Be Sure to Visit my new 1900 Galveston Storm Website at: http://freepages.genealogy.rootseb.com/~barnette
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FREEDMAN'S BANK RECORDS ON CD-ROM
This
week, in honor of Black History Month, officials of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints announced the release of Freedman's Bank Records on CD-Rom. The announcement was ceremoniously made from Salt Lake City and
Washington, DC via satellite to several American cities, including Houston. Created as a part of the Freedman's Bureau, the Freedmen's Bank Savings and Trust Company was chartered in 1865 and had over 70,000
depositors by the time of it's demise in 1874. The bank was designed to assist former slaves and African American military to learn financial responsibility. Since most former slaves could not read or write,
depositors were asked identifying personal information. As a result there is information in the files on over 480,000 African Americans. While only some questions were asked of each individual depositor, common questions were:
name, age, date and place of birth, names of parents, spouse, children, siblings, height, complexion, former master's name, plantation, occupation, employer. The Freedmen's Bank Records CD is available for purchase
on the LDS website at
INMATES VOLUNTEER TIME
When the planners of the Freedmen's Bank project needed help extracting
and entering data into computers they turned to Utah State Prison's South Point Family History Center. Over 550 inmates donated their time during the course of the 11 years it took to complete the project. The inmate's willingness
to donate their free time was so great there was a waiting list of inmates offering to help. The nondenominational and voluntary South Point Family History program and Family History Center was created in 1988 when a
group of inmates attended a family history class sponsored by the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. The center has grown to occupy three rooms with microfilm readers, microfiche readers and thirty computers staffed by
five inmates. The center is considered a huge success and has been incorporated into the Department of Corrections' life skills curriculum for inmates.
IMMIGRATION TALK
Paula Perkins Parke will speak on immigration at the March monthly meeting of the
Montgomery County Genealogical and Historical Society. The meeting is open to the public and will be held at 7 P.M. Monday March 5 in community room of the Montgomery County Library, 100 I-45 North in Conroe. For
more information, contact the genealogical section of the library at 281-353-9791 Extension 7814 or email Jane Keppler at
GENEALOGICAL CLASSES
Hosted by Houston Community College, 1681 Cartwright in Missouri City, Emily Croom will conduct a two part Finding Your Roots
genealogical class. Both sessions will be held from 9:30 A.M. to 12:30 P.M. The first on Saturday March 3 and the second on March 10. For more information and to register, contact HCC at 281-835-5539.
Carolyn Hellen will teach a beginning genealogical class in the Clear Lake area commencing Saturday March 3. For more information, contact Hellen at 281-486-0406 or by email at 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 7 P.M. to 10 P.M. Tuesday, March 6 at Leisure Learning's 2990 Richmond Ave campus. The following week the class will tour Clayton Genealogical Library and conduct on site census research. For more information and to register, contact Leisure Learning at 713-529-4414.
Paula Perkins Parke will teach an Organizing Your Family Research With Family Tree Maker Software
class at Grace Presbyterian Church, 10221 Ella Lee near the Sam Houston Tollway. The class will be held on Wednesday March 7 from 2 P.M. to 5 P.M. To enroll or to learn more about this class, contact Michelle
Schultz at the Grace Presbyterian Education office 713-267-5020.
NEWS FROM THE BOOK SHELF
Standing on the Promises: One More River to Cross is the first in a trilogy of historical novels about Black Mormon pioneers. It was written by Margaret Blair Young, a creative writing
instructor at Brigham Young University and Darius Aidan Gray, a descendant of James Louis Gray, who appears as a character in the book. Few people are aware there were and currently are Mormons of African descent.
This interesting book is based on the actual pioneer experiences of three "colored servants", Oscar Crosby, Hark Lay and Green Flake who were early Saints
and covers the years 1831 through 1848 which were some very turbulent years in Mormon history. Standing on the Promises
may be purchased for $19.95 plus shipping from Deseret Books, P.O. Box 30178, Salt Lake City, UT 84130-1515.
