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Explore Local History with RHPL!

  • Hilary Maurin
  • Sep 30
  • 2 min read

Newspaper clipping from the Rocehster Clarion from September, 30 1993, with a photo of a librarian displaying photo books full of post cards. The caption reads "Photo image caption: "Diane Burgeson, librarian with the Rochester Hill[s] Public Library, displays the 300 postcards pertaining to Rochester. Many of the cards - some dating back nearly 100 years - contain writing on the back."
Photo image caption: "Diane Burgeson, librarian with the Rochester Hill[s] Public Library, displays the 300 postcards pertaining to Rochester. Many of the cards - some dating back nearly 100 years - contain writing on the back."

One of the questions we get asked a lot at the library is, “Do you have a local history room?” While we do not have a physical room, we are pleased to share our virtual space, Greater Rochester History Online (GRHO). GRHO has its origins in 1993, when the library became the steward of the Ray Russell Postcard Collection, an invaluable resource consisting of over 300 historic images of the Rochester area. Collected by late resident Ray Russell, the collection was purchased by the City of Rochester and has been on permanent loan to the library ever since.


Seeing a need to expand access to the collection, the library unveiled a dedicated website to display the postcards virtually in 1999, known as Greater Rochester History Online. Since then, GRHO has undergone many iterations, and we are proud to share our brand new site, launched earlier this year: https://rhpl.lunaimaging.com/


A screengrab of the Greater Rochester History Online database page
Greater Rochester History Online database page

In addition to the Ray Russell Postcard Collection, the library continues to upload other artifacts, including even more historic images, oral histories, and most recently, digitized yearbooks. Our yearbook collection is fully searchable, and the pages are animated to give a “flipbook” experience. Take a look – you never know who you might find!


A scanned photospread from the Rochester Adams High School 1970 yearbook, which includes images of students doing various activities and a illustration of the school.
Rochester Adams High School yearbook spread from 1970.

What started as two binders of postcards has grown into a digital collection of over 2,000 items, with new material added regularly. Additionally, the library is partnering with the Rochester Hills Museum at Van Hoosen Farm to host their collection of digitized newspapers, including the Rochester Era and Clarion. So keep checking back!


We invite you to explore YOUR local history and make your own discoveries. Who lived on your street? What was in the building of your favorite restaurant 100 years ago? What stories will you uncover?


This post was written by Hilary Maurin, Adult Services Librarian at RHPL

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