March 15, 2018 Episode.
The media has inundated us with the call to learn about our ancestors. Several companies offer to track your ancestry through your DNA. Television shows are based on following the branches of family trees for well-known celebrities. History is often re-discovered while researching your own roots.  We've talked with area genealogists before while sharing specific histories, but we thought we'd get down and personal with our own resident expert, Christy Van Heukelem, and learn just how they go about finding those roots and branches.  

Christy began her career while searching for her own small family's history, which turned out to be a much larger and broader tree than she ever imagined. She discovered a photo of lots of folks she didn't recognize at a relative's home, and, in true bulldog, detective fashion common to all good genealogists, she began researching. Turns out her great-great-grandfather, William Hunt Wilson, came to Oregon in an 1843 wagon train, driving for Jesse Applegate. After working for Dr. John McLoughlin in Oregon City, William eventually settled in Douglas County in southern Oregon, and his family story continued. He lived the history we now read about!

"What do you want to know and what information do you have already?" This is the opening line in every initial consultation with Christy and her clients. People tend to want to know more about specific branches of the family that may be less researched. The search always begins with what is already known: names of parents, grandparents, perhaps great-grands. Has any research been already done? Do you have family documents, a Bible perhaps, printed obituaries, photos? Often in this discussion, Christy may be able to direct a family how to proceed further on their own.

If a client wants Christy to do the research, she begins the next phase of
the search by organizing the information and utilizing various resources to track the family back four generations, which generally involves 20 people. (Each generation beyond that doubles the amount of people, and thus the research work.) This initial phase takes her about 10 hours and provides many families all the information they desire, or often enough to go forward on their own.  Several clients have requested she continue further up their tree, and she can then provide a pretty realistic estimate of the hours it may take to find the information they request. As with anything that absorbs your total attention, we doubt that the number of hours billed ever reflects the innumerable hours the expert truly expends on the research. 

We asked Christy what kind of records one can use to research family history. Family records are the first place to go, she advised, then try the census rolls, taken every 10 years since 1750, with more specific information being recorded after 1850. Other sources can be church records, land records, vital records of residency states, military records, newspaper obituary archives, even cemetery headstones.  She tells of being unable to find a certain person in a cemetery, but researching the names of others buried there about the same time lead to more information on her "client."

Christy also utilizes online resources such as  Ancestory.com, FamilySearch.org, RootsWeb.com, and others. Many public libraries subscribe to these organizations and you can utilize their access while in the library. Also, the library may have access to historic newspaper and military record databases. The Reference Desk is always a good place to start. Local genealogical societies are usually happy to assist you. They often have access to resources outside your state.  Historical museums in the county of residence for your relative often provide information for little or no cost. ​

In sharing some of her projects, Christy told of doing the genealogy for a friend who didn't know much about her family. Christy was able to track the family's heritage to Ireland, and the friend later went over to visit and connect with family members she never knew she had. She sent Christy a heartwarming postcard from Ireland, telling her how much this reconnection meant to her.  Sadly, this friend/client passed away not too long after returning to the States.

One client in Idaho asked Christy to help research her Oregon roots. She was able to locate the family's original homestead on a map of Donation Land Claims in the St. Paul area of northern Marion County. When Christy overlaid that map onto a current map of the same area, she found there was a home still standing on the site.  Further research discovered that folks related to the original family were still residing there.  Another family reconnected!  ​

It's obvious Christy possesses that certain persistent, puzzle-loving gene that makes for a good genealogical detective. We're really happy she's a part of the Salem History Matters team! 

If you'd like to talk with Christy about your family tree, you can contact her through her Facebook page, Lineage & Lore or email [email protected]

~~Posted by Deb Meaghers

March 1, 2018 Episode.
In the world of historic and cultural venues, change is inevitable--physical changes to resources, changes in financial operations, and changes in leadership and staff are not unexpected occurrences. Such change has recently come to a long-time Salem venue, Willamette Heritage Center.  ​Our guest today, James Phelps is the interim executive director there, and he shared with us a fresh perspective on helping historical/cultural venues weather transitions such as these.

James has been working in the field of nonprofits since 1990 before beginning his consultant practice in 2011. He is also a member of a practice group, Nonprofit Association of Oregon, which specializes in assisting non-profit organizations. James's expertise involves interim executive directorship and fundraising. The job with WHC is his tenth position in the last seven years, with contracts typically three to 10 months in duration.

Transitional administration fills a unique role. Boards of directors often opt to hire an outside consultant whose "new eyes" can evaluate the organization and suggest  areas of improvement and potential growth. In the case of large changes or a series of changes, the consultant can assess and evaluate the best ways to move forward. They can put into place practices for the organization to continue in the future. In this case, his role is to identify how to go forward for this organization, refine their continuation plan, define the job description for a new executive director, and help with recruitment. 

WHC is unique in that it has lots of moving parts and provides many services to the community besides interpreting historical artifacts. There are many buildings needing to be maintained to historic preservation standards. Their archives are extensive and are the depository of history for the mid-Willamette Valley. They are a public venue for the community with a full facility rentals division, as well as being the landlord for several specialty tenants who provide goods and services for the community. They act as the cultural heartbeat of the city and provide opportunities to showcase other historic/cultural organizations.

We put James on the spot and asked what his suggestions would be to help WHC move forward in the most productive way. His answers would seem to benefit any cultural or heritage group in our area. His recommendations included bringing on someone to provide long-term stable leadership; getting on a firm financial footing; becoming more efficient in fundraising methods and events, providing more programming to keep the venue relevant, and to seek future accreditation with the American Museum Association. ​ James accounted that WHC is lucky to have lots of institutional history in the area and a well-working staff with proven routines that keep things going forward. They also receive wonderful support from the community.