JGSI March Meeting

Jewish Genealogical Society of Illinois (JGSI) Sunday March 25 meeting at Temple Beth Israel (3601 W. Dempster Street in Skokie).  Scheduled program begins at 2:00:

Marty Fischer will present a genealogical research case study: "The Most Famous Man in America You Never Heard Of".Marty will discuss his research on a relative whose name regularly appeared in newspapers all over the United States.  Today, that person is unknown to the general public, but through his research hopes to breathe life into his relative's memory.

The Temple will open at 12:30 and JGSI members will be available to help answer genealogical questions, help with internet searches or for those interested in using the library resources. JGSI has recently added many wonderful new books and maps to the library.

Ordnance Survey Ireland

Here is information shared by Brian Mitchell of the Derry Genealogy Centre:

"View, free of charge, the historic 19th-century mapping archive of Ordnance Survey Ireland.

Simply pan across the map, select map series (such as Historic 6", Historic 6" B&W or Historic 25") and zoom in to view the townland in greater detail. Historic 6" refers to 6-inch mapping series, both color and greyscale, of 1837-1842, and Historic 25" to 25 inch mapping series, greyscale, of 1888-1913."

(Thank You to Genealogical Publishing Company)

Maps for Irish Research

A New Genealogical Atlas of Ireland / by Brian Mitchell
R911.415 MIT GENEALOGY

This book maps, by county, Ireland's network of civil parishes (Church of Ireland parishes normally conform to the civil parish), Roman Catholic parishes and, for the nine northern counties of Ulster, its network of Presbyterian congregations.

(Thank You to Genealogical Publishing Co.)

Irish Place Names

To gain insight into the economic and social landscape of 19th-century Ireland you can consult A Topographical Dictionary of Ireland, published in 1837, by Samuel Lewis.

Arranged in alphabetical order by place, this dictionary provides an overview of the geography and history of Ireland's villages, parishes and towns, as they existed at the time of publication (1837).

(Thank You to Genealogical Publishing Co.)

Townland Location for Irish Genealogy

General Alphabetical Index to the Townlands and Towns, Parishes and Baronies of Ireland, Based on the Census of Ireland for the Year 1851 / by Alexander Thom, Dublin, 1861.
R929.3415 GEN GENEALOGY


This is an important tool for identifying Irish place names.


The Townland Index is a record of townland names, their size and location--by county, barony, civil parish, poor law union, and 1st edition Ordnance Survey map number--as recorded in the 1851 census and as they have been officially spelled and designated ever since.
The "Placenames" search option at www.irishtimes.com/ancestor  enables researchers to search the Townland Index, together with street listings from Dublin, Cork, and Belfast cities, to pinpoint county, civil parish, and poor law union locations for more than 65,000 place names.
(Thank You to Genealogical Publishing Co.)

Top Sites For Irish Genealogy

The website About.Com.Genealogy is featuring Top Web Sites For Researching Irish Ancestors.

Erin Go Bragh!

Upcoming Programs

THE PROGRAMS BELOW WILL BE PRESENTED AT THE ARLINGTON HEIGHTS MEMORIAL LIBRARY:

Adoption Searches Past and Present
Monday, March 26, 7 p.m. / Hendrickson Room
You've just discovered that an ancestor was adopted. What do you do now? Researching adoption records is very challenging. Matt Rutherford, curator of genealogy and local history at the Newberry Library, will discuss the history of adoption records, policies and research in the United States. Register

Setting Up Your Genealogy Website
Saturday, April 21 10 a.m. / Hendrickson Room
The Computer Assisted Genealogy Group of Northern Illinois (CAGGN-I) will hold a panel discussion on how to create your own genealogy website. Register

Family Tree Maker – Special Interest Group
Saturday, April 21, noon / Hendrickson Room
Family Tree Maker (FTM) is one of the most popular genealogy softwares. If you already use it or are considering buying it, come to the FMT special interest group. They will answer all your questions. Register
Railroad Ties to Arlington Heights History (part of AH 125)
Saturday, April 21, 2 p.m. / Hendrickson Room
The railroad has been vital in the historical development of Arlington Heights. Joe Piersen, manager of the Chicago & Northwestern railroad archives, will discuss the history of that railroad, its impact on Arlington Heights, and how to access information on railroad employees. Register

1940 Census: 2 Lectures

Jewish Genealogical Society of Illinois proudly presents Dr. Joel Weintraub:

"The 1940 Census and Online Finding Aids," Two Lectures.

Save the date! Sunday, April 29, 2012 -- 1 p.m. (check-in)

Temple Beth Israel, 3601 W. Dempster Street, Skokie, IL 60076.

rsvp@jgsi.org
www.jewishgen.org/jgsi

Dr. Weintraub is an emeritus biology professor at California State University, Fullerton, and has won awards for his science teaching. He became interested in genealogy about 12 years ago and volunteered for 9 years at the National Archives and Records Administration in southern California. Joel started transcribing streets within census districts in 2001 to help researchers search the 1930 U.S. Census (released in 2002). He was joined in the venture by David Kehs and Stephen Morse in 2002, and together, they have produced several online census searching utilities for both the federal and the New York State censuses on the Morse One Step website. Joel has been working on finder aids for the 1940 census since 2005, and has given talks on that census starting in 2006.

Lecture free to JGSI members Non-members $10 (will apply to JGSI membership when you join by June 1, 2012)

For more information and to reserve your seat, phone 312-666-0100 ore-mail

CAGGNI March Meetings

Computer Assisted Genealogy Group of Northern Illinois (CAGGNI)

--2nd Saturday Workshop Series: Technology Basics for Genealogists. -- 10 Mar 2012 10:30 AM • Schaumburg Township District Library - Conf. Room.

--Memberahip program: Saturday, March 17, 2012, 10:30am: "What's New in Technology" by Ed Rosenthal, Schaumburg Township District Library

--AQ / PAF - Special Interest Group, 17 Mar 2012 12:45 PM • Conference Room, Schaumburg Township District Library

NSGS March Meeting

The North Suburban Genealogical Society is based at the Winnetka Library, 768 Oak Street, Winnetka, Illinois. It serves all the surrounding communities in the northeastern Chicago suburbs.  Monthly meetings are held at the Northbrook Historical Society, 1776 Walters Avenue, Northbrook, Illinois.
NEXT MEETING: Saturday, March 10, 2012, 1:00 PM:  "Using www.FamilySearch.org For Your Genealogy Research," presented by Maureen Brady.   This web site is constantly changing and Maureen will discuss new developments. She is an expert in LDS research.

NWSCG April Meeting

Jerry Allen will present “Searching for Great Grandpa-Find your Union Soldier” at the next meeting of the Northwest Suburban Council of Genealogists (NWSCG). The meeting will be held on Saturday, April 7, 2012 at 10:00 am at The Arlington Heights Senior Center, 1801 W Central Rd, Arlington Heights, IL

At 9:30 am, prior to the presentation, there will be casual discussion and exchange of information with others who enjoy genealogy.

Jerry’s presentation is about his search to find information about his great grandfather, Captain John K Allen of the 78th Illinois Infantry Regiment. Starting with very little information, his search took him to the National Archives in Washington, D.C., Chickamauga National Military Park, and other historical locations.

Jerry Allen grew up on a farm in LaCrosse County, Wisconsin with a predominantly Norwegian heritage. Although not a professional historian, Jerry has had a life-long interest in history with a special interest in the Civil War and American Indian Conflicts. He is a member of various Civil War Round Tables and a past president of the Civil War Round Table of Chicago and the Northern Illinois Civil War Round Table. His projects include researching a Scandinavian Civil War Regiment, Minnesota’s Dakota Conflict of 1862, and a portrayal of Major General George H. Thomas.