Genealogy and Local History Blog

Author: Nancy Maxwell

Genealogy / Local History

Link Old Maps and Land Records to Your Genealogy with HistoryGeo

Do you have ancestors who purchased land straight from the federal government? If so, our HistoryGeo database is a must-use! Brought to you by Arphax Publishing Co., HistoryGeo.com is a family history software service for linking old maps and land records to your genealogy research. It contains three collections – First Landowners Project, Antique Maps Collection, and Place-Finder + Topographical Maps. In this blog, we’ll examine the First Landowners Project, but first, to get the most out of HistoryGeo, a brief explanation of federal/public land history is in order. After the Revolutionary War, the new national government had no money but lots of land. To encourage orderly westward settlement and to raise revenue, Congress developed the Public Land Survey System (PLSS), or Rectangular Survey System (RSS), to precisely divide lands beyond the original thirteen colonies (as well as Tennessee, Kentucky, and Texas), and offer them for sale through federal land...

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...

Local History

History of Grapevine Public Library from 1971-1990

The 1970 census counted 7,023 individuals in Grapevine. The current library quarters were becoming too cramped, so City Council considered the feasibility of purchasing the old First National Bank building for a City Library and architects’ drawings of the building showing conversion to a library were reviewed. Further discussion was delayed pending additional studies. In November 1971, a motion was made in Council to authorize the City Manager to get plans drawn on a building for the library. On November 16, Council instructed the City Manager to proceed with library plans by architect Oliver Tucker. In February 1972, Mr. Tucker presented plans for the proposed library building to Council. A motion was made to accept bids on March 7. The new library was to be built north of the Police Department building. All bids for a new library building were rejected for being too high. In April, Mr. Tucker discussed...

Tarrant County Bookmobile

Local History

History of Grapevine Public Library 1951-1970

This week we continue the history of Grapevine Public Library from 1951 to 1970. By 1951, Grapevine’s population had grown to 1,850. Mrs. Gertie Hurst had been the librarian for ten years. In October, the Tuesday Study Club began sponsoring a story telling hour for preschoolers at the library each month with stories, songs, games, and refreshments. These events proved quite popular; the average attendance was 15 children. Mrs. Hurst also started the Memorial Fund, which contained about fifty dollars. A desk, the first piece of furniture, was donated by the Fort Worth Public Library. At the Texas Library Association convention in 1954, Tarrant County was recognized as being among one of the top county libraries in Texas. The county bookmobile had been visiting Grapevine on the first Monday of each month. “The real work of the bookmobile is in our rural schools,” the Grapevine Sun reported in April, “where...

Grapevine Public Library

Local History

History of Grapevine Public Library from 1923-1950

The Grapevine Public Library has been a vital part of the City of Grapevine for almost one hundred years. Today’s blog begins a history of the Library from its inception to 1950. On January 10, 1921, Dr. Henry Kirby Taylor, head of the Sociology Department of Texas Woman’s College (later Texas Wesleyan University), and Henry McClellan Means, Tarrant County agricultural agent, created and brought forth the ability to establish cultural contact with rural Tarrant County through a traveling library, movie projector, graphophone or Victrola (later known as a record player), and Delco lighting system. The Fort Worth Chamber of Commerce gave one thousand five hundred dollars for a motor truck and library fitted into equipment built for rough riding over country roads. This project became known as the Tarrant County Community Library and Entertainment Cycle, and was directly supported by the communities it served. Dr. Taylor and Means were able...

Genealogy

Genealogy: Lineage Societies

People do genealogical research for many reasons. In the course of researching, they may decide to join a lineage society, or wanting to join may be the reason they want to do the research. Joining a lineage society can provide many benefits; the web site  AncestralFindings.com has a wonderful article on these societies and why you should consider becoming a member. Many of these groups organized in the late 19th century, but a few are much older. For example, The Ancient and Honorable Artillery Company of Massachusetts, organized in March 1638, is the oldest chartered military organization in North America and the third oldest chartered military organization in the world. The Society of the Cincinnati organized in 1783 to preserve the ideals and fellowship of officers of the Continental Army who served in the Revolutionary War. The Daughters of the American Revolution (DAR) is the largest and most popular lineage...

Genealogy

Genealogy for Kids

Introducing kids to genealogy is a great way for them to learn more about history as well their family history. Genealogy is even being incorporated into some school curricula as way to connect kids to history. Children and teens who develop an interest in family history are more likely to participate in family history throughout their lives. And there’s also the element of FUN. Genealogy didn’t become the second most popular hobby in the U.S. by not being enjoyable! Kids, parents, grandparents, and other relatives getting involved can make this a fun and rewarding learning experience. Following are some ideas for activities that can help kids learn more about their family history. Talk to living relatives, especially older ones. The stories older relatives have to tell about what life was like for them is a great way for kids to connect to the past. This activity can help bring generations...

Genealogy

Genealogy: Civil War Ancestors

The American Civil War has been referred to the Civil War, War of the Rebellion, and the War Between the States. Whatever it’s called, many genealogists want to know if they had ancestors who fought in it. Today’s post will discuss ways to learn whether any of your ancestors wore the blue or the gray (or both!) between 1861 and 1865. To identify a potential Civil War soldier, determine his birthdate. Most soldiers and sailors were between 18 and 30 years old, and would have been born between 1831 and 1846. However, some of them could have been as young as 10 or as old as 70, so that widens the span to between 1791 and 1854. If your potential soldier died between April 1861 and June 1865 in a Southern state, or he was from a Southern state and died in a different Southern state, this may indicate that...

Genealogy

Genealogy: Revolutionary War Research

Many people doing genealogical research wonder if, or have been told that, their ancestors participated in the Revolutionary War, or the American War for Independence. Military action began with the confrontation between British troops and local militia at Lexington and Concord, Massachusetts, on 19 April 1775, and ended with the signing of the Treaty of Paris on 3 September 1783. This post will discuss a few ways for you to find out if one or more of your ancestors took part in the great event that started with “the shot heard ‘round the world.” During the course of your research, you may discover a clue that your ancestor might have participated in the war. Depending on what information that clue provides, you can use it to search for additional information that may confirm your findings. Even if you don’t find clues, there are other criteria you can use to determine...

Genealogy

Genealogy: Government Documents

Government documents are a little-known genealogical resource that can yield great benefits to genealogists. If your ancestors interacted with the federal government in some way, there may be records that document those transactions. Some kinds of these are well-known, such as federal census records, military records, passenger lists, and immigration and naturalization records. Today we’ll discuss a few of those records, along with a few that aren’t well-known, and show how you can access them. “A Century of Lawmaking for a New Nation” Home page: http://memory.loc.gov/ammem/amlaw/ This free collection consists of a linked set of published congressional records (primary source documents) of the U. S. from the Continental Congress through the 43rd Congress, 1774-1875. All these materials may be viewed on-line as digital facsimile page images; some also have fully or partially searchable transcribed text. Two sets of documents on this site have great genealogical value – The U. S....