Dig into the past at September events

The Georgia Genealogical Society’s fall education series will focus on tips for researching and will be held at the downtown Gainesville library.

The two-lecture event, offered in person and virtually, is scheduled for Sept. 17 at the library at 127 Main Street.

At 11 a.m., Larry W. Thomas will present “How not to do genealogy: A Look at common mistakes beginners and some experienced genealogists make in conducting their research.” After a lunch break, the meeting resumes at 1:30 p.m. with Maggie Thomas. Her talk will be on the “Ins and Outs of Research: Navigating the Sybil Wood McRay Genealogy & Local History Collection in the renovated Gainesville library.”

After the talks, attendees can research on their own in the collection until the library closes at 5 p.m. The cost for the event is $12 for members and nonmembers. To register and for meeting information, go to the society’s website, gagensociety.org. If snail mailing, the deadline is Friday.

If you plan to pay using PayPal, the deadline is Sept. 14.

This should be a good event. Those who attend in person will be able to check out a great genealogy collection in a renovated space. And it was well worth visiting even before the renovation. The collection holds more than Georgia material. I’ve found great Maryland and Virginia clues there.

Friends’ annual meeting

The Friends of Georgia Archives and History is holding its annual meeting in person from 10 a.m. until noon Sept. 17 at the Georgia Archives. After a short business meeting and light refreshments, Michael Gagnon, professor at Gwinnett College, will speak on “Gwinnett County, Georgia, and the Transformation of the American South, 1818-2018 (UGA Press, 2022).”

He was editor of the newly released book. He will discuss how the book came about, the selection of authors who wrote the various chapters and how it sets the mark for future county histories.

The event is free and will be available to view later online via the Georgia Archives website/ YouTube channel. For more information, email fogah2004@yahoo.com, or check out FOGAH’s Facebook page, or fogah. org.

Lunch and Learn on Friday

The Georgia Archives’ next Lunch and Learn lecture will be Friday. Check GeorgiaArchives.org for details.