In Addition to the three-day conference, Wednesday, October 29, 2025,
is packed with activities!
Choose from the following options to expand your conference experience:
Bus Tours – 10 am – 3 pm
Bus Tour One – Manchester: will include stops at: The American-Canadian Genealogical Society, The Millyard Museum (about the history of manufacturing in the Manchester region), Dutch-treat lunch at the Millyard Museum Cafeteria, then the Manchester Historic Association Research Center and, if time, also the Manchester City Library.
Bus Tour Two – Concord: will include the New Hampshire State Library (Concord), Dutch-treat lunch at the Concord State House Cafeteria (across the street from the library), then the New Hampshire State Archives (Concord) and, if time, also the New Hampshire Historical Association (across the street from the NH State Library).
ADA Accessibility: Tours may require the ability to climb bus steps and moderate walking between and within facilities.
Cost: $40 per person, which covers transportation and admission to the facilities. Lunch is not included in this price. Tours require a minimum of 25 participants for each to run.
Workshops – 4:30 p.m. – 6:30 p.m.
| Speaker | Title | Description |
|---|---|---|
| BCG Ed Fund - Eva Holmes, CG®, AG® | Cracking Tough Cases with the Genealogical Proof Standard with BCG Education Fund | Are you ready to take your research to the next level? The Genealogical Proof Standard helps genealogists solve difficult problems and ensure their work will stand the test of time. In this interactive workshop sponsored by the BCG Education Fund, you’ll learn the five key elements of the Genealogical Proof Standard and practice applying them with hands-on exercises. |
| Jill Morelli | Write As You Research & Solve Tough Problems | Got a brick wall? Write As You Research! may provide a methodology for solving it. Writing our genealogical problems accumulates all known information in one place, aids us in identifying gaps and overlaps, and provides a written report for future readers. We know we should write more, and this workshop provides a format for all your genealogical problem-solving. |
| Nora Galvin | Prove It! Arguing Conclusions without Direct Evidence | What can you do when records do not clearly and directly state the answer to your research question? Put together a body of indirect evidence that adds up to proof. In this workshop we will review published proofs and work on writing up your own case. Bring your project notes and evidence, and any writing already done. |
| Allyson Maughan | I Spy-Photo Discovery Workshop | Many family photo collections have pictures with no writing on the back. In this workshop, we will review these untagged photos. Participants will bring five to ten photos from their own collection. They will use their detective skills to find information about their photos between the examples given by the presenter. |
| Cari Taplin | Google's MyMaps as a Research Tool | Google’s MyMaps allows users to create custom maps making it a fantastic and easy-to-use research and analysis tool, and making it a great way to present your research to family and friends. This workshop provides an overview of My Maps, examples of how it can be useful for genealogy, and walks participants through creating their own custom maps. |
Special Institute Tracks of Presentations Focused on One Aspect of Genealogy:
Women & Children First! Research Methods for the Hidden Half of the Family with Judy Russell
School Days: Children in and out of the Classrooms
Free public schools are such a staple of American life that we forget, sometimes, that early schools often weren’t free and weren’t public. This session will explore the history of public education, in terms of the law and the practice of the day – and what records exist to help understand the education the children of our families received.
On the Dole: Poor Relief, Mother’s Pensions and Welfare
From colonial to modern times, some social safety net has existed for the poorest members of society, usually the poorest women and children. This session will focus on the types of relief available, the rules for granting relief, and the astounding array of genealogically valuable records created as a result of being on the dole.
Extra! Extra! Read All About It! Women and Children in the Newspapers
From the earliest days of the American colonies to modern times, the newspapers have been among the best sources of information about the women and children who would otherwise be hidden members of our families. From birth and death notices, to society columns, to reports of school and athletic success, newspapers chronicled family history as much as they did the general news of the day. This session will focus on finding and making effective use of newspaper accounts of women and children.
Keeping the Homefires Burning: Women and Children in Manuscripts
The little that is known of the ordinary day-to-day lives of ordinary women and children through history tends to come to us in bits and pieces: a scrap of a diary, a letter, a set of home recipes. This session focuses on finding these bits and piece, principally in manuscript collections, and integrating them effectively into a family’s history. From colonial to modern times, some social safety net has existed for the poorest members of society, usually the poorest women and children. This session will focus on the types of relief available, the rules for granting relief, and the astounding array of genealogically valuable records created as a result of being on the dole.
Transportation Nation: An Exploration of the Routes & Records of Workers and Travelers in the 19th to Early 20th Centuries with Pamela Vittorio
Manifests & Destinations: In Their Footsteps
In this session, we explore the next steps after arrival at a port: We determine what modes of transportation people used within cities or in rural areas, and their use of stagecoaches, early trains, and wagons. Focus is on the travelers and the employees of various transportation industries with whom our ancestors interacted.
If You Build It: On Their Trail (to the Civil War)
In this session we examine the routes and records that give evidence of our ancestors ground transportation, methods, and where they stopped, stayed, made connections etc., including maps, surveys, gazetteers, guidebooks, and advertisements. Some coverage of the various migration and travel routes across the U.S., for distance, time, and costs.
“Gateway to the West: Inland Waterways (1825-1900) “Canal Mania”
In this session, we examine routes and records of packet boat passenger lists on the Erie Canal (1823; 1827 to 1829). Attendees will have the opportunity to analyze samples of various records of canal workers for both construction and use of New York’s canals (boatmen), as well as canals of PA, OH, and NJ. “Canal Mania” spanned the Northeast to the Southeast, eventually spreading to the Midwest, which inspired migrations from New York, PA, and other mid-Atlantic states. Supporting documents can be found online and in hidden archival collections.
All Points West: The Iron Horse–Development of the Railways and Internal
Improvement. We look at both perspectives of transportation: travelers’ needs and employee/worker/businessmen of the era. This session focuses on specific railways and public highways with special detail paid to records, occupations, and agents (like the Padroni, who hired Italians and Eastern Europeans for work). Using maps and other sources help us determine passenger travel and transportation changed from 1900 to 1920.
Military Research at NARA with Michael Strauss
Introduction to the Records of the National Archives
The National Archives, a vital institution of the United States Government collects and preserves historically significant materials for research. Over time, there has been considerable record loss, which has prompted our government to safeguard these priceless documents in a safe, guarded environment for the general public to access. This lecture will introduce the student to the records, cataloging, and organization of the National Archives in relation to military records.
The Draft and the Selective Service System
The history of the draft and conscripting men for military service dates back to the days of the Revolutionary War. Initially, colonies were given the authority to draft men who were called up for militia service. It wasn’t until the Civil War that the first national legislation in 1862 was passed that would enact a national draft. Since then, several Selective Service Acts in 1917, 1940, 1948, and 1967 have accounted for men who would serve their country in times of crisis.
Military Service Records and Personnel Files
The Compiled Military Service Records were first indexed, organized, and cataloged under the direction of General Frederick C. Ainsworth, head of the Record and Pension Office. These records cover volunteer soldiers from the Revolutionary War to the Philippine Insurrection. By the twentieth century, these records became obsolete and were replaced by the Official Military Personnel Files. This archive is the repository of military records for personnel, medical, and payroll records of discharged veterans from all the branches during the twentieth century.
Military Pensions and Claim Files
Records of pensions and military claim files for veterans and their dependents are available for inspection at the National Archives and for the twentieth century at the National Personnel Record Center in St. Louis, Missouri. The files often include details on immediate family members who may have survived, where patrons can access rich genealogical information not available in other commonly used military resources.
The class topics build on each other opening with an introduction to the records at the National Archives (record groups, finding aid, facilities) all relating directly to military records. Once the foundation for military research is established, then to cover draft records, followed by service records and lastly pensions. The last will also include bounty land records being referenced.
Advanced Study of Death with Gena Philibert–Ortega
A Survey of American Cemeteries
As one travels across the United States it becomes clear that burial places are not all the same. Cemeteries in America differ according to time period, region, religion, and circumstance. In order to better understand American cemeteries, we will explore the history of burial in the United States and the types of cemeteries you may encounter.
Obituaries and More: Death in the Newspaper
If we are researching a death in the newspaper, we look for obituaries. However, not everyone has an obituary so knowing the history of cemeteries is critical. In addition, what other reports on death can be found? In this presentation we will look at the history of American newspapers, the different types of newspapers, and the types of articles that report on illness and death.
Taking an In-depth Look: Analyzing Tombstones
Understanding a burial is more than noting what the marker says about the date of death. Understanding a burial marker requires careful documentation. This documentation requires transcribing the information we see on the marker and analysis into subjects such as membership organization history, geology, botany, and art history. In this presentation we will explore what resources are needed to analyze a grave marker and then we will use case studies to better understand markers.
What About the Poor?: Unmarked Burials
The frustration with searching for a burial is that not everyone will be found in a marked grave. Those who are impoverished, institutionalized, or the last survivor of their family, may end up buried in an unmarked grave. Without records, these burials may be impossible to find. In this presentation we will take a look at pauper deaths and where people are buried in different circumstances when money or family are not available.