Monthly Program

Monthly Program

Join us for a presentation by Dawn Carlile.

Session 1:  Deciphering Old Handwriting

Deciphering the fancy (or terrible) handwriting, bad spelling, faint ink, and writing that bleeds through from the other side of the paper are issues we frequently encounter reading records in the courthouse, on microfilm or digital images, and old diaries and letters. Tips and tools for getting around these issues will be discussed.

Session 2:  WPA - Works Projects Administration Records

President Franklin D. Roosevelt implemented the Federal Works Progress Administration in 1935 to provide work for the unemployed during the Depression. WPA workers created records and record inventories that genealogists use. We have access to the WPA employment records. Learn where to find these records, their genealogical value, and how to discover if your ancestor was a WPA worker. 

Presenter Bio:   

Dawn Carlile is a native Oregonian from Eugene who has been involved in genealogy for 30 years, starting when her dad asked if she had ever considered researching their family history. His mother was orphaned at age 12 and he knew very little about her family. Once Dawn started looking into the family she was hooked. She is a professional genealogist, educator, and lecturer who began teaching classes for the Oregon Genealogical Society in 2008 and lecturing at local libraries, societies, and cultural events. She enjoys teaching others how to research as much as she does researching her family and those of clients.

Dawn is a member of the Association of Professional Genealogists, Genealogical Speakers Guild, National Genealogical Society, and several local, state, and regional historical and genealogical societies. She has attended the Salt Lake Institute of Genealogy, the Institute of Genealogical and Historical Research, the Genealogical Research Institute of Pittsburgh, and the Genealogical Institute on Federal Records. She graduated from Bushnell University with a B.A. degree in management.