Lecture Topics

            (See Lecture Descriptions)    (See Schedule of Upcoming Lectures)

• Finding Ancestors in Land and Tax Records (1 or 3 lectures)
• Researching records of government transfer of land to individuals: from colonies to states.
• Finding and using private land transactions and tax records
• Are your ancestors in Minnesota land records?
  


• Finding an Immigrant's Place of Origin.
  
• Now That I Found It, How Do I Organize It?
  Approaches to organizing genealogical materials
  
• Start at the end!
  Death: A record rich event (includes cemetery research)
  
• What Did Your Ancestor Do in the War?
  Using military records for genealogical research.
  
• How Can I Be Better at Using the Internet for My Genealogy?
  
• Genealogical Research at the Minnesota Historical Society.
  
• How to Evaluate Genealogical Information - Which record is correct?
  
• Getting Started With Your Irish Genealogy.
  
• Doing Scottish Research From Here Using the Internet and the Family History Library
  
• How Can I Become a Better Genealogist?
  
• What Do You Have To Do To Become A Certified Genealogist?
  
• OCLC, NUCMC, WorldCat, MNLink – Oh My! Finding Books and Manuascripts Online.
  
• Learning by Example.
  Case studies using indirect evidence.
  
• Did Your Ancestors Have Their Day in Court?
  Researching Court records.
  
• What Happened To Your Ancestor's Estate?
  Look to probates and wills for many clues to relationships and family history.
  
• Using the Family History Library Online Catalog to Best Advantage.
  
• How To Plan Your Genealogy Research.
  
• How Do The Professionals Do It?
  Tips and Tricks of a Professional Genealogist.
  
• How DO I Become a Certified Genealogist?

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Schedule of Upcoming Lectures

13 January 2007: Minnesota Historical Society, St. Paul

Land Records Minnesota Land Records

Minnesota Land Records

27 January 2007: Family History Center - Oakdale, MN

Military Records

12 April 2007: Olmstead County Genealogy Society - Rochester, MN

Evaluating Genealogical Information

17 April 2007: 3M Genealogy Club - Maplewood, MN

Evaluating Genealogical Information?

17 May 2007: St. Croix Valley Genealogy Society - River Falls, WI

Organizing Genealogical Materials

14 July 2007: Family History Center - Oakdale, MN

Finding an Immigrants Place of Origin

8 September 2007: Minnesota Historical Society, St. Paul, MN

Military Records

Organizing Genealogical Materials

20 September 2007: Dakota County Genealogy Society - South St. Paul, MN

Probates and Wills

27 October 2007: Irish Genealogy Society International - Education Conference

Government Land Records

Private Land Records

Evaluating Genealogical Data

Finding Books and Manuscripts Online

13 October 2007: Family History Center - Oakdale, MN

Effective Use of the Family History Library Online Catalog

12 January 2008: Minnesota Historical Society, St. Paul, MN

Research Methodologies

Evaluating Genealogical Information

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Lecture Topic Descriptions

Records of Government Transfer of Land to Individuals
What were the processes used and records created when governments transferred land to individuals? How can these records help with genealogical research? How do you turn legal land descriptions into a map of your ancestor’s land? What are private land claims, preemption claims, homestead grants and bounty land warrants?

Finding Ancestors in Private Land Transactions and Tax Records
Often the solution to a genealogical puzzle lies in land records. There are many records created around the transfer of land between individuals. These include deeds, leases, mortgages, dower rights records, and probate records. Private land ownership is also the basis of tax records and plat maps. Learn how to find use these records to full advantage.

Are Your Ancestors in Minnesota Land Records?
This lecture traces the records created from the original U.S. Surveyor plats through land office transactions to sale of land by private individuals and from transfer of some land to the state and the states sale of this land.

Finding an Immigrants Place of Origin
What are the best strategies and sources to uncover this most important key to extending a lineage back to the birthplace in the mother country?

Now That I Found It, How Do I Organize It?
Approaches to organizing genealogical materials.
A review of different conceptual and physical approaches to organizing genealogical materials and information. Discussion of software tools to help with organization: lineage databases, Bygones-for notes, correspondence, research log and plans, iMatch - for images, bookmark collections and bookmark managers - for recording web sites, Scrapbook - for capturing all or parts of web pages. Presentation of a model system.

Start at the end! Death: A record rich event (includes cemetery research)
Using death as an example, the point will be made that genealogists should look for every record around each event in their ancestors' lives. As with every life event the questions are: what are the records about this event, what is in them, where to find them, how to use them and what other records do they point to. Several typical death records will be used as examples of how records should be analyzed as to the quality of evidence presented and the clues they give.

How to Evaluate Genealogical Information - which record is correct?
How do you know if the information you saw on the Internet or received from a cousin in correct? How do you decide between conflicting information your own research has uncovered about an ancestor? This lecture will present ways to evaluate and analyze genealogical data

What Did Your Ancestor Do in the War?
Using military records for genealogical research.
The records created during and around military service are often filled with information about our ancestors and their lives. These include: Military service records, unit histories, pension applications, draft records, bounty land warrants, bonus records, military cemetery records and veterans home records. Questions answered: What is in a military record? Where are these records, and how can I get them?

Getting Started With Your Irish Genealogy.
Introduction to the key tools for finding your ancestors in Ireland: most important record types, Irish geographic terms, Irish names, key Irish genealogy web sites and books.

Doing Scottish Research from Here Using the Internet and the Family History Library
Today a genealogist can make significant progress on Scottish genealogy using Internet based resources and the extensive Scottish record holdings of the Family History Library. Learn the basics of Scottish genealogy and how to make good progress discovering your Scottish ancestors using these resources.

How Can I Be Better at Using the Internet for MY Genealogy?
Answers the questions: How to do effective searches on the Internet, What are the key genealogy web sites, How do I get the most out of some of these key sites: familysearch.org, ancestry.com, heritage quest, What about the quality of information on the web, How do I keep track of all of this?

Genealogical Research at the Minnesota Historical Society
An overview of the various holdings of the Minnesota Historical Society Library and State Archives that relate to genealogy and family history and how to get the most out of them. How the key genealogy records are organized, how to find them using the various Internet catalogs, how to get around in the facility, and how to make best use of your time at the library.

How Can I Become A Better Genealogist?
How can I learn to be better genealogists? Too often we rush to find a particular bit of genealogical information when we should be taking the time to learn to be a better genealogist.

Learn what is available today in the ever-expanding world of genealogical education. A road map for growing as a genealogist: a review of on-line offerings, the National Genealogical Society's home study course, various week long workshops, local offerings and key books every serious genealogist should have for their own home study and reference

Learning by example - case studies using indirect evidence
One of the best ways to learn is to see how others have solved a problem In this class we will discuss several cases that demonstrate various research strategies, methods of analysis and combining of sources. Bring your "brick walls" for class discussion.

OCLC, NUCMC, WorldCat, MNLink – Oh My!
Finding Books and Manuascripts Online.
How do you find that book or manuscript that is key to your research? Use NUCMC to find manuscripts such as letters and diaries. Use WorldCat to find which libraries have the book or journal you want. Use online library catalogs to find the holdings of a library befor you visit. Us MNLink to order an interlibrary loan of a book or film or get free reprints of articles.

Did Your Ancestors Have Their Day in Court?
Researching Court records.
Courts were involved in many aspects of our ancestors' lives. Learn about - the evolution of the U. S. and state courts systems over time, the type of records that were kept, where to find those records and how to use them in your genealogical research. This lecture includes a look at both civil and criminal court records, probates and wills and divorce records.

What Happened to Your Ancestor's Estate?
Look to probates and wills for many clues to relationships and family history.
Probates and wills can be key documents for learning about family structures. Learn the ins and outs of interpreting these record types and the legal terminology used in them. This lecture will review the probate process and the different types of records created during the settlement of an estate.

Using the Family History Library Online Catalog to Best Advantage
The Family History Library is the worlds largest repository of genealogical materials, and it can be easily accessed around the world through thousands of local Family History Centers. The key to getting full value from this resource is knowing how to find what you need. The online catalog is the best and easiest way to do that. Learn how to use the many tools available to find what you need.

How To Plan Your Genealogy Research.
Learn how to plan your genealogical research. A good plan is half the battle. What should you do first? Where should you look next? What information is most helpful in finding that next generation and where best to look for it, and how to keep track of it once you have found it.

How Do The Professionals Do It?
Tips and Tricks of a Professional Genealogist.
Learn some of the ways that professional genealogists work that you can use to make your own efforts easier and more effective. This talk will present a potpourri of ideas, tips and tricks that help genealogical research go smoother and more accurately.

How Do I Become a Certified Genealogist?
What does "Certified Genealogist" mean? What is the Board For The Certification of Genealogist? What are the requirements? How do you go about gaining the skills needed to meet the certification requirements? How do you prepare your submission portfolio? Why would you want to become a Certified Genealogist?

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