Genealogy Course Offered at the Newport Cultural Center

NEWPORT, MAINE - One of the major goals of the recently formed Newport Cultural Center (NCC) partnership is to provide the tools needed so that families can learn about their cultural heritage. The NCC, which houses the Newport Historical Society, Museum and Newport Public Library together in a new state of the art facility, also has a genealogical research room, and will be offering a series of Genealogy Classes on Saturdays from 10:00AM to Noon this May and June, taught by Ruth F. Blood, Volunteer Genealogist and Instructor for the Skowhegan Free Public Library, along with Intern K Hartsgrove, who is the Museum Curator at the NCC. The six week course is open to all. It will provide information for beginners and also for people who are at all stages of family history research.

The course will be as follows:
May 9th: Session I: Genealogical research overview; what to expect in researching family history; organizational tools and materials; verification and documentation; primary and secondary records; as well as getting started on your research.
May 16th: Session II: United States federal census records: years of publication, information they contain, comparing records, discrepancies; agricultural, industrial and social census for Maine; repositories for Maine census records; a demonstration and practice with the Ancestry.com research tool that contains all states census records as well as other information; Canadian census records.
May 23rd: Session III: Early Maine counties and divisions; towns in 1790; vital records: samples, repositories, arrangement on microfilm, discrepancies, value to researchers; delayed returns; sources for pre - 1892 vital records in Maine; vital records for other states and for Canada; and Maine Old Cemetery Association records.
June 13th: Session IV: Resources, such as the Maine Archives, Maine State Library, the Bangor Public Library, the Family History centers, the Fogler Library, the Taconnett Genealogy Library, the URSUS Library Catalog, Heritage Quest and free internet sites, as well as how to use and evaluate their data.
June 20th: Session V: Deeds and probate records; military records; immigration and naturalization records; town histories; and Daughters of the American Revolution and Mayflower descendants research.
June 27th: Session VI: Obituaries and their value; family genealogies: how to use and evaluate them; writing queries, Daughters of the American Revolution and Mayflower descendants research; “stumbling blocks and brick walls”; and a review and summary.

Each class will provide instruction as well as individual practice. Assistance will also be provided after the class for those who may want additional instruction. There will be a registration fee of $5.00 per class or $30.00 for the full course, and individuals may participate in one or all of the classes. The registration will be just $25.00 for those who pre - register for all of the classes by Saturday, May 2nd. Pre - registration may be completed by calling 369 - 2193, 369 - 2153, or by emailing nccdirector@newportmaine.net.