Lansing Area African American Genealogy Society Newsletter

Spring 2011-2012 Newsletter

Volume 5, Issue 1

LAAAGS Home

Lansing Area African American Genealogy Society Visits Idlewild during 2010

There was a session on Storing Your Records and Photographs, an excellent presentation for genealogists.  Member Mike Bryan was the presenter, he gave pointers on how to store, convert photographs into digital formats.  Everyone left with renewed resolve to correctly store and preserve their photographs and documents.  Mike recommended converting all important genealogy photos and documents to digital formats and storing them outside the home.        Another important presentation was from Dr. Veta Tucker, professor, Grand Valley State University.  She did a presentation on the Underground Railroad (UGRR).  Dr. Tucker’s talk centered on the development of the UGRR starting with the participation of the Quaker community moving from the South to the North and bringing emancipated Africans with them.  Her talk gave background on Ramptown an all Black community in Cass County, MI, that no longer exists.  This was a wonderful presentation and should be widely shared with everyone interested in genealogy and American history.          The LAAAGS 2009-2010 President, Willye Bryan conducted the "Beginning Genealogy" seminar at the 2010 Workshop.  The Workshop was held at the Capital Area Downtown Library, Lansing, MI.       Anyone interested in membership in LAAAGS may join the Society by printing out the membership application (page 7) and returning it to the address listed.  Persons interested could also attend any meeting on the second Saturday of every month at 10:00 a.m. at the Michigan Library and Historical Center, Lansing, Michigan.

LAAAGS  members visited a once popular old grocery store in Idlewild, MI, June 2010

The Lansing Area African American Genealogy Society (LAAAGS) achieved its goal of engaging in new activities in 2010.      The June meeting was a trip to Idlewild, Michigan.  This trip was hosted by members Mary Jane McGuire and Lonnie Johnson.  The adventure started with the group going to Woodland Park, MI for the first half of the trip.  Woodland Park and Idlewild are communities that have historically had predominately African American populations.  The communities were in their heyday during the 1920's through the 1960's.  The Woodland Park community includes summer homes for upper middle class African Americans from surrounding cities.     This area was once a summertime beach paradise for many wealthy African Americans who were not welcomed onto popular beach resorts in most parts of America during the 1920’s through the 1960’s. Idlewild was dubbed the "Black Eden" for the Midwest. Please see pictures on the pictures page in this newsletter.      The LAAAGS monthly meetings were spiced up in 2010 with several exciting speakers with awesome subject matter for the group.       In October LAAAGS presented its annual daylong Genealogy Workshop.  The Workshop was very successful and very well attended.  The topics covered during the Workshop were:    - A Beginners Guide to Family Research    - Online Searching/Genealogy Software    - Searching Primary Sources - Vital Records    - Searching Secondary Sources -        newspapers, city directories, microfilm    -  Storing Your Records and Photographs

LAAAGS members touring Idlewild, MI, June 2010