Augusta Public Library Local History and Genealogy

Within the next few months, FamilySearch will introduce Family Tree. The first of many updates planned for FamilySearch.org, Family Tree will bring collaborative web tools together with the resources of the world’s largest genealogy organization to create a free and engaging way to discover, preserve, and share your family history.

Watch a special introductory video that covers the basics of how Family Tree works.

Family Tree will enable you to:

• Preserve family history information for future generations
• Connect and collaborate with others on shared family lines
• Discover what others have already found about your family lines
• Show where information came from. You can even link to online photos and documents

Family Tree offers an easy way for everyone to work together on shared family lines. Family Tree is also integrated into the search feature on FamilySearch.org, so you can find records for the people in your family tree and attach the records as sources for those particular ancestors.

If you have questions about what Family Tree will be like or how it will work, you can visit a special training website that offers online courses, how-to videos, informational handouts, and step-by-step training.

Get started with Family Tree today by watching the introductory video or reading about it on the training website. Family Tree will be open to everyone and the more you learn about it now, the more ready you will be to take full advantage of this exciting new family history tool when it becomes available.

https://familysearch.org/blog/en/family-tree-service-familysearchorg-coming-2/

The Georgia Historical Records Advisory Board has awarded the Chinese Consolidated Benevolent Association with the 2012 Award for Excellence in Documenting Georgia’s History.

Members of the Chinese Consolidated Benevolent Association, Kathy Rufo, Raymond Rufo, Truman Woo, Travis Tom, and Benny Tam collaborated on a project which collected 26 oral histories recounting the Chinese-American experience in Augusta, Georgia. This was the first oral history initiative by the community organization, and copies of the recordings were donated to the Augusta Public Library for public access and use. The project received funding from the Georgia Humanities Council.

Focusing on the more senior members of the Chinese-American community, interviewees recounted what life was like for Chinese in Augusta in the 1950’s, their experiences in school and civic life, the businesses and social structure of Augusta in which Chinese Americans owned and operated businesses, and reflected on the Augusta riot of 1970 which affected a number of their businesses. A DVD was made of each digital recording along with related pictures. This oral history project is an outstanding example of capturing and preserving Georgia’s History.

Source: Chinese Consolidated Benevolent Association

Just a reminder that the walk around downtown Augusta with Erick will take place this Saturday, November 17th, at 10:30. We will meet on the third floor of the library in the Georgia Room . Come with your walking shoes and a warm jacket. It will last about an hour or so.

The Friends of the National Archives-Southeast Region will be hosting a monthly webinar this Monday, November 12th at 7pm. The webinar is titled,”From Bunker Hill to Kabul: The Search for Family Stories in the National Archives.”  NARA staff member “Nathan Jordan will explain the use of military records in uncovering stories of service and sacrifice.” The webinar is free and easy to use and you can sign up here: http://www.friendsnas.org/webinarSch.htm.

by Aspasia Luster

Saving the Voices of Augusta’s Past, a grant project which we did with ASU and Paine College is live! Twenty five of our citizens’ interviews, mainly conducted during the mid 1970s, are available digitally for your listening pleasure. The site is available here:

http://www.aug.edu/~liblsc/Archives_Month_2012/welcome.html

Lots of new books have arrived in the Georgia Room today! Most of the books are marriage records for the following counties: Baldwin, Banks, Bryan, Burke, Camden, Campbell, Carroll, Cass/Bartow, Catoosa, Chattahoochee, Dawson, Decatur, DeKalb, Dooly, Emanuel, Fannin, Fayette, Franklin, Gordon, Greene, Harris, Jasper, Jefferson, Johnson, Jones, Liberty, Lumpkin, Marion, Meriwether, Monroe, Montgomery, Morgan, Murray, Muscogee, Pike, Putnam, Screven, Stewart, Sumter, Talbot, Taliaferro, Tattnall, Union, Walton, Warren, Washington, Wayne, Whitfield, Wilkinson.

by Aspasia Luster

Redcliffe Plantation State Historic Site will present a special talk and tour that looks at the impact the Emancipation Proclamation had on black and white families in the South 150 years ago.  “Emancipation:  A Black & White Experience” will be held on Saturday, November 10, 2012, at 10 a.m.  The program also includes looking at how the Emancipation Proclamation was viewed by most CSRA residents of the time, its coverage in the newspaper, etc. The program consists of a short presentation, a tour of the historic grounds and buildings and a discussion of what the proclamation meant to local residents.  Cost will be $8/adult, $6.50/S.C. seniors and $5/ages 6-16.  The plantation is located at 181 Redcliffe Road in Beech Island, S.C.  For more information, please contact the park at 803-827-1473 or e-mail redcliffe@scprt.com.  Visit www.southcarolinaparks.com/redcliffe to learn more about the park.

Thank you to Lillian Wan and Elizabeth Laney for notifying  the Georgia Room of this important event!

by Aspasia Luster

The Georgia Room has two upcoming events planned. On October 31st, we will tour Magnolia Cemetery and explore the meaning of gravestone art. I bet you didn’t know that all those vases and flowers carved on the memorials meant something to the Victorians. Join us at 2:00 on Halloween!

Our November program will be a walking tour with Erick Montgomery of downtown Augusta. All of you who joined us for Erick’s tour last spring know you are in for a treat! It will take place on November 17th at 10:30 am. Mark it on your calendars. You won’t want to miss it.

1940 Census through the National Archives:

http://1940census.archives.gov/

Search the 1930 census at Archives.com:

http://1940census.archives.gov/search-1930/

FamilySearch 1940 census (searchable from home):

https://familysearch.org/1940census/

Georgia Heritage Room link to Galileo

http://www.ecgrl.org/index.php/services/genealogy

At 2:00 on Thursday,October 18th, in the third floor library computer classroom, we will hold “Hands on with the 1940 Census,” a computer class about exploring and interpreting the 1940 Federal Census. Bring in the names of your relatives and learn how to find them.