Herman Geschwind maintains the Old Pendleton Database for the OPD Chapter
of the SCGS, and has done so for 10 years or so.  The OPD included the
modern SC counties of Oconee, Pickens and Anderson.  The OPD was one of
those funnel districts that migration went through from north to south.  It
is bordered by NC to the north and by GA to the south-west.  My own
ancestors came from VA>Granville Co. NC>Union Co SC>Oconee Co. SC> and on
to AL and LA with various kin being in the OPD from 10 to 60 years.  Like
many, some stayed, most moved on.

This database now has 192,000+ names, 65,000+ families and 10,700+ unique
surnames!  

This database is downloadable in gedcom format, importable into most
genealogy software (thereby showing the relationships of *all* involved!).
This gedcom is downloadable from the OPD/SCGS site at:
	http://www.geocities.com/BourbonStreet/Delta/8155/
For those to whom such a download/import is somewhat mind-boggling (or
impossible), a modestly-priced cd (with a variety of formats) is also
available, with links from the above site, or directly from
	http://www.shelby.net/jr/olpend/

Herman invites the submission of gedcoms suitable for merging into the Old
Pendleton Database gedcom.  It is his hope that distribution of this cd
will encourage such submissions.  Such merging is a continual process (for
a decade now) and updated gedcoms are released usually around the 1st of
each month.  

We are rapidly approaching the release date for April.  Cds are available
for any release for which 20 or more requests have accumulated.  There will
be an April issue of the cd.  Any cd mailed out is for the current revision
and aren't mailed out after the 20th of any month.

There is a special mailing list created for the specific purpose of
discussing obtaining/using these cds.  You may join this list by addressing
an email to:
	[email protected]
and for the subject use the single word
	subscribe
and for good measure, put subscribe in the body also.

Please do not respond to this message on this list.  Such responses or
inquiries are most welcome on OPD-CD-L (why it was formed).  

The existence of this cd was a project that developed on the
SC-OLD-PENDLETON-DIST-L.  The cd project has the approval of the list-owner
of SC-OLD-PENDLETON-DIST-L, the maintainer of the OPD database, and of Tim
Pierce of Rootsweb (otherwise, it wouldn't have happened).  Both Rootsweb
and OPD/SCGS receive a portion of the purchase cost of each cd (voluntarily
offered, gratefully accepted!).

John Robertson

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