Whatcom County Genealogical Society will meet on Monday, September 10 at 2 pm at the Bellingham Elks Lodge, 710 Samish Way. The program will be “What I Did on My Summer Vacation”. Members are encouraged to share what they discovered over the summer break. We will have some ice breakers and get-to-know-you activities as well. Visitors welcome! Contact: 360-733-8300
Sharon Neem
WGS Publicity Chair
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How time flies when you’re having fun! The last day of the Northwest Genealogy Conference was again filled with classes, networking, book sales, vendors and amazing discoveries.
Our keynote speaker for the day was Beth Foulk, whose energetic style entertained us with tales from colonial immigration to the importance of the crossroads state of Missouri to the battle for bounty lands. My “extra” class was Rich Venezia‘s “Emerald Isle Express: Researching Irish Ancestors.” He gave me some new resources and encouragement in finding my Irish ancestors. My hopes spring eternal that I’ll find ol’ Patrick Murphy (no middle name) and Lawrence Ryan (also no middle name and the son of a string of like-named men).
Stilly President Ruth Caesar with conference co-chairs Phil and Lisa Bartlow
I can’t heap enough praise on the amazing volunteers from conference hosts Stillaguamish Valley Genealogical Society. Did you know it takes approximately 2,500 hours to ensure the success of this conference — and it shows! I look forward to it every year. In fact, I’ve already marked my calendar for next year’s conference: August 14 – 17, 2019. Michael Strauss and Thomas MacEntee have already jumped on board to headline two of the days.
On my way home to Spokane, I stopped in Roslyn (big farmers’ market going on that day) and was double-delighted that the Roslyn Museum was open!
Roslyn town began in 1886 with the discovery of coal which was mined from 1886 to 1963. The railroad was the biggest buyer of Roslyn coal until the 1950s. Some 460,000,000 tons of coal was dug out of the mountains, “but only abut 15% of what’s available,” said Larry, the docent of the day on duty. “A 22-ton piece of coal was shipped to Chicago in 1893 for the World’s Fair.”
The museum has wonderful memorabilia and “stuff” pertaining to Roslyn mining history. BUT. It’s the “wonderful” Rosyln cemeteries that draw folks. “The most visible legacy left by Roslyn’s early immigrants can be found in Roslyn’s Historic Cemeteries. The cemetery complex covers 19 acres and is unique as it consists of 26 separate cemeteries formed prior to the turn of the 20th century.”
You really must, MUST visit Roslyn on your next I-90 driving trip………… especially visit the cemeteries.
WHAT’S BEEN DONE: USING SOMEONE ELSE’S GENEALOGY RESEARCH WEBINAR
Wed, Sept 5, 2018, 11 am-12:30 pm
CCGS Education Center
Whether you are new to genealogy or you’ve been working on your family history for years, incorporating the research of others can always be tricky. Here’s how to develop a proven strategy to benefit from the work of other genealogists. This Legacy Family Tree webinar is presented by Thomas MacEntee, a genealogy professional, blogger, educator, author, and social media connector.
Unfocused Genealogy Discussion Group
Thu, Sep 6, 2018: 1-3 pm
CCGS Education Center
There’s no meeting agenda, no special topic, just a group of curious people bringing genealogy research notes, questions, brick walls, etc. to share with the group. Get ideas for the next steps you should take in your research.
SCANDINAVIAN ROOTS FOCUS GROUP
Thu, Sep 13, 2018: 10-11:30am
CCGS Education Center
If you want to discover your Scandinavian roots, attend this monthly meeting and learn how to conduct your research. Meet with other like-minded individuals who have discovered their ancestors going back many generations. Geographic areas include Norway, Sweden, Denmark, Finland, Iceland, and the Faroe Islands. This group meets regularly on the second Thursday of the month, September-May. Members and non-members are welcome.
GETTING STARTED TRACING YOUR FAMILY ROOTS CLASS
Tues, Sep 18, 2018: 10 am-12 noon – Free Class
CCGS Education Center
Are you clueless about unraveling the mysteries in your family tree? This class will get you started with a begin at the beginning strategy. Topics include collecting information from the family, family group sheets, pedigree charts, genealogy database programs and best practices for research. This free introductory class is taught by CCGS president and expert genealogist, Brian Runyan.
25 SIMPLE RESEARCH HACKS EVERY GENEALOGIST SHOULD KNOW WEBINAR
Wed, Sept 19. 2018, 11 am – 12:30 pm
CCGS Education Center
Whether you are searching online databases, trying to obtain information from an uncooperative cousin, or need to streamline your research workflow, this webinar will outline 25 simple hacks you can use to get more genealogy done in less time! This Legacy Family Tree webinar is taught by Lisa Alzo, MFA, who is an internationally recognized lecturer and author.
THIRD THURSDAY EVENING HOURS
Thurs, Sep 20, 2018: 6-9 pm
CCGS Library
Do you find it hard to get to the Clark County Genealogical Library during daytime hours? Come in on Third Thursday to tap into our richest resource: knowledgeable librarians who can help you with your family history search. We won’t do it for you, but we will provide guidance. One librarian has Scandinavian research expertise. The library has over 10,000 books and resources, and free access on our computers to Ancestry.com and AmericanAncestors.com. Bring your own computer and use our free wifi.
LOCAL HISTORIES AND PUBLISHED RESOURCES GENEALOGY CLASS
Tues, Sep 25, 2018; 10 am-12 noon
CCGS Education Center
Published resources such as local or county histories as well as family histories are now available in printed and digital electronic formats. This class will explain the what, when, where and how-to of published resources and is an updated version of Larry Dean’s popular and extensive 2006 class outline. Our CCGS Library shelves are such a great starting point – we have books! Learn useful tips for researching these sources from expert genealogist and Education Director, Marcia Grubb. Classes are $12 for CCGS members and $15 for non-members. To register in advance call the CCGS library, 360-750-5688. (Classes with insufficient registration may be cancelled.)
General Membership Meeting FOR GENEALOGY ENTHUSIASTS
Tues, Sept. 25, 2018, 7-9pm
Presentation: Tracing Ancestors through Slavery and Freedom: Two Cases from Indian Ocean Islands
Researching slave ancestors overseas can be challenging due to naming and record-keeping practices. Professor Sue Peabody at Washington State University Vancouver will discuss two projects: 1) her recent prize-winning book, Madeleine’s Children: Family, Freedom, Secrets, and Lies in France’s Indian Ocean Colonies (Oxford, 2017), and 2) her new project: The Failure of the Succès: Anatomy of a Slave Smuggling Voyage. Both projects involve the careful reconstruction of families in France’s Indian Ocean Colonies of Réunion and Mauritius (with asides to Bengal and Mozambique) in the eighteenth and nineteenth centuries using online databases and digital civil status records.
“The good things you do and throw in the river of life, will be returned to you in the desert of life.” Sa’adi
Do you, like me, enjoy stopping to explore ghost towns in your travels? Did you know there are 52+ ghost town sites in Washington??
This is the map from www.ghosttownsofwashington.com. (Note: two “Ts”)
Click to this website, and then to the county you want to explore, and wow yourself with history trivia….. and a possible stop on your next trip.
I clicked to Wahkiakum County (we don’t hear much about or from Wahkiakum County, do we?) and found two ghost towns listed.
Altoona was built on the north shore of the Columbia River in the 1850s by the Hudson’s Bay Company as a fish receiving station.
Deep River was built on pilings (due to the tides) on the Columbia River in 1875 and was settled by Finnish immigrants.
Both these towns were visited by the angels who maintain the website and there are photos!! Wow.
Maureen Taylor, the nationally known “Photo Detective”,
is coming to Bellevue on September 15, 2018.
“Finding Family History in Your Picture Mysteries”
Her Three Presentations:
This event will be held on September 15, 2018 at the Vasa Park Ballroom, 3560 W Lake Sammamish Road SE, Bellevue, WA 98008. Doors open at 9 am with presentations from 9:30 am to 2 pm.
Private consultations with her are available afterwards at an additional cost.
This event is part of the Eastside Genealogical Society’s 40th Anniversary celebration. Thus, EGS members, who register before September 1st, will have free admission.
Boxed lunches are available for $15, if ordered by September 1st.
Non-EGS Members and everyone after September 1st will be charged $25 admission.
For more details about the presentations and lunch, see our website (Also, there are links to the digital files for the Color Poster and the Registration Flyer.) Of course, you can register for the event using our website.
Come and bring your friends for a fun day!
Got a real stumper for you today….. and will just have to give you the answer for nobody will know what/where this is (most likely).
See the sweet doggy face? This appears on the Hwy 25 bridge at the confluence of the Spokane River with the Columbia River…… north from Davenport (off Hwy 2)….
We so enjoy taking our little 18-foot (30 year old) boat out for a day on Lake Roosevelt (which, in case you don’t realize, is the dammed-up Columbia River behind Grand Coulee Dam). Going to and from the boat launch, we pass under this bridge……… and I wonder about the doggie.
Was it a light colored blob and somebody added the features? Was it all deliberately painted?
Looks like a labrador to me. You?
One of the most entertaining fea
tures of the Northwest Genealogy Conference is the “Dress Like Your Ancestor Day.” It was so fun to see attendees dressed as their Salem Witch ancestor (complete with noose), Norwegian (or German or New England or Irish or…other parts of the globe) ancestor. We all love to talk about our ancestors and today it was so fun to see them walking around the conference.
Peggy Lauritzen was our keynote speaker today. Her presentations ranged from migrations into the Shenandoah Valley to the Amish and Mennonites to researching school records. She’s always entertaining and certainly “delivered the goods” today!
My two “extra” classes today were Katherine Willson’s “40+ Sources for Finding Females’ Maiden Names” and “Coming to Your Census: Using State Census Records” with Daniel Earl. Really good stuff! I’m excited to use the tips and resources they shared.
The evening closed with the annual banquet at the Gleneagle Golf Course. CeCe Moore once again entertained the sold-out crowd with stirring stories of reuniting families, healing old wounds and solving criminal cases using genetic genealogy. We are so lucky to have her at the Northwest Genealogy Conference as her travels and professional demands are mounting. Lucky us!
Tomorrow’s the last day of the conference, but a full one. Besides hearing three plenary sessions with keynoter Beth Foulk and two other classes, I need to make sure I visit the vendors, including the Heritage Quest Research Library book sale. So much to pack in!
