Ancestry After Hours: Ports of Entry

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Charting the Way - 6:00 p.m.

An introduction to the Genealogical Resources available in the Quincy area. Learn about the organizations’ missions, upcoming projects, and ways to get involved.

Great River Genealogical Society

Historical Society of Quincy and Adams County

Daughters of the American Revolution

Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints

Session I: 6:25 p.m.- 7:00 p.m.

A) Navigating your Past- Illinois Room

“Who Knows only his own Generation remains always a child” - George Norlin. Join Nancy Dolan as she explores the first steps you can take to uncovering your family history. She will provide a tour of the Illinois room and an introduction to the genealogical resources available at the Quincy Public Library. Recommended for beginners.

B) Packing Your Bags- Library Meeting Room

Learn how to make the dream of traveling to your homeland a reality. Iris Nelson, Reference Librarian at Quincy Public Library will outline what to do before traveling overseas; Lester Holtschlag and Mike Brinkman will share their experiences in international genealogy research. Mecki Kosin will offer tips on how to make your travel dreams a reality. Recommended for experienced genealogists.

Deutsch Festlichkeiten 7:00- 7:30

Enjoy traditional German Music compliments of Heidelberg German Band and tasty German fare. Sign up for the Grand Prize and meet with representatives from the local history groups in the Quincy Area.

Keynote Presentation: 7:30 p.m .

Introduction: Stories of the Gem City

Overview of the culture of one of Quincy’s most prominent homelands by local author and historian Kent Slack.

Cultural Journalism: Preserving our History and Culture presented by Ray Elliot

A society's culture is, in large part, defined by its stories. But there are many stories that remain undiscovered - the extraordinary stories of ordinary people. Join Ray Elliott as he discusses the process of preserving treasured stories and memories through oral history and personal memoir writing. Through firsthand experience, Ray will discuss techniques and processes to help garner those unique tales of individual people, how to retain voice, how to structure the interview process, and much more. This program is partially funded by an award from the Illinois Humanities Council, the National Endowment for the Humanities, and the Illinois General Assembly.