Illinois State Genealogical Society Blog

ISGS Advocacy Chair Suzanne Hoffman has passed along news from our friends at the Chicago Genealogical Society . Illinois SB 686, sponsored by Rep. Nicholas K. Smith of Chicago, has passed the Senate and is awaiting a hearing in the House.  This bill is a fee reduction bill that advocates for a $15 flat rate fee for county coroner transcripts over 20 years old  (excluding Cook County) - and allows for coroners' offices to waive fees. Currently, there is a statutory cost of $5 per page for coroner's records. You can read details of SB 686 on the Illinois General Assembly website- HERE! You can file a witness slip to share your position on SB 686- HERE! Select "File Witness Slip." Fill in your information and feel free to use "self" as an affiliation. Choose your position (proponent, opponent, no position) and select "Record of Appearance Only." Then click "Create Witness Slip". © 2022, copyright Illinois State Genealogical Society

LOCAL GENEALOGY CONFERENCE! Our friends at the McHenry County Illinois Genealogical Society have announced their 2023 Summer Conference will be held on Saturday, July 8th! The conference will be in person at McHenry County College and feature Judy G. Russell, Timothy N. Pinnick, Dr. Michael D. Lacopo, DVM, and James M. Beidler! CLICK HERE for more info and to register! The Fox Valley Genealogical Society will be holding their next meeting in person THIS Thursday, April 13th, in Naperville, featuring Debra Dudek! CLICK HERE for more info! The Lake County IL Genealogical Society will hold their next meeting THIS Tuesday at 7:00pm, in person or virtual (for members only). Jane Haldeman will present, "My Ancestor was a Farmer." CLICK HERE for more info! The DuPage County Genealogical Society will hold their next meeting on Wednesday, April 19th at the Wheaton Public Library. Steve Szabados will present "Irish Immigration to America." CLICK HERE for more info! © 20...

Here are just a few of the many genealogy events happening this month! For more events, check out the ISGS Events page and the ISGS Facebook page! The North Suburban Genealogical Society will hold their next meeting on Saturday April 8th at 1:00pm, via ZOOM and in person at the Glenview Public Library. Katharine Andrew will present, "She Came from Nowhere: A Case Study Approach to Finding Hidden Female Ancestors." CLICK HERE for more info and to register! CAGGNI will hold their next hybrid meeting on Saturday April 15th, on ZOOM and in-person at the Palatine Library. Analu Lopez and Matt Rutherford will discuss the Newberry Library's Edward E. Ayer Collection. CLICK HERE to learn more and register! Our friends at the Peoria County Genealogical Society are celebrating their 50th Anniversary this year! They will host their next meeting on Thursday April 20th at 6:00pm, on ZOOM and in person at the Peoria Public Library North Branch. Christine Cohen will discuss "Immi...

ISGS is excited to announce our IN-PERSON 2023 Fall Conference in Bloomington, Illinois! Stay tuned for more information! © 2023, copyright Illinois State Genealogical Society

The NEW Pin Program for the ISGS Prairie Patriot and Prairie Pioneer Certificates is now available! Approved applicants for either program will receive a pin with one of the logos below! Have you already received a certificate for a Prairie Pioneer or Prairie Patriot (formerly Military Certificate)? You can purchase a pin for only $10- contact Vauna, the ISGS Office Manager, at isgsoffice@ilgensoc.org for details. Prairie Patriot Certificates are available to honor Illinois military ancestors from all wars, from the Revolutionary War through World War II.  CLICK HERE  to learn more and view the ISGS database of current Prairie Patriots! Prairie Pioneer Certificates honor early Illinois settlers in 3 categories: Prior to statehood (pre-1818) 1819-1850 1851-1880 This includes early ancestors from all areas of Illinois, even Chicago ancestors!  CLICK HERE  to learn more and view the ISGS database of certified Prairie Pioneers- perhaps your ancestor is already listed! ...

Mark your calendars for these upcoming events! The North Suburban Genealogical Society will be holding their next meeting on Saturday, March 11th at 1:00pm. This meeting will be in-person, no registration required, at the Wilmette Public Library. Steve Szabados will present, "Your Next Step: Write Your Family History." CLICK HERE for details! CAGGNI will hold their next hybrid meeting on Saturday, March 18th at 10:30 am- via Zoom or in person at the Arlington Heights Memorial Library. Grace Horner will present, "Three Chicago Families: Before and After the Great Fire." CLICK HERE for more information and to register! The Zion Genealogical Society and the Lake County Genealogical Society will be hosting a workshop, "Bringing History and Genealogy Together," on Saturday March 18th at the Zion-Benton Public Library! Check out the Zion Genealogical Society Facebook Page , and register on the Zion Public Library's website! The ALPLM has announced their nex...

Celebrate your ancestors this Black History Month with these unique genealogy resources! Freedom On The Move - a collection of runaway slave advertisements, which can provide details of a slave ancestor's personality and physical traits Last Seen: Finding Family After Slavery - a collection of newspaper advertisements placed by formerly enslaved people, looking for their loved ones Caribbean Roots-  an excellent starting point to learn about researching ancestors that came from the Caribbean Northeast Slavery Records Index -  a compilation of records of enslaved persons from the states of New York, Maine, New Hampshire, Vermont, Massachusetts, Rhode Island, Connecticut and New Jersey Got Hoosier ancestors? Check out Indiana University South Bend's virtual  African American Landmark Tour. Learn about the Descendants of Enslaved Communities project and its resources, created by the University of Virginia Be sure to check out past ISGS Blog posts for even more Black Hi...