Learn Almost Anything for Free

~ Dayna Jacobs - "On Granny's Trail" ~ 2 Comments

Well, that’s what they claim  anyway at the non-profit Khan Academy online. They are on a mission to make learning available to anyone, anywhere, for free. So far I am impressed with this innovative website, where anyone can be instructed in topics ranging from Math and Science to History and Economics.  They currently have over 4,000 video lessons available.

Schoolhousevineyard
Photo credit schoolhousevineyard.com

They call themselves a “One World Schoolhouse”, or a global classroom, and that is pretty accurate.

For genealogists, the history lessons are so helpful, and they are offered for both United States and European History, as well as Ancient and Midievel, for those of you crazy genealogists who think you have traced your ancestry back to Adam 🙂

I just watched an 18 minute video overview of U.S. History from Jamestown to the Civil War, where my screen was filled with a virtual whiteboard where the teacher diagrammed a timeline, accompanied by maps and pictures.  It was so informative! I highly recommend it. I enjoy multi-media learning and tend to retain it better, and sometimes an overview can put things into perspective in a way that can lead me to new ideas for research.

learning onlineThere are a bunch of lessons I am looking forward to, and it’s a much better use of time than watching American Idol… but there’s nothing stopping me from doing both things at the same time, now is there?

The Portal to Texas History

~ Dayna Jacobs - "On Granny's Trail" ~ 2 Comments

Somehow I am on a Texas jag this month, because my newest find is The Portal to Texas History, maintained by University of North Texas. I want to share a link to Dick Eastman’s blog about the site so you can see what he has to say about it and check it out. Enjoy!

http://blog.eogn.com/eastmans_online_genealogy/2013/03/university-of-north-texas-portal-contains-digitized-documents-of-texas-history.html

Update on the “Sheriff’s” badge mystery, and more on the Texas Rangers

~ Dayna Jacobs - "On Granny's Trail" ~ 11 Comments

I posted a blog recently about a photo of my great-grandfather, Jack Gooch, and the mysterious “sheriff’s” badge he was sporting.

Jack Gooch sheriff 3 color adjusted and cropped

One reader suggested it might be a Texas Ranger badge, so I looked up the history of Texas Rangers and found some interesting resources for this unique segment of law enforcement.

The Texas Ranger Hall of Fame and Museum exists in Waco, Texas.

TX Ranger museum

It has a number of  online resources plus a research service.  Some of the interesting links on the site are oral histories, links to e-books, and “A Short Course on Fantasy, Replica, and Toy Texas Ranger Badges,” among others.

The Armstrong  Texas Ranger Research Center, a is an excellent starting place if you are trying to identify an ancestor as an early Texas Ranger.  You can schedule an on-site visit for individual help, or download a research request form for long-distance help. I was prepared to do this before I looked at the short course on Ranger Badges. I found an image of one that could possibly match Jack’s, and decided to scan my photo at a much higher resolution to see if I could identify the words on the badge.

Jack Gooch private detective badge cropped and enhancedDo you see what I see?  The image is reversed.  This means the photo I have was developed reversed, because I scanned it as it was originally found, encased in a cardboard frame.  And can you determine what it says? After adjusting the colors and contrast I believe it says, “Private Detective.”

Well, well,  whaddyaknow?  It is not a sheriff’s badge or even a Texas Ranger badge.  It is, in fact, a genealogist’s badge!  >wink<

 

New class handout added: “Beyond Pedigree Charts – Using Your Genealogy Software’s Research Tools”

~ Dayna Jacobs - "On Granny's Trail" ~ Leave a comment

Thursday, March 7th, I will present a class called “Beyond Pedigree Charts:  Using Your Genealogy Software’s Research Tools” at the Monterey County Genealogy Society in Seaside, California.  I added a handout for the class under “Class Handouts” on the menu bar.

Genealogy software is a great way to keep track of the branches on a family tree, and an easy way to print updated pedigree charts, but our favorite familiar programs also have some powerful research tools most of us rarely use.  This class will explore some of these tools for planning, searching, organizing, and recording your family history research.

MoCoLogo2

The Monterey County Genealogy Society has free monthly classes the first Thursday of each month at 7 p.m. You don’t have to be a member to attend, but membership is a bargain at $15 per year if you’d like to join. Click on the link for more details and directions.

Six Flags over Texas, and Then Some

~ Dayna Jacobs - "On Granny's Trail" ~ 4 Comments

flags_stop

Today is the 177th birthday of the Republic of Texas, so let’s all celebrate!  I plan to eat a really big piece of cake. It is also Texas Flag Day, and if that wasn’t enough for one day, it is also the birthday of Sam Houston.  Good Grief!  Maybe that deserves two really big pieces of cake!

Texas has flown the flags of six different nations (Spain, France, Mexico, the Republic of Texas, the Confederate States of America, and the United States of America), so #4 is the Lone Star Flag, and it was officially adopted on 25 Jan 1839.

Flag_of_Texas.svg

March 2nd, 1836 is the day the Texas Declaration of Independence was signed by delegates to the Convention of 1836 at the village of Washington-on-the-Brazos. The revolution against the government of Mexico had been underway for exactly five months, and the Alamo (in San Antonio) was under siege by Mexican troops.  It would fall four days later on March 6th. The courage of the defenders of the Alamo, and the cry,  “Remember the Alamo!”, would embolden fellow Texans as they battled for, and won, their independence in the coming weeks.

As awesome as the Lone Star Flag is, I was smitten by another flag of the Texas Revolution…

come and take it flag

I like to imagine a Texas NHL team named the Dallas Cannonballs (so much tougher sounding than the Stars) and the Dallas Cowboys with the word “Boom” on the sides of their helmets.

There are other pictures of early Texas flags you might enjoy while eating your cake. And on March 6th, be sure to Remember the Alamo!

photo credit: www.sonofthesouth.net
photo credit: http://www.sonofthesouth.net