The Library of Michigan and Archives of Michigan's Quarterly Genealogy Newsletter
Fall 2009

Comments or questions about Michigan Genealogist? Contact Special Collections Manager Randy Riley at (517) 373-5860 or rileyr1@michigan.gov.

We Are Ready for Business

Executive Order 36 has caused me to do a lot of thinking about change and the potential benefits of change. Not sure of where he borrowed it from, but my dad used to tell me, "Change is inevitable, except from a vending machine." I think in his unique "dad way," he was trying to tell me that change does not have to be a bad thing. The Library of Michigan staff is preparing for several changes this fiscal year. Governor Granholm's EO 36 has disbanded the Department of History, Arts and Libraries and moved the Library of Michigan, our collections and services to the Michigan Department of Education (MDE). Change can be scary, and facing the unknown can be daunting. It has been touching to see how family historians and librarians have rallied to let the governor and Legislature know how important they think the Library of Michigan is to them. Your kind words and actions have helped to boost the morale of Library staff in a very uncertain time.

There are a few things to keep in mind when looking at our move to MDE. The Library will move to MDE and once the budget for fiscal 2010 is finalized, the state librarian will be working with the superintendent of public instruction to figure out how the Library will operate within the parameters of that budget. Together the state librarian and superintendent of public instruction will review the Library's collections, services and programs, vis-à-vis that budget and the expectations for consideration laid out in EO 36, Executive Directive 6 and Amended Executive Order 43. We continue to maintain the Abrams (genealogy) and Michigan collections and provide the services we have provided in the past. We look forward to continuing to serve your research needs until or unless the budget forces us to do things differently. Changes could be the result of a significantly reduced budget or as a result of our ongoing review of our services and how they are prioritized. Remember, every area of state government is facing budgetary challenges and the Library of Michigan is not alone in feeling the pinch.

Special Collection Services librarians are busy planning activities for Family History Month in October, publishing things like this newsletter and coordinating all of our other programs that are in the development stage at this point. The doors are open and we are ready for business. Winston Churchill said, "There is nothing wrong with change if it is in the right direction." The staff of the Library of Michigan is dedicated to moving our operations in the right direction. What other option do we have?

Happy searching.

Randy Riley
Special Collections Manager
Library of Michigan

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Celebrate Family History Month by Attending Genealogy Programs at the Library of Michigan, Archives of Michigan

By Gloriane Peck
Special Collections Librarian, Library of Michigan

Free Family History Month workshops will be held in October at the Michigan Library and Historical Center, 702 W. Kalamazoo St. in Lansing. Family History Month gives the Library of Michigan a chance to thank its users and supporters, and it draws attention to genealogy research as we celebrate family roots.

Sessions will be offered Tuesday mornings, and these sessions will be repeated Wednesday afternoons. The schedule of events is:

Tuesday, Oct. 6

10:15 a.m.: Beginning Your Genealogy Research

11:15 a.m.: Michigan Vital Records

Wednesday, Oct. 7

2:15 p.m.: Beginning Your Genealogy Research

3:15 p.m.: Michigan Vital Records

Tuesday, Oct. 13

10:15 a.m.: HeritageQuest

11:15 a.m.: Look @ Seeking Michigan

Wednesday, Oct. 14

2:15 p.m.: HeritageQuest

3:15 p.m.: Look @ Seeking Michigan

Tuesday, Oct. 20

10:15 a.m.: Ancestry Library Edition

11:15 a.m.: The Ultimate Civil War Resource

Wednesday, Oct. 21

2:15 p.m.: Ancestry Library Edition

3:15 p.m.: The Ultimate Civil War Resource

Tuesday, Oct. 27

10:15 a.m.: Michigan Roots: Research in the Wolverine State

11:15 a.m.: Genealogy of a House

Wednesday, Oct. 28

2:15 p.m.: Michigan Roots: Research in the Wolverine State

3:15 p.m.: Genealogy of a House

To register, go to www.michigan.gov/familyhistory. You also may register by e-mail at librarian@michigan.gov or by phone at (517) 373-1300. Seating is limited, so registration is recommended.

If you have any questions, please call the Library of Michigan's Special Collections Services at (517) 373-1300 or e-mail librarian@michigan.gov.

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Library and Archives News

Abrams Genealogy Seminar Another Success

By Kris Rzepczynski
Michigan/Genealogy Coordinator, Library of Michigan

The 2009 Abrams Genealogy Seminar "One Step, Many Solutions" drew more than 200 family history researchers, librarians and genealogists from communities across Michigan and beyond to the July 17-18 event at the Library of Michigan. The participant who traveled the farthest hailed from Austin, Texas; several other attendees hailed from Boston, Chicago and London, Ontario.

Mark Hoffman (from left), formerly of the Department of History, Arts and Libraries; Kris Rzepczynski, Michigan/genealogy coordinator at the Library of Michigan; keynote speaker Stephen Morse; and Randy Riley, special collections manager at the Library of Michigan.

Library staff is thrilled with the turnout, a boost in attendance from last year's event. The seminar - now in its fourth year - has enjoyed successive year-to-year increases in attendance, a testament to the growing popularity and continuing interest in family history and genealogy here at the Library of Michigan.

The Library was pleased to partner with the Eaton County Genealogical Society in bringing the seminar's keynote speaker - Stephen Morse - to Lansing. Among the high points of the seminar, Stephen's fascinating talks on his One-Step Webpages, stephenmorse.org, demonstrated how to use his popular tools to better utilize online research time.

Genealogist Yvonne Koos of Grand Ledge was honored with the Library's Carole Callard Genealogy Appreciation Award, in recognition of her service to the Library of Michigan and the genealogy community. One continuing popular feature of the Abrams Genealogy Seminar was the program track featuring libraries and archives with significant genealogical and historical collections. Librarians from the Allen County Public Library in Fort Wayne, Ind., Capital Area District Library in Lansing and Detroit Public Library each offered insight and expertise for accessing and making the most of their respective collections. Thank you again to everyone - participants, speakers and Library of Michigan staff - who helped make this event the success that it was.

Randy Riley, special collections manager at the Library of Michigan, with Yvonne Koos, winner of the 2009 Carole Callard Genealogy Appreciation Award given by the Library of Michigan.

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Archives Reading Room Temporarily Relocated

The Archives of Michigan has temporarily relocated its reading room. Researchers will find the reading room on the first floor of the Michigan Library and Historical Center's east wing.

A construction project has necessitated this temporary move. The Archives anticipates a return to its permanent, second-floor location no later than Jan. 1.

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Update on the Construction in the Library of Michigan

By Leelyn Johnson
Reference/Documents Coordinator, Library of Michigan

It seems that the Library of Michigan has been a construction zone forever. It began in 2007 when the staff of the former Department of History, Arts and Libraries had to move from the fifth floor of the Michigan Library and Historical Center and other areas throughout the building to allow for the removal of fire retardant that was falling down through the ceiling.

The installation of new fire retardant continues and parts of the collections are closed for a week at a time while the work is done. It is necessary to replace the sprinkler system in the facility at this time. The work on the sprinkler system is done at night to avoid closing the collections when the Library is open. For updates on any collection closures, please see the Library's Hours page.

This work has impacted the non-public areas of the building, too. The Public Services staff area on second floor was finished at the end of September. We are glad to have the ceiling tiles back up and the lights and blowers where they belong. Those of us who were uprooted will be able to return to our offices.

The other good news is the work on fifth floor is completed, and our coworkers who have been working in other state buildings will return to their offices in October.

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Special Collections

'Indexes to Michigan Newspapers' Is Reference Guide to Finding Aids

By Gloriane Peck
Special Collections Librarian, Library of Michigan

Researcher Le Roy Barnett has compiled "Indexes to Michigan Newspapers," a publication now available on the Historical Society of Michigan's Web site at www.hsmichigan.org/pdf/IndexestoMichiganNewspapers.pdf. This guide points researchers to indexes to more than 150 newspapers, from The Detroit News all the way to The Upper Peninsula Sunday Times. Using this resource, researchers may determine if an index to a particular newspaper exists and, if so, learn where to find the index.

This file features entries for more than 200 indexes. It consists of a table that lists for each newspaper the city of publication, dates available on the index, the type of index (keyword, name, subject) and the location of the index, including the name of the holding library and the call number. The file also covers electronic indexes, with links to Web sites. Some of the indexes focus on vital records or obituaries, making this a wonderful resource for both family history researchers and local historians.

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Centennial Farm Program Spotlights Michigan Farms, Families

By Gloriane Peck
Special Collections Librarian, Library of Michigan

Recognizing Michigan farms that have stayed within the same family for 100 years or more, the Michigan Centennial Farm Program has certified about 6,000 centennial farms since 1948. These farms are often of interest to family and local historians because of the documentation and biographical and historical information involved in becoming a certified farm.

The Michigan Centennial Farm Program, once part of the State of Michigan's Michigan Historical Commission, moved to the Historical Society of Michigan in 2008. Its Web site is www.hsmichigan.org/centennial/index.php. Researchers looking for information on individual farms or farms in a specific geographic region should contact the Historical Society of Michigan.

Owners of certified farms are eligible to join the Michigan Centennial Farm Association. The association is developing a database of centennial farms, so users may search for centennial farms at www.michigancentennialfarm.org/locate/.

The Library of Michigan has a number of materials on centennial farms, including Michigan's Centennial Family Farm Heritage, 1986: A Michigan Sesquicentennial History, which has information on the farms and the families behind them; Centennial Farm: How Six Generations Farmed the Land, which focuses on one farm's story; and the directory Owners of Centennial Farms in Clinton County. For more information about any of these items, and to see the Library's complete holdings on this topic, please search ANSWER, the Library's catalog.

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What's New at the Library of Michigan?

By Charles Hagler
Reference Librarian, Library of Michigan

Do you want to know what new Michigan and Genealogy materials have been added to the Library of Michigan's collection? Access ANSWER, the Library's online catalog, at www.answercat.org. You can view the new Michigan and Genealogy materials each month by clicking on the Check for New Books button at the bottom of the ANSWER homepage.

Please note, many of the Library's genealogical resources are part of the non-circulating collection and are only available for on-site use at the Library. ANSWER does not provide access to periodical articles, microforms, or CD-ROM and Internet databases, but it does indicate the location and call number where the item can be found in the Library of Michigan.

Here are a few notable titles that have arrived since the last issue of Michigan Genealogist.

Bi-centennial Committee of Union Springs, New York. Bicentennial History of Springport and Union Springs, New York, 1976. Union Springs, NY: Bi-centennial Committee of Union Spring, New York, 1976.
Genealogy F 129 .U56 B58 1976
One of more than 500 items donated by William G. McAskin over many years that have greatly enriched the Abrams Foundation Historical Collection.

History of Buffalo and Erie County, 1914-1919. Compiled by Daniel J. Sweeney. Buffalo: Committee of One Hundred, 1920.
Genealogy D 570.85 .N5 B8 1920
Buffalo and Erie County during World War I. Gift of William G. McAskin.

Killgore, Roy. Descendants of Joseph Killgore 1690 (1701) to 1764 of Scotland: 1718 Immigrant to York, Maine. Nipomo, CA: R.E. Killgore, 2008.
Genealogy CS 71 .K493526 2008
Gift of Roy E. Killgore. While the Library of Michigan does not buy family history books, we do accept them as gifts. If you have a printed family history that you would like to donate to the Library, we would gladly add it to our collection.

Knopf, Donald H. St. Peter Lutheran Cemetery, Family Histories of the Original Prussian German Settlers to Metz Township, Presque Isle County, Metz Township, Metz Michigan: Includes Burials, Church Records, Federal Census Records & Family Histories. Fort Wayne, IN: The author, 2009.
Michigan F 572 .P7 K667 2009
An example of self-published genealogy and local history materials in the Library's Michigan Collection.

St. Clair County Family History Group Surname Book. Port Huron: St. Clair County Family History Group, 2008.
Michigan CS 2385 .S35 2008

United States. National Archives and Records Administration. Using Civilian Records for Genealogical Research in the National Archives Washington, D.C., Area. Washington, D.C.: National Archives and Records Administration, 2006.
Genealogy CS 49 .U85 2006

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Researching Irish Quaker Ancestors at the Library of Michigan

By Edwina Morgan
Special Collections Librarian, Library of Michigan

The Quaker records of Ireland are maintained in two locations in Ireland: Dublin Friends Historical Library and the Society of Friends' Ulster Archives Committee at Lisburn. Monthly meeting abstracts at the Dublin Friends Historical Library date back to the 1670s; more extensive material was retained starting in 1859. This is not at all clear when reviewing that organization's Web site. Happily, the National Archives repository detail page echos the promise that the records are indeed there. The National Archives record also includes an e-mail address for direct inquiries with the Dublin Friends Historical Library. Should you want to search the National Archives directory itself, they do list materials throughout the United Kingdom so a search that specifies a locale in Ireland may be helpful: www.nationalarchives.gov.uk/search/advanced_search.aspx?homepage=ad-search&javascriptenabled=True&j=t.

Much closer to home, the Family History Library catalog lists Irish Quaker records. Microfilm number 0571399 contains: births, 1859-1949; marriages, 1859-1949; deaths, 1859-1909; and yearly meeting register of deaths, 1909-1949. Further material may be found by searching for the author Society of Friends (Ireland). Searching for the subject heading Ireland -- Church records is not recommended as it may lead to an abundance of non-Quaker material not applicable to the research at hand. The Family History Library catalog as well as Family Search Labs are available free online.

To get started with your Irish Friends search from within the Library of Michigan, you may want to begin with ANSWER, the Library's online catalog. Often a subject search is the most effective, as it will weed out false hits. For Quakers in Ireland, the Library of Congress has assigned the subject heading of Society of Friends -- Ireland or Quakers -- Ireland -- Dublin -- History -- Sources. This subject heading is used at most libraries and at Family History Centers. One title you will find at the Library of Michigan is:

Milligan, Edward H. and Malcolm J. Thomas, My Ancestors Were Quakers: How Can I Find Out More About Them?. 2nd edition. London: Society of Genealogists, 1999.
Genealogy BX 7676.2 .M55 1999

A resource such as this may come in handy if you know that your ancestors came to what was to become the United States earlier than 1859 or more probable prior to the American Revolution. All records of this vintage can be problematic, but the nature of Quaker recordkeeping makes researching them no worse than any other early American population. What may make them more difficult is their early American family structure and their dependence on land as wealth and thus frequent movement west. To help with those very early Irish records, the following title might be helpful:

Goodbody, Olive C. Guide to Irish Quakers Records, 1654-1860, with Contribution on Northern Ireland Records by B. G. Hutton. Dublin: Stationery Office for the Irish Manuscripts Commission, 1967.

This title is not held by the Library of Michigan but may be interlibrary loaned through your local public library. It is also available at the University of Michigan and Detroit Public Library.

Maps would be a fine resource to use in this research. Using ANSWER, do a subject search for Ireland -- Gazetteers. The Web site Counties and Provinces of Ireland may also prove to be helpful.

Articles and how-to resource guides may be found on PERSI on HeritageQuest. HeritageQuest is available free to Michigan residents through MeL, mel.org. Just click on MeL Databases and scroll down until you see HeritageQuest. All databases are in alphabetical order. Once you have connected to HeritageQuest, choose the PERSI collection, select Places and then click on the far right tab, Other Countries, and type in "Ireland." In the Keyword box you may type in "Quaker." In the Record Type field, you may select Church Records, but this may be unnecessary as "Quaker" or "Society of Friends" in the Keyword box may cover the materials needed.

You may find different results depending whether "Quaker" or "Society of Friends" is used as the search term. Additionally, results may not be exclusive to Ireland but may include the United States as well as England.

The How-To's section may be of interest as well given the unique nature of Friends materials and the Irish origins. All sources found in PERSI will be journal articles. Often the Library of Michigan will have on hand the journals cited, but if not, the specific articles may be requested through interlibrary loan either through the Library of Michigan or your local public library should you be conducting this research from home.

Researchers may want to canvass Ancestry Library Edition, which is available at the Library of Michigan, by searching for a database by keyword. In this case the keyword might be "Quaker," "Society of Friends," "Ireland" or a specific location with Ireland. To search all of the Ancestry Library Edition databases, start at the front page and click on the All Databases link at the very bottom of the page.

Then fill in any keywords you wish and click Search:

Many results found with a keyword search for Quaker pertain to early records in America, such as those for Duchess County, N.Y., where there was a sizable Friends population.

The Library of Michigan has plenty to offer people needing to research their Irish Quaker ancestors. Starting with the basic books in the Genealogy Collection, you may lock in on the unique terminology pertaining to the documents. Further research and hopefully some transcriptions may be found using PERSI on HeritageQuest and the extensive genealogy journal collection. Finally, even though Ireland is far away, there are copies of documents here in the United States as well. With any luck at all, one may be able to visit Ireland some day to review the materials held at the National and Friends libraries.

Some additional Web sites of interest:

• The Quaker Corner is not unique to Ireland but may assist in understanding the ins and outs of Quaker records: www.rootsweb.ancestry.com/~quakers/index.htm
• Irishtimes.com, a quality list of records held by location that may be of use if you have the opportunity to visit Ireland; list includes holdings as well as the National Library film number: www.irishtimes.com/ancestor/browse/records/church/quaker/chrqaker2.htm.
• National Library of Ireland: www.nli.ie/en/homepage.aspx
• GENUKI, genealogy material on almost every topic within Great Britain: www.genuki.org.uk/search/ or www.genuki.org.uk/big/irl/

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Archives of Michigan

'Oh, I Do Wish This Crewel War Was Over'

By Nicole Garrett
Archivist, Archives of Michigan

Mack Ewing penned this sentiment after his brother-in-law, Alvin Hank, was taken prisoner by the Confederate army. Ewing recounts the incident in his October 30, 1864, letter to his wife: "Nan Alvin was either taken prisoner or was killed. no one knows which. as we was so close to the rebs we had to crall back on our bellies and any way to get back in the woods ... our Regt lost about 15 men wounded and missing. we fought the Rebs till abot ten oclock on the 28th then the hole army retreated back to the Camp that we Started from. but we came back with out one of my best friend." (Read the entire letter from Mack Ewing to Nan Ewing, October 30, 1864.)

A Polarizing Time

This is just one of the many events recounted in the Civil War Letters of Mack and Nan Ewing Collection. Comprising 291 letters, the Mack and Nan Ewing Collection spans 1855 to 1865, a polarizing time in our nation's history. Subjects include the 1860 and 1864 presidential elections (The Ewings were staunch Lincoln supporters.), the Copperhead movement and news relating to the 2nd Michigan Infantry.

In March 1864, Mack Ewing - along with his brother Andy Ewing, cousin Dewitt C. Cherrington, cousin T.C. Radabaugh and brother-in-law Alvin Hank - enlisted in the 2nd Michigan Infantry. All of the soldiers enrolled at Hillsdale and marched for Washington, D.C., that May. They saw heavy action around Petersburg, Va., and took part in the siege of that city.

'I Will Never Disown the Cause'

In December 1864, Mack Ewing fell victim to a stray bullet. While in his tent, a bullet hit him through his right eye. He survived but had to have his right eye removed. As Ewing wrote to his wife, "I will neve[r] disown the Cause in which I met the blow. I Shall not be a Shamed of it. yet life wood Seam Sweetter if I cood See out of two eyes." (Read Mack Ewing's complete letter about his wound.) Because of this injury, Mack Ewing spent the remainder of his army service in various hospitals along the East Coast. He was discharged from Saterlee Hospital on June 23, 1865.

As Nan Ewing was pregnant at the time of her husband's enlistment, she moved back to her native Ohio to be with her family. Thus, the letters include correspondence from various branches of the family residing in Hillsdale, Mich.; Stuebenville, Ohio; and Jackson County, Ohio. The Ohio relatives tell of Morgan's Raids in the summer of 1863, when towns along the Ohio border with Kentucky and West Virginia were burned to the ground. They also give accounts of Copperhead supporters among their neighbors.

Civil War Materials on Seeking Michigan

The complete Mack and Nan Ewing Collection is available on Seeking Michigan. More Civil War collections are being added regularly with the goal of having all Archives of Michigan Civil War material online by 2011. For all available materials, see Discover Seeking Michigan Digital Collections

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Across the State

Library of Michigan Staff Presenting Around the State

Edwina Morgan

- Oct. 17: Genealogy Research at the Library of Michigan

Holland Genealogical Society, Herrick District Library, Holland

Gloriane Peck

- Oct. 13: Ancestry Library Edition and HeritageQuest

Canton Public Library, Canton

Kris Rzepczynski

- Oct. 10: Researching Your Family's History at the Library of Michigan, The Circle of Life: Research with Michigan Vital Records, Coming to America: Research with Ship Passenger Lists

Bloomfield Hills Family History Center Seminar: Tracking Our Ancestors Footsteps III, Bloomfield Hills

- Nov. 3: Seeking Michigan Death Records? A New Digitization Project

Jackson County Genealogical Society, Jackson

- Nov. 17: Coming to America: Research with Ships' Passenger Lists

Shiawassee County Genealogical Society, Owosso

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About the Michigan Genealogist

Publisher's Note

The Library of Michigan and Archives of Michigan electronically publish the Michigan Genealogist on a quarterly basis. It is intended to provide family history-related information to interested researchers and to inform readers about resources found in the Library of Michigan and the Archives of Michigan.

We encourage wide distribution of this newsletter and invite readers to share it with their friends, families and fellow researchers. We have made every effort to provide accurate information. However, the publisher does not assume any liability to any party for any loss or damage caused by errors or omissions related to any of the issues of the Michigan Genealogist.

If you would like to subscribe to this newsletter, please contact the Michigan Genealogist at librarian@michigan.gov.

Driving Directions and Parking

Information concerning driving directions and parking is on the following Web sites:

• Driving Directions: www.michigan.gov/hal/0,1607,7-160-17445_19274_20004-55205--,00.html
• Parking: www.michigan.gov/hal/0,1607,7-160-17445_19274_20001---,00.html

Research

Due to the length of time needed to conduct genealogical research, the staffs of the Library of Michigan and Archives of Michigan are unable provide extensive research services. Check the Library of Michigan and Archives of Michigan Web pages at www.michigan.gov/familyhistory and www.michigan.gov/archivesofmi for more information on policies and procedures regarding genealogical research.

Ask a Librarian

Genealogy queries can be sent to the Library of Michigan at librarian@michigan.gov. While staff members cannot do extensive research, they can point you in the right direction and assist you in determining if the Library's collection contains the information you seek. If necessary, the Library's staff will refer you to a researcher or local genealogical society that will conduct research for a fee. Questions relating to the Archives of Michigan should be sent to archives@michigan.gov.

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