Lancaster’s New Convention Center!

Yes!  After many, many years of hearing about it, reading about it, and finally watching it rise, floor by floor, it is open for business! Lancaster County Convention Center and Lancaster Marriott at Penn Square had it’s open house for the community today and we were there!

The facade of the old Watt and Shand department store was saved and is now part of the Marriott Hotel.  It helps to retain the historical look of Penn Square and is a handsome building.

The Open House was from 11:00 AM to 4:00 PM and we decided to arrive early, hoping to beat the crowds.  We only thought there were a lot of people in the bar when we arrived at 11:30!  When we left 1 1/2 hour later, it was shoulder to shoulder!  We had to wait in line approximately 20 minutes to take the elevator to the 10th floor for a tour of the rooms.

The views from the rooms are spectacular!  Looking to the n/w is  wonderful view of Penn Square with the Griest Building (Lancaster’s first and only skyscraper built in 1925!) Central Market to it’s left and the old 1790′s City Hall (now the Heritage Center) next to Central Market.  You may remember seeing the Griest Building in the movie “Witness” as the Philadelphia Police Station.

The view to the southwest has the old Southern Market in the foreground.  It was built in the late 1800′s and was designed by C. Emlen Urban, Lancaster’s premier architect.  Urban also designed the Griest building, and the Watt and Shand Building where the Marriott now calls home.  Since there were not windows on all four sides of the rooms we looked at, I could not take pictures of every direction ~ duh!  We then went down to the 5th floor where the exercise room and beautiful indoor pool area is.  What a facility.  I was so impressed that I think I will look for the exercise room in the next Marriott I stay in. . . as soon as I get enough points!  I don’t think my 10K worth of points will get me into any facility like this one!!

Leaving the 5th floor by the staircase because the lines for the elevator were horrendous, we got lost!  Thank goodness there was a woman who asked directions!  She ended up in the kitchen only to find out we should go up two more flights instead of down!  We finally made it into the lobby and from that point decided to check out the ballroom and other convention rooms.  Can you say gargantuan??  That is the only term I can think of that would adequately describe the size of the rooms!  The exhibit hall is 45K square feet and the ballroom is 9k!  The brick facade of theWilliam Montgomery Home in the picture above is the rear portion of just one of the historic buildings that was preserved in the building of this facility.

This home was built in 1804 and is on the National Register of Historic Places.  Plans for the interior have not been finalized, but several options have been considered.  The picture shows it next to the entrance of the Convention Center, fronting on Queen Street.

Two of other buildings saved on this block were our next stop and perhaps the most exciting part of the day to me.  The Kleiss Saloon and Thaddeus Stevens home are on the corner of Vine and Queen Streets and this cistern was found between the two buildings.  This piece of history saved the destruction of my ancestor’s Saloon and the plans are to make the area with these two buildings and cistern into an education center.

Philip Kleiss, my 6th great grandfather, was a tavern keeper at the corner of Vine and Queen until his death in 1800.  The Saloon was then willed to his sons, John and George, and in 1843 Thaddeus Stevens bought it from George’s estate for $4000.  What makes this cistern special is the fact that they believe it was part of theUnderground Railroad since a tunnel was found that goes from this cistern east on Vine Street to the home of Mr. Stevens’ friend, Lydia Smith.   Thaddeus Stevens, as you may know, was a Congressman and an Abolitionist.

Some of the artifacts found during excavation of this area are on display on these cement pillars.  It was exciting for me to see something that may have belonged to my ancestors.

My dream used to be just to have a piece of one broken brick from the excavation of his saloon.  It is still my dream, but I’m sure one that will never be realized.  It still is exciting to think one of my ancestors properties played such an integral part in the history of our country!

. . . and you can see it when you come to a Convention in Lancaster, Pennsylvania!  You’ll find we are proud of our fair city and it’s history!

 

It’s Over. I’m Home. Now to start using techniques I’ve learned.

Since I attended by myself, I had the liberty of not being tied to somebody else, doing what they wanted to do, meeting them for lunch, etc.  I wandered, I sat, and mostly I listened.  I heard a lot.  A lot of excitement from some, complaints from those who do that, but mostly sharing of things they had heard in sessions they had attended.

Those who had never been to a conference before were excited.  Some seemed almost overwhelmed with the offerings and were glad they came.  I spoke with one woman who said she had trouble picking sessions since there were so many they wanted to attend.  I had that problem myself for one time slot, so I could understand exactly what she was saying.

I liked the sharing.  I met one woman who said she was going to a session the next morning that was being given by a person that she had been impressed with that afternoon.  She said her knowledge on the subject was unsurpassed.  Another shared information with me about websites she had learned about in one of her sessions.  The sharing of information is what the Genealogy community is really about, isn’t it?

The complainers.  You run into them everywhere you go.  I heard one woman say she wasted her time and money because she knew “everything” she had heard.  I find that hard to believe.  I think you can always learn something, if you listen and are receptive to a new view.  She went on to say that she had been doing this for so many years, that she knew just about all there was to know.  Now really!  I’ve been researching for almost 20 years, and I’m still learning.  But then, I’m listening, too.

This morning I attended Debra Braverman’s “Vital Records at the New York City Municipal Archives.”  I learned a lot, since I knew virtually nothing about this subject.  Since I’m looking my great-great grandmother’s death, and I’m sure she died in NYC, I was interested in this subject.  What I learned is it’s not going to be easy to find.  Not impossible, but not easy.  I’ll give it a try someday. . . .

The second session I was going to take had to do with German Church Records.  Since I’ve been researching these for quite awhile, I decided not to attend and go upstairs and have a personal demonstration of the FTM 2009.  The only thing that bothers me is how Ancestry.com runs in the background, searching my database for connections in theirs.  That scares me just a little. . . .   The rest of it looks fantastic.  I’m going to have to really think about this.

What did I come away with from this conference?

• I came away with a new spin on German Migration patterns.  The Why and Wherefore of my ancestors travels to the new country.

• I came away with a new technique for fitting a person into my family.  The keyword here is FIT.  It must fit, not kinda fit.

• I came away with a new tool to use in my genealogy . . . . Google Earth.

• I came away with new places to look for information on my great-grandfather, at one time an employee of the Post Office Department.

• I came away with a knowledge of exactly what is contained in those other enumeration schedules.

• and most of all, I came away with an appreciation of all those people who work so hard to put this sort of thing together so if we are receptive, we can all come away with something!

Thanks, guys, for a job well done.

 

Linda’s Friday at FGS

Friday was a full day!  Each session I chose to attend was informative and had a lot I would put into use in my research.

First of all, I was so “into” the day’s offerings that I did not take time to take pictures.  <GASP!!> Linda didn’t take pictures??  <FAINT!> <WHAT???>

The first session was another full one and excellent.  “Inferential Genealogy: Deducing Ancestors’ Identities Indirectly” was given by Thomas W. Jones.  As it turns out, I’ve done this! He was excellent and full of tips.  Your conclusions must be documented and you must be aware of the sources, reasons and triggering events for each record.  I hated to see this one end.

. . . . and I didn’t want the second session to end, either!  “Plot your Ancestors Using Google Earth” was given by Connie Reik.  This one was so full that we had to switch to a bigger room, change the equipment and then the show got on the road.  I was thrilled to learn everything this program has to offer and will definitely put it into use in my research and documentation of immigration patterns.  This offering was way too short.

The third session of the morning was one I almost didn’t attend, but was glad I did!  “Carriers of News and Knowledge: Post Office Records” was given by Julie Miller, CG.  At first I thought it was just going to be about mailmen and Pony Express Riders, but was I ever mistaken.  Since my ancestor had a rather high position in the Post Office Department in Washington, I asked before I sat down.  She assured me that it covered all Postal records and I stayed. . . . and was glad I did.

She went through the History of the Department and then the records kept and the location of the same.  She showed us examples of some of the record groups at NARA and gave us other sources that also had information and records that would be instrumental in our research.

A satisfying morning.  I was ready for lunch so I headed back to the market and got a ham and swiss on rye.  Wonderful choice ~ then for the second half of the day!

The first session of the afternoon (and I only went to two this afternoon since the second one got over at 4:30) was “What’s New on Ancestry.com” and was given by Suzanne Russo Adams.  She showed us how to access some things many of us never knew existed and showed us the new look of ancestry.com.  An hour well spent.  I have no idea how anybody researches without ancestry.com.  It’s an excellent tool for that late nite researching.

The fourth and final session I attended on Friday was given by Curt Witcher, Genealogy Center Manager of the Allen County Library in Ft. Wayne, Indiana.  “All that Other Stuff!! Other Enumerations Beyond the Federal Population Schedules!” gave me a new perspective on what I termed census schedules and thought couldn’t possibly apply to my family.  Wrong assumption.

This man is an excellent speaker.  I had heard him in SLC several times and knew without a doubt that I would learn something in this session.  Boy did I!  I learned there are many other enumerations taken at the time of the census and each one may offer us clues.  The Non-Population Schedules offer a wealth of information regarding our ancestors, as well as many other types of records that he went through.  Another hour that went by way to fast!

I am ready for Saturday morning and have two sessions picked out that I’m sure will be as good as the ones I attended on Friday.

Bring ‘em on!

 

I met Ben Franklin and Betsy Ross at the FGS Conference

Welcome Banner across from the Exhibit Hall

We were welcomed to the FGS Conference in Philadelphia by this awesome banner and  the guest of honor, Ben Franklin!  He even brought his wife, Betsy, with him.  Yup, Ben Franklin was led into the opening session by a Fife and Drum trio!  Being in Philadelphia, you know he’d be curious about us!

After the opening session was over, Ben was waiting for us with his wife, the woman who is the Betsy Ross reinactor.  They both represent Philadelphia in their respective roles and married on the 4th of July at Independence Hall.  True Story.  Check out the link.

Ben Franklin and Betsy Ross at the FGS

Conference

One of the important presentations of the opening session was Ancestry.com’s introduction of their new “World Archives Project.”  I’m sure we’re going to hear a lot more about this in the future.  I’m excited about all the digital images they want to get posted.  It will be an awesome project and one that will benefit us all.

Opening Session

The second presentation of note was the speaker, Robert A. Selig, who spoke on “America’s Official Birthday.”  This man has done incredible research on the founding of our country.  An appropriate topic for for a conference held in Philadelphia!

The first session I had registered for was “German Migration Patterns.”  This was presented by George K. Schweitzer, PhD and was excellent.  If you ever get a chance to hear this man, don’t miss it.  A lot of the moves my ancestors made now make a lot more sense.  The fact that he was dressed in Bavarian Dress added a lot to his presentation.  This man is incredibly knowledgeable and incredibly humorous!

George Schweitzer, presenter at FGS Conference

The second session I attended also had to do with the Germans.  The presentation by James Beidler was titled “Germany to Pennsylvania: 18th Century Odyssey.”  This dealt mainly with narratives written by immigrants in the 18th century.  The other part of the presentation addressed a lot of myths regarding our immigrant ancestors.  If it were sent in e-mails they would be known as  “urban legends.”  For instance:

• Myth: Most Colonial Germans came because of religious persecution.

• Reality: The main reason most of them came for economic reasons and the opportunity to purchase land. Reality is that only about 6K out 80K came because of religiouos persecution.

During the lunch break I went back to my room and enjoyed a lunch of deviled eggs, a dish of fresh fruit and a bottle of fresh squeezed orange juice purchased at the Reading Terminal Market.  I bought another piece of Strawberry Rhubarb pie for my “dinner” tonight.  Delicious!

The session I attended this afternoon was presented by Lisa Kerr Ilowite on “Finding a Woman’s Maiden Name.”  This session had to change rooms due to the popularity of the subject and the lack of space in the room that was initially assigned.  After a bit of housekeeping, the show got on the road, so to speak.  She offered tips on places and records to look, Obituaries, Deeds, Court Records, DAR Lineage books, Son’s records, Pension files, etc.

As I left the escalator on my way back to my room, I decided to stop in the Exhibit Hall for one last spin (for the day anyway!) through.  As I entered the door they were calling out the recent door prize winners, and lo and behold!  they called my name!!  I won a box of chocolates (just what I need!) and a notebook from Boston University Center for Professional Education. Thanks, guys!!

I stopped by Ancestry.com area and a very knowledgeable young lady took a great deal of time explaining FTM2009 to me.  I had seen a presentation on it Wednesday evening and was very curious.  This is awesome and I’m almost convinced that I do not need a Mac after all.  I need this software instead.  It won’t be released until next Tuesday and I hope I’ve made up my mind by then.  It sure would save me a lot of money!

I should sleep well tonight.  I had a good day.

 

On my way to the FGS Conference. . . .

I picked up my tickets at the Amtrak Station on Labor Day.  We had been to a Barnstormers Baseball game, and on the way home I thought it would be easier to pick them up then, rather than  this morning.  How right I was!  It was a cinch.

Amtrak Station, Lancaster, Pennsylvania

Ticket in hand, I boarded the train and it pulled out of the station at 9:30 AM.  Jim had come down to the platform and sat with me until he realized that he must feed the meter if he didn’t want a ticket.  We decided to bid each other Adieu there, and he left for the confines of the Walnut Street premises.  Unlike Air travel, the seats were comfortable with plenty of leg room.  The views out of my window were incredible.  There is nothing in the world like the beauty of Amish farms, in my opinion.

Sitting at the Station; Ready to Go

I found an empty seat, put my carry-on in the overhead bin and sat down.  I was looking forward to closing my eyes for a peaceful journey into Philly!  It was not to be.  I sat in front of three Amish couples who talked across the aisle all the way into Philly!! Of course, they talked in Pennsylvania Dutch, and I since I have taken two semesters of PA Dutch, I was trying to figure out what they were saying.  They talked entirely too fast for me, but I did pick out “Thursday” and “August.”  Boy those two semesters really paid off, didn’t they??

Amtrak pulling into Lancaster

We pulled into the 30th Street Station about 10:35 and what a beautiful facility. . . inside.  I never left the station.  Since I was unsure how I was to get to the Convention Center area, I asked a gentleman at the “Traveler’s Aid” booth.  I told him that I understood that I could use my Amtrak ticket on the “Septa” system.  He said yes I could, but he thought the bus was better and it only cost $2.  I told him several times I wanted “free” not “$2.00.”  He told me how to get to the bus, anyway.

I found my way to the map of train, trolley, and bus routes and then went and asked an woman at the Amtrak Help desk how to get to the train that would take me to the Convention Center.  She pointed down the hall and told me to take the elevator to the platform and hurry because I had 4 minutes to make it.  I hurried only to find out that 3 tracks separated me from the spot I was supposed to catch the train that pulled out as I stood there!!!

I went back down in the elevator and walked back to the staircase directly across from the same woman and arrived at the platform I was supposed to be at all along!!  I had a 15 minute wait for the next train.

The street below the walkway between the Convention Center and the Mariott Hotel

The station the train arrived in was attached to the building that houses both the Convention Center and the Marriott.  How cool was that??  My room was on the 10th floor with a view of street below and the offices across the street.

The Reading Terminal Market! What an experience!  Like Lancaster’s Central Market on steroids!  My lunch consisted of chicken, a bottle of water and a piece of Amish Strawberry Rhubard pie.  Oh!  and a dish of the best peach icecream I’ve ever had!  Big chunks of peach!  yummo!!!  I’ll be back there for breakfast!

Showtime!  I walked on over to the Convention Center to register.  What a beautiful facility!  The Convention Center is in the renovated Reading Terminal Market.  The architectural details are beautiful!  The picture shows just one entrance to the Marriott from the Convention Center.

Convention Center detail

The registration packet included a handy little tote bag and thirty, count them thirty doorprize entries to fill out.  By the time I had filled out all thirty of them, I knew my name, address, phone number and e-mail address by heart.  I will never forget them again!

Demonstration of the new Family Tree Database

The Exhibit Hall opened at 6:30 and I headed immediately for Mecca.  Represented there were all the ones we’ve all heard of ~ Genealogy Bank, Ancestry.com, Family Search, National Archives,Wholly Genes, Genealogical Society of Pennsylvania, Footnote.com and many, many others!  In the far corner was an extra session.  The new Family Tree Maker was demonstrated, and it’s almost tempting. . . . I say almost, because I really want to buy a Mac!  If only there were a FTM for Macs. My tote bag was filled and getting pretty heavy by the time I headed back to my room.

Gotta get some rest because tomorrow will be full!