Illinois State Genealogical Society Blog

This week's feature is the ISGS Webinar Archive , an overlooked but invaluable treasure trove of educational opportunities! Our webinar archive contains over 100 webinars and handouts  covering a range of genealogy topics, from Illinois research resources, ethnic group research, tips and tricks, and much more! Our latest addition is the collection of pre-recorded lectures featured at our 2021 Fall Conference!  The Webinar Archive is a members-only feature, so please consider joining ISGS to take advantage of this fantastic resource! Upcoming Events and Conferences- Mark Your Calendars! CAGGNI has announced their 2022 GENEAQUEST fall conference- CLICK HERE for more info and to register!   PGSA will host their next webinar on Sunday, May 15th at 2:00pm. Dr. Joseph Hughes from the Polish Cultural Institute and Museum will present, "The History and Culture of Kashubia & Kashubians." CLICK HERE for more info and to register! WBCGS will hold their next meeting via Zoom o...

The Colored Conventions Project is lead by Kate Masur, Professor of History at Northwestern University. The project seeks to gather information about Black organizing in pre-Civil War Illinois, a lesser known part of Illinois history. Here you will find a rich source of historical information about Black Illinois ancestors in the antebellum period, including a list of delegates to the Convention of the Colored Citizens of the State of Illinois, held in Chicago, and their family members. Click HERE to read more about the project, in a feature published in the Chicago Tribune! © 2022, copyright Illinois State Genealogical Society

Associate Member Events! CAGGNI will hold their next meeting on Thursday April 16th, at 10:30am. John Stryker will present, "What's New in Technology," CAGGNI's annual feature showcasing the latest genealogy tech, software, apps, and websites! CLICK HERE for more information and to register. The Tazewell County Genealogical & Historical Society is hosting a special event on Sunday April 24th! The Underground Railroad Conductor Recognition event will be held at Five Points in Washington, IL at 2:00pm. The event will honor and celebrate three men from Tazewell County who were instrumental in assisting fugitive slaves escape to freedom prior to the Civil War. Special Guest speaker is Dr. Daniel E. Worthington of the Abraham Lincoln Presidential Library & Museum. The event is free to attend!- CLICK HERE for more information! Genealogy Database for Chinese American research- Do you have Chinese roots in your family tree? Be sure to check out My China Roots , whi...

Many Illinois and midwestern family historians have roots in Luxembourg. A record number of Luxembourgers immigrated to the heart of American in the mid-to-late 19th century. The Luxembourg American Cultural Society & Center has a fantastic research archive, and their website includes research tips, resources, and more! They also provide assistance to those who are seeking Luxembourg dual citizenship through ancestry- and provide lessons in learning Luxembourgish! If you live nearby, be sure to visit the LACS in Belgium, Wisconsin, and check out their museum and events! © 2022, copyright Illinois State Genealogical Society

The March/April 2022 ISGS Newsletter is now available! Click the image above to read all the latest genealogy news and upcoming events! Previous newsletters are available to read on the Newsletters Page of the ISGS website.  © 2022 copyright Illinois State Genealogical Society

BIG NEWS! ISGS' very own Quarterly Editor, Richard Anderson, was featured on local news program Chicago Tonight  on April 4th! Richard talks with Chicago Tonight host Brandis Friedman about the recent release of the 1950 U.S. Census- and provides a sneak preview of the upcoming Spring issue of the Quarterly,  which will feature special coverage about the 1950 census release!  Click below to watch the interview on the WTTW Chicago Tonight  website! MEMBERS- keep an eye out for the Spring Quarterly  to hit your mailbox this month! NON-MEMBERS- the Spring 2022 Quarterly  will be up for sale in our Online Store soon! © 2022, copyright Illinois State Genealogical Society

The North Suburban Genealogical Society will hold their next meeting on Saturday April 9th, 1:00pm at the Glenview Public Library (and live-stream on Zoom). Judy Hughes will present "Enslaved & Enslaver: Finding Descendant Connections." Learn more and register on the NSGS Website! Author Edward E. Curtis IV will be featured in the Abraham Lincoln Presidential Library & Museum's "For The People" speaker series on Thursday April 7th, 7:00pm. Curtis will discuss his book, Muslims of the Heartland,  and the contributions of Syrian Americans to Illinois. CLICK HERE for more information! The Peoria County Genealogical Society will hold their next meeting on Thursday April 14th, 6:00pm, via Zoom. Julie Terstriep will present "Unique Sources: Research Pre-Colonial and Colonial Massachusetts." Check out the PCGS website for more info and how to register! The St. Clair County Genealogical Society will hold their next meeting on Thursday April 7th, 7:00p...

This week's feature has to be the National Archives' 1950 Census Website! The 1950 Census became available on Friday, and already we are finding surprises and great information about our Illinois ancestors! Keep an eye out for our special Spring Quarterly  issue coming soon, featuring first-looks at the 1950 Census, tips and tricks for navigating, and more!  Do you have some interesting finds about your Illinois ancestors from the 1950 Census? Tell us about it, we would love to hear your stories! Contact our Quarterly Editor, Richard, at isgsquarterly@ilgensoc.org to learn how to submit your stories! © 2022, copyright Illinois State Genealogical Society