Followup for September's Melungeon Presentation

First of all, many thanks to Heather Andolina for sharing her ancestors and journey of discovery with WCGS. It was a really fascinating evening.  

Here is the link to the trailer for her documentary - Infamous Characters Notorious Villains. Watch the video at YouTube here - https://youtu.be/KiAIThQZwIE

When I went to watch the trailer, I stumbled on into an absolute rabbit hole of good Melungeon videos that are really worth watching. If you were intrigued along with me, you might want to check these out too.

Lisa Alther reads excerpts her book Kinfolks, and talks of her Melungeon heritage -https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JX4-GSXxQMg

Darlene Franklin Campbell gives a detailed account through time and space of the peoples who traveled the world to converge in the Appalacian Ridge to create the Melungeon people. Watch her Melungeon Overview Presentation - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2rx5C0Jf_lo

Here is the trailer for another documentary that was made in 2008.
Melungeon Voices - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WO0UOsp-NZ8

NCGS Member Appreciation Day - Nov. 7, 2020

Mark your calendars for Nov. 7! NCGS is presenting four lectures by Judy Russell. The lectures are free to NCGS members and access will remain for 90 days. See details via link below.

https://www.ncgenealogy.org/event/member-appreciation-day/

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FREE to registered members - MEMBER APPRECIATION DAY And Annual Meeting. November 7, 2020 at 10 am EST. Judy G. Russell, JD, CG, CGL, "The Legal Genealogist", will be presenting 4 virtual lectures. Click the event title link above for more details.

Upchurch & Allied Families Newsletter - September 2020

 For those following UAFA, click thru the link for the latest news.

Upchurch & Allied Families Newsletter - September 2020

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Legacy Webinars offering 10 free webinars for 10 days to celebrate their 10th anniversary

From Legacy Family Tree Webinars:

We're celebrating 10 years of genealogy webinars! Below is the top webinar from each year since 2010. Unlocked and free through September 24, 2020. Enjoy!

Click this Anniversary link for details!

If you are not a member they have really good discounts for membership right now too. Act early the best discount is for Sep 15-16!

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GenHelp - WCGS teaming up with Raleigh Senior Tech Ed for recurring virtual genealogy learning events

Wake County Genealogical Society (WCGS) and Raleigh SrTechEd (RSTE) are pleased to partner to offer GenHelp - monthly virtual sessions to provide free genealogy assistance to hobbyists the first Thursday of the month at 6:30pm ET. Anyone with genealogy or family history-related questions are welcome to join us on October 1 for our inaugural session.

It is not necessary to be a member of WCGS or RSTE to participate and there is no cost. You will have an opportunity to ask questions and share knowledge during the 90-minute session. The session will be moderated. Please note this program will not include research requests or queries; all assistance will be given only within the time constraints of the monthly virtual session.

Date: Thursday, 1 October 2020
Time: 6:30pm ET (this is an open session; you may enter the Zoom at any time during the 90-minute session or drop once your question is answered)

Click here to register to attend. Scroll down to the GenHelp registration section. 

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Seeking Volunteers. WCGS needs a new Treasurer.

Here is an excellent volunteer opportunity for Wake County Genealogy Society members and followers. Even if you are a Wake researcher living remote from Wake County, this is an excellent way to connect with your family roots (and get to know researchers who may know where the good records are...) and an excellent way to give back. 

From WCGS President, Carla Stancil:

WCGS needs a Treasurer!  This is a Board position and does not require an accounting or bookkeeping background or for you to live in the Raleigh area. Can be done remotely! Email President@wakecogen.org for more info!

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WAKE COUNTY GENEALOGICAL SOCIETY: PUBLICATIONS LIST

WCGS has abstracted and indexed several manuscripts of interest to genealogists who are researching in Wake County, NC. These publications can be purchased from the online WCGS bookstore at Lulu.com. To find any of our publications, visit www.lulu.com/shop and search for Wake County or the specific title.

Searching for back issues of Wake Treasures (the WCGS journal)? Members can find it at www.wakecogen.org. Want to join WCGS to have access to journals from 1991 to present? www.wakecogen.org.

Titles available at Lulu include:

Wake County Bastardy Bonds 1772 – 1937 [broken series]

Wake County Deed Book R March 1802 – October 1803

Wake County Divorce Records Surnames N – Z (1831 – 1920) 

Wake County Divorce Records Surnames A – M (1831 – 1952)

Wake County Levy Dockets 1805 – 1815

Wake County School Census Raleigh Township 1897

Heritage of Wake County

Wake County Apprentice Bonds 1770 – 1860, 1872 - 1903

Check publication list for details and pricing.

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Wake Wednesday - Family History within the boundaries of Umstead Park

While browsing Facebook one day I happened upon a post in a Raleigh group about the Wake County families that settled on and worked the land that would become Umstead Park. There were some delighful photos taken in 1936 by a photographer for the Farm Security Administration. The post and comments are a goldmine of family history tidbits and names of the families associated with the land. If you are on Facebook, I encourage you to take a look at the post in the public group called ''You know you grew up in Raleigh when...". It is worth requesting membership just to read this post. Link to post.

Surnames - King, Page, Young, Dillard, Page, Sorrell, McGee.

For a more in depth look at the story of the families that were displaced from the Umstead Park land when the federal government bought up the land to be converted by the Civilian Conservation Corps, visit https://www.wral.com/hidden-history-abandoned-mills-homesteads-in-umstead-park-hold-untold-stories/19029798/. Heather has covered the area in depth including the farms, mills, gravesites and even some explosives magazines hidden on the land. There are also several family photos and reunion photos. Do check this out if you had family in this area. 

Also Associated - Ebenezer Church and Surnames - Jones, Blake, Warren, Brown.

"Anywhere you see tulips or a large oak tree, that's where someone's front yard used to be..." - Reggie King

The story of the Umstead families is also included in a book that is available on Amazon.

Stories in Stone: Memories from a Bygone Farming Community in North Carolina by Tom Weber

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Sept 22 - Next WCGS Virtual Meeting and Presentation -- Melungeon Research with Heather Andolina

WCGS members and followers should check your email for instructions on how to register for our July virtual meeting. If you are not a member and want to be included, visit our Registration page.

You must register for the meeting by September 21.

Date/Time:  Tuesday Sept. 22, 2020 at 6:30pm ET

Speaker: Heather Andolina

Topic: Infamous Characters, Notorious Villians: History of the Melungeon People. After her grandmother is diagnosed with a rare blood disorder, historian Heather Andolina begins to uncover her unique genetic past and finds that she is the decedent of a mysterious group of people known as Melungeon. Andolina travels all over the east coast in search for answers and discovers the haunting history of the Melungeon people, filled with their own folklore, heritage and heartbreaking tales of discrimination. Join us as Heather discusses her journey and the making of a documentary of her discovery that the Melungeon people were truly a melting pot of diversity to offer a disturbing account of the strange and unforgiving history of race in America.

This virtual meeting and presentation is open to all members and newsletter recipients. If you are on one of those lists, you will receive an email with registration instructions closer to the date. If you want to be included in this event visit the WCGS Join page at our website.

When you join you will have access to all of our virtual meetings through the end of the year. This is in addition to the member benefits listed on our membership page.

This meeting will be held virtually using the GoToWebinar application and generously hosted by the North Carolina Genealogical Society.

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Wake Genealogy Watch, Fall 2020 available now

The Fall 2020 Issue (Vol. 4, Issue 1) of our award winning newsletter, Wake Genealogy Watch, is now available online for reading or download. WGW is free for all, members and followers alike.

You can visit the WCGS website or access through this link - Wake Genealogy Watch, Fall 2020
 
This issue contains the following topics:

• Ted Bainbridge offers companion articles about revisiting your research and using original documents to get the most out of your research. 
• Meet our new Board Members.
• Olivia Raney Family History Library renovation sneak peek.
• Barbara McGeachy profiles two valuable local learning resources - Osher Lifelong Learning Institute and Raleigh Senior Tech Ed
• Cynthia Gage digs deeper into advanced newspaper research with some search strategies that will find gems in the press to add to your ancestor's story 
• Details on a recent gift of genealogy books to Thornton Library.
• A curated list of genetic genealogy videos to sharpen your skills at all levels
• A call from North Carolina Genealogical Society for Bible Records for their future publication.
• Dennis Martin and Cynthia Whited profile the books and book series that are the culmination of their twenty years of research.
• Yet another surprisingly packed event calendar.

Photo Note: If you choose to read a printed version of this newsletter, some of the photos will be difficult to view due to size constraints. Please refer back to the online edition where you can enlarge the photos to accommodate better viewing.  Enjoy!

Click this newsletter page link to view this and all past newsletter content.

We welcome your feedback, input, and submissions for inclusions in future editions. Please address all concerns to newsletter@wakecogen.org.

Visit the WCGS Blog for more events, late breaking news, tutorials, updates and other special posts. 

Ancestry.com Offers Free Access to Yearbook Search

Ancestry free access to the Yearbook collection will be free until 27 Aug 2020 at 11:59 p.m. ET. 

Click here to start searching.

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Upchurch and Allied Families Update - August 2020

 For all who follow UAFA, the latest newsletter is here. UAFA - August 2020

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