Samantha Diaz is 2023 Bockstruck Scholarship recipient

I have worked with the Dallas Public Library for just over a year in their Genealogy & History Division as a Public Service Specialist. I have always had a deep-rooted interest in family and local histories. I began researching my genealogy in my senior year of high school and quickly began collaborating with my aunt who had already done some of the leg work. Upon learning of the Lloyd DeWitt Bockstruck Scholarship opportunity to attend the Texas Institute of Genealogical Research Conference in June 2023, I did not hesitate to apply.

I decided to take Course #2 “Moving Up to Glory Land – the Southern States After Reconstruction”, coordinated by J. Mark Lowe. I realized that I did not have enough prior knowledge of this area of southern American history, so I felt that this course was a great way to fill that gap. Specifically, I felt that this course would be a great way to apply some new research methods to my own genealogy as my maternal side migrated through the southern states.

Upon receiving the schedule of topics to be covered throughout the week, I was ecstatic to see a wide range of them. These topics ranged from land records and post-Civil War religious institutions. Lowe covered these topics in depth and informed us on how we can apply them to our personal research. My favorite topic covered was the Panic of 1873 and how this event triggered the migration patterns of our ancestors, exactly the sort of topic I was hoping to see!

At the Genealogy & History Division of the Dallas Public Library, we have a large number of patrons with southern settlers in their ancestry. Being able to apply what I learned from the course to assist them in their research was my initial goal and I have already accomplished that following my completion of the course. I am very grateful for this amazing learning opportunity and greatly appreciate Mark Lowe for delivering the course in a seamless fashion. I look forward to conducting more research on the “New South”.