The Public Library of Cincinnati and Hamilton County is bringing an internationally known writer and speaker to the Downtown Main Library for a free event as part of Family History Month in October. The Genealogy & Local History Department is presenting a Family History Fair 10 a.m.-3 p.m. Saturday, Oct. 5, at the Downtown Main Library.
This year’s featured guest genealogist is Sunny Jane Morton. Morton is the co-author of the new book How to Find Your Family History in U.S. Church Records. She is a contributing editor at Family Tree Magazine, editor of Ohio Genealogy News, and a blogger at FamilySearch, the world’s biggest free genealogy website. Attendees can hear Morton present two lectures plus get free help researching family history. This event is co-sponsored by the Hamilton County Genealogical Society.
The full day’s schedule is as follows: U.S. relatives
11 a.m.—Reconstruct Your Ancestors’ Neighborhood: Five Powerful Sources for Local History
Many of our U.S. relatives lived in cities and towns. Local records offer insight into the daily lives of these residents. See powerful and creative examples for using city directories, urban and suburban maps, local histories, newspapers, business records and images to reconstruct your ancestors’ stories.
Noon to 2 p.m. —Free consultations with the experts
Receive free consultations with regional experts representing more than 20 Greater Cincinnati organizations. No appointment necessary.
2 p.m.—They Survived the Johnstown Flood: How to Reconstruct Your Ancestors’ Amazing Stories
A heroic rescue, a love story, and a 30-foot wall of water: those are some of the experiences that happened to the ancestors of Sunny Jane Morton during the Great Johnstown Flood of 1889. Come learn how to reconstruct fascinating experiences from your own family history by combining clues from your family’s knowledge. Learn how to use documents from genealogy websites, good historical research, and Google search techniques to fill in the gaps — all while learning the riveting story of one of the worst disasters in U.S. history.
For more information about the Family History Fair, call 513-369-6909. For events happening at branches, go to CincinnatiLibrary.evanced.info/Signup/List. Access the Library’s online genealogical resources at https://cinlib.org/2lYDgFv.
