First Annual Black Family History Day Event at TSLAC on Saturday, February 13th

Kudos to all my Austin, Texas genealogy friends who will be attending the Texas State Library and Archives Commission‘s first event devoted to black family history research Saturday, February 13, 2016, from 12 noon – 3 PM! This event is in collaboration with the Austin History Center and the Carver Genealogy Center

1st Annual Black Family History Day

Attendees will learn best practices and tips for starting their family research, as well as, learn about area resources, and have an opportunity to ask questions related to their research.

Sessions include:

Noon – 12:45 pm – Documenting Your History workshop led by LaToya Devezin, African-American Community Archivist at the Austin History Center.

1 pm – 1:45 pm – Resources for African-American [sic] at TSLAC presented by Tonia Woods, Senior Reference Archivist at the Texas State Library and Archives Commission.

2 pm – 2:45 pm – Genealogy Discussion forum moderated by Cynthia Evans, Genealogy Coordinator at the Carver Genealogy Center.

Seats are limited. Parking is available at the Capitol Visitors Garage and metered parking along San Jacinto Blvd. For more information or to reserve a space, email Ashley Stevens, Education and Outreach Coordinator at astevens@tsl.texas.gov or call at 512-463-9807.

I hate I won’t be able to attend this event this year. But trust and believe, if this is an annual event, I plan to be there next year!

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Black History Month 2016 at the Clayton Library for Genealogical Research

It’s Black History Month 2016 and the Clayton Library for Genealogical Research will host some excellent programs that I plan to attend this month. So check out the information below, and if you live in H-town, or you plan to travel this way soon, be sure to add the Clayton Library on your list of “places to visit” this month!

Guest Speaker Sharon Gillins

Saturday, February 6, 2016 | 10:30 AM – 12:45 PM
Clayton Library is proud to offer a series of classes presented by professional genealogist Sharon Gillins in honor of African American History Month. Light refreshments will be served. Reservations required, please call 832-393-2600. Adults/Teens.

Sessions include:

• Harvesting Ancestors – Lessons from the Garden
  10:30 AM – 11:30 AM
  Practices learned from the garden are compared to genealogical practices and illustrated with examples from genealogical research. The content is suitable and accessible to beginners who are building good research habits and will be equally entertaining and informative to more advanced researchers.
• Louisiana Conveyance Records – A Rich Resource for Researching Enslaved Ancestry
  11:45 AM – 12:45 PM
  This presentation uses Louisiana conveyance records to illustrate the record types and methods for analysis that researchers can use to locate details about their once-enslaved family members before 1870. Although the case studies are based on Louisiana records, the methodology is transferable to any state.

From Post to Pre-Civil War: The African American Experience in Records

Saturday, February 20, 2016 | 10:30 AM – 12:45 PM
In celebration of African American History Month Clayton Library is proud to offer a series of classes presented by Clayton Library staff members Rodney Sam and Franklin Smith. Light refreshments will be served. Reservations required, please call 832-393-2600. Adults/Teens.

Sessions include:

• First Louisiana Guard: The Life of a Free Man of Color in a Southern Union Regiment
  10:30 AM – 11:30 AM
  This program will show how the life of Casimir Sam, a Louisiana Creole and a free man of color who served in the Civil War, can be reconstructed through the use of military records. This session will be presented by Clayton Library staff member Rodney Sam.
• Researching Pre-Civil War Slave Ancestors – Identifying the Slaveholder
  11:45 AM – 12:45 PM
  Learn tips and strategies for identifying the slaveholder using post-Civil War records and information. Use the surname and location approach with the 1870 community to narrow down the potential slaveholder candidates. This session will be presented by Clayton Library staff member Franklin Smith.

Clayton Library Center for Genealogical Research
5300 Caroline Street
Houston, Texas 77004
Phone: 832-393-2600

Library Hours are:
M Closed | T 10-6 | W 10-8 | Th 10-6 | F 10-5 | Sa 10-5 | Su Closed

To search the Houston Public Library catalog for Clayton’s materials, choose the “Advanced Search” option here: https://halan.sdp.sirsi.net/client/hou, then limit your search by libraries to Clayton Library Center for Genealogical Research.

For more information, visit the Clayton Library web page at http://www.houstonlibrary.org/clayton.

Women’s History Month 2014 at the Clayton Library for Genealogical Research

March is Women’s History Month and a perfect time for us to pay tribute to our female ancestors! But as you know, many of the historical documents we use to find our ancestors were created for men and it is the male’s surname carried on — generation after generation. Therefore finding and following our female ancestors, at times, is not easy. That’s why if you’re in the Houston, Texas area on Saturday, March 15th you should think about celebrating Women’s History Day at the Clayton Library for Genealogical Research where strategies and techniques for “rooting out” those female ancestors is the focus of the day! So check out the classes below. RSVP is required for all classes. So please call 832-393-2600 to register and for more information!

Women’s History Day at Clayton Library
March 15, 2014
1:00PM – 3:30PM

As part of National Women’s History Month, Clayton Library will hold a day of classes focused on researching female ancestors by not only demonstrating important research techniques, but also applying those techniques through a case study featuring a mysterious widow. Adults/Teens.

Second Wives Club!
Saturday, March 15, 2014
1:00PM – 2:00PM

This talk is all about proving second marriages for female ancestors. Here we will explore the resources that will confirm a second marriage, even if you know for a “fact” your ancestor only married once. Or so you thought!

The Mystery of Lillie Mae Ford: Documenting Husbands and More
Saturday, March 15, 2014
2:30PM – 3:30PM

Genealogy involves using multiple sources to analyze and create a family narrative. This presentation is a case study about the discovery of documents and paper trail left by Lillie Mae Ford and her unexpected name changes. Multiple research strategies will be discussed as well as the importance of primary and secondary sources. This class may be useful for both beginners and advanced researchers!

Black History Month 2014 at the Clayton Library for Genealogical Research

It’s Black History Month 2014 and the Clayton Library Center for Genealogical Research will be offering an excellent weekend of seminars with Tony Burroughs and Franklin Smith. So if you love genealogy or need help with your slave ancestry research, and you live in or near the Houston area, this is a weekend you don’t want to miss!

Follow Your African American Roots with Tony Burroughs/ Buffalo Soldier’s Museum
Date: 2/21/2014
Time: 3:00 PM – 4:00 PM
Sponsored by the Clayton Library Center for Genealogical Research

This events will begin with a presentation on the research of Buffalo Soldier ancestry by Mr. Burroughs, which will take place on Friday, February 21, 2014 at 3:00 p.m. at the Buffalo Soldiers National Museum, 3816 Caroline, Houston, TX, 77004. While reservations are not required, space is limited.

*THIS EVENT WILL BE HELD AT THE BUFFALO SOLDIERS NATIONAL MUSEUM, 3816 CAROLINE, HOUSTON, TX 77004
Visit the Buffalo Soldiers National Museum online!

As part of Black History Month, Clayton Library is proud to offer a weekend of seminars presented by Tony Burroughs and local author Franklin Smith. Mr. Burroughs is an internationally known genealogist, author and lecturer and author of Black Roots: A Beginners Guide to Tracing the African American Family Tree. He is often interviewed by local, national and international media for his genealogy expertise. Mr. Smith has published several articles in genealogical periodicals and co-authored the book entitled Discovering Your African-American Ancestors: How to Find and Record Your Unique Heritage.

African American History Month
Age Group(s): all ages
Date: 2/22/2014
Time: 9:00 AM – 4:30 PM

On Saturday, Burroughs and Smith will discuss a variety of subjects in the field of African American genealogical research. This event will take place on Saturday, February 22, 2014 at 9:00 a.m.-4:00 p.m. in the Auditorium at the Julia Ideson Building, 550 McKinney, 77002. This event is free and open to the public; however, RSVPs are requested. You may reserve your space by calling the Clayton Library Center for Genealogical Research at 832-393-2600. Self-Pay Parking will be available beneath the library or on the surrounding streets.

The day’s class schedule is as follows;

Black Roots: Tracing the Family Tree 9:15 AM – 10:15 AM

This is a fun, inspirational talk for beginners and people with no knowledge of genealogy research. It contains humorous stories of research and how an important 100-year-old riddle was solved, mending bad family feelings. It has easy, practical methods and sources that anyone can use the next day to begin researching their family history.

From Census to Slavery 10:30 AM – 11:30 AM

Most African American researchers try to leap from census records to slave research, bypassing a multitude of records in between. A broad foundation after the Civil War will increase the probabilities of success during the slavery period.

Follow Your African American Roots to Clayton Library 12:00 PM – 12:30 PM

This is a Lunch and Learn presentation by Franklin Smith. Learn about the many resources at Clayton that will help you find the information you need when researching African-American Ancestors.

Methods and Sources of Identifying Slave Owners 1:00 PM – 2:00 PM

Everyone is not fortunate enough to have had the name of the last slave owner passed down from generation to generation through oral history. Therefore, if this name is unknown, research must be conducted to identify the former slave owner – essential to researching slave genealogy. Many texts and many researchers overlook this crucial question. Identifying the slave owner is based on evidence, not assumption. There are many records that show the name of the former slave owner. Learn how to prove who the last slave owner was. This presentation will also cover some of the unique problems associated with African American surnames, which sometimes lead our research astray.

The Six Phases of African American Genealogy 2:15 PM – 3:15 PM

This is an overview of the methods and sources in the six distinct phases that are the building blocks of African American genealogy. It progresses from beginning to more advanced research, highlighting some of the problems and complexities of African American genealogy along the way. It is designed for beginners, intermediates and advanced researchers

Library: Clayton Library Center for Genealogical Research
Registration Ends: 2/20/2014 at 12:00 AM

Other Information:
THIS EVENT WILL BE HELD IN THE JULIA IDESON BUILDING, 550 MCKINNEY, HOUSTON, TX 77002
Visit the Julia Ideson Building online!

2014 Spring Ancestor Challenge

When Luckie Daniels (Our Georgia Roots & Our Alabama Roots) and Felicia Mathis (Echoes of My Nola Past) invited me to join them on the new African American Genealogy & Slave Ancestry Research (AAGSAR) Group they were launching via Facebook, I had no idea that I would be joining, in my opinion, one of the BEST collaborative genealogy group for “serious” family historians and researchers in 2014. Luckie said it best when she wrote, “Slave Ancestry IS CHALLENGING WORK,” in one of her messages to the group. From that message comes one of the most exciting projects I have ever worked on with a group via the Internet . . . the  2014 Spring Ancestor Challenge – No Brick Walls Permitted!

I have accepted this challenge which officially begins Tuesday, October 1, 2013 and ends April 1, 2014. In essence, this is MY ANCESTOR WORK, but I’m not alone on this journey! I have met some awesome group members who have made the setup and preparation for this challenge so-so sweet (sending a special shout-out to the Texas Tribe . . . woo-hoo!). So I have a support system that is willing to lend a helping hand, consult with me when I need it, and support me when it looks like I don’t know what the heck I’m doing!

So without further adieu, here’s my 2014 Spring Ancestor Challenge  . . .

Masters & Slaves: The Texas Routts

The Challenge:

To determine the approximate date/location of my 3rd great-grandfather Osborn Routt’s birth in Virginia, as well as the approximate date/location of his death in Washington County, Texas.

Others:

Slave Owner(s):
William Robert Routt from Northumberland County, Virginia
Joseph William Routt from Huntsville, Madison, Alabama & Chappel Hill, Washington, Texas

Years:

1830-1910

Tribes:

Texas – Chappel Hill, Washington County
Alabama – Huntsville, Madison County
Virginia – Northumberland County

Summary:

It was the “5 Generations” photo I found above in an old family photo album featuring my 97-year-old 2nd great-grandmother, Lula (Routt) Green, that initially launched my research into my father’s side of my family tree. Based on a few names my dad could remember, I was able to glean from the 1870 & 1880 census records that Lula Routt, born 12 September 1867 in Chappel Hill, Washington County, Texas, was the daughter of Osborn and Sallie Routt. Lula was born just 2 short years after slavery ended in Texas. Prior to 1867, her parents were slaves on one of the major plantations in the Washington County, Texas area. To learn more about who the slaveholders were in that area, I wrote to Chappel Hill’s local Historical Society, who put me in contact with one of their respected historians, Nathaniel Winfield, in 1998. It is through email conversations with Mr. Winfield, that I discovered that Osborn & Sallie Routt were probably once slaves on his great-grandfather’s plantation – Mulberry Bower. According to Mr. Winfield, his great-grandfather (Joseph William Routt) came to Chappel Hill, Texas from Huntsville, Alabama in the mid 1840’s. Both the 1870 & 1880 census records report Osborn was born in Virginia about 1835. If Osborn was born in Virginia, how did he end up in Texas on the Mulberry Bower Plantation? Well according to a free Google e-book I was fortunate to download titled, A History of Texas and Texans, Volume 4 by Frank White Johnson, Joseph William Routt was the son of William Robert Routt, ” . . . a slaveholder and planter of Virginia . . . ” So in light of that family connection it is very possible that William Routt may have been the original owner of Osborn which resulted in him being passed down to the son as a part of the father’s estate.

Related Post – Treasure Chest Thursday: Mulberry Bower

References:

Google Book: A HISTORY OF TEXAS AND TEXANS by Frank White Johnson
Genealogy of the Joseph William Routt Family
Genealogy of the William Robert Routt Family

References Needed for Further Review and Analysis:

Probate Will of William Robert Routt
Probate Will of Joseph William Routt
Estate Inventories for William Routt & Joseph Routt
Insurance Policies for William Routt & Joseph Routt
Plantation Records for William Routt & Joseph Routt (if available)
Sharecropping Records for Osborn Routt
1850 & 1860 US Federal Census Slave Schedules for William Routt & Joseph Routt
Tax Records for William Routt, Joseph Routt, and Osborn Routt
U.S. Federal Census Non-Population Schedules, 1850-1880
U.S. Federal Census Mortality Schedules, 1850-1885
U.S. IRS Tax Assessment Lists, 1862-1918
Washington County, Texas Death Records
Local Histories & Pamphlets
Chancery Records Index
African-American Newspapers
Church & Baptism Records*

For Family, Friends, and Visitors:

What have I missed?
Are there any other references and resources I need to explore?
If yes, let me know in the comment section below!

*Special thanks to Shellye (My Genealogical Journey) for reminding me to include Church & Baptism Records to my list as well!