Illinois State Genealogical Society Blog

The ISGS Office will be closed on Monday, May 30, in observance of Memorial Day.  Instead, the office will be open from 10am to 1pm on Tuesday, May 31.  Regular hours will resume on Thursday, June 2.

There is a wonderful publication put out by the Illinois Secretary of State entitled Origin and Evolution of Illinois Counties .  The first few pages of the book contain general information about the counties that were formed and when, while the last few pages indicate who/what the county was named for.  But the middle of the book, the bulk of it, are detailed maps that show the boundary progression from 1790 through today.  The older county boundaries are shown “on top” of the current county lines to give you a better visual of how the boundaries changed.  It also gives you a better understanding of where events may have been recorded at different time periods.  This terrific resource is available through the Illinois Secretary of State in a PDF format .

ISGS Conference Chair, Stephanie Pierce Carbonetti, wrote an excellent article about researching at the Newberry Library in Chicago.  The article, written for the FGS Conference News Blog , offers a great overview of the library’s holdings and what you would expect to find during your visit. In addition to serving on the ISGS Governing Board, Stephanie is also the 1st Vice President/Program Co-Chair of the Chicago Genealogical Society .

The Illinois State Genealogical Society is pleased to announce its new Military Certificates database at its website ( http://www.ilgensoc.org ). Just in time for Memorial Day, you can now search for your Illinois ancestors who served in various wars and military conflicts. Simply click Free Databases and then click Military Certificates ( http://ilgensoc.org/cstm_militaryCerts.php ) and use the search field to enter your surnames. ISGS currently has several Military Certificate projects in progress covering various wars from the Blackhawk Wars to World War II. The purpose of these projects is to recognize the sacrifices made by the veteran's valiant efforts and to record and preserve material submitted in support of the certificates so that it will be available for future generations of researchers. For more information on how you can obtain a certificate for your Illinois ancestor who served in the military, visit Military Certificates in the ISGS Projects section of the...

During the conference, come and immerse yourself in the past and present of Illinois. President and Mrs. Lincoln will greet you and visit with you during the evening as you enjoy period music and indulge in delicious desserts and popcorn. Noted Abraham Lincoln presenter Fritz Klein will be our honored guest accompanied by Mary Todd Lincoln as presented by Pam Brown. Fast Forward into the 21 st century and take a tour of Illinois society displays. Match wits in a genealogy quiz game, competing as an individual or a society group. Before the evening ends, be sure to spin the prize wheel to win something fantastic! The evening promises to be a lot of fun with many opportunities to network with other genealogists. Tickets for this event are $8 each and can be purchased using the FGS 2011 Conference Registration Form under the Special Events section, item W-137: An Old Fashioned Prairie Social, Wed. Sept 7 . Travel companions are also invited to attend the Social, just be sure to purch...

The Illinois State Genealogical Society notes the passing of long-time ISGS Board member Elizabeth White, and offers its condolences to her family and many friends in the genealogy community. Betty helped found ISGS in 1968 and served as vice-President in 1976 and Associate Editor of the Quarterly Journal from 1977-1981. Elizabeth P. White, FASG, FNGS, CG, died on January 3, 2011, aged 96 years, 8 months and 3 days in Wilmette, Illinois. Betty was a certified genealogist (certified in 1971), lecturer, and a published author in journals about Illinois and New England family history and books of documented genealogy. She was Chairman of the Howland Five Generations Project, John Howland the Mayflower passenger whose family became largest form those who landed at Plymouth in 1620. Betty was a life member of the Illinois Society of the Mayflower, Descendants (William Brewster and Stephen Hopkins) and honorary member of the John Howland Society. Betty was also recognized as a Fellow of t...

Saturday, September 24, 2011 9:00 am - 4:00 pm Grace United Methodist Church 300 E. Gartner Road Naperville, Illinois Building a Better Pedigree featuring noted genealogist Christine Rose Christine Rose is a Certified Genealogist, Certified Genealogical Lecturer and Fellow, American Society of Genealogists.   She has served on the faculty of the National Institute of Genealogical Research in Washington, D.C., and on the faculty of The Institute of Genealogy and Historical Research at Samford University, as both an instructor and coordinator.   She is the author of several genealogy books including, Courthouse Research for Family Historians: Your Guide to Genealogical Treasures  and  Genealogical Proof Standard: Building a Solid Case .   In addition, she has been awarded the prestigious Donald Lines Jacobus award for two Rose genealogies, and received top reviews for the book she co-authored,  The Complete Idiot's Guide to Genealogy . The one-hour ...

I was just sitting here looking at my calendar for the next several weeks. July 1st jumped out at me. That is the early registration deadline for the September FGS/ISGS Conference. There are only 44 days before July 1st. If you register before that clock on the wall strikes midnight on July 1st, you will pay $50.00 less than those who wait till after that date. As of now, there is still room for you in the meal and special events. Don't forget to register for those, too. Want to get a partial rebate on that early registration fee? Click here to see how to do that and help out with other conference volunteers that week. It's a great way to meet other genealogists. All it takes to register is to click here and have your credit card handy. Of course you may print out a registration form and mail it. It doesn't matter if you just recently decided to learn more about your family history or have been doing that for 3, 5, or 25 years. Everyone is welcome. © 2011, copyri...

Take a minute to check out a genealogy blog called Leaves on the Trudgian Tree . As described by its author: Exploring the lives of one Trudgian family in Galena, Illinois through the eyes of their daughter, Lillian, during the years of 1913 through 1931. Lillian's authentic diary entries explore the family, neighbors, what is happening in Galena, as well as, national events and of course the weather and the crops! The author Sherry Jones is the author[transcriber] of a non-fiction group of 7 diaries from 1913-1919 entitled " Lillian's Diaries: Whispers of Galena's Past " and a family genealogist for the Trudgian family who settled in Galena, IL in 1852 from St. Austell Cornwall, England. © 2011, copyright Illinois State Genealogical Society

ISGS is looking for volunteers to help move boxes of books (by vehicle) from the Illinois State Library to the Illinois State Archives this Friday May 20, 2011 at 1:00pm.  We anticipate finishing by 3:00pm. If you have a strong back and can help contact Janice at isgspresident@ilgensoc.org . Thanks in advance! © 2011, copyright Illinois State Genealogical Society