Illinois State Genealogical Society Blog

Mark Your Calendars for these upcoming events from our Member Societies!     The Peoria County Genealogical Society will be hosting their next Zoom meeting on Thursday, April 8th at 6:00pm. Evalynn Blanco will present, "So, You Want to Be a Pilgrim?" In commemoration of the 400th anniversary of the arrival of the Mayflower, we will describe this voyage for the first pilgrims and their challenges of the first winter in what would become Massachusetts. Uncovering the genealogy back to one of these original 102 passengers will bring us to the present and we'll learn how to join the Mayflower Society of Illinois. CLICK HERE to learn more and register! The Winnebago & Boone Counties Genealogical Society will present their next Zoom meeting on Saturday, April 10th at 1:30 pm. Vicki Ruthe Hahn will present, "How to Find the Genealogy of a House and Those That Lived in It."  Vicki will show you how to use genealogy techniques of house architectural clues, local h...

The ISGS March/April 2021 Newsletter is now available for you to read and enjoy! This jam-packed issue includes: Volunteer opportunities with ISGS Tips from the Genealogist- Land Records Who's Who in ISGS Upcoming Events Updates from the Illinois State Archives Genealogy Links Member Society Shout-Out And MUCH MORE! Click below to read! © 2021, copyright Illinois State Genealogical Society

Black History Month may be in February, but learning about the importance of African-Americans in Illinois history is important all year-round. Don't miss these great upcoming events! Our friends from the Genealogy Society of Southern Illinois passed along this event! Darrel Dexter will present “Stories of Bondage in Egypt: Slavery in Southern Illinois” at 7 p.m. Thursday, March 25, via Zoom. The lecture is based off research presented in Dexter’s book, “Bondage in Egypt Slavery in Southern Illinois.” While conducting research for his book, Dexter visited the courthouses of the southern 24 counties of Illinois and discovered many official records of slavery. He found the primary source documents to provide a concise picture of how the enslavement of thousands of individuals was carried out in Illinois for 150 years under the shield of the law. By sharing the stories of several people who were enslaved in Illinois, Dexter hopes to emphasize the effect slavery has had on the state in...

RE-SCHEDULED- "Pandemics Through the Ages" with the ALPLM The Abraham Lincoln Presidential Library and Museum has re-scheduled their "Pandemics Through the Ages" Facebook LIVE event to TOMORROW, Thursday March 18th at 12pm. Go to the ALPLM Facebook page   to join the presentation. CAGGNI will hold their next monthly Zoom meeting THIS SATURDAY, March 20th, at 10:30 am. Robert Allen will present "Maps and Genealogy." Robert will look at how maps can be used to supplement other genealogical information. A presentation will be shown to highlight sources of maps on the internet and elsewhere. CLICK HERE for more information! Don't miss the British Interest Group of Wisconsin and Illinois' (BIGWILL) next Zoom meeting THIS SATURDAY, March 20th, at 10:00 am. UK research expert Paul Milner will present "Finding your 17th Century English Ancestors in England." CLICK HERE for more information! Here are some other events happening beyond Illinois! ...

March is Women's History Month, and a great opportunity to celebrate your female ancestors! Women can be difficult to locate in genealogy records, but the below links may help you learn more about the ladies in your family with an Illinois connection! CyberDriveIllinois online databases- The Illinois State Archives maintains many invaluable databases online through the Secretary of State's website, several of which may list your ancestor! Be sure to check out the Statewide Death Indexes and the Statewide Marriage Index. Additional records featuring your women ancestors may be found at one of the Illinois Regional Archives Depositories , or IRADS-  you can review their holdings online. Research requests are being taken by mail or telephone. Want to learn more about the Illinois State Archives? Be sure to check out the FREE webinar from Dr. Dave Joens, Director of the State Archives, "Finding Ancestors in the Land of Lincoln-" available to members AND non-members on the...

The Abraham Lincoln Presidential Library and Museum will present "Facebook Live!- Tales from the Vault: Pandemics Through the Ages" on Thursday March 4th at 12pm. ALPLM Chief of Acquisitions Ian Hunt will take a look at previous pandemics, epidemics, and major health crises, using items from the Museum's collection to tell the story of how pandemics and other health issues impacted Illinois and beyond. Visit the ALPLM's Facebook Page to learn more! The ALPLM is also offering FREE Admission for Illinois students (kindergarten through college) through May 31st! CLICK HERE to schedule your visit! The St. Clair County Genealogical Society will host their next monthly Zoom meeting on Thursday March 4th. SCCGS members Kris and Greg Wade will present "Solving Genealogical Mysteries with Probate Records."   CLICK HERE to learn more and register! Peoria County Genealogical Society will hold their next virtual meeting on Thursday March 11th at 6pm. Professional ...