![[HCGS Seal]](./HCGSseal.gif) |
143 North Main Street, Bel Air, MD 21014 |
HaCoGenSoc Est. 1979 |
Members should refer to the current newletter for the most accurate information.
Identifying And Preserving Family Photos:
We will briefly discuss the history of photography and its impact on our ancestors' lives. We will identify clues to name that ancestor through costume, photographer, and photograph type. We will cover preservation and identification of old photos in our possession and briefly discuss publication of our family photos.
Men of the Same Name: Which John Smith Is My John Smith?
Case studies designed to help the researcher sort out different men of the same name in the same area and time.
Admission: HCGS members - FREE; Non-members - $20; Students (with school ID) - $10. Seating is limited. Bring your own brown-bag.
Light refreshments and drinks provided. Program: A docent will guide us through the museum's galleries, supplementing exhibit materials with
anecdotes. Many of the guides are carvers, hunters, founders of the museum, and life-long residents of Havre de
Grace who treat visitors to colorful glimpses into the history of decoys and waterfowl hunting in the Upper
Chesapeake Region, along with the families involved.
The Decoy Museum's collection consists of approximately 2,700 objects with nearly three-quarters of its collection
on display to the public in three galleries. The majority of these objects are wooden decoys, but the collection also
includes decorative carvings, boats, guns, textiles, books, documents, and photographs.
The first exhibit “What is a Decoy?” tells the story of an American folk art tradition, recounts how talented men
carve “floating sculpture”, and contains examples of what made Havre de Grace the “Decoy Capital of the World.”
The "Gunning the Flats" is the second exhibit. It explores the history of water-fowling on the Susquehanna Flats.
By the nineteenth century, sportsmen from all over the world were coming to pursue canvasback ducks, and many
Havre de Grace citizens supported their families by hosting visitors and hunting waterfowl to be sold to Baltimore
and Philadelphia restaurants.
The museum's third permanent exhibition, "Honoring the Masters," presents these carvers and their masterpieces.
The Melvin A. Conrad Library is one of the nation's finest repositories for
information on decoy carving, decoy carvers, hunting, water-fowling, wetlands
ecology, guns, and birds. The library holds over 600 volumes, plus some
archival material. The library's resources may accessed by appointment. On
another visit, consider using the card catalog to identify items that at will
enhance your family stories.
The tour also provides us an opportunity to become familiar with many of the
surnames associated with water-fowling in the Upper Chesapeake Region.
Some of these well-known Harford, Cecil, and Baltimore County surnames
include: Birdsall, Breese, Bryan, Collins, Currier, Dye, Gibson, Holly,
Joiner, Lawson, Litzenberg, McGaw, McKinney, Merredith, Michael,
Mitchell, Moltz, Pierce, Sampson, Veasey, and Ward.
Registration: by eMail to [email protected] or USPS by June 14.
Fee: FREE for Society members. Non-members are welcome to tour with our group, size permitting,
but the museum's normal admission fees ($6 or $5) ) apply.
Directions: In southeast Havre de Grace, between Tydings Park and the Concord Point Lighthouse.
An overview resources at the DAR Library and Seimes Microfilm Center plus
what is available on-line from the comforts of home.
The Library organization will include book call system, catalog,
Genealogical Records Committee Index, and available on-line databases.
The Seimes microfilm collection description will include access to DAR
applications and proof documents.
Our
November speaker, Bernie Bodt, has been collecting tokens, labels,
pictures and information about the Harford County canning industry since
the 1950s. His parents, and paternal and maternal (Magness)
grandparents were all involved in Harford's canning industry. As a
youngster, he was given tokens from their canning houses that he used as
his "play money". Bernie's research has found 700 canning houses in the
county. In 2009 Bernie produced a canning house map for the Historical
Society of Harford County.
2011
marks the 150th anniversary of the start of the American Civial War.
Our September program will be a panel discussion by descendants of some
of the county's oldest surnames. Inspired by Cornelia Nixon's book Jarrettsville, we will discuss the family and community divisions happening in the county at this time. Please see our flyer for additional information.
Guest
Speaker: Walter Holloway. Walter has been photographing and preserving
the history of the Maryland & Pennsylvania (aka MA & PA)
Railroad for many years, and descends from four generations of
railroaders. One of his recent efforts was the assembling of a large
historical map poster of railroad tracks and stations in the county.
Another of his projects has been researching and compiling the history
of the MA & PA Railroad for the HSHC. The Maryland and Pennsylvania
Railroad was established in 1901 by the merging of the Baltimore and
Lehigh Railway with the York Southern. The railroad traced a meandering
seventy-seven mile route across the rolling Maryland hills from
Baltimore through Towson, Bel Air, Whiteford, then on to York, two
cities only forty-five highway miles apart. The loss of a U.S. Mail
contract and the encroachment of the automobile doomed passenger service
in 1953, followed by freight operation from Whiteford south in 1958. As
Walter’s research progresses, he continues to gather vignettes of the
people and families who made this railroad their occupation, source of
income, passion, and way of life for 57 years. Walter has been gathering
stories about the employees that made the railroads operate. Surnames:
Holloway (no surprises here), Jones, Emrine, Ramsey, Smith, and
McConkey. Please join us for an enlightening afternoon, and possibly a
clue or bit of information about one of your ancestors.
The
Stump-Archer (or Carter-Archer, or Rock Run) Mansion in Susquehanna
State Park near Havre de Grace, is the site of our Society’s annual
off-site picnic. This portion of the Park, is known as Rock Run Historic
Area.
Meeting
from 2:00-3:45 PM. Library, Family History, Archives and Court Records
will all be open without charge and staffed with knowledgeable
personnel. Your specific written objectives will be a help to the
experts, as well as you. After a brief orientation and hightlights of
collections added over the past year, everyone will be free to ask for
help and start searching. Be sure to visit the Historical Society PastPerfect On-Line Electronic Catalog BEFORE coming -- it may save you valuable time.
Mills
have long been a popular topic for historians to research and write
about. With Broad Creek and Deer Creek running through it, Harford
County has a rich mill history and there have been several books
published on the subject. In 2009, the Historical Society of Harford
County undertook a project to map the old land marks in the area:
schools, canneries, general store-post offices, and mills. Our Novemeber
speaker, Robert ''Bob'' Marks and his wife Patricia, took on the mills
project. They soon discovered that the number of mills of all type in
the county numbered in the hundreds and they decided to limit the scope
of their project to grist mills, the type of mill most often thought of.
Bob will discuss the milling industry in Harford County, and when
possible, the millers whose name were often attached to the structure.
The result of Bob & Patricia's efforts is the Harford County Mill
Seats Map available for purchase at the Historical Society of Harford County.
Our speaker is James “Jim” E. Pickard, retired Harford County teacher, and Quaker Historian.
Henry
Peden and Christopher Smithson will discuss their research project that
led to the production of a data CD containing the
descendants of the 34 signers of the 22-March-1775 Bush Declaration. The
declaration took place in Harford Town (near MD 7 and Abingon
Roads), the first County Seat, and was the first Declation of
Independence adopted by an organized group of men duly elected by the
people.
CDs will be availble for purchase.
OFFSITE
Meeting with lunch starting at 2:00 pm in the Old Brick Baptist Church.
The program consists of a docent-guided tour of Old Brick
Baptist Church, followed by a brief tour of the Jarrettsville United
Methodist Church sanctuary, then an indoor luncheon at Jarrettsville
UMC.
Reservation form for a box lunch order and directions is available here.
Meeting
starts at 2:00 pm at HSHC HQ. Every Historical Society department
will be open at the same time, without charge, and staffed
with a knowledgeable Historical Society volunteer. Your specific
written research objectives will be a big help to the experts, as well
as you.
After a brief orientation with highlights of collections added over the
past two years, everyone will be free to ask for help, ask questions,
or start searching.
Our
guest speaker, Reginald Bishop, will discuss early Black communites and
institutions in Harford County and his personal family research.
Our
guest speaker, Father Michael Roach, will discuss the availability and
use of Roman Catholic Church records in your genealogy research.
Craig Scott, of Heritage Books in
Westminster, MD, will be our SPECIAL GUEST SPEAKER to celebrate the 30th
anniversary of the Soceity.
Heritge Books is one of the county's largest genealogical publishers.
Mr. Scott is recognized as an expert in militray records.
Please join us for this special occasion with our special guest.
The Society's annual BOX LUNCH picnic at an OFFSITE location. Be sure to complete and mail the
reservation form to be RECEIVED NO LATER THAN 8-May!
Our speakers, members of our own society,
Richard Appel and Douglas Washburn, will demonstrate using Maryland’s
Digital Image Reference System for Land Survey, Subdivision, and
Condominium Plats to obtain diagrams of land parcels.
The Digital Image Retrieval System for
Land Records is hosted by the State of Maryland. As a follow-up to the
Genealogy Feature article in our July Newsletter, Doug Washburn will be
demonstrating how to navigate this system with a live online search for
information contained in Harford County deeds that mention his
ancestors.
Our speaker, Ms. Mary O. Klein, has been
the Archivist for the Diocese of Maryland since 2002. Her background is
in history and archives work, having earned both her B.A and M.A. from
Salisbury University. Her talk will introduce us to the location,
operations, and collections of the Maryland Diocesan Archives. These
archives hold the official records, manuscripts, and related materials
from 1676, concerning the Church of England in colonial Maryland and its
successor since the Revolution, the Episcopal Church in Maryland.
Our speaker Roland Beckman will discuss
the History and Families of the area starting in 1805 with the house and
gristmill that Elijah Stansbury built on more than 200 acres. Some of
the family surnames associated with the mill include Eden, Stansbury,
Anderson, Smith, Mays, McFadden, Vaughn, and Webb.
Our speaker, Mrs. Judy Rogers will present to us an
introduction and demonstration of the PastPerfect™ Museum Software being
implemented by the Historical Society of Harford County. This software
allows users to search consolidated indexes of the Historical Society
from a single query screen. Thumbnail images of archived material are
also available for many entries.
Ms. Wanda Barnes Hall, Assistant Archivist at Lovely
Lane Museum and Archives, will present a program dealing with Methodist
Church related Archives and Research Services available at the Lovely
Lane Museum in Baltimore City, Maryland
"Cedar Hill Cemetery Revealed" by Gary Wasielewski
Cedar Hill is the original municipal cemetery for
Havre de Grace, which was long ago abandoned. It is on Elizabeth Street
in the northern part of Havre de Grace. Gary, as a history teacher,
made a study of the cemetery - finding and photographing the few stones
that were left and researching the stories of some buried there.
Application
Info
Pubs
Newsletters
Society
Resources
Harford
County
Resources
Resources
in our
Special Pubs
"
Unless otherwise noted, membership meetings are held in
The Historical Society of Harford County, 143 N. Main St., Bel Air, Harford County, Maryland.
143 N. Main St., Bel Air, MD 21014
"2014 Genealogical Seminar"
Our major program for 2014 will be a multi-session Genealogical Seminar.
Our guest speaker is a well-known genealogist from the Maryland area,
Rebecca Whitman Koford.
(Click on the speakers name for additional information)
TOPICS:
Vital Records:
Births, Marriages, Deaths and Alternative Sources for Vital Information.
Are you new to genealogy? Only used the internet? Let us open your eyes to the value of birth, marriage, and death records available in the 19th and 20th centuries.
08:30 - 08:45 Late Registration
08:45 - 09:00 Introductions / Welcome
09:00 - 09:45 Vital Records: Births, Marriages, Deaths and Alternative Sources for Vital Information
09:45 - 10:00 Q & A / break
10:00 - 10:45 Identifying And Preserving Family Photos
10:45 - 11:00 Q & A / break
11:00 - 11:45 Men of the Same Name: Which John Smith Is My John Smith?
11:45 - 12:00 Q & A
12:00 - 12:45 Lunch
12:45 - 03:15 Research time. HSHC staff will be on-hand so you can apply the techniques Rebecca has talked about.
03:15 - 03:30 Thanks & survey
REGISTRATION FORM in PDF format here!
215 Giles St., Havre de Grace, MD 21078
"Havre de Grace Decoy Museum"
Time: 01:45 P.M.
143 N. Main St., Bel Air, MD 21014
"Genealogical Seminar"
Our major program for 2013 will be a multi-session Genealogical Seminar. Our guest speakers will be two well-known genealogists from the Maryland area.
Our speaker in the morning will be
Rebecca Whitman Koford
and in the afternoon
Julia Coldren-Walker.
Click on the speakers name for additional information.
Admission: HCGS members - FREE; Non-members - $20; Students (with school ID) - $10. Seating is limited. Bring your own brown-bag.
Light refreshments and drinks provided.
09:00 - 09:15 Late Registration
09:15 - 09:30 Introductions / Welcome
09:30 - 10:30 Researching Your War of 1812 Ancestors and the Preserve the Pension Project (Koford)
10:30 - 10:45 break
10:45 - 11:45 Grandmother, Where Art Thou (Koford)
11:45 - 12:45 Lunch
12:45 - 01:45 You Better Watch Out: Errors Omissions & Fraud (Coldren-Walker)
01:45 - 02:00 Break
02:00 - 03:00 Newspaper Research on the Internet (Coldren-Walker)
03:00 - 03:15 Thanks
New members special ... join for 2014 and get members admission (free!) to this 2013 event.
143 N. Main St, Bel Air, MD 21014
"Hereditary Fair"
On Saturday, 18-May-2013, we will host a FREE Hereditary Fair from (tentatively) 1:00-4:00 P.M. at the Historical Society
of Harford County. The following organizations have indicated that their personnel will staff tables to provide visitors
with handouts and information, and answer questions:
Daughters of the American Revolution (DAR)
Sons of the American Revolution (SAR)
Children of the American Revolution (CAR)
The Hereditary Order of the Signers of the Bush Declaration
General Society of the War of 1812
Colonial Dames of America
The Historical Society of Harford County [the host location]
The Harford County Genealogical Society [the host organization]
National Society Daughters of the Union
Upper Shore Genealogical Society of Maryland
Maryland Genealogical Society (MGS)
Mid-Atlantic Germanic Society (MAGS)
Each organization will have the opportunity to present a brief program on how it supports and contributes to genealogical research.
Come find others that share your roots!
143 N. Main St., Bel Air, MD 21014
Election
Election of officers and board members; research day at HSHC.
143 N. Main St., Bel Air, MD 21014
"Internet Reserch"
Ann Winkler of HCPL will show us the current best use of the internet for genealogical research.
143 N. Main St, Bel Air, MD 21014
“Researching Harford Countains”
The speaker will be Jon Harlan Livezey, one of the founders and a past president of the Society. His topic will be "Researching Harford Countians". Jon will cover backgrounds of people of the county, and the use and availability of the most pertinent records for researching them. This should be a good refresher for experienced genealogists and a primer for those new to the ranks.
Jon is a well known researcher in the county and has authored several publications, most recently the Society's Special Publication No. 44 "Harford County Land Records JLG (A: 1777-1778)". Please join us for an informative talk by one of the Society's most experienced researchers."
* * * Grace U.M.C., 110 W. Bel Air Ave, Aberdeen, MD 21001 * * *
“The churches and families that made the Grace U.M.C.”
Our guest speaker will be Joe Swisher, the church historian. Please join us for his presentation on the many Aberdeen area Methodist churches that contributed five cornerstones to become the Grace U.M.C. with roots as far back as 1765.
Joe will also talk about the five Baker brothers that were the church leaders in the early 1900s. A recently completed 200+ year history, with numerous surnames in it, will be available in exchange for a donation.
An optional box lunch can be pre-purchased, and will be served after the program. If you would like to have a box lunch prepared by the Jarrettsville Creamery & Deli, please complete this order form and send along with your check. Note that orders received after Tuesday May 8 may not be honored.
143 N. Main St, Bel Air, MD 21014
“Researching at the DAR Library: There and From Home”
Our speaker JULIA COLDREN-WALKER began her personal genealogical
research began in 1967 with sporadic activity until
1987 when it became continuous. She began using the internet for
genealogical research in 1990 with CompuServe’s Genealogy Forum.
Attended NGS, FGS, & New England Regional Genealogy Conferences.
Served as Registrar for Toaping Castle Chapter, NSDAR.
Began genealogical lecturing in 1999. Lectured at the Baltimore Stake
(Essex) Family History Conference every year since 2000.
143 N. Main St, Bel Air, MD 21014
“HARFORD COUNTY CANNERIES AND ASSOCIATED FAMILIES”
*** BETHEL PRESBYTERIAN CHURCH ***
4135 Norrisville Road, White Hall, Maryland 21161
1/4 miles west of Madonna (MD 146 & MD 23)
“HARFORD COUNTY AT THE TIME OF THE CIVIL WAR”
143 N. Main St, Bel Air, MD 21014
“A RAILROAD FROM BALTIMORE TO YORK.”
Stump-Archer Mansion Tour & Annual Picnic
Susquehanna State Park, 4387 Rock Run Rd, Havre de Grace, MD
Originally, this area was known as the “Land of Promise” a large land
grant, belonging to Jacob Giles. John Stump of Stafford bought about 250
acres of this property for his business endeavors. In the 18th century,
it became a thriving hamlet with a shipping and trading company, whose
ships the Swallow and the Elk traveled back and forth to the West
Indies. It also had flint mills, fisheries, a gristmill, and a bridge
tollhouse. Still standing, and in working order, is the large gristmill
built in 1793 (the mill will not be open at this time).
Our
guide will be Mrs. Yvonne Pons, an Archer family decendant. Please join
us for an historical look into the families of the area.
143 N. Main St, Bel Air, MD 21014
Research Day at the Historical Society
143 N. Main St, Bel Air, MD 21014
Harford County Grist Mills and Millers
143 N. Main St, Bel Air, MD 21014
Records of the Quaker Church
See our flyer with details here.
143 N. Main St, Bel Air, MD 21014
Descendants of the Signers of the Bush Declaration
south of 1804 Baldwin Mill Rd, Forest Hill, MD
The History and Families of Old Brick Church
143 N. Main St., Bel Air, MD
*** Research Day ***
143 N. Main St., Bel Air, MD
Free Persons of Color in Harford County.
*** NOTE THE DATE IS THE 4th SUNDAY, NOT THE NORMAL 3rd ***
143 N. Main St., Bel Air, MD
A Group That Flees From the Light: Catholics in the Upper Chesapeake
19-Jul-2009
143 N. Main St., Bel Air, MD
Using military records in your family genealogy.
Many of the Society's Chater Members will
be attending. Help us honor those that started our Society 30 years
ago.
1 St. Marys Church Rd, Abingdon, MD 21009
The families and history of St Mary’s Episcopal Church
143 N. Main St., Bel Air, MD
Plats using Maryland’s Digital Imaging System
143 N. Main St., Bel Air, MD
Digital Image Retrieval System for Land Records
143 N. Main St., Bel Air, MD
Records of the Episcopal church
The Maryland Diocesan Archives contains a
vast collection of materials. The collections are strongest in the
period 1730 to 1900. Materials covering the entire state and District of
Columbia include official records, correspondence, minutes, and other
records of the Diocese of Maryland and its bishops, clergy, churches,
institutions, and organizations. These records are augmented by colonial
manuscripts, many colonial and later sermons, parish histories,
registers of closed churches, biographical writings, family papers,
educational materials, and memorabilia. The archival and manuscript
collections are supported by a library of selected books, periodicals,
newspapers,maps, and photographs.
1617 Eden Mill Road, Pylesville, MD 21132
Annual Picnic at Eden Mill Park
Recently Roland spoke about the Museum at
the Jarrettsville Branch, Harford CountyPublic Library. He is extremely
knowledgeable about Eden Mill, its families, history, and operations, as
well as an entertaining and educational speaker. On June 7th Eden Mill
Nature Center & Historic Mill Museum celebrated recent improvements
and the addition of 60 acres to the park with a rededication and open
house. Completed renovations include the installation of heating and air
conditioning, as well as new windows and doors. A whole new energy
boost has been given to the Eden Mill site and its programs.
Using PastPerfect™ at the Historical Society of Harford County
Her talk will introduce us to features and contents of
this new electronic catalog that will eventually replace existing card
catalogs. After laying this groundwork, Judy will teach our group how
we can search the HSHC collections using PastPerfect™ especially for
items pertaining to genealogy.
Mrs. Rogers is the PastPerfect Team leader at
Historical Society of Harford County, and is presently coordinating
efforts of converting the HSHC print index to an electronic index as
well as collecting and entering different databases that have been
compiled by many of the volunteers of the HSHC.
Judy comes to the HSHC well prepared for this task.
She has taught in the Harford County Public School system for 34 years,
the last 24 as a media specialist. During her tenure as a media
specialist, she supervised computer networks that included research and
circulation software, where she was responsible for converting tens of
thousands of items, both book & audiovisual items, from a card
catalog system to an electronic database. She also trained others in
the use of this software.
Methodist Records at Loverly Lane
Michael Pierce & James McConnell will present their program titled 'Digging up your ancestors from the land (records).'
They will show you where to look, and explain the work
they have done to map the 900 early land patents in Harford County and
help you put it all into context. These maps are a starting point to
expedite your own detailed search.
Jim McConnell is a retired engineer, who lives in St
Michaels. He has been researching his family history, beginning in
Canada, New England, and South Carolina. This work has produced articles
for the South Carolina Historical Society and South Carolina Magazine
of Ancestral Research. Land records and mapping have been a major part
of his research.
Mike Pierce lives in Kingsville, and he has been
interested in mapping since an early age. He has spent the past 30 years
tracing his family in Canada, New England, and Germany. He has mapped
pre-1900 land deeds in Jerusalem Mills and Bel Air, and about 2 years
ago, began mapping all of the early Harford County area land patents.
The two met through the Internet and began
collaborating to complete their Harford County, MD effort. They are now
working
on publishing it.
"DNA Genealogy and You - Unraveling the Mystery", by Sharon Swope
"Annual Picnic"
"The Lively World of the Deceased" by Patricia Fagan Tress
Her primary task is to investigate, mediate, and
resolve consumer complaints. She is also inventorying cemeteries
throughout the State and handling an increasing number of calls
regarding abandoned and/or neglected cemeteries.
Of special interest are the techniques used to
research locations and trusteeship of older cemeteries. This program
promises to be a rewarding opportunity, for genealogists who like to
explore cemeteries and cemetery records.
"Old Surveys, Old Surveying Techniques and Old Deeds" by Everette C. Smith
Everette Smith is a civil engineer,
surveyor, and professional genealogist with interest in tracking old
land grants and surveys. He is also an accomplished information
technology specialist, systems analyst and corporate consultant. His
presentation promises a lively discussion.