Blue-Collar Ancestry: Tracing Your Railroader Roots
Take a deep dive into the lives of your railroader ancestors.
Explore the lives of Western Pennsylvania railroaders and discover the often-overlooked records that reveal their fascinating stories with the Detre Library & Archives.
Across generations, Western Pennsylvania’s railroad industry has provided a stunning array of job opportunities for immigrants, African Americans, and other Appalachian laborers. Hop in and come along for a tour of the historical sources that capture glimpses into the lives of these workers.
Join professional genealogist Kate Townsend, CG® to uncover research strategies and materials unique to the railroad industry, including company newsletters, immigration records, newspaper clippings, employment records, accident reports, union records, maps, pension files, historic photographs, and more.
Track your ancestors’ connections to rail lines and companies across Western Pennsylvania while exploring connections to railroad disasters and their lasting impact on families.
Local archivists will also share lightning talks highlighting lesser-known railroad industry resources within their collections.
The Detre Library & Archives’ Blue-Collar Ancestry series explores the family histories of working Western Pennsylvanians, with each installment highlighting a different industry and theme. Partnering with locally and nationally-based genealogists and researchers, the series connects participants with helpful resources and strategies to help them uncover their family’s industrial roots.
Admission
Tickets are $10 for non-members and $5 for members.
This is a hybrid program, with opportunities to attend the program in-person or virtually.
Live captioning will be provided for this event. American Sign Language (ASL) interpretation will be available upon request. Please contact us at [email protected] in advance to request accommodations.
About the Speaker
Kate Townsend is a former professional investigator turned genealogist who specializes in Pennsylvania research. She is the owner of Family History Investigations LLC, where she helps clients uncover, document, and understand their family stories. She has held the Certified Genealogist® credential since February 2024.
Kate is a frequent national and regional speaker, presenting for genealogical societies, libraries, and conferences, including the National Genealogical Society (NGS) Family History Conference, New England Regional Genealogical Consortium, Ohio Genealogical Society Conference, and RootsTech. She has served on the faculty and as co-course coordinator for the Genealogical Research Institute of Pittsburgh. Kate has contributed research for the PBS television series Finding Your Roots. In addition, she is a writer for the NGS Magazine.
Keli Ganey Riddell holds a BA in History from Messiah University with concentrations in both Public History and Digital Public Humanities. She currently serves as the Archive Technician at the Railroad Museum of Pennsylvania, where she works with a team to manage the museum’s collection of historical materials, handles research requests, and fills image orders for the public. Through this role, Keli connects people with materials in the museum’s collection and supports genealogical research into their family’s railroad history. Keli is also the driving force behind relaunching the museum’s Oral History Program.
Prior to coming to the Railroad Museum of Pennsylvania, Keli worked for the Pennsylvania House of Representatives Archives and produced a series of oral history videos for the Gather Place Museum in Yardley, PA. While still in college, Keli had the opportunity to travel to Corinth, Greece, with a team of students and archaeologists who discovered the lost refugee colony of Washingtonia, which she documented in her documentary Finding Washingtonia, which premiered at The Archaeology Channel’s International Film Festival.