Archive for the ‘State, Regional and National News’ Category
The State of Iowa Executive Department has issued the following proclamation:
WHEREAS, Iowas are aware of the need to preserve the rich heritage contained in Iowa’s Pioneer historical cemeteries, and
WHEREAS, this appreciation of their ancestors’ resting places, develps a sense of pride in their ancestors’ accomplishments and in their communities, and
WHEREAS, pride and respect for our pioeers leads to an interest in and concern for the future, it is with this thought in mind that we dedicate this month to the care of our Pioneer cemeteries:
NOW, THEREFORE, I, TERRY BRANSTAD, GOVERNOR OF THE STATE OF IOWA, do hereby proclaim the month of May 2012 as Cemetery Appreciation Month.
IN TESTIMONY WHEREOF, I have here unto subscribe my name and casued the Great Seal of the State of Iowa to be affixed.
Done at Des Moines this 10th day of April in the year of our Lord two thousand twelve,
TERRY BRANSTAD, GOVERNOR
By Shirley Woodruff, IGS Secretary
The following databases were posted or updated at FamilySearch.org since 13 February 2012:
Members of IGS are gearing up for indexing the 1940 U.S. Federal Census. Barbara Hammer, Group Administrator, is co-coordinating the volunteers. The first class taught at IGS was practically overflowing and a follow-up session had additional learners. Theresa Liewer is assisting with instruction and indexing.
Barbara comments, “It’s additive!” In fact, she has download several batches and will work on them off-line when traveling. More volunteers are welcome. And, just like Uncle Sam, Barbara says, “We want you!”
For more information or to volunteer, contact her at 641-787-9092, or bjhammer1940@windstream.net
–By Barbara Hammer, Census Indexing Group Administrator
On April 2, 2012, images of the 1940 U.S. Federal Census will be released for the first time. Unlike previous census years, images of this census will be made available as free digital images.
Upon its release, the 1940 U.S. Census Community Project, a joint initiative between Archives.com, FamilySearch, findmypast.com, and other leading genealogy societies and organizations, will coordinate efforts to provide quick access to these digital images and immediately start indexing these records to make them searchable online with free and open access.
1940 Census Release Prompts Library Program 19 March 2012
Genealogists and historical researchers are eagerly anticipating the release of the 1940 U.S. Census on 2 April 2012.
Statistics from a census can be invaluable for gaining a historical snapshot of life in the U.S. In addition to names, addresses and ages, census records also include jobs held, household data like property values and income, education and more.
The State Historical Society of Iowa Library, 600 East Locust, Des Moines, will host Archives Specialist Jessica Edgar of the National Archives at Kansas City on Monday, 19 March 2012, from 10 a.m. – 3 p.m. Cost is $15 and includes lunch from Café Baratta’s. Registration is required. A form will be available in February at both SHSI Library locations in Des Moines and Iowa City or by contacting Carol Kirsch, (319) 335-3936, carol-kirsch@uiowa.edu. Attendance is limited to 50 people. Download the registration form.
The National Archives has announced its selection of Inflection, parent company to family history web site Archives.com, to design and host a free web site for the 2 April 2012 launch of the 1940 U.S. Census. This is the first time that the National Archives has released a U.S. Census online.
On April 2nd, users will be able to search, browse, and download the 1940 Census schedules from their own computers or from the public computers at National Archives locations nationwide through the new 1940 Census web site, free of charge.
Please note, a name index will not exist when the information is first released in April. The National Archives has indexed the schedules by state, county, city, township or minor civil division, and enumeration district. Researchers can prepare for the launch by searching the 1940 Census maps and enumeration district descriptions in the National Archives’ Online Public Access catalog: www.archives.gov/research/search/ then browse the 1940 Census population schedules for that enumeration district.For the release of the 1940 Census online, the National Archives has digitized the entire census, creating more than 3.8 million digital images of census schedules, maps, and enumeration district descriptions.
Visit 1940 Census: www.archives.gov/research/census/1940/ for more information or e-mail: 1940Census@nara.gov.
By Shirley Woodruff, IGS Secretary
These websites are now available for researchers at the Family History Center:
19th Century British Library Newspaper Digital Archive. This fully search able database of British Library’s newspaper holdings provides a complete run of forty-eight national and regional Victorian British newspapers from the 19th Century.
By Shirley Woodruff, IGS Secretary
The following databases have been posted or updated at FamilySearch.org since 2 October 2011:
Iowa County Births 1880-1935 – Index to the birth records created by the counties of Iowa. When completed, this database will contain records for all ninety-nine counties in the state. This collection is 18% complete. Additional records will be added as they are completed; 442,657 records have been posted as of 12 October 2011.
California County Marriages, 1850-1952 – Name index of marriage records including a number of different type of documents such as licenses, certificates, registers, applications, affidavits, stubs, etc.; 310,727 records have been posted as of 12 October 2011.
Illinois Probate Records 1819-1970 – Browse-able Imaged Records – Images of will books, administrations, journals, inventories, guardian’s records, and order books from various counties in Illinois, 1819-1970. The content and time period vary by county. Probates were generally recorded in the county of residence. 596,642 images have been posted as of 20 October, 2011.
Vintage photographs and captions tell the stories of African American heritage.
African Americans of Des Moines and Polk County, by Honesty Parker
Images of America Series
Price: $21.99
128 pages/ softcover
African Americans of Des Moines and Polk County, a new book by local author Honesty Parker, explores the heritage of African Americans in Des Moines through vintage photographs and captions.
Although African American pioneers arrived in Des Moines in the early 1860s, the population exploded in the 1880s due to the surrounding coal mines. From 1900 to the 1960s, African Americans across the United States called Center Street “the coolest place in the country.”
In Des Moines in the late 1960s and early 1970s, young African Americans discarded the term Negro and demanded to be referred to as Afro-American or black, as black pride swelled in their chests.
Saturday, November 5, 2011, 8 a.m. to noon. HyVee Conference Center, 5820 Westown Parkway, West Des Moines, Iowa.
Join award-winning author Jo Kline Cebuhar for a unique workshop celebrating National Ethical Will Awareness Month and the official launch of The Workshop Edition of SO GROWS THE TREE. For details and to pre-register: www.ethicalwillworkshop.ezregister.com. To learn more about Ethical Wills, visit www.SoGrowstheTree.com.