 09 April 1999 In this issue:
Our Associate Editor for the past several months, Joel White, is leaving us and I would like to thank him for the great job he did editing the Daily News. He was forever patient as I pushed deadlines to squeeze in late news, or with last minute revisions and he will be missed by myself and the whole publications department. Good luck Joel! I would also like to welcome Rebekah Thorstenson, who will be replacing him as Associate Editor. Rebekah has been working in the Publications department here at Ancestry as Book Editor, Publishing Dept. She has a B.A. in Communications from BYU and lives with her husband in Provo, Utah. Rebekah's grandmother got her interested in keeping a journal at age 7, and she has kept one ever since. She is also interested in her family history and enjoys reading. She will be a great asset to the Daily News and I look forward to working with her.
Juliana Smith DATABASES OF THE DAY(Free for 10 Days!) Virginia Marriage Index, 1740-1850 Throughout the 18th and well into the 19th Century, Virginia was one of the most populous states in the Union, being home to as many as 1.2 million persons at any one time. This collection of marriage records includes the names of over 300,000 men and women married in the state between 1740 and 1850. In addition to providing the names of bride and groom, researchers will find the date of marriage and county in which the ceremony was performed. For those seeking married ancestors from Virginia, this database can be a valuable source of information. Bibliography: Dodd, Jordan R, et. al. "Early American Marriages: Virginia." Bountiful, UT: Precision Indexing Publishers, 19xx.
Virginia Resources in the Online Store: Hartford Courant (Connecticut), Obituaries, 1998-1999 (Update) The oldest newspaper in continuous circulation in the nation, the "Hartford Courant" serves the nearly 900,000 people of greater Hartford, Connecticut. This database is a collection of some obituaries from the newspaper in the 1998 and early 1999. Information provided often includes birth date and location, occupation, military service, surviving family members, and other biographical facts. Compiled by the UMI Company in connection with the newspaper, it contains over 2400 records and about 9000 names. For questions regarding a particular obituary, inquiries can be directed to the newspaper, 285 Broad St., Hartford, CT, 06115, (860)241-6200 x3912. This database contains new material provided by the UMI Company and previously posted material under the title Hartford Courant (Connecticut), Obituaries, 1998. Bibliography: UMI Company. "Obituaries from the Hartford Courant, 1998-1999." Orem, UT: Ancestry Inc., 1999.
Connecticut Resources in the Online Store:
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NARA SPACE PLANNING UPDATE Just over a year ago, Archivist of the United States John Carlin began a major initiative to plan for the future space needs of the National Archives and Records Administration (NARA). At the time, and through the spring and early summer, Ancestry expressed concern about NARA intentions, especially in light a provision in NARA's Strategic Plan stating: "We will consolidate archival holdings in a few repositories." In an Ancestry Magazine editorial by Ancestry Vice President of Publishing, Loretto Szucs, and here in the Ancestry Daily News, we urged readers to speak up and write to Mr. Carlin. The genealogical community responded and NARA, in turn, scheduled a series of public meetings and actively sought comments from you. Mr. Carlin has now made a number of decisions about the future of the regional archives program and related buildings. It is clear that he listened to and acted upon the comments he heard and he has explicitly acknowledged the value of NARA's regional programs. Look for details on the specific actions he is taking to improve facilities and to ensure the preservation of modern military service records in upcoming issues of the Daily News. GEORGE G. MORGAN: "ALONG THOSE LINES . . ." "Railroad Retirement Board Records" Social Security records, as you probably know, can provide a great deal of information for genealogists. The Social Security Death Index (SSDI) can help you locate people who collected Social Security benefits and who are deceased. Armed with their Social Security number, you can write to the Social Security Administration for a copy of the individual's SS-5 form, the application for a Social Security number, which can contain parents' names, addresses, birth date and other details you may not have been able to locate elsewhere. But what if you had a family member who worked for the railroad? Where would you find similar information about these individuals? The answer is, at the Railroad Retirement Board. This week in "Along Those Lines . . . ," let's look at the records at the Railroad Retirement Board. WHAT IS THE RAILROAD RETIREMENT BOARD? The Social Security Act of 1935 established an old age insurance system in the United States. Its intent was to provide a means for individuals to plan for some financial security for their old age. A unique identification number was to be assigned to all persons who completed an application for participation in the program. The first three digits of the Social Security number (SSN) (with a few exceptions) are an area number which, until 1972, reflected the state in which the application for a SSN was made. At the same time, the Railroad Retirement Act made provisions to maintain a separate program for employees of the nation's railroads, and a separate block of numbers (700-728) were set aside for assignment to these employees. The Railroad Retirement Board therefore is the administrator of a federal retirement program covering the nation's railroad employees, those who were employed by railroads in 1937 and later. Some people may have worked for the railroad and for other industries. They may have two numbers -- one for participation in Social Security and one for Railroad Retirement -- and may have collected multiple benefits. WHAT RECORDS ARE AVAILABLE? The Railroad Retirement Board will release information on deceased persons for genealogical research. However, it will not release any information for living individuals without that person's written consent. If you are interested in information about railroaders among your ancestors, files for railroad employees are found only at the headquarters office of the Railroad Retirement Board. Among the records that may be included for an employee are:
- Statement(s) of railroad service - Application for employee annuity - Description and certification of eligibility - Record of service for which no records are available - Certificate of termination of service - Death certificate of employee - Notice of Death and Statement of Compensation HOW DO I OBTAIN COPIES OF THESE RECORDS? The Railroad Retirement Board will perform searches for employee records for genealogical purposes. Remember that the employee must be deceased. There is a $16 nonrefundable fee to search for records, payable in advance. A check or money order should be made payable to the Railroad Retirement Board, and mailed to:
Office of Public Affairs 844 N. Rush Street Chicago, IL 60611-2092 ALL ABOARD! You may learn more about your ancestor and his/her employment history through this route than you might otherwise have been able to ferret out on your own. Remember that the various railroads' records are scattered throughout various archives and repositories, and that many have been lost or destroyed. In these cases, the Railroad Retirement Board's records may be the only viable place to gather more information about your railroader. For more information about the Railroad Retirement Board, please be sure to visit their Web site at: http://www.rrb.gov/ Here you will find details about the office, and a special link on the mail screen labeled "Genealogical Inquiries" will provide details about the office. In addition, there is a link to "Genealogical Research Before 1936" at: http://www.rrb.gov/geneal2.html Here you will find a partial list of depositories with railroad records. It's not complete, but it's a sure start. Happy hunting! George
The article originally appeared in the Genealogy Forum on America Online. You may send E-mail to alonglines@aol.com. George Morgan would like to hear from you but, because of the volume of E-mail, is unable to personally respond to each letter individually. He also regrets that he cannot assist you with your personal genealogical research.
RAILROAD LINKS & RESOURCES
U.S. Railroad Retirement Board
National Railway Historical Society
Railroad Maps Collection, Library of Congress
RRHistorical.com
Cyberspace World Railroad
Grand Central Railway Station of Cyberspace
The Railway Exchange
THOUGHT FOR TODAY
"Mothers look out for your children! Artisans, Mechanics, Citizens! When you leave your family in health, must you be hurried home to mourn a dreadful casualty! Philadelphians, your rights are being invaded! Regardless of your interests, or the lives of your little ones, the Camden and Amboy, with the assistance of other companies, without a charter and in violation of law as decreed by your courts, is laying a locomotive railroad through your most beautiful streets, to the ruin of your trade, the annihilation of your rights, and regardless of your prosperity and comfort! Will you permit this, or do you consent to be a suburb of New York! . . . Rally People in the Majesty of your Strength and forbid this outrage!" - From an Anti-Railroad Propaganda Poster
"Anti-Railroad Propaganda Poster: The Growth of Regionalism"
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Best Wishes,
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"Map Guide to the U.S. Federal Census"