We're All Set for 2026 and a Reminder About Giving Tuesday!

We hope you had a wonderful Thanksgiving, and with the arrival of our first measurable snow in St. Louis this weekend, most of us are now well into the mood for the upcoming holiday season! We have a sneak peek for you now of the first StLGS genealogy programs of 2026, and we also want to remind you how important it is to help your favorite nonprofits as much as you can on Giving Tuesday. Please read on for details.

Another Holiday Tradition: The Thanksgiving Song

Do you remember learning that sweet Thanksgiving song when you were younger? Did you hum "Over the river and through the woods to Grandmother's house we go" long before you ever knew that horses were harnessed to sleighs in the days before people just got into their cars and drove to Grandma's? Like many holiday traditions, this well-worn one is not the same as when it started, and so we thought you'd like a little background before you start humming this week. We hope you still have a grandparent to go to for your holiday, or, if you are the grandparent, that your family will be making a trek to your comfortable home for a delicious holiday meal. Meanwhile, here's some fun information on this beloved holiday classic.

How You Can Help StLGS This Holiday Season

St. Louis Genealogical Society (StLGS) has had a busy, productive year, and, with your help, we are looking ahead to another exciting schedule of genealogy events in 2026. Many genealogy societies continue to struggle, losing members, lacking volunteers, and coping with reduced finances. However, we continue to stand solid in the genealogy community because of our wonderful, loyal members and friends, and as this year comes to a close, we are asking you once again to remember the society in your year-end giving plans. We have accomplished a great deal this past year, due to your support and generosity, and we are excited about what is in the future.  We continue to be very proud of what our society has done and will do in the upcoming months!

Ready to Buy Some Genealogy Books? Let the Holiday Shopping Begin!

The holidays are fast approaching, and this week, we have some great book buys for you and the genealogy/history lovers on your shopping list. The first notice is time-sensitive, but the second item we have for you is a recommended reading/book buying list for anyone wanting more information about DNA and genealogy. Here you go!

November/December Genealogy Meetings

As we approach the end of another busy year of genealogy meetings, classes, and special events, our StLGS volunteers are now hard at work planning next year's exciting calendar of events for you. We have one more meeting left on this year's calendar, and we have our last Jewish SIG meeting in early December. More information about everything is below.

More Information About the Veteran Bounty Land Project

Two years ago, the National Genealogical Society (NGS) began a project to raise money to conserve about 360,000 Bounty Land Warrant Application files and Case Files of Bounty Land Applications of Indians based on service between 1812 and 1855. All these files span the nineteenth century, from start to finish, and they are housed in the National Archives in Washington, D.C. They represent thousands of soldiers from America’s earliest conflicts who applied for military bounty land, whether their claims were accepted or rejected. But here’s the problem . . .

Secrets of the Census, Part 5: 1880

The 1880 federal census is a turning point for family historians because, at last, we can see how people living together are related to the head of the household. Prior to this, we could only make assumptions, and too often we might be wrong! This census included questions we've seen on prior censuses, but it did not ask for value of real estate or property.