Allen County Research Trip, Just a Few Finds

Copyright 2012, CABS for Reflections From the Fence

This week I had the opportunity to take a 2 day research trip with the local genie club to Allen County Public Library, Fort Wayne, Indiana.

I happen to LOVE Allen County Public Library and have been many times.  It is about 2 to 2.5 hours from home, far enough that I don't care to make it a day trip, way too much driving for just a few hours of research, however, a stay over trip is wonderful. Many times Man and I have stayed in a local campground.  He loves to shop techy toys and get trucks worked in Fort Wayne, several of our computers have been purchased there.  So, he has something to entertain himself with while I research.  WIN - WIN.

I mentioned on Google Plus and on Facebook that my research results were less than stellar.  This was due in part to the fact that I am at the point in my research where I have a LOT of brick walls, and the days of making reams of copies in 2 days at Allen County are pretty much behind me.  But, there is that ongoing to do list.  And, I must confess that there are a few items on that to do list that are rather old.  OK, YEARS old, like 10 years old.  These were obviously things that were interesting enough for me to add to the to do list, but, not so important that I wanted them RIGHT now!  Because in all subsequent trips to Ft. Wayne, I have left them for last, or ignored them on the list.

This trip, I decided to address some of these items, once and for all.

Results:  Pretty good, I did not necessarily find mind blowing happy dancing information.  I did address many of the older ones.  I pulled books and read some microfilm, looked good and hard, and decided they just didn't do me any good.  Those to do items will be deleted from the list.  That is a good thing.

Here is a sign of the times, some of the items were resolved not only by the books and sources available at the library, but, by Find A Grave.  I'll not say more about this at this time.

I did have a couple of new items on my to do list, several of these items could not have been done anywhere BUT the library.  One of the finds that was a lot of fun for me was to pull a copy of the work, "Encyclopedia of American Farm Implements & Antiques" by Charles H. Wendel, published in 2004, by Krause Publications.

Man's great grandfather, Wallace H. Lashbrook, who I have mentioned a time or two on this blog, was a traveling salesman, he sold farm machinery, just what types, I am not sure. I have one mention of something very specific.  He exhibited the Plano harvester and binder at the 1886 Michigan State Fair.  I found this image in the Wendel book, and even though it is not a harvester binder, it is a Plano product.

I think it will be a fun graphic to add to his multimedia events, adding some understanding and appreciation to his biography.  I was able to find a number of these graphics, for a number of the companies I believe he worked for over the years.  The names of those companies were derived from old city directories.  Gotta love those directories!

One of our members found this HUGE family chart.  Amazing isn't it??

I spent a bit of time doing some lookups for a genie friend and experimenting with new technology and toys via my tablet.  I'll write about that next.



* You can see and learn more about the Allen County Public Library from my post, Allen County Public Library, A Great Place To Research, August 29, 2010.

** Disclaimer, you know the routine, Facebook, Google Plus, Find A Grave and all other mentions of web sites are put here without any financial considerations back to Reflections.  I use the services, sometimes successfully, others, well, not so successfully.  Sometimes I speak highly of them, other times, well, I rant!
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