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In blog posts one and two, we described business directories and the methods we used to incorporate them into the historic spatial data infrastructure which enables the Keweenaw Time Traveler’s Explore app. In this post, we want to focus on the recently-added 1917 Houghton County business directory and demonstrate ways we use it for outreach and research. Specifically:
- What separates business directories from city directories?
- How can we use business directory listings to delve into Copper Country history?
- How can you access the business directory?
What separates business directories from city directories?
Business directories were not separate documents from city directories. The business directories were a sub-section of the larger city directory. In the Polk & Co. County Directory for 1917, city directories containing personal listings appear first, the business directory is second, and a farmer directory is third.
Many of our older Citizen Historians are familiar with phonebooks; our younger Citizen Historians possibly not. This same arrangement was used through the twentieth century in phonebooks. In phonebooks, residential information was listed at the front of the book in the white pages with businesses listed in the yellow pages and government offices listed in the blue pages. Yes, the pages were actually white, yellow, and blue enabling people to quickly navigate hundreds of pages. If you were looking for a mechanic, you might check in the category for “Automobile-Auto Repair.” We might also see category listings for "Mechanics" as their skills were not confined to automobiles.
Here’s an example of a business directory listing from the Keweenaw Time Traveler:
Business directories were not separate documents from city directories. The business directories were a sub-section of the larger city directory. In the Polk & Co. County Directory for 1917, city directories containing personal listings appear first, the business directory is second, and a farmer directory is third.
Many of our older Citizen Historians are familiar with phonebooks; our younger Citizen Historians possibly not. This same arrangement was used through the twentieth century in phonebooks. In phonebooks, residential information was listed at the front of the book in the white pages with businesses listed in the yellow pages and government offices listed in the blue pages. Yes, the pages were actually white, yellow, and blue enabling people to quickly navigate hundreds of pages. If you were looking for a mechanic, you might check in the category for “Automobile-Auto Repair.” We might also see category listings for "Mechanics" as their skills were not confined to automobiles.
Here’s an example of a business directory listing from the Keweenaw Time Traveler:
The Keweenaw Time Traveler listing for 211 5th in the Village of Calumet. Notice the 13 "Places" listed from the Business Directory.
In the example above, Ruppe P & Sons ran a department store in the Village of Calumet in 1917. During this period, small businesses specializing in a single industry still existed. Women might go to a milliner to obtain a hat and then take their children to a confectioner for something sweet. Because Ruppe P & Sons sold many kinds of goods, they needed to advertise in multiple categories including:
Polk directories were printed bi-annually and could not be edited until a newer directory was developed two years later. This made listing in multiple categories both a necessity and a careful strategy for business owners. For younger Citizen Historians, imagine your favorite shop. Now, think about the different services they offer. What categories would they need to advertise within to make potential customers aware of all the services they offer?
- Boots and Shoes
- Carpets and Rugs
- Carpets, Oil Cloths, Etc.
- Cloaks and Suits
- Clothing
- Crockery and Glassware
- Dry Goods
- Furniture Dealers
- General Stores
- Hats, Caps, and Furs
- Ladies Furnishing Goods
- Mens Furnishings
- Shoes
Polk directories were printed bi-annually and could not be edited until a newer directory was developed two years later. This made listing in multiple categories both a necessity and a careful strategy for business owners. For younger Citizen Historians, imagine your favorite shop. Now, think about the different services they offer. What categories would they need to advertise within to make potential customers aware of all the services they offer?
How can we use business directory listings to delve into Copper Country history?
During our Copper TRACES programming, we use business directories and maps. We refer to ourselves and our fourth graders as detectives. We use these archival materials in ways they were never intended to be used, and we guide our Junior Detectives as they uncover historical clues.
The business directories are one of our clues, allowing us to better understand what took place within a building's walls. Sanborn fire insurance plans provide a great deal of information about our historic cities, but they cannot list every activity housed in a building. Business directories can help flesh out the story.
During our Copper TRACES programming, we use business directories and maps. We refer to ourselves and our fourth graders as detectives. We use these archival materials in ways they were never intended to be used, and we guide our Junior Detectives as they uncover historical clues.
The business directories are one of our clues, allowing us to better understand what took place within a building's walls. Sanborn fire insurance plans provide a great deal of information about our historic cities, but they cannot list every activity housed in a building. Business directories can help flesh out the story.
If we examine 111 5th, the Sanborn map lists it as a 3-story brick building whose main use is for music.
Is it for performance? Is it for teaching music? Is it selling musical instruments?
In a 3 story building, what are the other 2 stories used for?
Is it for performance? Is it for teaching music? Is it selling musical instruments?
In a 3 story building, what are the other 2 stories used for?
Using the geolocated business directories, we can identify some of the building's other uses:
- Berge and Fowler were music teachers
- William Fisher was listed as a Justice of the Peace and a Notary Public
- The Hermann Bros. sold "Talking Machines," music and musical merchandise, and pianos and organs
- Metropolitan Life Insurance Company of New York had an agent selling life insurance
- Nicholas Swykert was a dentist
- Without additional historical records, such as the United States Census, do we know if a relationship existed between Berge and Fowler? Were they related, or were they just business partners? Do you think Adelaide Fowler would have been mentioned if she did not practice a profession?
- Pianos and organs are listed in addition to music and musical instruments. Do you think pianos maybe served as status symbols?
- Were pianos shipped to the Hermann Bros., or were they made locally? If you feel they were shipped, where did they likely shop from, and how were the pianos transported? How do you think you would go about researching this question?
- Who do you think purchased life insurance through Metropolitan Life? Do you think the mine workers purchased the insurance? How much do you think life insurance premiums cost in 1917?
- Two blocks away, McLogan & Pearce Music Co also sold pianos and organs. When we see multiple businesses selling confections and fruit, pianos and organs, and jewelry, what does that tell you about the economic status of Calumet in 1917?
Notice the format of the businesses listed in the Piano and Organs category. The bold text and capitalization captures the viewer's attention. Businesses paid extra for this advertising with the anticipation of customers selecting them over competitors. Courtesy of Michigan Tech Archives.
Can our junior detectives answer all of these questions with the information available?
No, they cannot. The goal is to teach them how to get inspired by mapped archival records and develop questions we previously did not think to ask.
No, they cannot. The goal is to teach them how to get inspired by mapped archival records and develop questions we previously did not think to ask.
How can you access the business directory?
The 1917 Polk & Co. Houghton County Directory is already incorporated within the Keweenaw Time Traveler. When you select a building on the map, it will be outlined in red.
The 1917 Polk & Co. Houghton County Directory is already incorporated within the Keweenaw Time Traveler. When you select a building on the map, it will be outlined in red.
Once a building is highlighted on the map, the left-hand panel of the Keweenaw Time Traveler will display the associated record.
The address appears at the top of the information panel. The detailed information about the building is organized by tabs. Business directory information is listed under the Places tab.
As a reminder, one building may have several entries under Places. The example to the left only has one although earlier examples, such as Ruppe P and Son had 13, as indicated in parentheses.
As a reminder, one building may have several entries under Places. The example to the left only has one although earlier examples, such as Ruppe P and Son had 13, as indicated in parentheses.
For buildings with multiple entries, the important thing to remember is that they are not duplicates. Each entry comes from a different category in the business directory and can be selected individually to see all of the records. You can confirm the category by viewing Details and the Source as Business Directory 1917.
The Time Traveler Team hopes this three-post series discussing what city and business directories are, their preparation for inclusion in the Time Traveler, and their role in developing research helps inspire you to ask your own questions.
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HESAL Post-Doctoral researcher Dan Trepal, KeTT co-director Sarah Fayen Scarlett, and director Don Lafreniere have just published an article proposing that community-driven digital geospatial projects like the Keweenaw Time Traveler can help develop a sustainable compromise between protecting community heritage values and fostering economic development and regeneration in postindustrial communities.
In this paper, we suggest three broad categories of challenges for studying and promoting heritage in postindustrial regions – physical, social, and political – and propose a digital data-focused geospatial approach to how community archaeologists and heritage specialists may overcome these challenges. We argue that coupling this data and technology with a robust research agenda and public programming can serve as a crucial two-way link, enabling long-term sustainable heritage-promotion and protection in post-industrial communities.
This paper grew out of presentations given by Trepal and Scarlett at the Society for Historical Archaeology annual conference in New Orleans in January 2018. Thanks to Kaeleigh Herstad @RustBeltAnthro for co-organizing that panel and co-editing this special issue.
If you are connected to a research library you can access the paper here. If not, contact us for a copy!
If you are connected to a research library you can access the paper here. If not, contact us for a copy!
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HESAL Director Don Lafreniere recently co-authored an introductory article to a special issue on historical crowdsourcing in the journal Historical Methods.
You can read the paper "Working with the public in historical data creation" here.
You can read the paper "Working with the public in historical data creation" here.
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HESAL Post-Doctoral Researcher Dan Trepal and Director Don Lafreniere recently published an article titled “Understanding Cumulative Hazards in a Rustbelt City: Integrating GIS, Archaeology, and Spatial History” in the journal Urban Science.
The article explores how researchers can use the same technology that underpins projects like the Keweenaw Time Traveler to understand the cumulative impact of industrial activity within modern postindustrial cities. This project examines the city of London, Ontario from the 1880s to the present. HESAL researchers drew on hundreds of historical maps and other records to digitally reconstruct a city’s historical built environment across 130 years of industrialization and deindustrialization. This reconstruction allowed us to identify ‘hotspots’ where industrial hazards may remain, even when hidden by later development.
The article explores how researchers can use the same technology that underpins projects like the Keweenaw Time Traveler to understand the cumulative impact of industrial activity within modern postindustrial cities. This project examines the city of London, Ontario from the 1880s to the present. HESAL researchers drew on hundreds of historical maps and other records to digitally reconstruct a city’s historical built environment across 130 years of industrialization and deindustrialization. This reconstruction allowed us to identify ‘hotspots’ where industrial hazards may remain, even when hidden by later development.
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This is part 2 of a 3-part blog series introducing the new historical business directories that you can explore in the Keweenaw Time Traveler.
Last week, we discussed general information on historic city and business directories. This week, we want to shift our focus to specific historic directories and how our team mapped residents in the Keweenaw Time Traveler Explore App.
Last week, we discussed general information on historic city and business directories. This week, we want to shift our focus to specific historic directories and how our team mapped residents in the Keweenaw Time Traveler Explore App.
What Copper Country directories exist, and where can you read them?
Our directories were published by two different printers. The earliest set of records are A. H. Holland’s Handbook and Guide to Hancock & Houghton, Michigan which was published for 1887-1888.
By 1895-1896, R. L. Polk and Company began publishing their Houghton County Directory, replacing Holland, and continued publishing through 1939.
Our directories were published by two different printers. The earliest set of records are A. H. Holland’s Handbook and Guide to Hancock & Houghton, Michigan which was published for 1887-1888.
By 1895-1896, R. L. Polk and Company began publishing their Houghton County Directory, replacing Holland, and continued publishing through 1939.
The University Archives and Historical Collections, housed in the Van Pelt and Opie Library’s Garden Atrium at Michigan Technological University, maintains the following collection of City Directories :
Who was R. L. Polk?
Ralph Lane Polk was born on September 12, 1849 in Ohio and later educated in New Jersey. He became a successful publisher in Detroit, Michigan specializing in city business directories and state gazettes (Herringshaw 1914).
Herringshaw, Thomas William. Herringshaw’s National Library of American Biography: Contains Thirty-Five Thousand Biographies of the Acknowledged Leaders of Life and Thought of the United States; Illustrated with Three Thousand Vignette Portraits ... American Publishers’ Association, 1914.
Ralph Lane Polk was born on September 12, 1849 in Ohio and later educated in New Jersey. He became a successful publisher in Detroit, Michigan specializing in city business directories and state gazettes (Herringshaw 1914).
Herringshaw, Thomas William. Herringshaw’s National Library of American Biography: Contains Thirty-Five Thousand Biographies of the Acknowledged Leaders of Life and Thought of the United States; Illustrated with Three Thousand Vignette Portraits ... American Publishers’ Association, 1914.
The records within the Keweenaw Time Traveler are not static collections. We constantly discover new records for inclusion in the databases, and we constantly revise our understanding of the past as we incorporate these sources. We maintain a list of archival collections included in the Time Traveler databases.
How did we map the directory entries?
A single directory could easily exceed 1,200 pages, and preparing each for inclusion in the Time Traveler was a multi-step process requiring a great deal of time, money, and expertise.
1. Digitization - The scanning of pages into digital form and performing optical character recognition (OCR)
2. Cleaning data - Adjusting text files prior to parsing such as putting multiple line addresses into a single line
3. Parse directory data - Parsing means analyzing a string of symbols to conform to the rules of formal grammar which enables a program to understand an address format
4. Perform automated geocoding - Automated geocoding is the computerized process of converting addresses into x, y coordinates for mapping
5. Perform manual geocoding - Manual geocoding is the review of our matches for accuracy
Team members including Gary Spikberg, Ankitha Pille, Elijah Pass, Dr. Robert Pastel, and Dr. Don Lafreniere presented a poster at the 2017 Society of Industrial Archaeologists Conference explaining the methodology used to include directories within the Time Traveler. The poster is available for download in a high quality pdf here.
A single directory could easily exceed 1,200 pages, and preparing each for inclusion in the Time Traveler was a multi-step process requiring a great deal of time, money, and expertise.
1. Digitization - The scanning of pages into digital form and performing optical character recognition (OCR)
2. Cleaning data - Adjusting text files prior to parsing such as putting multiple line addresses into a single line
3. Parse directory data - Parsing means analyzing a string of symbols to conform to the rules of formal grammar which enables a program to understand an address format
4. Perform automated geocoding - Automated geocoding is the computerized process of converting addresses into x, y coordinates for mapping
5. Perform manual geocoding - Manual geocoding is the review of our matches for accuracy
Team members including Gary Spikberg, Ankitha Pille, Elijah Pass, Dr. Robert Pastel, and Dr. Don Lafreniere presented a poster at the 2017 Society of Industrial Archaeologists Conference explaining the methodology used to include directories within the Time Traveler. The poster is available for download in a high quality pdf here.
As useful as OCR is, it is not perfect. Each entry was reviewed although directories contain millions of characters making it difficult to locate obscure OCR errors.This is the reason you will occasionally find a strange character in an entry such as the number “1” in place of the letter “I.” Our Citizen Historians help make the Time Traveler better by finding these errors during their research. Please email us any records which you find containing strange characters. By providing detailed information, or even a screen capture of the overall entry, you help us correct these rare OCR issues.
Matching years for Sanborn maps and historic directories insured the same address sequences were used. Visitors will encounter different addresses for the same house depending on the map year, and it was important to avoid false-positive address matches as we developed the Time Traveler databases. Below is an example of how we match a 1917 business directory record to the historic Sanborn Fire Insurance Plan for Calumet in 1917.
This is Kinsman & Wagner's entry in the Business Directory section of the 1916-1917 Polk & Co. Houghton County Directory
This is the Time Traveler entry showing the Kinsman & Wagner directory entry geolocated within a building on the 1917 Sanborn fire insurance plan for Calumet, MI
The process is full of challenges. Addresses listed in a directory might be incomplete or omitted which meant there were instances when we could not confidently associate a person with a building. When that happened, we used the closest intersection or street based on the information listed in the directory. An address listed in the middle of the street means we lackied a complete enough address to connect someone with a specific building.
Preparing the directories for the Time Traveler represented one of our biggest expenses. It took more than 10 months to prepare these archival records for your use. The scanning, OCR, geolocating, quality inspection, and documentation all required extensive work. The process was a labor of love with plenty of challenges and lessons learned as we developed work flows and best practices. Through it all, we continually strove to build a Time Traveler which our communities would be proud of. We want to thank the National Endowment for the Humanities and Michigan Technological University's Department of Social Sciences for the financial support in building the Keweenaw Time Traveler.
What is next?
In post 3, we will give more details on the most recent records we added to the Time Traveler, business directories! We will also include examples of questions we might ask to critique our archival records.
In post 3, we will give more details on the most recent records we added to the Time Traveler, business directories! We will also include examples of questions we might ask to critique our archival records.
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This is part 1 of a 3-part blog series introducing the new historical directories that you can explore in the Keweenaw Time Traveler.
Which historical records go into the Keweenaw Time Traveler? What does it take to add them? What are the pros and cons of each record? There is no such thing as a perfect historical document. We know visitors to the Keweenaw Time Traveler use data to answer a variety of questions, and many of our Citizen Historians are researching their families within the Copper Country.
Those of you researching your families understand how often you need to play detective when examining old records such as the US Census. The name might be similar in multiple documents while the location or age does not match. The Keweenaw Time Traveler team does the same kind of detective work, but we get some help from our databases. By combining archival records with historic maps, we can check and double-check that we are placing the right person at the right location. The more information that gets added to the Keweenaw Time Traveler, the more confidence we can all be about its accuracy.
Those of you researching your families understand how often you need to play detective when examining old records such as the US Census. The name might be similar in multiple documents while the location or age does not match. The Keweenaw Time Traveler team does the same kind of detective work, but we get some help from our databases. By combining archival records with historic maps, we can check and double-check that we are placing the right person at the right location. The more information that gets added to the Keweenaw Time Traveler, the more confidence we can all be about its accuracy.
What were city directories?
It might be easier to start by saying what they weren’t. Historic city directories were not phone books. Telephones were not commonplace in American homes until the 1920s. Before phone companies existed, directories were privately published. Polk & Co, a national company published many of the Copper Country directories. In other cities, local printers developed their own directories as a side project as a means of earning advertising profits. With different printers creating directories, we see various publishing schedules. Some cities, like Detroit and Toronto, had yearly updates. Less populated areas might see updates only every few years depending on printers and the potential for profitability. Businesses purchased space featuring their business information in a prominent advertisement or pay to have special formatting to capture the eye of readers, similar to how websites today pay to appear first in search results.
It might be easier to start by saying what they weren’t. Historic city directories were not phone books. Telephones were not commonplace in American homes until the 1920s. Before phone companies existed, directories were privately published. Polk & Co, a national company published many of the Copper Country directories. In other cities, local printers developed their own directories as a side project as a means of earning advertising profits. With different printers creating directories, we see various publishing schedules. Some cities, like Detroit and Toronto, had yearly updates. Less populated areas might see updates only every few years depending on printers and the potential for profitability. Businesses purchased space featuring their business information in a prominent advertisement or pay to have special formatting to capture the eye of readers, similar to how websites today pay to appear first in search results.
Notice the variation in advertising formats in this single page from the 1887-1888 Holland Directory for Hancock & Houghton. The use of bold type, capitalized letters, and different typeface styles were designed to capture the eye.
What did they contain if there were no phone numbers?
While the information published varied by printer, most directories list the head of household’s name, their occupation, followed by addresses for both their residence and place of employment. In Polk & Co’s Houghton Directory, the information is limited to name, occupation, and residence. While we use the phrase city directory, many directories expanded to include rural areas by the 1860s. When a directory only listed a residential address, the head of household might be retired or not working. If only an occupational address was listed, the canvassers were unable to confirm a person's residence prior to publication. Women were included in directories when they maintained an occupation or were heads of household.
There are a great deal of abbreviations used by printers to explain the dense information found within each entry. Before using any directory, take the time to read over the abbreviations and become familiar with what is, and isn't, explained. Many common names are abbreviated which can require some additional detective work. Printers also abbreviated occupations to conserve space.
While the information published varied by printer, most directories list the head of household’s name, their occupation, followed by addresses for both their residence and place of employment. In Polk & Co’s Houghton Directory, the information is limited to name, occupation, and residence. While we use the phrase city directory, many directories expanded to include rural areas by the 1860s. When a directory only listed a residential address, the head of household might be retired or not working. If only an occupational address was listed, the canvassers were unable to confirm a person's residence prior to publication. Women were included in directories when they maintained an occupation or were heads of household.
There are a great deal of abbreviations used by printers to explain the dense information found within each entry. Before using any directory, take the time to read over the abbreviations and become familiar with what is, and isn't, explained. Many common names are abbreviated which can require some additional detective work. Printers also abbreviated occupations to conserve space.
Lucia Gallassaira's entry in the original 1916 Houghton County Polk & Co. Directory is on the left, and her record detailing her information within the Keweenaw Time Traveler is on the right. Source: 1916 Houghton County Polk & Co. Directory (Calumet)
How did the printers get their information?
To prepare a new edition of a directory, printers sent out canvassers with the old edition of the directory broken down by an area. These individuals then went door to door verifying the occupants’ information. Canvassers made at least three attempts but would also resort to checking with neighbors for occupant information. The Toronto Star published a wonderful article in 1913 explaining how the Toronto City Directory was updated and published. The article provides a wealth of information on the canvassing methods, enabling you to better understand the strengths and weaknesses of it as an archival resource.
To prepare a new edition of a directory, printers sent out canvassers with the old edition of the directory broken down by an area. These individuals then went door to door verifying the occupants’ information. Canvassers made at least three attempts but would also resort to checking with neighbors for occupant information. The Toronto Star published a wonderful article in 1913 explaining how the Toronto City Directory was updated and published. The article provides a wealth of information on the canvassing methods, enabling you to better understand the strengths and weaknesses of it as an archival resource.
What's Next?
In Part 2 of our blog posts, we will explore the specific City Directories we used within the Keweenaw Time Traveler Explore app, and we will discuss the Business Directories we recently completed mapping.
This is a perfect time to browse your community and see how it has changed during the last 100 years. These directories are all available so go explore and see what you find!
In Part 2 of our blog posts, we will explore the specific City Directories we used within the Keweenaw Time Traveler Explore app, and we will discuss the Business Directories we recently completed mapping.
This is a perfect time to browse your community and see how it has changed during the last 100 years. These directories are all available so go explore and see what you find!
More Information:
A few of our favorite additional resources on directories...
Ancestry.com- “5 Tips for Getting the Most from City Directories.”
Amy Johnson Crow maintains a website on genealogy, and she presents an explanation of farm directories specific to New York Counties. While these directories are dramatically different from the Polk City Directories for the Keweenaw, they demonstrate the variety in appearance and information.
The Library of Congress maintains an extensive collection of historic directories. These directories are not available on-line, but some general information is available on their bibliographic guide.
A few of our favorite additional resources on directories...
Ancestry.com- “5 Tips for Getting the Most from City Directories.”
Amy Johnson Crow maintains a website on genealogy, and she presents an explanation of farm directories specific to New York Counties. While these directories are dramatically different from the Polk City Directories for the Keweenaw, they demonstrate the variety in appearance and information.
The Library of Congress maintains an extensive collection of historic directories. These directories are not available on-line, but some general information is available on their bibliographic guide.
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HESAL Research Associate Rose Hildebrandt (2nd from right) has joined 11 other students as a fellow of the 2019 National Science Foundation Spatial Models and Electoral Districting Research Experience for Undergraduates (REU) site.
The Spatial Models and Electoral Districting REU is focusing on the complexities of redistricting electoral districts after the 2020 census. You can read more about the REU at their website.
Congrats Rose!
The Spatial Models and Electoral Districting REU is focusing on the complexities of redistricting electoral districts after the 2020 census. You can read more about the REU at their website.
Congrats Rose!
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The Time Traveler team was happy to meet the Hubbell Society genealogy group who came to the Copper Country to celebrate their ancestor Jay A. Hubbell who shaped our shared landscape in so many ways! Hubbell’s estate called The Highlands stood on this site from 1875-1904 until he gave the land to the state to add this administration building to the Michigan College of Mines. Hubbell had already given all his land to the East for the school’s earlier building. His name has mostly been erased from the campus landscape except for this street sign. Do you know where it is?
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You did it! Citizen Historians have classified the materials of over 60,000 Keweenaw buildings from 1888–1949. That means that every building in the Explore App can be identified as brick, stone, wood, iron or a combination of those materials. All your hard work is already making the Time Traveler more fun for everybody! Thank you.
Don't worry—You can still be involved! Citizen Historians can keep working on the Time Traveler. Now, help get more information into the database by transcribing the hand-written map notations, or classifying buildings by their everyday uses. Give it a try!
Don't worry—You can still be involved! Citizen Historians can keep working on the Time Traveler. Now, help get more information into the database by transcribing the hand-written map notations, or classifying buildings by their everyday uses. Give it a try!
Try the Transcribe the Map app...
...or the Document Building Use app
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PortagePointe extended their hospitality to the Keweenaw Time Traveler this week, inviting us to present to their residents. For those of you unfamiliar with the name, PortagePointe is part of the UP Health System-Portage and is home to 60 of our community's elders.
Our community elders have such wonderful memories, and the Time Traveler encourages the sharing of their stories. We began with a brief presentation explaining what the Time Traveler is and why we built it before breaking out into smaller groups. We make use of our Explore App on iPads so they could find where they lived, worked, and experienced those special moments.
There were some natural storytellers present (Looking at you there, Evelyn!), and a few of the residents were just as captivated as we were listening to them share their memories.
We are always interested in presenting on the project and helping community members with sharing their stories through the Explore App. If we can present to your class or group, or help you with adding your stories to the Time Traveler, please email us at Keweenaw Time Traveler.
Our community elders have such wonderful memories, and the Time Traveler encourages the sharing of their stories. We began with a brief presentation explaining what the Time Traveler is and why we built it before breaking out into smaller groups. We make use of our Explore App on iPads so they could find where they lived, worked, and experienced those special moments.
There were some natural storytellers present (Looking at you there, Evelyn!), and a few of the residents were just as captivated as we were listening to them share their memories.
We are always interested in presenting on the project and helping community members with sharing their stories through the Explore App. If we can present to your class or group, or help you with adding your stories to the Time Traveler, please email us at Keweenaw Time Traveler.
