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Post by scrapbookwriter on Feb 19, 2017 23:16:23 GMT
Hi, it's me again, back for another round of genealogical enlightenment. The Colusa Sun (California) was a weekly newspaper which began publication in February 1862. My g-g-grandfather died in November of that year. I want to search those 1862 newspapers for his obituary. I found a list of libraries that have the newspaper in their collections. Chronicling America link The most complete collections are listed as microfilms. How do I view those films? Do I need to travel to that library or can I request an inter-library loan? I have never done this before. How does this work? As always, thank you so very much for sharing your expertise with me. * * * UPDATE: I couldn't figure out the interlibrary loan thing for the microfilm, but the Colusa library has a volunteer who will find the obituary and send me a photocopy. Isn't that awesome? When it arrives I will come back and tell you if I learned anything. I hope to make it to Colusa myself this year and read through every single issue of the Colusa Sun. (But I will probably wait until the whole region is not underwater.) Thanks as always for the education and encouragement I receive from you all! |
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Post by littlemama on Feb 20, 2017 0:54:06 GMT
If the library has a genealogy group, you can call and ask if they would find what you are looking for and send you a copy. My mom does this at a local library.(She is the finder, not the requestor)
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Post by disneypal on Feb 20, 2017 1:15:23 GMT
I have always gone to the library in person...not sure about getting another way
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Post by melanell on Feb 20, 2017 2:47:23 GMT
If I did not live local to the library I would call the library first and ask them what your options are. Some offer those type of services---some for a fee. Or if they do not offer the services, perhaps contacting a local LDS Family Center, a genealogical society, or a historical society might get you pointed in the right direction to obtain the info you need.
Also, there are genealogical help groups or random act of kindness groups on Facebook. You may be able to find someone local to the library who would be able and willing to do a quick check for you.
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Aug 18, 2025 20:57:05 GMT
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Post by Deleted on Feb 20, 2017 6:36:20 GMT
If the above ideas don't work out for you, it might be less expensive to subscribe to newspapers.com or another similar site, than to travel somewhere. Or perhaps another genealogist with a subscription could look it up for you.
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Post by scrapbookwriter on Feb 20, 2017 16:35:21 GMT
If the above ideas don't work out for you, it might be less expensive to subscribe to newspapers.com or another similar site, than to travel somewhere. Or perhaps another genealogist with a subscription could look it up for you. Thanks, @scrapn4keeps - sadly the Colusa Sun is not listed among the holdings on newspapers.com. |
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Post by scrapbookwriter on Feb 20, 2017 16:59:59 GMT
If I did not live local to the library I would call the library first and ask them what your options are. Some offer those type of services---some for a fee. Or if they do not offer the services, perhaps contacting a local LDS Family Center, a genealogical society, or a historical society might get you pointed in the right direction to obtain the info you need. Also, there are genealogical help groups or random act of kindness groups on Facebook. You may be able to find someone local to the library who would be able and willing to do a quick check for you. Thanks - I will call the Colusa County Free Library and see if they do inter-library loans of their microfilm. Of course it's a holiday today so I will have to wait all the way until Tuesday. When I find a clue it is really hard to wait! At the same time I can ask about local genealogy groups as suggested by littlemama . Honestly, though, I would rather read through the paper myself. If someone else did it for me I would always wonder what they might have missed. (I don't know if that's the thorough researcher in me, or my personal need for control  Thanks so much for your help! |
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Post by littlemama on Feb 20, 2017 17:04:06 GMT
If I did not live local to the library I would call the library first and ask them what your options are. Some offer those type of services---some for a fee. Or if they do not offer the services, perhaps contacting a local LDS Family Center, a genealogical society, or a historical society might get you pointed in the right direction to obtain the info you need. Also, there are genealogical help groups or random act of kindness groups on Facebook. You may be able to find someone local to the library who would be able and willing to do a quick check for you. Thanks - I will call the Colusa County Free Library and see if they do inter-library loans of their microfilm. Of course it's a holiday today so I will have to wait all the way until Tuesday. When I find a clue it is really hard to wait! At the same time I can ask about local genealogy groups as suggested by littlemama . Honestly, though, I would rather read through the paper myself. If someone else did it for me I would always wonder what they might have missed. (I don't know if that's the thorough researcher in me, or my personal need for control Thanks so much for your help! I understand your feelings, but anyone dedicated enough to be part of a genealogy group through the library is going to be exceptionally thorough! |
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Post by melanell on Feb 20, 2017 19:36:02 GMT
Honestly, though, I would rather read through the paper myself. If someone else did it for me I would always wonder what they might have missed. (I don't know if that's the thorough researcher in me, or my personal need for control I know exactly what you mean! Save |
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Post by Darcy Collins on Feb 20, 2017 22:12:59 GMT
Did you check California's digital archive? cdnc.ucr.edu/cgi-bin/cdncEven if they don't carry the Colusa Sun (I didn't check) I'd search the newspaper archive. A ton of papers will repeat articles (especially deaths) of the smaller newspapers. |
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Post by scrapbookwriter on Feb 20, 2017 22:18:20 GMT
Did you check California's digital archive? cdnc.ucr.edu/cgi-bin/cdncEven if they don't carry the Colusa Sun (I didn't check) I'd search the newspaper archive. A ton of papers will repeat articles (especially deaths) of the smaller newspapers. Thank you so much for the suggestion. Yes, you actually pointed me to the California digital archive awhile back  . I found his marriage record and short one-line obituaries through that site. I am hoping to find a longer obituary in the Colusa Sun. He was one of the first settlers of the city and died quite young, so I feel confident that the local paper would have written about him in some detail. |
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Post by scrapbookwriter on Feb 23, 2017 19:25:19 GMT
UPDATE: I couldn't figure out the interlibrary loan thing for the microfilm, but the Colusa library has a volunteer who will find the obituary and send me a photocopy. Isn't that awesome?
When it arrives I will come back and tell you if I learned anything.
I hope to make it to Colusa myself this year and read through every single issue of the Colusa Sun. (But I will probably wait until the whole region is not underwater.)
Thanks as always for the education and encouragement I receive from you all!
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Post by Darcy Collins on Feb 23, 2017 19:29:27 GMT
That's great! Those old newspapers can be crazy with the gossipy bits. Several of the Iowa libraries have started digitizing their old newspapers - it was almost overwhelming when I started searching them. I mean how many Mary Smith is visiting her sister in Wichita do you need? But I felt bad about not saving the little mentions.
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Post by anniefb on Feb 23, 2017 21:22:53 GMT
That's great - hope it sheds light on some things.
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. I found his marriage record and short one-line obituaries through that site. I am hoping to find a longer obituary in the Colusa Sun. He was one of the first settlers of the city and died quite young, so I feel confident that the local paper would have written about him in some detail. 
