OCPHS.org Oakland County Pioneer and Historical Society, in Pontiac, Michigan. The Society has a museum and research library, and for the book was the chief resource for information, maps, and images of characters and street scenes.
digmichnews.cmich.edu Large database of historical newspaper editions in the state of Michigan, 1840’s to present, scanned and sorted, subject matter being searchable using keywords. Maintained by Clarke Historical Library of Central Michigan University (clarke@cmich.edu).
decocardsart.com Website of Madelyn Lehde, the illustrator for “Spirit of Modern Times” who provided ink sketches of many characters in the book.
virginiahamilton.com Website for the books published by Virginia Hamilton, including “The People Could Fly” collection of American Black Folktales. (book p. 229)
waterfordhistoricalsociety.org Outdoor museum in Waterford Township, just west of Pontiac, Michigan. Maintains historical archives for the township, including the family of Malvina Taylor (daughter of Eber Leander Taylor) and Emma Whitehead Bacon (daughter of Almeron Weller Whitehead).
monroecountymuseum.com Museum in Monroe, Michigan, maintains archives on the Young Ladies’ Seminary and Collegiate Institute, a boarding school where two of the characters in the book were students: Sarah Thurber and Malvina Taylor (book p. 317). Also, a teacher at the Pontiac Union School, Miss Almira “Ellen” LeRoy (book pp. 84-85), graduated from Monroe in 1855.
wrhs.org Western Reserve Historical Society, in Cleveland, Ohio. Research center maintains archives on the Cleveland Female Seminary, a boarding school 1854-1883 attended by several girls from Pontiac (book p. 317, 330).
to paste to internet search line— https://babel.hathitrust.org>cgi>pt?id=hvd.32044019388024
“Record of Service of Michigan Volunteers in the Civil War 1861-1865”, with complete rosters by regiment and a brief record of each soldier. Volume 1 = 1st Michigan Infantry; Vol. 2 = 2nd Infantry; Vol. 22 = 22nd Infantry; Vol. 35 = 5th Cavalry; Vol. 44 = 1st Sharpshooters. Contact author for information on which characters in the book enlisted in which regiments.