On Saturday, April 27, 2024, the Fenton’s third Chautauqua Regional Genealogical Conference was held at the Fluvanna Community Church. This was our third conference, previously holding our first in 2019 and second in 2022 (after COVID-19 delays).
Janet Wahlberg, President of the Board of Trustees at the Fenton, kicked off the event with a welcome address and then introduced our keynote speaker, Caleb Abrams who gave the keynote address and showed a preview of a documentary he is working on entitled The Burning of My Coldspring Home.
Caleb is an Onöndowa’ga:’ (Seneca) filmmaker and multimedia artist from Brantford, Ontario, and Buffalo, New York, who utilizes his works to challenge settler-colonial narratives and highlight Indigenous truths and connections. With a diverse approach encompassing documentary, magical realism, and surrealist video art, he not only writes, directs, and produces his own films but also collaborates with various media and cultural organizations.
We had 16 unique classes covering a large range of topics for genealogy researchers both new and experienced: Genealogy for Beginners, Genealogical Information Found in Town and Village Record, Immigration, Ways to Publish Your Genealogy Research, Genealogical Resources at the Chautauqua County Historical Society, Genetic Genealogy: Exploring the Value of DNA in Uncovering Your Ancestry, Cool Tools for Genealogy, African American Genealogy, Genealogy Organized: Strategies for Streamlining Your Research, Ancestry.com for Beginners, Anatomy of a U.S. Military Pension File: Revolutionary War through the Civil War, “Read All About It” New York Historic Newspapers, FamilySearch, Ancestry.com for Intermediates, Now Where on Earth Did I find That? Cite Your Sources!, All the Negatives and Positives of Preserving Historic Family Photos.
We had several instructors, some teaching one class and others two classes: Vince Courtney. Tom Goodwill, Michelle Henry, Rhonda Hoffman, Andrew Kolstee, Tina Scott, Ashley Senske, Janet Wahlberg, and Heidi Ziemer.
In addition, we had a History Fair with several area organizations having tables: Bemus Point Historical Society, Carroll Historical Society, Chautauqua County Genealogical Society, Chautauqua Town Historical Society, Clymer Historical Society, Concord Historical Society, Daughters of the American Revolution, Daughters of the War of 1812, Dunkirk Historical Society, Fenton History Center, Jamestown Coin Club Jamestown Trolley Car Restoration Project, Memorial Photography, Prendergast Library, Real Life Legacies, Sherman Historical Society, Vets Finding Vets at the Fenton History Center, and the Western New York Library Resources Council.
We also had a basket raffle and gave away several prizes!
We also want to thank our volunteers not yet mentioned: Barb Cessna, Cindy Dustin, Jack Ericson, Sharon Matson, Cindy Rodgers, Gene and Loretta Smith, and Matt Tsitso.
Special thanks to our sponsors: the Jean Vanderwark Stowell Olson Genealogy Research & Education Fund, Rodgers Land Surveying, and MediaOne/WJTN!
