• Who is considered an orphan?
• The roots of orphanages abroad
• A history of orphans & orphanages in the United States
• Where do we look for records and  what might we find?
• Adoptees’ rights
• DNA testing as a tool

The Filson Historical Society located in Old Louisville has over 75,000 photographic items within its collection. A large portion is comprised of local Louisville and Southern Indiana family photographs. While you may be familiar with the our genealogical resources many forget about our visual resources. Filson’s Associate Curator of Photographs, Heather Potter, will give an overview of the Filson’s Photographic Collections, a tutorial on how to search the collection, and some tips on how to preserve your own family photographs

All are welcome.  Hands-On training.  Internet access available, bring your laptop or tablet.  This workshop is presented twice, 10:00 AM - 12:00 PM and 7:00 PM - 9:00 PM.

Matthew Sellers II was born in Baltimore but his ancestors were notable Kentuckians. After his father’s death, he built a home for his mother in Grahn, near some of her Kentucky relatives. He had great knowledge about many scientific topics and an extensive science and engineering based education. He built a workshop/laboratory near the Grahn home. His interest in aircraft that could carry a man became a major focus very early in his life. Most of his meaningful research was conducted at the Grahn home called “Blakemore” and it was in the pastures there that he tested his unique quadruplane. Some have credited him with being the first early airman to have a comprehensive understanding of the principles and physics of flying. His first powered-flight occurred five years after the Wright Brothers but made him the “First in Kentucky Flight”. After two disasters that caused him to stop experimenting with flying, his expertise was called on to serve in important political positions which aided the initial formation of the Army Air Corp and contributed to Allied air success in WWI.

Susan and Bill Snyder will introduce the means to plat the land described in your ancestor’s deed.  You will learn basic terms and tools for platting.  By using a case study, they will take you through the process of creating a diagram of the land.  You will then be shown how to locate it on a current day map.

Presented by: Fred Gross

Fred Gross knew much about the history of the Holocaust, but he didn't know his own, being a quite young Jewish child during those terrible years. In the late 1980s, he asked his mother to tell him the story of his family's flight from the German invasion of Belgium and the Nazi policies that would become the Holocaust. Later, his two older brothers added their memories. But this story is not simply an account of the years spent one step ahead of Hitler. It is about a little boy then grown man coming to know his own story and realizing the tenuousness of memory. Most of the Grosses' flight takes place in France during its defeat and collaboration with the Nazis, rounding up more than 75,000 Jews for deportation to the death camps. Gross and his family made it through these anguished years because of their fortitude and ingenuity and the help of brave men and women of other faiths, reverently referred to as The Righteous Among the Nations, who risked their lives standing up to their collaborationist government. One Step Ahead of Hitler is a flight not remembered by the author, who was only three when the desperate experience began. Because of his talent in interviewing members of his family, researching, and writing, it is an adventure you will not soon forget.