The latest issue of Keystone Kuzzins, the Erie Society for Genealogical Research’s quarterly newsletter, is at the printer! Members will receive a print copy in the mail in the next week or two. If you’d like to get it sooner, sign up to be added to the digital version. Contact esgrkk@gmail.com
The next meeting of the Erie Society for Genealogical Research (ESGR) is this Tuesday October 14, 2014 at 7:00pm at the Blasco Public Library. NOTE THE LOCATION CHANGE
Jim McQuiston will speak about Scottish research. A membership meeting will follow.
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Judson House, Waterford
Weekends in October: Saturdays 6-9 and Sundays 6-8, and they begin behind the Judson House. Every 30 minutes a new walk begins. Cost is $5/Adult and $3/Child 2-12, under 2 Free. Refreshments are available.
Sponsored by the Fort LeBoeuf Historical Society
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The Little Church on the Hill, 10410 High St., Albion
Sat, October 11, 2pm-3pm (and 8pm-9pm on October 25)
The suggested donation is $3 per person, $5 for couples. RSVP required by 7 am the day of the tour by calling 814/323-0447.
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Sundays join Caroline Reichel for a 60 to 90 minute walking tour of the Erie Cemetery. Tours begin at 11:00am and 2:00pm at the cemetery’s main gate, 2116 Chestnut Street.
SUN Oct 12 “First Settlers”
SUN Oct 19 “Ghosts and Legends”
Cost is $10 per adult, $8 per child (12 and under).
Call Caroline at (814) 868-4423 or email caroline.reichel19@gmail.com for reservations.
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Edinboro Borough Hall Wed, October 15, 7pm – 9pm
Joy Estock will present an informative program regarding her ancestors who were part of Edinboro’s first pioneers.
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Sturgeon House, 4302 Avonia Road (Route 98) in Fairview. Wed, October 15, 7:30pm – 9:00pm
Every month the Fairview Area Historical Society hosts a guest speaker. For more information, contact the Society at (814) 474-5855 or email fahsmail3@gmail.com.
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The Little Church on the Hill, 16410 High Street, Albion, PA Sat, October 18, 7pm – 9pm
Are you interested in music, history, and fun? Then stop by The Little Church on the Hill’s monthly coffee house in Wellsburg, PA. The music begins at 7 pm and goes until 9 pm. There will be refreshments, door prizes, and a 50/50 raffle during intermission. All donations go towards the restoration and preservation of this 156 year old historic landmark. Bring friends and family for a night of music and fun. For additional information, contact the Elk Creek Historical Society at echistoricalsociety@gmail.com.
The next meeting of the Erie Society for Genealogical Research (ESGR) is this Tuesday April 8, 2014 at 7:00pm at the History Center on State Street.
Author ROXANNE HITCHCOCK, will speak about the history of the city directories. A membership meeting will follow. Doors open at 6:40 and will be locked at 7:10.
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Author KEN SPRINGIRTH will speak about his most recent book, Remembering the Pennsylvania Railroad, on Saturday, April 12th at 1:00pm at the Lincoln Branch of the Erie County Public Library at 1255 Manchester Road in Fairview.
Please call 451-7085 with any questions.
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The Fairview Area Historical Society will host its monthly public meeting on Wednesday, April 16, 7:30pm to 9:00pm at the Sturgeon House, 4302 Avonia Road (Route 98).
To learn about the speaker, and for more information, contact the Society at (814) 474-5855 or email fahsmail3@gmail
The next meeting of the Erie Society for Genealogical Research (ESGR) is this Tuesday March 11, 2014 at 7:00pm at the History Center on State Street.
We have a special guest speaker: JIM MCQUISTON, author and musician, will speak about Celtic roots. A membership meeting will follow. Doors open at 6:40 and will be locked at 7:10.
March is the ESGR’s membership renewal month. Send in your renewal payment to stay current! If you have an interest in Erie history or genealogy, and have been thinking about joining, now is a great time to visit! The genealogy society shares space with the Erie County Historical Society in their Library & Archives H. O. Hirt Reading Room at 419 State Street. An ESGR membership is $15 per year. As a member, you’ll receive the society’s quarterly bulletin, Keystone Kuzzins; you may place free genealogical queries in that bulletin; and, you have free access to research materials in the historical society’s library and archives. The fee for non-members to use the library and archives is $7 per visit.
If you’d like more information, call 814.454.1813 x29, email esgr@eriecountyhistory.org, or visit our website at http://erie.pa-roots.com
___________________________________________________________________________________Beer Night in Erie
The Erie County Historical Society and BrewErie are hosting an evening of local beer history at BrewErie at Union Station, 123 West 15th Street, Erie, this Wednesday, March 12th, 7:00pm – 9:00pm. The event will feature a special BrewErie pint of pre-prohibition era formula Koehler Beer, and appetizers. Guests will also have an opportunity to view Erie brewing archival images and items from ECHS collections. Advanced reservations are required for this event. Tickets are $25/person and participants must be at least 21 years old. Call for more details and ticket information. 454-1813×24
__________________________________________________________________________________How To Build Your Family Tree
Sat, March 15, 7pm–9pm at The Little Church on the Hill, 16410 High St., Albion
An evening of music, history, and fun. Refreshments, door prizes, 50/50 raffle. All donations will go toward the restoration and preservation of the 155 year old landmark. Contact the Elk Creek Historical Society at echistoricalsociety@gmail.com
Local events and other goings-on for genealogy and family history enthusiasts in Erie County, Pennsylvania
The Erie Society for Genealogical Research will hold its monthly meeting tonight, Tuesday May 14, 2013, at 7PM at the Erie History Center, 419 State Street Erie PA 16501. This month’s speaker is Jen Salem from TREC center, who will give a talk on native plants of Erie County and Presque Isle State Park; Doors open at 6:40 and close at 7:10. Call 454-1813 x29 for more information.
Harry T. Burleigh and the Lawrence Family to be Honored
A dedication ceremony of street markers acknowledging Harry T. Burleigh and the Lawrence family contributions to Erie and its History is scheduled for Thursday, May 16 at 10:00 a.m. at the Bagnoni Council Chamber at City Hall.
The Harry T. Burleigh Society will present a short program on the contributions of both families. Following the ceremony there will be a ribbon cutting ceremony at East 3rd Street from French to Holland Streets commemorating Harry T. Burleigh, and then at West Front Street from Sassafras to Myrtle Streets commemorating the Lawrence family. The ceremony is opened to the public.
Reservations are being taken for two Erie County Historical Society special events:
The Final Clue: a 1920s murder mystery. $300 for a team of 6. June 15th, 6-?
Potterpalooza, a week long children’s camp that celebrates the magical wonder of Harry Potter. Children will dress as their favorite Harry Potter character and enjoy activities such as Potions class, a planetarium show and Defense Against the Dark Arts! $160 per child, $145 for additional children. July 22nd and July 29th.
For more information, or to reserve a spot or purchase tickets to these events, contact the Erie County Historical Society at (814)454-1813.
The next meeting of the Erie Society for Genealogical Research (ESGR) is tomorrow, Tuesday March 12, 2013 at 7:00pm at the History Center on State Street.
We have a special guest speaker: Ed Bolla, who will speak about the role of Erie’s Shipbuilding in the War of 1812. A membership meeting will follow. Doors open at 6:40 and will be locked at 7:10.
March is the ESGR’s membership renewal month. Send in your renewal payment to stay current! If you have an interest in Erie history or genealogy, and have been thinking about joining, now is a great time to visit! The genealogy society shares space with the Erie County Historical Society in their Library & Archives H. O. Hirt Reading Room at 419 State Street. An ESGR membership is $15 per year. As a member, you’ll receive the society’s quarterly bulletin, Keystone Kuzzins; you may place free genealogical queries in that bulletin; and, you have free access to research materials in the historical society’s library and archives. The fee for non-members to use the library and archives is $7 per visit.
If you’d like more information, call 814.454.1813 x29, email esgr@eriecountyhistory.org, or visit our website at http://erie.pa-roots.com
The Erie Society for Genealogical Research and the Erie Public Library are sponsoring a Civil War talk on Saturday, April 21st, from 9:00 a.m. to Noon at the H.O. Hirt Auditorium at the Blasco Library. Renowned Civil War historian and author George Deutsch will speak about Erie County’s involvement in the war.
Deutsch, a graduate of Cathedral Prep and Mercyhurst College, was interviewed by the Erie-Times News on 11 April 2011, and that article is available online here. Deutsch teaches Civil War courses each year at the Chautauqua Institution and is co-author of “One of the Very Best Regiments,” a book about the 83rd Pennsylvania Infantry.
The talk is free and open to the public, so bring a friend! Not only will this be a great opportunity to hear an engaging, knowlegable speaker, but you will have the chance to mingle with other history buffs and Erie genealogists. Many of the ESGR officers will be on hand as well, so it will be a great opportunity for you to get a sense of what the Erie Society for Genealogical Research is all about!
I enjoyed tonight’s ESGR meeting. Tom’s talk was interesting – I especially liked the passing around of the marble shaped bullets and broken pieces of cannon mortar, which is really strange for me since I don’t generally like guns or anything remotely related to war. Brigadier General Strong Vincent’s story is compelling, and I found Tom’s version of it really engaging.
New president Lisa Stanton did a bang up job of running her first meeting, especially given the size of the crowd that turned out to hear the civil war talk! If you weren’t able to make it, you’ll be happy to know there’s still room for a couple more guests at the 40th anniversary dinner on August 21st, although we need to know ASAP if you’d like to attend. Also, plans for the May 19th fieldtrip to Cleveland to hear speaker Megan Smolenyak Smolenyak are coming together nicely. Contact the ESGR if you have questions about either event.
I spoke for a minute about the ESGR’s 1940 census indexing project. A few people have already signed up for indexing and have linked their accounts to the ESGR, but there’s still plenty of time to join us! Here is the link to the community indexing project where you can register for a free account and identify yourself as a member of the ESGR team: https://the1940census.com/society/ Thanks for helping!!! 17.7 million records have already been indexed but there are millions more to do!
Reminder that the Erie Society for Genealogical Research’s monthly membership meeting is tonight at the History Center at 7:00pm. In honor of the newly released census, tonight’s theme is the 1940s, and attendees are encouraged to come dressed in 1940 garb, or to bring clothing or other item you’d like to share or talk about. [I’m going to go out on a limb here and, on behalf of those of us who have always hated dress-up days, hope out loud that costumes are entirely optional 🙂 ]
Tonight’s speaker is Tom Hansen, a local Civil War Reenactor who will talk about Col./BG Vincent, the Civil War, and research of Civil War Veterans buried in Corry, PA.
The Erie Society for Genealogical Research is now registered as a participant in the community index project, and there are a couple training videos here which will help you if you haven’t indexed before or need help setting up an individual account.
There is a lot of helpful information on the 1940 Census website, or follow the steps below.
Download and install the free software program for indexing.
Register as an indexing volunteer and at the group prompt, select ESGR from the list of participating societies. By doing so, you will identify yourself as a member of our society, and the ESGR will earn credit for whatever you index.
If you had previously registered for an indexing account and now wish to associate it with ESGR’s project, let me know and I will help you make that change.
The release of the census is around the corner but, in the meantime, feel free to download the 1940 census simulation batch, or download and practise using a batch in the live record queue.
The first week of April will be insanely busy for me, but after that I was thinking it might be fun to get a few ESGR members together, at an Internet-friendly coffee shop perhaps, and do some indexing while sipping a cup of coffee (or three) and enjoying a nice chat! Comment here or email me privately if you think you might be interested and I’ll suggest some dates and times.
Thanks so much for volunteering to help!
