Class Description
Dig into your Polish Chicago roots! This two-part seminar explores Chicago Polonia and the many record sets that illuminate our ancestors' stories. Designed for beginner and intermediate researchers, we’ll discuss why our Polish ancestors chose Chicago and the communities they formed once they got here. We’ll explore a variety of records and discuss how to piece information together to gain a better understanding of our ancestors’ lives.
The focus of this presentation is the Polish and Polish-American experience in Chicago from about the 1870s to the 1940s, however we will look at key record sets that might help you locate your ancestor’s place of origin. Participants will learn about helpful records and search techniques, understand how to read records for deeper analysis, and discover how to access information and collections. A comprehensive handout with additional resources will be provided.
Basic familiarity with databases such as Ancestry and FamilySearch is recommended.
All virtual classes are recorded and made available to participants registered in the class. These recordings are password-protected and available for up to two weeks after the class ends.
Jaymie Middendorf is a genealogist with a passion for empowering others to discover their family history. She is a Genealogy and Special Collections Librarian at the Denver Public Library and serves as the President of the National Danish-American Genealogical Society.
What to Expect
Format: Virtual
Class Capacity: 20
Class Style: Lecture or presentation; option for questions
Materials List
No Required Materials
A Brief Syllabus
- Migration to Chicago
- Immigrant Communities
Cost and Registration
2 Sessions, $65 ($58.50 for Newberry members, seniors, and students). Learn about becoming a member.
We offer our classes at three different price options: Regular ($65), Community Supported ($60), and Sponsor ($70). Following the models of other institutions, we want to ensure that our classes are accessible to a wider audience while continuing to support our instructors. You may choose the price that best fits your situation when registering through Learning Stream.
To register multiple people for this class, please go through the course calendar in Learning Stream, our registration platform. When you select the course and register, you’ll be prompted to add another registrant.
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