Explore, share and celebrate your family’s heritage at the Historical Society of Middletown’s first Family History Afternoon Saturday, Sept. 8.
This free event runs from 1 to 4 p.m. at the HSM hall, 778 Cemetery Road, Margaretville. All are welcome.
Genealogist and Fairview Library Director Doris Warner will lead a 1 p.m. workshop for beginning family researchers that will help answer the question “Where do I begin?” Doris will cover basic and sometimes overlooked sources for vital statistics, residency, and personal information, and will offer tips on organizing your data and linking with other researchers following similar trails.
At 2 p.m,, Ray LaFever, archivist at the Delaware County Historical Association and Bovina Town Historian, will discuss how to preserve your precious family photographs, mementoes and artifacts so that future generations can enjoy and learn from them.
History Show-N-Tell at 3 p.m. will offer a chance to share the story behind – or ask questions about — an old photograph, heirloom, tool, hand-made item, toy or other memorabilia. Stories will be recorded and preserved for the HSM collection.
The Historical Society is looking for photos of Middletown area people, places and events to add to its archives. If you have images you’d be willing to share, please come to the HSM hall anytime from 1 to 4 p.m. September 8 to have them scanned. We’ll take the information about the photos and return them to you on the spot.
Community displays, reference books, binders of HSM inventories of Middletown barns and Civil War soldiers, and other materials will be available to peruse. Current exhibits at the hall feature Middletown area covered bridges and World War I soldiers.
Those who cannot attend but would like to loan photos for scanning or donate materials to HSM may call 845-586-4973, or email history@catskill.net.
To find a schedule of HSM’s 2018 events and programs, and many articles and photos pertaining to Middletown’s history, visit mtownhistory.org, where you can also become a member and make an online donation towards the preservation of local history.