Genealogy and Local History Programs

The Wayne County Public Library strives to offer genealogy and local history programs for our researchers free of charge. Additional programs are offered through the Wayne County Genealogical Society. The library is separate from the local historical societies and genealogical society; however, at times our programs may overlap.

Thursday, May 26, 2022

Early Wayne County, Ohio Records
Holmes County, Ohio Genealogical Society, Millersburg, Ohio at 7:00 p.m.
Join Deb Kitko, President of the Wayne County Genealogical Society, as she presents a program about information found in early Wayne County records to the Holmes County Genealogical Society. The program will be held at the Holmes County Genealogical Society library in Millersburg, Ohio. The program begins at 7:00 p.m. A virtual option will be available for those interested. Contact the Holmes County Genealogical Society for more details.

Tuesday, June 7, 2022

Have You Seen a Yeti, Yowie, Hibagon, or Bigfoot Before? Bigfoot in Ohio and Beyond
Wayne County Public Library, Wooster Branch, from 6:30 p.m. - 8:00 p.m.
Join us at the Wayne County Public Library Wooster Branch on June 7th, 2022 from 6:30 to 8:00 pm for a program on the creature known by so many different names in the United States and other countries. Our presenter, Amy Bue, has been interested in the search for Sasquatch since 2012 when she saw something strange in Mahoning County’s Meander Reservoir area.

Monday, July 25, 2022

Casting Your Net: Finding Your Ancestors Online
Wayne County Public Library, Wooster Branch, from 6:00 p.m. to 8:00 p.m.
Over the past few years, family historians have depended more and more on digital information to search their roots. "Casting Your Net" will take a look at some of those resources online and help demonstrate how you can "Cast Your Net" to find information on your researchers. Program will be held in Conference Room East of the Wayne County Public Library, Wooster Branch, from 6:00 p.m. - 8:00 p.m.

Tuesday, August 16, 2022

Mayflower Chronicles: The Tale of Two Cultures
This program will be presented virtually. Program is from 1:00 p.m. - 2:00 p.m. Please contact the department at genealogy@wcpl.info for more information.
Kathryn Haueisen, former resident of Wooster and descendant of two of the passengers on the Mayflower, will fill us in on the rest of the story behind the famous 1620 trans-Atlantic voyage. A small group of people identified as Saints and Strangers, founded Plimoth Plantation and against all odds, survived. Today that area is Plymouth, MA. Before the English settlers arrived it had been the Native community of Patuxet. Author Haueisen spent seven years researching the story in New England, England, and The Netherlands for her historical fiction account of the religious and political events in Europe in the 16th and 17th centuries that prompted the religious rebels to sail to a new-to-them world. Mayflower Chronicles: The Tale of Two Cultures tells the story from the perspective of both the English immigrants and the Indigenous people who encountered them on the shores of Cape Cod.

Tuesday, August 23, 2022

Fishing for Ancestors: Finding Your Elusive Ancestors
Wayne County Public Library, Wooster Branch, from 6:00 p.m. - 8:00 p.m.
We all have at least one -- that one ancestor who seems to hide from the enumerator, owns no property, abides by the law, and leaves no paper trail behind. "Fishing for Ancestors" will explore some ways to try to find your elusive ancestor.

Wednesday, August 24, 2022

Getting Started: Finding Your Ancestors Online
Wayne County Public Library, Shreve Branch, from 2:00 p.m. - 3:00 p.m.