In 1993, while I was working as an editorial assistant for Michigan History Magazine, I wrote an article about the Walk for Freedom march that took place in Detroit on this date in 1963. I was quite intrigued by the fact that Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. gave a portion of his "I Have a Dream Speech" in Detroit two months before delivering those famous words on the steps of the Lincoln Memorial in Washington D.C. on Aug. 23, 1963.
I remember former Michigan Gov. John Swainson, who was still quite active in Lansing, MI, at that time, asked the magazine to cover the thirty year anniversary of the event. (I also remember that he liked the article -- which was quite an honor for a newbie writer). The now late Swainson had walked with King and others, including Walter Reuther, Detroit Mayor Jerome Cavanagh down Woodward Avenue and Rev. C.L. Franklin on that summer day in Detroit.
Attached are the PDF files of the article as it appeared in Michigan History Magazine in Sept./Oct. 1993.
Marching for Freedom by Tiffany B. Dziurman, Page 1
Marching for Freedom by Tiffany B. Dziurman, Page 2
Thursday, June 23, 2011
Wednesday, June 15, 2011
When Recycling is Wrong
Every so often a history book about the town I live in is published. People buy it and attend book signings, which is encouraging because it shows that local history sells; people want to know more about where they live and work and raise families.
What's not so encouraging is the sometimes hasty and sloppy way in which some of these books have been written and published over the years. Often the writers relied on the memories of older residents, conducted only basic research or referred to erroneous information found in older history books, leading to a perpetual cycle of published inaccuracies and misinformation.
After years of researching various historical topics about the town I live in, I've discovered many errors in these books -- people are mislabeled, dates are misprinted, locations are wrong. Contemporary writers and researchers all to often assume these books are completely factual because they've been around for so long and cited in publication after publication.
I wish I could tell them to please remember that just because it's in print doesn't mean it's accurate.
For example, a local historical tour book, written over twenty years ago and still used today, lists one house as having been built in 1835. When I was hired by the owners of that house to research it for a state historical marker application, I discovered that the house was actually built in 1875. The corrected year better explains all sorts of things about the structure -- its architecture, building materials and more.
This may not seem like a big error, but for someone learning about the town and its history, the error is significant. The earlier year suggests things about the town, the house and its original owner that aren't true. It simply puts the history of the town in the wrong perspective.
Here's how that happens. Along comes a civic group that distributes historical markers to area homes over 70 years of age. Using the tour book, they award a home with a marker that announces it was built in 1835. The marker is then placed prominently near the front door. Everyone who drives or walks by believes the house was built in 1835. (Note: The marker was changed once the correct year was known.)
And here's the thing: more often than not, many of these sorts of errors could have been avoided because the correct information isn't too hard to find. Dates of construction and property histories, for example, can usually be found in the records of county courthouses and other repositories. Writers only needed to take more time or dig deeper -- but that's where knowledge and research practice comes into play. I found the correct date of the aforementioned house, for example, by visiting the county courthouse and reviewing the property's abstract -- a public document. It wasn't difficult research, but it did take some time.
I cringe when I find errors like the one listed in the tour book. Yet, I tend to chalk them up to well-intentioned residents who, years ago, approached the task of writing a history book with great heart and zeal, but with little knowledge about conducting proper research.
Some of these books were written by committees commemorating an anniversary or an event. Others are collections of memories written by long-time residents. Understand that it's not that the books they've written are one hundred percent wrong either. But, in my experience, these books contain enough errors to give a researcher or writer pause.
As you've heard before, a horse is a camel designed by committee and memories are, at best, foggy. There is the occasional long-time resident who has a razor-sharp mind. But even those with great memories aren't one hundred percent accurate about dates, locations, people's names, etc.
I'm reminded of law classes in which students witness a staged crime and are then asked to recount what took place. Every student has a different answer -- the perpetrator's jacket was five different colors, the victim's hair color was blond, no red, no brown, and so on.
It's the same with memories -- and committees -- everyone has an opinion about what "really" happened.
That's not to say that only trained historians with advanced degrees can or should write local history books. I know some terrific amateur historians who have done a significant amount of good work in the field of local history and who have made history an important part of the community. But there are valuable lessons schooled historians learn about research.
Then again, historians -- amateur or professional -- are only as knowledgeable as their enthusiasm, training and research skills allow.
Proper research is key. Learning to research properly takes practice. Historians must determine where to find information, which sources are reliable, and what's been written before in order to skillfully sift through it all so that they can interpret, analyze or report on their research in the most accurate and knowledgeable way possible. This is critical. Writers of history who don't acquire these skills serve little purpose because they are doomed to recycle wrong information.
Admittedly, I've referenced some of these error-filled local history books in my own writing, but remember -- they're not one hundred percent wrong, either. I fact-check the information I reference with other sources; I research as much as possible to be as sure as I can that the information is accurate before I include it in my writing.
Accuracy, though, is a funny thing. To tell a story, historians rely on primary documents that often contain -- wait for it -- inaccuracies. Old newspaper articles, diaries, letters and the like were written by people who were influenced by personal beliefs and experiences, making them only as good and reliable as their writing and reporting skills -- remember the law class example? (In a recent article for Rochester Patch, I point out an error in a newspaper clipping from 1935.)
Interpretation, however, is something different. Historians hypothesize -- they make educated opinions that they then defend with research and evidence. But, like the writers of primary documents, historians, too, are influenced by personal beliefs and experiences which cloud their ability to be objective.
But historians must always strive to be as accurate -- and objective -- as possible.
When I wrote my thesis in graduate school, the paper was expected to be factual, but I wasn't expected to be "right" (as defined by someone elses' opinion) -- after all it was my interpretation of the topic. I was, however, required to prove that I researched well and could back up my arguments with evidence.
Newer local history books are often written by people trained in research and with a world of resources (online and otherwise) at their disposal -- resources that didn't exist twenty years ago.
But, unfortunately, these books are still fraught with common, avoidable errors. As a result, they simply fall in line with their predecessors, recycling wrong information.
What's not so encouraging is the sometimes hasty and sloppy way in which some of these books have been written and published over the years. Often the writers relied on the memories of older residents, conducted only basic research or referred to erroneous information found in older history books, leading to a perpetual cycle of published inaccuracies and misinformation.
After years of researching various historical topics about the town I live in, I've discovered many errors in these books -- people are mislabeled, dates are misprinted, locations are wrong. Contemporary writers and researchers all to often assume these books are completely factual because they've been around for so long and cited in publication after publication.
I wish I could tell them to please remember that just because it's in print doesn't mean it's accurate.
For example, a local historical tour book, written over twenty years ago and still used today, lists one house as having been built in 1835. When I was hired by the owners of that house to research it for a state historical marker application, I discovered that the house was actually built in 1875. The corrected year better explains all sorts of things about the structure -- its architecture, building materials and more.
This may not seem like a big error, but for someone learning about the town and its history, the error is significant. The earlier year suggests things about the town, the house and its original owner that aren't true. It simply puts the history of the town in the wrong perspective.
Here's how that happens. Along comes a civic group that distributes historical markers to area homes over 70 years of age. Using the tour book, they award a home with a marker that announces it was built in 1835. The marker is then placed prominently near the front door. Everyone who drives or walks by believes the house was built in 1835. (Note: The marker was changed once the correct year was known.)
And here's the thing: more often than not, many of these sorts of errors could have been avoided because the correct information isn't too hard to find. Dates of construction and property histories, for example, can usually be found in the records of county courthouses and other repositories. Writers only needed to take more time or dig deeper -- but that's where knowledge and research practice comes into play. I found the correct date of the aforementioned house, for example, by visiting the county courthouse and reviewing the property's abstract -- a public document. It wasn't difficult research, but it did take some time.
I cringe when I find errors like the one listed in the tour book. Yet, I tend to chalk them up to well-intentioned residents who, years ago, approached the task of writing a history book with great heart and zeal, but with little knowledge about conducting proper research.
Some of these books were written by committees commemorating an anniversary or an event. Others are collections of memories written by long-time residents. Understand that it's not that the books they've written are one hundred percent wrong either. But, in my experience, these books contain enough errors to give a researcher or writer pause.
As you've heard before, a horse is a camel designed by committee and memories are, at best, foggy. There is the occasional long-time resident who has a razor-sharp mind. But even those with great memories aren't one hundred percent accurate about dates, locations, people's names, etc.
I'm reminded of law classes in which students witness a staged crime and are then asked to recount what took place. Every student has a different answer -- the perpetrator's jacket was five different colors, the victim's hair color was blond, no red, no brown, and so on.
It's the same with memories -- and committees -- everyone has an opinion about what "really" happened.
That's not to say that only trained historians with advanced degrees can or should write local history books. I know some terrific amateur historians who have done a significant amount of good work in the field of local history and who have made history an important part of the community. But there are valuable lessons schooled historians learn about research.
Then again, historians -- amateur or professional -- are only as knowledgeable as their enthusiasm, training and research skills allow.
Proper research is key. Learning to research properly takes practice. Historians must determine where to find information, which sources are reliable, and what's been written before in order to skillfully sift through it all so that they can interpret, analyze or report on their research in the most accurate and knowledgeable way possible. This is critical. Writers of history who don't acquire these skills serve little purpose because they are doomed to recycle wrong information.
Admittedly, I've referenced some of these error-filled local history books in my own writing, but remember -- they're not one hundred percent wrong, either. I fact-check the information I reference with other sources; I research as much as possible to be as sure as I can that the information is accurate before I include it in my writing.
Accuracy, though, is a funny thing. To tell a story, historians rely on primary documents that often contain -- wait for it -- inaccuracies. Old newspaper articles, diaries, letters and the like were written by people who were influenced by personal beliefs and experiences, making them only as good and reliable as their writing and reporting skills -- remember the law class example? (In a recent article for Rochester Patch, I point out an error in a newspaper clipping from 1935.)
Interpretation, however, is something different. Historians hypothesize -- they make educated opinions that they then defend with research and evidence. But, like the writers of primary documents, historians, too, are influenced by personal beliefs and experiences which cloud their ability to be objective.
But historians must always strive to be as accurate -- and objective -- as possible.
When I wrote my thesis in graduate school, the paper was expected to be factual, but I wasn't expected to be "right" (as defined by someone elses' opinion) -- after all it was my interpretation of the topic. I was, however, required to prove that I researched well and could back up my arguments with evidence.
Newer local history books are often written by people trained in research and with a world of resources (online and otherwise) at their disposal -- resources that didn't exist twenty years ago.
But, unfortunately, these books are still fraught with common, avoidable errors. As a result, they simply fall in line with their predecessors, recycling wrong information.
Tuesday, June 7, 2011
Photos Tell a Story
My Patch of History column for Oakland Township Patch today features three photos, taken around 1910, of a farming family from Oakland Township. Before I found the photos, I knew nothing about this family. Never heard of them despite my years of research about the area.
The pictures were intriguing -- the family posing in front of their house, with their new Model T Ford and a third photo of their farm. After a bit of research, I came across some biographical information that shed some light on why these three photos may have withstood the years and survived to be housed in the Rochester Hills Public Library and digitized and posted online.
You can access the column here: http://patch.com/A-jdpT
Thanks for reading!
The pictures were intriguing -- the family posing in front of their house, with their new Model T Ford and a third photo of their farm. After a bit of research, I came across some biographical information that shed some light on why these three photos may have withstood the years and survived to be housed in the Rochester Hills Public Library and digitized and posted online.
You can access the column here: http://patch.com/A-jdpT
Thanks for reading!
Monday, June 6, 2011
A WWII Sailor's Voice Recorded in Song 65 Years Ago Today
Note: There are two videos with audio at the end of this post. The audio features Thomas Fowle singing two songs on a self-recorded album he sent to his mother. The video features images of the USS Bunker Hill CV-17 on which Fowle was stationed.
One day when I was in my early teens, I walked into an antique shop in a local mall. After sifting through record albums, old photos and the like, I happened upon a little 78 record album recorded by a WWII sailor recuperating in a naval hospital in Mare Island, California, on June 6, 1946 - 65 years ago today and the second anniversary of D-Day. The little yellow record with the red label was in an old, brown mailing envelope with "A Personally Recorded Message for You" printed across the bottom and an illustration of a sailor relaxing on an island under a palm tree with "Bureau of Naval Personnel Navy Department" written under it.
The record was in a large, clear sandwich bag with what was presumably two of the sailor's color bars, a button from one of his Navy coats and a black ribbon with "U.S. Navy" printed on it in yellow letters.
The sailor's name was Thomas John Fowle. He sent the record to his parents, Mr. and Mrs. A Fowle, who lived on Riverside Drive in Port Huron, Michigan.
Even as a teenager, I knew this was sad. How could this man's service, his life, his sacrifice, be represented by five simple things stuffed in a sandwich bag and for sale in an antique shop miles from Port Huron?
Thomas recorded two songs for his mother on that little disc. The first song was "It Might as well be Spring," written by Rodgers and Hammerstein and featured in the 1945 movie State Fair. The second song was "Always," written by Irving Berlin in 1925 and featured in the 1944 movie Christmas Holiday.
Thomas also spoke a tender message to his mother on the recordings.
I've recorded the songs Thomas sang using a digital recorder. Take a listen. They are haunting and beautiful, simple and promising.
I don't know what happened to Thomas or his family. If anyone related to him ever reads this post, please contact me. I'd like to know the rest of the story.
UPDATE: After yet another online search for Thomas J. Fowle, I found a burial record for a man with the same name buried in Mount Hope Cemetery in Port Huron. Here's how the entry reads: Fowle Thomas John, WW2 09 12 1927 02 01 1947 MtHope/N. It seems to fit -- same first, middle and last name; same war; same hometown. I'm saddened that he died just a few months after recording the album for his mother.
UPDATE 1-26-12: Further research reveals that Thomas J. Fowle was in the US Navy Reserves and was mustered into service in October 1945 when he boarded the USS Bunker Hill CV-17. Five months earlier, the ship was attacked and badly damaged by two suicide planes. According to a web site about the ship (http://navysite.de/cv/cv17.htm) "gasoline fires flamed up and several explosions took place . . . 346 men killed, 43 missing and 264 wounded."
In September 1945, the repaired ship returned for duty as part of the "Magic Carpet" fleet -- an operation to bring soldiers home from the Pacific. Fowle served during the Magic Carpet mission, but was transferred to a naval hospital in Seattle on May 23, 1946 for an undisclosed reason.
For more about the USS Bunker Hill and images of the ship, visit http://www.navsource.org/archives/02/17.htm
 |
| Thomas J. Fowle was a 19-year-old sailor recovering at a naval hospital on Mare Island when he recorded two songs for his mother back home in Port Huron, Michigan, in 1946. |
The record was in a large, clear sandwich bag with what was presumably two of the sailor's color bars, a button from one of his Navy coats and a black ribbon with "U.S. Navy" printed on it in yellow letters.
Even as a teenager, I knew this was sad. How could this man's service, his life, his sacrifice, be represented by five simple things stuffed in a sandwich bag and for sale in an antique shop miles from Port Huron?
Thomas recorded two songs for his mother on that little disc. The first song was "It Might as well be Spring," written by Rodgers and Hammerstein and featured in the 1945 movie State Fair. The second song was "Always," written by Irving Berlin in 1925 and featured in the 1944 movie Christmas Holiday.
Thomas also spoke a tender message to his mother on the recordings.
I've recorded the songs Thomas sang using a digital recorder. Take a listen. They are haunting and beautiful, simple and promising.
I don't know what happened to Thomas or his family. If anyone related to him ever reads this post, please contact me. I'd like to know the rest of the story.
UPDATE: After yet another online search for Thomas J. Fowle, I found a burial record for a man with the same name buried in Mount Hope Cemetery in Port Huron. Here's how the entry reads: Fowle Thomas John, WW2 09 12 1927 02 01 1947 MtHope/N. It seems to fit -- same first, middle and last name; same war; same hometown. I'm saddened that he died just a few months after recording the album for his mother.
UPDATE 1-26-12: Further research reveals that Thomas J. Fowle was in the US Navy Reserves and was mustered into service in October 1945 when he boarded the USS Bunker Hill CV-17. Five months earlier, the ship was attacked and badly damaged by two suicide planes. According to a web site about the ship (http://navysite.de/cv/cv17.htm) "gasoline fires flamed up and several explosions took place . . . 346 men killed, 43 missing and 264 wounded."
In September 1945, the repaired ship returned for duty as part of the "Magic Carpet" fleet -- an operation to bring soldiers home from the Pacific. Fowle served during the Magic Carpet mission, but was transferred to a naval hospital in Seattle on May 23, 1946 for an undisclosed reason.
For more about the USS Bunker Hill and images of the ship, visit http://www.navsource.org/archives/02/17.htm
Note: these recordings are 65 years old and were recorded live. The quality is not great, but you can make out the voice. Thomas had a sense of humor about the recordings as he told him mother before recording "Always" that the first side "wasn't so hot." Also note that at the end of the "Always" song, you can hear the brief laughter of a woman in the background.
The photos of the USS Bunker Hill CV-17 used in the video are courtesy of Wikimedia Commons and were taken between the years 1942 and 1944. All other photos were taken by me.
The photos of the USS Bunker Hill CV-17 used in the video are courtesy of Wikimedia Commons and were taken between the years 1942 and 1944. All other photos were taken by me.
Saturday, June 4, 2011
Why Know Your History?
Recently, I came across an interesting piece of writing I have kept since my college days. "Why Study History" by Diane Ravitch was published in American History Illustrated in March/April 1991. I remember debating about getting my Master's Degree in history and reading Ravitch's piece encouraged me to continue with my education.
In her review of history, Ravitch stated that "the simplest and truest answer is that the study of history makes people more intelligent."
Now, at first that may seem like a rather pompous statement. But the fact remains that learning from our past teaches us about our present and future. History makes us more aware of the world around us.
"History is an investigation of causes," Ravitch wrote, "it is a way of finding out how the world came to be as it is. Without history, we are without memory and without explanation."
Imagine experiencing amnesia and not knowing where you come from or where you live. You would have no past and no idea of where you are going.
That is exactly the example Ravitch offered.
"The person who knows no history," she wrote, "is like an amnesiac, lacking a sense of what happened before and therefore unable to tell the difference between cause and effect."
History isn't just facts and names. It's experiences, life stories and emotions. As I wrote in my article "The Van Hoosens: An 1850 Love Story" for Rochester Patch "history is filled with stories of real people who experienced troubles and jubilations, much the way we do today. When we think of the similarities we have with the people of long ago, they don’t seem so different or far away. We share with them feelings of joy, sorrow, celebration, friendship, fun and especially love."
I had a terrible history teacher in high school. She required us to memorize facts, names, events, dates and not much more. It was boring and unproductive. Eyes glazed over and no one paid attention to the real life dramas that had unfolded decades ago -- the fears, joys and grief of people who seemed larger than life, but who were really more like us than we know.
Fortunately, I also had a great civics/history teacher who managed to bring the stories of the past to life. I learned a great deal from him and he inspired me to learn more.
As Ravitch noted, "history ought to be the most exciting course taught in school or college. It ought to be the course that introduces students to great men and women who risked their lives for principle or who committed foul deeds for the sake of power."
She was so right.
For instance, I'm excited about a new research and history project I'm working on for next school year. I'll be working with a team of historians and archaeologists to bring history to life for elementary school kids by teaching them the history of their school using real documents, life stories and lessons in anthropology. This program has been a success in another local school district and I'm excited to bring it to mine. I'll write more about this as the project moves along.
"When we teach history," Ravitch noted, "we teach not only what happened in the past, but how to reason, how to weigh evidence, how to analyze continuity and change, and how to assess contending ideas."
Be resourceful. If your or your child's history teacher isn't making the grade for you, seek someone or something better. Read age-appropriate history books, visit museums, search online for terrific history sites (I'll post a list of my favorites soon) and learn history, as Ravitch wrote, "to gain the habits of mind and the intellectual tools that are required to be a free person."
In her review of history, Ravitch stated that "the simplest and truest answer is that the study of history makes people more intelligent."
Now, at first that may seem like a rather pompous statement. But the fact remains that learning from our past teaches us about our present and future. History makes us more aware of the world around us.
"History is an investigation of causes," Ravitch wrote, "it is a way of finding out how the world came to be as it is. Without history, we are without memory and without explanation."
Imagine experiencing amnesia and not knowing where you come from or where you live. You would have no past and no idea of where you are going.
That is exactly the example Ravitch offered.
"The person who knows no history," she wrote, "is like an amnesiac, lacking a sense of what happened before and therefore unable to tell the difference between cause and effect."
History isn't just facts and names. It's experiences, life stories and emotions. As I wrote in my article "The Van Hoosens: An 1850 Love Story" for Rochester Patch "history is filled with stories of real people who experienced troubles and jubilations, much the way we do today. When we think of the similarities we have with the people of long ago, they don’t seem so different or far away. We share with them feelings of joy, sorrow, celebration, friendship, fun and especially love."
I had a terrible history teacher in high school. She required us to memorize facts, names, events, dates and not much more. It was boring and unproductive. Eyes glazed over and no one paid attention to the real life dramas that had unfolded decades ago -- the fears, joys and grief of people who seemed larger than life, but who were really more like us than we know.
Fortunately, I also had a great civics/history teacher who managed to bring the stories of the past to life. I learned a great deal from him and he inspired me to learn more.
As Ravitch noted, "history ought to be the most exciting course taught in school or college. It ought to be the course that introduces students to great men and women who risked their lives for principle or who committed foul deeds for the sake of power."
She was so right.
For instance, I'm excited about a new research and history project I'm working on for next school year. I'll be working with a team of historians and archaeologists to bring history to life for elementary school kids by teaching them the history of their school using real documents, life stories and lessons in anthropology. This program has been a success in another local school district and I'm excited to bring it to mine. I'll write more about this as the project moves along.
"When we teach history," Ravitch noted, "we teach not only what happened in the past, but how to reason, how to weigh evidence, how to analyze continuity and change, and how to assess contending ideas."
Be resourceful. If your or your child's history teacher isn't making the grade for you, seek someone or something better. Read age-appropriate history books, visit museums, search online for terrific history sites (I'll post a list of my favorites soon) and learn history, as Ravitch wrote, "to gain the habits of mind and the intellectual tools that are required to be a free person."
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