Picturing La Porte -- August meeting program

Do you have an old La Porte County photograph with the photographer's name imprinted? You can learn more about both at the August 10 meeting of the county genealogical society. Fern Eddy Schultz will display and discuss old La Porte County photographs -- and the lives and times of their creators.

Photographers can be key players in your genealogical quest. Knowing about the photographer can help determine when your ancestors' pictures were taken, and thus when they were in La Porte County. With a more identifiable time period for research, it may be easier to secure records documenting their residence in the county.

Schultz was the Founding President of the La Porte County Genealogical Society and continues to serve on its board as genealogist/historian. She is an active member of the La Porte County Historical Society, having served as President of the Board, and is currently 1st Vice-President. She has served for 20 years as the official La Porte County Historian, and maintains an active schedule of lecturing and research.

The society meets at 7 pm on the second Tuesday of every month at the Swanson Center for Older Adults, 910 State St., La Porte. The public is welcome at all meetings. For a list of upcoming programs and more information about the society's activities in awards, research,
publication, and records preservation, visit our web site.

Also at our web site, those who believe they have La Porte County ancestors, and can prove
it, can find information on how to apply for First Families of La Porte (before December 1840), Pioneer Families (1841-1860), Settler Families (1861-1880), and Civil War Families (1861-1865).

Photo credit: from Lisby1 on flickr.com at
http://www.flickr.com/photos/60861613@N00/4806908956/
per Creative Commons.

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July 2010 meeting recap

At the July meeting, La Porte County Genealogical Society members and visitors laid plans for a contest to name the society's newsletter. Send your entries to editor Les Chadwick (lchad@csinet.net), who will act as judge. The winner will receive either a year's free membership or a La Porte County picture book -- to be announced at the society's annual December dinner.

The society's June meeting, a visit to Sauktown Cemetery, was quite successful with over 20 in attendance, despite cold rainy weather.

Entry forms for genealogist of the year and for residency certificates are also still available.

Also available from the Michigan City Historical Society (PO Box 512, Michigan City IN 46361-0512) are pre-publication copies of the new revised edition of Pat Harris's book on the Great Lakes' first submarine. Deadline for the discount is August 14, and all profits benefit the Old Lighthouse Museum.

Member Harold Henderson gave a program on how genealogists need to emulate both Perry Mason and Sherlock Holmes, depending on the situation. You can't count on always finding a record that tells you what you need to know; sometimes you have to find puzzle pieces and put them together.

Next month's meeting will feature Fern Eddy Schultz speaking on early photographers of La Porte County.

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