Research Journal and Family Newsletter: 18 Oct. - 24 Oct.

I really have to hand it to the bloggers who are able to keep a daily research journal.  I know I couldn't, but I would like to try and do a weekly one, sort of as a summary of the research I did in a week.  I'm also going to combine this with a family newsletter type thing as a way of keeping track of and sharing (if any of my relatives are interested) the research I do on my surnames:

Not Really Genealogy Related Things:

• My main computer died on Sunday so not a lot of internet research was done this week.  I also had some papers due and a midterm on Wednesday so not a lot of off-line research going on this week either. 
• Got a new desktop on Thursday, the day Windows 7 came out.  I'd like to do some kind of post on Windows 7 and genealogy but I'm afraid I'm not tech literate enough to do that.  I will say that Windows 7, so far, has been wonderful.  It boots and operates much faster than Vista and, I think, XP.  It is also sleeker and seems more streamlined and honestly, I wouldn't even know the computer was on if I weren't sitting here typing this because it is so quiet.  I will say that the toolbar is a disappointment this time around, XP and Vista have 7 beat in that department.  One of my favorite things about my new desktop set-up is the monitor which was actually thrown in for next to nothing when I got the PC.  It is the first High-Def monitor I've had (besides the one on my laptop) and I have noticed that it is a little easier for me to read old or poor-quality documents on the screen. 
• How neat are those touch screen printers and scanners?  I was in Office Max the other day and started salivating over them (well, I've been obsessed with all the new touch screen toys for awhile now)- Santa, can you hear me?
• Got a wonderful package in the mail the other day.  It was a bit of a surprise but a fantastic one none the less and chock full of genealogy goodies.  After I'm finished reading it, I'll post about it here.
• Saw Law Abiding Citizen yesterday.  The movie was okay, but what really bothered me was a shoot-out scene in a cemetery- all those headstones shot up and destroyed, it was difficult to watch.  I know (or at least hope) no headstones were actually damaged in filming that, but the genealogist in me was still perturbed by it.

Surnames Researched:
Like I said, not a lot of research happened this week but I was able to get a little in-
Jackman:

• I was inspired to go back and check out Old Fulton NY Post Cards and stumbled across some great articles on my Jackmans.  My great x 4 grandmother's siblings and half-siblings stayed in the Rochester area so there was tons on them.  A descendant of one of her half-siblings, Rev. Lyman Ward Beecher Jackman was particularly interesting.  I learned he was a Baptist missionary in Sadiya, India in the early 1900s.  His wife had "improper relations" with a British officer there in 1920 and later confessed to her husband who promptly went out and shot the officer to death.  The good Reverend spent about two years in a Colonial Indian prison (he pleaded "emotional insanity"  and got a lighter sentence because of it) before coming back to the US and resettling in New York City.

(For family members: "Bud" >Elmer Shinn >H.D. Shinn >Mariah Doyle >Alzina Jackman)

Allen:

• Haven't really done actual research on this bunch, but I heard from a cousin on this side recently and it has renewed my interest in this (VERY) frustrating branch of my tree.  I plan on checking out Lawrence Co., PA resources to see what is available for the time period of 1849-1880.  I also might look into Mercer Co., PA records for pre-1849 (Lawrence Co. was formed from Mercer and Beaver Counties n 1849) records.  Will also be checking out Clemens/Clements records for these counties.

(For famly members: "Jim"> Joseph James Allen> John Grant Allen> Joseph Allen and Elizabeth Clemens)

Internet Find I Loving:

• Small Town Newspapers: a great, free resource I found through Google News.  Has newspaper archives for lots of small towns.  Found a couple obituaries and interesting articles on my Wellons bunch in The Carlisle Citizen (Carlisle, Iowa).