Meetings & Classes
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NWIGS Meetings/Classes 2025 - Third Saturday of the Month - start time is 10:00 am
In-Person and Virtual through Zoom unless specified otherwise
Upcoming Meetings 2025 |
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Dr. Almira Fifield, Civil War Physician and "Nurse" from Porter County
June 21, 2025, 10:00am - 10:30am NWIGS Business Meeting Valparaiso Public Library 11:00am - 12:30pm Commemoration of the Life of Dr. Almira Fifield on the South Lawn of the Porter County Courthouse (Valparaiso) Followed by a Memorial Marker Dedication at the Old City Cemetery in Valparaiso The NWIGS monthly meeting will be held at the Valparaiso Public Library where we will conduct a 30 minute business meeting and hold our annual board elections. At 10:30am, all are invited to transition to the south lawn of the Porter County Court House at 16 Lincolnway, Valparaiso for a unique event commemorating the life of Dr. Almira Fifield (1833-1863), First Woman Physician of Porter County, Teacher, and Civil War Veteran. The event will include several speakers and a proclamation for Almira Fifield Day by Valparaiso Mayor Jon Costas. The Indiana Historical Bureau will dedicate and unveil the permanent Indiana State Historical Marker. After the marker dedication, the ceremony continues at the Old City Cemetery (403 Union Street) at approximately 12:30pm. The ca. 1841 pioneer cemetery is a 10 minute walk from the marker but is not ADA accessible and there is no parking at or near the cemetery, however, buses will be provided for those who don’t care to walk. A wreath laying ceremony and 21-gun salute will be held at the cemetery. Event sponsors include the William Henry Harrison Chapter of the Daughters of the American Revolution (DAR), Porter County Museum, Indiana Historical Bureau, City of Valparaiso, and Porter County Board of Commissioners. Register to attend the business meeting via Zoom. |
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Renewing Old Associations and Recovering Old Events Since 1875: Celebrating 150 Years of the Lake County Historical Society
Presented by Jeanene Letcher, Lake County Historical Society July 19, 2025, 10:00 a.m. Central Lake County Public Library, 1919 81st Ave. Merrillville, IN 46410, Meeting Room A and on Zoom Learn about the history of the LCHS, its members, development, and outreach. Jeanene Letcher is the President and Historian of the Lake County Historical Society. Letcher is also the Indiana Room Specialist of the Crown Point Community Library. She has Bachelor's and Master's degrees in History, with specializations in historic preservation, and museum and archival studies. With over 30 years of archival and research experience, Letcher brings her skills to the community through historical tours, historical and genealogical research, and a love of local history. Register to attend via Zoom |
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Germans to the Midwest
Presented by Scott Norrick August 16, 2025: 10:00 a.m. Central Porter County Public Library Valparaiso Branch 103 Jefferson St, Valparaiso IN and on Zoom |
Past Meetings 2025
These are archived announcements for past meetings and classes. Handouts and recordings for past meetings, when available, can be accessed by members on the Meeting Videos & Notes Page.
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Connecting Faces Through Time – How Related Faces Can Help Identify Unknown People in Old Photos
Presented by Tina LaFreniere, Founder and CEO of Related Faces Technologies May 17, 2025, 10:00 a.m. Central Time Lake County Public Library, 1919 81st Ave. Merrillville, IN 46410, Meeting Room A and on Zoom This presentation will step you through how to identify unknown people in old photographs by utilizing the features of Related Faces. This class discusses the basics of how facial recognition works, the importance of properly digitizing your photos and how to do it with just a cell phone. It covers techniques for making positive identifications with real-world examples. Tina LaFreniere is the founder and CEO of Related Faces Technologies. Her genealogical journey began in 1998 when she inherited thousands of family photos, hundreds of which were unidentified. This inspired her to create Related Faces which was officially launched in February 2022 and has since been awarded two U.S. Patents. In addition to her work with Related Faces, Tina is a board member of the Comal County Genealogical Society in New Braunfels, Texas. She is also a member of several genealogical societies, including the National Genealogical Society, The Northwest Indiana Genealogical Society and the Texas State Genealogical Society. Related Faces is a FamilySearch Registered Solutions Provider, and an Amazon Web Services “Activate Entrepreneur” company. |
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Genealogy: Headlines to Heritage
April 19, 2025, 10:00 a.m. Central Time Porter County Public Library Valparaiso Branch 103 Jefferson St, Valparaiso IN and on Zoom Join us to explore how to utilize newspapers for researching your family history! Hosted by the Northwest Indiana Genealogical Society (NWIGS), the Porter County Public Library System and the Larry J Clark Genealogy Center in Valparaiso. |
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Riding a Cabinet Card into Indiana's Historic Past: How to Add Magic Pixie Dust to Your Family Story, Too February 15, 2025, 10:00 a.m. Central On Zoom “Barbara Tien, “ringleader” of the not-for-profit Projectkin.org online community will join us to share how adding “project magic” can be useful for engaging your extended family in your shared history. As an example, she’ll use a project she built to explore her own family’s story in Indiana where her Quaker ancestors arrived in the early 19th century as part of the outpouring of families into the region from North Carolina. Her story begins with a curiosity about a cabinet card and results in a framed piece and a digital interactive whiteboard to tell the story. Everyone joining the program will be invited to explore the whiteboard on their own using their browser and a web link.” |
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Sharing Session
January 18, 2025, 10:00 A.M. Central On Zoom Share your genealogy projects, discoveries, or stories with others. This is your opportunity to bounce your research conundrums off of others who may have had the same issue but have found a way to solve it. Feel free to speak up and share what you have been up to verbally. Those who wish to create short presentations that include photos, documents, maps, or other visuals that help to illustrate their story will be invited to share their screen. Register on Zoom to attend. |