Lectures: Titles and Descriptions

  1. Finding Ancestors in Land and Tax Records
  2. Researching records of government transfer of land to individuals:
  3. Finding and using private land transactions and tax records:
  4. Are your ancestors in Minnesota land records?
  5. Now That I Found It, How Do I Organize It?
  6. Finding an Immigrant's Place of Origin.
  7. Becoming an American: Immigration – the process, the law and the records.
  8. Research Methodologies. How to Plan Your Research.
  9. How to Evaluate Genealogical Information. Which Record is Correct?
  10. Start At The End! Death: A Record Rich Event.
  11. What Did Your Ancestor Do in the War? Using Military Records for Genealogical Research
  12. Did Your Ancestors Have Their Day in Court? Research Court Records.
  13. What Happened to Your Ancestor's Estate? Look to Probates and Wills for Many Clues to Relationships and Family History.
  14. Getting Started With Your Irish Genealogy.
  15. Doing Scottish Research From Here. Using the Internet and the Family History Library to Find Your Scottish Ancestors.
  16. OCLC, NUCMC, ~WorldCat, ~MNLink – Oh My! Finding Books and Manuscripts Online.
  17. How Can I Be Better at Using the Internet for My Genealogy?
  18. Using the Family History Library Online Catalog to Best Advantage.
  19. How Can I Become a Better Genealogist?
  20. What Do You Have To Do To Become A Certified Genealogist?
  21. Genealogical Research at the Minnesota Historical Society.
  22. Learning by Example. Case studies using indirect evidence.

  1. Finding Ancestors in Land and Tax Records

    I have four lectures prepared on this topic. One is a general overview, the others are more in depth and can be delivered separately or in any combination.

  2. Researching 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?

  3. Finding and using 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 and use these records to full advantage.

  4. 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.

  5. Now That I Found It, How Do I Organize It?

    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.

  6. Finding an Immigrant's 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?

  7. Becoming an American: Immigration – the process, the law and the records.

    Our immigrant ancestors became Americans – some how. In this lecture we will take a look at the laws and processes that made that possible and the records that were created along the way. We will learn where to find these records and what they can tell us about our family’s history.

  8. Research Methodologies. How to Plan Your 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, where best to look for it, and how to keep track of it once you have found it.

  9. 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 is 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.

  10. Start At The End! Death: A Record Rich Event.

    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.

  11. 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?

  12. Did Your Ancestors Have Their Day in Court? Research 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.

  13. 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.

  14. 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.

  15. Doing Scottish Research From Here. Using the Internet and the Family History Library to Find Your Scottish Ancestors.

    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.

  16. OCLC, NUCMC, ~WorldCat, ~MNLink – Oh My! Finding Books and Manuscripts 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 before you visit. Use MNLink to order an interlibrary loan of a book or film or get free reprints of articles.

  17. How Can I Be Better at Using the Internet for My Genealogy?

    This lecture focuses on a series of key 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 such as: familysearch.org, ancestry.com, heritage quest? What about the quality of information on the web? How do I keep track of all of this?

  18. Using the Family History Library Online Catalog to Best Advantage.

    The Family History Library is the worlds largest repository of genealogical materials! 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.

  19. How Can I Become a Better Genealogist?

    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. this lecture offers a road map for growing as a genealogist. It looks at on-line offerings, the National Genealogical Society's home study courses, various week long workshops, local offerings and key books every serious genealogist should have for their own home study and reference.

  20. What Do You Have To Do To 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?

  21. 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

  22. 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.