The City Archives and Special Collections of the New Orleans Public Library will host its second-annual GenFest on Friday, April 5, 2025, at Dillard University’s Professional School and Sciences Building (24 East Rd.). The event will bring together southeastern Louisiana’s top genealogical, preservation, cultural, and historical organizations for a one-day festival that celebrates heritage, family history, and community storytelling.

Celebrating Community and Local History

This year’s theme, “Creating Community and History With One Another,” speaks to the heart of what makes New Orleans unique. Christina Bryant, Director of the City Archives & Special Collections, emphasized the significance of shared spaces and experiences in shaping our identities.

“Our identities and communities are also made up of where we lived, went to school, our neighborhoods, extended family and much more,” Bryant said. “We are very excited that we have been able to expand this year’s GenFest to provide more amazing community partners to interact with our attendees.”

The event aims to encourage attendees to connect with one another, explore personal and regional history, and reflect on how community shapes our individual and collective legacies.

What to Expect at GenFest 2025

GenFest will feature:

• Exhibits from regional genealogical and historical organizations

• Informational programs led by local experts

• A diverse discussion panel on this year’s theme

• Interactive booths with cultural and preservation organizations

One of the major highlights of this year’s conference is the debut of a new digital photograph collection from the Housing Authority of New Orleans (HANO). This collection features more than 300 images from the 1940s to the 1970s and offers rare insight into the city’s residential history.

Keynote and Featured Presentations

Leonard Smith III will deliver the keynote presentation, “A Place Called Desire: HANO Records and Legacy,” offering a powerful narrative on the city’s housing history.

Additional sessions include:

• “Discovering Josephine” by Gaynell Brady

• “Uncovering the Past: Plantation History, Enslaved Narratives, and Descendant Research” by Ja’el “YaYa” Gordon

• “How Cemetery Destructions Affected Louisiana Law” by Ryan Seidemann

Each speaker brings a unique and insightful perspective on Louisiana’s complex historical and genealogical narratives.

Community Support and Growing Interest

GenFest 2025 is proudly sponsored by:

• Friends of the New Orleans Public Library

• Louisiana Endowment for the Humanities

• Louisiana Department of Culture, Recreation and Tourism, Office of Cultural Development, Division of Historic Preservation

• National Park Service

Shannan Cvitanovic, Executive Director of the Friends of the New Orleans Public Library, said last year’s event far exceeded expectations.

“Last year we expected 250 attendees and welcomed over twice as many,” Cvitanovic said. “It shows how many people are interested in local history and how that history connects to their families’ stories.”

Plan Your Visit to GenFest

GenFest 2025 will take place:

• Date: Friday, April 5, 2025

• Location: Dillard University – Professional School and Sciences Building (24 East Rd., New Orleans, LA)

The event is free and open to the public.

For the full schedule, speaker updates, and additional event details, visit the official GenFest page: nolalibrary.co/GenFest2024

A 1986 murder victim has been identified after a cold case investigative unit combined forces with a forensic genetic genealogy company. 

Hunters found a set of male human remains in a wooded area in Gilmer County, Georgia, on Aug. 9, 1986, the Georgia Bureau of Investigation said in a news release. The remains were described as partially skeletal, according to the National Missing and Unidentified Persons System. They had also been scattered, police said, suggesting animal activity. An autopsy ruled the manner of death as a homicide, but no identification could be made.

The details of the case were entered into the National Missing and Unidentified Persons System. The Georgia Bureau of Investigation and Gilmer County Sheriff's Office "investigated numerous leads to identify the remains, but to no avail," the bureau said. 

In February 2024, the bureau began working with Othram, a company that has used advanced DNA testing to solve crimes and identify remains. The company was able to take a sample from the remains and develop a comprehensive genealogy profile, it said in a news release. That profile was then used to search for new leads in the case. Investigators traveled across the country as part of the follow-up, Othram said, and contacted and tested possible relatives. 

They finally identified a set of relatives who were able to identify the man as David Clary, who was in his late 20s when he was killed. He grew up in the area of Charlotte, North Carolina. At the time of his death, he traveled frequently to Georgia, according to Othram. 

Clary's family was told of his identification in February 2025, the Georgia Bureau of Investigation said. 

A criminal investigation into Clary's death remains active, the bureau said. 

The Joe and Nellie Parriott Archival Center has opened its doors, offering a new hub for genealogy and local history research in the Ohio Valley. 

Initiated by Jim Stultz, president of the Moundsville-Marshall County Public Library, the center, located at 509 Morton Ave., aims to collect and preserve the rich history of Moundsville, originally known as Elizabethtown before its name change in the 1860s.

"I just think it's important for people to understand where they came from, how they originally settled in this town," said Tanner Skym, the center's archivist.

The center boasts collections from across the Ohio Valley dating back to the 1800s and is in the process of digitizing these materials to make them accessible online. 

"I'm excited to digitize these collections, have them available for people online and all around the area and even across the country," Skym said.

With hundreds of photos and books now available, Skym hopes the center will attract more visitors eager to trace their lineage.

The center is also set to collaborate with the Marshall County Historical Society on upcoming projects. 

"We are going to make a podcast titled Marshall County Memoirs," Skym said. "In this, we plan to interview many people around the area, and just talk about at any point in time, any history of families, and we are very excited to start that project."

Currently, the center is open by appointment only. For more information, contact Skym at (304) 843-1082 or via email at tanner.skym@wvlc.lib.wv.us.

We wanted to provide a progress report on the digitization of the War of 1812 Pension Files. We’ve added over a thousand new pension files to Fold3 in the past three months. Most of these are for surnames beginning with the letter “S” or “T.”  Pension files contain clues about your ancestors, their family, and their military service. We’ve randomly selected one pension file to illustrate the type of details you can find in these important records.

David Swinehart is a Pennsylvania veteran of the War of 1812. His 92-page pension file was recently digitized. His file reveals:

1. Name: The cover page of Swinehart’s pension file reveals two possible spellings for his name (Swinehart and Scheinhart). That’s our clue to remember to search for additional records using both spelling variations.
2. Widow’s Name: A widow’s name was commonly included. In Swinehart’s file, we learn his widow Catharine’s maiden name was Longaker.
3. Birthdate: Sometimes, you will find a birthdate for veterans and widows in pension files. Other times, you’ll find the veteran’s or widow’s current age when certain records were submitted. With that information, you can still narrow down a veteran’s birth year.  
4. Death: Pension files often contain the death date for both veteran and widow. 
5. Physical Description: Your ancestor may have died before photography was available, but a pension file may include a physical description.  
6. Occupation: Pension files may reveal the soldier’s occupation before and after the war.
7. Did a Widow Remarry: If a soldier’s widow remarried, the pension file usually includes her new husband’s name and death date if he is also deceased.
8. Dependents/Children of Veteran: Affidavits supporting a pension application may list the names and birthdates of the veteran’s children. This pension file reveals two of Swinehart’s children’s names, birthdates, and residences.  
9. Military Regiment/Militia: A pension file contains information on which unit a soldier served with and who the commanding officer was. Be sure to search for records related to both. You might uncover details that don’t mention your ancestor by name but provide a greater understanding of his military experience.  
10. Widow’s Certificates: When a veteran or widow applied for a pension, officials created a file and gave it a number. W.O. or S.O. refers to the Widow’s or Survivor’s Original. When pension officials granted the pension, it became known as the W.C. or S.C. for the Widow’s Certificate or the Survivor’s Certificate.
11. Residence: By the time Swinehart applied for a pension, he was living in Ohio – even though he served in Pennsylvania. Be sure to search records in both states. Swinehart’s pension reveals that he moved to Ohio in 1849. Even if you are confident your ancestor lived in a particular state, don’t limit your searches for pension files to that state. He may have enlisted in a different state.
12. Bounty Land: You might find evidence of bounty land or a bounty land certificate in a pension file. Your veteran may be living in a different state because he received bounty land there. This pension file reveals a Claim of Widow for Bounty Land and a Land Warrant.
13. Dates of and Locations of Enlistment and Discharge: In many cases, the original records proving enlistment or discharge were lost or destroyed. Swinehart’s pension file notes that his discharge papers were lost but includes dates for enlistment and discharge.
14. Proof of Marriage. A veteran’s widow needed to provide proof of marriage. Pension files might include a page from the family bible, affidavits from extended family, neighbors, or clergy, or even a marriage certificate.
15. Ability to Read/Write: We commonly encounter pension files in which the pensioner or spouse signs their name with a mark, indicating they are illiterate.
16. Affidavits: Pension files contain affidavits from family members, neighbors, and fellow soldiers to prove the applicant served in the war or to prove his marriage or dependents. These affidavits are a great way to make connections. David Swinehart’s file includes an affidavit from his brother, Joseph Swinehart. George Swinehart, likely another relative, witnessed Joseph’s affidavit. These names give us more clues to research.
17. Varied Details: Each pension file is unique. Swinehart’s file contains a tracing of his original signature and letters from 1914, where his descendants appealed to the Bureau of Pensions to determine if David Swinehart ever claimed his Bounty Land.

Explore our free War of 1812 Pension Files Collection today and learn more about your ancestor’s military service on Fold3.

Understanding AI in Genealogy: Foundations and Tools

Presented by Diana Elder

Learn how artificial intelligence can help with your family history research. This presentation covers what AI is, how it works, and which tools are most useful for genealogy. We'll look at popular AI assistants like ChatGPT, Claude, and Gemini and discuss what each one does best. You'll learn how to work effectively with AI, including how to ask questions that get the best results and how to verify the information it provides. Whether you're new to AI or already experimenting with it, this session will help you understand how to use these tools responsibly in your genealogy work.

Diana Elder AG^Ⓡ, AGL^TM, is a professional genealogist accredited in the Gulf South region of the United States. Diana authored Research Like a Pro: A Genealogist’s Guide and co-authored the companion volume, Research Like a Pro with DNA: A Genealogist’s Guide to Finding and Confirming Ancestors with DNA Evidence. Diana and her daughter, Nicole Dyer, host the Research Like a Pro Genealogy Podcast and share research tips on their website, FamilyLocket.com.

When:  Saturday, April 19, 2025

Time:  11:00 am - 12:00 pm  EST 

Where:  Online 

Price:   FREE to AGS members and $10 for nonmembers

The registration deadline is April 17.

Augusta Genealogical Society

Augusta Genealogical Society Find out more about your family history with the Augusta Genealogical Society.

Click above link to register

Limited seating is available to view the virtual presentation at the Adamson Library.  ​To reserve a seat, please call (706) 722-4073.

National Records of Scotland (NRS) has completed the return of thousands of documents that were stolen from its archives and from other UK institutions by a single individual between 1949 and 1980.

NRS recovered around 3100 items in total, mainly family, estate and business correspondence, that its archivists believe were stolen by one individual, Professor David Macmillan (1925-1987).

Most of these documents were found in Canada after his death and the investigation, audit and return of the items to their original collections represents an unprecedented piece of work by NRS.

Of the 3100 items returned, around 2000 were stolen from the NRS archives. These were owned by NRS, deposited by their owners or held by NRS on loan from another institution. 

Around 500 of the documents had been stolen directly from other institutions across the UK. These organisations included The National Archives, the University of Aberdeen, Glasgow City Archives, the University of Glasgow, the University of Edinburgh and the National Library of Scotland. 

Around 500 items were found to belong to collections held by private owners. A further 100 items are as yet of unknown origin. 

Alison Byrne, Chief Executive of NRS, said:

"These historical thefts were on an unprecedented scale and carried out we believe by one individual who was a regular visitor to the institutions he stole from.

“Thanks to the highly detailed and painstaking work of NRS archivists, we have been able to restore these records to their original collections and ensure they are available for study once again.

“We have also been working closely with the other institutions affected by these thefts to ensure their items are also returned to their rightful collections."

Work by NRS archivists led them to conclude that Professor Macmillan had stolen the items between 1949 and 1980, when he was caught taking a single item in an NRS building and his access was immediately revoked.

A number of items were recovered through a private sale in 1994 following the deaths of Macmillan and his wife, however, the full scale of the thefts became apparent in 2012.

A researcher saw a reference in an online catalogue at Trent University in Canada to an item which he thought may have belonged in Scotland and raised concerns with NRS. Subsequent research by NRS archivists, working with colleagues in Trent, uncovered around 2900 items which had been stolen by Macmillan.

These documents had been gifted to Trent University Archives after Macmillan’s death.

Through collaboration between NRS and Trent University, the documents were successfully repatriated to Scotland in 2015. Since then, NRS archivists have been working to return the thousands of items to the archives, as well as carrying out an extremely detailed audit of the collections held by NRS which were accessed by Macmillan.

NRS has also been engaging with owners whose privately deposited collections were impacted by the theft.

In an audit of deposited collections accessed by Macmillan a further 200 items were found to be missing and NRS archivist experts conclude he is likely responsible for their loss. This means it is believed he stole at least 3,330 individual items.

Archivist opinion is that the historical integrity of none of the collections has been significantly compromised.

Karen Suurtamm, University Archivist and Head of Special Collections at Trent University said:

"The successful repatriation of these items is a testament to the productive collaboration between Trent University and NRS over many years and to the dedication and expertise of archivists who carefully steward these collections.

“This is meticulous work that ensures valued historical and cultural materials are preserved and properly documented, so they can return to their rightful homes. Archives play a critical role in supporting researchers, and maintaining the integrity and security of our vast collections ensures the integrity of academic study and discovery.”

John Chambers, Chief Executive, Archives and Records Association UK & Ireland, said:

“We are pleased to see that international co-operation between archivists and archives has brought these records home. When these thefts began (in 1949) the profession was in its infancy. Improvements in processes and security have been many since then and it is good to see the detailed work by NRS over many years that has led to a successful outcome.”

Background:

Professor David Macmillan was born in Scotland in 1925. He was an archivist who worked for the Scottish Record Office in Edinburgh in 1949-1950.

He then worked at the University of Sydney from 1954 to 1968. He left Australia in 1968 to go to Trent University in Peterborough, Ontario, Canada, where he was a professor for 20 years and taught History from 1968 to 1987. He died in 1987. Records show he made annual visits to the NRS archives as a user from 1969 until 1980.

Although he was not convicted of the offences, NRS is confident Professor Macmillan did carry out the thefts given the documents that were recovered that he was known to have accessed and the detailed collection audit that archivists have undertaken.

NRS today maintains robust security measures to protect its vast holdings, which comprise the 38 million documents spanning nearly 1,000 years of Scottish history.

These security measures are regularly reviewed and updated in line with best practice for institutions of this kind and size.

Our policies, plans and processes were evaluated by the UK Archive Accreditation Panel in 2022 and NRS was awarded accredited archive status. 

In total, NRS holds around 38 million documents and the physical archive collection, including paper documents, parchments, photographs, maps, fabrics and objects, currently occupies 80 kilometres of shelving.

All owners who have collections deposited with NRS have been contacted directly if their records were impacted.

Images for this story can be found in a NRS Google Drive along with background information. They include a portrait of NRS Chief Executive Alison Byrne OBE and scanned images of some of the returned letters. 

NRS does not own a photograph of Professor Macmillan. An image of him is available on the University of Sydney online archive. Please take care to avoid confusing him with living persons of the same name. 

California Attorney General Rob Bonta is warning about a risk to their data from a company that recently reported it was in financial distress.

According to the Attorney General’s office, 23andMe said in security filings that there is “substantial doubt” about the genetic testing-focused company’s future.

Bonta advised California residents of their right under the Genetic Information Privacy Act and California Consumer Protection Act to request their data held by companies be deleted and genetic materials be destroyed.

“California has robust privacy laws that allow consumers to take control and request that a company delete their genetic data,” Bonta said. “Given 23andMe’s reported financial distress, I remind Californians to consider invoking their rights and directing 23andMe to delete their data and destroy any samples of genetic material held by the company.”

Bonta’s office compiled the following steps to request data be deleted:

1. Log into your 23andMe account on their website.

2. Go to the “Settings” section of your profile.

3. Scroll to a section labeled “23andMe Data” at the bottom of the page.

4. Click “View” next to “23andMe Data”

5. Download your data: If you want a copy of your genetic data for personal storage, choose the option to download it to your device before proceeding.

6. Scroll to the “Delete Data” section.

7. Click “Permanently Delete Data.”

8. Confirm your request: You’ll receive an email from 23andMe; follow the link in the email to confirm your deletion request.

Co-founder Anne Wojcicki to pursue independent bid as California attorney general tells users to delete data.

The US genetic testing company 23andMe has filed for bankruptcy protection in the US to help sell itself, as its chief executive quit to pursue a bid for the business after several unsuccessful attempts.

23andMe said late on Sunday that it had started voluntary Chapter 11 proceedings in the US Bankruptcy Court for the Eastern District of Missouri to “facilitate a sale process to maximise the value of its business”.

The loss-making company, which provides saliva-based test kits to customers to help them track their ancestry, added that it was operating as usual throughout the sale process. “There are no changes to the way the company stores, manages, or protects customer data,” it said.

The San Francisco-based company said its chief executive and co-founder Anne Wojcicki was stepping down. She has been pushing for a buyout since April last year but was rebuffed by 23andMe’s board.

The company is still reeling from a huge data breach in 2023 that affected the data of nearly 7 million people, about half of its customers. Revenues have fallen as many of its 15 million customers scramble to delete their DNA data from the company’s archives.

Over the weekend the California attorney general, Rob Bonta, urged the company’s users to ask it to “delete your data and destroy any samples of genetic material held by the company”.

Mark Jensen, the company’s chair, said: “After a thorough evaluation of strategic alternatives, we have determined that a court-supervised sale process is the best path forward to maximise the value of the business.

“We are committed to continuing to safeguard customer data and being transparent about the management of user data going forward, and data privacy will be an important consideration in any potential transaction.”

Fighting for survival, 23andMe has cut the jobs of 200 people, amounting to 40% of its workforce, and stopped development of all its therapies in November. Wojcicki’s ambition has been to turn the company into a drug developer.

Wojcicki will be replaced by its chief financial officer, Joe Selsavage, until a permanent replacement is found but she is staying on the 23andMe board.

She co-founded the business in 2006 with Linda Avey and Paul Cusenza. In a post on X, she said she was “disappointed” by the bankruptcy filing and that her bid to take the company private was rejected. She explained she had resigned “so I can be in the best position to pursue the company as an independent bidder”.

She added: “If I am fortunate enough to secure the company’s assets through the restructuring process, I remain committed to our long-term vision of being a global leader in genetics.”

Wojcicki offered to pay $0.41 (£0.32) a share earlier this month, down by 84% from an offer in February. Her private equity partner walked away after the board’s rejection of that bid.

Her latest offer valued 23andMe at $11m, below its current market value of just under $48m, and a long way from its $5.8bn peak in February 2021 after its stock market float on the Nasdaq exchange.

Last autumn, 23andMe agreed to pay $30m and give three years of security monitoring to settle a lawsuit accusing it of failing to protect the privacy of 6.9 million customers whose personal information was exposed in the data breach.

23andMe said it had received a commitment for debtor-in-possession financing of up to $35m from the Los Angeles-based private equity firm JMB Capital Partners, to support the business in the months ahead.

NOTE: This article refers to the BBC version of  "Who Do You Think You Are?"

The latest series of genealogy show Who Do You Think You Are? will return to BBC One and iPlayer this Spring. The 22nd series features Andrew Garfield, Diane Morgan, Mishal Husain, Ross Kemp, Aisling Bea, Will Young, Fred Sirieix and Layton Williams.

Comedian Diane Morgan steps away from her role as clueless historian Philomena Cunk to learn some history of her own from the experts, involving a poignant love story and her ancestor’s brave fight for the rights of her illegitimate children.

BAFTA-winning and RTS nominated actor and writer Aisling Bea discovers how her family’s been shaped by some of the most dramatic moments in Irish history, telling a tale of violent tragedy, female resilience and a passion for Irish independence.

British pop icon and actor Will Young uncovers his grandfather’s extraordinary experience as a Bomber Command pilot in World War Two and being captured as a Prisoner of War in Germany. Will then dives back further in time, discovering both villains and royalty in his family tree.

Elsewhere, TV personality and the UK’s number one matchmaker Fred Sirieix sets sail to France to explore his family roots where he discovers a wartime romance worthy of First Dates and is delighted by an unexpected connection to wine making.

Musical theatre and acting phenomenon Layton Williams investigates his London roots, revealing a surprising musical connection, before travelling to Jamaica where he uncovers some distressing family history.

Journalist and broadcaster Mishal Husain traces an illustrious family history, in India she discovers an ancestor who was a personal physician to a Maharaja, and in an unexpected twist finds herself travelling to the East Coast of the USA.

Simon Young, BBC Head of History, says: “The stellar line-up this year is a real treat for our audiences. But so is the history, from the shock of a royal ancestor to epic stories of survival. And that’s why this series endures, because it hints at the amazing family micro-histories that make all of us who we are.”