The Fenton History Center’s upcoming Genealogical Conference is set for the end of April. Submitted photo

The Fenton History Center is welcoming community members who are interested in learning more about both their own family history along with the history of the local area to register for their upcoming Chautauqua Regional Genealogical Conference.

The conference is set for April 27 from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. at the Fluvanna Community Church — 3363 Fluvanna Avenue. The event is made up of both the Genealogy Conference and a History Fair. The History Fair is free, but the Genealogy Conference costs $75. Registration begins March 1, and can be done online at https://fentonhistorycenter.org/crgc.

President of the Fenton History Center’s board of trustees, Janet Wahlberg, said that this was something that the board came up with a few years ago.

“We thought it would be a neat thing to do,” Wahlberg said. “It started as a fundraiser as well and has grown beyond that. This is our third one and it has gone well.”

Anyone interested in coming can register online and come on the day. There will be a keynote speaker that is free and then people select four of sixteen possible classes to attend that day. Lunch is provided with registration and people will have the ability to ask questions during the class, along with wandering and seeing the tables for the history fair.

The keynote speaker is Caleb Abrams, a Seneca Filmmaker and Multimedia Artist from Brantford, Ontario and Buffalo. Topics that will be covered at the conference in various classes include: Beginning Genealogy, African-American Research, Organization, Introduction to DNA, Family Search, a Fabulous and Free Resource, Immigration, Cool Tools for Genealogy, Military Pension Records, Tools for Citing Your Sources, Beginning and Intermediate Ancestry.com, Publishing Your Family History, Preservation and Caring for Photos and Documents, Historic Newspapers and two other topics yet to be determined.

The History Fair will be a collection of regional historical societies and museums, and Wahlberg said it will expose attendees to various groups not only in Chautauqua County but Cattaraugus and Warren as well. Some tables may also have items for sale.

Wahlberg said the conference is for anyone with an interest in their own history.

“Anyone interested in the history of the area or their own family will get the tools and skills needed to meet their goals,” Wahlberg said.

Additionally, there is a huge interest in the area of people that want to research their own family history, according to Wahlberg. She added that there is a vast amount of knowledge available both at the conference and locally in general.

“There is a vast amount of knowledge available for those interested in doing their family history and anyone interested will be surprised and pleased with the amount of resources available not only online but at local libraries and history centers,” Wahlberg said. “There are some books that are only available in local libraries or history centers. We have people that come from all over.”

The Genealogy Conference is sponsored by Jean VanDerwark Stowell Olson Genealogy Research and Education Fund, Rodgers Land Surveying, and WJTN Radio.