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The collection consists mostly of personal Sovereign family materials rather than Aladdin company records. Formats include paper, photographs, negatives, slides, films, oversized scrapbooks, blueprints, homework, some business records, and court and legal documents. MOLD/ALLERGY ALERT: Please note that the collection was treated in spring 2012 for mildew and mold and then deacidified. Some of the materials retain an unpleasant odor. Researchers with allergies should be careful when using the collection.

MOLD/ALLERGY ALERT: Please note that the collection was treated in spring 2012 for mildew and mold and then deacidified. Some of the materials retain an unpleasant odor. Researchers with allergies should be careful when using the collection.

Aladdin Company is organized by size and then into the following sub-series, which are organized alphabetically and chronologically:

Aladdin Advertising, 1920-1969, and undated, in 1 box, 1 Oversized folder (.25 cubic ft.). This is advertising about Aladdin products. Oversized items include a Dog and house drawing with text,“I, too own an Aladdin…”, undated, and “Good houses never grow old”, undated.

Aladdin Business Dealing, which includes business agreements, correspondence, reports, employee records and photographs, 1918-1980, and undated, in 2 boxes, 1 Oversized folder (1 cubic ft.).

Aladdin-Founders of Aladdin, 1911-1975, undated, which consists mostly of Will J. Sovereign’s journals, 1927-1963, a few of these are Will F. Sovereign’s diaries. The series also includes photographs, legal correspondence, accounts, death information, stock certificates, and other certificates and information about the founders, in 4 boxes (3.25 cubic ft.). There is correspondence from “Nig” (Nigel) a friend in Box 6. Of special interest is “Transcript to Lewis, Edmond, and Watkins vs. United States, Filed February 1923,” a transcript to a court case regarding the theft of founder of the Aladdin Company, Will J. Sovereign’s yacht, the “Aladdin,” by rum runners from Canada during Prohibition.

Aladdin Housing, 1911-1983, undated, which documents some of the houses Aladdin sold, customer communications, and 1826 McKinley House, in a variety of formats including memorabilia (a tool belt and Aladdin lamp), various photographic materials, articles in 2 boxes (.75 cubic ft.).

Aladdin Miscellaneous, 1921-1989, undated, with manuals, articles, and reports from Hattiesburg, Mississippi, Bay City, Michigan, Portland, Oregon, and Wilmington, North Carolina in 2 boxes (.75).

Aladdin Oil [business interests], 1927-1972, and undated in 2 boxes (.75 cubic ft.) including photographic materials, advertising, legal records, information on the Roscommon Well and Pere Marquette Railway Company.

The Divorce Case, 1951-1970, and undated in 3 boxes (2.25 cubic ft.). The series, documenting the very long, acrimonious divorce case between Mary and Will F. Sovereign which resulted in Michigan’s No Fault Divorce Law, is notable for the amount and types of information. This series contains a vast amount of spy and detective information in regards to the two parties involved in the case, transcripts from the detectives’ notes and from recorded phone calls, photographs, lawyer correspondence and memoirs, and court documents.

Family papers are organized by size and subdivided by names of the creator, and include:

Billy Sovereign Papers, consists of Awards and Certificates and photographic materials, 1955-1958, and undated, in 1 box (.5 cubic ft.). Of interest here is “Billy’s College Career, 1966, 1971,” which includes notes and homework from Central Michigan University. See Sovereign Youth/Academic and Divorce Case series for more information on Billy.

Jeanette Lempke Sovereign Papers, 1916-1980, and undated, in 2 boxes (.75 cubic ft.). Her papers include photographs, articles, awards and various certificates about her career, material documenting her marriage, crash, death [not from the crash], and estate.

Sally Sovereign Papers, 1928-1970, and undated, in 2 boxes (.75 cubic ft.). Her papers include correspondence to/from Sally, photographs, and miscellaneous.

Will F. Sovereign Papers, 1922-1981, and undated, in 1 box (.5 cubic ft.) include business and personal correspondence, including personal correspondence from someone named “Tiny”, 1972-1976, accounts, awards and certificates, and photographs.

Will F. Sovereign War/Military Papers, 1941-1947, and 1957, and undated, in 2 boxes (.75 cubic ft.) include a diary, correspondence, photographic material, government and military documents, propaganda, and a diary, 1942-1943. Will tried several times to enlist and eventually served in 553rd Army Air Force Base unit from July 15, 1944 to January 24, 1946.

Sovereign Youth/ Academic, 1906-1971 (scattered), and undated, in 2 boxes (.75 cubic ft.) includes homework, certificates, degrees, birthday information, childhood letters and memorabilia, awards, and information on the academic careers of Billy, Sally, and Will F.

There are seven Oversized folders, the contents of Advertising, Business Dealing, and Family papers are described in the series description above.

The last three Oversized folders include various types of architectural records. See the Box and Folder Listing for more detail. Folder #5 is Miscellaneous, 1909-1952 (scattered) and undated, and includes company charts, plans for furniture and Aladdin home parts, and various properties. Folders 6 and 7 consist mostly of blue-line prints of houses, notably Residence for Mr. and Mrs. W.F. Sovereign, Bay City, the yacht “Aladdin”, and land plots in Bay City, Midland, and Saginaw, Michigan.

Oversized volumes. Four of these oversized volumes are acidic scrapbooks about the company and family, three are dated 1929, and one is dated 1929-1932. The two others oversized volumes include a lovely, published, undated volume entitled Industrial Housing in a velvet cover (in box), and a business volume entitled Cars Forwarded which documents the shipping of Aladdin products in railroad cars, 1937-1941.

Other formats include films and slides. There are eleven films, #1 is of Aladdin ranch homes being built, undated; #2 is of a St. Patrick's day parade in Bay City, 1959; and #3-11 are of an air show at James Clements Airport, Bay City, 1972. Also, there is a slide box of slides on Aladdin finished products, a mill building, church construction, and family, mostly Billy Sovereign (See Box Listing for more detail.)

The collection includes blueprints and drawings of Central Michigan University buildings, 1946, 1995.

This collection includes blueprints and drawings of Barnard Dining Commons, Barnard Hall, Preston Apartment Building, and Tate Hall at Central Michigan University (CMU). They are all in very good shape and vary greatly in size and composition. This is the only extant blueprints and drawings for these buildings.

Barnard Hall was named for Anna M. Barnard, who was the head of the Department of Foreign Language, 1899-1944. Barnard was the fourth dormitory built at CMU and the first one on campus designed by architect Roger Allen of Roger Allen and Associates. Barnard opened before it was completed on September 23, 1948 due to the high demand for housing. It cost $1.4 million and housed 400 students, although it was usually filled beyond capacity. Until 1973-1974 it housed women, after which it became co-ed. First Lady Eleanor Roosevelt stayed in Barnard’s guest room when she visited CMU in 1955. Barnard’s adjoining food commons seated 600 students from Barnard, Sloan and Ronan halls, and was the first of its kind.

Tate Hall was named for Rachel Tate, an instructor in the Department of English and a part-time women’s dean, 1897-1916. Also designed by Roger Allen, Tate Hall opened in September of 1956, although it was not dedicated until January 19, 1958. Tate cost $1.14 million to build and housed 300 women from 1956 to 1972, after which it became co-ed. Like Barnard, Tate was demolished in 1997.

Preston Apartment building, also called Preston Court Apartments, housed married students. It was built by Roger Allen in 1955 and demolished in 1999 to allow for the expansion and reconstruction of the Park Library Building.

For additional information on Tate and Barnard see the Clarke’s website on CMU buildings that no longer exist.

The collection mostly documents Michigan railroads, focusing on the Ann Arbor Railroad Company (AARR), related lines, and its ferries in many formats. Also included are some organizational records of the Ann Arbor Railroad Technical and Historical Association (AARTHA).

Collection, collected over time by Don Wilson, some of which he was given by other rail fans. The collection mostly documents Michigan railroads, focusing on the Ann Arbor Railroad Company (AARR), related lines, its reorganization, abandonment, and its ferries. Some ferry information is general such as Twin Screw Specs (Box 5), and there is information specific to the M.V. [Motor Vessel] Viking (originally Ann Arbor No. 7) and the City of Milwaukee. Formats include slides, photographs, negatives, photograph printing plates, blueprints, scrapbooks, photograph albums, speeches, notes, newspaper clippings and magazine articles, maps, digital scans and positive prints from those scans, a CD, and miscellaneous, related publications. Also included are some organizational records of the AARTHA. Other railroads documented to various degrees in the collection include: Central Michigan Railroad (CM); Detroit, Caro and Sandusky Railroad (DC and S); Detroit, Toledo, and Ironton Railroad; Grand Trunk Railway (GT); Green Bay and Western Railroad; H and E Railroad [probably the Huron and Eastern]; Manistique and Lake Superior Railroad; Michigan Interstate Railway Company; Michigan Northern Railway Company; Mid-Michigan Railroad; New York Central Railroad (NYC) and St. Louis Railroad (SLRR); New York Central State Railroad (NYCS); Norfolk and Western Railway Company; Northwestern Pacific Railroad; Penn Central Railroad; Southern Pacific Transportation Company; Tuscola, Saginaw Bay Railroad (TSBRR); Toledo, Owosso, and Flint Railroad (TOandFRR); Wabash Railroad, and Wisconsin Central Railroad.

Items of special interest to researchers may include: manifests of the M.V. Viking, February-August 1976, and AARTHA bylaws, meeting minutes, newsletter information, member lists, and other information (Box 1); reorganization information (see Vincent M. Malanaphy folders (Boxes 2, 4), Michigan Interstate Railway Co. and MI Rail System Rationalization Plan information (Box 4), AARR photographs (Boxes 2-3), Pamona Derailment Negatives, undated (Box 5).

Photographs, negatives, and history of a plethora of railroad related topics are found throughout the collection. There are three slide boxes and two note card boxes full of slides on railroads (Slide Boxes 1-5).

Blueprints include line, lever circuit controllers, and station design plans, styling and painting design, system maps, tracks and structures, equipment, station and train car blueprints, and property drawings.

The 2016 addition, Boxes 14-16 and Folder #21 (legal-size), 1.5 cubic feet from Don’s friend Don Maddock was organized by Maddock into the series of Abandonment Petitions and Michigan Interstate Era. Included are paper documents, scans and positive prints of some of Wilson’s negatives, a few other topical files, a CD, and three color photographs. The addition largely documents the reorganization and end of the AARR. Sale papers for the City of Milwaukee are included. Most of the 2019 addition papers are copies. Note: 2016 addition negatives are housed in print file negative preservers, not archival negative sleeves.

Researchers may be interested in knowing that there are several collections and many publications by and about the Ann Arbor Railroad in the Clarke, as well as other collections and published sources documenting other railroad companies.

Processing Note: The collection is organized by size and format, and then in alphabetical and chronological order. A few publications, two general railroad films, and a tote bag were returned to the members of the AARTHA. Some publications (24), both monographs and parts of serials, were cataloged separately and added to the Clarke’s collections. Some of the items are quite acidic or fragile, most of which were photocopied and the originals were withdrawn from the collection (.25 cubic ft. total). In a few cases, where entire folders were composed of very fragile tissue paper records or acidic records, the decision was made to leave the materials as they were without copying them. Numerous abbreviations were used by Mr. Wilson within the collection, which were replicated by the processors. Michigan was often abbreviated MI by Mr. Wilson and is used in this finding aid. See the Scope and Contents Note for abbreviations used for names of railroad companies.

The collection includes: personal and business correspondence, financial statements, contract information, certificates, sales reports, Christmas cards, Saginaw social club information, World War I information, and other materials.

The collection was process by different groups of student processors over years. Series 1 Papers, 1833, 1976, undated, 3.5 cubic ft. (in 7 boxes, 2 Ov. v.); Series 2 Papers, 1833, 2009, undated, 6.5 cubic ft. (in 13 boxes, 3 Ov. v.); Series 3 Sections 1-4 Papers, Approximately 6.25 cubic ft. (in 14 boxes, 3 Oversized Folders, 1 folder).

Series 3 includes materials mostly in English, but some are in German, which is noted in the Box and Folder Listing.

Section 1 consists primarily of business correspondence, 1903, 1940, and a few are undated. Boxes 1-3 are letter-size boxes, Box 4 is legal-size, and all are .5 cubic foot boxes.

Box 1 consists primarily of business correspondences, with a slight deviation from Abbie Glaize, even though her correspondences are business related, and from responses to job advertisements. The business correspondences primarily date from 1905 to 1910, with a sudden deviation at the end with late a folder consisting of 1916-1917 materials. The Abbie Glaize materials bring about a peak of interest, as later on her husband ends up filing for bankruptcy and the correspondence she sends out afterwards have a different tone to them.

Box 2 contains material from 1903 to 1917. While the box consists primarily of personal and family correspondences, there is one folder containing financial correspondence. But even the personal and family letters tend to have their own twists to them. Some folders consist of largely single-family subjects or persons of interest, such as the correspondence folders between Edward and Paul Morley.

Box 3 contains material from 1903 to 1918. The box contains a variety of materials, including continuing correspondences, financial statements, miscellaneous items, contract information, certificates, sales reports, and even a sarcastic response to the Women’s Rights movement by Walter Morley himself. The Sales Report folder consists of a sampling of reports that were saved, in which roughly 20% of the original documents were recovered.

Box 4 contains material from 1905 to 1918, with one item from 1940. This box contains a variety of materials, including correspondences, financial statements, and mixed materials. There are a few notable pieces to mention, however, including a special piece of correspondence from the mayor of Saginaw, William B. Baum, and a list of members of the Board of Trade.

Section 2 consists primarily of Business and Personal correspondence by Paul F.H. Morley in 1909, and 1911-1914. There is also one box of 1909 correspondence from Edward W. Morley. The collection is arranged chronologically and alphabetically.

Paul’s correspondence varies from personal letters to his wife, to a confrontation with Charter Features regarding one of their employees and his attempt to scam the Morley family (in box 6). Paul also corresponded frequently with John Prindle Scott, a composer from New York who would periodically visit Saginaw and teach voice lessons. He also received a poem written by Edwin L. Sabin, a poet from Clinton, Iowa (in box 2). This poem is not duplicated in the collection on Edwin Sabin at the University of Iowa. It is a witty piece commenting on advertising in the twentieth century.

Bert also sent his brother a series of sketches attributed to a D. Nelson (in box 6) demonstrating theater fashion. Bert’s letter indicates the artist wished to become a costume designer and hoped the Morleys would help him in this endeavor. No further correspondence with Bert or the artist regarding this matter was found in the collection.

Paul also seems to have been particular about the nationality of individuals in his household employ. Throughout 1914, he requested the service of an agency specializing in the procurement of German governesses as well as soliciting for the position himself. He seems very particular in his letters (in box 6) that he wants a governess of German origin who also spoke English extremely well. Some of these letters are in German. Paul also enjoyed having a Japanese cook and butler, and advertised for the positions when his old employees resigned (in box 3).

In 1911, Paul hired the Mooney and Boland Agency to send an “operative” to observe employees in the Saginaw Hardware store. The reports (in box 3) detail the actives in the store while the operative was there. The reports do not include any incidents of stealing, but there are a few references to employees work ethic and wasting time.

Section 3 includes Personal and Business Correspondence, 1914-1915, and 1920. In Box 1 (Box 11 in the encoded finding aid) are the following: Folder 1. Among the Business Correspondence there is a copy of a letter from a Mr. Smith, Register of Deeds suggesting that A.J. Morley list his wife on his personal property deeds.

Folder 2. Mr. A.J. Morley’s business correspondence shows him to be a rather amiable person. His business related letters often include personal anecdotes and personal inquiries after his employees and business partners. This is most apparent in A.J. Morley’s communication with his Secretary, Charles C. Rose, which he often signs as “Your Sincere Friend.” For further reference see Morley’s telegram to the Rose family in the Holiday Letters folder.

Folder 3. Among the Christmas Cards are many selections of non-denominational holiday greetings. Included in this folder is a card from a business associate, E.C. Atkins and Company Inc. Also included is an invitation to a holiday ball from the Gray Harbor Shriners Club. Another item of note is a card showing a racist rendering of an African-American “Mammy” looking after some affluent Caucasian children.

Folder 4. The Holiday Letter correspondence also includes interesting insights into the Morley family. Again we see A.J. Morley mixing personal and business correspondence in his holiday letters to family as well as business partners. Most of the letters give an update to the family’s status, such as where the children are attending schools and what achievements they have accomplished. Included is an interesting letter written by Mr. Morley to Headmistress A.G. Hensley regarding the grades his daughter, Helen, received. The report card is included. There are also several letters that A.J. Morley writes to his mother-in-law, Mrs. Hicok, referencing sending her to Hinsdale Sanitarium of Illinois. Additional letters regarding his wife, Elizabeth/Bessie/Betsy remark upon her ill health and “slight derangement” during the holiday season.

In Box 2 (Box 12 in the encoded finding aid)are found the following: Folder 1. Among the General Business Correspondence are several letters regarding the Wright, Stone and Wells Estates.

Folder 2. The Club Member Materials were kept of note to indicate the level of involvement Paul Morley had within his community as part of the Um-Zoo-Ee Dance Club, Saginaw Country Club and the Saginaw Canoe Club.

Folder 3. Paul Morley’s Hotel Requests indicate the high manners of the time period and the high status that his position demanded.

Folder 4. The correspondence between Paul Morley and his brother, Walter Morley, often reference the events of World War I, including an inquiry by Paul as to whether a war film would be made about the incident. There is also a mention of the scarlet fever. We also learn that Walter Morley had his car stolen in Detroit.

Folder 5. Paul Morley’s correspondence with George F. Schreiber is extensive. Paul supported George financially both during and after his college education, the reason for which is unknown. Included are a voluminous number of letters written by George as he traveled across country and by sea to Alaska. The two men wrote often in regards to World War I. Their correspondence revealed that Paul Morley Jr. contracted stipe anterior poliomyelitis, also known as polio. (For more information on George F. Schreiber refer to Elizabeth Edward’s Morley Finding Aid.)

Folder 6. There are also a significant number of letters written between Paul Morley and John Prindle Scott. Scott was a voice teacher in Saginaw before becoming the famous author, lecturer, educator, singer and composer. A photograph of Mr. Scott is included in the collection. (For more information on John Prindle Scott refer to Elizabeth Edward’s Morley Finding Aid.)

Folder 7. The correspondence of lawyer Wallis C. Smith includes several colorful anecdotes, such as the mention of a “German nobleman episode” as well as business with Improvement Co. and Consolidated Coal Co.

Folder 8. There is a very intriguing set of letters from the Morley children’s governess, Sophie Theilheimer, who accounts her life story as a Jewish girl from Germany raised to be a Presbyterian.

Folder 9. The various correspondence from landscape designer Aubrey Tealdi is worthy of note. The descriptions of the garden plans give the reader an idea both of how the grounds of the original state were arranged and the amount of wealth the Morleys had at their disposal. Blue prints of the original estate are included (See Oversized Folder 1).

Folder 13. This is a selection of letters regarding purchases paid from Tiffany’s Co. of New York. Included are several letters in which Paul Morley dictates, extensively, the manner in which his Christmas cards should be made.

In Legal Folder 1 are found the following: Of note are the contents of the Stocks and Statistics Folder. There is a listing of the persons employed by the company for the 1920 year. The listing is extremely detailed and broken up into statistics by month and occupation. There are also two information packets on stock that the company bought in the Heinz Company, of Heinz Ketchup, and Canadian Gold Bonds. This use of company resources to branch out into the world of finance is exemplary of the expanding finance market of the early 1920s. Also included in this section is a pamphlet regarding a status report of trade and goods of America and foreign markets. This is indicative of a growing awareness of global finance and was possibly a contributing factor to the Morley Company’s success.

Section 4 consists primarily of business correspondences, 1915-1919, and 1925. Box 1 (Box 13 in the encoded finding aid) has a variety of notices from several insurance companies (Aetna, the Guarantee Company of North America, and the New England Casualty Company) concerning at-work accidents, including a suspicious case, where a Geo. Gollifer was injured after running a thistle into his foot (1915- New England Casualty Co.). Account ledgers from 1918, list all of the businesses that owed money to the Morley Brothers, as well as reasons why the accounts were not paid. There is a letter from the Michigan Public Utilities Commission stating that the delay in receiving commodities shipped by railroad was caused by railroad car shortages, due to the retention of loaded cars full of coal, which had a poor market in Michigan. Plans on how and when to load cars to maximize efficiency are also included.

Other letters of interest are: a letter from a dissatisfied business, F.J. Reader and Sons, concerning barrels full of rotten apples, and one from the Michigan Inspection Bureau concerning improvements recommended for the sprinkler system.

There are correspondences with the Otis Elevator Company also. Morley hired the company to remove their old elevator and install a new one in the shop. Blueprints and design guidelines were attached and are located in the oversize folder.

A sampling of applications from 1919 has been retained in the collection to show skills and talents that were desired for employees of the Morley Brother’s Company. It appears that Morley Brothers was a popular company for young men, who had just returned home from service in WWI, to seek employment at.

Morley’s proof of membership to the Gateway Movement for the years 1916-1917 is also included. According to the membership form, the Gateway Movement was created to ‘combat Socialism.’

Box 2 (Box 14 in the encoded finding aid) contains materials from the years 1919 and 1925.

Internal notices that were circulated within the company include, one asking employees to stop leaving their bicycles in the storage room, and a reminder that the store closes at 5:00 pm, and, therefore, no one should leave to wash-up before then.

An inspection of the company was made in 1919 by the Standard Accident Insurance Company. Numerous repairs were required for the elevator.

Subscriptions to different labor magazines and to the Bay City Times Tribune to promote the “Buy in Bay City Campaign” of 1919, and the order of one hundred copies of Chet Williams’ book, “The Knack of Getting Ahead” are also included.

The letters from the American Bankers League in 1925 are indicative of the Revenue Act passed in 1926 by President Coolidge. The Revenue Act of 1926 reduced inheritance and personal income taxes, cancelled many excise imposts, eliminated the gift tax and ended public access to federal income tax returns, while also levying a rate of 13.5% on the net income of corporations. In the letters, leaders of the organization are arguing for support from members for a tax reduction and the elimination of the Capital Stock Tax.

The bank notices from 1925 announce multiple bankers’ decisions to charge for collections following the “laborer is worthy of his hire” ideology.

Other interesting correspondences include a letter from the Saginaw County Tuberculosis Association, asking the company to donate money for the Christmas season, and an invitation to the Annual Meeting of the Retail Merchants Credit Bureau.

A sampling of business receipts is also part of the collection and include one to the Detroit Police Dept., for shells, and the Adjustment Bureau.

Processing Note: Materials that were withdrawn from the collection include duplicates, peripheral mateirals, and acidic materials, which were copied and the copies then added to the collection, receipts, acknowledgements of payment, and other documents regarding finances. Five cubic feet total of material was withdrawn from Series 3 Sections 1-4 during processing.