The January–March 2025 issue of NGS Magazine, Volume 51, No. 1, is being printed and is now available in the Members Only section of the website. Delivery of print copies depends upon USPS schedules. This issue’s theme is the Ohio Valley.
Editor’s Note by Deb Cyprych
In celebration of the National Genealogical Society’s 2025 Family History Conference in Louisville, Kentucky, this issue features articles about unique genealogical aspects of the Ohio Valley. The region includes parts of Illinois, Indiana, Kentucky, Ohio, Pennsylvania, and West Virginia.
The Filson Historical Society is two miles from the conference site. Heather Potter surveys the Filson’s extensive manuscript, library, museum, and photographic collections documenting the Ohio Valley from the early eighteenth into the twenty-first century. The Filson’s research fee will be waived for NGS conference attendees.
Between 1840 and 1891, Lyman Draper travelled throughout the Trans-Allegheny West (including the Ohio Valley) to interview descendants of pioneers and record the history of the frontier between the 1740s and the War of 1812. His 491 manuscript volumes have not been digitized, and few are indexed. Mary E. V. Hill provides guidance for finding family information in the collection.
The federal government’s multiple goals for distributing land in the Northwest Territory led to notable complexity in Ohio’s land surveys and subdivisions. In part 1 of an article about the twelve major subdivisions, Liz Stratton explains their history, survey methodology, and genealogical uses.
As the border between slave and free states, the Ohio River was the target for thousands of enslaved people seeking freedom, and many were assisted in their journeys by the Underground Railroad. Columnist Kathy Petlewski describes source materials that can reveal information about the experiences of fugitives and conductors.
Two articles explore the tax theme of the previous issue. Judy Russell presents a system for finding pertinent federal and state laws in order to enhance a researcher’s understanding of specific tax records. Fiona Fitzsimons details the history and records of the Irish Valuation Office Archives, the Primary Valuation, and the Cancelled Books.
In other columns, Matt Weismantel outlines the value and process of strategic planning for genealogical organizations; Paul Woodbury examines the identification of paternal and maternal sides in DNA matches; and Robert Raymond demonstrates how knowledge of web address structure offers researchers several practical benefits. His column has taken the GenTech name in recognition of the long-term efforts of the group (now part of NGS) to promote the use of technology in genealogy.
The latest edition of the index to NGS Magazine authors and article titles, covering 2005-2024, is now online at ngsgenealogy.org/magazine. Log in as a member and click on Archives to see digital issues (in color for the past seven years).
TABLE OF CONTENTS
Features
Genealogy Research at the Filson Historical Society Heather Stone Potter
Finding Frontier Treasures in the Draper Manuscripts
Mary E. V. Hill, MLS, AG
Ancestral Clues in Ohio’s Unique Land Records: Part 1
Liz Stratton
The Laws Behind the Records: Finding US Tax Laws Judy Russell, JD, CG, CGL
Irish Tax Records, Part 2: Valuation Office Records
Fiona Fitzsimons
Departments
PRESIDENT’S MESSAGE
David Rencher, AG, CG, FUGA, FIGRS, FNGS
EDITOR’S NOTE Deb Cyprych
NGS NEWS
Tales & Trails: NGS 2025 Family History Conference Juliana Szucs
REFERENCE DESK
Source Materials for the Study of the Underground Railroad in the Ohio Valley Kathy Petlewski, MSLS
DNA DISCOVERY
Paternal or Maternal? Distinguishing Parental Sides in DNA Test Results
Paul Woodbury, MEd, AG
SOCIETY FORUM
Strategic Planning for Genealogical Societies
Matt Weismantel
GENTECH SOLUTIONS
The Power of Understanding Web Addresses
Robert Raymond
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 as long as membership is active. An index to the titles and authors of articles in issues from 2005 to 2024 is available at ngsgenealogy.org/magazine/.
