Tuesday, Lakehead University Archives formally launched the Thunder Bay World War One Centennial Project website, an initiative that began in 2014 to mark the 100th anniversary of WWI with stories of military experience and life at the university.
The four-year project has involved a number of organizations, educational institutions, historical groups, and individuals.
The website searchable and browsable, and it has digitized images that are clear and easy to view and read.
Search family names
Even if you think none of your ancestors lived in Thunder Bay, it is worth spending a few minutes to enter family surnames in the search box. The search engine searches the entire website.
After failing to find any Devers, I entered Rhind and discovered an April 6, 1916 article in the Fort William Daily Times. The newspaper had published the last letter Private Hubert Rhind wrote to his father before he was taken prisoner.
Browsable
There are several ways to browse the site that is divided into four sections: Timeline, Military, Life in Thunder Bay, and Industry and Technology.
To find what was happening during a specific month and year in the Timeline, use the search box. For example, January 1915 results in 21 posts on death notices, soldiers’ letters, and newspaper articles for that month.
Tags in the right-hand margin feature some of the regiments in the area. If your ancestor served in one of these regiments, you may learn about some of the men he served with. The Categories, also in the right-hand margin, help focus the research on key topics. Categories include Indigenous, Food Control, Soldiers’ Letters, and Aviation.
The website is described as a “work in progress” with new material added on a regular basis.
