Discover Your Roots Missouri

Featured
Speaker

Dr. John Wright

Assistant Superintendent in the Ferguson-Florissant Public Schools

The Conference will be Saturday, September 12, 2009 from 9:00am to 4pm with a variety of classes fitting for the beginner research to the more experienced.

	Room A	Room B	Room C	Room D
10:30-11:30am	Burt Paris PAF and Search	Ruth Ann Hager Southern Claims Commission: A Treasure Trove of Civil War Era Information	Sandy Bennett Beware, not everything you see in print is correct!	Displays
11:40-12:40pm	Christopher Nordmann Tracing Free People of Color in the Antebellum South	Tom Pearson Land Rich, Dirt Poor: the Use of Land Records in Genealogical Research	Bill Glankler Finding Family and Local History in Court Records
12:40- 1:15pm	Lunch
1:15pm-2:15pm	Sandy Bennett History of Booker T. Washington Cemetery	Ruth Ann Hager Spottswood Rice, USCT Soldier: A Case Study
2:30-3:30pm	Cheryl Nelson Ipod, Twitter, Facebook…Using Technology to Save Your Memories	Tom Pearson Hoe, Hoe, Hoe: Researching Farmers & Other Rural Ancestors

Organizations who will have displays:

FamilySearch, Inc
Afro-American History and Genealogical Society
Booker T. Washington Cemetery
Dred Scott Heritage Foundation
The Griot Museum of Black History and Museum
Missouri State Archives
Missouri History Museum
St. Clair Genealogical Society
St. Louis County Library- Special Collections

Featured Speaker

PAF and Search

African American Research: Strategizing to break brick walls

Analyze and review steps and resources used in finding enslaved ancestors

World War I Draft Registration Cards

In 1917–1918, men 18–45 years of age provided personal information when registering for the World War I draft. What types of clues might this incredibly rich, all-male census provide for your family?

The Bones of My Ancestors

This presentation will explore African American Genealogy from the shores of East Africa to the slave quarters of Mississippi and North Carolina. Too few African American families tell their stories. Once this presenter started her research she found that she is a member of the Yao ethnic group in Malawi. In 1915 one of her patriotic ancestors, John Chilembwe led a revolt against the British. Today he is a national hero in Malawi and his picture appears on its currency. Come hear this exciting presenter and learn to find the patriots in your family tree.

The Julius K. Hunter and Friends African American Research Collection at the St. Louis County Library

The JKH Collection at St. Louis County Library is one of the most outstanding African American genealogical research collections in the Midwest. It contains microfilm, electronic databases, historical newspapers, and printed sources.

Genealogical Treasures in the Library

Local libraries hold a wealth of resources to help document your family tree. Learn how to locate valuable data on your ancestors in census records, city directories, military records, newspapers, company employee magazines, and many other sources.

Getting Started

Are you interested in researching your family history, but don't know how to get started? This presentation will provide the basics to exploring your family tree.

Memory preservation 101

Discuss basic tools needed and guidelines for safe memorabilia preservation

Save It!: Backing Up and Organizing Photos, Digital Files and Paper Piles

Having problems locating specific papers in your office or lost a digital file you’ve gathered? Have you ever lost it all in a computer crash?

Forever Historical & Momentous

Maintaining family records of kinship, audio, photographs (subjects identified & dated), real estate purchases (through the recording of deeds etc.), medical history, etc. The significance of this vital information eludes us in our daily lives.

Searching Court Records for your Ancestors

I will have handouts about the wide range of family history resources available through the Missouri State Archives, but the focus of the workshop will be to:
1. Make participants aware of the existence of various types of 19th and 20th century records from many types of courts in St. Louis and Missouri, and
2. Demonstrate by examples the variety of types of information that can be gleaned from dramatic and routine court actions that can help us connect the dots to illuminate the lives of our ancestors, with particular emphasis on African-Americans

Beginning Your Family History Project

Want to begin your family tree but don’t know how to get started? How to begin, what you need, and where to find it. Also what the St Louis Public Library Hisstory and Geneology department has that can help.