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PotpourrEMAIL
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Vol. 1, No. 12, 1 June 2000. Circulation: 100 and growing!
(C) 1999 Boylston Historical Society and Museum
7 Central St., PO Box 459, Boylston, MA 01505
boyhisoc@ma.ultranet.com 508-869-2720
Editors: Betty L. Thomas and Judith Haynes
Boylston Historical Society and Museum Web Page:
http://www.ultranet.com/~boyhisoc/index.shtml
To subscribe or unsubscribe to the PotpourrEmail, or
to submit information to be included in the PotpourrEmail,
e-mail info to: boyhisoc@ma.ultranet.com
CONTENTS. Welcome; What's in a name?; GRAFTING FAMILY TREES;
From Our Readers; Photo Care Tips; Call for Gough Information;
Book of the Month; BHS NEWS; On The Web; Humor
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Welcome to our email newsletter! For those of you who are not
members of BHS and don't receive the snailmail newsletter, it is called
The Potpourri. Sooooo, we thought the appropriate name for this version
would be PotpourrEMAIL. This email version is not meant to repeat or
copy the snailmail version, but to complement it, with the addition of
topics of interest to those with computer and web capabilities. If you
have a story to tell, information to impart, a good genealogy joke, computer
or web genealogy info, a Boylston genealogy Query, or anything that would
be of interest to our readers--please email us at:
boyhisoc@ma.ultranet.com
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What's In a Name??
>From "Names of Places" by George L. Wright
Volume I in the Historical Series
Mount Tom
On the easterly shore of Dover Pond was a beautiful oval mound-like knoll
surmounted by tall, majestic pine trees, which in my boyhood days was known
as "Mount Tom." The tradition among us boys was that an Indian, named Tom,
formerly lived there at times, and hunted and fished along the brook
running down into the Nashua River. Of the truth of the tradition,
however, I know nothing.
Another place known to every boy of forty years ago was "Black Rock," the
famous swimming hole in the Nashua River. This was above Scar Bridge, and
near the forks of the roads leading to West Boylston and Sterling.
Another swimming hole was at the Sawyer's Bridge, over the Sawyer's Mill
Pond. The water was always deep at this point, and at least two persons
were drowned there. On the easterly side of the river above Sawyer's Mills
was "Plum Bottom," a level stretch of land covered with wild plum trees.
Further up the stream above the Swamp Bridge was the "Island," a beautiful
level spot, shaded with majestic elm trees, and which was a place much
resorted to for picnic parties.
Above Black Rock was the well known cold spring with water as cold as ice,
and not far from this spot, over the Town Line in West Boylston was the
famous vale, known as "Pleasant Valley." At some remote period this was
the location of a small pond. It was an open plain of three or four acres
of an oval form, and surrrounded on every side, excepting the pass by which
it was entered, by high, almost perpendicular banks whose sides were
covered with a thick growth of Birch and Scrub Oak, and whose tops were
surmounted by trees of the largest size.
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GRAFTING FAMILY TREES
by Myra Vanderpool Gormley, CG
Not even your family histories are safe from those who want to
make a quick buck at your expense. Moreover, you might have been
hoodwinked with a fabricated genealogy and your relatives might
have been victims of estate frauds -- an old con game, and you
might not even realize it.
Early in the 20th century, about 200 fabricated genealogies were
produced by Gustav Anjou (1863-1942), a Staten Island, New York
forger of genealogical records. Anjou developed a profitable
business in mail-order ancestors for wealthy clients willing to
pay about $9,000 for a family history. More than 100 genealogies
compiled by Anjou have been located. They are widely accessible
in most large libraries and have been reprinted many times, and
probably are being used today by genealogists who are not aware
that the pedigrees are false. Anjou, and others like him, simply
grafted noble and royal ancestors onto their client's trees,
sometimes by using invented European parishes and forged wills
and vital records.
Not only did Anjou falsify many genealogies, evidently he
fabricated his own pedigree and credentials, according to Gordon
L. Remington, Fellow of the Utah Genealogical Association and
editor of GENEALOGICAL JOURNAL OF THE UTAH GENEALOGICAL
ASSOCIATION, in an article that appeared in Volume 19, Nos. 1 &
2 (1991) of that periodical. In the same issue also appears an
excellent article on estate frauds by Helen Hinchliff, and one
by Robert Charles Anderson on the Anjou pedigrees.
According to Anderson, a certified genealogist and Fellow of the
American Society of Genealogists, a typical Anjou pedigree
displays four recognizable (at least to the more experienced
researcher) features:
-- A dazzling range of connections among dozens of immigrants
(mostly to New England).
-- Many wild geographical leaps, outside the normal range of
migration patterns.
-- An overwhelming number of citations to documents that
actually exist, and include what Anjou says they include.
-- Here and there an "invented" document, without citation,
which appears to support the many connections.
Among the genealogies compiled by Anjou are those for: BEACH,
BELL, CALDWELL, DENT, FREEMAN, GRANT, HENDERSON, HOUSTON,
MARSHALL, McCORMICK, NOWELL/NOELL, ORMOND, ROCKWELL, SEAMAN,
TER BUSH, WELLING, and WHEELER. For an extensive listing along
with the call numbers of the Anjou genealogies available at the
Family History Library, see FRAUDULENT LINEAGES:
http://www.linkline.com/personal/xymox/fraud/fraud223.htm
http://www.linkline.com/personal/xymox/fraud/fraud224.htm
See also "Watch Out for Fake Family Trees," by James Pylant,
editor of AMERICAN GENEALOGY MAGAZINE:
http://www.genealogymagazine.com/watoutforfak.html
Estate frauds touched hundreds of thousands of American families.
If you uncover references to a fortune or estate that some of
your relatives tried to obtain years ago, be wary. Also, you may
encounter family members who will not admit that they or their
parents were defrauded and who still believe there is a lost
family fortune out there somewhere.
The bulk of estate frauds has been associated with common
surnames. These scams -- many of which occurred about 75 to 100
years ago -- worked like this. Confidence men sought "missing
heirs" by placing advertisements in the personal ads or legal
notices of newspapers. Then they planted stories in newspapers
about huge estates that were soon to be awarded to rightful
heirs. Naturally many people responded. Then these "heirs" --
at the urging of the swindlers -- would form associations as
estate claimants, incorporate under the laws of their state
and write letters to their cousins encouraging them to join the
association, and pay the membership dues and special
assessments for legal fees to fight for their "estates."
Newspaper wire services picked up dozens of such items about
meetings of these various "heirs groups" in small towns.
Eventually these stories began to appear in major newspapers
such as THE NEW YORK TIMES. Naturally, appearance in prestigious
newspapers gave credence to the stories of the estates. Among
the well-known estate frauds are those for these surnames:
BAKER, DRAKE, EDWARDS, EDWARDS-HALL, FISHER, HARPER, HYDE, JANS,
KOHLER, MERCER, SPRINGER, and VAN HORN.
Read more about the "Baker Land Hoax," "Buchanan Estate Scams,"
"Halberts' Clone," "False and Faked Mayflower Genealogy," "Faked
Seminoles in the Confederate Army," and "Hoax of the Century,"
by following the links from the International Black Sheep
Society of Genealogists' Genealogy Hall of Shame:
http://homepages.rootsweb.com/~blksheep/shame/index.htm
See also: Baronage's "Caveat Emptor"
http://www.baronage.co.uk/bphtm-01/caveat02.html in re name
histories and family crests; Cyndi's List: Myths, Hoaxes &
Scams: http://www.cyndislist.com/myths.htm ; and Genealogical
Web Site Watchdog, which lists many Web sites that provide
misleading or inaccurate genealogical information:
http://www.ancestordetective.com/watchdog.htm
You might want to take a closer look at your family tree to see
if some illustrious or phony ancestors have been grafted onto
it and, if so, by whom. Before you brag to your grandchildren
about those noble or royal lines, or those famous connections,
be sure you are not perpetuating a myth, passing along a hoax,
or barking up the wrong tree.
* Previously published by RootsWeb.com, Inc., RootsWeb
Review: RootsWeb's Genealogy News, Vol. 3, No. 17, 26 April
2000. RootsWeb: http://www.rootsweb.com/
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>From Our Readers
>From the Boylston Brownies and Leader Bonnie Morin
Friday June 2 at 7 pm at the Town Hall, 221 Main St.
A Fashion Show "Girl Power" presented by the Brownies.
Represented will be all the professions that the girls would like to go
into. They are making their own fashions. They will be taking donations
at the door and all money will be donated to the Hillside Restoration
Project. WE hope that you will attend the event and support the Boylston
Brownies and the Hillside Restoration Project!!
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Photo Care Tips
A Simple Photo File System
by Fred Brown
You will need 6"X9" clasp envelopes and #10 business envelopes.
1) First make categories such as "scenics," "seashore," baby's first year,
or any other that will fit your needs.
2) On the clasp envelope put a number "1" and the category with a felt tip
marker. One clasp envelope and a new number for each category.
3) On the #10 envelope put a number 1 and a new number for each #10
envelope.
4) Now sort the photos from one roll of film to fit your cateagories.
5) On the back of the photos, record who-what-when, and where.
6) Now put all negatives of one roll of film in the marked #10 envelope.
7) Record the #10 envelope number on each photo. Separate the prints into
the proper category clasp envelope.
Example: You have many scenic photos from many rolls of film in your clasp
envelope marked SCENICS. You have found one that you need the negative for.
You will look on the back of the photo and find the number of the #10
envelope holding that negative.
One #10 envelope per roll of film. If you have many scenic photos and need
a new clasp envelope use the same number and add the letter "A".
I have hundreds of photos of sailing vessels. I have 14 clasp envelopes
holding the photos. 14, 14A, 14B, 14C, etc. I have 10 #10 envelopes
holding each roll of 36 exposure film. Finding a negative is simple.
I like the 6X9 clasp envelopes because they will easily take a 5X7
enlargement.
If you have any photo care tips you would like to share, let us know. We
will add them here.
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BHS is still in need of ANY INFORMATION on the GOUGH HOUSE
If you have photos, memories, stories, or knowledge of the Gough Estate,
house, or especially the out buildings [barns, gym, ice house, hen houses],
please contact the Historical Society and/or bring them to Gough Day.
*ed. note - Hillside is now the home of the Boylston Police and the town
offices (and temporarily the Elementary School). Many of you may also
know it by its other names/owners: The Digital Conference Center or
The Sheperd Knapp School.
For more information on Gough and Hillside visit our website:
http://www.ultranet.com/~boyhisoc/gough.htm
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Book of the Month -
"Not as Strangers: Immigration in Boylston 1740 - 1930"
by William O. Dupuis
If you have immigrant ancestors in Boylston, this is the set of books you
need!
Volume one includes an introduction, charts, graphs, photos, vital record
info, surname lists, history of Blacks, and the history of the
French-Canadian.
Volume two includes surname lists, charts, graphs, photos, vital record
info, and histories of the Irish, Italians, Germans, Slavs, Scandanavians,
Armenians, Austrians, Hungarians, Indians, Jews.
1981, private printing, 160 pages, 2 volume set
$6 plus shipping
For more info go here:
http://www.ultranet.com/~boyhisoc/gift.htm
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BHS NEWS -
Boylston Historical Society has a large research library containing over
10,000 books and other records.
Researchers are always welcome.
OPEN HOURS:
Museum and Library for research:
Tuesday & Thursday 9am to noon (except holidays)
and by appointment.
Admission: $2, members of BHS free. Call for group pricing.
-----Exhibitions------
1.John B. Gough exhibit - ongoing permanent
John B. Gough was a 19th century International Temperance Orator who made
his home [Hillside Estate] in Boylston . In his time, Mr. Gough drew
larger crowds than did Samuel Clemens[Mark Twain].
This exhibit includes two room settings, and one display area. The dining
room table is set with fine English Porcelain and table linens belonging to
the Gough family. A large silver platter dome dominates the side table.
Family portraits adorn the walls. Mrs. Gough is seated at the head of the
table awaiting her guests.
The living room setting includes several period chairs, tables, and an old
organ. These pieces are complemented by vases, books, and printed music
from the Gough Estate.
The Display area includes several letters, one a condolence letter to Mrs.
Gough from Clara Barton. It also houses Mr. Gough's large, ornate
travelling case with silver inserts, watches and medals belonging to his
father, a presentation statue given to Mr. Gough and other small personal
items.
2. Boylston in World War I - ongoing permanent
This exhibit includes displays of uniforms, helmets, guns, photos, letters
home, and many other items. On the walls are many wonderful WWI posters.
3. Old Country Store - permanent- ongoing
Display includes items found in the country store.
4. Boylston Homes - Old and New - until Sept. 30, 2000
A photo exhibit of selected Boylston homes and how they looked in the late
19th or early 20th century and how they look today. It also includes a
short history of each home.
-----EVENTS-----
Genealogy Workshop
Sunday June 25
2 - 4 pm
at the Boylston Historical Society
7 Central St., Boylston
Genealogy basics the old fashioned way and on the computer.
Limited to 15- You must pre-register
$10 BHS members $20 non-members
call for registration info 508-869-2720
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Tours of Historic Boylston
given by a BHS staff member.
By appointment only. Call for more info - 508-869-2720
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Tours of the Gough Estate "Hillside"
by appointment only. Call for more info - 508-869-2720
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A Magical Summer Night
of dining, dancing and strolling through Tower Hill Botanic Gardens
Friday, August 25
6 pm at Tower Hill Botanic Gardens
11 French Drive, Boylston
$75 per person
Cocktails and live classical music in the Great Hall
Dining and Dancing in the Orangerie
Strolls along the new formal gardens.
All proceeds will benefit the Hillside Restoration Project, Boylston MA
For information on the Hillside Restoration Project visit our website:
http://www.ultranet.com/~boyhisoc
For tickets and/or information: call 508-869-2720
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WE need a few people to enter data into our computer Genealogy Program from
information now located in a three ring binder. This would involve a bit
more typing than our other data entry projects, so if you like to type,
give us a call or drop by- 869-2720!
JOIN the TEAM!! Drop in any Tuesday or Thursday, 9 am to noon.
--------------------------------------------
Visit the gift shop
http://www.ultranet.com/~boyhisoc/gift.htm
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On The Web--
WEB LINKS:
AMERICAN MEMORIES. Library of Congress Historical Collection
for the National Digital Library. There are now more than 70
collections available online, among them African American
Odyssey, Civil War Maps, Civil War Photographs, Documents from
Continental Congress and Constitutional Conventions, Manuscripts
from the Federal Writers' Project 1936-1940, George Washington
Papers at the Library of Congress 1741-1799, American Indians of
the Pacific Northwest, Map Collection 1544-1999, First-Person
Narratives of the American South 1860-1920, Puerto Rico 19thand
early 20thCentury, Railroad Maps 1828-1900, Early Virginia
Religious Petitions, Thomas Jefferson Papers at the Library of
Congress, The American Variety Stage: Vaudeville and Popular
Entertainers 1870-1920; and Votes for Women--Suffrage Pictures
1850-1920. http://memory.loc.gov/ammem/ammemhome.html
ARLINGTON NATIONAL CEMETERY http://www.arlingtoncemetery.com/
ASSOCIATION FOR GRAVESTONE STUDIES
http://www.gravestonestudies.org/
CANADIAN MILITARY HERITAGE PROJECT
http://www.rootsweb.com/~canmil/index.html
CIVIL WAR SOLDIERS AND SAILORS SYSTEM (National Park Service).
Provides basic facts about servicemen on both sides of the
American Civil War. http://www.itd.nps.gov/cwss/
DICTIONARY OF AMERICAN NAVAL FIGHTING SHIPS (DANFS) PROJECT
http://www.hazegray.org/danfs/ [new URL; update your links]
KOREAN WAR PROJECT http://www.koreanwar.org/
LIBRARY OF VIRGINIA. The LVA's DIGITAL LIBRARY PROGRAM so far
has digitized more than 2.2 million original documents, photos,
and maps, and has produced more than 80 fully-searchable
databases, indexes, and electronic finding aids, among them
Virginia history and culture; court records; births, deaths,
marriages, wills, and Bible records; genealogy/biography; land
records; military history; newspaper and periodical databases;
maps; personal papers finding aids; and electronic card indexes.
http://www.lva.lib.va.us/dlp/index.htm
WORLD WAR I DOCUMENT ARCHIVE
http://www.lib.byu.edu/~rdh/wwi/
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Humor -
Sherlock Holmes and Dr. Watson went on a camping trip. After a good
meal and a bottle of wine they lay down in their tent for the night,
and went to sleep. Some hours later, Holmes awoke and nudged his faithful
friend awake.
"Watson, look up at the sky and tell me what you see."
Watson replied, "I see millions and millions of stars."
"What does that tell you?" Holmes questioned.
Watson pondered for a minute.
"Astronomically, it tells me that there are millions of galaxies and
potentially billions of planets.
Astrologically, I observe that Saturn is in Leo.
Horologically, I deduce that the time is approximately a
quarter past three.
Theologically, I can see that God is all powerful
and that we are small and insignificant.
Meteorologically, I suspect that we will have a beautiful day tomorrow.
What does it tell you, Holmes"
Holmes was silent for a minute, then spoke. "Watson, my good man,
someone has stolen our tent."
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PERMISSION TO REPRINT articles from PotpourrEMAIL is granted
unless specifically stated otherwise, PROVIDED: (1) the reprint
is used for non-commercial, educational purposes; and (2) the
following notice appears at the end of the article:
Written by
Previously published by PotpourrEMAIL,
PotpourrEmail, Vol. 1, No. 12, 1 June 2000. Please visit
Boylston Historical Society and Museum's main Web page at
http://www.ultranet.com/~boyhisoc/index.shtml
This newsletter is distributed monthly, on the first day of the month,
to all Boylston Historical Society members (who have email!), genealogists
and friends who have a special interest in the history of the town of
Boylston.
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