THE GENEALOGICAL FORUM’s Thursday Evening E-News Edition April 4, 2019

Curious about the status of your GFO Membership? We’d love to have you as a GFO Member!

For more information visit www.gfo.org. Contact us at info@gfo.org or 503-963-1932. Be sure to check the complete GFO CALENDAR. Also, don’t miss the current issue of The Forum Insider

GFO’s Spring Seminar is Around the Corner – April 27th & 28th

You’ve seen him on TV tracking the ancestors of Oprah and Smokey Robinson. Now come learn from Tony Burroughs in person! He’s a master of research methods anyone can employ, and the founder of the founder and CEO of the Center for Black Genealogy. The Skanner interviewed Tony this week and has just published a story. This is a two-day event. Register for one or both days. We have cut our usual seminar price in half for this event, thanks to generous support from The Skanner Foundation. Saturday, April 27th, 10 a.m. – 4:30 p.m. Center for Self Enhancement (SEI) 3920 N. Kerby Avenue Portland, Oregon Venue Location Topics: * The Six Phases of African American Genealogy * Black Biographies, Autobiographies and Family Histories * From Census to Slavery * Mixing Online & Offline Resources Sunday, April 28th, 9:30 a.m. – noon Genealogical Forum of Oregon 2505 SE 11th Avenue #B-18 Portland, Oregon Venue Location Topics: * Farmers, Tenant Farmers, and Share Croppers * Forty Acres and A Mule: Hidden Land Records in the National Archives

Register Now

Tell Us What Helped You the Most at GFO’s Open House!

We were completely blown away by how many of you were able to join us for the Genealogical Forum of Oregon’s annual Open House. We met a lot of new faces, and we’re glad more people are learning we’re here. This year’s Open House set records for us. We’ve never had so many people visit in one week. Attendance was double last year! Please let us know what was your favorite classes were and what topics you’d like to see in the future.

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GFO’s Book of the Week: Bloody Breathitt

The Hatfields and the McCoys may be remembered as America’s most famous feud, “but it was relatively brief and subdued compared to the violence in Breathitt County, Kentucky.” T.R.C. Hutton explores the politically motivated murders from the Civil War though the Progressive Era in “Bloody Breathitt – Politics and Violence in the Appalachian South.” We have a surplus copy of this book available in our bookstore. It’s brand new, superb condition and hard cover. Price: $36. Contact booksales@gfo.org if you’d like to buy it.

French Canada Special Interest Group Schedule Change for April

The French Canada group will meet a week early this month! Please join us on Sunday, April 14th at 3:30 p.m. since Easter is on the third Sunday of April this year (which is our usual meeting time). The topic is “Our Gateway Ancestors to New France and Acadia.” We will discuss ancestors who came into Montreal, Quebec, Acadia (now greater Nova Scotia) and if known elsewhere: how and why they came, their stories, our common ancestors, and more. Thanks, Bob LaMarche FrCan@gfo.org

Lost and Found: Left Behind at the Open House

Did you leave a bright pink Columbia jacket with a purple interior behind during the Open House last Tuesday, March 26th? We had classes that day about Evernote, Religious Radicals, Ancestry.com and Online Family Trees that day. Call in, name the size, and we’ll set it aside for you. 503-963-1932.

Where Should I Park for the GFO?

We know parking can be a hassle. (Welcome to Portland.) Here are your best options when coming to the GFO: A new lot has opened so we have three paid lots very close. Two are on 10th Avenue: At Division and ¼ block north of Division. These are all-day lots. These may be best for you. Park. Relax. Learn without worrying about expiring parking. The third is right behind our building off 11th ave. This allows 3-hour Maximum parking. You cannot return and feed the meter and stay longer. City Center Parking does not disclose how long you can park until you see the digital entry screen on the payment machine. They patrol and tow from those lots at all hours. Be careful to read the instructions. If you find a spot on the street, read signs carefully about maximum times allowed. WARNING: A number of spots on Division right next to the Ford Building become instant tow-away zones at 4pm during rush hour. If you have a disabled permit, you may park for an unlimited amount of time in any legal parking space marked 1 hour or more. (But towing restrictions apply at rush hour.) On Sunday only any legal street spot is not subject to any time limits.

This week at GFO …

SATURDAY, April 6th Virginia Group 10 a.m. – noon Join the Virginia Interest Group the first Saturday of each month (September-June) from 10:00 am – Noon. For more information see our blog: “Virginia Roots and Vines.” This month: The first of a two-part series on North Carolina. This session will focus on the history and settlement of North Carolina, beginning with the early explorers. Like Virginia, the geography of North Carolina influenced how the colony was settled. We will discuss the peoples who migrated into the colony: Moravians, Quakers, Germans, Scots, etc., why they were there and where they settled. Many of us whose ancestors were from these areas have a family story of a “Cherokee princess in our lineage so a discussion of the local Native Americans is also included. As time allows, there will be some discussion of specific records for these various groups. You can reach this group’s leaders, Judi Scott and Carol Currency, at Virginia@gfo.org. German Group 1 – 3 p.m. This month: The Presenter / der Moderator : Lew Exner The Topics / die Themen: 1) An hour airier video of the state of Bavaria (Bayern), and 2) Bring a research problem and see if we can all help. The German Interest Group was formed in the spring of 2011. It is intended to be a source of information and inspiration for anyone with German speaking ancestors. One goal is to provide information on a variety of topics related to Germanic history and migration. We also will provide time for members to share their research journeys and connect with others who may be researching the same region or time period. SATURDAY, April 7th Manuscripts Work Party 9 a.m. – noon Explore our manuscript, personal papers and Bible collection while we organize, scan and create finding aids. Drop by at the time that works for you. Questions? Send a note to manuscripts@gfo.org if you have questions! WEDNESDAY, April 10th PMUG College 6 – 8 p.m. Portland Mac Users Group College: 10 crucial questions about the Mac High Sierra and Mojave operating systems. Free for all GFO and PMUG members. For more information, visit their website.