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Eastman's Online Genealogy Newsletter
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PERSI 1999 Edition Latitudes and Longitudes Broderbund Awards Grant Money to 14 Genealogy Groups Soundex Calculator for Windows and Macintosh Family History Research Is Important to Two-Thirds of Americans New Illinois Records Are Now Available Peerage CD Edition 18 Now Available Charles Merrin Moves To Releasenow.Com Bonita Library's Genealogy Books May Move To Fort Myers Frisco Party Has Grave Purpose Home Pages Highlighted |
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| June 22, 1999 |
The Periodical Source Index has been a standard genealogy reference for some years. Originally available only as a set of printed volumes, PERSI used to cost nearly $2,000. Obviously not many people could afford the set. Until two years ago, the only practical method of using PERSI was to visit one of the large genealogy libraries that were willing to pay the high price for the set. The latest version fills 32 volumes; even the bookshelves required to hold the 32 volumes would cost a bit of money. Yet all that data is also available now on a half-ounce plastic CD-ROM disk. In 1997 Ancestry.com partnered with the Allen County (Indiana) Public Library to create the first CD-ROM version of PERSI. For the past two years, private individuals have been able to use PERSI at home. However, new data is being added to PERSI all the time. As a result, Ancestry.com is now releasing the updated 1999 version of PERSI. Quoting from the new version’s announcement: The Allen County Public Library created this huge collection of citations. PERSI is a subject index of genealogy and local history periodical articles written in English and Canadian French since 1800. The collection includes literature dating from the 1700s, although the collection before 1800 is less complete. This "work-in-progress" grew last year by more than 200,000 citations, bringing the total to more than 1.3 million. The index catalogs more than 5,000 total titles, listing every article according to locality, family (surname), and/or research methodology. The current printed volume contains 30 bound volumes. Once an appropriate citation is located, users can follow a link from the citation to information about the publisher of the periodical. If the publisher no longer exists, users are encouraged to check their local library or historical society for availability of the periodical. Users may also contact the Allen County Public Library, which owns a copy of each periodical indexed in PERSI, for photocopies of articles. This week I had a chance to use a late beta test version of the 1999 PERSI and can report that it lives up to its advertising. I was warned that this beta test version might have a few bugs but I didn’t encounter any. I am sure that the production version will also work well. The CD-ROM version is easier to search than the printed version. Every word in PERSI has been indexed, meaning that you can find every occurrence of a word, phrase, or combination of words in seconds. Rather than tediously flipping through a book, hoping to find the information you're looking for, you simply tell your computer what word you are looking for and within seconds you'll see every instance of that word in the book you are searching. The PERSI CD-ROM requires Windows 3.1, 95, 98 or NT. I tested it on Windows NT. Ancestry.com reports that the software will operate with as little as 8 megabytes of memory on a Windows 3.1 or Windows 95 system. However, 16 megabytes or more is recommended for optimum operation. I suspect the software will operate slowly on systems with less memory. There is no Macintosh version available. Installation was simple, in the manner of most Windows programs. The underlying software is Folio Views, one of my favorites. Since I am familiar with other products written with Folio Views, I never opened the 31-page users manual that was included with the PERSI CD-ROM. However, I suspect that a newcomer to Folio Views will also find the software simple and intuitive. When using the software an online help section is available at all times. The CD-ROM also has an FAQ (Frequently Asked Questions) section. Remember that PERSI is an index. It has more than 1.3 million references to articles that have been published in various genealogy periodicals. The articles themselves are obviously not on the CD-ROM. PERSI includes references to articles from almost 5,000 different periodicals, and is arranged in four sections: Surname Section, Locality Section, Research Methodologies Section and a PERSI Bibliography. These sections include references to almost a half-million articles dealing with specific families or surnames as well as more than 18,000 articles on how to do genealogy research. Once you have found a reference in the index, you need to obtain the original article that is cited. While you could contact the producers or even the authors of the original article, you may find it easier to obtain photocopies directly from a major genealogy library. You can obtain these directly from the Allen County Public Library as well as quite a few other genealogy libraries. The Allen County Public Library has an online order form at their website at: http://www.acpl.lib.in.us/database/graphics/order_form.html Using the PERSI CD-ROM is simple: type in a name and within 2 or 3 seconds you are shown a list of all matches. For instance, a search on my own surname produced 160 matches. Not all of them were for the surname, however. The simple search looks for that particular string of characters in the database. Here is one typical entry: Locality: U.S. States, Georgia, Dodge Record Type: Cemeteries This obviously is a reference to a publication produced by a genealogical society and the words "Georgia Genealogical Society Quarterly" were highlighted as a link. I clicked on those words and the next screen shows all the details required to find a copy of that publication: Periodical Title: Georgia Genealogical Society Quarterly Other repositories holding this title include: Allen County Public Library Family History Library Now I not only know about the article, I also know which libraries are known to carry this periodical. The simple search I just described will not be sufficient for searches of common names. You can search either by exact spelling, wildcard, or by Soundex code. The Folio Views software used with PERSI allows for searching of an exact phrase as well as searching for words that are in close proximity to other specific words. For instance, to find all occurrences containing "arrival" and "port" where "port" follows "arrival" within ten words, type: "arrival port"/10. To see the records containing "arrival" and "port" where "port" appears either before or after "arrival" but within five words, type: "arrival port"@5. You can also use And, Or, & Not operators and wildcard searches. To find records containing either the word "land" or the word "deed" in combination with any word beginning with "tax", type land or deed and tax*. The results of searches can be copied to other applications using the normal Windows cut, copy, and paste commands. You can also highlight text on the CD-ROM as well as create bookmarks. As a result, it is easy to return to references that you have previously marked. Keep in mind that the actual highlights and the bookmarks are stored on your computer’s hard disk. However. They are not "written" onto the CD-ROM, as it is obviously a read-only device. If you should later move the CD-ROM disk to another computer the highlights and the bookmarks will not go with it. I am delighted with the new 1999 PERSI CD-ROM. It is one of the standard "tools" that every genealogist should have. It is easy to use and very fast in its operation. The data on the disk is valuable to most any genealogist in the U.S. or Canada. While it is primarily aimed at North American researchers, keep in mind that it does contain many references to genealogy data in other countries. As such, it may be somewhat useful to genealogists in other countries as well. Michael Clegg and his associates at the Allen County Public Library are to be congratulated on their release of another high-quality genealogy publication. Ancestry.com also deserves a lot of credit for making that information available at a reasonable price. The 1999 PERSI CD-ROM retails for $99.95. However, Ancestry is offering introductory discounts. You can find out more at: http://shop.myfamily.com/ancestrycatalog/ While I have written about the CD-ROM version of PERSI, Ancestry.com subscribers will want to know that the 1999 PERSI is now available to them online at http://www.ancestry.com/ancestry/search/persiadvsearch.asp In last week's newsletter I wrote about the latest version of The Master Genealogist. In that article I wrote, "One feature in its location database that I am beginning to appreciate is the provision for longitude and latitude. I am now recording the longitude and latitude of land that my ancestors owned as well as the locations of tombstones. Where possible, I even record the geographic coordinates of events such as birth, marriage and death. I hope this will allow future researchers and interested relatives to find these locations a lot more easily than I did. " That paragraph generated a lot of e-mail in the following days. Many people asked, "Where can I find the latitude and longitude of cemeteries, land, courthouses, etc.?" I suspect there are a number of answers to that question but I will describe what I do. So far, I have only tried this with my U.S. ancestors and a few of my Canadian ancestors. I have not yet attempted this on my ancestors from other countries. To date, I have only completed this task on a few hundred locations and have several thousand more to complete. The first method is the same one that has been with us for many years: maps. Topographic maps are available for most any location in the world that will show latitudes and longitudes. With a good ruler and some interpretation, you can usually pinpoint a location within a few hundred yards. The advantages of a map include: ease of use, little technical training required, portability, and low cost. However, the low cost is true only if you have a few locations you wish to find. If you have hundreds or perhaps thousands of locations that you wish to locate then the cost of maps quickly escalates. Portability may be an issue if you have to carry or store a hundred maps or so! A huge online resource for U.S. locations is available from the Federal government. The Geographic Names Information System (GNIS), developed by the U.S. Geological Survey in cooperation with the U.S. Board on Geographic Names (BGN), contains information about almost 2 million physical and cultural geographic features in the United States. The Federally recognized name of each feature described in the database is identified, and references are made to each feature's state, county, latitude and longitude. The GNIS serves two purposes for genealogists. First, it gives precise locations of every village, mountain, river, airport, bay, beach, bridge, etc. in the United States. The information includes the exact latitude and longitude of each named feature. Next, it also is useful for finding locations mentioned in old documents. For instance, you may find a reference that an ancestor lived in Deals Gap. Printed maps are useful only if you already know the general location. If you do not know the state then searching for Deals gap could be a painstaking process. The GNIS database can quickly tell you that Deals Gap is along the border separating North Carolina and Tennessee at 35 degrees 28 minutes 26 seconds North, 83 degrees 55 minutes 16 seconds West. In fact, you can then click on an icon to display a map of that area on your computer screen. The GNIS also lists many cemeteries but not all of them. For instance, I knew that my great-grandparents were buried in Pine Grove Cemetery, in Bangor, Maine. The GNIS tells that that name: Pine Grove Cemetery is in Penobscot County at 44 degrees 47 minutes 54 seconds North, 68 degrees 49 minutes 40 seconds West. If I knew the name of the cemetery but not the town, the GNIS database will find all cemeteries of that name in the state. Keep in mind that many cemeteries are not listed. For instance, the small cemetery where I plan to spend eternity isn’t listed in the GNIS database. The Geographic Names Information System is available online at: http://mapping.usgs.gov/www/gnis. The same basic database, without maps, is also available on CD-ROM disk from a number of sources. It is included with The Master Genealogist and with Family Origins. Anyone interested in Canadian locations might also want to look on the World Wide Web at the Canadian Geographical Names Database (CGNDB) at: http://www-nais.ccm.emr.ca/cgndb. The database is available in both French and English. It has a lot of information about towns, rivers, mountains and other geographic features although I couldn't find cemeteries listed. I have ancestors from Miramichi, New Brunswick. The CGNDB lists that location as: Miramichi Province/Territory : New Brunswick For international searches try the Getty Thesaurus of Geographic Names. This online database contains nearly 1 million place names representing approximately 900,000 places around the globe. The thesaurus is composed of names and other information contributed by several Getty Information Institute projects, including the Bibliography of the History of Art, the Foundation for Documents of Architecture, the Getty Center Photo Study Collection, and the Getty Information Institute’s Vocabulary Program. This database is useful for many purposes, including genealogy research. The Getty Thesaurus of Geographic Names online geographic name server also contains latitude and longitude. For instance, anyone looking for a town called Billericay can quickly find that it is in Essex, England at 51 degrees 38 minutes North, 00 degrees 25 minutes East. A good map of England can then be used to quickly locate these geographic coordinates. The Getty Thesaurus of Geographic Names can be found at: http://shiva.pub.getty.edu/tgn_browser/ The third method of finding exact latitude and longitude of an ancestor’s locations is the one that I enjoy the most: visiting the actual locations. Nothing matches the sense of family continuity that you feel when walking the same steps that your ancestor walked many years earlier. Take along a low-cost GPS (Global Positioning System) receiver that gives your precise location and record the geographic coordinates into your database. Future genealogists who read the results of your findings will then be able to easily find the exact location. They, too, can walk in the footsteps of their ancestor. Small, handheld GPS receivers are available today for very low cost. I have seen them on sale at the local Wal-Mart store for less than $100.00. These basic units have the same accuracy as the more expensive units; they will always pinpoint your location plus or minus 300 feet (100 meters). Most of the time these units can identify a location plus or minus 100 feet. The figure of 300 feet is a maximum, not an average. The simpler units will only display your location. Most will also record locations in the unit’s internal database so that you can easily return to designated locations time and time again. As you move up in price, more features are usually added. At a retail price of $300 or more, the GPS receiver usually contains built in maps. These maps will normally show all major highways, rivers, railroads, mountains, and shorelines. I have had one of these units on the dashboard of my automobile for more than a year now and find it is a great aid to navigating through unfamiliar territory. Moving up still further in the price range you can find units with larger display screens, color displays, and more detailed mapping information. To be sure, even the $100 units normally have the capability to be connected to your laptop’s serial port, This, along with a street map CD-ROM such as DeLorme’s Street Atlas USA, allows you to navigate with precision along any street or highway in the U.S. However, I tried that and found that the use of a laptop in the front seat was a bit unwieldy. First of all, I quickly learned to strap the laptop down. It’s an unwanted thrill to see your expensive new laptop go sliding across the seat and crashing onto the floor when you take a sharp corner! Next, if driving alone, you need to make sure that the laptop is located so that you can easily read its screen without taking your eyes off the road. I found the combination of a laptop and GPS receiver was great when there were two people in the vehicle; one can navigate while the other one drives. However, I didn’t like it when driving solo. When riding alone the small GPS receiver with built in maps easily sits on top of the dash where I can see it without diverting my attention from the highway. Are you looking for a particular cemetery? First, look it up in the GNIS database before you leave home. Record its latitude and longitude. Then jump in the automobile, enter the latitude and longitude into the GPS, and follow the directions displayed on the GPS receiver. You can then drive directly to the cemetery you seek. The use of technology certainly has changed genealogy research methods. A few years ago nobody would have dreamed that genealogists would someday be locating cemeteries by use of satellite navigation. - Broderbund Awards Grant Money to 14 Genealogy Groups Broderbund, now a part of Mattel, has been giving money to various genealogy groups for several years. It is nice to see them continue this tradition, even though they are under new ownership. The following announcement is from Broderbund: We are pleased to announce that 14 different genealogy groups have received more than $20,000 in grants to help them with preservation projects to benefit genealogists across the country. In addition to developing genealogy software and websites, we are committed to the genealogy community and to the overall pursuit of genealogy. Its ongoing efforts have been expanded with this Genealogy Group Grant program, which was created to help genealogy groups who lacked sufficient funds complete important projects. This year, the Broderbund Genealogy Group Grants, ranging from $500 to $2,500 each, were awarded to 14 organizations whose projects make significant contributions to their genealogical communities. This Year's Recipients A panel including representatives from the National Genealogical Society, the Federation of Genealogical Societies, and the New England Historic Genealogical Society selected this year's recipients. Congratulations to the following organizations: Beverly Historical Society and Museum, Beverly, MA Blount County Historical Society, Oneonta, AL Dawson County Tree Branches, Glendive, MT Dodge/Jefferson Counties Genealogical Society, Watertown, WI Erie Society for Genealogical Research, Erie, PA French-Canadian Genealogical Society of Connecticut, Tolland, CT Irish Genealogical Society, Intl., St. Paul, MN Johnson County Historical Society, Lamar, AR Leavenworth County Genealogical Society, Leavenworth, KS Newberry Library, Chicago, IL Phelps County Genealogical Society, Rolla, MO Scotland County Genealogical Society, Arbela, MO South Bend Area Genealogical Society, Mishawaka, IN South Suburban Genealogical and Historical Society, South Holland, IL Community Participation Broderbund is an active partner in all aspects of the genealogical community. In addition to providing these grants, Broderbund also regularly contributes to many national group and individual efforts, including support and funding for the New England Historic Genealogy Society, the National Genealogical Society, the National Societies of both the Sons of the American Revolution and the Daughters of the American Revolution, the National Archives STERN/NARA Fund administered by the Federation of Genealogical Societies, and others. All donations are offered with no strings attached. Broderbund believes that by reinvesting some of its profits into the genealogical community at large, we will help ensure that new genealogy enthusiasts receive assistance and education from their expert colleagues, both private and public. I believe that all genealogists should applaud the efforts of Broderbund and Mattel. This corporate philanthropy will benefit genealogists for many years to come. - Soundex Calculator for Windows and Macintosh Dave Fessler has released a new Soundex Generator program. It is available in three different versions: MacOS for PowerPC, MacOS for 68K, and Windows 95/98/NT. I used the program briefly this week and found it easy to use. For anyone not familiar with the Soundex system, it is a method of grouping surnames together that sound similar but are spelled differently. In the Federal Soundex Systems, each surname is assigned a code that consists of the first letter of the name. The next three consonants are assigned a number. Vowels are ignored. Soundex has been used to index the 1880, 1900, 1910, and 1920 United States censuses and some other types of records, such as naturalization records and passenger lists. If you know the Soundex Code for your ancestor’s surname, you increase the chances of finding him or her in the census indexes. Many genealogy programs also use Soundex to group names together. Dave Fessler’s new Soundex Calculator computes three types of Soundex Codes: Federal (as used with the U. S. Census), alternate Federal (alternate coding when H or W is present), and Daitch-Mokotoff. Soundexes may be computed for individual names (typed in) or lists of names (contained in files). Soundex Calculator is available in three versions: MacOS for PowerPC, MacOS for 68K, and Windows 95. All three versions are offered as Shareware. If you like the program you should send $25.00 to the author. Full instructions are included within the program itself. Soundex Calculator can be downloaded from: http://home.att.net/~dfessler - Family History Research Is Important to Two-Thirds of Americans Together, Ancestry.com and MarketFacts TeleNation have conducted a survey to determine the popularity of genealogy research. Their announcement contains lots of interesting of facts and figures: OREM, Utah -- A recent survey conducted by Ancestry.com, Inc., producer of Ancestry.com ( http://www.ancestry.com ) and MyFamily.com ( http://www.myfamily.com ), found that family history research is important to nearly 65 percent of everyday consumers, showing that interest in genealogy is building nationally at a grassroots level. Ancestry.com, Inc. also learned that almost 75 percent of consumers - regardless of gender, age, region, race or socioeconomic level – feel that staying in touch with family members is "very important." Ancestry.com, Inc. conducted the nationwide survey of 1,000 consumers in celebration of MyFamily.com welcoming its millionth member. The membership milestone was achieved in 164 days, making MyFamily.com the fastest growing community website ever. Based in Orem, Utah, Ancestry.com harnesses the power of the Internet to bring consumers the largest and most diverse commercial collection of quality genealogical databases online. MyFamily.com bridges gaps in time and space through free, private websites where families can hold family discussions, create online family photo albums and maintain a calendar of family events. "Staying in touch with relatives is a clear priority for people across the board," said Curt Allen, president and CEO. "Our membership growth in the past six months tells us that people are looking to consolidate their communications - allowing many people to participate simultaneously or at times that are most convenient for each individual." Family History Research Significant Through its survey, conducted by MarketFacts TeleNation, Ancestry.com, Inc. learned that researching family history is "very important" to "somewhat important" for nearly two-thirds of respondents. Contrary to the general perception that older adults are more interested in family history research, more than three-quarters of 18-to-24-year-olds, the youngest group of interviewees, stated that learning about family history is "very important" to "somewhat important." In contrast, just over half of respondents in the oldest group, the 55-to-64-year-olds, concurred. Furthermore, although the majority of people interviewed stated that tracing family roots was of importance, only one-third of the group could trace their family histories back 100 years or more. "As older generations pass away and oral traditions begin to fade, the task of researching family history seems overwhelming," said Allen. "The Internet is a great resource for family members who want to understand their roots but don't really know where to start." Reasons for Learning about the Past Respondents gave a variety of reasons for searching their family history. Some seek information about their families' health and medical histories, while others are driven by the thrill of uncovering new information. The primary interest for almost half of those interviewed, however, is in understanding their families' roots and histories. "A of couple years ago, most of our members could be classified as serious genealogists," continued Allen. "As we move closer to the millennium, we find average consumers are starting their research in hopes of feeling a connection to ancestors in their past, as well as making a stronger connection to their relatives in the present." Ways to Search Your Roots Consumers seem to be comfortable with a variety of research methods, including the Internet, library archives, books and CD-ROM. Though 60 percent of respondents do not currently have Internet access, more than half of all the respondents, regardless of age group, said they would prefer to use the Internet for exploring their backgrounds. Staying in Touch with Your Family Of those interviewed, 95 percent said staying in touch with their families is "very important" to "somewhat important." Communicating with relatives was a universal priority to respondents, regardless of gender, age, region, race or socioeconomic level. Nearly half of survey respondents indicated that, at least weekly, they would be interested in visiting an online destination where they could trace family history and stay in touch with family through e-mail or sharing photos. About Ancestry.com Launched in 1996, Ancestry.com is the first and most inclusive service online committed to providing you with the most credible and comprehensive genealogical databases for tracing family history, whether you are a professional genealogist or hobbyist or just curious about your family name and origins. Ancestry.com harnesses the power of the Internet to bring consumers the largest and most diverse collection of quality databases online. As part of a family network, which includes MyFamily.com, Ancestry.com enables consumers to go beyond genealogy and use their family history research to strengthen family bonds. Grounded in a 15-year heritage of genealogy publishing, Ancestry.com is a service from Ancestry.com, Inc. About MyFamily.com Founded in 1998, MyFamily.com is the leading service that offers families a richer communication experience for keeping in touch and strengthening the family bond. MyFamily.com bridges gaps in time and space through free, private websites where families can hold family discussions, create online family photo albums, and maintain a calendar of family events. Based in Orem, Utah, MyFamily.com is a service from Ancestry.com, Inc. NOTE: Ancestry.com and MyFamily.com worked with Market Facts TeleNation to conduct the survey from June 1-3, 1999. The margin of error is + or - 3 percent. - New Illinois Records Are Now Available Ancestor Publishers has now released two new sets of microfiche: INDEX TO THE GEROGE ROGERS CLARK PAPERS; THE ILLINOIS REGIMENT, Copyright by 1998 by Society of Colonial Wars in the State of Illinois. In 1995, the Society of Colonial Wars in the State of Illinois and the Sons of the Revolution in the State of Illinois completed an index to the 13 rolls of microfilm containing the George Rogers Clark Collection of papers in the Virginia State Library and Archives. The George Rogers Clark Collection contains documents relating to persons or matters pertaining to the Illinois Regiment of Virginia State Forces. Types of documents included are: orders, requests, muster and pay rolls, rations, orders to the commissary to issue supplies or food, certification of time served and items provided, accounting of bounty money, and many other papers created by military personnel. The documents are dated from January of 1778 through November 5, 1834. (The index has 97,579 entries for 20,110 documents.) Order No. 1159, 567 pages, 7 fiche - $24.00 Order No. 1160, Index, 117 pages, 2 fiche - $ 8.00 FERGUS DIRECTORY OF THE CITY OF CHICAGO 1839, by Robert Fergus, pub. 1876. In September 1839, The Common Council ordered the revision and printing, in pamphlet form, of the Laws and Ordinances of the city. The work was tendered to Messrs. Rudd and Childs, printers, but they, not being able to find sufficient funds, offered to transfer the contract to the subscriber, who accepted and fulfilled it. There were six blank pages at the end, and Mr. Childs suggested filling them up with the names of the business men of the city, which was immediately done; no canvass was necessary, and the names were never written. Each name, as thought of, was forthwith set up by the subscriber, until the six pages were completed. It never was supposed that the names of all the business men of the City. It was published as the "Chicago Business Directory" and 500 copies were printed, 50 of which were sold to the citizens at fifty cents per copy. The balance of the 500 were never used in public. This "Chicago Business Directory" was reprinted and the subscriber began to complete the Directory. In the compilation of this Directory, much assistance has been rendered by many of our old and intelligent citizens who later pronounce it complete. Order No. 1158, 39 pages, 1 fiche - $ 4.00 Information on these products, as well as Ancestor Publishers’ other products can be found at: http://www.AncestorSpy.com - Peerage CD Edition 18 Now Available S&N Genealogy Supplies has announced the latest release of the Peerage CD. Quoting from the company’s announcement: If you have an interest in researching links to the Royal families of Europe, their ancestors and descendants and the landed gentry, this just updated release can help. It often provides missing links to those descended of blue blood and has recently been quoted in several major research projects into lifespan. John Bloore has spent many years researching royal lines and has recently added the histories of several famous prime ministers (Churchill, Eden and Alec Douglas-Home) and presidents (JFK and Washington). The latest CD Edition now contains nearly twice as many entries as the last CD. With over 55,000 entries, it forms probably the largest fully linked genealogical database covering the British monarchy and titled families going back over 1,300 years. The CD contains this data in GEDCOM format and, as the file can take days to import on some systems so to give you instant access native format, files for Family Tree Maker, Generations Grande Suite, Family Origins, Brother's Keeper and Pedigree are included. The shareware program of Brother's Keeper is provided on the CD. Peerage CD Edition 18 costs 26.38 GBP, roughly $44.00 U.S. Anyone using a credit card doesn’t need to worry about converting cash to another currency as the credit card companies do that automatically. For more information, look at http://www.genealogy.demon.co.uk or send an e-mail to: Genealogy_Supplies@compuserve.com - Charles Merrin Moves To Releasenow.Com Charles Merrin is well known to many people in the genealogy world. He has been a senior director and business unit manager for the Genealogy Online Business Unit of Broderbund. In these roles, Charles has been one of the leaders who made Broderbund’s genealogy products so popular. Charles has now left Broderbund to become Vice President of Business Development at ReleaseNow.com, a provider of business-to-business e-commerce solutions for software publishers and resellers. "With the addition of Charles to ReleaseNow.com, the company continues to build a management team with both breadth and depth," said Michael Maulick, president, ReleaseNow.com. "Charles will be instrumental in driving partner relationships between ReleaseNow.com and other industry leaders." "ReleaseNow.com is at the center of the booming e-commerce market," said Merrin. "Today's software companies are quickly realizing that they need to work with a trusted e-commerce services provider to get their online sales initiatives up and running fast. ReleaseNow.com is committed to growing through alliances with other innovative players in this dynamic market space. I am very excited about leading ReleaseNow.com's efforts in this area." Merrin holds an undergraduate degree in Economics from Washington University in Saint Louis, and a Master of Business Administration degree from Santa Clara University. - Bonita Library's Genealogy Books May Move To Fort Myers A controversy is brewing in Florida. Lee County commissioners are planning a new county library, to be completed in 2003 or 2004. It seems that a Bonita Springs genealogy group donated a large genealogy collection to the Bonita branch library some time ago. The people who made the donation apparently assumed that the books would remain there for ease of access by local citizens. With the new construction, however, the books may be moved to the new library that is located many miles away. Bonita Springs residents are objecting. Full details are available at: http://www.naplesnews.com/today/bonita/d273817a.htm - Frisco Party Has Grave Purpose How does a local historical society raise money to help preserve a cemetery? By holding a party. And where do they hold the party? Well, one Colorado society held their fund raising party in the cemetery they are trying to preserve. The Frisco, Colorado Historical Society wanted to raise money for about 20 grave markers since it discovered the town cemetery has about 20 unmarked graves. The fund-raiser was held last Sunday at the cemetery. Tickets were $15 and included wine, beer, food and music. Frisco, Colorado is some 100 miles West of Denver at the west shore of Dillon Lake. Before Dillon Lake was created by damming, Frisco was in the canyon. When it was noted that the lake would drown the town, they picked it up and moved it to the higher ground it sits on today. My thanks to Tim Hogan for letting me know about the party. The following is a list of some of the genealogy-related World Wide Web home pages that have been listed recently on http://www.rootscomputing.com. Some of these sites may charge a fee for their services: Documenting family trees for the family of Nisbet, Harrison, Fitton and Silk: Saunders (Sanders) family genealogy: A free resource for individuals with a genealogical or other interest in Benton County, Minnesota: San Antonio Genealogical Society - Emphasis on Bexar County, Texas.The site contains Society News, classes, Bexar Coounty Cemetery Listing and a Master Index to "Our Heritage", the society's bi-annual publication: http://saghs.home.texas.net/ To submit your home page to this newsletter, enter the necessary information at: http://www.rootscomputing.com/register.htm. Due to the volume of new Web pages submitted, I am not able to list all of them in the newsletter.
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