2011 Road Trip - Indiana

The drive to Ft Wayne IN took us about 3.5 hours.  We got a late start so didn't get into town until late in the day.  We checked into the Hilton for two nights.  After we got some dinner, we walked over to the Allen County Public Library to take a look around, the library was opened until 9 p.m. 

We made our way to the 2nd floor to the Genealogy Center and went to the Ask Desk.  I mentioned to the woman at the desk this was my first time at the library and would need some help.  The man at the next desk turned around and looked at me, it was the library's Senior Manager for Special Collections and the Genealogy Center, Curt Witcher.  I said, "Curt? You were at FGS Conference in Springfield a few weeks ago!"  He said, "Yes, let me show you around."  OMG!  Curt Witcher gave me a personal tour of the Genealogy Center of the library!!  Wow, don't know if I even heard anything he said, it was such an honor.

The next day I walked over to the library to start my research.  I did remember everything Curt told me the night before.  I concentrated on the record group City Directories for the time period 1917 to about 1929 in Los Angeles.  I was looking  for my father's mother's family the Catanias'.  I know they came up from Louisiana to Chicago, my grandmother was born there in 1905.  The family then went to Muskegan, MI where three more children were born.  I found the family in the 1930 census in Los Angeles, but I don't know when they moved there.  I did find several Catanias' in the directories and copied everything. 



Microfilm reader

I researched the computer databases, microfilm, microfiche and the book stacks for various records and other record groups and locations.  I didn't exactly do the "genealogy happy dance" but I was pleased with what I found.