Kate Townsend, Genealogist

03/12/2026

I am back to normal life, researching in Western Pennsylvania. Today took me to the Western Pennsylvania Genealogical Society library at the Carnegie Library of Pittsburgh as I researched a family from Elizabeth, Allegheny County, Pennsylvania.

03/09/2026

Ready to Take Your Genealogy Skills to the Next Level?

Join me this summer in Pittsburgh at the GRIP Genealogy Institute for an in-depth course:

“Surrogates and Substitutes – The 1890 U.S. Census Exemplar.”

The loss of the 1890 U.S. Census doesn’t have to stop your research. In this hands-on institute course, you’ll discover powerful surrogate records, overlooked sources, and advanced research techniques that can help you break through brick walls and uncover new details about your ancestors.

Whether you're an experienced researcher or looking to strengthen your methodology, this course will expand your toolkit and help you think creatively about records that might not be on your radar.

📍 Location: Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania
📅 When: July 13, 2026, to July 17, 2026, at the GRIP Genealogy Institute

👉 Learn more and register:
https://grip.ngsgenealogy.org/courses/surrogates-and-substitutes-the-1890-us-census-exemplar

03/08/2026

In case you missed it, my lecture "Planning and Organizing Research Findings for Tough Problems" is available to view for free with registration on the RootsTech website. The link is available here: https://www.familysearch.org/en/rootstech/speakers/kate-townsend-cg/en.

03/07/2026

I had an amazing time at this year, connecting with colleagues and speaking on the BCG and ICAPGen-sponsored Advanced Track. If you registered for RootsTech, whether online or in person, a recording of my lecture discussing "Planning and Organizing Research Findings for Tough Problems" is already available for you to view.

03/03/2026

My interview highlighting my GRIP Genealogy Institute course with Cecelia McFadden this summer at the University of Pittsburgh is now on YouTube. Feel free to check it out and join us in Pittsburgh this summer!

Jeanette Sheliga interviews Kate Townsend and Cecilia McFadden about their brand-new 2026 GRIP in-person course, Surrogates and Substitutes: The 1890 US Cens...

03/01/2026

I want to thank everyone who attended today's installment of the Blue Collar Lecture series at the Heinz History Center! It was wonderful to talk to so many of you about your coal miner ancestors.

02/26/2026

Photographic evidence that I spent the morning doing research at the Heinz History Center on a number of projects.

02/23/2026

Whether you are attending RootsTech online or in-person in Salt Lake City next week, please join me for my lecture, "Planning and Organizing Research Findings for Tough Problems." This lecture is in the Advanced/Professional track sponsored by BCG and ICAPGen. More details can be found here:

Learn how to plan and organize your research findings when encountering challenging problems or projects. In addition to a discussion on research questions, plans, and logs, an organizational strategy derived from the investigative world will be showcased to teach you how to have all of your finding...

02/05/2026

I am delighted to be on this list of fellow professionals in the field of genealogy. If you're going to be at RootsTech this year, I would love to see you there!

02/05/2026

Registration starts today for the GRIP Genealogy Institute! I would love to see you all in Pittsburgh in July, in the course that I am co-coordinating, called Surrogates and Substitutes – the 1890 US Census Exemplar.

02/03/2026

Registration for the GRIP Genealogy Institute begins this Thursday, February 5th. I am so excited to be co-coordinating "Surrogates and Substitutes – the 1890 US Census Exemplar," with Cecelia McFadden. The course will be in-person in July 2026 at the University of Pittsburgh. If you want to learn more about the surviving components of the 1890 census, techniques to achieve reasonably exhaustive research, and more about the "Gilded Age" as a whole, this is the course for you!

Visit the post for more.

12/14/2025

I am excited that I was chosen as a speaker at the National Genealogical Society Family History Conference in Fort Wayne, Indiana, next year!

I will be presenting a lecture on researching ancestors in state hospitals and asylums, as well as leading a panel discussion on healing intergenerational trauma through genealogy with trauma therapist Angelica Singh and moderated by Cecelia McFadden.

Registration will open in early December. The event schedule below is subject to change at any time. Loading… Powered By Whova Conference management tools Registration will open in early December.