Champaign County Genealogical Society

09/03/2025

Great news - new Champaign County newspapers added to the Illinois Digital Newspaper Collection to search for free! 3,251 issues of the Champaign Daily News from 1895 to 1918 have been added. See the link below for more details on all the recent additions, including issues from Macoupin, Piatt, Richland, and Union counties for the first time.

August 2025: New titles added to the IDNC Posted on August 29, 2025 by Jessie Knoles Several new titles, as well as new content for existing titles, have been added to the IDNC! Among the newspapers included are Black newspapers and newspapers in non-English languages, primarily Lithuanian and Polis...

09/02/2025

Here's some exciting news. Findmypast is offering 50% off select subscriptions for a limited time. Findmypast is excellent for building trees if you have British and Irish ancestors. You also get access to the British Newspaper Archives, a great resource for your ancestors across the pond. You also get access to records from the British Library and the UK National Archives. Check out the link below.

Search the largest collection of UK and Irish genealogy records and newspaper archives online to find your British ancestors

09/01/2025

It's Webtember! Free webinars every Wednesday from Legacy Family Tree.

From Legacy Family Tree: "Webtember 2025 is our annual online conference dedicated to family history and genealogy. For four Wednesdays in September, we'll feature a new lineup of expert-led webinars, each with a unique theme. The best part? It's completely free to attend live!"

Check out the link below to register.

You should receive a confirmation email with a link to the webinar soon. You’ll also receive a reminder both the day before and one hour before the webinar begins. Didn’t receive a confirmation email?

08/31/2025

Fox Valley Genealogical Society is having a virtual Fall Conference on Saturday, September 27th. The theme is WONDERFUL WORLD OF WEBSITES: Navigating NARA, LOC, and Historical Newspaper Websites. Learn from Alec Ferretti, Shannon Combs-Bennett, and Laura Kovarik. Details are below. The cost is $55 for non-members.

🦊 FVGS Fall Conference Registration Reminder! - https://mailchi.mp/d3714ff51854/fvgs-nov-12-meeting-reminder-10979045

08/31/2025

Enjoy Free Access to U.S. and Canadian Census Records on MyHeritage for Labor Day! Have extra time this long weekend? Check out MyHeritage for more information on free records.

From August 27 to September 2, 2025, MyHeritage is offering free access to all U.S. and Canadian census records. This is a chance to explore your family’s history in depth and discover details that bring the past into sharper focus.

Labor Day, observed on the first Monday of September, honors the contributions of workers in the United States and Canada. It marks the achievements of

05/15/2025

TITLE: 3rd Annual Unique Document Discoveries (Monthly Meeting) via Zoom.
REGISTRATION FOR WEBINAR is required at:
https://us02web.zoom.us/meeting/register/k2_oaQihS5-Y5c8WbOk34g

DATE and TIME OF EVENT: Tuesday, June 10, 2025 / 7 p.m. (Room will open at 6:30 p.m. for a social time with other genealogists, join us!)

Most genealogists are familiar with vital or census documents. While these documents are critical to our research, there are many unique documents that can help uncover information about our relatives. At this meeting we invite attendees to share images of unique or rare documents they have uncovered in their research. This could also be a document that added to their family story in an unexpected way. We look forward to hearing more about your document discovery!
Please email a scanned copy of the document prior to the start of the meeting, and send it to [email protected] . We will share the item for you to discuss during the meeting.

We will begin sharing documents at 7pm (CDT). There will be a society business meeting immediately following the presentation.

FOR MORE INFORMATION CONTACT: [email protected] or our website at https://ilccgs.org/eventListings.php?nm=119 This event is free and open to the public. A recording of the presentation will be made available to CCGS members following the event.

The Champaign County Genealogical Society specializes in the records of Champaign County, Illinois. Membership includes a subscription to the Quarterly publication and access to members-only services

05/06/2025

TITLE: Translating, Transcribing and Summarizing Documents Using AI (Monthly Meeting)

DATE and TIME OF EVENT: Tuesday, May 13, 2025 via Zoom at 7 pm (Room will open at 6:30p.m. for a social time with other genealogists, join us!)

SPEAKER: Thomas MacEntee, author, educator, student, advocate, marketer, storyteller, entrepreneur, and that “genealogy guy” who helps you accomplish your family history goals!

DESCRIPTION:
Learn how to harness the power of artificial intelligence to assist in translating, transcribing, and summarizing a variety of genealogy records. A handwritten baptismal record from the 1800s? No problem. A faded newspaper obituary? No problem. We’ll cover the best AI platforms as well as how to craft a solid prompt to get you the results you need.

REGISTRATION FOR WEBINAR:

https://us02web.zoom.us/meeting/register/tZclfu-vrDIiE93SX22s0BAmKVFlysxKoYE3

FOR MORE INFORMATION CONTACT: [email protected] or our website at
https://ilccgs.org/eventListings.php?nm=119
This event is co-sponsored by the Champaign County Historical Archives at the Urbana Free Library. This event is free and open to the public. A recording of the presentation will be made available to CCGS members following the event.

04/16/2025

Tuesday, May 6
Family Tree Maker Special IN-PERSON Event (Local Events)
5:00 pm to 7:30 pm
Champaign Church of Christ, 1509 W. John Street, Champaign, IL 61821

Presented by Family Tree Maker Executive Director Duff Wilson and Genealogy Community Ambassador Mark Olsen. This event will include interactive demonstrations with lots of tips, techniques, helpful insights, and Q&A with those in attendance, much like a Family Tree Maker User Group meeting.

Please register in advance for this SPECIAL IN-PERSON EVENT: https://www.eventbrite.com/e/1317541495079?aff=oddtdtcreator

02/02/2025

Tuesday, March 11
CCGS March General Meeting: Gravestone Symbols from A to Z (Monthly Meeting)
7:00 pm to 8:30 pm
A is for anchor; B is for book; C is for Celtic Cross . . . "Gravestone Symbols from A to Z" will help you learn to "read" a cemetery so you can discover your ancestors' interests, religion, club memberships, values, and more. Learn about BillionGraves and see hundreds of gravestone photos from around the world. Enjoy fun stories that will help you find clues to grow your family tree.

Cathy Wallace is the Special Projects Coordinator for BillionGraves, the world’s largest GPS-linked cemetery database will be our guest speaker.

Please register in advance by using the following link:
https://us02web.zoom.us/meeting/register/tZIqcO6grjssHN2c2uOrP1nrn1_5hlwUJ47d

After registering, you will receive a confirmation email containing information about joining the meeting. If you do not receive a Zoom link within 15 minutes after registering, please check your spam folder.

This event is co-sponsored by the Champaign County Historical Archives at the Urbana Free Library. This event is free and open to the public. A recording of the presentation will be made available to CCGS members following the event.

Presented by Cathy Wallace, Special Projects Coordinator, BillionGraves NOTE: The presentation will begin at 7pm (Central Time), there will be a period to socialize between 6:30-7:00 pm. A is for anchor; B is for book; C is for Celtic Cross . . . "Gravestone Symbols from A to Z" will help you learn....

02/02/2025

Tuesday, February 11
St. Joseph Digitization Project (Monthly Meeting)
7:00 pm to 8:30 pm
In the 1940s and 1950s people living in small towns in Central Illinois such as St. Joseph and Ogden were more active in clubs and organizations than they are today. Reports of these meetings were regularly printed in the St. Joseph Record. Mary will explore some familiar clubs and other obscure organizations that may have been forgotten over the years, through a deep dive into the St. Joseph Record issues of these years.

Join us as Mary Butzow, Chair, Champaign County Newspaper Digitization Initiative (CCNDI) will update us on this exciting project.

Please register in advance by clicking the link below:
https://us02web.zoom.us/meeting/register/tZckcOmqrDMtH9OK8iy7J2dtPHznk6Hr6-gi

After registering, you will receive a confirmation email containing information about joining the meeting.

This event is co-sponsored by the Champaign County Historical Archives at the Urbana Free Library. This event is free and open to the public. A recording of the presentation will be made available to CCGS members following the event.

07/05/2024

Here’s a limited time bargain.

Sale ends 7/8. Terms apply.

06/29/2024

July 13th at 10 am at Weldon Springs State Park in the Old Union Schoolhouse - this sounds like a great program!