ABOUT CCFHA

HISTORY OF CCFHA
Many people are interested in learning about their family histories and sharing them with others. In 1896 Hiram Corson wrote a book called The Corson Family, focused on a large family grouping in Pennsylvania that he traced from 1685. Percival Ullman added information about the same group with his 1918 monograph, The Coursens from 1612 to 1917, Compiled from Ancient and Modern Records with the Staten Island Branch.

Meanwhile, in 1909, Francis W. Woodruff had written about another large family with a different origin, The Coursens of Sussex County New Jersey, A Reprint from The Woodruffs of New Jersey.
Three Hundred Years with the Corson Families in America, published in 1939 by Orville Corson, was far more comprehensive than the earlier works. It includes seven different "Corson" lines, unrelated except for the similarities of surnames. This work, in two volumes, still available in reprint, is considered the starting point for most Corson research, although a number of omissions and errors have been discovered.

A Corson Family Association appeared by 1916, but it has long since vanished. In 1981 a small group started working together to further their common Corson genealogy. A few years later, in 1987, a father-son team named Colson, related to one Corson origin, joined the original group. Later that year they organized and chartered the Corson / Colson Family History Association (CCFHA) as a not-for-profit corporation. Today the organization has nearly 200 participants, more than 70% of them currently active in family research.

In recent years, electronic communications have played a major role in CCFHA activities. They are coupled with projects to organize the wealth of materials in CCFHA and member files into a comprehensive database for research and publication. The project includes further historical research and gathering of new information about current generations.

PURPOSES OF THE ASSOCIATION

• To encourage and carry out genealogical and historical research on the CORSON and COLSON surname and their allied families.
• To bring families together into reunions and other gatherings which serve to enhance relationships among CORSONS, COLSONS, and their allied families.
• To educate and promote the meaning and appreciation of the CORSON and COLSON roles and contributions to their historical and cultural heritage.

CONTACTS

The CCFHA is a not-for-profit organization chartered under the laws of Virginia.  The IRS recognizes CCFHA as a 501(c)(7) non-profit organization.  Contributions to the CCFHA do not qualify as deductions for income tax purposes.

The principal contact regarding legal matters is:
c/o Iverne C. Rinehart, 2300 Cedarfield Parkway, #476, Richmond, VA 23233-1955

Membership is open to all interested persons.  You are invited to join. We currently have members from the US, Canada,  and other countries.  We welcome members from any location.

SERVICES

• A Newsletter, Corson Cousins, is published and mailed quarterly.  The yearly surname indexes are accessible and searchable for free.  Printed copies of past issues of the newsletters and indexes are available for purchase.   Details and pricing can be found on our publications page.
• The organization has established a Research Library to "identify, collect, organize, preserve, and share information and items relevant to genealogy, especially to the history of Corson/Colson families". The unique holdings, while limited, may be explored through the online library catalog.
• Our Handbook and Membership Directory contains the listings, including regular and email addresses, of our nearly 250 members, both active and inactive, including the lines they are researching or connected to. Updates are mailed with the newsletters.  A new directory edition is usually issued with the April newsletter mailing.
• We maintain a Resource & Bibliography List with hundreds of entries specific to our lines.  Most have lookup volunteers, or are in possession of members.
• This Web Site and the RootsWeb Surname Discussion Lists  are maintained for stimulating communication between members.  This site contains an exclusive section for members only which includes information that can expand your research and bring you close to organization activities and resources.
• We provide our services to both online and non computer members. (Nearly 50% of our active members are online.)
• Queries can be submitted online to the RootsWeb Surname Discussion Lists.  There is no cost or membership requirement to participate in our online activities.
• Queries can also be submitted by regular mail or email to the Newsletter Editor.  Member queries will be published without charge in our newsletter.  Non member queries will be responded to (and possibly published) as time and resources allow.  Please include a SASE with any genealogical information request.
• Research and Publication Projects are encouraged and supported to further the interests of members, family Divisions, and the association as a whole.  See the CCFHA in Action  & The 300+ Project pages to review some of our exciting and useful projects.

Site maintained by  Michael Corson (CCFHA Member M-297). Please report any errors, comments, or suggestions to

The CCFHA web site originally created by Jeff Owens (CCFHA Member M-260).

This page updated 18 Jan 2006

©Copyrights reserved by Corson / Colson Family History Association.