Idaho Genealogical Society

09/02/2026

DTOPIC: Using Land Records to Fill The Gaps
DATE: Saturday, September 12, 2026, 12:00 noon (Mountain Time)
LOCATION: Idaho State Archives (Idaho History Center), 2205 Old Penitentiary Rd, Boise
SPEAKER: Susan C. Kim

Discover how land records can salve your genealogical brick walls by placing ancestors in a specific time and place. This session explores the differences between State and Federal land states, demonstrates how to navigate the BLM GLO website, and reveals how to uncover hidden familial relationships within deed transfers. Learn to interpret the clues left behind in the soil to reconstruct your family's history.

Speaker Bio
Susan Kim is a professional genealogist who honed her research and analytical skills while completing a masters degree in epidemiology and during a 30-year career as a pediatrician. In 2020, she transitioned her focus from medicine to family history. She holds a Certificate in Genealogy Research from Boston University and operates her own firm, Susan C. Kim Family Historian.

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07/29/2026

Registration and details located at https://idahogenealogy.org/

07/26/2026

TOPIC: Combining City Directories and Sanborn Maps
DATE: Saturday, August 8, 2026, 12:00 noon (Mountain Time)
LOCATION: Idaho State Archives (Idaho History Center), 2205 Old Penitentiary Rd, Boise
SPEAKER: Ed Storey

City Directories were produced and sold before telephone books became available. Sanborn maps were sold to insurance underwriters to help them better estimate the cost of insurance. Best of all, using the two different documents together can provide a great deal of useful information. Where to find city directories and Sanborn maps and how to use them will be covered.

Speaker Bio
Ed Storey has been a long-time writer of articles on the topic of genealogy for publications such as Your Genealogy Today and Internet Genealogy. His specialty is locating hard-to-find records of ancestors.

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06/24/2026

July Meeting Announcement:

DATE: Saturday, July 11, 2026, 12:00 noon (Mountain Time)
LOCATION: Idaho State Archives (Idaho History Center), 2205 Old Penitentiary Rd, Boise
TOPIC: Meet Your New Research Assistant: AI for Genealogists
SPEAKER: Sarah Cochran

Discover how AI can act as your personal research assistant. This presentation will introduce you to AI tools like ChatGPT and FamilySearch's full text search, offering practical tips and techniques to save time, find hidden records, and enhance the accuracy of your family history research.

Sara Cochran is a full-time professional genealogist with thirty years of research experience. She holds a Boston University Genealogical Research Certificate and a bachelor’s degree in Library Science. Find her online at TheSkeletonWhisperer.com

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05/01/2026

DATE: Saturday, May 9, 2026, 12:00 noon (Mountain Time)
LOCATION: Idaho State Archives (Idaho History Center), 2205 Old Penitentiary Rd, Boise
SPEAKER: Angie K. Davis, MA, CA
TOPIC: Idaho State Archives

Angie Davis, Collections-Outreach Archivist at the Idaho State Archives will provide a brief background on the archives and what the archives collects, and will provide an overview on finding and using the resources held at the archives.

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02/05/2026

DATE: Saturday, February 14, 2026, 12:00 noon (Mountain Time)
LOCATION: Idaho State Archives (Idaho History Center), 2205 Old Penitentiary Rd, Boise
PRESENTERS: Research Committee Members
TOPIC: Genealogical Help Session

The Idaho Genealogical Society’s Research Committee has been busy working to break through genealogical “brick walls” submitted by several of its members. Join us at our February meeting to hear how they approached the problems, what they found, and what they suggest for further research. Time permitting, attendees will have the opportunity to ask for research suggestions regarding their own "brick walls."

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12/31/2025

TOPIC: A Quick and Dirty Guide for Reading Old Handwriting & Script
DATE: Saturday, January 10, 2026, 12:00 noon (Mountain Time)
LOCATION: Idaho State Archives (Idaho History Center), 2205 Old Penitentiary Rd, Boise
SPEAKER: Kelley Barrett

Decoding old handwriting can feel like cracking a secret code — but with the right tools, you can master it! This lively session strips away the mystery and gives you practical, proven techniques to more confidently read letters, records, and documents written decades or even centuries ago. You’ll learn how to recognize tricky letterforms, spot common handwriting quirks, and discover reliable resources to turn to when you hit a scribbly brick wall. Whether you’re a genealogist, historian, or curious reader of the past, this session will help you bring old words back to life.

Speaker Bio

A professional researcher, writer and certified Master Trainer, Kelley Barrett's genealogy journey began in childhood. Family stories of suspicious name changes, disappearances, cattle rustling, and other mysteries sparked her imagination and a lifelong passion for family history. Following a successful career in Human Resources, she turned her skills in investigation, analysis, and documentation toward finding "lost" relatives, solving family mysteries, and breaking through brick walls.

Follow Kelley's genealogy adventures in her blog "Jaunts and Junkets" and learn more by visiting her website www.ancestor-hunter.com.

For information on attending this presentation remotely contact [email protected]

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10/29/2025

DATE: Saturday, November 8, 2025, 12:00 noon (Mountain Time)
LOCATION: Idaho State Archives (Idaho History Center), 2205 Old Penitentiary Rd, Boise
SPEAKER: Christine Cohen
TOPIC: Grand Army Of The Republic: Researching Union Civil War Veterans

Do you have a Union Civil War Veteran? Did you know that in 1890 there were over 400,000 Veterans who belonged to the Grand Army of the Republic (G.A.R)? This organization existed from 1866 to 1956. It generated records noting Civil War service, birth, marriage, death, residences, occupations, detailed biographies and even photographs. I will show you where and how to find these hidden gems.

Speaker Bio

Christine Cohen is a long-time member of the Whittier Area Genealogical Society (WAGS) in California, currently serving as the Society's Program Director. She is also a member of the Tualatin Chapter of the Daughters of the American Revolution, the Society of Daughters of Holland Dames, and the Association of Professional Genealogists.

Her interest in genealogy began in 1977 with the airing of the TV mini-series "Roots" and her enthusiasm was piqued when she was given a typed pedigree chart, commissioned by her maternal grandfather, of the family's Dutch heritage from the New Netherlands in the 1650s. She is a native Californian and a graduate of UCLA in Political Science, now retired and pursuing her genealogy interest full time.

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08/27/2025

Idaho Genealogical Society Annual Meeting and Seminar
Saturday, October 18, 2025, 9:00AM-4:45PM

BUSINESS MEETING & 3 PRESENTATIONS
Idaho’s Basque Diaspora: A Tale of the American West
How to Research Like a Pro
An Early Idaho Settler and His Swedish Heritage
Program and registration details available at

08/17/2025

https://idahogenealogy.org/ for programming and registration information.