Michigan

How I Introduce Myself to the Current Residents of an Ancestral Home

How I Introduce Myself to the Current Residents of an Ancestral Home

I finally stood in front of the Hanley homestead in Atlantic Mine, a house I’d heard about all my life. Instead of knocking, I left a letter — though not before giving in to the temptation of the doorbell. This is the story of that visit, the family lore tied to the house, and what it meant to leave something behind.

Men of Metal: A 1912 Portrait of Saginaw Tin Craftsman Frank G. Griffin

Men of Metal: A 1912 Portrait of Saginaw Tin Craftsman Frank G. Griffin

This remarkable photograph, taken around 1912, captures the storefront of Frank G. Griffin’s tin shop located at 216 Germania Avenue (now Federal Avenue) on the east side of Saginaw, Michigan.

Saginaw Ship Building Company - 1918

Saginaw Ship Building Company - 1918

This historical photograph captures the launch of the Lake Pachuta, the first ship built by the Saginaw Ship Building Company in 1918.

Harrison Coleman's Undertaking and Livery - Saginaw, Michigan

Harrison Coleman's Undertaking and Livery - Saginaw, Michigan

Here is the inaugural post from our new blog contributor, Ryan Lyden, about his photo showing Harrison Coleman’s undertaking and livery business in Saginaw, Michigan around 1900.

Isidor Selvin (1886-1983): A Bingham, Utah and Saginaw, Michigan Men's Clothier

Isidor Selvin (1886-1983): A Bingham, Utah and Saginaw, Michigan Men's Clothier

Isidor Selvin (1886-1983) was a prominent clothier in both Bingham, Utah and Saginaw, Michigan. This is his story.

Presidential Letters and a Trip to the White House: Michael John Hanley Jr. (1924-2015)

Presidential Letters and a Trip to the White House: Michael John Hanley Jr. (1924-2015)

My grandfather, Michael John Hanley Jr. (1924-2015), received letters from U.S. Presidents Richard Nixon, Gerald Ford, and Ronald Reagan. He also attended a White House reception hosted by President Ford on April 8, 1975.

Lemke's Cafe - Harsens Island, Michigan (1907)

Lemke's Cafe - Harsens Island, Michigan (1907)

This early 1900’s antique photo shows a group of men standing outside of “Lemke’s Cafe”. I believe it to be the cafe, tavern, and hotel of proprietor Walter Lemke (1871-1940) of Harsens Island, Michigan.

Herbert John Kleehammer (1899-1990) - First Job in 1913

Herbert John Kleehammer (1899-1990) - First Job in 1913

This image likely shows Herbert John Kleehammer (1890-1990) at his first job in 1913 at a hardware store in Detroit, Michigan.

Apostles Club (1900) - Ann Arbor, Michigan

Apostles Club (1900) - Ann Arbor, Michigan

This antique store photo find shows a group of men, likely members of the Apostles Club in Ann Arbor, Michigan probably around 1900. The home stood at 1218 South University.

Emil Muenzel (1866-1939) of Donken, Michigan

Emil Muenzel (1866-1939) of Donken, Michigan

Emil Muenzel (1866-1939), a German immigrant who settled in Donken, Michigan in the Upper Peninsula, was married to my 1st cousin 4x removed, Martha Zenner Muenzel (1868-1960).

Henriette Gundlach "Hen Gun" (1906-1973) of Houghton, Michigan

Henriette Gundlach "Hen Gun" (1906-1973) of Houghton, Michigan

Henriette M. Gundlach (1906-1973) is my 2nd cousin 3x removed. In 1923 she attended Houghton High School in Houghton, Michigan where she was an active well regarded by her peers. Here is just a bit of her story.

Hanley Family Reminiscences of Atlantic Mine, Michigan

Hanley Family Reminiscences of Atlantic Mine, Michigan

This interview was recorded around 2005 on a road trip up to Atlantic Mine, in Michigan’s Upper Peninsula, where my great grandfather, Michael John Hanley (1890-1964) was born. Two of his daughters (my great aunts) share their reminiscences about their travels to visit family there in the 1930s and 40s.

President of the Lake Superior Beagle Club - Eugene Timothy Hanley (1896-1958)

President of the Lake Superior Beagle Club - Eugene Timothy Hanley (1896-1958)

My 2nd great uncle, Eugene Timothy Hanley (1896-1958), raised beagles and in 1938 was the president of the Lake Superior Beagle Club. Here he is with some of his dogs.

The Reverend Esper Brothers and Their Club - Family Artifact Challenge (Day 30)

The Reverend Esper Brothers and Their Club - Family Artifact Challenge (Day 30)

In a previous post I wrote about the history of The Leaning Tree Lodge and its importance to my family for several generations. Before it became The Leaning Tree, it was known as “The Esper Club”, named after three Esper brothers, all Catholic priests, two of whom were twins. This is the story of their club.

Charles Henry Schmidt (d. 1899), My 3rd Great Grandfather - Family Artifact Challenge (Day 28)

Charles Henry Schmidt (d. 1899), My 3rd Great Grandfather - Family Artifact Challenge (Day 28)

This is the original newspaper clipping of Charles Henry Schmidt (d. 1899), my 3rd great grandfather’s obituary. It was affixed to sturdy paper and laminated. He lived and died near Houghton Michigan, in the Upper Peninsula. It appears that it was clipped from The Mining Gazette.

Professor John M. Harrington (1893-1967) of Michigan Technological University - Family Artifact Challenge (Day 26)

Professor John M. Harrington (1893-1967) of Michigan Technological University - Family Artifact Challenge (Day 26)

Professor John M. Harrington (1893-1967) was my first cousin twice removed. As the obituary states, he was a well known professor at the Michigan Technological University in Houghton, Michigan and a former head of the Department of Mathematics there. By some he was described as, “one of the greatest teachers to serve on the Michigan Tech faculty.”

Michael John Hanley Jr. (1924-2015), Letters of Recommendation (1944) - Family Artifact Challenge (Day 24)

Michael John Hanley Jr. (1924-2015), Letters of Recommendation (1944) - Family Artifact Challenge (Day 24)

I always knew my grandfather, Michael John Hanley Jr. (1924-2015), to be an outstanding person. These letters of recommendation from 1944 are evidence that this was a life long quality of his.

The Leaning Tree - Family Artifact Challenge (Day 23)

The Leaning Tree - Family Artifact Challenge (Day 23)

It is impossible to overstate the multigenerational prominence The Leaning Tree Lodge has in the collective memory of my extended family. Affectionately known as “The Cabin”, it sits on the Au Sable River, east of Grayling, Michigan and has been connected to our family since the 1960s.

Flint Flood Photos (1947) - Family Artifact Challenge (Day 22)

Flint Flood Photos (1947) - Family Artifact Challenge (Day 22)

These are the personal photographs of my great grandfather, Michael John Hanley (1890-1960), of the Flint flooding of 1947. Some of the information in the notes were provided by my great aunt, Michael’s daughter, Beverly Hanley Mansour (1929-2009).

Schmidt Family Land at Elm River Township, Houghton County, Michigan - Family Artifact Challenge (Day 20)

Schmidt Family Land at Elm River Township, Houghton County, Michigan - Family Artifact Challenge (Day 20)

These documents pertain to a parcel of land in Elm River Township, Houghton County, Michigan originally owned by my 3rd great grandmother, Ernestina Zenner Schmidt (died 1922). The process of writing about them has helped me discover some new information and tell my Schmidt family’s story.