American Research and Records: Focus on Localities
 
This intermediate level course covers 19th-21st century U.S. records and strategies beyond the basics. Learn more about unusual records, county, state and federal records, manuscripts, finding aids, specialized indexes, case studies, websites, and strategies. One-on-one consultations at the Family History Library are included as is a group research project. This course alternates yearly with a second half more related to families and individuals. The instructors represent a wealth of knowledge and experience and help you extend your research skills with suggested homework to immediately apply new knowledge to your own families. There is ample time for research on some afternoons.
 
Prerequisites:
Participants should have advanced beyond the “bare bones” beginner. We suggest rereading one or more basic genealogy guidebooks and being familiar with the Family History Library Catalog. (www.familysearch.org). It will help if you have taken a basic level genealogical class or two and attended at least one genealogical seminar or conference. Students should bring along some of their own family research materials including ancestor charts and family group sheets (either paper or on your computer) to use in immediately applying what they learn in class.
 
Coordinator: Paula Stuart-Warren, CG�
 
Instructors:
            Debra S. Mieszala, CG (2)
            D. Joshua Taylor, MLS (2)
            Cath Madden Trindle, CG (2)
            Paula Stuart-Warren, CG (10)
 
Consultations: Karen Mauer Green, CG; Cath Madden Trindle, CG; and Paula Stuart-Warren, CG.
 
  • Intro & General Class Information; Strategies and Organizational Tips & Tools for Busy Researchers at the FHL and Elsewhere  (Paula Stuart-Warren)
  • Delving into County Courthouse and Town Hall Records  (Paula Stuart-Warren)
  • Dissecting a Document: Getting from Point A to Point Z. Part I  (Paula Stuart-Warren)
  • Dissecting a Document: Getting from Point A to Point Z. Part II  (Paula Stuart-Warren)
  • The WPA Era: What It Created for Genealogists  (Paula Stuart-Warren)
  • Records Related to Ancestral Arrivals in the United States  (Paula Stuart-Warren)
  • Finding Ancestral Places of Origin in U.S. Records (Paula Stuart-Warren)
  • Newspaper Research Online and Off: The Dailies, Weeklies, and Beyond (Paula Stuart-Warren)
  • Genealogical and Historical Periodicals In Print & Online (Paula Stuart-Warren)
  • The U.S. National Archives: The Nation’s Attic  (Paula Stuart-Warren)
  • Land Records: Digging Deeper Online and Off (Cath Madden Trindle)
  • Building a House History from a Variety of Records (Cath Madden Trindle)
  • Legal Savvy for the Genealogist  (Debra S. Mieszala)
  • Source Citations Workshop  (Debra S. Mieszala)
  • Locality Resources: Maps, Gazetteers, Atlases and More  (D. Joshua Taylor)
  • Vanity Sketches: Sources and Truths Behind Mugbook Entries  (D. Joshua Taylor)
  • Plus FHL Labs/Consultations with one-on-one help on two or three days  (Stuart-Warren, Green, Trindle)
  • Wrap-up; Completion Certificate; Q&A  (Paula Stuart-Warren)