Digging into family history has gotten to be the hobby of choice for many people. Tools to help us learn about our ancestors are more comprehensive and easier-to-access than ever before. The East Tennessee History Center is offering a series of workshops this fall to help you navigate the resources available.
*Note: Some workshops require registration
Anne Bloomquist lectures
1 p.m., Saturday, September 16, 2023
Computer classroom, Calvin M. McClung Historical Collection (third floor)
Instructor: Ann Blomquist, Editor, Tennessee Ancestors, East Tennessee Historical Society
Participants in this session will explore advanced techniques for genealogical research with a special focus on primary sources. Participants should have already completed some family research, including census and internet work; please bring this research to the session.
7 p.m., Tuesday, September 19, 2023
Virtual Visit to The Genealogy Center at Allen County Public Library*
Zoom
Instructor: Allison DePrey Singleton, Genealogy Services Manager, The Genealogy Center, Allen County Public Library
The Genealogy Center at Allen County Public Library in Indiana is one of the largest research collections available, incorporating records from around the world. In this session, participants will hear from Allison DePrey Singleton, who will not only give a virtual overview of The Genealogy Center’s holdings but also answer participants’ questions as to how The Genealogy Center can advance their research.
Knox County Public Library is inviting you to a scheduled Zoom meeting.
Topic: Virtual Visit to The Genealogy Center at Allen County Public Library
Time: Sep 19, 2023 07 p.m. Eastern Time (US and Canada)
Join Zoom Meeting
https://us06web.zoom.us/j/87396740951?pwd=ZkphR2FwT0YxWVRJYkcrR0hYNSsrUT09
Meeting ID: 873 9674 0951
Passcode: ETHC
Noon, Thursday, September 28, 2023
Families of the Fork: Early Knox County Surnames
Auditorium, East Tennessee History Center (first floor)
Instructor: Jan Loveday Dickens, president of Historic Ramsey House and author of “Forgotten in the Fork”
European immigrants who settled in the Fork – the land between Holston and French Broad rivers – were among Knox County’s earliest residents. Dickens will share accounts about these families and their connections.
1 p.m., Saturday, October 7, 2023
Genealogy and Maps: Where They Intersect*
Computer classroom, Calvin M. McClung Historical Collection (third floor)
Instructor: Ann Blomquist, Editor, Tennessee Ancestors, East Tennessee Historical Society
Participants will learn about various maps for use in researching their family history. Subjects covered will include maps in books, printed maps and online maps; how to understand public land deeds and metes-and-bounds deeds; migration maps; and maps in the Calvin M. McClung Historical Collection. Participants should bring information about their families.
7 p.m., Tuesday, October 10, 2023
Now In Session: School Records*
Zoom
Panelists: Ken Easterly, records supervisor, Knox County Records Management
Eric Head, Knox County archivist, Knox County Archives, Knox County Public Library
William Isom, executive director, Black in Appalachia
School records are often overlooked as sources for genealogical and historical investigation, but the information they contain can be vital to advancing your research. Join a panel of specialists who care for and work with school records to see what this record group may hold for your investigation of the past.
Knox County Public Library is inviting you to a scheduled Zoom meeting.
Topic: Now In Session: School Records
Time: Oct 17, 2023 07 p.m. Eastern Time (US and Canada)
Join Zoom Meeting
https://us06web.zoom.us/j/81962600678?pwd=dnNoeEJIeVJjUnlQY24wOWVIZThOdz09
Meeting ID: 819 6260 0678
Passcode: ETHC
Eric Head leads a tour of the archives at the East Tennessee History Center.
2 p.m., Friday, October 13, 2023
Introduction to the East Tennessee History Center
Main lobby, East Tennessee History Center (first floor)
Tour guides: Various team members
Would you like to better familiarize yourself with the historical resources that the East Tennessee History Center has to offer? This walking tour introduces participants to the Museum of East Tennessee History, Knox County Archives, the Calvin M. McClung Historical Collection, and the Tennessee Archive of Moving Image & Sound and how each department can be used to advance your historical and genealogical research.
1 p.m., Thursday, October 19
Searching Historic Newspapers Online*
Computer classroom, Calvin M. McClung Historical Collection (third floor)
Instructor: Eric Head, Knox County archivist, Knox County Archives, Knox County Public Library
Historic newspapers are secondary sources that can provide genealogical, biographical and historical information. Participants in this session will discover techniques for searching digitized newspapers online, including repositories on Chronicling America and Newspapers.com. The session will focus on Tennessee newspapers.
Noon, Tuesday, October 24
Auditorium, East Tennessee History Center (first floor)
Presenters: Various team members
While team members at the East Tennessee History Center are processing and preserving historical collections, they often uncover unique, fascinating stories from the region’s past. In this PechaKucha-esque program, you will hear from several of ETHC’s team members as they share their recent research into some obscure but remarkably interesting subjects.
2 p.m., Friday, November 3, 2023
Introduction to the East Tennessee History Center
Main lobby, East Tennessee History Center (first floor)
Tour guides: Various team members
Would you like to better familiarize yourself with the historical resources that the East Tennessee History Center has to offer? This walking tour introduces participants to the Museum of East Tennessee History, Knox County Archives, the Calvin M. McClung Historical Collection, and the Tennessee Archive of Moving Image & Sound and how each department can be used to advance your historical and genealogical research.
Noon, Monday, November 6
Auditorium, East Tennessee History Center (first floor)
Instructor: Anita Finger-Smith, CEO, Cherokee Genealogy Services
Are you trying to separate fact from fiction in oral histories of Cherokee ancestry? Is your goal to verify family tradition of a Cherokee ancestor? Join Anita Finger-Smith, CEO of Cherokee Genealogy Services, a business licensed by the Eastern Band of the Cherokee Indians, as she explains the appropriate federal, state and tribal records available to document a tribal connection and the eligibility criteria for tribal membership. This lecture will simplify the complex concepts of Cherokee genealogy.
Noon, Monday, November 13, 2023
Interpreting Your Ancestor’s Military Service Records
Auditorium, East Tennessee History Center (first floor)
Instructor: Myers Brown, executive director, Belmont Mansion
Service records, pension records, battle records and regimental histories can provide an overwhelming amount of information about your ancestor. But what information is important to interpreting where and in what capacity your ancestor served? Join Myers Brown, author of “Tennessee’s Union Cavalrymen” and “Tennessee’s Confederates,” as he explains the valuable role military service records play in genealogical and historical research.
Mary Pom Claiborne is assistant director for marketing, communications and development for Knox County Public Library