07/31/2025
2025 Austin Families Association Conference
Fort Wayne, Indiana
Wednesday & Thursday, October 8th & 9th
Early arrival activities • Thursday evening Social Hour
Friday & Saturday, October 10th & 11th
Conference Speakers • Saturday evening Dinner
Come join your Austin friends and cousins in Fort Wayne, Indiana this Fall! Fort Wayne, the county seat of Allen County, derives its name from a U.S. military fort established in 1794 by Gen. Anthony Wayne. This fort, built where the St. Joseph and St. Mary’s rivers come together to form the Maumee, followed Wayne's victory over the Miami Indians. The first European settlers were French fur traders who established their trading post during the 1680s. Fort Wayne was platted in 1824 and was made the county seat. The local economy was aided by the arrival of the Wabash and Erie Canal in 1843, linking the navigable water of the Maumee River with the Wabash through the seven-mile portage at Fort Wayne. This provided easy and rapid travel for incoming settlers, and the arrival of immigrants from Germany and Ireland during the 19th century increased the population and brought about a mixed culture in the city.
Part reunion, part informational speakers and research, and part simply enjoying the city chosen as our host, the annual AFAOA conference is an event many of us look forward to every year. Get help with your Austin research and take advantage of research facilities at the Allen County Public Library's Genealogy Center, which boasts the second most complete genealogical collection in the United States. Other places of interest in Fort Wayne include the Allen County Courthouse, the Botanical Conservatory, the historic Old Fort, and the History Center.
We hope to see you in Fort Wayne this October!
CONFERENCE HOTEL
Courtyard by Marriott – Fort Wayne Downtown
1150 South Harrison Street, Fort Wayne, IN 46802
The Courtyard Fort Wayne Downtown is mere steps from the Genealogy Center at the Allen County Public Library and is conveniently located near the Botanical Conservatory and other attractions in downtown Fort Wayne. The conference room rate for Standard Rooms is $145 single/double occupancy. Rooms include 1 King or 2 Queen beds, with a mini-fridge, coffeemaker, microwave, and complimentary WIFI. There is a restaurant onsite, and parking is available for $10/day.
HOTEL RESERVATIONS
A block of rooms has been reserved, at the conference rate, for the nights of Tuesday, October 7th through Sunday, October 12th. To make your reservation, use our AFAOA link, http://www.marriott.com/event-reservations/reservation-link.mi?id=1745599300789&key=GRP&guestreslink2=true&app=resvlink and choose your dates. Reservations at the conference rate must be made by Friday, September 19th or before the group block is sold-out, whichever comes first. After this date, reservations will be accepted on a space available basis at regular rack rates. So, make your reservations early!!
CONFERENCE REGISTRATION
The conference registration fee is $150 per person, which includes Friday and Saturday speakers and workshops, the Thursday social hour and the Saturday night dinner. The fee is $75 per person for those who wish to attend only the social hour and dinner.
HOW TO REGISTER
1. Register Using the Registration Form: Print out the 2025 Conference Registration Form and send your completed form with a check payable to AFAOA, to Austin Families Association, P.O. Box 92, Blooming Glen, PA 18911-0092
2. Register Online: Go to the Conference Registration Page https://afaoa.org/store.php?sid=3 (Members should login first; this will pre-fill your information). If you register and pay your fee online, please email your earliest know Austin ancestors, your arrival date, and your interest in early arrival activities to the Conference Chair at conference@afaoa.org.
If you have any questions, please contact the Conference Chairman at conference@afaoa.org.
