Genealogy Fair A Huge Success! Now onto September...

We had an overwhelmingly positive response to our first ever FREE Genealogy Fair in Augusta on July 11th.  We had more than a dozen non-profit groups represented and many of them reported gaining new members as a result of the event. And the Genealogy Brick Wall Busters was well attended.  If you were there, you know what I mean!  The State Library stayed open later than usual and the Museum had well over 200 people take advantage of their free admission throughout the day.

We definitely had some learnings and the Conference Committee will be making notes of what went well and what could use some improving.  If you attended the event and have thoughts on what you liked and what you would like to have seen done differently, or in addition to what was available, please let us know with an email to mainegenealogicalsociety@gmail.com

There have been a lot of requests to do a similar type event in the future, so we'll be discussing the feasibility of that in an upcoming meeting.

Thank you to all those groups who participated and those individuals who came out to see what our Genealogy Fair was all about. We had a great time, and we hope you did too.

Now it's time to wrap up the last minute planning for our Annual September Conference and get people signed up to join us in Brewer, Maine for a day of genealogical lectures and more vendor sales tables.  To learn more about what's happening on Saturday, September 19, 2015 in Brewer, visit our conference web page:  http://conference.maineroots.org

July 11th - FREE Genealogy Fair

Join MGS and more than a dozen other organizations from across the State of Maine for this FUN, FREE event and learn about all the great resources available for researching your Maine roots.

Last Week to Register for the 2014 MGS Spring Workshop

LAST CHANCE TO REGISTER... You don't have to be a member to join us, but MGS members do enjoy a discount at this and other events & publications...

The annual Maine Genealogical Spring Workshop is one day, deep dive session into a specific aspect of genealogical research. On April 5, 2014 we are excited to welcome Maureen Taylor, The Photo Detective, as she presents 4 lectures covering topics from identifying and dating early photographs to preservation techniques. We'll also learn about Civil War era photography and Maureen's own special project, The Last Muster, an effort to find, identify and document photos of the Revolutionary War generation.  Join us as we gain a better understanding of the kinds of information we can glean from those old family photographs and how to preserve that information for generations to come."
Maureen Taylor will also be able to provide some individual private consults the evening before the program in the Breakfast Room of the Comfort Inn at 281 Civic Center Dr., Augusta, ME 04330.  All appointments dated Friday April 4th, 2014 will be held at the hotel.

More information about the workshop is available here: http://conference.maineroots.org
For scheduling a private consult with Maureen Taylor visit her event page at http://mgs2014.eventbrite.com

Census Research Workshop Sold Out!

Thank you to everyone for your support of the MGS Spring Workshop. We reached our maximum capacity and can no longer accept late registrants.  While we're sorry we can't accept any late arrivals, we are excited to see such a strong showing for our day long workshop on Federal Census Research. Our members have been asking for a session like this for a long time, and we're excited to see so many folks taking advantage of it.  If you are joining us in Augusta, ME on Saturday get ready for an information packed day!  If you couldn't make it to be with us this year, we hope to see you at the Fall Conference in September.

Maine Famlies in 1790 Bundle

Maine Genealogical Society members are now getting an extra special deal on top of already discounted items.  The popular Maine Families in 1790 Series Value Bundle includes 3 volumes from the 10 volume set at more than 50% off their retail price!  Volumes 5, 6 and 7 are included in this limited time deal and include more than 1,600 poages of family sketches. The Every Name Index for just these three volumes includes more than 40,000 names!

Retail these books sell for a combined $166. MGS Members could already get them at a substantial discount, $92, but for a limited time, this value bundle is available for MGS Members only for $75!  Not a member?  Why not join and take advantage of this amazing deal?  For the extra $25 you get our quarterly newsletter, quarterly scholarly journal, more discounts on ALL our in stock titles and you have the opportunity to have your genealogy related website added to our list of links, and post queries to the blog.

And, if you're coming to our Spring Workshop in Augusta, let us know which books you're interested in and we can bring them with us and save you some shipping costs!  Not registered for the workshop?  Better hurry, there's only a week left before the registration deadline.

For more information on both these deals, visit our website: http://www.maineroots.org

April 13, 2013 - A Workshop On Federal Census Records Research

Join Maine Genealogical Society members and non-members at the Augusta Civic Center, Augusta, Maine on April 13, 2013 for A Workshop on Federal Census Records presented by MGS President, Helen Shaw, CG.

We'll start with an introduction to the census, the different types of federal census records that exist, and the types of information you can find in each one. From there we'll move on to tips and tricks for finding your ancestors in census records, particularly when an index doesn't exit.

After a break for our luncheon buffet, we'll come back and talk in more depth about non-population censuses. In addition to agricultural, mortality and inducstry censuses, We'll also discuss slave schedules and veteran censuses (revolutionary and civil wars) Finally, we'll end the afternoon with more in depth census research. Learn how to formulate a hypothesis when you aren't sure what it is you're looking for. Then use census records to prove or disprove your theory.

You can sign up online through our Workshop web site:

http://conference.maineroots.org

Not an MGS Member? That's ok. All are welcome. Of course, we'd love for you join when you register. MGS members gets $10 off the registration price.

Maureen Taylor Workshop Canceled

The upcoming Maine Genealogical Society Spring Workshop at the Augusta Civic Center scheduled for April 21 has had to be CANCELED due to a conflict with the date which had not been noticed before. MGS searched for another alternative location in the Augusta area and everything that could accommodate the size of the workshop is already booked. We sincerely apologize for the inconvenience and short notice but hope that we can see the MGS members in September at the Annual Fall Conference Meeting. Refunds will be issued by mail by our Treasurer as soon as we can process them. For those who signed up for consultations with Maureen Taylor, you will be hearing from her directly in that regard. Thanks for your understanding in this matter.

Maureen Taylor, Workshop Speaker

Maureen Taylor has a YouTube page under The Photo Detective. Here is the link: http://www.youtube.com/user/photodetective?ob=0&feature=results_main

Update on MGS Spring Workshop with Maureen Taylor

The 2012 MGS Spring Workshop on Saturday April 21st had the wrong URL (web site location) for setting up an individual appointment with Maureen Taylor, the featured speaker. If you are interested in this one-on-one session which lasts 15 minutes and you can bring up to three (3) pictures with you is located at this address: http://mgsm-esearch2.eventbrite.com/?srnk=1. The cost for the individual session is $30 and the appointment times are listed for both Friday April 20th (from 3 p.m. to 6 p.m.) and Saturday April 21st (from 4 p.m. to 6 p.m.). Our apologies to Maureen Taylor for this misinformation, and notices are being sent out through all of MGS connections notifying as many as possible about this.

MGS Spring Workshop with Maureen Taylor

Please mark your calendars and plan to join us for the day-long Annual Spring Workshop sponsored by the Maine Genealogical Society on Saturday, April 21, 2012 at the Augusta Civic Center. This event is a workshop with nationally-recognized speaker Maureen A. Taylor, The Photo Detective. The Wall Street Journal referred to her as the “nation’s foremost historical photo detective”. We have a full day planned, packed with information and tips from one of the leading national experts on old and historical photographs. Come learn from Maureen suggestions for analyzing, identifying, preserving and sharing your treasured and precious family photos. Ms. Taylor is the author of four books and is a highly popular speaker at genealogy conferences. As a photo curator, genealogist, writer and photo identification/preservation expert, the focus of her work remains family photography, history and genealogy. She loves to help people discover the stories behind the photo images of the past. We are pleased to have Maureen return to Maine to conduct this workshop for us and to bring such a high level national speaker to Maine. Learn more about Maureen at her website www.maureentaylor.com Other highlights of the event include a chance to purchase Maureen Taylor’s books and have them personally autographed, individual photo consultants with Maureen (sign up for a session time at her website), an opportunity to purchase available MGS Special Publications (save on shipping costs!) and an excellent opportunity to connect with friends and colleagues and perhaps breakthrough a brickwall or two! Workshop registrations must be postmarked by April 7, 2012, so be sure to sign up early. The cost is $40 for MGS members and $50 for non-members. Both fees include the luncheon buffet. Hotel accommodations are available at the Best Western and Comfort Inn. Rates are $82 per night and reservations must be made by April 6 to ensure this rate. More information is available on the MGS website. For more information and a registration brochure, please visit the workshop website at www.maineroots.org . Questions can be directed to: mainegenealogical@yahoo.com or by phone to Dale Mower at 942-9375.

Not to Late to Register for Federal Records Workshop!

Have you registered yet for the Maine Genealogical Society Spring workshop?

Using Federal Records in Genealogical Research with John Philip Colletta
Saturday, April 23, 2011, 8am - 4pm
Winslow VFW Banquet & Conference Center

Have questions about how to find your ancestors in the Passenger Arrival Lists? What about finding their allusive naturalization records? Ever thought to use passport applications or Civil War draft registration records in your research?

Come find out more about these types of federal records and others. MGS is pleased to bring another national level genealogy speaker to Maine! Dr. Colletta is one of America's most popular genealogical presenters. Entertaining, knowledgeable and experienced, he has conducted genealogy workshops for over 20 years. He is the author of several books, including They Came in Ships - A Guide to Finding Your Immigrant Ancestor's Arrival Record.

The MGS spring workshop will be held on Saturday, April 23 at the Winslow VFW Banquet & Conference Center. The Conference Center is near Waterville and is located just a few miles from I-95.

Here is a link to the Conference facility website:
http://www.winslowvfw.com/index.php

Registration fee is $40 for MGS members and $50 for non-members. Fees include a luncheon buffet and all workshop materials.

Dr. Colletta’s books will be for sale and he will be available to autograph them for conference attendees. MGS Special Publications will also be available for purchase – a chance to save on shipping costs!

Here is the link for more information and for a registration form: http://www.rootsweb.ancestry.com/~megs/


Hope to see you there!

Federal Records Workshop Saturday 23 April 2011

Are you planning on attending the Maine Genealogical Society Workshop on Saturday the 23rd of April 2011 on Researching Federal Records? Well then you should stop and check the Taconnett Genealogical Library on 10 Lithgow Street in Winslow, ME. The library will be open on Friday April 22nd from 5 p.m. until 8 p.m. This library has a great collection and even if you have no specific search objective at this time, you are welcome to stop in and see what's there.

Courthouse Research A Great Success!

"Two thumbs up on the workshop!"

"Diane gave an informative and interesting presentation. We purchased both her books and look forward to delving into them. The meal provided by the Civic Center was very good! MGS did a great job in organizing the event -- it went very smoothly. Thanks to everyone for their efforts in providing this wonderful workshop."

Here are some images compliments of Janice Gower:

April Genealogical Events

Here's what's happening genealogically around the state for April:

April 5, 2008
Greater Portland Chapter of MGS
Cape Elizabeth, Maine
Grandma's Obituary Box presented by Pam Stone Eagleson, CG

April 13, 2008
Pejepscot Genealogical Society
Brunswick, Maine
Lisbon Historical Society presented by Al & Dorothy Smith and Bill Barr

April 16, 2008
Penobscot County Genealogical Society
Bangor, Maine
Cousins Explained presented by Roxanne Moore Saucier

April 19, 2008
Finding Your Ancestors in Court Records
with Diane Rapaport
Maine Genealogical Society's One-Day Workshop
Augusta Civic Center, Augusta, Maine
For more information, visit www.maineroots.org

April 19, 2008
Hancock County Genealogical Society
Ellsworth, Maine
Program To Be Announced

April 19, 2008
Taconnett Falls Chapter of MGS
Winslow, Maine
Monthly Workshop - The Master Genealogist

April 20, 2008
Taconnett Falls Chapter of MGS
Winslow, Maine
Organization Strategies presented by Carolyn Browne and Janet Weymouth

April 28, 2008
Aroostook County Genealogical Society
Caribou, Maine
CD of the MOCA Gravestone Repair Workshop of 7 Oct 2006 in Westbrook

Finding Your Ancestors in Courthouse Records

The details of our workshop scheduled for April 19, 2008, with Diane Rapaport have been added to our events website at http://www.maineroots.org/.

Court records offer a wealth of information for genealogists tracing their ancestors, but these valuable resources remain under-utilized. Learn how to find and use court records, from the 17th through the 20th centuries, in courthouses, archives, books, microfilm, and the latest digital/electronic sources. With this all-day workshop format we have a great opportunity to go into depth learning about these records. Maine Genealogical Society invites you to join us as Diane Rapaport leads us on a journey into the court records of our ancestors.

Diane Rapaport, a former trial lawyer, has made a new career as an award-winning author, speaker and publisher. She brings history to life with true stories from colonial New England, and she uses her legal training to help people find ancestors and trace regional history in underutilized court records. Her special interests include colonial New England, American legal history, and Scottish heritage. She is currently working on a historical novel about 17th-century New England and Scotland. She lives in Lexington, Massachusetts. Diane is the author of the highly acclaimed New England Court Records: A Research Guide for Genealogists and Historians (Quill Pen Press, 2006), winner of 2007 Benjamin Franklin Awards for excellence in independent publishing, from PMA, the Independent Book Publishers Association, first place for Best History Book and Best Reference Book, and finalist for Best New Voice (Nonfiction), as well as the 2007 Literary Award for Best Genealogical Resource from Connecticut Society of Genealogists. She is also the author of the recently released The Naked Quaker: True Crimes and Controversies from the Courts of Colonial New England (Commonwealth Editions, 2007). Readers of New England Ancestors, the quarterly publication of New England Historic Genealogical Society, will recognize Diane as author of the “Tales from the Courthouse” column which brings colonial history to life with true stories from court records.

Click here to download the workshop brochure.
Plan now to join us Saturday, April 19, 2008, at the Augusta Civic Center, Augusta, Maine.