Private Land Claims, GIS tools, and Virginia Revolutionary War Soldiers–Rick Sayre

SESSION: W127  TRACK: Land and Maps      TITLE: Private Land Claims in California, New Mexico, and Other Western States

SESSION: T213    TRACK:  Eastern States       TITLE:  Researching Virginia Revolutionary War Soldiers

SESSION:  F344   TRACK: Land and Maps      TITLE:  Historical Geographic Information Systems (GIS) Mapping Tools for Genealogical Research

Rick Sayre is a Certified Genealogist, Certified Genealogical Lecturer, Utah Genealogical Association Fellow, and trustee of the Board for Certification of Genealogists. He is a course coordinator and a instructor at the Institute of Genealogy and Historical Research at Samford University, Salt Lake Institute of Genealogy, and the Genealogical Research Institute of Pittsburgh.

Sayre is presenting two lectures in the Land and Maps track.  His Wednesday talk will discuss the rich genealogical information available in private land disputes that ended up in court as the US established jurisdiction over lands previously held by Mexico. On Friday, he offers an overview of Geographic Information System (GIS) tools that have wide applicability in solving genealogical problems. In a third lecture, he discusses the local, state, and national resources available for researching Virginians who served in the Revolutionary War.

Other talks in the Land and Maps track cover Sanborn Fire Insurance maps; federal land records for western states; using urban maps for genealogy; researching locations; and creating locality guides when first starting work in a new geographic location. The Eastern States track includes talks on starting research in Pennsylvania; the value of New York land records; midwestern states family history resources; using chancery records in Virginia; and how to navigate through the structure and  complicated rules of accessing New York city and state vital records.

Remember that online registration for the NGS 2022 Family History Conference ends today May 13!  Registration re-opens May 23 in Sacramento for those who choose to register upon arrival.