Rogue Valley Genealogical Society

08/29/2026

The RVGS Library will be closed Saturday, September 5 - Monday, September 7 in honor of Labor Day.

08/29/2026

Mark your calendars for RVGS Genealogy Week! Free classes, free help sessions, free library access! Everyone is welcome! Register now at rvgslibrary.org > Classes & Events > Genealogy Week Registration.
https://rvgslibrary.org/files/GenealogyWeek2026FLYER.pdf

08/23/2026

Piecing the Past: With the Rogue Valley Genealogical Society Quilt Collection
A unique collection of Southern Oregon history, genealogy, and quilt making is now available to the public in Piecing the Past, a new book featuring twenty-one historic and commemorative quilts preserved by the Rogue Valley Genealogical Society (RVGS) in Medford, Oregon. The book provides readers, genealogists, historians, quilters, and anyone interested in Southern Oregon history an opportunity to explore this remarkable collection.
Find out how to get your copy here: https://rvgslibrary.org/News.asp?NewsID=229

08/19/2026

Mark your calendars for RVGS Genealogy Week! Free classes, free help sessions, free library access! Everyone is welcome! Register now at rvgslibrary.org > Classes & Events > Genealogy Week Registration.

08/18/2026

It’s official! Registration is now open for our 𝗚𝗲𝗿𝗺𝗮𝗻 𝗥𝗼𝗼𝘁𝘀 & 𝗥𝗲𝗰𝗼𝗿𝗱𝘀 𝗦𝘂𝗺𝗺𝗶𝘁 𝗙𝗮𝗹𝗹 𝟮𝟬𝟮𝟲! 🎉

On 𝗦𝗮𝘁𝘂𝗿𝗱𝗮𝘆, 𝗦𝗲𝗽𝘁𝗲𝗺𝗯𝗲𝗿 𝟭𝟮, five genealogy experts will join us from Germany, the United States and New Zealand for a full day devoted to German family history research.

This time, we’re going from Hesse to Silesia, into Polish archives, across the changing borders of Eastern Europe, and all the way to New Zealand.

Our five sessions:

🔎 Martin Jäger: Researching Your Ancestors in Hesse: Territories & Sources
🏛️ Dr. Klaus-D. Kohrt: How to Research in Polish (State) Archives
🗺️ Edie Adam: If It’s 1773, It Must Be Russia
🧭 Björn B. Kluger: Researching Family History in Silesia
🌏 Fiona Brooker: Researching German Families in New Zealand

Every session includes 𝗹𝗶𝘃𝗲 𝗤&𝗔, and recordings are included with your registration.

📅 Saturday, September 12, 2026
⏰ First session: 8:00 AM PT / 11:00 AM ET
💻 Live on Zoom, in English

🐦 𝗘𝗮𝗿𝗹𝘆 𝗕𝗶𝗿𝗱: $𝟵𝟳 𝘁𝗵𝗿𝗼𝘂𝗴𝗵 𝗦𝗲𝗽𝘁𝗲𝗺𝗯𝗲𝗿 𝟳

Ready for another day of German genealogy?

Registration link in the first comment 👇

08/13/2026

Historic Jacksonville, Inc. is pulling out all the quilts for our Beekman House Victorian Hobbies & Crafts tours on Saturday, August 15. These are the 1-hour guided tours where we share how upper and middle-class Victorians used the leisure time that was a by-product of the 19th century Industrial Revolution. But leisure time did not mean idleness! To forestall the mischief that Satan found for idle hands, you were expected to pursue something useful and productive that was also recuperative and relaxing. In other words, you found a hobby.

The Beekmans were Jacksonville's wealthiest and most prominent pioneer family. They were skilled and talented, and they traveled extensively, collecting souvenirs from around the world. Quilts, needlework, art glass, crafts, collections, and souvenirs, will be on display. We'll also be talking about the origins of organized sports like baseball and college football, the invention of the bicycle, how Darwin's theory of evolution encouraged nature lovers, how dog breeding became a Victorian passion, and much, much more!

Tours begin every 20 minutes from 12n through 3pm at the 1870s Beekman House Museum located at 470 E. California St. in Jacksonville. Admission is $10; tour size is capped; reservations are encouraged; and all proceeds benefit Jacksonville historic restoration projects. Reservations can be made at https://historicjacksonville.org/victorian-theme-tours/.

07/17/2026

Heading to the fair this weekend? 🎡 Be sure to check out the RVGS booth in the air conditioned Mace Building! Learn all about our Mission Transcription interest group and the fascinating finds they have made in the NARA Revolutionary War pension records.

07/15/2026

Did you know that many people may qualify for Canadian citizenship by descent? The first step is documenting your Canadian ancestry—and the Rogue Valley Genealogical Society Library is a great place to begin. Our library offers access to thousands of genealogy books, historical records, maps, microfilm, and premium subscription websites including Ancestry Library Edition, FindMyPast, MyHeritage, Fold3, American Ancestors, HistoryGeo, NewspaperArchive, and more. An annual RVGS membership is just $50, or you can purchase a $5 day pass to use the library. Whether you're tracing your family tree or exploring eligibility for Canadian citizenship, we're here to help you uncover your family's story. Learn more at

Subscribe to updates from the Rogue Valley Genealogical Society, and you'll get emails announcing new topics and the outcome of existing topics.

07/09/2026

A GFO Special Interest Group (SIG) on the RootsMagic genealogy database desktop software program.