Tuesday, September 25, 2007

Tracing roots at Huntington lecture

By Lynn Petry
lynn.petry@newsday.com

Want to find out more about your family tree?

As part of their fall lineup of events, the Huntington Historical Society presents a free genealogy lecture at 7 tomorrow night at the Huntington Library, 338 Main St. with guest speaker Dorothy Dougherty, Public Programs Specialist at the National Archives and Records Administration, Northeast Region, New York City.

"Family History Research Within the Custom House Records of the National Archives-New York," features an in-depth discussion that helps you trace your family's background. Ms. Dougherty highlights actual paper records including ship logs, rather than computer or website information, to help you get started on your journey.

According to Arthur Sniffin, program coordinator at the society, "It's critical that people go back to the original primary sources, like birth, marriage and death records or ship logs to make sure that the historic information they are gathering is accurate."

The genealogy workshops sponsored by the society, have been providing technical help to families searching for their ancestry since the mid 1970s. Their next workshop, scheduled for 7 p.m. on Oct. 31, features Stephen P. Morse speaking on "One Step Web Pages: A Potpourri of Genealogical Search Tools," at the South Huntington Public Library on Pidgeon Hill Road.

Also, the Society's Resource Center and Archives, at 209 Main St. in Huntington, contains family histories and more than 250,000 photographs focused on the Town of Huntington. Hours are 1-4 p.m. on Wednesdays and Thursdays and by appointment. There is a $4 entry fee to the center; for information call 631-427-7045, ext. 401. A monthly genealogy workshop newsletter is also available for $10, for folks who become members of the Society.

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