The Genealogical Forum of Oregon (GFO) hosts its annual Virtual Open House

The Genealogical Forum of Oregon (GFO) hosts its annual Virtual Open House offering 23 free presentations March 26-April 2. Last year, attendees filled more than 2,000 virtual seats at our Open House.

Whether you want to understand that genetics test you just mailed away, or want to learn how to build your family tree, the GFO has something for everyone. This year includes presentations focusing specifically on African American, Canadian, Irish, German, Latino, Polish, and British heritages.

Equally important, our classes teach you how to pursue your family history, wherever your family’s past takes you, using the most modern software, tools, and methods. This year’s special topics include:

    A full day of DNA classes for beginners.
    Getting Help Solving Tough Research Problems.
    Online Newspapers.
    How and Why to Record Your Oldest Relative’s Life Story
    The Modern U.S. Census including the nearly released 1950 census.

There is no fee, but pre-registration is required for each session. Find out more at https://gfo.org/openhouse

About Us

The Genealogical Forum of Oregon, Inc. is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization, located at 2505 S.E. 11th Avenue, Portland. GFO is an independent, all-volunteer organization operating the largest genealogical library in the Pacific Northwest. GFO holdings include an expansive collection of resources to assist anyone interested in pursuing their family history, irrespective of the location. Although the physical library is currently closed to the public due to the pandemic, online classes and meetings have continued virtually. GFO researchers also respond to email and phone queries about genealogy and history. You can learn more about the GFO’s mission and activities, along with our publications and resources at https://gfo.org/.

2505 SE 11th Avenue, Suite B-18, Portland, Oregon 97202-1061 · gfo.org · 503-963-1932 · info@gfo.org

Genealogy library hosts talk on early Chinese women in Oregon

Dec29 by Charles Hansen

Genealogy library hosts talk on early Chinese women in Oregon

The Genealogical Forum of Oregon, a local genealogical library, is hosting a free talk focused on the lives of the first groups of Chinese women to immigrate to Oregon. This virtual event will occur at 2:30 pm Saturday, January 15; pre-registration is required.

Archaeologists and authors Dr. Chuimei Ho and Dr. Bennet Bronson will present an illustrated lecture at the GFO’s monthly GenTalk on the topic of “Merchants’ Wives, Prostitutes and Identities In Between: Early Chinese Women in Portland.”

Dr. Chuimei Ho was born in Hong Kong and received her Ph.D. in art history and archaeology from the University of London in 1984. She arrived in the U.S. in 1987 and served as adjunct curator at the Field Museum from 1989 to 2006. In 2001 she became a founder and first president of the Chinese American Museum of Chicago, and in 2008 she founded the Chinese in Northwest America Research Committee (CINARC) with Bennet Bronson.

Dr. Bennet Bronson received his Ph.D. from the University of Pennsylvania in 1976. He was Curator of Asian Archaeology and Ethnology at Chicago’s Field Museum from 1971 to 2008, has done archaeological work in Guatemala, Thailand, Indonesia, and Sri Lanka, and has published two books with Chuimei Ho; Splendors of the Forbidden City, Coming Home in Gold Brocade: Chinese in Early Northwest America, and Three Chinese Temples in California.

GenTalks are monthly presentations on a wide variety of topics of genealogical interest currently provided via Zoom and always available to the public for free. If interested, sign up ahead of time at gfo.org/gentalk.

The GFO appreciates any publicity for its events. A graphic, suitable for use on a FB page, is attached.

About Us
The Genealogical Forum of Oregon is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization, located at 2505 S.E. 11^th Avenue, Portland. As a secular, all-volunteer organization, we operate the largest genealogical library in the Pacific Northwest. GFO holdings include an expansive collection of resources to assist anyone interested in pursuing their own family’s genealogy, irrespective of the location. Although the physical library is currently closed to the public due to the pandemic, online talks and classes have continued virtually. GFO researchers also respond to the members and the public’s emailed queries about genealogy and history. You can learn more about GFO’s mission, activities, along with our publications and resources at https://gfo.org/.

Genealogical Forum of Oregon Online Indexing Party

Oct15 by Charles Hansen

Help Index Oregon Marriage Records

You are cordially invited to an online “wedding” recaption – and indexing party!

On Tuesday, Nov. 30, the Genealogical Forum of Oregon is sponsoring an online event to index Multnomah County marriage records from 1917-1924.

Way back in 1981, the GFO acquired the county’s original marriage register books for 1885-1924. Over four decades, dedicated volunteers have indexed the registers to 1916. But we get many requests in the “missing” years, so it’s time to finish the job!

These records have proven to be an invaluable source for Oregon and Southern Washington researchers.

For the first time, GFO is trying out our annual volunteer work party as a one-day, interactive event entirely online. You can join the fun for the whole day or even just an hour. You do not need to be a member, just willing to dedicate a little time to support genealogy. For more information and to RSVP, please visit http://gfo.org/givingtuesday.

Portland Genealogy Library Awarded Federal Grant

Aug24 by Charles Hansen

August 24, 2021

For Immediate Release

Portland Genealogy Library Awarded Federal Grant

(Portland, Oregon, 08/24/2021) — The Genealogical Forum of Oregon has received a $1,400 federal American Rescue Plan Act grant for digitizing our holdings. The money will permit the purchase of a much-needed scanner that can be used by our trained volunteers. Records will then be made available to members at home via the GFO website. Prior to the pandemic, digitization was done on a modest basis, mainly to protect our periodicals. Patrons only had access to the digitized images onsite at our library.

In the past year, due to the pandemic, a team of dedicated volunteers moved more than 150 annual classes online and has transferred more than 334,000 pages of records onto the GFO’s website. This grant will increase that effort.

The GFO received the grant in a highly competitive process; less than a third of the total funding requested was approved. Grants were made possible thanks to the American Rescue Plan Act of 2021, and provided by the federal Institute of Museum and Library Services, through the Library Services and Technology Act. The grants application process was administered by the State Library of Oregon.

The federal funds were included in the American Rescue Plan Act to help libraries, museums, and related nonprofits promote digital inclusion and connectivity, address needs arising from the COVID-19 pandemic, and support efforts to provide equitable service to communities.

GFO Vice President Susie Chodorow, who secured the grant, says, “The majority of our members identify as 65 years and older. Many are living with disabilities, especially mobility concerns. It’s imperative that we continue to offer online services. This grant will help us work towards our goal of making our collections accessible online as quickly as possible for use by our members.”

We greatly appreciate Congress’s support of the American Rescue Plan Act. It is directly benefiting the residents of Oregon.

For more information about the federal library grants, please visit the Institute of Museum and Library Services at https://imls.gov. More information about American Rescue Plan Act grants awarded by the State Library of Oregon, is available at https://libguides.osl.state.or.us/lstagrants/arpaawards.

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Editors: For more information, contact GFO President Vince Patton at president@gfo.org

GFO Logo available: https://bit.ly/3pRnYxH

The Genealogical Forum of Oregon is an all-volunteer nonprofit founded in 1946
to promote, preserve and publish genealogical history.
The GFO operates the largest genealogy library in the Pacific Northwest
and offers more than 150 classes each year.

Genealogical Forum of Oregon
2505 SE 11th Ave., B-18
Portland, OR 97202
gfo.org

Historic Washington Donation Land Claims at GFO

Aug2 by Charles Hansen

“New” Records! Historic Washington Donation Land Claims

For years, researchers have relied on the Genealogical Forum of Oregon (GFO) to provide them with print or digital images of Oregon Donation Land Claims from the 1800s quickly and at a reasonable price.

Now, the GFO can provide the same service to those seeking historic Washington Donation Land Claims.

To be honest, the GFO didn’t realize it had these treasures in the library’s microfilm drawers, as no one had time to explore them earlier.

This makes for an exceptional set of land records for the first settlers of the Pacific Northwest. A GFO volunteer has fully indexed the names of these 1070 original landholder claims.

GFO Members can get free digital images of claims by using the Lookup form in the website’s MemberSpace.

The GFO has digitized only one Washington land claim so far. As more are requested and scanned, they will be added to MemberSpace.

Non-members can order copies for a small fee. Our customers say they’re surprised how quickly we send the copies to them.

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Image available: https://bit.ly/3iUysuv

GFO Logo available: https://bit.ly/3rBLmRR

The Genealogical Forum of Oregon is an all-volunteer nonprofit founded in 1946 to promote, preserve and publish genealogical history. The GFO operates the largest genealogy library in the Pacific Northwest and offers more than 170 classes each year, many now online.

Genealogical Forum of Oregon Zoomboree

Mar31 by Charles Hansen

APRIL 16-18 Genealogy Zoomboree – Making the Invisible Visible

The Genealogical Forum of Oregon celebrates its 75th Anniversary with a multicultural Genealogy Zoomboree, April 16-18.

Four nationally known experts bring us 8 lessons to help you tap online resources from home as you trace your family roots.

Registration for one, two, three or all four speakers is online at https://gfo.org/zoomboree.

Rebecca Whitman Koford, CG, CGL, Board for Certification of Genealogists –

Courthouse Research & Indexes – Find critical genealogical information from your local courthouse.
Land Records: Rich Sources for Your Research – Even non-landowners can end up in land and deed records.

Linda Harms Okazaki, Nikkei Genealogical Society

Introduction to Japanese American Research – Japanese American research provides lessons in genealogical research that benefits all genealogists. Custom information for Oregon included.
WWII Internment Camps: Japanese, Germans & Italians – Japanese Americans and their families, as well as Americans of other heritage, were considered “enemy aliens,” and imprisoned by the U.S. Government. Learn about internment sites and the records created.

Sherri Camp, MLS, Past President Afro-American Historical & Genealogical Society

African American Research Strategies – Learn key strategies to locate resources and records for information about African American ancestors and family members.
A Treasure Trove of Free Websites – Learn how to access free genealogical information while we stay safe at home doing research at our computers.

Michael Lacopo, DVM, Professional Genealogist –

Medical Genealogy: A primer of diseases that killed our ancestors and the epidemics they lived through – Many researchers barely understand the cause of death listed. Know what afflicted your ancestors’ communities, the common diseases, and you’ll learn how they lived.

“I am poor, obscure, plain, and little.” Researching Invisible Ancestors – If your ancestors had little money, did not buy and sell land, did not leave wills, and did not purchase gravestones, how do you find them? This lecture will show you how!

Genealogical Forum of Oregon celebrates its 75th Anniversary

Mar13 by Charles Hansen

MARCH 27 – APRIL 3 – GFO’s Virtual Genealogy Open House

The Genealogical Forum of Oregon celebrates its 75th Anniversary with a Free Virtual Genealogy Open House online this year.

Join us for 18 free classes from March 27 through April 3.

Classes include Freedmen’s Bureau Records, Oregon Land Claims, Indentured Servants, U.S. Census Records, and more, including these theme days:

Sunday, March 28: Irish Day

Monday, March 29: Online Sources Day

Tuesday, March 30: DNA Day

Each class requires its own advance registration. Please invite your friends to see how the GFO can help you in your family history sleuthing.

Click here for more information

Happy 75th Anniversary Genealogical Forum of Oregon

Jan4 by Charles Hansen

GENEALOGICAL FORUM’s Thursday E-News

Nov16 by Charles Hansen

THE GENEALOGICAL FORUM’s Thursday Evening E-News Edition November 12, 2020

Curious about the status of your GFO Membership? We’d love to have you as a GFO Member! gfo.org | 503-963-1932 | info@gfo.org Be sure to check the complete GFO CALENDAR.
Also, don’t miss the current issue of The Forum Insider
Click here for a PDF version of this E-News.

Fall Seminar This Weekend

This is your last chance to sign up to hear personally from the popular Lisa Louise Cooke, host of Genealogy Gems Podcasts! We’ve added extra online “seats” so there is plenty of room! If you can’t attend live, videos of these sessions will be available until December 15 for anyone who registers, so it’s worth signing up!

Lisa is an extremely popular international genealogy speaker, and the GFO is thrilled she will join us online this weekend for our Fall Seminar, November 14 and 15. And everyone will get a great view of her presentations from the comfort of whatever seat they choose in their home. In addition, GFO members get big discounts at this seminar! $20 off the first day, $15 off the second. Sign up now! *NOTE: If you registered after 7:30 a.m. Thursday, you should have received an email with meeting information in the past day. If you have not seen one, contact seminars@gfo.org

Free November GenTalk: Timelines & Checklists

“Kathrine Willson is one of the most talented and engaging genealogy speakers I’ve heard. I’m thrilled she’s doing a GenTalk for the GFO.” — Laurel Smith, GFO Library Chair

Katherine R. Willson will be our featured online GenTalk speaker for Genealogical Timelines & Research Checklists on Saturday, Nov. 21 at 2 p.m. Discover the magic of methodology that may break down your brick walls. She is a genealogy lecturer from Michigan; an educator teaching beginning through advanced genealogy classes since 2001; the author of The Genealogist’s Guide to Grand Rapids, Michigan; and a professional researcher for private clients. Go to our GenTalk page to register now. It’s free for everyone.

Special Free GFO Presentation: Who’s In Your Neighborhood?

Friends. Associates. Neighbors. We’ve heard of the F.A.N. principle of genealogy. But what about our own GFO F.A.N club? The GFO Board has made it a priority to better serve all groups in our area. We are pleased to present Linda Harms Okazaki, who helps genealogical societies to embrace different cultures within our communities.

A fourth-generation Californian active in the genealogy and Japanese American communities in California and beyond, Linda is a member of the Association of Professional Genealogists, a charter member of the Nikkei Genealogical Society, and a contractual genealogist with Ancestry ProGenealogists™. She is also a featured columnist for the Nichi Bei Weekly. Please come ready to ask questions and to engage in a lively dialogue. Register here for this free, online, engaging session.

Mayflower Lineage Database Now Online

©2020 New England Historic Genealogical Society To commemorate the 400th anniversary of the Mayflower’s arrival in America, American Ancestors has just released an online database containing authenticated lineages of all the passengers on the Mayflower who left descendants. These family histories are taken from approved membership applications for the Mayflower Society (General Society of Mayflower Descendants), the earliest of which dates back to 1895. This is another great reason to be a member of the GFO. Your membership includes access to American Ancestors to search these records! They are graciously extending this to our members at home at this time during the pandemic. Login through our exclusive Members Area.

Webinar: The 400th Anniversary of The Mayflower

For those wishing a more comprehensive review of the new American Ancestors’ online data base of records pertaining to the Mayflower, the Oklahoma Genealogical Society will host a full day webinar entitled “The 400th Anniversary of The Mayflower 1620-2020,” featuring New England Historical Genealogical Society Chief Genealogist, David Allen Lambert.

Please Volunteer from Home

The GFO Library may be closed but there’s still plenty of work that can be done from home. We’re currently recruiting volunteers to help with these projects.

“It is interesting going through the old Bulletins. I have found some of my ancestors in them!” Please contact Loretta Welsh at loretta.welsh@gfo.org if you’d like to help.

What’s New Online?

How Research Plans Prevent Distractions Join the Wisconsin State Genealogical Society and guest speaker Tammy Priolo for a free webinar on Tuesday, November 17 at 5:00 p.m. (Pacific) where she will discuss the Genealogical Proof Standard, distractions, research plans, and how these all impact correct documentation and family history preservation. Register in advance, here.

Separating and Merging Identities of Same-named Men Can the same man die twice? Join BCG Certified Genealogist Shannon Green, for a free Legacy Family Tree Webinar, Wednesday, November 18 at 5:00 p.m. (Pacific) for a review using a comprehensive case study where she will elaborate on how to distinguish same-named men as well as provide warnings of how identities can be incorrectly conflated. Register here.