Sebewa Recollector Items of Genealogical Interest
Volume 18 Number 4
Transcribed by
LaVonne I. Bennett
LaVonne has received permission from Grayden Slowins to edit and submit Sebewa Recollector items of genealogical interest, from the beginning year of 1965 through current editions.
THE SEBEWA RECOLLECTOR; Bulletin of the Sebewa Center
Association;
February 1983, Volume 18, Number 4: (Submitted with written permission of
editor, Grayden D. Slowins)
THE MICROFILM READER AT THE SUNFIELD LIBRARY
The Sunfield Library is about to have a microfilm reader. To those of you who
have not used this kind of instrument, it is time to get acquainted.
Microfilming is photographing on a reel of film of newspapers, magazines or
whatever is desirable.
When the reel is in place on the machine, the film can be read on the screen
that faces the operator. Microfilming is desirable because the film reels take
up little storage space in relation to the material copied. A shoebox of film
storage holds all of the SUNFIELD SENTINELS from 1896 to 1934. Compared to the
cost of reproducing those issues of the paper in print, the film is very
inexpensive.
During the past year those early volumes of the SENTINEL have been microfilmed
and the film is available for use at the library. A copy is retained at the
State Library in Lansing for use there or for loan to other libraries on
request. Similarly, other local newspapers throughout Michigan have been
microfilmed and can be borrowed from the State Library by local libraries when
you make a request for them.
Census records, too, are on microfilm and those records for Eaton and Ionia
Counties are soon to be available at the Sunfield Library. When you look at a
census reel you are seeing the record in the handwriting of the census taker for
the years of 1840, 1850, 1860, 1870, 1880, 1900 and 1910. Walter Reed told me
that as a young man, he took census for half of Sebewa Township in 1910. I
remember Louise Gunn and Henry Whorley doing the same in 1920. The census
records are released after 70 years of confidentiality. This gold mine of
information is shortly to be available at the Sunfield Library. Portland Library
also has a microfilm reader. Make the most of it! Last update
October 20, 2021 |