Collections

Collection includes information about the history of Michigan counties, forts, places, people, events, French men and Native Americans, and mining.

Collection materials include correspondence and reference requests on various Michigan historical topics, counties, forts, and people, as well as French men and three Ottawa chiefs he researched for the Dictionary of Canadian Biography. Most materials were collected between 1965 and 1967. Some materials are in French. Some materials are in French.

Oversized Materials: Map by Dept. of Conservation, Div. of Geological Survey, entitled Progress Structural Contours of the Mt. Pleasant Oil Field Area, Aug. 8, 1929, measures approximately 38x62 inches, is stained and acidic; and an undated, twentieth century reproduction of a New France, Canada Map entitled Le Canada, ou Nouvelle France, by N. Sanson, d'Abbeville, 1657, tinted in yellow, brown, and two shades of green, measures 10x14 inches, in the bottom margin it states "compliments of C. M. Burton, Detroit." The maps were separated from the boxes sometime prior to 1997. They were located, interfiled between published maps, in January 2015 by students working on a map scanning project, and were then processed by the Archivist Marian Matyn.

Processing Note: Originally, the maps were separated from the boxes sometime prior to 1997. They were located, interfiled between published maps, in January 2015 by students working on a map scanning project, and were then processed by the Archivist Marian Matyn.

The collection contains mostly his research about the Chippewa, Ottawa, and Potawatomi versus the Regents of the University of Michigan, county history, biographical materials, maps, and papers of students.

The collection consists mostly of Dain’s materials relating to the Children of the Chippewa… versus the Regents of the UM trial, 1971-1980, including briefs, transcripts, orders, exhibits, depositions, his sworn statement, 1978, other legal documents, and newspaper clippings (copies); materials for county or city events he collected or helped create; papers of students or other people related to Michigan history; biographical materials; and some miscellaneous maps (copies). Other materials relating to the trial may be found in the Elmer White papers and in cataloged materials.

The collection includes Dawson's research, writing and related correspondence, mostly about his research and manuscript drafts for materials on Henry Whiting, Hezekiah G. Wells, Della T. Lutes and minstrel / vaudeville performer Billy Clark.

The collection includes Dawson's research, writing and related correspondence, mostly about his research and manuscript drafts for materials on Henry Whiting, Hezekiah G. Wells, Della T. Lutes and minstrel / vaudeville performer Billy Clark. Boxes 1-3 are .5 cubic foot boxes and Box 4 is .25 cubic foot. The collection is organized alphabetically and chronologically.

Box 1 includes: Dawson’s research, writing, and related correspondence, 1970-1999 and undated. Most of the collection consists of Dawson’s research, photographs, drafts of manuscripts, and correspondence about republishing Della T. Lutes’ Country Kitchen cookbook. The same types of materials exist from his efforts to publish an article about Billy Clark, a Michigan minstrel. There is also a typed, 45-page paper with a variety of U. S. Centennial poetry from Michigan newspapers, compiled by Dawson. The Clarke Historical Library also houses the Lutes papers and three scrapbooks about Clark and minstrel shows.

Boxes 2-4 include: Dawson’s research, writing, and related correspondence, 1911-2007 and undated, on Della T. Lutes, Henry Whiting, Hezekiah G. Wells, and English poet Felicia Hemans (1793-1835). Also included are research materials on Michigan history, especially Michigan territorial verse, roads and taverns; the Mount Pleasant public library; Henry Rowe Schoolcraft; Mount Pleasant Woman’s Club; including the Mount Pleasant Saginaw Chippewa Indian Reservation and the Battle of Lake Erie.