Finding Missing Michigan Ancestors in Online Photo Collections

Not sure where to go to find photographs and information on your Michigan ancestors? They might be hiding in a newly digitized and searchable photo archive online!

Two years ago, I began tagging and transcribing an extensive collection of Michigan photographs on Zooniverse. The project, entitled Picturing Michigan's Past contains thousands of images from the David V. Tinder Collection of Michigan Photography in the William L. Clements Library at the University of Michigan. This project focused on rare 60,000 postcards and photographs depicting life in Michigan during the first half of the twentieth century. My Michigan roots are rather recent, dating from around 1913, but I was curious to see what type of archival material was being prepared for digital release for researchers, students, and historians.

If you do not reside locally, accessing archival materials can be an investment and a challenge. Collections may not be indexed and finding guides are a rarity, especially when the subject matter is not focused on a famous person or event. Making a genealogical breakthrough or filling in the gaps to your research are not guaranteed, and sifting through carefully filed materials can be exhaustively time consuming.

Picturing Michigan's Past is a best practice case study of what an archive can do to share their collections with a wider audience and fostering an online community of volunteers, all the while meeting mandates set by their insurance providers.

The database is fully searchable and browseable, and contains a breathtaking array of images from around the state and beyond. A simple keyword search by location such as 'Detroit', 'Houghton', 'Genesee', and 'Lakefield' will include items which were written, posted, or labeled with these place names. Small towns, hamlets, villages, and tiny crossroads can be found in a single search. The images range from scenic views, businesses, sports teams, railroad disasters, family photos, and an adorable collection of pets.

The collection does include images dating from the 1840s onward, but I found a large segment of items dating from 1907-1920s. My great-grandparents, Frank and Dorothy (nee Dietrich) Dudek moved to Concord in 1913, and through this collection I can see what the village looked like and read some of the local gossip found in around 32 postcards, and this number does not count postcard and photographs stamped, written, or referencing the village. This is truly special for a small village which was home to around 543 residents in 1910.

There are images in the collection which provide full names and descriptions of individuals posting in photographs. A simple search of Ancestry and/or FamilySearch is all that is needed to substantiate the information provided on the card. In the example of the image below, Claracy and Reba, daughters of Mr. and Mrs. Myron Carrick of Roscommon, Michigan are easily identifiable from the data provided on the back of the image. The ages provided (Reba Elizabeth 4 months old) is helpful in differentiating between the two siblings, as well as determining an estimated date the photograph.

Claracy Marian, Reba Elizabeth (4 months old) Daughters of Mr. and Mrs. Myron Carrick, Roscommon

However, more research may be needed to connect items from this archive to ancestors in your family tree. For example, a postcard from Concord, Michigan dated January 12, 1911 contains clues as to the identity of the writer, the recipient, and the name of someone in their household. What details can you see in this message?

Letter dated January 12, 1911

Let's look at our clues:

Location: Concord, Michigan

Dated: January 12, 1911

Addressed to: Papa and Mamma

From: Alice

Other Household Member: Russell

Even without a last name, individuals referenced in this message can be identified through a variety of records. The search may not always lay with the writer or recipient - the breakthrough might be found through other people documented in the message. In this case, 'Russell' may be a child or spouse of 'Alice'. Upon searching the 1910 US Federal Census records, there are four individuals with the first name of Russell residing in Concord during that year.

Examining each listing and their connecting records, we can find Russell Bell Kitchen, a young Telegraph Operator in Concord married Elma Alice Bennett in Jackson, Michigan on November 24, 1910. This card is meant for Alice's parents Ruben and Ornissa (nee Pierce) Bennett residing in Albion, about 10 miles away. There's an interesting dynamic to this marriage - Alice was 33 and Russell was 20 when they were wed. Alice was a professional bookkeeper and living with her parents in Albion when the census was recorded. Her letter contains hints (I made some biscuit[s] for supper and they tasted pretty good too') as to the shift she is experiencing from a full-time member of the work force to a housewife. Also, maybe a little bit of homesickness? (Write soon and come sooner; Good night - with love a goodnight kiss).

Many thanks to the volunteers, librarians, and project coordinators who helped bring this user-friendly archival collection to the public. I will confess, I have spent far too many hours identifying individuals pictured and named in this collection. It is an amazing feeling to discover more about the people and places found in each item. We need more collections with the scope, support, and care found in this wonderful online archive.

Cheers,

Debra