Illinois State Genealogical Society Blog

Mark your calendars for these upcoming family history events! REMINDER! The deadline for the ISGS Honors & Awards is Saturday August 5th! Nomination forms and information can be found on the ISGS Website , contact isgsawards@ilgensoc.org with any questions! The St. Clair County Genealogical Society will hold their next meeting via Zoom on Thursday, August 3rd at 7:00pm. Carrie Roberts and Melissa Richards will discuss "Searching the History of Land Parcels and Ownership" in St. Clair County. CLICK HERE for more info and to register! The Peoria County Genealogical Society will hold their next meeting on Thursday, August 10th at 6:00pm. Photography expert Ann Conver will present "Photograph Dating and Novice Restoration." CLICK HERE for more info and to register! The next  Southern California Genealogical Society  FREE webinar will be held on Wednesday, August 16th, at 4:00pm Central. Amy L. Wachs, JD, will present "Introduction to Tracing Your Roots in Eas...

Here is some exciting news from our ISGS Associate member, the Afro-American Genealogical and Historical Society of Chicago! ConferenceKeeper.org now has a NEW events calendar just for African American Research events! Check it out HERE! Thanks to ConferenceKeeper's Tami Mize for spreading the news! AAGHSC will be holding a Research Trip to the Allen County Public Library from August 25th-27th! Fees include bus travel and hotel. Payments are due by August 1st, contact AAGHSC for more info- aaghsc@yahoo.com. Be on the lookout for more info on AAGHSC's 41st Annual Family History Conference, scheduled for Sunday October 15th! © 2023, copyright Illinois State Genealogical Society

The St. Clair County Genealogical Society will hold their next meeting Thursday July 6th at 7:00pm via Zoom. John Barr will present, "Deeds and Patents in Genealogical Research." CLICK HERE for more information and to register!  Also don't miss SCGS free genealogy series being held at the Belleville Public Library! Th next meeting will be Saturday July 15th, featuring "The Truth About Online Genealogy Resources." CLICK HERE for more info! The Peoria County Genealogical Society will hold their next meeting on Thursday July 13th at 6:00 pm, at the Peoria Public Library North Branch and via Zoom. A special screening of Diahan Southard's "Understanding your DNA Test Results" series will be featured. CLICK HERE for more info and to register! CAGGNI will hold their next meeting on Saturday July 15th via Zoom and in-person at the Schaumburg Township District Library. Stephen Szabados will discuss "Finding the Polish Records." CLICK HERE for ...

See a Rare Copy of Lincoln's Emancipation Proclamation at the ALPLM through June 30th! The ALPLM is celebrating Juneteenth by placing the Emancipation Proclamation on display in the Library from June 19th-23rd and June 26th-30th. The museum's copy is one of about 2 dozen that still remain, and is signed by President Abraham Lincoln and Secretary of State William Seward. There is NO CHARGE to see the document- don't miss your chance to view this rare and important piece of history! CLICK HERE for more info about the ALPLM! Check out the Fountaindale Library's Genealogy Club Events! Did you know the Fountaindale Library in Bolingbrook has a Genealogy Club that holds monthly meetings and events? Their next Zoom event will be Wednesday, June 28th at 11:00am. Genealogist Suz Bates will present "Downloading and Uploading," to help you learn tips and tricks to transfer digital genealogical data between websites and databases. CLICK HERE for more info and to registe...

ISGS is now accepting  nominations for the annual Honors and Awards in the categories below. Nominations will be  reviewed by the Honors and Awards Committee and presented at the annual membership meeting in October, prior to the ISGS Fall Conference. This year's Award categories are: ● Community Service Award: This award may be given to an individual, company, or institution for service or contributions to genealogy. Nominations may be made by local genealogical or historical societies. ● Special Recognition Award: This award may be given to an individual for the promotion of genealogy in general or for having been a major influence toward the success of the nominating organization. Nominations may be made by local societies. ● Youth Award: Students are eligible for this award for a genealogical project. Nominations may be made on the suggestion of a teacher, advisor, or local society. ● Distinguished Service Award: A national figure may be honored for exceptional contribut...

Registration is OPEN for two upcoming ISGS Associate Member conferences- don't miss these fantastic opportunities to learn, network, and have fun with your family history! McHenry County Illinois Genealogical Society is holding their 2023 Summer Conference on Saturday, July 8th in Crystal Lake. Don't miss renowned speakers Judy G. Russell, Timothy N. Pinnick, Dr. Michael D. Lacopo DVM, and James M. Beidler! Registration closes on July 1st- CLICK HERE for conference info and registration! Registration is now OPEN for the Fox Valley Genealogical Society's 29th annual Fall Conference! This year the conference will be virtual, with pre-recorded and LIVE events happening in September. Don't miss the live keynote with "Extreme Genes" host Scott Fischer, and plenty of tips and tricks from speakers Melissa Barker, LaDonna Garner, Nancy Loe, and Denise May Levenick- plus a live panel discussion with local archivists! CLICK HERE for more info and registration! © 2023...

The St. Clair county Genealogical Society is hosting FREE genealogy classes at the Belleville Public Library! CLICK HERE to learn more about the upcoming classes hosted by Diane Walsh, and the group's research meet-ups! The International German Genealogy Partnership summer conference begins June 9th at the Allen County Public Library in Fort Wayne, Indiana! There is still time to register- and the conference offers virtual as well as in-person options- CLICK HERE to visit the IGGP site for more info! The North Suburban Genealogical Society will host their next meeting on Saturday, June 10th at 1:00pm. Dan Niemiec will present, "Cemetery Records." CLICK HERE for more info and to register! CAGGNI will hold their next meeting on Saturday June 17th, at 10:30 am.  Jane Haldeman will present, "National Archives and Records Administration (NARA)- Chicago Branch." This event is in person at the Mount Prospect Library and on Zoom- CLICK HERE for more info at to regist...