Special Conference Events, Part 4

Thursday, 10 May 2012: Research at the Public Library of Cincinnati & Hamilton County

On Thursday night, the Public Library of Cincinnati & Hamilton County extends its hours exclusively for NGS Conference attendees. This free event provides an opportunity to research in one of the nation’s leading genealogy libraries, featuring holdings from all fifty states and more than twenty foreign countries as well as unique resources from Ohio, Kentucky and Indiana. Additional library staff will be available to guide researchers to their areas of interest.

Join fellow genealogists for this special evening at the Public Library. There is no limitation on the number of participants or need to register but you must show your conference badge for entry. Doors open to the NGS event at 6:30 pm and remain open until 11:30 pm. For more information about the Public Library of Cincinnati & Hamilton County, visit http://www.cincinnatilibrary.org/.

The library is located two blocks east and two blocks north of the Duke Energy Convention Center, even closer from some of the downtown conference hotels. Researchers may walk, take a taxi or drive. Street parking is free after 5 pm. Maps will be available at the Conference information booth near Registration in the Duke Energy Convention Center.

Special Conference Events, Part 4

Special Conference Events, Part 3

Thursday, 10 May 2012: National Underground Railroad Freedom Center

FamilySearch and the National Underground Railroad Freedom Center invite you to spend a memorable evening on Thursday from 6 to 9 pm at this museum located in downtown Cincinnati on the banks of the Ohio River. The Freedom Center will be open exclusively for NGS Conference attendees to view the exhibits without charge.

A Smithsonian Institution affiliate, the Freedom Center tells the story of the enslaved crossing over the Ohio River on the journey to freedom. They were assisted by men and women of all backgrounds who had created a secret network of escape routes that came to be called the Underground Railroad. The mission of the Freedom Center is to reveal stories about freedom's heroes, from the era of the Underground Railroad to contemporary times, challenging and inspiring people to take courageous steps for freedom today.

The Freedom Center has five major permanent exhibitions, including the world's first museum-quality, permanent exhibition on the subjects of modern-day slavery and human trafficking, as well as a full calendar of changing exhibits, programs and activities. A FamilySearch Center is onsite, in the John Parker Library, to assist people searching for their ancestors. For more information about the Freedom Center, visit http://www.freedomcenter.org.

Conference attendees may walk, take a taxi or drive to the Freedom Center. Walking from the Duke Energy Convention Center or the conference hotels takes less than 15 minutes.

Special Conference Events, Part 3

Special Conference Events, Part 2

Wednesday, 9 May 2012: Cincinnati History Museum Tour, Dinner and Union Terminal Program

An exclusive tour of the Cincinnati History Museum, one of the largest and most significant urban history museums in the country, has been reserved especially for NGS Conference attendees. Experience the tremendous Art Deco rotunda of the Union Terminal train station, and see a model of the City of Cincinnati from 1900 to the 1940s with working trains and inclines. Sit in an antique Cincinnati streetcar, and explore a large homefront exhibit on World War II. Immerse yourself in a re-creation of the Cincinnati waterfront in the 1850s, including a steamboat ninety-four feet long. Learn about the “Brown Water” navy and how the western rivers were of strategic and logistical importance to the Union during the Civil War. The Cincinnati History Museum features exhibits on transportation, industry and many facets of the American experience that go beyond local interest.

The tour will last about one hour with easy walking including some up and down ramps. Following the tour, enjoy a private reception complete with cash bar and a delectable buffet dinner. The evening will end with a short program by a museum docent on the building of the magnificent Art Deco Union Terminal rotunda and train station.

Buses will leave from the Duke Energy Convention Center at 4:45 pm (subsequent buses will leave when loaded) for the short ride to the Cincinnati Museum Center. This tour will accommodate most individuals who can enter a bus with limited assistance. Following the program, buses will begin loading (about 8 pm) to return to the Convention Center. The price of $65.00 includes bus transportation, a ticket to the Cincinnati History Museum, a buffet dinner and the program. Seating is limited to 220 participants. For more information about the Cincinnati Museum Center, visit http://www.cincymuseum.org/. To make reservations for this event, use the online registration system.

Special Conference Events, Part 2

Special Conference Events

Four unique events have been planned to enhance your participation in the NGS 2012 Family History Conference in Cincinnati. Each event will be described over the next few days.

Tuesday, 8 May 2012: Tour of Greater Cincinnati and Northern Kentucky

See why Cincinnati is called the “Queen City” on a special tour created just for NGS Conference attendees and hosted by trained Cincinnati Historical Society docents. Learn some of the interesting history of Greater Cincinnati and Northern Kentucky on a three-and-a-half-hour tour aboard comfortable motor coaches.

The tour begins with a short ride to the Cincinnati Museum Center, one of Cincinnati’s iconic National Historic Landmarks. Originally built in 1933 as the Union Terminal train station, the Museum Center was recently named one of the top 50 architecturally significant buildings in America by the American Institute of Architects. Disembark from the coach to briefly view the interior of the breathtaking, ten-story grand rotunda that will take you back in time to an earlier day of rail transportation. (This will also be the site of a Thursday night museum visit, dinner and program.)

Board the coach and continue to the Kentucky side of the Ohio River along historic Riverside Drive in Covington, featuring wonderful 19th century mansions and the perfect view of the Cincinnati skyline. See the Notre Dame-inspired St. Mary’s Cathedral Basilica of the Assumption, with the world’s largest church stained glass window, before heading back to Ohio. Tour the highlights of downtown Cincinnati including Over-the-Rhine, an area containing the largest collection of Italianate architecture in the United States. Continue through the narrow hillside streets of Mount Adams, into Mount Auburn and on to Clifton, home of the University of Cincinnati. By the end of your tour through Avondale and other Cincinnati suburbs, you’ll understand why Cincinnati is truly one of the great unknown cities of America.

This special tour has been arranged for 12:30 to 4 pm on Tuesday, 8 May 2012, embarking in front of the Duke Energy Convention Center which is within easy walking distance from all conference hotels. The tour features limited walking and will accommodate most individuals who can enter a motor coach with limited assistance. The price is $21.00 per person. Three coaches have been reserved for a limit of 168 people. To make reservations, use the online registration system.

Special Conference Events

Registration Begins Tomorrow

Registration begins on 1 December 2011 for the National Genealogical Society's thirty-fourth annual Family History Conference, The Ohio River: Gateway to the Western Frontier, which will be held 9–12 May 2012 in Cincinnati, Ohio. NGS chose Cincinnati, a major terminus for travelers and goods since the eighteenth century, as the location of its annual conference because of the rich historical and cultural diversity of the area. Immigrants, pioneers, frontiersmen, and explorers created an abundance of family history in the "Queen City of the West" that is waiting to be discovered by the thousands of genealogists who annually attend the NGS conference.

The conference will open with an overview of the of the spectacular Cincinnati Panorama of 1848 by Patricia Moseley Van Skaik, manager of the History and Genealogy Collection of the Public Library of Cincinnati and Hamilton County.

A few of the NGS 2012 Family History Conference sessions include "Focusing on Pathways 'cross the Ohio River," "Fugitive Slave Act and the Underground Railroad," "Military Bounty Lands," "Migration Patterns into the Midwest" "Spring Grove: Eternal Rest in the Midwest," "Researching in Ohio," "Researching on the 'Southern Side' of Cincinnati," "Ohio's Common Pleas Court," and "Trails West to the Ohio and Beyond."

Registration begins Thursday, 1 December 2011. To register online, complete the registration form on the NGS website.

Click here for the online searchable program. The PDF brochure includes an overview of the sessions, workshops, tours, pre-conference events, registration times, and rates as well as general conference and Duke Energy Convention Center details.

Registration Begins Tomorrow

Car Rental Discount

The National Genealogical Society has partnered with Enterprise Rent-A-Car to give conference attendees a 5% discount off the lowest price available for car rentals during their stay in Cincinnati. To take advantage of the discount, please follow the directions below.

To book with Enterprise Rent-A-Car:
1. Go to http://www.enterprise.com/car_rental/deeplinkmap.do?bid=002&cust=38A7007
2. Input all travel details and hit select.
3. If prompted for a pin, type in: NAT

The discount information can also be found on the NGS website at http://www.ngsgenealogy.org/cs/travel_discounts

Car Rental Discount

National Genealogical Society Releases Full 2012 Family History Conference Program Online

(Arlington, VA) -- The National Genealogical Society has released the full 2012 Family History Conference Program. It is available online and is fully searchable here. The theme of the thirty-fourth NGS Family History Conference is The Ohio River: Gateway to the Western Frontier and it will be held 9–12 May 2012 in Cincinnati, Ohio. NGS varies the theme and geographic location of its conference annually and brings together thousands of genealogists and family historians to learn the latest in genealogical research. The online searchable program allows prospective conference attendees to review the full scope of more than forty lecture topics offered daily during the four-day conference in Cincinnati. An exhibit area with over one hundred exhibitors will be open and free to the public Wednesday through Saturday and will include the latest in genealogical software, online research providers, and DNA testing sources.

Registration will begin Thursday, 1 December 2011. To register online, visit the conference page on the NGS website.

The PDF version of the registration brochure is available here. The brochure includes information about workshops, lectures, sessions, speakers, luncheons, tours, pre-conference events, registration times and rates, and accessibility as well as general conference and exhibit hall specifics. Some examples of the diverse offerings of the NGS 2012 Family History Conference include methodology and research, ethnic research, repositories and records, migration, Skillbuilding, GenTech, military records, photos, and writing. E-mail Veronica Tran to request that a registration brochure be mailed to you.

Founded in 1903, the National Genealogical Society is dedicated to genealogy education, high research standards, and the preservation of genealogical records. The Arlington, VA-based nonprofit is the premier national society for everyone, from the beginner to the most advanced family historian, seeking excellence in publications, educational offerings, research guidance, and opportunities to interact with other genealogists. Please visit the NGS Pressroom for further information.

National Genealogical Society Releases Full 2012 Family History Conference Program Online

Research Opportunities Near the NGS 2012 Family History Conference: Part 3, Kentucky

Three major Kentucky historical societies and archives are located within one and a half hours from the conference site in Cincinnati:

97 miles: Kentucky Historical Society, 100 W. Broadway, Frankfort, Kentucky. The Martin F. Schmidt Research Library, located on the second floor of the Thomas D. Clark Center for Kentucky History, houses over 90,000 published works, dealing primarily with history and genealogy, as well as more than 16,000 reels of microfilm and over 30,000 vertical files of collected and contributed research. Hours: 10-4 W, 10-8 Th, 10-5 F-Sa.

97 miles: Kentucky Department for Libraries and Archives, 300 Coffee Tree Road, Frankfort, Kentucky. Public record holdings include: birth and death records, 1852 through 1910 (1852-1862, 1874-1879, 1891-1910); birth and death city registers for four Kentucky cities: Covington, Lexington, Louisville, and Newport; death certificates, 1911-1959; marriage records, census and military records, judicial records (civil, criminal and court of appeals), wills and deeds, and state agency records. Hours: 10-4 M-F.

100 miles: Filson Historical Society, 1310 South Third Street, Louisville, Kentucky. Over 1.8 million documents, 50,000 books, 3,500 family histories, nearly 4,000 genealogy files on Kentucky families, and thousands of historic photographs and prints of Louisville and Kentucky. Non-members are charged a $10 daily research fee. 9-5 M-F.

Contributed by Don Rightmyer, Editor, Kentucky Ancestors, Kentucky Historical Society.

If you would like to contribute information about libraries and archives within a short drive from Cincinnati, please send it to conferenceblog@ngsgenealogy.org.

Research Opportunities Near the NGS 2012 Family History Conference: Part 3, Kentucky

Research Opportunities Near the NGS 2012 Family History Conference, Part 2: Ohio

Three Ohio libraries with excellent genealogy collections are located within a three-hour drive from the conference site in Cincinnati:

109 miles: Columbus Metropolitan Library, 96 S. Grant Ave., Columbus. Over 50,000 genealogical books and reels of microfilm in open stacks, with focus on states east of the Mississippi. Includes large collections donated by the Ohio State Library, Palatines to America German Genealogy Society, Ohio Huguenot Society and Franklin County Genealogical Society. Hours: 9-9 M-Th, 9-6 F-Sa, 1-5 Su.

111 miles: Ohio Historical Society Archives/Library, 800 E. 17th Ave., Columbus. Located in the Ohio History Center, with a museum onsite. Collections include largest extant group of Ohio newspapers; city directories; manuscripts; extensive military records; county probate, land and court records; State Archives of Ohio. Hours: 10-5 W-Sa.

166 miles: Ohio Genealogical Society Library, 611 State Route 97 West, Bellville (near Mansfield). An indispensable resource for Ohio genealogy, with over 40,000 books shelved by state/county/subject; thousands of ancestor cards, charts, family vertical files and indexed bible records; files of four statewide lineage societies; over 300 manuscript collections; Ohio county court records on microfilm. Hours: 9-5 Tu-Sa.

Over the next few months this blog will feature in-depth descriptions of libraries and archives within a short drive from Cincinnati. If you would like to contribute information, please send it to conferenceblog@ngsgenealogy.org.

Research Opportunities Near the NGS 2012 Family History Conference, Part 2: Ohio

NGS 2012 Family History Conference Roommate Connections

Are you looking for a roommate for the NGS 2012 Family History Conference? Roommate Connections may be able to help.

Post a message on the NGS 2012 Conference Roommate Connections page if you have a room to share, or if you are looking for someone who has a room to share.

It's easy to get started. Click on Roommate Connections above or go to https://groups.google.com/group/ngs-roommate-connections. Click on "About this group" and read the description. Next, click "Join the group." You will be asked to sign in to your Google account if you are not already signed in. Then join the group, choose how you want to receive messages, and start posting.

Please remember that any information you post on this public bulletin board will be visible to all users of the site, and they will be able to send you replies. It is suggested that your initial request include minimal personal information. Members can then contact individuals directly to make the connection.

Individuals are responsible for cost sharing agreements and NGS is not responsible for making or guaranteeing those agreements.

The NGS Conference Roommate Connections message board is for the sole purpose of finding roommates to share lodging for the NGS 2012 Family History Conference. All postings will be reviewed by NGS for content before they appear on the site, usually within 24 hours. Postings not related to the purpose of the site will be not be approved.

NGS 2012 Family History Conference Roommate Connections

Research Opportunities Near the NGS 2012 Family History Conference

If you think the ideal genealogical conference has high-quality speakers and topics and plentiful research opportunities nearby, the NGS 2012 Family History Conference in Cincinnati is for you!

Over the next few months this blog will feature in-depth descriptions of libraries and archives within a two-hour drive of Cincinnati. If you would like to contribute information, please send it to conferenceblog@ngsgenealogy.org for posting to the blog.

We’ll start with brief listings of the closest research facilities. Five are within five miles of the conference site, the Duke Energy Convention Center:

Half mile: Public Library of Cincinnati & Hamilton County, 800 Vine Street, Cincinnati. One of the nation’s oldest and largest genealogical collections, with many records for all states and particular strengths for German, Irish and African American research. Hours: 9-9 M-W, 9-6 Th-Sa, 1-5 Su. On Thursday, 10 May 2012, PLCH will extend its hours for NGS Conference participants, from 6:30 to 11:30 p.m.

One mile: Cincinnati History Library and Archives, Cincinnati Museum Center at Union Terminal, 1301 Western Avenue, Cincinnati. Home to one of the most significant regional history collections in the United States, founded in 1831. The collection focuses on the greater Cincinnati area, Ohio, and the history of the Northwest Territory. Hours: M-F 12-5, Sa 10-5.

Three miles:
University of Cincinnati's Archives and Rare Books Library, 8th floor, 2602 McMicken Circle, Cincinnati. Early Hamilton County, Ohio, births, deaths, naturalizations, wills, local government records, and a unique German-Americana collection. Hours: M-F 8-5. Appointments required; call 513-556-1959.

American Jewish Archives, Hebrew Union College, 3101 Clifton Avenue, Cincinnati. Large collection of manuscripts, photographs and microfilm documenting American Jewry. Hours: M-Th 9-5, F 9-3.

Kenton County Library, 502 Scott Street, Covington, Kentucky. The Kentucky History Department houses materials from the entire Commonwealth with a special emphasis on the Northern Kentucky region. The collection includes print, electronic and microfilm resources, including local newspapers and church records. Hours: M-Th 9-9, F 9-6, Sa 10-5, Su 1-5.

Research Opportunities Near the NGS 2012 Family History Conference

Help NGS Promote the NGS 2012 Family History Conference

The NGS 2012 Family History Conference will be held at the Duke Energy Convention Center in Cincinnati, Ohio. Mark your calendars for 9–12 May 2012. The conference theme is The Ohio River: Gateway to the Western Frontier, and the local host societies are the Ohio Genealogical Society and Hamilton County Chapter of the Ohio Genealogical Society. NGS and local host societies would most appreciate anything that you and/or your society can do to help promote this great educational opportunity through your newsletters, websites, and other publications.

NGS has developed several sizes and styles of banners that can be used to link to the conference information page from the websites of attendees, exhibitors, and local genealogical societies. Please help promote the NGS 2012 Family History Conference in Cincinnati by adding one or more of these banners below to your website and linking them to http://www.ngsgenealogy.org/cs/conference_info?id=banner.

Thank you all in advance! We really appreciate your support.

Banner Size - 728 * 90

Banner Size - 468 * 60

Banner Size - 300 * 250

Banner Size - 160 * 600

Help NGS Promote the NGS 2012 Family History Conference

Exhibit Sales Now Open

Exhibit sales for the 2012 NGS Family History Conference in Cincinnati are now open. Many exhibitors have already reserved their spaces in the Duke Energy Convention Center, Exhibit Hall A. 

Fees

Booths are 10' x 10'. Regular booths are $270, and society booths are $210 each. Companies may purchase any number of booths. Additional costs may be associated with exhibiting for internet connections, electrical connections, telephone lines, etc. Online booth reservations can be completed only if payment is made with a credit card. To reserve a booth and pay with a check, mail the exhibitor booth reservation form.

Booth staffing

Up to ten people are allowed onsite to staff a booth throughout the conference. One designated person from each exhibiting company receives a complimentary conference registration (excluding luncheons, workshop and other additional paid events).

Exhibit hours (subject to change)

Set-up hours for exhibitors:
Tuesday, 8 May 2012, 10 am - 5 pm;
Wednesday, 9 May 2012, 7:30-9:30 am

Show hours, open to the public:
Wednesday, 9 May 2012, 9:30 am - 5:30 pm;
Thursday and Friday, 10-11 May 2012, 9 am - 5:30 pm;
Saturday, 12 May 2012, 9 am - 3 pm
Exhibitor tear down: 3-5:30 pm

For more information, see the exhibitor information page.

Exhibit Sales Now Open

Hotel Information

Reservations are being accepted now at the three 2012 Conference hotels in Cincinnati. All three hotels are across the street or within one block of the conference site, Duke Energy Convention Center, 525 Elm Street, and all rooms include free high-speed wireless Internet. To receive the special conference rates, request the NGS rate when you make your reservation.

Hyatt Regency Cincinnati

151 West Fifth St., Cincinnati, OH 45202
Website: http://www.cincinnati.hyatt.com/hyatt/hotels/index.jsp
Reservation Website: https://resweb.passkey.com/go/enat
Telephone: 513-579-1234
Distance to Convention Center: Hyatt is across the street from the Duke Energy Convention Center.
Rate: $120 plus taxes, single/double. Rate Code: ENAT.
$130 plus taxes, triple.
$140 plus taxes, quad.
Valid for stay through: 6–12 May 2012.
Cut-off date: 9 March 2012
Parking: $10 (no in/out privileges)

Hilton Cincinnati Netherland Plaza

35 West Fifth St., Cincinnati, OH 45202
Website: http://www1.hilton.com/en_US/hi/hotel/CVGNPHF-Hilton-Cincinnati-Netherland-Plaza-Ohio/index.do
Reservation Website: http://www.hilton.com/en/hi/groups/personalized/C/CVGNPHF-NGS-20120506/index.jhtml?WT.mc_id=POG
Telephone: 800-445-8667
Distance to Convention Center: One block east of the Duke Energy Convention Center and connected via skywalk.
Rate: $120 plus taxes, single/double/triple/quad. Rate Code: NGS at Cincinnati, Ohio.
Valid for stay through: 7–13 May 2012.
Cut-off date: 16 April 2012
Parking: $10 (no in/out privileges)

Millennium Hotel

150 West Fifth St., Cincinnati, OH 45202
Website: http://www.millenniumhotels.com/millenniumcincinnati/index.html
Telephone: 800-876-2100
Distance to Convention Center: Directly across from the Duke Energy Convention Center and connected via skywalk. Rate: $110 plus taxes, single/double/triple/quad. Rate Code: 1205NATION.
Valid for stay through: 6–12 May 2012.
Cut-off date: 6 April 2012
Parking: $15 valet parking

Questions? Contact the NGS Conference Manager at conference@ngsgenealogy.org.

Hotel Information

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2012 NGS Conference News Blog

Welcome to the National Genealogical Society’s news blog for the 2012 Family History Conference in Cincinnati, Ohio, May 9-12: “The Ohio River: Gateway to the Western Frontier.” Here you’ll find the latest news about lectures, presenters, events, vendors, registration, accommodations, local research and historical sites, and practical tips for conference veterans and newbies alike.

The Ohio River has served as a major passageway for travelers and goods going west since the eighteenth century. Cincinnati overlooks Northern Kentucky just across the river, and southeast Indiana is only a few miles to the west. Explorers, frontiersmen, pioneers and immigrants left an abundance of family history to discover in Cincinnati.

The four-day conference will include more than fifty national speakers providing over 150 lectures including ethnic research, African American research, research in Ohio, Kentucky and Indiana, migration to and out of the tri-state area, immigration, methodology, military, family history writing, ethnic workshops, technological innovation in genealogy (GenTech), BCG Skillbuilding track, and much more.

Duke Energy Convention Center, the conference site, is located in the heart of downtown Cincinnati, just blocks from I-71 and I-75 (minutes from I-74) and ten minutes from the Cincinnati/Northern Kentucky International Airport. The downtown area offers shopping, dining, theatre, and a lively arts and music scene, and is just a short walk from the Ohio River. The extensive genealogical collection of the Public Library of Cincinnati and Hamilton County is located four blocks from the Convention Center.

The Ohio Genealogical Society and the Hamilton County Chapter of OGS are the local hosts working with the National Genealogical Society to create a memorable experience for genealogists in the Queen City of the West. An outstanding conference in a unique city, with plentiful research opportunities: it's a combination you won't want to miss!

2012 NGS Conference News Blog