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

TEXAS CEMETERY DAY IS OCTOBER 7

Initiated by Save Texas Cemeteries, Inc. the 75th Texas Legislature designated the first Sunday in April and October as official visitation days at cemeteries large and small across Texas. This year October 7 is the first Sunday in October.

Official cemetery visitation days are designed to encourage people to visit and help maintain the thousands of cemeteries throughout the State of Texas. Interested citizens and descendants of persons buried in a cemetery have the right by Texas law to visit cemeteries and maintain them.

Land owners where cemeteries are located are mandated and encouraged to allow visitors access to the cemeteries within certain guidelines. Cemeteries should be open on October 7 between the hours of 9 A.M. and 6 P.M. or post signage at a public street entrance how to access the property.

Cemeteries over 50 years old may be recognized with special Historic Cemeteries Designation signs provided by the Texas Historical Commission (THC). The signage was created to recognize Texas' historic cemeteries, promote their importance and encourage respect for them. An application for Historic Cemetery Designation requires an application explaining why the cemetery should be considered historic and a $25 application fee.

Information about laws concerning Cemetery Day, access to cemeteries and the Historic Cemetery Designation Program are available at the Save Texas Cemeteries website at ~ http://www.rootsweb.com/~txstc/ .

Some websites with names and links to cemeteries across Texas is located at ~http://www.rootsweb.com/~txstc/www/txcemete ry.html . Websites with information about Harris County cemeteries are located at: http://community-2.webtv.net/gwshistory/CEME TERIESOFHARRIS/ and http://www.rootsweb.com/~txharri2/harcem.htm .

JUAN SEGUIN BLVD DEDICATED TODAY

A ribbon cutting ceremony is being held today at 10 A.M. at the San Jacinto Monument renaming Park Road 1836/Vista Road as Juan N. Seguin Boulevard 1836.

The road is being named in honor of Juan Seguin, a Tejano who was a Texas hero in the Texas Revolution. He also served in the Second, Third and Fourth Republic of Texas Congresses, was a San Antonio Mayor and held a number of other military and political positions.

BARNETTE ADDRESSES HARRIS COUNTY SOCIETY

Mic Barnette, author of this column, will address the Harris County Genealogical Society October meeting. His topic will be Researching Land Records for Genealogical Information.

The meeting will be held at 7 P.M. Thursday October 11 in the Community Room of Pasadena Square Mall in Pasadena. Anyone interested in family history is invited to attend. For more information, contact Bobbie Oglethorpe at 713-472-6089.

SEMINAR IN BAYTOWN

Trevia Wooster Beverly will be the featured speaker at the Baytown Genealogical Society's all day Fall Seminar on Saturday October 13. The seminar will be held in Tucker Hall auditorium of Lee College in Baytown.

Beverly's topics will include Researching Female Ancestors; Using the Federal Censuses; Where to Find Genealogical Information and Some Texas Related Special Collections-The Bexar and Nacogdoches Archives, The R.B. Blake Collection and the Natchez Trace Papers.

For more information contact the society at 281-422-4950, email Herberta Mask at mask_b1@juno.com or visit the society's website at http://users2.ev1.net/~baytowngenealogy/schedul e.htm

BAYTOWN GENEALOGY SOCIETY MEETS MONTHLY

The Baytown Genealogy Society meets at 10 A.M. on the second Monday of each month. Meetings are held in the Bay Area Rehabilitation Complex, east of the United Way Building at 5203 Decker Drive in Bay Town. For more information call 281-422-4950 or visit the society's website at http://users2.ev1.net/~baytowngenealogy/schedul e.htm .

BAY AREA GENEALOGICAL SOCIETY FORMED

The recently formed Bay Area Genealogical Society will conduct monthly meetings the last Sunday each month at 5:30 P.M. at the University Baptist Church 16106 Middlebrook Drive in Clear Lake City. The September meeting will be held this Sunday, September 30.

For more information contact Carolyn Hellen at 281-486-0406

LEARN ABOUT NEWSPAPER RESEARCH

Paula Perkins Parke will host a class on Researching Secular and Denominational Newspapers. The class will be held from 2 P.M. to 5 P.M. Tuesday October 9 at Grace Presbyterian Church 10221 Ella Lee near the Sam Houston Tollway. For more information and to enroll, contact Becky Morris at 713-267-5091.

NEWS FROM THE BOOKSHELF

Readers with New York City ancestry will love Carolee Inskeep's The Grave Yard Shift: A Family Historian's Guide to New York City Cemeteries.

Rapid development, rising property values, health concerns and lack of space have all conspired to move New York's dead from place to place over the years. Inskeep's book explains the story behind each cemetery in the city and of many famous and infamous who lie buried within it's grounds.

The Grave Yard Shift is available for $30.26, postpaid from Ancestry's representative, Paula Perkins Parke at P.O. Box 842052, Houston, TX 77284.