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We'll finish the sad, but
true, story of what happened to the 1890 census this week.
Just one day before Congress authorized the destruction of the census,
President Herbert Hoover laid the cornerstone of the permanent National
Archives building.
Some of the original schedule, miraculously, still exists.
In 1942, during the move to the new building, a bundle of the Illinois
schedules appeared during a shipment. In 1953, more fragments were
discovered including those from Alabama, Georgia, Illinois, Minnesota, New
Jersey, New York, North Carolina, Ohio, South Dakota, Texas and the
District of Columbia.
Those remains of the 1890 census have been filmed and are available
through many sources. There are only three rolls of microfilm containing
the records. There are only about 6,000 names on these bits of our past
that were saved.
Just a few weeks ago, I had the great pleasure of making a speech at a
seminar down in Alachua County, Florida. The Clerk of the Court for
Alachua County (Gainesville) was a speaker on the program too. I was
delighted to hear of all of the conservation steps that are being taken
there to preserve all of the records of that county.
I ran across something very interesting in the Immigrant Genealogical
Society Newsletter (Write them: IGS, PO Box 7639, Burbank, CA 91510) about
the Nidaros Cathedral! It is a lesson in patience.
It seems that after 930 years of construction, the giant Nidaros Cathedral
in Trondheim, Norway, is finished! About half a million visitors from
around the world have visited the cathedral each year in recent times. The
article said that the reason for the delays in completion were "numerous
fires."
If you have family from the McDonough, Georgia area, you might be
interested in the new book, 20th Century Henry County, Georgia People and
Events.
Proceeds of the book will go to establish a Henry County Museum. The
hardcover, 513 page book, 6 x 9, has 43 pages of first and last name
index. Information comes from the Henry County newspapers, beginning in
1900.
If you wish to get complete information on this book, contact Heritage
Park Museum, PO Box 1974, 1617 Highway 81-East, McDonough, GA 30252-3031.
Through the efforts of the Afro-American Historical & Genealogical Society
- New England Chapter, the Northeast Regional Branch of the National
Archives in Massachusetts has a critical genealogical tool for the
Afro-American researcher.
Available are 741 rolls of microfilm of the Bureau of Refugees, Freedmen
and Abandoned Lands (Record Group 105).
This bureau was created by an Act of Congress in 1865 and assigned the
responsibilities that included control of all subjects relating to
refugees and freedmen from rebel states or from any district.
A large part of the duties involved helping former slaves make the
transition to citizenship.
Activities of the Bureau including legalizing marriages, issuing rations
and clothing to destitute freedmen and refugees, leasing land and
assisting with other life events.
Records relate to freedmen, white citizens, military employees, Union
servicemen who needed help filing and collecting bounties and many other
activities.
Here's something delicious gleaned from the Nesbitt/Nesbet Society
newsletter! Henrietta Nesbitt was the "First Housekeeper" for Franklin
Delano Roosevelt. She served Roosevelt for twelve years and Harry Truman
for one year.
This is her White Fruitcake recipe. Mrs. Nesbitt wrote that this was FDR's
favorite and was always service on his birthday.
To make: 1 pound butter, 1 pound granulated sugar, 1 pound candied fruit
peel, 1 pound sultana raisins, 9 eggs, 1 1/4 pounds flour, 1/4 pound
crystallized cherries, 1 tsp vanilla flavoring and a little grated lemon
rind.
Cream butter and sugar together. Beat whole eggs light, then add some of
the creamed butter and beat very light. Sift flour twice and add about
1/3; repeat until all are mixed. Pour into brick form pans. Set in water
and bake in 375 degree oven for 1 1/2 hours. This makes 2-3 pound cakes. |
