The East Tennessee Historical Society is gearing up for the 2000 Southeastern Genealogy Conference and hopes to see you there. The conference will be held May 26 and May 27 in downtown Knoxville at the Knoxville Hilton, just one block from the East Tennessee History Center. The conference is open to ETHS members and non-members alike and includes a variety of sessions geared to all levels of experience from beginner to advanced. Conference sessions will cover a variety of topics from research in various states associated with Tennessee migration, ethnic genealogy, research in special collections such as the ETHS First Families of Tennessee files, and the Draper Manuscripts. Other topics will discuss the cultural heritage of our ancestors including Scotch-Irish language, life on the frontier, and Tennessee Forty-Niners-- looking at those Tennesseans who ventured west to join the California Gold Rush. Speakers scheduled to present programs include Dr. George K. Schweitzer, Billy Kennedy (author of The Scots-Irish in Tennessee and other books of Scots-Irish history), and Michael Montgomery (one of the foremost experts in Scots-Irish and Appalachian language). Other speakers will include: R.P. Baker * Dorothy Boyd-Rush * Ron Bryant * Kevin Cherry * Steve Cotham (head of the McClung Historical Collection) * Robert S. Davis, Jr. * Walter T. Durham * Pat Spurlock Elder * Cherel Henderson (director of the First Families of Tennessee heritage project) * Shelia Steele Hunt * Doris Martinson (manager of the Knox County Archives* Billie McNamara * Dorothy Potter * Shane Rhyne * Charles A. Sherrill (Tennessee State Library & Archives). For a complete listing of speakers and topics, plus registration information, visit the East Tennessee Historical Society web pages at www.east-tennessee-history.org Follow the links for the Tennessee Family History Weekend to learn more about the Southeastern Genealogy Conference and other activities associated with the weekend including a history fair, barbecue picnic, and motorcoach tours. We look forward to seeing you May 26-28 in Knoxville, Tennessee. The Tennessee Family History Weekend is presented by the East Tennessee Historical Society with sponsorship assistance from the Central Business Improvement District (CBID) of Knoxville, WBIR-TV, and grant assistance from the Knox County government.