Generated with Bing Image Creator AI, 21 September 2024 A recent article which I can't seem to find again got me thinking, mostly about the title, which was something close to " coming together in order to disengage ." As I recall, it might have been about dissipating political tensions post-election. But it got me thinking about why we gather together in genealogy and historical societies and associated groups. Research and writing can be lonely. Just yesterday I spent hours imaging and downloading the 100+ pages of my third-great-grandfather's Revolutionary War pension application. Both my son and husband clearly didn't understand why I bothered! But I bet all our readers here DO understand, and maybe that is why we gather so often, even just to chat with other researchers.  I found one article on the web about children's education which says, Children & adults must first feel safe in order to feel connected enough to learn. The adult’s job  is to keep ...

Miners Day Sign on the way to the event Join SKCGS at Black Diamond Miners Day! We'll be there all day. Early birds can show up around 7 am to help us set up, or show up any time before 4 to help us greet people, answer their questions, or ask them about their family history.  At 4 pm, as the event ends, we would welcome help to pack up  and clean up.  Please write to Outreach@skcgs.org to volunteer.  Chalk drawing from 2023 Miners Day Black Diamond Area a Favorite Topic Over the history of SKCGS Blog and our previous newsletter, the Black Diamond and Franklin Mine areas have been a great source for stories.  We are especially grateful for the volumes of information available at the Black Diamond Museum and Historical Society. People who live in South King County, especially on the eastern side are familiar with the coal mining communities of Newcastle, Renton, and Black Diamond; some may even remember the names of Franklin, Cedar Mountain and other towns from l...

Flickr:  https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/2.0/ We all knew how to do this as kids. Even once we started in school, there were summer vacations, and most of us -- at least the lucky ones -- played and did our chores without needing much direction. However, as we matured, the thoughts of jobs, careers, supporting ourselves, beginning families, created a structure that for many, left little feeling of creativity and freedom. In truth, the decisions we made in the past steered us to this moment, reading this post! Charter Members Forty years ago, folks in the south King County area, tired of driving across the lake, took the courageous step of creating the South King County Genealogical Society. Some of these wonderful people are still with us:  William L. Adams, Judith Dempsey Aeschliman, Margaret Oakley Alder, Lillian Wanamaker Anderson, Clemence Rhea Baker, John Baker, Mary Kitchell Baker, Elva Barber, Patsy Barber, Marilyn Bell, Peggy Bentz, CarolLe Stratton Berry, Laur...

  2023: Drawing to a Close Courtesy Picryl.com As we enter the holiday season, it felt like a good time to look back at the year.   Year of Collaboration In January, I said that for me, it would be the year of collaboration . In so many ways, it has turned out that way, both on a genealogy society level, personally and in my genealogy work.  Our society collaborated with Eastside Genealogical Society to sponsor two speakers, one ( Dr. Leah Larkin ) presented at one of their evening meetings, and one ( Angela Packer McGhie, CG ) will present at our general meeting in January. Both the Washington State Genealogical Society  and the Washington Presidents Council exist to promote and support local societies and rely on collaboration.  SKCGS is a member of the National Genealogical Society , which, since it merged with the Federation of Genealogical Societies a few years back recognized "the need to coordinate projects so societies, libraries, and archives would not...

Bannner for  https://10millionnames.org/   Lately, American Ancestor's new project has been everywhere in the news, from  Michael Strahan  going to Shankleville on  Good Morning America , NPR's All Things Considered , to the Rev. Al Sharpton show on MSNBC.  Their mission: "10 Million Names is a collaborative project dedicated to recovering the names of the estimated 10 million men, women, and children of African descent who were enslaved in pre- and post-colonial America (specifically, the territory that would become the United States) between the 1500s and 1865." American Ancestors, who is spearheading this project, is also known as the New England Historic Genealogical Society, based on Boston, Massachusetts . FamilySearch says about them,  Founded in 1845, the New England Historic Genealogical Society (NEHGS) is the oldest such society in the United States. They maintain an Internet database of over 100 million names, including vital records, com...

  I have found a new "favorite" place for researching--the Digital Public Library of America  Digital Public Library of America (dp.la) .  It isn't a new place, its charter was established in 2012, but it is new to me and I am enjoying the different ways to explore the information available. "The Digital Public Library of America amplifies the value of libraries and cultural organizations as Americans’ most trusted sources of shared knowledge. We do this by collaborating with partners to accelerate innovative tools and ideas that empower and equip libraries to make information more accessible. "We work with a national network of partners to: Make millions of materials from libraries, archives, museums, and other cultural institutions across the country available to all in a one-stop discovery experience. Provide a library-controlled marketplace and platform for libraries to purchase, organize, and deliver ebooks and other e-content to their patrons. Convene libr...