Using Maps to Discover Your Family History

Maps can become detailed guides to finding out more about your family history. Learn more about how to utilize maps, including examples of Sanborn maps, survey sketches, plat books and topographical maps, in this family history workshop. There could be enough information on these maps to get you where you want to go without asking for directions!

Betty L. Warren, immediate-past president of the Indiana Genealogical Society, earned professional certification as a genealogist from Brigham Young University in 1988. She presently works in the Genealogy Division at the Indiana State Library and sits on the IHS Genealogy Program Advisory Board.

How to Preserve Original Family Documents

Friday, Feb. 8, 9 a.m. to noon or 1 to 4 p.m.
$25, $20 IHS members
Register by Feb. 1

Many people start their genealogy with the discovery of one intriguing family letter or document. Learn how to preserve your family treasure at our next preservation workshop for original family documents. Bring your treasured certificate, letter or other document for specialized advice from the IHS Conservation staff. This hands-on workshop will show you how to evaluate the condition of the paper, surface clean and create an archival enclosure. Only single sheet-paper items – no photographs or pamphlets – will be encapsulated. The document may be double sided. Also, see a demonstration of how to humidify and flatten items that have been rolled for many years and store them with care.

Ramona Duncan-Huse, senior director of Conservation at the Indiana Historical Society, has been managing the preservation and treatment of the Society’s collections of rare manuscripts, prints and photographs for more than 25 years. She holds a certificate of conservation from a conservation graduate program sponsored by the University of London.

German Immigration

Saturday, March 8, 10 a.m. to noon
$10, $8 IHS members
Register by Feb. 29

According to the 1990 census, people of German descent constitute the largest of the ethnically identified groups in Indiana. The immigration of German-speaking people to these shores began in the 17th century and reached a peak in the late 19th century, but continues to this day. We will explore the nature of the German immigration through the years with a special emphasis on the Midwest and Indiana.

Giles R. Hoyt is Professor of German and Philanthropic Studies at Indiana University-Purdue University Indianapolis where he has been since 1976. He received his Ph.D. in German Studies at the University of Illinois after study at the University of Göttingen, Germany and has published extensively in the area of early modern German literature and language, German culture studies, and in German-American relations. He serves on the board of several organizations dealing with international and intercultural matters and is the director of the Max Kade German-American Center at IUPUI, a research center dedicated to the study of the German cultural heritage in America.

Family History for Kids!

Saturday, March 15, 10 a.m. to noon (third through sixth graders) and 1 to 3 p.m. (seventh through 12th graders)
$5 per particpant
Register by March 7

The National Society of The Colonial Dames of America and the Indiana Junior Historical Society have partnered to present a new genealogy program for kids this spring. Family History for Kids! will allow students to discover their roots. In this program, Michele Kerr, genealogist for The Society of Indiana Pioneers, will guide participants in finding their ancestors at the Indiana History Center in downtown Indianapolis. The program concludes with a tour of the Indiana State Library located across the street. Two sessions will be held. The first session is designed for younger children, grades 3–6. The afternoon session offers a more advanced look at family history and is for students in grades 7 and above. Come to the Family History for Kids! program to discover your family’s heritage.

Sponsored by The National Society of The Colonial Dames of America and the Indiana Junior Historical Society

Using HeritageQuest Online: Tips for Successful Searching

April 12, 10 a.m. to noon
$10; $8 IHS members
Register by April 4

Whether you are looking for census records, books, magazine articles, Revolutionary War soldier records or other genealogical information, this presentation will highlight the many valuable features of the databases that make up HeritageQuest Online. Suggestions for optimal searching, viewing, saving and printing will be discussed.

Elaine M. Kuhn, MLS, is the Kentucky History Coordinator for the Kenton County Public Library in Kentucky. She was a reference librarian for several years in the Genealogy Center of the Allen County Public Library. A native of Antwerp, Ohio, Elaine is a member of the Ohio Genealogical Society, its Paulding County chapter, and the Allen County Genealogical Society of Indiana. She is also a book reviewer for Library Journal.