The Northwest Branch of the Jefferson County Library will hold an event catered to local history experts and novel genealogists alike.
Family History Day will run from 10:30 a.m. to 4 p.m. Saturday inside the Northwest Community Room at the library, 5680 Hwy. PP, in High Ridge. Four speakers will give presentations during the event, and an antique appraiser will be on hand to give participants advice or information on their antiques.
The event includes several attendance prizes and tours of the newly refurbished genealogy research room.
Genealogy Department head Ginger Brickey said the event is perfect for those interested in family history or local history who want to meet others just like them.
“I encourage people to bring the research and questions because we’ll have our researchers here,” she said. “Anyone wanting a tour of the newly designed space, we’ll be happy to provide that. If you come for just one presentation, or if you stay throughout the day, we’re welcoming curious researchers or experienced researchers of all ages.”
Brickey said the library prefers participants register for the event in advance either through the website, jeffcolib.org/events, or by calling the branch at 636-677-8186.
Chris Naffziger, will begin his presentation at 11 a.m. in the community room. Naffziger is a researcher with the State Historical Society of Missouri and will present,“The Amazing Depth of Architecture in Missouri Cities and Towns.”
According to the society’s website, Naffziger’s research focus areas include the German American brewing industry in the 19th century, and he is currently exploring the history of the Lemp Brewery in St. Louis.
At 12:30 p.m., Joette Klein, assistant director of library services at the Jefferson County History Center at Jefferson College, will be presenting information about the center’s local collections and archives. The center, located in the college’s library on its Hillsboro campus, is open for research Monday through Thursday from 8 a.m. to 1 p.m.
At 2 p.m., Liana Twente, a research analyst and eVolunteer coordinator with the Missouri State Archives, will give a presentation on how to conduct research using state government records and will focus especially on death records. The archives, physically located in Jefferson City, include a digital repository for the state which can be accessed at sos.mo.gov/mdh.
At 3 p.m., local historian Colleen Brewster will give a presentation on a case study she recently completed on the 1904 World’s Fair in St. Louis using online newspaper archives, called “The Woman of the World’s Fair.” Brickey said, through her research, Brewster discovered there was only one woman who had a booth at the fair.
From 11 a.m. to 2 p.m., in a nearby room, an antique appraisal booth will be set up for participants. Brickey said the appraisals will be done on a first-come, first-served basis.
“People can bring their antiques and throughout the day they’ll have the chance to get those appraised,” she said. “We get so many calls of people wanting to verify something or give them a value on something, and we’re just not trained to do that (at the library). I thought it would be really cool if we could just bring somebody in for a couple of hours so people would have that opportunity.”
One lucky attendee could win an Ancestry DNA kit, Brickey said. Other door prizes include local Jefferson County genealogical books, which Brickey said the winners can choose their favorite.
Brickey said she plans to share information about the library’s new genealogy club with event participants. The club held its first meeting in August, and she said it was a success. The club meets on the first Saturday of every month at the Northwest Branch.
“I’m going to do kind of an introduction of the genealogy club, since we’re supposed to have our meetings on the first Saturday of the month, and Family History Day falls on that date, we’re just going to have the meeting that day,” Brickey said. “I’ll be introducing people who are in the group already and inviting anyone attending Family History Day to join us at future meetings if they’re interested.”