Collecting old photographs of my local area

[couch_sloth]

For about the last 8 years, I've been collecting old photos of Tulare County, California. I've pretty much lived my entire life in this area, and my mother's family has been here since the 1870s.
I have a lot of fun doing research on the photos... Most of the research has been done online, but I've also: gone to local libraries and museums, emailed local historians, Looked through records at the county courthouse, and built up my own library of local history books.
In some cases, I've taken modern photos of the exact locations.
I've put most of my collection online.
I've also posted some of the photographs to genealogy sites, to help people find images of dead relatives (e.g. familysearch.org, findagrave.com).

 

[James Brown]

I met a woman online who currently lives in Visalia, CA. I'll pass these on to her. Thanks.

 

[Philos]

For about the last 8 years, I've been collecting old photos of Tulare County, California. I've pretty much lived my entire life in this area, and my mother's family has been here since the 1870s.
I have a lot of fun doing research on the photos... Most of the research has been done online, but I've also: gone to local libraries and museums, emailed local historians, Looked through records at the county courthouse, and built up my own library of local history books.
In some cases, I've taken modern photos of the exact locations.
I've put most of my collection online.
I've also posted some of the photographs to genealogy sites, to help people find images of dead relatives (e.g. familysearch.org, findagrave.com).

Hi couch_sloth,

Those photos are really interesting. I've done a Google street view and looked at the same scenes as they are recently. Not changed all that much!

A.

 

[RavenSky]

For about the last 8 years, I've been collecting old photos of Tulare County, California. I've pretty much lived my entire life in this area, and my mother's family has been here since the 1870s.
I have a lot of fun doing research on the photos... Most of the research has been done online, but I've also: gone to local libraries and museums, emailed local historians, Looked through records at the county courthouse, and built up my own library of local history books.
In some cases, I've taken modern photos of the exact locations.
I've put most of my collection online.
I've also posted some of the photographs to genealogy sites, to help people find images of dead relatives (e.g. familysearch.org, findagrave.com).

This is very cool!

I had started collecting similar photos of City of Miami, but hadn't thought to post them online. A few people have, though: http://miami-history.com/photos/

 

[humbleman]

For about the last 8 years, I've been collecting old photos of Tulare County, California. I've pretty much lived my entire life in this area, and my mother's family has been here since the 1870s.
I have a lot of fun doing research on the photos... Most of the research has been done online, but I've also: gone to local libraries and museums, emailed local historians, Looked through records at the county courthouse, and built up my own library of local history books.
In some cases, I've taken modern photos of the exact locations.
I've put most of my collection online.
I've also posted some of the photographs to genealogy sites, to help people find images of dead relatives (e.g. familysearch.org, findagrave.com).

I saw photographs of the old swimming pool located in my area. Also, close to my house there is a park with old pictures which (sadly) show buildings and ships but barely people around.

But, I have noticed something very interesting.

If you pay attention to the photographs you have posted, it is rare to see fat young people. When I saw the picture of tens of generations ago in the swimming pool and I compared it with the people in this same swimming pool today, man! we do have a weaker point in our current generations, fat people of different ages by lots.

You have a great collection of pictures, congratulations.

 

[couch_sloth]

For about the last 8 years, I've been collecting old photos of Tulare County, California. I've pretty much lived my entire life in this area, and my mother's family has been here since the 1870s.
I have a lot of fun doing research on the photos... Most of the research has been done online, but I've also: gone to local libraries and museums, emailed local historians, Looked through records at the county courthouse, and built up my own library of local history books.
In some cases, I've taken modern photos of the exact locations.
I've put most of my collection online.
I've also posted some of the photographs to genealogy sites, to help people find images of dead relatives (e.g. familysearch.org, findagrave.com).

Hi couch_sloth,

Those photos are really interesting. I've done a Google street view and looked at the same scenes as they are recently. Not changed all that much!

A.

True, at least for many of the older areas I have photos of.
There has been quite a bit of steady growth to the suburbs. For example, the city of Visalia (the county seat) has a population that has increased from about 9,000 to 135,000 in the last 70 years. Other local towns have had similar growth rates. And yet many of the old downtown areas still look somewhat the way they did prior to WWII.
Unfortunately, most of the Queen Anne Revival styled buildings are now gone, from Tulare County.