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Genealogy Research Tips and
Sahyun Library Updates
Why You Should Use Family Tree Software
Here’s an article that came in my morning emails: How Software Can Help You Build Your Family Tree The title intrigued me because I have been saying this for a long time and at many Lunch and Learns. I think Family Tree Magazine has done a great job clearly stating the reasons why and giving
Gamechanger: Searching Handwritten Text
Have you heard about the new full-text search tool announced by FamilySearch at RootsTech? It searches selected handwritten document collections at FamilySearch. Currently, the collections include “U.S. land and probate records, some from the Freedmen’s Bureau, Mexican notarial records, and U.S. plantation records from the Records of Ante-Bellum Southern Plantations collection. This tool is a
Guided Research by FamilySearch
Whether you are a beginning researcher or researching additional individuals in a complex tree, FamilySearch has a quick and straightforward way to access Birth, Marriage, and Death records for locales worldwide. It is “Guided Research.” To access Guided Research, you first must have an account with FamilySearch. An account with FamilySearch is free with no
Ancestors West Spring Edition Has Sprung
The Spring edition of Ancestors West is hot off the press and available to read and/or download on the Society Publications page. These great articles will motivate you to do further research, so you won’t want to miss them! Table of Contents 2 From the Editor By Kristin Ingalls 3 An Introduction to the Sahyun
366 Days of Genealogy by Family Tree Magazine
I subscribe to several genealogy newsletters that arrive in my inbox on a regular basis. This newsletter from Family Tree Magazine arrived this morning and caught my eye because I like lists and guides. It contains lists and guides for daily genealogy research tasks as well as weekly and monthly, not all of us can
New on the Shelves of the Sahyun Genealogical Library
February 2024 – post written by Chris Klukkert – Book Buy Chair As I write this the rain has come. We need the rain, and maybe it is as good an excuse as we need to expand our genealogy research. February is Black History Month, and coincidentally, I have been digging deeper into my southern
Santa Barbara African American Life, Culture, and Contributions, 1890-1990
During Black History Month, let’s take a moment to reflect on Santa Barbara’s rich history, spanning back to the 1700s which includes people of African descent among early Spanish expeditions. In 2020, the Society, SBCGS, unveiled a digital exhibit titled “Santa Barbara African American Life, Culture, and Contributions, 1890-1990,” accessible on the Society’s website. This
Newspapers.com Free This Weekend
Here’s your chance to find your ancestors in newspaper items and obituaries, Newspapers.com is offering free access to their site Feb 16th to 19th The largest online newspaper archive, established in 2012. Used by millions every month in genealogy, historical research, family history, crime investigations, journalism and entertainment. Search for obituaries, marriage announcements, birth announcements,
February Monthly Meeting
Featured Speaker Renate Yarborough Sanders – Exploring Records of the Freedmen’s Bureau: What’s In It For Me? Our monthly meeting is a hybrid, held on the 3rd Saturday of the month at First Presbyterian Church at State and Constance and on Zoom if you can’t make it person. If you can join us in person,
Member Orientation a Huge Success
On Saturday, February 3 the Society hosted a Member Orientation at the Sahyun Library, with nearly 30 new and returning members attending! The event provided members with an introduction the Society’s resources, including a tour of the Library, a presentation on subscription websites available to members, and valuable insights from key board members and volunteers.
African American Family History Research
In honor of Black History Month I’d like to suggest two sites to start your research: The Research Wiki of Family Search The Digital Library on American Slavery Also our February Monthly meeting: Exploring Records of the Freedmen’s Bureau: What’s In It For Me?
How I Wrote About 52 Ancestors in 52 Weeks
Do you feel a need to jumpstart your genealogy? I had that very feeling at the end of 2021. I had done research for many years and compiled oodles of records and documents. I wrote up in some detail the lives of those ancestors who interested me and shared their stories with family members. I
Monthly Meeting
Have you made your New Year’s resolutions for genealogy, is one resolution or goal to organize your research, files and records? Well, you’re in luck because this month’s program is on just that, getting organized. Our monthly meeting is a hybrid, held on the 3rd Saturday of the month at First Presbyterian Church at State
Mining Old Issues of Ancestors West
Before the days of the internet and genealogical databases, the volunteers of many genealogical societies worked hard to transcribe books, cemetery inscriptions, tax lists, court records, and many other groupings of names, dates, and places. Their contributions were enormous, and you can see these early efforts in any local genealogical newsletter from the 1990s going
Did You Know?
Ancestors West……. Has been published quarterly by SBCGS continuously since 1974 Articles are written by SBCGS members Contains articles on a variety of subjects and is not limited to California. All issues are available online and all are text-searchable.
Obituaries Added to Database
SBCGS has been preserving historical records of genealogical interest for many years. We now have a sophisticated database for searching these indexed records. Currently, there are 190,000 names, and records are continuously being added. The most recent set of names is associated with Santa Barbara Obituaries. Newspaper obituaries and death notices from various local newspapers
Ancestry.com Tip
Ancestry Family Tree – post written by SBCGS member Judy Thompson When sharing your genealogy research online, such as at Ancestry.com, it is crucial to consider access and security. Ancestry.com allows you to invite others to view your family tree, offering three roles: Guest, Contributor, or Editor, each with different permissions and editorial rights. They
Welcome to Our Blog
Santa Barbara County Genealogical Society: Connecting Generations, Building Legacies Founded on the principle that every family has a story worth preserving, the Santa Barbara County Genealogical Society (SBCGS) has been a beacon for genealogists and family historians since its establishment. Our mission is simple yet profound: to foster a community of individuals passionate about tracing
Santa Barbara County Genealogical Society Receives Proclamations
The proclamation from the city of Santa Barbara – honoring our 50th Anniversary and National Family Stories Month – was presented by Mayor Randy Rowse to our President, Art Sylvester, on November 15th at City Hall. Watch the presentation here. Holly Snyder, Karen Ramsdell, Art Sylvester, Marie Sue Parsons, Mary Hall The Santa Barbara County
