Census Workshop at Bluffton Branch Aug. 29th

Missed the first two 1940 census workshops?  Here's an opportunity to participate in this BDC sponsored presentation at the end of the month: 

Wed., August 29th 

Introduction to the 1940 Census Workshop
BDC@ Bluffton Branch Library
120 Palmetto Way
2:30 - 4:30 pm  

Registration is required. Seating is very limited for this workshop. You must pre-register.  You may pre-register in person at the Bluffton Branch Library Reference desk, by e-mail to fdenton@bcgov.net or call 843-255-6503 to reserve your seat. 

Please note: Once the slots are filled, registration will be closed.

BDC Program This Thursday

Made Possible by LSTA

  

For the full list of programs and events related to our project, visit the Library's web page dedicated to the events and programs of this major undertaking of the Beaufort County Library system found at  http://www.beaufortcountylibrary.org/OCROC.  

"One County Reads One Country: Afghanistan" has been made possible through a Library Services and Technology Act grant awarded to the Beaufort County Library and administered by the South Carolina State Library. 

Guide to Sources about the War of 1812

Carolyn Barkley wrote an informative entry in her blog about resources for studying the War of 1812.  The article begins: 

Did you grow up during the 1950s? If so, perhaps your first introduction to the War of 1812 may have been Johnny Horton’s classic Battle of New Orleans which scored #1 on the Billboard charts in 1959. Perhaps you also learned about some of the other iconic images from this period: the burning of the White House and Dolly Madison’s last-minute rescue of Washington’s portrait; the penning of the words to The Star Spangled Banner; and the famous exhortation, “Don’t give up the ship,” uttered by the dying captain, James Lawrence, of the USS Chesapeake in 1813 (often incorrectly attributed to Oliver Hazard Perry as it was featured on his personal battle flag). However, like the Korean War, the War of 1812 has become one of the forgotten wars in American history. Considered from a global perspective, what we Americans term “the War of 1812” was overshadowed by the Napoleonic Wars in Europe that occurred between 1793-1801 and 1803-1815. (Tchaikovsky’s 1812 Overture, after all, has nothing to do with the United States, featuring, instead, the Marseilles and the Russian hymn, God Save the Tsar). Ironically, today the War of 1812 bicentennial is clearly eclipsed by the sesquicentennial commemoration of the American Civil War. The bicentennial, however, offers us an opportunity to understand its effect on American history and to learn about records about that are available concerning individuals involved in this conflict.

If you have ancestors who served in the military during the War of 1812, we recommend that you read the full article and explore the links she provides.

As a former Connections entry noted, Ancestry.com is offering free access to some of its "War of 1812" to commemorate its bicentennial year.  And, of course, all our branch libraries provide access to the Ancestry Library Edition subscription database for you to search for your ancestors on our public access computers.

Child Labor Lecture and Slide Show Aug. 23rd

Image courtesy of the Library of Congress

This is Bertha.  She is 6 years old.  She was an oyster shucker in the Maggioni Canning factory on Lady's Island circa 1912.  She began work each morning at 4 o'clock.  

Lewis Hine took this photograph and the photographs of many child laborers throughout the United States in the 1900s -1920s.  The power of his images resulted in changes in the law affecting the employment of children in manufacturing, canneries and agriculture.  

Yet, child labor remains an issue today in many parts of the world - and it is a theme within the One County Reads One Country: Afghanistan project selection In The Sea There Are Crocodiles.

               

Come learn about local child laborers during the free

"History of Child Labor in Beaufort District"

Presentation by Grace Cordial, BDC Manager
Thurs., Aug. 23rd
6:00 - 7:00 pm
2nd Floor, 311 Scott Street
(Upstairs in the Library building).

Anyone over age 12 interested in this local history topic is encouraged to attend.  

* "One County Reads One Country: Afghanistan" has been made possible through a Library Services and Technology Act grant awarded to the Beaufort County Library and administered by the South Carolina State Library.

NG Civil War Commemoration Site Full of Links and Information

We're well into Year 2 of the four year long commemoration of the 150th Anniversary of the Civil War.  Already there is evidence to support the thesis of historian Mark Collins Jenkins in the National Geographic News, that the lack of money and a wariness about the topic will have a great impact on commemoration events throughout the United States.

South Carolina is no exception to the model of a more subdued marking of this country's great tribulation. You can find out about the official South Carolina Civil War Sesquicentennial events on its website. If you're into social media, follow the advisory board on Facebook.

To learn a bit more about our own local Civil War history, click the "Civil War" heading under the "Browse by Topic" column on the left-hand side of the blog to get access to more than 50 previous entries on the Civil War within Connections.

Reminder: The lunchtime shutdown of the Research Room ends tomorrow, August 14th. 

August BDC@ The Branches Programs

Join us!

We'd love to see you, particularly if you are over age 12, and enjoy history, culture, our local environment, genealogy, archaeology and/or libraries and archives.

The programs are free.

 The 1940 Census related workshops require pre-registration as space is extremely limited - and may be gone by the time this entry posts!  Contact information for each "Introduction to the 1940 Census Workshop" session is provided in the flyer illustrating this entry.

* "One County Reads One Country: Afghanistan" has been made possible through a Library Services and Technology Act grant awarded to the Beaufort County Library and administered by the South Carolina State Library.

Reminder:  The Research Room is currently closed for lunch through Monday, August 13th.

More Died During the Civil War

J. David Hacker, a professor at Binghamton University, comparing 1870 census data with 1860 census data,  has determined that the Civil War death toll is underestimated by 20%.  Rather than the 618,222 men, he calculates that 750,000 men died in this most deadly war in American history.

There is a dispute about the true cost in human lives as the number of indirect victims of the Civil War is not part of the calculation and his work is based on the 1870 census which is broadly recognized as being poorly compiled, particularly in the South.  Even so, his work has merit. 

You can listen to interview with NPR or read the transcript of the interview here.  The comments are enlightening.  

Reminder:  The Research Room will be closed Noon until 1 pm through Mon., August 13th.

1940 Census Workshops Aug. 15th and Aug. 29th

Register today - if the classes aren't already full!  The St. Helena Branch Staff and the Bluffton Branch Staff can tell you whether or not there's still room at their respective Introduction to the 1940 Census Workshop sessions.

Reminder:  The Research Room is closed Noon until 1 pm for Charmaine to get her lunch through August 13th.

* "One County Reads One Country: Afghanistan" has been made possible through a Library Services and Technology Act grant awarded to the Beaufort County Library and administered by the South Carolina State Library.

BDC Contributions to "1 County Reads 1 Country: Afghanistan" Project

The BDC is contributing to the "One County Reads One Country: Afghanistan" project in several ways.

One hundred years ago, Progressives advocated for restrictions on the use of young children in industries and commercial ventures.  Some changes were legislated yet child labor remains a contemporary issue in many countries today.  Because child labor is a theme within the Young Adult selection, In the Sea There are Crocodiles, we decided to explore the history of child labor here in the Beaufort District.  Come learn about local industries that used children as a significant portion of their labor force well into the 1930s.  Expect to see some rather shocking images of labor conditions in northern Beaufort County, Port Royal, and Bluffton.

The first presentation will occur just outside the BDC Research Room door on Thursday evening, August 23rd.  Three weeks later, we'll do the same presentation in Bluffton Branch during the afternoon. 
 
Tea and the ceremonies around drinking tea cross cultures.  The displays will reinforce the significance of the beverage across history and cultures throughout the world.

Be sure to pick up a booklet of the activities at the branch library closest to you.  Check out the program schedule on our Library website.  Please join us for one (or many more) of the offerings.  We'd love to see you!

* "One County Reads One Country: Afghanistan" has been made possible through a Library Services and Technology Act grant awarded to the Beaufort County Library and administered by the South Carolina State Library.

Reminder:  The Research Room will be closed Noon to 1 pm through Mon., August 13th.

Sites listing Genealogists for Hire

Because we are a staff of two, and because doing the leg-work necessary to a successful genealogical inquiry tends to take far more than the one hour per customer we can provide, we strongly encourage researchers to visit our facility and explore our resources in person.  To facilitate the research visit, we offer research consultations in advance of the proposed visit over the telephone or we can schedule an in-person consultation appointment or we can do both - with sufficient notice.  Just contact us to set up a consultation! 

Sometimes, though, the questions are too many or too complex for us to handle within the time allotted.  Sometimes, the family moved around a lot.  Sometimes, too little is known or little documentation survives that gives us enough clues to help you.  Sometimes, the obvious records (deeds, wills, etc.) did not survive.  This is the point at which a customer interested in family history might want to consider hiring some professional help.   


Here are a few key points: 

• Hire a professional researcher with expertise in the area where your ancestors once lived. Experienced genealogists can map out a suggested research plan, or can do the research for you. Such a professional will be familiar with record groups that have survived since your ancestors lived in a specific locality.  The survival rate can vary widely.  Beaufort District's isn't so good. 

• Just don't expect the process to be inexpensive. Professional credentialed genealogists often charge $40 to $150 per hour. Research hours can rack up pretty fast!

You can look to the following organizations for suggestions of professional researchers:

* Association of Professional Genealogists
* Board for Certification of Genealogists
* International Commission for the Accreditation of Professional Genealogists
* Dave Eastman, author of Eastman's Online Genealogy Newsletter,  recommends the Geneapro website as a potential starting point.

Please note: We do not maintain a list of genealogical researchers for hire in the BDC.

Reminder:  The Research Room is closed from Noon until 1 pm through Mon., August 13th.