GENEALOGY Augusta seminar nears

“Give Your Family Tree a Harder Shake” is the theme of the Augusta Genealogical Society’s annual Homecoming Genealogy Seminar, to be held from 8 a.m. to 4 p.m. Aug. 18 at the Augusta-Richmond County Public Library, 823 Telfair St., Augusta.

Pat Kruger of Charleston will speak on using archival records. Susan Sloan will have two sessions: using the genealogical proof standard of indirect evidence to prove your case, and using pre1850 censuses and other records. Don Rhodes, local reporter and author, will address tracking obscure Augustans who once were famous. Nancy Lindroth of AGS, whose topic will be the use of maps.

On Aug. 17, before the seminar, several local repositories will be open for research: the society’s Adamson Library, Augusta State University’s Reese Library Special Collections and the Burke Coun- ty Archives in nearby Waynesboro. The Augusta public library is in a new facility with its own genealogy room that also can be visited.

Cost of the seminar is $35 for members, $40 for nonmembers by Aug. 10. Send a check to AGS Homecoming, P.O. Box 3743, Augusta, GA 309143743. Check their website at www.augustagen society.org for an online registration form and further information. The society’s library number is 706-722-4073.

Redneck Riviera

Hardy Jackson, formerly with Clayton State University, will speak about his new book, “The Rise and Decline of the Redneck Riviera: An Insider’s History of the Florida-Alabama Coast,” at the Georgia Archives Lunch and Learn Seminar at noon Aug. 10. There also will be a sale and signing of this new volume from the University of Georgia Press.

Since leaving Georgia, Jackson has been a professor of history at Jacksonville State University in Alabama.

The event is free; bring your own lunch. For further information call 678-364-3730 or check www.georgiaarchives.org.

1940 census index

The 1940 census was made available online in April but had no index, making it somewhat tedious to find people.

Now two genealogical organizations have announced free indexes are available for many states, with others coming soon.

Familysearch.org has completed 29 states and Ancestry.com has completed 33 states and the District of Columbia. On the homepage of each site you can easily link to the census indexing project and check the state you are interested in.

Georgia is not yet done, but other Southern states that have been are Alabama, Florida, Louisiana, Mississippi, Tennessee and Virginia.