How do I find an old address?

**Wintersmommy** · July-20-10, 04:04 PM

I am trying to find out my Grandfathers childhood address on California in Highland Park back in the teens and possibly up to the mid 30's. My mother thought the address was 1222 California but when i looked that up on Google maps it didn’t appear to be an actual address. I know that over the years house numbers change and I am sure this might be the case here

Where does one go to find this info?

**terryh** · July-20-10, 08:29 PM

Try the Burton Historical collection at the Detroit Public Library there are phone books from the thrities....

lilpup · July-21-10, 12:24 AM

Originally Posted by Wintersmommy

I am trying to find out my Grandfathers childhood address on California in Highland Park back in the teens and possibly up to the mid 30's. My mother thought the address was 1222 California but when i looked that up on Google maps it didn’t appear to be an actual address. I know that over the years house numbers change and I am sure this might be the case here

Where does one go to find this info?

I don't believe Highland Park's numbers ever changed. I know the number for my great-grandparents' house on Waverly never did and most of the east-west streets didn't number that high. Perhaps the number was 122 instead of 1222?

**Wintersmommy** · July-21-10, 10:33 AM

Originally Posted by terryh

Try the Burton Historical collection at the Detroit Public Library there are phone books from the thrities....

Do you know if you have to make an appt at the Burton? Seems to me I read that on here once...Do they have people there who can help my clueless butt ?

**Wintersmommy** · July-21-10, 10:35 AM

Originally Posted by lilpup

I don't believe Highland Park's numbers ever changed. I know the number for my great-grandparents' house on Waverly never did and most of the east-west streets didn't number that high. Perhaps the number was 122 instead of 1222?

It is possible that the address mom gave me is wrong, her memory is starting to go a bit.

**MikeM** · July-21-10, 11:41 AM

What was his last name?

**Wintersmommy** · July-21-10, 12:40 PM

Originally Posted by MikeM

What was his last name?

His name was Elmer Nathaniel Hammond, his fathers name [[who may have owned the home) was Elmer Elijah Hammond

**MikeM** · July-21-10, 01:28 PM

Elmer E Hammond [[wife Nellie) 226 California

**Wintersmommy** · July-21-10, 02:10 PM

[quote=MikeM;165527]Elmer E Hammond [[wife Nellie) 226 California[/quote

Thank you !!!!
that is my great grandpa

now just how did you figure this out? I would like to be able to do this with other relatives

**Wintersmommy** · July-21-10, 02:31 PM

maybe I shouldnt be suprised, but I took a google drive down the street and everything looked very nice and well kept and i was not expecting that

**MikeM** · July-21-10, 02:36 PM

Originally Posted by Wintersmommy

now just how did you figure this out? I would like to be able to do this with other relatives

Like Terry said: from an old phone book.

**Wintersmommy** · July-21-10, 03:24 PM

Originally Posted by MikeM

Like Terry said: from an old phone book.

OK thank you !

**Kathleen** · July-22-10, 11:05 AM

Wintersmommy: You can track your family year by year in the Detroit City directories that are accessible off the shelf at the Burton Historical Collection at the main Detroit Public Library. No appointment is necessary. And there is no cost to anyone for using the books off the shelf in the BHC.

We've done similar research tracking my family through the city as well as my husband's family. City directories start as early as the 1850s [[maybe earlier) and through recent years.

**Wintersmommy** · July-22-10, 02:15 PM

Originally Posted by Kathleen

Wintersmommy: You can track your family year by year in the Detroit City directories that are accessible off the shelf at the Burton Historical Collection at the main Detroit Public Library. No appointment is necessary. And there is no cost to anyone for using the books off the shelf in the BHC.

We've done similar research tracking my family through the city as well as my husband's family. City directories start as early as the 1850s [[maybe earlier) and through recent years.

Thank you Kathleen!
this leads to another question..where do you go for birth records going back to the early 1700's? At that point I assume these things were recorded in churches if recorded at all. I have a relitive that would have been born in Detroit in the late 1600's to the early 1700's after her parents crossed the river from Canada. They were French and therefore i assume Calthoic but I am just guessing on that

**jcole** · July-22-10, 02:21 PM

If she was Catholic, she probably would have had her christening recorded at St. Anne De Detroit.

**Kathleen** · July-22-10, 02:40 PM

The Burton Collection does have the Ste. Anne's church records. It's been a long time since I used them, so I don't know what format they are accessible in these days, but the librarians at the Burton can help you with that.

First, though, you should check a copy of the book Genealogy of the French Families of the Detroit River Region, 1701-1911 by Fr. Dennissen to see if your family is covered. Fr. Dennissen used the church records from Ste. Anne's, Assumption in Windsor, and other Catholic churchs in the area to compile the family genealogies. The Burton Collection has a copy of the original edition plus the update published in 1987 by the Detroit Society for Genealogical Research.

You might also want to check out the French Canadian Heritage Society of Michigan website for leads....
http://fchsm.habitant.org/MichiganResearch.html

**Wintersmommy** · July-22-10, 03:45 PM

Originally Posted by Kathleen

The Burton Collection does have the Ste. Anne's church records. It's been a long time since I used them, so I don't know what format they are accessible in these days, but the librarians at the Burton can help you with that.

First, though, you should check a copy of the book Genealogy of the French Families of the Detroit River Region, 1701-1911 by Fr. Dennissen to see if your family is covered. Fr. Dennissen used the church records from Ste. Anne's, Assumption in Windsor, and other Catholic churchs in the area to compile the family genealogies. The Burton Collection has a copy of the original edition plus the update published in 1987 by the Detroit Society for Genealogical Research.

You might also want to check out the French Canadian Heritage Society of Michigan website for leads....
http://fchsm.habitant.org/MichiganResearch.html

AWESOME!!! thank you so much

Retroit · July-22-10, 08:33 PM

http://quod.lib.umich.edu/cgi/t/text...e;seq=00001022

Second column, second row.

**MikeM** · July-22-10, 09:25 PM

...and Elmer Nathaniel in the third row. That's from the 1928 Polk's Detroit directory. I have a 1921 directory and Elmer E was listed there, but no Elmer N. Elmer Elijah's occupation was expressman/messenger.

Retroit · July-22-10, 09:33 PM

What's N's occupation? Looks like "grinder" to me, but very blurry.

**MikeM** · July-22-10, 09:36 PM

Looks like printer? Use that drop-down menu to increase the page size.

Retroit · July-22-10, 09:47 PM

Oh, okay. Now I can see!

"Elmer E [[Nellie) expressman householder of 226 California avenue [[Highland Park)
Elmer N printer roomer/residence 226 California avenue [[Highland Park)"

**Wintersmommy** · July-22-10, 09:58 PM

Originally Posted by Retroit

Oh, okay. Now I can see!

"Elmer E [[Nellie) expressman householder of 226 California avenue [[Highland Park)
Elmer N printer roomer/residence 226 California avenue [[Highland Park)"

Elmer E went on to work on the railroads in Detroit and died in 1939 Nellie died in 1935
Elmer N taught Print shop at Highland Park High school until the 60's and then I am not sure what he did

Thank you so much for looking this up!

**Wintersmommy** · July-22-10, 10:03 PM

And on this sheet i see Elmer N. brothers Claire [[student) , Nelson [[mach?), George [[student) and the last son Robert could be any one of the Roberts listed!

Retroit · July-23-10, 09:22 AM

Originally Posted by Wintersmommy

And on this sheet i see Elmer N. brothers Claire [[student) , Nelson [[mach?), George [[student) and the last son Robert could be any one of the Roberts listed!

"mach" means machinist. Page 397 has a list of the abbreviations.