THIS is New York City?????

There's more to New York than just Manhattan.  On the northern edge of the city, in what we call "Bronx on the Hudson," is a suburban oasis of homes, trees, and quiet.  This is DekeWorld.

So take a moment.
It's time to slow down, lean back, relax....
                                                                           it's just you, your computer and TheDeke.
 
 

What's New at DekeWorld?

A  summary of the latest additions to the site.  Find out what's new without scouring the World.
 

About TheDeke

My earliest confirmed Kenfield ancestor so far is William Kentfield, a British soldier stationed in Albany, New York in 1700. Here's his story -- completewith mutiny, court martial, and desertion.  There are those who will say it runs in the family.....
 

My great-great-great-great-grandfather George "The Elder" Kentfield was born in Massachusetts, fought in the Revolution , and settled in what is now Morristown, Vermont in 1793.  His son Asaph was the first male of Europeanancestry born in that town. On Februray 5, 1999 the Rosetta Stone  was discovered at the local Family History Center. I have identified the exact location of the 100 acre farm on which George The Elder settled in 1793 .Here's the scoop .  It took us ten years to find out where George was buried.  Then another year to get decent photos.
 

Capt. Frank Kenfield,  my first cousin four times removed (that's a first cousin, four generations ago).  He commanded Company E, Thirteenth Regiment Vermont Volunteers in the repulse of Pickett's Charge at Gettysburg.  Later, President of the Vermont Maple Sugar Makers Association.
 

Our other Civil War veteran, Benjamin Kenfield, my great-great-grandfather.  He enlisted at age 40 and served as a private in the 11th Regiment, Vermont Volunteers.  It's amazing what you can find out about your ancestors.  And their involvement in the lumber business .

Here's the rest of my  family tree. Only about 1,000 people so far.  I've got a long way to go.
 

And here's TheDekessa's family tree. She's her own tenth cousin.  And sixth cousin.  And fifth cousin.  About 2,500 people here, as early as 1539.
 

The Deke and Dekessa at Club Med -The Way the City Should Be! Here's their site .
 
 

For the moment, things are pretty much limited to New York and Genealogy.
 

Patience.  (Something in rather short supply in this town....)
 
 

NewYorkLinx

Here it is -- The Official New York City Web Site.
 

Point-Counterpoint Department:  N.Y.City Blues.
 

And Tips 4 Tourists .
 

This world-class city also has a world-class transit system, believe it or not.  Far better than its popular reputation.  And now it's even joined the Twentieth Century, with bus-to-subway transfers, free ride discounts, and unlimited-ride fare cards.  Check out The MTA.
 

 Here's an unnofficial site with a great subway route map and other info.
 

We've also got a world-class library, of course:  The New York Public Library -- one of my favorite places in New York. You can search part of the card catalog online via Telnet or the Web.  I prefer the Telnet link- it's text-based and much faster, but you need a Telnet client. You may already have it, built into your browser.  The Library, recently restored to its original beauty, is a must-see for genealogists and researchers visiting NewYork.
 

"You can't get there from here..."  Well, actually you can, ifyou know how.  The Subway Navigator will give you directions from A to B by public transit -- in cities all over the world.
 

Multiple-guess quiz:  Where's 625 Madison Avenue?  Is it at 34th Street, 58th Street, or 125th Street?  Here's the Manhattan Address Locator to help you out.
 
 

GenealogyLinx

For those interested in family history, here are  Cyndi'sList and   the US GenWeb Project, two of the best starting points on the Web.
 

Irish genealogy is unusually difficult -- most of the records burned during the Civil War in the 1920s.  But if you're researching in in Cork or Kerry, you're in luck -- Albert Casey's 16-volume O'Kief,Coshe Mang, Slieve Lougher and the Upper Blackwater in Ireland , is a real treasure trove.  Everything from ancient legends to newspaper birth notices to land sale records to cemetery transcriptions.  Here's the Table of Contents, courtesy of the Irish Genealogical Society International.
 

Need to know more about a townland in Ireland?  A parish? Barony?  How many acres are there in Ballymoney, anyway?  The IreAtlas Townland Data Base.  Not finished yet, but already a great resource.
 

If your ancestors are from New England, you absolutely must, you must get acquainted with the New England Historic Genealogical Society.  Unbeatable.
 

Civil War buffs - how much do you know about the Vermont regiments?  Vermont units suffered the highest casualty rates, on a per-capita basis, in the entire Union army.  This is a superb site, including details of all the Vermont units and searchable databases of Vermont soldiers.

And if you've ever wondered about how they built fortifications during the Civil War, here's the fort where my great-great-grandfather served: Fort Totten.
 

Working on Canada?  Here's the Provincial Archives of New Brunswick.  Other provinces have more or less similar sites.  The NB Archives makes for a pleasant visit, if you happen to be in Fredericton.
 

Think you've got a Mayflower ancestor, like TheDekessa?  The General Society of Mayflower Descendants, better known as the MayflowerSociety.
 

Does the handwriting in old records drive you bananas?  Find some help Deciphering Old Handwriting .
 

And what would a New York genealogy site be without Ellis Island?  Well worth a visit.  A boat ride from Battery Park in lower Manhattan.  The same boat goes to the Statue of Liberty.  (Go early in the day to beat the lines.)  Get your tickets at Castle Garden, the old round fort at the north end of the park.
 

USENET is even better than the Web as a resource for genealogy. Check out the alt.genealogy and soc.genealogy hierarchies.  If you aren't familiar with Usenet, check it out here.  (Well, it will be there as soon as I find a suitable site.  The ones I've seen are either too simplistic, too technical, or too commercial.  Anyone got a site which explains Usenet in a manner suitable for Usenet newbies?)
 

And don't try to use Netscape as a newsreader.  Get the real thing: Agent or (if you're cheap or on a tight budget) Free Agent.  Yes, it's free.  Download it here.
 
 

E-mail TheDeke .