Mattie Liberty

Born: May, 1866 in Ohio
Died: between 1905 and 1910 in Monroe, MI

There is nothing quite like the thrill of holding a vintage photo or an old piece of ephemera and realizing that the person looking back at you has a story waiting to be told. For a while, the trail had gone cold on a young woman named Mat Liberty. But with a little historical detective work and a deep dive into the archives, the pieces of her life have finally fallen into place.

​Let’s trace her exact steps through the archives to see how "Mat" became the woman she was.

To understand where Mattie went, we have to look at where she started. The 1880 federal census gives us our first official look into her childhood and upbringing in a bustling household in northwestern Ohio. 

  • ​Her Given Name: While she went by "Mat" casually, the census confirms her full name was Mattie Liberty.
  • ​The Family Home: In 1880, the family was living in Lucas County, Ohio.
  • ​Her Parents: Mattie was the daughter of John Liberty, a French-Canadian immigrant who worked hard as a laborer, and Mary Liberty, who managed their busy home.
  • ​A Full House: Mattie grew up surrounded by family. The census records five siblings sharing the household with her: Joseph, John Jr., Mary, Agnes, and Julia.
By the late 1880s, Mattie was a young woman of marrying age, which is right around the time her photo was taken. And this is exactly where her trail under the name "Liberty" completely vanished. 

​She didn't disappear—she just changed her name.

​On November 26, 1888, Mattie officially wed a man named John J. Shovar in Lucas County. Once she became Mattie Shovar, the archives opened right back up, revealing a brand-new chapter of her life.

Shortly after tying the knot, Mattie and John packed up and relocated north. By the turn of the century, the 1900 Federal Census catches up with them living in Monroe, Michigan, where John was working as a day laborer.

​By this time, Mattie was managing a household of her own, raising three children:

  • ​Leo (born in 1891)
  • ​Clara (born in 1893)
  • ​Francis (born in 1896)

​It’s incredibly rewarding to connect a face from an old photograph to a real life filled with a childhood in Ohio, a move to Michigan, and a family of her own. Mattie Liberty wasn't lost to history after all—she was just waiting for us to find her.

Mattie was roughly 35 to 43 years old when she died.

​She was still a young woman, leaving behind her three children who would have been anywhere from their late single digits to their late teens at the time. It adds a poignant layer to her story, especially when looking at her portrait from the late 1880s when she was just starting her married life.


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