NERGC

CAS - “Leaving Connecticut, Shaping America” with Walter Woodward
2026-05-09 13:00 - 15:00 (America/New_York) | Fairfield Museum & History Center, 370 Beach Rd, Fairfield, CT, 06824
Leaving Connecticut, Shaping America” with Walter Woodward
Saturday, May 9, 2026, 1:00 p.m. – 3:00 p.m.
Networking at 12:30 pm
Hybrid Event via Zoom and in person at the Fairfield Museum & History Center.
Between 1780 and 1830, tens of thousands of Connecticans left our state to “begin the world anew” in places like Pennsylvania, Vermont, western New York, and especially, the Connecticut Reserve of what is now Ohio. In the process, they took the culture of their home state with them, and gave the nation a strong and indelible Connecticut character.
In this fast-paced and copiously-illustrated talk, Walt Woodward discusses the reasons behind Connecticut’s massive outmigration, the distinctive attributes of the people who chose to leave, and the very serious concerns their removal raised for those they left behind.
Given the very serious concerns state leaders have today over the outmigration of Connecticut’s younger generations, this is a timely topic that will leave you with much to talk about.
Walter Woodward, Ph.D., was Connecticut’s State Historian and a member of the History Department at the University of Connecticut from 2004 to 2022. Although retired, he continues to keep Connecticut’s history alive and vital with his lectures, videos, and blogs. Dr. Woodward is a scholar of Early American and Atlantic World history, with an emphasis on Connecticut and New England. He is the author of five books. Before becoming a historian in midlife, he had successful careers in both the music and advertising industries. Walt’s work in all three of his chosen fields has been lauded and won multiple awards.
Connecticut Ancestry Society, Inc.’s brief annual meeting begins at 1 pm with the lecture by Walt to immediately follow.

CSG - Annual Meeting & Program
2026-05-16 11:00 - 14:30 | Hilton Garden Inn Wallingford, 1181 Barnes Road, Wallingford, CT, 06492, United States
Connecticut Society of Genealogists
Annual Meeting & Program
Saturday, May 16, 2026
11:00 AM – 2:30 PM
In person only: Hilton Garden Inn Wallingford
1181 Barnes Road, Wallingford, CT 06492
Registration: https://csginc.org/csg-annual-meeting/
“Geology, Decrees & Deposits: Connecticut Unrest Beyond the Thames” with James King
In 1775 Elijah Backus, Norwich Iron Works, cast anchors and cannon for the newly formed Connecticut Navy. From its founding Parliament decreed that the refining, smelting or forming of metallic substances was forbidden. The Iron to cast cannon and anchors was discovered in Salisbury Connecticut. Join us as Jim King discusses the iron deposits in Connecticut and its journey to Norwich to be forged into the tools of revolution.
Bio:
James King received his training in archaeology and geology at the University of Texas at Austin in 1982. After working as a field archaeologist in central Texas and Arkansas, he turned his interest in geology to mineralogy, then mining, finally settling on the study of historic mines and mining techniques. His interest in Colonial mines of Connecticut began in 1984 as the archaeological monitor of The Wallingford Copper Mine, the oldest commercial mine in America. This led to his interest in the Colonial iron industry in the state. Presently living in Preston, he has been a historic restoration technician since 1986.

JGSGB - An Overview of Genealogy Resources at the Boston Public Library
2026-05-17 13:30 - 15:30 | Beth El Temple Center, 2 Concord Ave, Belmont, MA, 02478, United States
Jessy Wheeler – An Overview of Genealogy Resources at the Boston Public Library

May 17, 2026 @ 1:30 pm – 3:30 pm EDT
-at Beth El Temple Center (Hybrid Meeting)

This program will be recorded and available on the member’s page.
Jessy Wheeler will guide us through the Boston Public Library’s (BPL) distinctive and extensive collection of local and family history materials to help you research your family history, whether or not you have local roots. This includes published genealogies, vital records, town histories, immigration records, passenger lists, newspapers, and access to some of the most comprehensive genealogy databases available. The BPL’s collection includes materials covering all of Massachusetts and most of New England, making it unique among public libraries with local and family history collections.
Speaker Bio:Jessy Wheeler serves as the Research Specialist in Genealogy at the Boston Public Library. While she is not a professional genealogist, Jessy has always been interested in family history and has been assisting library patrons with their genealogical research for most of her professional career. She holds a BA in English from Skidmore College and a MLIS from Simmons University.

CAS - “Using Autosomal DNA for 18th and 19th Century Mysteries” with Blaine Bettinger, PhD, JD
2026-06-06 10:00 - 12:00 | Zoom
“Using Autosomal DNA for 18th and 19th Century Mysteries” with Blaine Bettinger, PhD, JD
Saturday, June 6, 2026, 10:30 a.m. – 12:00 p.m.
Networking at 10 a.m.
Virtual Meeting
Even though our 18th and 19th century ancestors have been dead for decades, their DNA still survives in their descendants. Learn how to use autosomal DNA to attack and potentially solve genealogical mysteries and brick walls for ancestors who were born or lived in the 1800’s, 1700’s, and beyond.
Blaine Bettinger, Ph.D., J.D., is a professional genealogist specializing in both DNA evidence and AI for Genealogy. He has been a leader in the field of genetic genealogy and has contributed to several aspects of genetic genealogy methodology and analysis through his research, his lectures, the books he has written, and the social media groups that he founded and oversees.

FGS - Revolutionary War Research Using Lineage Society Resources
2026-06-06 10:00 - 12:00 | Falmouth Public Library, 300 Main Street, Falmouth, MA, 02540, United States
The Falmouth Genealogical Society Presents Talk:
Revolutionary War Research Using Lineage Society Resources with David W. Powell
Saturday, June 6, 2026, 10:00 am–12:00 pm
Falmouth Public Library, 300 Main Street, Falmouth
The Falmouth Genealogical Society (FGS) will hold its monthly talk Saturday, June 6, 2026, from 10:00 am-12:00pm at the Falmouth Public Library, 300 Main Street, Falmouth. The FGS Annual Meeting will precede the talk.
David Powell will present in person, and his talk will be centered on using lineage society websites to research one’s ancestor’s military service in the Revolutionary War. Specifically, he will discuss the Patriot Research System (PRS) operated by the National Society of the Sons of the American Revolution. This database includes the Patriot Search, Member Search, Descendant Search, and Cemetery Search features. He will also discuss the online resources of the Daughters of the American Revolution Genealogical Research system including Ancestor Search, Descendant’s Database and the GRC. In addition, Powell will briefly discuss the resources of the Society of the Descendants of Washington’s Army at Valley Forge and the use of the Valley Forge Park Alliance Muster Roll Project.
David Powell served four years as the Syracuse, NY Chapter President followed by four years as a Vice President and then two years as State President of the Empire State (NY) Society of the Sons of the American Revolution. He is currently one of the Vice Presidents of the SAR in Massachusetts. He was also the New York Brigade Commander of the Society of the Descendants of Washington’s Army at Valley Forge and is currently the Interim Brigade Commander of the New England Brigade. David is a member of the Sons of the American Revolution (SAR), the Sons of the Revolution (SR), The Sons of American Colonists, The Sons and Daughters of Colonial Militia Officers (1775-1783) and the General Society of the War of 1812.
Powell retired from working for 41 years in the forensic field. He began his genealogical research in 1991. He has been a presenter across the United States on Revolutionary War and genealogy topics such as the pension system and its records, the money used during the Revolution, the Defense of Fort Mifflin and the use of DNA for Genealogy.
This talk is free and open to the public. It will be held in person and is also available via Zoom. For the Zoom credentials, please contact fgspresident@gmail.com by June 5, 2026.

For more information, visit the FGS website at falgen.org.

JGSGB - Clued-In: Cases from Sherlock Cohn, The Photo Genealogist and Personal Photo Analysis for Key Volunteers
2026-06-07 13:30 - 15:30 | Temple Emanuel, 385 Ward Street, Newton, MA, 02459, United States
Ava Cohn – Clued-In: Cases from Sherlock Cohn, The Photo Genealogist
and
Personal Photo Analysis for Key Volunteers

June 7, 2026 @ 1:30 pm – 3:30 pm EDT
at Temple Emanuel (Hybrid Meeting)

This program will be not be recorded.
Ever have questions about the old family photos you’ve found hiding in your shoeboxes, jewelry boxes, photo albums, closets or basements? In this program, Ava Cohn will use new cases to illustrate the methodology of Photo Genealogy with tips on how to get the most information from your old photographs. This presentation will help you decipher the clues in your family photographs: accurately dating of a photograph, identifying individuals in photographs, and determining the correct generation.
Following her presentation, Ava will analyze the personal photos of several key JGSGB volunteers, as a special appreciation gift for their many hours of help to our Society.

Speaker Bio:
Ava Cohn, aka Sherlock Cohn, The Photo Genealogist, is an internationally-known expert on Jewish family photographs. A Brandeis University graduate, her background includes the study of decorative arts, photography history, and costume/theatre history. Since 2009, she has specialized in accurately dating and placing photographs and identifying individuals in photographs with an emphasis on immigrant and Eastern European culture and traditions.

NERGC Annual Meeting
2026-06-27 08:00 - 17:00 | MA
This will be the NERGC annual meeting, Board meeting, and Delegates meeting with elections for new officers.

Times and location of meetings will be announced once they are determined.

FGS -Using Genealogy to Unlock Dual Citizenship: Beginner Strategies
2026-07-11 10:00 - 12:00 | Falmouth Public Library, 300 Main Street, Falmouth, MA, 02540, United States
The Falmouth Genealogical Society Presents Talk:
Using Genealogy to Unlock Dual Citizenship: Beginner Strategies with Diane Henriks
Saturday, July 11, 2026, 10:00 am–12:00 pm
Falmouth Public Library, 300 Main Street, Falmouth
The Falmouth Genealogical Society (FGS) will hold its monthly talk Saturday, July 11, 2026, from 10:00 am-12:00pm at the Falmouth Public Library, 300 Main Street, Falmouth.
Ideal for those new to genealogy and the dual citizenship journey, this presentation introduces the benefits of dual citizenship, walks you through the steps to gather essential genealogical evidence, and provides valuable resources to support your application process.
Diane Henriks, presenting via Zoom, is also known as the Descendant Detective and founder of Know Who Wears the Genes in Your Family, and is a passionate and seasoned Los Angeles County-based professional genealogist, investigator, speaker, and author who specializes in descendancy and brick wall research, along with living people search and unknown parentage. Diane has worked closely with private investigators to find living people while also assisting in background investigations, in both civil and criminal cases. She is a proud member of the Association of Professional Genealogists, the Genealogical Speakers Guild, the Southern California Genealogical Society, the Utah Genealogical Association, and various genealogical interest groups. What started out as a small hobby well over a decade ago, when a hand-drawn family tree chart was given to her by her father, has since become a great obsession, and she now helps others discover and preserve who they are and where they come from!
This talk is free and open to the public. It will be held in person and is also available via Zoom. For the Zoom credentials, please contact fgspresident@gmail.com by July 10, 2026.
For more information, visit the FGS website at falgen.org.
