In lieu of the autumn 2020 Virtual Genealogy Fair that could not be held due to the COVID-19 pandemic, we are pleased to offer a new Genealogy Series! Instead of a single-day event, the program sessions will be broadcast individually during May and June. You are invited to watch and participate in real time with the presenters and family historians from around the world on YouTube.
Over the two months, the sessions will offer family history research tools on federal records for all skill levels. The May sessions are broad and will appeal to the beginner and beyond. The June sessions are focused on specific topics and may be better suited for the experienced researcher. All are welcome! Session descriptions, videos, handouts, and participation instructions are below.
"To commemorate Florida's Territorial Bicentennial and Escambia County's 200th Anniversary the UWF Archaeology Institute and St. Michael's Cemetery Foundation have partnered to create an interactive tour of the cemetery. The project is titled They're Still Here: The People of 1821. The story map includes a "walking tour" that can be taken from the comfort of home or on a mobile device on site at the cemetery. The tour features more than 60 surviving gravesites of the people who were in Pensacola in 1821. It's located at bit.ly/1821TourSMC."
May 2, 2021
By: Erin Renfroe
Bicentenniel Event Schedule Released
The Escambia County 200th Anniversary Commission has released a preliminary schedule of events around the bicentenniel. Check out the article here.
And if you haven't signed up to represent an 1821 West Florida resident, get moving! pco.la/1821
May 1, 2021
By: Erin Renfroe
Bringing Home the 92nd
From the Facebook page: Do you have ancestors or other relatives who served as Buffalo Soldiers? The Defense POW/MIA Accounting Agency is trying to identify the remains of soldiers from the 92nd Infantry Division, and you may have the DNA to help. Click here for more.
April 15, 2021
By: Erin Renfroe
Free Birth Records on MyHeritage 4/18-24
MyHeritage is offering free access to their birth records collection from April 18 through the 24th, 2021. Happy hunting!
I've used it myself, and while I like that you don't have to leave the page that has all of your information on it to get to the hint, there are definitely drawbacks. I'm curious to see what response Ancestry gets.
April 9, 2021
By: Erin Renfroe
National Archives: Facial Hair Fridays
As it's currently Friday (whee!) I thought I'd share this humorous-yet-educational feature from the National Archives blog "Pieces of History," featuring items in the National Archives collection. This week highlights Walt Whitman; another entry from March 5 discusses women who posed as men in the U.S. Civil War.
Nice to know our national historians have a sense of whimsy.
From the Facebook page: Legacy Family Tree is offering 32 (!) free webinars in April. They cover researching in the U.S. and Europe, finding your Cherokee ancestry, reporting and sharing your findings, and so much more. Check out the list, and register for the ones you're interested in. They're at all times of the day or night, but they usually leave them up for a few days free after the live presentation. Click here for more information.
April 1, 2021
By: Erin Renfroe
FPAN Events for April
5
April
Archaeology Arcade: Nancy Drew Legend of the Crystal Skull 12:30pm CT
Watch live via our Twitch Channel
8
April
Ancient Fermentation: The Archaeology of Beer, Wine, and Fermented Foods A "Zoom into Archaeology" Presentation
3:30-4:30pm CT Register online to attend
8
April
Virtual Cemetery Resource Protection Training (CRPT) Workshop Hosted by FPAN Northeast Region
8:00am-12:00pm CT Register online to attend
13
April
The Spanish Citizenry of Pensacola during the Last Decades of Colonial Rule in West Florida, 1783-1821 Hosted by the Pensacola Archaeological Society
7:00pm CT Register online to attend
17
April
Weekend Virtual Cemetery Resource Protection Training (CRPT) Workshop Hosted by FPAN Northeast Region
8:00am-12:00pm CT Register online to attend
22
April
Underwater Archaeology Topic TBA A "Zoom into Archaeology" Presentation
3:30-4:30pm CT
Virtual Heritage Monitoring Scouts Florida Workshop Hosted by FPAN Northeast Region
9:00-11:00am CT Register online to attend
March 24, 2021
By: Erin Renfroe
Library Access Extended
From the Facebook page: The West Florida Public Library and ProQuest have extended access to Ancestry Library Edition at home through June 30th. Log in to the WFPL website using your library card number or username/password. The link to TEMPORARY ACCESS can be found under the library menu: Resources/Research. (At the time of this post the link under Resources/Genealogy wasn't working for us, but the issue has been reported.)
