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.

HCOGS Welcomes New Members to Lineage Groups

First Families Honorees

The HCOGS held its annual luncheon to recognize new inductees into the lineage groups sponsored by the Chapter. The luncheon was held at the Clovernook Country Club. The Chapter now sponsors three lineage groups:  First Families, Settlers and Builders and Century Families.

The Chapter's first lineage group, First Families of Hamilton County, was started in 1988 and has established 419 members with over 1000 pioneer ancestors who were proven to be residents of Hamilton County before December 31st, 1820. Nine new members were able to prove 38 direct ancestors who lived in Hamilton County during this time period.

Settlers and Builders Inductees

In 2007 the Chapter established Settlers and Builders of Hamilton County honoring ancestors who lived in the county between January 1st 1821 and December 31st 1860.  They now claim 53 members who have proven 209 Settlers and Builders ancestors.  Four new members were inducted as well as two members who submitted additional ancestors through a supplemental application.

Charter Members of the Century Families Lineage Group

This year a third lineage group was established by the Chapter called Century Families.  This group honors ancestors who resided in Hamilton County 100 years before today's date or January 1, 1861.   Twenty-two charter members honoring 135 Hamilton County ancestors were inducted.

Our guest speaker for the luncheon was Michael Morgan who entertained us with stories of Cincinnati's Over-the-Rhine neighborhood.  It was known for its large population of German immigrants, beer gardens, saloons and breweries.  You can read more about his program by checking this previous post that discusses "When Beer Was King."

It's not too early to start thinking about next year's luncheon.  Download an application at the Chapter's website. There are several Chapter members who would be happy to share advice on how to complete the application.  Perhaps next year we will be able to recognize even more Hamilton County ancestors who had a part in creating such a great community.

You can view individual pictures of Century Families inductees by clicking on this link. 

Photo Credits:  John Tholking

October 2011 Gazette Now Available

The October 2011 issue of The Gazette is now available online on the members-only portion of the website, http://hcgsohio.org/membership.shtml. 

Articles in this edition:

Webinar for Irish Research by Mary Ann Faloon
Online Irish Family History Forum by Mary Ann Faloon
Probate Court Project Update by Jim Dempsey
Access to Website Member Pages by Jim Dempsey
Volunteers Needed for Facebook and Twitter by Liz Stratton
FamilySearch Wiki by Liz Stratton
Library News from the PLCH by Patricia Van Skaik
President's Message by Kenny Burck

Current Program announcements can be found on the calendar tab of this blog.

Over-the-Rhine: When Beer Was King

Ken Burns coverage of George Remus, King of the Bootleggers, in the PBS Special, 'Prohibition,' has given us an interesting glimpse back into life in the Queen City in the Roaring 20's.  

Step back to an even earlier time, 'When Beer was King," at the Heritage Luncheon on Saturday, October 22, 2011.  Michael Morgan will speak on this fascinating time in Cincinnati history at the luncheon.  Everyone is welcome!   A printable registration form can be found at:  Heritage Society Registration Form.  Please return your registration by October 12, 2011.  The following program description was taken from the registration form:

Michael Morgan has worked several years toward the physical and cultural restoration of Cincinnati’s Over-the-Rhine.  He has been involved in historic preservation and conducting events that bring the neighborhood’s history alive. He is a lawyer, author, trustee of the Brewery District Community Redevelopment Corp. and former executive director of the
Over-the-Rhine Foundation.  Michael organizes tours of historic brewery sites and the annual Cincinnati Bockfest and recently published his book, Over-the-Rhine: When Beer Was King.
Everyone  Welcome!  Questions about program or reservations?   Karen Klaene  (513) - 922-3379.

"Ask the Experts" Day at the Library

Yesterday was a great day at the Main Branch of the Public Library of Cincinnati and Hamilton County.  Local genealogists had the opportunity to "pick the brains" of representatives from a wide variety of Tri-State organizations.  Included were experts from the Revolutionary War and the Civil War.  Have African-American, German or Irish ancestors?  They had answers. Want to know more about technology?  Got it. Ancestors from Kentucky?  No problem.  One author even provided a historical perspective of the Over-the-Rhine neighborhood as well as breweries from both sides of the river.

Irish Ancestry Table

Attendees also had the opportunity to attend a session on how to create a blog about their family history and research.  This was followed up with a hands-on session in the computer lab. 

On a personal note, I made some valuable connections and have filled up my calendar for November and December.  As a first-time attendee, I didn't know what I was missing.  I'm already thinking about how we can "get the word" out next year so that more people have the chance to "ask the experts."

Cincinnati Birth and Death Records, 1865-1912

When I first became interested in genealogy, I remember making an appointment and going to the Hamilton County Health Department to look through index cards that recorded some early Cincinnati births and deaths.  I was struck with how easy it would be to just pocket specific cards and walk out with them.  As I recall, one of the people who assisted me said that cards could be missing.

At some point, the cards were given to the University of Cincinnati Blegen Library where many archives are stored.  I was thrilled when I learned that these cards were being digitized.  Apparently, that task has largely been completed.

There is a FAQ about this collection on the U.C. site:

Question: What is the scope of this collection and its history?

Answer: With a few exceptions, the official death records for the City of Cincinnati begin in 1865 and those for birth in 1874. As a result of a government records program of the Ohio Network of American History Research Centers, in 2003 over 500,000 card files from the Cincinnati Health Department were transferred to the UC Libraries' Archives and Rare Books Library. The cards contain the official records of births and deaths for Cincinnati citizens from the beginning dates as noted through 1908, with additional records through 1912. These cards are sometimes typed and many times handwritten, and were created by the Cincinnati Health Department several decades ago to preserve the data originally entered in ledger books. The ledger books are also preserved in the UC Libraries, but are of such fragility that any turning of the pages results in flaking and tears. The informational cards are considered the official and legal records of births and deaths for this time period.

While the bulk of these records begin in 1865, a small number of records show earlier dates. It is believed that these early records reflect the "restoration" of vital documents by citizens after the 1884 Hamilton County Courthouse fire, and were eventually sent to the City of Cincinnati Health Department for recording.

There are several different techniques for searching the database.  I found one of the most useful ways was to search by "subjects." An alphabetical list will come up and you can search by the surname that interests you.  Even with a surname like "Jones" I had reasonable results.





As anticipated, I was able to find information on some of my family members and not others.  "Deaths" are usually recorded on orange index cards.   Pictured is one that I found for my great-grandmother, Rachel A. Jones.

Once you've clicked on this record, you will be able to click on the "full" record. A lot of information is provided, not only on the person you are researching, but also a complete documentation of the history of the record.  Some of the information is pictured below.

A careful reading of the FAQ explains the few exceptions that have not yet been digitized.  However, I think you would agree that this may be a wonderful new opportunity to research many of our Cincinnati relatives at an important time in our city's history.

Mappy Monday: Mapping Morehouses in Cincinnati

My Morehouse and Warwick families had largely left Cincinnati by the time that Sanborn maps are viable research tools.  But, I'm hoping that the maps can help me solve the mysterious disappearance of Sarah Jane 'Sallie' (Morehouse) Warwick (1846- ).  If nothing else, understanding more about the community she lived in might help locate her in other records.

Sallie was a young widow found living in her mother's boarding house on 32 McFarland Street in the 1880 Federal population census.  She also appears in the Cincinnati city directory for the last time in 1880.  Her mother, Mary Ann (Rees) Morehouse, continues to be listed in directories intermittently until her death in 1894. Between 1880 and 1894, Mary Ann lived on 32 McFarland, 180 West 3rd, 199 Everett and 7 Gorman Street.  I'll start with Mary Ann and see if there are some clues in her neighborhood.

At the time of her death in 1894, Mary Ann lived at 7 Gorman Street, Cincinnati, Ohio.  There are two Sanborn maps that might give me information about the house - 1887 and 1891.  Both of these maps are available on microfilm at the Public Library of Cincinnati and Hamilton County.  But, I'm not at the library, so I'm looking to see what I can find out about the neighborhood on the 1904 Sanborn map which is available online the the PLCH Virtual Library.  I'll check out 1887 and 1891 later.

From the index, I learn that Gorman Street is on Map 80.  But, looking at the map, I don't see 7 Gorman Street.  Doug Magee warned us not only about street name changes but also numbering changes.  I remembered that Mary Ann (Rees) Morehouse had a daughter that continued to live on Gorman Street.  The 1896/97 directory gives Alice McLean Morehouse's address as 1507 Gorman Street.  Bingo!  (I'd still like to confirm this is the same house in other sources.)

Cincinnati, Public Library of Cincinnati and Hamilton County.  "Insurance Maps of Cincinnati, Ohio, Vol. 1."  Virtual Library.  http://virtuallibrary.cincinnatilibrary.org/lib/31/468/R912_77199_ef_S198_v__1_p__80.pdf  : 2011.

Several things immediately jump out.  First, Armory Avenue (once Everett) is in very close proximity so even though Mary Ann moved from 199 Everett to 1507 Gorman it was likely a move within the same neighborhood.  From Doug's talk, I know that the 'F' indicates that the building was a Flat (apartment) and that it was 3 stories high.  The pink coloration tells me the building was brick.  The 'D' designates a dwelling so this was a largely residential neighborhood.  A larger view of the map gives additional neighborhood information including other churches and businesses - perhaps sources of additional information!

This neighborhood is very close to the boundary between maps so I also looked at the map of properties south of Armory Avenue (map 72).  And much is made clear!  Mary Ann (Rees) Morehouse's daughter, Alice M. Morehouse was a schoolteacher.  In Map 72, we see that the flat where mother and daughter resided was very close to the 11th District Public School.  This is good news and bad news.  It does provide new information about the likely place that Alice worked but it is also possible that the family's living arrangements were driven by proximity to the school rather than proximity to other family members.

Cincinnati, Public Library of Cincinnati and Hamilton County.  "Insurance Maps of Cincinnati, Ohio, Vol. 1."  Virtual Library.  http://virtuallibrary.cincinnatilibrary.org/lib/31/468/R912_77199_ef_S198_v__1_p__72.pdf  : 2011.

I always like to see pictures of the places my ancestors lived and worked.  I've looked for a photo of Gorman before without success.  This time I searched for images of the 11th District Public School and found images of the Washburn School on Clinton between Linn & Baymiller. The interesting thing is that one of the images is  Old Eleventh School District 1907 and notes that the school is about to be destroyed.  Another image is a postcard depicting the New Eleventh School District.  Since the map above is the 1904 Sanborn map, one might assume that it is the Old Eleventh School on the map.  Guess again!

This is one of the tricky things about the 1904 Sanborn map that Doug Magee warned us about.  Because of the exorbitant cost of producing maps, from 1904-1930, corrections were simply pasted into the 1904 map books.  A careful inspection of the Sanborn map reveals that both the school and the annex were pasted  in later.  The map shows the New Eleventh School District building as can be confirmed by viewing the images of the Old and New Eleventh School.

The Morehouse flat on Gorman could be tracked through later Sanborn maps (1917, 1922, 1934, 1937, etc.) to get an idea of the property's transition over time.  A list of available Sanborn maps is at http://goo.gl/gPFlg.  But, my Morehouse families had already moved along. 

From a genealogical perspective, tracking the earlier family properties, determining who owned the flat, and checking the records of nearby churches and schools just might give me the break through I am hoping for! First, I'll want to take a closer look at the 1887 and 1891 Sanborn maps and other early maps to see if there are other even more promising sources of additional information.

If you have made an interesting discovery using the Sanborn maps for Cincinnati, please comment or better yet, write a post!

Update:  PLCH has the 1987 Sanborn Fire Insurance Maps digitized and online.  However, the library also has a link to Ohio Link where Sanborn Maps dating from 1867 - 1970 are digitized and available online.  To get to this site, take the following steps:

1. Logon to the library site at: http://http://www.cincinnatilibrary.org/
2. Click on "Research and Homework"
3. Click on "Research Databases"
4. Click on "S" under "Browse Resources by Title"
5. Click on "Sanborn Fire Insurance Maps"
6. Submit your zip code.
7. Begin your search.  I have found that one of the most efficient ways to search for a street is to type (Name of street, Cincinnati/Hamilton) or (Name of business, Cincinnati/Hamilton).