Illinois summer quarterly

The summer issue of the Illinois State Genealogical Society Quarterly would be thin indeed without three very different contributions from DuPage County genealogist Oriene Morrow Springstroh. (ISGSQ has a new editorial team that's looking for contributions and feedback.)

But before we get to that, I've been delinquent in mentioning ISGS's 40th anniversary conference 18 October 2008 in Elgin (PDF) which among other things will include Beau Sharbrough on Footnote.com, Loretto Szucs on the "surprising benefits" of urban research, Susan Anderson of FamilySearch on their multiple new projects, and D. Joshua Taylor of NEHGS on technology and colonial sources.

ISGSQ Summer Issue 2008:

"Isaac Morrow -- A Civil War Soldier from Henry County, Illinois," by Oriene Morrow Springstroh. A well-documented tale, warts and all.

"Faces from the Past: Identifying Photos with Marge Rice," reprinted from Dead Fred.

"1925-1925 City Directory of Westmont, DuPage County, Illinois," extracted by Oriene Morrow Springstroh. This is not the DuPage County we know today: "Andy did what many new arrivals to town did. He put up a tent for his family, then built a shack to shelter them over the winter until he could build a real home."

"'Mike's Index' Continues to Gain Respect from Researchers," reprinted from ISGS's online March-April newsletter (PDF). A supplement and companion to PERSI covering 243 periodicals. (The selection of periodicals indexed is impressive but unfortunately omits what may be the best local Illinois quarterly, from downstate St. Clair County.)

"Ask the Retoucher!" by Eric Curtis M. Basir -- regular column, expert counsel on photo preservation and restoration.

"Confessions of a Lazy Genealogist," by Oriene Morrow Springstroh, with an example of "mining for ancestors": "While you reacquaint yourself with your documents, notice whether other names are mentioned besides those of your people," and make them known. Her example is ideal: a Civil War pension file.

Illinois Genealogy, 40 years of history

The Illinois State Genealogical Society is 40 years old, and this spring's quarterly celebrates by including a number of vintage articles and a portrait of founding president (and new member of the National Genealogical Society hall of fame) Lowell Volkel on the cover:

"Illinois State Genealogical Society Capsule History 1968-1983," from 1983

"Address by Theodore Cassady, Assistant Archivist, State of Illinois," from 1969

"Land Records in the Illinois State Archives," from 1969

"Early Illinois Immigrants," from 1969

"Illinois Historical Records Survey," from 1969

"Early Cemeteries in Chicago," from 1969

"A Short History of Revolutionary War Pension Resolutions," from 1969

Current articles:

"Finding Your Ancestors in History" by Margaret Kapustiak

"The Digital Revolution in Genealogical Research: What's Coming from Family Search, Part 2," by Susan A. Anderson

"Ask the Retoucher!" by Eric Curtis M. Basir

ISGS's 40th anniversary conference will be 18 October 2008 at Elgin Community College in Elgin, Kane County.