2019 Genealogy Courses
On a regular basis, the Kentucky Genealogical Society provides educational opportunities to members and non-members. This page contains the topics from the 2019 Kentucky Genealogical Society meetings.
These events give perspective members an idea of the value provided by the organization. You can find current educational events that are available free to non-members on our Calendar of Events page.
As a service to our members, past educational recordings and handouts are available as on-demand learning in our Member Portal page.
December 2019
Resources for Kentucky African American Genealogy
Speakers
- Cindy Peck, Central KY African-American Cemetery Association
- Michael J Denis, Danville Boyle Co African-American Historical Society
Our speakers review the many resources their organizations offer to those seeking to learn their African American family history in Kentucky.
November 2019
Beginning and Extending Your Research of German Ancestry
Speaker: Kent Robinson
Robinson is the past president of the Indiana Chapter and immediate past National president of Palatines to America – German Genealogy Society. He has focused his research during the past 15 years on his mother's paternal ancestry in Germany, tracing them back to 1593.
Presentation covers these resources and strategies:
- Sources for discovering the name and location of the ancestral village
- Introduction to the history and geography of Germany
- A variety of items and terms that researchers will encounter
- Record types, the info they include, and how to access them
- Suggestions to make research of German records easier even if you do not know the German language
September 2019
Using DeedMapper and Land Surveys
Speaker: Betty Warren
Session One: Finding the Family Farm
The search for the 50-acre farm started with the will of George Admire, dated 1804, leaving the "land whereon I now live, I give and bequeath unto my daughter Sally Williams to her and her heirs forever" in Henry County, Ky. The estate settlement showed a cash settlement to Williams and wife Sally but no land transfer. Present-day family members wanted to know where the 50 acres was and what had happened to it. The 50 acres was "found" through an intensive search of tax lists, deeds, original surveys, land grants, maps, and atlases. Using the DeedMapper™ software program, I was able to assemble and plat the data, then determine the current property owner and place the 50 acres on a present-day map of Oldham County, Ky.
Session Two: Rectangular Land Survey
A detailed description of the section-township-range survey system with practical applications
Many descendants of early Kentucky pioneers moved on into the Northwest Territory and states further west. Most of those states used a survey method that uses principal meridians and base lines as the reference points involving the invisible latitude and longitude lines of a globe making a rectangular grid pattern. This rectangular survey system applies the basics of linear and angular measurement involving geometry and trigonometry in relationship to the compass points to determine the position of a tract of land. It sounds rather complicated, but it is really very simple!
Sessions handouts available
June 2019
Advanced Genealogy Research Sources
Speaker: Joe Hardesty
Session One: The SAR Genealogical Research Library And Revolutionary War Ancestor Research
The Sons of the American Revolution (SAR) Library is more than a wealth of printed works of genealogical value. Participants learn in this lecture how to access much of this collection in your own home with a focus on researching Revolutionary War ancestors.
Session Two: Advanced Genealogy Research Online
Ancestry.com is not the only game in town! In this lecture, you will learn the powerful resources available that many experienced genealogist don’t know (or forgot to remember).
Session handouts available