Local History and Genealogy
News, comments, resources, and more.
For those of us who have caught the genealogy bug, there’s no need for further inducement to trace and record our family history. We know the thrill and challenge of genealogical research is addicting all by itself. However, if you need evidence to help justify your obsession with census data and tombstone transcriptions to those yet to be infected, I have just the thing. A new book by Bruce Feiler, The Secrets of Happy Families, reports that it is highly beneficial for children to know about their family history. Feiler shares some amazing conclusions drawn from a study conducted by Robyn Fivush and Marshall Duke, professors of psychology at Emory University. Feiler summarizes, “The more children knew about their family’s history, the stronger their sense of control over their lives, the higher their self-esteem, and the more successfully they believed their families functioned.”
Of course, sharing family stories with your children or grandchildren is a great way to teach them your family history. But if you’d like to take it a step further, here are a couple books to get you started. Climbing Your Family Tree: Online and Off-line Genealogy for Kids by Ira Wolfman and Roots for Kids: A Genealogy Guide for Young People by Susan Provost Beller both present a kid-friendly introduction to genealogy. So now you can share your passion for family history AND help the next generation become happy, confident people.
Book
The secrets of happy families
9780061778735
As I was re-shelving materials earlier this month, I dropped a copy of White Pine Whispers by local author Larry B. Massie.
When I picked it up, it was turned to the opening page of a chapter
entitled 'When Doomsday Came and Went'. In it, he relates the story of a
population awaiting the arrival of a date that was foretold to bring
with it the end of the world. With December 21 fast-approaching, I
thought it would make for an appropriate read.
Massie opens the chapter with a brief story of Daniel B. Eldred, a
pioneer notable for having given the city of Climax its name. Allegedly,
Eldred had set out for Kalamazoo on the morning of October 19, 1844
when a linchpin came loose from his wagon and one of his wheels became
unstable as a result. Upon nearing Galesburg, he sought the attention of
a blacksmith. The blacksmith began to work to carefully reshape the
linchpin to ensure a proper fit when Eldred asked that he just "Drive it
in; it will answer for three days. I shan't want it after that as the
world is coming to an end."
Eldred was a Millerite, a group that believed that the world would
end on March 21, 1844, and led by the farmer-turned-preacher, William
Miller. Miller had become enamored with the biblical passage Daniel 8:14
which stated, "Unto two thousand and three hundred days; then shall the
sanctuary be cleansed." He deemed these words prophetic and believed
that this foretold the second coming of Christ which would coincide with
a cleansing of the Earth by fire. Additionally, he suggested that the
2,300 days mentioned in the passage should be interpreted as 2,300 years
and would have begun in 457 BCE, the year that the fifth king of the
Achaeminid Empire, Artaxerxes I of Persia decreed that Jerusalem would
be rebuilt.
When the day dawned on March 22nd without incident, some
Millerites had been rattled in what became known as the "Great
Disappointment", but most maintained their faith that the prophecy would
hold true by the end of the year. After some recalculations and
number-crunching, Miller settled on October 22nd as the day
that would mark the end of the 2,300 year period. By the time that the
date arrived, Daniel Eldred of Climax was one of several hundred
thousand Millerites who were anxiously awaiting the apocalypse. Eldred
and many others had abandoned their professional duties since March of
that year. Children had stopped attending school, debts had been
settled, and fields that should have been nearing harvest lay fallow.
The second "Great Disappointment" occurred when October 22 gave way
to October 23. By this point, Eldred and many others in Michigan and
elsewhere were financially ruined, having staked their livelihoods on
the notion that they would no longer have any need for earthly pursuits.
Eldred sold his farm in Climax and relocated to Virginia, presumably
after fixing his wagon's linchpin a bit more thoroughly.
The most enduring legacy of this story was the founding of
the Seventh Day Adventist Church, organized by a group of Millerites
that remained dedicated to the idea that the prophecy would eventually
come true. Nearby Battle Creek, MI quickly became the nexus of the
Church's activities under the leadership of Ellen G. Harmon and James
White, devout Millerites who married and relocated there in 1855.
White Pine Whispers is a collection of short stories and
essays concerning Michigan's history on topics as diverse as the effects
of the Spanish Flu epidemic of 1918 and the history of the sport of
Lacrosse. It and many other books by Larry B. Massie are available in the Local History Room.
Book
White Pine Whispers
white-pine-whispers-160
http://kzpl.ent.sirsi.net/client/KPL/search/results?qu=white+pine+whispers&te=&lm=ALLLIBS
One of the best parts of working in the history room is getting to know the collection and all of the wonderful items in it. There’s only one problem. Sadly, people just don’t come in and say “Hey, show me something really cool,” so some of my favorite things don’t get as much attention as I feel they deserve. However, that’s all about to change. We are now making selected items completely accessible through our website, and will be scouring the history room for great things to share in the coming months.
Our first offering is a catalog from the Henderson-Ames Company of Kalamazoo that dates back about 100 years. It contains products exclusively for the Independent Order of Odd Fellows. Henderson-Ames boldly claimed, “We are ready to show any Lodge, that the great values which have made us the leaders for many years in the manufacture of Odd Fellow Regalia, Costumes, etc., are increased in this the most complete catalog ever published.” There’s no way to know if their assertion was correct, but with 134 pages of everything from false beards to grave markers, they couldn’t have been far off. Enjoy flipping through the catalog, and be sure to check out the large color images of costumes that begin on page 71.
Book
IOOF catalog
Ioof-079-160
http://kzpl.ent.sirsi.net/client/KPL/search/results?qu=Degree+Staff+costumes%2C+regalia%2C+paraphernalia%2C+books%2C+blanks+and+supplies+for+Odd+Fellow+Lodges+%3A+net+catalogue+number+five&te=&lm=ALLLIBS 
The Library is 140 years old! Part of our recent celebration included collecting and displaying photos of the library over the years. It was so fun to see the pictures of former staff, earlier buildings, long obsolete equipment, branch libraries, promotions, and library patrons from years ago. The collection spans from the first library building, which was completed in 1893, all the way into the 1990s. The photos were displayed at the Central library, but they are so great we wanted to make them available permanently through the website.
Enjoy this gallery and let us know if it brings back memories.
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Kalamazoo Public Library, 1920s
kpl-1920s-160
http://www.flickr.com/photos/kalamazoopubliclibrary/sets/72157631806487811/
It happens to many of us – a distant relative by marriage or a close family friend passes away. They had no children, and someone delivers a box of old photos to you because there is no one else to take them. You don’t know who any of the people in the photos are and you’re quite sure none of them are related to you. So what do you do with them? Well, you might consider donating them to the library located in the city where most of the photos were taken.
We are very fortunate that thoughtful people have done that very thing from time to time here at KPL, and recently the photo collection of Marion Louise McConnell came to us that way. It is an incredible collection of over 100 photos from the late 19th and early 20th centuries. Many are portraits taken by Kalamazoo photographers. Unfortunately, very few are identified, but the collection is too good not to share. We have created a Flickr collection and will be updating it with information regarding the photographers and any other clues we can determine. Enjoy the slideshow, and if you recognize any of the people or places please leave a comment on the photo. Families that may be included in the collection are McConnell, Rineveld, Kelder, Born, and Link.
Book
Marion Louise McConnell
mcconnell-129
http://www.flickr.com/photos/kalamazoopubliclibrary/sets/72157631096317746/
This unidentified photo really has to speak for itself, because we have absolutely no information about it. It features two men who clearly like to live large – sporting large moustaches, cigars…and potatoes! They are sitting on a step at the outside entrance of a building. Styles suggest a date around the turn of the 20th century. Let us know if you can shed any light on this image.
Help us! Our local history photograph collection is a wonderful resource, but unfortunately not every photo comes to us with full details of the place, people, or date associated with it. For that reason, we are enlisting your help. Watch our local history blog posts in the coming weeks for photographs that we could use a little assistance with. We’ll tell you what we know and you can respond if you have any ideas. But even if you don’t, be sure to take a minute to enjoy some of our interesting old photos.
View all photos in this “unidentified” series.
Book
Men with potatoes
men-potatoes-160
http://www.catalog.kpl.gov/uhtbin/cgisirsi/x/0/0/5?searchdata1=potatoes&library=LOCAL-COMM&language=ANY&format=ANY&item_type=PHOTO&location=ANY&match_on=KEYWORD&item_1cat=ANY&item_2cat=ANY&sort_by=-PBYR
Unlike many of our unidentified photos, this amazing image came with just about everything short of a name. The man in the photo has a weathered face full of character, and at first glance it looks like he should be out in the old west. A closer look reveals that he is holding a puppy. The information on the back of the photo identifies him as a former schoolteacher and a “hermit [who] lived on KL Ave.” The photographer, Chester B. Robinson, apparently captured the image around 1942. Can you give this man a name?
Help us! Our local history photograph collection is a wonderful resource, but unfortunately not every photo comes to us with full details of the place, people, or date associated with it. For that reason, we are enlisting your help. Watch our local history blog posts in the coming weeks for photographs that we could use a little assistance with. We’ll tell you what we know and you can respond if you have any ideas. But even if you don’t, be sure to take a minute to enjoy some of our interesting old photos.
View all photos in this “unidentified” series.
Book
Unidentified man
unidentified-man-160
http://www.catalog.kpl.gov/uhtbin/cgisirsi/x/0/0/5?searchdata1=hermit&library=LOCAL-COMM&language=ANY&format=ANY&item_type=PHOTO&location=ANY&match_on=KEYWORD&item_1cat=ANY&item_2cat=ANY&sort_by=-PBYR 
This photo has to be one of the most unusual in our collection. It features a group of robed or costumed women, a man with a skull and cross bones, and a goat. Historic photos really don’t get any better. Unfortunately, it was not identified in any way. It may be a fraternal organization or possibly a theatrical production of some sort. Whatever it is, there must be a good story associated with it. Do you know the tale behind this photo?
Help us! Our local history photograph collection is a wonderful resource, but unfortunately not every photo comes to us with full details of the place, people, or date associated with it. For that reason, we are enlisting your help. Watch our local history blog posts in the coming weeks for photographs that we could use a little assistance with. We’ll tell you what we know and you can respond if you have any ideas. But even if you don’t, be sure to take a minute to enjoy some of our interesting old photos. View all photos in this “unidentified” series.
Book
Unidentified group photo
goat-skull-160
http://www.catalog.kpl.gov/uhtbin/cgisirsi/x/0/0/5?searchdata1=lodge+regalia++AND+goat&library=LOCAL-COMM&language=ANY&format=ANY&item_type=PHOTO&location=ANY&match_on=KEYWORD&item_1cat=ANY&item_2cat=ANY&sort_by=-PBYR
This week’s unidentified photo is a great one of a children’s bicycle parade. Unfortunately, it came to us with only the caption “World War II – Kalamazoo” for identification. However, it is full of clues for anyone with memories of that neighborhood or time period in Kalamazoo. At least six of the children’s faces are in good view. Many details of three houses and some of a fourth are visible. There is even a man in the background with ladders set up, working on one of the homes. Does this neighborhood look familiar to you? What about the children?
Help us! Our local history photograph collection is a wonderful resource, but unfortunately not every photo comes to us with full details of the place, people, or date associated with it. For that reason, we are enlisting your help. Watch our local history blog posts in the coming weeks for photographs that we could use a little assistance with. We’ll tell you what we know and you can respond if you have any ideas. But even if you don’t, be sure to take a minute to enjoy some of our interesting old photos. View all photos in this “unidentified” series.
Book
Unidentified Photos
bicycle-parade-2-160
/local-history/blog/Default.aspx?category=Unidentified+Photos&blogid=2186
Help us! Our local history photograph collection is a wonderful resource, but unfortunately not every photo comes to us with full details of the place, people, or date associated with it. For that reason, we are enlisting your help. Watch our local history blog posts in the coming weeks for photographs that we could use a little assistance with.
Our first offering has always been one of my favorites. It came to us with the Wallace White collection, but appears to be a photo taken earlier and copied by White. It features two young children, seated and facing the camera. We have estimated the date to be around 1850. The only identification given was “Miss Howard’s sisters.” Can you help us discover their identity?
Portrait of two unidentified children, possibly Kalamazoo, roughly 1850
Book
Unidentified Photos
howard-sisters-160
/local-history/blog/Default.aspx?category=Unidentified+Photos&blogid=2186