Our annual summer field trip this year was to the Huntington Beach Public Library. The libraryhouses the Orange County California Genealogy Society’s massive collection of genealogy books. In addition to the physical collection, the library has computers for public use in accessing their online catalog at www.HBPL.org. The OCCGS Library is also a FamilySearch Affiliate Library and affords users access to thousands of digitized publications. With a free HBPL library card, you can also access Heritage Quest, the California Digital Newspaper Collection, and Hispanic Life in America websites.
Our group of researchers consisted of Brian Swanson and his mom, Barbara, Donna Aguirre, Trish Stumpf-Garcia, Rick Frohling, Gerhard Schaefer, Cyndy Hartman, Marilyn McCarty, Rebecca Kemp, and me. Upon arrival, we were greeted by library host and volunteer, Susie Dunaway, who presented each of us with a multi-page handout describing the layout of the genealogical archives, where the computers were located, and how and where to begin our searches. The detailed map of the collection offered genealogical treasures to be found.
Brian and his mom were researching his maternal great-grandfather. They were so excited to find his naturalization papers and told me that the drive was definitely worth it, and they had a fun time working together.
Trish went through twenty books for clues to her Missouri Hamilton ancestors who likely came from Illinois. She had no luck in that direction but did find clues to eliminate a man of the same name as being her ancestor. It’s always nice to know you are on the right track.
Rebecca was hoping for information on one of her brick wall ancestors – Andrew Jackson Webb. Were his parents James and Elizabeth (Fitts) Webb? She couldn’t prove or disprove his parentage this time, but she had more success with one of her third great-grandfathers. She found a new citation!
Rick located a book called The East Friesens in America: An Illustrated History of their Colonies to the Present Time by Pastor George Schnucker. While Rick could not find his ancestors in the book, it did explain why the Ostfriesens came to Illinois. In the 1850s, an Ostfrieslander named Theis Schmidt traveled up the Mississippi River to Pekin, Illinois and established a wagon works and a bank. His success allowed him to finance voyages to America for many of his countrymen and to offer them jobs when they arrived.
Gerhard found an oversized book that described the evolution of the German people and the consolidation of their homeland beginning in the 1300s. He was so absorbed in the history of his ancestral homeland that he didn’t get to search for genealogical clues. Maybe next time?
Donna found a book three inches thick that contained information about her ancestor who arrived in the colonies in the 1600s. It seems that the young man ran way to sea because of an abusive employer. Upon arriving, he was indentured to John Drake and eventually married one of John’s daughters. He later became a Captain in the colonial militia. Quite a story!
Cyndy and Marilyn were busy searching for marriage, migration, and property records for their ancestors. Marilyn was focusing on her ancestors in Missouri, but wasn’t successful, and Cyndy was writing down new information on her family. Both seemed impressed with the resources available at HBPL.
As for me, I found tons of information on my maternal ninth great-grandfather’s voyage to Massachusetts Bay in 1630 with the Winthrop Fleet. I found out how much great-grandpa, Jonas Weed, and his fellow passengers on the flagship Arbella were charged for the voyage, what the provisions were on the ship, what they could bring, what they ate and drank on the voyage, and found a map detailing the charted course of the ship. I also located the birth and death dates for several of my collateral ancestors. All in all, a very good day!
Be sure to put the Huntington Beach Public Library on your “to do list.” You won’t be disappointed.