Melinda Kashuba is a professional genealogist and owner of Kashuba Research Services, a genealogical and historical research company. Her popular book, “Walking with Your Ancestors: A Genealogist’s Guide to Using Maps and Geography,” joins a long list of articles in numerous genealogical magazines and other publications. Photo courtesy of Solano County Genealogical Society

SOLANO COUNTY, CA (MPG) - The Solano County Genealogical Society will host a virtual Speaker Series presentation on Nov. 1st. 

 Our speaker, Dr. Melinda Kashuba will present “Using Maps in Genealogy”.  This free event begins at 11:00 a.m. and the public is welcome to attend.  Just send an email to [email protected] no later than 4 p.m. Oct. 31 and request an invite.  

Explore the fascinating world of maps to unlock the secrets of your ancestry! In this session, we'll explore the diverse ways genealogists use maps, demonstrating their power through various types. Discover the historical depth of topographic maps, the detailed insights into property ownership in county atlas maps, and neighborhood reconstruction available through fire insurance maps.

We’ll highlight free, digitized collections available online, including resources from the Library of Congress and the David Rumsey Map Collection, among others. Additionally, we’ll guide you through alternative methods of location searching using online gazetteers, making it easier to trace the geographical footprints of your ancestors.

Melinda Kashuba is a professional genealogist and owner of Kashuba Research Services, a genealogical and historical research company. Her popular book, “Walking with Your Ancestors: A Genealogist’s Guide to Using Maps and Geography,” joins a long list of articles in numerous genealogical magazines and other publications. She is a Course Coordinator and faculty member at Institute of Genealogy and Historical Research and faculty member at the Salt Lake Institute of Genealogy.

Her genealogical specialties include 19th century and contemporary genealogical records in California including maps and land records.  She holds a PhD in geography from the University of California, Los Angeles and taught geography for fifteen years at a Northern California Community College.