African American newspapers going up on GenealogyBank

Posted on January 19, 2010 by Tom Kemp

GenealogyBank is adding over 280 fully-searchable African American newspapers with coverage from 1827 to 1999. GenealogyBank released the first 50+ newspapers this month.

“This is an exciting new addition to GenealogyBank – we are pleased to make these resources available -opening up family history information just not found anywhere else.”

Alaska Spotlight (AK). 1956-1968

Homeland (AR). 1991-1999

Southern Mediator Journal (AR). 1962-1966

Inter-Faith Churchman (CA). 1941

Los Angeles Tribune (CA) 1943-1960

Teller (CA). 1946

Black Networking News (DC). 1989-1990

National Chronicle (DC). 1990-1991

Washington Bee (DC). 1914-1915

Florida Tattler (FL). 1934-1945

Savannah Tribune (GA). 1875-1922

Bags and Baggage (IL). 1937-1943

Bulletin (IL). 1968-1969

Central South Sider (IL). 1929

Chicago Courier (IL). 1974-1975

Chicago Metro News (IL). 1973-1990

Chicago World (IL). 1925-1935

Illinois Sentinel (IL). 1937

Metropolitan Post (IL). 1938-1939

Olivet Baptist Church Herald (IL) 1936

Freeman (IN) 1897-1899

Indianapolis Ledger (IN). 1918-1922

Advocate (KS). 1904-1926

People’s Elevator (KS). 1937-1940

Wyandotte Echo (KS). 1936-1937

Freeman’s Lance (KS) 1891

Plaindealer (KS). 1912-1921

Negro Star (KS). 1939-1952

Community Leader (LA). 1985

Inside New Orleans (LA) 1965

New Orleans Daily Creole (LA) 1856-1857

St. Louis Clarion (MO). 1920-1921

Mississippi Free Press (MS) 1961-1964

Mississippi Weekly (MS) 1935

Mound Bayou News-Digest(MS) 1950

People’s Community News (NY). 1970

Rights of All (NY) 1829

Minority Report (OH). 1969-1970

North Philly Free Press (PA) 1982-1983

Political Digest (PA) 1937

Memphis Triangle (TN). 1928-1929

Brotherhood Eyes (TX). 1936

Fort Worth Mind (TX) 1943-1947

USA Monitor (TX) 1992-1993

Soul City Courier (WI) 1976-1977

Wisconsin Labor Advocate (WI) 1886-1887

Milwaukee Defender (WI) 1957-1958

Milwaukee Star (WI) 1968-1977

Soul City Times (WI) 1968-1971

Racine Courier (WI) 1988-1992

Advocate (WV). 1904-1926

GenealogyBank puts more newspapers online

Posted on December 23, 2009 by Tom Kemp

GenealogyBank adds 19 more newspapers: Montana; Pennsylvania; Rhode Island; South Carolina; Tennessee; and Texas.

Wow! That makes 290 newspapers added in the last few weeks – GenealogyBank now has over 4,200 newspapers.

It’s a great day for genealogy!

Sign up now and see what you’ll find about your family!

Independent Record (Helena, MT) Obituaries: 10/02/2009 – Current
Punxsutawney Spirit, The (Punxsutawney, PA) Obituaries: 10/02/2009 – Current
Record Herald, The (Waynesboro, PA) Obituaries: 10/02/2009 – Current
Ridgway Record, The (Ridgway, PA) Obituaries: 10/07/2009 – Current
Call, The (Woonsocket, RI) Obituaries: 10/08/2009 – Current
Coastal Observer (Pawleys Island, SC) Obituaries: 10/09/2009 – Current
Island Packet (Hilton Head, SC) Obituaries: 10/02/2009 – Current
Claiborne Progress (Tazewell, TN) Obituaries: 10/02/2009 – Current
Cleveland Daily Banner (Cleveland, TN) Obituaries: 10/02/2009 – Current
Herald-Citizen (Cookeville, TN) Obituaries: 10/02/2009 – Current
Macon County Times (Lafayette, TN) Obituaries: 10/02/2009 – Current
Breckenridge American (Breckenridge, TX) Obituaries: 10/02/2009 – Current
Corsicana Daily Sun (Corsicana, TX) Obituaries: 10/02/2009 – Current
Gainesville Daily Register (Gainesville, TX) Obituaries: 10/02/2009 – Current
Mansfield News-Mirror (Mansfield, TX) Obituaries: 10/02/2009 – Current
Mexia Daily News, The (Mexia, TX) Obituaries: 10/02/2009 – Current
New Braunfels Herald-Zeitung (New Braunfels, TX) Obituaries: 10/02/2009 – Current Odessa American (Odessa, TX) Obituaries: 10/02/2009 – Current
Olney Enterprise, The (Olney, TX) Obituaries: 10/04/2009 – Current

More Newspapers Go Online – 41 newspapers, 23 states

Posted on October 2, 2009 by Tom Kemp

GenealogyBank adds and expands 41 newspapers from 23 states.

21 new titles.

That’s nearly 14 million articles contained in 8,052 issues!

Click and search them right now!!

Connecticut. Middletown. American Sentinel. 326 issues. 1823-01-01 to 1833-04-24
Connecticut. Middletown. Constitution. 47 issues. 1854-12-13 to 1855-12-05
Connecticut. New London. New London Gazette. 160 issues. 1838-01-03 to 1843-03-22
Connecticut. Nor wich. True Republican. 49 issues. 1804-06-20 to 1806-10-01

Washington, DC. Daily National Intelligencer. 3,230 issues. 1842-07-01 to 1866-06-25

Florida. Gainesville. *Gainesville Sun. 1995-01-18 to Present

Illinois. Chicago. Chicago Metro News. 118 issues. 1974-07-06 to 1990-10-06
Illinois. Freeport. *Journal Standard. 2002-12-14 to Present

Indiana. Crawfordsville. *Paper of Montgomery County. 2004-11-26 to Present
Indiana. Noblesville. *Times. 2008-10-22 to Present

Kentucky. Paris. *Western Citizen. 45 issues. 1808-12-24 to 1814-12-31

Louisiana. New Orleans. Orleans Gazette. 1 issue. 1817-09-27
Louisiana. New Orleans. Times-Picayune. 30 issues. 1872-09-26 to 1900-11-15

Maine. Kennebunk. *Annals of the Times. 68 issues. 1803-01-13 to 1805-01-03

Maine. Portland. *Independent Statesman. 167 issues. 1821-07-14 to 1825-05-06

Massachusetts. Boston. *American Traveller. 19 issues. 1825-07-26 to 1836-03-25
Massachusetts. Gloucester. *Gloucester Democrat. 362 issues. 1834-08-19 to 1838-02-16
Massachusetts. Springfield. Federal Spy. 133 issues. 1800-01-07 to 1805-12-31
Massachusetts. Springfield. *Hampden Whig. 2 issues. 1831-05-11 to 1836-06-08

Maryland. Baltimore. *Baltimore Bulletin. 93 issues. 1872-04-20 to 1876-09-23

Michigan. Grand Rapids. Grand Rapids Press. 330 issues. 1893-01-19 to 1920-10-25

Mississippi. Columbia. *Columbian Progress. 2008-11-03 to Present

Montana. Great Falls. Montana Herold. 1 issue. 1896-09-03

New Hampshire. Concord. New Hampshire Patriot. 2 issues. 1881-02-24 to 1884-01-10

New Jersey. Trenton. Trenton State Gazette. 293 issues. 1847-01-12 to 1847-12-31

New York. Albany. Albany Evening Journal. 83 issues. 1850-09-19 to 1874-06-10
New York. Catskill. *Catskill Recorder. 143 issues. 1807-04-07 to 1833-04-18
New York. Goshen. *Goshen Repository. 37 issues. 1797-03-21 to 1798-12-25
New York. New York. Hodge’s Banknote Reporter. 4 issues. 1861-06-01 to 1861-06-22
New York. New York. New York Herald. 1,121 issues. 1864-01-28 to 1871-11-04; 1874-10-04 to 1888-01-05
New York. New York. New York Herald-Tribune. 962 issues. 1856-10-30 to 1879-03-27
New York. Poughkeepsie. *Country Journal. 136 issues. 1785-12-15 to 1789-07-07

North Carolina. Forest City. *Daily Courier. 2005-01-01 to Present

Ohio. Cincinnati. *Advertiser and Journal. 9 issues. 1819-01-26 to 1827-09-26
Ohio. Cincinnati. *Cincinnati Daily Gazette. 722 issues. 1835-01-01 to 1845-06-25
Ohio. Warren. *Trump of Fame. 15 issues. 1812-11-05 to 1814-07-27

Rhode Island. Pawtucket. *Valley Breeze. 2009-08-19 to Present

South Carolina. Charleston. City Gazette. 206 issues. 1824-01-01 to 1824-08-31

Texas. Beaumont. Beaumont Enterprise & Journal. 14 issues. 1906-05-30 to 1911-09-01

Utah. Salt Lake City. Salt Lake Tribune. 1 issue. 1881-06-11

Vermont. Newport. *Newport Daily Express. 2008-07-24 to Present

Newspapers from 23 states go online!

Posted on September 1, 2009 by Tom Kemp

GenealogyBank added and expanded 32 newspapers from 23 states.
16 new titles.

Click and search them right now.

California
Benecia. California Gazette*. 1 issue. 1851-07-12

Colorado
Denver. Denver Mirror* 33 issues. 1874-06-28 to 1875-05-30

Connecticut
Bristol. Bristol Press*. 2007-12-28 to Present
Manchester. Journal Inquirer*. 2004-03-08 to Present
Middletown. Constitution. 20 issues. 1856-12-31 to 1857-12-02
New London. New London Daily Star. 120 issues. 1837-01-05 to 1858-09-02

DC
Washington. Reconstructionist* 2 issues. 1866-02-10 to 1866-03-24

Idaho
Blackfoot. Morning News*. 2008-08-02 to Present

Illinois
Chicago. Chicago Times. 77 issues. 1855-01-16 to 1856-07-03

Indiana
Terre Haute. Wabash Courier. 18 issues. 1840-10-31 to 1841-12-25

Kansas
Kansas City. Kansas City Kansan*. 2008-08–12 to Current

Louisiana
New Orleans. New Orleans Argus*. 117 issues. 1828-01-19 to 1832-09-29

Maryland
Baltimore. American and Commercial Daily Advertiser. 3,722 issues. 1801-07-15 to 1820-12-30
Baltimore. Federal Republican. 66 issues. 1811-01-01 to 1811-03-18
Cumberland. Weekly Civilian. 126 issues. 1859-03-17 to 1861-09-26

Montana
Great Falls. Montana Herold. 260 issues. 1893-05-04 to 1899-05-25

Nevada
Carson City. Nevada Appeal*. 2000-07-04 to Present

New Hampshire
Concord. New Hampshire Patriot*. 545 issues. 1878-10-10 to 1890-04-10

New Jersey
Trenton. Trenton State Gazette. 602 issues. 1848-01-01 to 1850-12-31

New York
Albany. Albany Evening Journal. 1 issue. 1854-08-19
New York. Morning Telegraph*. 509 issues. 1870-01-02 to 1879-12-28
New York. New York Herald. 50 issues. 1871-06-18 to 1871-08-09
New York. New York Herald-Tribune*. 527 issues. 1858-01-01 to 1877-09-24

North Dakota
Valley City. Valley City Times-Record*. 2008-06-02 to Present

Ohio
Cincinnati. Cincinnati Daily Enquirer. 2,065 issues. 1861-01-04 to 1876-09-30

Oklahoma
Poteau. Poteau Daily News & Sun*. 2009-07-29 to Present

Pennsylvania
Philadelphia. National Gazette. 1,558 issues. 1822-12-03 to 1841-04-08
Philadelphia. Public Ledger. 1,103 issues. 1840-09-17 to 1868-05-30

Rhode Island
Providence. Manufacturers’ and Farmers’ Journal. 52 issues. 1820-08-07 to 1870-01-03

South Carolina
Charleston. City Gazette. 200 issues. 1826-01-02 to 1826-12-30

Vermont
Milton. Milton Independent*. 2009-01-08 to Present

West Virginia
Keyser. Mineral Daily*. 2009-04-05 to Present
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Joel Munsell – a genealogist & publisher who went to jail to protect his sources

Posted on August 21, 2009 by Tom Kemp

Joel Munsell was an active genealogist, publisher, printer and journalist. He’s always been one of my “heroes” for his legendary contributions to genealogy and local history. (Photo – Munselle’s Picassa Gallery)

I was looking on GenealogyBank and found his marriage to Jane Caroline Bigelow (1812-1854)

17 June 1834 Independent Inquirer 28 Jun 1834

And here is his obituary - (New York Herald – 17 Jan 1880).

Look at this article from the New Y ork Herald – 28 Feb 1845.

Munsell published a small pamphlet in 1845 – Pulpit Sketches, or Dreams of a Pew Holder. The author was not identified. The pamphlet by innuendo subjected prominent citizens to “libelous ridicule”.

Real controversy erupted and following a Grand Jury Munsell was found in contempt and had a “choice to pay two hundred and fifty dollars or stand the imprisonment” …. all for not revealing the author’s name. He went to jail.

This case is held up as one of the early cases where journalists went to jail rather than reveal their sources.

But dig a little deeper.

This pamphlet was pointed and barbed – on page 27 the new chapter compares “Rev Dr. J.N.C. to “Judas Iscariot”. Tough stuff.

Who was the Rev. Dr. J.N.C.? Why attack him?

As in our day when the President’s team had moral problems they called on the minister’s of the day to resolve the issue. In Andrew Jackson’s day his cabinet was deeply involved with a scandal involving Peggy Eaton – that drove cabinet members to resign.

The President called on the Rev. John Nicholson Campbell (1798-1864) to examine the situation and counsel with the parties involved. Read the details here in the San Jose Mercury 3 May 1903.

Those actions in 1831 resulted in Munsell’s pamphlet in 1845.

But, who was the author?

Librarians and historians have concluded that the author was Henry Steel Olcott (1832-1937). So it was a 13 year old boy who wrote this pamphlet attacking the most learned and respected clergy of his day.

My question is: Did Joel Munsell refuse to say who the author was from journalistic zeal to protect his sources or because his source was a 13 year old boy? Or – was someone else the author of that pamphlet?

Write me and tell me what you think.

Title Lists – Newspapers, Books & Documents on GenealogyBank

Posted on August 19, 2009 by Tom Kemp

You can quickly see what is included in GenealogyBank by looking at the title lists.

Click on the title list for each section to see what is included in GenealogyBank

Newspaper Title Lists

Historical Books Title List

Historical Documents Title List

For example – here is part of the title list for South Carolina newspapers in GenealogyBank.

Michelle Obama’s – Slave Roots – Friendfield Plantation & Grover Cleveland

Posted on July 17, 2009 by Tom Kemp

(CNN Photo of a slave cabin)

CNN has produced Tracking Michelle Obama’s slave roots - a video tour of Friendfield Plantation in Georgetown, South Carolina – where Michelle Obama’s 2nd Great-Grandfather James Robinson was a slave.

At least one President has been to Friendfield Plantation – in 1894 President Grover Cleveland hunted there. Read the complete news account – Bagged Twenty-Nine – The President’s Fine Shooting on the Second Day Out – 19 Dec 1894 – State (SC)

(Illustration of Pres. Grover Cleveland hunting – from his book: Fishing and Shooting Sketches. NY: Outing Pub., 1906.)

Discover your heritage, preserve it and pass it on!

Be a part of GenealogyBank – Sign up Now.

Find and document your ancestors in GenealogyBank – the best source for old newspapers & documents on the planet.

Period!
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Wow – we found him!

Posted on May 30, 2009 by Tom Kemp

Yesterday the GenealogyBank Blog wrote about using the old documents in the “Serial Set” that are in GenealogyBank.com. It has been very popular.

Today I received this note from a genealogist about what she found on her Revolutionary War ancestor – Captain William York.

Tom – We used this set (Serial Set) to prove our ancestor, Captain William York, was a Revolutionary Soldier. Forming his own Troop of Horse, he was, initially, said to be a ‘mercenary’, but after being denied his pension in 1832, he asked his congressman to pursue it.

After William’s death in 1837, his son, Josiah Cowan York, kept this request alive, and it was finally approved in 1860.

My cousins and I almost screamed when I found the page where the ‘heirs of Captain William York’ are approved for his pension. Actually, there were 7 or 8 different bills on his behalf from 1832 to 1860, and I think I have most of them, but will check, just in case.

I cried when I saw the ‘memory’ marker that is now placed beside the grave of Josiah Cowan York. Not only did we prove his service, we found the first name of his wife, the dates both died, and two daughters we did not know existed. It’s amazing how much you can glean from these pages.

Diane Stark Sanfilippo
May 30, 2009 5:30 AM

What will you find in GenealogyBank?
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GenealogyBank.com has 1883 Pensioner List Online

Posted on May 29, 2009 by Tom Kemp

GenealogyBank.com is pleased to announce that it has the five volume List of Pensioners – 1883 online. This basic reference set is actively used by genealogists.

List of Pensioners on the Roll January 1, 1883; giving the name of each pensioner, the cause for which pensioned, the post office address, the rate of pension per month, and the date of original allowance. Washington, DC: Government Printing Office, 1883. Senate Document. Serial Set Vol. No. 2078, Session Vol. No.5; Report: S.Exec.Doc. 84 pt. 1-5.

The List of Pensioners – lists the pensioners by State/Town. Volume 5 includes the lists of pensioners that lived overseas.

Each entry gives:

Name of Pensioner

Pension Certificate Number

Date of the Original Pension

Reasons why the person received the pension

The monthly pension payment

Post Office where the pensioner receives their mail

Tip: This is a crucial source for identifying pensioners from all wars still living in 1883 and it pinpoints where they were living – anywhere in the US or around the world.

Volume One

Connecticut; District of Columbia; Maine; Massachusetts; New Hampshire; New Jersey; Rhode Island; Vermont

Volume Two

New York; Pennsylvania;

Volume Three

Illinois; Iowa; Ohio

Volume Four

Alaska; Arizona; California; Colorado; Dakota; Idaho; Indiana; Kansas; Michigan; Minnesota; Montana; Nebraska; Indian Territory (Oklahoma); Nevada; New Mexico; Oregon; Utah; Washington; Wisconsin; Wyoming

Volume Five

Alabama; Arkansas; Delaware; Florida; Georgia; Kentucky; Louisiana; Maryland; Mississippi; Missouri; North Carolina; South Carolina; Tennessee; Texas; Virginia; West Virginia.

Countries of the World – including Hawaii which was listed as the “Sandwich Islands”.

Africa; Austria; Belgium; Brazil; Denmark; England; France; Germany; Ireland; Italy; Madeira Island (Portugal); Malta; Mauritius; Mexico; Netherlands; New Zealand; Norway; Peru; Romania; Russia; Scotland; Spain; Sweden; Switzerland; Wales; West Indies; Foreign – Address Unknown.