1921 Pine Castle Directory

In the ongoing effort to transcribe all the Pine Castle records on file in this little corner of heaven, I am pleased to report the completion of the 1921 directory:



CLICK HERE to access the new page.



Note, this was actually excerpted from the much larger directory compiled for Orlando.



It is not perfectly alphabetical. Apparently, the original compiler(s) didn't have access to one of those handy-dandy "SORT" tabs that we have on our modern spreadsheets!

Pine Castle voter registration index, 1919-21

Picking up on the Pine Castle records transcription project, I have posted an index to the local voter registration book covering the period from 1919 to 1921.

This is an important time frame, because it was the first time that women were allowed to register to vote in federal elections.

To check out the index, click on this link:

1919-21 Pine Castle Voter Registration Index

Marriage records added

Slowly going thru all the Pine Castle records as part of the project mentioned in yesterday's post. Slowly. I did get the Marriage Records portion up and running. Still need to do some additions, corrections, etc. But, the bulk of the material is there, if ye socks are interested in checking it out: http://freepages.genealogy.rootsweb.ancestry.com/~oldpinecastle/marriages/index.html

New digirecords project

No doubt inspired by the latest techno gadget in this little corner of heaven, yours truly has embarked on a project that has been "in the works" for longer than anyone cares to remember.

That is, I plan to digitize all the old records I have on file related to the ancestral stomping grounds in Pine Castle.

Just getting started, so bear with me.

So far, all I've completed is page one from the 1935 state census enumeration:
click here to travel back in time

More to come later, so stay tuned!

Updated ahnentafel

For ye socks who keep up with such things, yours truly has updated ye olde ahnentafel (ancestor table) to reflect some recently-discovered info. Primarily on the Selman family. It includes new links to the Kennon, Worsham, and Munford families of Colonial Virginia.

Here's a link to the latest:

http://freepages.genealogy.rootsweb.ancestry.com/~oldpinecastle/ahnentafel.html

Cheers.

Got pilgrims?

A recent article in the Boston Globe reminds us that it's never too late for some Thanksgiving:

http://www.boston.com/news/local/articles/2010/09/12/pilgrims_in_the_family_tree/?fb_ref=art&fb_source=home_oneline

Yours truly has tossed some posts in the dryer about his own Mayflower connections over the years.

If you think you might have a connection of your own, try cross-checking your family tree with this "official" list of passengers:

http://www.mayflowerfamilies.com/mayflower/mayflower_passenger_list.htm

Got a little ink in the Sentinel yesterday

In case ye socks missed it, yours truly was quoted in an article about the infamous Jane Green.

Check it out: http://articles.orlandosentinel.com/2010-09-12/news/os-osceola-jane-green-cemetery-2-20100910_1_family-history-new-e-mail-new-sign

Jackson genealogical brick wall

Ye socks who despise my family history related posts may tune out now.

Today, I managed to chip away at a longstanding brick wall in my research on our Jackson forebears, if ever so slightly.

In the 1850 Census of South Brunswick (Middlesex County), New Jersey, yours truly discovered the following family enumerated on page 386:

Jackson, John, age 45, laborer, real estate valued at $200, born in New Jersey.
Jackson, Catharine, 35, born in Ireland.
Jackson, John, age 1, born in New Jersey.


These are definitely my ancestors who subsequently settled at Princeton, New Jersey.


But, I can't trace them back any further.


The only other clue I have is Catherine's maiden name, and it's not much of a clue as it is given variously as Rourke, Roarke, O'Rourke, and O'Roarke.

Any help would be greatly appreciated!

Mozingo family sketch

For ye socks who missed it, the Los Angeles Times has serialized the fascinating tale of writer Joe Mozingo's efforts to trace his roots.

Check it out at:

http://articles.latimes.com/2010/may/16/local/la-me-mozingo-first-20100516

Got any roots in Union County, NC?

If so, you may want to check out this new online treasure trove of genealogical information:

http://history.union.lib.nc.us

Yours truly has been having a field day at the site as one of his great-gradmothers was born in Union County back in 1900 . . .

Be careful with your root diggin' . . .

We genealogical sleuths never know what we're going to uncover when we begin pursuing our ancestors.

Recently, that was proven true for yours truly . . . for perhaps the millionth time!

Without boring ye socks with all the details, I recently enjoyed a breakthrough on one of the many brick walls that litter the landscape of my research world.

A kindly researcher up in Tennessee was able to supply me with a veritable treasure trove of information that not only carried the ancestral line of my mystery forebear back to her German emigrant ancestors, but also included about 600 pages of fellow descendants . . . distant cousins, some many generations removed.

Anyway, 600 pages of this type of data is too much even for the most intrepid investigator to weed-thru. Fortunately, it did contain an index of names. What surprised me as I was checking out said index is that I recognized a couple of them as belonging to some folks around this little corner of heaven who I encounter on a regular basis and yet had no idea that we were related by blood . . . looking forward to springing this on them!

Shock and awe!

WDYTYA - Brooke Shields . . . and beyond?!

This may just be my personal opinion, but this week's episode of "Who do you think you are?" would have been worth watching even if the speakers are busted on your tv.

After all, the featured celebrity root-digger was Brooke Shields, who (as it turns out) is descended from a bunch of blue bloods who lived in some fancy palaces in Italy and France.

Anyway, yours truly was a little perplexed after watching the previews for the next episode, because the kind folks at NBC noted it wouldn't be aired for two more weeks . . .

Do any of ye socks know why they're taking a break like that?

There is some good news to report on this series. Just heard that it has been picked up for a second season.

Stay tuned, I guess. (Just not next week!)

WDYTYA - WWI

"So, what's with all the jumble of letters?!?" ye socks may be asking after seeing the title of this post.

No, it wasn't a transcript of the Scrabble tiles I drew recently . . . they were worse!

Rather, they are the abbreviated way yours truly refers to the new series "Who do you think you are?" and "World War I."

Tonight's episode featured research on actor Matthew Broderick's family history.

He was surprised to discover his grandfather, a quiet postal worker who died before Matthew arrived on the scene, was a decorated veteran of the First World War.

He even got to visit a battlefield in France where his grandfather treated his comrades who were wounded in action.

All this got me thinking of my own great-grandfather, pictured here.

He was also a WWI veteran.

Also treated wounded soldiers in France while serving with an Army Hospital unit.

Also worked for the post office after coming back home.

Also died before yours truly arrived on the scene.

The similarities were almost uncanny.

Anyway, it got me thinking about the all-too-often-overlooked legacy the "war to end all wars" has in the annals of American family history.

Ye socks whose ancestor(s) may have been inducted in Florida to serve in the "Great War" will be interested in checking out this site:

http://www.floridamemory.com/Collections/WWI/

Happy hunting!

Lisa Kudrow on WDYTYA

For ye socks who missed last night's episode of "Who do you think you are?" on NBC, they traced the roots of everybody's favorite "Friend."

Of course, yours truly refers to Lisa Kudrow.

What, you thought I meant David Schwimmer?!

Anyway, I supposed Kudrow kinda had to do an episode on her own roots since she is the executive producer of the new series.

I have to admit I didn't like it quite as much as the previous two episodes about Sarah Jessica Parker and Emmitt Smith. But, it was still good.

I won't spoil it for ye socks who have it on your DVR's, but basically Kudrow tracks her dad's family line back to Belarus and finds a living relative in Poland.

Next week: Matthew Broderick.

Enumerating and ruminating

Well, it's now official, ye socks. Yours truly has completed the enumeration of his humble abode for the 2010 Census.

It's got me thinking how much things have changed with our republic's little decennial tradition.

We no longer have census takers trekking about, knocking on doors, and asking probing questions.

Instead, we get these sterile forms in the mail. And, the questions they ask us are so bland.

I mean, if you really start digging into old census records, you'll find they reveal a whole lot of really cool info on our ancestors. (ie the 1900 enumeration duplicated here . . . see if you can spot the Morgans!)

Wonder what posterity will think of the 2010 data . . .

Anyway, if any of ye local socks want to delve into the older, more interesting census records (1790-1930), I would encourage you to get an Orange County library card. That entitles you to access the images for free online thru their "Heritage Quest" subscription.

Now, off to the post office to get this thing mailed . . .

Florida Land Grants/Patents

Thought I'd pass along this link that I stumbled across today:

http://199.73.242.56

Should be of interest to any of ye socks interested in Florida genealogy or history, as it allows you to look-up the original buyers (or patentees) of land in the Sunshine State by entering Section, Township, and Range numbers.

Happy hunting!

Who do you think Emmitt Smith is?

I know, I know. Most of ye socks from the Big D *think* he's a legendary Cowboy.


And, I suppose that's true.


But, we all know he was a legendary GATOR before that!


"22, Orange and Blue!"


Last night, we learned Emitt Smith's real background on the latest installment of NBC's new hit series "Who do you think you are?"


In case you missed it, the full episode is available for online viewing at http://www.hulu.com/search?query=Who+Do+You+Think+You+Are%3F&st=1


Interested?


How could you not be . . . unless of course you're a Packers fan . . . or, worse: A Nole!

You Tube Overload!

It's confession time, ye socks.

As noted in Friday's post, yours truly ended up watching the NBC premiere of "Who do you think you are?"

Well, I enjoyed it so much that I decided to see what episodes of the British version of the show might be available via YouTube.

Big mistake.

I've done very little else this fine Sunday afternoon, which seems like kind of a waste . . .

Fortunately, this fresh bowl of popcorn is assuaging my guilt . . .

Programming note . . .

Just in case ye socks have nothing better planned for this fine Friday evening . . .

NBC will be debuting its new genealogically-oriented TV series, "Who do you think you are?"

I understand they will be profiling the ancestral trail of Sarah Jessica Parker.

If the series is half as good as the British original, it will be worth your while to check it out!

Remember "Faces of America" on PBS tonight

I believe this week's episode focuses on immigrant ancestors.

Should be good.

Check your local listings for time & station!

(Or, you can watch it online tomorrow at http://www.pbs.org/ . . . )