Tour of the Cincinnati History and Library Archives

After a three-year closure while the Cincinnati Museum Center underwent a complete renovation, many patrons anxiously awaited the reopening of the Cincinnati History Library and Archives (CHLA). Now a few months in, the staff of the library has graciously agreed to host two tours of the new facility. Visitors will learn of the many resources available to them and get tips on how best to access them.

CHLA will sponsor two tours for HCGS members on Tuesday, November 12th and Saturday, November 16th. Both tours will take place at 10:30 am.

Both tours require a reservation and are limited to 20 people each. Complete the reservation form  https://hcgsohio.org/cpage.php?pt=197
and select your preferred date. Once the tours are filled, you will be put on a waiting list for possible future tours based on demand.

To learn more about the library, visit their website:
CHLA Website.



Submitted by: Kathy Reed
dna.interest@hcgsohio.org

Ask the Experts 2013 - Day at the Library

The "Experts" Share Their Expertise

The Public Library of Cincinnati and Hamilton County hosted the annual "Ask the Experts" Day at the Main Library. Representatives of more than a dozen local genealogy and history groups were available for anyone hoping to better understand their family's history.

The day began with a talk by Deb Cyprych on how to find available 19th Century orphan records for Hamilton County. Deb has been working on this project for several years and her information is invaluable.  

Patricia Van Skaik Introduces Deb Cyprych

If you are a member of HCGS, you can log on to our website and look up these Tracer articles: 

Deb's talk included additional updates that have become available since these articles were published. She recommended that researchers check the website of the Cincinnati History Library Archives or plan a visit to take advantage of their vast collection.

Marion Crawford Stover discussed her experiences growing up in a northern Kentucky orphanage. She reiterated a point made earlier in the day by Deb Cyprych. Many children who lived in orphanages had one or two parents who were alive, but unable to care for their children. Alcohol was often a contributing factor.

If you've never attended one of these events, I can't recommend them enough. Plan to attend the 2014 Family History Day and check your calendars for the many other events that are scheduled for this month.

Patricia Van Skaik, Marion Crawford Stover and Chris Smith

We've Been Busy

As I write this, I am aware that many members of our Chapter live out-of-town.  Through this blog, we've heard from some of you. A couple have even volunteered to be a part of one of our Long-Range Planning Committees.  One of our members from California contacted us after reading a post on our facebook page that had relevant information for one of her ancestors.  In our correspondence, she told me that she will be attending the NGS conference in Cincinnati.  It is a pleasure to know that this blog may have relevance for not only our "in town" members, but also our "out-of-town" members.  We love hearing from you.

Those of us who live here have had some wonderful educational opportunities over the past couple of months.  During February, our Program Chair Linda Dietrich arranged two behind-the-scenes visits at the Cincinnati History Library and Archives.  As the CHLA has a strict no camera policy, we were able to get permission to take a couple of pictures in their Reading Room.  The tour proved so popular that the tour had to be scheduled twice.

On Saturday, March 10th, our Irish Interest Chair Mary Ann Faloon and Membership Chair Eileen Muccino collaborated on a wonderful presentation about the conditions faced by the Irish in Cincinnati from the years 1850-1860.  About 40 people attended their presentation. A summary of the conditions the Irish confronted can be summed up in the sign below.

Eileen Muccino and Mary Ann Faloon

Despite the difficulties faced by our immigrants in Cincinnati, it was nice to hear that things were much better for the sons and daughters of the immigrants.  A study of the second generation showed that the Irish adapted to their new environment and that only 9% of the men in the second generation were employed as unskilled laborers.  Most made significant moves toward becoming part of the middle class.  As Linda Dietrich commented during the question and answer period, the Irish story seems to be one that we've all heard before as each immigrant group tries to assimilate and become American.

If you live in this region, now may be a good time to update your calendar and take advantage of the April Chapter Meeting, the OGS Conference in Toledo and the NGS Conference that we are hosting in May. You can find out what some of the opportunities in this area by clicking on the calendar that is a part of this blog.  

We love hearing from you.  Consider adding a comment to this post. Help us get to know YOU.  Give us suggestions. Let your voice be a part of the discussion.

Submitted by:  Kathy Reed

khreed@cinci.rr.com

Put HCGS in the subject line.

Buried Treasure at Cincinnati History Library and Archives

Cincinnati History Library and Archives (CHLA), formerly known as Cincinnati Historical Society Library, houses an immense collection of materials relating to the Greater Cincinnati area. This collection includes books, pamphlets, maps, photos, manuscripts, films and sound recordings. Members of the Hamilton County Genealogical Society recently had the opportunity to tour CHLA.  Our tour began in the Reading Room, which is the main room after entering the library.  The Reading Room contains basic reference materials, Cincinnati histories, City Directories and more.  Items in this room are accessible to all visitors, without need of a Call Slip.

The Closed Stacks room is a large room filled with many rows of shelves and file cabinets and, as the name implies, is not open to the public for browsing. Housed in this room are: 

• Original local newspapers in bound ledgers.  
• "Princeton" boxes -- referencing the type of storage container -- holding newspaper clippings about people. 
• "Cincinnati morgue records": are not (as this blogger supposed) records from a morgue in Cincinnati, but rather newspaper clippings about various (then-living) people published in the Cincinnati Enquirer newspaper!  :)  
• Map Collection: about 2,500 maps of various sizes; from 1792 to present.  
• "Broadsides": old posters / advertisements for events, businesses, and elections.  
• Books, such as traveler accounts (e.g. An author's account of traveling to Cincinnati in the early 1800's). 
• The pamphlet collection includes church histories, catalogs of local businesses; local art exhibition catalogs, local transportation pamphlets, speeches, and anti-slavery tracts.¹
• Sheet Music.
• Ephemera: pamphlets, notices, tickets, theater programs, greeting cards, invitations, menus, etc.  See "Subject Guide to Ephemera" at the reference desk.
• Issues of Ohio Historical Society's magazine, Timeline.
• Original copy of the first newspaper of this area, The Centinel of the North Western Territory (1793).

It would be impossible to catalog each clipping of ephemera in the collection; they are too numerous. To request items in the Closed Stacks Room, go to the reference desk for a Subject Binder. Complete a Call Slip with the call #. If you cannot find what you're looking for, ask a librarian.

The Manuscript Room has an extensive collection of the records of businesses and organizations, drawings, journals and more.  See a detailed description of the collection here:  Manuscripts Collection at CHLA.

Before accessing manuscripts:

1. Find your item of interest in either the online catalog, the card catalog (red drawers), or in the Register / Calendar by subject listing.
2. Fill out a Call Slip including the Box #.
3. Read list of Rules.

Note: Some manuscript collections have restricted access due to privacy laws or the request of the donating organization (e.g. orphanage or hospital records).

Hauck Rare Book Room "The Hauck botanical collection contains approximately 3,900 titles relating to botany, horticulture, land architecture & forestry dating from the fifteenth century through the 20th century."¹ Consult with a librarian for access to the materials in this room.

The Lytle Library, a.k.a. "Genealogy Room" contains:

• Standard genealogical indices plus in-house indices of various records.
• Resources for other U.S. States and some International records.
• Cincinnati Enquirer and Cincinnati Post newspapers on microfilm, including some German, African American, and Suburban newspapers.
• Family newsletters, published Family Histories.
• Deed Books & Indices from the Hamilton County Recorder's Office, up to 1903.
• Mortgages and other items from the Recorder's Office.
• Miscellaneous genealogy books.
• Hamilton County Censuses on microfilm, including Mortality Schedules for 1850, 1860, and 1880.
• Access to Ancestry.com on the Library's computers.
• Three microfilm reader machines.

The Photograph Room is not open to the public for browsing. However, you can request photos from the reference desk in the Reading Room. According to CHLA, their photograph collection is much larger than that of PLCH and includes photos of WWI soldiers, German Pioneer Society members, Cincinnati businesses and homes, and much more. To locate an item, refer to the Photograph Collection Binder which contains a list of subjects, specific photographic collections, and their corresponding call numbers.  As this is a Closed Stack Library, a call slip must be completed and signed for each item requested and must be turned in at the reference desk. Photocopies are available for a small fee. High-resolution scans are also available for a somewhat larger fee. If for personal use, there isn't a need to pay a fee to use the photo.  However, if publishing the photo, then you will need to speak with the library's Photo Curator to obtain the correct source citation and complete the 'Request to Publish' form available at the library.  Please note that some of the photographs are already available online at Greater Cincinnati Memory Project. 

NOTE:  The CHLA's collection is HUGE and not all items are cataloged. There is an online catalog, multiple card catalogs, Subject Binders, and Registers.  Items may be cataloged in one or more of these, or in none! If you cannot find what you are looking for, just ask one of the librarians.

A big "Thank You" goes out to M'Lissa Kesterman, Manager Reference Services, for giving such a wonderful and informative tour. You rock! 

Visit the Cincinnati History Library and Archives, located inside the Cincinnati Museum Center at Union Terminal:

Cincinnati History Library and Archives

1301 Western Avenue

Cincinnati, Ohio 45203

Telephone: (513) 287-7030

Fax: (513) 287-7095

Email: library@cincymuseum.org
Website: http://library.cincymuseum.org/
Hours 

The library is free to everyone. No museum membership is required. Be sure to check the list of Library Rules before you visit. Parking is available in the Museum Center lot for $6.  Free parking is available on some side streets nearby.

Come, see and discover.

*** HCGS has another tour of CHLA scheduled for this Wednesday, February 29th, from 10:00 a.m. to approximately noon.  Only a few openings are left for this tour.  If you are interested in attending, please indicate by commenting on this blog post.  Someone from HCGS will reply shortly.  Thank you. ***

¹ http://www.cincymuseum.org/library/printedworks

BEHIND THE SCENES TOUR AND LIBRARY ORIENTATION AT THE CINCINNATI HISTORICAL SOCIETY LIBRARY

 

If you are researching Hamilton County or Cincinnati ancestors, you have undoubtedly paid a visit to the Cincinnati Historical Society’s Library, located in the Museum Center at Union Terminal.  Our February program will be an exclusive behind-the-scenes tour and Library orientation led by Librarian, M'lissa Kesterman. 

On Wednesday, February 22, 2012, we will meet at the Library, located in the lower level of the Museum Center, at 10:00 am.  Ms. Kesterman will begin the program with an overview of the library’s on-line catalog and then take us back to the stacks for a look at the photo, map, and other special collections housed at the Library.  As the Library’s entire collection is not available on-line, this should give researchers a better idea of the variety and scope of the specialized collections available.  The program will end in the Hauck Research Room, where the majority of genealogical holdings are available on the shelves, and the extensive newspaper collection is available for microfilm viewing.

The program will end at 12:00 noon, at which time the library is open to the public.  You are encouraged to stay and make use of the collections you have just discovered!  You may bring your own lunch, or food is available in the rotunda of the Museum Center, along with the dining area.

This private tour is limited to 18 people.  To make your reservations or for more information, contact Linda Dietrich, Program Chairperson.