It is up to you to preserve your history Louisiana

I emailed the Louisiana Historic Preservation office with a question about the Draft of the Louisiana State Historic Plan. I wondered if the State Plan included the preservation of cemeteries in Louisiana. Of course, if the cemetery is already on the National Register or takes part in a Certified Local Government, or Main Street Program it is likely included as being a part of the plan, however, recent developments in Louisiana Legislature in 2008 (HLS 183 Requests the House Commitee on Municipal, Parochial and Cultural Affairs to study the issues related to the preservation of historic cemeteries and the creation of a historic cemetery preservation fund) dictates that this study of issues related will not be presented to the House until April 2009. Additionally, concerning HLS 183, "the House of Representatives of the Legislature of Louisiana does hereby urge and request the House Commitee on Municipal, Parochial and Cultural Affairs to study and make recommendations relative to issues related to the preservation of historic cemeteries and the creation of a historic cemetery preservation fund." The draft document makes brief mention of unidentified burials, church cemeteries, and above ground burials in Louisiana, but does not address the full potential of future findings.

One of the major issues I have found in the Draft document, "...did find it very interesting that the LA SHPO has 2 staff dedicated to researching and writing National Register nominations. In many other states, most National Register nominations are generated by the public and the SHPO staff is responsible for reviewing them...." (p. 48 of 134)


Here is another copy of the email that was sent in addition to the response that I received.

From: LouisianaGenealogy Blogs [mailto:louisianagenealogyblogs@yahoo.com]
Sent: Thursday, February 05, 2009 1:40 PM
To: Historic Preservation
Subject: Questions concerning State Plan and HLS 183



To Whom It May Concern:

I understand that the comment period has since passed, however, I have a question concerning HLS 183 and its involvement or lack of involvement in the state plan. There is a study under HLS 183 concerning the Louisiana Historical Resgister and cemeteries in Louisiana.

Does this plan include the conclusions due in April 2009 of HLS 183?

Sincerely,

Louisiana Genealogy Blogs
louisianagenealogyblogs@yahoo.com

Louisiana Cemeteries
louisianacemeteries@yahoo.com

http://louisianacemeteries.blogspot.com
http://louisianagenealogyblogs.blogspot.com
http://louisianagraveyardrabbit.blogspot.com

The email from Louisiana Historic Preservation Office:

RE: Questions concerning State Plan and HLS 183
Wednesday, February 25, 2009 10:31 AM
From: "Historic Preservation"
View contact details
To: "LouisianaGenealogy Blogs"

Thank you so much for taking the time to review the draft for Louisiana’s State Comprehensive Plan for Historic Preservation. We’ll gather all comments together as a group to evaluate and discuss modification of the plan in order to meet the most pressing preservation needs of Louisiana.



After the final Plan is sent to the National Park Service and receives approval, it will be made available through the Division of Historic Preservation website, as well as on the National Park Service website. You’ll be among the first to be notified of this approval.



Again, thank you for your service and your insights; it is much appreciated!





Holly C. Callender
Administrative Program Specialist
Division of Historic Preservation
Louisiana Dept of Culture, Recreation & Tourism
PO Box 44247, Baton Rouge, LA 70804
Tel: 225.342.8160 / Fax: 225.219.0765
www.louisianahp.org

The Lady in White translated on Acadian Roots blog and Louisiana genealogy message boards

Acadian Roots Aline has translated a French  title for her readers, Contes Legendes by Georges Arsenault, The Lady in White. Read about How to Post to a message board from ProGenealogists: Full name, including any middle names or initials Birth, marriage, and death dates Places where the above events occurred Residence and migration Names of their children and/or parents http://genforum.com/la/ GenForum Louisiana http://www.cajunforums.com/yaf_forum7_Genealogy.aspx Cajun Forums Genealogy - Genealogy Help - Cajun Surnames http://www.louisianacajun.com/msg/louisiana-cajun-forum-messages.asp?fid=26 Cajun and Louisiana Genealogy Message Forum http://history-sites.com/cgi-bin/bbs53x/lacwmb/webbbs_config.pl Louisiana in the Civil War Message Board http://www.nola.com/forums/ancestors/ NOLA's Louisiana Ancestors message forum

Facebook updates, my blog reads, cemeteries and Ancestry

Facebook sure did make a quick turnaround with its TOS. No sooner did I post the last news story to the Copyright RootsWeb mailing list about the potential suit filed, than Facebook issued a statement to the news that there was a "misunderstanding" with regards to its TOS. You can find a link from the RootsWeb Copyright mailing list on my earlier post. I suppose things have settled down now? We'll have to see!

There are several other bloggers out there who are blogging Louisiana history. I found Detour Through History's post about their recent visit URL to the Battle of New Orleans.

It seems that I am not the lone blogger when it comes to Louisiana's cemeteries. There are one or two more! S. L. wrote recently in the Southern Graves blog an article about Charles Orleans, monument builder. S. L. was inspired by a book: Forever Dixie: A Field Guide to Southern Cemeteries & Their Residents, by Douglas Keister.

Ancestry has put online the Ibiblio database of Afro Louisiana History and Genealogy 1718-1820. I've found it much easier to search off of Ancestry due to their merciless sign in procedures. You can search the database here.

Facebook new TOS all a Twitter

Facebooks new TOS (Terms of Service) was twittering this weekend. From what I understand the new and revised TOS, everything that you add to your Facebook account becomes the property of Facebook. About.com sent out an alert of sorts in its genealogy newsletter.

I wonder how the Genea-Bloggers Facebook group feels about the change?

I posted the question to the Copyright mailing list on RootsWeb. Go here to see if there is a response: http://archiver.rootsweb.ancestry.com/th/index/COPYRIGHT/2009-02

Consumerist advice:

"...Make sure you never upload anything you don't feel comfortable giving away forever, because it's Facebook's now.

(Note that as several readers have pointed out, this seems to be subject to your privacy settings, so anything you've protected from full public view doesn't seem to be usable in other ways regardless.).."

NYT:

"...Reacting to an online swell of suspicion about changes to Facebook’s terms of service, the company’s chief executive moved to reassure users on Monday that the users, not the Web site, “own and control their information..."

Here is what Kimberly Powell had to say:

Genealogists have taken Facebook by storm this past year - everywhere I go it seems like I'm meeting more of my Facebook "friends," which is wonderful! But as more and more personal content is being posted to Facebook by genealogists, the change this month by Facebook to their Terms of Service (TOS) gives me pause. First picked up by the Consumerist blog, it appears that Facebook made a change on Feb. 4 to remove the clause that allowed the license you granted Facebook to use your posted content to automatically expire when you cancelled your account.

"If you choose to remove your User Content, the license granted above will automatically expire, however (sic) you acknowledge that the Company may retain archived copies of your User Content."

Now, apparently, Facebook can do whatever it wants with your uploaded photos, writings, messages and other content, even after you terminate you account. Yes, you still retain the copyright. But they can continue to use the content as they see fit, well forever.

"The following sections will survive any termination of your use of the Facebook Service..."

Facebook founder and CEO Mark Zuckerberg defended the language "tweaking" as necessaryNew York Times article. on the Facebook blog yesterday in order to resolve a conflict over ownership of messages posted by one Facebook owner to another among other things. Read more in this

So how does this apply to genealogists? Social networking site a wonderful medium for networking and collaboration, but it can be a bit scary to sign over blanket rights to use what you post online (although this is actually a fairly standard user agreement for many such sites). Will this change how and/or if you use Facebook?

Oh! My! Twittering genealogy!

An Oh!, My!, a twittering genealogy moment! Ancestry adds a few things.
Genealogy website adds slave manifests, letters, more from the Sun Herald.
The Sun Herald went a step further and added these links:

• Link: Confederate Pension Records
  
• Link: http://www.ancestry.com
• Link: Georgia archives online
• Link: Library of Congress
• Link: Amistad Research Center

A few quotes from the story that I found interesting are posted below.


"...The manifests, from 1810 through 1860, "document the movement of slaves from the mid-Atlantic states to the Deep South because of the cotton gin and the need for millions of slaves to work the cotton fields," said Lisa Arnold, Ancestry.com's expert in African-American genealogy..."

"...The database of Civil War soldier profiles - including 17,000 photographs - was created by "a Civil War buff who has been collecting that kind of thing for years," company spokesman Mike Ward said..."

Abe Lincoln logs, links, trees, and birthday events

LSU NEWS
Excerpt:

Feb. 12:
Major birthday celebration program on the State Capitol steps at 3 p.m.:

Charles deGravelles reads poems by and about Lincoln, including a new poem by himself.

Recognition of winners of student essay contest.

Recognition of Glasgow Middle School class that initiated the national Children’s Lincoln Penny Power Campaign.

Formal presentation of “Live the Legacy,” the commemorative book published by the national Lincoln Commission.

James Stoner’s brief remarks on “Abraham Lincoln and Frederick Douglass and the Declaration of Independence”.

Reading of Gov. Bobby Jindal’s Lincoln Year Proclamation.

Reading of Mayor Melvin “Kip” Holden’s Lincoln Year Proclamation.

Reading of President Abraham Lincoln’s Second Inaugural Address by Louisiana Secretary of State Jay Dardenne.

“Mr. Lincoln’s House” for children ages 6 and up; hear the Emancipation Proclamation and then construct a log house from Lincoln Logs
Bluebonnet Library, 3:30 p.m.

Feb. 14:
“Annual African American Read-In,” David Madden reading Lincoln’s Emancipation Proclamation. Children and family members are invited to share a poem or prose from an African American author.
Main Library, Goodwood Avenue, 2:30 p.m.

Feb. 15:
“Louisiana Looks at Lincoln,” exhibit and special reception
Louisiana State Archives, 3851 Essen Lane, 1 p.m.

For more information, contact Madden at 225-344-3630 or dmadden@lsu.edu.


Ernie Ballard
LSU Media Relations
225/578-5685

“Lincoln Chose Louisiana” to Celebrate 200th Anniversary of Abraham Lincoln’s Birth

02/04/2009 03:23 PM
BATON ROUGE – The Louisiana Abraham Lincoln Bicentennial Commission presents “Lincoln Chose Louisiana,” a ten-day commemoration of the 200th anniversary of the birth of Abraham Lincoln. Events will take place throughout the Baton Rouge area from Feb. 4 through Feb. 15 to recognize Lincoln’s bicentennial birthday on Feb. 12.

The Louisiana Abraham Lincoln Bicentennial Commission is chaired by David Madden, Robert Penn Warren professor emeritus of creative writing in the LSU English department, and also includes others from LSU: Vice Chancellor for Strategic Initiatives Isiah Warner, LSU System President Emeritus William Jenkins, LSU Foundation Senior Director of Development Michael Robinson, Chair of the History Department Gaines Foster and Professor Richard White.

“Lincoln’s unique relationship with Louisiana is that he chose this state to be the first to re-enter the Union and to function as a model for all other Southern states in the implementation of his non-vengeful vision of Reconstruction,” said Madden. “Our primary mission is to tell that story, and to facilitate celebrations throughout 2009 all over the state in a great variety of ways, such as music, exhibits, poetry, plays, short speeches, readings of poems by and about Lincoln.”

While events will be held at various locations throughout the Baton Rouge area, LSU will host “Lincoln and Bolivar as Emancipators,” on Monday, Feb. 9, at 10:30 a.m. in the LSU Memorial Tower. “Lincoln and Bolivar as Emancipators” will include LSU System President John V. Lombardi talking informally about Lincoln and Simon Bolivar as emancipators, along with LSU Professor and Chair of Political Science James Stoner speaking briefly about Lincoln, Frederick Douglass and the Declaration of Independence.

END EXCERPT LSU

Abraham Lincoln 200. org




Our Views: Happy 200th, Abe Lincoln
http://www.2theadvocate.com/opinion/39476292.html

Honest Abe's Ancestry
http://louisianagenealogyblog.blogspot.com/2008/02/honest-abes-ancestry-and-j-f-k.html

• After 200 Years, Still Learning About Lincoln by Sandra Smith of the Verona NJ Historical Society
• Flatboat journey to New Orleans - Lincoln's Journey of Remembrance
• Tri State Lincoln Bicentennial Celeberation
• Genealogy.com Abe Lincoln's Family Tree
• Genealogy Today Lincoln Links
• Genealogy Today Lincoln Heritage Challenged
• Monroe County Native Dr. W.A. Evans and Mrs Abraham Lincoln - by Hill Country of Monroe County, Mississippi, Mr. Thornton
  

Here are a few more articles I found today that were interesting to read:

African American Heritage Tour of Shreveport-Bossier
http://www.nsula.edu/regionalfolklife/aamct/default.htm
This is a neat little tour that you can take online.


Councilwoman witnesses history at President Obama's inauguration
Natchitoches Times
http://www.natchitochestimes.com/articles/2009/02/12/news/30morrow.txt


Save Our History Grants - 2009-2010 Grant Program Application
http://www.history.com/content/saveourhistory/grant-program/grant-application

Louisiana Genealogy Connections - a calendar of Louisiana genealogy events

The Louisiana Genealogy Connections calendar is up and running again.  If you need a correction to the calendar, please email me.  You may also add your Louisiana genealogy event at the URL posted below. http://yourwebapps.com/WebApps/calendar-add.cgi?cal=110029 Sincerely, Louisiana Genealogy Blogs louisianagenealogyblogs@yahoo.com

Dynastree

I suppose the name is a take on that famous TV Soap Opera, Dynasty, but with a twist of lime.
Have you ever seen a map with the distribution of your surnames? You should check out this site. I love maps and this is one of my favorite "fun" tools. Where do your surnames show up on the map?

http://www.dynastree.com/

Ancestry updates from Genealogy Gems News, Pastor Buddy's Blog, NOLA genealogy workshop

Genealogy Gems News post: http://genealogygemspodcast.blogspot.com/2009/02/8-civil-war-era-records-coming-online.html Here's a sneak peek at some of the collections that will be coming to Ancestry.com in February 2009: 1) Title: Slave Manifests Filed at New Orleans, Louisiana, 1807-1860 Names: 30,000 estimated Images: 30,000 estimated Brief description: This collection includes manifests of slaves who were transported from one place to another within the U.S. The images are being released first while indexing commences through the World Archives Project. As I mentioned in Genealogy Gems Episode 58 Ancestry is focusing on Civil War & Lincoln records in honor of the 200th anniversary of his birth. ...more Genealogy from Buddy Martin Pastor Buddy's Blog Which tribe are you from? http://www.buddymartin.net/blog/2009/02/05/which-tribe-are-you-from/ Discussing Indian Heritage - Marshall Carver (Born 1883) This week at NOPL from nolabrarian on Live Journal http://community.livejournal.com/neworleans/3352838.htm Tonight! Thursday, Feb 5 at 6:30 pm at Alvar Library in the Bywater: 913 Alvar St. (596-2667) Homer Plessy -- The Movement -- The Moment Local author Keith Weldon-Medley will explore the life and times of Homer Plessy with a New Orleans-centric look at this early freedom rider. Mr Plessy's arrest at Press Street Railroad Yards led to the historic journey of this US Supreme Court civil rights case. (On a personal note: I saw a presentation on this subject by the same author just a few weeks ago, and it was pretty fascinating if you're interested in New Orleans history.) Also, unrelated to the library, but a tie in to Homer Plessy, please see this LJ entry: http://community.livejournal.com/neworleans/3333025.html about the historical marker dedication onm Feb 12 to commemorate this event. Saturday: TWO Genealogy Workshops! Main Library, 3rd Fl Auditorium 219 Loyola Ave. (596-2597) Beginner's Workshop 10:30 am - 12:30 pm Learn how to research your family at this beginner's workshop led by Louisiana researcher Barbara Trevigne. Intermediate Workshop 1:30-3:30 Gregory Osborn of the Louisiana Division will lead intermediate family reserachers in a session that includes information on African American genealogical resources tied to Louisiana on the Internet. Please register ahead for the workshops.

Thanks Martin for doing what you do

Martin Gautier's Louisiana cemeteries made The Advocates headlines.

http://www.2theadvocate.com/news/38763967.html

Finding graves for a hobby
La. man tracks down cemeteries

* By STEVEN WARD
* Advocate staff writer
* Published: Feb 1, 2009 - UPDATED: 12:05 a.m.

Comments (0)
POINT PLEASANT — Martin Gauthier loves the dead.

One day last week, the 63-year-old climbed to the top step of a tomb, 5 feet above the ground.

The tomb is more imposing than a simple tombstone, but nothing ornate. The black iron railing encircling the top is twisted and rusted in one spot.

Under the concrete block forming the tomb are the remains of former Louisiana Gov. Paul Octave Hebert.

Born in Iberville Parish, Hebert was the state’s leader from 1856 to 1860. He died in New Orleans in 1880 but was buried in his home parish.

If someone just walked into St. Raphael Cemetery near River Road, they would never know a former Louisiana governor was buried there unless they climbed the steps of Hebert’s tomb and peeked over to read the inscription on top: “Ex Gov P.O. Hebert died Aug 29 1880.”

Climbing the tomb steps is exactly the kind of thing White Castle resident Gauthier does all the time.

Gauthier has been studying Louisiana cemeteries since 1992, when he and his now-deceased father began investigating their own genealogy.

Part of that investigation involved researching cemetery records and, eventually, visiting graveyards.

In 2005, Gauthier started a Web site dedicated to his historical cemetery research over the years: http://www.la-cemeteries.com.

Visitors can click on one of the state’s 64 parishes and look at Gauthier’s list of cemeteries he has found in that parish.

Gauthier posts pictures he’s taken as well as interesting historical facts about the cemeteries and some of the people buried there.

The project is nothing more than a hobby for Gauthier, a semi-retired electrical engineer.

“I’ve found about 6,000 cemeteries in Louisiana. There are probably 1,000 more I haven’t found yet,” Gauthier said recently while visiting St. Raphael Cemetery in Iberville Parish.

Gauthier said some people think his hobby is weird.

“I don’t really talk about it, unless someone asks about my hobby. I say, ‘I collect cemeteries.’ That’s when most people just sort of look at you and don’t say anything else,” he said with a laugh.

Gauthier said some of his closest friends don’t know about his interest in cemeteries.

While visiting and researching state cemeteries for his Internet data index, Gauthier began to track down the burial sites of all the deceased Louisiana governors.

Gauthier said he has tracked down gravesites of 33 of Louisiana’s 48 deceased governors.

His travels have taken him as far as Portland, Maine, where he found the tomb of George Foster Shepley, a Union Army general installed as military governor of Louisiana in 1862. Shepley was buried in the Maine city where he died.

Gauthier said he was surprised to learn that there was no mention of Shepley as a former Louisiana governor on his northern tomb.

“Actually, about a third of the governors I’ve found have no mention of their service to Louisiana mentioned on their tombs,” Gauthier said.

Alecia P. Long, an assistant professor of Louisiana history at LSU, said Gauthier’s Web site is “useful, interesting and a great resource.”

“Sites like this, even by an amateur historian, can enrich research. That’s what’s exciting about history on the Web,” Long said.

Long said Gauthier’s hobby can provide raw historical information that can “take on a life of it’s own.”

“It’s an amazing project,” Long said.

Although it’s the history that draws Gauthier, the White Castle engineer said he is also attracted by the beauty of cemeteries.

“I wish I knew more about marble, architecture and the actual stones, but I don’t,” Gauthier said. “But a cemetery can just be so pretty. It’s beautiful. Look around.”

Questions concerning State Plan and HLS 183

To Whom It May Concern: I understand that the comment period has since passed, however, I have a question concerning HLS 183 and its involvement or lack of involvement in the state plan. There is a study under HLS 183 concerning the Louisiana Historical Resgister and cemeteries in Louisiana. Does this plan include the conclusions due in April 2009 of HLS 183? Sincerely, Louisiana Genealogy Blogs louisianagenealogyblogs@yahoo.com Louisiana Cemeteries louisianacemeteries@yahoo.com http://louisianacemeteries.blogspot.com http://louisianagenealogyblogs.blogspot.com http://louisianagraveyardrabbit.blogspot.com