The following announcement was written by the Board for Certification of Genealogists (BCG):

“It Goes with the Territory! Find Your Ancestors in Pre-statehood Records” by Alice Hoyt Veen, CG, Tuesday, February 15, 2022, 8:00 p.m. Eastern Standard Time (EST)

From the Old Northwest to the Hawaiian Islands, the United States has acquired and settled new lands. If your ancestor pioneered pre-statehood territories, they may have left records valuable to documenting and understanding their lives. Discussion includes a timeline of territorial settlement and governance, and strategies for locating and using territorial records.

BCG’s next free monthly webinar in conjunction with Legacy Family Tree Webinars is “It Goes with the Territory! Find Your Ancestors in Pre-statehood Records” by Alice Hoyt Veen, CG

This webinar airs Tuesday, February 15, 2022, at 8:00 p.m. EST.

Alice Hoyt Veen is a Board-certified genealogist, professional researcher, and genealogical educator. She believes family history success lies in truly understanding the records our ancestors created. Her presentations reflect this philosophy through real case-study examples and hands-on practice. Alice has spoken at national, regional, and state conferences, and for numerous local organizations. She is a past trustee for the BCG Education Fund, a charitable trust advancing the educational aims of the Board for Certification of Genealogists.

When you register before February 15 on our partner Legacy Family Tree Webinars website webinars page: (http://legacy.familytreewebinars.com/?aid=6789), you will receive a confirmation email containing information about joining the webinar. Anyone with schedule conflicts may access the webinar at no charge for one week after the broadcast on the Legacy Family Tree Webinars website.

“We are pleased to present these high-quality educational webinars,” said President LaBrenda Garrett-Nelson, JD, LLM, CG, CGL, FASG. “The Board for Certification of Genealogists promotes public confidence in genealogy by supporting uniform standards of competence. We strive to provide educational opportunities to family historians of all levels of experience.”

Following the free period for this webinar, BCG receives a small commission if you view this or any BCG webinar by clicking our affiliate link: (Webinar Library - Legacy Family Tree Webinars).

Webinar Library - Legacy Family Tree Webinars

To see the full list of BCG-sponsored webinars for 2022, visit the BCG blog SpringBoard at https://bcgcertification.org/bcg-2022-free-webinars. For additional resources for genealogical education, please visit the BCG Learning Center (https://bcgcertification.org/learning).

Maysoon Zayid, a comedian, actress, disability advocate and tap dancer, will be one of several international keynote speakers featured in the free, three-day RootsTech global family history conference that will be held entirely online March 3-5.

Who is speaking at RootsTech 2022?

You can read all the details at: https://www.deseret.com/faith/2022/2/9/22925614/rootstech-2022-maysoon-zayid-speaker-background-story.

OK, here is your history trivia question of the day: who was Colonel Griffith Jenkins Griffith?

I can tell you that this man with identical first and last names was once an impoverished 14-year-old Welsh immigrant who made good in his adopted country. When he arrived in New York City, he had no money, no family, and no education. Years later, as a multi-millionaire when a dollar was still worth a dollar, he donated 3,015 acres of prime real estate to the City of Los Angeles. He also spent several years in jail and probably was one of the wealthiest inmates of the time, if not THE wealthiest. His prison sentence was for attempted murder of his wife. Colonel Griffith J. Griffith believed that she was in league with the Pope to poison him and steal his money.

Oh yes, there is no record of his ever being promoted to the rank of colonel, even though he always used the title. Evidence suggests the only military title he ever held was Major of rifle practice with the California National Guard.

“Colonel” Griffith J. Griffith's name is almost unknown today although the land he donated to Los Angeles still bears his name: Griffith Park. He previously had established an ostrich farm on the property when ostrich feathers were popular in ladies' hats. Griffith Park now contains the world-famous Hollywood sign. He also donated money for the park's Greek Theater and for the Griffith Observatory. Why would such a wealthy benefactor be ignored by history?

It seems that the Colonel was disagreeable, if not a downright scoundrel. He collected many more enemies than friends. The fact that he was convicted for attempted murder also gave good reason for his name to be dropped from polite conversation.

Griffith J. Griffith arrived penniless in New York in 1866 and, a few years later, became a reporter, covering mines for a San Francisco newspaper. He also engaged in a lucrative side business, preparing confidential mining reports for the nation's richest men. His early knowledge of secrets not known by other investors gave him an edge long before the creation of “insider trading” laws. He invested his profits into other mining operations, sometimes losing money, but more often turning large profits.

By 1882, Griffith J. Griffith was rich. He obviously loved the role of millionaire. While short of stature, he wore the longest of long cream-colored overcoats in an age when overcoats usually came to the heels. The agate buttons on the coats were huge; each button probably cost the equivalent of a workingman's weekly wage of the time. He also carried a gold-headed cane.

One acquaintance described him as "a midget egomaniac." Another wrote that the colonel "was a roly-poly, pompous little fellow" who "had an exaggerated strut like a turkey gobbler."

It is claimed (although not proven) that Walt Disney modeled the image of comic book character Scrooge McDuck on Colonel Griffith’s normal appearance.

Colonel Griffith J. Griffith also married well. Christina Mesmer was rich. In fact, her father probably had more money than the “Colonel.” She was also dignified and respected.  According to the Los Angeles Times, it was a match made in society heaven:

“The bride has been educated in a superior manner, as befits the owner of so vast an estate. Her singing and playing are exceptionally fine, and her taste for flowers is remarkable (as is well illustrated in her mother’s garden). She can speak four languages, while the happy bridegroom can converse in three, including Welsh.”

They remained married for 16 years, but things went sour in the last year. Griffith started acting in a strange manner. He compulsively bit his nails, his manicurist said. And he was a sneak drinker, his lawyer said, privately putting away two quarts of whiskey a day while publicly donating money to the temperance movement.

While the couple was on vacation in 1913, Griffith entered their hotel room with a prayer book in one hand and a revolver in the other. He handed the prayer book to his wife, then shot her. At least, he tried to shoot her. Christina Griffith apparently jerked her head to one side as a reaction. That movement saved her life. She then jumped out a window, landed on an awning below, and crawled to safety through another window. The experience left her disfigured and blind in one eye.

The trial was almost an open-and-shut case, despite Griffith's high-powered defense team. An ex-governor of California headed the prosecution team. Griffith was found guilty but given a light sentence of only two years in jail.

Once in San Quentin and denied access to alcohol, Griffith's personality seemed to change once again. He turned down easy prison jobs and volunteered to make burlap sacks in the prison's jute mill, one of the least desirable work assignments available. When he was eligible for parole, he refused to apply. He served his full sentence.

When released from prison, Griffith was still a multi-millionaire but was hated by most everyone. Many people feared that he was crazy.

In 1912 he offered the city of Los Angeles $100,000 to build a popular observatory atop Mt. Hollywood. The mountain formerly had been known as Mount Griffith, but the city had re-named it when he was in prison. One prominent citizen wrote a letter about the proposed gift to the editor of a local newspaper, which published it on the front page. The letter stated, in part, “On behalf of the rising generation of girls and boys, we protest against the acceptance of this bribe . . . This community is neither so poor nor so lost to sense of public decency that it can afford to accept this money.”

The city council refused the money.

Colonel Griffith J. Griffith then created a trust fund to create the Greek Theater and the Griffith Observatory. The city did not accept the money until some years after his death.

Colonel Griffith J. Griffith died rich, but unloved, on July 6, 1919. He is interred at the Hollywood Forever Cemetery in Los Angeles in the north end of Section 7, a.k.a. "The Griffith Lawn". While standing at the side of his obelisk and looking north, one can see the Griffith Observatory.

Although Griffith Park is well-known and visited by millions, few people today recognize the name of the park's benefactor.

"If It's Tuesday, This Must Be Belgium."

Where will you go on your next vacation trip? A trip to New England? Washington, D.C.? How about to the beach? Or how about a European vacation? How about taking a trip to the town where your grandparents grew up or visiting the country of your ancestors? What if you could actually walk the same streets as your great-great grandfather or see the home where your grandmother was born? This is something you want to put on your bucket list.

A trip back to the old home town or to "the old country" can be an immensely satisfying experience. Those who prepare for the trip usually report they have great memories and photographs of the experience.

While it is always worthwhile to visit town clerks, courthouses, libraries, and other repositories wherever your ancestors lived, you also will want to spend some time looking for old cemeteries and perhaps for the land where the old homestead stood. This provides an interesting look at history and the hardships your ancestors faced, even if the old farm is now a shopping center. Few activities are more thrilling than traveling to your ancestor's village or gravesite. Standing where your forebears walked long ago is an amazing experience. When you visit the family homestead or homeland, you can further embrace the experience by eating the local food, and drinking the local beer, wine, or beverage of choice.

Of course, you will also want to find distant cousins, if possible. There is an interesting difference between Americans and many Europeans. Americans typically look back to find ancestors while Europeans often look forward in time, wondering what happened after people went to America.

Here are some suggestions:

Before you go

Do your homework! Research your ancestors before you leave home. Talk with older relatives to learn what they know. Visit a local Family History Center. Search the Internet. If planning a foreign visit and you do not speak, read, and write the language(s) of your ancestors, hire someone back in "the old country" to do research for you and to plan an itinerary long before you embark on the trip.

Read the Research Guides available free of charge from www.FamilySearch.org. These can provide an amazing amount of information about where records may be found. Research Guides and much more may be found in the FamilySearch Research Wiki at https://www.familysearch.org/en/wiki/Main_Page.

Also check the World GenWeb (https://www.worldgenweb.org/) for each country and US GenWeb (http://www.usgenweb.org) for each state or county where you plan to do research.

Even if you do speak the same language or are planning a trip to another U.S. state or Canadian province, hiring a local guide with expertise in the local area may save you a lot of (expensive) time when you arrive. The worst thing you can do is to arrive in the old country with no plan and no background information; you won’t want to be doing your research (indoors) in the old country when you could be out sightseeing and visiting the places where your ancestors walked.

Find out in advance what is available where you're going in terms of museums, libraries, cemeteries and other sources of information. And don't forget to make note of their days and hours of operation. Again, don't simply show up unannounced. It is best to have an appointment in advance with a guide or staff member who is prepared to show you the information you seek. Did you ever watch the television series, "Who Do You Think You Are?" Those "discoveries" were all made well in advance by careful planning and then were shown to the celebrities when they arrived at the appointed time. You should do the same.

Study maps ahead of time to get an idea of where you want to go and how long it will take you to get there. Not only will you want to study current maps to find the current highways and the train routes, but you also will want to find maps of the areas of interest showing boundaries and village names at the time your ancestors lived there. Village names often change. Modes and routes of transportation also change. You need to know where your ancestors traveled in order to find their records and to appreciate their experiences.

You can locate cemeteries using maps or the USGS National Mapping Information (GNIS) at https://www.usgs.gov/us-board-on-geographic-names. Both foreign and U.S. place names can often be identified on the Getty Thesaurus of Geographic Names Online at http://www.getty.edu/vow/TGNSearchPage.jsp.

Another problem is that one country may have two, three, or even more villages of the same name. Are you sure you have the right place? Be sure to check out this possibility and verify the precise location you want to visit.

One of my favorite stories has been repeated several times in a number of countries: American tourists go to "the old county" and find the local archives where records are kept. The local archivist then informs them, "The records are too brittle to be handled. They are falling apart, so we do not allow anyone to view them anymore. However, the Mormons were here several years ago and made microfilm copies of all our records, and you are welcome to view those microfilms." Of course, you could have looked at those same films when you were at home and not paying for hotels and restaurant meals! In many cases, you could view them on your computer while seated in your own living room

Travel can be expensive, especially in foreign countries. Plan your itinerary carefully to maximize the travel investments made.

Not everyone of the same name is related. The person you find may or may not be a relative. He or she also might not be interested in meeting American cousins who suddenly show up unannounced. Write in advance!

Be sure you enter all the information you learn before, during, and after your trip into a genealogy program. You might want to also print out everything on paper before going to the old country. When showing information to others, such as to newly-found distant relatives, it is usually easier for them to understand printouts on paper than to look at ever-changing screens of information.

Hire a guide/interpreter if you don't speak the old language. One of the more frustrating experiences is to arrive in your ancestors' village and then not be able to speak with anyone or even to read the signs. While English may be common in big cities throughout Europe, you may not find the same to be true in smaller villages.

Dress professionally. Looking like a researcher instead of a tourist and being focused will help you get the co-operation and assistance of courthouse workers, librarians, and cemetery caretakers in finding the information you want. Showing up in a Hawaiian shirt, cut-off jeans, and sandals will not help you get admitted to very many courthouses or libraries. And don't even think of entering a church or a cathedral when dressed like that!

Plan for bad weather. Perhaps one of the reasons your ancestors left is that they didn't like the weather and were seeking sunnier climates! Standing in a cemetery in the rain isn't much fun when you have neither an umbrella nor a waterproof jacket. You have only one chance to get the information and photographs you want, so you will need sturdy shoes, an umbrella, sunscreen, insect repellent, and a hat.

Take pictures–lots of pictures. Be sure to give copies to the people you meet if they are in the pictures with you.

Allow extra time–lots of it–for getting lost, talking with locals, and taking photographs.

Be prepared for sad stories. Most of our ancestors left their homelands because they were unhappy with their lives. Perhaps the crops failed and the children were starving or else the oppressive government of the times made life too difficult. Whatever the reasons, sad stories usually drove your ancestors to relocate. Be prepared.

Finally, start planning NOW! It is never too early to start planning your next vacation/research trip.

Hundreds of pages with the names of Holocaust survivors relocated to Displaced Persons Camps in Austria and Germany have now been reprinted and digitized. The extensive lists have never been available together, and the original volumes exist in only a few libraries worldwide. Thanks to a collaboration of the Robert S. Cox Special Collections and University Archives Research Center in the UMass Amherst Libraries and Schoen Books of South Deerfield, Massachusetts, they are now available on the open web, enabling families of survivors, genealogists and researchers to have access to the vital information they contain.

The volumes were originally published in 1945 by the U. S. Government as a way to help survivors, the Sharit Ha-Platah or “the surviving remnant,” reach family members around the world.

Details may be found in an article in the University of Massachusetts News web site at https://www.umass.edu/news/article/holocaust-survivor-lists-digitized-first-time.

The following announcement was written by FamilySearch:

This week FamilySearch added 10 million new indexed records to United States City and Business Directories (ca. 1749 – ca. 1990), and 10 million Church records for Switzerland (1418–1996), the Philippines (1615-1985), and Brazil. Check out more records also added for Australia, Canada, the Dominican Republic, Ecuador, New Zealand, Peru, Spain and the United States.

Don’t see what you’re looking for? Check back next week and, in the meantime, search existing records on FamilySearch. For other exciting genealogy content, peruse over 1,000 free, on-demand sessions from RootsTech Connect 2021.

The list of newly-added records is long, too long to be displayed here. You can find the entire list at:  https://www.familysearch.org/en/blog/new-records-7-february-2022.

It is with great sadness that I read of the passing of Trevia Wooster Beverly, professional genealogist, frequent author, and owner of Tejas Publictions & Research.

Born in Baytown, Texas, she passed away in Humble, Texas, on February 2, 2022, at the age of 90, leaving to mourn family and friends. Family and friends can send flowers and condolences in memory of the loved one. Leave a sympathy message to the family on the memorial page of Trevia Wooster Beverly at https://beresfordfunerals.com/index.php/obituary/trevia-wooster-beverly#guestbook to pay them a last tribute.

She was loved and cherished by many people including : her parents, Ray Brown and Annie Mae Wooster (Barrilleaux).

A burial will be held on Monday, February 14th 2022 at 12:00 PM at the Steep Hollow Cemetery (7231-7477 Steep Hollow Rd, Bryan, TX 77808).

A very brief obituary has been published at https://beresfordfunerals.com/index.php/obituary/trevia-wooster-beverly.

Have you missed one or more of our “California Research” presentations? The first four lectures are now available for viewing online at our YouTube channel. Check out these talks, which give an overview of various California archives, invaluable for researchers! The associated handouts are also provided. A great preparation for NGS 2022, or for any California research trip.

Now available online:

The Center for Sacramento History with archivist Kim Hayden

Government Publications at the California Library with librarian Emily Blodget

Historical Resources at the California Library with Emily Blodget

The Sutro Library with Dvorah Lewis

Two more lectures are scheduled for March:

March 15: “The California Archives” by Chris Garmire

March 22: “Special Collections at the Sacramento Public Library” by David Munger and James Scott

These presentations will also be posted to YouTube following each event.

You can read more at: https://www.californiaancestors.org/california-research-series-lectures-are-online/

A $290 million (New Zealand dollars, roughly $191 US dollars) national facility will be built for Archives New Zealand in Wellington to house the country’s rapidly-growing archival collections.

Details of the state-of-the-art building will be announced by Internal Affairs Minister Jan Tinetti​ and Taranaki Whānui Te Āti Awa representatives at the building site, opposite the National Library on Aitken St.

The location formerly held Defence House, which was demolished after the 7.8-magnitude Kaikōura earthquake of 2016.

You can read more at: https://www.stuff.co.nz/national/127617135/new-290m-national-archives-facility-to-be-built-in-wellington

The following is a Plus Edition article written by and copyright by Dick Eastman. 

Note: This is an update to an article I published several years ago. The technology of cloud computing has grown rapidly and changed significantly since the article was first published. I decided to update the article to make it more relevant to today’s cloud computing environment.

One of the current buzzwords in the online world is "cloud computing." You can probably find dozens of definitions of this new technology, but I think the simplest is that cloud computing refers to a computer application running on a distant computer or, more often, in a cluster of distant computers. Those multiple computers often are installed in different data centers around the world, and yet they work in harmony as if they were one very big and very powerful computer.

In fact, if your present computer is showing its age and is slowing down a bit, switching to cloud computing applications is an excellent method of obtaining several more years of productive use from the aging hardware.

Your local desktop or laptop works as a "remote terminal," with your video screen showing what is happening on the distant computer(s) and your local keyboard and mouse being used as input devices for the same distant computer(s). In short, while the program runs on distant computers, you use it as if the program was running in your local system. As a result, your local computer requires very little processing power and, in most cases, a minimal amount of disk storage space. Instead, you are using the power and storage space of the powerful, distant computers.

All the computing power and disk storage is being provided by the powerful computers or banks of powerful servers in distant data centers. Your local desktop or laptop simply provides your "view" of that distant application. You can use the application program running in the distant computer(s) in the same manner that you run applications in your own computer. However, you benefit from the computing power and the storage capabilities of those distant computers.

Note: For simplicity's sake, I will often state “a distant computer.” However, it might not be a single computer, and it might not be in one single location. Many cloud computing applications operate on banks of distant computers (servers) that may be located in different data centers around the world. At any given moment, your cloud-based application might be using five or more servers; one in California, one in New Jersey, one in Frankfurt, Germany, one in Singapore, and one in Rio de Janeiro. Then again, there could be fewer or more servers being used simultaneously, in fewer or even more locations.

Those details will be invisible to you and will remain unimportant for this discussion.

The word “cloud” refers to the Internet. I am sure you have seen various drawings over the years depicting home computers connecting to distant web servers via the Internet. The Internet is almost always drawn as a cloud to indicate there is a massive collection of routers, switches, and cables connecting the computers. However, all the complexity of the Internet is hidden from the user. Therefore, it is a cloud. The phrase “cloud computing” really means “running programs on multiple distant servers via the Internet.”

The remainder of this article is reserved for Plus Edition subscribers only. If you have a Plus Edition subscription, you may read the full article at: https://eogn.com/(*)-Plus-Edition-News-Articles/12575616

If you are not yet a Plus Edition subscriber, you can learn more about such subscriptions and even upgrade to a Plus Edition subscription immediately at https://eogn.com/page-18077.