Click to see a preview of the new Gleanings – click cover above or <here>
Available now free to members <Gleanings Tab> or only $3 to download in our Publications Store !
Jan – Feb Newsletter is Out
Click and discover
Researching McLean County Ancestors?
Click here for a guide to County Resources and how TMCGS can help
Looking for Land Records?
New – a surname index to property owners on the McLean County
1856 & 1866 Maps and the 1874, 1895, & 1914 Atlases of McLean County
Compiled by William LaBounty – maps are in the Genealogy Library
The New Gleanings is available to members
Goto Gleanings tab and Enjoy !
National Archives Pension and Land Warrant Files Released!
With FamilySearch help, 2.3 mil files are now available <Click Here>
62 Genealogy 1 min videos for Everyone
Thanks to Michele Simmons Lewis !
Illinois Corn Growers Association 1910
McLean County Farm Bureau Members 1950
Two New Free Books on Free Books Page
February 4, 2025
Genealogy Meetup
Join us with the
Normal Public Library
2:00 pm – In person or Zoom
Come for help and fun !
Click for details
Rootstech 2025 Registration
March 6-8
The class schedule is online now. Register Today for 3 days of genealogical instruction all for FREE!
Click for details
Logan Gavin
presents
WikiTree
A free resource for genealogy!
Click for details
Free Ancestry?
Visit our library on the 2nd floor of
the McLean County Musuem of History
Bring your laptop and use our free WIFI
Visit ancestrylibrary.com
New Video !
Shows Step by Step how to
transform old photos into color masterpieces
Want to search local libraries from Home?
This link will allow you to search the content of our library and other surrounding libraries !
Genealogy News
NGS is moving to a virtual office and new contact information. https://ngsgenealogy.org
Sign up for Rootstech today. March 6-8, 2025 https://www.familysearch.org/en/rootstech/
Ancestry has a new feature to insure your work can be carried on by your choice of person – select your legacy contact today !
The new Gleanings is available, members get free or it can be purchased for $3 in the publications store.
Please join or renew today. We need you.
Short Information Packed Videos
Genealogist Michele Simmons Lewis, AG, CG of Mad Hatter Genealogy has over 46,000 followers.
Watch her short videos of genealogy tips here
Topics include:
-DNA Client Case – finding an unknown parent
-Rookie mistakes – tips for Pros and Rookies alike
-PSAs – 62 Quick Tips for Everyone
-Searching FamilySearch – Get every possible nugget
These short videos are full of real life tips and tricks.
More to come each week !
Are You related to Elvis?
Rand learns from FamilySearch he is related to
George Washington !
You may be too.
To try out this free feature at Familysearch:
Open an account at familysearch.org
or login your existing account.
Enter your family tree with yourself at the root. As you enter
relatives going back, FS will begin to suggest ancestors that match whom you are inputting. These suggestions will have an identification number. Try to enter enough relatives that each
branch of the tree ends in a person that is already in the database.
Then open a new tab while still logged in and goto:
https://familysearch.org/discovery
Check back after a couple days and you likely will find more !
This works because starting with COVID, Rootstech went virtual and all attendees were asked if they wish to contribute their research to a one-world tree. Hundreds of Thousands did so. This has resulted in 1.55 billion searchable names and 2.97 Billion sources cited in a wonderful asset to the genealogical community – all for free.
Keep in mind the relationships you see are based on someone elses research and you should verify information.
(P.S. George and I are only cousins, I am not a direct descendent)
What is a FamilySearch Affiliate Library?
The FORT in Lexington and The McLean County Genealogical Society library in the McLean County Museum of History at 200 N. Main, Bloomington are “FamilySearch Affiliate Libraries.” FamilySearch has more records than Ancestry – and they are FREE ! You can search the records using your home computer at “familysearch.org”, but often copies of specific items can only be retrieved at a FamilySearch Center or Affiliate Library. For example, Illinois Death Certificates are a pain in the butt to obtain often costing $20 or more at County Clerk offices (why is that?). You can order Illinois Death Certificates from the Illinois State Genealogical Society for $10.00 at ilgensoc.org.
But make your way to The Fort or our library on the 2nd floor of the McLean County Museum of History, and you can download them for FREE. If you bring a laptop, and you log onto the wifi at MCMH, your laptop is recognized as being inside the library and you will have access.
Members of TMCGS have free admission to the Museum and Library (p.s. it’s open ’til 8:00 pm on Tuesdays)
Why Be a Member?
Members have free access to all publications thru the website.
Presentations are keep for 30 days in the member’s area.
Members have exclusive access to McLean County Birth and Death records.
Members have immediate access to all past Gleanings from 1967 – present.
Membership dues support our work to digitize and keep the website going.
We have added many new books, videos, and features to make genealogy fun.
Join Now and get December and all of 2025 !
General Meetings Open to Everyone – Come ask for help or assist others – Brick Walls Broken !
February 4, 2025, 2:00 P.M GENEALOGY MEETUP – IN PERSON or ZOOM. Sponsored by Normal Public Library. Click Box above
Board Meeting Zoom Links and Forms
January 14, 2025, 6:30 PM Board Meeting via ZOOM
March 11, 2025, 6:30 PM Board Meeting via ZOOM
May 13, 2025, 2:00 PM Board Meeting in person at Bloomington Public Library.
September 16, 2025, 6:30 PM Board Meeting via ZOOM
November 11, 2025, 6:30 PM Board Meeting via ZOOM
<Click>
How to Use this Site
Researching McLean County Ancestors? See our guide on how to get records from the County and how we can help. Birth, Marriage, Death, and Land Records !
For research, we have made our Gleanings indexes availble to the general public. Search them for surname and other information, noting the Gleanings Issue. If you get a hit, you can visit the library or join for at home access.
Many FREE resources are available to all. They include: street name fun, popular links, our cemetery guide publication with directions and descriptions of McLean County cemeteries; lots of free books not found elsewhere, historical newspapers, training videos. Check out every tab in the Everyone Free tab.
The McLean County Museum of History offers many attractions and events – some via ZOOM. Click here or on the photo https://mchistory.org for more information.
The MCGS Genealogy Library is on the 2nd floor and offers books and journals from around the country, computers set up with Ancestry and Family Search, and often a volunteer to assist you. Hours of operation are here (https://www.mchistory.org/visit).
Free Education Programs available to Everyone!
WikiTree – a Free Genealogical Resource by
Logan Gavin
Logan is an expert on WikiTree – a free resource for genealogists.
WikiTree is collaborative effort to put genealogical information in a format that requires sources – so you know where the link came from.
Why Oh Why do Your Y-DNA
Tanner Tolman originally presented this at RootsTech 2023
An excellent introduction to Y DNA and the difference between the tests available.
We reviewed this as a TMCGS general meeting and FamilySearch now has it is
available on YouTube video Click HERE to begin video.
Click Tanner’s Photo to download the handout!
On Demand Programs available to Members – Sign up and learn today !
Tina Beaird Presents “Illinois Digital Resources”
Tina Beaird is owner of Tamarack Genealogy and is a history librarian in the Chicago area.
This program is a “fire hose” of information. Fortunately you can pause the presentation anytime to make notes on the two handouts provided. So much of what is available is digital and Tina shows us where to look to find information that does not automatically pop up as a hint. Two handouts are available. Log in or join now to view this program in the member’s area.
If you missed Tina Beaird’s presentation “Becoming a Census Sensei”, please login or join now to view it in the member’s area under Presentations!
It is a wonderful program and has so much information. I love being able to pause the video to make notes on the handout when I need to process something.
Tina is an author, lecturer, and owner of Tamarack Genealogy. She holds an MLS with a specification in archives preservation and often lectures at conferences both local and national.
National, State, Special, Education, and Indian censuses are discussed !
Susan Kaufman Presents “Unusual Sources”
Susan Kaufman is Senior Manager at the Houston Public Library.
This interesting program presents unusual sources of information that you will not find easily. Have an interest in History? Check out the listing of all Civil War soldiers to receive an artificial limb. This is just one of the many sources Susan illuminates. A downloadable handout is available. Log in or join now to view this program in the member’s area.
Mimi Davis Presents “New Databases at BPL”
Mimi Davis is the Electronic Resources Librarian at the Bloomington Public Library (BPL). Learn about the new Genealogy Databases available.
BPL has two new databases “Heritage Hub” and “Black Life in America” that are rich with genealogical information. BPL cardholders can access these information sources from home. The slide program is available as a downloadable file. Log in or join now to view this program in the member’s area.
