October 2004, 
Editor: Mimi Lozano ©2000-4

Dedicated to Hispanic Heritage and Diversity Issues
 Society of Hispanic Historical and Ancestral Research

Jorge H. Delgado and Gilberto Arteaga
September 10, Santa Ana, California
El Comite de la Fiestas Patrias Celebration

Character is the only secure foundation of the state.
-- Calvin Coolidge, 30th American president (1872-1933)

UNITED STATES

"Hispanics & the Formation of the American People"  Oct 1-2

Drawing of the new William G. McGowan Theater 
Keynote address and panel discussion, Oct 1st
10:30 a.m. to Noon

National Archives and Records Administration
Constitution Avenue, between 7^th and 9^th Streets, NW, Washington, DC 20408
For the full schedule of panels, lectures, and workshops, 
go to the September issue of Somos Primos.

Contact for more information and for reservations: 
Sam Anthony, Director of Lecture Programs, 
(202) 208-7345  sam.anthony@nara.gov 

Mission Statement 

1860: Began musical study around age six, studying voice, violin, piano, flute, cornet, baritone, trombone and alto horn.

1867: His father enlisted him in the Marines at age 13 as an apprentice after he attempted to run away to join a circus band. 

1872: Published first composition, "Moonlight on the Potomac Waltzes".

1875: Discharged from Marines. Began performing (on violin), touring and eventually conducting theater orchestras. Conducted Gilbert & Sullivan's H.M.S. Pinafore on Broadway. 

1879: In February, met Jane van Middlesworth Bellis during Pinafore rehearsals; they were married December 30, 1879.

1880: Returned to Washington in September to assume leadership of the US Marine Band.

1880-1892: Conducted "The President's Own", serving under presidents Hayes, Garfield, Cleveland, Arthur and Harrison. After two successful but limited tours with the Marine Band in 1891 and 1892, promoter David Blakely convinced Sousa to resign and organize a civilian concert band.

1892: The first Sousa Band concert was performed September 26 at Stillman Music Hall in Plainfield, New Jersey. Two days earlier, bandleader Patrick Gilmore had died in St. Louis. Nineteen of Gilmore's former musicians eventually joined Sousa's band, including Herbert L. Clarke (cornet) and E. A. Lefebre (saxophone). The original name of the band was "Sousa's New Marine Band", but criticism from Washington forced the withdrawal of the name. 

1895: Sousa's first successful operetta, El Capitan, debuts.1896: Sousa's promoter David Blakely dies while Sousa and his wife are on vacation in Europe. On the return voyage, Sousa receives the inspiration for The Stars and Stripes Forever.1900: The Sousa Band tours Europe.1901: Second European tour.1905: Third European tour. 1910: World Tour: New York, Great Britain, Canary Islands, South-Africa, Australia, New Zealand, Fiji Islands, Hawaii, Canada.1917: During World War I, Sousa joins the US Naval Reserve at age 62. He is assigned the rank of lieutenant and paid a salary of $1 per month.1919-1932: After the war, Sousa continued to tour with his band. He championed the cause of music education, received several honorary degrees and fought for composers' rights, testifying before Congress in 1927 and 1928.1932: Sousa dies at age 77, after conducting a rehearsal of the Ringgold Band in Reading, Pennsylvania. The last piece he conducted was "The Stars and Stripes Forever". 

New book on Latino Vietnam vets makes debut

A book on the role of Latinos in America’s longest and most unpopular war has been published by Gil Dominguez, a writer from San Antonio, Texas.

Titled They Answered the Call: Latinos in the Vietnam War, the book describes the experiences of veterans from different parts of the United States who fought in the jungles, on the waterways, and over the skies of Southeast Asia.

Based on interviews with the veterans themselves and backed up by many hours of research conducted over the course of twenty years, the author tells the stories of twenty-one Latinos who answered the call to military duty when their nation needed them.

Hispanics fought in every major battle of the Vietnam War, from the Ia Drang Valley to Hamburger Hill and earned fourteen Medals of Honor in the process.

And regardless of their personal feelings about the war or whether they were drafted or volunteered for service, these men served honorably and with selfless courage.

The book relates the experiences of Marine and Army grunts, sailors on riverboats, door gunners aboard attack helicopters, Special Forces Medal of Honor recipient Roy Benavidez, and an Air Force aviator held as a POW in the infamous Hanoi Hilton.

The book, however, is more than just war stories. It delves also into the lives of these veterans before they went to Vietnam and what things were like for them when they returned from the war. Many had a difficult time adjusting to normal life and struggled with post-traumatic stress disorder and drug and alcohol addiction.

But above all, They Answered the Call: Latinos in the Vietnam War is about sacrifice and courage on the part of the Hispanic fighting man.

Dominguez, an Air Force public affairs specialist, writer and editor, is himself a Vietnam veteran, having served with Army engineer units in the Mekong Delta.

He holds a bachelor’s degree in journalism and master of education degree in political science from Texas State University-San Marcos.

I became interested in Handwriting Analysis when I was 11 years old. My "Uncle Charlie" was the founder of the San Francisco School of Handwriting Studies and was great friends of my father. 

Although not my 'real Uncle' he was close to our family and I didn't even know he wasn't my uncle until I was 18 years old. Uncle Charlie is really Charles Stahl. Before the FBI had their own profilers he worked with many federal and local agencies performing "profiling" services. 

Uncle Charlie told me that, instead of throwing them away, collect them and other writing samples. He said to get two shoe boxes - one for those individuals that I like, and one for those I did not like. When Uncle Charlie would come and visit us, he would sit with me and teach me the similarities and differences and what they meant about the person. 

When I grew up and was going to college as an undergraduate in Psychology and Criminal Justice, I also tutored through those years with Uncle Charlie. That's when I discovered that handwriting analysis is what I wanted for my career. I wanted to profile people, and that is what I do.

A WORKER'S HANDPRINTS
FROM UNIVERSAL PRESS SYNDICATE FOR RELEASE: WEEK OF Sept. 4, 2004
COLUMN OF THE AMERICAS by Patrisia Gonzales and Roberto Rodriguez
Source: Dr. Ann Lopez 

This is a first-person column by Patrisia Gonzales.

I descend from a family of sheepherders, migrants, farmers, floor sweepers, bookkeepers, midwives and curanderos -- people who do good work with their hands.

They were artists and artisans, carpenters, upholsterers and seamstresses who took pride in their work. They picked this nation's foods (my grannies were said to be faster than the boys and drank the hottest coffee), built the roads and bridges, lived in boxcars, caves and wagon yards, left their worker's handprints in cement and earth.

My grandpa was a dynamiter for the WPA -- the most dangerous job, but it paid the most to feed 13 mouths, plus the three or four uncles who happened to be in the house on any given day. A Mexican Comanche, he worked from age 6 when his family returned from Mexico before the 1910 revolution.

My first job, apart from baby-sitting, was at age 12 as a soda fountain girl at my aunt's restaurant. Later I was a weekend cashier at her beauty shop. As a student at the University of Texas-Austin, I'd visit the places on campus where my grandpa laid concrete. My grandpa made this, I'd think. I learned to like work from Grandpa.

As a preschooler, I remember looking up at the yellow kitchen bar stools. There'd be Grandpa at 3 a.m., frying eggs in an iron skillet and eating pork rinds and chile made by his own hand. By 4 a.m. he'd be laying concrete to beat the sun. At 4 p.m., he and my great uncles would eat hot chile after a long day at the construction site. I always wondered why the men got to eat first. Granny said it was 'cause they worked hard. I'd help him pull off his concrete-crusted boots, barely able to lift them off his feet. Once, we thought Grandpa was going deaf. It was just dried concrete in his ears.

My dad was a worker and a good dresser. He'd come home after working as a janitor and forklift driver and change into his three-piece Sears suit, after a good shave and shower and some smelly cologne. Grandpa had a few suits in his life: the one he married in, the one he wore to give his eldest daughter away, the one he celebrated his golden wedding anniversary with and 15 years later was buried in (with the sleeves still too short). Of course, there was the unaccounted work of my granny, who seemed to cook all day -- a stack of fresh tortillas every day for a lifetime. My uncle Paul recalls the day my grandma stopped getting up to make those pre-dawn eggs. She threw a yellow steel ashtray at Grandpa and told him, "I've raised 11 children, go make your own breakfast!"

The other day, I came in from the garden with my forearms full of dried earth and I remembered Grandpa's caked tierra on his pant legs, the grease in my uncle's nose from working in the steel mills and machine shops. We had two soaps in the house, Ivory soap and lye. And I wished for some of that gritty lye.

Recently my Uncle Chuy passed away. For years he owned and operated an air-conditioning repair business. At his funeral, the family shared a poem about how God saw him getting tired: "Your hardworking hands put to rest."

Often there was the prospect of labor strikes because we were a union family. My father, uncles and several cousins worked in union shops. My father died on Labor Day 1985, the night I went on strike for almost seven weeks while working for The Philadelphia Inquirer. His union brothers gave me a cigar box full of dollar bills at the funeral that helped me make it through the strike while I walked the picket line.

A day without a Mexican -- where would this country be without men and women like my grandparents, the workers who fuel our GNP? In Detroit, Mexican immigrants have revitalized the boarded-up buildings with their skilled hands and hardworking ganas -- will and desire -- and in the Midwest and South, they are buying farmland -- to actually farm it. They have not lost the knowledge of how to work the land or how to build something from scratch without a loan or grant. They bring with them enduring cultural knowledge, and many of them speak more than Spanish, hailing from Indian communities like my grandparents -- Otomies in Florida, Zapotecs and Nahuas in California and even Wisconsin.

Grandpa's heart gave out at age 79 while he was laying concrete. It was supposed to be his last job. Mama said he left his handprints when he braced the fall in the wet cement. The other day my mama told me, "I wonder if they are still there?" Forever.
(c) Universal Press Syndicate 2004
 
The writers can be reached atXColumn@aol.com
 or 608-238-3161, PO BOX 5093, Madison, WI 53705. Column of the Americas is posted every Sat at: http://www.uexpress.com/columnoftheamericas   If you would like to see it in your local newspaper, please call/your local editor and call our editor Greg Melvin at 1-800-255-6734.

Business schools' current outreach efforts are designed to make minorities more aware of current opportunities and support for entering business school. Some schools are trying to raise awareness of the value of an M.B.A. degree among undergraduates and high-school students, even though the decision to attend may be years away, says Tiffany Showell, assistant director of M.B.A. admissions at Stanford University's Graduate School of Business.

Univision Communications Inc. is the premier Spanish-language media company in the United States. Its operations include Univision Network, the most-watched Spanish-language broadcast television network in the U.S. reaching 98% of U.S. Hispanic Households; TeleFutura Network, a general-interest Spanish-language broadcast television network, which was launched in 2002 and now reaches 79% of U.S. Hispanic Households; Univision Television Group, which owns and operates 24 Univision Network television stations and 1 non-Univision television station; TeleFutura Television Group, which owns and operates 31 TeleFutura Network television stations; Galavisión, the country’s leading Spanish-language cable network; Univision Radio, the leading Spanish-language radio group which owns and/or operates 68 radio stations in 17 of the top 25 U.S. Hispanic markets and 4 stations in Puerto Rico; Univision Music Group, which includes Univision Records, Fonovisa Records, and a 50% interest in Mexico-based Disa Records labels as well as Fonomusic and America Musical Publishing companies; and Univision Online, the premier Spanish-language Internet destination in the U.S. located at http://www.univision.com. Univision Communications also has a 50% interest in TuTv, a joint venture formed to broadcast Televisa’s pay television channels in the U.S., and a non-voting 27% interest in Entravision Communications Corporation, a public Spanish-language media company. Univision Communications is headquartered in Los Angeles with television network operations in Miami and television and radio stations and sales offices in major cities throughout the United States.

For more information, please visit http://www.univision.net
Contact: Univision Network
Cristina Romano 
(305) 463--4608
marketingcomm@univision.net

In addition, it could be a useful for stay at home parents who can't afford to attend school and find daycare for their children. Distance learning beamed into the home could allow single parents the freedom to continue their education and take care of their kids. So that they could better provide for themselves and their children, while improving their way of life, as well as set an example for their children on the importance of continuing education,  even if it’s at home.

SURNAME  Canales

EN CAMPO DE GULES, UN CASTILLO DE PLATA; BORDURA DE PLATA CON OCHO LEONES DE SABLE; OTRA SEGUNDA BORDURA, DE GULES, CON ESTE LEMA EN LETRAS DE PLATA: "POR MI REY PONDRE LA VIDA, Y ESTA Y HONRA POR MI DIOS".

  Galvez Patriots

Jaime Cader,  San Jose, California asks a question.
Dr. Granville Hough, Irvine, California answers.

Jaime, this is what I recall from studying civil and military duties in New Mexico and Texas. I would expect similar customs in other areas.

The alcalde (mayor) was War Captain of his district and the nominal head of the militia, which had age limits of all able bodied males 16 to 60 as I recall. The militia did get called out, both in New Mexico and Texas, more than it wished to be because of the Commanche or Apache raids.

It was the alcalde's duty to furnish the response, or requested number of horsemen and horses for a chase or even an extended campaign. He did not himself have to go if he had a competent alcalde (teniente) assistant who relished that duty. It is my own belief that most alcaldes were older, less physically active men, who did not mind at all if an assistant wanted to do that hard riding and often fruitless work. In addition, it was never safe to have all the militia away at the same time. That just invited an attack by the Indians behind the lines.

This was so routine in New Mexico that there is seldom anything listed more than the number of men furnished by each neighborhood. Leaders or alcaldes are seldom mentioned directly. Sometimes the militia got paid for being called out for extended periods; but for a day or two of chasing horse thieves, they generally got only the experience.

Now there is another aspect of wartime duty for alcaldes. They were Commissioners to collect the voluntary contribution called for by King Carlos III. In New Mexico, we have a pretty good listing of the alcaldes who performed that duty. It is a basis for joining either the SAR or DAR. In the materials I studied for Central America, sadly mostly secondary, I found no mention of the voluntary contribution. I know the proclamation went to all parts of New Spain, and it must have been honored in Central America. I just did not find references to it.  (I did an article in the current Sept Somos Primos on the California contributions.)

The SAR might not accept as sufficient the fact that an ancestor held office in the 1779-1783 period in a certain town. It would also want a record that that town militia was called out for duty and that the ancestor either led it or arranged to have someone else lead it (in which case the alcalde would be the backup or rear guard commander.) Alternatively, the SAR might accept a record that the
alcalde was Commissioner to collect the voluntary contributions. So far as I know, we have had no SAR cases or applications which would test the review process. Possibly the DAR has accepted descendants of Alcaldes who served as Commissioners in New Mexico.

I do think of a third possibility where a civil servant in some capacity of little significance was also a militia officer in his area, either by election or appointment. In such a case, you would just need
a record of his militia service, with his civil service status making no difference.

What about civil service as a category of qualifying service in its own right? That would include all the normal offices of civil service, elective or appointive, jury duty, tax collecting, Committees of
Correspondence, Selectmen (councilmen), etc. In the case of the thirteen colonies, you held these offices IN SPITE OF British authority, and acceptance was tantamount to declaring rebellion or committing treason (in British eyes.) If you were captured after holding these offices, you could be severely punished. That is why Henry Laurens from SC was a Capital prisoner held on public display in the Tower of London after he was captured. He had been President of the Continental Congress from Nov 1777 until Dec 1778. 

In the Spanish and French civil service, you received appointments indirectly from the crown, and you served at the pleasure of the crown.  If you were captured, your risks were no greater than those of any other citizen of equal rank. So I think a distinction could be made, but we would have to have a test case to develop the pros and cons. The best reference I found for militia activity began on page 150 in Marc Simmons' Spanish Government in New Mexico, Albuquerque, NM,
University of New Mexico Press, 1968.

With my regards, Granville W. Hough.

ORANGE COUNTY, CA

(lf to rt) John Cruz, Gilberto Arteaga, Carlos Olamendi

Sunday, October 3, 2004 

Second Annual Orange County Community Service Awards

California Rural Legal Assistance, CRLA is a statewide nonprofit, social justice organization dedicated to legal advocacy for farm worker and other rural low- income families throughout California. 

Photo at El Comite de la Fiestas Patrias Celebration, 9-10-04 

El Comite de la Fiestas Patrias Celebration Program
The Friday September 10th event at the Santa Ana Performing Arts Center was one event in a series of  three full days of activities organized by the committee. Community booths, food, entertainment, and a  parade.  Included in the programs were dancers from Aguascalientes, Mexico,  and a bevy of local princesses representing each of the 31Mexican states.

The ringing of a bell Sunday September 12th at midnight was heard by thousands gathered  on 4th Steet in Santa Ana to be part of the Grito de Independencia. The Consul of Mexico in Santa Ana, Luis Miguel Ortiz Haro, rang the bell and lead the shout, ¡Que Viva México!

6th Annual El Dia de la Familia
Held September 12
Community Festival, Siegler Park, Westminster

Cris Villasenor, Chapter 3017 LULAC president, co-chaired the event. Coincidently, about 23 non-profit organizations participated this year and about 23 dozen homemade tamales were sold.  

Rancho Los Cerritos Historic Site
4600 Virginia Road, Long Beach, CA 90807
(562) 570-1755
http://www.rancholoscerritos.org

Sat. October 16, 10 a.m. - noon
Spanish Influences on California Horticulture

Discover how the Spanish and Mexican cultures affected the California landscape through this engaging lecture; $5.00 adults/$3.00 members and students. Light refreshments included.

http://www.floricantopress.com
http://www.floricantopress.com/catalog/title_list_253178_products.htm

Los Angeles Times, October 24, 1930:

LAST RITES FOR PIONEER TO BE TODAY

Mrs. Mary Hossman Will Be Paid Final Homage by Numerous Friends

Final rites will be conducted today at 10 a.m. from the chapel of Vesper and Son, 1930 East First street, for Mrs. Mary Hossman, 68 years of age, native of Los Angeles and one of the last survivors of the old Feliz and Sanchez California families.

Mrs. Hossman died in San Francisco last Tuesday following a short illness.  Her body was shipped here yesterday and will be interred in Calvary Cemetery.

The entire life of Mrs. Hossman was spent in Los Angeles.  She was the daughter of Steven Sanchez and a member of the Feliz family, and was born on the extensive Feliz ranch which Riverside Drive now traverses northwest of the metropolitan district.

Her husband, Everisto Hossman, who resides at the family residence, 2451 Fairmont street, is one of the city's most colorful figures.  He was a member of the fire department for many years and was widely known when the present city was surrounded by great ranches similar to the one on which his wife was born.

Besides her husband, Mrs. Hossman leaves five sons, Henry and Julius of San Francisco, and Steven, Alfonso and Everett of Los Angeles; three daughters, Mrs. Carl Carey of San Francisco, and Mrs. Irene Culp and Mrs. Grace Schaffer of Los Angeles.

CALIFORNIA

El Cónsul General de España en Los Angeles y el Agregado Naval de España en Washington asistiran a los festejos.

Un cordial saludo, Mª Ángeles Olson,
Honorary Consul of Spain in San Diego spainhcsd@cox.net

ERNEST J. GARCIA,   ErnestGarcia@aol.com

1. Aguine, Maria del Rosario de Estudillo, in 1846 granted San Jacinto y Nuevo Sobante Rancho, Riverside County, five leagues.

2. Alvarado, Joaquina, in 1841, granted Larga y Verde Canada Rancho, Ventura County, one half leagues. Claimant for 6,659 acres, patented 26 Mar 1873.

3. Angeles, Maria Juan de los, in 1845, granted Cucu, or El Potrero Rancho, San Diego County, one half leagues. Claimant for 2,174 acres, patented 22 Jul 1878.

4. Buelma, Hilaria, in 1839, granted Jarro Rancho, Santa Cruz.

5. Caballero, Maria Antonio, in 1833 granted Sisquac Rancho, Santa Barbara County.

6. Cacres (or Cazares) Antonia, in 1844 granted Canada de Pogolomi, or Poglimi Rancho, Sonoma County, two leagues, claimant for 8,781 acres, patented 3 Nov 1858.

7. Carrillo, Francisca de Thompson, in 1844 ceded Isla de Santa Rosa, Santa Barbara County, and who was claimant for 62,696 acres. Patented on 3 Oct 1871.

8. Carrillo, Manuela de Jones, in 1844 ceded Isla de Santa Rosa, Santa Barbara County, and who was claimant for 62,696 acres. Patented on 3 Oct 1871.

9. Carrillo, Maria del Espiritu Santo, in 1839 granted Loma del Espiritu Santo Rancho, San Benito County, two leagues, and whose claim was rejected.

10. Carrillo, Mara Josefa de Fitch, in 1845 granted Valle de las Palomas Rancho, Santa Barbara County.

11. Carrillo, Ramona, in 1845 granted Matzultaquea Rancho, Los Angeles County, four leagues; Suey Rancho, San Luis Obispo and Santa Barbara Counties, granted in 1837, and Ramona Carrillo de Wilson was claimant for 48,834 acres, patented 10 Aug 865.

12. Castro, Maria de los Angeles, in 1839 granted Rufugio Rancho, Santa Cruz County, one league.

13. Castro, Martina, in 1833, 1834 and 1844 granted Shoquel (or Soquel) y Palo de Yesca Rancho, Santa Cruz County, who was claimant for 34,370 acres, patented 19 Mar 1860.

14. Castro, Modesta, in 1844 granted Canada de los Osos, or Pecho y Islay Rancho, San Luis County, 11 leagues, whose claim was rejected.

15. Delgado, Cristina, in 1833 granted Rincon de los Salinas Rancho, Monterey County, one half league.

16. Dominguez, Vicoria, claimant for 4,437 acres of Janul, or Otay Rancho, San Diego County, patented 13 Jun 1872.

17. Lataillade, Maria Antonia de la Guerra de, was claimant for 13,322 acres of Corral de Cuati or Quate Rancho, Santa Barbara County, patented 7 Aug 1876.

18. Linares, Maria Antonia, in 1842 granted Carneros Rancho, Monterey County, one league.

19. Lopez, Maria Ignacia, in 1841 granted Cabeza de Santa Rosa Rancho, Sonoma County.

20. Lorenzana, Apolinarea, in 1843 granted Canada de los Coches, 400 varas within El Cajon Rancho, San Diego County; and in 1840 granted Jamacha Rancho, San Diego County, claimant of 8,881 acres, patented 11 Apr 1871.

21. Martinez, Josefa, in 1844 and 1845 granted unnamed rancho of five leagues in Monterey County.

22. Mesa, Maria Antonia, in 1841 granted Riconada del San Francisquito Rancho, Santa Clara County, one half league.

23. Munras, Catalina Manzaneli de, in 1833 and 1834 granted Laguna Seca, or Canadita Rancho, Monterey County, claimant for ,2179 acres, patented 24 Nov 65.

24. Nieto, Manuela, in 1834 granted Cerritos Rancho, Los Angeles County, five leagues.

25. Pedrorena, Maria Antonio Estudillo de, in 1845 granted Cajon Rancho, San Diego County, 11 leagues,

26. Peralta, Teodora Maria, in 1846 granted Buacocha Rancho, Marin County, about 2,600 acres.

27. Ruiz, Catarina, in 1834 confirmed Bolsas Rancho, Orange County, seven leagues.

28. Sanchez, Ramona, in 1844 granted Butano Rancho, San Mateo County, one league.

29. Soberanes, Josefa, in 1841 granted Coches Rancho, Monterey County, two and half leagues, and claimant of 8,794 acres.

30. Soto, Casilda, in 1844 granted Merced Rancho, Los Angeles County, one league.

31. Soto, Josefa, in 1844 granted Capay Rancho, Glen County, ten leagues, and claimant for 44,388 acres, patented 18 Aug 1859.

32. Soto, Teodora, in 1842 granted Canada del Hambe, or Las Bolsas del Hambre Rancho, Contra Costa County, two leagues, and claimant for 13, 354 acres, patented 31 Dec 1866.

33. Valdez, Maria Rita, in 1841 granted Rodeo de las Aguas, or San Antonio Rancho, Los Angeles County, claimant for 4,449 acres, patented 27 Jun 1871.

34. Yorba, Isabel, in 1836 granted Guadalasca or La Lguna Rancho, Ventura County, six leagues, claimant for 30, 594 acres, patented 1 Sep 1873.

1. Angeles, Maria J. de los, in 1845 granted Cuca, or El Potrero Rancho, San Diego County, claimant for 2,174 acres, patented 22 Jul 1878.

2. Bennett, Mary S., claimant for 359 acres in Solar en Santa Clara Rancho, Santa Clara County, patented 19 Jul 1871.

3. Boronda, M. Conceptcion, in 1842 granted Potrero de San Luis Obispo, San Luis Obispo County, one league, claimant for 3,506 acres, patented 1 Jul 1870.

4. Briones, Juana, claimant for 4,439 acres, Pruisima Concepcion Rancho, Santa Clara County, patented 5 Aug 1871.

5. Castro, M. Antonia Pico de, claimant for 30,901 acres, Bolsa del Moro Cojo, Monterey County, patented 20 Nov 1873.

6. Castro, Rufina, patented on 18 Mar 1885, 33 acres near Castorville, of unnamed rancho granted to Mariano Castro in 1839.

7. Chabolla, Maria C., claimant for 35,508 acres of Sajon de los Moquelumnes Rancho, San Joaquin County, patented 3 May 1865.

8. Cota, Antonia M., claimant for 8,901 acres at Tepusquet Rancho, Santa Barbara County, patented 23 Feb 1971.

9. Gonzales, Marina, claimant for 22,136 acres at San Miguelito de Trinidad Rancho, Monterey County, patented 15 Jun 1871.

10. Harro, Josefa de, claimant for 2,219 acres at Laguna de la Merced Rancho, San Mateo and San Francisco County, patented 10 Sep 1872.

11. Higuera, Marta Frias de, claimed 877 acres at Entre Napa Rancho, Napa County, patented 4 Nov 1879.

12. Lugo, Juana Briones de, claimant for 6,584 acres, at Paraje de Sanches Rancho, Monterey County, patented 9 Aug 1866.

13. Montalva, Josefa, claimant for Temescal Rancho, San Diego County, but claim rejected.

14. Munras, Concepcion, claimant for 19,979 acres at San Vicente Rancho, Monterey County, patented 29 Jun 1865.

15. Nieto, Maria C., one half of 33,460 acres claimed of Bolsas Rancho, Orange County, patented 27 Aug 1877.

16. Ortega, Maria Antonia, claim for Atascadero Rancho, San Luis Obispo County, was rejected.

17. Pacheco, Dolores, in 1839 granted Santa Rita Rancho, Alameda County.

18. Rodiguez, Maria Concepcion V. de, claimant for 1,471 acres, San Francisquito Rancho, Santa Clara, patented 8 Jun 1868; claimant for 13,344 acres at San Gregorio Rancho, San Mateo County, patented 19 Feb 1861.

19. Sepulveda, Ramona, claimant for 30,260 acres at San Vicente y Santa Monica Rancho, patented 23 Jul 1881.

20. Soto, Barbara, claimant for 6,686 acres at San Lorenzo Rancho, Alameda County, patented 14 Apr 1877.

21. Spark, Anna M., claimant, along with Joseph Folsom, for 35,521 acres at Rio de los Americanos, Sacramento County, patented 4 Nov 1864.

Note: Here I use the term Californio, which means a person born in California and a direct descendent from a Spanish/Mexican individual residing in California prior to American conquest. However, one person, Anna M.Spark, #21, under Claimants, on above list is not a Californio. The information listed here may not be complete, as in some cases property was swindled or just taken by force from the Californio after American conquest. At this point published reference of this is not immediately available, and I can only quote my maternal grandfather, Francisco Valenzuela, who often reminisced about his family being driven off the family rancho, Rancho Potrero Chico de la Mision Vieja de San Gabriel, by "Lucky Baldwin" and his horsemen. Also, the source information may not be totally accurate. Any further information or correction on the subject would be appreciated.

References
1. Ranchos of California, Historical Society of Southern California, Robert G. Cowan, 1977.
2.  Los Californianos, Expediente Records

Special thanks to Lorri Fran forwarding this wonderful research. lorrilocks@earthlink.net

[[This is only a very small extract from the text.  Good information.]] 

Dr. Herbert E. Bolton found that cattle were driven from Texas missions and ranches to New Orleans as early as the later 18th century but that the first western drives of any consequence came with Texan independence.  In 1837-38 cowboys rounded up wild cattle between the Nueces and the Rio Grande to drive them in herds, ranging from three hundred head to a thousand head, to various towns of Texas.  By 1842 droves were being conducted overland to Shreveport, Louisiana, for trans-shipment by flatboats down the Red River and Mississippi River to the growing cattle market of New Orleans.

With the annexation of Texas to the United States in 1845 and the emigration of Americans into the new Lone Star State, the cattle industry there began to expand.  By 1860 there were more cattle in Texas than in any other state of the Union.  The cattle industry began to boom in ante-bellum Texas and the profits of the business were given wide  publicity.  More and more drives were made to New Orleans and herds were also sent to the Crescent City by ship from now-forgotten ports like Indianola, on Lavaca Bay, or from Galveston.  One trail led from south and west Texas to Liberty, on the Trinity River, then to the Nexhes at Beaumont, then across the Sabine into Louisiana where, after swimming, fording or ferrying the Calcaieu and Mississippi Rivers, the cattle reached New Orleans.  Another trail, from eastern and central Texas crossed the Sabine to Shreveport, to Natchitoches or Alexandria, and then downriver (by boat) to New Orleans.

Soon, however, the supply exceeded the Louisiana demand.  It was with hopes of better prices that Texans turned their attention to the far-distant market of Gold Rush California.  The herds of '49 and '50 were few.  But by 1853 and 1854 quite a number were on the trail and the returned Texas Argonauts brought word home of high prices for cattle in San Francisco, Sacramento and Los Angeles.  The meat supply there could not keep up with the supply of miners pouring in.  Texans soon found that their cattle, bought for five to fifteen dollars a head at home brought sixty to one hundred and fifty dollars each in the San Francisco of 1854.

More and more herds headed westward on the trail blazed in 1849 by W. H. C. Whiting and W. F. Smith.  It began at San Antonio, struck west to Franklin and El Paso and then headed for the Gila River and The Colorado by the Apache-battered towns of Santa Cruz, Tubac and Tucson.  Crossing the Colorado Desert into California, herds were trailed to Warner's Ranch and then to Los Angeles or San Diego.  From these southern California cities, the cattle were trailed north to the population centers--San Francisco and Sacramento.  The Sacramento State Journal in 1854 reported that 9,000 cattle were imported that year over this Gila Trail.  But that figure seems much too modest.  According to Ralph Bieber, another cattle trade historian, the Western Texan of June 1, 1854, reported that at that very moment "between seven and eight thousand head of cattle and stock of all kinds" were en route to what the San Antonio paper called "the Modern Ophir."

By the mid-1850's not only were herds being trailed from Texas to California but from Missouri, Illinois, Arkansas and the Indian Territory.  Cattle were also being driven from the upper Branxos to Missouri to supply trains of California-bound emigrants.  The trail led through Dallas, crossed the Red River at Preston in Grayson County and then led northeast to Boggy Depot and Fort Gibson, Indian Territory, thence to the west or south border of Missouri.

SCION OF GRANDEES DIES

Mrs. Mary Refugio Garcia de Libbey, One of Few Remaining Descendants of Old Families, Passes

SANTA BARBARA, Oct. 13. - Bringing to a peaceful close a colorful chapter in the story of Santa Barbara that witnessed during her eighty-five years the rise of a beautiful American city from a rambling Spanish pueblo, Mrs. Mary Refugio Garcia de Libbey, one of the few remaining direct descendants of early California's proud grandees, died in her home early last evening.

Born the daughter of Eugene and Polina Pico Garcia, Mrs. Libbey was baptized in the old mission in 1845 as Mary Refugio Garcia.

In 1860, a senorita of but fifteen years of age, she married Capt. Charles Douglass Libbey of Boston, a sea captain who settled in Santa Barbara.

Ten children were born to the pair and the six now living reside in this city.  They are Mrs. Isabell Flint, Mrs. Mary Pfleiging, Mrs. Della Mullary, Mrs. Eugenia Nebla, Mrs. Josephine Walden and a son, Charles F. Libbey.

The wedding of Capt. Libbey and Mary Refugio at the Catholic Church in 1860 is still recalled by pioneer residents here.  For days prior to the ceremony, the Garcia mansion, long since wrecked, but then near the Presidio in De la Guerra Plaza, was the scene of a fiesta.  The wedding itself was a colorful affair with the proud Spanish and the merry Yankees joining into the spirit of the event.

Following the marriage, Capt. Libbey and his bride took the home at 200 Gray avenue, where last night Mrs. Libbey died.  The captain continued his sailing until his death in 1883 at the age of 45 years.

Documentos para la historia de California relating to José Mariano Bonilla. Isaac Antonio Bonilla and Joy Tenney Bonilla, compilers. Santa Barbara, Calif.: Bonilla, 1976. vii, 199 p. Ill.
LC call number: F864 .D6  LC control number: 78353093  Catalog Record 
Much genealogical information on the Bonilla family, with photocopies of primary documents. 

Eldredge, Zoeth Skinner. 
The beginnings of San Francisco: from the expedition of Anza, 1774, to the city charter of April 15, 1850. With biographical and other notes. 2 vols. San Francisco: Z. S. Eldredge, 1912. 837 p. Ill., maps, ports. 
LC call number: F869 .S3 E3  LC control number: 12022016  Catalog Record 
Covers l769-1850. Detailed notes and bibliography, photographs, and name index. 

Guide to selected California genealogical collections (San Diego to Sacramento). Compiled by MTI Genealogy Services. [1st ed.]. Los Osos, CA: The Services, [1986]. 30 leaves. Ill. 
LC call number: Z1261 .G84 1986  LC control number: 88132791  Catalog Record 
Describes holdings of 31 libraries in California. 

King, Marilyn Bailiff, and Virginia Sefton Meadowcroft, compilers. 
Catalog of California genealogical publications. [California]: California State Genealogical Alliance, [1990]. 129 p. Maps. 
LC call number: Z1261 .K55 1990 F80  LC control number: 92185264 Catalog Record 
Publications commercially available at the time of printing. Each page is an order form with bibliographical information and a summary of the book's contents. 

Kot, Elizabeth Gorrell, and Shirley Pugh Thomson. 
Calif cemetery inscription sources: print & microform. Vallejo, Calif.: Indices Pub, 1994. viii, 283 p. 
LC call number: Z1261 .K68 1994  <LH&G LC control number: 94076040 Catalog Record

Local history and genealogy resources of the California State Library and its Sutro branch. Gary E. Strong and Gary F. Kurutz, editors. Sacramento, Calif.: California State Library Foundation, 1983. 44 p. Ill. LC call number: Z1261 .L6 1983  LC control number: 84129772
Catalog Record  Emphasizes materials that list personal names. 

Lopez, Carlos U. 
Chilenos in California; a study of the 1850, 1852, and 1860 censuses. [San Francisco: R and E Research Associates, 1973]. xxvii, 87 p. Ills. 
LC call number: F870 .C4 L66 LC control number: 73085463  Catalog Record

Mexicans in California after the U.S. conquest. With an introduction by Carlos E. Cortes. New York: Arno Press, 1976. 364 p. in various pagings. [1] fold. leaf of plates. Ill. 
LC call number: F870 .M5 M49   LC control number: 76005225 Catalog Record 
Eight historical essays on Los Angeles and San Diego describing the effects of Spain's cession of California to the U.S. in 1848. 

Morefield, Richard. 
The Mexican adaptation in American California, 1846-1875. [San Francisco: R and E Research Associates, 1971]. vii, 106 p. 
LC call number: F870 .M5 M66 1971LC control number: 72147291 Catalog Record 
Local history of Spanish speakers during this period. Many names and much information on land transfers, copious notes citing additional local histories. 

Nakayama A., Antonio. 
Pioneros sinaloenses en California. Culiacán Rosales, Sinaloa, México: Universidad Autónoma de Sinaloa, Instituto de Investigaciones de Ciencias y Humanidades, 1980. 50 p. Ill. 
LC call number: F864 .N25 1980 LC control number: 86185443  Catalog Record 
Brief lists of settlers in California from Sinaloa. Begins with l769, includes names of soldiers, early settlers of San Francisco, Santa Barbara, Monterey, Los Angeles, and San Diego. Tells town of origin, age, marital status, family members, and racial designation.

Northrop, Marie E. 
Spanish-Mexican families of early California, 1769-1850. 2nd ed. Burbank, Calif.: Southern California Genealogical Society, 1987. Ill. 
LC call number: F870 .M5 N67 1987 LC control number: 86062425  Catalog Record

Parker, J. Carlyle, compiler. 
An index to the biographees in 19th century California county histories. Detroit: Gale Research Co., 1979. xxiv, 279 p. 
LC call number: Z5313 .U6 C36 LC control number: 79011900 Catalog Record 
Lists 16,500 names for which biographies appear in 61county histories covering 47 of California's 58 counties.

Parker, J. Carlyle. 
A personal name index to Orton's Records of California men in the War of the Rebellion, 1861 to 1867: index. Detroit: Gale Research Co., 1978. vii, 153 p. 
LC call number: E497 .3 .C162 P37 LC control number: 78015674 Catalog Record

Quebedeaux, Richard. 
Prime sources of California and Nevada local history: 151 rare and important city, county, and state directories, 1850-1906. Spokane, Wash.: A.H. Clark, 1992. 237 p. Ill., maps. 
LC call number: Z1261 .Q43 1992 <LH&G LC control number: 91074139 Catalog Record

Sanders, Patricia. 
Searching in California a reference guide to public and private records. Costa Mesa, CA: ISC Publications, 1982. 175 p. Map. 
LC call number: F860 .S36 1982 LC control number: 82080341 Catalog Record

Shumway, Burgess McK. 
California ranchos: patented private land grants, listed by county. Edited by Michael Burgess, and Mary Wickizer Burgess. 1st Borgo ed. San Bernardino, CA: Borgo Press: Glendale, CA: Sidewinder Press, 1988. 144 p. 
LC call number: F860 .S565 1988 LC control number: 87011696 Catalog Record

The Zamorano index to History of California by Hubert Howe Bancroft. Compiled by members of the Zamorano Club, edited by Everett Gordon Hager, and Anna Marie Hager. 2 vols. Los Angeles: University of Southern California, 1985. viii, 759 p. 
LC call number: F861 .B193 Z36 1985LC control number: 85051515 Catalog Record

Vital Records, Land Records, Fictitious Business licenses are maintained
at the Clerk Recorder's office at
1106 Madison Street, Oakland, CA 94607.

To access birth, marriage, dead (BMD) records you first stop at the guards desk, pick up a
request form for the type of record you seek, and are issued a numbered ticket by the receptionist. You can fill out the form while you wait for your number to be called.

I have ordered BMD records for clients without any problems. I specify that it is not for me, and that I am a genealogist, and submit the request. The document is printed on the same numbered form as a certified copy, but is stamped stating it can not be used for identification. Records that are pre 1960's ish, are mailed to you. To access the computer indexes, you need to tell the receptionist that you need a vital record, and the clerk that you want to view the computer indexes, the clerk logs you onto one of two public access pc's so that you can search. If they are not very busy, and a machine is available, you may be permitted to view the microfilm directly.  All deeds are accessible on microfilm in a separate room off the entrance to the clerk recorders office.

Note, on occasion there is a temporary staff  at the receptionist's desk. If they seem confused about your request, ask for a vital record, and keep your full request for the Clerk. I have found the clerks to be very courteous and helpful but, they have given out conflicting information.

Naturalization records, Probate Records are maintained at the Superior Court at 1221 Oak Street, Oakland, CA 94612

The clerks here very from being helpful and curettes to being outright obstructionists. I recognize the clerks since there is not much turnover, and realize that where they provided a document for me on a prior visit, they deny having the document on the current visit. So, beware.  [[ Editor's note: This is true at most sites of collections, so walk tenderly. ]]

The Naturalization indexes are in the courthouse. They are on shelves behind the window you go to to request court cases. When told they are across the hall where the superior court case indexes are, stand firm and tell them they are on the wall behind them. When they tell you that the indexes are in San Francisco, stand firm and tell them they are on the wall behind them. If need be, ask for the supervisor to come to the window. That seems to be the best memory refresher for the clerks, they
suddenly find what you request. When the clerk knows what you are looking for they will ask you what year and the surname and bring you the appropriate index.

Probate Indexes are split between microfilm and books. The older indexes are on film. I don't remember the year of cutoff for the film vs. books. I am usually told to go across the hall, where I verify that the indexes are too recent and then go back and get the film. The clerks will help set up the film, and they print the documents that are requested. Post 1940 are indexed on the computer. Most probate cases are on file in Oakland, or at a warehouse. Some recent cases are on file
at local superior courts, such as Hayward. Alameda does not charge an access fee to bring a file out of storage.

Cat Nielsen, Alameda County

Dr. John Johnson (left) of the Santa Barbara Museum traced the heritage of 95-year-old Newhall resident Lyda Manriquez (center) and her nephew, Charlie Cook (right). They are of mixed Tataviam, Chumash, Kitanemuk and Tongva ancestry. Photo by Nathan Caswell/The Signal

A renewed interest in the life and times of a long-gone Native American tribe of the Santa Clarita watershed, the Tataviam, seems to be sweeping through the archaeological community in Southern California. Since the dawn of the century, numerous research studies have been conducted about the Tataviam — yet none has managed to shed much light on several fundamental questions about their history, culture or territory.   Southland scholars picked up the thread of research again in the past few months. Their goal, though operating independently from one another, is to answer those questions.
"(The Tataviam) are the least known group of Native Americans in all of California," said Dr. John Johnson, curator of anthropology at the Santa Barbara Museum of Natural History.

They came, they lived, they disappeared. The Tataviam came, unannounced and unexpected, around A.D. 450 and settled in the Santa Clara River Valley.  They lived quietly, peacefully and in harmony with nature and their neighbors.  Then, as quietly as they came, they disappeared. They were absorbed into the first Spanish missions, and within a century they were almost completely eradicated from the pages of the history books.  It is not even known what they called themselves. No early explorer or anthropologist ever asked a Tataviam what the tribe's name was in their own language.

Their Kitanemuk relatives in the Antelope Valley called them "Tataviam," which roughly translates to "people of the southern slopes." Most of the Tataviam territory lies between 1,500 and 3,000 feet above sea level. They built their villages on south-facing slopes of hills and mountains for maximum sun exposure, thus the name. But their neighbors to the west, the Chumash, referred to them as "Alliklik," a derogatory term meaning "grunters" or "stammerers." The Chumash name for them mimicked what they considered the strange sounds of the Tataviam language.  John Peabody Harrington of the Smithsonian Institution and Alfred Kroeber of University of California, Berkeley recorded both names and several variations thereof (which all meant the same in different dialects) between 1907 and 1925.

In the early 1930s, anthropologists from the Peabody Museum of American Ethnology at Harvard University came to research the local tribe, whose artifacts were on display at their museum. It was these men who made "Alliklik" the semi-official name.  The name stuck for decades, until concerned Native Americans in the 1970s popped the inevitable question: Did the scientists know what Alliklik actually meant? They explained it wasn't a friendly term, so they provided the alternative — Tataviam.

The Tataviam were not California natives in the beginning. A few Shoshone bands began migrating westward from the Great Plains in search of more abundant food sources and better climate, during a particularly bad drought period 3,500 years ago.  Dr. Charles Rozaire, a legendary California archeologist, published his "Shoshone Wedge" theory more than half a century ago, postulating that they entered California in a wedge-shaped pattern and spread about the land.  Rozaire wrote that the Tataviam were linguistically related to the Shoshone and spoke a Takic dialect of the Uto-Aztecan language group.  

"Archeological data suggest that the Tataviam began to differentiate from other southern California Takic speakers around 1000 B.C.," states a 1978 article by archeologists Chester King and Thomas C. Blackburn. In A.D. 450, a group of these Takic-speaking people reached the Santa Clarita river drainage and settled in about 25 semi-permanent villages. Archeologists have located several of these village sites, such as Etseng on Piru Creek, Pi'ing under today's Castaic Lake, Cueccho in the Tejon area and more.

However, the places believed to have been the biggest encampments, such as Tochonanga in the Newhall area and Chaguayabit, probably at Castaic Junction, have not yet been discovered.
Johnson, of the Santa Barbara museum, questions the existence of a village called Nuhubit, which appears on a map drawn by Richard F. Van Valkenburgh in 1937. According to Johnson, Van Valkenburgh "was a fine archaeologist but was definitely no writer. He didn't always record his data correctly."   Their territory spanned from Piru to the west, Newhall to the south and the Liebre Mountains to the north.  The eastern boundary of the Tataviam has not yet been determined. To date, neither the first Spanish explorers' accounts, nor the early anthropologists' research — not even recent archeological data — could define the line separating the territories of the Tataviam and the Kitanemuk, another Takic-speaking group. 

And that is exactly what appeals to Dr. Joseph Eisenlauer, associate professor of anthropology at Los Angeles Pierce College, who will run an archeology field class beginning next semester. A main objective of the class will be to try to determine the exact boundary.  Eisenlauer said it was "by pure accident" that he met U.S. Forest Service archaeologist Michael McIntyre, who suggested that Eisenlauer's class study an area in the Angeles National Forest. An archeologist by training, Eisenlauer said his students plan to work on a piece of national forest land near Acton. It is slated to be a long-term comprehensive field program that will provide Pierce students hands-on training in archeology.

Eisenlauer actually has a much bigger agenda. In addition to the quest for the eastern boundary, the field class hopes to verify Tataviam settlement patterns and population densities; plot the distribution and seasonality of food resources — when and what the Tataviam extracted from the canyons; locate the raw materials they used; and clarify trade links with neighboring and distant tribal groups.
Two of Eisenlauer's current anthropology classes are researching the Tataviam, their history, culture and natural environment.  "We are gearing up to become Tataviam experts," Eisenlauer said.
He said the agreement between Pierce and the Forest Service is "on paper" and should be approved by the Los Angeles Community College District in a few weeks.

Eisenlauer's students don't have much material to draw from.  Gaspar de Portolá encountered the friendly Tataviam while searching for mission sites in 1769. And while the New World was about to gain independence from the old, in 1776 another Spanish padre, Father Francisco de Garcés, set out on a discovery journey from Yuma to Monterey. Garcés also met these Indians and in his diary recorded their "particular meekness and affability."  The records of the early Spanish travelers are important historically but are rather vague and often confusing anthropologically.

Harrington's, Kroeber's and several other ethnologists' reports from the late 19th to early 20th century are more abundant — but not much more accurate than the Spanish notes.  Regrettably, these early anthropologists failed to record much of the information that was still available to them at the time on Tataviam costumes, legends, language and history. They could have talked to full-blooded Tataviam Indians, but the people they could have interviewed died before the scientists got around to recording their memories and knowledge.  The result is a huge gap in Tataviam tribal history.
Thus, mission records, and information gleaned from digging in the ground, is where recent scholars have looked for answers.

Archeologists David Whitley and Joseph Simon are recording known and newly discovered villages and other living floor sites, and hope to add them to the National Register of Historic Places. They are concentrating their search in the Acton area, where numerous Tataviam sites have been identified.  Whitley and Simon are not new to Tataviam research. They were contract archeologists for The Newhall Land and Farming Co.'s Newhall Ranch project in 1993, preparing the cultural-paleontological section of the project's environmental impact report. In other words, Newhall Land hired them to appraise possible archeological sites at the future development site.
To their surprise, Whitley and Simon found only eight spots in the 12,000-acre Newhall Ranch area with traces of early human occupation. Only three of them were actual campsites.

Johnson of Santa Barbara has researched the Tataviam for more than 20 years. His interest piqued in 1977 while working as a staff archeologist for the Los Padres National Forest.  "At that time several studies were published that pointed out how little we knew about the Tataviam," he said.
Johnson collected ethnohistoric and archeological information for the Forest Service, and later researched the mission records and Harrington's notes for a different project. He helped create a database for six of the missions in California and came to know many local Native Americans, aiding them in reconstructing their family trees based on mission records.

Johnson specializes in the Indians of Southern California, using "archival sources to reconstruct village names and locations, population size, marriage and family patterns and the histories of California Indian communities," he said.  Guest speaker at the SCV Historical Society's October meeting, Johnson gave a comprehensive account of his research of Tataviam history and genealogy and illustrated his lecture with slides of known Tataviam people and sites.  Of the 50-or-so attendees at the meeting, four were of Tataviam ancestry. Lyda Manriquez was born in 1905 in Newhall and still remembers quite vividly some of the people and places Johnson mentioned in his talk. It was Johnson who reconstructed Manriquez's family tree through the San Fernando Mission records.
During the Spanish mission period, all local tribes were forced to abandon their lands and move to the missions to provide free labor to the padres, in the name of Christianity. Six tribes were uprooted and relocated to San Fernando, one being the Tataviam.

Now that they were closer to each other, intermarriage among tribes became the norm at the missions. Thus there were almost no full-blooded Tataviam following the mission period.
Both Manriquez and her nephew, Charlie Cook, are of mixed Chumash, Tataviam, Kitanemuk and Tongva ancestry.  "I've always known I had Tataviam blood in me," said Cook. "My family has lived in the Santa Clarita Valley for generations, and I knew that I was a descendant of one of the six tribes that built the San Fernando Mission."  Cook's family was the first Johnson studied.

About 600 Native Americans in the greater Los Angeles area claim Tataviam ancestry, and some are fighting for federal recognition. Most can trace their family trees through mission records.
"The problem is that if you can't prove your Native American ancestry through the mission records you don't classify as an Indian in the government's eyes," said Cook. "That is why (attaining) federal recognition is so difficult."

Chester King, another well-known California archeologist, has researched the Tataviam on and off for decades. King has published several works including a study of Vasquez Rocks County Park in 1973. He too has studied mission registers and has "recently been asked to study further in the southern part of the Tataviam territory," he said.  Archeologist David Earle of the Lancaster City Museum is another key player in the new research projects.

As with Johnson and King, Earle's interest in the Tataviam spans decades. He specializes in locating village sites that were occupied during and after the mission period.  "We know of most of them where they are," Earle said. "What I'm doing now is finding the physical location of villages mentioned in the records."  Earle is matching up village names in the baptismal registers with actual locations.  "One of the key things is being able to locate the villages and align them with the historical records," he said. "Using mission records gives clues to population as well. Based on the number of known villages we can estimate a population of about 500-1,000 Tataviam at the time of European contact.  "But we first need to definitively decide how many villages were actually there at the time the Spanish arrived," he said.  Earle and Johnson worked together in 1990 on a Tataviam project, Earle supplying the geographical data, Johnson contributing his genealogy studies of the mission records.

The renewed attention to the Tataviam sits well with Tom Hale, an Acton resident who is considered the "guardian angel" of Native American history in the area.  "I'm very happy and extremely excited about this," said Hale, who admits he is no expert by academic standards. "I'm just an old mountain man who knows a little bit about the history of this watershed."  Yet Hale is frequently sought out by archeologists for advice and assistance because he knows the area better than anybody and because he knows a lot about the early inhabitants of the land.  "I grew up on Tataviam territory," Hale said of how he developed an interest in the tribe. "We would find artifacts all over the place every day just by plowing the field and so forth."  Hale worked for the Department of Commerce's Geodetic Survey from 1961-83. His expertise in geology, topographic surveying and general research is an invaluable tool he uses to locate and save Indian artifacts and sites around Acton.

"I am extremely interested in preserving archeological sites," he said. "What we know now is very interesting. But unless we protect these sites, who knows what will be left of them in 50 years?  "Everything that was here that supported the Indians way back then" is still there, he said — all the food sources and rock quarries and other natural elements, making it easier to reconstruct early lifestyles.  Hale has been gathering as much information about the Tataviam as possible. He noted that several scientific studies had been conducted, but "nobody ever tried to put these together."  "And that is what tickles me most about Pierce College's project," he said. "What their group is attempting to accomplish is going to bring even more attention to the Tataviam."

Sadly, the history of the Tataviam is also a history of lost opportunities. The last full-blooded Tataviam, Juan José Fustero, died in 1921, and the language of his small tribe diminished even before him. The opportunity to study Tataviam culture and language first-hand was lost forever.

Even the 600 Native Americans who consider themselves Tataviam descendants are, in fact, of mixed ancestry.  Had the first Spanish explorers recorded their encounters with the local tribes in more detail, or had anthropologists of the early 1900s done more thorough research while there were still full-blooded Indians around, considerably more would be known.
But these data are not available ... so it is up to present and future archeologists to uncover the secrets of the Tataviam.

NORTHWESTERN UNITED STATES

The Seventh Hispanic Family History Conference

Saturday, October 16, 2004

Family History Library, 35 North West Temple, Salt Lake City, Utah 84150
A special assembly will be held at the Assembly Hall, Temple Square at 12:00 p.m.

Special guest: Miguel Ángel Muños Borrego from the Secretaria de Gobierno in the department of Instituto Estatal de Documentación, Coahuila, Mexico.

Registration begins at 8:00 a.m. in the library’s foyer.
Cost: $10.00, includes a lunch voucher for ZCMI/Crossroad food courts.
You can pre-register at http://familyhistory.byu.edu

Classes and workshops from 9:30 a.m.- 4:30 p.m. 
Classes and workshops will be in offered in Spanish and English.

Subjects will include:

• How to start your family history
• Helps on research in Latin America
• Computer labs on genealogical programs
• How to find records in Spain and Latin America
• Internet sites for Spanish genealogical sources
• Help with Italian and European research

For more information visit: www.legadolatino.org or call Carlos Alvares 801-763-7789 or Ruth Gómez Schirmacher 801-240-1530.  Class schedule below sent by Lorraine Hernandez, Calendar mistress.

On Monday, Yuliana Chavez began her freshman year at the University of Nevada, Reno carrying books, pens, paper and her parents’ hopes of seeing her become the first in her family to graduate from college.

"We wish for her to realize her dreams at this university for her future," her father, Jose Luis Chavez, said. "Her dreams are our dreams, too." Chavez, 44, and his wife, Maria Camarena Chavez, 41, never went beyond the sixth grade in their native Mexico. Both work at the Silver Legacy. Chavez, a United States citizen, is a busboy, and his wife, who has legal resident status, is a motel maid.

In Yuliana, they see a chance for their eldest daughter to have a better life and pave the way for her 16-year-old sister Yareli and 11-year-old brother Luis to follow. The 18-year-old Wooster High School graduate, who lives at home, feels the pressure. "I do, but I have a lot of support and I know next year my sister will follow me," Yuliana said. "So, yeah, I hope I do well."

UNR doesn’t have statistics on how many of the approximately 15,000 students are the first in their families ever to go to college. Rita Escher, director of the Academic and Opportunity Support Program, oversees programs to provide academic help and counseling for students, primarily those who are first-generation students receiving financial aid.

Without college-savvy parents to help show them the ropes, first-generation students can become frustrated by the bureaucracy and unable to navigate the system, Escher said. "Once you walk onto a college campus, you’re entering a different world and a different culture," she said. "You’ve crossed the border into academe and there are lots of things you have to learn and adapt to."

They also will provide the skilled workforce Nevada needs to attract diversity at a time when Indian gaming in California and across the country is threatening the state’s primary industry, she said.

"Nevada has a very low college-going rate," she said of the state’s ranking among the lowest in the nation for high school graduates who go to college.

"In the past, people were able to get a good job, but those days are over," she said. "Whether it’s a university, community college or technical school, it’s important for high school graduates to get more training if they want to make a good living."

It was the lack of any chance to make a good living in Mexico that caused Jose Chavez to enter California illegally in the 1980s. He became eligible for legal residency under President Reagan’s amnesty program, which allowed immigrants who had been in the U.S. before 1982 to apply for temporary resident status and employment permits. "There were no job opportunities," Chavez said. "Everybody looks for a better job and to improve life for your children."

And now his daughter is taking advantage of an opportunity to improve her life. Yuliana’s 3.6 grade-point average, out of 4.0, earned her a state-funded $10,000 Millennium Scholarship. But even with the scholarship, she plans to work about 22 hours a week doing office work at American Home Companion, a personal care attendant service.

The freshman said she is a little worried about her English and grammar skills but otherwise is ready for her first semester of college. "I hope I do good. I know there’s going to be a lot more studying. Way more studying than in high school," Yuliana said. "I feel prepared, but there’s still the doubts and the what-ifs."

At least one bilingual staff member will work in the administrative office of each Washoe County high school a minimum of four hours a day at a cost of $127,000 for the year, a school official told a group of Hispanic parents and students.

Interim Superintendent Paul Dugan during a Monday night meeting at Pine Middle School in Reno also outlined a plan for schools with the largest number of Spanish-speaking students to have an attendance clerk seven hours a day. The staff would answer questions and helps parents and students with limited English language skills better understand how the school district works.

"I thought it was important to look at the needs of every high school and then determine what we could afford to do," he said. "Some high schools received a significant amount of hours, much more than four hours a week and some high schools did not receive any."

Dugan told the Galena group, called Ayudando a Superarse or Helping to Move Forward, that hours for the attendance clerk at Hug Wooster and Sparks would increase from 4.2 hours a day to 7 hours a day and that an additional bilingual senior clerk for 4.2 hours a day would be staffed.

Reed High School, North Valleys High School, Spanish Springs High School and Galena High School also would get a bilingual senior clerk for 4.2 hours a day. A new job description would be developed and interviews conducted to fill the job.

In addition, at the request of the parents, Dugan also agreed to hire a bilingual senior clerk for 4.2 hours a week for each of the seven remaining high schools. Funds for the additional staffing would come from the general fund. .

Dugan told the group that the growing Hispanic community is the school district’s number one priority.

There were 3,679 Hispanic high school students in the 2003-2004 school year compared with 3,228 the previous year. "It’s a dramatic change in a very short amount of time in percent of minority students and second language students," he said. "I think we need to help our schools deal and be prepared to meet this dramatic change."

Dugan also announced that Crespin Esquivel, dean of students at Sparks High School and former teacher of English as a Second Language, would become the Hispanic liaison specialist and begin the position Sept. 13. . . .As a Mexican who at one time was a Spanish-speaking student trying to learn English, Esquivel said he understands the challenges Hispanic students face. "That is the reason I applied for it," Esquivel said of the position. "If I didn’t feel I could help my own kind, I wouldn’t have applied for this job. I understand how students feel coming to this country and not being able to speak English."

That event, the Centennial Street Fair, will bring barbershop quartets, Chautauqua performances and other theater, music, gold panning, handcar rides and plastic bounce houses to a stretch of Virginia Street between the Truckee River and the county courthouse.

On May 31, 1904, the first public library in Nevada opened its doors in Reno at the corner of South Virginia and Mill streets. That same day, the Nevada Historical Society was founded.

"To celebrate 100 years of continuous service is something we’re very proud of," said Nancy Cummings, library director for Washoe County.

Since that first library was first opened a century ago, Washoe’s library system has grown to 13 libraries that last year served 1.2 million patrons, Cummings said.

Libraries offer far more than books and other informational material, Cummings said. They also serve as a gathering place and provide a wide range of children’s and cultural programs. "We’re very proud of being one of the cultural heartbeats of the community," Cummings said.

In Carson City, culture is also what Salsa Y Salsas Festival is all about, said Raquel Knecht, director of Nevada Hispanic Services in Carson City. The event is good for families and offers an entertaining glimpse into the rich tapestry of Hispanic culture, Knecht said. "I think it’s important just to let people know of the diverse cultures we have in our community and the diverse things that can come from those cultures," Knecht said.

SOUTHWESTERN UNITED STATES

 
War Stories and a Handwriting Analyst 
Treyce Benavidez

Juan Pablo Grijalva, Colonial Soldier 
Read about Sgt. Grijalva's activities in the De Anza letters,
 Somos Primos, July and September, 2004

Did you know that, whether in war from yesteryears or today’s War on Iraq, handwriting tells a story all by itself. It has been used for hundreds of years in which most of society has no clue it even exists. It is a silent science because, unlike the other sciences where one needs to talk to, examine, or draw blood from the subject of the study, handwriting analysts do not. Did you know that Abraham Lincoln was a victim of forgery and a handwriting analyst solved it for him? The Lindbergh baby case was solved with handwriting analysis and this is the same science that helped convict Ted Bundy on interstate charges.

History is full of examples and war is no different. In fact, my father remembered that we used handwriting analysis in World War II to interrogate the "enemy". Today Michael Alexander is using it in the War on Iraq and the technical name for it is "Propaganda Analysis". Let’s take a look at Juan Pablo Grijalva’s writing and his personality traits during the war.

What is the first thing that you notice when looking at his signature? It is undoubtedly his rubic. This rubic is extravagant showing his thoughts were remarkably over active and his behavior most likely matched those thoughts. In and of itself, these are not "bad traits" and given he was in war they most likely kept him alive. He thought about what he was going to do and did it. To others, especially of those times, his thought processes were far more advanced than theirs so they thought of him as "full of himself", "rudely arrogant" and possibly even "stupid". He wasn’t any of those but he was extravagant in thought, word and behavior.

The ending of his rubic is sword-like which shows the weapons prominent on his mind. Even in today’s world individuals who are obsessed with death or pain (giving or receiving) will draw weapons in their writing. These weapons are not necessarily their weapons of choice but the subconscious is illustrating its thoughts. For example, John Wayne Bobbitt’s signature changed after one of his vital organs was cut off. His signature now has a butcher knife drawn underneath it - a subconscious drawing of traumatic pain in his life. With Juan Pablo Grijalva it is reflective of the "only thing on his mind" – war, weapons and death.

The colored-in tip of his ‘sword’ and the colored-in area of the ‘blade’ reveal that, while remaining in control of himself, he had anger about being away from his private life.

His ‘i’ dots indicate a very realistic viewpoint on his environment. More importantly he was living "one day at a time". He wasn’t thinking about goals or any form of future events. With war going on how could he. This shows that, while the others are thinking he’s "full of it" – he has a realistic view of what is going on around him. The fact that his ‘i’ dot is thick, however, indicates his cynical outlook on life and his extreme nervousness. With the pressure being so impacting on his daily life that he ground the ‘i’ dot into the paper. Given the circumstances… who could blame him. 

Let’s now look at the loop on the ‘b’ and the ‘o’. This shows his perseverance at carrying through and completing the necessary steps to complete the task at hand and go home.

His spacing dictates that he had a desire and need to be close to his loved ones. However the short loops of his capital and lowercase ‘j’ indicate that his interest in fornication was gone but, given the circumstances, he would not have had time for it anyway.

It is clearly evident that he was a very creative thinker and his skills for strategic planning were years ahead of the others in that time. He could think abstractly and invoke ideas that others wouldn’t have ever dreamt about. Overall he was outgoing, caring and loving but driven by his intellect and accompanied by his strong level of self-assurance. He was able to handle stress better than most of those years and one rarely saw him exhibit any irrational attitudes or oppressive reactions. If he could talk his way out – he’d rather do so than to harm anyone. At the same time he knew, in certain situations, he had no choice. One thing is for certain – he longed for his family and they were on his mind every day.

[[Editor: I asked Eddie how he obtained a copy of a soldiers' signature circa 1770. He answered.]]

August 30, 2004

Dear Mimi:

When I got interested in researching my heritage, I had no idea what was ahead of me.  I did not know any other person that were doing research on their roots until I read and saw the movie ROOTS, about Alex Haley, his quest in finding his roots.  I thought that was just great.

Since I started my research on my family history, I did not know that I would meet such wonderful people like you and many others, too many to mention.

One person that I hve become close to in my research is Mr. Don Garate from Tumacáori National Park, Tumacáori, Arizona.  Website Tumacáori NHP Mmission 2000.  E-mail: don.garate@nps.gov
Phone: (520) 398-2341, Ext. 25.  One day Don called me and said, Eddie, how would you like to have Juan Pablo Grijalvas signature, I was just about blown off my chair, and I said, wow, I have been looking for something like that for year and he said, I will translate the documents for you and send them to you.

This is where Don found the:
ARCHIVO GENERAL de INDIAS, SGU. 7083,3.
PROVINCIAS INTERNAS RETIROS Y GRADOS, BLOQUE 1, NUMERO 653.

And that is my friend Don Garate.
Su amigo, Eddie Grijalva  grijalvaet@sbcglobal.net

Rio Grande Collection

Shalam Colony: A Utopian Experiment
http://archives.nmsu.edu/exhibits/shalam/

BLACK

Articles on the Black, Latino, Indian Connections 

"As Afro-Latinos embrace both sides of their heritage,
they may provide the bridge to connect both communities."

George Herrera, former president and CEO of the U.S. Hispanic Chamber of Commerce.

Photo: Andy Nelson

The following articles were all sent by Cindy LoBuglio.. She writes: "We have Paiutes here in Lassen County; also Maidu, and Pit River, and of course others from other areas. Interesting carvings at the Casino."

Reno woman proud to be descendent of great chief Extract, article by: Geralda Miller Reno Gazette Journal http://www.rgj.com/news/stories/html/2004/09/02/79575.php

Doreen Mason, 70, 
the great-grandaughter 
of Paiute Chief Numaga, 

Photo: Liz Margerum 
Reno Gazette-Journal

Michon Eben of Reno (left) 
and Tina Toledo Rizzo of Clovis, Calif.

All-woman drum group perform at Numaga Indian Days.  Photo shows a practice session.

Geralda Miller RENO GAZETTE-JOURNAL, 9/3/2004 09:36 pm
http://www.rgj.com/news/stories/html
/2004/09/03/79603.php
Sent by Cindy LoBuglio

A Reno woman is pounding out new sonic as she sits at a drum and sings with 11 other women in a group she co-founded -- the Mankillers All Woman Northern Drum. The 13-year-old drum group is one of several all-women groups in the country performing in circles where men continue to dominate.

Group co-founder Michon Eben, a member of the Reno-Sparks Indian Colony, said the Mankillers have persevered and today face less acrimony at ceremonies and powwows."It took a while," Eben said. "A lot of men drum groups thought that it was wrong, it was not traditional for women to sit at the drum. We had hate mail."We still have it (animosity) sometimes but not a lot.

the group is named after Wilma Mankiller, the former Principal Chief of the Cherokee Nation of Oklahoma and first woman in modern history to lead a major American Indian tribe. "She’s our role model because she’s done so much for us," she said. "She was a strong woman, and it was a strong name.

We needed that to be strong out there and competitive.  "The name "Mankiller" is a traditional Cherokee warrior name given upon successful completion of battle," says the message on the group’s Web site. "We are women warriors, seeking to create healthy communities and relationships in our lives and the lives of others around us. We are wives, mothers, daughters, aunties, granddaughters; we are educators, students, artists, activists, scientists, dancers, poets and storytellers."

Mankiller said she is aware of the drum group that created an honor song for her family name."It was my impression that they didn’t start out to make a statement about women sitting at the drum," Mankiller said in a written statement. "Rather, they were more interested in making sure they were performing the songs with honor and dignity. Hopefully, everyone at the powwow will not focus on whether there are women at the drum, but on their ability to sing.

Irma Amaro-Davis and Maggie Escobedo-Steele, who were students at Humboldt State University in Arcata, Calif., started the Mankillers in 1991.They asked women to join the drum that they thought would be strong enough to handle the flak. "It was taboo," Eben said. The women also had to be strong community participants who were in healthy relationships, if not married."We wanted to make this a good circle," Eben said.

"The women in the drum circle said they would rather participate in ceremonies where they can empower young women and youths, rather than powwows.

Traditions Come Alive at Numaga Days
Men participate in the Golden Age Men dance 
Photo by Andy Barrera/Reno Gazette-Journal

Photo: Liz Margerum/RenoGazette Journal

SEPHARDIC

The Inquisicion in the New World In the earliest years of the Spanish colonies the bishops ran the New World Inquisicion. Their inquisicion files would have originally been in the episcopal archives and, in some places, probably still are in those repositories. The organization sometimes known as the La Inquisicion Espanola, that is the official government run organization with a central headquarters in Madrid and tribunals in various localities in Spain set up to detect and destroy certain crimes associated with religious issues (among which cryptojudaism was one but no means the only-- crypto moslems, witchcraft, fornicating clergy, blasphemy, and several other kinds of illegal behavior also came under its jurisdiction), didn't officially come to the New World until close to the end of the sixteenth century. 

Three tribunals were set up in the New World. One in Mexico City for the North American mainland south to Panama and the Philippines. One in Lima, Peru for most of South America. and one in Cartagena, Colombia (then in Nueva Granada or the Audiencia de Santa Fe) for the northern coast of South America and the Caribbean islands. Two of these archives have survived. That in Mexico City ended up in the Archivo General de la Nacion (AGN). Consisting of 1555 bound volumes dating from 1522 to 1819, they include the records of the inquisicion of the bishops and that of official Tribunal of the Santo Oficio de la Inquisicion which was established in Mexico in 1569. Much, but by no means all, of the bishops inquisicion concerns trials of Indians. 

The arrival of the Inquisicion organization brought with it an intensified search for secret Jews. The colonial records of the AGN (not just the Inquisicion) are very well organized and a very detailed and comprehensive guide to these records is in the process of being placed on a CD-ROM. As of about three years ago the guide to about half of the these holding were searchable by means of this CD-ROM. Also each bound volume of Inquisicion records at the AGN has a brief abstract of each of the files in the volume, allowing one to search them very rapidly. The records of the Inquisicion in Lima have also survived but those in Cartagena disappeared many years ago. Correspondence between these three New World tribunals and the Supreme headquarters of the Inquiscion in Madrid is kept at the AHN in Madrid. These consist of only 175 manuscript bundles and 78 manuscript books. Among them are the few remaining references to cases tried by the Cartagena tribunal.

The Blazquez Miguel book will provide the addresses of several centers in Spain that specialize on Inquisicion studies. Again I very strongly recommend getting a copy of this book.

If you are in Spain, you might visit the old Ghetto in Gerona. It is the best reconstructed/excavated Jewish quarter in the Spains. Won't help you find your ancestors but will provide a better feel for those distant times and places than anything in the more famous Jewish quarters of Andalucia and elsewhere in the Spains.

Finally, if you decide you need someone to search for you, I charge $150 per day plus expenses.

Feel free to ask if you have any other questions, Lawrence H. Feldman, Ph.D and MLS
Post Office Box 2493
Wheaton Maryland 20915-2493
email: Lawrenc846@aol.com

The goal of Census Trail is to restore missing censuses from alternate records that exist and make them readily available on the website.  Of special interest to Sephardic researchers will be the work in Georgia in 1790.  An added benefit for Georgia is the inclusion of names for Burke and Washington Counties which have experienced sever record loss.
http://www.Censustrail.com

TEXAS 

Latino Arts Fiesta, October 1, 2, & 3, 2004
      
The International Hispanic Cultural Institute (IHCI) was founded with the intent of minimizing the drop-out rate in El Paso schools by using the arts to motivate young people not only to stay in school, but to seek higher education as well. Furthermore, the historical and artistic impact of our region with its unique blend of Indian, Spanish, Mexican, American, Texan and New Mexican influences provide a rich Latino cultural heritage unlike any other. Combining a passionate interest in our area's cultural arts, along with the motivation to help our young gifted artists, IHCI developed the International Latino Arts Fiesta. Over time, we will develop the fiesta into a two to three-week festival showcasing the best Latin artist from our region and the rest of the Latin world.

Important dates leading up to the main event: September 13-24, 2004  Preliminary competitions will take place at each participating  high school and community competitions will be held at the La Fe Center and in Ciudad Juarez. By September 24th, each  participating high school and the community competitions’  site coordinators must provide an entry form for their  representative acts in order for these acts to be included in the quarterfinal competition. . 

Join in the "Historic Effort" to have a U.S. Postal Commemorative Stamp issued in honor of Col. Juan N. Seguin. Since 1995 and in subsequent years, The Seguin Family Historical Society has been instrumental in promoting and requesting this historic stamp. However, let it be public knowledge that in 1981, The Juan N. Seguin Stamp Club in Seguin Texas sponsored the very first petition under the direction of Chairman, Mr. W.F. Kraushaar. As you can see, the idea and desire in this historic endeavor has not weaned. 

Please sign the petition at the following link and forward the link to your family and friends
http://www.ainetcomm.com/test/segtest2.html

Petition requesting a U.S. Postal Stamp to Honor Juan N. Seguin
Defender of the Alamo - Hero at San Jacinto           

Citizen's Stamp Advisory Committee
U.S. Postal Service
475 L'Enfant Plaza, SW, Rm 4474E
Washington, DC  20260-2437

Dear Committee Members:

In an effort to recognize a True Texas Hero, Col. Juan  N. Seguin, we the undersigned are requesting your help in securing a place in American history for Juan N. Seguin.

Seguin was a native born Texan and Patriot and Hero of the war for Texas Independence.  It was through his contributions and influence as part of a team and that of as a leader of dedicated men and women that Texas gained it's independence from Mexico in 1836.   In 1848 Texas joined the United States of America.   A union that not only strengthened Texas, but the United States as well.

Seguin's forefathers were among those Tejanos that supplied George Washington's army with Beeves, Honey and Grain via Spain's Bernado de Galvez's army which at the time was protecting the American Colonist southeastern most borders and aiding the Colonist in their struggle for independence from England.

In remembrance of a man who helped change the destiny of two nations, the United States of America and the Republic of Texas.  A union that molded and strengthened two countries into one and forged into the future our country as we know it today.   A country with diversity in population, but united under one flag. 

We the undersigned join Congressman Gene Green, Congressman Ciro Rodriguez and  many other public officials that have joined in a Bipartisan Congressional Effort in requesting that a United States Postal Service Commemorative Stamp be issued to commemorate Texas Hero Col. Juan Nepomuceno Seguin and that it's first day issue should be in the city named in his honor, Seguin, Texas.   (Ref:  H. RES. 12) 

Thank you, we and history, await your historic decision.   
The Seguin Family Historical Society - The Original and Official Seguin Family Organization and Web Site.

Found some interesting information on the name Seguin from a French website for origins of names. http://www.jtosti.com/noms/s4.htm

I used a free internet translation program to get some rough translations. 

Robert Tarín  rtarin@satx.rr.com

Scholars interested in the Spanish Colonial period in Mexico need now look no further than the South Texas Archives and Special Collections at Texas A&M University-Kingsville for information. The university’s archives recently obtained 134 volumes of microfilmed Spanish government documents covering the late 1600s to 1821 and a region that spread from northwestern Mexico to the northeastern Gulf Coast. The region includes what is now South Texas and was once referred to as the Provincias Internas.

The new collection contains thousands of documents, including genealogical records of the founding families of the region. The collection also contains many military documents such as service members’ records, lists of presidios and maps of the area. Vera said the collection also documents the Native Americans living in the area during the time period as well as some information on Spanish land grants.

The collection is entirely in Spanish and will be of most interest to historians, genealogists, archivists and cartographers.  A complete index of the collection was obtained from the University of Arizona, which makes it much more user-friendly.

SOURCE: George Gause and TAMUK news release
South Texas Researcher Newsletter: November 2003 

That means you can search the electronic card catalog for all these libraries around the world at one-time! Ask your local librarian how to access this feature at your library or while at home. WorldCat is a key resource for genealogists. To download a free 30-page "WorldCat for Genealogy Tutorial" go to: http://www.oclc.org/worldcat/genealogy

Because WorldCat is a "super" catalog of more than 900 million library holdings representing 54 million items held in libraries, you can reduce the number of places you search to locate useful material. WorldCat complements tools such as the LDS Family History Library, Ancestry.com and ProQuest's HeritageQuest.

WorldCat is apart of the TexShare Program through the Texas State Library & Archives. Ask your local librarian for the TexShare login ID and password that have been assigned to your home library. Some libraries may use a different method to identify you and may ask you to log in to their Web site with your student ID or library card number before connecting to the Library of Texas.

Most large universities and several large public libraries have extensive history, genealogy and/or archives collections. Again, some of these are combined into one facility however Austin, Houston and Dallas have separate genealogy collections, archives and Texas & Local History collections. I hope you are now motivated to get out to your local library to do research instead of sitting only at the computer! Now don't get me wrong, I too spend too many hours in front of the computer but I know that I cannot solely rely on everything being on-line!

In this column, I will be glad to highlight and review any family history, genealogy, county history, or similar book, free of charge, if you donate a copy of the book or item. After it has been highlighted and reviewed, on a space available basis, it will be donated to the genealogy section of a library. You will receive an acknowledgment of the donation from the library. Mail item or book to me at the below address.

To read back issues of this column, go to http://www.geocities.com/lks_friday/COLUMN-001.htm
Regretfully, I cannot help with individual genealogical research. However, you can submit queries that will be published on a space available basis. If you have any questions, comments, suggestions for column topics, genealogy or historical society announcements, please contact me at: P. O. Box 16604,

Houston, Texas 77222-6604 or e-mail: lksfriday@sbcglobal.net
Lynna Kay Shuffield - P. O. Box 16604 - Houston, Texas  77222

'Our Loose Ends' Genealogy Column http://www.geocities.com/lks_friday/COLUMN-001.htm
Milam County TXGenWeb - http://www.geocities.com/milamco
San Jacinto County TXGenWeb http://www.geocities.com/lks_friday/SANJAC-01.htm

Zambrano Genealogy: Descendants of Felipe de Jesus Zambrano
Sent by George Gause  ggause@panam.edu
Zambrano Genealogy: Goliad, Texas
Comment by Robert Tarin

Descendants of Felipe de Jesus Zambrano

Compiled:  Linda Zambrano-Robinson
 arroya@msn.com

1571 North Arroya, Apache Junction 
AZ   85219

EAST OF THE MISSISSIPPI

INTRODUCTION Since 1519, when the Spanish explorer Alonso Alverez de Pineda led an expedition along the northern shores of the Gulf of Mexico and discovered the mouth of the mighty Mississippi, Spanish culture has influenced Louisiana. The Spanish-language manuscript resources in the Louisiana and Lower Mississippi Valley Collections (LLMVC) at LSU touch upon all these sources of Spanish cultural influence. This guide to these resources includes descriptions of the papers of early colonists, Spanish-speaking people and free people of color in the nineteenth century, and residents of cities and towns like New Orleans and Natchitoches. The documents it describes came from farmers and merchants, writers and artists, women and men, the famous and the anonymous.  Collections in this guide are listed alphabetically, with a chronological index after the alphabetical listing. Brief descriptions include references to sources for additional information--either the LSU Libraries' catalog, which is accessible through the Internet, or the manuscript card catalog in the Special Collections reading room of Hill Memorial Library. Still additional information on some of these collections can be found in detailed finding aids in the reading room. Increasingly, electronic copies of these finding aids can be found on the World Wide Web site for Special Collections, where you can also find information about using the collections, searching the online catalog remotely, and asking us questions.

Hill Memorial Library / Louisiana State University, Baton Rouge, LA 70803
Public Services Desk: (225) 578-6544 Reference Desk: (225) 578-6568  Fax (225) 578-9425

EAST COAST

September 15, 2004

Reflections on "Salute to Hispanic WW II Veterans"
by J. V. Martinez   jvmart@verizon.net


Three hours ago, I attended the Hispanic Heritage Month commemoration, "Salute to Hispanic WW II Veterans", held at the Hall of Heroes in the Pentagon and hosted by the Hispanic Was Veterans of America. I felt honored to be in attendance and believe it would have been an honor for any other American had he or she been present. This is particularly true for any Hispanic. Hispanics are known to have served in the U.S. military beyond their representation in the U.S. population. Seeming, such service has become a tradition as illustrated by the fact that so far 39 Hispanics have been awarded the Congressional Medal of Honor and that 20 % of American casualties in Iraq have been Hispanic soldiers.

At this event, nine Hispanic veterans were honored: Raymond P. Alvarado, Osvaldo Diaz-Espada, Guy Gabaldon, Andres Ignacio Gallegos, Raul Gonzales, Peter Jimenez, Jose Lopez, Frank Medina and Ignacio Servin. Of these, Jose Lopez, of Mission, Texas, was the only Congressional Medal of Honor recipient.

The keynote address was delivered by Lieutenant General Richardo Sanchez who was flown in from Germany for the occasion. General Sanchez was formerly commander in Iraq and is now Commanding General of the Fifth Corps. Near the end of the ceremony, each honoree was provided an opportunity to share his thoughts with those in the audience. This part of the program had its amusing moments. One honoree wondered how to address the current officers officiating at the ceremony to express his appreciation for the occasion, considering as he said, "I was only a private." General Sanchez responded by stating that he, the private, was the highest ranking officer present in that hall.

Guy Gabaldon, who is being supported for receipt of the Congressional Medal of Honor and who has authored a book of his experiences, was humorous, with some irony, in his remarks. This included mention of his coming across three fellow marines who were pinned in a gully by a machine gun during WW II. Gabaldon went ahead and joined the group of three and noticed that one of them was a Chicano-Gabaldon seemed to honor that label. Gabaldon learned that the marine was from Los Angeles just as Gabaldon was. Upon learning they attended rival high schools, the newly met Chicano volunteered to fight Gabaldon right then and there. Ultimately, the Chicano marine read a passage from a Bible he was carrying after which, he left the gully alone and headed for the Japanese manned pillbox that was firing on the marines. Attempts to convince the Chicano marine to return were to no avail. Rather, the marine managed to reach the pillbox already fatally wounded with a large number of bullet holds in his body and used his hand grenade to destroy the pillbox saving the lives of his fellow marines. This is a poignant story indeed, one of several relayed by the honorees.

Another of the nine veterans stood up to express his appreciation for being provided the opportunity to be present and to thank the organizers for arranging the event.  The veteran began his comment by indicating that as a private, he was unaware how to address the high level officers present.  These included all within the ranks of up to that of  lieutenant general (Ricardo Sanchez).  General Sanchez responded immediately to address the private by saying, "Today in this room, you are the highest ranking officer."  I don't believe a more gracious response could have been made considering the sacrifices the private made during WWII. 

Hispanic War Veterans of .America. HWVA Tribute 
World War II Honorees

Washington, DC September 15, 2004

Pete Jimenez: SSG Jimenez served in the Army with the 175^th Infantry Regiment, 29^th Infantry Division since the beginning of the Normandy Invasion at Omaha Beach, to the surrender of Germany. He also served as one of General Elsenhower's personal bodyguards, when the general visited the Division on the front lines. SSG Jimenez was awarded numerous awards including the Legion D'Honneur/Legion of Honor, by order of President Jacques Chirac on June 6,2003. He also received the Croix de Guerre by order of General de Gaulle, the Bronze Star with V device and five Purple Hearts.

Jose Lopez: SGT Lopez, born in Mission, Texas served with the 23^rd Infantry, 2^nd Infantry Division in the European Theater. He was awarded the Congressional Medal of Honor. The award citation states "SGT Lopez's gallantry and intrepidity, on seemingly suicidal missions in which he killed at least 100 of the enemy, were almost solely responsible for allowing Company K to avoid being enveloped, to withdraw successfully, and to give other forces coming up in support, time to build a line which repelled the enemy drive" The full citation can be viewed at the Congressional Medal of Honor Society website: http://www.cmohs.org

Frank Medina: CPL Medina of the Army Air Corps, served as a tail gunner with the 756^th Bomb Squadron when his aircraft a B24 was shot down over Italy. He and the crew had to parachute out of the plane. He landed in a cornfield dodging machinegun fire and was trapped behind enemy lines for eight months. He survived by using his wits, military training and assistance from friendly Italians. His story is well documented on his book "Ciao Francesco"

Ignacio Servin: PFC Servin, born in Miami, Arizona, served in the Army with the 154^th Combat Engineers Battalion in the Pacific Theater during WWII. He earned the Silver Star for gallantry in action in September 1944. He and a fellow soldier (now deceased) volunteered to blow up an enemy ammunition site, thus helping to destroy the enemy's hold of the island. PFC Servin waited almost 60 years to receive the Silver Star. On December 5, 2003, Senator McCain pinned the Silver Star on Servin at a ceremony in Phoenix, Arizona.

Under Representation of Hispanics in the Federal Service
by J. V. Martinez   jvmart@verizon.net

The Congressional Hispanic Caucus Issues Conference is held during the Hispanic Heritage Month commemoration period. In this year’s conference, Mr. Gilbert Sandate reported on the issue of under representation of Hispanics in the federal service on Tuesday, September 14. Mr. Sandate presented the report on behalf of a sub-commitee of the National Hispanic Leadership Agenda, which claims a membership of 40 Hispanic organizations. The issue is that U.S. Hispanics as a whole are woefully represented in the federal service save for possibly service in the military where, as Mr. Sandate stated, 20 % of the casualties in Iraq are Hispanic.

The issue of under representation if of particular interest since the presence of Hispanics as employees in the federal sector is not being maintained but is actually decreasing. Without a doubt, it is apparent that the Hispanic participation is decreasing relative to its population growth. What’s more, as Mr. Sandate cited is included in the associated press release, the presence of Hispanics is dismal at the highest levels of employee, notably the Senior Executive Service.

The facts Mr. Sandate conveyed is that the fraction of Hispanics in the federal service is near 7 % while the fraction of Hispanics in the U.S. population is 13 %; the absence of an equitable fraction of Hispanics in the service amounts to a several billion dollar loss of revenue to the Hispanic community; the population figures used in making these estimates do not include the near 4 million population in Puerto Rico; of those Hispanics employed in the federal service, less than 3 % are in the highest level pay scales and nearly 9 % are in the lower category of pay scales. Thus, not only is there equity in the federal service in terms of number of employees but in addition, those Hispanics employed by the federal government are concentrated in the lower, non-decision, non-policy making and non-supervisory positions, positions of influence.

MEXICO

(956) 495-7644: e-mail: clementerg@hotmail.com
Arq. Carlos Rugerio Cazares, Secretario
us (956) 849-0099, 849-1411 y 227-5689
cel en mex: 01-86-88-85-20-28
o al correo electrónico: rugerio@email.com

Ponencias inscritas.
1.- Presentación del Libro " El Triunfo del Agua"  por el Lic. Mario Garza Ramos, Comentarios Ing. Clemente Rendon de la Garza.
2.- Constantes Arquitectónicas en los sistemas constructivos y materiales en la Villa de Revilla en el Siglo XVIII. por Mtro. Arq. Carlos Rugerio Cazares.
3.- Presentacion del Libro " La Espada y el Caliz" por el Profesor Joel C. Uribe
4.- Semblanza del Historiador y Cronista "Don Lorenzo de la Garza por el Ing. Rafael de la Garza (nieto).  
5.- La Familia Flores en la Historia de Los Dos Guerreros

Sent by George Gause ggause@panam.edu

LOOKING FOR YOUR IMMIGRANT ANCESTOR
FROM MEXICO (1890-1960)?
by John P. Schmal

If you do not know the town from which your ancestors came from in Mexico or other areas, it is not likely that you will progress beyond what you have now. You need to learn the name of the town or municipio from which your ancestors came. You may be able to get this information from your own relatives or from your parents papers in storage.

But, one thing you can try to find if you have a non-citizen ancestor living in the US during the 1940s (wartime) is an Alien Registration Card. America wanted to keep track of all the non citizens during this time so they were registered. The Alien Registration Program in 1940 required that all alien residents of the United States register at their local Post Office. The registrations from July 1940 to April 1944 are on microfilm in INS custody, searchable by name, date of birth, and place of birth.

You can write to the address below, saying you are requesting the info "under the Freedom of Information Act" or you can obtain a Form G-639 and fill it out. Do not forget to say that you are specifically asking for the information under the FOIA, or they may send the request back.

If the person is deceased, it might be good to send them a copy of the obituary, Social Security Death index entry or a death certificate. Tell them everything you know, where they lived in the 1940s, possible aliases, etc. This is the address:

INS Freedom of Information
425 I Street, NW
2nd Floor, ULLB
ULLICO Building
Washington, D.C. 20536
Fax: (202) 514-4310

See also: http://uscis.gov/graphics/aboutus/foia/request.htm
and  http://uscis.gov/graphics/aboutus/foia/ADDRESS.HTM

Between 1903 and 1952, 1.5 million immigrants came across the border at El Paso and their names, ages, birthplaces, and last permanent addresses were recorded. The El Paso office says that the records for the short-term visitors may have been thrown away early on (1910s), but most of the records are available on microfilm at NARA. To find out more information about the National Archives offices and their microfilm holdings for border-crossing and other records, consult these websites:

Mexican Border Crossing Records:
http://www.archives.gov/research_room/genealogy/immigrant_arrivals/mexican_border_crossings.html

Naturalization Records
http://www.archives.gov/research_room/genealogy/research_topics/immigration_and_naturalization.html

Naturalization records after 1907 can offer the researcher a great deal of information about his or her immigrant research. You can Email these facilities to ask them about your immigrant ancestor. If you decide to Email them, it is always good to try and give as much information as possible about the person concerned, birthplace, birth date, when they arrived in America, where they lived, address, and names of family members. Giving approximate dates is better than giving no information at all. Below is the website for NARA (National Archives and Records Administration). 

This site will give the Email addresses of the various facilities around the country:
http://www.archives.gov/facilities/facilities_by_state.html

Once you locate a place of origin, you may want to consult the Family History Library (aka Mormon Library) and access their catalog to see if church or civil records are available. They own 154,000 rolls of microfilm for all of Mexico and it is rare when they haven't had a town that I was looking into.

In our book, "Mexican-American Genealogical Index: Following the Paper Trail to Mexico," Donna Morales and I present the readers with many examples of border-crossing records, alien registration, and naturalization. Available through Heritage Books.

http://marketplacesolutions.net/secure/heritagebooks/merchant2/merchant.mvc?Screen
=PROD&Store_Code=HBI&Product_Code=S2139
Details: Mexican-American Genealogical Research: Following the Paper Trail to Mexico
Code: S2139 Price: $21.00

If you want to view the website for further details, it is: http://members.tripod.com/~GaryFelix/index63.htm
For how to get started on DNA testing check out Family Tree DNA at: http:www.familytreedna.com

Robert Tarín   rtarin@satx.rr.com
San Antonio, Texas

Real y Minas del Panuco, 
hallazgo e historia, pasado y presente

Por Lic. Leonardo de la Torre y Berumen

Gracias, Salvador Cabral Valdès  scabral@ancestros.com
Pagina Personal  http://cabral.galeon.com  Colaborador en http://www.ancestros.com.mx

Guillermo Padilla Origel
padillaoguillermo@prodigy.net.mx

I.-capitán Don Pedro de Arizmendi y Gogorrón, nació hacia 1560, de origen judío, en Vizcaya, España, luego en 1592, vecino del real y minas de Zacatecas de la Nueva Galicia, minero en San Luis Potosí, comisario del santo Oficio, minero en "Tlaxcalilla", "San Antonio" y la hacienda de "San Pedro de Gogorrón", en la jur. de San Luis Potosí, casó por 1590 con Doña María Antonia de Rivas Palomino, y fueron sus hijos:

1.-Doña Elena de Arizmendi y Gogorrón y Rivas Palomino, nació en "Tlaxcalilla", en San Luis Potosí, hacia 1600 y se casó en primeras nupcias con Don Pedro Pérez de Bocanegra y Xaramillo, hacia 1619 en San Luis Potosí, dueño de la hacienda "Atotonilco", y fueron sus hijos nacidos en Querétaro:

Alonso, Josefa, Juana , Teresa y Elvira Pérez de Bocanegra Arizmendi y Gogorrón, esta última de padre desconocido tuvo a : Francisco y Margarita, casada con Joseph de Sagasta.

Doña Elena de Arizmendi y Gogorrón, se casa en segundas nupcias con Don Juan de Villaseñor y Cervantes, h.l. del capitán Don Gonzalo López del Castillo y de Doña Luisa de Cervantes, descendiente de Don Juan de Villaseñor y Orozco (ver familia Villaseñor).

2.-Don Pedro de Arizmendi y Gogorrón y Rivas Palomino, comisario, regidor de la villa de Celaya.

3.-Don Antonio de Arizmendi y Gogorrón y Rivas Palomino, denunciado del santo oficio, minero en San Luis Potosí, propietario de varios sitios y tierras en San Miguel el Grande, alcalde de la santa Hermandad y se casó con Doña Juana Rodríguez, y fueron sus hijos entre otros:

Don Martín de Arizmendi y Gogorrón y Rodríguez, nacido por 1648

Don Andrés de Arizmendi y Gogorrón y Rodríguez, nace por 1650, casado con Doña Felipa González, y fue su hijo Don Pedro de Arizmendi y Gogorrón y González, bautizado el 14 de agosto de 1678 en la villa de Pozos , San Luis Potosí

4.-Don Francisco de Arizmendi y Gogorrón y Rivas Palomino, diputado de las minas de San Luis Potosí, en 1641, se casó con Doña Juana de Zavala y Eiguía, heredaron la hacienda de San Pedro de Gogorrón, ella , hija legítima de:

Don Juan de Zavala y Fanárraga I, natural de San Pedro de Luzúa, en España, testó en 1649 en San Felipe, y se casó con Doña Ana de Eiguía y Leyva, fue su primo hermano :

Don Martín Ruíz de Zavala, originario de San Pedro de Luzúa, España, dueño de la hacienda del "Xaral", (hoy de Berrio), casado con María de Gordejuela y Lois y fue su hijo

Don Juan Ruíz de Zavala y Lois, casado con María Centeno y Maldonado, originaria de Yucatán, y fue su tío quien les heredó a ambos Zavala: Don Juan de Zavala, nacido en Vizcaya España , por 1559, dueño en México de las haciendas de " Zavala", "Valle de San Francisco", "Xaral", etc., se casó con Doña Catalina Vázquez, sin descendencia.

Don Francisco de Arizmendi y Gogorrón y Rivas Palomino y Doña Juana de Zavala y Eiguía, fueron padres de :

Don Diego Saenz de Zavala y de Don Juan de Zavala Fanárraga II, que a su vez fue padre de:

1.-Doña Juana de Zavala y Arízmendi y Gogorrón, quien vendio la hacienda de Gogorrón a Don Juan Antonio de Urrutia y Arana, Marqués de la Villa del Villar , en 1798

2.-Don Cecilio de Zavala Arízmendi y Gogorrón, casado con Doña Teófila Fos, hermana de Don Juan Nep. Fos, casado con María Hernández y Don Cecilio y Doña Teófila, fueron padres de :

Doña Agustina de Zavala y Fos, bautizada en 1849 y enterrada en la hacienda de "Gogorrón" y Don Sixto de Zavala y Fos, bautizado en 1851 en San Luis Potosí

Continuation of the Descendents of Don Juan Canales
Compiled by John D. Inclan

Generation No. 6

CARIBBEAN/CUBA

La Genealogía de  Puerto Rico   

Papeles de Cuba

General Message Board
PRHGS Message Board
GenForum Message Board
How To Post A Query
PR Mailing List
Centro de Orientación para la Genealogía Puertorriqueña
Surname Database of Dr. Javier Alvarez Rios
Personal Surname Listing Pages
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Gotitas de Información - Los Pueblos
UPR: Guía De Los Documentales Existentes
Personal Web Pages
Microfilm Index
Parroquias de Puerto Rico
Información Histórica
Artículos de Interés
Query Archives
The Negroni Family

SPAIN

Monasterios de La Rábida 
de donde partió Cristobal Colon para el Descubrimiento de América.
Photos by Angel Custodio Rebollo Barroso

Monasterios de La Rábida 

SU HISTORIA  por  Ángel Custodio Rebollo

El Monasterio de la Rábida esta en un promontorio dominando los dos ríos y su leyenda nos lleva hasta tiempo de los fenicios donde nos dicen que fue un templo dedicado a la diosa de la fertilidad, después, al parecer, cuando la dominación romana el templo fue de una diosa romana y al final parece que lo conquistaron los Templarios y estos se lo entregaron a  la Orden de San Francisco.

Al parecer en 1261 llegaron a La Rábida los franciscanos , según afirman algunos historiadores del siglo XVI, pero el primer documento probatorio en el que se habla de la existencia de los franciscanos en La Rábida es una bula expedida en 1412  por el Papa Benedicto XIII, a favor del ermita rabideña y en la que menciona a la Virgen titular.

La primera visita de Cristóbal Colon fue en otoño de 1484, y volvió en 1491 por segunda vez para recoger a su hijo Diego y es entonces, cuando el Padre Marchena que había sido confesor de la Reina Isabel,  al verlo tan decaído, le anima y empieza su ayuda eficaz y definitiva.

De aquí partieron el 3 de agosto de 1492 la nao Santa Maria y las carabelas Pinta y Niña, que llegaron a la isla de Guanahaní, una de las islas Lucayas que Colón denominó San Salvador,  el 12 de octubre de 1492.

El Monasterio fue objeto de varias obras de construcción para su ampliación y conservación, hasta el 1 de noviembre de 1755, que con motivo del famoso terremoto de Lisboa, destruyó el claustro de la portería, varias celdas y otros destrozos.

En 1810 la invasión de España por las tropas napoleónicas hizo que los franceses llegaran hasta Palos y La Rábida y ocasionaron también múltiples daños, que fueron reparados hasta 1835 que con motivo de una Ley de Exclaustración los franciscanos fueron obligados a marcharse, quedando el Monasterio en total abandono, tal que en 1851 pensaron en destruirlo. Pero a ello se opuso el entonces Gobernador de Huelva, Mariano Alonso del Castillo y se respetó lo que quedaba, comenzando entonces una tímida reparación

El 20 de febrero de 1856 La Rábida es declarada monumento nacional y se hace cargo tanto de su reconstrucción como de su mantenimiento y conservación la Diputación Provincial de Huelva,  que continua haciéndolo hasta hoy.

EN LA ACTUALIDAD

El entorno de la Rábida, que ahora está dedicado a los miles de turistas que lo visitan, está compuesto actualmente por el Monasterio, donde viven cuatro frailes franciscanos; el Muelle de las Carabelas, donde se conservan reproducciones a tamaño natural y visitables de los tres barcos, Santa Maria, Pinta y Niña; el Parque Celestino Mutis, donde se conservan plantas traídas del continente americano y que normalmente no hay por aquí; el Foro Iberoamericano, de nueva construcción y donde se celebran conciertos y actos al aire libre, y varios edificios especialmente de hospedería.

En el Muelle de las Carabelas, los días en que se celebran actos conmemorativos, se reproduce, con la intervención de actores, como funcionaba un puerto andaluz en la época de Cristóbal Colon.

INTERNATIONAL 

Iberoamericana
http://www.ibero-americana.net/en/index.html

The Concepcion was abandoned, and her spices were transferred to Victoria and Trinidad, but Trinidad was captured by the Portuguese, when attempting to return via the Pacific route. The Victoria set sail via the eastern route home on December 21 1521. By May 6, 1522, the Victoria, commanded by Juan Sebastián Elcano, rounded the Cape of Good Hope, with only rice for rations. Twenty crewmen died of starvation before Elcano put in to the Cape Verde Islands, a Portuguese holding, where he abandoned 13 more crewmen July 9 in fear of losing his cargo of 26 tons of spices (cloves and cinnamon). They returned to Spain, on September 6, 1522. The expedition actually eked a small profit, but the crew were not paid their full wages.

HISTORY

Woman to woman...Why we should vote! 
Sent by Joyce Basch joycebasch@juno.com

A short history lesson on the privilege of voting. 
"Courage in women is often mistaken for insanity."

FAMILY HISTORY

FAMILY SOURCES AND INTERVIEWS

Salena_ashton@hotmail.com

Your family, and the family of your parents, grand parents, aunts, uncles, and cousins will have vast amounts of information to get you started on your research. This information will come in the form of birth, marriage, and death certificates, cards and letters, pictures, memories that are written, memories that will need to be extracted from Grandpa Joe’s head, and perhaps there will even be some compiled genealogy.

When you start talking to people about family history you will first want to start with yourself, then your parents and siblings. Then you can talk to aunts, uncles, cousins, and grandparents. You will want to ask specific questions. When people tell you what they know, it is good to be prepared:

• Paper and Pencil. Take notes on what you learn. Write down the specific questions you want to ask. Very few of us will be able to keep all of the facts straight in our heads. Don’t take chances.
• Tape Recorder, tapes, and extra batteries or an extension cord. Unless you are super human, you won’t be able to write as fast as people talk, neither will you be able to remember what people tell you. Using a tape recorder allows you to enjoy talking with people without worrying about getting down all of the facts. It also allows the person to talk without worrying about your writing.
• Ask specific questions. Which question will be easier to answer? "Grandma, tell me about your childhood?" or the second question, "Grandma, can you tell me how you got to school everyday?"

Anything that the family lends to you, be sure to return it. Get a Xerox copy of what they hand you. Take notes on who gave you what. The last thing you want to do is create a family feud by giving Aunt Flo’s pictures to Uncle George.

Speaking of family feuds, very few of us come from a perfect family. There are tough situations that you may have to deal with. If parts of your family don’t talk to each other, you will have to overcome that. Unless the problems involve you directly, overcoming these obstacles will be easier. Most often the reason people fight will have to do with other generations and you as the child of your parents are just ‘caught’ in it. By simply re-establishing contact with a grandparent or aunt, you can assure them that you still want to speak with them and get to know them.

If your family will not help you in gathering information and resources, then that is fine. Keep trying. It might take two or three contacts. It might require that you pay for all expenses. It might require two weeks or six years of patience. But do what you can. Most often, when relatives see that you are not just kidding around about genealogy, but that you are serious, they will usually lighten up. For example, my dad’s side of the family ‘tree’ resembles a collection of family splinters. No one talks to anyone. After I moved out on my own, I could start talking to them without my parents forbidding me. Imagine how hard that was for an eighteen year old! Well, the family is not nice and my parents had good reason to cut off all contact. However, they are still my family. They have the same ancestors that I do, and those ancestors have as much need for genealogy and being remembered as we do.

And so it happened that the family would not cooperate with me. I had to start from scratch. About five years later, I presented an aunt with the work I had done (keeping in contact with her from time to time). She saw how much work I had been able to do and three weeks later she gave me some names, dates, facts, stories, and some pictures to be Xeroxed. I had to constantly keep contact with people who disliked my parents, who avoided my calls, and who could care less about genealogy. I had to work for years to do what I could. I learned the name of my third great grandma Rosa May Wolfe. Now tell me, was all that work worth it? Ask Rosa May Wolfe. Don’t you think she feels better having been remembered? Yes, this work is worth it.

Now that you have been able to search family records, the Internet, FamilySearch and other LDS sites, social and local histories, and maybe even obtained information from more distant relatives, you now face the challenge of knowing what to do with your information. Before you go on to your original research, there are a few other things that you need to secure:

          a. What information do I have? Birth, marriage, death information, spouse’s information, information for all the children? (Note: By now you should have organized your information. If you haven’t, you will soon discover the difficulties of knowing what you have and what you don’t have. Then one of two things will happen. You’ll either organize your research, find what you have, and will be able to continue, or you will look at the piles of papers, throw them in a box and declare your hatred for genealogy. Please organize your files).

          b. What information do I still need? Am I missing a birthdate? Do I have all the children and their information? Write the things you want to learn on a list, preferably your research log. Just as you narrow your focus for writing a paper, you need to narrow your focus for your research.

          c. What information conflicts? How many birthdates do I have for this guy? When you gather information, be sure to write down its source. Once you reached a point where five different sources give five different birthdates, for example, then you start doing some serious analysis.

                    i. The closer the document’s creation was to the time of the event, the more accurate it
                       is likely to be.    Example: John Ball.  Information Source

                    ii. Consider the nature of the source. Though my Grandma Rene was a smart woman, I
                        cannot honestly expect her to know more than the man who asked John Ball himself
                        about his age when he enlisted for the Union. Census enumerators may have made
                        mistakes, and people (especially women) sometimes lied about their age.
                        Sometimes only one person gave the information for the whole family. Most of the 
                        time, wever, when census data conflicts, it’s usually because people weren’t so time
                        oriented as they are today.

Exercise: Go to your husband (or wife) and ask him to give you the full name, birth date and birth place for himself, you and your children. If there are no children, ask him for this information about his parents and siblings. Soon, you will quickly realize why it is so important to not take your dear grandmother’s memories to the bank.

                    iii. Was the document an original, secondary source, or a transcription? Sometimes
                         well-meaning transcriptionists make mistakes when they copy information from an
                         original source.

Make a Plan-- After you know what information you have, and have resolved as many conflicts as you can, now you focus on what you need to research.          

                    iv. Missing information: You will focus on what you need to learn about an ancestor.
                         Birthdates, marriages, missing children, etc.

                     v. Conflicting information: Sometimes the only way you can learn the truth about which
                         source is correct is to research it yourself. If you have five different versions of the
                         truth, then you may want to do some checking. What matches? What conflicts?

                    vi. Learn more about your area. Maps, gazetteers, geographical dictionaries will often
                         tell you political and ecclesiastical boundaries that are necessary for you to know if
                         you are going to do genealogy. They will also give you some social history and
                         other hints that will aide you in finding your ancestors. We will go into that the next
                         lesson.

By taking these steps before you dig into original resources, you are saving yourself time and trouble. Planning and evaluation help you focus on what needs to be done. It also tells you what you need to do next. Having a plan not only makes us feel more confident in our research, it often makes our research more successful.

Salena B. Ashton, BA Family History

salena_ashton@hotmail.com

None of us should be writing the ‘perfect family’ history because none of us have the perfect family. Sometimes we may not want to write about a particular event, or even a particular ancestor, because they did something we believe was wrong. Other times we choose to not write about them because we do not know how.

Family history can serve as a foundation for personal healing, family communications, and personal growth.[1]We can write about our imperfect family members with love; we can learn about ourselves, and others, through this process of self-discovery and self-healing. Writing a history invites us to understand the skeletons in our ancestral closet to bridge gaps between the living. "These skeletons remain unreal, unpractical, until we work with our familial past. Words, in the same manner, have a history, an ancestral past, and by uncovering the top-soil and tilling the roots of this etymological earth, we find the myths and meanings hidden within."[2] Through writing, we can come to a better understanding of ourselves, our family and its traditions, and of the trends we set for our children and future generations.

WRITING ABOUT TOUGH SITUATIONS AND "INTERESTING" ANCESTORS

The degree of exposure in our writing gives us the freedom to trim down or flesh out our character. We don’t have to completely avoid writing about a situation; we can simply say as little or as much as is necessary. In commenting on his book Growing Up, Russell Baker states, "If I want to honor my mother in this book I must be truthful…I felt that it dishonored her to lie. Honesty would serve my mother best in the long run; it would make her plausible.[3]" Likewise, we can still respect and honor the people we write about by choosing how much of a flaw we tell our readers. For example, note the following different degrees of exposure in writing about my grandfather:

1. My grandfather is tall with gray hair and brown eyes…He lives in Colorado… (If you do not want to write about him, or go into details, you can limit your work to neutral statements).
2. My grandfather was a mean man. (Nice, but boring. Perhaps if this is all that you are willing to say, it would be better to say nothing at all).
3. My grandfather was cruel to his family. (You may want to give an example of something he had done. Allow the reader to decide for himself whether or not he was cruel).
4. My grandfather would hit his wife and son, but not his daughter. (This exposure allows the reader to see why he was a cruel man).
5. Dad learned to ride a bike when he was seven. As can be expected, he lost his balance and crashed into the car. My grandfather, drunk and enraged, grabbed my dad by his shirt, socked him in the face, and then threw him on the dusty ground. He then threw dad’s bike into the local dumpster, returned home and beat my father for ‘scratching the car.’ (This is a general example, to which we all can relate, and leads into a specific event. The statements focus on the fact and give no opinion of character. This detailed of a story can enrich your family histories, but too many of these examples will depress your reader.)

1. Do not make a list of negative traits. You are not a gossip columnist so don’t write like one. Lists paint an unfair picture of the man, present problems but no development, and your reader will eventually tune out.

The idea of dual audience can help your readers understand a tough situation without having to expose them to unnecessary heartache. Take the following example:

"While I was in the hospital, my mother moved in our home to help Daniel take care of the kids…I was unsure of what to tell Linda [ten-year-old daughter] when she told me that my mom threatened Daniel with a frying pan…"

Two people could read this excerpt, (and in greater context with the story), and get two completely different ideas about this family. Readers who have not experienced a fair amount of abuse may find this a little sensational, but their attention will increase. Since this was the most graphic detail found in this particular history, these sensitive readers will not feel unnecessarily exposed.

On the other hand, those readers who have experienced abuse would be able to read between the lines. They understand that something had to lead up to this particular scene, and they are allowed to wonder about the unwritten scenes—and it is okay to sometimes let our readers wonder. You are under no obligation to tell your readers everything. The tone of a story is what a reader feels while reading between the lines. They are the unwritten words, the "voice" of the story. If you write with an informative and honest tone, readers who can read between the lines should not feel like you are purposely trying to hide the story. They will appreciate what you do write, but they will appreciate more what your tone adds to the story, thus making it more complete without having to give more detail.

The first best way to learn how to write is to start by writing. Take a writing class from an experienced teacher who will give you honest feedback. Then write. It may feel akward at first, but remember that the only people who will read your writing will be those with whom you share the writing. Write and learn to trust your own writing, then you will gain confidence.

With that confidence you will find writing easier. And when writing becomes easier, when you have learned more about writing from your class and growing experience through practice, you will become better equipped to write about tougher situations.

The second best way to learn how to write better is to start reading more books. Read family histories, biographies, autobiographies, and social histories. When you find a phrase, chapter, or even just a few sentences that appeal to you, make a photocopy of it. Then write in the margins what you like about the phrase. Did this author use descriptive details? Did they tell about a tough situation in a calm and plausible manner? Did the writing have a good tone to it? Did you like how much or how little they expressed about the situation? Make notes on what you liked about it, and file the examples in your writing notes. When you find examples of writing that you do not like, copy those too. Write down what you did not like about it, then file these in your writing notes.

Learning the social history of your ancestor’s time and location will facilitate your writing. For example, I have two lines of my pedigree that were slave traders in Missouri and Tennessee. Instead of not writing about these families, I read about slave trading, the concept of Southern honor, and about business transactions of the 1800s. Though I do not agree with the practice, I saw how I could write about the situation in a fair manner because I gained that extra knowledge, which then gave me more confidence and greater ability to write.

The point of view will make a difference in the tone of your writing. Family histories or memoirs are not the same as going out to war; we don’t write to attack others nor do we take the opportunity to defend ourselves. Write to tell the story. When writing about tough situations, it is best to state the facts and events and leave the judging of character to the reader. Frank McCourt’s Angela’s Ashes, tells of the horrors of alcoholism and poverty, yet he never makes a judgmental comment. "It’s not entertaining if it’s imbued with self-pity.[6]" He based his story on events and added love and humor.

After writing down the stories, enrich them with an analysis or a solution to current problems. James McBride’s The Color of Water is full of conflict and resolution to his childhood problems. We can do the same about my grandfather. Instead of making the negative stories the focus of the family history, we can develop his general roles as a husband, father, and how strong of a woman it took to remain married to him. I could develop the stories into certain themes: racism, interracial marriages, spousal and child abuse, effects on the family during Depression. We could also develop the story by explaining how writing this family history allowed me to see that this man wants to love, except he is too afraid to expose his true feelings.

When we go beyond reporting events we invite the reader to learn from our experiences. We can use lessons from the past to deal with current problems. Family histories can "elevate the pain of the past with forgiveness, arrive at a larger truth about families in various stages of brokenness. There’s no self-pity, no whining, no hunger for revenge.[7]" We can still write about troubled family members or ancestry with love and positive purpose. We do not want to write a history only to have our readers say, "Oh, that was terrible! What’s for dinner?" Invite your readers to experience the raw, human emotions and acquaint themselves with the people you present. Share something profound.

[1] Delight E. Champagne, "In the Field: The genealogical search as a Counseling Technique," Journal of Counseling & Development 69 (Sept./Oct. 1990): 85-87, as quoted in Genealogy as a Tool for Self-Knowledge and Family Therapy, by Thomas S. Rue, M.A.,CCMHC,CASAC,NCC, 1998.

[2] Murray Bowen, "The Use of Family Theory in Clinical Practice," Comprehensive Psychiatry, no.7 (1966): 345-374, as quoted in Genealogy as a Tool for Self-Knowledge and Family Therapy, by Thomas S. Rue.

[3] Russell Baker, "Life with Mother," in Inventing the Truth: The Art and Craft of Memoir, ed. William Zinsser (Houghton Mifflin Company: New York, 1998), 37. See also Russel Baker, Growing Up, (Congdon & Weed, distributed by St. Martin’s Press: New York, 1982).

^{[4] Frank McCourt, Angela’s Ashes, (Scribner: New York, 1996).}

[6] James McBride, The Color of Water: A Black Man’s Tribute to his White Mother, (Riverhead Books: New York, 1996).

[7] William Zinsser, Inventing the Truth, 5.

CHALLENGES WITH THE LIVING

Sometimes I joke to my dear husband that my favorite relative is the dead relative. I believe the hardest part of family history is working with the living. Persistence, patience, and results are often what will get a family to take the genealogist more seriously. I had an aunt who chose to not tell me stories (or waste her time, as she bluntly told me). I researched the family without her help. After a few years I gave her copies of census, marriage, and land records. I then told her that if there was anything else that she could do to help me; stories, pictures, names, etc., I would be able to expand the research. She grunted at me. A year later she 'happened to find' a box of pictures and let me copy them.

If your family will not give you information or resources, keep trying. It may take two or three contacts. It may require that you pay for all expenses. It may require two weeks or six years of patience. Keep researching. Share your results with the family and tell them that their help would facilitate your research. Show them by example that you are serious. Show them that you are not interested in the dirt. If you are interested in the dirt, perhaps you should become a gossip columnist and put your genealogy on the shelf. [8] When relatives see that you are interested in the genealogy they may be more willing to share information with you.

 [8] The difference between fleshing out a person and throwing in dirt is that the former is objective and the latter is somewhat uninformed and biased.

DECIPHERING LIES 
and FAMILY MYTHS

Family lies and myths can be as trivial as an exaggerated claim to German ancestry, or as serious as learning your father is also your grandfather. Decide if the truth is worth the energy, hurt feelings, and your time. Is it worth finding out how much German ancestry you really have? If the family lies about it, you will eventually find out, so don’t worry about it. When family members do not want to talk about their family, talk to more distant relatives. If different family members give you conflicting details about an event, compare and contrast the details that do agree. When family members talk about a complicated, sensitive issue, but every detail matches exactly, be aware that you may not be receiving the entire truth. When you discover secrets, decide whether or not you should share them. Is it worth your time finding out the circumstances of an incestuous conception and the resulting adoption? You may want to learn her true parentage for your records, but that is all that is necessary for genealogy. The rest is not worth hurting people’s feelings.

Remember, you don’t have to tell the whole story. Simply choose the degree of exposure that best suits your purpose. Keep a neutral point of view that allows your audience to make their own conclusions. Develop the negative situation into an edifying, plausible setting. Remember, we should not write the ‘perfect family’ history, but instead, a history that is perfect for our family.

Anyone with experience with family history research can start a Surname Project. We supply the tools and guidance so your Surname Project is successful. There are just two steps to take to become a Group Administrator of a Surname Project:

1. Find out if a Surname Project exists for your surname. Click on the link below to search our database of Surname Projects: http://www.familytreeDNA.com/surname.asp

2. If a Surname Project hasn't been established for your surname, then use the email contact below to establish a Surname Project, or to discuss establishing a Surname Project:

bcg@familytreeDNA.com   for Bennett Greenspan
Facts & Genes from Family Tree DNA 
August 25, 2004  Volume 3, Issue 5
Sent by Tom Ascencio tomasnsio@aol.com

ARCHAEOLOGY

Link to Ancient Life in Utah

Did the First Amercians Come From, Er, Australia?

Link to Ancient Life in Utah
by Paul Foy,  
Associated Press via OC Register, 7-3-04

The San Francisco-based Trust for Public Land bought Wilcox's ranch for $2.5 million.  The conservation group transferred the ranch to the Bureau of Land Management, which turned it over to the state of Utah.  The deal calls for the ranch to be opened for public access, a subject certain to raise debate over the proper stewardship of a significant archaeological find.

MISCELLANEOUS

Dear Diary