The Irish Ancestral Research Association 2120 Commonwealth Ave
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The Irish Ancestral Research Association 2120 Commonwealth Ave. Auburndale, MA 02466-1909 Fall 2012 Volume 29, Number 3 Neighborhoods Bunker Hill Monument and old Charlestown 1923 (approximate date). Courtesy of the Boston Public Library, Leslie Jones Collection. President’s Message It’s hard to believe we’re starting a new “TIARA Year” already. You should know that your TIARA Board and Volunteers have been working through- out the summer. In June, we had our meeting in Lawrence, the Irish Cultural Centre of New Eng- The Irish Ancestral Research Association land Festival, and the Worcester Irish Music Festi- 2120 Commonwealth Avenue val. In July, we were a sponsor and vendor at the Auburndale, MA 02466-1909 Massachusetts Genealogical Council’s Annual www.tiara.ie Meeting and Seminar at Brandeis University. Officers TIARA members were strong in attendance. At the Mary Choppa President end of August, we were at the FGS Conference in Margaret Sullivan Birmingham, Alabama! Co-Vice Presidents Greg Atkinson Susan Steele Pamela Holland Co -Recording Secretaries As always, the volunteers made each of these Gary Sutherland Corresponding Secretary events a major success for TIARA. We are including a list of the volunteers who worked over the sum- Committee Chairs mer months, giving their time and talent to TIARA. Margaret Sullivan Publicity We are also grateful to the ICCNE, Worcester AOH, Pat Landry Membership MGC and FGS for working with TIARA and provid- Carolyn Jack Webmaster Susan Steele Foresters ing these opportunities for TIARA. Joan Callahan Library Eva Murphy Volunteers We have been preparing for our participation at the upcoming Back to Our Past Event, taking place in DUES Calendar year membership is (U.S.) $20 per individual & Dublin, Ireland in October. TIARA will host a booth $30 per family. Canada $25/$37.50 and Europe $30/$45 – U.S. currency to cover added postage & handling in a sort of role-reversal capacity. We will be trying to help our Irish cousins research their relations Meetings TIARA meets monthly except July & August at loca- that came to the United States. Marie Ahearn and tions throughout the New England area. Janis Duffy have been working on our booth con- THE TIARA NEWSLETTER tent, including examples of American records and The TIARA newsletter is published quarterly and distributed to photos of our ancestors who made the journey members in good standing. across the Atlantic. They have also been hard at Editors Virginia Wright work preparing our trip attendees for the research Assistant Editor Richard Wright Production: Kathy Roscoe week that will follow. The conference is an added bonus for those members taking the research trip Submit all correspondence to the above address. this year. We are proud to say that Susan Steele and Janis Duffy will present a lecture at the Back Copyright All material in this publication is protected by copy- right. Permission must be obtained for use of any material and to Our Past conference. We have asked some of our credit given, including Title, Author, Volume, and Issue num- sister organizations here in the United States to ber. help provide resources particular to their region of In This Issue the country. We thank the IGSI (Irish Genealogical President's Message Page 2 Society International), W.I.S.E (Wales, Ireland, Neighborhood Research: Using Scotland and England Family History Society), and Preservation Planning Records Page 3 the Butte-Silver Bow Public Archives for their help. Neighborhood Resources in the TIARA Library Page 4 Joan Callahan and Susan Steele have been work- Research Tip Page 4 ing with Mary Rita Grady to update our library. Here and There Page 5 (Continued on Page 4) Home is Where the Story Begins Page 6 --------------------------------------------------------- The Community of Time Page 8 In this Issue (Continued) Neighborhoods of Owen McEnaney Page 9 Commentary on an Early Strike Page 17 The Real Stars of TIARA Page 11 Making a Timeline Page 18 Dathi's Bookshelf Page 12 Request for Assistance Page 21 Up date from the MA State Archives Page 14 Mystery Chalice Page 21 This and That Page 14 New Famine Museum to Open Page 21 The Resurrection of James Connell Page 15 Research Tip Page 21 Upcoming TIARA Meetings Page 17 Summer Activity Photos Page 22 2 Neighborhood Research: Using the place. Research on the place quickly yields in- formation about the families associated with that Preservation Planning Records in place. In accessing preservation planning records, Genealogy genealogists benefit from the work of other profes- Kathleen Kelly Broomer #3413 sionals who are on the ground in the community and familiar with both local history and the docu- If the neighborhoods I research were associated mentary sources available. Historians, architectur- with my own ancestors, I would be making more al historians, social and cultural anthropologists, progress on recording my family’s history in the and town planners are among those who compile United States. the research submitted to the SHPO. To research neighborhoods, I cull through vital and Historic property inventory forms and National census records, examine deeds and probate files, Register nominations tell the story of a neighbor- scrutinize city directories and municipal voting hood and its residents. These documents describe lists, and compile descendant charts. I read local both the history of the place and the ways in which histories, compare pages in historic atlases from its appearance may have changed over time. Maps different time periods, and identify geographic, so- and photographs record the location and condition cial, and economic factors that shaped a town’s of the neighborhood at the time of documentation. development. I visit public li- Bibliographies provide clues State Historic Preservation Officers braries and historical societies, for additional research. (SHPOs) are state government officials looking for newspaper clip- delegated with carrying out the national pings, diaries, and town re- SHPO files are public docu- historic preservation program pursuant ports. ments, and increasingly to the National Historic Preservation Act available online. In Massa- of 1966, as amended. Present in fifty I also visit the neighborhoods, chusetts, information from states, the District of Columbia, and U. photographing homes, shops, historic property inventory S. territories, SHPOs and their profes- mills, houses of worship, forms and National Register sional staffs work closely with the staff of schools, cemeteries, and parks. nominations is entered into a the National Park Service, U. S. Depart- I can use the Internet to travel searchable database: ment of the Interior. There is great varia- down a street without leaving (http://mhc-macris.net). tion among states regarding the place- my desk, but seeing these plac- Many of the forms themselves ment of the SHPO staff within the frame- es firsthand puts me closer to may be downloaded. Check a work of state government. Depending on the experiences of the people SHPO’s website directly to see the state, the SHPO may be grouped with who once lived there. whether a database exists for other state agencies devoted to citizen that state, as the contents of information, environmental protection, When I take a photograph or SHPO databases generally are parks and recreation, or travel and tour- finish a report, I often wonder not picked up by search en- ism. The SHPO also could be part of the whether the families of former gines. In some states, paper state archives or state historical society. residents would like to see the files are still the norm. For links to SHPO web sites, click information I compiled. I can’t s take the time to find out. Get- “pre ervation links” at: SHPO websites also may offer www.nps.gov/history/nr ting this neighborhood re- links to historic context r- search into the hands of de- Alternatively, enter “state historic prese statements and communi- scendants is not what I was vation office” with the name of the state tywide survey reports, focus- into a search engine. hired to do. ing on a geographic location, historic period, or socio- Genealogists interested in learning more about economic theme within the state. These sources neighborhoods in the United States may wish to are useful for developing timelines and under- check the preservation planning files maintained standing local trends. Theme studies developed for by State Historic Preservation Officers (SHPOs). the National Historic Landmarks program may Under the administrative umbrella of the National prove helpful, available at: Park Service, SHPOs in every state, the District of www.nps.gov/history/nhl. Columbia, and U. S. territories conduct surveys of historic properties, and nominate individual prop- Every research collection has its limitations. His- erties and districts to the National Register of His- toric property inventory forms and National Regis- toric Places. ter nominations are planning documents first, of- ten prepared in projects designed to record hun- If genealogical research starts with the person, dreds of historic properties in a short time. It is then research in preservation planning starts with understood that information may be amended in future planning projects as circumstances warrant. - 3 - Research available in SHPO files is not genealogical Thacher Streets). The book contains a detailed his- writing. The level of detail in source citations varies tory of the parish and, more importantly, high- widely. Source lists can be extensive, though foot- lights a large number of members with photos and notes are not normally required. The absence of an brief bios. Photos are also included of the interior address or town in a database may mean infor- and exterior of the building and the many Jesuits mation either has not yet been compiled for that who served the parish.” community or has not been processed. It is worth- while to inquire. For a look at larger neighborhoods, the TIARA li- brary has other resources.