A Look Back at the Colorado Fuel & Iron Company

While doing genealogical research on my great-great grandpa, I discovered that he worked for the Colorado Fuel & Iron Company in the 1920's.  Wanting to know more about the company, I did some more research and came across this wonderful video at the Steel Works Museum web site.

I'm one of those people who only wants to know "who" was in our family history, but I also want to know more about these people and their life. The railroad business was booming in the early 1900's and it's not uncommon to see folks working for them on census records.

If you have relatives who worked for the Colorado Fuel and Iron Company (based in Pueblo, Colorado), you might enjoy this information.

Here's some more information about the railroad business and Colorado Fuel and Iron Company (CF&IE) (including information about the depot flood in 1921) if interested.

Read more »

Maximize Your Search Efforts on Ancestry.com

Ancestry.com is such a huge web site with many different features, that it can be daunting if you're new to it.  The site does have a search button in the top navigation bar, but you have to re-enter information every time you use it.  This is not only tedious, but if you're searching several different people, it can be hard to remember the details (or look them up) each time. 

Searching information on Ancestry.com is made much easier if you build a family tree on the site. Building a tree is easy and even free users can do it.  However, you'll have to be a paid member in order to use most of the search features.

Once you start adding a few people to your tree, you can search for records for those people.  Common records include: Death Indexes (Social Security and State), Marriage Records, Census Records, Land Records, Military Records, Public Records, etc.).   Not only do these records give you more information about each person and family in your tree, but the information in these records can be used in your searches.

In other words, by attaching these records to people in your tree, the information in them can be used to refine your search (thereby helping to ensure you're finding relevant records). Attaching records, also helps you build time-lines for each person's life (which can be viewed on a person's profile page).

Below is a sample image of a person's profile in a family tree (minus the time-line).  The "search" link is circled in red.

All you need to do, is click the search link to search for all records related to this person.  The cool thing is that the information contained in attached records will automatically be entered into the search fields - so you don't have to enter any data.  

Another trick is to limit your search even further.  Let's say that you're only interested in finding military records for this person.  But when you search, you often get census records, and other information that you're not really interested at that time. 

If you look at the left side of the page, you'll notice the types of records you can search.  Click on the link you're interested in (for example, "Military") and your search will be refined to look for military records only.

Also notice that above the record categories, is a green  button labeled, "Edit Search".  Click it, and you can edit your search criteria even further. One thing to note is that the search fields available will vary depending on which search category you're currently viewing.  

For example, if you're currently looking at military records and you click to "edit search", you'll extra search fields for military branch, ship name, etc.  If you know these details, you can add them to the search criteria and search again.

The nice thing about the "Edit Search" feature, is that you can add or remove data as needed very easily.  

You can also go back and forth selecting different record categories after you've initiated a search without having to start a new search each time.  This is a huge time saver.

Give it a try.  Taking a advantage of these features can save you hours in research time.

Read more »

DNA Study on Jews

Newsweek recently printed an interesting story on a DNA study that was done on the Jewish population.   Read it with a grain of salt, however, given the source of the publication.

While the article reports to have found more scientific evidence to support Biblical claims, it also states that the European Jews are not descendants of the Turkish Kharzars.  Apparently this last claim is being used as reason why Jews are not entitled to Israeli land. 

Anti-Semitic people have been trying to wipe out the state of Israel and take their land for thousands of years.  So it's no surprise that this study is being used as a weapon to that end.   Still, I find the study interesting, but like ALL science wait for corroborating scientific data before believing one one story or claim.  There are too many people in academics today producing "junk science".

The read the article on the DNA Study of Jews, click here.

Read more »

Where to Find Old Obits for Prescott's Daily Courier

I've been trying to find an obituary from 1985 for my great-grandmother and in the process learned a few things and thought I'd share the info.

First, the Prescott Library tells me they have old Couriers (our local newspaper) dating back to the 1920's and that I should be able to come in and find the obituary.  I also called the Prescott Valley Library to see I could access those old newspapers through the in-house computer system, and was told they don't have the capability.

The Prescott Valley Library also told me that that they only save 2 weeks worth of newspapers anymore since much of the information can be found online now.  Interestingly enough, they do have some old information which they must keep for 56 years ... in case lawyers and genealogical researchers need access to it for lawsuits, etc. 

The electronic archives at the Daily Courier only go back to the year 2000.  However, Sharlot Hall has microfilm from the founding of the Daily Courier in their museum and can make facsimiles of old obituaries. 

Read more »

Old Records in Dallas May Be Damaged

An underground water main broke under the basement of a Dallas County Office this week, flooding the basement with water. As is the case in most county offices, old records were kept in the basement and are water soaked. 

Sadly this situation is all to reminiscent of the flooding of the National Archives building back in 1890 (resulting in the loss of census records).  You think we would have learned to keep important records in more water friendly containers by now - and perhaps off the ground.  Those who fail to learn from history are doomed to repeat it.

Similar scenarios can happen at home.  This is why I recommend keeping all important documents and records in a fireproof (& water tight) box (at least the originals).  I like to scan all of my original documents into the computer (giving me a backup) and then keep the originals in a fireproof box to protect them.

Granted a home fire or flood could destroy your computer backup of old documents and photos  ... this is why most computer experts will tell you it's a good idea to have 2 separate backups of anything important ... with the second backup kept offsite (i.e., a different location).   Folks using an online backup service (like Carbonite), accomplish this task without lifting a finger.  Not only is the data backed up, but it's kept at another location so that if anything happens to your home computer or house, you still have the data safely backed up.

If you'd like to ready more about the Dallas County Office Building flooding, click here.

Read more »