Western Massachusetts Genealogical Society, Inc.

WMGS Monthly Meeting: Understanding Massachusetts Vital Records
2021-03-03 18:00 - 20:00 (America/New_York) | Online
We’re looking forward to our March 3rd, 2021 meeting, as we’ll be joined by Marian
Pierre-Louis, who will present a highly anticipated presentation titled “Understanding
Massachusetts Vital Records.”
Marian Pierre-Louis is a genealogy professional who specializes in educational outreach through webinars, internet broadcasts, and video. Her areas of expertise include house history research, southern New England research, and solving brick walls. Since the rise in interest of genetic genealogy, Marian has become addicted to using DNA to help solve genealogy mysteries. Marian is the host of the Genealogy Professional Podcast. She has also produced and hosted 100 episodes of Fieldstone Common, a history podcast. Marian is the Online Education Producer for Legacy Family Tree Webinars where she produces online genealogy education classes. Once a month you’ll find her as the evening host of Legacy Family Tree Webinars.
Most people know that Massachusetts has rich vital records dating back to the 1600s. Making the most of Massachusetts vital records requires understanding the nuances of the records. Marian will talk about original sources, such as town record books, as well as the many printed and database options. Learn how to use the “tan books,” vital records from 1841, and all the lesser-known resources available.
Mark your calendars so you won’t miss this important presentation on Wednesday, March 3rd at 6 PM.

WMGS Board Meeting
2021-03-08 18:30 - 20:30

WMGS Training Session: A New Look at Irish Research
2021-03-18 19:00 - 20:30
On Thursday, March 18th at 7 PM, WMGS member Richard Reid will be
presenting a training session titled “A New Look at Irish Research.” Though
it’s the day after St. Patrick’s Day, we’ll still be in an Irish mood!
This presentation is designed for those just starting their Irish research and for
the veteran researcher. We’ll visit the new church records and civil records and
websites that are being updated with new data daily. You will learn about some
of the best free resources and subscription services. (Documents used in the
presentation are the results of consultations performed by the Friends of Irish
Research.)

WMGS Training Session: The Hampden Railroad
2021-03-25 19:00 - 20:30
For those of us who are interested in local history, especially railroads, this is
going to be a delight! WMGS member, Philip E. Johnson will be presenting a
fascinating look at the Hampden Railroad. His presentation is based on his
book, The Hampden Railroad – The Greatest Railroad That Never Ran, which
was published in 2014. The work is the result of 30 years of research!
This story likely affected thousands of our ancestors from Westfield to central
Massachusetts who may have worked on this railroad. Investors, local towns,
and even the general public were impacted as well. Yet so little is known about
this story.
Philip gives us a preview:
“Growing up in Springfield, Massachusetts during the 50’s and 60’s, I remember seeing the trains crossing in Winchester Square and by Watershops Pond, and even across Five Mile pond when swimming with my family. Beginning with model trains and
riding on tourist trains as a child, I have always loved trains. When I was in my early 20’s, I had a job where I was a field service engineer in eastern Hampden County. This gave me ample opportunity to view many branch lines in operation and investigate abandoned lines. I became a member of Amherst Railroad Society as a young adult where I have remained a member for 40 years. As an engineer, I enjoy researching the history of random lines and can usually spot where a railroad once ran based on the slope of the terrain. Our family vacations many times had a railroad theme at least one day out of the week. I believe that all children should be given the opportunity to ride
a train. We need to lobby in favor of more passenger trains to replace some cars, especially in cities. I keep hoping that passenger trains will soon return to the town I live in, Erving, Massachusetts.
The Hampden Railroad story is different, not a success story by any means. The railroad was built 1911-1913 to connect 2 parallel lines in central Mass in order to avoid changing trains in Boston. South and North Stations still have no connection. This is a story of how it was conceived, how it was built, and why it never operated.”
To see a preview of this story, you can watch an interview that Phil gave to the Monson-Palmer Public Television station at:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FAsOMG-oNAw
Note: If you’re interested in purchasing a copy of Philip’s book in advance, it’s available on Amazon. If you’d like an autographed copy, they are available for $35.00 each by emailing Phil at: Hampdenphil@gmail.com.
