You may be one of the estimated two million Americans who have an ancestor who rode an Orphan Train. This can mean that you have hit a “brick wall” in your research. Between the 1850’s and the 1920’s there were over 150,000, orphaned and abandoned, children sent from east-coast cities to new homes in the west. Their identities were often obscured by their new families. Ann Browning will share her knowledge of this little-known story in America’s social history at our January meeting. We will learn of her unique experience in discovering her own family’s Orphan Train legacy.

Ann is a member of SOCCGS. She is a recent and enthusiastic genealogy researcher. Ann and her husband, Richard, moved to Mission Viejo from Seattle eight years ago. They enjoy their retirement in the Palmia Community, where Ann is a board member of the Genealogy Club.

You won’t want to miss this first program of 2005!

February 19 -- June Hanson - “English Records Research: What’s There and Where to Find Them.”
March 19 ---- Wendy Elliott - “Finding Wives’ Names.”
April 16 ------ Barbara Renick - “Jump Start Your Family Tree Online.”
October 22 --- Seminar featuring Lloyd Bockstruck
December ---- Holiday Party

IN MEMORIUM

Joe Barney, our immediate past president, passed away on December 20, 2004. Joe will be remembered as a friendly and enthusiastic member of SOCCGS. We will miss him greatly. He served the Society in the capacities of historian, recording secretary and president.

Joseph Patrick Barney was born in West Haven, Connecticut April 15, 1930. His parents were Joseph Edwin and Genevieve Stanford Barney. Joe spent 29 years in the US Air Force, retiring in 1979, as a Lt. Colonel. During these years, he was stationed in Japan, Korea, Italy, Vietnam, Thailand and Bolivia. He married Cynthia Foley of White Plains, New York. Besides Cindy, Joe is survived by 2 sons, a daughter and three grandchildren. Joe began searching his roots in 1997 and focused much of his research on his father, Joseph Edwin Barney, who was born in Windsor Locks, CT to Harriet Smith of Smith/Gillette and Joseph Barney (Parrish). This Joseph Barney was born in Three Rivers, Canada of the Abenaki Tribe.

Joe searched back to the beginning of the nineteenth century, on his mother's paternal family, to County Leitrim, Ireland. Her mother was Margaret Meagher (O'Meagher). Margaret's father was Michael Meagher, of Tipperary, Ireland. His mother was Maria McDonald, either of England or Ireland.

BG Thomas Francis Meagher, Irish patriot, who led the Irish Brigade from New York during the Civil War. is believed to be one of Joe’s ancestors.

This service is available on three of our genealogy computers. This is an in-house subscription, meaning that we are unable to access the site from our home computers. The new wireless internet access provided by the Mission Viejo Library allows for speedy access.

Genealogy information found on HQ includes: Complete Federal Censuses (1790-1930): Indexes & full digitized images, PERSI (Periodical Source Index): Indexes 6,500+ local history & genealogy periodicals written since 1700, ProQuest Genealogy & Local History Collection: 25,000+ full-text/searchable family & local history books, Revolutionary War Pension Bounty & Land Warrant Application Files and coming soon, Freedman’s Bank Records.

Patrons may print or download (to floppy disk) any records, images, or citations. Citations may also be sent via email.

Another great reason for visiting our library, and perhaps becoming a docent.!

GENEALOGY SAFARI
January 26

This month we will visit the Los Angeles Public Library. Those interested please contact Bill Bluett, 492-9408, [email protected]. Signups will also be taken at the January meeting. You may take lunch or eat at, or near, the library. In order to miss the heavy traffic we plan to eat dinner before starting home. Please be prepared to pay $5.00 to your driver for gas. Depending upon the interest for this safari, we may need more than the usual one driver.

SOCCGS MAILING LIST

Use this link to join the SOCCGS Mailing List, if you haven’t already done so. No junk mail, just notifications of happenings! And you can send queries to the list or use it to pass along genealogy information to the group. https://mailinglists.rootsweb.com/listindexes/legacy/other/Genealogical_Societies/SOCCGS.html

I have just dusted off an article which I am submitting to the Old Mines Area Historical Society in Old Mines, Missouri, concerning the Pierre Lor family. Pierre had little significance other than he was an Indian interpreter 1808 at Fort Osage, the earliest settlement of Independence and Kansas City, Missouri. He has multiple descendants from and/or currently living in Washington County, Missouri. Why I choose to draw your attention to this is that the Old Mines Area Historical Society publishes a quarterly newsletter, The Diggin’s. This quarterly goes out to about 500 subscribers. More importantly, this newsletter is sent to the Allen County, Indiana Library, and eventually will be included in the PERSI index. Can you think of an easier way to “publish” and have your research last and be available to other researchers???

I believe our members would like to know if you write any articles, and where they may appear. I strongly urge you to submit articles that would be picked up by the Allen County Library. Our Saddleback Valley Trails has been sent to that library since the newsletter began. We at SOCCGS would like to know who, in the society, is writing and where their articles might have appeared. Please let the editor know or share this information at a monthly meeting.

David DeFord is looking for stories for Chicken Soup for the Genealogist’s Soul. As the author of this upcoming work I’m searching for inspirational and touching stories of genealogists who:

• Came to understand their heritage and can express how this understanding has affected them.
  
• Found reconciliation in their families through sharing their research.
  
• Made new connections with extended family.
  
• Experienced deep emotional reactions to information they have gathered.
  

A Chicken Soup for the Soul® story is an inspirational, true story about ordinary people doing extraordinary things. It is a story that opens the heart and rekindles the spirit. It is a simple, interdenominational, living art piece that touches the soul of the readers and helps them discover basic principles they can use in their own lives. They are personal and often filled with emotion and drama. They are filled with vivid images created by using the five senses. In some stories, the readers feel that they are actually in the scene with the people.

Chicken Soup stories have a beginning, middle and an ending that often closes with a punch, creating emotion rather than simply talking about it. Chicken Soup for the Soul® stories have heart, but also something extra…an element that makes us all feel more hopeful, more connected, more thankful, more passionate and better about life in general. A story that causes tears, laughter, goose bumps or any combination of these. A good story covers the range of human emotions.
The most powerful stories are about people extending themselves, or performing an act of love, service or courage for another person.

David DeFord
13964 Margo Street
Omaha, NE 68138
402-968-7372
[email protected]
http://www.OrdinaryPeopleCanWin.com

CITY DIRECTORIES AT CARLSBAD’S COLE LIBRARY

The North San Diego Genealogical Society has donated $18,000 to purchase microfiche copies of city directories created prior to 1860. Nearly 7,000 items will be added to the library’s genealogy collection in January. This library already has one of the largest genealogy collections in Southern California. The Cole Library is located at 1250 Carlsbad Village Drive, and is open from 9 to 9 Monday through Thursday, 9 to 5 Friday and Saturday, and 9-5 Sunday.

Carlsbad is on the 2005 Safari Calendar for February 23.

Fountain Valley Public Library
17635 Los Alamos Street
Fountain Valley
Sunday, January 16, 2005 - 1:00 pm
An Irish dinner catered by Silky Sullivan's of Fountain Valley
Followed by Irish Dancing by the McDermott Girls
and video "History of St. Patrick's Day"
Menu: Irish Stew, Cesaer's Salad, Roll, Lemon Cake, Coffee, Tea, Bottled Water
Cost: $13.00 per person
Reservation Deadline: Thursday, January 13, 2005
Sponsored by Irish/Scottish SIG Group of
Orange County California Genealogical Society (OCCGS)
For more information call: (714) 962-4592 (Muriel)

FOILING THE PHISHERS

Phishing is a growing form of online fraud. It blends old-fashioned confidence scams with innovations in technological trickery. The best way to avoid becoming a victim is to remember that real companies almost never send e-mail asking you to submit any personal data.

Phishers use "spoofed" [fake] e-mails and fraudulent websites designed to fool you into divulging personal financial data such as credit card numbers, account user names and passwords, Social Security numbers, etc. By hijacking the trusted brands of well-known banks, online retailers and credit card companies, phishers can fool you.

They often include fancy graphics, trademark symbols, and an authentic-looking e-mail address in the "from" line, but all of these things can be faked easily. One of the easiest ways to tell that it comes from a phiser is if the message tries to scare you into giving up personal and financial information by saying that your account needs to be verified, updated or confirmed. If you think a message might be legitimate, contact the organization by phone or open a new Internet browser window and type in the company's Web address. Do not cut and paste material from suspicious e-mail messages and never reply to a suspected phiser.

Be smart. Be safe. Here's more on how to avoid these phishing scams:
http://www.antiphishing.org/consumer_recs.html

NO RICH UNCLES EITHER

On another fraud front, many genealogists have been contacted by perpetuators of what's known as the Nigerian Advance Fee Fraud or "4-1-9" scheme -- so named after the section of the Nigerian penal code that addresses fraud schemes. These are often quite creative as family historians are discovering.

A large number of victims are enticed into believing they have been singled out from the masses (often by using your family names) to share in some multimillion dollar windfall profits. Don't fall for such frauds either. Read this online public awareness advisory: http://www.secretservice.gov/alert419.shtml

(The foregoing two articles are reprinted from RootsWeb Review, 15 December 2004, Vol. 7, No. 50.)

ETHICAL WILLS SEMINAR

Have you ever thought about passing on the Wisdom, the Values, and the Insights you have gained, to your loved ones?

Mary and Don Decker will be presenting inspiration and instructions on how to write an addition to your will that will pass on the ethics you want to leave your loved ones.

This free seminar will be at 4:00 p.m. Sunday January 16, 2005 at the Laguna Niguel Presbyterian Church Sanctuary, 30071 Ivy Glenn, Laguna Niguel, CA 92677

For more information call Lee Kraft, 388-4584

A year ago this information was published in the newsletter. In the interest of new members it is being published once again.

The Los Angeles County Records Office is located at 12400 Imperial, Norwalk, 90650, near the junction of I-5 and the 605 Freeway. Parking is free. The office is open Monday-Friday 8 a.m. - 5 p.m. Telephone (800) 815-2666. The following records are housed at this location: Birth Records, Prior to 1906 & 1964 to present; Death Records, 1877 to present and Marriage Records 1852 to present. They also have many Statewide indexes: Births 1949-1984, Marriages 1949-1977, Deaths 1940-1977 & 1980-1989.

Following is an excerpt from a newsletter article by member, Leon Smith who jumped over a major brick wall with his research at the County Records Office.

“Sometimes (if not all the time) it is well to pay attention to the monthly SOCCGS bulletin. I always enjoy reading the bulletin and I pick up some good websites and research ideas. In last month's bulletin I noticed a mention about L. A. County records being available in Norwalk. This sounded a lot better to me than going all the way to L. A. I don't know about you, but I dread going to big cities, fighting traffic, finding parking and putting up with long lines in the government buildings. To my surprise, I actually enjoyed my trip to Norwalk. At 10:30 in the morning, the traffic wasn't too bad. As I got to the designated freeway exit I wondered how hard it would be to find the right building. To my amazement, there were posted signs guiding you to the county records office. There was even free parking! Inside, there were ‘idiot-proof’ colored strips on the floor to follow to the correct person and there were no long lines. Since I didn't have much information on my particular relative I was directed downstairs. The personnel there were very helpful and within minutes I had found my great great aunt’s document. It was a painless experience.”

OLD NEWSPAPERS
From the New York Times (New York, N. Y.), 01 July 1884, page 1:

TWO BAD MARKSMEN: A Lover and His Prospective Father-In-Law at Pistols.
BALTIMORE, June 30.--An ardent young lover and an irate old father had a lively duel with pistols this morning in the northwestern section of the city. It was not a duel after the style of the Virginia code, but a regular fusillade. It was all on account of the father's pretty daughter. Frank Bouchat loved Ada Smelzinger, and she returned his affection with all the warmth of her 16-year-old German heart. John Smelzinger, the father did not look with favor on Bouchat, and also thought his daughter too young to marry. Accordingly he forbade Bouchat the house. The lovers continued to meet, as lovers always will. Last night they met and walked and talked till late. When she returned her father scolded her. Her lover's residence is right opposite to her father's house. After scolding his daughter the angry parent last night went over to the young man's house, saw him sitting dreaming on the front steps and awoke him from his love bliss with a blow on the head with a pistol. Frank, was stunned by the blow, but recovered and went into the house. This morning early Frank bought a pistol. He no sooner made his appearance in front of the house than the duel began. Who fired the first shot is not known. The father stood in his doorway and blazed away; near him was his pretty daughter begging him not to shoot Frank and screaming to Frank not to kill her father. After firing several shots across the street at each other, Bouchat retreated into the house with a ball through his coat-sleeve. He ascended to the third story and then fired down on the old man; but lucky for the two, although a dozen shots were fired, neither of the bad marksmen was hurt. They were overpowered by the neighbors and both arrested. It is reported that Ada declares she will marry her Frank. (Ancestry Daily News, 8/26/2004 - Archive)

From "The New-York Times" (New York, N. Y.), 26 August 1859, page 1:

To the Editor of the New-York Times: Shocking Street Sight.

Horses left to die in the street is an ordinary sight. But never until this week have I seen a poor animal lying two days and a night in Broadway though still alive. Last Tuesday morning a horse was stretched out at the corner of Tenth-street and Broadway, while near him stood an ordinary wagon. How he was injured I know not; I only know that he lay there through the day with a circle of spectators about him; that he endured the peltings of the storm Tuesday night; that through the long hours of Wednesday he was still there, exposed to the heavy rain of the afternoon, and that at sundown, as I passed by, he was still alive. This morning he was gone. A little straw was put under his head, a little grass given him to eat, and that was all the care taken of him during this time. Can nothing be done to the owners of such poor animals? W. H. C.

http://www.ellisisland.org - In October 2004 SLEIF announced a re-launch of its site. Several improvements have been noted. The search capability has been improved. While the main page allows you to search by first and last name, approximate year of birth, and gender, you can widen your options to include the following by selecting "passenger search" and then "advanced search" from the menu bar at the top:

- First Name of Passenger (by: is, starts with, or contains)
- Last Name of Passenger (by: is, starts with, alternate spellings, or sounds like)
- Gender (by: any, male, or female)
- Approximate Year of Birth of Passenger with Year Range (+ or -: 1, 2, 5, or 10 years)
- Approximate Year of Arrival with Year Range (+ or -: 1, 2, 5, or 10 years)
- Town/Village of Origin (by: is, starts with, or contains)
- Name of Passenger Ship (by: is, starts with, or contains)
- Ethnicity (select as many as you like from a menu of about 170 ethnicities)
(Excerpted from an article by Megan Smolenyak, “Honoring Our Ancestors-Ellis Island Re-Launches”
12-28-04, www.ancestry.com/dailynews)

GENEALOGICAL SOCIETY OF HISPANIC AMERICA

The Library of Congress and the National Endowment for the Humanities recently signed a memorandum of understanding to work cooperatively towards the goal of developing a national digital resource of select public domain US newspapers. This new National Digital Newspaper Program (NDNP) will combine the legacy of the highly successful United States Newspaper Program (USNP), a catalog of over 140,000 newspaper titles, 450,000 union list holding records, and more than 65 million pages microfilmed through the participation of more than 50 different institutions, with new technology to digitally convert from microfilm and freely deliver to users 30 million newspaper pages published between 1836 to 1923.

The following information appeared in Parade Magazine on December 12, 2004. Thanks to Pat McCoy for passing it along.

Great health advances are being made in genetics, therefore it is to our advantage of knowing our family’s health history.

The Surgeon General of the United States is urging Americans to compile a family health history and is offering a free computer program to help us do so. Go to http://www.hhs.gov/familyhistory for the “My Family Health Portrait.”