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