Copyright © 2003-2026 James N. Jackson
Programs & Speaking Schedule
Upcoming Schedule
Sat & Sun, Aug 22 & 23, 2026
Jackson Civil War Muster
@ Cascade Falls Park
1401 South Brown St
Jackson, MI
Author Book Signing (see eStore for list of books)
Sat & Sun, Sep 19 & 20, 2026
Tompkins Historical Freedom Festival
@ Stewart Property
10138 Tompkins Rd
Rives Junction, MI
Author Book Signing (see eStore for list of books)
Sat, Oct 10, 2026
San Diego Genealogical Society
Zoom meeting (10:00 A.M. to 12:30 P.M. PST)
1:00 P.M. (EST) Putting It All Together.
2:30 P.M. (EST) Michigan Biographical Index.
I have been interested in Genealogy and Local History since the mid-70s, and served as President of the Detroit Society for Genealogical Research, Inc., the Oakland County Genealogical Society and the Calhoun County Genealogical Society. I have been the index editor of the DSGR Magazine since 1994, and the Past-Camp Commander for Camp #22 of the Sons of the Civil War (SUVCW) in Battle Creek, MI.
In addition to articles published in Genealogical Computing, Genealogical Helper, Heritage Quest and Keywords (published by the American Society of Indexers), I have written The Guide to the First Fifty Years of the DSGR Magazine, (selected as one of Michigan's 50 best genealogical resources by Michigan's HAL (History, Arts and Libraries), and The List of Pensioners on CD-ROM published by Heritage Quest. Additional works may be found on Amazon.com or by clicking the eStore link to the left.
I was honored to receive the 2006 Lucy Mary Kellogg award from the Michigan Genealogical Council for "significant contribution to the preservation and education of Genealogy and History."
My website, Michigan Biographical Index (michlist.com) was once again selected as one of the 75 Best State Websites of 2026 by Family Tree Magazine. This is a cumulative full-name index merging more than 1,500 publications and manuscripts, that currently includes over five milltion citations.
I have taught classes and presented talks to various local and national societies, including the Great Lakes Conference, Fort Wayne, IN; the American Society of Indexers Conference in Philadelphia, PA; the Local History Conference, Macomb Community College, MI; the Ohio Genealogical Society in Cincinnati, OH; the Ontario Genealogical Society in Oshawa, Ontario; and the National Genealogical Society (NGS) Family History Conference in Grand Rapids, MI.
Member of Genealogical Speakers Guild and a life member of the SUVCW.
For a list of my books, check out the eStore link on the left.
Some of my current talks are listed below:
The War of 1812: An overview of the causes and significant events of this war, the only war partially fought on Michigan soil. Also how to research military, bounty land and pension records online or at local, state or national archives.
Tracing Your Civil War Ancestors: Information on soldiers' military experience and later life is available from federal, state and local records. Some of these records have been reproduced or available online. Many useful internet research sites are presented.
The Irish Brigade in the Civil War: Included men of Irish descent in the 24th Michigan Infantry that joined the 28th Massachusetts, 63rd New York, 69th New York, 88th New York and 116th Pennsylvania. They fought at Bull Run, Antietam, Chancellorsville and Gettysburg. This talk goes beyond this famous Irish Brigade to include other Irish companies, such as the 23rd Illinois formed at Chicago, which was partially composed of Michigan Irishmen who couldn't get into the original Brigade.
Company K of the Michigan First Sharpshooters: This company was completely composed of men from Michigan Ojibwa (Chippewa), Ottawa and Potawatomi tribes. After training at the U.S. Detroit Arsenal at Dearbornville, they were sent for guard duty at Camp Douglas in Chicago. They saw action in the Wilderness, Spottsylvania, Cold Harbor, Petersburg, the Battle of the Crater and Weldon Railroad.
The 1st Michigan Colored Troops in the Civil War: Also known as the 102nd U.S.C.T. This company saw action at Honey Hill, SC and fought beside the famed 54th Massachusetts soldiers. Includes information on specific Michigan soldiers and researching their military and pension records at NARA.
Fold3 - Discover your family's military past. There are records of soldiers serving in every conflict from the American Revolution to Iraq, Afghanistan and the Persian Gulf War. But there is much more than just military records on fold3 and much if is available from home, for free. Plus you may create or modify a memorial page for these soldiers and sailors.
ABC's of Indexing: Creating an every-name index is an art, not a science. It is important to think the process through before beginning any project, so that potential pitfalls may be avoided. These guidelines are important to consider for Society publications, genealogies or a family reunion booklet.
Michigan Biographical Index An overview of this website that was selected as one of the 75 best state websites of 2025 by Family Tree Magazine. Along the way, this is an opportunity to analyze the methodology of working with a very large project (this site has over 1,500 merged sources and over five million names). The scope of this session includes breaking the entire project into manageable tasks; ongoing maintenance; measuring progress; and how to successfully sort records.
Census Research: The U.S. population census schedules from 1790 to 1950. A variety of years are examined to demonstrate handwriting samples, family relationships and searching for those elusive ancestors.
Beyond the Federal Population Schedule: Why bother with State, Agricultural, Industrial and Mortality Schedules? What years were they used, what information do they contain and how do you access them today. These schedules compliment the regular census schedules and provide a fuller picture of life in the 19th century.
Putting It All Together: Most lectures focus entirely on a particular type of record or research methodology, i.e. family records, church and civil records, census research, land records, military service, etc. This presentation follows one the Ingall and Wilder pioneer families, through their travels 'Out West', examining the many records that were generated and left behind - just like your family.
Research That Made Me LOL: Attorneys, clerks, enumerators, sextons and church staff really do have a sense of humor. And when you take millions of people from all walks of life, mix them up with bureaucracy and throw in foreign accents, the results can make all those brick-walls bearable. Good luncheon or dinner program.
Self-Publishing: There is a book inside every genealogist, and it may be time for Society publications to be revisited. This talk focuses on kdp publishing to produce economical publications, including free ISBN, bar-coding, listing on amazon, international pricing, and converting to ebook formats. The process of printing on demand is similar among all these companies.
Getting around the brick-wall: We all reach the end of the trail on some of our branches. As Churchill said, "Never, never, never give up!" By trying variant spellings, little used sources, and having just a little luck, you may break through that wall. How about really analyzing the sources you already have? There may be hidden clues there. Don't forget boundary changes through the years - are you really looking in the right place?
The Haskell Home Orphanage Tragedy. Children came from all over the country, some as young as the almost four-year-old who travelled 200 miles by train with a note pinned to his jacket reading "Please help me to Haskell Home, Battle Creek." In 1909, a fire engulfed the entire structure in minutes and reduced the Haskell Home to ashes within two hours. All inmates managed to escape the blazing inferno except three children aged 10, 12 and 14.
Historic Oak Hill Cemetery: A history of Battle Creek's oldest, active cemetery, includes veteran's from every war since the American Revolution and two Medal of Honor recepients. Some notables buried there include: Dr. John Harvey Kellogg, W. K. Kellogg, Bill Knapp, C. W. Post, Sojourner Truth, Junior Walker, James & Ellen White, and many other local people who made an impact on Mid-Michigan and the world.
Planning a Productive Summer/Genealogy Vacation: Planning to travel for fun and genealogy this summer? Whether your destination is to a family reunion, research in distant states, or an expedition closer to home, these tips on organizing and preparing for a trip should create the best opportunity for success. If you have no plans, how about some packaged trips from Societies or Elderhostel.