Manchester District Library
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CLAIRE RECK LOCAL HISTORY ROOM


At this time, the Local History collection is temporarily in storage as we prepare to move it to a new location within the Community Building that will allow us to provide more dedicated resources and improve access. Thanks for your patience and understanding.

Local History and Genealogy

  • Manchester District Library maintains a collection of materials on the history of the Village of Manchester and surrounding townships (Bridgewater, Freedom, Manchester, and Sharon). These include old issues of the Manchester Enterprise on microfilm, published histories of the area, collections of old photographs, original typed or handwritten records, and newspaper clippings.
  • Access to most of these materials is restricted to supervised use in the Claire Reck Local History room, which requires making an appointment in advance. If you'd like more information, you're welcome to email history room volunteers at localhistory@manchesterlibrary.info.

Manchester Enterprise
  • Issues of the Manchester Enterprise for the time period October 1867 through December 1996 are available on microfilm. (Some issues were not available at the time of filming.) Please make an appointment ahead of time to get help from staff on using the microfilm reader, as improper use can lead to damage of the film and/or equipment.
  • There is a bound index in this room for the Manchester Enterprise, listing people and topics included in the Manchester Enterprise between the years 1867 and September 1916.

Claire Reck Local History Room
  • Unique archival materials, fragile materials, and other files are available to researchers by appointment in the Claire Reck Local History Room. Volunteers are available to researchers at designated times. Currently the library has a volunteer available on Tuesday afternoons. However, calling the library to check that a volunteer is available is advisable. Because we are a small library with a very small staff, immediate access to the collection cannot be guaranteed. To request an appointment call the library at 734-428-8045.
  • Useful items in the local history room include: files on local topics, files on Manchester family names, photo albums, Manchester High School yearbooks (dating back to the first schools in Manchester), manuscript histories of Manchester, and old records from local organizations.
  • Our local history room is named in memory of Claire Reck, a long time advocate of the Manchester Township Library and well-loved member of the Manchester community. Use of materials in the Claire Reck Local History Room is governed by the Library Board's Historic Room Policy.

Unique Collections
  • Collection of alumni contact lists available for research.
  • Sanborn Fire Maps, dating back to the 1870's.
  • Manchester Historical Society calendars, dating back to 1984. These are a treasure trove of information on local schools, businesses, and farms.
  • Collection of several boxes and albums of old photographs, many of which have unfortunately yet to be identified.
  • Several plat maps dating back to the 1800's.
  • Newspaper clippings of births, deaths, and marriages from the later part of the 1800's and early 1900's. The  collection includes the index of the Sarah Lovejoy scrapbook, as well as the scrapbook itself. Both are available to patrons, by appointment only. ​

Recommended Materials in the General Collection
  • Manchester's First Hundred Years
    by Marie Schneider
    Published by the Manchester Area Historical Society, this is the best place to start for those interested in the history of the area. Copies are available for loan.
  • History of Washtenaw County
    (Reference use only)
    Includes short histories of each township.
  • Old Manchester Village
    prepared by Hazel Proctor
    Booklet contains reproductions of old photographs.
  • Manchester Chicken Broils: Celebrating 50 Years
    by the Manchester Area Historical Society
    History of Manchester's famous chicken broil. Copies available for loan.

Geneaology Research at the Library
  • The Library has useful materials for researching families from the Manchester area. For research beyond Manchester, the library has access to the HeritageQuest database and a list of other recommended sites for on-line research (see the sidebar for some of our favorites). We also have how-to books on geneaology research.
  • The physical local history collection includes information about the Oak Grove cemetery in Manchester, including a list of military veterans buried there.

To research beyond the Manchester area you may want to explore the resources at: 
  • Genealogical Society of Washtenaw County
    in Ann Arbor
  • Library of Michigan
    in Lansing
  • Burton Historical Collection
    at Detroit Public Library
  • Allen County Public Library
    in Fort Wayne, IN.
Picture

recommended genealogy websites 

  • Barb Snow's Home Page
  • Castle Garden (Ellis Island records, 1830-1892)
  • Cyndi's List of Genealogy Sites on the Internet
  • Ellis Island Records (1892-1924)
  • FamilySearch.org
  • The Genealogical Society of Washtenaw County
  • Immigrant Ships Transcribers Guild
  • Library and Archives Canada
  • Mocavo Genealogy Search
  • Old News at Ann Arbor District Library
  • RootsWeb.com
  • Seeking Michigan
  • Stephen Morse
  • Western Michigan Genealogical Society

Picture

Recommended by the Family History Guild

  • The Source: a Guidebook to American Genealogy -- this resource is available for free on-line in ebook format; by Ancestry Publishing
  • Red Book: American State, County, and Town Sources -- also an excellent reference available for free on-line; by Ancestry Publishing
  • Researching the Elusive Female - Dec. 2011

For further assistance with genealogy research, please visit our "Resources for Genealogy Research" webpage.

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  • About the Library
    • About Us
    • Accessibility & Accessible Resources
    • Board of Trustees
    • Employment
    • Friends of the Library
    • Library Policies
    • Library Staff
    • Location and Hours
    • Social Media
    • Temp Weather Haven Info
  • Using the Library
    • Adult Groups and Programs
    • Borrowing Materials
    • Catalogs & My Account
    • Claire Reck Local History Room
    • Computers, WiFi, Copier, & FAX
    • Digital Collections (ebooks & more)
    • Library Cards and PINs
    • Partner Programs
    • "Stuff & Things You May Need" Special Checkout Collection
  • Event Calendar
  • External Resources
    • The New York Times
    • Fact-Checking & Voter Resources
    • Michigan Internet Services
    • Legal Resources
    • Resources for Adult Learning
    • Resources for Children
    • Resources for DIY Auto Repair
    • Resources for Genealogy Research
    • Resources for Homeschoolers
    • Resources for Jobseekers
    • Resources for Young Adults/Teens
  • Contact Us