Episode 305 - Records That Survived The 1906 San Francisco Earthquake Downsizing/Decluttering- What to Keep Ask Us Anything- The Best Way to Digitize A Ton of Pictures

Host Scott Fisher opens the show on his own this week as David Allen Lambert is in post-RootsTech London. He will return next week. In Family Histoire News, Fisher talks about the Million Letters Project. It’s a project that began decades ago with a few letters home from various wars dating back to the Revolution and coming forward all the way to 9/11. Hear how many letters are in the collection now, the organization behind it, and where they’re being housed. Next, if you liked Halloween, you’d love sleeping in a truly haunted castle. Fisher points you to a list of the top ten haunted castles, and shares details on number one. Then, Masonic Temples are being abandoned and often burn at a rate higher than other buildings. Hear the reason behind this strange fact and why your ancestor’s gathering place may not be around today… or at least not much longer! Fisher then visits with Amy Johnson Crow, well known blogger, lecturer and genealogist. Amy recently had to join her sisters in moving their very senior parents out of the home they’ve lived in for decades. This forced a number of decisions concerning heirlooms, what to keep and dealing with the emotions of the process. Amy lends some great advice for managing parental moves, cleanouts, or even decluttering in your own life. Melanie McComb from NEHGS then joins the show talking about the 1906 San Francisco earthquake. Yes, it was the cause of the burning of another courthouse, meaning countless priceless records were lost. Melanie will tell you what was destroyed, and what records survived as well as how to find alternatives for the documents of your ancestors that no longer exist. Fisher’s grandfather was in the earthquake and he shares a little of his story. Then, Nancy Desmond, co-founder of MemoryWeb, fields questions on how to best manage (at a reasonable price) the digitization of negatives and slides, as well as a slew of old photos. It’s a lot of information! That’s all this week on Extreme Genes, America’s Family History Show!