Genealogy and Local History Blog

Genealogy

Researching Masonic Ancestors

Perhaps you have a male relative who was a Freemason and a member of a US Masonic lodge. In today’s blog we’ll discuss how to research and document the Masonic relatives in your family tree. A Brief History of Freemasonry The Freemasons are the world’s oldest fraternal organization. The general consensus among Masonic scholars is that they started with medieval stonemasons who built British castles and cathedrals. During the Middle Ages, stonemasons often traveled around to find work in different locations. To demonstrate their level of qualification, they would use grips, words, and signs to distinguish themselves from unqualified builders. Freemasonry uses building analogies to teach members how to lead productive lives that benefit the communities that they live in. Part of the Freemason’s outfits includes aprons and gloves. This is because in the medieval era, stonemasons wore aprons and gloves to protect themselves while working on shaping rough pieces...

Local History

History of Grapevine Public Library, 1991-2001

Grapevine’s population grew to 31,836 in 1991. Library material holdings grew to 92,797 and annual circulation to 357,855. In February, Mrs. Marie Canning started part-time in Circulation. She eventually became full-time Acquisitions Assistant. In April, Grapevine Public Library’s automation system was upgraded from OCR labels and wands to bar code labels and laser guns. The re-labeling of over sixty thousand library materials and preparation of 30,000 borrower cards was accomplished in sixteen weeks with the help of eighty valued volunteers without closing the library. The Friends of the Library donated a Xerox plain-paper fax/copier, a Magazine Article Summaries (MAS) CD-ROM index to replace InfoTrac, and a plain-paper Minolta RP 605Z microfilm reader/printer from the proceeds of the annual Christmas ornament sale. Skaggs Alpha Beta cash register receipts worth two-hundred seventy-three thousand dollars collected by the public enabled the purchase of a MacIntosh computer and software. Due to community support and...

Genealogy / Local History

Locating and Using School Records for Genealogical Research

School may be out for summer, but genealogists should still know how to find and use school records! Today’s blog will discuss the ABCs of school records in genealogical research and offer some great online resources. American schools date back to the earliest days of colonial settlement. The Boston Latin School, established on April 23, 1635, was the first school in what is now the US, and it still operates today. Modeled after the Free Grammar School of Boston, England, it was a boys-only public secondary school, led by schoolmaster Philemon Pormont, a Puritan settler. Courses were strictly for college preparation; they were centered on the humanities and included Latin and Greek. The most famous alumni of the school were John Hancock and Samuel Adams. Benjamin Franklin had to drop out after two years because his father could no longer afford the cost. When searching for records, consider all schools,...

Genealogy

Finding Ancestors in the Confederate Navy

Today’s blog will discuss the history of the Confederate Navy and provide resources to identify and learn more about your Confederate Navy ancestors and their service. As the southern states seceded from the Union, they made efforts to provide for a navy, and conferred rank upon its officers. A few revenue cutters and merchant steamers were seized and converted into men-of-war. Thus, at the beginning, each state had its own navy. The Confederate States Navy was established by an act of the Confederate States Congress on February 21, 1861. The navy department was organized with Stephen R. Mallory, secretary of the navy: Commodore Samuel Barron, chief of the bureau of orders and detail; Commander George Minor, chief of ordnance and hydrography; Paymaster John DeBree, chief of provisions and clothing; Surgeon W. A. W. Spotswood, bureau of medicine and surgery; Edward M. Tidball, chief clerk. The Confederate government conferred commissions and...

Genealogy

The Census Taker Cometh!

This month’s blog post is about the taking of the census and census taker experiences, a behind-the-scenes look at what it took to undertake a nation-wide headcount. The Constitution of the United States, Article 1, Section 2 says: “Representatives and direct Taxes shall be apportioned among the several States which may be included within this Union, according to their respective Numbers, which shall be determined by adding to the whole Number of free Persons, including those bound to Service for a Term of Years, and excluding Indians not taxed, three fifths of all other Persons. The actual Enumeration shall be made within three Years after the first Meeting of the Congress of the United States, and within every subsequent Term of ten Years, in such Manner as they shall by Law direct.” The US has had a decennial census for apportionment of representatives and for direct taxes since 1790. With...

Genealogy

The 1752 Calendar Change, Plus Where Did My Eleven Days Go??

Dates are as critical in genealogy as they are in every-day life. However, it’s not just the dates but actual calendar changes that genealogists need to know about and be aware of in their research. In today’s blog, we’re going to examine two critically important calendar changes that can make all the difference in establishing the accurate dates of ancestral events. SOME CALENDAR HISTORY Before 1752, Britain and her Empire followed the Julian calendar, first implemented by Julius Caesar in 46 BC. However this calendar had an inbuilt error of one day every 128 years, due to a miscalculation of the solar year by eleven minutes. This affected the date of Easter, traditionally observed on March 21, as it began to move further away from the spring equinox with each passing year. This was making life difficult in an agricultural economy. Traditionally, the new year was determined by the beginning...

Genealogy

“This Indenture Made . . .”: The Importance of Local Land Records in Genealogical Research

We come and go, but the land is always here. And the people who love it and understand it are the people who own it–for a little while. Willa Cather, O Pioneers! There are many types of land transactions, but in today’s blog we’ll explore the particular genealogical value of local land records and how you can use them to further your research. These actions between parties, also known as conveyances, take place mostly under the authority of the county government. From the moment European settlers arrived on the Atlantic coast, obtaining cheap land on which to settle and farm was a priority. The vast majority of them had never owned land in their countries of origin because only the wealthy could afford to buy it, often in large tracts. The opportunity to possess and work one’s own parcel of land in the New World was enticing to those who...

Genealogy

“And Your Petitioners Shall Ever Pray”: Federal Legislative Petitions in Genealogical Research

United States House and Senate journals, and other legislative works contain a wealth of genealogical information, most of which came in the form of petitions. Petitions reveal a great deal about ancestors and what mattered to them. They also provide context on neighbors and neighborhoods. Some resulted directly in the passage of requested legislation or were referred to committee along with additional petitions related to a broad issue. All of them indicate a striking awareness of public debate and the political process, tell us a lot about what our ancestors considered to be important. Value of Federal Legislative Petitions Petitions could come from an individual, a group, or a business. They frequently contain supplementary support documents such as maps, wills, naturalizations, resolutions, deeds, affidavits, judgements, and other items. Petitions can contain one signature, a hundred, or even thousands. If an ancestor signed any kind of petition, you probably have his...

Genealogy

MyHeritage Library Edition Now Available at Grapevine Library!

At Grapevine Library we’re excited to offer a new genealogy database – MyHeritage Library Edition™ (MyHeritage LE)! It’s an excellent genealogical research tool. In today’s blog we’ll take a look at some of its great content. MyHeritage LE is one of the largest, most internationally diverse genealogy databases of its kind in the world. It includes billions of historical documents from more than forty-eight countries, millions of historical photos, public records, indexes and additional resources. Available in forty-two languages, MyHeritage LE is the industry’s most multilingual family history research database. What Does MyHeritage LE Have? MyHeritage LE contains a wide variety of content, and more than 100 million records are added every month. This includes • Over 18.5 billion historical records world-wide • US federal census records from 1790-1950 with images • UK census records from 1841-1901 with images • Over five 5 billion exclusive family tree profiles from MyHeritage...

Local History

A “Shirt factory at Grapevine”: How the WPA Provided Work for Grapevine Women during the Great Depression

Continuing our focus on how Grapevine dealt with the Great Depression, today we look at the Grapevine sewing room and how it developed. Sewing room projects were under the Works Progress Administration (later Work Projects Administration) (WPA), established on November 1, 1935 to provide work to unskilled women and to get them ready for private work, as well as to supply goods to a non-competitive market without purchasing power. Sewing rooms became the backbone of the women’s division of the WPA. On February 12, 1935, Mayor B. R. Wall “Signed [a] contract with Government for Shirt factory at Grapevine.” Later known as the Grapevine Sewing Room, it was located at 413 S. Main in the north half of the old City Hall, and it served as a means of employment for many Grapevine-area women during its existence. The room was prepared for use by local residents E. L. Jordan, who...

Local History

The New Deal Comes to Grapevine: History of the School the WPA Built

In a past blog we looked at back-to-work initiatives generated during the Great Depression by President Franklin D. Roosevelt’s New Deal. Most of the funding of Grapevine’s New Deal projects became available through the Works Progress Administration (WPA). These included a canning factory, a sewing room, a new grammar school building, a renovated high school, a new homemaking education building, and the Soil Conservation Service (SCS) Office. The Public Works Administration (PWA) provided funds for a water project. The canning factory story is covered in the August 2024 edition of the Grapevine Historical Society newsletter On The Vine (”Yes, We Canned!”), so be sure to check it out. Today’s blog will discuss the history of the Grapevine school the WPA helped to build. Grapevine had just incorporated in 1907. In 1908 the town first voted a bond issue of $12,000 and a fifteen-cent maintenance tax for a two-story red brick...

Genealogy

Revolutionary War Resource Gems You May Not Know About!

Most researchers are well-versed in the use of pension applications, bounty land warrant applications, and compiled service records in documenting Revolutionary War military service. These are the most commonly-sought resources pertaining to this conflict, but some lesser-known records are available that you may not be aware of. Records are also available that pertain to Americans who participated in numerous non-military ways. In this blog we’ll look at some of these resources; be sure to check them out later! Many of the following digital records are in the National Archives catalog and on the free website FamilySearch, both accessible from anywhere. If you don’t already have a free username and password for FamilySearch, you’ll need to create them to view images. War Department Collection of Revolutionary War Records (Record Group (RG) 93) The National Archives (NARA) created an artificial collection of Revolutionary War documents through purchase or copying from various sources,...