RootsTech 2012 and its Impact

Looking back over 2012 one event that impacted my research was a conference that I got to attend via the power of streaming video on the internet.  Now typically, I’m not interested too much in conferences.  I never really have gotten too much out of them and the information that is usually presented is too high-level to be of any use.  In March, I saw an advertisement for free streaming video of a genealogy conference called RootsTech.  

Over the course of three days, I listened in on numerous lecturers that talked about harnessing the power of technology and applying it to genealogy.  I was just blown away and the event really left me inspired.    The upshot of the event was to leverage technology in a way as to make connections with other researchers who might share a common interest. 

My first project was creating a Wikipedia article on the life of Hugh Breeding (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hugh_Breeding).  It was a challenging project as I had to learn the Wikipedia way of writing a fully sourced biography.  After getting my great-grandpa’s story published, I am now currently working on another biography on the life of Carl Crim. 

After dabbling in Wikipedia for a while, I then began to remember a conversation I had with a cousin of mine, MC, a year ago when he said it would’ve been great if I had kept a diary or journal on the process of discovery that I had been through over the past five years.  With that power of suggestion at hand, I went out and created a genealogy blog called “No Hoof Left Behind.”  Just recently I have moved onto Facebook and Twitter and have also used those forums to capture my research process with a focus on the life and business of Hugh Breeding. 

My Twitter page: https://twitter.com/BTMaverick

Hugh Breeding’s Facebook page: https://www.facebook.com/hughtbreeding

It would be great if you can connect with me and follow along the whole research experience during the upcoming year.

Six Long Weeks and 52 names later

It took six long weeks to get through the 1961 Tulsa City Directory but I finally did it!  Going through city directories can be a real fun activity because it provides a bridge between census data that is taken every ten years.  The directories can be helpful as they provide a residence and a position held within a company.  It’s too bad that 3 years ago, I was looking for those same basic things on my family.  However, in my current project, looking at the Hugh Breeding Co., I wanted to go through the directories looking for employees of the firm.  The only limitations I faced was that 1) I didn’t know who the employees were that worked for the company and worse, 2) the city directories aren’t organized by business firm.  So, in order to find all the employees of a firm for a given year, you have to take apart a city directory page-by-page.  Now that’s some heavy lifting.  

Getting a listing of employees is helpful as it gives you a sense of scale and size of the firm but as  I mentioned in a previous blog, if I want to get in touch with ex-employees and their families, you have to start somewhere and developing a good employees list is just a first step.

I started going through the 1961 Tulsa directory in early November and this weekend I put the finishing touches on it.  And it was well worth it as I found 52 names of employees that I didn’t know of previously.  When I look at the investment I made in this project, finding 52 names was a very worthwhile payoff.  In all, there were 86 employees working at Hugh Breeding’s Tulsa terminal in 1961 (that I could find).  

Name	Spouse	Profession	Home
Mrs. Martha M Akers		ofc sec Hugh Breeding Inc	r1327 S Marion av
Virgil E Autry	Novena	leased Opr  Hugh Breeding Inc.	h1301 W 31st St.
Waddle D Ballard	Ethel	mtce Hugh Breeding Inc	h1201 E Virgin av
James T Banks		clk Hugh Breeding	r815 N Knoxville Ave
L M Berryhill	Helen	driver Hugh Breeding Inc	r2307 W 41st
Bobby LA Breeding	Mabel C	Driver Hugh Breeding Inc.	r3602 S Nogales Av
Cecil O Breeding	Carmen L	v-pres Hugh Breeding Inc.	r2864 E 35th
Hugh Breeding	Maud	pres Hugh Breeding Inc	h1420 W 35th
Lyle D Breeding	Lorraine	v-pres Hugh Breeding Inc.	r4528 S. Columbia Av.
E Robt Brisco	Hattie M	driver Hugh Breeding Inc	h2405 S Maybelle Av
Valgene Brixey	Luella R	driver Hugh Breeding Inc	h4666 N Boston Pl
Guy Burnett	Patrica S	dispr Hugh Breeding Inc.	h5704 E 30th
Fred N Campbell	Irene M	driver Hugh Breeding Inc.	1316 S Florence Pl
Tom P Clanton	Joan	mtce Hugh Breeding Inc	h3719 S 28th West av
Ed Collins		mtce Hugh Breeding Inc	r355 Long
Thomas G Cook	Virginia J	driver Hugh Breeding Inc.	h2337 W 47th
Bill Cooper	Rosalie	leased operator Hugh Breeding Inc.	r RD 1 Box 232
Bob Copeland	Jeanette	maintenance Hugh Breeding Inc	r565 S 65th West av
Pearle V Corby	Martha	Leased Opr Hugh Breeding Inc.	h4924 S 24th W Av
Robert E Corby		Driver Hugh Breeding Inc.	r4924 S 24th W Av
Dee J Craig	Barbara J	driver Hugh Breeding Inc	h1332 S Columbia av
Wm A Cravines	Frances V	mech Hugh Breeding Inc	h333 W 47th pl North
Iris F Deramus	Janice	driver Hugh Breeding Inc	r3740 Southwest blvd
Buriel T Downs		mtce supt Hugh Breeding Inc	h1619 W 37th pl
Dean Duncan	Elaine	driver Hugh Breeding Inc	h124 1/2 N Columbia av
Robt M Eastman	Julia L	office Hugh Breeding	h1219d Osage Drive
Fred W Fuller	Jessie B	mtce Hugh Breeding Inc	h4622 S 30th West av
Doug V Gambrell	Glenda R	driver Hugh Breeding Inc	h120 W49th pl North
Mrs Zeldena Gosney		ofc Hugh Breeding Inc	r1929 W46th pl
Floyd L Gregory	Peggy J	driver Hugh Breeding Inc	r3403 W 41st
E Fred Graham	Verdell M	supt Hugh Breeding Inc	h3115 E 3d
Gene Gritts		maintenance Hugh Breeding Inc	r RD 9 Box 563
Eli H Hales	Viola B	mtce Hugh Breeding Inc	h746 N Zunis Av
R Wayne Harper	Ethel	leased Opr Hugh Breding Inc.	h2107 E Seminole
Amos B Harris	Maxine J	dispr Hugh Breeding Inc.	h5104 S 36th West av
John Hatfield	Pauline	mtceman Hugh Breeding Inc	r3120 W 36th pl
Cecil C Heaton	Lola P	mech Hugh Breeding Inc	1631 N Columbia Pl
Roy W Hedman	Betty J	driver Hugh Breeding Inc	h6339 E 5th
Jack J Holland	Jeanette K	safety dir Hugh Breeding Inc.	h1404 E 35th Pl
Ike Holt	Eliz	driver Hugh Breeding Inc	h2205 W 40th
Emet Horne		driver Hugh Breeding Inc	r1945 W 48th pl
D L Hughes	Maline	truck washer Hugh Breeding Truck Co	h1039 E Oklahoma
Wm M Johnson		driver Hugh Breeding Inc	r1519 S St Louis
Malford E Jones	Sylvia	driver Hugh Breeding Inc	h1123 S Zunis av
Ed B Kirkpatrick	Vola	Driver Hugh Breeding Inc	h747 N Lewis Place
Wm T Laster	Norma J	Leased Opr  Hugh Breeding Inc.	h6937 E Newton Pl
Joyce Long		office Hugh Breeding Inc	r831 E 53rd North
Steve B McCommas	Bernice	sales rep Hugh Breeding Inc.	h2648 S Winston Av
David Melton	Paulie	driver Hugh Breeding Inc	r2108 W41st
Glen Melton	Ruth	Leased Opr Hugh Breeding Inc.	r6102 S 57th West Av
Robt S Melton	Agnes E	driver Hugh Breeding Inc	h1517b W Admiral blvd
Aubrey Millsap	Bonnie	mech Hugh Breeding	h3234 N Madison av
Clarence A Mitchell	Sanora	dispr Hugh Breeding Inc.	h1419 S. 79th East Avenue
Ralph Gordon Montgomery	Ida M	tire recapper Hugh Breeding Inc	r1507 N Knoxville
Ezra A Moore		driver Hugh Breeding Inc	r2628 E Admiral blvd
Omer C. Norris	Eleanor M	Asst Operations Mgr  Hugh Breeding Inc.	h1604 E. 54th
Alden J L Noyes	Evelyn L	maintenance Hugh Breeding Inc	h7530 E Zion
Connie L Orr	Mary A	mtce Hugh Breeding Inc	h4602 S 31st West av
Robt G Ownby	Cecelia	traffic mgr Hugh Breeding Inc	h5161 E 30th
George Peoples	Jo	Driver Hugh Breeding Inc.	r RD 11 Box 461
Chas E Petross	Opal I	leased Opr Hugh Breeding Inc.	h1348  S Evantson Ave.
Clarence Pyburn	Virgie	driver Hugh Breeding Inc	r4124 S Cincinnati
Howard Ramsby	Mildred L	asst Safety Director Hugh Breeding Inc.	h4744 S. Boston Ave.
Richard R Ratliff	Ellen L	driver Hugh Breeding Inc	h2215 S Phoenix av
Leon M Redman	Janie E	driver Hugh Breeding Inc	h1009 N Winston av
Marion W Roberts	Irma M	sec-treas Hugh Breeding Inc.	h1502 E 17th Place
Chas H Rose	Patricia	driver Hugh Breeding Inc	h1524 W Brady apt 4
Wm B Ryker	Goldie E	mtce Hugh Breeding Inc.	h3939 S St. Louis
Dwight E Sanders	Sandra	Lease Opr Hugh Breeding Inc.	h1340 S Quebec Ave.
JB Selby	Glenell	ofc mgr Hugh Breeding Inc.	h5335 S 36th West Av
John Shepardson	Virginia	driver Hugh Breeding Inc	r1203 E Elgin
Russell Shipman	Jerri N	maintenance Hugh Breeding Inc	r3508 W 41st
Richd C Stewart	Arlene L	leased opr Hugh Breeding Inc	h111 E 35th
Harold Stunkard	Dorothy	leased operator Hugh Breeding Inc.	r 71st & Lewis
Homer E Swafford	Sarah J	driver Hugh Breeding Inc	h5006 W 3rd
Jack I Taylor	Verda O	mtce supt Hugh Breeding Inc	r2110 E 7th
Jas Todd	Carmen	driver Hugh Breeding Inc	r240 N 44th West av
Geraldine Treat		ofc Hugh Breeding Inc	r1335 N Sheridan
John D Wakely	Margt J	driver Hugh Breeding Inc	h4926 S Boston pl
Willie Walker	Margt L	mtcemn Hugh Breeding Inc	h1555 E Reading
Leonard L Whitestine	Samuella	leased operator Hugh Breeding Inc	h4957 N St Louis av
Fred L Williams	Flora L	driver Hugh Breeding Inc	h164 N Delaware pl
Leon A Williams	Lucy D	Driver Hugh Breeding Inc.	h4324 S Waco Av
Woodrow W Wilson	Beulah	Driver Hugh Breeding Inc.	h5032 S 29th West Ave.
Geo S Wood	Cath	mtce Hugh Breeding Inc	h1724 S Main
W.D. Woods	Elaine	leased opr Hugh Breeding Inc	h3702 W44th

Of course, there are extra tasks I still need to run down.  Hugh Breeding had terminals in Baxter Springs, Kansas, Mt. Vernon, Missouri; Hannibal, Missouri, Ardmore, Oklahoma, Nederland, Texas among others and I’ll still need to track down directories of those towns to find employee lists. And Tulsa isn’t finished either.  We already have a 1950 City Directory but it wasn’t of much help as many of people listed in it did not have occupations listed next to their names.   So, while we can’t go back before 1950, we can still try to get 1955, 1966 and 1972.  Each one should take about 2 hours to photograph at a library and about 6 weeks to go through.  Pretty painstaking work…but well worth it as it will pay dividends later.

Which brings me to yesterday.  We had made a side trip to Dallas (4 hours away) and I convinced the family to take me over to the Dallas Downtown Library which has an excellent genealogical library.  While there, we spent one hour and photographed 600 pages of the 1966 Tulsa City Directory.  Next time we go, we’ll allocate a little more time and finish off both 1966 and 1972.  This will leave me with only 1955 to go through and I’ll pick that one up when I go through Oklahoma City next time I’m driving through there.  Once again, going through City Directories (for whatever purpose you may have) can be either easy or difficult depending on your perspective but the value your left with can be enormous for your research.