THE
HISTORY OF
THE NORTHWEST
ARKANSAS GENEALOGY SOCIETY
The Northwest Genealogy Society officially began on May 28, 1971,
when 17 local citizens met informally to discuss their family
histories and to share their individual resources with each other.
After realizing there was very little experience among the
group in tracing their ancestry, they decided to form a club that
would focus on providing both assistance and resources to its
members. For the next several months, they continued holding
meetings, elected officers, and officially approved the bylaws
of the Northwest Arkansas Genealogy Society on November 21, 1971.
This new Society would serve the interests of families with roots
in Benton, Washington, Carroll, and Madison Counties.
The original charter members were: Edith Bates, Vivena Blackman,
Donna Cooper, Jessie Cowen, Rita Duren, Belva Easley, Rayburn
Easley, Lilliam Fagala, Evelyn Jennings, Grace Kane, Myra Kuhn,
Mary Marholtz, Verba Jo Pearce, Danny Putman, Doris Raby, Maudine
Rand, Carolyn Roughton, Josie Stanley, and Thelma Teeter.
The Backtracker©, the quarterly publication from the
Northwest Arkansas Genealogy Society, introduced its first issue
in December, 1971, and has been published continually ever since.
The Northwest Arkansas Genealogy Society’s first research
“Library” opened in 1973 and was located in a member’s
garage. The early member’s pooled their books so all
could benefit from them. The Society then began purchasing books
of important, early court and government records that continue
to be the foundation of any genealogy research facility. These
well thought-out decisions and continued donations from members
have contributed to make the Library an excellent place to research
your family roots.
As
the number of books continued to grow so did the need for a larger
“Library”. From the garage the Society moved to
the Bentonville Public Library when they offered a small section
of shelves for the Genealogy Research Library. Both the collection
and the need for more space continued to grow as a microfilm reader
and the needed cabinet to store the film was added to assist the
Library’s patrons. The Library is now located in the
historic Peel House, courtesy of the Walton Family Foundation,
who, in 1994 provided space at the rear of Peel House for both
the Northwest Arkansas Genealogy Society and Research Library
and the Benton County Historical Society. When the
Benton County Cemetery Preservation Group formed in 1996 they
were also offered a place at Peel House in the Library.
The
current collection at the Library contains over 2,750 books, 120
microfilms, and 163 CD’s allowing any researcher the ability
to trace their family roots from the very beginning of our country
when the ships first arrived to throughout the original colonies
and territories as we continued to develop as a nation.
Nearly every state in the union is represented here and new volumes
are added weekly.
The
Northwest Arkansas Genealogy Society meets monthly March through
November at 7:00 p.m. on the fourth Monday of the month in the
Library at Peel House. The May meeting is reserved yearly
for special events. The regular scheduled meeting will not
be held during this month. Please contact the Library at (479)
273-3890 for scheduling and event details for May. Non-members
are invited to attend.
Yearly
dues are $15.00 per calendar year. Members receive a year’s
subscription to The Backtracker©, published quarterly,
and free posting of queries.
CURRENT
BOARD MEMBERS
PRESIDENT
- Cary Anderson
VICE PRESIDENT - Vernella Hennington
SECRETARY - Marian Jordan
TREASURER-Mary Crabtree
Please
direct all questions to:
Northwest
Arkansas Genealogy Society
P.O. Box 796
Rogers, AR 72756-0796
(479) 273-3890
E-mail nags2@juno.com