NARA blog posts being pre-empted due to the 1940 Census

As I presume most of my readers know, besides my long absences between posts, I am a genealogy lecturer and am often asked to present new and updated material regarding topics of interest to the genealogy community. Such has been the case over the past couple of weeks as I prepare for presentations at the St. George Family History Expo, the Corona Genealogical Society, the Corona Family History Center, and other organizations in the area. I have been busy learning about and writing on the 1940 Census. It is coming in a matter of days (41, to be exact) and there is much to learn between now and then.

So I ask you to excuse my delinquency in other postings and know that it is for the greater good. And if you are particularly interested in the 16th Decennial Census, check my website (link on this page) and my presentation schedule to see if I will be giving this information at a location near you; or book me for your society to do so. Also, on the home page of my website, is a link to a handout (downloadable) that lists the websites and blogs dealing with this topic (up to date as of yesterday), along with some hints for making the April 2 release date less intimidating.

Once the Population Schedules have been released (in browsable format) on the various websites that will be carrying it (see the handout), I will be re-writing the presentation to give specific instructions on the procedures, using case studies to demonstrate with the actual Census pages providing clear examples (something the presentation lacks, at this moment). This is an on-going project.

Oh, and if YOU want to help, check out the Indexing instructions at FamilySearch.org - sign up to be a part of this unique and historic event!

NARA microfilms: Record of Appointment of Postmasters, 1832-September 30, 1971

In the past we've examined microfilm documents from the Letters of Application and Recommendation for the different Presidential Administrations. My daughter, the Postmaster for the Heber-Overgaard Post Office in Arizona, commented that she wondered what information NARA microfilms had about her. So I decided to check - at least in general.

I hit pay-dirt, with the help of Kerry Bartels of the Pacific Region of the National Archives in Riverside County, California, that is. Here is the title of the next microfilm collection I will be examining:
"Record of Apppointment of Postmasters, 1832-September 30, 1971." There are 145 rolls of film and the Record Group (RG) number is 28. The publication is number M841 with a publication date of 1977.

These films are available for viewing in the following regional Archives:
Pacific Alaska Region (Anchorage)
Pacific Region (Riverside County, CA)
Pacific Region (San Bruno, CA)
Rocky Mountain Region (Denver, CO)
Southeast Region (Atlanta, GA)
Great Lakes Region (Chicago, IL)
Northeast Region (Pittsfield, MA)
Northeast Region (Boston, MA)
Kansas City
Northeast Region (New York City, NY)
Mid-Atlantic Region (Philadelphia, PA)
Southwest Region (Fort Worth, TX)
Pacific Alaska Region (Seattle, WA)
and, of course, 
National Archives I (Washington, DC)

Before heading to the local NARA facility (listed above) to view these, remember to check the "Finding Aid" (the PDF Information Document) that is linked on the descriptive page from the catalog (follow earlier instructions on how to access the microfilm catalog, then enter "M841" in the Search box; click on the link for the publication that appears in the results). This publication information tells us that the collection here is just a part of Records of the Post Office Department, RG 28 (yup, there's even more):
"This record was prepared in the office of the Junior Assistant to the Postmaster General from 1832 to January 2, 1835; Second Assistant Postmaster General from July 2, 1836, to 1851; First Assistant Postmaster General from 1851 to 1950; and the Bureau of Post Office Operations from 1950 to September 30, 1971" (Publication Number: M-841, Washington, DC: NARA, 1977, page 1).

There are a number of factors that make this collection potentially useful to genealogists:

1)  If your ancestor served as a Postmaster (or was rumored to have been such) his/her service dates and location(s) of service can easily be tracked.

2)  Because Post Offices were not static, sometimes facilities closed down, were subsumed by others, or had their territory expanded. These changes are noted on the filmed documents and may help with tracking ancestors in those various areas.

3)  Specific information regarding other aspects of the people, offices, and regions are often included, adding historical perspective to the lives of those living within the various boundaries and the cities, towns, and outposts listed.

More specifics on how the records are organized can be found on the seven-page document referenced above. That document also contains a list of abbreviations or notations commonly found on the filmed records. I would recommend printing that out to have available for reference when viewing the films or you might miss the significance of "C.H." (Courthouse - county seat), "Dis" (discontinued), or "P" (Appointed by the President). (Note: those abbreviations are also provided at the beginning of each film but can be cumbersome to reference when the researcher is viewing the end of the film.)

Pages three through seven of the PDF Finding Aid lists the rolls of film (beginning with "Alabana; Autauga - Dale" and ending with "Wyoming; Albany - Yellowstone National Park"). Because there was U.S. Postal Service to areas other than the contiguous United States, some unexpected regions include:
Caroline Islands
Guam
Marshall Islands
Samoa
Puerto Rico
Virgin Islands
Cuba
and more (see the Finding Aid for a complete list).

So if your ancestors were from any of those areas and may have worked for the Post Office (as a Postmaster, even on temporary assignment as such), these would certainly be documents to check. Even if ancestors did not work for the Post Office, if they came from, say, Cuba, this record collection might shed light on some of the history of the area (I'll illustrate this in a future blog on this topic).

So there's the preliminary information on this unusual collection. Your "homework," for those who wish to follow up or further research the potential of these films, is to go to the link given above and follow the directions to pull up the PDF of the "Publication Details" (AKA the "Finding Aid" or "Information Document") and check it for yourself. Oh, and share this information with others - let's not keep this collection a secret any longer!

Letters of Application and Recommendation During the Administration of Ulysses S. Grant, 1869-1877, Microfilm Collection, NARA Riverside-Gallaudet

In 1864, Edward Miner Gallaudet (1837-1917) formed the first school for the "deaf and dumb," named "Gallaudet University," in honor of his father, Thomas Hopkins Gallaudet. Both father and son were instrumental in advancing communication means for those who could not hear or speak and the University continues today to educate those afflicted in these manners. The University, located in the District of Columbia, is still operational and is the product of much research. The elder Gallaudet traveled all over the world to gain knowledge in order to properly serve those who needed his help. Besides educating at the college level, Gallaudet School for the Deaf also has elementary and high school level courses, teaching the hearing impaired life skills as well as the basics in education.

Edward began his teaching experiences in Washington, D.C. and was instrumental in organizing educational opportunities for the deaf in that location. This brings us to the relevance of that information to the next (and last) post re: the Letters of Application and Recommendation During the Administration of Ulysses S. Grant. In 1873, in preparation for the Vienna World Exposition (mentioned briefly in a previous blog), it was hoped that all aspects of American Culture would be properly represented; this would include the advancements in the education of the deaf. After letters were sent on his behalf, Gallaudet the younger did attend the Exposition. But, while the history of the father and the son can be located on many Internet sites, the actual letters that clarified Edward's eligibility to represent the US are not. Those can be located on microfilm at a number of different National Archives facilities, including the one at 23123 Cajalco Rd. in Riverside County. Here's what the researcher can view there:

(From Edward A. Fry, Acting Priest, to the Secretary of State)

(The same, addressed to the President)

If you are a descendant of this distinguished family, a member of the deaf community, interested in the history of specialized schools in America, researching the history of the Vienna Exposition, or interested in the Grant administration, these letters would be of particular value.

There is more in the Pacific Region (Riverside) National Archives than just records of California, Arizona, and parts of Nevada. Check out the catalog (mentioned in earlier blogs) and see if something you are studying just may be lurking in the holdings there.

This concludes my series on the Letters of Application and Recommendation . . . my next topic will deal with Postmasters of the United States. Check back soon to learn about these folks.

Letters of Application and Recommendation During the Administration of Ulysses S. Grant, 1869-1877, Microfilm Collection, NARA Riverside, continued

I guess you would call this "part 5" of a (length to be determined) blog series on using the NARA catalog and, specifically, finding lesser-known microfilm publications at the Pacific Region (Riverside) facility. This blog, then, is a follow-up of previous ones:

February 25 about how to navigate the NARA on-line microfilm catalog (applicable to researchers in all geographic areas)
March 22 about the information documents for the NARA holdings (applicable to researchers in all geographic areas)
March 23 an overview of the Letters of Application and Recommendation during the Grant Administration
March 24 an example of one file in the Grant Administration collection

Our last examination was of a letter recommending Herman Haupt for a government position. Today we will look at a file for a lesser-known applicant, but one who might happen to be related to you (who knows?). If you have WENDT in your family tree, this may be of particular interest:

Unfortunately, as we so often find in micro-productions, the 2 other papers that were with this were illegible. One was the "jacket" or "cover" for this document (giving just the name and date) and the other was a picture of the file folder that holds the original paperwork. Neither is crucial to the use of this letter and it is good to see that the document itself is in remarkably good (and legible) condition. Another downside of most of these letters is that they don't follow up on what happened next.

Did Mr. Wendt get the appointment in Vienna? If so, did he ever return to the United States? Did his family go with him? But consider this: If this WENDT is yours and you "lost" him around 1874 (whether or not you were able to locate him later), this might explain where he went and give further clues of places to search for more information! If he did not get the appointment, it still mentions to his native city (Vienna) and may give a researcher a valuable clue in locating baptismal and immigration records. This one letter could knock down a few significant WENDT walls.

So the question is this: is there a relative of yours that made application or wrote a letter to a presidential administration, or for whom a letter of recommendation was written? (Yes, I've checked for my ancestors, just in case . . . of course, there are none that I've located so far, but if you hit "pay dirt" I'd love to know!)

Reminder, how to search the catalog for information in this collection can be found at my earlier blog on March 22.

Letters of Application and Recommendation During the Administration of Ulysses S. Grant, 1869-1877, Examples from NARA, Riverside

In the last two blogs I discussed the value and contents of the "Letters of Application and Recommendation During the Administration of Ulysses S. Grant, 1869-1877." Now let's look at an example of a rather noteworthy individual. Of course, if you are not related to this person, the letter might not hold much interest, but if you are or if you are working on the history of one of the organizations that he was associated with, it would certainly be of interest.

Let's look at the Civil War and the time period at its beginning when architect and bridge designer Herman Haupt found a place in history with his amazing trestles:

(National Archives photo)

The former officer resigned from the military early in the War but, according to this letter, he sought reconnection to the political scene a few years after the War ended:

In the near future we will look at a less well-known individual and his interest in making an application to work for the U.S. Government.

Letters of Application and Recommendation During the Administration of Ulysses S. Grant, 1869-1877, Microfilm Collection, NARA Riverside

In two previous blogs I have introduced my readers to
1) How to navigate the microfilm collections at the National Archives and Records Administration, Pacific Region (Riverside) and
2) What the "Letters of Application and Recommendation During Presidential Administrations, 1797-1877" is and how to access the information on which NARA facilities have the various collections available for customer viewing.

In this posting I want to share some of the findings in the collection of "Letters" of the Administration of Ulysses S. Grant (to help you save a little time, just click on the link "Ulysses S. Grant" and you can easily follow along on the Information Document - also called the "Descriptive Pamphlet," "Publication Details," and the "Finding Aid" - it's a PDF document that explains the history behind the collection and provides - in most cases - an Index to all the organizations and people about which the Letters and Applications are written).

Seven NARA facilities have this particular collection: Pacific Region (Riverside County, CA), Archives I (Washington, D.C.), Southeast Region (Atlanta, GA), Great Lakes Region (Chicago, IL), Archives II (College Park, MD), Southwest Region (Ft. Worth, TX), and Pacific Alaska Region (Seattle, WA).

There are 69 rolls of film in the collection and the Record Group (RG) is 59 ("General Records of the Department of State"). This Record Group also contains "other documents relating to appointments to public office, including oaths of office, attested copies of confirmations and rejections by the Senate, copies of commissions, and resignations and declinations of appointments" (Publication Number M-968, Washington, DC: NARA, 1975, p. 2).

Within the document (we're not into the films yet, just checking the PDF "View Important Publication Details" at this time), you can learn the history of the Grant Administration, a hint of the types of documents you will find on the films (applications of Union Army veterans, African Americans, those already holding government positions, and civilians seeking political and other appointments, etc.). It is estimated that, during the early part of his administration, about 400 people approached Grant, and his appointees, for consideration for Federal positions (many having served under Grant in the War).

In the cases where an applicant might have had another name or a letter also involved another consideration, a cross-reference is provided in the Index: e.g., "Carlisle, John S., Mar. 10-May 11, 1869 (6). See also Campbell, Archibald W." So if you are looking for Archibald W. Campbell (for whom there are an associated 22 documents), in the same index you will find his listing but no cross reference to John S. Carlisle (for whom there are an associated six documents), plus the date range given is "Apr. 26-Nov. 1, 1869." It would behoove the researcher to investigate both of these document collections (Carlisle and Campbell) (pp. 15-16). As it turns out, both Campbell and Carlisle letters are located on the same film roll (#10, Cab-Cas) (p. 104). (Note: it is most likely that the Campbell material includes some Carlisle material, but only within the date range given under "Carlisle.")

I hope that clarifies how the Information Document works and how it can be used before you visit your local archives. Knowing the film number(s) (in this case, Series M968, roll 10) will help you find your information faster when you arrive at the facility. As mentioned before, if you have a number of films to view, call or email in advance so they can be pulled for you; Pacific Region email for this purpose is riverside.archives@nara.gov.

The next couple of blogs will give some examples of the letters received by the Grant Administration: 3 for well-known individuals and 1 for a lesser-known person (but possibly your ancestor?).

Letters of Application and Recommendation During Presidential Administrations, 1797-1877, Microfilm Collection, NARA Riverside

Did your ancestor have a government position or apply for one? Or perhaps was recommended for such a career. Are you aware that letters to the government have been separated by administration (e.g., "Lincoln administration," etc.) and then further organized alphabetically by the subject (not necessarily author) of the letter?

In other words, if Sam Smith* wrote a letter to President James Monroe, or other government official during the Monroe administration, recommending Peter Adams* for a position as a government appointee, the letter would be filed under the "Letters of Application and Recommendation During the Administration of James Monroe, 1817-1825" (Part of Record Group 59, "General Records of the Department of State"; series M439 - 19 rolls).

Within that collection listing online (see earlier blog about how to find microfilm collections at the Pacific Region Archives), the PDF Information Document lists all the people who were subjects of the letters, so that particular letter would be listed under "Adams, Peter" and, following his name, there would be a number in parentheses (e.g., (8)) representing the number of documents (a single letter might be 4 pages long but if that is the only document in the file for Peter Adams, then there would be a (1) after his listing).

Once I identify the subject person in the name index, in that same PDF document, at the very end, is a listing of the microfilms in the collection and which rolls contain which surnames or organizations, so the Peter Adams item would probably be on roll number 1 - the listing looking something like this (for example only)*:

Aar - Bad - 1 (meaning film series M 439, roll 1)
Bae - Cre - 2 (etc.)

or like this:

Roll Index Range

1 A-Ba
2 Be-Bo (etc.)


To read the Peter Adams letter by Sam Smith, I would fill out the film requisition form at the archives and then the NARA employee would pull the film(s) I requested so I could view it (them).

*(This example is for information purposes only - there is not an actual letter by Sam Smith on behalf of Peter Adams, that I know of. In the next blog we will examine some real examples of what one might find within these films.)

There is a wealth of information in the documents on these films and most people are unaware of their existence. Checking through the indexes on the Information Documents takes only a few minutes and can be done at home (see earlier blog) before going over to the Archives. If you find your ancestor, or someone you think might be your ancestor, in one of those documents, you owe it to yourself to dig a little deeper. The employees and volunteers at the Archives are there to help you: 23123 Cajalco Rd., Perris (actually just off the I-215 at Cajalco Expy in Riverside County), CA 92570.

Note: if you wish a number of films to be pulled, it is advisable to call in advance with that request: 951-956-2000.

For those non-Southern Californians who are reading this, there are around a dozen other facilities across the country that house these films. To see if the archives near you has the film collection you seek, follow the directions in the aforementioned blog (but substitute your regional archives location for "Pacific Region" under "advanced search"), then (when you are in the catalog list for your selected archives), click on the "Publication Title" heading (this will give you an alphabetized listing of collection titles) and scroll to "Letters of Application and Recommendation During the Administration of _____" (pick the desired Presidential administration). (Note: Expect the title to be over half-way through the title listing.)

See below for a complete listing of the Presidential Administrations and their Film Series numbers to assist in making your selection.

M406 - 3 rolls - John Adams, 1797-1801
M418 - 12 rolls - Thomas Jefferson, 1801-1809
M438 - 8 rolls - James Madison, 1809-1817
M439 - 19 rolls - James Monroe, 1817-1825
M531 - 8 rolls - John Quincy Adams, 1825-1829
M639 - 27 rolls - Andrew Jackson, 1829-1837
M687 - 35 rolls - Martin Van Buren, William Henry Harrison, and John Tyler, 1837-1845
M873 - 98 rolls - James Polk, Zachary Taylor, and Millard Fillmore, 1845-1853
M967 - 50 rolls - Franklin Pierce and James Buchanan, 1853-1861
M650 - 53 rolls - Abraham Lincoln and Andrew Johnson, 1861-1869
M968 - 69 rolls - Ulysses S. Grant, 1869-1877

So now you have some information to get you locating that elusive ancestor who allegedly worked for the government or was a White House employee, etc. Please let me know how this works for you! And let others know about this amazing resource (in the next couple of blogs I'll show you some of the actual findings).

National Archives, Pacific Region, Riverside County, CA - How to Find Microfilms in the Facility

I am beginning a new series of blogs, dealing with the microfilm holdings at the Pacific Region of the National Archives in Riverside, California, located near Perris at 23123 Cajalco Road. There are a number of microfilms (many with material that would be helpful for genealogists) housed at that location, but people are not aware of them. Here I will discuss some of them in detail, but first, let's look at how to find them.

Step One - Log onto the NARA (National Archives and Records Administration) website. The new home page looks like this:
Scroll down on the page to the bottom:



And click on "Genealogists" in the far left column. That will take you to:

From that screen, go to the lower right panel:

And click on "Online Research Tools."
That will take you to:

And you want to click on "Microfilm Catalog" (misspelling above may be fixed soon). The top of the resulting page looks like:

And you want to click on "Advanced Search" to get to:

Click on the "Viewing Location" and you get this drop-down menu:

Select the Pacific Region:

And click on "Search" at the right of the page:

The 1143 listed microfilm groups are provided with a number of ways to have them listed (by record number, record group number, or alphabetical by title). (Note: not all the microfilms available at the Pacific Region have been added to the list, so if you have any questions about a particular film, contacting the facility directly is recommended.)

Select the film you are interested in and click on it to get to this page:

On the right-hand side, is this window:
Notice that the film under consideration is at the NARA Pacific Region (Riverside):


Before running to the archives to view it, click on the "Finding Aid" - a PDF information document that explains about the film:

That will lead you to a document that explains the microfilms (note: there are 2 films for this particular selection):

The document gives a background of the organization and/or circumstances about the existence of the film(s):



And also includes the Contents of the films (note: for films listing people, the Contents will identify what people are on what film, e.g., Abel - Collins, film 1, etc.)

With this basic information, locating the films on the archives site should be fairly easy. In future weeks we will look at the specifics about some of these films.