Chicago Genealogical Society

Upcoming events

    • 2 Oct 2023
    • 7:00 PM
    • Virtual Meet-Up
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    Open Mic Meet-Up - CGS Members Only Event

    Join us to share your discovery or watch and listen to others share their successes. You have a research problem? Come and ask the group. Maybe someone will have a suggestion to further your research. A great opportunity to learn!

    This meet-up will have a host to run the Zoom and to give the opportunity for everyone to share as time permits. If you plan to share a discovery or problem, please keep it to 5 minutes or less to allows others to also share. 

    Registration is required via the Chicago Genealogical Society website under Events. Registration will close 1 hour prior to the event. The meet-up will take place virtually via ZOOM. All people registered will receive an email the morning of the event with log-in instructions and a link. This information is not to be shared.

    Picture from Library of Congress

    • 7 Oct 2023
    • 10:00 AM - 12:00 PM
    • Glessner House, 1800 S Prairie Ave, Chicago
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    Glessner House Tour and Prairie Avenue Walk

    Prairie Avenue from 17th Street south is a very historic part of Chicago. Although most people see Prairie Avenue to the south of 18th Street it is essential to walk north across 18th street to look at the property on the northwest corner of the intersection. That property is the site, notwithstanding of where the “Fort Dearborn “Massacre”” historical marker is located, the site of the (the word “massacre” is a white view of what took place there on August 15, 1812) battle itself, of where much of the fighting took place.  It is also the property on which George Pullman built his mansion and lived while owning the far south side Pullman works.

    House Tour - A National Historic Landmark, Glessner House was designed by noted American architect Henry Hobson Richardson and completed in 1887. The Glessner family lived in the house for fifty years, through the heyday and decline of the Prairie Avenue neighborhood. This is a private (not open to the public) 75-minute tour for the Chicago Genealogical Society to see how Chicago’s rich industrialists were living in modern-day castles designed during the Gilded Age.

    Walking Tour - Following the house tour, CGS’ Craig Pfannkuche, will lead a walking tour sharing what happened on the ground throughout its history and development from 1812 to the present day. We intend as well to discuss the presence of the 1840s era Clark House located to the south of the Glessner House. We may even wonder where Marshall Field’s son actually died.

    Registered attendees will meet at the Glessner House, 1800 S Prairie Ave, Chicago, at the visitors center located immediately inside the large green coach house door facing 18th street at the rear of the building at 10:00am. Parking options can be found on the Glessner House website www.glessnerhouse.org The house is not ADA accessible.

    Both CGS members and non-members are welcome.

    Cost:   $10.00 members

               $17.00 non-members

    Registration closes on September 30, 2023 at noon. No refunds after September 30, 2023 at noon. The online payment service fee of $1.50 will be deducted from refunds.

    If you are unable to attend, we plan on live streaming some of the walking tour about 11:30am CT on Facebook so check it out.

    Photo with permission from the Glessner House




    • 2 Nov 2023
    • 7:00 PM
    • Webinar
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    Have you intended to write down your family history but can’t seem to get started? Or you’ve made some progress but have stalled due to writer’s block or some other obstacle? Or perhaps you’ve made great progress on your story or it is substantially complete, and now you want to publish it for future generations to read and enjoy?

    Gary Koche is the editor of the Chicago Genealogist. He will provide prospective authors with guidance and tips about how to get your thoughts written down on paper. Some aspects of this process will include:

    • How to develop an outline for your family history story.
    • How to identify research sources and tools which are pertinent for Chicago-area subjects.
    • How to collect and organize your historical facts and translate them to paper.
    • How the author and CGS work together to edit and prepare their stories for publication in the Chicago Genealogist.

    This presentation will be recorded and available in the members section on the CGS website.

    Registration is required via the Chicago Genealogical Society website under Events. Registration will close 1 hour prior to the event. The meet-up will take place virtually via ZOOM. All people registered will receive an email the morning of the event with log-in instructions and a link. This information is not to be shared.

    Note: This webinar is FREE for CGS members. Non-Members can register for the event for $10. No refunds. 

    • 6 Nov 2023
    • 7:00 PM
    • Webinar
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    Family gatherings, we all have them. Whether they are annual events like family reunions or one-time occasions like birthday parties, Father’s Day, weddings or funerals, this is a time when our family members come together. This presentation will give you tips and tricks to get your family members talking about family history, even if they don’t want to!

    Melissa Barker is a Certified Archives Manager and Public Historian currently working at the Houston County, Tennessee Archives & Museum. She is affectionally known as The Archive Lady to the genealogy community. She lectures, teaches, and writes about the genealogy research process, researching in archives and records preservation. She conducts virtual presentations across the United States and other countries for various genealogy groups and societies. She writes a popular blog entitled A Genealogist in the Archives and is a well-known published book reviewer. She has been a Professional Genealogist for the past 19 years with expertise in Tennessee records. She has been researching her own family history for the past 33 years.


    This presentation will be recorded and available in the members section on the CGS website.

    Registration is required via the Chicago Genealogical Society website under Events. Registration will close 1 hour prior to the event. The meet-up will take place virtually via ZOOM. All people registered will receive an email the morning of the event with log-in instructions and a link. This information is not to be shared.

    Note: This webinar is FREE for CGS members. Non-Members can register for the event for $10. No refunds. 

    • 4 Dec 2023
    • 7:00 PM
    • Webinar
    Register