HILL
COUNTY GENEALOGICAL SOCIETY
The Hill County Genealogical
Society was formed in 1982 as an outgrowth of the county’s Historical
Commission in order to place greater emphasis on the furtherance of genealogy
in Hill County. We are a non-profit organization supported by memberships,
contributions and gifts.
Our
Purpose
Our purpose is to bring together
those persons interested in acquiring and disseminating genealogical
information. We strive to promote a greater interest in genealogy, genealogical
information and education. We assist individuals in searching for and compiling
family genealogies. We preserve and perpetuate records of our ancestors and the
founders of our county, state and union.
Meetings
Regularly scheduled meetings are held
each month at 6:30 P M, the second Monday of each month in Hillsboro at Hill
County Courthouse Annex, 126 South Covington, Hillsboro, Texas. On occasion,
they may be scheduled at other times or locations having significant historical
resources, such as Hill College, the Hillsboro City Library or the Cell Block
Museum. Meeting notices are published in the Hillsboro newspaper, The Reporter.
Just recently we have started posting notices on Internet America, which
is a local Internet server for Hill County, at http:\\www.hillsboro.net.
One-half of the Society’s members
reside in Hill or one of it’s surrounding counties. Of special note is the fact
that a great many members are knowledgeable descendents of early Hill County
settlers. Genealogical expertise varies, but help is always available to those
who ask.
Major
Activities
* Presenting regularly scheduled
monthly programs of genealogical and historical interests. Recent programs have
included such topics as: Resources in Texas Libraries and Archives, Hill County
Public School Records, Hill County History, Member Reports of Genealogical
Research, and Internet Sources for Genealogical Research. On occasion, special
workshops are conducted to provide specific training or information to
participants.
* We publish a quarterly
periodical, The Hill County Crossroads. Issues contain historical material
related to Hill county such as births, marriages, cemetery records, family
histories, land records, etc. Queries and responses from members and
non-members are often included. Contributions of appropriate material are
welcomed. Issues of “The Crossroads” are made available to members as a benefit
of membership, and copies are exchanged regularly with a number of other
genealogical societies.
* We maintain the Genealogical
Section of the Hillsboro City Library, where you may find family histories,
publications about Texas with emphasis on Hill County; quarterlies of other
genealogical societies, microfilms copies of historical newspapers and census.
Society volunteers make a significant contribution in this section of the
library.
* With a recently acquired grant
from the “George G. and Alva Hudson Smith Foundation”, we will be transferring
historical newspaper copy onto computer compact discs in order to provide
faster retrieval and improved archival storage capacity.
* We respond to selected queries
the Society receives concerning ancestors who may have lived in Hill County.
This activity provides a valuable opportunity to share knowledge of the Hill
County with others.
* We offer others a chance to
receive a “Hill County First Family Certificate” if they can provide us the
satisfactory proof they descended from at least one person who resided in Hill
County at any time during the period 1853-1903. Qualifying historical family
information submitted by applicants will be placed in the Hillsboro City
Library to be made available to future genealogical researchers. These records
will be locked up in file cabinet to protect the records of living
descendents. To obtain further information and to learn how to qualify, contact
the Society at:
Hill County Genealogical
Society
P O BOX 636
Hillsboro, TX. 76645