• Before Lewis and Clark, an Early Michigan Blacksmith Went West

    West Bloomfield Public Library and Virtual via Zoom 4600 Walnut Lake Road, West Bloomfield Township, MI, United States

    The handout for this meeting is available to members in the member area of our website. The handout is 6 pages; we will *not* have printed copies at the meeting next Tuesday. Please download and print a copy for yourself before the meeting. More than 60 years before Lewis and Clark began their famous expedition, …

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  • Oaths of Allegiance During the American Revolution

    West Bloomfield Public Library and Virtual via Zoom 4600 Walnut Lake Road, West Bloomfield Township, MI, United States

    During the American Revolution, the Second Continental Congress required oaths of allegiance from all personnel serving in the Continental Army and Navy. The requirement of swearing or affirming loyalty to the newly formed United States was then extended to all free men. For genealogists, locating an ancestor's oath can help provide proof of patriotic service. It also places a man in a particular …

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  • OCGS Board Meeting

    Virtual

    A board meeting will be held on October 12, 2026, 7:00 p.m. A zoom link will be sent to board members. in advance.

  • Identifying Types of Historic Photographs and the People in Them

    Virtual

    Zoom webinar - registration required, a link will be posted in advance. This is our annual joint meeting with the Oakland County Genealogical Society. This joint meeting will only be available as a webinar. The presenter will join us virtually from the Genealogy Center at the Allen County Public Library in Fort Wayne, IN. Identifying …

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  • Pleased to Meet You: Introduction to the Collections of the Archives of Michigan

    West Bloomfield Public Library and Virtual via Zoom 4600 Walnut Lake Road, West Bloomfield Township, MI, United States

    The Archives of Michigan was created as part of the Michigan Historical Commission in 1913. The role of the Archives is to collect state and local government records. The Archives is the Official Repository of State government records. State government departments have retention schedule for their records that dictate what records are transferred and when. …

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  • Beginning Germanic Research

    West Bloomfield Public Library and Virtual via Zoom 4600 Walnut Lake Road, West Bloomfield Township, MI, United States

    Finding your German-speaking Ancestors. We will explore ways to identify the village your ancestor came from and locate civil and church records. We will tackle the language and handwriting to help you find your folks. And there will be a bit of history as boundaries shifted. A Zoom link will be added a week before …

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  • OCGS Board Meeting

    Virtual

    A board meeting will be held on January 11, 2027 at 7:00 p.m. A zoom link will be sent to board members in advance.

  • Cemeteries, Our “Outdoor History Museums”

    West Bloomfield Public Library and Virtual via Zoom 4600 Walnut Lake Road, West Bloomfield Township, MI, United States

    In this program, we'll share the stories of three cemeteries.  located in Commerce Township. All were founded between 1837 and 1848 during the Rural Cemetery Movement.  We will explore evidence of that movement in the development of these local cemeteries and share some of the history of grave art and its iconography. These three cemeteries hold …

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  • Researching Immigration & Naturalization Records

    Unless you are a Native American Indian, you are descended from immigrants. Many people have a strong desire to know why, when, and from where their ancestors emigrated. Scarcely any phase of family history research is as fascinating as tracking immigrant origins - and hardly any phase is as challenging. Learn effective strategies for locating …

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  • Time to Hit the Books – Yearbooks, Alumni Lists, and More

    West Bloomfield Public Library and Virtual via Zoom 4600 Walnut Lake Road, West Bloomfield Township, MI, United States

    Yearbooks, alumni lists, and other school-related records can be rich in details about the people in your family tree. Discover the activities and clubs that ancestors participated in during their school years. Learn to uncover details about both your family members and the communities they lived in. Explore the ways of finding these valuable resources …

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