Be Sure to Visit my new 1900 Galveston Storm Website at: http://freepages.genealogy.rootseb.com/~barnette 

ONLINE CENSUS PROVIDERS COMPETE

 In the July 15 edition of this column it was reported sister companies SierraHome and Heritage Quest had created a new company and website, GenealogyDatabase.com . The new website is scheduled to feature online access to the complete United States censuses from 1790 to 1920 to libraries and individual subscribers. It is scheduled for activation in the Fall of 2000.

 This week Ancestry.com, part of MyFamily.com announced  it, too, has set up a new subscription website through which it will offer subscribers the ability to view the 1790-1920 census images, several Civil War indexes and Union Civil War soldier pension cards. Other databases and images will be added to the website as time progresses. The name of the new website will be Images Online.

 Neither company has published a subscription price for these highly coveted services. For more in-depth information and to see samples of what to expect when the websites are activated, go to  http://www.GenealogyDatabase.com and http://www.ancestry.com.

ITS BACK TO CLASS TIME

 Houston author, Emily Croom, will offer a six week genealogy course, Finding Your Roots-Methods and Sources at Houston Community College's Bellaire High School campus, 5100 Maple at Rice. Classes will be held each Tuesday from 7 p.m. to 9 p.m. commencing September 12. Registration prior to September 1 is required. For more information and to register, contact HCC at 713-718-7720.

 Trevia Wooster Beverly will offer a six week genealogy class, Genealogy: It's A Family Affair, at the First Baptist Church, 7401 Katy Freeway. Classes will be held on Mondays from 7 PM to 9 PM commencing September 18. Due to limited space, pre-registration is required. For more information and to register, contact Beverly at 713-864-6862

 Paula Perkins Parke will conduct an Organizing Your Ancestors with Family Tree Maker Software class on Tuesday September 19 from 6:30 P.M. to 9:30 P.M. The class will be held at the Memorial Drive Presbyterian Church, 11612 Memorial Drive.

 Using live demonstrations, step by step instructions are given showing how to organize and document one's family information and sources. Other functions covered include creating charts and reports, using the searchable family surname index, viewing companion CD-ROMs and producing family books. For more information and to register, contact the MDPC Life Center at 713-782-1710.

 Parke will conduct the same class, Organizing Your Ancestors with Family Tree Maker Software, on Wednesday September 20 from 6:30 P.M. to 9:30 P.M. at Leisure Learning's 2990 Richmond Avenue campus. For more information and to register, contact Leisure Learning at 713-529-4414.

 Emily Croom will offer a two day genealogy course, Finding Your Roots-Methods and Sources, at Houston Community College's 1681 Cartwright Road Missouri City Campus. Classes will be held on Tuesday and Thursday September 19 and 21 from 9:00 a.m. to 12:30 p.m. For more information and to register, contact HCC at 281-835-5539.

 Offered by Leisure Learning, Mic Barnette will teach an introductory course in family history. Roots of Genealogy-How To Research Your Family Tree will be held from 7pm to 10pm, Wednesday September 20 at Leisure Learning's 2990 Richmond Ave campus. The following week the class will tour Clayton Genealogical Library and conduct on site research. For more information and to register, contact Leisure Learning at 713-529-4414.

FROM THE JEWEL CASE

 Heritage Quest, a long time provider of microfilm,  has digitized the complete United States Census 1790-1920. Each of the 12,555 digitized CD-ROMS is equivalent to a single roll of microfilm. The new CD-ROM's are available for purchase at $19.95 each.

 The digitizing process "cleans up"  many of the visual maladies, such as, waters stains and dark shadowy contrasts inherent on the original census or in  microfilm. The images are greatly enhanced and render a much brighter and legible picture of the census page.

 One advantage of using Heritage Quest digital CD-ROMS is the ability to zoom in and zoom out for a closer or expanded look at a census enumeration or page. Another advantage is the ability to copy to disk and print copies of the digitized copies to one's home printer.

 In addition to the census, Heritage Quest has re-indexed the censuses 1790 through 1870 and placed the indexes on CD-ROM. They are available for $29.95 per CD-ROM. Indexes for 1790-1840 consist of all states for which a census exists for a given year on one CD-ROM. From 1850-1870 each state is individually indexed on a single CD-ROM. CD-ROMS are available from Heritage Quest on their website at http://www.heritagequest.com or by mail at PO Box 329, Bountiful, UT 84011-0329.