Interested In Indiana Genealogy Research?

INDIANAPOLIS (February 27, 2013) – New material from the Crawfordsville Land Office has been made available through the nationally-recognized Indiana Digital Archives (digitalarchives.IN.gov). The Crawfordsville Land Office Index includes more than 38,000 records of purchases of public lands from Benton, Boone, Carroll, Clay, Clinton, Fountain, Hendricks, Monroe, Montgomery, Morgan, Owen, Parke, Putnam, Tippecanoe, Vermillion, Warren, and White Counties. Sales of public land at the Crawfordsville Land Office began in September of 1820 and continued until 1853.

Researchers will find the names of the purchasers of public land, original date of purchase, as well as a legal description of the tract purchased. Users of the Bureau of Land Management’s online database of patentees (www.glorecords.blm.gov) can use the Indiana Public Lands Database to locate the same parcel of land in order to narrow the original purchase date of their ancestor’s tract, which preceded the patent date.

“Thanks to the efforts of the Indiana State Archives’ volunteers, early Indiana land records are now more accessible than ever,” said Jim Corridan, State Archivist of Indiana. The Crawfordsville Land Office records were indexed by Indiana State Archives’ volunteer Dr. Walter Jolly.

With the addition of the Crawfordsville Land Office Index, the Indiana Public Lands Database contains nearly 220,000 records of public lands purchased from four Indiana land districts: Vincennes, Fort Wayne, LaPorte-Winamac, and Crawfordsville. Two districts – Jeffersonville and Indianapolis – remain to be indexed.

Researchers can view the Crawfordsville Land Office Index and many other popular Indiana State Archives collections through the Indiana Digital Archives. Friends of the Indiana State Archives volunteers have been hard at work for nearly two decades creating indices for many of the state's records. From before statehood in 1816 and on through to its approaching bicentennial, Indiana has been home to millions of settlers and immigrants. The Digital Archives enables Hoosiers and citizens worldwide to view the vast collection of historical and vital records housed at the State Archives.

About the Indiana Digital Archives
The Indiana Digital Archives is operated by the State Archives Division of the Indiana Commission on Public Records. The result of a cooperative partnership made possible by a grant from the Library of Congress and administered by the Washington State Archives, the Digital Archives has more than 2.9 million searchable records online. Other partners include the states of Alaska, Colorado, Idaho, Louisiana, Montana, Nevada, North Carolina, and Oregon. The Digital Archives was named a Best State Website by "Family Tree Magazine” for the third-consecutive year in 2012.

About the Indiana State Archives

The Indiana State Archives collects records of historical value from all branches of Indiana state and local government, including governmental history, census and naturalization records for families, selected medical, military and criminal records, records of land ownership, maps, blueprints and photographs. Visit archives.icpr.IN.gov for a detailed listing of these resources, including links to online exhibits and electronic indices of select records.Media Release

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Update your subscriptions, modify your password or e-mail address, or stop subscriptions at any time on your Subscriber Preferences Page. You will need to use your e-mail address to log in. If you have questions or problems with the subscription service, please contact support@subscriptions.in.gov.
This service is provided to you at no charge by the State of Indiana.

Photo's In Family Tree Are Just Way Cool

The photo feature is still in Beta, sorta. As of this article there are 76,334 photos posted on Family Tree. I have placed 48 of them and looking to add more.

Invitations to join the beta are found at: https://familysearch.org/invite/photos/

PS: Don't use Windows Explorer when working with photos.

Currently only those with member accounts are being given access. This is a capacity issue. At 8AM each morning 50 new users are given access. We hope it is live for all soon. Only a couple of bugs in the helper button are keeping Family Tree from going live to the public.

Once you have access you are able to see any photos that are published. They appear in top of the persons file when you open up the view person link.
 

 

 

 

 

 

This person has 7 photos uploaded.

By clicking photos at that point you are taken to a place where all photos tagged to that person reside (Illustrated Below).



 

 

 

 

You will be able to enlarge a photo by clicking on it:

Once You have access you can upload photos. You see them live immediately,but they are reviewed for following church policy before they are offically accepted. I had one rejected because it wasn't a person, it was painting by my great grandmother. Also, forget the swimming suit photo. Its a no go.

 

 

There was a webinar (poor quality) last week http://broadcast2.lds.org/familysearch/2012-02-30-familysearch-photos-step-by-step-guide-8000k-eng.mp4

 

 and another this week. http://broadcast.lds.org/elearning/fhd/Community/en/FamilySearch/Product_Webinars/Photos_Tim_Cross_Feb_21_2013/FamilySearch%20Photos_Getting%20Started_player.html/
 

 

Enjoy

 

 

 

 



Just one of the over 500 fabulous training videos you find on http://familysearch.org/ Click learn and there you are.

Scotland's Old Parish Registers: How to Access, Use, and Interpret

• Video and Slides(46 minutes)
• Cost$0 (free)

View This Lesson

Lesson Supplements

• Course Handout(pdf)
• Give Course Feedback

Description

Learn how to access, use, and correctly interpret the information found in the christening, marriage, and burial registers of the established Church of Scotland. See examples of problems to watch for, clues given for further research, and what to do when your ancestor is not found.

Great Scenery - Great Music = The Lord of The Rings

Fold 3 - A Website To Consider

What caught my latest attention was their announcement about their new African American Collection.

This is found at:  http://go.fold3.com/blackhistory/

Yes - The Best Part of The Wiki Is Easier To Find

On January 8th I wrote that I was bewildered that the best part of the Wiki was basically hidden. This is the article:

I Don't Know Why FamilySearch Keeps This Part A Secret

Because of the awesome power of this blog FamilySearch has made it easier to find. 

The reason I love this page is that it is a compilation of how to research a State. It assembles the various places you can look for your ancestors.

My Cragun lineage has deep roots in Indiana, with Elisha Cragun spending  most of his life there. Some of his 10 children settled there. Therefore I am about to embark on searching every source listed on the Indiana Wiki page for the Cragun history. 

Here is the path using Indiana as an example.  First got to http://familysearch.org/

Then click learn: 

Then Go to Research Wiki:

You then arrive at the page below.

You can search by topic here, which you may do at times.

However, I want to search all resources in Indiana. 

So I click United States

Scroll down until you see the colored map of the United States

In my example, click Indiana

You arrive at what the FamilySearch Wiki has assembled about resources in Indiana.

This page grows from time to time. 

I would suggest you put a watch on the States or places you are interested in.

I would also recommend that you follow that page on the Facebook pages.

Go Play With Photos In Family Tree

For those in FamilySearch Family Tree - Click this link and start putting photos in the tree: https://familysearch.org/photos/

Be logged into FamilySearch. If your name doesn't show you as live as you see mine in the upper right you should then have the invite link that turns it on for you.  Once on you can add your own or see those others have loaded. It's cool.

Also check out the photos webinars I posted in this article: http://larrycragunfamily.blogspot.com/2013/02/photos-on-family-tree-are-so-close-they.html

They are coming right up.

The photo invite link if not visible: www.familysearch.org/invite/photos/ 

Sorry, Not Today - The Helper Feature Is Not Right

So Sad - Not Today

Family Tree is meant for the world to have and share.

 

It's been available to members of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints to work with during it's final go live stage.

 

About 150,000 not members currently have access to the Family Tree.

 

Once it is turned on for everyone the users are expected to grow by 2 million people over the first two years.

 

It will go live soon, perhaps another week now.

 

 It won't be heavily broadcasted as live as they study the load put on the servers, but it will be live.

 

If you chance to meet a frown,

do not let it stay

Quickly turn it upside down

and smile that frown away.

 

 

 

 

Is Today The Day? Are Your Ready?

As Family Tree is becoming available to all: hopefully today, perhaps next Tuesday, I have prepared a power point that covers what is likely to happen for many (No Tree). You need to build out your pedigree chart, to connect to those ancestors already in Family Tree. It's easy as you will see.

Family search family tree not connected from Larry Cragun

You might note that you can enlarge this to full screen.

Family Tree Training Site

On the upper part of this blog, the 3rd entry down is a link to video training on FamilySearch Family Tree. It is a work by Elder Moon serving in the Family History Library. I prefer it. However, the official Church Training videos are here: https://familysearch.org/tree-training -  I felt I should publish access to these videos as they are official and as some might prefer them. How about using both, whatever it takes to be able to use family tree.

Time Again For The Prayer - Katherine Jenkins

Posted Last September - Just click the link and enjoy.

http://larrycragunfamily.blogspot.com/2012/09/the-song-comes-when-feeling-goes-inside.html

Katherine was a guest soloist with the Mormon Tabernacle Choir. We had great seats for the performance. One of the many blessings we get by serving here in Salt Lake City Family And Church History Headquarters Mission.

Interested In An Online Genealogy College Degree?

(REXBURG, ID)  –  BYU-Idaho has announced the addition of a new online degree to their curriculum. Students can now receive an associates degree in family history research. Administrators say the degree, which consists of about 60 credits, would enable graduates to do genealogy work either through a home-based business or professionally. The university is also accepting non-degree seeking students to the program who simply want to learn how to research their family history.

Photos On Family Tree Are So Close They Are Offering Webinar Training

Information about the Webinars announced below and already conducted can be found in this article: http://larrycragunfamily.blogspot.com/2013/03/progress-on-family-tree-just-keeps.html



FamilySearch is excited to announce two one-hour webinars focused on using Photos onFamilySearch.org. They will be presented by Tim Cross, the Photos Product Manager at FamilySearch. The first will be an introduction on how to use this amazing new feature, and the second will allow you to ask questions that you may have about photos, sharing stories, and linking both to the Family Tree.

FamilySearch Photos: Getting Started
Thursday February 21, 2013 at 2:00 p.m. Mountain Time
http://ldschurch1.adobeconnect.com/r3yj9djkc5m/
 
FamilySearch Photos: We Answer Your Questions
Tuesday February 26, 2013 at 1:00 p.m. Mountain Time
http://ldschurch1.adobeconnect.com/r5r1r0torjk/
 
Instructions for participants,

To join the webinar: 
a.      Click the URL prior to the start of the webinar
b.      Select "Enter as Guest"
c.      Type your name in the field

For audio, call:
·        US/CAN Toll free: 1-888-205-5513
·        Int'l Toll: 1-719-955-0562
·        Participant Code: 422362

We hope you are able to join in on the discussion!

The FamilySearch Tea

Building Family Tree Is A Lot Like This

Enjoy - Remember Friday Is For Fun

RIght Into Your Source Box And Your Ancestor - From Ohana Sotware

A Big Find From Ohana Software: It also places sources into FamilySearch.org

RecordSeek Tree Connect - Source Tool for the FamilySearch Family Tree

Presenter: Cina Johnson Ohana Software/Real-Time Collaboration Customer Service and Training

 

 

FamilySearch has chosen to make links to online documents the backbone of their source citations. To give you the freedom to create sources from any website or personally owned documents, we present RecordSeek Tree Connect by Real-Time Collaboration. This FamilySearch certified product can link the source directly to your ancestors on the FamilySearch Family Tree and put the source into Source Box so you can attach it to several different people. If you have a scanned document that you want to use as a source, that document can be uploaded to our website and a source will be created.
This webinar will teach you how to use Record Seek Tree Connect to add sources to your family on FamilySearch. This great new tool is FREE so come join us and begin sourcing your family's records on FamilySearch Family Tree

Click here for the video

Thank you Elder Gilbert

Here is a cool newspapers link.

http://guides.library.upenn.edu/historicalnewspapersonline

Be Patient - Don't Place Documents In Photos In Family Tree

or

and how about this patient guy:

I know, it's not fun being patient. But it is a wonderful attribute.

It has been pointed out to me that some now have access to the beta of Photos in Family Tree and are posting documents in the photos section.

Don't do that.

Documents need to be posted in sources.

OK, some sources are in your pretty little hands. Yes, and you want them on the tree. So you find it easy to scan it, upload it into photos. Sure it works, but it defeats the purpose of sourcing in the tree. Many will look for the document in the source section of family tree and not see it, having not bothered to go elsewhere, such as in photos.

Already I have saved hours of research by not having to do research repeat, from the sources provided by others that are now attached to the tree.

Don't make things more complicated by putting sources in two places. Please don't that is.

The Family Tree is a work in process.

Regarding photos going live to all: almost all projects to the tree were sequestered, making photos the most important next addition - directing all engineering and developing to that component. It seems to be working real well in beta and I expect it to be live in a couple of weeks. I will keep you posted as it becomes clearer.

Uploading directly from your desktop into http://familysearch.org  via scanning - is coming. It's just not next. Think of how cool it will be to have our additions to the billions of records already on Family Search. We have a lot to add to family search. My guess is that this process won't be ready for at least two months. I know a year ago the target for this was in March 2013. I am sure they are behind.

I too got impatient and wanted some documents uploaded to the tree. I used my account at http://slideshare.net/ to upload them as pdf's and then was able to get a link and attach that source to the tree. I am trying to constrain myself from that process. It is better served for that document to be on familysearch.org. I'm guessing that in the future I will transfer them from Slideshare to FamilySearch.

This reminds me of a poem:

Patience is a virtue
Catch it if you can
Seldom found in woman
Always found in man.

I think that's how it goes. That's right isn't it?

PS: The reason that family tree didn't go live to the public yesterday was that the foreign languages component wasn't ready. They want that to be part of it.

Tip: check into https://beta.familysearch.org/tree/ This is where the engineers are testing new features. It's a good way to spot what is happening soon.

Family Tree Update

I just left a meeting with the Family Tree project manager.

Printing features: Pedigree charts, Family Group Sheets, and Fan Charts are probably a couple of weeks away.

Those who input sources into new.familysearch.org need not fear - those sources will be moved to Family Tree.

New Family Search merges were turned off because the merge messed up the data in family tree. Please stop merging and separating in the third party programs. Be patient, things are moving forward. The pressure is on the third party vendors to get syncronized with the Family Tree API.

Next week is the target for the public go live - that date could be pushed an additional week.

Public Release of Family Tree is Delayed 1 Week

Public Tree Release is delayed 1 week.

We are missing translated strings for helper feature.  Currently it is functioning but only in English.  We expect translated string later this week.

New release is Tues Feb 19, 2013.

Note: this means the helper feature will be part of the go live release to the public.

 

Dr Carson With A Message For All

The Latest News Is That Family Tree Will Be Rolled Out To The Public Next Tuesday The 12th

It is fully supported with help. Enjoy

Many Are Confused: Searching In FamilySearch.org and Family Tree

FamilySearch.org Home Page

http://FamilySearch.org/

is probably the most important website in cyberspace 

when it comes to Genealogy and Family History

 The resources in FamilySearch and added daily are massive: billions of records, millions added daily, hundreds of training videos for numerous topic and levels of experience, a wiki that grows daily, the Family History Library catalog, books, and the awesome Family Tree.

My mission assignments have caused me to write this article: training new missionaries, and answering peoples questions about Family Tree.

As you look at the photo above you see a searching section. This is the most heavily used portion of FamilySearch. 

But ahah, if you go into Family Tree (as anyone will be able to around the 12th of this month - maybe sooner) you can search there also.

I am finding this confuses people. Many do not realize the differences, which is the point of this article. 

RE: Searching on FamilySearch.org: Think of searching on the home page of FamilySearch.org as a very comprehensive and focused Google. You can do genealogy records searches. There are billions of records here. They are the records that the Church Of Jesus Christ Of Latter Day Saints has placed in FamilySearch.org. These records come from the hundred years the church has stored information, transferred it to microfilm and kept in a Granite Mountain Vault. Another source example is all records indexed by the church are placed here. An example of that was the mighty effort of volunteers to index the 1940 census. You can search by persons name and those in the 1940 census will be found there. There are many other sources whereby records are placed in FamilySearch.org. Serious Genealogists return here weekly to discover what is new on FamilySearch.org.

Anyone can search here, and it's free. Due to contractual agreements with some of our data sources you find more records if you open an account and log in. 

Note: you are not finding pedigree type relationships other than finding records of family or couple relationships. Typically you will be looking for a marriage record, a death record, a military record, a birth record, or a census record. In a census you might identify the members of a family. But their is no pedigree chart relationships and no collecting in one place the facts you know or find about an ancestor. You are basically searching for records.

RE: Searching on Family Tree:  When you click the Family Tree Link (On FamilySearch  Home Page) you enter a different world.

There are fewer records here, yet many. Here resides the names and relationships of families. For decades Church members were asked to submit their pedigree chart information. These records were input into various computer programs, moved from one to another, aggregated, and now ending up in Family Tree. The most recent years new.familysearch.org was the program used mostly by members of the Church. 

Your goal in Family Tree is first to build your pedigree, jointly with all other relatives. It is one Tree. As added value you are encouraged to document all you enter, discuss in discussions what is correct, and collaborate with common relatives the actual facts to enter into the tree.

So your search here is different. If you were a Cragun for example, you might do a search for ancestor you might know you have. There is a large Cragun family in Minnesota. Very very few are members of the Church Of Jesus Christ Of Latter Day Saints. It is unlikely the Family Tree will have them connected to the tree. 

They are likely a descendant of Enoch Cragun. He might be their great great grandfather. So they would start by adding their name into Family Tree, then add parents and grandparents. Each name they added would offer a search to see if that ancestor is connected to the Family Tree. It might not be and they would add that name to the tree as their father, grandfather, spouse, child, etc.

Each new name would entail a search, not a search for an event such as a birth - rather a family relationship. A connection to the tree.Their search is to build onto the tree, either by finding the person in FamilySearch or adding to it.

As I have previously written, everyone will soon be able to join in on building FamilyTree.(Expect from the 8th to the 12th of this month.) Keep watching for it. 

You don't need to wait to start finding the records of your people. It's fun. I challenge you to go to http://familysearch.org/ and find out who of your relatives were in the 1940 census. Who was living with them? One lady I helped found a child in a grandparents census record she had never known about. Ah, the allure of genealogy. 

And it starts by searching on http://familysearch.org/ and gravitating to family tree. 

PS: If you join on in on this endeavor you may be adding yourself to those who make genealogy the worlds number one hobby.

Februrary 12th is the target for Family Tree To Be Visible To All

Many have been able to get onto family tree with their current FamilySearch  account. On February 8th the Family Tree link will be visible to all. Clicking the link will take them to the Tree or take them to a register page. It won't be heavily advertised as they determine the load the system can take at the time.

It is expected in the next two years that 2 million new accounts will be opened. Then, the tree for all of Adams family will begin to take place.

I notice as I am now assigned to answer support questions on Family Tree that many are in a hurry to fix everything. Don't be in a hurry. Take the time to document and prove each change you make. When you make a change  you make it for everyone, so don't just willy nilly start fixing things.

Don't be hesitant on starting conversations. Look to collaborate. Learn the proper ways to fix things by video at http://familysearchtraining.com/

Earthly Father, Heavenly Father

Hooray - Photos In Family Tree is Live Right Now

This is still Beta

This is my grandmother Nancy Athena Porter as it now shows in Family Tree.

Notice that it says there are 3 photos.

As any person adds photos to their account, tagged with Nancy Porter Name, and connect to her, the photo count increases.

Many persons can add to one ancestor.

No one can delete my photos added.

When photos 3 in this case is selected it takes you to all of the photos submitted tagged as Nancy, and Connected to her.

The process is not difficult. You go to the website address of http://familysearch.org/photos/ and be logged in. You must have an account. Anyone can open an account beginning February 8th. Many have access now and can upload photos.

When logged in and at the photo site click add person.

You make sure you don't have a licensing issue and drag the photo from your desktop into the green area in the center of the dotted circle.

You can tell if  your upload was successful 

by the response  shown by the red arrow.

To illustrate I performed these steps on a photo that included my mother. The red ! indicates I had not connected the tagged photo to her in Family Tree.

The option to tag is presented right after you insert the photo.

I then went to people, clicked her photo and the search connect boxes came up.

Family Tree had found my mother searching for her name as I had tagged her to the photo.

No result offered would have allowed me to take out her name in the name or person search box and replace it with her PID #, in her case I could have found it in Family Tree as KWCJ-344. Every entry into Family Tree has a PID# assigned. (Personal Identification Number)

I chose her from the options presented.

Automatically the photo showed up in her file on Family Tree.

The most recent photo tagged to her seems to be the one displayed in her account. 

I am not sure if this is permanently live, but they started training us on this last Tuesday, so I assume it is.

Its easy, it's cool, it's fun, and it's a legacy.

After this comes stories and Oral Histories. Oh, and more. 

There is nothing like Family Tree.

Printing Pedigree Charts and Family Group Sheets are coming also.

Kathleen Thinks They Way They Are Displayed In The People Section Is Cool

 

Ronald Reagan Really Was A Funny Guy