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Papers and photographs collected by Robert D. Aldrich relating to the history, people and institutions of Concord village in Jackson County, Michigan; include correspondence, diaries, account books and other papers of Concord residents; records of Concord social organizations, businesses, schools, and church and governmental bodies.

The Robert D. Aldrich collection consists of materials--manuscript, printed, and photographic--documenting the history of Concord, Michigan, in western Jackson County. The collection spans the period from the arrival of the first settlers in 1831 to the 1980s. There are a few items dating back into the eighteenth century (as early as 1783) since the papers of some pioneer families predate their arrival in Concord. The bulk of the collection, though, falls in the period since the Civil War.

The collection documents every facet of life in Concord. Included are the papers of numerous Concord citizens consisting of personal correspondence, diaries, account books and newspaper clippings about them. In addition, Aldrich collected the records of various Concord businesses and organizations, as well as some church, school, and governmental records.

The collection has been divided into two series: Manuscript and Printed Materials, and Visual Materials. Both series are arranged alphabetically either by personal name or name of organization, or by general subject area, such as Circus, Underground Railroad, etc.

The People photographed while reading photograph album contains 82 portraits of people reading as well as three newspaper clippings regarding the accidental death of railroad fireman Joseph Ronk in Wooster, Ohio.

The People photographed while reading photograph album contains 82 portraits of people reading as well as three newspaper clippings regarding the death of a railroad fireman.

The album (26.5 x 21.5 cm) has red velvet covers and a metal clasp. While the album itself and all the photographs in it date to the 19th/early 20th century, these materials were compiled by a noncontemporary individual with an interest in historic images of people reading. Also present are three newspaper clippings related to the accidental death of railroad fireman Joseph Ronk (1865-1888) following a train derailment in Wooster, Ohio, in July 1888.

Prohibitionist from Bay City, Michigan, dean of Bay City Junior College. Correspondence, 1930-1940; memoranda of various prohibition organizations, 1927-1941; materials relating to revision of the constitution of the Central Association of Congregational Churches of Michigan; other materials concern the Bay City Council of Churches, Crystal Falls, Michigan, and the Michigan Association of Junior Colleges; and photographs.

The Butterfield papers include correspondence, 1930-1940; memoranda of various prohibition organizations, 1927-1941 and materials relating to revision of the constitution of the Central Association of Congregational Churches of Michigan. Other materials concern the Bay City Council of Churches, Crystal Falls, Michigan, and the Michigan Association of Junior Colleges; and photographs.

The papers have been arranged into the following series: Correspondence; Prohibition Organizations; Clippings and published material; Topical Files: Other organizational activities and historical interests; and Other Materials.

Soldier with the 31st Michigan Volunteer Infantry during the Spanish-American War. War-related documents, including bills, orders and passes, and pension applications; also financial materials, 1901-1902, relating to his involvement in the Ann Arbor Gun Club; and photographs.

The William D. Corson collection is primarily an accumulation of the momentos of a number of the men of the 31st Michigan Volunteer Infantry. Materials include newspaper clippings concerning the Michigan 31st both in Chattanooga and in Cuba, bills of purchases by the commissary in Cuba (many of these for cigars), orders and passes issued through the office of Captain Ross Granger, souvenirs, and photographs.

The collection also contains insurance policies, including those from the period of Corson's duty during the Spanish-American War and pension applications for veterans of the war. These applications were solicited by law firms and seem to represent a thriving local industry.

The rest of the collection contains material collected after the Spanish-American War when Corson was a saloon proprietor. Included are photographs of the saloon taken around 1910. Corson was also the secretary and treasurer of the Ann Arbor Gun Club and kept shooting scores, bills, receipts and an account book of the club. An oversized group portrait shows Corson and other members of the club.

In addition, the collection includes photographs of family and friends, Ann Arbor scenes, a group portrait of the veterans of the 31st Michigan Volunteer Infantry, and photos of military activities, while training in the United States and while stationed in Cuba. A number of advertising cards for several local Ann Arbor businesses are included and probably date prior to 1910.

The F. J. Groth photograph collections contains photos of a railroad accident in South Lyon.

Ann Arbor, Michigan, businessman. Consists of photos of Ann Arbor.

The collection consists of photos of Ann Arbor buildings and of an Ann Arbor railroad accident. Also included is a view of Broadway Avenue and a group portrait of the Mandolin Club.

Clinton County, Michigan, general store. Business financial records, family correspondence and history, diaries, photograph album of the Sickels-Bates family, and miscellanea.

The record group consists of financial records detailing the operation of the L. G. Bates General Store and its predecessor firm, J. F. Hasty and Co. As the dates of some of the records precede the opening of the Hasty store, it is possible that some of the accounts and ledgers are of a Sickel family member. In addition, the collection includes family correspondence, diaries and notebooks probably of Bates, family history and genealogy, photographs, and printed material.

Materials on agriculture, resort property in northern Michigan, tariffs, American neutrality prior to World War II, and Lutheran Church-sponsored resettlement of refugees and displaced persons after World War II; also photographs. Correspondents include: Prentiss M. Brown, Elford A. Cederberg, Fred L. Crawford, Philip A. Hart, J. Edgar Hoover, Resettlement Service of the National Lutheran Council, George Romney, Arthur H. Vandenberg, and Roy Woodruff.

Photos of railroad wreck, steam hauler, and Whittemore house in Tawas City, Michigan. Photographs are dated 1911 and 1963.

Author from New York and Flint, Michigan. Diaries, writing journals, drafts of writings, copies of books and articles, and miscellaneous correspondence and publisher's contracts; and photographs.

The Edmund Love collection consists of diaries, 1955-1980, and writing journals containing plots, character names, dialog, etc. In addition, there are drafts of his writings, reviews of his books, and photographs.

Michigan State Police officer, later mayor of Mackinac Island, Michigan, and owner of the Iroquois Hotel on Mackinac Island. Scattered correspondence and miscellanea; largely photographs, prints, and slides, some of which had been collected by S. Alicia Poole, of views of Mackinac Island, the Straits of Mackinac, and Great Lakes ships and passenger ferries; also personal photographs relating in part to his association with Michigan governor G. Mennen Williams and his Michigan State Police activities.

The McIntire collection consists largely of photographs, slides, postcards, and prints of views of Mackinac Island and the straits of Mackinac. Many of the images are of Great Lakes ships and Straits of Mackinac ferries. As some of these images are labeled "Poole" and because S. Alicia Poole owned the Iroquois before McIntire, it is probable that some of these images at one time belonged to Poole. The researcher should note that the library has a separate S. Alicia Poole collection and should consult both collections for information about Mackinac Island.

A small part of the collection (approximately 1.5 linear inches) consists of manuscript materials detailing McIntire's career. Of interest are correspondence and reports illustrative of some of the problems that a Mackinac Island mayor confronted.