Genealogy Goulash:
'Firsts' from Births to Baseball to Saskatchewan
by Paula Stuart-Warren, CG

Do you remember when you first learned to ride a bike? How about your first day of high school? I recently thought about some of the wonderful "firsts" in my life.

In 1987 the Minnesota Twins made their first World Series appearance (which they won) and I was there. I still have my Homer Hanky and lots of good memories. Last spring was the first time I was present at the birth of a baby that was not my own. (Although the births of my own three were pretty special.) My latest granddaughter made her appearance and I was there to see her debut. I was present at the U.S. National Archives in Washington, DC on April 1, 2002 when the ribbon was cut to open the 1930 census for researchers.

A few weekends ago I was a speaker at a seminar in Regina, Saskatchewan. It was one of the events celebrating the centennial of the province and was my first time lecturing in Canada. After my opening session talk there was to be a special announcement regarding a SHIP.

A New Online Database
That Friday, October 21, the Saskatchewan Homestead Index was launched live and the excitement in the room was wonderful. I was there and best of all, I had my computer with me and there was wireless access in the meeting area. More on that part later. I loved that the official launch was made in a room full of genealogists. We've come a long way, baby. SHIP? That is the Saskatchewan Homestead Index Project.

The Index
The Saskatchewan Homestead Index database contains 360,000 references to men and women that, under the terms of the Dominion Lands Act, took part in the homestead process from 1870-1930. Researchers may access this online index from anywhere in the world. It is also available on CD-ROM from the Saskatchewan Genealogical Society.

Long-time researchers with Saskatchewan family may know that there have been index cards available in Saskatchewan and via the Family History Library. This new index provides many more gems for researchers.

True Searchability
The database may be searched by name, land location, and the type of the special land grant. The resulting entry contains the name of the applicant, the legal land description, if applicable the type of land grant, and the number of the homestead file number. For some there are additional notations such as the name of the legal representative if the applicant died before the land grant process was completed.

Putting It To Use
After the announcement and live presentation, a group of the attendees gathered around my computer and we began to check the index. My niece's husband is from Saskatchewan and at their request I have been doing some research on his family. There were several hits on his ancestors with a few new details. People gave me other names to search and some had surprises come up on the screen. We also did some searches using only the terms "Reverend," "Scrip," and "Soldier." We noticed some entries for legal representatives where it appeared a surviving widow may have remarried.

The Homestead Records
These records were created by the Canadian Federal Department of the Interior and "document the history of the earliest agricultural settlement of Saskatchewan and how the pioneers fared in their first years on the land." The index and records also include those who sold or bought North West Metis or South African scrip or received Soldier Grants following service in the First World War. Quoting further, "The digital index will, for the first time, allow researchers to gain a better understanding of how Metis scrip became a commodity for intense speculation during the settlement period. It will also make it easier for researchers to access the records of women who filed for homesteads in Saskatchewan."

Many Saskatchewan farm families use these records to help document their land ownership when applying for a Century Farm Award.

The Originals
The homestead card index and records are held by the Saskatchewan Archives Board at its Saskatoon location. Using the file number in the index leads to the original homestead file which may contain information such as nationality, place of origin and family makeup as well as sworn statements and information about the homestead including required agricultural improvements to the land. Correspondence about matters concerning the homestead may also be in the file.

As mentioned above, the index is on microfilm at the FHL as are the homestead files. Some of the files at the FHL do not have all document sides microfilmed, but I will still be using them this coming January. The SHIP website has details on how to order the full homestead file from Saskatoon. Be sure to request that all sides of every document be copied.

How the Index Came About
This searchable index is a great cooperative project. A joint committee of representatives from the Saskatchewan Genealogical Society and the Saskatchewan Archives Board guided the efforts. The project had the support of several working partners and sponsors which are detailed at the SHIP website. Saskatchewan is the only province where the original homestead records are still available for public research. This index makes the research process easier for the users and the Archives staff.

The Future
The online index is Phase I. The future will bring more. In Phase II, a web based virtual exhibit will show the settlement experience in Saskatchewan. This will include copies of typical homestead documents, photographs, diaries and letters, interactive maps, and other archival sources pertaining to pioneer days. When the funding is available, the entire contents of the homestead files will be digitized and made available on the Internet. Of course, the funding and the work will not happen overnight. The website has information on how to be a supporting partner of this superb effort.

Why Am I So Excited About It?
Of course, it was neat to find things about my nephew-in-law's many families. But, the best part was that I found out I may have several Saskatchewan connections of my own. Not direct ancestors but siblings or cousins of my ancestors. I always check some of my more unusual surnames in indexes and this time it really worked. These families were in eastern Canada and it makes sense that family members joined others migrating westward. Now, I am itching to figure out the exact connection to my ancestors.

Check It Out
I bet you thought I forgot to give you the URL so you could search this index. Go to www.saskhomesteads.com. Be sure to visit the Saskatchewan Genealogical Society's website as well (www.SaskGenealogy.com), and the Saskatchewan Archives Board (www.SaskArchives.com).

Paula Stuart-Warren, CG, is a professional genealogist, consultant, writer, and lecturer. She has lectured all across the U.S., in Canada, and coordinates the Intermediate Course, American Records & Research at the annual Salt Lake Institute of Genealogy. She is co-author of Your Guide to the Family History Library and an author for genealogical periodicals including Ancestry Magazine. She is a resident of St. Paul, Minnesota and spends many weeks each year at the Family History Library and the U.S. National Archives. Her roots include ancestors from seven different countries and researching them has given her broad experience and an occasional headache or two. Comments will reach her at PSWResearch@comcast.net. Paula is unable to answer individual genealogical research inquiries due to the volume of e-mails received.

Upcoming Appearances by Paula Stuart-Warren
(I enjoy meeting fellow genealogists at these events, so please introduce yourself as an Ancestry Daily News reader.)

• January 9-13, 2006, Salt Lake City, Utah
  Salt Lake Institute of Genealogy
  Course I: American Records & Research and in other courses
  

Copyright 2005, MyFamily.com.

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Ancestry Quick Tip
Using Sand on Cemetery Markers
Bill Sanders

In regards to the Quick Tip Article by William (ADN-11/11/2005) about visiting an American Military Cemetery in France, and the "man in charge" of the cemetery rubbing fine sand into the inscriptions of a marker, so clearer pictures could be taken.

I would venture to say that this action would be performed very few times on any given headstone in this particular cemetery. Even so, it's causing at least minute damage. They polish and grind stone with sand. While this may have been specifically chosen sand for this purpose on these stones, I would not advocate that everyone take buckets of wet sand to the graveyard to rub into a stone from the 1800s, so they can read it easier and get clearer pictures. Many of those stones were sandstone in the first place, and the simple act of cleaning lichen, etc., is wearing down the stone. True, it may be imperceptible to you to me, but every grain of rock rubbed by nature or by human from a given surface is erosion.

If we want to leave these stones for the next generation (and next and next and...), we need to think about what we are doing. Shaving cream, whipped cream, permanent (and other) markers have chemicals that eat the stone (no matter how fast you wash them off). Even the act of cleaning it with a soft brush (wire? you're kidding, I hope) is wearing on the stone. Brush anything continuously and logic tells you that at some point, you will gouge a hole in it, no matter how soft the brush is. Vandals do enough damage to graveyards. Are we to become vandals for simple pictures? To me, light (shadows) and cemetery records should be enough.

Another thing: I wish there were a non-profit historical foundation out there, that uses money from donations and grants, who would (for free) create mini-headstones from marble or brass (or some other material that will not erode very quickly) with the information on some of these headstones that are unreadable (or almost so), to be permanently erected at the grave, by/near the original stone. Anyone know of one, or know how to start one?

Thanks to Bill for today's Quick Tip! If you have a tip you would like to share with researchers, you can send it to: ADNeditor@ancestry.com.

Quick Tips may be reprinted, with credit to the submitter, in other Ancestry publications, so if you do not want your tip included in a publication other than the Ancestry Daily News and Ancestry Weekly Digest, please state so clearly in your message.

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Clipping of the Day
Oregon Territory
Alton Telegraph and Democratic Review (Alton, Illinois), 17 November 1848, page 2:

Big Sandy, 30 miles West of the South Pass, Oregon Road, June 30, 1848.

DEAR SIR:-As I expect this is probably the last letter that I shall be able to send you until I reach the vicinity of the Pacific Ocean, I will take a leisure moment to address you a few lines relative to our journey. In regard to our progress, we are getting along finely, with good health, and in fine humor; our wagons and teams do well. As a general thing, the grass in this desert is very indifferent; but we are finding sufficiency on streams of water, for our teams and stock.

There are some things that I omitted in my former letters, which may be of use to other emigrants. One of these is that when grazing in a country of minerals, like the Platte river, and many other places on this road, and especially where the mineral consists principally of saltpetre, as it does here, in places, cattle, from the use of it, frequently sicken and die, if no remedy is applied to the animal. We have had several cases of this kind amongst our cattle, and we never fail to cure them when application is made in due time, by giving them, if a grown cow, one pint of melted lard poured down their throats. Our horses have never been afflicted with this disease. The water in many places is impregnated with various kinds of minerals, and some of them are thought to be unwholesome to the human family. I have been informed, that persons afflicted with this disease, should at once place their bowels in a good condition by taking some mild purgative medicines . . . .

You have no doubt noticed the mention of Big Sandy River at the head of this letter at which place we have encamped until tomorrow about noon, when we shall have to travel 40 miles without water, and not much grass, to Green River. We expect to travel two parts of days and part of the night to perform this portion of the road. There is no place or part of this road from St. Joseph, Mo., to Big Sandy, that exceeded 35 miles without water and grass, and something for fuel, until the one place above mentioned.

Where I am sitting at this time, at one glance of my eyes, I can see a territory of high mountains, sufficiently large for a common sized county, partially covered with snow. Some places are very thickly covered, while others are either thinly covered or clear; and how much farther those mountains extend, the eye cannot discover. The season with us has been very pleasant; neither very hot nor very cold. We have had several frosty nights, and some ice froze one night one-eighth of an inch thick.

Yours respectfully,
B. Cleaver

ADN Editor's Note: I found several further updates from Benjamin Cleaver describing his journey west in 1848 and will run them in installments through the next few newsletters. Stay tuned!

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Fast Fact
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Thought for Today
Aldous Huxley

Experience is not what happens to you; it's what you do with what happens to you.