• Press Release
• Comments From The GenExchange
• Geeks Corner
• New Coordinators - July 2000
• New Mailing Lists - July 2000
• Monthly Review - Feature site: NYGenExchange
• A Critical Approach to Bios as a Genealogical Resource
• Lyman Hall - Signer of the Declaration of Independence
• Genealogist Genealogist
• Thank You To... Ray Banks!
• Genealogical Web Site Of Excellence
• The Bio Binger - Episode 1
• On the Lighter Side
• Genealogy Meetings, Events & Ceremonies
• Want To Join The Newsletter Staff?
• Frequently Asked Questions

(VIRGINIA BEACH, VA) We are excited to announce the opening of the newest search at the USGenExchange: The National Bio-Bin http://genexchange.org/biobin.php

This new search form will allow all our volunteers and visitors to search all biographies posted to the project, no matter what state/county it was added to. You can still search bios on both the state and county levels as well. The USGenExchange currently has 10,500+ biographies online with many more being added daily! To coincide with the National Bio-Bin, the GenExchange also hosts the "Bio-Bingers" mailing list! This mailing list is for anyone interested in share and discussing US Biographies. To subscribe to Bio-Bingers use the online form at: http://genexchange.org/MailListForm.php

Or send an email to:

In the body of the message, enter:
Subscribe Bio-Bingers YourName

To view previous GenExchange Press Announcements please visit
http://genexchange.org/gesr/press.php

As always, the GenExchange is working tirelessly to bring new material and sections online for everyone, thanks to hundreds of volunteers and thousands of visitors each day. This past month was no exception! We announced the new design of the state and county pages along with their new links, (be sure to update your bookmarks) and welcomed 7 new state coordinators and 38 new county coordinators to the USGenExchange.

July also marked the opening of The National Bio-Bin and the National Biodex located at http://genexchange.org/biobin.php . This new Bio-Bin search will allow all our volunteers and visitors to search all biographies posted to the project, no matter what state/county it was added to. You can still search bios on both the state and county levels as well. The Biodex will give you an index of all the surname subjects in the Bio-Bin. With 11,700+ biographies online with many more being added daily, these new search features are a wonderful tool.

To coincide with the National Bio-Bin and Biodex, the GenExchange also hosts the new "Bio-Bingers" mailing list! This mailing list is for anyone interested in share and discussing US Biographies. To subscribe to Bio-Bingers, use the online form at: or send email to . In the body of your message, simple enter "Subscribe Bio-Bingers Your_Name" (without the quotes)

To help us know our visitors better, we are conduction the first GenExchange User Survey. The 35 question survey is broken down in to five parts, and the entire survey should take no more than 10-15 minutes to complete. The survey is completely anonymous! http://genexchange.org/survey/survey.php .

We now have over 2.5 Million records available across the US, so once you're done with the survey, select your state of interest and search our databases!

• Total records in the databases July 31, 2000: 2,523,483
• Total records in the databases June 30, 2000: 2,435,048
• Total records added to the databases past month: 88,435
• 
  
  
• BASIS RECORDS COLLECTIONS: Total (new added in the past month)
  • Baptisms: 22914 (2120 new)
  • Births: 120193 (6698 new)
  • Biographies: 11772 (2573 new)
  • Books: 449
  • Burials: 188854 (20994 new)
  • Cemeteries: 28627 (5058 new)
  • Churches: 22438 (1547 new)
  • Confirmation: 2
  • Court Houses: 1948 (219 new)
  • Death/Obits: 132535 (8013 new)
  • Deeds: 4014 (158 new)
  • Directories: 20686 (3714 new)
  • Early Settlers: 6270 (6270 new)
  • Events: 17
  • Funeral Homes: 3476 (308 new)
  • GenLinks: 33736 (7 new)
  • Historical Accounts: 2152 (188 new)
  • Historians: 384 (35 new)
  • Immigration/Naturalization: 1734 (38 new)
  • Libraries: 6813 (552 removed)
  • Lookup Resources: 1277 (52 new)
  • Maps: 36
  • Marriages: 174821 (4789 new)
  • Microfilm: 2021 (23 new)
  • Monuments & Historical Places: 226
  • Museums: 846 (43 new)
  • Newspapers: 1280 (31 new)
  • Queries: 11765 (452 new)
  • Reunions: 151
  • Schools: 14484 (112 new)
  • Ships Passengers (Emigrants): 2937
  • Societies & Associations: 2078 (124 new)
  • Surnames: 44751 (1234 new)
  • Surnames (International): 14534
  • Towns/Communities: 43179 (4563 new)
  • Translation Language Options: 202 (2 new)
  • Wills & Probates: 75
  • Yearbooks (Faculty): 5402 (615 new)
  • Yearbooks (Students): 84227 (6412 new)
• 
  
• Special Records Collections
  • New York Emigrant Savings Bank: 4164
  • Miller Funeral Home Records: 115
  • 1831 Broken Banks Of NY: 9
  • Church Rolls: 1399
  • Rubio Ladies Cookbook (Washington, IA): 104
  • Native American Battles: 41
• 
  
• Census Records (Federal)
  • 1790 Census: 55030
  • 1800 Census: 13877 (1 removed)
  • 1810 Census: 19444 (2 new)
  • 1820 Census: 9017 (1032 new)
  • 1830 Census: 242
  • 1840 Census: 536
  • 1850 Census: 87682 (4667 new)
  • 1860 Census: 34088 (3447 new)
  • 1870 Census: 1908
  • 1880 Census: 10646 (1434 new)
• 
  
• Census Records (State)
  • 1892 NY Census: 199
• 
  
• Tax Registers
  • 1792 Tax Register: 1107
  • 1794 Tax Register: 133
  • 1826 Tax Register: 3397
  • 1849 Tax Register: 790
  • 1850 Tax Register: 3384
  • 1852 Tax Register: 1675
  • 1894 Tax Register: 1027
• 
  
• Military Records Collections
  • Civil War: 5130 (1301 new)
  • Civil War Battles: 11 (11 new)
  • Revolutionary War: 1000 (145 new)
  • WWI Civilian Draft Records: 1,283,489
  • WWI 82 (82 new)
  • WWII 475 (475 new)

We'd like to offer a warm welcome the following new State and County Coordinators who have become volunteers at the GenExchange! Welcome aboard! If any readers are interested in assisting these new Coordinators, or any of our other Coordinators, I'm sure they would be excited to hear from you. http://genexchange.org/contact.php

The State Coordinator for the NYGenExchange is Susan Laursen Willig ( ). New York currently has 28 of its counties adopted.

The first thing I noticed when I visited this site was the number of census transcriptions that are available. New York has over 100,000 census records now online and is especially strong with the 1790 (over 32,000), 1850 (over 32,000) and the 1860 (over 25,000). The 1790 is strong in the counties of Columbia , Montgomery , Suffolk , Saratoga , Queens and New York City . With Montgomery having over 6000 records. The 1850 census is strong in Jefferson County with 30,237 entries, and the 1860 in Genesse County contributed by a wonderful group, the Genesee Area Genealogists, Batavia NY.

Looking over other parts of the site, I see a wonderful collection of burial records (over 38,000) and death/obits (over 24,000). In the recently created area of city/county directories New York already has over 11,000 entries.

There is a listing of what appears to be the majority of the school in New York State with over 8,000 addresses. Also available is over 13,000 students and so much more! Our New York State and County Coordinators deserve a round of applause for giving us all such a great place to research.

So why not visit the NYGenExchange and while there, consider adopting one of it counties. http://genexchange.org/state.php?state=ny

Keith Schaar -
USGenExchange Assistant National Coordinator

"What good are biographies? I've never found a biography written about any of my ancestors!" is a sentiment I have often heard expressed. Some refer to biographies as nothing more than historical fiction, but biographies do have value to the family researcher. Evaluating biographies as a genealogical resource requires a critical approach which evaluates the material presented in light of information from other secondary and especially primary sources.

Firstly, where does one find biographies? If one's ancestor was a member of the Assembly of a State, some biographical information can be found in the Blue Books published yearly or every two years by that State. Other resources, such as Who Was Who and other compilations about particular groups, e. g., artists, authors, women, etc., also exist. The majority of biographies useful to the family historian, however, are contained in County Histories, most of which were published in the late 1800's by companies such as Western Historical.

What kind of information is contained in biographies? Obviously they contain data such as dates and places of births, marriages and deaths. Fortunately most biographers attempt to present this material in an interesting fashion, not as one writer put it, "strung out like pants, shirts and socks on a line." Regardless of how this data is presented, however, the question a critical family history researcher asks still remains.

How reliable are the birth, marriage and death dates and places? To answer this question, one must look at how the biographer obtained data. A glaring omission in these old county histories is the absence of any cited sources, or any mention of how the data was obtained. Reportedly these biographies were compiled from information sent in by the person who was written about, or someone in the immediate family. A few researchers have told me these people paid to have the information included, but I have no evidence to support or disprove this.

If you or a member of your family submitted information for a biography, would you "tell the whole truth and nothing but the truth?" What is "truth?" Are we to blindly accept testimony given by the person about whom the biography is written? Truth to one person may be very different from the truth seen by someone with a different perspective or worldview.

Also relevant here is the perspective or worldview of the biographer. One only has to read a few of the biographies written by F. Lyman in volume two of The History of Kenosha and Kenosha County, Wisconsin to see that Mr. Lyman, perhaps unknowingly, advocates a certain set of values. His view of the world becomes apparent when several of these biographies are evaluated as a whole. What we have is a picture of the "truth" seen by the person who submitted the information (the person written about or a relative of that person), which is re-interpreted by the author of the biography.

An additional layer exists as well: the perspective of the reader, the second re-interpreter, of the "truth" that is presented. Family historians must critically view the data given in biographies, as well as other secondary sources, and look for insights and connections between different sources of data. As an example I offer the biography of Anson W. PRINDLE found in the Jackson County section of the History of Northern Wisconsin, published in 1881, presented below in its entirety:

Anson W. PRINDLE
Source: The History of Northern Wisconsin, Vol I, Western Historical Pub. Co., 1881, p 418.

"Farm machinery agent and farmer, Merrillan [WI]. Was born in New York State 22 June 1824. Came to WI in 1847, and settled in Burlington, Walworth County, where he taught school until 1856. Removed to Black River Falls, and engaged in the lumber and carpentry business until 1860. Moved on his farm, containing 120 acres, which he still owns. Has been the means of introducing a great deal of fruit in this part of the county, having written several articles for the press on the subject, "Fruit Tree Raising in the Northwest." He now raises 2,000 pounds of fine grapes per annum on his farm, together with other fruits. Has held several public offices in town of Alma [Jackson County, WI], having been one of the Trustees three years, Clerk for one year, and Assessor for two years, and also Justice of the Peace. Has always been a true Temperance man in every sense of the word. Married 19 October 1850 to Miss Mary V. PACKARD, at Burlington, WI. She was born in Massachusetts 11 February 1835. They have five children: William A., Luther C., James D., Ella M. and Edward R."

A problem with this biography is hinted at by the lack of information regarding the religious affiliation of Mr. PRINDLE. Many biographies contain references to affiliation with certain religious groups and institutions, but this one does not. What is not included in a biography is often a guide to what further research needs to be done in order to arrive at a larger "truth."

A short time ago I received an email inquiry about Stangites in Wisconsin. My not knowing what a "Strangite" was (duh...) led to some research that also shed some light on Mr. PRINDLE'S biography. The Strangites were a small group of Mormons led by James Jesse Strang to Voree, near Burlington, and later to Beaver Island, Michigan. Strang was killed in the latter place in June 1856, and hisfollowers had most of their possessions confiscated, and were put on boats, forced to leave the Island. Some settled in Jackson County beginning in 1856. Mr. Prindle was one of the Strangite Mormons, in fact one of the group known as the "12 Apostles" on Beaver Island. No place in his biography does it mention a Mormon affiliation or past residence on Beaver Island, Michigan. This truth was brought out by Jane Prindle Szymanski in an article she wrote on the Strangite Mormons of Jackson County, which appeared in Jackson County: A History, aproject of the Jackson County Historical Society marketed by Taylor Publishing Company 1984. Ms. Szymanski did a commendable job assisting in the re-interpreting of the "truth" presented years earlier in Mr. Prindle's biography.

Thus we have seen how biographies present one view of the truth, which is re-interpreted in both the writing of the biography and its later reading. Several biographies from a particular geographical area, when viewed with knowledge gained from other sources, can add life to the "clothesline" of dates and places presented. Family histories containing nothing more than names, dates and places, sometimes referred to as a "GEDCOM," are lifeless forms which biographies and historical accounts transform into real people. So even though I have found only one short biography of an ancestor, my great grandfather the Swiss shoemaker, I find biographies and their cousins, historical accounts, to be of as much value as any primary record, and certainly more interesting. It is through biographies and historical accounts that ancestors are fleshed out to become real people living in unique communities.

In honor of Independence Day, the GenExchange held a month long essay writing contest from June 1st to June 30th. The winning essay, written by 16 year old Patrick Studabker (The Birth Of Patriotism, The Birth Of A Nation ) was published here in the Exchange last month and is available online at: http://www.genexchange.com/winner6-2000.php

We would like to share with you a second essay written by an 8 years old, Will Kearney with research assistance of his mother.

LYMAN HALL - Signer of the Declaration of Independence
(April 12, 1724 - October 19, 1790)

Lyman Hall, one of three signers of the Declaration of Independence from Georgia, was born in Wallingford, Connecticut. After studying medicine at Yale College, he established a medical practice in Charleston, South Carolina. He bought land near Savannah, Georgia, to start a plantation, and he continued to practice medicine. He moved between South Carolina and Georgia several times over the next few years while continuing to be a physician.

In 1774 he became involved in Revolutionary politics. After returning to Georgia, Hall became a political enemy of Georgia's Royal Governor James Wright. Historians believe Hall and his fellow Georgia signers George Walton and Button Gwinnett made little impact on the content of the Declaration of Independence. However, both Walton and Hall were influential in moving Georgia to vote for independence and to sign the Declaration.

He was a member of the Savannah Conventions in 1774-1775 at Tondee Tavern. When Georgia failed to send a representative to the First Continental Congress, Hall tried to convince St. John's Parish, the area near his home in Sunbury just south of Savannah, that they should secede from Georgia and join the colony of South Carolina. In 1775 Hall was accepted to the Continental Congress as a non-voting representative of St. John's Parish where his primary role was in securing food and medicine for the Revolutionary Armies. The following year the Georgia Provisional Congress appointed Hall as one of five official delegates to the Continental Congress.

In 1776 new delegates were appointed from Georgia including Hall, Walton, and Gwinnett. They arrived in Philadelphia just in time for the Declaration. Hall continued to serve in Congress until 1780. In 1777 the war had reached Savannah and Hall had been accused of high treason for signing the Declaration of Independence. His home Knoll Plantation in Sunbury near the area known today as Midway was burned. The Midway Church is reported to have been the site a pivotal meeting led by Hall in turning Georgia toward independence. He fled to Charleston with his family until the British overtook it.

It is believed his family protected him in Connecticut for some time after that. In 1782 Hall returned to Georgia to reclaim his lands. He was elected to the House of Assembly in Georgia in 1783 and then served as Governor of the state for one year from January 8, 1783-January 8, 1784, later serving as a state court judge in Chatham County. He was involved in the development of agriculture in Georgia and was responsible for chartering the University of Georgia. He died on his Shell Bluff Plantation near Augusta, Georgia, on the Savannah River in Burke County at the age of 74 in 1790. He was originally buried in a family graveyard but his remains were removed to the Signers Monument at the courthouse on Greene Street in Augusta. The Signers Monument was dedicated on July 4, 1848, and is also the burial site of Hall's fellow signer George Walton.

Bibliography

Bridges, Edwin C., Harvey H. Jackson, Kenneth H. Thomas, and James H. Young. Georgia's Signers and the Declaration of Independence. Atlanta, GA: Cherokee Publishing, Co., 1981.

Hall, James William. Lyman Hall, Georgia Patriot. 1959.

Hall, Theodore P. Genealogical Notes Relating to the Families of the Honorable Lyman Hall of Georgia; Honorable Samuel Holden Parsons Hall of Binghamton, New York; and Honorable Nathan Kelsey Hall of Buffalo, New York. 1886. New England Historic Genealogical Society CS/71/H177/1886.

Varian, Bill. "Monument recalls signers of the Declaration." history. The Augusta Chronicle Online. 21 June 1996.

Related Web Sites

Georgia Signers of the Declaration of Independence
http://www.cviog.uga.edu/Projects/gainfo/gasigner.htm

Biography of Lyman Hall
http://www.leftjustified.com/leftjust/lib/sc/ht/decl/gbio-h.html

Hall County, Georgia, was created in 1818 and named for Dr. Lyman Hall.
http://georgiamagazine.com/counties.hall
http://www.ngeorgia.com/county/hall.html

Dr. Lyman Hall lived in Burke County, Georgia, after the Revolutionary War.
http://members.aol.com/J2525
http://www.ph.dhr.state.ga.us/regional/burke/index.shtml

Richmond County, Georgia, is the burial site of Lyman Hall.
http://augustachronicle.com/history/signers.html
http://politicalgraveyard.com/geo/GA/RI.html

Midway Church was used by Lyman Hall as a meeting place to drum up support for the move to independence among reluctant Georgians. http://www.lowcountrynow.com/stories/111699/LEISlowcountrylore.shtml

Georgia in the Revolution -
http://history.colstate.edu/Lupold/Miscell-GA/GEORGI~2.htm

Lyman Hall is honored at the State Capitol in Atlanta, Georgia, with a bust and enshrinement in the Georgia Hall of Fame. http://www.sos.state.ga.us/tours/html/georgia%5Fhall%5Fof%5Ffame.html

Lyman Hall served as Governor of Georgia after the Revolution. http://www.sos.state.ga.us/register.register9192/r9209gov.htm

NOTE: The information that follows are generations from 1 to 96. Here are generations 1, 2 and 3 for an example. The entire essay including the 96 generations can be downloaded in .TXT format at: http://genexchange.org/downloads/Lyman_Hall.txt (878kb)

Ancestors of Lyman Hall

Generation No. 1

1. Lyman Hall, born April 12, 1724 in Wallingford, New Haven, Connecticut; died October 19, 1790 in Shell Bluff Plantation, Burke County, Georgia. He was the son of 2. John Hall and 3. Mary Street. He married (1) Abigail Burr May 20, 1752 in Fairfield, Connecticut. She was born March 24, 1728/29 in Fairfield, Connecticut, and died July 08, 1753 in Fairfield, Connecticut. She was the daughter of Thaddeus Burr and Abigail Sturges. He married (2) Mary Osborn July 24, 1752. She was born August 08, 1736 in Fairfield, Connecticut, and died November 18, 1793 in Burke County, Georgia. She was the daughter of Samuel Osborn and Hannah Couch.

Generation No. 2

2. John Hall, born September 13, 1693 in Wallingford, New Haven, Connecticut; died June 18, 1773 in Wallingford, New Haven, Connecticut. He was the son of 4. John Hall and 5. Mary Lyman. He married 3. Mary Street March 05, 1715/16 in Wallingford, New Haven, Connecticut. 3. Mary Street, born April 16, 1698 in Wallingford, New Haven, Connecticut; died October 12, 1778 in Wallingford, New Haven, Connecticut. She was the daughter of 6. Samuel Street and 7. Hannah Glover.

Child of John Hall and Mary Street is:
1 i. Lyman Hall, born April 12, 1724 in Wallingford, New Haven, Connecticut; died October 19, 1790 in Shell Bluff Plantation, Burke County, Georgia; married (1) Abigail Burr May 20, 1752 in Fairfield, Connecticut; married (2) Mary Osborn July 24, 1752.

Generation No. 3

4. John Hall, born December 22, 1670 in Wallingford, New Haven, Connecticut; died April 29, 1730 in Wallingford, New Haven, Connecticut. He was the son of 8. Samuel Hall and 9. Hannah Walker. He married 5. Mary Lyman December 08, 1692 in Wallingford, New Haven, Connecticut. 5. Mary Lyman, born January 02, 1667/68 in Northampton, Hampshire, Massachusetts; died October 16, 1740 in Wallingford, New Haven, Connecticut. She was the daughter of 10. John Layman or Lyman and 11. Dorcas Plumb.

Child of John Hall and Mary Lyman is:
2 i. John Hall, born September 13, 1693 in Wallingford, New Haven, Connecticut; died June 18, 1773 in Wallingford, New Haven, Connecticut; married Mary Street March 05, 1715/16 in Wallingford, New Haven, Connecticut.

6. Samuel Street, born July 27, 1667 in New Haven, New Haven, Connecticut; died February 1719/20 in Wallingford, New Haven, Connecticut. He was the son of 12. Samuel Street and 13. Anna Miles. He married 7. Hannah Glover July 14, 1690 in New Haven, Connecticut.

7. Hannah Glover, born October 10, 1672 in Wallingford, New Haven, Connecticut; died July 08, 1715 in Wallingford, New Haven, Connecticut. She was the daughter of 14. John Glover and 15. Joanna Daniel.

Child of Samuel Street and Hannah Glover is: 3 i. Mary Street, born April 16, 1698 in Wallingford, New Haven, Connecticut; died October 12, 1778 in Wallingford, New Haven, Connecticut; married John Hall March 05, 1715/16 in Wallingford, New Haven, Connecticut.

The GenExchange would like to feature stories on folks who have gone above and beyond to help other researchers. If you know of a fellow genealogist that you feel has gone above and beyond, please let us know about it! We would love to honor their generosity. Send your story to

Please visit the Exchange newsletter's archives to read about or past featured genealogists. http://genexchange.org/gesr/archive.php

The GenExchange would like to say "Thank You" to Ray Banks of Las Vegas NV for dedicating so much of his time transcribing over 1.3 million WWI Civilian Draft Records and his generosity in donating them freely to the genealogical community! He has spent years abstracting birth and other information from the 1917-18 civilian draft cards. http://genexchange.org/draftcard.php

He has also written the informative "Interpreting Draft Card Information" available at http://genexchange.org/draftinfo.php .

Since the GenExchange opened Ray's records for searching online, we have received so many letters of thanks for Ray. Please help me in saying thank you for the years of dedication and generous contribution to the genealogical community! Ray Banks, you are one of a kind! Thank you so much!

This month it is my pleasure to bestow the GenExchange's Genealogical Web Site of Excellence award to The Combination Atlas map of Dauphin Co PA . This site was created by Robert Maley - .

Robert Maley has put a lot of time into this wonderful site. He has taken The Combination Atlas Map of Dauphin County, Pennsylvania. Compiled, Drawn and Published From Personal Examinations and Surveys By Everts & Stewart Philadelphia 1875 and put it online for everyone to use. All of the township maps are clickable to make them larger and are all quite readable. There is an index to the maps that is also searchable. He is in the process of adding those wonderful etchings of buildings and homes that appeared in atlases of this time period. There is a section called "found here" where people who have found there ancestors can post there findings so others can contact them. All and all a wonderful site of great benefit to PA researchers.

We select our monthly award from those which our newsletter readers and visitors to our GenExchange site nominate. If you would like to see your favorite site considered for our award, please be sure to read how to nominate them. http://genexchange.org/gesr/archive.php

BEWARE, BIO BINGER AT LARGE:
Deputy Keith Schaar of the GenPolice was called to the Wisconsin State Historical Society Library today, where local county histories were found missing. This is thought to be the work of the notoriouos Binger, who has been recently abetted by an Illinois gangstress posing as a genealogy newsletter publisher. A trail of county histories led to the hideout, window, where the Binger is thought to have escaped and eluded police.

All libraries in the State are warned to be on the alert for the Binger, who has been known to consume County Histories at an alarming rate. "We just don't know where the Binger will strike next," Deputy Keith said. "Some librarians have reported smelling an odor of coffee prior to their local county histories being taken," he related.

"Do not attempt to apprehend the Binger!" warns Keith, who has had only limited success subduing the Binger with a large whip. "This is a job for Sheriff Jo!" Deputy Keith said. Scattered reports to the Sheriff's office later today reported sightings of the Binger lumbering in the direction of Virginia Beach muttering "Pepsi, pepsi...."

NEWS BULLETIN - Binger Sighting!
Deputy Keith reported today that the Binger was sighted paddling in a canoe on the Mississippi River headed for Minnesota. "A coffee odor wasn't detected," Keith said, "but the Lewis and Clark outfit was highly suspicious." Minnesota Librarians are warned to be on the lookout for the Binger. "The Binger is a smooth operator--tries to smooze librarians and obtain library cards using several aliases," Deputy Keith reported. Binger was last seen paddling into a tributary while throwing empty Pepsi cans overboard and calling out "Melissa! Melissa! Put the coffee on!"

BREAKING NEWS:
This just in: Early this morning the Binger was reportedly sighted near the city library in Green Bay, WI. Although having been notified that she was wearing the Lewis and Clark regalia, the witness reports that she is now decked out in Colonial period costume complete with hoop skirt. It is hoped that such a disguise will help slow her escape.

Deputy Keith has called up and deputized the Green Bin Packers, who are said to be reluctant to pursue this woman who seems to have taken on the aura of a cult heroine. Indeed a small group of protestors was seen manning a picket line in front of Deputy Keith's offices. Placards carried by these individuals bear the slogan, "Bin Backers Unite!" It is thought that this group is primarily comprised of genealogists, the same ilk which encouraged and perhaps inspired the Binger initially.

Additional reports are trickling in that the Binger has been aided and abetted by none other than Gene Exchange, whom you'll recall this newsletter profiled just last month. Gene is apparently very precocious and eager to support the cause championed by the suspect.

Deputy Keith, cracking his whip, acknowledged that there are now added difficulties in his pursuit and apprehension of the suspect since it appears that she has accomplices everywhere. He warns personnel of all repositories, libraries and archives to be on the alert for the Binger, as she is said to be charming and persuasive.

Stay tuned to this station for more Binger Bulletins. Now back to your regularly scheduled program.

CONFIRMED SITING OF THE BINGER:
We now have confirmed reports. Binger was seen around 2am last night climbing the banks of the Mississippi. Unconfirmed, that she was aided and abetted by an as yet unknown person. Deputy Keith, in an off the record statement claims that this person may be the Chameleon, wanted now by the GenPolice for multiple KWK murders. All are asked to stay in their homes. If you see these fugitives, do not approach them. Being genealogists, they are considered insane and very dangerous.

BINGER APPREHENDED BUT ESCAPES:
Following a trail leading toward the Chicago Branch of the National Archives earlier today, Deputy Keith of the GenPolice was able to temporarily apprehend the Binger, sought in connection with a recent string of KWK murders and county history appropriations across the Midwest.

"I grabbed her hooped skirt," Keith said, "but she threw a lap top holder at me and slipped out of the skirt." The Binger was last seen running into a Starbucks clad in high heels, polka dot pantaloons, and a "Support Your Local Historical Society" T-shirt.

An elderly woman on a fixed income, at Starbucks for her monthly treat after receiving her Social Security check, reported having her cappuchino drank by the Binger, who gave her a brochure containing URLs for a free genealogy website.

Deputy Keith reported that the hooped skirt was found to have pockets sewn inside, containing several country histories recently reported missing from Wisconsin libraries. The Binger is believed hiding somewhere in the Unknown County, and anyone with information is asked to contact Deputy Keith at the GenPolice.

NEWS BULLETIN - Binger Escapes Again
Red Lots, Head Librarian at the West Virginia State Public Library, reported that the Binger was sighted there yesterday. Deputy Keith traveled to WV today to interview Mr. Lots and pick up the Binger's trail. "We're not giving up on this case!" Keith avowed. Mr. Lots reported that Binger attracted attention by drooling in the history section of the newly refurbished library.

The only evidence found by Deputy Keith at the scene were coffee rings on the shelves containing county histories. "Nothing appears to have been taken," Keith reported, "but the copy machine was left over-heated and smoking." Head Librarian Lots reported that there was no damage to the county history left on the machine by the Binger. "Getting the coffee rings off the library shelves and tables was the worst part," said WV's Environmental Services Manager, Ernest Scrubbs.

IN SEARCH OF UNKNOWN COUNTY:
The NYSC asks in a public service announcement, "Is this page missing along with the infamous Binger?"

An anonymous source tells reporters they had spoken with the who states, "I didn't take any pages, honest! I have all I can carry while running down the street. That Keith keeps chasing me cracking that infernal whip! Have to carry the stuff, since I threw my lap top holder at him and lost my hoop skirt with the pockets...looking for a new disguise.

BEWARE OF BINGER BACKERS:
"C'mon by here, Binger... Take a sharp turn to the right and then a left - go straight a LONG ways 'til you reach the Frontier." This writer has already been identified as a Binger Backer, so what the heck. Approach carefully, as there's no telling how far the arms of the 'ole Whip-Cracking Deputy Keith extend. He, too, has backers hiding behind every bush. (Of course, since you're coming down here, there are precious few bushes to be concerned about... ) Which reminds me... Deputy Keith has been suspiciously quiet throughout this saga.

"Getaway horse is at the ready! As for new disguise - we'll wing it ... suggestions welcome from all Binger Backers... New name, too: BBB: Brilliant & Beautiful Binger ! Can't hardly beat that, eh?"

"Awaiting word of your timely escape... more accomplices await you here, but are keeping a low profile. Your secret is safe with us Arizonians. (There are a lot fewer records here though ... [grin])"

OH NO, NOT PLAID!
In New Jersey today, Binger, was reported seen in the Walmart store on Route 6 in Hoboken, attempting to remain incognito by adopting the local dialect and asking, "Da library, cattycorner from the courthouse, haynit?" Binger, dressed in a frumpy house dress, tube socks and a large babushka, escaped by boarding a tour bus filled with elderly men wearing plaid pants. Upon seeing the plaid, Deputy Keith reportedly had a Catholic school flash back. He recovered in time to see Binger disembark from the bus and promptly hail a cabbie by promising to treat him to Irish coffee.

BETTY BORED CLINIC:
Binger was nearly apprehended late Tuesday by Deputy Keith of the GenPolice. She was putting orange cones on a Pennsylvania highway, posing as a Crawford County Department of Public Works employee. Deputy Keith arrived in time to see the Binger jump on the back of a Mobile Library Van and attempt to open it's rear door with a DPW ax. The Binger gave up her attempts to enter the van (reportedly carrying county histories for interlibrary loan) in order to elude Deputy Keith, who informs us that Binger's ancestry has been traced back to Lizzie Borden.

Yesterday Binger, who had recently taken to drinking Mountain Dew directly from 2-liter bottles between coffee breaks, checked into the Betty Bored Clinic yesterday for treatment of her caffeine addiction. Upon entering the Clinic, Binger reportedly said, "It was time to return the U-Haul anyway. Hee hee," and at a group therapy session had remarked, "This rehab stuff is great!"

It seems the Binger checked in with a suitcase containing thirty laptop computers and enough photocopied biographies to keep everyone at the Clinic busy and free of abused substances for the next two years. Dr. Ben Higher reports that Binger is doing well with her caffeine addiction, but that her addiction to biographies is a chronic, untreatable condition.

RUMOR MILL:
Rumors were circulating this morning at the GenExchange that Binger has plans to clone herself, the clone intended to become the Binfamous Obit Binger. Whether the Binger Clone is expected to suffer from an inborn caffeine addiction is not known at this time. Deputy Keith reportedly fainted at the thought of two Bingers.

Stay tune for episode II!

The Census Taker

I am a cencus taker for the city of Bufflow. Our city has groan very fast in resent years and now in 1865, it has become a hard and time consuming job to count all the peepill. There are not many that con do this werk, as it is nesessarie to have an ejucashun, wich a lot of pursons still do not have.

Anuther atribeart needed for this job is gud spelling, for meny of the pepill to be counted can hardlee speek inglish, let alon spel thare names.

--Author Unknown

To contribute Genealogy/History related jokes to the GESR, please send them to Brian Van Sise at

To have your announcement published in our next issue, please sent them to: no later than the 23rd of each month.

AUG 12 2000:
2000 Arkansas River Valley Ancestor Fair at the Multi-Purpose Bldg. Conway County Fairgrounds Hwy 64 East - Morrilton, AR. This fair is sponsored by the Conway Co. Genealogical Association Contact: Emery Francis, 1204 Roberta Ann, Sherwood, AR 72120, Phone: Email:

AUG 9-13 2000:
The National Association of the Van Valkenburg Family annual reunion. Indianapolis, IN For more information contact: .

AUG 13 2000:
The 110th annual Storrs Family Reunion. Storrs, Connecticut. For registration or questions, please contact:

AUG 18-20 2000:
Reunion of the Descendants of Timen Stiddem, in Wilmington, DE. More information can be found at: http://homepages.rootsweb.com/~tstiddem/index.html

AUG 20 2000:
Frederick County Genealogical Society of MD 3rd Annual Reunion of Family History Researchers. For more information - and interested vendors - please call or write: Pepper Scotto, President FRECOGS, P.O. Box 17, Point of Rocks, MD 21777

AUG 27 2000:
Irish Festival, St. Thomas Church, Jessenland, MN. For more information, visit http://www.go.to/jessenland

SEP 7 2000:
The German Genealogy Group Plainview, NY, will hold it's next monthly meeting at the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, The Family History Center 160 Washington Avenue, Plainview, New York on Thursday, September 7th. There will be an orientation session beginning at 7 PM, and the regular meeting will start at 7:30. Among the many benefits of membership are a newsletter published ten times a year, a data base of surnames, a translation service, a lending library, interesting guest speakers at our meetings, mentoring and a start up kit of helpful information. All genealogists interested in researching their Germanic origins are welcome. For additional information call: 631 979-6241. Visit our website at http://www.GermanGenealogyGroup.com

SEP 8 2000:
The Friends of the Virginia State Archives hosts the "Straight to the Source" Conference. At the Library of Virginia, Richmond. For more information, contact Rosanna Bencoach, Secretary

SEP 22-23 2000:
Annual Rocky Mountain Regional Conference, Lakewood CO. For details, contact:

SEP 23 2000:
The Contra Costa County Genealogical Society of CA presents: "Getting Started in Genealogy" at the Kensington Community Center 59 Arlington Ave., Kensington CA. For more information call Susan at or e-mail at

OCT 8 2000:
Descendants of Charlie Almus Hepner Family reunion, near Coffeyville, KS. Other surnames include: Clifford, Stonebraker, Batdorf, and Parsons. Mary (Hepner) Atkinson. For more information email Mary

OCT 14 2000:
LDS Family History Conference 2000. The Lake Mary, Florida Stake of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints is sponsoring "Family History Conference 2000" The event will be held at the Lake Mary, Florida LDS meetinghouse, 2255 Lake Emma Road in Lake Mary, and will run from 9:00 a.m. to 3:30 p.m. Over 20 different workshops. Registration forms and information are available http://www.lakemarystake.org/fhc.htm or at the Lake Mary, Florida FHC: . There is a $15.00 registration fee, which includes lunch. Registration should be postmarked by September 9, 2000.

OCT 28 2000:
FALL SEMINAR 2000 Pahrump Valley Senior Center Pahrump, NV Topic: Tracing the Irish, the Scots-Irish, and the Scots. Pre-registration advisable Contact via E-mail: or .

NOV 4 2000:
The Lake County Genealogical Society of IL will hold its annual workshop at the College of Lake County in Grayslake, IL. Guest speakers and 4 lectures. For more information and to receive a registraion form, please contact Carol A. Knigge, workshop chairman, at .

NOV 10-11 2000:
The Florida State Genealogical Societies 24th Annual Conference Radisson Riverwalk Hotel Jacksonville, FL
FSGS: http://www.rootsweb.com/flsgs

The GenExchange is looking for people interested in helping with The Exchange newsletter. If you've ever wanted to be part of a well read genealogical newsletter staff, you've come to the right place. We are currently looking for contributions to the Lighter Side columnist (genealogical humor). Everyone loves genealogy humor, so give it a try!

We are also looking for several people to assist in the Tips and Tricks column. As one of the Tips and Tricks columnists, you'd write articles that specifically assists other researchers. List the points of contact, or web sites, or items you use most in your genealogical research and help others get around the pitfalls you discovered over the years.

We would also like to put together a team of roving reporters. Interested in keeping us up-to-date on new and interesting pages you run across in your searches? Want to put together some small articles discussing those pages? Sign up now. We're looking for genealogy lovers who are committed to maintaining the high integrity of our newsletter.

If you are interested in working on this staff of great people, please write to .

The Frequently Asked Questions for the GenExchange ^TM can be found at http://genexchange.org/faq.php . They are regularly updated and contain information regarding how and why the GenExchange ^TM was created; how you can get involved in the GenExchange ^TM ; and who to contact if you have problems, or encounter errors.

The Exchange newsletter will be permanently archived at http://genexchange.org/gesr/archive.php .

Genealogy Exchange & Surname Registry

If you have questions, comments, or would like to submit a guest article to be run in a subsequent issue of the Exchange, please write

Permissions to copy and/or reprint any of these articles is granted provided the statement below is also attached to any redacted material; and the material is not used in any commercial manner.

"This material was originally published in the Exchange , the monthly newsletter of the Genealogy Exchange & Surname Registry ( http://genexchange.org ); and is republished here with permission of either the Exchange , or the author."

Copyright (c) 1996-2002 Genealogy Exchange & Surname Registry, all rights reserved.

Joanne Gruber
Joanne Gruber