Site of Seeberville Shootings

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• This is a view looking southeast of the Putrich house at #17 Second Street in Seeberville. The man labeled Dad" is Joseph Putrich, the woman labeled "Mom," is Antonia Putrich, the woman labeled "Aunt," is Josephine (Grubesich) Tijan, and the others are likely the Putriches' children and boarders/relatives.According to Kim Hoagland in her article "The Boardinghouse Murders: Housing and American Ideals in Michigan's Copper Country in 1913," Croatian immigrants Joseph and Antonia Putrich rented the house from the Copper Range Mining Company. At the time these photos were taken, they had four children under the age of four, one hired girl, Josephine Grubesich (Antonia's sister), and ten male boarders, including Joseph's brother Steve Putrich, who died in the shooting, and his nephews Albert and Louis Tijan (Louis also died in the shooting, and Albert later married Antonia's sister Josephine). The other boarders included John Kalan and his eighteen-year-old son Slave, John Stimac, and two others. This is a rare view of a working-class, boarding house interior. - Jeremiah Mason, with thanks to Kim."
3/17/2009 4:39:14 PM by Anonymous