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FREE through November 30, 2009.

Happy Thanksgiving!

The Birmingham African American Genealogy Study Group (BAAGSG), a special interest group of the Birmingham Genealogical Society, meets the second Sunday of each month (ex. May and November) in the Arrington Auditorium at the Downtown Birmingham Public Library. Guests are welcome!

Next meeting: Sunday, December 13, 2009, 3 p.m.

Guest Speaker: John F. Baker Jr., author of The Washingtons of Wessyngton Plantation

Program Topic: How to Use Research & DNA to Unravel Your Family History

Details: Josephine Martin (205-901-6387) or contact us via e-mail

Genealogy Expert John F. Baker Jr., author of The Washingtons of Wessyngton Plantation, unravels YOUR FAMILY history. In seventh grade Baker discovered the story of his ancestors by accident when he saw a photograph of four former slaves in social studies book. Now for more than thirty years, he has been using his vast knowledge and research techniques to conduct seminars, workshops, and presentations around the country to teach others how to unravel their family histories.

Archives Department Closed to Public November 30-December 11

The Birmingham Genealogical Society meets the fourth Saturday of each month (ex. Nov. & Dec.) in the Arrington Auditorium at the Downtown Birmingham Public Library. Guests are always welcome!

Next meeting: Saturday, October 24th at 2 p.m.; Refreshments at 1:30 p.m.

Program Topic: The 43rd Annual October Project Fair

Details: www.birminghamgenealogy.org or BPL-Southern History Dept. at (205) 226-3665

It’s time for the 43rd Annual October Project Fair and you are invited! It’s time to plan for your exhibit – some ideas to consider for an exhibit are old family photos, clothing worn by an ancestor, family histories, articles owned by an ancestor or articles made by an ancestor. You may begin setting up your display at 1:00 p.m. You must be a BGS member to enter your project. We will also have a used book and magazine sale! Ribbons will be awarded to the top three entries!

The Birmingham Genealogical Society meets the fourth Saturday of each month (excluding Nov. & Dec.) in the Arrington Auditorium at the Downtown Birmingham Public Library. Guests are encouraged to attend!

Next meeting: Saturday, September 26th at 2 p.m. Refreshments at 1:30 p.m.

Speaker: Mary Taylor, BGS 1st Vice-President

Program Topic: The Family of Thomas T. Hillman

Details: Contact us via email or BPL-Southern History Dept. at (205) 226-3665

Thomas T. Hillman was president of the Tennessee, Coal, Iron & Railroad Company. He  made a donation equivocal to $20,000 in the early years of what later became “Hillman Hospital” (now part of UAB) which allowed the hospital to remain open.  Read more about Hillman Hospital, TCI & see a photo of Thomas T. Hillman in the Encyclopedia of Alabama online.

(From Jason Kirby, BGS Board Member and Southern History Staff Member)

Renovations have been completed and the crosswalk that connects the Birmingham Public Library East Building to the Linn-Henley Research Library is now open.

Hurray!

Mary Cochran, long time member and supporter of BGS, turned 100 last weekend. Many relatives and friends helped Mary celebrate the big day. Locally, she is known as the “Historian of Pinson”.

The front page of the Friday edition of “The Pinson News” carried her photo and an article about her birthday celebration. The article indicates that photos and video from the party with later be placed on the website in the “PinsonTV” section.

Click here to see the front page (subscribers can enlarge the image).

Click here to go to the “PinsonTV” portion of the website.

Happy Birthday, Mary!  All of your friends at BGS wish you many, many more.

The wait is finally over! The Alabama Archives has now added the remaining names (surnames beginning with W, X, Y & Z) to the Civil War Soldier Index.

From the website:

This database was created from an 8 x 5 card file maintained by the Alabama Department of Archives and History from the early 1900s until 1982. As staff came across information related to Alabama individuals during the American Civil War, a card was created. Information on individuals exempted from military service, or who served in the militia or home guard, is included. Soldiers from other states that have some connection to Alabama are also included. If new information was discovered from another source, another card was created. Multiple cards for an individual often exist. Sources include muster rolls, governors’ correspondence, veterans’ censuses, manuscript collections, newspapers, and pension records. Names, places and events are often inconsistently spelled. This card file is in no way inclusive. Not every individual who served from Alabama is present in the card file. Every card contains empty fields. Because much of the documentation relating to the Army of Tennessee was lost, soldiers that served in that army tend to be poorly documented. The cards are arranged alphabetically by last name. Since all of this information is available online, the actual cards are closed.

You can search the complete database here.

Happy searching!

The Birmingham Genealogical Society meets the fourth Saturday of each month (excluding Nov. & Dec.) in the Arrington Auditorium at the Downtown Birmingham Public Library. Guests are encouraged to attend!

Next meeting: Saturday, August 22nd at 2 p.m. Refreshments at 1:30 p.m.

Speaker: Bill Clement

Program Topic: Revolutionary War Battle of King’s Mountain

Details: Contact us via email or BPL-Southern History Dept. at (205) 226-3665

Did you know that nearly half the men who fought at the Battle of King’s Mountain were Tennessee “Overmountain Men?” That the Battle of King’s Mountain is credited with having turned the tide of the Revolution? That without King’s Mountain, America might have had only ten colonies? That the battle was not Americans against the British, but Americans against Americans? That the American Whigs bested the American Tories in only one hour, took over 800 prisoners and then proceded to “lose” them? Or that hundreds of Whigs “deserted” right along with the hundreds of Tories they “lost?” The Battle of King’s Mountain is unique in America’s history: This battle—fought by 1,000 plus militiamen—without orders, formal military training, uniforms or provisions, and with no promise of pay—against the supposedly “superior forces” of noted English Col. Patrick Ferguson—is credited by most early historians with having changed the course of the Revolution in the South, and may have even insured that the original number of colonies in these United States of America would be thirteen, not ten.

Please join us as Bill Clement, a member and Director of the Birmingham Genealogical Society and a member of the Sons of the American Revolution, Birmingham Chapter, answers these questions and discusses this historic event!