Come Grow Your Family Tree: Roots & Records at Marshall Public Library

One thing I get to do every month that never gets old: gather with our Roots & Records crew and dig into family history together.

If you haven't joined us yet, here's the rundown. Roots & Records is our monthly genealogy club at Marshall Public Library — second Wednesday of the month, 10:30 to noon. Whether you're just starting to poke around your family tree or you've been at this for decades, it's a welcoming place to learn, share, and get unstuck. Every session gives you access to Ancestry Library Edition and FamilySearch.org right there in the library, tips for research, unique local resources you won't stumble onto anywhere else, and help working through brick walls — bring your toughest research problem and let's take a crack at it together as a group.

This Month: Mapping Your Family History

Last week's session was all about maps — historic territory and county maps, land patent and land office records, township-and-range surveys, plat maps, the whole toolkit for figuring out not just who your ancestors were, but where they actually lived. Old maps can pinpoint a vanished homestead, trace a migration route, or turn up a neighbor's name that cracks open a whole new research thread. It's one of my favorite topics to teach because the "aha" moments happen fast once people see their family's land on paper for the first time.

Looking Ahead

Here's what's coming up on the Roots & Records calendar:

• September 9 — Special guest Brian Murphy, Clark County Historical Society Board Member, shares the story of researching his own grandfather — proof that curiosity, persistence, and a willingness to look past the obvious records can uncover some remarkable family stories.
• October 14 — Newspapers: More Than Just Obituaries. We'll dig into wedding announcements, social columns, legal notices, school news, and all the everyday community stories that add color to a family history.
• November — No meeting this month; the library will be closed in observance of Veterans Day.
• December 9 — Holiday Traditions. Bring a favorite family recipe, a treasured ornament, a holiday photo, or a cherished memory as we close out the year celebrating the traditions that connect generations.

We also had a wonderful session back in July with Edie Breneman, President of the Clark County Historical Society, who shared insights from her 40 years as a genealogist — if you missed it, you missed a good one.

Join Us

Roots & Records meets the second Wednesday of every month, 10:30 AM to 12:00 PM, at Marshall Public Library, 612 Archer Avenue, Marshall, IL. No registration required, no experience necessary — just curiosity about where you came from. Questions? Reach out to me directly at jpoorman@marshallplib.com.

Yours in Grit and Grace, Jamie