Dearborn Genealogical Society Hosting Progress Report on Newspaper Digitizing Project

Post date: Mar 25, 2015 5:10:22 PM

The Dearborn Genealogical Society will be hosting a free program on Thursday night, 26 March 2015 at 7:00 PM on the Progress Report on Newspaper Digitizing Project, presented by Jim Barringer.

"The Downriver Genealogical Society has developed a program to support the direct scanning of 60 years of newspapers from Wayne County, Michigan and surrounding areas. This “Newspaper Digitizing Project” is a long-term effort to preserve the local history, customs, and traditions that have made the downriver area what it is today. Heritage Media Group, publishers of downriver papers for 21 communities, has chosen us, the Downriver Genealogical Society, to preserve the history of our area. This honor is a testament to their 33-year history of preserving the past for future generations.

"The objective of this project is to scan each and every page, convert it into a searchable format and provide access via the internet free to everyone.

"The vast variety of genealogical data contained in each issue of any of these newspapers is incredible. It’s not just a collection of names but the local history (good and bad) of whole families, how they grow with marriage announcements, birth announcements, graduations, promotions at work, obituaries, and lesser known details involving their family history and homes. Some are the success stories of local businesses, even the ads become valuable snippets of information about some families."