The genealogical collections at the Belington and Elkins public libraries continue to grow and librarians Jan Coontz and Jane Fair are constantly adding new genealogical materials to their respective collections. If you have visited these sources in the past do not assume that you have seen everything as both collections have nearly doubled their holdings in the past year. Both libraries have very accessible hours, being open every evening through the week. Belington now has a microfilm copier and is fully geared up to order films from AGLL. Elkins is fast adding to their collection of marriage and census books by Wes Cochran. So be sure to stop by these most interesting facilities and while you're there give Jan and Jane a "pat on the back" for a job well done!

November and December were very exciting months for the Allegheny Regional Family History Society and its World Wide Web repository project. The feedback and response has been great.

What you will find on-line is our Society's brochure, a biography of the members, (currently only David's), a searchable surname database of our members, and a Guest Book for on-line visitors to sign (it was Some fourteen pages long for the month of December). Some of the on-line searches are available to ARFHS members only and some are to assist other researchers. The complete on-line library is fully indexed and completely searchable.

Some of the information you will find on-line are articles contributed by ARFHS members, publications available from ARFHS, some on-line publications like David Armstrong's, Faded Ages, and numerous articles, historical interviews, and genealogical notes. There is one section devoted to viewable GEDCOM files, another contains pictures of some ancestors and tombstones, and plenty of pointers to on-line genealogy tools and resources.

We have so much material online that we have exceeded the disk space generously donated by Southwest Cyberport, a company that provides Internet Access. We are currently in the process of finding more sponsors to assist with the storage problem. West Virginia Library Commission is one of the organizations we have contacted about sponsorship along with some other on-line genealogical organizations.

New Sponsor: Michael Cooley, System Administrator, Genealogy Online, emcee@emcee.corn, http://genealogy.org/has donated an account and some disk space for our project. Thank you Michael.

As always, contributions of materials are always welcomed and much appreciated.

http://www.swcp.com/dhickman/arfhs.html

WHO's WHO: THE WEESE NEWS LETTER is a free publication, available to all who are interested in the family name of Weese, and any of it's variations such as Weis, Weise, Wies, Weiss, Wees, Weace, Wease, Wise, and any other spelling. The newsletter is free but the publishers state that they are happy to accept donations for postage and printing costs. For more information interested persons are invited to write the editor: Sharline Boykin, 1901Driscol, Houston, TX, 77019-6101

WOODWARDS WE SEARCH is a one name publication dedicated to the surname WOODWARD. Published January, April, July and October, this newsletter assists all who are researching the Woodward Surname throughout the US. Articles appear concerning repositories, biographies, types of documents to search for, queries, descendant charts, etc... Interested persons may send $8.00 for a one year subscription or order back issues at $2.50 each. Rates for out of country subscriptions vary. Contact: Linda Woodward Geiger, 718 Big Canoe, Jasper, GA, 30143

ONE ROOM SCHOOLS IN Randolph County are covered in the INTERMOUNTAIN newspaper in their 2 Dec and 15 Jan issues, regarding a book published by ARFHS member Dasiey Ferguson Martin. She with Wiletta Hinkle and Virgil Hart have collected a good deal of data concerning education in Randolph County and the one room schools in particular. The book is $15.00 and can be ordered from Virgil Hart, Rt 1 Box 229, Elkins, WV 26241. It is entitles "School Memories"

ITEMS NEEDED FOR PUBLICATION IN ARFHS JOURNAL C'mon people, we realize that not everyone can fritter away their lives writing detailed articles about the history and genealogy of the Allegheny Region, but surely most or all of you have in your possession family Bible records, cemetery readings, obituaries, etc. that would be of interest to your fellow researchers. Well, why not send them? We do not have enough short items!!!! What are you waiting for? It has recently been hinted that I as editor only "print what I want to" in the journal. I would invite the person who said that to come forward and introduce himself and submit something that HE wants to see in the journal. We are always glad to get new materials!

BOGARD RESEARCH PROJECT UNDERWAY The BOGARD family of colonial West Virginia has long been difficult for interested researchers. The Power of Attorney document filed by Cornelius in Randolph County seems to contradict his supposed baptism record in New York. The said baptism record for the children of Gysbert and Catrina (Decker) Bogard only partly matches the children of Hampshire County Gysbert as mentioned in his 1776 will. The 1723 Cornelius is too old to be the sheriff Cornelius of Randolph County, and the Cornelius Bogard born 1765 who went to Bullitt County, KY is still up in the air. Get it? The BOGARD history and lineage is NOT AS CLEAR AS PEOPLE THINK!! recently information has surfaced that a Cornelius Bogard married a Mary Patterson and left children in the area of Hampshire County in the 1700s. A research effort is now underway to try to sort out these problems but help is needed, if you have any information you could share on ANYONE named Cornelius or Gysbert BOGARD, BOGART, etc. who lived in West Virginia, Pennsylvania, Kentucky, Ohio, or the adjacent region BEFORE 1820 please send it NOW so it can be considered in the arguments regarding these various families. All material submitted will be deposited in ARFHS library. Please send directly to: David Armstrong, 201 Graham St, Elkins, WV 26241

The membership of the ARFHS extends the deepest sympathy to the family of John and Maxine McCollam in the recent loss of their son John Edward McCollam, 21, who passed away January, 1996.

COVER PHOTO INFO The photo on the cover is of the Fred Carlson family, and was taken near Lolita, Elk County, Pennsylvania about 1903. Fred was born Johan Axel Gottrfried at Sodra Vi, Sweden 18 Feb 1868, and died at Adolph, WV 3 Mar 1935. His wife was born Laura May Walters at Cooksburg, Forest Co, Pennsylvania 16 May 1877 and died at Elkins, WV, 6 Nov 1956. The boy in between them is Ernest, born Elk County, PA 25 Feb 1900. The girl on the left with the banjo is Zelda Marie, later Mrs. Cecil Brown, born at Pleasant Valley near Lolita 22 June 1895 and died at Ellamore, WV 1955. Her sister on the right is Leota Belle, later Mrs. Jasper Nazlerod, born 15 Jan 1898 and died Barbour County, WV 1958. Ancestors of David Armstrong. See also ALLEGHENY REGIONAL ANCESTORS Vol 2 # 2 Summer 1993.