October meeting -- immigration and naturalization

Pat Harris and Harold Henderson will discuss immigration and naturalization records and research at the October 11 meeting of the La Porte County Genealogical Society, including illustrations of fantastic misspellings, why you shouldn't focus only on Ellis Island, how naturalization laws and forms changed over time, and other pitfalls and potentials of this important part of genealogy research. Bring your questions!

The society's business meeting will begin at 7:15 pm, followed by the immigration and naturalization program -- all at the Swanson Center for Older Adults, 910 State Street, La Porte. The society meets on the second Tuesday of each month at the Swanson Center, weather permitting. The public is welcome at all meetings.

It's not too early to apply for one or more residency certificates for 2012. Our web site at http://www.rootsweb.ancestry.com/~inlcigs/ has information for those who believe they have La Porte County ancestors (and can prove it!). There's information on how to apply for First Families of La Porte (before December 1840), Pioneer Families (1841-1860), Settler Families (1861-1880), and Civil War Families (1861-1865).

You can also read or search back issues of the society's newsletter, December 2005 through December 2009, including genealogical and historical information from members' research and abstracting work in local records, on our blog at http://lpcgs.blogspot.com.

September meeting -- ancestor certificates awarded

At the September 13 meeting of the La Porte County Genealogical Society, fifteen people received a total of 27 residency certificates for proving eight different early La Porte County ancestors. The surnames of ancestors honored were Crosier, Freeman, Garwood, Gordon, Hay, Palmer, and Wilhelm. Different certificates are available depending on how early the ancestor is known to have lived in the county.

Those receiving First Family Certificates for documenting their ancestors, Ebenezer and Frances "Fanny" (Crosier) Palmer, in 1835 were Christina Germaine Palmer, Georgeann Elaine (Palmer) Quealy, Aidan Victoria Quealy, Kiera Palmer Quealy, Kevin Victor Palmer, Daniel Joseph Palmer, and Luke Joseph Palmer.

Cynthia Lee Blicher received First Family Certificates for documenting her ancestors, Avery D. Freeman (1839) and John Garwood (1838).

Those receiving First Family Certificates for documenting their ancestor, James Gordon (1834), were Patricia K. Gordon Kubik, Cecilia F. Gordon Granzo, Douglas Gordon, and Lucy A. Gordon Barden. They also received Civil War Families certificates for proving that their ancestor Jacob James Gordon resided here 1861-1865 and served in the Civil War (Co. B, 9th Indiana Volunteers).

Gene R. Hay and David L. Hay received Pioneer Certificates for documenting their ancestor, Daniel Nelson Hay (1855).

Connie Wilhelm Garrison received a Pioneer Certificate for documenting her ancestor, Ludwig Wilhelm (1852).

The Residency Committee of the Genealogical Society consists of Fern Eddy Schultz (chair), Gloria Arndt, and Dottisue Gansemer. They reviewed all materials submitted with the applications and made the presentations. They encourage others to apply before July 31, 2012 for the next annual presentation at the society's meeting September 11, 2012. Documentation is required, and it can take many forms, such as birth, death, and marriage certificates; obituaries; property deeds; and other original documents. Successful past applications are indexed and on file at the La Porte County Historical Society library. It's never too early to start!

The society meets the second Tuesday of every month, weather permitting, at 7:15 pm at the Senior Citizens Activity Center, 910 State Street, La Porte. Everyone is welcome. More information is available on our web site and our blog. Next month's meeting will feature immigration and naturalization research.

Photo captions, left to right:
Top photo: Kiera Quealy, Georgeann Palmer Quealy, Daniel Palmer and Victor Palmer. In front, Luke Palmer.

Bottom photo: Back row, Connie Wilhelm Garrison, Patricia Kay Gordon Kubik, Douglas Gordon, and Cynthia Lee Blicher. Front row, Cecilia F. Gordon Granzo and Lucy A. Gordon Barden.

September meeting -- ancestor certificates!

On Tuesday, September 13, you can meet folks who have proven their old-time La Porte County ancestors and learn how you might be able to join the club. The La Porte County Genealogical Society will meet at the Swanson Center for Older Adults, 710 State Street, at 7:15 pm to award new family certificates to applicants who succeeded in proving that they're descended from someone who lived here before 1880. In addition to awards, the gathering will include business meeting, refreshments, discussion, and a chance to view the evidence gathered to support the applications. The categories are:

"First Family"certificates for families that arrived in La Porte County on or before 31 December 1840,

"Pioneer Families" (1841-1860),

"Settler Families" (1861-1880), and

"Civil War Ancestors " (1861-30 April 1865). To qualify for a Civil War Ancestor certificate, the Civil War ancestor must have been a resident of La Porte County prior to or at the time of enlistment in the military.

The society meets at 7 pm on the second Tuesday of each month at the Swanson Center, weather permitting. The public is welcome at all meetings. You do not need to have old-settler ancestors to join and participate in the society!

Also at our web site, there's information on how to apply for next year's round of certificate awards. You can also read or search back issues of the society's newsletter, December 2005 through December 2009, including genealogical and historical information from members' research and abstracting work in local records, on our blog.

August meeting recap

At the August meeting of the La Porte County Genealogical Society, we learned from Gloria Arndt and Dorothy Palmer about Michigan City mayors William F. C. Dall, who served during the 1920s, and R. C. "Hemp" Fedder, who served two terms in the 1930s and 1940s. As one member commented afterwards, the presentations were enjoyable even for those who don't care for politics. Dall had to resign as mayor when the brick company he worked for moved to Mishawaka. Fedder, who among other things was a barber in private life, gave free haircuts to the down and out, and lobbied in Washington DC for Michigan City's share of WPA money. The Ku Klux Klan was a factor in politics during both mayors' careers, as it was in other parts of Indiana.

In society business:

* We learned that Brian Roeske of the Historical Society of Porter County is seeking information on the 9th Indiana Volunteer Infantry that formed in La Porte County for the Civil War.

* Our committee on residency certificates will be meeting in preparation for the awards to be presented at next month's meeting September 13.

* The indexing and abstracting group will consider various approaches to our next project of making La Porte County wills and probates easier to research.

* The deadline for contributions to the fall newsletter "The Door" is August 15.

* Finally, it's not too early to think about what programs to choose for 2012.

The society meets at 7 pm on the second Tuesday of each month at the Swanson Center for Older Adults, 910 State Street, La Porte, weather permitting. The public is welcome at all meetings.

Also at our web site, those who believe they have La Porte County ancestors (and can prove it!) can find information on how to apply for First Families of La Porte (before December 1840), Pioneer Families (1841-1860), Settler Families (1861-1880), and Civil War Families (1861-1865). You can also read or search back issues of the society's newsletter, December 2005 through December 2009, including genealogical and historical information from members' research and abstracting work in local records, on our blog.

SEVENTY-TWO YEARS OF COMMITMENT RECORDS IN LA PORTE COUNTY book now available

As government and society evolved in the 1800s, it was the thinking that government had a proper role in providing for the good of those who were out of the norm or from whom society needed protection. As a result, Indiana built prisons, insane asylums, and homes and schools for the feeble minded, the deaf, the blind, the epileptic, and the orphan. These governmental actions left a paper trail in the courthouses. A new book abstracts these records in La Porte County. The earliest entry of the 565 entries found was 13 October 1848. No records after 1920 were abstracted.

The compilers searched numerous records in the county clerk's office, including Court of Common Pleas Order books A-E and additional books covering 1869 to 1873; all Circuit Court Civil Order books from B to Z and 1 to 40; and Insanity Record Books 6, 7, 11, 12, and 13. Civil Order Book A and Insanity Record Books 1-5 and 8-10 are missing.

Pictures of pertinent Indiana institutions are included.

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La Porte County, Indiana, Commitments to Benevolent, Educational, and Reformatory Institutions and Related Guardianships, 1848-1920, compiled by Dorothy Palmer and Mary Wenzel (La Porte: La Porte County Genealogical Society, 2011). 98 pages, soft cover, comb bound, 8 1/2 x 11. $20 through http://www.rootsweb.ancestry.com/~inlcigs/booksales.htm

Unusual Early Indiana Court Index Now Available

In Court In La Porte is an every-name index to the first legal proceedings in La Porte County, Indiana, containing more than 800 distinct surnames. Compiled by Harold Henderson, it indexes every personal, business, and place name mentioned in Complete Record Book A (June 1833 to April 1837), Judgment Docket A (June 1833 to June 1838), and Minute Record A (June 1833 to October 1836). A very limited amount of relevant genealogical information is included, such as when an individual stood bail for someone else's payment or performance of a duty.

This book is a finding aid, not a substitute for the records themselves. The original handwritten books (with handwritten indexes of plaintiffs only) are in the office of the La Porte County Clerk and should be consulted for legal and genealogical information. Also in the clerk's office are microfilms of the “loose papers” for certain cases.

The legal proceedings offer glimpses of many aspects of life on the frontier more than 170 years ago: fights, liquor sales, gambling parties, road building, timber cutting, slander, divorce, death, murder, and – above all – debt and the repayment of debt. These proceedings may also provide unique information on the whereabouts of early settlers who do not appear in census or property records. It is hoped that this index will encourage genealogists to make court records a regular part of their research.

In Court In La Porte: An Every-Name Index to the First Legal Proceedings in La Porte County, Indiana (La Porte: compiler via blurb.com, 2011). 246 pages, soft cover, 5x8. $20, Indiana sales tax included; 25% donated to La Porte County Genealogical Society. Shipping & handling $5 if needed. Available from the compiler at hhsh@earthlink.net, or with slightly different pricing through blurb.com.

A professional writer since 1979 and professional genealogist since 2009, Harold Henderson has published genealogical articles in Indiana, Illinois, Ohio, Wisconsin, Pennsylvania, Utah, and the National Genealogical Society Magazine. He maintains a blog, “Midwestern Microhistory.” He serves on the boards of the La Porte County Genealogical Society and the Association of Professional Genealogists; moderates the Transitional Genealogists Forum on-line discussion list; and is the Indiana Genealogical Society county genealogist for La Porte.

26 July 2011

August 2011 meeting -- mayors!

On Tuesday, August 9, you can learn about two Michigan City mayors for the price of one! Dorothy Palmer and Gloria Arndt will share the podium to describe two who served during the 20th century. When Wm. F. C. Dall ran for mayor in 1923, the Dispatch called his ticket "Pro-Klan," while the News endorsed it as made up of "Leaders, straight thinkers and good business men." In the 1930 and 1940s, Rheinhart C. "Hemp" Fedder led the city through the Great Depression and WWII years.

The society's business meeting will begin at 7:15 pm, followed by the program -- all at the Swanson Center for Older Adults, 910 State Street, La Porte. The society meets at 7 pm on the second Tuesday of each month at the Swanson Center, weather permitting. The public is welcome at all meetings.

Residency certificate applications for 2011 are due before the end of July, but it's not too early to apply for one or more residency certificates for 2012. Our web site at http://www.rootsweb.ancestry.com/~inlcigs/ has information for those who believe they have La Porte County ancestors (and can prove it!). There's information on how to apply for First Families of La Porte (before December 1840), Pioneer Families (1841-1860), Settler Families (1861-1880), and Civil War Families (1861-1865). You can also read or search back issues of the society's newsletter, December 2005 through December 2009, including genealogical and historical information from members' research and abstracting work in local records, on our blog at http://lpcgs.blogspot.com.