Sessions at Federation of Genealogical Societies 2011 Conference about In The Heartland on Saturday 10th September

The entire city burned in 1871, but many records survived to aid your search for Chicago ancestors. Learn which records survived, and methods of getting around the fire.

Natural resources, transportation and technology shaped the settlement of migrating Americans and immigrants in the Midwest. Learn how the pivotal role of Chicago as the Midwest developed, from Cincinnati on the Ohio to the Bonanza farms of Dakota

Aimed at researchers whose ancestral trails extend to and from Michigan, this session will explore migration patterns into the state and provide an overview of the rich genealogical resources available in print and online.

Abraham Lincoln was born in one state (Kentucky), raised in second (Indiana) and spent his adult years in a third (Illinois). Using vital records, census, deeds, tombstones and first-hand accounts, we'll follow Abe's family from the East Coast to Springfield.

Sponsored by New York Genealogical and Biographical Society

In terms of research opportunities, the Midwest is the land of opportunity! This presentation will be a mini tour of some of the best places to find your family records. Not only will you learn what some of the greatest libraries, archives and other institutions have to offer online, but you'll better understand the benefits of a personal visit.

Puzzled by the inexplicable move your great-grandfather Jake from Hattiesburg, MS, to St. Louis, MO, in the 1880s? Possibly solve that mystery by exploring African American migrations large and small, along with many of the factors that spurred movement.