Train Day for Me Today - and a MAJOR Genealogy Event for Your Consideration

Amtrak's LakeShore Limited

I spent a good part of the day traveling via Amtrak, down and back up the Hudson River corridor between Albany (Rensselaer, actually) and Manhattan. The reason? One of the periodic meetings of the New York Genealogical and Biographical Society’s (AKA the NY G&B) Education and Publication Committee, of which I’m  a member.  At these meetings, committee members get to assist the G&B staff in planning the educational program offerings for the coming months.

Today, we discussed some exciting program plans for 2011 and beyond.  But that’s still a long way off.  The year’s not over yet, and there are still some great opportunities available to hone your research skills before 2010 comes to a screeching close and tumbles into 2011.

Here’s a major NY G&B “coming event” for your consideration:

Saturday, November 6:  As part of the NY G&B’s educational program offerings, internationally known author and genealogist John Colletta, PhD., author of “They Came In Ships”, “Only a Few Bones” and “Finding Italian Roots” will come up from Washington DC and present four lectures at the New York Public Library’s Stephen A. Schwarzman Building, Fifth Avenue at 42nd Street, New York, NY.  As part of his day-long “Beyond the Basics” program, Dr. Colletta will talk about (1.) Passenger Arrival Records – Advanced Problem Solving; (2.)  Naturalization Records – Advanced Problem Solving; (3.) Turning Biographical Facts Into Real Life Events: How To Build Historical Context and (4.) Breaking Through Brick Walls: Use Your HEAD.

This is shaping up to be one of the most exciting programs we’ve had in quite some time, so don’t miss out.  While November 6th may be just around the corner, there’s still time to sign up.

For more information, visit the NY G& B website here.

(HINT: I’ve never talked to ANYONE who was disappointed by John Colletta’s talks. He’s both highly entertaining and highly informative, qualities you don’t often find together in the same speaker.  Bottom-line: John knows his stuff and knows how to present it so you’ll understand it and remember it. At the end of the day, you’ll likely wonder where the time went AND you’ll be itching to start on all the great tips and pointers you’ll have picked up.)

There are some other great NY G& B programs also on the horizon for the coming weeks.  There’s a talk on squeezing more facts from census records right before Halloween and then a talk about urban genealogical research closer to Thanksgiving. Both are at the New York Public Library and are part of the joint NY G&B/ NYPL lecture series.  Then there’s the Greenwood Cemetery walking tour in late October … I could go on and on, but you can check it all out for yourself on the New York Family History School’s website here. 

Click on “Programs” on the homepage and knock yourself out.  Plan to stay awhile on the site.

That’s it for tonight, folks; after spending six hours of my day on Amtrak, I am reminded – sadly – that the United States of America is just about the only civilized/industrialized/first world nation that has effectively abandoned its passenger rail system to the wolves.