemetery Research. Baltimore, Md: Genealogical Publishing Co., 2012. GEN—929.1

Cemeteries of the U.S.: a Guide to Contact Information for U.S. Cemeteries and Their Records. Detroit, Mi: Gale Research, 1994. GEN,DA—929.373

Cemetery Records of Missouri. Chilicothe, Mo: Elizabeth P. Ellsberry, 1965. GEN—929.3778 HOLT

Cemetery Relocations by the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers in Illinois, Iowa, Missouri, Arkansas. St. Louis: St. Louis Genealogical Society, 1977. GEN—929.377

Gibson, Eleanor. Fenton, Missouri Area Cemeteries. Fenton, Mo.: DAR, Olde Town Fenton Chapter, 2012. GEN—929.3778 SAINT LOUIS

Hamilton, Esley, and Pat H. Baer. The Cemeteries of University City. University City, MO: Historical Society of University City, 1998. ST,STL—929.377866

Holt, Dean W. American Military Cemeteries: a Comprehensive Illustrated Guide to the Hallowed Resting Places of the United States: Including Cemeteries Overseas. Jefferson, NC: McFarland & Co., 1992. GEN,DA—353.0086

McElhiney, Mary J, Emma R. Porter, and Gertrude P. Johnson. Genealogical Records: Inscriptions Personally Transcribed from the Tombstones in Old Family Burying Grounds and in the Public Cemeteries in St. Charles, Montgomery, Warren, Lincoln and St. Louis Counties, Missouri. S.l.: Edna McElhiney Olson, 1970. GEN—929.3778 SAINT CHARLES

Missouri Bible and Cemetery Records: Crawford, Franklin, Iron, Jefferson and Washington Counties. S.l.: s.n., 1972. GEN—929.3778

The National Cemetery, Jefferson City, Missouri. Jefferson City, Mo. (P.O. Box 715, Jefferson 65102): Mid-Missouri Genealogical Society, 1981. GEN—929.3778 COLE

Old Cemeteries, St. Louis County, Mo. 6 vols. St. Louis: St. Louis Genealogical Society, 1982--. GEN—929.3778 SAINT LOUIS

Old St. Louis County Cemeteries, Missouri. St. Louis, Mo: Daughters of the American Revolution (St. Louis Chapter), 1952. GEN—929.3778 SAINT LOUIS

Ostertag, John A, and Enid Ostertag. Tracing Roots in the Missouri River Valley from Kansas City to St. Louis, Mo: A Directory of 20 Counties Bordering the Missouri River for Genealogists, Historians, Tourists : Early Histories, Courthouse Records, Research Libraries, Genealogical and Historical Societies, College Histories, Cemetery Records, Museums, Tourist Attractions. St. Joseph, Mo: Ostertag, 1988. GEN—929.3778

Pearson, Thomas A. St. Louis Cemetery Lists and Death Registers, 1764-1999: A Selected, Annotated Bibliography of Materials in the Collection of the St. Louis Public Library. St. Louis, MO: St. Louis Public Library, 2001. ST,GEN—929.3778

Tombstone Talks: Landmarks Tour of Bellefontaine Cemetery, October 25, 1970. St. Louis, Mo.: Landmarks Association of St. Louis, Inc, 1975. ST,STL—920.077

MILITARY RECORDS: A SELECTED BIBLIOGRAPHY

INTRODUCTION

Military records are often the best source (and, on occasion, the only source) of information on an American ancestor. The books in this list can help you understand what records are available and how to access those of interest.

ABBREVIATIONS

DA—Julia Davis Branch
GEN—Genealogy Room (Central Library)
MA—Machacek Branch
ST—Stacks (Central Library)

SELECTED BIBLIOGRAPHY

Carter-Walker, Fran. Searching American Military Records. Bountiful, Utah: American Genealogical Lending Library, 1993. GEN—929.1

GI Tracks: Understanding U.S. Military Records. Salt Lake City, UT: Heritage Consulting and Services, 1998. GEN—929.1

Grundset, Eric, Briana L. Diaz, Hollis L. Gentry, and Jean D. Strahan. Forgotten Patriots: African American and American Indian Patriots in the Revolutionary War : a Guide to Service, Sources and Studies. Washington, D.C: National Society Daughters of the American Revolution, 2008. GEN—973.74

Kirkham, E K. Some of the Military Records of America, Before 1900: Their Use and Value in Genealogical and Historical Research. Salt Lake City, Utah: Deseret Book Co, 1964. GEN—929.373

Knox, Debra J. WWII Military Records: A Family Historian's Guide. Spartanburg, SC: MIE Pub, 2003.GEN--940.546773

McManus, Stephen, Thomas Churchill, and Donald Thompson. Civil War Research Guide: A Guide for Researching Your Civil War Ancestor. Mechanicsburg, PA: Stackpole Books, 2003. ST,GEN—973.7072

Military Service Records: A Select Catalog of National Archives Microfilm Publications. Washington, DC: National Archives Trust Fund Board, National Archives and Service Administration, 1985. ST,GEN—016.3556

Neagles, James C. Confederate Research Sources: A Guide to Archive Collections. Salt Lake City, UT: Ancestry Pub, 1986. GEN--026.9737

Neagles, James C. U.S Military Records: A Guide to Federal and State Sources, Colonial America to the Present. Salt Lake City, Utah: Ancestry, 1994. GEN—929.30973

Quillen, W D. Mastering Census & Military Records. Cold Spring Harbor, NY: Cold Spring Press, 2012. GEN-929.1

Scott, Craig R. Revolutionary War Genealogy Research. Baltimore, Md.: Genealogical Pub. Co, 2011. GEN—929.1

Schubert, Frank N. Voices of the Buffalo Soldier: Records, Reports, and Recollections of Military Life and Service in the West. Albuquerque: University of New Mexico Press, 2003. DA—355.008996

Schweitzer, George K. Civil War Genealogy: A Basic Research Guide for Tracing Your Civil War Ancestors, with Detailed Sources and Precise Instructions for Obtaining Information from Them. Knoxville, TN: G.K. Schweitzer, 2003. ST,GEN—973.74

Seeley, Charlotte P, Virginia C. Purdy, and Robert Gruber. American Women and the U.S. Armed Forces: A Guide to the Records of Military Agencies in the National Archives Relating to American Women. Washington, DC: National Archives and Records Administration, 1992. ST—355.082

PERIODICAL SPOTLIGHT: FAMILY TREE MAGAZINE

Lots of articles of interest in their October/November 2013 issue:

Rediscovering Slave Burial Sites (a new project is cataloging such locations)

Cutting Teeth (how your ancestors cared for their teeth)

Migration Melodies (how did they get from there to here?)

Burned Out? (a five-step plan to rebuild your tree from archival ashes)

Time-Saving Tech Tools (17 apps and online tools for organization and time management)

Death Records Workbook (what are they; how do you find them; and what other types of record can provide death info)

Going to Church (a guide to German church records)

Movie Moments (converting old home movies to digital format)

Top Free Sites for Online Newspapers (includes a guide to digital yearbooks)

You can read this magazine (and other issues of this title) in the Genealogy Room at Central Library (1301 Olive Street, St. Louis, MO 63103).

Genealogy pages on the SLPL website

PERIODICAL SPOTLIGHT: FAMILY CHRONICLE

Family Chronicle: the How-to Guide to Tracing Your Ancestors

If you’ve never read an issue of this bi-monthly magazine, I think you’re in for a pleasant surprise. Each issue features articles designed to help you research ancestors from a particular country, state, or locality; work with particular types of records; or generally become a better, more skillful genealogist.

For example, the September/October 2013 issue features these articles (to name just a few):

Five Reasons Why the Records Aren’t in the Courthouse (some reasons are obvious, others not so much)

Wooden Shoe Genealogy: Finding Your Dutch and Frisian Ancestors, Part I (Frisians reside in the northern parts of the Netherlands and Germany and—naturally—speak Frisian)

How to Find Dead People in Chicago (in cemeteries, of course)

Processioners’ Books (a closer look at a record with roots in medieval England)

Follow the Luther Trail (discovering your Lutheran ancestors)

You can read this magazine (and other issues of this title, plus numerous other genealogy periodicals) in the Genealogy Room at Central Library (1301 Olive Street, St. Louis, MO 63103).

Genealogy pages on the SLPL website

FINDING YOUR ROOTS

If you're interested in genealogy, you've probably seen one or more episodes of the Who Do You Think You Are? TV series. You may have missed Finding Your Roots, however. This 10-part series, hosted by renowned cultural critic and Harvard scholar Henry Louis Gates, Jr., delved into the genealogy and genetics of famous Americans, combining history and science in a fascinating exploration of race, family and identity in today's America. Professor Gates uncovered captivating stories and surprises in the family trees of Kevin Bacon, Robert Downey, Jr., Branford Marsalis, John Legend, Martha Stewart, Barbara Walters and Rick Warren, to name just some of the series' celebrity guests.

St. Louis Public Library owns this series on DVD, and cardholders can reserve it via our online catalog:

SLPL Catalog

SO MANY BLOGS, SO LITTLE TIME...

St. Louis Public Library does sponsor quite a few other blogs, you know:

St. Louis Public Library Blogs

THE CUBAN MISSILE CRISIS

INTRODUCTION

The Cuban missile crisis was a 13-day confrontation in October 1962 between the Soviet Union and Cuba on one side and the United States on the other. It is widely believed to be the occasion when the Cold War nearly morphed into a full-scale nuclear conflict.

Cuban Missile Crisis—Wikipedia: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cuban_missile_crisis

ABBREVIATIONS

BU—Buder Branch
CP—Carpenter Branch
DA—Julia Davis Branch
HG—History, Geography, and Travel (Central Library)
MA—Machacek Branch
SC—Schlafly Branch
SS—Social Sciences (Central Library)
ST—Stacks (Central Library)

SELECTED BIBLIOGRAPHY

Allison, Graham T. Essence of Decision: Explaining the Cuban Missile Crisis. Boston: Little, Brown, 1971. ST—327.73

Blight, James G, and David A. Welch. On the Brink: Americans and Soviets Reexamine the Cuban Missile Crisis. New York: Hill and Wang, 1989. BU—973.922

Brugioni, Dino A, and Robert F. McCort. Eyeball to Eyeball: The Inside Story of the Cuban Missile Crisis. New York: Random House, 1991. ST,BU—973.922

Chang, Laurence, and Peter Kornbluh. The Cuban Missile Crisis, 1962: A National Security Archive Documents Reader. New York: The New Press, 1992. ST—973.922

Dobbs, Michael. One Minute to Midnight: Kennedy, Khrushchev, and Castro on the Brink of Nuclear War. New York: Alfred A. Knopf, 2008. HG,ST,BU,CP,MA,SC—972.91064

Frankel, Max. High Noon in the Cold War: Kennedy, Khrushchev, and the Cuban Missile Crisis. New York: Ballantine Books, 2004. SS—327.47093

Garthoff, Raymond L. Reflections on the Cuban Missile Crisis. Washington, D.C: Brookings Institution, 1987. ST—972.91064

George, Alice L. Awaiting Armageddon: How Americans Faced the Cuban Missile Crisis. Chapel Hill: University of North Carolina Press, 2003. HG—973.912

Kennedy, Robert F. Thirteen Days: A Memoir of the Cuban Missile Crisis. New York: W.W. Norton, 1969. SS,BU—327.73

May, Ernest R, and Philip Zelikow. The Kennedy Tapes: Inside the White House During the Cuban Missile Crisis. Cambridge, Mass: Belknap Press of Harvard University Press, 1997. HG,BU—973.922