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FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
November 18, 2004
Contact:
, Austin Public Library, (512) 974-7528
Fax: (512) 974-7442
Oakwood Cemetery (Austin,Texas) Database Provides Remote Access to the World
The Austin History Center, Austin Public Library’s archival collection of Oakwood Cemetery Burial Journals is now partially accessible to researchers on-line due to the efforts of a few energetic and dedicated volunteers. For nearly four years, staff and volunteers from the Austin Genealogical Society have carefully examined old handwritten script to decipher information from worn and deteriorating ledger books. Each name is carefully entered into a searchable database now available through the web pages at the Austin History Center web site.
The entire set of massive journals spans two centuries and provides researchers with obvious pieces of information about Austin’s earliest citizens such as when they lived, and how they died, but also includes terminology that is sometimes puzzling. For example, many died of marasmus, a term not used today, indicating a type of consumption and malnutrition especially in children. These ledgers depict portions of Austin’s social history. Within the ledgers one can trace the emergence of several freedman’s towns founded after emancipation, on the periphery of Austin.
At this time, 6,630 names are entered spanning burials from 1866 through 1891 and each is easily searchable. Using the Austin Public Library, web site, researchers now can navigate through the database in multiple ways. Searching choices include an exact match search as well as a "soundex" match search that retrieves all the names that sound like the spelling of the name searched. Searching is also possible by year, and researchers can also browse moving through the alphabet from A to Z.
Volunteer Taphophiles
Most of the data entry in the Oakwood Cemetery project has been conducted by three taphophiles (persons with a love of cemeteries). Each week Kay Boyd, Nancy Wilson and Tommy Ingram spend hours examining 19th century penmanship in order to enter the information into the database. These saddle stitched worn ledgers contain information that may not be found anywhere else. Austin Public Library Web Developer Carlos Lowry, added the final touches to the webpage design. Through this project the Austin History Center staff have realized their goal to insure that the information contained in these fragile ledgers will be accessible for future generations of researchers. Through technology that allows remote access, these records are available to researchers when the AHC is "closed."
If you are interested in volunteering at the Austin History Center, Austin Public Library, contact Sharon Edwards at the Library Volunteer Program Office 974-7443 or visit www.cityofaustin.org/library .
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