This is a Message Board Post that is gatewayed to this mailing list. Classification: Query Message Board URL: http://boards.ancestry.com/mbexec/msg/rw/IFB.2ACE/1092.2 Message Board Post: Linda, There were many fires in Alpena over the course of its lifetime. Starting with November 1871, the big fire in July 1872, September 1872, June 1875, February 1876, July 1888 where the entire north side was destroyed, the fire on the Oscar T Flint ship that burned to the water in 1889, the Shamrock ship fire in 1905, the St. Anne's Church fire in 1907, the Monohansett ship fire in 1907, the Mertz fire in 1908, the Alpena High school fire in 1940, the WATZ radio station fire in 1964... the list goes on and on, these are just the ones I can remember off the top of my head. What I'm trying to say is that there were many fires, and that any one of them could have destroyed a record of two. My question to you is - why are you asking? Are you trying to piece together a history and have missing certificates or something? Give us more detail and we'd be happy to look at the information and try to assist. Typically when people mention this as you interview them, it really means "I'm tired of trying to remember all this, stop bothering me". Especially in my family, I've noticed if I return to them later about it, they tend to change the story. I'm not saying you're wrong in any way, just trying to point out that if its a brick wall you're trying to bust through, give us more detail so we can help! Concetta Franco Alpena County GenWeb Coordinator

Hi Concetta, The reason I am asking is that in a conversation with my 80 year old Aunt, she said to me that "many" birth and death records were destroyed in a fire some years ago when she was very young. The discussion centered around the fact that I have not been able to locate a death record for our ancestor who was alive when her husband died in 1893 (I have property deeds she signed) but may have died shortly after. Neither have I been able to locate a marriage record for her on the off chance that she remarried after her husband died. Most communities have numerous fires over the course of history but my good sense tells me that only a very few would do enough damage to destroy "many" birth and death records. The Metz fire is the only one I am fully aware of in that arena. These others that you mention (except for possibly the one at St Anne's Church) probably do not apply here. I kind of don't think they kept too many birth and death records on the Oscar T Flint or the Shamrock or at the Alpena High school. However it is good to know about all these different fires so that people who might search for them will be aware. Thanks! At any rate I like to pursue any reference like this made by older relatives; and this is one I had not heard before so wanted input from others (Thanks Elizabeth!) who may know about a fire which destroyed Alpena or Presque Isle Co records. I appreciate your input, Linda ----- Original Message ----- From: <bigchipchipbabychip@yahoo.com> To: <MIALPENA-L@rootsweb.com> Sent: Monday, April 11, 2005 12:28 PM Subject: [MIALPENA-L] Re: Records Destroyed By Fire > This is a Message Board Post that is gatewayed to this mailing list. > > Classification: Query > > Message Board URL: > > http://boards.ancestry.com/mbexec/msg/rw/IFB.2ACE/1092.2 > > Message Board Post: > > Linda, > > There were many fires in Alpena over the course of its lifetime. > > Starting with November 1871, the big fire in July 1872, September 1872, > June 1875, February 1876, July 1888 where the entire north side was > destroyed, the fire on the Oscar T Flint ship that burned to the water in > 1889, the Shamrock ship fire in 1905, the St. Anne's Church fire in 1907, > the Monohansett ship fire in 1907, the Mertz fire in 1908, the Alpena High > school fire in 1940, the WATZ radio station fire in 1964... the list goes > on and on, these are just the ones I can remember off the top of my head. > > What I'm trying to say is that there were many fires, and that any one of > them could have destroyed a record of two. > > My question to you is - why are you asking? Are you trying to piece > together a history and have missing certificates or something? Give us > more detail and we'd be happy to look at the information and try to > assist. > > Typically when people mention this as you interview them, it really means > "I'm tired of trying to remember all this, stop bothering me". Especially > in my family, I've noticed if I return to them later about it, they tend > to change the story. > > I'm not saying you're wrong in any way, just trying to point out that if > its a brick wall you're trying to bust through, give us more detail so we > can help! > > Concetta Franco > Alpena County GenWeb Coordinator > > > ==== MIALPENA Mailing List ==== > Alpena County Michigan Mailing List >