Genealogy Double Header

MTU Archives Press Announcement
For Immediate Release 5/13/08

Genealogy Double Header:
The Peasant and the Palace: Manor Records in Poland
and
Early Polish Immigrants in Houghton County

Tracing family histories has become wildly popular with the advent of the Internet, but genealogical research encompasses so much more than simply searching for names online. In June, the Michigan Tech Archives hosts two visiting researchers who specialize in tracing Polish relatives on both sides of the Atlantic. They will talk about their experiences and share information about researching ancestors who immigrated to the Copper Country and other regions of the United States from the manors and estates of Poland.

Ceil Jensen, of Michigan Polonia, and Brother Joseph Martin, of Lewis University, joint winners of a 2008 MTU Archives Travel Grant Award, will give a genealogy presentation on Tuesday, June 10, at 7 p.m., in Room 139 of Fisher Hall, on the Tech campus. Set against the background of the 18th century Palace of Rogalin, in the city of Poznan, Jensen will explore manorial records and the personal papers of the palace’s nobility and show how to locate and use European genealogical resources. Jensen’s research work focuses on the Kalumet Projecta, which documents the migration patterns of Polish families who came to Calumet during 1870 to 1900. Brother Joseph Martin of Lewis University, Illinois, is an educator, researcher, and contributor to Kalumet Projecta and many other genealogical programs. Martin is currently researching Polish fraternal orders, and also will talk about his work to identify the earliest Polish immigrants to Calumet.

Jensen and Martin’s presentation and research visit are supported by an MTU Archives Research Travel Award provided by the Friends of the Van Pelt Library. The MTU Archives, a department of the J. Robert Van Pelt Library, hosts a wide variety of researchers and research topics -- everything from genealogical investigations to book and magazine publications -- engaging students, staff, and faculty, as well as local citizens and other off-campus researchers. The Michigan Tech “Archival Speaker Series,” highlights current research in the Archives’ collections. The presentation is free and open to the public.

For further information or directions to the event, contact the MTU Archives at (906) 487-2505 or via e-mail at copper@mtu.edu.