Pensions Get Attention

Diane Haddad reports that all of those Civil War pension applications squirreled away at the National Archives finally are coming to the Web.

The agreement will kick off with a pilot project to digitize, index and provide access to 3,150 pension files. When that’s done, FamilySearch, along with records site Footnote.com, plans to digitize and index all 1,280,000 pensions in the series.

According to the announcement, the digitized records will be free on FamilySearch and at Family History Centers, and possibly on a commercial third-party site.

As Diane says, "Oh, happy day!" I've been working on a large local history project that would have required a lengthy visit to Washington or a hefty payout to some researcher for copies of pension records. I'm doubly thrilled that these will be digitized from the original documents, and not from Eisenhower-era microfilm.

Complaining: It's the American Way

In a misguided effort to pay off the national debt and save Social Security from bankruptcy, NARA has proposed raising the price of a Civil War pension file from $37 to $125. Friday is the last day to voice objections to the whole range of proposed price hikes. Here's how to submit a comment:

1. Read all the nasty details in this PDF file.
2. Go here, search for Document ID NARA-07-0001-0001, then click on the Comments icon.
3. Give them a piece of your mind.
4. Wait for Dick Cheney to arrive in his black helicopter and whisk you away to Guantanamo Bay.

Company Offers Solution to High Copying Fees

A Genealogue Exclusive [What's That?]

The announcement that the National Archives intends to significantly raise its copying fees is bad news for genealogists, but great news for one Washington, D. C., entrepreneur.

Sandy Berger is best known as Bill Clinton's National Security Advisor, but he considers his new job just as vital. As founder and president of DocuDirect, Berger says he can deliver documents at half the price of other companies.

"At DocuDirect we cut out the middleman, saving you both time and money," he explains. "I know the Archives, and it knows me. In fact, some of the security guards even carry around my picture."

Familiarity with the Archives is just one part of the "DocuDirect advantage," Berger says. The former presidential advisor personally handles each request, wearing white gloves to avoid leaving fingerprints and clothing with extra-large pockets. Unlike other researchers who provide their clients with copies that are sometimes illegible, Berger delivers the original records.

"You'll receive your ancestor's actual Civil War pension record," he promises. "No matter how big the file is, you'll get every page—even if I have to stuff them in my socks."

Already fielding more requests than his small office can handle, Berger is planning to expand capacity once the fee hikes are implemented.

"I'm on the South Beach Diet," he confides. "I should be able to fit a half-dozen pension files in my pants come August."

PRSEPCWRA Passes House

The House passed a bill on Monday that would require the National Archives to create an online database of records useful to African-American genealogists. The measure now goes to the Senate.

The Preservation of Records of Servitude, Emancipation and Post-Civil War Reconstruction Act (H.R. 390) requires the National Archives to establish an electronic database for the public to keep records from the Southern Claims Commission, the Freedman’s Bank, slave payrolls and slave manifests. [Link]

Something tells me the President will be signing this into law sometime next month.

The sole dissenting vote was cast by Rep. Ron Paul (R-Texas), but you really can't blame him: He votes against everything. He's a libertarian, a possible presidential hopeful, and a former OB/GYN who has earned the nickname "Dr. No" for voting against such wasteful measures as awarding Congressional Gold Medals of Honor to Pope John Paul II, Rosa Parks, and Mother Teresa.

Taking Note of Footnote

A major new resource for genealogists is now available called Footnote. I had the chance last weekend to briefly preview the site, and was mostly impressed.

Footnote offers digitized documents—many of them found nowhere else on the Web. Through an agreement with the National Archives, even more content is waiting in the wings. I especially like this part of the announcement:

By February 6, the digitized materials will also be available at no charge in National Archives research rooms in Washington D.C. and regional facilities across the country. After an interval of five years, all images digitized through this agreement will be available at no charge through the National Archives website.

Content so far includes the Civil War Pension Index, City Directories from the Northeastern US, and Naturalization Indexes for Massachusetts, New York, and Pennsylvania. Free registration will get you a thumbnail of the document and a brief description. To view the full image, you can pay $1.99, or sign up for a month ($9.99) or a year ($99.99).

Whether you dish out dough or not, you can create member pages. These are single-subject blogs that allow users to (among other things) transcribe documents they've found on Footnote, and comment on other members' transcriptions. If members are diligent in their proofreading, this will be a great way for Footnote to add accurate content and value to their site.

There is no "advanced search" option, but I didn't miss it given the power of the standard search. Like Google, it accepts + and - operators, and also Boolean expressions—as in "George Washington" AND NOT Martha. I couldn't find a help page to confirm this, but it appears that wildcards are not supported. Since surname aren't singled out for searching, you won't find Soundex or an equivalent, either.

Members can upload their own original documents, which could become a problem if this uploaded image is any indication:

Sign the Petition!

You have until Friday to sign the online petition asking that the U.S. National Archives not be closed to researchers on weekday evenings and Saturdays.

At last check there were 6,439 signatures recorded—more than twice the number attached to the Jon Stewart for President petition, which I would sign only if his term in office could be made retroactive to 2001.

Why sign the petition? Aside from giving you the chance to participate in a grassroots campaign doomed to fail sure to succeed, signing will prove that you are on the side of the working genealogist—the genealogist who slaves from 9 to 5 to pay his bills and put food on the tables of MyFamily.com executives. If you're a genealogist and work during the day, know someone who works during the day, or have ever heard of someone working during the day, you must sign this petition. At the risk of exaggerating the situation, this is the most important thing you will ever do in your life.

Veneration of the Greatest Generation

What better day to explore the World War II resources over at the National Archives?

They have casualty lists for Army and Army Air Forces Personnel and Navy, Marine Corps, and Coast Guard Personnel. These are arranged by state, and are not searchable. To search through enlistment records and POW records, see Access to Archival Databases.

They've also digitized nearly 1,000 registration cards from Ohio. These are from the same collection recently put online by Ancestry.com.

Topping things off are 2,829 World War II posters and 1,568 War Production Board posters—all digitized and available for download. Since this website is a product of the U.S. Government, you'll have to spend several minutes engaged in senseless clicking and scrolling before arriving at the posters. (The first collection is especially hard to find; it's easiest just to search for the ARC Identifier, "513498".) All the classic propaganda posters are here, from Norman Rockwell's Four Freedoms to "Loose Lips Sink Ships." After browsing through them, I feel like planting a Victory Garden and signing up for a tour in the South Pacific.

Someday Your Prints Will Come

The National Archives has partnered with iPHOTOART to produce high-quality prints of selected images from America's past.

Through this non-exclusive agreement, prints of selected Civil War Maps, World War I and II posters, patent drawings, lighthouse drawings, and Ansel Adams photographs are now available for purchase on the iPhotoart web site www.archivesprints.com. These striking images have been painstakingly reproduced from digital files housed at the National Archives, and are embossed with the National Archives official seal. [Link]

All of the available images are great, but I especially like the vivid war posters. For those of you whose ancestors spent the World Wars sleeping off hangovers, check out the patent drawing of an 1808 alcohol still.

[tagged: genealogy, family tree, ancestry]

A Fair to Remember

Just a reminder that the second annual Genealogy Fair will be held at the National Archives in Washington, D.C., on Wednesday, April 19. If you want to see the cherry blossoms blooming in our nation's capital, be sure to get there two weeks ago.

Though some of the events scheduled are aimed at D.C.-area genealogists (I don't think that understanding "D.C. Building Permits" would help me in my New England research), others will be of general interest. Admission is free, but "government-issued photo identification" is required to enter the building. They don't specify which government, so your Disneyland Annual Passport should suffice.

If you can't make it to Washington, check out the genealogy workshops and courses frequently held at other NARA facilities nationwide.

[tagged: genealogy, family tree, ancestry]

The Line of Archival Accession

President Bush has changed the order of succession for the National Archives and Records Administration's top job. Should the Archivist of the United States and his deputy both meet untimely ends—say, due to a freak accident involving the Vice President and a 28-gauge shotgun—the following people, in order, would succeed to the office:

• Assistant Archivist for Administration
• Assistant Archivist for Records Services, Washington, D.C.
• Assistant Archivist for Regional Records Services
• Assistant Archivist for Superfluous Bureaucracy
  
• Commissioner of the International Arabian Horse Association
• The Bald Guy on Lost
  
• Whoever Picks Up the Phone at Halliburton

[tagged: genealogy, family tree, ancestry]

Oh, Give Me a Home...

The National Archives Central Plains Region facility in Kansas City is looking for new headquarters. Details are sketchy, but the Archives reportedly "has to relocate" by 2007. I suspect they've ticked off their current landlord by playing loud music at all hours of the night.

They're looking for a more accessible facility, and more room for 50,000 cubic feet of non-military federal records generated in Missouri, Kansas, Iowa, and Nebraska between 1821 and 1990. This doesn't include the "3 million cubic feet of less important documents [kept] in area caves," available only to researchers with spelunking privileges.

If you live in Kansas City, and have an extra room that could accommodate the Archives, give them a call. Just be sure to lock the liquor cabinet and ask for a security deposit.

[tagged: genealogy, family tree, ancestry]

National Archives Yields to My Demands

From The Washington (D.C.) Post:

Archives Smooths Web Access to Records

The Associated Press
Wednesday, December 14, 2005; 5:34 PM

WASHINGTON -- Photos of natural and manmade disasters. Lists of combat air missions flown during the Vietnam War. Rolls of those who fled Irish famine for the United States in the 1800s.

And much more, all newly accessible.

The National Archives and Records Administration has made it easier to search online through tens of millions of the electronic records it holds.

The revamped Access to Archival Databases site — http://www.archives.gov/aad — allows the public to search for free through 85 million documents in 475 files amassed by more than 30 federal agencies.

[snip]

When the program debuted in 2003, it allowed users to search only one electronic records database at a time, slowing the hunt for information. The update allows users to search all databases in one fell swoop and comes after survey respondents and test subjects said the system needed to be more user-friendly, [David] Kepley said.

[snip]

[Read the whole story]

This can mean only one thing: the United States government reads my blog. Now I wish I'd complained about the Patriot Act...

tags: genealogy, family history, family tree

1890 Census Records Discovered on eBay

A Genealogue News Flash [What's That?]

The National Archives announced late Monday that the missing 1890 United States census schedules long thought to have been destroyed in a 1921 fire were in fact "misplaced," and have turned up on an Internet auction site.

Timothy Demers, Assistant to the National Archivist, now admits that the story of census records being destroyed in a Jan. 10, 1921 fire at the Commerce Building was "a fabrication" cooked up by the Census Director when he discovered the documents missing.

"It seems there was a clerk at Commerce with sticky fingers," Demers explains. "The Republicans had won the White House in 1920, and Wilson's crew was on the way out. So, this fellow took home some souvenirs."

Those "souvenirs" included a stack of census volumes, now possessed by the clerk's great-grandson, Jimmy Patrone of Mission City, Florida. Patrone — screen name "daytonastud839" — posted the volumes on eBay over the weekend.

Demers apologizes to genealogists for the Archives' role in perpetuating the myth of the documents' destruction—which included posting an elaborate article on the NARA website.

"Blaming it on the fire wasn't our idea, but we did inherit the lie and pass it on. It's the whole 'aliens-at-Area-51' thing all over again."

Due to the unusual circumstances of the cover-up, and the intentional destruction of additional census records in 1935, government lawyers have found no legal basis for reclaiming the records without adequately compensating Mr. Patrone.

The National Archives has not decided whether to bid for the census volumes, as "the reserve price is set really high."

Millionth Visitor to National Archives Congratulated, Then Strip-Searched by Overzealous Security Guard

From NARA:

National Archives Welcomes Millionth 2005 Visitor

Washington, DC— The National Archives welcomed its millionth visitor on Thursday, September 29, 2005 at 1:15 PM. Visitor Ariya Shah, traveling with her parents from Austin, Texas, was greeted by Archivist of the United States Allen Weinstein. The Archivist said: “I am delighted to welcome our millionth visitor this year. This milestone confirms that the National Archives is a “must-see” destination for Washingtonians and tourists alike.” Expressing surprise as the person reaching this milestone, 23-month-old Ariya saw the bunch of balloons, smiled at the Archivist and said “Wow!”

[snip]

[Read the whole story]

Genealogue Exclusive: National Archives to Hold Yard Sale

A Genealogue Exclusive [What's That?]

In an effort to close a projected $331 billion dollar gap in the federal budget, the National Archives will hold a yard sale Saturday on the Mall in Washington, D. C.

"This is a day we hoped would never arrive," says Archives spokesman Jeff Huffle. "But when the call came, we agreed to do our part."

Workers will be busy this week placing yellow price tags on thousands of historic documents. But not all of the nation's treasures will be available at the sale.

"You won't see the Bill of Rights lying out on a picnic table," Huffle says. "We sold that last week to the Sultan of Brunei."

Genealogists will be eager to paw through the stacks of census records, passenger manifests, and pension applications. Those looking for a more personalized purchase can buy their own FBI file for $5. File folders of unindexed records from the Carter administration will be offered as "grab bags" for the kids.

The Archives has put in place a few rules for the sale: Cash and carry, no returns or refunds. Merchandise is offered "as is"—including any documents scorched when Washington was burned in the War of 1812. Papers with presidential signatures are subject to a ten-percent surcharge—waived if the president in question was unpopular or served less than six months.

And no early birds.

For Those With a Penchant for Pensions

The July/August issue of Everton's Genealogical Helper includes an interesting article on the often neglected Organization Index to Pension Files of Veterans Who Served Between 1861 and 1900.

Those looking for Civil War pension records are usually directed to the Civil War Pension Index. A search of this index is sometimes frustrated, though, by illegibility of the microfilmed cards.

A second index of the pension files may be helpful in some cases. The Organization Index is arranged by state, arm of the service (infantry, cavalry, artillery), and regiment, and then alphabetically by surname. Each card will show the veteran's name, rank, unit, the terms of his service, information on dependents, application and certificate numbers, and the state from which the application was filed. Some cards will include the veteran's death date.

The Organization Index includes veterans not only of the Civil War, but of the Indian wars, the Spanish-American War, the Philippine Insurrection, and World War I.

To find which states and units are covered by each microfilm reel, see the Family History Library catalog (click on "View Film Notes"). Be sure to check the last reels listed for "miscellaneous" units.

Once you've identified your veteran, you can order his pension file (for service prior to 1913) online through the National Archives.

More Reading:

• NARA: Military Service Records
• Ancestry.com: Before the Pension

Archives Redux

Well, the National Archives website is back up and running. Sort of.

Don't try typing in "www.nara.gov" as I tend to do: you won't be redirected [Update: This redirect has since been repaired]. And you'll find that a few of the links on the site don't work, including one to the AAD, which holds the World War II enlistment database I complained about recently.

On the bright side, the site seems much more welcoming, and navigation has been improved with less reliance on pull-down menus. Their prominent inclusion of "most requested" and "often requested" resource lists is also helpful.

Let's hope they don't stop at redesigning, and start adding even more genealogical databases and indexes to the site. Broad outlines of archival holdings are great, but how about more names and dates? Arguing that they have too much material to put everything online misses the point. We don't want everything—just the good stuff. The BLM database of land patent images (now offline for "security" reasons) was a good start. They can't always leave it to private companies to do the job—how long has Ancestry.com been working on their database of World War I draft registration cards, twelve years?

To be fair, the Archives website does have some digitized records of interest to genealogists. See Archival Research Catalog: Historical Documents Online for links to selected court, immigration and military records, as well as resources for African- and Native-American researchers.

Archival Quality

The National Archives promises us a new website design on July 20th—and not a moment too soon. Let's hope that along with spiffy new graphics, the redesign will offer better navigational aids, and shortcuts to the great databases hidden within the NARA site.

I've used the NARA site many times to search World War II enlistment records, but each time I visit I'm forced to click through as many as nine pages before I arrive at the appropriate search page. (If I remember to choose the menu item "Access to Archival Databases," I can cut this to six clicks.) The page I need can't be bookmarked, nor is there a "permalink" available that targets this particular page. (The series description page can be bookmarked, but it still takes two more clicks to access the search engine.)

When I do finally reach the search engine for "Electronic Army Serial Number Merged File, ca. 1938 - 1946," I find that the interface was designed by a sadist. If I want to search for records from my home county, Oxford County, Maine, I must first select from the "Code List" the correct state code for Maine: 12. I then must select a county code: 017.

The search results are full of useful information. I am told that Lawrence C. Murphy's place of enlistment was "1278", and that his civil occupation was "138". I must view the record details to learn that he enlisted in Portland, Maine, and was employed as a "MOTORCYCLE MECHANIC or PACKER, HIGH EXPLOSIVES (Munitions worker, ammunition) or TOOLROOM KEEPER or STOCK CLERK or STOCK CONTROL CLERK"—a disturbingly broad range of occupations.

It doesn't take long to become accustomed to the quirks of the NARA site and to reap its full benefits. But many newcomers to computers and genealogy have undoubtedly lost their way, or lost patience with the search engines, and as a consequence gave up on this valuable site. If the new design can improve accessibility and reduce the intimidation these users perceive, there might be hope for the United States government after all.

Elvis' Military Records Released (with 1.2 million others)

From the (Biloxi, Miss.) SunHerald of June 8, 2005:

Archives to open sealed military documents

BETSY TAYLOR

Associated Press

OVERLAND, Mo. - When Elvis Presley entered the Army, a fretful public launched a letter-writing campaign.

"Will you please, please be so sweet and kind as to ask Ike to bring Elvis Presley back to us from the Army? We need him in our entertainment world," pleaded one 1958 letter from a Sacramento, Calif., couple to then-first lady Mamie Eisenhower.

The anxious missive is among documents included in the 1.2 million military personnel files the National Archives will open to the public Saturday for the first time.

Among the documents are records related to famous politicians, military leaders - and at least one rock 'n' roll star. The bulk, however, relate to former enlisted personnel in the Navy from 1885 to 1939, or in the Marines from 1906 to 1939.

[snip]

Bryan McGraw, the [National Personnel Records Center]'s assistant director for archival programs, said there are about 56 million records relating to inactive military personnel at the center. They usually are available only to the veteran, next of kin, the agency that created the record, or by approved special request.

The Defense Department and the National Archives Records Administration agreed in 1999 to work to release some documents because of interest from the public and researchers.

"I think those records will help the average American trying to explore genealogy, a family past," said Michael Pavkovic, the diplomacy and military studies director at Hawaii Pacific University in Honolulu.

[snip]

[Read the whole story]

For more see the Records Center website.

A Gold Mine near Boston

Walter V. Hickey—archives specialist with the National Archives and Records Administration–Northeast Region (Boston)—writes in "A Gold Mine Of Naturalization Records In New England" (at NARA's Prologue, Fall 2004) about an unusual set of naturalization records held at the NARA branch in Waltham, Mass. These are "photostatic copies, called 'dexigraphs,' made in the 1930s, of naturalization proceedings in all courts—federal, state, county, and local—in five of the New England states (Maine, Massachusetts, New Hampshire, Rhode Island, and Vermont) between 1790 and September 26, 1906."

Early American naturalizations are among the most difficult public records to locate, largely because so many courts could claim jurisdiction. Some court records have never been microfilmed, and those which have are sometimes poorly indexed.

These NARA copies provide a one-stop index of New England naturalizations. The researcher, upon finding a relative in the dexigraphs, can then track down in the relevant court (or state archives) the immigrant's declaration of intention and original petition for citizenship—often invaluable sources of information on his origins. It is not unusual for these records to include the place (and sometimes the date) of birth, place and date of arrival, and recent places of residence of the petitioner.¹

Hickey's article casts fresh light on this important research tool, and gives information on obtaining dexigraph copies from the Waltham branch. Similar indexes are available for the courts of New York and Illinois.

Note:
¹Before relying on these records, see Carmen J. Finley's "Original Naturalization Records: A Reliable Source for Birth Dates?" National Genealogical Society Quarterly 91:60 (Mar. 2003). The article cites a study conducted in Sonoma County, California, which found a 1.3% error rate in birth dates recorded in multiple files—discrepancies ranging from a few days to 23 years (the latter probably due to a clerical error). As this error rate is only for records in which a birth date is repeated, the actual error rate in reported birth dates is probably much higher. (Anecdotal evidence supports this conclusion.)

More Reading:

• Researching Naturalization Records—Heritage Quest Magazine Online
• NARA— Naturalization Records