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2017 Spring Workshop Held in Gastonia

A Menagerie and a Fine February Day

Jeffrey Haines photo
Jeffrey Haines
Diane Richard photo
Diane Richard

The vulture stood quietly on the table while Jeff Haines and Diane Richard spoke about genealogical research methods and resources at the NCGS Spring Workshop held at the Schiele Museum of Natural History in Gastonia, and co-sponsored by the Friends of the Gaston County Public Library, on 25 February 2017. A T-rex watched over our volunteers as they welcomed 78 attendees from Virginia, Georgia, Tennessee, North Carolina and South Carolina. Dozens of deer, elk, moose, fish, reptiles and birds looked on, in glassy-eyed silence, from the walls of the auditorium where the lectures took place. They appeared somewhat less enthusiastic than our (human) attendees who learned how to make sense of senseless census data, strategies that help overcome brick walls caused by changing borders between North and South Carolina, what genealogical gems can be found in the NCGS Journal, and how various types of timelines can help solve genealogical problems.

Morning on the Farm photo
Schiele Museum back-country farm

A very special visitor from the 18th century appeared in the auditorium at noon to invite attendees to visit the backcountry farm located on the museum grounds. Suzanne Simmons, 18th Century Backcountry Lifeways Program Specialist, delighted the audience when she came in costume and in character to talk about the period buildings, programs, and livestock that bring this history to life. Many thanks to the Schiele Museum for providing their wonderful facilities and the assistance of their staff, which made this workshop an extra special event. Find out more about the Schiele Museum and its programs at http://www.schielemuseum.org.

We also want to thank Anne Gometz, Reference Section Supervisor, the staff, and Friends of the Gaston County Public Library for all their efforts in co-sponsoring the workshop and for providing a delicious array of beverages and snacks throughout the day.

Workshops help NCGS fulfill its educational mission, and our co-sponsoring societies benefit from increased awareness of their resources and programs. If your society is a member of NCGS and would like to find out more about co-sponsoring a workshop, please contact Laurel Sanders, NGCS Program Committee Chair, at programs@ncgenealogy.org.