September 2023
Thursday, September 21, 2023
Geography, Geology, and Genius: Coal and Canals in Pennsylvania
Eastern Pennsylvania became the birthplace of the American Industrial Revolution in the mid-19th
century because of a unique combination of geography, geology and human genius. It began with the
discovery of the world’s largest deposit of anthracite coal in the mountains of northeast Pennsylvania in
the late 18th century, and the construction of the canals that provided efficient, cost-effective delivery of
it to Philadelphia and other coastal cities during the 1820s and 1830s. In 1840, the first successful
smelting of iron with anthracite took place along the Lehigh Navigation in a furnace owned by the Lehigh
Coal & Navigation Company. Within twenty years, eastern Pennsylvania was the largest producer of iron
in the US, and this triggered the rapid development of railroads and foundries in Pennsylvania and
beyond. This period of dramatic and rapid innovations in transportation and industry was conceived and
carried out by men, American and foreign-born, endowed with creative genius and indomitable
persistence. Their stories are told in this lecture through historic images and photographs, maps, and
their own words.
- TIME: 7 p.m. ET
- COST: FREE
- LOCATION: Zoom Event
- The recording will be available to GSP members until Nov. 20, 2023.
Martha Capwell Fox is the Historian for the National Canal Museum and the Delaware & Lehigh National Heritage Corridor. She is the author of the industrial history of the D&L Corridor, Geography, Geology, and Genius: How Coal and Canals Ignited the American Industrial Revolution. Previously, Martha presented three papers at Canal History and Technology Symposia: on the silk industry in the D&L Corridor, a biographical sketch of 19th century entrepreneur Jose de Navarro, and an industrial history of Catasauqua, Pennsylvania, the site of the first commercially successful anthracite iron furnace. She was a Pennsylvania Commonwealth Speaker from 2004 to 2006.
A graduate of American University with a dual degree in international relations and U.S. history, Martha worked in magazine publishing at National Geographic, and as a researcher and editor at Rodale, Inc. She has published three books on the histories of Catasauqua, Whitehall and Coplay, and co-authored one on the cement industry in the Lehigh Valley, as well as three young adult histories of swimming, auto racing, and the Vatican.
October 2023
Friday, October 13, 2023
GSP Member Tour: G.A.R. Civil War Museum and Archive
- In-person museum tour and archive research
- TIME: 10 a.m. Researchers may stay until 4 p.m.
- COST: Free and exclusive for GSP members
- LOCATION: Grand Army of the Republic Civil War Museum 8110 Frankfort Ave. Philadelphia
- GSP members received an invitation in email. This tour is currently sold out. If you would like to be on the waitlist, please email info@genpa.org.

The G.A.R. museum and archive tour includes a chance to see memorabilia, a vast array of Civil War books, G.A.R. Post and veteran records, newspapers, photographs and various other documents with a focus on G.A.R. veterans from the Philadelphia region.
We recommend bringing your personal laptop for research assistance in the library. It is not essential, but helpful.
Saturday, October 14, 2023
Special Interest Group: Genealogists Helping Genealogists
- In-person round table discussion group
- TIME: 10 a.m. – 12 p.m.
- COST: GSP members- free; Non-members- $5
- LOCATION: GSP 2100 Byberry Rd., Suite 111, Philadelphia
- Space is limited. Email info@genpa.org to reserve.

The SIG will have a roundtable format, starting with a “tip of the month” (a 5- to 10-minute presentation on an investigative tool), after which the meeting then will be opened for discussion on individual genealogical questions.
All skill levels are welcome. This will be an in-person only meeting with the aim of furthering individual research. If you have any genealogy research questions; looking for help trying to break through your brick wall; or just want to meet up with fellow genealogists, come join us.
Thursday, October 19, 2023
Using Quaker Records Online and In-Person: Discovering Our Resources
Have you ever thought you might have Quaker ancestors? Have you ever been told you have Quaker ancestors? Have you tried finding your Quaker relatives, but gotten stumped by Quaker jargon? Come hear a discussion of Quaker archives, particularly in the Philadelphia area, to learn about how to use these resources. Mary will also discuss the over 8 million Quaker documents in Ancestry.com and how best to use those resources.
- TIME: 7 p.m. ET
- COST: Free
- LOCATION: Zoom event
- The recording will be available to GSP members until Dec. 18, 2023.
Mary Crauderueff is the Curator of Quaker Collections in the Haverford College Quaker & Special Collections. She is an alum of Friends’ Central School (’03), Earlham College (’07) and the University of Maryland, College Park (’09), where she earned her Masters in Library Science, with a specialization in Archives, Records, and Information Management. Since 2009, she has worked for a variety of archives and organizations in the Washington DC, Philadelphia, and Boston areas. She returned to the Philadelphia area in June 2015 to begin this position. She serves on the board of the Scattergood Foundation, and is a past president of the Friends Historical Association (2019-2021). In 2020, Mary was the first Visiting Quaker Archivist for the Africa Quaker Archives in Kaimosi, Kenya. She was awarded a Clarence and Lilly Pickett Endowment for Quaker Leadership grant for an oral history project entitled Quaker Works: Journeys of Quakers Leading Friends Organizations in 2015.
Upcoming GSP webinars
* Registration and more information coming soon *
- November 16, 2023 – “Lenape Ancestors in Pennsylvania” with Shelley DePaul
Webinar Recordings
Geography, Geology, and Genius: Coal and Canals in Pennsylvania
Zoom event with Martha Capwell Fox
Thursday, September 21, 2023 – 7 p.m. ET
Members only. Please login to view the recorded presentation. Webinar is available until Nov. 20, 2023

Civil War Legacy: Accessing Grand Army of the Republic Records
Zoom event with Walt Lafty
Thursday, Aug. 17, 2023 – 7 p.m. ET
Members only. Please login to view the recorded presentation. Webinar is available until Oct. 16, 2023.

Annual General Business Meeting
Zoom event with election of officers and directors
Saturday, March 25, 2023 – 11 a.m. ET
Members only. Please login to view the recorded presentation.
Unlock a treasure trove of records: Become a GSP Member
As a member, you’ll gain exclusive access to our vast collection of Pennsylvania county records, church registers, funeral and cemetery records, family Bible record collections, family papers and correspondence. Additionally, explore published genealogies, town and county histories, as well as periodicals filled with valuable insights for your research.
Join us today and embark on an extraordinary journey into your past!
Visiting the GSP Office?
Directions: Coming from the Roosevelt Blvd we are the first driveway on the left, after WaWa, GSP is listed on the property sign on the bottom row. The entrance is across from the Gazebo and you ring the bell to the right of Gen of PA to be buzzed in.