Pierce County and St. Croix County, Wisconsin
P.O. Box 396
River Falls, Wisconsin 54022
Welcome to our Web page. The St. Croix Valley Genealogical Society was formed 19 April 1979 as a chapter of the Wisconsin State Genealogical Society. We are most interested in collecting, preserving, and publishing genealogical and biographical materials relating to areas associated with the St. Croix River Valley and in particular, areas in Pierce and St. Croix counties, Wisconsin. The St. Croix River forms the boundary between Northwestern Wisconsin and Central Minnesota. River Falls is located just 35 miles east of St. Paul and is the meeting location for SCVGS.
Meetings
Meetings are held the third Thursday of each month, September through May starting at 7:00 p.m. and are held in the River Falls Public Library. The programs cover a variety of material from general to specific and are planned to hold the interest of everyone. A business meeting follows the program and besides the usual secretary's report, treasurer's report, and publications report, information is provided on various upcoming genealogy events in the area, the state, and the nation. There is also wonderful treats and a time to visit with others during the break between the program and business meeting.
The River Falls Public Library is a beautifully designed building located at 140 Union Street at the corner of Union and Main Streets. Main Street is also Wisconsin State Highway 35. Turn east on Union Street beside the library and proceed to the parking lot behind the building where there is ample parking. The meeting room is on the main floor just inside the doors and is handicapped accessible.
Up-coming Programs:
ANNUAL MADISON RESEARCH TRIP - July 8-11, 2007. St. Croix Valley
Genealogical Society has planned its annual research trip to Madison, leaving
on Sunday, July 8 and returning July 11. Attendees will have the opportunity
to research at the State Historical Society of Wisconsin Genealogy Library and
Archives Division, the University of Wisconsin Memorial Library, the
Vesterheim Genealogical Center and Naeseth Library (Norwegian research), and
the Dane County Courthouse. We currently have five rooms reserved at the
University Inn just two blocks away from the State Historical Society (address
is 441 North Frances Street). We should be able to reserve more rooms if
needed, so if you plan to go with us this year, please e-mail Darcy Boock or call her at
715-425-9978 or e-mail Kathy Deiss
or call her at 715-273-5239.
The State Historical Society of Wisconsin (SHSW) has one of the best genealogy libraries in the country. It houses federal population schedules for the entire US and Wisconsin state census records, the Wisconsin Pre-1907 Vital Records Index (now online) and microfilmed versions of the actual records, passenger list indexes and manuscript lists for US ports of arrival (the port of New York had not been indexed for the years 1847-1891, although there is now an online index in progress for Castle Garden) and the Canadian ports of Halifax 1881-1899 (no index) and Quebec 1865-1900 (no index). Also check out the Ellis Island Index for passengers arriving at New York between 1892 and 1924. The SHSW also has one of the best newspaper collections, especially for Wisconsin (very little for Minnesota). There are city directories, family histories, town and county histories (written in the late 1800s). The collection for New England states is excellent. The early (1600s-1700s) vital records for Massachusetts are on microfiche. The stacks are open so you can browse the shelves till the cows come home (i.e 8:30 p.m.).
The Vesterheim-Naeseth Library is located at 415 W. Main Street (an eight block walk from the hotel). If you have Norwegian research, this is the place to go. The hours are somewhat limited, so please call the Vesterheim for their current hours. The Vesterheim houses Norwegian church records, Norwegian census records (1801, 1865, 1875, 1900), emigration lists, Quebec passenger lists (1865-1873), and bygdebøker (Norwegian family histories).
Before making the trip to Madison, research the Madcat library catalog, which catalogs material located both in the State Historical Society and University of Wisconsin Memorial Library (note the items's location) and the ArCat library catalog, which catalogs materials in the Archives Division of the State Historical Society, which is also the Area Research Center for the counties of Dane, Columbia, and Sauk.
We will leave River Falls at 10:00 a.m. on Sunday, July 8 to allow time for the drive to Madison and a stop for lunch. The State Historical Society is open from 8:00 a.m. to 9:00 p.m. Monday-Friday, so you can research for 13 hours on Monday and Tuesday, if you wish! The Archives Division of the library is open from 8:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m. We will stay until 5:00 p.m. on Wednesday, stop for something to eat on the way back, and arrive at River Falls between 10:00 and 11:00 p.m. Please contact us ASAP to reserve your space in a vehicle and in a room.
September 20, 2007 - Annual Sharing Meeting - Share the successes you have
had in your genealogy research over the past year and especially over the
summer months with other members of our society in an informal gathering.
Bring documents, stories, photographs, hierlooms, guests and anything else you
would like to share.
Even though a thunderstorm approached River Falls just before the start of this meeting and the tornado sirens sounded sending everyone to the basement, this meeting was still held in the lower level of the public library. Twelve brave souls ventured out on this stormy night, twelve souls who were anxious to share their research discoveries with others. Unfortunately many others who had planned to come were unable to make it because of the inclement weather.
October 18, 2007 - Brick Wall Solutions to Genealogy Problems - Paul
Sternberg, past president of the Germanic Genealogy Society and an active
member of the Pommern Interest Group, won a drawing at a German banquet for
the book "500 Brickwall Solutions to Genealogy Problems". Shortly before, he
had stated, "Whoever wins this book should do a talk on it!" Fate works in
mysterious ways. Forced to put his money where his mouth is, he now brings to
you this talk. The book does not present 500 different ways to solve genealogy
problems where family research has hit brick walls, but rather offers
solutions that fit into over 30 categories to help with these problems. These
categories will be explained in the presentation. If you have hit a brick wall
somewhere in your research, and most of us have, then we invite you to this
presentation. Many of the ideas put forward can also be used to enhance a
family book if there is little data found on an individual. Mr. Sternberg
brings his humor and energy to this talk filled with computer projected
examples.
November 15, 2007 - The North Hudson Italians - Speaker Lorraine Jacobs was born and reared in North Hudson, Wisconsin. She is a published writer of poetry, non fiction and inspirational articles, and has been a guest columnist in her local newspaper. She is a charter member (1979) of the St. Croix Valley Genealogical Society. She has traced her Dutch line back to the Revolutionary War and beyond to 1640 and her French and Swedish lines back to the 1600s as well.
Her main interest in local history led to her interest in genealogy. It all began with her great-great grandfather Louis Massey and her great-great uncle Peter F. Bouchea, who were the first settlers of Hudson in 1838. Lorraine wanted to learn what the area was like before and at the time of their arrival. Her search has been an intriguing and rewarding one.
Descendants of these early families have been constant residents of North Hudson and thus, were here when the Italian immigrants began to populate the community in the early 1900s. Lorraine has warm recollections of this vibrant and productive Italian community and the role they played in the development of the village, their value to the railroad company, and their many years of loyal service.
December 8, 2007 - Annual Holiday Outing - We will take in a concert
performed by the Vallee de Croix Sweet Adelines and the Croix Chordsmen
Barbershop Chorus as they present "Christmas Memories". The Hudson High
School Chamber Choir will also perform. The concert is at 7:30 p.m. at
Guardian Angels Catholic Church, 8260 Hudson Blvd N, Oakdale, MN. Tickets are
$8 in advance, $10 at the door, and $6 for groups of 15 or more. We will go
out to eat before the concert at one of the many nearby restaurants, which
will be decided upon later. If you plan to go, please send a check for $8 to
SCVGS, P.O. Box 396, River Falls, WI 54022 and place Christmas Memories in the
memo line. If we get 15 or more to go, a refund will be given to you at the
concert.
January 28, 2008 - Work Night at the Area Research Center (ARC) on the
University of Wisconsin-River Falls campus. The ARC is located on the lower
level of the Chalmer Davee Library. Please note that this is the fifth
Thursday of the month due to the university's winter break and classes not
resuming until January 28. The meeting will start at 7:00 p.m. Be ready to
volunteer some of your time to help with indexing, transcribing, etc.
February 21, 2008 - Panel Discussion - Members will help others with
climbing brick walls.
March 27, 2008 - Rural Schools of St. Croix County - Speaker Carol Keller is one
of the members of the St. Croix County Extension Homemakers Rural Schools
Committee who collected information for the 1991 publication of the book
Remembering Rural Schools of St. Croix County, which contains
information on 135 schools in 21 towns and villages in St. Croix County. The Extension Homemakers collected historical information by interviewing former teachers and students and by doing research in local libraries, the Archives at UW-River Falls and the Octagon House in Hudson.
The 100-year history of the one-room country school encompasses the years 1860 to 1960, when school districts were consolidated and rural scholars began attending school with city children. The school was the center of the rural community, used not only for the education of the young, but also for social events and political debates.
April 17, 2008 - The Dutch of Rural Baldwin. Speaker Sandy
Burleigh
May 15, 2008 - What's to Become of All Our Stuff. Speaker Del
Thomas.PIPOST
Newsletter
The newsletter is published quarterly in September, December, March, and June and is filled with a variety of interesting material. Members are encouraged to submit articles for the newsletter. Deadlines are August 1, November 1, February 1, and May 1. Please send articles to our P.O. Box number or e-mail Nancy
Queries
Members may place queries free of charge in our newsletter. Queries should be limited to no more than 50 words each. Send queries to our P.O. Box number or e-mail Nancy .
Research
Research will be undertaken by volunteer members of our society on a limited basis in the Area Research Center (ARC) on the University of Wisconsin-River Falls campus. Please make your inquiries through our P.O. Box number and include a business size SASE or e-mail Kathy. Donations for research are recommended.
The Area Research Center at UW-River Falls has various holdings including vital statistics for the years 1852-1907, census records, naturalization papers, biographical indexes, church and cemetery records, land records, and farm enumeration schedules for the counties of Burnett, Pierce, Polk, St. Croix, and Washburn in Western Wisconsin.
Publications by SCVGS include:
Cemetery Inventories, Oak Grove Twp., Vol. I (Pine Glen Cemetery, Prescott, Pierce County, Wisconsin) $15.00 + $2.00 postage
Cemetery Inventories, Oak Grove Twp., Vol. II (Big River Presbyterian Cemetery, Hamman Cemetery, St. John's United Church of Christ Cemetery, St. Mary's Catholic Cemetery, Stirrat(t) Cemetery, St. Joseph's Catholic Cemetery, all Pierce County, Wisconsin) $9.00 + $1.75 postage
St. Bridget's Cemetery, Stanton Twp., St. Croix County (Wisconsin) $10.00 + $1.75 postage
Cemetery Information for Pierce, Polk, and St. Croix Counties, Wisconsin $1.00 per page on which the surname requested appears + business size SASE
1876 Indexed Plat Map of St. Croix County (Wisconsin) $6.00 + $1.75 postage
Index to the PIPOST, Vol.1-5 (March 1985-March 1990) $3.50 + $1.75 postage
Index to the PIPOST, Vol. 6-10 (June 1990-March 1995) $4.50 + $1.75 postage
Surname Index IV $5.50 + $1.75 postage. This surname index includes names being researched by current (2001) SCVGS members.
Membership
The membership year runs from May 1 to April 30. Anyone joining before February 1 of a given year will receive all back issues of the newsletter for that membership year. Dues are $15 per individual and $17 per family living at the same mailing address. To join SCVGS print out the membership registration form below, complete the needed information on the form, and send it along with a check made out to SCVGS to St. Croix Valley Genealogical Society, P.O. Box 396, River Falls, WI 54022.
Pierce County,
Wisconsin St. Croix County,
WisconsinPolk County,
WisconsinDunn County,
WisconsinUniversity
of Wisconsin-River Falls Area Research Center University
of Wisconsin-Stout (Menomonie) Area Research CenterWisconsin State Genealogical
SocietyWisconsin Historical SocietySt. Croix County Historical
Society
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