26 May 2023

2023 SLAM! Idea Showcase Winners

 

SLAM_2023_Logo_450pxWide_219pxHigh_2461187.jpg
Congratulations 2023 SLAM! Idea Showcase Winners
 
Watch the Playlist to Learn about Outstanding Genealogy Programs and Projects

The National Genealogical Society (NGS) is excited to announce our 2023 SLAM! Idea Showcase results. This event highlights creative or innovative projects and programs by societies, libraries, archives, museums, and other organizations. Congratulations to this year's winners and honorable mentions, and thank you to every organization that shared ideas to inspire the genealogy and family history community.

Check out all of the 2023 videos on the NGS YouTube channel. Watch the playlist or view individual videos and see how they spark ideas for your organization.
 
 
2023 Winners
 
2023 Honorable Mentions
 
2023 Participants
 
The two winners each receive a $250 prize and our two honorable mentions each receive a prize of $125. Thank you sponsors Ancestry, Family Tree Maker, and VIVID-PIX for helping make this possible, and much gratitude to our 2023 SLAM! Idea Showcase Committee for their work on this year’s competition.
 
Celebrate SLAM! in Richmond
 
If you are attending the NGS 2023 Family History Conference in Richmond, Virginia, join us for the SLAM! Idea Showcase reception and program on Wednesday, 31 May, 5:30-6:30 p.m. (ET) outside of the Expo Hall at the Greater Richmond Convention Center. Celebrate and learn more about the 2023 winners and honorable mentions!
 
NGSLogo_Lockup_TransparentBkgd_2400dpi_300pxWide_2238213.png
Favicon_Forum_2112481.png
Favicon_Website_2112485.png
Favicon_YouTube_2112486.png
Favicon_Facebook_2112480.png
Favicon_Instagram_2112482.png
Favicon_Twitter_2112484.png
Favicon_LinkedIn_2112483.png
Copyright © 2023 National Genealogical Society (NGS), all rights reserved.
National Genealogical Society · 6400 Arlington Blvd · Suite 810 · Falls Church, VA 22042-2318 · USA

10 May 2023

Check Out Mother’s Day Gift Ideas at NGS

 

NGS_MothersDay_2023_GiftIdeas_600pxWide_2516085.png
Mother’s Day Gift Ideas from NGS

Wondering what to get Mom for Mother’s Day? NGS has some great suggestions!

A few budget-friendly options include Research in the States books or our special topics books such as Mastering Genealogical Documentation, Mastering Genealogical Proof, Paths to Your Past, and more.

Discover many wonderful Mother’s Day gifts on our website.
NGSLogo_Lockup_TransparentBkgd_2400dpi_300pxWide_2238213.png
Favicon_Forum_2112481.png
Favicon_Website_2112485.png
Favicon_YouTube_2112486.png
Favicon_Facebook_2112480.png
Favicon_Instagram_2112482.png
Favicon_Twitter_2112484.png
Favicon_LinkedIn_2112483.png
Copyright © 2023 National Genealogical Society (NGS), all rights reserved.
National Genealogical Society · 6400 Arlington Blvd · Suite 810 · Falls Church, VA 22042-2318 · USA
 

01 May 2023

May Is Asian American and Pacific Islander Heritage Month

 

2023_AsianPacificIslander_HeritageMonth_600pxWide_2509355.png
Celebrate Asian American and Pacific Islander Heritage Month with NGS
 
In celebration of Asian American and Pacific Islander Heritage Month this May, the National Genealogical Society is pleased to share this list of pertinent research articles from NGS Magazine. The first article by Grant Din and Linda Okazaki includes its own list of resources.
  • Din, Grant and Okazaki, Linda Harms. "Paper Sons and Picture Brides: Asian Immigrant Case Files, 1884-1944." NGS Magazine 46 (January–March 2020): 12–25.
  • Hinds, Jr., Harold. "Writing Family History: Review of The Concubine's Children by Denise Chong." NGS Magazine 37 (July–September 2011): 62–63.
  • Loos-Noji, Pamela. "Researching Your Japanese-American Ancestors." NGS Magazine 36 (April–June 2010): 27–30.
  • Mulligan, Amie Sumie. "Maps in the Hawaiian Sugar Planters' Association Plantation Archive." NGS Magazine 42 (July–September 2016): 51–55.
  • Mulligan, Amie & Posz, Darcie. "Immigration Cards and Informants: Verifying the Mother of Yoshito Tanaka" NGS Magazine 40 (October–December 2014): 45–49.
  • Posz, Darcie M. Hind. "Hawaiian Genealogy: Stateside and Island Resources." NGS Magazine 38 (July–September 2012): 48–52.

Din and Okazaki also prepared a curated list of links that may be helpful to those researching family history.
NGSLogo_Lockup_TransparentBkgd_2400dpi_300pxWide_2238213.png
Favicon_Forum_2112481.png
Favicon_Website_2112485.png
Favicon_YouTube_2112486.png
Favicon_Facebook_2112480.png
Favicon_Instagram_2112482.png
Favicon_Twitter_2112484.png
Favicon_LinkedIn_2112483.png
Copyright © 2023 National Genealogical Society (NGS), all rights reserved.
National Genealogical Society · 6400 Arlington Blvd · Suite 810 · Falls Church, VA 22042-2318 · USA
 

26 April 2023

The War of 1812 Preserve the Pensions Project Continues


The Preserve the 1812 Pensions Project Continues


NGS has signed a new contract with Ancestry and the National Archives and Records Administration (NARA) to resume the digitization of the War of 1812 pensions.

As some of you may remember, the initial work on this project began in 2010. It has been both an important and a monumental task spanning 7.2 million pages contained in 180,000 files. In 2020, as COVID-19 forced the closure of NARA, the project was put on hold. We are pleased to announce the next phase—digitization of surnames starting with the letters Sj to U—begins again this month. Our target is to complete this phase in one year.

NARA first sought partners on this project back in 2008. On 27 April 2010, the Federation of Genealogical Societies (FGS) announced a national fundraising initiative to raise over $3 million to support the project. Fold3 was selected to digitize the records, and Ancestry.com agreed to match every dollar raised for the project. The digitized records would be, and indeed have been, made available to the public for free.

When FGS merged with NGS, we agreed to uphold our commitment and see this project through to the end. Today, we are fulfilling our promise and moving forward with the next phase.

To learn more about this project, visit the NGS website.


24 April 2023

120/120 Anniversary Fundraising Drive


On 23 April 2023, the National Genealogical Society (NGS) reached an historic milestone. Members and friends are invited to celebrate our 120th Anniversary with a financial gift to NGS.

To honor the extraordinary commitment of our members over 120 years, NGS established the

National Genealogical Society
1903 - 2023
120th Anniversary Grove

We are asking members to step forward and commemorate the Society’s 120th Anniversary by donating $120 in honor of a genealogist (past or present) or an ancestor of their choice. NGS will recognize designated persons by planting a tree in their honor through One Tree Planted, adding a real tree to a family tree. Donors will be acknowledged in the April-June 2024 issue of NGS Magazine.

Please join us in this special celebration of the Society’s 120th Anniversary by donating online today.










 

20 April 2023

Thank You, Volunteers!

 


Thank You to All the Amazing NGS Volunteers
 
Volunteer Recognition Day
20 April 2023

The National Genealogical Society (NGS) could not function without volunteers contributing to our success. Our programs depend on the time and talent of many people dedicated to strengthening the genealogy and family history community. We appreciate their generosity and invite you to join us in thanking them.

The April–June 2023 issue of NGS Magazine, Volume 49, No. 2, lists and thanks our 2022 volunteers (pages nine and ten). We do this each April in honor of National Volunteer Month to recognize the outstanding people who do important work. We encourage you to view the list and express gratitude to the volunteers you may know personally.





10 April 2023

The Second Quarter 2023 Issue of NGS Magazine is Now Online



The April–June 2023 Issue  
of the NGS Magazine is Now Online

The April–June 2023 issue of NGS Magazine, Volume 49, Number 2, is being printed and is now available online in the Members Only section of the website. Delivery of print copies depends upon USPS schedules. This issue’s theme is Methodology.


EDITOR'S NOTE by Deb Cyprych

This issue explores methodology: the approaches, procedures, and strategies that are most successful in genealogy. Application of best practices in methodology can help family historians solve or at least chip away at problems typically called brick walls.

As tempting as it may be to jump online and start searching databases, the first steps in any research project should be problem analysis and planning. Diana Elder outlines the steps: defining an objective, analyzing starting-point information, studying the location, developing a hypothesis, and identifying and prioritizing sources. Her case study demonstrates the process and the results.

When a county’s records have been destroyed or lost, it may seem that the trail has ended for an ancestral search. However, as Kelvin Meyers notes, researchers can pursue other options to find information. He recommends verifying the extent of the record loss, tracking down all surviving county records, checking other jurisdictions, and seeking records outside courthouses.

Sometimes an ancestor’s path seems to reach a dead end, but expanding research to relatives and associates often locates additional documents for the person or provides indirect evidence. Julie Stoddard discusses cluster research, including how and when to use it, identifying the people in an ancestor's cluster, and organizing the findings.

Information about events in family history may be unexpected, incomplete, or misleading. Researchers want to know the whole story: Why did it happen? What was the context? Jennifer Zinck presents two case studies to show how some questions can be answered by considering relevant laws and customs, resolving conflicts, using date calculators, and avoiding invalid assumptions.

Many Americans know little about Puerto Rico, a territory of the United States since 1898 and the point of origin for the second largest US Hispanic population. Debbie Gurtler describes Puerto Rico’s unique history, major record types, naming practices, language aids, and genealogical resources.

In this issue’s columns, David Rencher offers thought-provoking strategies for the leadership of genealogical societies, in light of current innovation disruptions; Paul Woodbury provides practical tips for contacting and exchanging helpful information with genetic cousins; Carla Cegielski explains five methods for finding online sources of downloaded images of unknown origin; and Kathy Petlewski explores the use of JSTOR’s scholarly journal articles in research.

I’m pleased to announce the availability of the first index to the titles and authors of NGS Magazine articles, covering issues between 2005 and 2022. For more information, see page 6. I hope the index will be useful for finding articles about genealogical topics that may assist in research.


TABLE OF CONTENTS

Features

  • Research Planning for the Win: Next Steps for Breaking Down a Brick Wall by Diana Elder, AG
  • Overcoming Record Loss by Kelvin L. Meyers
  • Finding New Evidence: Strategies to Improve Cluster Research by Julie Stoddard, MSc, AG 
  • Hidden Stories: Exploring the Unexpected in Family History by Jennifer Zinck, CG
  • Research on the Island of Enchantment by Debbie Gurtler, AG

Departments

  • PRESIDENT'S MESSAGE by Kathryn M. Doyle
  • EDITOR'S NOTE by Deb Cyprych
  • NGS NEWS
  • SOCIETY FORUM
    • Relevant Society Leadership in the Twenty-first Century by David E. Rencher, AG, CG, FUGA, FIGRS
  • DNA DISCOVERY
    • Tips for Contacting Genetic Cousins by Paul Woodbury
  • TECH TIPS
    • Strategies for Finding the Origin of an Image File by Carla S. Cegielski
  • REFERENCE DESK
    • Using JSTOR in Genealogical Research by Kathy Petlewski, MSLS

NGS Magazine is published quarterly to update members of the National Genealogical Society on NGS activities and to provide genealogists with special information and guidance on conducting effective genealogical research. The magazine is sent to libraries by subscription. Online access to NGS Magazine is available only as long as membership is active.

30 March 2023

NGSQ March 2023 Issue is Now Online

Cover image: Ernest Lionel Rowell (1884–1951)



The March 2023 Issue of the NGSQ is Now Online

The March 2023 issue of the National Genealogical Society Quarterly, Volume 111, Number 1, is available online in the members-only section of the website and printed issues are being prepared for mailing. The USPS is still experiencing delays in some areas for the delivery of print copies. We apologize if your print copy is affected.


CONTENTS:

FEATURE ARTICLES
  • “Southern Strategies Revisited: Expanding ‘Reasonably Exhaustive Research’ to Find Solomon Harper’s Roots in the Carolina Backcountry” by Rachal Mills Lennon, CG, FASG
  • “Parents for Salome (Krichbaum) Amey” by Teri Grey, CG
  • “A Birth Family for Sophia Corine (Dyches) Rowell of Barnwell County, South Carolina: A Case of Forgotten Identity” by Nancy A. Peters, CG, CGL
  • “Kirstin Pehrsdotter: Indirect Evidence Helps Build a Seventeenth-Century Swedish Family” by Jill Morelli, CG, CGL

EDITORS’ CORNER
  • Being There

SIDELIGHTS
  • Quite a Prize
  • Cherry Crisp with the Pitts
  • Egyptian Hieroglyphics

REVIEWS
  • Sherman, Pat Speth. American Tapestry: Portrait of a 'Middling' Family, 1746–1934. Reviewed by Deanna E. Korte
  • Silverman, Janette. Genealogy at a Glance: Finding Eastern European Jewish Ancestors. Reviewed by Carolyn Ybarra
  • Wood, Gregory A. Becoming the Frenchified State of Maryland. 2 vols. Reviewed by Judy Riffel
  • White, Gayle Jessup. Reclamation: Sally Hemings, Thomas Jefferson anda Descendant's Search for Her Family's Lasting Legacy. Reviewed by Miller Williams Boyd III, PhD
  • Robichaux, Albert J., Jr. German Coast Families: European Origins and Settlement in Colonial Louisiana. vol. 2. Reviewed by Christophe Landry, PhD

The National Genealogical Society Quarterly (NGSQ) is published four times per year, in March, June, September, and December. The issue of the journal is the first for incoming editors Margaret R. Fortier, CG, and Mary Kircher Roddy, CG.