Illinois State Genealogical Society Blog

The ISGS Office will be closed on Monday, September 5, 2011 in observance of Labor Day. The office will be open from 10am to 1pm on Tuesday, September 6, 2011.  Regular hours will resume on Thursday, September 8, 2011. © 2011, copyright Illinois State Genealogical Society

Presented by TINLEY MORAINE GENEALOGISTS P.O. BOX 521, TINLEY PARK, IL 60477-0521 MONTHLY MEETING: THURSDAY, October 6, 2011 PROGRAM: “The Border Reivers & the Lowland Scots: The Making of the Scotch-Irish” SPEAKER: Jackie Torrance, President / Treasurer Scottish Genealogy Group of the IL St Andrew Society TIME: DOORS OPEN AT 6:15PM BUSINESS MEETING AT 6:45PM PROGRAM BEGINS AT 7:00PM GUESTS ARE WELCOME ADMISSION IS FREE LOCATION: TINLEY PARK PUBLIC LIBRARY 7851 Timber Drive (80th Avenue and 180th Street) TINLEY PARK, ILLINOIS Scotland was never just the Highland clans. There are five different ethnic groups who entered into Scottish history at various periods. The focus of this presentation is the areas known as the Lowlands and the Borders of Scotland from the 15th through the 17th centuries. © 2010, copyright Illinois State Genealogical Society

If you are planning to attend the FGS 2011 Conference in Springfield, IL from September 7-10, 2011 be sure to check out the FGS Conference News Blog ( http://www.fgsconferenceblog.org/ ) for the latest information. What will you find? Here's a quick look: Tips on packing and what to bring for the best possible conference experience. Highlights of research locations such as archives, libraries and cemeteries. Write up on historical sites in the Springfield area that should not be missed. Information on events including luncheons. Make sure you check out the FGS Conference News Blog as you get ready for FGS 2011 - and we'll see you in Springfield!

In case you missed it, ISGS Board Member Thomas MacEntee appeared on the WGN Radio show The Sunday Papers with Rick Kogan earlier this morning. During the segment , Thomas not only discussed some of the basic trends in the genealogy industry and why family history is becoming more and more popular, he also had a chance to mention the upcoming FGS 2011 conference in Springfield, Illinois, September 7-10, 2011. You can listen to the segment by clicking the link below: http://www.wgnradio.com/shows/sundaypapers/wgnam-kogan-uncut-110821-thomas-macentee-federation-of-genealogical-studies,0,6748843.mp3file Thanks to ISGS member Linda Swisher who used her many contacts to arrange for Thomas's appearance on The Sunday Papers! © 2011, copyright Illinois State Genealogical Society

Be sure to drop by the ISGS Booth in the Exhibit Hall during the FGS 2011 Conference . In addition to a great display, we will have some goodies to hand out, including a fabulous book At Home with Illinois Governors: A Social History of the Illinois Executive Mansion, 1855-2003 . And as a bonus, if you join or renew at the conference, you will receive a special gift. ISGS board members will be working the booth, so this is a great opportunity to ask questions or learn about the many ways you can participate in the society.

FGS 2011 Conference registrants who plan to do research at the Abraham Lincoln Presidential Library (ALPL) while visiting Springfield should consider taking a behind-the-scenes-tour of the facility. This is a great way to get acclimated to the library and learn about their holdings. Guided tours include a visit to the following areas of the library: Closed Stacks Steve Neal Reading Room Newspaper/Microfilm Collection Manuscripts Collection Audio-Visual Collection Conservation Lab Microfilm Lab FREE tour tickets will only be available at the conference Hospitality Table which will be located in the lobby of the Prairie Capitol Convention Center beginning at 3:00 on Tuesday, September 6th.  Space is limited and you must have a ticket. ALPL Tours are for registered conference attendees only. Library Location: The Abraham Lincoln Presidential Library is located at: 112 N. Sixth Street, Springfield, just a 3.5 block walk from the Convention Center. Directions and further inst...

An article published in the Star Courier on 12 August discusses the county history book that Stark County Genealogical Society is putting together that will cover the 1800s to the present.  Past and present county residents are encouraged to submit materials, including family histories, for this book.  All of the details, including where to send stories, can be found in the Star Courier article .

Will you be in Springfield in September for the FGS 2011 Conference ? Did you know there are many places where you can conduct research? There are plenty of local repositories that hold all sorts of information for people and places beyond Central Illinois. Below is a list of the research facilities you may want to visit during your trip to Springfield. Location Hours* Abraham Lincoln Presidential Library 112 N. 6th St. Springfield, IL 62701 217-558-8844 Monday-Friday, 9am to 5pm Saturday-Sunday, closed Athens Municipal Library 410 E. Hargrave Athensm IL 62613 217-636-8047 Monday-Thursday, 10am to 7pm Friday/Saturday, closed Sunday, 12pm to 4pm Auburn Public Library 338 W. Jefferson St. Auburn, IL 62615 217-434-9317 Monday, 2pm to 7pm Tuesday, 2pm to 7pm Wednesday, 10am to 7pm Thursday, 2pm to 7pm Friday, 10am to 5pm Saturday, 10am to 2pm Sunday, closed Chatham Area Public Library 600 E. Spruce St. Chatham, IL 62629 217-483-2713 Monday-Thursday, 9am to 8pm Friday, 9am ...

The Illinois State Genealogical Society (ISGS) is proud to announce its recent donation to the  War of 1812 Pensions $10,000 Match Challenge sponsored by the Indiana Genealogical Society (IGS). This challenge has been organized by IGS in support of the Preserve the Pensions project which the Federation of Genealogical Societies (FGS), the National Archives, and the genealogical community have started a project to digitize the War of 1812 pension files—a fitting beginning to the bicentennial commemoration of this important war. The $10,000 Match Challenge is important because not only is IGS matching all donations up to $10,000 (thus creating $20,000 in donations), but Ancestry.com will generously match up to $20,000 in donations to create a $40,000 donation. With that $40,000, the Preserve the Pensions project will be able to digitize 80,000 records related to the War of 1812 pension files. As of today, there are over 58,000 files available on Footnote.com (at  http:/...

Did you know that ISGS has Prairie Pioneers Certificates database online that lists the certificates that we have issued?  The certificates are issued as part of the Prairie Pioneers Certificate project that honors Illinois pioneers.  The database lists the pioneer’s name along with the county, the year the came to Illinois, and the ISGS Prairie Pioneers Certificate number.  This searchable database is available to anyone under the Free Databases section of the ISGS Website . Additionally, back in June we created a questionnaire regarding our certificate projects.  If you haven’t already completed the Certificate Projects Questionnaire , please take a few minutes to do so.  We are very interested in your feedback. Pioneers Added Since January 2011 Seth Carver Solomon Hart James Tweedy John A Smith William Butler Thomas M. Weir Abraham Vescelius William Vesselius Henry Vescelus Nicholas Hoffman Captain John Giles Adams William Wagner Samuel Go...

Did you know that ISGS has Military Certificates database online that lists the certificates that we have issued?  The certificates are issued as part of the Military Certificate project that honors Illinois soldiers.  The database lists the soldier’s name along with their unit, county, and the ISGS Military Certificate number.  This searchable database is available to anyone under the Free Databases section of the ISGS Website . Additionally, back in June we created a questionnaire regarding our certificate projects.  If you haven’t already completed the Certificate Projects Questionnaire , please take a few minutes to do so.  We are very interested in your feedback. Civil War Soldiers Added Since January 2011 BARRELL, George W. BOOTH, Owen K. EKSTROM, Axel F. ETCHISON, Benjamin W. JOHNSON, James Thomas JOHNSON, Robert Alexander Kern LAIRD, Joseph MAGINNIS, Patrick J. MOORE, George Washington ROBERTS, James Richard World War II Sold...

LINCOLN'S FRIENDS ON THE UNDERGROUND RAILROAD to be topic of August TCGHS meeting (Tazewell County Genealogical & Historical Society). Dale Kuntz presents Abraham Lincoln's Friends on the Underground Railroad in Tazewell County . The story of the Underground Railroad in Tazewell County is both exciting and interesting! Find out who Mr. Free was! Learn what Julius Bascomb did! See how Abe Lincoln got involved in Tazewell County cases dealing with slavery! View maps and photos of places spread all across Tazewell County involved in the “ flight to freedom ” ! Slavery touched Tazewell County during the first half of the 19th century. The Underground Railroad was part of that. Fugitive slaves fled north to freedom. Some Tazewell County folks helped them in their flight. Others aided in their capture and return. Tempers flared, guns discharged, and families split up. The meeting will take place Tuesday, August 9th at 7:00PM at the TCGHS Ehrlicher Research Center, 719 N...

ISGS member society Tinley-Moraine Genealogists ( http://www.tmgenealogists.org/ ) will be holding the following event on September 1, 2011 starting at 7:00pm in Tinley Park: What’s New in Family History?” 7851 Timber Drive, Tinley Park, Illinois Presented by Lou Szucs From helpful new books and websites to great new tools and strategies, this presentation is designed to spark fresh ideas to help you break down old barriers. Loretto Dennis Szucs ("Lou") is vice president of community relations for Ancestry.com. She has served on advisory boards for the Statue of Liberty-Ellis Island Foundation; the Illinois State Archives and the Cook County (IL) Circuit Court Archives as well as governing boards of several genealogical societies. She was founding secretary and is currently a board member of the Federation of Genealogical Societies. Lou previously worked for the National Archives-Great Lakes Region in Chicago, and has been with Ancestry for 19 years. Lore...

New Ancestor Photo Contest Winners Page Added to Free Databases Due to the overwhelming response to our Ancestor Photos Contest winners, we've decided to create "static" standalone pages in the Free Datbases section of the ISGS Website.  All the photos appear in our website's header on a rotating basis but you can get a closer look and learn more about the photo subjects by visiting the new Ancestor Photos page. Click here to visit the Ancestor Photos page. ©2011, copyright Illinois State Genealogical Society

A new feature has been added to the ISGS Website - Member Forums! If you want to ask a question about your genealogy research, or post a query, or even reply to an existing discussion, use the Member Forums located under the Members Section. You must be a member of ISGS in order to view any of the content in the Member Forums. If you are not already a member, consider joining us by clicking here . ©2011, copyright Illinois State Genealogical Society