San Mateo County Genealogical Society upcoming events

ANNUAL PICNIC (12 Aug 2026)

Wed, 12 Aug 2026 19:00:00 GMT

Join us for a picnic open to all our members and their friends and family

Join us for hot dogs, corn on the cob, and watermelon. Please bring a drink and a dish to share.

There will be games, quizzes, and maybe a corn toss.

Crossing the Continent-1700s-1900s (26 Sep 2026)

Sat, 26 Sep 2026 17:30:00 GMT

MaryLynn Wilson will speak on "Crossing the Continent - 1700s-1900s.

The presentation will cover both voluntary and forced migrations across the United States from 1600-1900. The focus with be waves of migrations including initial European migration and the beginning of forced Native America and Enslaved Peoples migrations through the post-Revolutionary War migrations, the innovation migrations including the Erie Canal and the cotton gin, and the pre-Civil War and post-Civil War migrations. The emphasis of the talk will be on why these migrations took place and where different groups of American settled both willingly and unwillingly.

Mary Lynn has been working on genealogy since 1980. She has completed the Boston University course on Genealogical Principles and is currently enrolled in the National Genealogical Society’s Advanced Skills in Genealogy course. She has a PhD in Indo-European Studies and taught history at San Jose State University for over 20 years.

Land of Opportunity: The Immigrant Experience in San Mateo County (17 Oct 2026)

Sat, 17 Oct 2026 17:30:00 GMT

Carmen Blair will speak on, "Land of Opportunity: The Immigrant Experience in San Mateo County".

In 1880 and 2020, about one third of the population of San Mateo County was born in another country. In Land of Opportunity, Carmen Blair will feature some of the largest immigrant groups that have made this county their home in the years since the Gold Rush. She will discuss some of the problems that pushed immigrants out of their home countries as well as the opportunities that pulled them to California. Once they arrived, the work immigrants found reflected skills learned at home or assistance provided by other immigrants. Finally, Blair will highlight the ways immigrants and their descendants have maintained their traditions and shared them with other local residents.

Carmen Blair joined the staff of the San Mateo County Historical Associationin 1998 and has been the Deputy Director since 2007. Among her responsibilities, she is involved with school programs, public programs for adults and children, exhibit design and publications. She received her B.A. in History from GustavusAdolphus College and her M.A. in Museum Studies from San Francisco State University.

Finding the Bump in the Boreen-Irish Names & Place Names (21 Nov 2026)

Sat, 21 Nov 2026 18:30:00 GMT

Finding the Bump in the Boreen-Irish Names & Place Names

November 21 10:30 via Zoom

Sean Conley is a renowned California-based genealogist and current Vice President of the Genealogical Society of Santa Cruz County. He was born and raised in the San Francisco Bay Area, where his mother's family first immigrated from Ireland and Brittany during the Gold Rush, establishing 8 generations in the region.

Irish Roots: Sean specializes heavily in Irish genealogy, tracing his own ancestry and thousands of others to counties like Antrim, Cork, Derry, Donegal, and Galway. [1]
California History: Because of his family's deep California roots, he is an expert on utilizing early San Francisco newspapers, historical directories, and church records for regional ancestry. [1, 2, 3]
Lectures: He frequently presents on topics like Irish Names and Place Names and Northern California archival research through organizations like the San Mateo County Genealogical Society. [1, 2]