ORIGINAL LAND OWNERSHIP MAPS DATABASE AT LIBRARIES
Brenda Kellow
March 25, 2012
Genealogists searching original land ownership records welcome this news, used with her permission, from Cheryl Smith Genealogy Librarian in the Genealogy Library.
“Arphax Publishing Company is a leading Historical Reference Publisher specializing in original land-ownership maps. Since 2005, we have published original-landowner map-books for 500 U.S. Counties. HistoryGeo.com represents a concept envisioned at the onset of our company's creation and has been in the works, more or less, from the start. Trial applications were begun in 2007 and HistoryGeo.com actually represents the 4th-Generation application which has been in development.”
“GLHTA is going to subscribe to this database, HistoryGeo.com/libraries. We have a trial account until the subscription is finalized. The link is posted on the Plano Public Library System (PPLS) database list. We have been receiving the books Arphax publishes for several years. Now they have taken it to the next step and put the information from the books online. It will be available at all PPLS libraries with “Library use only.”
“Please visit www.historygeo.com/libraries. It is “Library Use Only” so come to one of the five Plano Public Libraries to use it. To help you get started with our service/app, please watch our videos at www.historygeo.com/videos. Or, to read more detailed how-to articles, visit our knowledgebase at: www.historygeo.com/learn.
“For the briefest possible overview, though, we have a quick-start brochure that can be downloaded here: www.historygeo.com/libraries/HistoryGeoQuickStart.pdf.”
If you have any questions, Cheryl will try to answer them on your visit to the library.
THE FLUE PANDEMIC OF 1918: The exact number of deaths from the flu epidemic of 1918 is unknown, but it killed more people than soldiers who died in World War I (WWI). An estimated 16 million warriors died in WWI but estimated that as many as 50 million people died worldwide of influenza—that is one-fifth of the world’s population. The nation was at war in 1918, in the midst of war preparations when it hit.
It began in the spring with a three-day fever that left the victim weak but alive. Then in the fall of 1918, a much worse strain appeared. Some people died very soon after the onset. Others lasted only a few days dying after their lungs filled with fluid and they suffocated.
A few of my ancestors died or were severely ill with the disease that did not respond to medication. I found a site, www.archives.gov/exhibits/influenza-epidemic/, which has documents and photos on this topic found in the National Archives as well as local branch archives. There is a link with information on ordering copies of these documents.
NGS CONFERENCE MAY 9-12 IN CINCINNATI: If you are attending the conference, you had better hurry if you want to take advantage of the $35 Early Bird registration discount. The setting is the Duke Energy Convention Center. You can register online at www.ngsgenealogy.org/cs/attendee_registration.
ENJOY ROOTSTECH RECORDED SESSIONS ONLINE NOW: Last week I told you about the free Webinars offered by Legacy Family Tree. This week I want to encourage you to listen to the videos of the recorded sessions at the RootsTech Conference. Sit at home in front of your computer and learn—all free of charge. Take advantage of it. Access them at http://rootstech.org/#video-player.
VIRGINIANS OF AFRICAN DESCENT: You can now access the Virginia Historical Society’s database related to Virginians of African descent. The database is from their collection of unpublished manuscripts, a collection that now numbers more than eight million items. Access Unknown No Longer at http://unknownnolonger.vahistorical.org/ and begin to search or just watch the video.
Brenda Kellow has a bachelor's degree in history, teaches, and lectures on genealogy. Before retiring to publish her family’s histories in 2007, Brenda held certification as a Certified Genealogist and as a Certified Genealogical Instructor. Send reunion announcements, books to review, and genealogy queries to: [email protected].