C. A. Giddens - Outfitter to Men and Boys - Phillipsburg, New Jersey

From the Washington Star in Phillipsburg - 1912

I have so many newspaper clippings saved on my computer, and I know my family would love to see them. Here are a few from my grandmother's Giddens family.

In 1898, Charles Giddens, my great-grandfather, owned a dry goods store at 322 South Main in Phillipsburg, New Jersey, and lived with his family at 75 Mercer Street. 

By 1906, his store was described as a clothing and dry goods store at 310-312 Main Street, and his family lived upstairs. In 1908, his store was described as an "Outfitter to Men and Boys, Clothing, Hats, Shoes, and Haberdashery." 

From the Washington Star in Phillipsburg - 1917

Charles Giddens continued to run the store until he left his wife and family to move to St. Louis, Missouri, in 1922. This last ad shows that the inventory was sold in 1921.

Selling Inventory of Charles Giddens Store 1921 04 Jun 1921, Sat Mainland Journal (Pleasantville, New Jersey) Newspapers.com 

If you want to know more about the families I research, click here to like my Facebook page, where you will see each post and other genealogical finds. 

Diana

© 2024 

"1898-1900  West's Directory of Greater Easton,"  database with images, Ancestry (https://www.ancestry.com/mediaui-viewer/tree/45260559/person/6487533712/media/0d6f3377-06d1-4cc8-a219-dd16ece3df67: accessed 15 October 2024). 

"Charles A. Giddens, 1905 New Jersey State Census," New Jersey State Archive; Trenton, NJ, USA; State Census of New Jersey, 1905; Reference Number: L-17; Film Number: 42. New Jersey, State Census, 1905, Ancestry.com (https://www.ancestry.com : accessed 17 October 2024).

"C. A. Giddens," The Washington Star, Phillipsburg, N.J., 19 December 1912, page 13; digital image, Old Fulton New York Post Cards (https://fultonhistory.com : accessed 17 October 2024).

"C. A. Giddens," The Washington Star, Phillipsburg, N.J., 5 December 1912, page 13; digital image, Old Fulton New York Post Cards (https://fultonhistory.com : accessed 17 October 2024).

"C. A. Giddens," The Washington Star, Phillipsburg, N.J., 24 October 1912, page 8; digital image, Old Fulton New York Post Cards (https://fultonhistory.com : accessed 17 October 2024).

"C. A. Giddens," The Washington Star, Phillipsburg, N.J., 20 September 1917, page 11; digital image, Old Fulton New York Post Cards (https://fultonhistory.com : accessed 17 October 2024).

"Selling Inventory of Charles Giddens Store," Mainland Journal (Pleasantville, New Jersey), 4 June 1921, Saturday; digital image, Newspapers.com (https://www.newspapers.com/article/mainland-journal-selling-inventory-of-ch/145788680/ : accessed 17 October 2024).

Friday's Photo: Forgotten Faces Found in the Marguerite Cook Clark Collection - Part 2 Families, with Insights from AI

"Judging by their clothing, the photograph likely dates from the late 19th century to
the early 20th century, likely between 1890 and 1910."

I discovered long ago that the best way to identify old photos is to keep sharing them, hoping someone with the same image will recognize them. Over the next few Fridays, I will post unidentified photos from the Marguerite Cook Clark collection. 

Marguerite Cook Clark grew up surrounded by family in Bienville Parish, Louisiana, and was my third cousin. She descends from Joseph B. Bryan, the son of Reddick Bryan and Elizabeth Regan, and Sarah Margaret Wimberly, the daughter of William Wimberly and Lucy Smith Lawson. As the family genealogist, she was the keeper of her family’s photos, documents, and letters, and I was fortunate to have the opportunity to view and scan her collection.

This post contains five unidentified photos of families found in Marguerite's collection. Under each photo is a quote generated by ChatGPT about the approximate time the photo was taken. I used Steve Little's genealogy bot, Genealogy Eyes, to learn more about the images. 

Please email me if you can identify any pictures or have the same or similar images. 

Click to send 

 "Based on the clothing and the setting, this photo likely dates from the early 1900s,
possibly between 1900 and 1915."

"The clothing and architectural details suggest it was taken in the late 19th century or
very early 20th century." 

"Based on the clothing and overall style of the portrait, this photo was
likely taken between 1890 and 1910. The high collars, puffed sleeves,
and formal attire are all characteristic of the turn of the century."

"This is a lovely and intimate family portrait, likely from the early 1900s based on the
style of clothing and the oval framing."

If you want to know more about the families I research, click here to like my Facebook page, where you will see each post and other genealogical finds. 

Diana

© 2024 

ChatGPT, "What can you tell me about this image," 10 October 2024, OpenAI (https://chatgpt.com : accessed 8 October 2024). 

"Genealogy Bots: Revolutionizing Research," AI Genealogy Insights (https://aigenealogyinsights.com/genealogy-bots/ : accessed 10 October 2024).

Unidentified photographs, n.d.; digital images, from the privately held photo collection of Marguerite Cook Clark (1913-1989), Waynesville, North Carolina, 2021. Photos were accessed and scanned at the home of Marguerite Cook Clark's daughter in Alpine, Texas, on 28 April 2014, 14 September 2014, and 9-11 November 2016.

My Week with AI: Podcasts, a PowerPoint, and a Timeline

Finding photos for my blog and presentations is much easier with AI. Simply imagine and
describe your photo. I asked Meta AI to create a fall scene with someone raking and
listening to a podcast. 

Two weeks ago, I posted My Week with AI: Citations, YouTube, eBay, a Will Transcription, and a Spreadsheet. That was my first post about AI, and I plan to share something I’ve done with AI at least monthly. I learn something new every time I use it, and this past week has been no different. Here are a few of my AI learning experiences from the past week.

Podcasts

My yard chores often translate into listening to podcasts and audiobooks. I always look forward to and often replay two genealogy podcasts: The Family History AI Show with Steve Little and Mark Thompson and Research Like a Pro Genealogy Podcast with Diana Elder and Nicole Dyer. Diana and Nicole have integrated AI into many of their recent episodes, while Steve and Mark's podcast focuses entirely on AI's role in genealogy. These aren't the only genealogy podcasts I listen to—there are plenty of great options. If you want to listen to genealogy podcasts, check out the Genealogy Podcasts page at ConferenceKeeper.org for many wonderful choices.

PowerPoint

I have a 60-minute how-to presentation on FamilySearch that I need to trim down to 30 minutes for one of my local genealogical society's activities. I decided to try Perplexity, a new-to-me AI platform, to help with the task. It gave me useful suggestions, including what to put on each slide and how long to spend on them. But when I asked it to create the slides, I was told it couldn't.

Just for fun, I tried the same prompts in ChatGPT. The results were similar, but ChatGPT actually created slides. However, after opening the PowerPoint from ChatGPT, I found that it consisted of only one slide with just a little text. 

Determined not to give up, I tried a different approach—I asked ChatGPT to create slides based on its own suggestions. The results were quite amusing. I had forgotten how much ChatGPT struggles to spell words on images.

I will definitely be creating my own PowerPoint slides!

A Timeline

I am a firm believer in timelines. I've been working hard on my Plymouth, Massachusetts, Reed family and created two timelines in Word documents for this family. I asked ChatGPT to extract the information from both documents and add it to an Excel spreadsheet with columns for dates, events, locations, and notes. 

I now have a nice readable Excel document, but it wasn't a quick process—it took over an hour to analyze the information. The first spreadsheet only captured 27 out of the 87 items from the timelines. I felt like I was constantly nagging ChatGPT to add or adjust entries. In the end, however, ChatGPT put together a more user-friendly document in less time than if I had done it manually.

AI may not always get everything right, but it’s helping me streamline my research and uncover new possibilities. Give it a try—it just might surprise you! 

If you want to know more about the families I research, click here to like my Facebook page. There, you will see each post and other genealogical finds. 

Diana

© 2024 

ChatGPT, "Essential FamilySearch Resources," Slide Illustrations, OpenAI DALL·E, October 10, 2024.

Meta AI, "Fall Picture with iPod," Digital Artwork, October 9, 2024. Artificially generated image of a fall scene.

Upcoming FREE Genealogy Presentation: "Ten Resources I Use Every Day: Miscellaneous Tips for the Online Researcher"

The Virginia Beach Genealogical Society is hosting a FREE hybrid presentation that you will want to attend! On Thursday, October 10, 2024, at 6:00 PM, renowned genealogist Cyndi Ingle will share "Ten Resources I Use Every Day: Miscellaneous Tips for the Online Researcher." Whether you're attending in person or joining via Zoom, this presentation will be an excellent opportunity to learn from one of the most knowledgeable experts in the field. See the flyer at the end of this post to sign up for the meeting via Zoom. 

The Virginia Beach Genealogical Society's monthly meetings are hybrid events, offering convenience for both local attendees and those joining remotely. In addition to the monthly meetings, the society hosts four Special Interest Groups that meet regularly—three via Zoom and one in person. For more about this wonderful group and its valuable resources, visit the Virginia Beach Genealogical Society's website. 

If you want to know about families I research, click here to like my Facebook page, where you will see each post and other genealogical finds. 

Diana

© 2024 

Friday's Photo: Forgotten Faces Found in the Marguerite Cook Clark Collection - Part 1

I discovered long ago that the best way to identify old photos is to keep sharing them, hoping someone with the same image will recognize them. Over the next few Fridays, I will post unidentified photos from the Marguerite Cook Clark collection. 

Marguerite Cook Clark grew up in Bienville Parish, Louisiana, and was my third cousin. She descends from Joseph, the son of Reddick Bryan and Elizabeth Regan. As the family genealogist, she was the keeper of her family’s photos, documents, and letters, and I was fortunate to have the opportunity to view and scan her collection.

Below are the first six unidentified photos in Marguerite's collection. Please email me if you can identify any photos or have the same or similar images. 

Click to send 

 

If you want to know more about the families I research, click here to like my Facebook page, where you will see each post and other genealogical finds. 

Diana

© 2024 

Unidentified photographs, n.d.; digital images, from the privately held photo collection of Marguerite Cook Clark (1913-1989), Waynesville, North Carolina, 2021. Photos were accessed and scanned at the home of Marguerite Cook Clark's daughter in Alpine, Texas on April 28, 2014, September 14, 2014, and November 9 to 11, 2016.

UPDATE! Court Records Found using Full-Text Search!

Search terms are highlighted in these hard-to-read documents.

Last week, I spent several hours at the DAR Library in Washington, D.C., sifting through transcribed but unindexed court records with little success. Then, yesterday, I discovered those same records on FamilySearch using their Full-Text Search. Not only were these the original documents, but I also didn’t have to go through them page by page. I simply searched "Peter Reed," and records appeared!

Earlier this year, FamilySearch introduced Full-Text Search, and I spent days diving into land records, uncovering details I never would have found otherwise. I had hoped that court records would be added, and for many areas of the United States, that wish has come true. My to-do list has been completely ignored for the past two days—this discovery has been too exciting to put down. Here are some of the items I found:

• In Erath County, Texas, I encountered a lawsuit involving my great-grandfather that explained a few newspaper clippings in the family Bible.

• In a Wayne County, North Carolina, equity case, I found my third great-grandfather, Mitchel Giddens (spelled with one “l”), named as a witness. His signature appeared several times. Once, he was referred to as "Mitch" and described as a poor man planning to leave the area—new clues for me!

• I uncovered many Giddens court records in Duplin and Sampson counties, which will keep me busy all winter.

• I have always known my ancestor, Reddick Bryan, was civic-minded. Houston County, Georgia's court records prove just how active he was in local affairs.

• Finally, in Hinds County, Mississippi, probate estate files, I found my 2nd great-grandfather, John L. Hairston. I wasn’t surprised that he appeared to owe money to almost everyone!

For those of you not familiar with FamilySearch - all of this is FREE! Note that all records are NOT available from home. Tomorrow, I plan to visit my local library, a FamilySearch affiliate, as some records can only be viewed at a FamilySearch library or affiliate. 

Full-Text Search

To learn more about Full-text search at FamilySearch, check out these links for demonstrations and tips. 

Full-Text Search is found at this link. Make sure you watch the video to improve your search. If you don't have an account at FamilySearch, create your free account at familysearch.org 

Testing the Full Text Search in FamilySearch Labs - An Immediate Success!! From Randy Seaver (read his lessons learned and advice) 

FamilySearch Full-Text Search Is a Genealogy Goldmine - Randy Seaver's most recent post.

12 Strategies for Using FamilySearch Full-Text Search From Kimberly Powell

I have written two posts about Full-Text-search: 

• Last Week, Everything Changed . . . Finding Reddick Bryan Using FamilySearch's Full-Text Search 

• Navigating the History of Erath's Old Poor Farm with New Technologies.

If you want to know more about the families I research, click here to like my Facebook page, where you will see each post and other genealogical finds. 

Diana

© 2024 

Friday's Photo: Reed Family Research at the DAR Library

I spent today and yesterday researching my Reed family at the beautiful DAR Library in Washington, D.C. With hundreds of thousands of books, genealogical compilations, record abstracts, and other items, you could easily spend a week and not run out of things to do!

If you want to know more about the families I research, click here to like my Facebook page, where you will see each post and other genealogical finds. 

Diana

© 2024 

Start Reading Genealogy Blogs Tomorrow!

I started reading genealogy blogs in the early 2000s and wrote my first blog post in 2011. 

Reading genealogy blogs allows me to keep up with the latest genealogical innovations, resources, and learning opportunities.  

I use Feedly to follow the blogs I like. Feedly is an app and website that helps you keep track of articles and blog posts from your favorite websites all in one place. 

There are three blog posts published each week—one on Friday, one on Saturday, and one on Sunday—that I never miss reading. These posts highlight content from the week - blog posts and articles that include new announcements from the genealogical community, how-to guides, resources, and other genealogists' reflections and stories. Occasionally, my own blog is featured in these lists. 

As tomorrow is Friday, you will want to start with Linda Stufflebean's "Friday's Family History Finds" on her blog, Empty Branches on the Family Tree. She categorizes her findings under the headings: Family Stories, Research Resources, Tech News, Genetic Genealogy, Methodology, Education, and Keeping Up with the Times. 

On Saturdays, Gail Dever posts "This week’s crème de la crème" on her blog Genealogy à la carte. This is a daily genealogy news blog from Montréal, Québec. 

Randy Seaver posts "Best of the Genea-Blogs" every Sunday on Genea-Musings. Randy writes that he chooses posts that "advance knowledge about genealogy and family history, address current genealogy issues, provide personal family history, are funny or are poignant."

Blogs provide countless learning opportunities and have greatly simplified staying updated and motivated in my genealogy research. I'm grateful to the bloggers who consistently share their valuable content every week.

If you want to know about the families I research, click here to like my Facebook page, where you will see each post and other genealogical finds. 

Diana

© 2024 

My Week with AI: Citations, YouTube, eBay, a Will Transcription, and a Spreadsheet

The will of John Reed, my 6th great-grandfather. 

Reviewing my recent ChatGPT activity, I was surprised by how much my AI usage has grown. Last week, I used ChatGPT more than I have in any entire month this year—and that’s not even including my time on other platforms. While ChatGPT is my go-to for AI (I have a paid subscription), I'm slowly getting familiar with others. So far, I have experimented with Co-Pilot, Claude, Meta AI, and Gemini. I’m definitely a beginner, but I’m really enjoying the experience! Here are a few of my successes this week.

Citations

I wrote a newsletter article that needed citations outside my usual templates. Normally, I’d spend time researching the correct format, but ChatGPT generated them quickly, saving me the effort. Although the citations needed some tweaking, I can clearly see that, in the future, citations will be easier to create with AI. 

YouTube

 While writing about the Virginia Highway Markers program, I wanted details about local programs. The only source was a 90-minute YouTube video, which I knew would tell me more than I wanted to know. Instead of watching the video, I uploaded the video transcript to ChatGPT. It summarized the key points with an offer to expand on any section. A quick follow-up provided the required information. The total time for this task was approximately 15 minutes. 

Two interesting Highway Markers in my neighborhood

eBay

Since retiring, I’ve been downsizing and frequently selling on Marketplace and eBay. I wasn't sure how to describe this vintage chocolate mold I wanted to sell on eBay. I submitted a photo to ChatGPT and received a perfect description.

A Will Transcription

John Reed's will, at the top of this post, was found using FamilySearch’s full-text search. Like many other documents found with Full-text search, a not-so-easy-to-follow transcription is included. I asked ChatGPT to rewrite the transcription for clarity without altering the text, and in seconds, I had an easy-to-read version. However, I still need to cross-check it against the original for accuracy. 

A Spreadsheet

I wanted a spreadsheet to track attendance for the special interest groups in my local genealogical society. While I could have built the spreadsheet myself, it would have taken me an hour or more since Excel isn’t my strong suit. With ChatGPT’s help, I had a fully functional spreadsheet with drop-down menus in under five minutes.

This Excel spreadsheet includes drop-down menus for the Group Name, Month, Day, and Year.

AI tools are proving to be great time savers. I look forward to learning more and uncovering new uses for these tools daily.

AI Tools Named in this Post

ChatGPT (Open AI) 

Claude (Anthropic) 

CoPilot (Microsoft) 

Gemini (Google) 

Meta AI 

If you want to know about the families I research, click here to like my Facebook page, where you will see each post and other genealogical finds. 

Diana

© 2024 

"Plymouth, Massachusetts, United States records," Supreme Judicial Court, 1739, 

digital images, FamilySearch (https://

www.familysearch.org/ark:/61903/3:1:33S7-9RYS-4CR?view=fullText : accessed 18 September 2024), image 1156 of 1409, Will of John Reed.

Virginia Highway Markers and Chocolate Mold, photographs, 2024; private collection of Diana Quinn, Virginia Beach, VA, 2024.  

Friday's Photo: Happy Birthday to my Brother!

Happy Birthday to my amazing brother! I’m so grateful for all the memories we've shared and the ones still to come.

If you want to know more about the families I research, click here to like my Facebook page, where you will see each post and other genealogical finds. 

Diana

© 2024