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

ORANGEBURG COUNTY SC A HAVEN FOR GERMAN SPEAKERS

 Orangeburg County South Carolina was settled beginning about 1735 by Germans, Dutch and Swiss settlers who entered South Carolina through the port of Charleston. As the Great Philadelphia Wagon Road developed many German and Swiss traveled to Orangeburg through Pennsylvania, Virginia and North Carolina.

 The new settlers lived in the legislatively planned townships of Amelia and Saxe-Gotha. Today that area comprises all or parts of the counties of Orangeburg, Barnwell, Bamberg, Lexington and Aiken.

 Most of the settlers in the area were farmers by occupation and most  were of the Lutheran faith. They were served by the Reverend John Giessendanner a Lutheran pastor who was also ordained by the Church of EnglandGiessendanner maintained a genealogically important  diary that listed the births, deaths and marriages of many in his congregations.

 Unfortunately, for researchers of this historically important area, the county records were destroyed in a courthouse fire in 1865. The only county record to survive the fire was a single book from the Court of Equity dating from 1824 to 1837.

FGS MEETS IN DAVENPORT, IOWA

 The 2001 Federation of Genealogical Societies Conference will be held in Davenport, Iowa 12-15 September.  This exciting national conference features over 200 speech topics delivered by over 100 nationally known genealogical experts.

 Topics during the four day conference topics will include society management, professional genealogy, computer genealogy and research methodology. There will be enticing lectures for everyone's genealogical interest, ethnicity or genealogical research experience.

 For specific topic titles, a registration form and more information visit the FGS website at http://fgs.org. In Houston conference brochures are available at Barnette's Family Tree Book Co located inside the Antique Center of Texas, 1001 West Loop North.

BUILD A HOME GENEALOGY LIBRARY

 There are literally thousands of genealogical and historical books begging to be read, consulted and purchased. This course is designed to give the society librarian, the novice and the long-time genealogist some guidance on what is essential and what is just taking up space on their bookshelf.

 Taught by Mic Barnette Building a Great Home Genealogy Library will be held at Leisure Learning's 2990 Richmond Avenue campus from 7 P.M. to 9 P.M. on Wednesday July 18. For more information and to register, contact Leisure Learning at 713-529-4414.

SHUFFIELD IN ROCKDALE

 The Milam County Genealogical Society (MCGS) Seminar will host an all day seminar on Saturday July 21 from 8:30 A.M. to  4:30 P.M. in the Community Room of the NBC Bank, Rockdale, Texas.
 The featured speaker will be genealogical columnist Lynna Kay Shuffield of Houston. Shuffield's topics will include: Basic Genealogy Methods & Sourcing, 20th Century Military Research & War Dead Projects, Computers & Genealogy, Cemetery Indexing & Preservation.

 For more information visit: http://www.gocities.com/milamco or write the MCGS, c/o Lucy Hill Patterson Library, 201 Ackerman St., Rockdale, Texas 76567

FAMILY TREE MAKER SOFTWARE CLASS

 Paula Perkins Parke will teach an Organizing Your Family Research With Family Tree Maker Software class from 1 to 4 PM Wednesday July 25. This one-time class will be held at the Houston Community College's Missouri City campus at 1681 Cartright.

 Through demonstrations, students will learn step by step instructions to organize and document family information and sources. For more information and to register, contact HCC at 281-835-5539.

SURFING THE INTERNET

 Mic Barnette  will lead a Surfing the Internet for Genealogy class at Houston Community College's 1681 Cartwright Missouri City campus. This class is a live three hour virtual tour of some of the best genealogical websites on the Internet. It will be held Thursday July 26 from 1 to 4 P.M. For more information and to register, contact HCC at 281-835-5539.

NEWS FROM THE BOOK SHELF

 Two long out of print books about Orangeburg, South Carolina have recently been reprinted. The History of Orangeburg County, South Carolina From Its First Settlement to the Close of the Revolutionary War by A.S. Salley. It is available for $52, postpaid, from the Publisher, Southern Historical Press, P.O.Box 1267, Greenville, SC 29602-1267.

 The second book, Orangeburgh District, South Carolina Returns in Partition from the Court of Equity 1824-1837 is available for $23, postpaid, from the author, Brent Holcomb at P.O.Box 21766, Columbia, SC 29221.

Notice

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