L-AGS maintains pages on our web site that list the surnames that members are researching. Internet surfers from all over the world have found our site and have contacted members to share information on families in common.

We plan to update our L-AGS Surname List in 1999. We hope that 100 percent of our members will submit their family data for the updated list. If you do submit your surnames, please remember that you have an obligation to answer inquiries when they arrive. Failure to do so reflects badly on L-AGS.

If you have a computer, we urge you to furnish the information requested below in digital form, either by e-mail or on a diskette hand delivered or sent by postal mail. This will save the editors having to key in the data. If you do not have a computer, please supply the data on paper, clearly handwritten or typed.

Please list ALL of the surnames you are researching, using the examples below for guidance. If you submit your names on paper, use this form as a guide. If you submit your names in digital form, please follow the format requested. Keep in mind that the purpose of the Surname List is not to document your family for posterity, but only to advertise your interests to others worldwide, hoping that a useful exchange of information will result.

If your surnames are already on our Web site, you will be furnished a digital or paper copy of your current list. Please edit the list and furnish any additions.

Your name, address, telephone number, and e-mail address will NOT be posted on the Web. Internet respondents will see only a code number that the L-AGS mailserver will use to forward e-mail responses to you. If you do not have e-mail, the webmaster will manually respond and send your mailing address to the inquirers, suggesting that the inquiries be sent again to you by postal mail.

Please supply the following information. Again, the information will NOT be posted on the Web.

Use the following notes and examples as a guide:

The form is not sacred, but the format is: surname and variant spellings; places; and dates. Use your own paper and approximate the form below. Do not abbreviate - let the editors apply standard abbreviations.

Use surnames only, and dates to the nearest year only. In the US, supply the state and the county, but if the county is not known, and a town is, give the town. For a county, do not omit the "Co." We prefer no more than two levels of locality in the US. For other countries, try to keep the locality down to three levels, including the country. A given surname in a given locality should result in only one line - please collapse all dates to a span from the earliest to the latest.

Use additional sheets as needed, but put your name on each one!

Please submit your data before March 15 by giving it to one of the officers at a L-AGS meeting, or by mailing it to me at the address below, or by sending it to me by e-mail. In the meantime, if you have questions, please call.

(With the last installment, the reader was left to learn what happened to the balance remaining in the 1906 Earthquake Relief Fund... )

In the summer of 1908, a group of local businessmen discussed a proposition to establish Livermore’s first non-agricultural industry - a firebrick and terra cotta plant. The proposal was contingent on a donation of five acres on the west side of town between the Southern Pacific and Western Pacific railroad tracks. The company promised that no cottages, bunk-houses or company store would be maintained so that employees would be obliged to live and trade in town.

At a second meeting, the businessmen felt it expedient to have additional property, and placed an option on an adjoining ten acres. To purchase the tract, each businessman subscribed a varying amount of money, committing a total of $2650, and the developers of the firebrick plant, seeing the earnestness of the community, offered to pay $1000 for the five acres of the proposed location. The question was then asked, "Why not use the remainder of the ‘Earthquake Fund’ for the community’s share of the land purchase?" And the Town Trustees concurred. They agreed to give the firebrick company a deed to the ten acres on which the plant was to be located when the works had been in continuous operation for one year, and it was to revert to the town if it was ever used for other than manufacturing.

The Livermore Fire Brick Company began its operations in 1910, using clay from Ione, pending the development of a local clay deposit. The Livermore Herald called it "the beginning of an industry which is destined to wax with the passing years until Livermore is the center of the clay manufacturing industry of the State." The first carload of brick was shipped to Sacramento. In 1911, the brick works was shipping its product to Matzatlan, Mexico, to Agnew Hardware in Everett, Washington and to Theo Davis and Co., Honolulu.

In 1914, the Livermore Fire Brick Company began experimenting with brick made of diatomaceous earth. Although the same size as a conventional brick, it weighed but one-fifth as much. It was used as lining in large commercial refrigerators, such as in breweries and meat markets, taking the place of cork which was becoming scarcer and more expensive every year.

A source of firebrick clay was never found locally. Operations became intermittent, based on demand. When business was good, the plant employed between 30 and 40 men. And in these times, large shipments were made: 40,000 firebrick went to the Philippines in June, 1932; 32,000 more in July; and another 30,000 the next month, along with 10,000 fire tiles consigned to Hilo, Hawaii. Meantime, the plant went through several hands. It was rumored that the facility would be dismantled in 1936 when it was being managed by the W. S. Dickey Clay Manufacturing Company. Instead, it was sold to the Stockton Fire Brick Company, and later purchased by Gladding, McBean and Company.

The end of Livermore’s first non-agricultural industry came in the spring of 1949 when the firebrick plant was finally closed down permanently. Where was it located? - Across the street from Valley Memorial Hospital on Stanley Boulevard. That’s why the center there is called the Brickyard Shopping Center.

The following CDs, purchased by L-AGS, have arrived and are available to L-AGS members and Pleasanton Library users.

CD 12 - Family Pedigrees: Everton's Computerized Family File, Volume 1, 1400s-Present - Unlike previous publications of Everton's Computerized Family File, which included just a name index, this Family Archive includes an index as well as images of the actual family group sheets. Combined, these family group sheets provide information on approximately 389,000 individuals from all fifty United States and around the world.

CD 208 - Genealogical Records: Maryland Genealogical Society Bulletin, Vo1ume 38 - Each volume of the Maryland Genealogical Society Bulletin includes historical and genealogical material, family charts from personal and public records, transcribed public-domain documents, letters to the editor as well as queries and answers published by the Maryland Genealogical Society. The essays and articles collected in this Family Archive include information on approximately 240,000 individuals.

CD 213 - Genealogical Records: The Pennsylvania Genealogical Magazine, Volumes 1-39 - This Family Archive contains images of the pages of The Pennsylvania Genealogical Magazine plus four supplements. Published by the Genealogical Society of Pennsylvania, the Magazine is distributed semi-annually to its members. This scholarly journal contains book reviews, methodological case studies, discussions of major resources, family histories and genealogies, and research guides. Originally published between 1895 and 1995, the essays and articles collected in this Family Archive include information on approximately 343,000 individuals.

CD 239 - Marriage Index: New York City, 1600s-1800s - This Family Archive contains alphabetical listings of more than 410,000 individuals who were married in or near New York City between 1622 and 1899. While over 90% of the marriages included in this Family Archive were recorded in New York City and its boroughs, some were recorded on Long Island or elsewhere in the state. In addition, approximately 300 of the records are from Connecticut or New Jersey.

CD 354 - Passenger and Immigration Lists Index, 1538-1940 - This Family Archive contains listings of approximately 2,750,000 individuals who arrived in United States ports between 1538 and 1940. Compiled by Gale Research, these records can provide valuable family history information to those with immigrant ancestors. This information was collected from published passenger lists, naturalization records, church records, family and local histories, as well as voter and land registrations.

PP 1 - SAR Patriot Index, 1998 Edition - Presented as a lineage linked database, many Patriot Ancestors are linked to his/her descendants in standard genealogical format. This data, with over 470,000 records of patriots and their descendants, is compiled from ancestral cards on file at SAR National Headquarters.

By Judy Person

A book mending class was held on January 14 at the Pleasanton Library. Nancy Eby and Nancy Bering taught simple book-mending techniques to several volunteers. Volunteering from L-AGS were Eileen Redman, Robbie Robinson, Dick Finn, Beth Rauch, and Judy Person.

By Beverly Ales

We have a new library catalog! The Pleasanton Genealogy Library (which includes L-AGS books) now contains 912 volumes. We have added 61 new books in the last year, so an update of the printed catalog was warranted. The price for L-AGS members is $2.50 and for non-members $4.00. Shipping is $1.00 extra. Write:

Publications Chair
P.O. Box 901
Livermore, CA 94551

My grandmother told stories, as was her habit, her frequent hand gestures adding a special effect to her natural ability. Born in 1914 on a farm in rural Nebraska, she told stories that made us fall down laughing, and stories of hardships that broke the back and the heart. One of the family origin stories she told went something like this:

My Granddad, Arnold Timmerman, came from Germany on a ship when he was 9 years old. He lived with a family in West Point, Nebraska. I don't know their name, or if I did, I don't remember it. (1)

When he was about 19 years old he worked at a trading post in Norfolk, Nebraska. It was there that he met Grandma, Anna Wortman. She was half Cherokee Indian, born in Indiana. She came to Nebraska with her folks in a covered wagon. They were married about 1874. Granddad got a homestead in Monterey, Nebraska. They had 10 children, all born on the farm in Monterey. (2)

Granddad's brother, Henry, their parents, and Henry's wife, Barbara, came from Germany too. I don't know when, but Granddad and Grandma already had children by the time they came. Their parents lived with Uncle Henry and Aunt Barbara in Monterey until they died. Uncle Henry and Aunt Barbara had 11 children. Three died of the flu epidemic. My Grandma said, "they died faster than the poor man could carry them down the stairs." (3)

I don't know if Granddad had any other brothers or sisters besides Uncle Henry. No one ever said that I could remember. (4)

Growing up, I always enjoyed hearing this story, as stories do, it has gone into me and remains there. Something of what these people were and what they did has been passed down through generations in story. I never thought about how much was really factual, how much had been lost or altered with age and imagination.

It was not until 1996 that I decided to review my family origins. Although I had some names, dates, and photographs, I had no idea on how to proceed. The "how to" books I read were some help. Then I got lucky when I found a basic genealogy course, and joined the Livermore-Amador Genealogical Society. Utilizing my newfound knowledge I set out to search the records. Based on the above oral tradition the following is just a sample of what I discovered through various sources:

1. Arnold Timmerman did emigrate from Germany, arriving in New York, on 19 December 1869. However, he was about 16 years old. In 1870 Arnold was living with the Theodore Wortman family in West Point, Nebraska. Theodore was the uncle of Arnold's future wife, and was from Hanover, Germany, Arnold's birth place.

2. In 1874 Arnold was not yet married. But he does appear in Norfolk, Nebraska, to file his "Declaration of Intention," for citizenship. Now, my Grandmother can tell some tales about Arnold's trading post life in Norfolk. But for documentation what else he might have been doing there is yet unknown. After marrying in 1876, Arnold and Anna lived in Monterey Township. They had a total of 12 children, perhaps luckier than most to have buried only two in infancy. A photograph of Anna Wortman reveals an engraved leathery look, cheekbones jutting out, broad flat nose, and eyes with a defiant edge to them. In my mind she does appear to be Indian, as legend has it, yet I have no proof.

3. Uncle Henry, his parents, and a previously unknown sister, Anna, emigrated from Germany in 1881. Henry's wife, Barbara, had emigrated earlier at age 10. A recent discovery of Henry's life story, handwritten in 1920, told how his three oldest children died of the flu epidemic within days of each other. "On Dec 24 Anna died... I laid her out myself, all alone. Then came Christmas Day... and Rosa departed for a better life... I laid her out too, putting the two dead sisters together. My sorrow was great. Henry died too, on Dec 27, 1918."

4. It is possible that there were other children in this family who died in Germany. The 1900 census enumeration of Arnold's parents indicated seven total children, with only three living at that time: Arnold, Henry, and their younger sister, Anna. Anna lived only a short time in Monterey, Nebraska, before marrying and moving to another county. Prior to that she "hired out" which might explain why she was unknown to some of the later generations.

A recent Roots Tracer note (July, 1998, page 720) discusses the foreign postage offered in the "USA Philatelic" catalog.

"USA Philatelic" is a free quarterly publication of the United States Postal Service. From this catalog we can order any stamp, stamped paper, or philatelic collectible that is currently available from the Postal Service - a far broader selection than can be found at any ordinary post office. The buyer pays face value for stamps plus a $1 fee (plus added charges for special services if any are desired). You can order by mail or by phone; ordering by Internet is not yet possible, but the USPS is working on that option.

"The International Collection" is a special detachable part of the main catalog (beginning in 1999, it will become a separate catalog). The current edition features attractive commemoratives from six nations in a 16 page glossy section. Australia and Israel are new additions to this collection. Ireland, Great Britain, Canada, and Mexico have been offered for some time. Some United Nations issues are also offered, but valid for postal use only at a few official UN sites, so they are not of interest in this context.

Several denominations are listed for each country. If you know the postal rate to the USA from that country, then, most likely, stamps of the proper value are available. The exception is Canada, which for some reason shows stamps in 45-cent, $1 and $2 denominations; the 52-cent stamp (letter rate to USA) went off sale in November 1998.

As mentioned in the original Roots Tracer note, you may find sending stamps more convenient than sending reply coupons, and your foreign correspondent will almost certainly be grateful.

An easy way to get a copy of the current "USA Philatelic" catalog is to call 1-800-STAMP24. Another easy way is to visit the Website: www.stampsonline.com.  Click on the "order catalogs" button on the first screen, then click on the "order USA Philatelic" button on the second screen.

For the moneys paid, the Mortensens received "steerage place in the vessels and third class waggons on the railroads. Forwarding of luggage via: for Steerage passengers 100[?] pounds to Glasgow and 10 cubic feet from Europe. The moiety [half of the above] for a child over one year. Proper lodgings in the intermediate stations. Good and sufficient fare in cooked state during the voyage from Copenhagen [notice how the city spelling changed] to the final place of landing...Medical attendance and medicine during the voyage from Europe to the place of landing. If the vessel, by which the Emigrant is to be forwarded [sounds like a UPS package!] should by any accident or chance be prevented from accomplishing the voyage, the Emigrant ought to be forwarded by a ship as good as the former with in four weeks; should this not be done, he has a right to claim the restitution of the whole amount paid by him according to this contract. During the above mentioned time the Emigrant must be provided with free board and lodging...Complaints of nonfulfilment of this contract must be communicated to the nearest Danish Consul, who in case the complaint can not be settled in an amicable way by his interference, after making due examination, will have to report the matter to the Royal Danish Government, after which the case will be settled by the Minister of Justice and any compensation due to the Emigrant, taken from the security deposited by the undersigned Agent."

The contract goes on to state what the passengers should expect for meals during their voyage. Not too many stars here: "Breakfast: Coffee, Sugar, and fresh Bread and Butter or Biscuit and Butter, or Oatmeal Porridge and Molasses. Dinner: Beef or Pork and Soup, with Bread and Potatoes or Fish and Potatoes according to the day of the week, and on Sunday, Pudding will be added. Supper: Tea, Sugar, Bread or Biscuits and Butter."

The book, The Dream of America (Mosegaard, 1986), has a very interesting section on "Crossing The Atlantic." The book tells of the bills passed by the Danish government to protect the emigrants who left Denmark for America. The Danish "police" were to supervise provisions, water, life-saving equipment and cargo. All emigrants had to have a medical check-up and the crew should also include a doctor [I have read that many of these "doctors" could not even spell the word]. All these precautions meant that only a few Danes were turned away at the immigration control on Ellis Island.

Two other books that tell of  the numbers of Danes who left their farms for a new life in America include On Distant Shores, Danes Worldwide Archives, 1993, and The Transplanted, John Bodnar, 1985. Both contain a great deal of detail on Danish immigration. For example did you know that "until the 1890s the immigrants still had to bring their own straw mattresses, to be thrown overboard at the end of the voyage."

Like so many other "finds" in genealogy, the discovery of the Mortensen passenger contract has lead me to search for information that in the past I would not have thought would have been of interest to me.

I wish to thank the Reference Librarian at the Sutro Library for pointing out several corrections on their holdings of census indexes.

1. Even though I could not find it in the index, Sutro does have the 1880 Soundex for California.
2. Sutro has the 1870 Census index for San Francisco, Solano, and San Mateo Counties in book form.
3. Sutro has the 1870 Census for Shasta County and the 1870 and 1880 Census for Sacramento in book form.
4. Sutro has the 1870 Census index for both Long Island and New York City in book form.

The fifth line of the first paragraph of the October, 1998 article should read: Oakland FHC shelf holdings were checked, except the 1992 entries were used for years prior to 1850 and after Maine in the listing.

Newsprint Preservation

Dissolve two milk of magnesia tablets in a 28-ounce bottle of club soda. The solution should read PH 8.5 on a test strip. Use a pan large enough to put the clipping in flat. Get a piece of nylon screening cut somewhat longer than the pan, but narrow enough to fit inside the pan. Place the clipping on the mesh, immerse it in the solution, and let it soak for at least two hours. If the paper has begun to turn yellow, soak for a longer period (overnight). Gently lift the clipping out of the pan and place mesh and clipping on a soft towel or cloth to dry. When it is dry, it may be handled normally. If the paper is wrinkled, sprinkle it lightly with water, press at a low temperature between two blotting papers. Store in acid free envelopes, boxes, or encapsulation. The estimated life of such a clipping is 100 years.
FROM: Deurene Oates Morgan <flowers9@juno.com>, VAHIST, 15&18 Apr 1997 (via Contra Costa County Gen. Soc. Newsletter Vol.12, No. 7, July 1997)

Cenotaph

The word "cenotaph" on a tombstone means an empty grave. The stone was erected in memory or in honor of a person buried elsewhere, perhaps in an unknown battlefield grave.
FROM: Odom Family Tree, via Contra Costa County Genealogical Society newsletter, July 1993.

Indiana Marriages

The Indiana State Library has put a database of Indiana marriages through 1850 on the Web. The early records are marriage returns, which usually state just the bride and groom data, the person who performed the ceremony, but no parent’s data. The address is: http://www.statelib.lib.in.us/www/isl/indiana/genealogy/mirr.html.
FROM: Bluegrass Roots, Vol.25, No.3, Fall 1998.

Livermore Library

The Livermore Public Library now has its catalog on the Web. You can enter as a guest or a patron. If you have a card, you will be able to see your account - what you have out, etc. The address is: http://www.livermore.lib.ca.us.
FROM: Vicki Renz, L-AGS member.

Kentucky Land Records

The Kentucky Land Office has a web page that is a database of 4748 records where warrants were issued to those who served on the Virginia Continental Line and in the Virginia Militia in the Revolutionary War. Not only is the database searchable, but you can view the actual scanned record. The address is: http://www.sos.state.ky.us/ADMIN/LANDOFFI/Landoffice.asp.
FROM: Bluegrass Roots, Vol.25, No.3, Fall 1998.

Virginia Research

If you are doing early Virginia research, I suggest you go to the Library of Virginia web site. You can search the index for a land patent or grant, download an image of it, and print it in high resolution. Be sure to read the instructions. http://www.lva.lib.va.us/whatwehave/land/index.htm

You also might like to visit the Library of Virginia’s digital collections page. http://www.lva.lib.va.us/whatwehave/index.htm
FROM: Doug Mumma, L-AGS member.

Railroad Records

Cath Trindle, editor of the San Mateo Genealogical Society Newsletter, wrote a great article on Railroad Records and where to find information. Her article can be found in the SMCGS Newsletter, October 1998, Vol. 16-9, p. 169-170. She included these web sites:

The California State Railroad Museum - http://www.csrmf.org/doc.asp?id=122

The Union Pacific Railroad Museum - http://www.uprr.com/uprr/ffh

Cyndi’s List of Railroad related sites - http://www.cyndislist.com/railroad.htm
FROM: CSGA Newsletter, Vol.16, No.11 (November 1998).

Civil War Headstones

A recent addition to the National Archives in San Bruno is microfilm publication number M1845 - Card Records of Headstones Provided for Deceased Union Civil War Veterans (c.1879-1903). The films are located in Cabinet 19, drawer 10. The cards are in alphabetical order.
FROM: Santa Clara County Historical & Genealogical Society Newsletter.

California 1852 Census

Margaret Alley
P.O. Box 3295
Montebello, CA 90640-3295
FROM: Elise Morris,  31 Jul 1998 NORCAL-L@rootsweb.com e mail list, via Genealogical Society of Santa Cruz County, November-December 1998 Newsletter.