Stamp Collector's Website Provides Glimpse into Michigan History

ANN ARBOR, Mich. - Feb. 1, 2014 - PRLog -- As Michiganders, we proudly use our hand as a map to demonstrate the location of our hometowns. We hail from the “Great Lakes state,” home to the car capital of the world, the first land-grant university in the United States, and incredible cherries. The only thing we really complain about Michigan is the weather. But how much do we know about our own state’s history? If all that we know can be found in a middle school history textbook, we’re missing out.

ErniesMichigan.com is searchable database of letters from Michigan’s past. Site users can register for a free account or browse  as a guest and enter keywords in the site’s search bar to find relevant letters. The archives section enables users to browse letters by date, county, city, or one of several listed categories.

The letters’ content varies widely, with letters dating as far back as 1803. All letters are a first person account of history as it really happened. In one letter dated September 25th, 1826, a man writes to his sister in verse regarding his physical ailments:

Lucretia, Ah! Could you but know,

What days of pain, what nights of wo,

I’ve spent since last I wrote,

Your sympathetic heart so soft,

When racking pains were felt so oft,

Could not be far remote.

Other letters include many sent during the Civil War, World War I, and World War II.

The website creator, Ernie, started collecting stamps at 10 years old. When he moved to Michigan in 1972, he began collecting envelopes and letters as well. His website sprung out of his fascination in Michigan history and in stamp collecting. It is a valuable historical resource containing many women’s correspondences, love letters and Michigan genealogy. Ernie’s hope for the website is for it to be a place where history is conserved and where users can gain a deeper understanding of those who went before them. He believes that an appreciation for and a cognizance of history yields a better future for all.

To learn more, visit: http://www.erniesmichigan.com/