Providence, RI question for Marilyn

Post by **marilyn morning** » Sun Oct 21, 2007 1:19 am

Marilyn,

The tax database is fascinating! I agree its fascinating, but its also started a bunch of arguments among neighbors. "Hey why is his property worth more then mine type of argument.

You have to leave off the street numbers on this one too because they don't match the addresses that we have. I'll have another look.
I found the nursing home. It says it was built in 1960 and is now at #41. If you look at 61, 77, or 81 you can see that this was an area of huge old houses built from 1853 to 1905 so any one could have been a private sanitarium.

Go back and take a look at one of my first posts over these homes. They were hugh and very beautiful inside with hugh 10 foot ceiling and beautiful woodwork. Years ago I used to sell Real Estate and I've been in many of these homes. Mostly the streets are lined with triple decker after triple decker. As I mentioned earlier, it was so good to see all of the preservation being done to these homes, but with the drop in the Real Estate market here in RI, I wonder if it will continue?

Number 37 is probably gone by now unfortunately! I also looked up 20 Hollis and 6 Norwich. The database says they were built in 1920, but they sure look like the same style as earlier houses. Each has 14 or 15 rooms so even if they were duplexes, there was room for relatives. The apartments in these homes are hugh, most have three bedrooms with a double parlor and kitchen & dinning room.

There is no 83 Willow St. but 82 sure looks familiar! I'm not sure if the numbering system is the same in your part of the US, but here in RI the odd numbers of the streets are on one side of the road and the even on the other. When we found Willow Street there was no 83, but when I held up the picture of your great aunt, she was standing in front of what is now 82. There were no other properties that even matched the photo you showed me.

Regards
Marilyn

speleobat2 · Post by **speleobat2** » Sun Oct 21, 2007 2:06 am

Yes, we have the odd-even numbering system too, but over a hundred year period anything could change. For that matter, whoever wrote that number on the picture may have gotten it wrong.

I just tried Googling for a tax database for Aberdeen. I came up with something similiar, but not for free. One was pay per view and one want me to subscribe to a public records search engine. The price wasn't bad-$4.95 for a month for world wide records, but I'll try again tomorrow to find a free version for Aberdeen. It would be fun to see if any of my relatives addresses are still relevant!

Right now, I'm going to fall asleep watching baseball. Had a hard day of driving around the countryside hunting old quilts!

Carol

Post by **marilyn morning** » Sun Oct 21, 2007 2:59 am

I just tried Googling for a tax database for Aberdeen. I came up with something similiar, but not for free. One was pay per view and one want me to subscribe to a public records search engine. The price wasn't bad-$4.95 for a month for world wide records, but I'll try again tomorrow to find a free version for Aberdeen. It would be fun to see if any of my relatives addresses are still relevant!

Hi Carol,

Could you post the link for this "pay per view" site and maybe someone might be able to tell you if its legit or not? I don't care to give my credit card number to just anyone.

Hey here's another FREE suggestion (oh we like those don't we

)

Have you ever heard of "Google Earth?" You could install a free copy and check out the address this way first, before dishing out any $ .

Regards
Marilyn

speleobat2 · Post by **speleobat2** » Mon Oct 22, 2007 12:13 pm

Marilyn,

Congratulations on "your" team winning last night and going to the World Series!

The website for the tax database searches is: www.searchsystems.net

You have to buy something called a DirectPass for detailed access and that will cost either $4.95 per month or $48.95 per year. You get billed automatically so you have to cancel if you decide that you don't want the service.

The problem with Google Earth is that I only have a dial-up internet connection. The last time I checked it was going to take 3 hours to download the software.

I haven't been able to find it on disc anywhere.

Carol

speleobat2 · Post by **speleobat2** » Mon Oct 22, 2007 2:59 pm

When I make my cemetery trek in the next couple of weeks, I will be staying with former neighbors in Michigan. They have DSL and WI-FI in their home. I'll take my laptop and download Google Earth while I'm there!

Carol

Post by **marilyn morning** » Mon Oct 22, 2007 10:19 pm

Hi Carol,

They have DSL and WI-FI in their home. I'll take my laptop and download Google Earth while I'm there!

Great idea or you could download it while you're sleeping tonight and have it installed by morning.

Regards
Marilyn

speleobat2 · Post by **speleobat2** » Mon Oct 22, 2007 11:06 pm

Hi Marilyn,

I've tried the overnight thing and my phone service keeps hiccuping which means the download stops until you notice it....

Really good news: I've located baby George's grandfather George's gravesite! Imagine the look on my husband's face when I told him that at the dinner table tonight:

He has perfected that.

I knew from the DC that my great grandfather was buried outside of Dayton, but getting in touch with the graveyard was proving impossible. Then I located the local historical society website, called the number given, and later today, a very enthusiastic volunteer called back. He said that someone had mapped and transcribed the cemetery back in the 90's and published a book around 1997. Their society bought a copy. He put me on the speakerphone, got out their copy and started reading to me.

There is a gravestone with my great grandfather's name and birth and death years. He was also able to tell me the section and row number and the gravesite number. Then he looked up the map and gave me directions to the grave! I had already used mapquest to locate the cemetery itself so sometime soon we'll head north and stop for a picture or two. We're also planning to visit the historical society's museum and make a small donation. They usually charge $10 for a look up and you're supposed to write to them, but it was raining up there today things were pretty quiet!

These little local historical societies shouldn't be overlooked when you're searching for relatives. Their resources maybe limited, but their local knowledge is valuable and sometimes, like today, they have just the information that you need.

Carol

Currie · Post by **Currie** » Tue Oct 23, 2007 1:36 am

Hello Carol & Marilyn,

Google Earth will be a painful experience on a dial-up connection. Dial-up speed is about one third of the minimum requirement. I had to wait till I got broadband before I could install it. It's a great program.

http://earth.google.com/faq.html

Minimum configuration:

* Operating System: Windows 2000, Windows XP
* CPU: Pentium 3, 500Mhz - System Memory (RAM): 128MB RAM
* Hard Disk: 400MB free space
* Network Speed: 128 Kbits/sec
* Graphics Card: 3D-capable with 16MB of VRAM
* Screen: 1024x768, "16-bit High Color" screen

Recommended configuration:

* Operating System: Windows XP
* CPU: Pentium 4 2.4GHz+ or AMD 2400xp+
* System Memory (RAM): 512MB RAM
* Hard Disk: 2GB free space
* Network Speed: 768 Kbits/sec
* Graphics Card: 3D-capable with 32MB of VRAM
* Screen: 1280x1024, "32-bit True Color" screen

All the best,
Alan

Post by **marilyn morning** » Tue Oct 23, 2007 1:50 am

Hi Carol,

Wow that's fantastic news on finding baby George's grandfather, George's gravesite. You must be very excited!!!! After all we've been through on this thread, you simply must post a photo when you get back from your trip.

Oh I know that look from the "husbands" involved with us ladies researching their family history.

Its a blank sort of stare, as if they are in some sort of trance

and thinking to themselves at the same time, OMG I can't believe she thinks I'm the least bit interested.

I'm glad you found the cemetery and how great of the local FHS to help you out on this rainy day. Somedays you strike gold!!

Too bad about the overnight download of Google Earth on your dial up service. If you give me the Aberdeen address's of your relatives and I'll try to look them up.

Regards
Marilyn

speleobat2 · Post by **speleobat2** » Tue Oct 23, 2007 2:06 am

Alan,

Dial-up is painful period! But when you live out where the property taxes are cheap, well, there's a reason why they're cheap.

Marilyn,

I was amazed to find that there was a readable gravestone. My sister was delighted and the man at the historical society was as excited as both of us. He said that if I had any problems finding the site to be sure and stop at the museum and they would help. I wouldn't be surprised to find that he went down there to check before I get up there!

The two addresses in Aberdeen that I'm really interested in are:

9 Brighton Place and 51 Summer St.

Thanks for looking!

Carol