Sun Goes Down on the 2nd Day in the Piney Woods

Sun goes down on the 2nd day of the 17th Annual Angelina Genealogy Conference

"It Needs to be Written."

It's been a long day here in the Piney Woods of Texas at the 17th Annual Genealogy Conference in Lufkin. I lucked out, though, and the presentations and speakers I wanted to see and learn from were both presenting twice each in the same room. With 4 presentations a day, that meant one room for me. {My kind of math.}

After scoping out the room I found the best seat {back corner} and planted it for the day. The first speaker was a knowledgeable historian and genealogist Carol Taylor from Greenville, Texas. I love both her presentation style and her knowledge on the Civil War. While I'm a 4th generation Texan, I don't have any Confederates in my direct line -- to the best of my knowledge. However, many of my clients do so whenever I have the chance to understand not only the records available, but search strategies for Confederate research, I try to soak it all in as much as possible.

And, boy howdy, did I pick the right person to soak it in from! Ms. Taylor knows her stuff. I took so many notes on research tips on both of her sessions. Her first session covered non-military Civil War era records while her second session covered military Civil War era records. I think one of the best resources she mentioned were the Day Books of the Frontier Defense Forces of Texas. During the Civil War quite a bit of Texas was frontier and after Texas seceded from the Union forces at home were needed to protect the Texas frontier from the Comanches. They also returned both Confederate and Union soldiers who had deserted. {Sounds like a nice job, eh?} The day books of these forces can reveal genealogical information and the records are located at the Texas State Library and Archives in Austin, Texas. More information can be found about the Frontier Defense Forces of Texas on the Texas State Library and Archives website.

Another resource Ms. Taylor mentioned which sounded very interesting and was new to me was the Primary Sources under the Resources page on the Texas Civil War Home Front Living History website. I haven't had a chance to have look-see, but I plan to as soon as possible.

The second presenter was James Harkins from the Texas General Land Office Archives and Records. And? He was fabulous. I already use the online databases on the Texas GLO site, but I loved finding out all the details of the complete process of a land grant in Texas as well as the anatomy of a Texas land grant file. 

In his second presentation of the day, he discussed details of German-specific land records at the Texas GLO. Again, he discussed the process that German immigrants went through to purchase land starting before theiy made it to Texas as well as what records can be found at the Texas GLO that pertain to genealogists researching German ancestors who came to Texas before and after Texas became a part of the United States.

Mr. Harkins also explained to us how much the Texas GLO is doing to digitize Texas land records. They digitize about 5000 land documents a week. {Dramatic Pause.} That's a lot, folks. So if you've never looked for your ancestors in the online Texas GLO databases, you need to. If you have in the past, you need to look again.

A wonderful treat at after dinner was Ms. Taylor's presentations on cemeteries and some beautiful tombstones she has come across in her research across the United States.

Today, at one moment in Ms. Taylor's second presentation, she referenced someone about something and that his story was something she was planning to write about. She remarked, "It needs to be written."

Truer words have never been spoken. It does need to be written. His. My ancestors'. Your ancestors'. Mine. Yours.

What are we waiting for? Let's tell it.

~Caroline

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