Burton J. Holcombe, from our prior post, was born about November 1856 in New York, to James E. Holcombe and Emily J. Shutts. The paper trail is pretty long for Burton, who was a Detroit photographer from at least 1884 to about 1897, then worked as a traveling sales agent from about 1900 to 1904, returning to photography for a couple of years in Detroit before moving back to his home state of New York to continue in the business from about 1910 thru 1930. He married Sophie Orth in 1891, and they had a daughter, Doris. Burton and Sophie divorced in 1905. Photographers Charles E. Alford (Holcombe & Alford) and Edward J. Metzen (Holcombe & Metzen) paired up with Holcombe for short periods of time in the 1880s and 1890s. Below, per online records, a timeline:

1860 – Federal Census, Fowler, Saint Lawrence Co., NY. With parents and siblings Arabel and Edward. Father’s occupation:  merchant.

1870 – Federal Census, Gouverneur, Saint Lawrence Co., NY, with parents, siblings and others. Father is a lumber merchant.

1884 – Holcombe & Alford, 222 Woodward Ave., Detroit, MI, boards Finney House. H.L. Holcombe is also listed as a photographer, boarding at Finney House.

1885 – Holcombe & Alford, 222 Woodward Ave., Detroit. Residence 444 7th, along with widowed mother, Emily J. Holcombe.

1887 – Burton J. Holcombe, 222 Woodward Ave. Residence 21 Sproat, with mother, Emily.

1888 – Burton J. Holcombe, 222 Woodward Ave. Boards 102 Miami.

1889 – Holcombe & Metzen, 222 Woodward Ave. Residence 102 Miami.

1890 – Holcombe & Metzen, 146 – 148 Woodward Ave. Residence 153 E. Elizabeth.

1891 – Burton J. Holcombe, 222 Woodward Ave. Residence 815 4th Ave., with mother, Emily. Edward Metzen is still down the street at 146 – 148 Woodward.

1895 – B. J. Holcombe & Co., 242 Woodward Ave. Boards at the Library Dining Rooms.

1896 – Burton J. Holcombe. Residence 46 E. Montcalm, Detroit.

1897 – Burton J. Holcombe. Residence 157 Myrtle, Detroit.

1898 – Burton J. Holcombe, moved to Chicago.

1900 to 1904 – Traveling “agent” i.e. salesman. Residence 990 Trumbell Ave., Detroit.

1908 to 1909 – Burton Holcombe, photographer. Residence 48 W. Adams.

1910  – Federal Census, Gloversville, Fulton Co., NY. Photographer, own gallery. Living with his sister and her family (Hiram J. and Harriet M. Anthony and children) and mother, Emily. Residence 15 West St.

1920 – Federal Census, Rochester, Monroe Co., NY. Photographer, own gallery. Boarding with the Smith family. Residence S. Clinton Ave.

1930 – Federal Census, Gloversville, Fulton Co., NY. Photographer. Lodger at 18 Littauer Place.

1931 – 18 Littauer Place. Gloversville, Fulton Co., NY. No occupation listed.

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Sources:  Year: 1860; Census Place: Fowler, Saint Lawrence, New York; Roll: M653_853; Page: 648; Image: 117; Family History Library Film: 803853. (Ancestry.com)

Year: 1870; Census Place: Gouverneur, Saint Lawrence, New York; Roll: M593_1097; Page: 252B; Image: 252977; Family History Library Film: 552596. (Ancestry.com)

J. W. Weeks & Co.’s Detroit City Directories, 1884, p. 642; 1885, p. 596. Ancestry.com. U.S. City Directories, 1822-1995.

R. L. Polk & Co.’s Detroit City Directories, 1887 p. 730; 1888 p. 702; 1889 p. 705; 1890 p. 600; 1891 p. 582; 1895 p. 698; 1896 p. 721; 1897 p. 727; 1898 p. 751; 1900 p. 795; 1901 p. 814; 1903 p. 1162; 1904 p. 1361; 1908 p. 3130. Ancestry.com. U.S. City Directories, 1822-1995.

Marriage Records. Michigan Marriages. FamilySearch, Salt Lake City, UT.  Ancestry.com. Michigan, County Marriages, 1822-1940. (Ancestry.com)

Year: 1900; Census Place: Detroit Ward 8, Wayne, Michigan; Roll: 750; Page: 15B; Enumeration District: 0087; FHL microfilm: 1240750. (Ancestry.com)

Michigan. Divorce records. Michigan Department of Community Health, Division for Vital Records and Health Statistics, Lansing, Michigan. (Ancestry.com)

R. L. Polk’s Michigan State Gazetteer & Business Directory, 1909-1910. p. 615.

“United States Census, 1910,” database with images, FamilySearch (https://familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:M5CL-3K6 : accessed 12 February 2017), Burton J Holcombe in household of Hiram J Anthony, Gloversville Ward 4, Fulton, New York, United States; citing enumeration district (ED) ED 18, sheet 2A, family 42, NARA microfilm publication T624 (Washington D.C.: National Archives and Records Administration, 1982), roll 948; FHL microfilm 1,374,961.

“United States Census, 1920,” database with images, FamilySearch (https://familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:MJL1-BL2 : accessed 12 February 2017), Burton J Holcomb in household of Frank W Smith, Rochester Ward 4, Monroe, New York, United States; citing ED 60, sheet 4B, line 71, family 83, NARA microfilm publication T625 (Washington D.C.: National Archives and Records Administration, 1992), roll 1120; FHL microfilm 1,821,120.

Year: 1930; Census Place: Gloversville, Fulton, New York; Roll: 1439; Page: 3A; Enumeration District: 0014; Image: 819.0; FHL microfilm: 2341174. (Ancestry.com)

H. A. Manning Company’s Gloversville and Johnstown Directory, 1931. p. 168. Ancestry.com. U.S. City Directories, 1822-1995.