Portage County Wisconsin obituaries and so much more

For many archival purposes, the Wisconsin Historical Society has divided the state into 14 Area Research Centers (ARCs), where a surprising variety of records that you might only otherwise find in courthouses reside, including vital, tax, school, property, probate, cemetery, business, and other record types. Check out this overall map and pick your spot -- every center operates a little differently. If your main interest is pre-1907 vital records, there's a statewide index here.

The university library at Stevens Point appears to be especially active genealogically speaking. Among other things they maintain the Stevens Point Area Obituary Index, a collaboration between the university archives, the Portage County Public Library, and the Stevens Point Area Genealogical Society. If you find a research target therein you can request a copy ($10 for up to 5 requests, but be sure to read their terms of service carefully -- clearly they have to deal with a lot of clueless people and you don't want to be one of them). The index is said to cover the following newspapers and date ranges: Stevens Point Weekly Journal 1872-1920, Stevens Point Daily Journal 1895-1980, Stevens Point Journal 1981-, Gazette 1878-1923, Portage County Gazette 1999-, and Wisconsin Pinery 1864-1890.

BTW, after I wrote this post I received the new issue of the always excellent NGS Magazine, which contains a meaty, detailed account of Wisconsin's ARCs by native son and veteran researcher David McDonald, CG. Check it out!

October 2008 Wisconsin SGS Newsletter --or is that SOS?

Two record compilations fill the latest issue of the Wisconsin statewide genealogy publication:

"Jenson Cemetery Edgerton Wisconsin," Rock County, tr. Bernie Farmer

"Deaths Among the Membership, Wisconsin WCTU 1927-28"

WSGS turns 70 this year, and will hold the annual Gene-A-Rama featuring Christine Rose, CG, 3-4 April in Madison.

Retiring editor David McDonald, CG, offers a farewell note that should be disquieting to those of us who think there's a lot of interesting genealogy to do in Wisconsin: "Since taking on this task in 2007, I have been truly surprised at how little correspondence from members it engenders. With two exceptions, nothing has been forthcoming from members to be included."

Lake County's workshop-not-to-be-missed

Lake County (the Illinois one, squeezed between Chicago and Wisconsin) is sponsoring what looks to be its 15th annual November workshop on Saturday the 8th. The speakers are Certified Genealogists Tom Jones and David McDonald. If you know them, you know this is a must-attend. If you don't, then I'm telling you. All the details including exact location, hours, and program topics, are in this PDF brochure and registration form.

Midwesterners in the September NGSQ

The National Genealogical Society Quarterly is all about genealogical puzzles and unusual combinations of evidence, but even so the new September issue does well by the Midwest. The lead article, "Using Questionable Sources Productively," by George L. Findlen, CG, of Wisconsin, ferrets out the parents of three Maine-born Plummer brothers (!), two of whom spent most of their lives in Wisconsin. And the cover photo depicts Melinda Irene Hicklin Castleberry Cain Woods (1838-1908) of Illinois. Her rather harrowing life story is recounted in three paragraphs by her great-great grandson David McDonald, CG, also of Wisconsin.

Wisconsin wants your tired, your poor ancestors yearning to be documented

New issues of the Wisconsin State Genealogical Society Newsletter are coming thick and fast these days as new editor David McDonald, CG, gets the publication calendar caught up to the real calendar. (We just did October last week!)

Contents of the January issue are below. But for those who dream of writing for such publications as well as reading them, there's even better news. McDonald writes,

"This editor is also seeking well-written and appropriately documented family genealogies for Wisconsin-connected clans. Sadly, many journals and publications have stopped publishing such pieces. Examples of good research and writing (and editing!) can help everyone be and become better genealogists. Especially welcome would be pieces highlighting various ethnic and religious groups groups among the mid-19th Century migrants to Wisconsin, as well as those tied to colonial-era families.... They may have made homebrew or been teetotalers, played pinochle or bridge. So long as they have Wisconsin connections, they have a story worth telling."

Meanwhile, in the January issue:

Research Policies at the Wisconsin Vital Records Office, by Roland K. Littlewood

Women's Club of Eau Claire, 1899

"Slacker" Lists from World War I (continued)

Wisconsinites on the Federal Payroll (as of 21 Mar 1880) (continued)

Portage County, Carson Township, St. Barthlemew [sic] Cemetery

Portage County, Dewey Township, Torun Cemetery

Waushara County, Poy Sippi Township, Poy Sippi Cemetery, all read by Wayne and Alta Guyant in the 1970s