NO MEETING - OPEN HOUSE
2024-12-14 13:00 - 16:00 (America/Chicago)

7 Ways to Jumpstart Your Research
2025-01-11 13:00 - 16:00
How do genealogists “prime their pumps”? This session offers a slew of sources, methods, fresh ideas, and case studies to recharge your innovation when you think both you and your opportunities are totally exhausted.
Come to our first meeting of the new year and find out! We will watch a webinar and then share our own tips and techniques.
Bastrop County Genealogical Society’s Meeting Format:
1:00 – 2:00 – Open research discussion and Genealogy 101
2:00 – 3:00 – Skills development (i.e. webinars, speakers, etc.)
3:00 – 4:00 – Open discussion. Help us plan our meeting topics for the 2025 calendar

BCGS Meeting
2025-02-08 13:00 - 16:00, 2025-03-08 13:00 - 16:00, 2025-04-12 13:00 - 16:00, 2025-05-10 13:00 - 16:00, 2025-06-14 13:00 - 16:00, 2025-07-12 13:00 - 16:00, 2025-08-09 13:00 - 16:00, 2025-09-13 13:00 - 16:00 and 2 more dates
TOPIC TBD

How Do I Keep All This Stuff Straight: Organizing Your Research
2025-02-08 13:00 - 16:00
Don’t let the “stuff” of genealogy overwhelm your space or your computer files. Organized research can save you time and money and help guide you to the next big breakthrough!

Navigating Naturalization Records
2025-03-08 13:00 - 16:00
First papers, petitions, certificates and registrations. These are some of the key documents for Naturalization–the process to apply to become a U.S. citizen. Due to changing laws and an evolving process over time, locating the appropriate official paperwork can often be a challenging task for family historians. Learn how to navigate naturalization records and what information they contain about your ancestors.

Railroad Records and Railroad History: Methods for Tracking
2025-04-12 13:00 - 16:00
Did great-grandpa traverse this nation as he worked for the railroad? For which railroad did he work? Where did it run? Are there railroad records which may give us personal details? Visuals and references demonstrate the wealth of historical materials available all across the U.S. When this lecture is over you will know where to turn to find out more about the railroad, its records, and where to find them. Also learn about online personnel and payroll records, indexes, books, railroad employee and union magazine indexes, inventories of railroad records, indexes of insurance claims, identified photographs of people, trains, and stations, architectural drawings, and links to other free websites and finding aids. Some of these lists give a person’s name, birth date and place, railroad jobs held, and more. An extensive handout gives links to these and many others.

7 Immigration Methodologies
2025-05-10 13:00 - 16:00
Family historians face significant challenges tracing immigrant ancestors. Changes in language, culture, family composition, given name, surname, country of residence, and occupation tend to obscure the origins of many immigrants. We will be introduced to seven methodologies to effectively trace immigrant origins, illustrated with examples from the early 1600s to the early 1900s.

Daughters of the American Revolution Update and Genealogical Research System
2025-06-14 13:00 - 16:00
The National Society Daughters of the American Revolution has been collecting genealogical information since 1890 to support both the application process for membership and to honor the service of Patriots. The Society operates a marvelous library in Washington, DC. Over the last few years they have scanned and provided public access to extensive online resources. Come learn more.

A Nose for News: 20 Tips for Getting the Most out of Newspapers
2025-07-12 13:00 - 16:00
The National Society Daughters of the American Revolution has been collecting genealogical information since 1890 to support both the application process for membership and to honor the service of Patriots. The Society operates a marvelous library in Washington, DC. Over the last few years they have scanned and provided public access to extensive online resources.

Using Google Earth for Genealogy
2025-08-09 13:00 - 16:00
Google Earth is one of the best free genealogical tools available! Learn how to unlock mysteries in your research from unidentified photographs, to how an ancestral location looked a hundred years ago or more, to plotting homesteads precisely using land patent legal descriptions. You’ll learn how to interpret the genealogical records you already have in new and exciting ways using layers, overlays, forensic analysis, and little known online tech tools.

Colonial Immigrants: Who They Were and Where They Came From
2025-09-13 13:00 - 16:00
Between 1607 and 1790, about 900,000 immigrants came to the colonies. Learn about each of the nationalities that came before the Revolutionary War, where they came from, and sources available to identify them.

How to Find the Truth about a Family Story
2025-10-11 13:00 - 16:00
Oral history provides the foundation for all family research. Documentary evidence builds structure on that foundation. But documents often conflict with family traditions. How do we determine the core truths that are essential to understanding our own past? Learn how to examine the causes of those conflicts and how to peel away generations of confusion to find the real story that underpins family lore. Case studies include both Native American and African American traditions.

BCGS No Meeting
2025-12-13 13:00 - 16:00
Library Open House

Genealogy Reboot
2026-01-10 13:00 - 15:00 | BCGS Monthly Meeting, 1100 Church St., Bastrop, 78602, United States
Genealogy Reboot is all about hitting the reset button as we step into a new year. January has a way of inviting fresh starts—new goals, new habits, and new perspectives—and our family history journey deserves the same intentional reboot. Whether your research has stalled, your files feel overwhelming, or you’re simply craving a clearer direction, this session is designed to help you begin again with confidence and momentum.

Streamlining Genealogical Research Plans with AI: Step-by-Step
2026-02-14 13:00 - 15:00
This practical session offers a detailed look at integrating AI into your genealogical research planning workflow. We’ll explore AI-powered tools that can assist with each step of the planning process: clarifying research objectives, analyzing, and summarizing known facts, generating hypotheses based on existing data, expanding your list of potential sources, and creating an optimized research strategy. Learn how to use AI to save time, reduce oversight, and create more robust research plans while maintaining control over your genealogical process.

Top Newspaper Sites That You MUST RESEARCH!
2026-03-14 13:00 - 15:00
In the world of genealogy, newspapers are often overlooked yet incredibly powerful tools for uncovering personal stories, tracing ancestral movements, and discovering historical context. In the webinar explore both free and subscription-based newspaper databases. This session is a must for anyone seeking to go beyond vital records and uncover the everyday lives of their ancestors.

Organizing Your Research Trip
2026-04-11 13:00 - 15:00
A research trip, no matter whether it’s to the local library or traveling to a place where your ancestors lived, requires advance planning. Setting your goals, defining where you will go, and organizing yourself are keys to your research success. This practical session offers a comprehensive roadmap for making the most of limited research time on the ground, particularly when accessing archives, libraries, or family collections. Whether you’re traveling across town or across the globe, the strategies shared here are essential for genealogists looking to maximize results while avoiding common pitfalls.

The Best Uses of AI for Genealogists
2026-05-09 13:00 - 15:00
Learn how to use artificial intelligence to help find important family information, understand old documents, and craft compelling family stories to support your family history research.

Sources for Seeking Scoundrels
2026-06-13 13:00 - 15:00
Pulling back the curtain on lesser-used historical sources can reveal fascinating, sometimes scandalous, details about ancestors who lived outside the lines. We will look at seven types of records family historians rarely use: police records, criminal court records, jail records, coroner’s records, church disciplinary records, divorce records and juvenile reformatory records. Whether your ancestors were lawbreakers or law enforcers, these records can dramatically enrich your family history with depth, context, and vivid storytelling.

Demystifying Haplogroups
2026-07-11 13:00 - 15:00
Come to an introduction about haplogroups, explaining what they are, how they are inherited, and what they reveal about ancient ancestry and human migration patterns. The session aims to demystify the complex terminology and provide practical insights into how haplogroups can be used in genetic genealogy and guide participants to find their own haplogroup.

Record As You Go, Cite As You Go, & File As You Go
2026-08-08 13:00 - 15:00
Genealogists tend to get very excited about new records and sources they come across in their research. So much so that they grab a quick copy, download it to default folders, and move on to the next item without thoroughly exploring the source first. All too often we don’t take the time to evaluate the source, to write the citation(s) for the source, or to file it in the correct spot. We have to slow down and take the time to think, to file, and to create notes about the source that make it easy to find that source again if needed. Doing this keeps our research more organized, but also keeps our research brain tidy as well. We are much more productive when we can easily put our hands on what we’ve found in the past. We will explore different options for accomplishing all of these important steps.
