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Archiver > TMG > 2004-04 > 1080919398


From: Terry Reigel <>
Subject: RE: [TMG] custom "City Directory" tag vs. standard "Residence" tag. Pros and cons??
Date: Fri, 2 Apr 2004 10:23:18 -0500
In-Reply-To: <000c01c41845$8d08a2e0$6702a8c0@Cheasa>


Robert Marshall Wrote:

> I have been debating with myself how I should handle the
> growing number of entries in a spreadsheet for
> appearances in City Directories. I thought about creating
> a custom "City Directory" tag, a la the "Census" tag that
> already exists. If I do, will that get exported in gedcom
> if I ever need to do an export?
>
> On the other hand, there is the standard "Residence" tag
> that could be used. Since this IS a standard tag, it will
> definately be exported...correct?
>
> Frankly, I don't forsee a need to worry about custom
> tags, but since I haven't done any great amount of entry
> as of yet, figure I should consider it for future
> consequences.
>
> What are other people doing regarding handling City
> Directory information? And what about custom tags in
> general? Are people using them regularly??

Robert,

I think the question is, as always when considering how to enter data,
what's the point? That, just why are you entering this particular
data?

For example, the idea Teresa offers, to enter one living tag for each
directory you find, is good if the idea is to aid further research, by
pointing out what's missing and thus suggesting what might still be
found. But, as she comments, if the idea is to create an interesting
narrative for family members, that will be a pretty boring story.

If your objective is to create a readable story, and you want to
communicate that the family is known to have been at been at a
particular location, I'd do something different. I've found that
things like census and directories tell you were people were at a
point in time, but generally offer little clue about when they moved.
So I find a living tag in a finished narrative to be misleading if it
shows only specific dates, such as a census or directory date. It begs
the questions, why did you mention that date, and when did the move
there and when did they leave.

I've found two solutions to this. The first is to create a tag that
explains on it's face why I mentioned this date, and make it clear
that the information represents a point in an unknown span of time. A
census tag, for example, that says a person "...was enumerated at 123
Main St., Sometown, Anystate, on 3 May 1930" makes it clear why the
tag was created, and that they may have been there for any length of
time before or after that event. You could create a similar tag for
city directories -- "...was listed in the city directories of
Sometown, Anystate as a carpenter in 1890, 1891, and 1893.

The other approach I use is to collect the known locations into one or
more tags that produce a flowing narrative. This I do after I've found
a considerable amount of information on a family. Initially I may
create individual living tags, citing the various sources. But when I
get ready to create a report that includes the family, I edit them
into one or a few tags, adding text in the Memo to describe an overall
story. Here's an example of such a case:

"He and Edith lived in Clark Co., Washington for a time after their
marriage. They were listed in the Chelatchie section in the 1900
census, and he reported he was a resident of La Center in his
homestead application in 1908. But in the meantime they were in Idaho
long enough for the birth of Adin there in 1905. They completed a
house on their homestead in Arrow, Lake Co., Oregon in Nov 1908, and
occupied it 28 May 1909. We do not know how long they lived there
after Ralph filed the "Final Proof" papers for the homestead in Feb
1915."

After describing the homestead the story continues -- "By Jan 1920 the
family had moved to Terrebonne, Deschutes Co., Oregon and by Apr 1930
they lived in Ashland, Jackson Co., Oregon." Then I have some
information about his occupations, followed by --- "Ralph and at least
some of his sons lived and worked in various areas of northern
California, mainly working in the fruit orchards. By Jan 1931 he was
in Maxwell, Colusa Co., but later moved farther north. The family was
living in Orland, Glenn Co., when his granddaughter, Elizabeth was
born in Jul 1932. He was still in that area as late as Oct 1941. He
and Edith Jennie Roberts moved to Santa Cruz, Santa Cruz Co.,
California circa 1944. At the time of their deaths they were living at
1037 17th Ave., Santa Cruz."

All of the above text was produced by three individually customized
Living tags. If your objective is readable narratives, as mine is, I
think something like this is the final objective. But it's probably
not what you would enter initially while you are in the process of
gathering data.

Terry




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