Previous Monthly Programs
Our monthly programs cover a variety of local history and genealogy-related topics, usually presented by a local presenter. Programs are always free and open to the public.
September 2026 – Civil War Medicine, presented by Jackie Berry
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August 2026 – Native Origins of Shawnee County, presented by Lisa LaRue-Baker
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July 2026 – From Records to Stories: How AI Supports My Genealogy Research, presented by Marcia Philbrick
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June 2026 – Finding Your Colonial British Ancestors, presented by Phyllis Ericson
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May 2026 – TSCPL Tech Resources for Genealogists, presented by Liz Frazier
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April 2026 – Topeka’s Constitution Hall, presented by Grant Glenn
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March 2026 – Patriots Remembered: Genealogical Resources Available through the Sons of the American Revolution, presented by Brian Vazquez
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February 2026 – The Kansas Save the Flags Project, presented by Tom Schmidt
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October 2025 – Curating Old Photos: Scan-Sort, Share, presented by Jim Mathis
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September 2025 – Ghosts of Topeka, presented by Cathy Ramirez
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August 2025 – Quilting and Genealogy: Stitching Together the Fabric of our Lives, presented by John Manning
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July 2025 – I’ve Been Working on the Railroad, presented by Danni Altman-Newell
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June 2025 – William Allen White, presented by Tom Luellen
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May 2025 – Surviving Schoolhouses of Shawnee County, presented by Robert Chitwood
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April 2025 – Making a Digital Family History Album, presented by Gail McGowan
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March 2025 – Roots in East Friesland, Lower Saxony, Germany, presented by Kevin Groenhagen
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Handout – Patronymic Naming System
Handout – Fishing from Several Ponds
February 2025 – The Shawnee County Poor Farm, presented by Devin Cooper, Recreation Leader with Shawnee County Parks & Rec.
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January 2025 – Military Records Decoded, presented by Sgt. Major Jeremy Byers, Command Historian of Kansas National Guard.
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October 2024 – Ask a Genealogist, with “Expert” panelists Jan Droge, Marty Flanagan, and Sherri Camp. (Note: due to electrical power disruptions during the program, there is a short gap in the recording and the video in the last portion was frozen)
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September 2024, Researching in Shawnee County: A Locality Guide, presented by Barbara LaClair
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August 2024, You’ve Got Mail, presented by Celia Daniels. Program provided by Humanities Kansas
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July 2024 – Special Collections at Kansas State University, by Cliff Hight
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June 2024 – Kansas First Lady Sara Robinson, historical re-enactment by Steve & Suzanne Germes
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May 2024 – Researching Your Great War Ancestors, by Danni Altmann-Newell
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April 2024 – Pioneer Anthony Ward – The Documents Behind the Story, by Barbara LaClair
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May 2023 – Fraternal Organizations – the Original Social Network, by Danni Altmann-Newell
April 2023 – Researching Your Scots-Irish Ancestors, by John Manning
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March 2023 – The Daughters of the American Revolution, by Nancy Appelhanz
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February 2023 – Researching at the Kansas Historical Society Archives, by Lauren Gray
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January 2023 – Dr. J.R. Brinkley, the Goat Gland Doctor, by Tom Luellan
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October 2022 – Adoption & Genealogy: Help!, presented by Marily Waugh and Sue Lyons
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August 2022 – The Civil War in Kansas, presented by Will Haynes (A Humanities Kansas program)
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July 2022- Flour Power: The History of the Flour Tortilla, presented by Gene Chavez (A Humanities Kansas program)
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June 2022 – Ellis Island Weddings and Picture Brides, presented by Kathryn Viggalis
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March 2022 – Examining Useful Websites in Irish Family History, presented by John Manning
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February 2022 – Getting Ready for the 1950 Census Release, presented by Barb LaClair
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October 2021 – Creative Ways to Share Your Family History, presented by Barbara LaClair
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Memory Jar Questions
September 2021 – Hidden Treasures at the Topeka Genealogical Society Library, presented by Barbara LaClair
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June 2021 – The Ritchie Cemetery Project, presented by Jan Johnson and Jeff Hansen
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May 2021 – The Oregon Trail in Northeast Kansas, presented by Doug Mauck
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