For map lovers: New England historic maps online

I am a lover of maps, so you can imagine my excitement when I learned of the University of New Hampshire Library website's Historic USGS Maps of New England and New York. Dating from the late 19th-century to 1950, this topographical collection is a treasure for anyone researching the New England area. According to the website, "This online collection of over 1,500 USGS topographic maps includes complete geographical coverage of New England and New York from the 1890s to 1950s." The digital collection was placed on the internet because of the difficulty that researchers experienced trying to access historic maps of the area. In particular, one map enthusiast interested in locating abandoned railroad right of ways in New Hampshire began the project after finding that no single New Hampshire library had a complete collection of historic maps of the state.

The digital map collection now includes images from many research repositories in New Hampshire covering various areas of New England and New York. Digital maps from the Harvard University Map Collection are also included.

I found a gem in this 1941 survey of the Quincy, Massachusetts area which includes a view of the Fore River shipyard where many of my Tierney family ancestors worked.

Also researching Massachusetts? You might want to start with the Historic USGS Maps of Massachusetts Alphabetic Town Listing.

Thanks to Dick Hillenbrand of Upstate New York Genealogy for mentioning the map collection at Old Maps of New York Towns Online and to Randy Seaver of Genea-Musings for spreading the news about the Historic USGS Maps of New England and New York.

The makings of a champion!

See my final results in the Genea-Blogger Group Games by visiting Small-leaved Shamrock for Drumroll, please! Lisa's medal count. It was a tough competition, but I came out a winner in the end.

Who is Lisa and why the leaf?

You can tell a lot about me by the entries and links at 100 Years in America, Small-leaved Shamrock and A light that shines again. I’ll let you guess the rest…

I consider each of my blogs a "leaf by Lisa". This is a take on a wonderful little short story called Leaf by Niggle written by J.R.R. Tolkien and published as part of his collection Tree and Leaf. It expresses one man’s desire to work on and complete something beautiful during his lifetime. Somehow life keeps getting in his way. You’ll have to read this little story to get the full idea and understand how his magnificent tree that turned into a full landscape all came down to one beautifully painted little leaf in the end.

He was the sort of painter who could paint leaves better than trees. He used to spend a long time on a single leaf, trying to catch its shape, and its sheen, and the glistening of dewdrops on its edges. Yet he wanted to paint a whole tree, with all of its leaves in the same style, and all of them different.

~ J.R.R. Tolkien, from Leaf by Niggle

My three family history blogs are each a small leaf in the landscape of my life and my family tree. I have been researching my family history for many years in the midst of the busy-ness of life. I hope you'll continue to enjoy reading a little bit of what I've learned throughout my search, and be inspired to look at the world in a different way than you might have before you visited.

Nature will bear the closest inspection. She invites us to lay our eye level with her smallest leaf, and take an insect view of its plain.

~ Henry David Thoreau

If you are a regular reader of A light that shines again or are just stopping by for the first time, I'd love to hear from you. Post a comment or send me an email when you have a minute. Thanks for reading.

On sale now: your DNA

Actually, your DNA is not quite on sale. What is on sale is the ability to read your DNA through Y-DNA and mtDNA testing at Family Tree DNA.

I've written previously about the Tierney Clans Y-DNA project which is looking for Tierneys to participate in learning more about the surname's genetic history. If you've been waiting to check out your DNA (Tierney or not) now's as good a time as any. Check out the Tierney Clans Society DNA Project webpage or other surname project webpage of your choice and contact the group administrator for details on the limited-time reduced prices for DNA tests (offer expires August 31). Maybe you'll even find that your Irish ancestry includes a connection to Ireland's famous Niall of the Nine Hostages.

Note: I receive no financial cut from Family Tree DNA. Just trying to spread the word to those interested in tracing their roots.

Let the games begin!

The opening ceremonies of the 2008 Genea-Blogger Group Games have begun! Make a visit to see the competitors' flags flying, including mine (also shown below). Let the games begin!

My flag is flying high for the Genea-Blogger Group Games!

In the spirit of the Olympic Games and in honor of my ancestors who have hailed from four different countries, I have chosen to compete in the Genea-Blogger Group Games. The event will correspond roughly to the 2008 Summer Olympics, but will involve competition quite different from what we'll see in Beijing. They might not seem like Olympic events to you, but activities related to preserving family history can sometimes take similar preparation and perseverance. Backing up data, scanning photographs, citing sources, preserving family artifacts: these tasks all take dedication (and sometimes even physical endurance, since I do much of this in the wee hours of the night).

In time for the opening ceremonies, I have put together my "game plan" as a competitor in the 2008 Genea-Blogger Group Games. Follow along with me on my three family history blogs as I work toward some specific goals during this two week period.

Unfortunately the "balance beam" event, which may have originally been on the schedule, was cut from the games. According to Donna Poinkouski, I was one of the favorites in that competition. (Thanks, Donna, for the vote of confidence.)

Kidding aside, here are my serious plans for competition:

Category 1: Go Back and Cite Your Sources!

Ever since I purchased my copy of Evidence Explained: Citing History Sources from Artifacts to Cyberspace by Elizabeth Shown Mills (actually, well before that) I've been meaning to spend some serious time citing. Here's my chance to get re-inspired about this project. My goal: To cite as many sources as possible (documents, photographs, artifacts, letters, etc. that pertain to my family history). If I make it to 50 or more sources, I'll be awarded a "platinum medal", so they say. More importantly, I'll be on my way to having my family history facts documented so that I can properly share them with others. Time to sit down with my copy of Evidence Explained.

Category 2: Back Up Your Data!

For the amount of time I've spent on researching my family history over the years, it would be devastating to lose my digital records, photographs and other documents for some reason. Time for me to stand back and take a look at how I am protecting the information and items that I have collected, and take steps to ensure that such a loss never happens. My goal: To prepare a comprehensive back-up plan for both digital and hard copy materials, store both types in waterproof containers and backup all data. If I accomplish this, I'll be "going for the gold" in the Genea-Blogger Group Games, but more importantly, I'll have taken steps to preserve items and information that would be irreplaceable for my family.

Category 3: Organize Your Research!

Doing genealogy in fits and spurts for so many years, I've collected quite a few pictures, documents and artifacts, not to mention scraps of paper and digital files. I've tried to keep everything organized, but these types of things grow and I need to play a little "catch-up". Inspired by the Genea-Blogger Group Games, I plan to make an effort to get my organization up to date with my research. My goal: To organize the loose file for each of my ancestral homes and family surnames placing into its corresponding notebook the documents and other items of importance, to re-organize digital genealogy files (currently living on two hard drives) using the same surname and place system where appropriate, to organize photographs (which are in many different sizes and formats) by surname, and to begin scanning many of these photographs in bulk (instead of one or two at a time, which I have been doing). If I accomplish all this (doing 20 of each task), I'll be a "diamond" medal-winner. Even better, I'll be starting of the school year feeling happily organized and ready for more research.

Category 4: Write, Write, Write!

The fun part of genealogy for me is fitting all the pieces together in the puzzle of my family history. That is one of the reasons that I enjoy writing my three genealogy blogs so much. As part of the Genea-Blogger Group Games, I plan to do the following writing tasks. My goal: To rethink and possibly revise the blog summaries that I've written on each of my blogs, to participate in both the "I Smile for the Camera" Carnival and the Carnival of Genealogy, and to prepare a few posts as drafts to be published when things get busier for me in September. I've already signed up to host a future carnival (my very own Carnival of Irish Heritage & Culture), so that one's taken care of. If I accomplish all of these tasks above, I'll receive a "diamond medal". I'd better get writing!

Category 5: Reach Out & Perform Genealogical Acts of Kindness!

Connecting with others researching the same families, places and subjects is always rewarding. It is exciting to share with others what I've learned. My goal: To complete my application for the Daughters of the Union Veterans of the Civil War, comment on a few blogs that are new to me, join the blog networks of other genealogy bloggers, and invite a few other family historians to connect on Facebook (new to me just this week). If I accomplish all these tasks, I'll be competing at the "diamond-level".

Think my goals are quite lofty? So do I, but I've learned that I work better when I set my sights high. Please wish me luck as I embark on this family history endeavor. I hope to make some exciting progress in these areas, and have some fun at the "games" along the way. Look for me at the "opening ceremonies" on AnceStories.

Lisa's "ancestral homelands flag":
Ireland, Hungary & Croatia together

In the spirit of Olympic competition and in honor of the homelands of myself and my ancestors (the United States of America, Ireland, Hungary and Croatia): Let the games begin!

Thanks to Miriam of AnceStories, Thomas of Destination: Austin Family and Kathryn of the California Genealogical Society & Library blog, the 2008 Genea-Blogger Group Games committee who crafted the idea for this competition. Thanks to footnoteMaven for designing the games logo and the medals for the participants and champions. Let the games begin!

Now free to researchers: Griffith's Valuation online

Great news for those researching their roots in mid-19th-century Ireland: The Library Council of Ireland (An Chomhairle Leabharlanna) has recently completed digitization of Griffith's Valuation. It can be accessed online for free at this Ask about Ireland webpage. Although Griffith's has been on the web for awhile, it has been accessible online at fee-based sites. The council's digitzation efforts have resulted in an online archive searchable by name and place, and includes printable images of the original documents. It also includes access to mid-19th-century maps and modern-day maps from Google Earth.

As this Irish Times article states, "One of the most important surviving genealogical sources from the era after the Famine, the valuation is likely to be of use to family history researchers in Ireland and throughout the world." Me included.

Not familiar with Griffith's Valuation? Read the Irish Times articles Property valuation of 19th century Ireland free online or Tracing ancestors for a brief introduction to these documents that became a valued census substitute after the destruction of other post-famine Irish records.

As the Irish Times states, the completion of this €230,000 project by the Libary Council of Ireland is a "long-term investment in the tourist industry" and "represents an important gesture of solidarity with the Irish diaspora". Thanks, Libary Council of Ireland. I for one hope to be buying my plane ticket as soon as I make a few more family history discoveries on this end.

Thanks to Margaret Jordan, the Cork Genealogist, for announcing the completion of the Griffith's Valuation project.