Destroyed Records

I received this email and it about made me sick, what a waste. Hopefully they will be able to save some of these records.

"New Jersey Historical Documents and Artifacts Damaged in Flood Nearly 1,000 priceless Revolutionary War era historical objects anddocuments were damaged last week. Antique furniture is now being sprayed inan attempt to stop the mold, and soggy piles of documents from the late1700shave been frozen in an attempt to preserve them. Meanwhile, statebureaucrats are involved in a high-level blame game. A New Jersey's Department of Environmental Protection official defendedefforts to protect the museum collection at the state-owned Steuben House inRiver Edge, where rising floodwaters from the recent nor'easter caused anestimated $1.5 million in damages. State legislators and members of theBergen County Historical Society, which owns the collection, are blaming thedepartment's Division of Parks and Forestry, which operates the house and isresponsible for securing items during a storm. Amy Cradic, assistant commissioner of natural and historic resources withthe DEP, said the on-site employee, Andrew Anderson, spent two days movingfurniture and other artifacts to the second floor and the attic. "We tookappropriate action based on our experience with past floods and theinformation available about the storm," she said. "It was an extraordinaryweather event." Sadly, that was not enough. There was sufficient room to move the items to ahigher floor in the house. Tim Adriance of the historical society said,There were plenty of volunteers available." Members of the historicalsociety even offered to help April 15 during the storm, but the Division ofParks and Forestry said that no assistance was necessary.Once the storm was over, the finger-pointing began. You can read more about this sad story in the NorthJersey.com web site athttp://tinyurl.com/2d9a37."
Sally Rolls Pavia

Quote from Theodore Roosevelt

I received this email after my last post and thought that it was the perfect quote for today's Ellis Island Anniversary. Enjoy.

Theodore Roosevelt's ideas on Immigrants and being an AMERICAN in 1907.
"In the first place, we should insist that if the immigrant who comes here in good faith becomes an American and assimilates himself to us, he shall be treated on an exact equality with everyone else, for it is an outrage to discriminate against any such man because of creed, or birthplace, or origin. But this is predicated upon the person's becoming in every facet an American, and nothing but an American...There can be no divided allegiance here. Any man who says he is an American, but something else also, isn't an American at all. We have room for but one flag, the American flag... We have room for but one language here, and that is the English language... and we have room for but one sole loyalty and that is a loyalty to the American people." Theodore Roosevelt 1907

Every American citizen needs to read this.

Ellis Island Anniversary

[Downloaded from Eastman's Online Newsletter] Free Access to Ellis Island Records, 1892-1957 The following announcement was written by The Generations Network, the Parent company of Ancestry.com. Note that you must create a free account in Order to access these records: PROVO, Utah, April 12 -- To honor the 100th anniversaries of the largest Year and single day of immigration through Ellis Island, Ancestry.com, the world's largest online resource for family history, is offering free access To the only complete online set of Ellis Island passenger arrival records (1892-1957) FROM APRIL 12 TO APRIL 30. In addition, Ancestry.com is inviting users to relive the remarkable Journeys of their gateway ancestors at the click of a mouse at: http://www.ellisislandexperience.com/ -- an interactive, multimedia Tour of this national landmark. More than 11,500 immigrants passed through America's "Golden Door" on April 17, 1907, the single-day record. In total, some 1 million immigrants would Come through the island in 1907 alone, making it the busiest year in Ellis Island's 60 years of operation. Each ship that docked at Ellis Island was required to give island officials A list of people on board. Known as passenger lists, these records reveal Invaluable pieces of a family's immigration story, from place of origin and Intended destination in America to birth dates, names of family members and Even the amount of money in their possession. "For millions of Americans, Ellis Island is a monument to their ancestors' Hope, will and sacrifice -- not just a New York tourist site," said Megan Smolenyak, Chief Family Historian for Ancestry.com. "More than 12 million Immigrants came through Ellis Island and though some settled in New York, Most boarded trains bound for Minnesota and Colorado and other destinations Across the country. Ellis Island's influence is felt throughout America." >From cramped, unsanitary conditions during their Atlantic voyage, to long Lines and dreaded medical inspections, http://www.ellisislandexperience.com Brings the "Isle of Hope" to life, illustrating the story of this great Immigration station through oral histories, original photos, maps and First-hand accounts. At the click of a mouse, site visitors can now discoverThe legacies of immigrants' sacrifice, survival and success, learning what Drove so many millions of immigrants to leave everything they knew for a Country they had never seen. This 100th anniversary comes on the heels of the November launch of Ancestrycom's U.S. Passenger List Collection, the largest compilation of its kind, Which includes more than 100 million names of people who arrived at more Than 100 U.S. Ports of entry between 1820 and 1960, the height of Immigration. Ancestry.com's easy-to-use search and navigation tools help users find theirAncestors''s passenger lists. Users can view a digital image of the actual Passenger list document, save to their online personal family tree, print For future reference and share via email with their family members. From April 12 through April 30, Ancestry.com is offering free access to the Entire U.S. Passenger List Collection, which includes the Internet's most Comprehensive set of Ellis Island records. The U.S. Passenger List Collection complements and combines with Ancestry.com's eclectic and growing compilation of historical records, Which also includes birth, marriage and death records, military records And the exclusive online U.S. Federal Census Collection (1790-1930).

Wonderful Resource

I everyone, sorry it's been awhile, I caught the flu, 3 weeks of misery, but I'm back now.
For anyone researching in Claiborne County, TN you have got to check out this resource I just found out about. It's the Clairbone County Pioneer Project and it is run by Denny and Marla Brubaker. They have tons of useful information about Claiborne County families. Take a look at it, I have found information on all of the family members I have from Claiborne County. A lot of it is info I already had but it only takes a few minutes, who knows you might find something. So, here's their address: http://freepages.genealogy.rootsweb.com/~ccpp/pioneer/index.htm
I plan on spending some more time on their site, so I will probably have more praise for it in a later blog. Check it out and let me know what you think.