Review of 2017

Sixteen of my twenty-eight posts for 2017 focused on the Watts house and the collections created from the major organization project that started in August 2016. There are still a few things that require finishing touches, but for the most part the work on the collections is finished. We are currently having the pictures digitized by the Columbia County Museum volunteer staff. Their staff has been very supportive of this project, offering time doing the inventories and then sharing materials in their collections. Patricia Oberndorf, who I met originally at a local Association of Professional Genealogists meeting and works at the Columbia County Museum, got me involved with the Scappoose Historical Society. We encouraged joint meetings of all the Historical Societies of Columbia County and they now meet on a quarterly basis. These meetings are very productive and we share what is going on with each society and within the county. Some societies from neighboring counties have also joined us. Next month we are meeting in Clatskanie, Oregon with lunch and a talk by someone from the Oregon State Archives.

24 Days of Gratitude 2017

November 2017 Days of Gratitude
November 1 at 7:13am ·
Welcome November. What a great way to begin sharing my gratitude in posts for this month. Yesterday we had a great time with three of our children and our granddaughters. They had a great time walking our neighborhoods in Scappoose. David made gingerbread cookies and they decorated them. For dinner we had toasted cheese sandwiches and tomato soup. Over 100 trick or treaters, small, large and in between. One dinosaur in the street must have been over six feet tall. During all this I was notified that I won a large collection of genealogy products from Genealogical Bargains through Thomas MacEntee. Needless to say I am grateful for all I am blessed with.

Blog Update

This morning I randomly looked at my blog gophergenealogy.blogspot.com and was shocked to find the following update. There were 50,000 in February 2015. In January 2017 there were 100,000. Will it make 150,000 by this January?

Pageviews all time history
137,541

United States 88587
Russia 10302
Germany 7068
Netherlands 5110
France 4498
Ukraine 3414
Canada 1156
United Kingdom 728
Poland 604
Turkey 596

Thank you to those who take the time to read my posts. It truly is a miracle that I am writing. The past couple of years have involved so many volunteer hours at the Watts House and in Columbia County, Oregon. I am speaking less and working more for clients. On Wednesdays I volunteer four hours at the local Family History Center. This week I am returning to Gladstone Family History Center to do two classes on research at familysearch.org in Spanish. We will see how I do with my rusty Spanish. It will be great to visit with so many genealogy friends. Please come if you are able, free and a free lunch. From 9-3. Information and syllabus available at http://milwaukiefamilyhistoryconference.blogspot.com/

Watts House Collection - 31 Research Notebooks Available

 Watts House Collection - 31 Research Notebooks available at the Watts House

Watts Family

Watts, Nessly, Jacoby Family History

Blue notebook -

       Scappoose, Oregon Historical Sketches by J. G. Watts

       Watts/Price Store Ledger Book

       Cash Book, Ledger for Water Accounts July 1941-June 1942

       Journal Ledger for Water Accounts July 1942-June 1944

       SE Ledger for Water Accounts June 1945-February 1946

       Journal Record Taxes 1948-1949

Watts Family Encyclopedia by Van Watts

The Watts House copied from Columbia County Historical Society

Watts/Becker Scrapbook copied portions from Columbia County Historical Society

Watts (From Benjamin F. Watts) Overland Journal copied from Columbia County Historical Society

Francis H. Watts and his Family copied from Columbia County Historical Society

Dorris Watts and Scappoose History by Caroline Dorris copied from Columbia County Historical Society

Oregon Columbia County Records 1854-1958, Watts Deeds, Marriages, Records Index

Watts Land Records Government Land Office

William and Lena Burg Family History Research

J. P. West Family History Research

Scappoose, Oregon Information Notebook 1

Scappoose, Oregon Information Notebook 2

Columbia County, Oregon Information Notebook

U.S. Federal Census/State of Oregon/Columbia County

Oregon Centennial 1959 Governors, misc.

Oregon Centennial 1959 Recipes, etc.

Oregon Centennial 1959 Native Americans

Oregon Centennial 1959 Oregon Highlights

First Congregational Church of Scappoose, Oregon Books 1890-1984

Watts House Library Books Inventories: Scappoose Public Library, Watts House transferred books, Books at Watts house before transfer

Scappoose, Oregon Garden Club 1956-1972

Small Ledger Book probably from J. G. Watts, Level 1, Book 3, Cash Book

Scappoose, Oregon Important Documents (in tote)

Scappoose, Historical Society Board Information Notebook 1

Scappoose, Historical Society Board Information Notebook 2

Scappoose, Historical Society Board Information Notebook 3

Family Pictures and People in the Community (in tote)

Family Pictures and People in the Community (in tote)

Still to work on:

Four totes - 2 for Scappoose information, 1 for pictures and 1 for Scappoose Historical Society Board

Five flat totes - Pictures sorted and ready for scanning

Some of the notebooks are just printed copies while others contain items relevant to the topic.  

Some Book Serendipity at GFO Seminar

Saturday I attended the seminar in Milwaukie, Oregon at the Milwaukie Center, with CeCe Moore as the speaker, put on by the Genealogical Forum of Oregon. It was a fantastic program on DNA research. The speaker was so motivating in encouraging me in wanting to do more of this type of testing and discovering more about my ancestors. We had a wonderful lunch and enjoyed visiting with so many friends. Then I bought way too many books, but I am prepared for reading when I take breaks from working on the DNA results. Thank you to my friend Tricia Oberndorf from St. Helens for driving and helping me cart the books home.

Watts Books at the Watts House with Signatures of Family Members

Watts Books at the Watts House with Signatures of Family Members

Acres if Diamonds by Russell Herman Cornwell, John D. Moore & Co., published 1901, Philadelphia, singed in fire, J. G. Watts.

American Cookery, The Boston Cooking School Magazine, April 1934, Property of Mrs. Watts, Gardening Section.

Baxter’s Practicle Up to Date Receipt Book for Bakers, 1896/1922, signed by author, Mary A. Ewing.

Call Julii Caesaris – Commentarii by George Stuart AM, Eldredge & Brother, Philadelphia, 1863/1867, J. G. Watts March 1884.

English American Literature by Truman J. Backus, New York, 1881, donated by J. G. Watts, inscribed “a present to Rose by a friend.”

Fortieth Anniversary of the Statehood of Oregon by State of Oregon, W. F. Leek State Printer, Salem, Oregon, to J. G. Watts County Clerk 1898-1900 with picture.

Good Morals and Gentle Manneers by Alex M. Gaw AM, American Book Co., New York, 1873, Mrs. J. G. Watts.

History of the Great War Vol. 1-8, New York, 1916, donated by Mr. & Mrs. Henry Collier, June 24, 1941.

McGuffey’s High School Reader by Van Atnwarp, Bragg & Co., New York, 1889 to Mr. J. G. Watts when County Superintendent of Schools, 1891

New Normal Mental Arithmetic by Edward Brooks, Sower Potts & Co., Philadelphia, 1873, James G. Watts December 9, 1880.

Old Fashioned Roses by James Whitcomb Riley, Bobs-Merrill Co., Indianapolis, 1912, Mary A. Ewing 1940.

Oregon Native Son Historical Magazine, Native Son Publishing Co., October 1900, singed in fire, J. G. Watts.

The Harvard Classics, New York, 1909-1914, donated by Mr. & Mrs. Henry Collier June 24, 1941.

The Library of Universal Literature by Frank Crosby, New York, 1900, donated by Mr. & Mrs. Henry Collier, June 24, 1941.

The Life and Works of Washington Irving Vols. 1-2, by Pollard & Moss, New York, 1893, donated 1955 by H. E. Burns father of Archie Burns, who was a grandson of Wm. Watts, Scappoose, Oregon.

The Orthoepist by Alfred Ayres, D. Appleton & Co. New York, 1880/1888, J. G. Watts.

The Shakesperein Reader by John W. S. Hows, New York, 1881, signature and notes by J. G. Watts, PHS 1887.

Scappoose, Oregon Historical Sketches

Scappoose, Oregon Historical Sketches

Good History 25 names, BK No 1, Pioneers

Historical Sketches 1824 – 1940, J. G. Watts, 1940, Front page

Susannah Rice 437 NE Multnomah St. Portland

List Names for 1830, 1840, 1850

Watts Books at the Scappoose Library with Signatures

Watts Books at the Scappoose Library with Signatures

Gefchichten and Marchen, by Lillian Foster, 1899: John Russell Collier

Germelshaufen by Griffin M. Lovelace: Helen Watts Clothier

Marchen und Erzahlungen by H. A. Guerber: 1914-15 Helen L. Watts, S.H.S.

Marchen und Erzablungen by H. A. Guerber, vol. 2, Helen L. Watts, S.H.S. ‘17

Sober als bie Rirdje by Mills Whittlesey, A.M., Helen Watts

Frau Sorge by Gustav Gruener, 1911, Presented by J. G. Watts, Feb. 17, 1930

The Footprints of Time And a Complete Analysis of the American System of Government, by 

Charles Bancroft, 1880, Jas. G. Watts, 1881, 17 yrs. old, Scappoose, Ore., Bought May 2, 1881, $5.00

Business Law for Business Men, State of Oregon, by A. J. Bledsoe, 1915, Watts and Price 1915

With receipt, received payment A. J. Bledsoe Mgr., Watts & Price, Scappoose, Or., Aug. 24, 1915

Nasby In Excile or six months of travel, by David R. Locke, 1882, Presented to Scappoose Public 

Library by Miss Vera Price May 1940, Mrs. D. W. Price

Story of One Hundred Years, by Daniel B. Shepp, Presented to Scappoose Public Library by Miss 

Vera Price May 1940, Mrs. D. W. Price

History of The Oregon Country, by Harvey W. Scott, 1924, Presented by Mr. & Mrs. Henry Collier (Miss Maude Watts) Feb. 15, 1930, sticker in book Presented by Henry E. Collier, Maude E. Collier, In Memory of John R. Watts and Elizabeth M. Watts, Pioneers 1852

Joab Powell, Homespun Missionary, by M. Leona Nichols, 1935, from the library of A. E. Burns, a grandson of William Watts, Scappoose Pioneer of 1852

A History of Oregon, by Robert Carlton Clark, Ph. D., 1926, from the library of A. E. Burns, a grandson of William Watts, (a pioneer of Scappoose (1852) ), Ira W. Burns 1955

Life on the Plains of the Pacific, Oregon: History, Condition and Prospects, by Rev. Gustavus Hines, 1881, Given by Ida Watts Burns in memory of her father William Watts (1803-1873) on whose donation homestead the town of Scappoose is located, A. E. Burns

History of the Columbia River Valley, by Fred Lockley, 1928, Presented to the Scappoose Public Library by Mrs. Henry Duncan of Warren, Oregon in memory of her brother Wm. Fullerton born in the Scappoose vicinity in 18??

No Man Like Joe, The Life and Times of Joseph L. Meek, by Harvey Elmer Tobie, Our Pioneer Association, May 1875, sticker in book Presented by Friends In Memory of J. G. and Rose E. Watts

Life and Letters of Mrs. Jason Lee, by Theresa Gay, 1936, Presented by friends of J. G. and Rose E. Watts.

Sacajawea of the Shoshones, by Dela Gould Emmons, 1949, Presented by friends of J. G. and Rose E. Watts.

The Empire Builders, by Robert Ormond Case, 1949, Presented by the Scappoose Parent Teacher Association founders day February 18, 1959, in memory of Mrs. Rose Watts, sticker in book Presented by Friends In Memory of J. G. and Rose E. Watts

The Rand-McNally Guide to the Great Northwest, by S. H. Soule, 1903, From the library of Archie Burns who was a grandson of William Watts the 1852 Pioneer of Scappoose, Presented Ida W. Burns, 1955

The Use of the National Forests, by Gifford Pinchot, Forester, 1907, Given to Scappoose Public Library, 1946, Mary Ewing

Sunset’s Flower Arrangement Book, by Nell True Welch, 1942, Presented to Scappoose Library by Mrs. W. D. Burg, 1950, Mrs. Lena Burg

There are some books that we were unable to locate and they are probably set aside somewhere. They include:

Beasee Hero? by Ruth Bender, 1959

The State of Oregon General & Special Laws, Legislative Assembly 1899

The Tender Heart by Archie Bearns, 1944

Days with Chief Joseph: Diary, by Erskine Wood, 1950

Northwest Exploration, by Gordon Speck, 1845

Scappoose Historical Society Board Information

 Scappoose Historical Society Board Information

1997 22 Nov., History of Scappoose Historical Society

1975 7 Apr., Letter Mary Pintarich to Mr. Van Watts, not this Watts family

Research on Van Watts Family, not related

Scappoose Historical Society Timeline

Scappoose Historical Society Timeline

1852       12 October, William Watts born 1803 KY, arrived in Oregon with his second wife Nancy Jane with whom he had two children Robert and Elizabeth; settled Donation Land Claim 1358, 10 December 1852. The claims were for 320 acres and an additional 320 acres for the wife. His son Benjamin M. (wrote Ben Watts Trail Log), had Donation Land Claim 1450. William had seven children from his first marriage to Elizabeth M. Naylor and all five sons came to Oregon including John W. (wrote “Foghorn” Diary), James W., Francis and Thomas. William with his third wife, Mary Ann Butterworth, had four children Henry Clay (his daughter Alice Mary Watts wrote about the family in 1981), Ewing Jolly, Isabelle (her daughter Ida Marion Strong Seggel wrote about the family in 1976) and Ida Ann.

1861       12 December James Washington Watts married Elizabeth Matilda Nessly, parents of Minnie Annette, James Grant and William Thomas; Elizabeth later married John Ralph Watts a cousin of James Washington Watts.

1872       14 August death of James Washington Watts.

1873       27 April marriage of Elizabeth Matilda Watts to John Ralph Watts. Three daughters born to them: Lillie May Perry, Marie Ellen Eskridge and Maude Elizabeth Collier (wrote about the family in 1976).

1864       23 October James Grant Watts born in Scappoose, Oregon. (Wrote history of Scappoose 1852-1934)

1868       25 December Arizona Rosamund Ewing born in DesMoines, Iowa.

1888       2 February Daniel (Dee) William Price married Minnie Annette Watts.

1890       17 September James Grant Watts married Arizona Rosamund (Rose) Ewing.

1891       4 June birth of son Raymond Ewing Watts, who died 16 June 1904.

1894       25 April birth of daughter Hazel Mildred Watts who married Rev. Vernon Walter Cooke 16 May 1917.

1898       20 December birth of daughter Helen Lucille who married Reverdy Mead Clothier 1 January 1924.

1902     James Grant Watts built Watts house in Scappoose, Oregon.

1905       1 February birth of son James Loring Watts who married Irene K. Leach 12 March 1938. (Wrote about the family in 1976)

                

               16 April death of John Ralph Watts, second husband of Elizabeth Matilda Watts.

1909       Cook book produced by the Columbia County Ladies Aid Society.

1920       2 January death of Elizabeth Matilda Nessly Watts. Scappoose Street named for her. Will in Columbia Co. She bequeathed land for public schools.

                13 April first special election held, J G Watts elected first mayor

1921       13 July City of Scappoose Incorporated and adopted its first charter, voted on Aug. 13 at Watts and Price Hall, Scappoose, Oregon, formally adopted November 1, 1921

1922       City water system complete

1924       Street lights installed

                Cook book produced by the Scappoose Ladies Aid Society.

1927       Electricity connected to homes

1928       Scappoose Garden Club Organized

1929       Library started by Rose Watts, Caroline Dorris and Lena Burg, November 29 tea, over 100 books donated.

1931      Fire at Watts and Price store, library books moved to Watts home

1938       22 April Scappoose Garden Club reorganized. Gladys Wheeler President, Rose Watts Vice-President, Amy Frakes Secretary-Treasurer.

1956       24 April James Grant Watts died.

1958      Scappoose Public Library built as part of Fire Station building, dedication October 20, books to be moved

by the high school students. About 4,000 to 5,000 books. Corner stone placed with items of interest.

1959       31 January Rose Watts died.

                

               Beverly Kennedy became librarian and would serve for over thirty years, retiring in 1992.

1969       June 26 – City of Scappoose purchased the Watts house from James Loring Watts and Irene L. Watts for $20,000. About this time it is estimated that there were 16,000 books in the library.

1974       October - Formed society, city moved offices into Watts house

                

               December 3 – Society members met with City Council

                

               December 5 – Society incorporated with non-profit status, Mary Pintarich president, chairperson

1975       January 21 – Society met with city and established guidelines

               

               September 29 – Society bylaws adopted

6 October – Council behind society 1976 project to rejuvenate the Watts house, received grant, society to oversee the museum

1977       June 24 – Children’s Museum opened, overseen by the Woman’s Club of Scappoose

1980       February 19 – Watts house designated first historic landmark of Scappoose

                

              November 28 – Watts house place on National Register of Historic Places

1981       January 5 – Watts house recognized by State Historic Preservation Office

1983       May 2 – Final Woman’s Club meeting, turned over Children’s Museum and funding to Scappoose Historical Society, copy of minutes

1987       December 5 – Watts house non-profit status reinstated by Oregon Corporation Division

1988       42 members

                

               March 3 – Vivian R. Urie president, chairperson and registered agent of society

1989       June 20 – Irene Watts a member of the society is quoted, “Home was purchased by the city with the understanding it was a historical site and would become a museum eventually.”

                

               June 20 Board minutes of Scappoose Historical Society

1997       20 members

                

               November 22 – The 22 year relationship between city and the society, city report

                

               Scappoose High School advanced wood working class and instructor donated their time to construct the display cases, Scappoose Woman’s Club treasury provided funds, Scappoose Senior Citizens donated a quilt that they made as a bicentennial project

2004       ReAnna Sharp president of society

2006       29 members

2012       Barbara Hayden president of society

2016       Elaine Thompson president of society, 24 members

2017       Karen Holmberg president of society

A Serendipity Day

 · 

Went out to lunch with my brother and his daughter. We went to one of our mother's and grandmother's favorite restaurants, the Wishing Well, in St. John's, Oregon. Great Chinese food. I had not been there for 15 years. We celebrated my niece's birthday and had a great visit. Then we drove by my Aunt and Uncle's home who I have not spoken to in four years. They were at the beach, but I hope to make contact soon. Sometimes we get promptings to do something and it feels so good when we follow them. Family memories are precious. My niece shared with me that she had been given some of our mother's things. Her family now has the silverware our mother purchased before she got married to our father and a couple of her paintings. What a treasure just knowing she has them. A serendipity day.

Report of Materials at the Watts House and the Public Library in Scappoose, Oregon September 2017

After a year of sorting, organizing, reading, typing, putting into notebooks, making lists and taking lots of notes I am drawing to a close on the Watts House Collections Inventory for the Scappoose Historical Society. There are still a few odds and ends to finish now that the overall project is completed. There are several posts on my blog gophergenealogy.blogspot.com if you are interested in seeing what we found. Today I created two notebooks, one for the overall board information and the other for all of the collections. That is how I preserve the memories and compilations in a format that documents the many hours spent on this project. My thanks to Tricia Oberndorf, Karen Holmberg, Dorothy Gallagle, our board member Mardi's daughter, Mardi's high school students and anyone else I may have overlooked. It has been a great learning adventure which has enhanced my working skills immensely!

The Watts House Collections - Compiled Family Histories

These family histories were written by family members and others who wanted to preserve the stories of the Watts family. Three of them were written in 1976 as part of the Bi-Centennial Celebration of the United States. Van Watts, while not a descendant, contributed greatly to the story and promoted the family during this time period.

The Watts Family in Oregon, 1852-1934 by James Grant Watts (1940)

History of Scappoose by James Loring Watts, son of James Grant Watts, (1976) Printed by SHS

Genealogy of the Covered Wagon Wattses by Maude Watts Collier, half-sister of James Grant Watts,

Watts by Maude Watts Collier (1934) Loose papers clipped together

"Covered Wagon Watts" by Alice Mary Watts, cousin of James Grant Watts

My Columbia County Relatives by Ida Strong Seggel, aunt of James Grant Watts (1976)

"Foghorn" Diary by Dr. John William Watts, uncle of James Grant Watts

Ben Watts Trail Log by Benjamin Marion Watts, uncle of James Grant Watts (1948-1949) 2 copies

Watts Family Encyclopedia by Van Watts (1976)

Footsteps of Watts Women by Susie Lolita Watts Almond, daughter of Robert Deady Watts and granddaughter of Francis Harrison Tyler Watts (1974)

Francis Harrison Tyler Watts family booklet

The Watts House Collections - Old Ledger Books Downstairs

This was the first set of ledger books. A transcription was made of the first book due to the fragile nature of the book. It is done as close as possible to the original, but many pages are very hard to read. With the digitized copy and more time to verify some of the text a more complete and accurate transcription may be made. The second book for the Watts/Price store is easier to read and so only a list of names included was created.  The pages of the book are for various families who had accounts with the store, with extensive lists of the items being purchased. The last four books were used to create lists of people who lived in the area and paid water payments and other types of transactions with the city of Scappoose. 

1. Scappoose, Oregon Historical Sketches, Good History, 25 names: Book No 1, Pioneers, 

1824 – 1850; J. G. Watts, 1940; Lists of Names for 1830, 1840, 1850; Earliest Settlers 1845; Scappoose Sunday School - Ralph Watts Supt. 83 years old; J. G. Watts - City of Scappoose, 1852. Scanned by Columbia County Historical Museum 2017.

2. Watts/Price Store 1889/1890, Singed ledger book, lists of sales to Individuals. Scanned by Columbia County Historical Museum 2017.

3. Cash Book, Ledger of Water Payments and other City of Scappoose Financial Records,

January 1, 1941 to June 30, 1942, 131 pages.

4. Journal, Ledger of Water Payments and other City of Scappoose Financial Records July 1942 to June 1944, 201 pages. Expenses on Library 2nd Quarter 1944 Library $15.00.

5. S. E. Ledger, Water Payments and other City of Scappoose Financial Records

January 1945 to February 1946, 138 pages

6. Journal, Records for 1948-1949, Scappoose City Taxes for Commercial Accounts, 142 pages.

The Watts House Collections - Old Ledger Books Behind Counter

Watts House Collections - Old Books Behind Counter

May 25, 2017

This week we worked on cleaning out the counter in the store and found some great treasures. Dorothy and Karen assisted in this task. The books include:

1. Abstract of Warrants 1 – Town of Scappoose, Oregon, large ledger book, 1920- , expense accounting

2. Claim Register 1 – Town of Scappoose, Oregon, large ledger book, July 22, 1920 to April 4, 1921, 1923, Council Meeting, Claim Collections

3. Treasurer’s Cash Book 1 – Town of Scappoose, Oregon, large ledger book, 1921-1945, some water accounts, extra sheets July 1945- June 1947

4. Scappoose Garden Club 1928 Incorporation, Rose E. Watts note 3 Apr 1952

Pres. Asa Holaday

Vice Pres. Mrs. J. G. Watts

Sec/Trea. Mrs. George Frakes

Directors C. H. Keyes and Chas. Gerlach

5. Scappoose Garden Club 22 Apr. 1938-1942, Rose Watts Vice Pres., Library Rose Watts, Legislature Pearl Becker

6. Garden Club Small Ledger Book from 1956 to 1972, 144 pages, 17 pages of notes, lots of lists of names

7. Grange Organization meeting Jan. 18, 1936, mentions other local granges, Pearl Becker – 1941

8. City Ledger Book, General Accounts 1943-1944: General, Water, Road, State Tax Street Fund,

1946 Water Payments

Licenses, Fines, Taxes, Liquors, State Tax Street Fund, Misc.

Library Expenses, Auditing, Real Estate, Care of Prisoners, Salaries, Fire, Tree, S.I.A. Commissioner, Recorder – Salary/Supplies, Attorney Salary, Treasurer Salary, Rent, Library, Emergency, Bone Premiums, Lease, Telephone, Total Budget, Total Spent, Balance

9. City of Scappoose tall ledger book, 1942-1943, Water Collection 1939 – 1941, City of Scappoose

C. M. Dorris

Mary Ewing

Mrs. Daisy Hazen

J. G. Watts

James L. Watts

10. Small Ledger Book, probably of J. G. Watts, Level Book 3, Cash Book

11. Scappoose Cook Book, 1909, The Oregon Mist, St. Helens, 60 pages. A Book of Recipes by Columbia County Ladies

12. Scappoose Cook Book 1924, 95 pages.  A Book of Tested Recipes Collected by The Ladies’ Aid of Scappoose, Oregon

The Watts House Collections - Scrapbooks

There were thirty scrapbooks found at the Watts house. They cover a wide range of topics. Eight of them are articles written by the Roving Reporter with Social Notes published in the Columbia Herald from 1961 to 1980. Another is newspaper articles written by Karl Klooster, but there are no dates on the articles. I won’t go into detail on the other twenty-eight as they are explained some in the attached list. My favorite scrapbooks are numbers 2, 4, 5, 6, and 7. These will be further reviewed as time allows. So glad that we could get that finished.

The Watts House Collections - Newspapers

June 24, 2017

We finally got the newspapers brought upstairs so there was room to sort through them and inventory what we have. It took about fourteen hours of work, but it is done! Once the information is typed up we will share the newspapers in the collection. We did find a 1928 Scappoose Register and two 1931 Scappoose Independent papers. There is one tote of local Columbia County papers, one tote of the Bicentennial papers, three totes of Oregonians and one tote of Oregon Journals. While you can access some of them online the copies are not always easy to read. Most of these papers concern major national and world events. The motivation to finish this dirty and time consuming work are the last two collections to now process. We will be working on the scrap books and church collection in the coming month. Those will contain some of the heart of this community. I hope to close out the processing of the museum collections within the year of my first beginning the work. 

Serendipity Found in a Newspaper Article

Susan,
"Well here goes, I must say, you are tenacious, based on your research you will get the info with or without me."

Thank you to a current client for this wonderful compliment. I do push to look in every nook and cranny I can think of when researching a family's history. The person had been most helpful in providing direct personal family information while I worked with the online resources. Her family was one of the last parts of a family and when I looked online I found information about her immediate family including six children. But I needed to connect to her birth family. In looking online at genealogybank.com I found an article about her sister's wedding listing all of the family members. I call that a serendipity moment. There were no other articles about the family with a rather uncommon surname that came up!

The Watts House Collections - Church Books

After a year of compiling information on the materials held at the Watts House by the Scappoose Historical Society it is time to post the results. To start with I am posting the list of church books that were organized by dates they cover and as a group for the Ladies Aid Society of the Congregational Church of Scappoose, Oregon. First I will give a short overview and then the list.

There were many hours dedicated to organizing the forty church books of all various types and sizes. The forty books have been read and copies of lists and information about the Watts family and friends are recorded in about 150 pages of notes. These are available in the basement in a notebook. There are two additional red notebooks that hold the loose papers from the church collection. In the front of one notebook is the membership certificate for Rose Ewing Watts. She held many positions in the church and ladies organizations. Serving as clerk for many years Rose recorded the history of the people from this community.

Scappoose Historical Society Spring Tea at the Watts' House

Took Anne and the girls to a tea luncheon at the Watts' house in Scappoose, OR. What a fun event. The girls, ages 6 and 9, were on their very best behavior as they had lunch with about 24 women from the area. Each group had their own table. They made only slight accommodations for the girls, like a few peanut butter and honey sandwiches. They did give us decaf teas to choose from and had punch as well. First came a dish of sorbet which they loved. Then came the three tier stand for the plates of food. Sandwiches, sweet breads and deserts. More than we could ever eat in one sitting so we brought a few home to Grandpa. Then each of the girls won a candle door prize. They wore their cutest dresses, sandals and just shined. Before leaving Hannah took them on a tour of the upstairs. Anne seemed to have a good time as well.

Just have to add to the picture and the post. This Tea is put on by the Scappoose Historical Society as an annual fund raiser. It is all volunteer labor, including the food prep, serving, set up, take down, and all else this involves. I am so impressed with the women and men who are members of this great Historical Society. There is much to be proud of in the little town of Scappoose. A great heritage is a priceless gift to all who share in the memories. Thank you so much for making the Tea possible.

Celebrating Six Years of Blogging

Today marks six years since the beginning of writing on gophergenealogy.blogspot.com. For the most part writing is something I enjoy doing. This blog keeps me on track with my work and new discoveries from that work. Every day is something new and remarkable in doing family history research. New databases are released from the major online sites on a daily basis. Most of the time it feels as though I am lead to the information that is needed for the family involved.

In the past several months work was done on families to compile information and locate documents and indexed information to confirm what was found. While most of the principal work is done on ancestry.com, using the categories search and exploring all options, at times the information directs me to other websites. Those websites can be a gold mine for facts about a family. We all use findagrave.com and marvel at the items published on the pages for individuals. In looking further we search the cemetery for other known family members. Recently in being directed to the Manitoba Vital Statistics Agency a wonderful new resource was discovered.

Watts House Progress - 8 months later

     Attended the library board meeting on Saturday to present our inventories of the Watts books from the original library in the Watts house. Shared the story of discovering who the third library founder was and her contribution. We also provided a list of the 20+ books that have family signatures in them. The Historical Society is hoping they will be placed in the Watts House Museum for preservation. After that I went to the house and transitioned the picture collection to smaller tubs for ease of working with them. Then all was taken down to the basement. It was great going down there and seeing the progress. From 20 open boxes there are now only eleven smaller tubs that are sorted. The notebooks are labeled for the use of anyone wishing to research their families.

Book Wish List
Reference Books for the Genealogist Wish List
By Susan LeBlanc, BGS/FH, AG®[i]

Genealogy books are plentiful and knowing which ones will be most beneficial in your genealogy education is important. While taking classes through BYU, I made the following list of books used in the various classes or suggested by the instructors. It is certainly not everything on my shelves, which contain over 100 reference books, but it will help to get you thinking about creating your own list. Many of my other books are for specific localities and foreign research. Of the 45 books listed, eleven are still on my wish list. An important feature of creating a list is to mark off the books that you have, so when you go to purchase books you will know which books to add to your individual library. Our local librarian requested the list, as she wants to build our library collection. To keep costs down for the home library one can purchase used books at a fraction of the original price. The most recent publication does not always provide many changes from previous versions. While you may be able to access the book online, having a hard cover copy is nice for leisure reading and ready reference. Being able to mark a book for personal use is something true book lover’s relish.

Who Was Lena Burg?

As noted in past newspaper articles Lena Berg was one of the founders of the Scappoose Public Library in 1929. She worked with Rose Watts and Caroline Dorris in establishing the library in the second floor of the Price/Watts store. There they managed to collect hundreds of books and provided hours of service making those available to the community. They were involved in the rescue of the books from that building before it was destroyed by fire in 1932. The books were moved to the Watts house where they were open to the public until a formal public library was opened in 1959, at the then fire station building. That move occurred shortly after the death of Rose Watts, who was quoted as saying, “there were four to five thousand books at that time.”

Scappoose Library - Fabulous Opal Whiteley

My mother, Yvonne Olsen Barker, loved the book Opal by Opal Whiteley. She left two copies of the book in her large collection of books. The one I kept for myself is a 1976 edition arranged and adapted by Jane Boulton, with 181 pages. The cost of the book was $2.95 after being reduced from $6.95, probably found in a used book store. On the inside front page she left this inscription:

"This book reminds me so much of how your great grandmother was as a child from the stories she told me. I have this same book in my library so I thought you might enjoy reading this one.
Yvonne Olsen Barker 6/5/93."

SLIG 2017 Forensic Genealogy Course

Tricia Oberndorf and I attended the "The Coaching Lab: Forensic Genealogy from Inquiry to Affidavit"
Catherine B. W. Desmarais, CG and Amber Goodpaster Tauscher
were the lead instructors, teaching 14 sections individually and often together supporting the learning of how to use technology in the research process.

100,000 Page Views for Gopher Genealogy

At about 3:30 this afternoon the blog Gopher Genealogy reached 100,000 views. The blog began on April 24, 2011. Then in four years-time on February 28, 2015 it reached 50,000 page views. In less than two years it has now doubled the amount of page views. These views are from all around the world, but just over 59,000 come from the United States. When starting the blog it was a novelty and many other genealogists were doing the same. Geneabloggers has about 3,000 blogs listed at their website. Today the website posted an interview entitled, "May I Introduce You to Susan LeBlanc."

This is a short piece from the post:

Samuel Reed Civil War Soldier

                Samuel Reed is my fourth great grandfather. He fought in the Civil War and died on October 6, 1864 because of dysentery. I found information about him from his burial in Little Rock National Cemetery in Arkansas. Much of the information my family has about him came from his military records. (Military Service) Learning about him helps me to understand the Civil War on a personal level. Samuel Reed is significant to me because he was willing to leave his family and fight for his beliefs.