Bradford County Research Conference

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The Bradford County Historical Society will host a Bradford County Research Conference on Friday, June 14, 2024, from 8:30 a.m. to 2:30 p.m. This workshop will offer participants the opportunity to learn tips and techniques for researching local history, genealogy, and property/house history in Bradford County. A wide array of historical resources available only in the BCHS Research Library will also be discussed along with helpful websites. The event will be held in the BCHS Great Room, 109 Pine Street, Towanda, PA.

A continental breakfast will be available from 8:30 a.m. to 9:00 a.m. with the first of three sessions scheduled to begin at 9:00 a.m. 

The first session is titled, “Researching Your Local History,” and will be presented by BCHS Executive Director Matthew T. Carl. Matthew will provide a general overview of resources available at BCHS that can be used to research the history of local communities, businesses, organizations, and more. He will also touch on some internet resources that are unique to local history research. Matthew Carl has spent 23 years building museums, working on 10 local history book projects, and conducting extensive research for magazine articles, walking tours, video content, and much more.

The second session is titled, “Researching Your Genealogy,” and will be presented by BCHS President J. Kelsey Jones. Kelsey will focus deeper on materials mentioned in the first session, providing guidance for those researching their family history. Numerous resources, both in the BCHS Research Library, and online, that are used to trace the history of a person or family in Bradford County will be highlighted. Kelsey is well known in the genealogy and local history community for his detailed research abilities and is a member of several boards including the Bradford County Historical Society, Tioga Point Museum, and Chemung County Historical Society. He is the Historian for Chemung County, NY, and manages thousands of Find-a-Grave listings, among other accomplishments.

After a catered lunch, during which participants may tour the museum, the final session will begin at 1:00 p.m.

The third session is titled, “Researching Your Property,” and will be presented by BCHS Trustee, Mark Frazier Lloyd. For 35 years Mark was the Director of the University Archives and Records Center at the University of Pennsylvania.  His position required him to assist researchers every day – from 18-year-old first year students to fully tenured faculty – in developing effective and productive research strategies as they sought to answer significant historical questions. Often a challenging and difficult process, this session will help anyone researching historical property to find the details they need.

Each speaker will offer a PowerPoint presentation as part of their session and a question/answer time will follow each presentation. Participants will receive a binder with additional material.

Those interested in attending the conference may register online or by calling 570-265-2240. The registration fee is $30.00 per person for non-members and $20.00 per person for members. One year of complementary membership in the Bradford County Historical Society will be included in the registration, giving participants the opportunity to use the BCHS Research Library without paying admission, along with other benefits. Breakfast, lunch, and conference materials are included in the price.

Registration deadline is June 10 at 4 p.m.

The Bradford County Historical Society is sponsored in part by the Pennsylvania Historical and Museum Commission, the Bradford County Room Tax Fund, the Bradford County Tourism and Promotion Agency, and the United Way of Bradford County.