Research Log – Version 1

Last week-end, I had a 3 hour car ride to contemplate what my “ideal” research log would look like.  I had printed out my notes for Joseph Scott (1832-1914, Russell County, Kentucky) and purposely did not bring along anything else so that I would be totally focused on the one family.  For 3 hours, I read and re-read the notes jotting down questions and making sure all my little scraps of paper and post-it notes were included.  I decided to create a 1 page document with Joseph’s basic vital information along with a timeline of locations for his family.  After that, I began making a list of questions I have along with a list of sources I could search to find the answers.  I also included sources I had already searched.

Of course, I used Excel to create the log so that it will be easy to update and easy to adapt to other ancestors.  I had already created a database of sources available at the Allen County Library for the counties I research in, so those sources were easy to add to the log.  I’m in the process of searching the Kentucky Archives catalog and the FHL catalog for additional sources that I don’t have access to at the library.  I’ll also add web sites that could help my research.  My ultimate goal for the log is to have a record that I can add to my ancestor’s folder so that when I grab the folder to take to the library, the log will be waiting.  I’ll know what I’ve already researched and what I want to look-up on my next trip.  I need to be able to update it quickly, especially if I read an interesting article or twitter tweet that gives me a new idea of a source to search.  But more than anything, I need to FEEL organized and confident that I have thoroughly analyzed my notes and that I don’t need to take the time to analyze them again.  That, more than anything, keeps me from working on my research.  I don’t usually work on my research unless I have a full day – which I seldom have during the school year.  So if I can take smaller chunks of time to do the analyzing – and creating the log – then I’ll be more likely to jump into my research when opportunities do present themselves.

So here my the first version of my research log.  While I don’t want this log template to become a huge project, I am trying to think if there are other things I need to add to be as effective as possible.  It just occurred to me that I should include a list of people that I know are also searching Joseph along with email and snail mail addresses. 

Please feel free to comment if you think something else would be helpful!

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My negative dilemma solved!

Before...

After!

I’ve known for a long time that if I have a “techie” computer question, I can always ask my kids.  Especially my 2nd son who is in college studying graphic design and seems to have ALL of the latest computer goodies and programs out there.  So after spending a couple of hours looking through negatives today and separating black and white negatives (older) from color negatives, I took a shot and asked my son if he knew of a program that would take my scanned negative and turn it into a digital image.  He said he couldn’t think of any. 

That’s when my 13 year old daughter piped up, “you mean like this?” and took my laptop.  30 seconds later, I had a great digital image!  I think this may be my great-grandmother, Mintie Scott Smith.  I was overwhelmed!  She used an online site called Picnik.com.  She said she uses it alot to add interesting effects to photos before she puts them on her Facebook page.  With one click of the “invert” button, she turned my negative into a photo!  So that got me to wondering if there was a similar button on my Adobe Photoshop program and there is!

At this very moment, she is scanning all of the black and white negatives that I had pulled out earlier today.  There are a couple of hundred photos that are black and white.  Based on a couple of test runs, I can see that some of the negatives are too scratched to be converted, but I’m hopeful that the majority of them will be good.  She says that it should also work with color negatives, so I’ll be anxious to give that a try!

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Saturday Night Genealogy Fun

Saturday Night Genealogy Fun for this week is to find your ancestors in 1909!  I used the 1910 census and found each of my living great and great-great-grandparents.  I only had 1 living grandparent and he is listed with his parents.  I had never noticed before the number of Russell County relatives that lived on the same road!

• Great-grandfather Oliver Smith (age 39) and great-grandmother Mintie Scott Smith (age 35) were living on Parks Ridge Road in North Jamestown, Russell County, Kentucky.
  • My g-g-grandfather Elias Smith had passed away in 1885 and g-g-grandmother Victoria Coffey (age 62) had remarried and divorced and was living on Parks Ridge Road in North Jamestown, Russell County, Kentucky.
  • My g-g-grandfather Joseph Scott (age 72) and g-g-grandmother Nancy Jain Gilpin Scott (age 69) were living on Clear Fork Road in North Jamestown, Russell County, Kentucky.
• Great-grandfather Enos Bennett (age 22) was living with his sister and her husband – Laura Ellen and Uriah Stephens on Clear Fork Road in North Jamestown, Russell County, Kentucky.
  • G-G-grandfather Silas Jackson Bennett had passed away, and his wife, Mary Elizabeth Rumbo (age 50) is missing in action – although every census I have for her from 1870 to 1820 is from Russell County, Kentucky.
• Great-grandmother Lelar George (age 14) was living with her grandparents (Andrew Stephens and Lucy Stephens) on Clear Fork Road in North Jamestown, Russell County, Kentucky.  Both of her parents had passed away.
• Great-grandfather Wilford Howe Bushong (age 34), great-grandmother Ezza Brown Bushong (age 40) and grandfather Norman Bushong (age 10) were living on Middletown Pike in Harrison Twp, Henry County, Indiana.
  • G-G-grandfather Peter Polk Bushong (age 65) and G-G-grandmother Rozella McCormick (age 55) were living in Middletown, Henry Co, Indiana.
  • G-G-grandfather George Henry Brown (age 69) and Susannah Wilson Brown (age 67) were living in Washington Twp, Adams Co, Indiana.
• Great-grandfather Harry Comstock (age 37) and great-grandmother Alta Mae Rector (age 21) were living in Union Twp, Madison County, Indiana.
  • G-G-grandfather Robert Comstock (age 68) and his wife, Nancy Hawk Comstock (age 58) were living in Dodds Twp, Jefferson Co, Illinois.
  • G-G-grandfather Elias Jackson Rector (age 51) and his wife, Emma Little Rector (age 46) were living in Union Twp, Madison Co, Indiana.

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Madness Monday – Joseph Scott 1860

Joseph Wade Scott and Nancy Jain Gilpin were my great-great grandparents.  My “madness” comes from trying to find this family in 1860.

According to his death certificate, Joseph Wade Scott was born in April of 1834 in Kentucky to Andrew Scott and Elizabeth Wade.  Andrew Scott is listed in the tax lists for Russell County, Kentucky for every year from 1826 to 1838 with the exception of 1830, 32 and 34.  Andrew is listed along with his family in the 1840 and 1850 Russell County census records.  Andrew continued to be listed in the tax records for Russell County through 1855 when I believe he died.

Elizabeth Scott and Joseph Scott both are listed in the 1856 – 1858 tax records.  Joseph was 24 years old when he showed up in his first tax records.  1858 is the last year for tax lists on the microfilm until 1875.

On Nov. 12, 1857, Joseph Scott married Nancy Jain Gilpin in Casey County, Kentucky. 

In 1860, Elizabeth Scott is found with 4 of her children in the Russell County census.  Nancy’s father is living with her brother, William, and his family in Casey County. 

But where are Joseph and Nancy Jain?  Joseph Scott is listed in the 1860 Casey County tax list, however, he owned no land.  This is the only year that Joseph is listed in the Casey County records.  I have searched census records for Russell County and Casey County, as well as Tennessee and Ohio in general.  Based on possible listings I found in the Ancestry Civil War Soldiers Records collection, I also searched Kosciusko Co, Indiana and Cumberland Co, Illinois.  (I ordered the service records for the most likely civil war soldier and ruled him out.)  Joseph is not listed in the Russell County militia lists for this time period either.  He is not found in the 1890 special census for veterans for Russell County or Casey County, so perhaps he did not serve.

Joseph and Nancy’s first child was born around 1860.  She died in Russell County on June 19, 1941.  No date of birth is given on her death certificate, but her age is listed as 81 years, 6 days.  The 6 days seems pretty specific to me, so I have her date of birth potentially set at June 13, 1860.  There is a family tree on Ancestry that lists her place of birth as Casey County, so that’s the area I have been searching, but I have not personally confirmed the date or location.  If she was born in 1860 in Casey County and Joseph Scott was in the tax records for Casey County for 1860, it would seem that he should be in the Casey County census records.  I have spent significant time searching the Casey County census and have not found the family. (I believe I have done an every page search, but I usually indicate that in my notes.)

The family can be found in the 1870 census for Casey County.

In the 1880 census, 2 of Joseph and Nancy’s 9 children have their birth location as Indiana, while every other member of the family was born in Kentucky.  These 2 children were born in 1865 and 1868, which leads me to believe the family spent at least a few years at least.  I have not been able to locate specific birth records for either of these children.

Joseph passed away in Russell County in 1914.  I have other records for this family, but I’ve included the records that seem to be the most helpful for finding this family in 1860.  I have searched for the 1860 census for this family for many years.  I would love to finally put this in the “solved” file!

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