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VGS Fall Conference 2024
October 18 @ 9:45 am – October 19 @ 3:20 pm
REGISTRATION IS NOW CLOSED
Opening remarks begin at 9:45 a.m. for both days, and the conference ends at approximately 3:20 p.m. Eastern Time. Zoom links and the handout will be emailed to registrants approximately three days before the conference. Recordings will be available for 60 days after the conference. Registrants will receive an email with recording links as soon as they are available.
| FRIDAY, 18 OCTOBER 2024 – All times are Eastern. |
| 9:45 a.m. Opening Remarks |
| 10:00–11:00 a.m. Judy G. Russell, JD, CG, CGL Finding Virginia Law: Genealogists need to look at the law at the time and in the place where a record was created. Misunderstanding the legal context may make us miss records critical to our research or miss clues hidden in the records. Looking at the laws of a single jurisdiction may seem like an easy task, but with Virginia’s long history, it’s easier said than done! These tips help us understand the legal system and then find the right law for the record we’re working with. |
| 11:00–11:15 a.m. Break |
| 11:15 a.m.–12:15 p.m. Judy G. Russell, JD, CG, CGL Crows Heads and Squirrel Scalps: Early Virginia Laws: The laws our ancestors lived by tell their own story of life in earlier times, and, from the very first colonial statutes to today, the choices made by Virginia’s legislators about what laws were needed give a rich and deep context to family history. We can use early Old Dominion laws as genealogical resources and recreate a time when one of the most pressing concerns was protecting crops from crows and squirrels. |
| 12:15–1:00 p.m. Lunch |
| 1:00–2:00 p.m. Julia Anderson, MA, AG, AGL Research Virginia from Afar with FamilySearch: Researching in Virginia repositories in person is fantastic, but what if you can’t go there yourself, or at least not as often as you would like? This class will teach you everything you need to know to get started researching Virginia from afar with resources at FamilySearch. It will cover details about the FamilySearch websites, centers, and affiliate libraries; demonstrate how to use FamilySearch for Virginia research; guide you in using extended access to record collections; and enable you to maximize your research time and results. |
| 2:00–2:15 p.m. Break |
| 2:15–3:15 p.m. Debra M. Dudek Internet Archive – The Amazing Genealogical Resource You’re Not Using! Can’t find it on Ancestry? Learn all about Internet Archive and its amazing collection of city directories, county histories, gazetteers, yearbooks, and family genealogies. If you haven’t been on this site yet, you’re missing a lot of fantastic resources! |
| SATURDAY, 19 OCTOBER 2024 – All times are Eastern. |
| 9:45 a.m. Opening Remarks |
| 10:00–11:00 a.m. John D. Beatty, CG Virginia Genealogical Research in the Allen County Public Library: The Allen County Public Library, located in Fort Wayne, Indiana, houses the largest genealogical collection in a public library in the United States. It also is the compiler of the Periodical Source Index (Persi). This talk will explore the Virginia holdings in the Genealogy Center and will also discuss Persi as it relates to Virginia. |
| 11:00–11:15 a.m. Break |
| 11:15 a.m.–12:15 p.m. Claire Kluskens Finding Your Virginia Ancestors at the National Archives: Learn how to use the National Archives website and online catalog to locate your Virginia ancestors in federal records. With over 11.8 billion unique records, there’s a lot to discover! More information and digital images are added to the National Archives Catalog frequently. |
| 12:15–1:00 p.m. Lunch |
| 1:00–2:00 p.m. Michael L. Strauss, AG Wild, Wonderful West Virginia: Genealogy Research in the Mountain State: Discover your ancestors and other family in the mountain state of West Virginia. Whether your ancestor was a coal miner or ran with the Hatfield’s and McCoy’s the beautiful state of West Virginia has many wonderful genealogical resources to offer those interested in her history. Carved out of Virginia in 1863 because of the American Civil War, West Virginia’s genealogical records are available for many years. Many new and exciting research awaits those willing to travel to the mountain state. |
| 2:00–2:15 p.m. Break |
| 2:15–3:15 p.m. J. Mark Lowe, FUGA Before Kentucky: Early Records and People in Virginia: Since Virginia contained all the land that is now Kentucky, where are the records that were created during the colonial pre-statehood Kentucky (before 1792)? Together we will look at the available record types, finding aids, and actual locations. Using real examples, we will follow actual historic records from discussion to solution. |
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Member conference discount will be applied in the Cart before checkout. (Standard member discount will not be applied in addition to the conference discount.)