The Grant County Genealogical Society will celebrate its 40th anniversary in the Grant County Fairgrounds Youth & Ag Building North Room in Lancaster Tuesday, Sept. 8 at 7 p.m. 

The society is welcoming all past members to come and enjoy seeing and hearing about the society over the past 40 years and looking through the memorabilia that members will be bringing. Cake and beverages will be provided.

The society dates back to Dec. 12, 1974, when an organizational meeting was held at State National Bank in Platteville to form a genealogy society.

In May 1975, the society became a chapter of the Wisconsin State Genealogical Society and by-laws were approved.

In 1976, genealogy charts were placed in the 1976 Centennial Box at the Grant County courthouse, which is to be opened July, 4, 2076. A surname index was started in 1976 and continues today.

In 1977, society members decided to record the old cemeteries of Grant County and an alphabetized surname cemetery file was started and has been kept up through local newspaper obituaries. The society has an extensive obituary collection. The society newsletter was begun in June 1977 and is printed four times a year.

In October 1985, the marriage index project started and has resulted with the publishing of a series of marriage books going back to the earliest recorded dates.

In 1998, the society reprinted the History of Grant County book with an index for reference.

The society had a booth at National Farm Progress Days in rural Grant County in 1999.

The society also recognize Grant County’s pioneer families by honoring them with a Pioneer Certificate as well as honoring county people who have reached 100 years old with its Centennial Certificate.

The society has a library that contains donated family histories, family, research, newspaper indexing, German and Irish detailed maps, town and church histories, census through 1910, Grant County schools and various newspaper articles regarding Grant County towns.