Lots of people have extra time on their hands these days. If you’re one of them, this could be the right time to review, update and properly name the computer files you’re storing.

Correctly labeling file folders will make them much easier to locate when you want them. Come up with a system that works for you. I like to have mine in alphabetical order, by surname first. If you have letters, include the date in the file name.

Put old information that you’ve had for a while in up-to-date programs — for instance, transferring information from Word Perfect to Word, so that it’s more accessible. When surveying folders, delete things that are no longer useful.

It’s tedious work, but doing it now that could prove very productive when you start looking for things in the future.

Georgia’s northern border

ā€œEllicott’s Rock: Surveyors’ Footsteps on the 35th Parallel,ā€ by Thomas Heard Robertson Jr., appeared recently in the Georgia Historical Quarterly. Robertson, a professional land surveyor from Augusta, covers the role of Andrew Ellicott, nationally known surveyor hired in 1811 by the state of Georgia, to resolve the location of the 35th parallel and thus the border of Georgia, North Carolina, and South Carolina. Many people were unsure for decades which state they actually lived in. For more, see georgiahistory.com

Members’ Only area

Avail yourself of what’s available in the Members’ Only section of any genealogy society’s website that you belong to. You never know what special things you might find there. That is one of the great perks of membership, so don’t overlook it.

Contact Kenneth H. Thomas Jr., P.O. Box 901, Decatur, Ga., 30031 or kenthomasongenealogy.com.

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