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.

Secrets of the Census: Part 4 (1870)

From 1861 through the spring of 1865, the United States was at war with itself. By the time the Civil War ended, the nation had been torn apart; there were, by current estimates, about 700,000 or possibly more, left dead by the war, whether in combat or illness. One of the ways used to calculate that death toll was by comparing the number of men who were enumerated in 1860 to the number who were counted ten years later, in the federal census of 1870. Lots more information on this census follows.

StLGS Co-Presidents Say Thanks and Call for Help!

Our post this week is a message from StLGS co-presidents, Kathy Franke and Jeani Ward.

On Thursday, 18 September 2025, the society hosted a luncheon to thank our volunteers. Volunteer Coordinator Marilyn Brennan and her team of assistants shopped, decorated, served, and cleaned everything up afterwards so forty hungry people could enjoy a delicious lunch. The event was well-attended, and we all enjoyed a chance to get to know one another better. Our volunteers keep our organization, including the office and the website, up-to-date and running smoothly. We would like to take this opportunity to express our appreciation for their efforts, especially to the volunteers who come into the office on a regular basis.

October Genealogy Meetings and Another StLGS Election

As warm as it's been everywhere, it's not feeling much like autumn, but as our year winds down, we hope you will continue to join us for our remaining 2025 meetings. For those of you who are members of StLGS, voting is now open for the election of officers for 2025. Our bylaws provide for elections of our officers in alternate years, so we never have everyone new to a job at once. This year, we will elect a vice-president for programs and a treasurer. Luckily, we have some talented and caring volunteers running for each position, and, although they are unopposed, they would appreciate your support by voting. More information about everything is below.

Secrets of the Census, Part 3

The first of June 1860––The United States was less than a year away from four years of Civil War when the 1860 federal census enumerators fanned out across the country to collect data. There were more than thirty-one million people in the U.S. by then, and the enumerators had just five months to complete their task. Although quite similar to the census that preceded it, the 1860 federal census had some striking features, and this week, we’ll take a look at them.