The 2024 Genealogy Jam brought together more than 40 participants on October 12, with 20
joining virtually and others gathering at the SCGS Family Research Library in Burbank. Our hybrid format worked well, creating an engaging atmosphere where attendees could connect and share ideas over lunch while exploring our theme, "Discovering Our Southwest Heritage."
Our Speakers Share Rich Research Information
Genealogist Sara Cochran opened with valuable insights about the National Archives in Riverside, California, revealing lesser-known resources beyond the usual land and military records. Her highlights included unexpected finds in Forest Service records, Farmers Home
Administration documents and Department of Veterans Affairs materials–resources
that researchers often overlook.
Lisa Medina provided essential context about Alta California's history, emphasizing how
understanding historical jurisdictions leads researchers to the right repositories. She
introduced us to the Santa Barbara Mission Archive-Library's rich collection of mission
and parish records, and highlighted the Early California Population Project database,
which covers California mission registers from 1769 to 1850.
Clockwise, upper left: Attendees at the conference, Sara Cochran, Debbie Gurtler, Peggy Clemens Lauritzen, our advertisement, Jamie Lee Mayhew, Lisa Medina.
Debbie Gurtler, Assistant Director of the FamilySearch Library, shared practical search
techniques for the FamilySearch catalog system. She explained the distinction between
the old catalog (frozen in September 2022) and the new one, offering useful tips like
searching with Spanish keywords such as "Alta California." Her detailed walkthrough of
the Early California Population Project database demonstrated its value for research
into California missions, Native Californians, and Pobladores through 1850.
Jamie Mayhew clarified the complexities of the U.S. Bureau of Land Management
records and 19th-century land acts. Her explanation of the township and range survey
system was particularly helpful, as was her guidance on using FamilySearch's full-
text search to locate unindexed land deeds.
Peggy Clemens Lauritzen concluded the day with the compelling story of the Ship
Brooklyn. She traced the journey of passengers who sailed 24,000 miles from New York
City to California in 1846, facing considerable hardships along the way. These pioneers
became influential figures in California's development as farmers, educators, builders,
legislators, and newspaper publishers. Her research, primarily drawn from the Church
History Biographical Database, provided a fitting end to our day of discovery.
The conference revealed numerous valuable resources for those researching
Southwest ancestry, particularly for vital records, church records, and land records from
the 19th and early 20th centuries. Many of these resources might have remained
undiscovered without the specific guidance our speakers provided about regional
repositories.
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