Preserving History: Genealogy Resources and Updates from Fort Wayne Library
Genealogy Gems: News from the Fort Wayne Library No. 2, April 30, 2004
The Future of the Past . . . A couple of weeks ago, a few more rolls of microfilm from Ingham County, Michigan crossed my desk. It reminded me again about how one society, one group of dedicated people, can have such a significant impact on preserving and making accessible local records. For a number of years, a few dedicated individuals in the Ingham County Genealogical Society have been working to straighten, flatten, clean and prepare for preservation microfilming local newspapers, court records, and other county documents. Working on this county-wide project in manageable pieces, they use the proceeds from one round of microfilm sales to fund microfilming the next township’s records or the next collection of newspapers. Our own Allen County Genealogical Society has been so consequential in assisting with collecting and preserving family history. Their quarterly publication has indexed so many records and articles since its first issue was published. The society's First Families Project generates thousands of pages of narratives and documents. Their current projects include, but certainly are not limited to, indexing the burials from the Catholic Cemetery, working with the local historical society on the publication of a two volume history of the county, and assisting the Clerk of Courts with preparing historical circuit and superior court records for microfilming. The work of these two societies provides us with excellent examples of individuals concerned about preserving yesterday’s and today’s records for tomorrow’s researchers. Each of us should ask what we have done lately to assist in ensuring that our children’s children have the records to enjoy that we have had. What are we doing to ensure our research is available for the ages? The future of the past is truly in our hands! Curt Witcher, Manager
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The Drouin Collection John D. Beatty The Genealogy Department is pleased to announce the acquisition of the Drouin Collection, one of the most important resources for doing genealogical research in the province of Quebec, Canada. Published and distributed by the American French Genealogical Society, the collection consists of 2,366 microfilms of original church registers and notarial documents from Quebec, some of which date from the seventeenth century. A nearly comprehensive list of Roman Catholic, Jewish, and various Protestant congregations is presented, as well as some Indian Missions, with the records dating generally from the beginning of the congregation to the early 1940s. The collection also includes the registers of a number of French and Acadian Roman Catholic parishes in the United States, and in the provinces of Ontario, Nova Scotia and New Brunswick. Because these are films of the actual records, they allow researchers to make their own interpretations of handwriting and in some instances view the actual signatures of ancestors. Thus, the microfilms represent a major primary source for researching vital records in Quebec. The key to using the set is a multi-volume guide, the Inventory of the 2,365 Microfilms of the Drouin Collection, listing all of the congregations by town, denomination, and parish name. It includes the available dates for each and keys them to the appropriate microfilm number in the above set. Many, but not all, of the marriages from the above microfilms are indexed by bride and groom in a separate microfiche collection known as the Men Series and the Women Series. This index consists of over 33,000 pages of French Canadian marriages from 1760 to 1935, listing the parish where the marriage is found. While it pertains primarily to Roman Catholic marriages and is not comprehensive, it is a useful place for beginning research if a family’s place of origin is not known. Because not all marriages appear in the index and many Protestant marriages are excluded, one should always check the original register on microfilm when one knows the town or parish. The Drouin Collection enhances ACPL’s already extensive research collection of Canadian genealogical materials. With its acquisition the library becomes one of only several institutions in the United States to own the complete collection.
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Yizkor books available at the Allen County Public Library, Fort Wayne, Indiana. Susan D. Kaufman Yizkor books, which memorialize both the people and communities destroyed in the Holocaust, are a poignant, strong reminders of the Shoah. Published as a tribute to ancestral homes and the people killed in Eastern and Central Europe, these books are most often in Yiddish and/or Hebrew. These are hard to find historical, sociological, and genealogical reference sources that few repositories throughout the United States have. The Genealogy Department of the Allen County Public Library is pleased to house nearly 300 of these very special and rare volumes. We are pleased to be among such major Holocaust museums and respected repositories as the United States Holocaust Memorial Museum, Washington, D.C.; the Hebrew Union College, Cincinnati, Ohio; St. Louis County Public Library, St. Louis, Missouri; and the Holocaust Memorial Center in Detroit, Michigan who also maintain these books in a special collection. In addition to the rare Yizkor books, the department offers a rich collection for the Jewish family or 20th century researcher. Supporting collections include ship passenger lists, all federal census for available years, nationwide historical city directories plus many synagogue histories, cemetery inscription books, Jewish community histories, nationwide World War I draft registration cards and published family histories all are among other deep and broad genealogical sources. To locate what towns and countries are represented in the ACPL collection one can search the on-line card catalog at [SITEURL]. Clicking on the library catalog link, you will be able to search for your town of interest, checking to see if a Yizkor book is available at ACPL. Search terms might include the town in Europe (remember spelling variations) or a broad search term “Memorial Books – Holocaust.” In an exciting development, Yizkor books owned by the Allen County Public Library are now listed in the JewishGen Yizkor Database . JewishGen is the leading Internet site for Jewish genealogical research for those interested in researching their Jewish history . The database is searchable by location or keyword providing a list of the libraries that own these special books. As most of these books are written in Hebrew or Yiddish, JewishGen has made a concerted effort to translate many of these Eastern European Memorial Books and their necrologies. If a translation is available the entry in the Yizkor Database will have a link to the translation. We are pleased to offer this special resource among the many other special resources housed here in the Genealogy Department of the Allen County Public Library.
************** Driving Directions to the Library **************
Wondering how to get to the library? Our exciting temporary location is 200 E. Berry, Fort Wayne, Indiana. We will be at this location until late in 2006. We would enjoy having you visit the Genealogy Department. To get directions from your exact location to 200 E. Berry, Fort Wayne, Indiana, visit this link at MapQuest: http://www.mapquest.com/maps/map.adp?country=US&countryid=250&addtohistory=&searchtab=address&searchtype=address&address=200+E+Berry+St&city=Fort+Wayne&state=IN&zipcode=46802-2706&search=++Search++&finditform=1 From the South Exit Interstate 69 at exit 102. Come east on Jefferson St. into downtown. Turn left on Barr St. to Berry St. The library is located on the corner of Berry and Barr streets. From the North Exit Interstate 69 at exit 112, coming south on Coldwater Rd. Follow this south, taking a left turn onto Clinton St. Continue south on Clinton, the library will be on your left when you cross Berry St. From the West Using US 30: Drive into town on US 30. US 30 turns into Goshen Rd. Coming up to an angled street (State St.) make an angled left turn. Turn right on Wells St. Go south on Wells until Wayne St. Left on Wayne. When you cross Clinton, the library will be on your left on Wayne St. Using US 24: After crossing under Interstate 69, follow the same directions as from the South. From the East Follow US 30 into New Haven. Following that through New Haven, under an overpass into downtown Fort Wayne. You will be on Washington St. when you get into downtown. Turn right on Barr St. Turn left on Berry St. The library is on your left on Berry St.
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Parking at the Library
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Lot in front of the library, east side Available for short-term library parking. Limited to an hour. Tippman Parking Garage Clinton and Wayne streets. Across from the library, however the skybridge in NOT accessible. Hourly parking, $1.25 per hour up to $5.00, than $5.00 a day. Park Place Lot Covered parking on Barr St. at Main St., this lot is one block away from the library. Hourly parking Monday through Friday, 9am to 6pm. Street (metered) parking on Wayne St. and Berry St. On the street you plug the meters 8am – 5pm, weekdays only. It is free to park on the street after 5pm and on the weekends. Visitor center/Grand Wayne center This is the Hilton Hotel parking lot that also serves as a day parking garage. Covered parking at Washington and Clinton streets. Hourly parking, 7am – 11 pm. Charges are .50 for the first 45 minutes, that $1.00 per hour. There is a flat $2.00 fee between 5pm and 11pm.
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