Learn how family legends and good genealogical research intersect. Just in time for Halloween, a time-tested ghost story from Washtenaw County in the 1840s, Memorialized in a plaque at the Dixboro Oak Grove cemetery, the tale is of a haunting by a local female spirit, Martha Mulholland, who accused her brother-in-law of poisoning her. The supposed ghost presence led to a judicial hearing and resulted in running the accused out of town. This talk reviews the story, then examines how it links to local history and family connections.  In looking at the legend, this talk will review the kinds of evidence available to explore genealogical connections at an early period of state and county records, beyond mandatory birth and death certificates. It is also a look at how to connect compelling stories to genealogical facts.

Our Speaker:  Ellen Hoffman is a descendent of the Mulholland family made infamous by the ghost story. Ellen’s ancestors settled in Washtenaw County starting in the early 1800s. Ellen lived in Ann Arbor much of her adult life and has been doing genealogical research for about 25 years.