Events

What do a teenaged boy from Virginia in 1776, a South Carolina farmer in 1781, and a North Carolina merchant who emigrated from Scotland in 1772 have in common? These three men and dozens of others who served the patriot cause in the American Revolution were all early settlers in the Cape Girardeau District, Missouri. Indeed, the Revolution set off a chain of events that led to the founding of Cape Girardeau and a number of other eastern Missouri communities. The increasing availability of a variety of records has made research on Revolutionary ancestors easier than ever. In this presentation Bill Eddleman—coordinator of the Cape Girardeau Research Center of the State Historical Society of Missouri—focuses on case studies of 12 men who emigrated to the Cape Girardeau District from 1797 to 1830 and contributed to the new settlement. Use of traditional and newly-available records and their value in similar research will be emphasized.

Todd Knowles, Deputy Chief Genealogical Officer at FamilySearch, discovered his Jewish roots at an early age. Since then, he has worked to create a collection of genealogical records for nearly 1.5 million Polish Jews. Todd will demonstrate the use of FamilySearch’s new AI tools to rebuild the Jewish community of Fordon, Poland, a community wiped out during the Holocaust, and help attendees find records of their Jewish ancestors.

Separated from Virginia and North Carolina respectively, Kentucky and Tennessee achieved statehood in the late 18th century. Many people moved to these frontier settlements, and many eventually moved on to other states. Academic librarian and genealogist Lori Thornton will discuss genealogical sources—both in person and online—that will provide a better understanding of the region and its inhabitants and perhaps name your ancestors.

Our ancestors should be more alive to us than names and dates on a chart. Follow along with Annette Lyttle, Certified Genealogist, as she tells the tale of the amazing life of William Crout, Civil War veteran, hotel owner, rancher, and local character, and learn how it’s possible to reconstruct life stories in surprising detail with resources available online. Along the way, we’ll talk about some sound research methods.

Many individuals and families migrated into North Carolina, especially in the colonial and pre-Civil War time period. Depending on who was immigrating and when, different locales in NC were hot spots for emigrants from abroad, either directly or via Virginia, South Carolina, Pennsylvania, and beyond. As the state developed, resources were depleted, productive land became scarcer, settlers considered it too crowded, and we see a pattern of western migration. This migration often did not stop at the state borders. Many families spent a few years, a generation, or a few generations in North Carolina, often hopscotching across the state, east to west, before migrating to adjoining states and beyond. Professional genealogist Diane Richard will explore these years of migrating North Carolinians – the history of the times and the documentary trail left behind.

Did your ancestor serve on the local level, the state level, or the federal level in the American Revolution? How can you tell? Professional genealogist Bryna O'Sullivan will explain the different types of Revolutionary War army service and how the differences in service might have impacted where your ancestor was recorded. It will include a discussion of militia and Continental Line structures, the federal pension system, and more.

The Works Progress Administration (later changed to Work Projects Administration) (WPA) carried out many public works projects (many still visible today); however, the smaller projects were just as effective. Federal Project Number One consisted of 5 separate divisions/projects employing artists, musicians, actors and actresses, historians, researchers, and writers, to name a few. The Federal Art

Project, Federal Music Project, Federal Theatre Project, Federal Writers Project, and the Historical Records Survey contributed to the success of the WPA and to the employment record of the US. In this presentation, Ann Staley, CG®, CGL®, FNGS will provide information on each division/project and their contributions; however, the focus will mainly be on the last two – the Federal Writers Project, and the Historical Records Survey and some of the publications and inventories they created.