Looking back over files collected

While cleaning up the basement yesterday, I found a stack of files collected over the years from various libraries. Amid this mess of manila folders, I ran across a file that I had been missing on the Hampton and Booher families. The file contained a letter from the Crawfordsville District Public Library dated 6 January 2006. Perhaps the file was set aside as we were packing to move to California in February 2006, but I'm not sure why this was overlooked for so long. The Library had sent me a copy of the probate file for Jacob Booher, my 6th-great-grandfather, as well as several pages from A History and Genealogy of the Booher Family, 1747-1964 by Betty McCay. The McCay book is now available in full from the FamilySearch Digital Library, and provides key information on the composition of the huge Booher family. Both sources will be featured prominently as I dive into the history of these families.

Source: Findagrave, Jacob Booher's headstone

I am not alone as a descendant of Jacob Booher, my 6th-great-grandfather. There is an active Bucher Y-DNA project and a number of published family histories on the Bucher/Booher family are available via the Library of Congress and Crawfordsville District Public Library, as well as online (see John Booher-Barbara Barnett Genealogy from MadeofCotton.com). Jacob's Findagrave entry states that he is buried in Deck Cemetery in Darlington, Montgomery County, Indiana. A large number of the Booher and Hampton family are also buried here. 

I'll be posting transcriptions from Jacob's probate file before I head off to LA this week. The file is 31 pages of small handwriting and contains the disposition of Jacob's estate between 1845-1849. There is a lot of detail here. I need to go through this and clean up my tree before the package of land records arrives from Sullivan County, Tennessee next week.

Smithsonian opens up digital collection

The Smithsonian's Freer and Sackler galleries have opened up their holdings, publishing over 40,000 pieces of art online (see Engadget article here and F/S Gallery page here). This is one of my favorite museums in DC, so it is great to see these works now available for non-commercial use online.

Source: F/S Gallery by James McNeil Whistler, 1859

According to the website, non-commercial use covers a variety of options, such as "artistic, educational, scholarly, and personal projects that will not be marketed, promoted, or sold. Examples include, but are not limited to, presentations, research, tattoos, sixth-grade science fair projects, tablet backgrounds, free and ad-free apps, GIFs, holiday centerpieces, Halloween costumes, decoupage, inspiration boards, and shower curtains." For more see the official Smithsonian Terms of Use for Digital Assets (pdf).

Freer & Sackler Gallery works can now be used with attribution on personal blogs such as this one, adding some visual interest to the stories we tell.

Research is not always free

As someone who has been tracing my family lines for quite a while, I have learned that sometimes you have to pay to get information. In the family history world, people may rely on free online-only sources, or if they do pay, may limit their costs to just an Ancestry subscription. Over this Christmas break, I traveled to the Spotsylvania and Culpeper County Courts in Virginia, and corresponded with the Montgomery County Court in Indiana and the Sullivan County Court in Tennessee. County Courts hold a wealth of vital records, many that are often not available online.

These courts usually charge a fee per page. Spotsylvania and Culpeper charged 50 cents per page, and no photos or cameras are allowed in the Court. Sullivan County charges $1 per page. Montgomery County also charges $1 per page. Yes, that cost can add up. But it is a small price to pay for the value of the knowledge hidden in these records. If I had not gone to Culpeper, I would not have learned about the indenture of my 5th-great-grandfather Joseph Thornhill, showing how we trained as a tailor (see my post on Culpeper County records from 25 September 2014).

Yesterday, a helpful woman from the Sullivan County Register of Deeds responded to my research query for land deeds involving my 6th-great-grandfathers Samuel Hampton and Jacob Booher. She said the copies ended up being 107 pages. That is a lot more than I expected. For Samuel, I know from the Tennessee Early Tax list records 1783-1895 that he owned land in Sullivan County in 1796. If the land records confirm a date prior to 31 Dec 1796, then he qualifies for First Families of Tennessee membership.

This branch of my tree also currently comes to an end with Samuel. I am hoping somewhere in those 107 pages is the key to following the Hampton family further back in time.

On the Booher side, it is already known that Jacob Booher was born in Lancaster County, Pennsylvania on 3 March 1777, and that he died in Montgomery County, Indiana on 29 July 1845. Jacob appears in the 1830 US Census in Sullivan County, but I do not yet know when he and his brothers arrived there from Pennsylvania. The land records may tell about their arrival in the county and how they financed the journey of the family to Indiana.

The hope is that within the 107 pages from Sullivan County will be the story of how the families of my 4th-great-grandmother Selina Hampton Vail came together. I am hoping these land records show how the Boohers and Hamptons were connected. Perhaps they traveled together from Pennsylvania. I will learn more once the package arrives after I get back from California.

Welcoming 2015

After yesterday's New Years Day fun, my long staycation is nearing its end. Next week will bring a West Coast visit, meetings and planning. On the family history front I have been making some plans, tilling the ground to prepare for new discoveries on my Vail, Armstrong, Hampton and Booher family lines. 

This week I wrote to the Sullivan County, Tennessee Department of Archives & Tourism, the Sullivan County Register of Deeds, and the Montgomery County Court in Indiana. All of them responded quickly with suggestions. I am hoping to learn more about the land transactions that helped pave the way for the Hampton and Booher families to leave Sullivan County for Montgomery County between 1830-1837.

Source: David Rumsey Map Collection

From Montgomery County, I am also hoping to learn the identity of the parents for my 4th-great-grandfather, James Vail. To help with this search, I contacted the Archivist at Wabash College, my alma mater, to identify a capable student who may be able to do some research on land deeds, wills and probate records for my Armstrong, Vail, Booher and Hampton lines at the Montgomery County Court. Plans are in motion for this to be done in January & February and I'll describe the progress on the blog.

Yesterday I also traded email with a helpful researcher in Kentucky who is helping me try to break through the brick wall on my Cain family. Hopefully 2015 will bring an answer to the long mystery on the identity of the parents for my 2nd-great-grandmother, Mary Alice Cain Read.

There's quite a lot to look forward to in the near term. I will try to improve on capturing the story of these families, rather than focus on dates and documents. This is not quite a New Year's resolution, but an improvement I aim to make with the blog in 2015.

Looking Back on 2014

As I prepare to close out another calendar cycle, I thought it would be good to reflect back on a year that has been personally pretty great. Last December I had a recap post as well, so to continue the tradition, here is a look back on 2014 and a look ahead to a promising 2015.

I started 2014 with a trip to Los Angeles, then meetings in Montevideo, Uruguay and a much needed vacation in Montevideo & Buenos Aires. In February there was a short hop to London, the first of several I made throughout the year. In the month of March I completed a circuit around the globe, beginning with talks in Moscow and continuing to our big international meeting in Singapore. Along the way I celebrated a milestone birthday with good friends on several occasions. Those are memories I'll keep.

The month of April provided a visit to Culpeper for work, a discovery of cool street art, and UN meetings in New York. This trip also provided my first ever visit to the Metropolitan Museum of Art, one of the best in the world. The month of June included a big international meeting in London, followed by a family vacation to Montana to celebrate the wedding of a great friend.

July and August included meetings in LA, and a quick trip to London, while September included my first visit to Azerbaijan, with a stopover in Kyiv on the return flight. In October, our 3rd big international meeting was at the Century Plaza in LA. November took me to Cairo and Beirut, Lebanon on the same trip, followed by Thanksgiving in Columbia, South Carolina with family. December closed out my travels with a return trip to Azerbaijan for the 2nd Regional Internet Governance Forum.

From a family history standpoint, 2014 brought many discoveries. Other members of the family had their DNA tests done, and this has also helped share the interest in family history stories. We're awaiting results from my Mom's two sisters, and perhaps this will help break through the brick wall on the Cain family of my 2nd-great-grandmother Mary Alice Cain Read. My Christmas Project photo books turned out great for my parents, giving them something to hold showing their trees and DNA results.

I have an incredible amount to be thankful for this year. 2015 looks to continue the pace of 2014, and I welcome the things to come. I'll close this post with a photo from New Year's Eve 2013, wishing good health and good fortune for the year.

Photo by Patrick Jones. 31 Dec 2013.