Old neighborhood research

[MOTROIT]

How would I go about researching my old home and neighborhood?
I grew up at 7302 Waldo [[corner of Waldo st and Freer ave)on the west side and want to learn about the history of the area. Any help is much appreciated thank you!

[szla]

search this thread "Old Westside neighborhood bars, bakery's and more"

[lalynch]

Burton Historical Collection, Detroit Public Main Library, is a great place to research homes, neighborhoods and cities. They have old maps, city directories, old newspapers and other research materials.

First, I'd start with the date of your house.
Here in Lincoln Park I will check the Field Sheet at our assessors office for clues to a property.
Then I will go through the city directories to see who lived at that property.
If there is a name that sticks out over another name, I'll research it on Ancestry.com. The census records are a wealth of information.
For more information I'll check with my historical museum, if need be, or go through the old newspapers at the Burton.