This presentation starts with a brief history of early California to establish the basis for the California Pioneer Certificate Program. We then describe the key features of the lineage program, the eligibility requirements, and the application process. The program offers free assistance with records and documentation through its workshop, where applicants are assigned to a genealogy guide. It has developed a database of over one million pioneer records to assist in ancestor research. We then cover the internet and repositories where records can be found. We will include Mission records, censuses, mining claims, newspapers, and more.
About Our Speaker
Colin Whitney was born and raised outside London, England. In 1962, he emigrated to the United States, earning a doctorate and professorship in physics at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology. His career in the aerospace industry brought him to California in the 1970s where he retired as a technical director.
Finding his step-grandmother's DAR application sparked his interest in genealogy, which became a major preoccupation for him. He is a member of the North San Diego County Genealogical Society, a Board Member of the San Diego Genealogical Society, Chair of the California Pioneer Certificate Program, and a member of other genealogical societies in the United States, England, and Ireland.
This program is not sponsored or endorsed by L.A. County Library