There is still room for anyone wishing to attend the Germanna Research Group's Inaugural Conference next Saturday (October 1) at the Graves Mountain Lodge in Madison County, Virginia. Learn about early VA transportation, early 18th century German history, Holtzclaw/Hoffman families in Madison County, what is under the rafters at the Hebron Lutheran Church, and slavery in colonial and pre-Civil War Virginia! http://www.germannacolonies.org/GRGConference2011 The agenda kicks off on Saturday morning with Ann Miller, who is an architectural historian with the Virginia Department of Transportation, and a Madison County resident. She will be talking about early transportation in Virginia -- just how did our ancestors get to the grocery store? It is fascinating to learn how early roads were made. I am especially interested in the Blue Ridge Turnpike, known as VA 231, which was built across our ancestors' land. There were a few court cases as well--some of our ancestors did not like having their land taken for roads and would try to block them. But Ann's most interesting story may be about the "turkey runs" where turkey farmers would herd their flocks of birds, wearing little booties, down the Blue Ridge Turnpike to the train station.... Following Ann, John Blankenbaker will speak on the conditions in early 17th century Germany that led our ancestors to travel to the New World. John is well-known to most of you as a historian of the Germanna Colonies and the publisher of "Beyond Germanna" as well as thousands of notes now available on George Durman's website and on the Germanna Research Group's website, www.germannacolonies.org. This is also a topic that continues to fascinate all of us because we hunger to know what happened that would cause our forebears to make such a dramatic and perilous change in their lives, the fateful change that made us Americans. Following a buffet lunch, Suzanne Matson speaks on a topic that you will not have heard anywhere else, about two of the First Colony families who moved to Madison County. Suzanne, from North Carolina, is a DAR officer and a First Colony descendant who has done extensive research in German and colonial records. (She recently co-authored an article with John Blankenbaker which shows that First Colony immigrant Peter Hitt most likely did NOT come from Siegen.) Continuing an apparent trend of First Colony "H" names, she has researched the Hoffman and the Holtzclaws who moved into Madison County with the Second Colonists, and her presentation is titled "Land, Love, or Money?" The final afternoon speakers should be very interesting to any of you whose ancestors worshipped at the Hebron Lutheran Church. We are going to see a film that was made several years ago showing an exploration of the rafters of the 1740 Hebron Lutheran Church, accompanied with a talk by Steve Hoffman of Madison County, who is expert on colonial German woodworking and construction techniques. Steve is a lifelong resident of Madison County and is, of course, a descendant of the afore-mentioned Hoffman family which joined the Second Colony. Accompanying Steve will be Jane Volchansky (my personal 5th cousin) and Judy Ann Fray from the Hebron Lutheran Church, to talk about church renovation needs. Most fascinating and something you will all want to see, they are bringing a 16th century German Bible which was donated to the Hebron Lutheran Church. Also, should you care to join us for country cooking-- a fried chicken, ham or turkey buffet dinner -- we have a keynote speaker on slavery, none other than Bill Barker -- also known as Thomas Jefferson when he dons his acting clothes -- from Williamsburg. Hmm....TJ and slavery... I am looking forward to this, and hope to see those of you who have not signed up yet! Ginnie Nuta