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GSRC Past Events


Date Event
Tuesday
28 May 2024

7:00 PM

at the
New City Library

and online via Zoom
Topic: Old Place Names

Speaker: Joe Barbieri

Can you place Bulsontown, Oblenis Corners, New Antrim, or Waldberg on a map of Rockland? Join Local History librarian Joe Barbieri as we take a look at some old place names in the county, some still in use, and others that have gone by the wayside. This program will be in-person at the New City Library as well broadcast live via Zoom.

Register at https://newcity.librarycalendar.com/event/old-rockland-county-place-names-44062

If you'd like to attend via Zoom, enter an email address and select "Online" from the "Would you like to attend in-person or online?" drop-down box when registering.

Questions? Please contact Local History Librarian Joe Barbieri at the New City Library at 845 634 4997 x123 or jbarbieri@newcitylibrary.org
Tuesday
26 March 2024

7:00 PM

at the
New City Library

and online via Zoom
Topic: DNA Testing Companies for Genealogy

Speaker: Eric Migdal

Professional genealogist Eric Migdal will join us live via Zoom to discuss the pros, cons and features of the four major DNA testing companies. He'll cover the costs for testing and subscriptions and using the information you will receive after the test is completed. He'll compare some of the pros and cons of each testing company based on his own experience and usage.

Mr. Migdal's Zoom lecture can be watched live in the library on our big screen or from the comfort of your own home. For home viewing, register at the New City Library's online calendar to receive your link for the evening of March 26th:
https://newcity.librarycalendar.com/event/genealogical-society-rockland-county-meeting-dna-testing-companies-44057
Tuesday
27 February 2024

7:00 PM

online via Zoom
Topic: Stories from the Archives: Family Recipes

Speaker: Judy Lucy

We'll watch a pre-recorded lecture from the New England Historic Genealogical Society presented by Judy Lucy, Head Archivist at the NEHGS with examples of family recipes held in the R. Stanton Avery Special Collections at American Ancestors. Judy also provides tips on finding examples at other repositories and archives and offers suggestions on what to do with such items in your personal collection.

This will be an online only meeting via Zoom. Please register here on the New City Library's calendar to receive a Zoom link for the evening of February 27th: https://newcity.librarycalendar.com/event/genealogical-society-rockland-county-meeting-family-recipes-44054
Tuesday
23 January 2024

7:00 PM

online via Zoom
Topic: Old Military Records available from the National Archives

Speaker: Joe Barbieri, Local History Librarian

We'll be watching a pre-recorded session from the National Archives and Records Administration on understanding and locating military records from the Revolutionary War through 1917. It will examine the regular military branches (Army, Navy, and Marine Corps) as well as state regiments and militias. We'll see what kind of information can be gleaned from these records as well as ancillary sources such as military medical records.

This will be an online only meeting via Zoom. Please register here on the New City Library's calendar to receive a Zoom link for the evening of January 23rd: https://newcity.librarycalendar.com/event/genealogical-society-rockland-county-meeting-old-military-records-44053
Tuesday
28 November 2023

7:00 PM

at the
New City Library

and online via Zoom
Topic: Using Ancestry at the New City Library

Speaker: Joe Barbieri, Local History Librarian

This is a great introduction to Ancestry.com - good starting place for beginner genealogists and a good refresher and chance to see what's new with Ancestry for more seasoned genealogists.

This program will be in person at the New City Library and also be presented online via Zoom. Please register on the New City Library's calendar here: https://newcity.librarycalendar.com/event/genealogical-society-rockland-county-meeting-ancestrycom-library-38123
If you'd like to attend via Zoom, enter an email address and select "Online" from the "Would you like to attend in-person or online?" drop-down box when registering.

Questions? Please contact Local History Librarian Joe Barbieri at the New City Library at 845-634-4997 x123 or jbarbieri@newcitylibrary.org
Tuesday
24 October 2023

7:00 PM

at the
New City Library

and online via Zoom
Topic: A Tour of the Rockland Room

The GSRC is back at the New City Library! After a year and half library renovation, we'll take a tour of the Rockland Room's new look, and learn about some of the sources within its stacks with Local History Librarian Joe Barbieri.


This program will be a "hybrid" program, presented both in-person at the library and online via Zoom. If you wish to join us via Zoom, please register on the New City Library's online calendar, and indicate you'll be attending online and provide an email address when registering.


Register at: https://newcity.librarycalendar.com/event/genealogical-society-rockland-county-meeting-tour-rockland-room


Also, don't forget that dues for the upcoming year are due now.


Tuesday
29 August 2023

7:00 PM

Online via Zoom

Topic: The 1973 NPRC Fire & Genealogical Research


This month, we'll be watching a pre-recorded session via Zoom from the National Archives and Records Administration on the catastrophic fire at the National Personnel Records Center in 1973 which destroyed millions of military personnel records and presents a variety of challenges for genealogy researchers. We'll learn about the efforts to recover and restore the records, as well as substitute records that can be used in place of the records that have been lost.


Please register on the New City Library's calendar to receive a Zoom link here: https://newcity.librarycalendar.com/event/genealogical-society-rockland-county-meeting-1973-nprc-fire

Thursday
20 July 2023

2:00 PM

at the Historical Society of Rockland County
20 Zukor Rd., New City, NY 10956
Topic: Special Genealogical Society of Rockland County Meeting

This month's Genealogical Society of Rockland County will be a special visit to the Historical Society of Rockland County to view the exhibit Uniquely Rockland. This program will be Thursday, July 20th, at 2pm at the Historical Society of Rockland County. In Uniquely Rockland each item on display tells a story about a person or group of people, place, or thing that existed (and may still exist) in Rockland. Everything has local significance, and some objects even touch national and world history! We'll also visit the HSRC's library and learn about what materials are available for research.

We'd like to give the Historical Society a headcount. Please register with the New City Library at 845-634-4997 x125 to let us know you'll be coming.
Tuesday
27 June 2023

7:00 PM

Online via Zoom
Topic: Make Those Skeletons Dance!
Speaker: Lisa A. Alzo, M.F.A. Lisa is a freelance writer, instructor, and internationally recognized lecturer, specializing in Eastern European research and writing your family history. Visit https://www.lisaalzo.com for more information.

The horse thief, the philanderer, the murderer! Oh my! Genealogy is one of the most unpredictable activities you'll undertake, and when you start digging into your family's past. You never know what you're gonna get. If you suspect a few black sheep lurking in your family tree, this session will show you how to hunt them down, bust through the speculation, and tell the real story. This will be a live presentation via Zoom.

Please register on the New City Library's online calendar to receive a Zoom link for the meeting here: https://newcity.librarycalendar.com/event/genealogical-society-rockland-county-meeting-make-those-skeletons-dance

Tuesday
23 May 2023

7:00 PM

Online via Zoom
Topic: Genealogy Podcasts

New City Library Local History Librarian Joe Barbieri will be doing a live presentation on podcasts made by and made for genealogy enthusiasts. We'll go over what a podcast is and some of the ways you can listen to them, and then take a look at some of the many genealogy podcasts that are out there - from the very popular to the more niche. There's so much to listen to and so much to learn! This will be a live presentation via Zoom.

Please register on the New City Library's online calendar to receive a Zoom link for the meeting here: https://newcity.librarycalendar.com/event/genealogical-society-rockland-county-meeting-genealogy-podcasts
Tuesday
25 April 2023

7:00 PM

Online via Zoom
Topic: Maps at the New York State Archives

We'll be watching a pre-recorded video presentation from Consulting Archivist Prof. Clare Flemming, and New York State Archivist Tom Ruller on the many thousands of maps held by the New York State Archives in Albany. In addition to seeing some highlights of the collection, we'll also learn about the archives' finding aids and how researchers have used maps for a variety of projects. We'll also get some behind the scenes views on how archives operate, and see some examples of digitization and conservation projects going on at the State Archives.


Please register on the New City Library's online calendar here: https://newcity.librarycalendar.com/event/genealogical-society-rockland-county-meeting-mapping-empire-state

Tuesday
28 March 2023

7:00 PM

Online via Zoom
Topic: Scrapbook and Photo Album Preservation

Everyone has a cherished old album or scrapbook that we either put together ourselves or has been passed down to us from a family member. However, old bindings, self adhesive pages, and certain kinds of plastic coverings don't age as well as the photos and momentos we keep inside them. This month we'll be watching a pre-recorded session from the National Archives on preserving photo albums and scrapbooks, so they can be enjoyed for generations to come. From simple repairs we can do ourselves, to complex digital preservation, this presentation will go over the many ways we can maintain our albums and family memories.

This meeting will be online via Zoom. Please register on the New City Library's online calendar using the link below, and receive a link for the night of the program.
https://newcity.librarycalendar.com/event/genealogical-society-rockland-county-meeting-8
Tuesday
28 February 2023

7:00 PM

Online via Zoom
Topic: Hart Island Cemetery

We'll be viewing a pre-recorded presentation by writer and podcaster Michael T. Keene, New York City's Hart Island: A Cemetery of Strangers, which covers the history of the potter's field that is one of the largest mass burial sites in the world. Afterward, Local History Librarian Joe Barbieri will present on the roadblocks to obtaining burial information for those buried on Hart Island.

Please register via the New City Library's online calendar using the link below to receive a Zoom link to the meeting:
https://newcity.librarycalendar.com/event/genealogical-society-rockland-county-meeting-hart-island
Tuesday
24 January 2023

7:00 PM

Online via Zoom
Topic: DNA Testing Basics for Genealogy

Did you get a DNA testing kit as a holiday gift? Maybe you're thinking about giving one to a family member who is interested in genealogy? This month we'll be watching a pre-recorded session from FamilySearch discussing DNA testing basics for genealogy, including an overview of testing companies, DNA terminology, and interpreting your results.

You can register for this online program here at the New City Library's online calendar:
https://newcity.librarycalendar.com/event/genealogical-society-rockland-county-meeting-dna-testing-basics
Tuesday
13 December 2022

7:00 PM

Online via Zoom
Topic: History of the Holiday Season in NYC

We'll take a "virtual walking tour" with Dana Schulz of the Historic Districts Council in this pre-recorded video session and explore: Christmas trees in New York that predate the Rockefeller Center tree, two neighborhoods vying for the title of "World's Largest Menorah", the restaurant where O. Henry penned "The Gift of the Magi", and of course those famous window displays at Macy's and Lord & Taylor ... and more!

This will be an online presentation via Zoom. Sign up here:

https://newcity.librarycalendar.com/event/genealogical-society-rockland-county-meeting-holidays-nyc

on the New City Library's online calendar to receive a link.
Tuesday
29 November 2022

7:00 PM

Online via Zoom
Topic: An Introduction to Oral History

As the holiday season approaches, we'll be seeing a lot more of friends and family, and many of them have important stories to tell that can add to your genealogy project. We'll watch a pre-recorded video presentation by oral historian Sean Rost on performing oral histories. Get the basics from what to ask to how to record, to how to preserve your oral history interviews.

This will be an online presentation via Zoom. Sign up here:

https://newcity.librarycalendar.com/event/genealogical-society-rockland-county-meeting-oral-histories

on the New City Library's online calendar to receive a link.
Tuesday
25 October 2022

6:00 PM

Nyack Library
 59 S. Broadway
 Nyack, NY 10960
Topic: African-American Genealogical Resources in the Nyack Library, Emphasizing Carl Nordstrom's Contributions

Speaker: Carol Weiss

* Please note the special time and venue *


Longtime GSRC member Carol Weiss will be in the Local History Room at the Nyack Library From 6:00 to 6:45 PM to allow members and guests to get an overview of the Room. The GSRC meeting will begin at 7. The presentation on Carl Nordstrom's work will be 15 to 20 minutes. After that, we will move to the LHR to look at the specific files and items that Carol will mention in the talk. Note that Nyack's Local History collection includes both Nyack and Rockland County components.

No registration required.

The parking lot (metered until 7 PM) is on Hudson Street. Free parking can be found on Hudson, Piermont Avenue, and lower DePew Avenue.
Tuesday
27 September 2022

7:00 PM

Online via Zoom
Topic: Adoption and the Search for Biological Family

Speaker: Eric Migdal

This presentation will uncover ideas and tools to use to search for biological family including adoption agencies, applying for information, and DNA testing. Our presenter will be Eric Migdal, who has been doing family history research for over 28 years, assisting clients with family tree building, DNA test analysis, as well as safely and effectively contacting unknown family members. As an adoptee, he spent many years searching for his biological family with very few results. His starting information was wrong and some assumed information was also incorrect. Mr. Migdal did DNA testing to assist with finding the truth about his family and it ultimately lead him to the correct family.

Register here on the New City Library's online calendar to receive a Zoom link: https://newcity.librarycalendar.com/event/genealogical-society-rockland-county-meeting-adoption-and-search-biological-family
Tuesday
23 August 2022

7:00 PM

Online via Zoom
Topic: Abandoned: The Untold Story of the Orphan Trains

Speaker: Michael T. Keene, writer and podcaster

From around the time of the Civil War through the 1920s hundreds of thousands of poor and homeless children were brought from crowded cities like New York to the west to join families all around the country by train. We'll learn about how the Orphan Trains and the institutions that supported them helped shape the country.

This program will be online only via Zoom. Please register on the New City Library's online calendar to receive a Zoom link: https://newcity.librarycalendar.com/event/genealogical-society-rockland-county-meeting-orphan-trains
Tuesday
24 May 2022

2:00 PM

at Rockland Cemetery
Take a walk through the historic Rockland Cemetery in Sparkill and learn about some of the notable people who have made it their final resting place. Please leave your name and telephone number for Joe at the New City Library at 845-634-4997 x125 if you are interested in going to register and to receive additional information.
Tuesday
26 April 2022

7:00 PM

Online via Zoom
Topic: The 1950 Census

The wait is over! The 1950 census will be available for genealogical research in April 2022, but it won't immediately be indexed by name. How can genealogists locate people in the census and what tools are available to help us along the way? Genealogist Steve Morse will guide us through what we need to know for the 1950 census.

This program will be online only via Zoom. Please register on the New City Library’s online calendar to receive a Zoom link: https://newcity.librarycalendar.com/events/genealogical-society-rockland-county-1950-census
Tuesday
22 March 2022

7:00 PM
Video Presentation: Using Archives.gov

The U.S. National Archives holds some of our country’s most important records. How can these records be accessed online and how can they be used for genealogy research? Learn how to navigate archives.gov and the sprawling collections of the U.S. National Archives and Records Administration.
https://youtu.be/-pAm2B0lQW0

Tuesday
22 February 2022

7:00 PM

Online via Zoom
Video Presentation: The Homestead Act

Do you have a branch of the family that moved west with the Homestead Act? After it went into effect in 1863, the U.S. government granted more than 270 million acres of land to Americans through this monumental program. Learn about the types of documentation that were created for pioneer families and how they can be used for genealogical research in a video presentation from the U.S. National Archives.

This program will be online only via Zoom. Please register on the New City Library's online calendar here: https://newcity.librarycalendar.com/events/genealogical-society-rockland-county-february-meeting-homestead-act
to receive a link to the Zoom meeting.
Tuesday
25 January 2022

7:00 PM

Online via Zoom

Topic: New York State Death Records

This month we'll be watching a video from the New York Genealogical & Biographical Society on locating death records in New York State.

Register on the New City Library’s calendar page to receive a Zoom link to the presentation: https://newcity.librarycalendar.com/events/genealogical-society-rockland-county-january-meeting

Tuesday
28 December 2021
7:00 PM

Online only.

Topic: Sharing Genealogy with Younger Generations

We’ll be watching a video from the U.S. National Archives with tips on how to share genealogy research with family members, with emphasis on making it engaging for younger generations.

Tuesday
23 November 2021
7:00 PM

In person and online via Zoom.

Topic: Inferential Genealogy

Speaker: Russ Worthington

 Our presenter will be joining us on the big screen at the library via Zoom. You can also join us from home via Zoom.  Inferential genealogy is how family historians can accurately deduce ancestors’ identities and many aspects of their lives by digging below "surface information" in the records and combining information from several sources. It's especially helpful where records do not state relationships.

Monday (note date change)
25 October 2021
7:00 PM

In person and online via Zoom
Topic: Locating Foreign Records in America

We’ll be meeting in person at the library and broadcasting via Zoom as well. Tony Lauriano will share information on locating on genealogy records from Europe, Great Britain, Ireland and more international locations. This overview includes websites, private search firms, and more.

For the  Zoom link, register on the New City’s Library calendar at: https://newcity.librarycalendar.com/events/genealogical-society-rockland-county-meeting-locating-foreign-records
Questions? Call or email Joe Barbieri at the New City Library at 845 634 4997 x123 or jbarbieri@newcitylibrary.org
Tuesday
28 September 2021
7:00 PM

In person and online via Zoom
Topic: Navigating the Ship’s Manifests

We’ll be meeting in person at the library, with presenter Toni McKeen teleconferencing in. You can also join us from home via Zoom. Take a really close look at ALL the information that these important records can provide.  Directed to those who have been research for a long time and those just beginning. Find out what information is needed to locate manifests, find the markings to learn which immigrants were detained and why, who they left behind, the address where they were headed, and who they were coming to see.

For the Zoom link, register on the New City Library’s calendar at: https://newcity.librarycalendar.com/events/genealogical-society-rockland-county-ships-manifests
Questions? Call or email Joe Barbieri at the New City Library at 845 634 4997 x123 or jbarbieri@newcitylibrary.org
Tuesday
24 August 2021

7:00 PM

Online via Zoom
Topic: Personal Digital Archives We'll be watching a video from the Northeast Document Conservation Center on making a personal digital archive. We own lots of digital files: typed documents, digital photos, music, and much more. How do we ensure we can access them in the future? Learn about the steps you can take to preserve your electronic files for years to come.

Register on the New City Library’s calendar at: https://newcity.librarycalendar.com/events/genealogical-society-rockland-county-meeting-personal-digital-archives
Questions? Call or email Joe Barbieri at the New City Library at 845 634 4997 x123 or jbarbieri@newcitylibrary.org
Tuesday
22 June 2021
7:00 PM
Topic: GSRC's Favorite Websites of 2020-2021

Have a favorite genealogy website you'd like to share with the club? Found a new site during quarantine? A genealogy site you like has made a big update or change recently?

We want to discuss them at our June GSRC meeting! Please send any new, interesting, or particularly helpful websites for genealogy you've come across. Old or new, or maybe they've just seen a big update - submit them to Joe Barbieri <jbarbieri@newcitylibrary.org> along with one- or two-sentence description of the site.

Please register for our June 22nd meeting (which takes place online via Zoom) at the New City Library's online calendar here:
https://newcity.librarycalendar.com/events/genealogical-society-rockland-county-meeting-10
Tuesday
25 May 2021
7:00 PM

Topic: Roll Call! Researching Your Veteran Ancestors: Civil War, WWI, and WWII

Throughout American history, brave men and women have answered the call to serve our country and defend our families. Many of us can claim these courageous citizens as our ancestors. But how do we learn more about their service? Join American Ancestors and NEHGS Genealogist Melanie McComb for an overview of local, state, and federal sources for researching your ancestors in the Civil War, WWI, and WWII.

Please register for our May 25th meeting (which takes place online via Zoom) at the New City Library's online calendar here:
https://newcity.librarycalendar.com/events/genealogical-society-rockland-county-meeting-researching-veteran-ancestors
Tuesday
20 Apr 2021
7:00 PM
Topic: What's Been Done
Professional genealogist Thomas MacEntee will lecture on how to use research that has been handed off to us in What's Been Done. Many of us as genealogists have inherited research from a relative and we are not always sure whether the content is reliable? What's the best way to incorporate the research of others into your own research without leading to dead ends, roadblocks and unnecessary detours?

Please register at the New City Library's online calendar here:

https://newcity.librarycalendar.com/events/genealogical-society-rockland-county-meeting-9
Tuesday
23 Mar 2021
7:00 PM

Topic: DNA Detectives

Author, genealogist, and GSRC member Tom Riley will be presenting DNA Detectives. "Genealogists, DNA and genetics are revolutionizing criminology, cracking cold cases, freeing innocent people and bringing justice to families."

Please register at the New City Library's online calendar here:

https://newcity.librarycalendar.com/events/genealogical-society-rockland-county-meeting-5

Tuesday
23 Feb 2021
7:00 PM

Topic: African American research

We'll be watching a video from FamilySearch on African American research. We'll also go over some of the free online resources FamilySearch has available.

Register on the New City Library's calendar page at:

https://newcity.librarycalendar.com/events/genealogical-society-rockland-county-meeting-6

Please send any announcements you'd like shared at the start of the meeting to: jbarbieri@newcitylibrary.org
Monday
25 Jan 2021
7:00 PM

Topic: Locating birth records in New York state

We'll be watching a video from the New York Genealogical and Biographical Society on locating birth records in New York state. We'll also mention some of the resources available from the NYG&BS, and why researchers might want to consider a membership.

Tuesday
17 Nov 2020
7:00 PM
via Zoom
Topic: Exclusion and Deportation files at the U.S. National Archives

Many of us have ancestors who were admitted into the U.S. through ports of entry such as Ellis Island - but what happened if someone was denied entry? We'll be watching a taped presentation from the U.S. National Archives which discusses the Immigration and Naturalization Services' Exclusion and Deportation files, and how we can use them for genealogy research. We'll cover some brief Genealogical Society business just before the meeting, but you don't have to be a member to join in - all are welcome to attend! Questions? Call Joe Barbieri at the New City Library at 845 634 4997 x123 or email him at jbarbieri@newcitylibrary.org

This will be an online meeting through Zoom. After registering, you'll receive an email with the information on where to see the lecture.

Tuesday
20 Oct 2020
7:00 PM

Topic: The Hudson River Valley Groups.io Message Board

Speaker: Joe Barbieri

New City Library local history librarian Joe Barbieri will discuss the Groups.io message board for the Hudson River Valley. This forum was created in response to the shutting down of the regional RootsWeb mailing lists in March of 2020. Learn about another way to post queries, get research advice, and help other genealogists with their research.

This will be an online meeting through Zoom. After registering, you'll receive an email with the information on where to see the lecture.

VIDEO of the presentation: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=v9iSaotrFKo
Tuesday
23 Sep 2020
7:00 PM
Topic: The Insider's Guide to Genealogical Cousin Bait

Speaker: Marian B. Wood

Want to expand your family tree and connect with cousins? This how-to talk is packed with practical, creative ways to find possible cousins and enable cousins to find you on Find a Grave, Family Search, Ancestry, My Heritage, and DNA websites. Step by step, learn tips and tricks for locating cousin bait such as personal photos, family stories, and unique family-history details. Don't just "take the bait"--see how and where to post irresistible cousin bait, keeping privacy in mind while encouraging relatives to get in touch.

Marian Burk Wood is the Connecticut-based author of the Amazon best-selling genealogy book, Planning a Future for Your Family’s Past. A popular genealogy speaker and an active family history blogger (at https://climbingmyfamilytree.blogspot.com), she has used cousin bait to connect with dozens of cousins in the past decade.

This will be an online meeting through Zoom. After registering, you'll receive and email with the information on where to see the lecture on September 15th.

Tuesday
23 Jun2020
7:00 PM
Topic: Getting Started / "Brick Wall" Help Sessions

Are you new to genealogy? Maybe you've hit a "wall" in your research? At this annual GSRC event, panel members will be on hand to present the essentials needed to research: census, cemetery, and vital records. They will address record keeping methods and suggestions to solve that Brick Wall!

At past events, the panel has successfully pointed out ways to solve the road blocks and are ready to help you.

Note: Due to the election, this event will be held downstairs at the New City Library.
Tuesday
26 May 2020
7:00 PM
Topic: Locating Foreign Records

Tony Lauriano will share information on locating on genealogy records from Europe, Great Britain, Ireland and more international locations. This overview includes websites, private search firms, and more.
Tuesday
28 Apr 2020
7:00 PM
Topic: Using FamilySearch for Genealogy

GSRC Board member Joe Barbieri will demonstrate how to locate genealogy records on FamilySearch.org – aa powerful and free resource.

Note: Due to the primary election, this event will be held downstairs at the New City Library.
Tuesday
24 Mar 2020
CANCELLED due to COVID-19
CANCELLED; stay tuned for future info
Topic:
GSRC's Favorite Websites

We'll share information about new or updated websites for genealogical research. Please send any new, interesting, or updated websites to Joe at jbarbieri@newcitylibrary.org
Tuesday
25 Feb 2020
7:00 PM
We'll watch a taped session from a speaker at the National Genealogical Society's 2019 Family History Conference in St. Charles, Missouri.
Tuesday
28 Jan 2020
7:00 PM
We'll watch a taped session from a speaker at the National Genealogical Society's 2019 Family History Conference in St. Charles, Missouri.
Tuesday
 19 Nov 2019
7:00 PM
Topic: Holiday Party!
Tuesday
22 Oct 2019
7:00 PM
Topic: Using DNA matching Services for genealogy
Speaker: Sandy Ward, GSRC and Association of Professional Genealogists member
Tuesday
24 Sep 2019
7:00 PM
Topic:  Do the “Write” Thing for Genealogy
Speaker: Marion Wood
Tuesday
25 June 2019
7:00 PM
Topic: GSRC Round Table

Learn about finding records, researching techniques, and strategies for when you get stuck!  Bring your questions!  For new and experienced genealogists alike!  Note:  June's meeting will take place downstairs in the Story Time Room. Record keeping methods and suggestions to solve that Brick Wall!  At past events, the panel has successfully pointed out ways to solve the road blocks and are ready to help you. Free handouts to get you started.
Tuesday
28 May 2019
7:00 PM
Topic: Locating and Using Passenger Ship Records From the mid 1800s to the 1950s
Speaker: Tony Lauriano
Tuesday
23 April 2019
7:00 PM
Topic: 2018 NGS Conference Rewind

Speaker: Joe Barbieri

Rockland Room Librarian Joe Barbieri will demonstrate how this FREE mapping tool can be applied to genealogical research.
Tuesday
26 March 2019
7:00 PM
Topic: The GSRC’S Favorite Web Websites

We share new, updated and interesting genealogy websites.  Please send any you want to share to Joe at jbarbieri@newcitylibrary.org, along with a quick description of the site. Joe will discuss the sites at the meeting.
Tuesday
26 February 2019
7:00 PM
Topic: 2018 NGS Conference Rewind

Another taped session from a popular speaker at the National Genealogical Society’s 2018 Family History Conference
Tuesday
22 January 2019
7:00 PM
Topic: 2018 NGS Conference Rewind

A taped session from a popular speaker at the National Genealogical Society’s 2018 Family History Conference

Tuesday
27 November 2018
7:00 PM
Topic: Holiday Party
Tuesday
23 October 2018
7:00 PM
Topic: What can a DNA Test Tell Me
Speaker: Nora Galvin


What can a DNA test tell me? What does "autosomal DNA testing" mean? What can't it do for me?

How accurate are DNA tests Nora Galvin returns to continue lecturing on how DNA testing can be used for genealogy work. Bring your questions! Speaker Nora Galvin has a bachelor of Science degree (Biology) from the Ohio State University, Middletown, CT. Her science background gives her the ability to combine DNA technology and conventional genealogical research and to help audiences understand the complexities of genetic genealogy.

Tuesday
25 September 2018
7:00 PM
Topic: Planning a Future for Your Family's Past
Speaker:
Marian B Wood

Marian B Wood will be discussing how to preserve and pass down genealogy work.  She is the author of the genealogy book Planning a Future for Your Family's Past. She is a popular speaker at genealogy clubs and conferences, demonstrating practical techniques for researching family trees and preserving family history for future generations.  Marian was born in the Bronx and earned her MBA at Long Island University and her BA at the City College of New York.  She blogs about her genealogy experiences at http://climbingmyfamilytree.blogspot.com.  The author will have books for sale and to sign following the presentation

Tuesday
26 June 2018
7:00 PM

Topic: The County Archives Online Records
Speaker: Joseph Barbieri

Tuesday
22 May 2018
7:00 PM

Topic: Getting Started or Facing a Brick Wall

At this annual GSRC event, panel members will be on hand to present the essentials needed to research: census, cemetery, and vital records. They will address record keeping methods and suggestions to solve that Brick Wall!  At past events, the panel has successfully pointed out ways to solve the road blocks and are ready to help you. Free Handouts to get you started.

Tuesday
24 April 2018
7:00 PM

Topic: Finding Female Relatives
Speaker:
Tony Lauriano

 Tony will explore methods for tracking down female ancestor’s maiden names. 

Tuesday
27 March 2018
7:00 PM

Topic: A selection of favorite web sites selected by members of the Genealogical Society of Rockland County

Tuesday
27 February 2018
7:00 PM

Film: Finding Your Roots: In Search of Our Fathers

Three guests know almost nothing about their fathers' past.  Stephen King's father walked out on the family when Stephen was two years old and never returned; Courtney Vance's father was a foster child and never knew who his biological parents were — after his suicide, Courtney wants to learn more about his roots; and Gloria Reuben's father was 78 years old when she was born — he died when she was young,taking the secret of his ancestry with him.  Henry Louis Gates solves the mystery of their paternal ancestry and introduces them to relatives they never knew they had.

Tuesday
23 January 2018
7:00 PM

Topic: Accessing Federal Records

Speaker: Matthew Aull, former archivist at the National Archives, now a librarian at the New City Library.

Learn to better access records of the federal government including Passenger Arrival records, Census data, and Naturalization records.

Tuesday
28 November 2017
7:00 PM
Topic: Holiday Party

Tuesday
24 October 2017
7:00 PM

Topic: The Chain That Saved the Colonies

Speaker: Doc Bayne

To stop the British invasion of the New England colonies during the American Revolution, Peter Townsend

manufactured a Great Chain for the Continental Army at Sterling Forest.  It was placed across the Hudson River at West Point.  Join Doc Bayne for an eye-opening lecture & Power Point presentation on this historic event.

Tuesday
26 September 2017
7:00 PM

Topic: Chestnut Ridge History
Speaker: Marie Monteagudo

Have you ever heard of Dog’s Head Rock, a Pearl River 1900’s landmark that was 10 feet high

by 20 feet long?  Or that there’s waterfalls in Pascack Brook?  Or that the Little Red Schoolhouse

in Chestnut Ridge is a museum inside?  This slide-show  by Marie Monteagudo, a local historian & resident, will be a visual history since the earl 1700s of the area once known as South Spring Valley or West Pearl River.  Included will be current photographs and vintage illustrations of the Little Red Schoolhuse, the Haring Homestead (pre-Jade Village) and the Dexter Park heighborhood with the famed California Architect, Joseph Eichler, who designed mid-century modern homes.  There will also be a book signing of her photo-essay Historic Treasures of Chestnut Ridge that includes illustration from the slide-show along with an opportunity to become a member of Friends of Chestnut Ridge History or by emailing ChestnutRidheHistory@gmail.com

Tuesday
27 June 2017
7:00 PM
Topic: John Conklin of Flushing, Rye, and Fordham Manor, NY: Finding an Elusive Patriarch
Speaker: Agnes Ellish

Agnes Ellish will discuss the research for her article on John Conklin published in the July 2016 issue of The American Genealogist.  The  article contained a current genealogical profile of John Conklin of Flushing, Rye, and Fordham Manor, New York, as well as transcriptions of documents that explicitly prove the identity of John Conklin and his wife Elenor.
Tuesday
23 May 2017
7:00 PM
Topic: Getting Started or Facing a Brick Wall

At this annual  GSRC event, panel members will be on hand to present the essentials needed to research: census, cemetery, and vital records.  They will address record-keeping  methods and suggestions to solve that brick wall!  At past events,  the panel has successfully pointed out ways to solve roadblocks, and they are ready to help you.  Enjoy free handouts to get you started.
Tuesday
25 April 2017
7:00 PM
Topic: Genealogy Research Using Historic Newspapers
Speaker: Brian Jennings

Local History Librarian Brian Jennings will discuss the various newspaper sites available to researchers, focusing especially on hrvh.org  and newspapers.com.
Tuesday
28 March 2017
7:00 PM
Topic: "A selection of favorite web sites selected by members of the Genealogical Society of Rockland County"
Tuesday
28 February 2017
7:00 PM
Topic: In Defiance: Runaways from Slavery in New York's Hudson River Valley, 1735-1831
Speaker: Susan Stessin

Susan Stessin-Cohn of New Paltz  discusses her book
 "In Defiance," recently published by Black Dome Press. Her book contains reprints and transcriptions of more than 550  newspaper notices published between 1735 and 1831, four years after slavery was  abolished in New York State.  This book includes many notices from Rockland County.
Tuesday
24 January 2017
7:00 PM
Topic: Documentary Film: Family Name
 
What does a name signify, exactly?  Growing up in Durham, North Carolina, white filmmaker Macky Alston never questioned  why all of the other Alstons at his elementary school were black.  Twenty-five years later, Alston decides to unravel this perplexity in the award-winning documentary Family Name.  Alston's quest to solve his genealogical mystery takes him from New York to Alabama and then back to North Carolina.  He seeks clues at family reunions, graveyards, church services, and eventually, the original Alston plantations.  The people he meets vary markedly in race, age, class and perspective, but they all have two things in common-the family name and a compelling story to tell.  Recipient of the Sundance Film Festival Freedom of Expression Award and myriad other accolades,  Family Name is not only a provocative meditation on race in America, but also a poignant portrait of what it is that constitutes 'family'.  (89 minutes)
Tuesday
22 November 2016
7:00 PM
Topic: Holiday Party

Bring a dessert and have some fun at our Holiday Party.
Tuesday
25 October 2016
7:00 PM
Topic: Relative Finder and Cousin Finder: How to Use Your Autosomal DNA Results
Speaker: Nora Galvin
 
This talk will include an explanation on how autosomal DNA works:
-How to identify on which side of your family your DNA matches are related
-Case studies demonstrated
-Bring your questions and your own data if you have it.
Tuesday
27 September 2016
7:00 PM
Topic: The Connected Genealogy of the Onderdonk-Tallman-Budke House Owners
Speaker: Tim Adriance

Tim will give a talk about his report on the old Dutch sandstone on Germonds Road that was saved by the Town of Clarkstown. There’s a significant amount of genealogy in that house history, and he uncovered some unexpected things.
Tuesday
21 June 2016
7:00 PM

Note Date Change!

Topic: Jewish Genealogy in the old Country
Speaker: Eden Joachim

Eden Joachim who spent more than 30 years in finance and human resources, has been tracing her family roots since 1991.  Her research resulted in connections to Lithuania, Belarus, Congress Poland, Galician Poland and Prussia.  She helped establish a Genealogy Center at the Holocaust Museum and Study Center in Spring Valley, NY.  She is Archive Coordinator of two Polish State Archives for JRI-Poland.
Tuesday
24 May 2016
7:00 PM
Topic: Getting Started or Facing a Brick Wall

At this annual GSRC event, panel members will be on hand to present the essentials needed to research: census, cemetery, and vital records. They will address record keeping methods and suggestions to solve that Brick Wall!  At past events, the panel has successfully pointed out ways to solve the road blocks and are ready to help you. Free Handouts to get you started. A brief business meeting of the Genealogical Society of Rockland County will precede the program.
Tuesday
26April 2016
7:00 PM
Topic: Procuring Foreign Genealogy Records 
Speaker: Tony Lauriano
 
Genealogist Tony Lauriano presents detailed information about obtaining records from Europe and other international locations.  A brief business meeting of the Genealogical Society of Rockland County will precede the program.
Tuesday
22 March 2016
7:00 PM
Topic: Film: American Native

American Native
exposes the Ramapough Lenape Nation's efforts with the federal government to gain recognition as a Native American tribe.  It also examines the private interests colluding behind the scenes to prevent them from doing so.

A brief business meting of the Genealogical Society of Rockland County will precede the film.
Tuesday
23 February 2016
7:00 PM
Topic: A selection of favorite web sites selected by members of the Genealogical Society of Rockland County

Come see a presentation of what's new for genealogists.
Tuesday
26 January 2016
7:00 PM
Topic: Who do you think you are?

Watch an episode from Season 1 of the popular genealogy show, which featured a celebrity researching her genealogy at the New City Library, as well as other locations in the metro NY area.
Tuesday
23 November 2015
7:00 PM
30th Anniversary & Holiday Party

Featured will be some audio clips of GSRC members talking about genealogy and the GSRC.
Tuesday
27 October 2015
7:00 PM
Topic: DNA and Genetic Genealogy
Speaker: Nora Galvin is a former secondary-school teacher and research scientist at a major pharmaceutical company where she worked on using DNA.  Her science background allows her to combine DNA technology with conventional genealogical research for a more comprehensive understanding of ancestral history
Tuesday
22 September 2015
7:00 PM
Topic: From Holland to Here
Speaker: Mary Cardenas

museum site: www.orangetownmuseum.com

NY Times review of the exhibit:
www.nytimes.com/2015/06/05/arts/design/a-collection-of-dutch-artifacts-50-years-in-the-making.html

The meeting will be held at the Museum:

196 Chief Bill Harris Way
Orangeburg, NY 10962
Tuesday
23 June 2015
7:00 PM
Topic: The Civil War in Rockland: A History for Genealogists
Speaker: Brian Jennings
 
Discover a little history and a little genealogy together in a presentation by Brian Jennings, the New City Library's Local History Librarian.  His talk will focus on records  related to Rockland's role in the Civil War.
Tuesday
26 May 2015
7:00 PM
Topic: Getting Started or Facing a Brick Wall

At this annual GSRC event, panel members will be on hand to present the essentials needed to research: census, cemetery, and vital records. They will address record keeping methods and suggestions to solve that Brick Wall!  At past events, the panel has successfully pointed out ways to solve the road blocks and are ready to help you. Free Handouts to get you started.
Tuesday
28 April 2015
7:00 PM
Topic: 125 Years of Rockland County Postcards
Speaker: Larry Kigler
Tuesday
24 March 2015
7:00 PM
Topic: Good Deeds: Unearthing your Ancestors in the Land Records
Speaker: Joseph A. Grabas
 
Discover a little history and a little genealogy together in a presentation by Brian Jennings, the New City Library's Local History Librarian.  His talk will focus on records  related to Rockland's role in the Civil War.
Tuesday
24 February 2015
7:00 PM
Topic: Share Your Favorite Web Site
Here is a chance to share a new or favorite genealogy-research web site. Members and non members are invited to give a short presentation.
Tuesday
27 January 2015
7:00 PM
Topic: The Civil War in Rockland: A History for Genealogists
Speaker: Brian Jennings
 
Discover a little history and a little genealogy together in a presentation by Brian Jennings, the New City Library's Local History Librarian.  His talk will focus on records  related to Rockland's role in the Civil War.
Tuesday
25 November 2014
7:00 PM
Holiday Party.  Come chat with your friends before the holidays.
Tuesday
28 October 2014
7:00 PM - 9:00 PM
Topic:   Orphan Train Riders
Speaker: Tom Riley

Tom Riley is the author of “Happy Valley: A History and a Remembrance” and “Orphan Train Riders”.

Orphan trains, which left from Manhattan with cargoes of children, traveled to many remote corners of the United States, dropping off children at each stop along the way. Some of those children ended up here in Rockland County. 

Come and find out what made these trains necessary; how the young riders fared after being handed over to families at the stations; when did the trains stop. This is a fascinating and largely unknown segment of our history.

GSRC programs and meetings are open to the public.

Tuesday
23 September 2014
7:00 PM
Topic: Researching Your Italian Heritage

Speaker: Anthony Lauriano

A step by step approach to overcoming brick walls in Italian Genealogy. Ancestry.com, familysearch.org and Italian Genealogy web sites are used in the research, as well as recognizing Italian customs and naming traditions..
Tuesday
24 June 2014
7:00 PM
Topic: Tips and Tricks for Using Ancestry.com in Researching Your Family

Speaker: Toni McKeen, professional genealogist

In this lecture, Toni will show how to research efficiently and successfully using this powerful site. She will share helpful tips in finding those elusive relatives, which parameters to use, and how to prevent looking at thousands of names in search of the one person you are trying to find. Included in the talk are often overlooked options and the newest cool features that have just been added.
Tuesday
27 May 2014
7:00 PM
Topic: Mini genealogy workshops

Come to the New City Library with your family research problem or dead end. Members of the society will help you find those elusive ancestors or documents for your family tree.
Saturday
26 April 2014
2:00 PM

NOTE
special location:
Haverstraw Brick Museum
NOTE special location: Haverstraw Brick Museum, 12 Main St., Haverstraw, NY 10927

Topic: Overview of brick-making in Haverstraw

Speaker: Patricia M. Gordon, President/Director, Haverstraw Brick Museum

Pat will host the GSRC and give a tour of the Brick Museum. She will use artifacts in the museum to give us an overview of brickmaking in Haverstraw and nearby villages. The books compiled by the Genealogical Society of Rockland County are consulted regularly by visitors to the museum.
Tuesday
25 March 2014
7:00 PM

NOTE
special location:
Nyack Library
NOTE special location: Nyack Library, 59 South Broadway, Nyack NY 10960.

Topic: Nyack Library's databases

Speaker: Brian Jennings, Local History Librarian

Brian will introduce the Nyack Library’s data bases related to genealogical research. These include an extensive obituary file - now partially accessible on the internet - and the newspapers found on HRVH. Meet in the Community Room of the library, on the lowest level. There is metered parking outside this room off Hudson Avenue, or free parking on Hudson and Piermont Avenues and on Broadway.
Tuesday
25 February 2014
7:00 PM
Topic: Before the Bridge

Speaker: Steven Bretschneider

Steven Bretschneider will present his video Before the Bridge, a documentary about life in the riverfront villages before the Tappan Zee Bridge was built. Residents of the Nyacks were interviewed for the film. Afterwards, Steven will answer questions from the audience.
Tuesday
28 January 2014
7:00 PM
Topic: How Old Is That Photo?

Speaker: Carol Weiss

Working in the Local History Room of the Nyack Library for 11 years, Carol Weiss has picked up some tips on dating photos. This illustrated presentation will include photos from the Nyack Library and from Carol’s family. Bring a photo with you. Perhaps we can find some clues in it.
Tuesday
26 November 2013
7:00 PM
Holiday Party! Come chat with your friends before the holidays.
Tuesday
22 October 2013
7:00 PM
Topic: Irish Immigration

Speaker: Donald "Doc" Bayne

Presenter Donald "Doc" Bayne will discuss immigration and settlement of the region through the experience of two Irish brothers who were taken to the Colonies as Slaves of the English in 1663 and a blacksmith who immigrated to New Amsterdam in 1733. Doc tells their descendants of their story and legacy while taking the audience back in time to learn how they lived, worked, and adapted to a new world.
Tuesday
24 September 2013
7:00 PM
Topic: Photo Images in Heritage Quilting

Speaker: Deborah Calyo

Deborah Calyo, a member of Heritage Quilters, will conduct a workshop introducing participants to the actual process of transferring an image to cloth. This is a follow-up to Deborah's June 2012 presentation when she introduced the Society to quilting as a genealogy resource.
Tuesday
25 June 2013
7:00 PM
Topic: Hiking into Family History

Speakers: Gordon and Alexandra Wren

Gordon Wren is a Rocklander going way back. His daughter Alexandra has done research on her mother's family going back over 280 years. For our June program, Gordon explained: “She and I will tell the story of the family and recreate the hike, deep into the mountains, with photographs of the area and the little family cemetery she stumbled on.  It appears that members of the family, farmers and stone masons, built many of the fieldstone buildings and walls in North Rockland. On the hike, I noticed  that most of the former farm rock walls were faced off rather than piled up, as is typical of those in the Rockland area."
Tuesday
21 May 2013
(No meeting)
Saturday
4 May 2013
1:00 PM
Topic: Getting Started or Facing a Brick Wall

At this annual GSRC event, panel members will be on hand to present the essentials needed to research: census, cemetery, and vital records. They will address record keeping methods and suggestions to solve that Brick Wall!  At past events, the panel has successfully pointed out ways to solve the road blocks and are ready to help you.
Tuesday
23 April 2013
7:00 PM
Topic: More Genealogy and Local History Go Hand in Hand!

Speaker: Susan Filgueras

Susan Filgueras, president of the Stony Point Historical Society, will identify some of the early families of the Town of Stony Point, emphasizing their contributions in the growth and development of Rockland County. Come with your questions about Stony Point's history and its families.
Tuesday
26 March 2013
7:00 PM

note special location:
Nyack Library
59 S Broadway Nyack, NY
Topic: Resources of the Nyack Library Local History Room

Speaker: Carol Weiss

Carol Weiss will introduce the society to the genealogical resources of the Nyack Library Local History Room. The meeting will be at the Nyack Library; the Local History Room is beneath the original Carnegie Room. There is a library parking lot on Hudson Street behind the library, or park on one of the nearby streets; parking is free between 6 and 11 PM.
Saturday
16 February 2013
1:00 PM
Topic: Genealogy and Local History Go Hand in Hand!

Speaker: Bob Knight

Bob Knight, Town of Clarkstown historian, will take the podium at our February meeting. He will be talk about some of the well-known early Clarkstown families and will entertain questions from the audience. Come prepared to ask your family history question!
Saturday
19 January 2013
1:00 PM
Topic: Photo Images in Heritage Quilting

Speaker: Deborah Calyo

Deborah Calyo, a member of Heritage Quilters, will conduct a workshop introducing participants to the actual process of transferring an image to cloth. This is a follow-up to Deborah’s presentation last fall when she introduced the Society to quilting as a genealogy resource.
Saturday
17 November 2012
1:00 PM
We switch to the winter schedule as we meet November, January and February on Saturdays. November is our holiday party and the program will be Sharing Family Secrets. Each society member is asked to write up a short blurb about a black sheep member in their research. You don't need to identify the person by name if uncomfortable.
Every person has one black sheep. It goes with the territory!
Tuesday
23 October 2012
7:00 PM
Topic: Fringe Benefits of Genealogy

Speaker: Mark Gordon

Mark Gordon will talk about his experiences using European records for family searches. Mark's document images reflect records of Jewish families in the USA and Europe (Germany, Poland, Latvia and Lithuania).  European documents for Christian families are/were very similar, since Napoleon set up the systems of Euro record keeping when he conquered most of the countries.
Tuesday
25 September 2012
7:00 PM
Topic: ORANGETOWN,” a publication of the Orangetown Historical Museum & Archives.

Speakers: Mary R. Cardenas, Orangetown Historian, Paul Clark and Rosemarie Raccioppi

This is a nostalgic book that looks back to the farms, yacht clubs, piers and rail stations, the laboratories and army barracks, last stop USA and the last day of an infamous spy. Books will be available for purchase.
Tuesday
26 June 2012
7:00 PM
Topic: Using digital photography to create quilts

Speaker: Deborah Calyo

Deborah Calyo, a local resident who has taken family history to a new level, creates quilts that have family photos printed onto the fabric. Using digital photography, she has created heirloom mementos for future family members. Come and hear her explain the process.
Tuesday
22 May 2012
No meeting.
Saturday
19 May 2012
10:30 AM
Greta Nettleton is a resident of Rockland County. She recently published a book, The Quack's Daughter, which is about a relative she unearthed doing genealogy research. The relative was a self-made "best known lady physician in the West". Though the book is a historical memoir, Ms. Nettleton will discuss how her family research opened the door and took her on a literary path. It is a fascinating story about a family.

Bring a bag lunch. Coffee and tea will be provided
 
1:00 PM - "Getting Started" - This annual event features members of the GSRC who will speak to guests about some of the essential tools needed for researching. Each component - census, cemetery records, vital records, record keeping - will be individually
set at different locations in the room, and after a 15-minute introductory talk, guests may move to another table of interest.
Tuesday
24 April 2012
7:00 PM
Regular membership meeting. We will look at the 1940 census just released April 2nd.
Saturday
17 March 2012
1:30 PM - 3:30 PM
Happy Valley School celebrated its 100th Anniversary on the 18th of February 2011.  The School was founded in 1911 and remained until 1974.

Happy Valley had a long history before it came to Pomona, Rockland County, NY.  The school was an outgrowth of the “American Female Guardian Society,” which was founded in 1834.  

This society merged with “Home for Friendless Children” which was associated with “Five Points House of Industry.”  Five Points was located in a ghetto area of New York City.  Due to an epidemic and the high cost of real estate in the city, they searched for another location in a more rural setting.
 
The Ladies Mission Society found an old brewery building in the Bronx and turned it into “The New Mission House at Five Points.”   

This was the ancestor of Woodycrest Five Points, Greer Woody-crest, Crystal Run and finally Happy Valley.
    
For the former students who spent their childhood years at Happy Valley, the school remains in their hearts, and they look forward to their reunions.  From 7 to 17, Tom Riley, our speaker, lived at Happy Valley along with his brothers and sisters. Another former resident, Mel Hancock, is making a documentary about the history of Happy Valley School.

Join us for the lecture about the happy endings for these young people who were taken out of their unhappy lives to begin anew here in the county where they made life-long friends.
Saturday
18 February 2012
1:30 PM - 3:30 PM
Topic: Share Day
Speaker: You!

Here’s chance to share a new or favorite genealogy-research website. Members and non-members are invited to give a short presentation on the library website showing their site. It need not be formal; we are among friends.
Saturday
21 January 2012
1:30 PM - 3:30 PM
Topic: Attention: Military Records
Speaker: Tony Lauriano

One of the most useful tools for finding information is using military records but this can be confusing! To explain and perhaps ease your fear for searching, researcher Tony Lauriano will give a visual presentation concerning draft registration cards, military records in general, pension files, and some key websites. Please join us.
December 2011
no meeting
Saturday
19 November 2011
1:00 PM - 3:00 PM
Topic: Introduction of newly appointed County Historian  - Craig Long
Speaker: Craig Long, Suffern Detective

Mr. Long succeeds long-time County Historian Thomas F.X. Casey, who was deceased in 2009 after a long illness.  As a protégé of Tom Casey, Craig learned to be pragmatic when it came to historic preservation and learned to “pick his battles.”

Craig’s roots go back to the 1700s on his mother’s side and learned, at an early age, the value of having ancestors.  He has maintained this interest ever since to the point, when it comes to history, that he has helped develop the curriculum for the Ramapo Central School District, to lead fourth grade students on walking tours of downtown Suffern, and to teach a course to elementary school students entitled “History Happened Here.”

In addition to his new position as county historian, Craig is the historian for the Town of Ramapo, the Village of Montebello, and the Village of Chestnut Ridge.

In his talk this evening, Detective Long will talk about the positions as Town and County Historian, and its impact on local history and how it relates to the genealogical society.

Following the talk, there will be a Holiday-Get-Together with refreshments.
Tuesday
25 October 2011
7:00 PM
Topic: Kleindeutschland: Researching Your Ancestors in Manhattan's Little Germany
Speaker: Joe Lieby

Many county residents have German ancestry that emigrated from Manhattan. Germans arrived in the 17th century but came with large numbers by 1830. Many settled in the area of Manhattan called "Little Germany";this area was close in size to the two largest German cities in Europe. Joe Lieby, researcher, will focus on how to research this forgotten area.
September 2011
(date TBD)
Field trip to Woodlawn Cemetery in the Bronx

Tuesday
27 September 2011
7:00 PM

Location: Orangetown Historical Museum and Archives, 196
Blaisdell Rd, Orangetown. Phone number is 398-1302.

Topic: Visiting Sally Dewey's Papers

The Genealogy Society meeting will be held at the

Meet Mary Cardenas, Orangetown town historian and museum director, who will share the archives of the late Sally Dewey. Sally passed away two years ago but will certainly be remembered by many society members. She was diligent in her research of many Rockland families and she kept excellent records. Many of her papers were donated to the Orangetown Museum. Since this acquisition, the museum has had an intern archiving the papers. We will be one of the first groups to view these papers.

In addition, while there, view the wonderful exhibit, Orangetown, Edward Hopper's Backyard. Hopper, a well known artist was born in Nyack. He became widely known for his oils and watercolors with realistic art that depicted modern American life. Hopper died in 1967.

Tuesday
28 June 2011
7:00 PM

 

Topic: Come and discuss your Genealogy brick wall
 
Sunday
5 June 2011
1:00 PM
Topic: St. Agatha's Home for Children
Speaker: Nancy Canfield

Nancy Canfield's curiosity about the long-forgotten place she once called home led her to research and write the story of the St. Agatha Home for Children a history of both the orphanage and her own family's experience. All proceeds from that book, entitled Home Kids, are earmarked for children like her those who now are growing up without homes of their own.

Tuesday
24 May 2011

No meeting.

Saturday
14 May 2011
10:30 AM
Topic: Migration Routes
Speaker: Sharon Hughes

Ms. Hughes will discuss the migration routes used in our region during the first half of the 19th century.

BYO bag lunch. Beverages provided.
 

Saturday
14 May 2011
1:30 PM
Genealogy Quickstarts

Gather information from the members of the GSRC as they discuss some of the basics of genealogy. There will be five stations. At each one, gather some information. At the end of 15 minutes, move on to the next station.

 

Tuesday
26 April 2011
7:00 PM - 9:00 PM
Topic: Woodlawn Cemetery, Bronx, NY
Speaker: Susan Olsen, historian

Woodlawn Cemetery opened in 1863, a 400 acre resting place for 300,000+ people.

This cemetery is labeled as the “Garden Cemetery.”  Re-interments were made from Dyckman-Nagle Burying Ground, Manhattan, West Farms Dutch Reformed Church Cemetery, Bensonia (Morrisania) Cemetery, and Rutgers Street Church Graveyard.  Among the notables buried here are Irving Berlin, George M. Cohen, Miles Davis, Duke Ellington, Geraldine Fitzgerald, Bat Masterson and Herman Melville.  There are many pieces of sculptor from famous artists: Robert Aiken and Paul Bartlett.

 Ms. Olsen will give a brief history of the cemetery and then discuss some of the Orange and Rockland residents interred there.
 

Tuesday
22 March 2011
7:00 PM - 9:00 PM

 

Topic: Overview of the Rockland County Archive Collection Holdings
Speaker: Peter J. Scheibner, Rockland County Archivist

Mr. Scheibner will give an overview of the Rockland County Archive Collection Holdings, and will discuss future projects that will enhance access and retrieval to these invaluable records. 

Records available include: Orange County Deeds and Mortgages, 1703-1798; Rockland County Deeds and Mortgages; some State Census records for Rockland County; marriage records 1908-1926; and naturalization index 1926-1935.

Currently, the Archives is engaged in numerous projects to digitize and streamline County records making them easier to retrieve and access.  These include land, court, subdivision maps, incorporation, business certificates and other vital and historical records. 

Bring a friend to learn about the records available for researching and finding information relating to their genealogical projects.

Tuesday
22 February 2011
7:00 PM - 9:00 PM
Topic: Bring a Friend

Bring a friend to the meeting. We are going to look at some of the members' favorite websites that they have found helpful.

 

Tuesday
25 January 2011
7:00 PM - 9:00 PM
Topic: We've Come a Long Way

We will look at a film that is 14 years old about compiled records and discuss the technological changes that have affected each of the categories. Audience members will be invited to mention their use of the specific records (marriage, birth) and the format used. This should be a fun evening!

Wednesday
5 January 2011
7:00 PM - 9:00 PM
Topic: Organizing a Field Trip to NYC

Researchers will meet at the library to organize for a field trip to NYC. Call 634-4997 ext 139 for further information about the day's activities.

Tuesday
23 November 2010
7:00 PM - 9:00 PM
Topic: Holiday Party

Join us for the society's holiday party. There will be good food, good people and good cheer. Sally Pellegrini will offer a short presentation to view the update Hudson River Valley Heritage site (HRVH.org), a site that has 39 organizations displaying visuals of the Hudson Valley.

Tuesday
27 October 2010
7:00 PM - 9:00 PM
Topic: Genealogical Research Guide

In lieu of a speaker at this meeting, there will be a video: Genealogical Research Guide.

Abstracted from Research Tip 2: Compiled Sources www.Genealogy.com (by Raymond S. Wright III, Ph.D, AG)

In addition to the Guide, here are a few additional helpful sources. One of the most popular sites is www.FamilySearch.com (The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints in Salt Lake City, UT), or at a local LDS Family History Center. The site has 300 million persons in three of its databases: Ancestral File, International Genealogical Index, and Social Security Death index.

The Ancestral File contains information about 30+ million persons, linked to a family and through their family back in tine as many generations as family researchers have proved. (The information is provided by amateur genealogists and usually does not include sources. One needs to do their own research ? itt is a good lead in many cases.)

The International Genealogical Index (IGI) was created in 1969 to record the ancestors of LDS members for whom Church sacraments had been performed vicariously. It is a key research tool for many non-Latter-Day Saints members. It also includes many of the original records (births, marriages, deaths, etc. microfilmed by the Family History Library). The Library began filming vital records world-wide in 1938 (about 240 million entries).

Tuesday
28 September 2010
7:00 PM - 9:00 PM
Topic: Orphan Train Riders
Speaker: Tom Riley

Tom Riley is the author of “Happy Valley: A History and a Remembrance” and “Orphan Train Riders”.

Orphan trains, which left from Manhattan with cargoes of children, traveled to many remote corners of the United States, dropping off children at each stop along the way. Some of those children ended up here in Rockland County.

Come and find out what made these trains necessary; how the young riders fared after being handed over to families at the stations; when did the trains stop. This is a fascinating and largely unknown segment of our history.

GSRC programs and meetings are open to the public. Refreshments will be served.

 

Tuesday
22 June 2010
7:00 PM
Topic: Navigating Key Genealogy Websites
Speaker: Tony Lauriano

Tony Lauriano, an instructor of genealogy, will give a lecture on key Genealogy websites.

Tuesday
25 May 2010
7:00 PM
Topic: Cemeteries of Westchester
Speaker: Patrick Raftery, Westchester County Historical Society

Have a relative buried in Westchester but aren't familiar with the cemeteries? This is the talk for you.

Saturday
22 May 2010
1:00 PM
Genealogy Mini-Workshops

The New City Library and GSRC will be conducting Genealogy Mini-Workshops consisting of 15-minute talks on the basics of genealogy. Talks include family work charts, cemetery records, vital records and census. Come and get started.
Tuesday
27 April 2010
7:00 PM
Topic: The War Man
Speaker: Robert A. Myers

This is the true story of a real citizen-soldier of the American Revolution, who fought from Quebec to Yorktown. This is a true account of the life of Corporal John Allison, Continental Army, 3rd, 5th, and 2nd New York Regiments, whose army service spanned the entire Revolutionary War (1775-1783). What is astonishing is that this farm boy, born in 1754 in Haverstraw, N.Y., was present at many of the most critical and pivotal events in the War for Independence.

Tuesday
23 March 2010
7:00 PM
Topic: Difficult Case Studies
Speaker: Tony Lauriano

The speaker will present a review of actual difficult cases and the steps to research success.

Tuesday
23 February 2010
7:00 PM
Topic: Show and Tell: Web sites presented by members of the GSRC
Tuesday
26 January 2010
7:00 PM
Topic: Uncovering America’s Forgotten Colony: the New Netherland Project

This 30-minute documentary covers (1) historical background on New Netherland, (2) importance of using documentary evidence, (3) shows journey the New Netherland documents took from 1674 to present, and (4) gives examples of information found in these early records.

 

Tuesday
24 November 2009
7:00 PM
Topic: The Trail Our Ancestors Followed in Becoming Citizens

To become citizens of the United States, our ancestors followed a process that has changed during the life of this country. The ways to become a citizen and the documents created are illustrated and discussed. While these documents can be found may involve looking in places you would not have thought to search.

Wednesday
4 November 2009
8:30 AM
Road Trip to NYC

Travel to New York Public Library’s genealogy division with team members from the Genealogical Society of Rockland. Lunch on your own.

Thursday
29 October 2009
1:00 PM
Meeting to Plan Road Trip to NYC

Bring research questions to the planning sessions. Method of travel will be discussed

Tuesday
27 October 2009
7:00 PM
Topic: Tax Mapping into the future

Speaker: Mike Kolka

Discover surveying secrets with tax map technician Mike Kolka as he explains his findings after mapping old boundaries between Orange and Rockland counties with a current GPS system.

Tuesday
22 September 2009
7:00 PM
Topic: Publishing your Genealogy

Speaker: Lisa Saunders

Lisa Saunders, author, playwright, and historian, offers her experiences and knowledge about publishing your family research. Publishing can be very expensive and listening to Lisa's advice could save you a lot of money.

Tuesday
23 June 2009
7:00 PM
Topic: Tax Mapping into the Future

Speaker: Mike Kolka

Boundary lines of Orange and Rockland County after 1798 were totally different from today's surveyor's tools. Rocks, trees and iron hooks were commonly used. Tax map technician Mike Kolka uncovered many surveying secrets while mapping the old boundaries with current GPS system.

Saturday
9 May 2009
9:00 AM
The Genealogical Society of Bergen County is sponsoring an all day Genealogy Seminar on Saturday, May 9 from 9:00 a.m. to 3:30 p.m. at Bergen Community College, 400 Paramus Rd, Paramus, NJ.

Three distinguished genealogists will be making rare appearances in New Jersey.

Dr. John Colletta, lecturer and author will be the keynote speaker. His topic will be “Discovering the Real Stories of your Immigrant Ancestors.” Other topics to be covered by Dr. Colletta are “Passenger Arrival and Naturalization Records from Colonial Times to Mid-Twentieth Century,” and” How to Prepare for Successful European Record Research.”

Eric J. Roth, Director at the Huguenot Historical Society, will discuss “Ethnicity and Memory: The Huguenot/Walloon Question” and “A Genealogist’s Research Guide to Ethnic Minorities in Colonial New York and New Jersey.”

Professor Jonathan D. Shea, President of the Polish Genealogy Society will explore “Researching Ancestors in Eastern Europe”, with a focus on Poland and Lithuania.

Registration prior to April 15 is $30; after April 15,$35. GSBC members pay $5 less.

Box lunch is available for purchase.

For information visit our website at www.njgsbc.org or email GSBC_seminar@yahoo.com
Wednesday
6 May 2009
10:00 AM
The GSRC in conjunction with New City Library will make a trip to Old Kingston, New York. This area has a long history stretching back to the original Dutch settlers in New York State. The group will carpool from New City Library at 8AM sharp ; or you may drive up on your own and meet the group at Senate House, Kingston at 10AM. The group will tour the historic site and then cross the street and tour an equally old landmark, Dutch Church for another tour.

Lunch will be your choice at any of the variously priced eateries at Rondout Creek. At 2PM, the group will resume its tour with a tour of the Maritime Museum. The day ends at 4PM

The total cost for the day is $11 plus your choice of lunch. Those who car pool will be asked to contribute to their driver's costs. There are a limited number of available seats, so contact either Barry Brooks at 845-825-4138 or Sally Pellegrini 634-4997 ext 139.
Saturday
28 March 2009
9:30 AM
Topic: Passaic County Historical Society Visit: Lambert Castle, Passaic, NJ

Bring a bag lunch and join the Genealogical Society at the New City Library at 9:30 AM to carpool to the castle. We will tour the historical museum with a docent, have lunch, and then be free to view the library and its collection. See the March Newsletter for how to register. Participants will share the cost of gas.

Tuesday
24 March 2009
 
NO MEETING because of the trip on Saturday 28 March.
Tuesday
24 February 2009
7:00 PM
Topic: Online Research

Members of the Genealogical Society will give a brief interactive overview of their favorite research databases. The audience will see the databases in use and be able to ask questions.

Tuesday
27 January 2009
7:00 PM
Topic: Forensic Genealogy Case Study
Saturday
10 January 2009
1:30 PM
Topic: Genealogy Mini-Workshops

With the help of GSRC, the New City Library will be conducting Genealogy Mini-Workshops consisting of 15-minute talks on the basics of genealogy. Talks include family work charts, cemetery records, vital records, and census. Come and get started!

Tuesday
28 October 2008
7:00 PM
Topic: Remembering Orangetown

Kathryn Dodge, an Orangetown historian and Peter Scheibner, Rockland County's archivist, will share their memories of growing up in this town. Audience members are invited to add their own recollections to the discussion.

Tuesday
23 September 2008
7:00 PM
Topic: Orange County Militia in the American Revolution

Alan Aimone, chief of Special Collections, US Military Academy, will discuss the characteristics and roles of Orange County militia regiments during this time period when current day Rockland was still part of Orange Co. Co-hosted by GSRC and the New City Library.

Tuesday
27 May 2008
7:00 PM
Topic: The Ever-Evolving Palisades

Barbara Gottlock, Bannerman Castle author, talks about her newest book, New York's Palisades Interstate Park. This pictorial history reflects the long-term changes of these 100,000 acres including the march of the Hessians in the American Revolution, the growth and demise of eleven hamlets and the development of the current recreational park.

Tuesday
22 April 2008
7:00 PM

at the Haverstraw
Brick Museum

12 Main St.
Haverstraw, NY

845-947-3505
 

Topic: History of the Brick Industry in Rockland County.

Our meeting at the Haverstraw Brick Museum will feature a program on the history of the Brick Industry in Rockland County. The museum is located at 12 Main Street, Haverstraw, NY. (From Route 9W north, turn right on New Main St. at the light at the old Haverstraw Railroad Station and go across the tracks and down the hill, which becomes Main St.)

Meets monthly. Contact Kathy Rhoades 845-294-9093 for details

Location:
Creative Gatherings
224 West Main St.
Goshen, NY

Heritage Scrap Booking Group

Creative Gatherings, a scrap book and stamping store in Goshen has formed a free heritage scrap booking group and members from Orange, and several surrounding Counties meet monthly. Whether you enjoy scrapping, but are unsure of how to research your family’s history, or you are your family’s historian and would like to learn how to scrap the results of your research, or you would just like to get together with others who share your interests and talk, you are welcome to join the group. There is no membership fee.

Tuesday
26 February 2008
7:00 PM
Topic: Rockland Militia. The talk will discuss the Orange County militia role during the American Revolution, with an emphasis on the lower Orange (now Rockland) County units.

Speaker: Alan C. Aimone, Assistant Librarian, United States Military Academy Library, West Point, NY. Team member and leader in all divisions of the library including reference, government documents, cataloging, special collections and archives. Founding member and Past President of the Company of Military Historians, West Point Chapter.

Tuesday
22 January 2008
7:00 PM
Topic: The Skyline of Manhattan in the 17th Century

Speaker: Firth Fabend. Dr. Fabend holds a B.A. in English Literature from Barnard College and a Ph.D. in American Studies from New York University. As an independent historian, her selected list of published works, mostly on the early Dutch in America, is truly amazing, and she has many more forthcoming. Her awards, grants and related activities are too numerous too list here.
Tuesday
27 November 2007
7:00 PM
Topic: The Huguenots of the Hudson Valley

Speaker: Eric J. Roth currently holds the position of Executive Director at the Huguenot Historical Society in New Paltz, NY, where he has been Archivist/Librarian since 1997. Mr. Roth holds a Master’s degree in Library Science from SUNY Albany has published several articles in professional journals relating to archival management and local history. He will focus his talk on the issues of the Palatine flight from Europe and their experiences here, based on the most current scholarship. He will also discuss methods for researching their history and genealogy. Many of the names of our Rockland ancestors which we assume are Dutch are in actuality Huguenot. The Dutchified names resulted from the desire of the French Protestants to fit into the Dutch society.
Tuesday
30 October 2007
7:00 PM
Topic: The Silent Woman: Bringing a Name to Life. Too often, our female ancestors end up being just a name on a pedigree chart or as the neglected half of a family history. This presentation, based on Sharon’s book, A Genealogist's Guide to Finding Your Female Ancestors, will feature sources created by and about women and will instruct researchers on how to breathe life into their female ancestors by using women’s social histories in conjunction with primary genealogical sources.

Speaker: Sharon DeBartolo Carmack , CG, is a partner in the Salt Lake City-based research firm Warren, Carmack & Associates. She specializes in writing, mentoring, and editing narrative family histories, as well as Irish/Irish-American family history research. Sharon is the author of sixteen books, including Discovering Your Female Ancestors, and You Can Write Your Family History, and hundreds of articles that have appeared in nearly every major genealogical journal and publication. She has a B.A. in English from Regis University and a Diploma in Irish Studies from the National University of Ireland, Galway. This is possibly the only chance you will have to hear this nationally recognized writer and speaker for free!

Bonus Presentation: Primetime’s 20/20 Dateline: Sharon Carmack Interviews the World’s Oldest Living Genealogist, Ole Smirnoff Bernatelli . (Joint presentation by Sharon DeBartolo Carmack and Jim Warren.) Ole's been around since 1897. But it wasn't until his column, “Bringing Up the Rear,” appeared in the NGS NewsMagazine in 2004 that Ole shot to fame. Join us to howl at the sage (and strange) advice that results when genealogy's brightest star questions it's most unusual senior citizen.

Saturday-Sunday
27-28 October 2007
Sharon DeBartolo Carmack will host a writing workshop at the NYG&B, in New York City.
Tuesday
25 September 2007
7:00 PM
Topic: Our Palatine Ancestors

Speaker: Nancy Wagoner Dixon. Nan Dixon, a noted Palatine historian, is the author of the popular book, Palatine Roots: The 1710 German Settlement in New York as Experienced by Johann Peter Wagner. This book gives a wonderful background of why the Palatines came to New York, and of their adventures in the Hudson Valley. Mrs. Dixon is Vice President of the New York Chapter of Palatines to America and comes to us from upstate New York, near Lake Ontario.

Saturday-Sunday
15-16 September 2007
Third Annual Phillips Knapp Reunion

The Phillips-Knapp Family Association is planning its third annual reunion for the weekend of September 15 and 16, 2007. It is open to anyone who has an ancestor from Rockland County surnamed Phillips or Knapp. Annual dues are only $5 payable in cash at the reunion, or by check to Vicki Miller.

The reunion will kick off with a welcoming breakfast at the home of Vicki Miller in Thiells. From there we will proceed to a three hour cruise on the Hudson River, complete with catered lunch and guide to tell us something about the lives of our ancestors in and along the river. After the cruise we will return to Thiells to relax while eating pie in a pie-baking contest and watching a History Channel presentation on the Haverstraw brick making industry. Hopefully we will also have a speaker from the brick museum. We intend to end the day at the Phillips-Knapp Cemetery on Beech Road.

Sunday morning we will tour the graves of our ancestors buried in Mt. Rest Cemetery and unveil the DAR plaque on the grave of Agnes Phillips before attending services at the church next to the cemetery. This church was founded by our ancestors, and was previously known as the Crick Church or St. Georges. Now it is simply called the First United Methodist Church of Stony Point. After worship we will proceed to the Town of Haverstraw Park for a picnic, and then say farewell at Parrot Bay.

For further information please contact Vicki Miller at avmofmaol.com or Barbara de Mare at BarbaradeMareyahoo.com We are expecting participants from all over the country, so please come and meet your cousins on this fun-filled weekend. The cost of the reunion is only $15 for the catered lunch plus the $5 dues. There is no better bargain to be had!
July-August 2007 No GSRC meetings. They will resume in September. Watch this space...
Tuesday
26 June 2007
7:00 PM
Topic: The African Historical Presence in New York City

Speaker: Sherrill Wilson, PhD, former Director of the African Burial Ground

Dr. Wilson will give a slide presentation on the on the African Historical Presence in New York City, including the African Burial Ground.

Saturday
16 June 2007
9:00 AM - 3:30 PM
Irish Genealogy Conference, "Searching Irish and Scots-Irish Roots." Old Paramus Reformed Church, Ridgewood, NJ. Key Speaker: Fintan Mullin, Exec. Director, Ulster Historical Foundation, Belfast, N.I. Since Mr. Mullin will be in the United States for only a few days, this is a rare opportunity to hear this dynamic speaker.
Tuesday
22 May 2007
7:00 PM
Topic: Bannerman Castle and Its Long Local History

Speaker: Barbara Gottlock, coauthor of Bannerman Castle and volunteer coordinator for tourist visits to Bannerman Island, near Newburgh, NY.

On maps it is Pollopel Island: 6 3/4 acres of mostly rock; 1,000 feet from the eastern shore of the Hudson just north of Cold Spring; 50 miles north of New York City. During the Revolutionary War, patriots unsuccessfully tried to stop the British from advancing north of the island by sinking 106 upright logs tipped in iron points in the Hudson. Later, General George Washington approved plans to use the island as a military prison.

The castle's builder, Frank Bannerman VI, was a Scottish patriot, very proud of his descent from one of the few MacDonald's to survive the massacre at Glencoe in 1692. Acting on behalf of the Crown, a rival clan, the Campbells, slaughtered all MacDonald males ages 12-70. One escaped to the hills with the clan banner -- and from that day on, his family name was Bannerman.

The Bannerman family immigrated to the United States in 1854, when Frank was three, and settled in Brooklyn. At the close of the Civil War, the U.S. government auctioned off military goods by the ton, mostly to be scrapped for their metal. Young Frank was one of the first to realize that much of what was being sold had a market value higher than scrap. Under his guidance, Bannerman's became the world's largest buyer of surplus military equipment. When they outgrew their store at 501 Broadway in NYC, they looked around for a larger and safer location in which to store their ammunition. Pollopel Island was selected.

Frank Bannerman personally designed the island's buildings, docks, turrets, garden walls and moat in the style of old Scottish castles. Almost all of it was done without professional help from architects, engineers and contractors. And all of it was elaborately decorated, from biblical quotations cast into all fireplace mantles, to a shield between the towers with a coat of arms, and a wreath of thistle leaves and flowers. The castle was constructed between 1901 and 1918. It was primarily an ammunitions storage site but the Bannermans summered there too.

Attend this interesting talk about a little known architectural wonder and learn about the struggle to maintain its existence.

For more information, visit:

http://www.hudsonriver.com/bannerman.htm
http://www.bannermancastle.org/

Co-sponsored by GSRC and the New City Library.

Thursday-Sunday
26-29 April 2007
New England CONNECTions 2007, Hartford, Connecticut (this is the 9th New England Regional Conference). Look for the GSRC Booth at this Conference and say hello!
Tuesday
24 April 2007
7:00 PM
Topic: The General Slocum Steamboat Disaster of 1904 and Its Impact on One Family’s History

Speaker: Karen Lamberton

Ms. Lamberton, author of Angels in the Gate: New York City and the General Slocum Disaster, will take her audience through that tragic day from its band-playing gay beginnings to its devastating and silent end; how it impacted the City of New York and especially the German-American community; and how the greatest marine disaster, fire, and single event loss of life in New York’s history prior to 9/11* impacts us to this day. Ms. Lamberton will then connect her research to her family tree and show how various record sets in the New York Municipal Archives became instrumental in proving the family connections.

Copies of the book will be available for sale.

*Excluding acts of war

Saturday
21 April 2007
9:00 AM - 3:00 PM
GSNJ & GSBC will sponsor a genealogy seminar featuring Patricia Law Hatcher. The seminar will be held in Bergen County.
Tuesday
27 March 2007
7:00 PM
Topic: The History of Sloat House

Speaker: Harrison Bush and Geoff Welch, Curator of Harmony Hall

Tuesday
27 February 2007
7:00 PM
Topic: The Mountain Hamlets from Their Inception to Their Demise

Speakers: John Perrotta, Jr., Chairman, and Harry Miesner, Vice-Chairman
Historical Society of the Palisades Interstate Park Region

Many Rockland County residents are surprised to discover that much of the park system was created by the takeover of the scattered hamlets that once dotted the area. Today, little more than a few gravestones here and there remind the summer hiker of the communities that once thrived among the mountains. Mr. Perrotta and Mr. Miesner will speak for approximately 45 minutes which will be followed by a brief question-and-answer period. Refreshments will follow.

Tuesday
23 January 2007
7:00 PM
Topic: The Pearl River Cemetery

Speaker: Rudy Hansen, resident of Pearl River.

Refreshments will follow the presentation.

Saturday
20 January 2007
1:00 PM
Topic: New City Library will hold its annual genealogy workshop for new and experienced family historians. In case of snow, the workshop will be held on the following Saturday, January 27th. The workshop will consist of several tables manned by volunteers from the Genealogical Society of Rockland County. Each table will focus on one topic, such as first steps in genealogy, etc. Come for one, or spend time at each table. Learn something new or ask for help with a problem, it's up to you!.
Tuesday
28 November 2006
7:00 PM
GSRC Annual Holiday Party

Because of a computer glitch, the September program was presented without slides. Sally Pellegrini, the New City Local History Librarian, will catch us up briefly before the party with slides of postcards and photos from the Lower Hudson Heritage Project.

Tuesday
24 October 2006
7:00 PM
Topic: Native Americans of Our Region

Speaker: Wallace Dennison

The focus of this talk will be the Ramapough Indians, who lived in Rockland County. Mr. Dennison's  interest is based in his family’s genealogy.

On your way into the meeting, please stop at the display cases outside the Meeting Room to view some of Mr. Dennison’s exhibit on his family’s genealogy.

Refreshments will follow the presentation.

Tuesday
26 September 2006
7:00 PM
Topic: The LARC Rockland Images Project

Speakers: Sally Pellegrini, Local History Librarian, New City Library

Sally Pellegrini will give an overview of the online Rockland Images Project of the Library Association of Rockland County (LARC) and show a few of the postcards and photos which have been scanned into the project. Bob Knight will join Mrs. Pellegrini in discussing the historical content of the postcards.

Saturday
6 May 2006
1:30 PM
Topic: Family DNA: An Alternative to Researching

Speaker: Megan Smolenyak Smolenyak, nationally known author and family historian.

Megan has worked with the military to identify fallen military personnel via their DNA and has a new book out on the subject.

For more information, contact:

Sally Pellegrini, Local History Librarian/Community Relations
New City Library New City, NY 10956
845-634-4997 ext 137 (Local History)
ext 139 (Community Relations)
spellegr@rcls.org
Librarians, click here for program flyer.
Tuesday
25 April 2006
7:00 PM
Topic: Petitions for Partition: Genealogical Gold; with some comments on other obscure genealogical documents

Speaker: Barbara de Mare, Esq.

Barbara de Mare, a member of our society, has practiced estate and real estate law in New York and New Jersey for over 35 years. Additionally, she is involved in several county and state genealogical societies. As a result of the interaction between her vocation and her avocation, she was able to identify a document given to amongst a group of papers as a petition for partition. One glance, and she realized she had struck gold.

The document was a petition for partition involving land in Thiells. By careful study of this document she was able to identify about 50 descendants of Daniel Phillips and Hannah Osborne, none of whom she previously knew existed. Her identification of these individuals meets the current genealogical proof standards.

The main thrust of her talk on Tuesday night will be to explain how to identify such documents, and once identified how to extract the most information from them. She will bring with her the descendancy chart showing the individuals identified from this one document, and will explain how each identification appeared in the petition. Handouts will also be available for further explanation.

Sticking to true stories from this same family line, she will also describe some common pitfalls of which we should all be aware. These include innocent-looking commercial family histories and notes found in Family Bibles.

Finally, if time permits, she will say a few words about the invaluable New York probate and administration packets as well as deeds and wills which transfer property to heirs.

Librarians, click here for program flyer.

Tuesday
28 February 2006
7:00 PM
Topic: Orphan Train Riders.

Speaker: Tom Reilly

Orphan trains, which left from Manhattan with cargoes of children, traveled to many remote corners of the United States, dropping off children at each stop along the way. Some of those children ended up here in Rockland County. Come and find out what made these trains necessary; how the young riders fared after being handed over to families at the stations; when did the trains stop. This is a fascinating and largely unknown segment of our history! Librarians, click here for program flyer.

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