Special Collections

National Genealogical Society Conference

speccollections — Sun, 13 May 2012 20:24:58 +0000

The National Genealogical Society‘s annual conference, held May 9 – 12 at the Duke Energy Convention Center in Cincinnati, was a great experience for genealogists at every level. In-depth sessions included lectures on building research skills, military research, Kentucky records, and tech topics. The exhibit hall was filled with vendors, genealogical and historical societies, and database companies including Ancestry, FamilySearch, FindMyPast, the National Institute for Genealogical Studies, and Fun Stuff for Genealogists. Wednesday evening featured a presentation by Ancestry on their newly released databases and DNA testing.

Genealogy conferences are a great way to refresh existing skills and learn new ones. The sessions are packed with tips and case studies that truly challenge old notions of what’s possible in genealogical research. While we might not get a chance to look at some of the records the pros have discovered, it’s good to know they’re out there.

Webinars and online classes are quite popular in the world of continuing genealogy education, but conferences remind us that there’s nothing like being there in person and mingling with others who share our interests.

Towpath Trail Complete in Summit County

speccollections — Fri, 11 May 2012 21:24:16 +0000

On Wednesday, May 9, local officials, representatives of Metro Parks Serving Summit County, and residents celebrated the completion of the Ohio and Erie Canal Towpath Trail in Summit County. The dedication and ribbon cutting took place near the Wolf Creek Trailhead in Barberton. This beautiful stretch of the popular bike and hike trail includes a 494 foot bridge spanning the Tuscarawas River. When complete, the Towpath will stretch from Cleveland to New Philadelphia. For more information about the Towpath, visit the Metro Parks website.

High Bridge Glens

speccollections — Wed, 02 May 2012 20:55:26 +0000

High Bridge Glens

The Summit Memory Project continues to be one of our most valued resources. This
“scrapbook” of Summit County history includes nearly 15,000 images which document our community’s history. A popular exhibit is the High Bridge Glens exhibit contributed by the Cuyahoga Falls Historical Society. On Tuesday, May 15, at 7 p.m. there will be a High Bridge Glens history presentation and book signing at the Cuyahoga Falls Library, 2015 Third Street. The event is free and open to the public. Local author Mary McClure will give a slide presentation on the history of the High Bridge Glens & Caves, a Victorian era amusement park that made Cuyahoga Falls a travel sensation in the late 1800s. The park, which was located along the banks of the Cuyahoga River at Front and Prospect streets attracted up to 8,000 visitors a day and is said to have had one of the first roller coasters in the U.S. A portion of the Glens now constitutes the Glens Trail in the Gorge Metro Park. Following the presentation, the author will sign copies of her new book, High Bridge Glens of Cuyahoga Falls.

War of 1812 Ohio Soldier Database

speccollections — Tue, 01 May 2012 00:42:09 +0000

Ohio Society, United States Daughters of 1812 have created Online Index to Grave Records of Servicemen of the War of 1812, State of Ohio. A work in progress, the database currently includes 4,500 names, as well as photographs of grave stones for some soldiers. For more information about local and statewide commemorations of the War of 1812, visit the Ohio Historical Society’s Ohio War of 1812 Bicentennial Commission page.

Vintage Photos of Firestone Park on YouTube

speccollections — Fri, 27 Apr 2012 19:11:40 +0000

Enjoy this montage of vintage photographs of Akron’s Firestone Park:

Lecture on Black Civil War Soldiers at Cuyahoga Falls Library

speccollections — Fri, 27 Apr 2012 18:12:52 +0000

Dr. Kelly Selby of Walsh University will speak on Black Civil War soldiers on Tuesday, May 1, 2012 at Cuyahoga Falls Public Library. This free lecture starts at 7 p.m. The program is sponsored by the General A. C. Voris Camp, Sons of Union Veterans of the Civil War. To read an article from the Stow.Ohio.com Web site about this upcoming event, click here.

And remember, Special Collections will be holding our own Civil War program, Discovering Your Civil War Ancestors, on Saturday, August 11. We hope you’ll join us!

Special Collections Staffer Places First and Second in Writing Competition

speccollections — Wed, 18 Apr 2012 18:20:34 +0000

Jane Gramlich, Special Collections Librarian, has won prizes for two genealogy articles in an annual competition sponsored by the Ohio Genealogical Society. Jane ’s first place article, “From the Banks of Muddy Creek to the Shores of Lake Erie: Peter and Mary Cowell Rush of Euclid, Ohio,” is a study of her fifth great-grandparents and the family’s origins in Greene County, Pennsylvania. This article will be published in the OGS journal Ohio Records and Pioneer Families.

Jane’s second place article, “Badly Broke Down: The Battle John Demaline Lost,” is a study of her second great-grandfather’s Civil War pension file. He was a private in Companies C and G of the 67th Ohio Volunteer Infantry. The article will be published in Ohio Civil War Genealogy Journal.

Last year, Jane won first prize for “Out of the Unity of Friends: The Remarkable Legacy of Abner and Mercy Heston.” This article also traced her ancestral research and was published in Ohio Genealogical Society Quarterly. All of these publications are available to read in the Special Collections Division.

Join us in congratulating Jane on her wins! Congratulations, Jane!

Premiere of New Documentary About Johnson’s Island

speccollections — Wed, 18 Apr 2012 00:06:08 +0000

Three years in the making, Rebels on Lake Erie tells the story of young John Yates Beall and his abortive attempt to liberate soldiers held at Ohio’s Johnson’s Island prison which was built to house captured Confederate soldiers during the Civil War. More than 10,000 officers called Johnson’s Island home.

Written, directed and produced by Kathleen Endres of the School of Communication of The University of Akron under a grant from the Ohio Humanities Council, it was filmed on location and features numerous experts and historians.

The premiere screening of the film will take place at 6:30 pm on Thursday, April 19 at the Quaker Square Inn, Ballroom B. The event and parking are free. For more information about the film, click here.

Medina Library Genealogy Lock-In Set for April 20

speccollections — Thu, 12 Apr 2012 13:14:12 +0000

The Medina Library will be hosting a Genealogy Lock-In on Friday, April 20 from 6:30 to 10:30 p.m. Join the library’s genealogy staff and members of the Medina County Genealogical Society for an evening of genealogical research and learning. This lock-in will focus on interviewing your relatives, the recently released 1940 U.S. Federal Census and using newspapers in your research. Call 330-722-4257 or click here to register. Don’t wait—there are just 13 spots left. And mark your calendars for our own Late Night at the Library for Genealogists event, scheduled for Friday, November 2.

Akron Symphony Orchestra Titanic Program Tonight

speccollections — Tue, 10 Apr 2012 16:35:13 +0000

Join us at 6 pm this evening in the Main Library auditorium for Tour of Titanic. Akron Symphony Orchestra Music Director Christopher Wilkins and Stage Director Craig Joseph will present a lively discussion of the people, history and music of Titanic, along with musical selections performed by cast members from the Broadway hit, Titanic. This program will be repeated tomorrow, April 11 at 1 pm at our Tallmadge Branch. Both programs are free and open to the public.

Tickets are still available for the Akron Symphony Orchestra’s fully-staged musical performance of Titanic at the Akron Civic Theatre on Saturday, April 14, exactly 100 years after the sinking of the ship. Click here for more information.