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Land Holdings
Land Holdings (six linear feet), the third series in the collection, is comprised of correspondence and legal documents which pertain to Ward property in California, Michigan, West Virginia, and Vancouver (Alice Lake). The series is arranged into five subseries: a general subseries, and one for each geographical location. The researcher is advised to examine the general subseries prior to studying materials which relate to a particular location. It is comprised of documents, primarily correspondence of Willis and Harold, that were kept together and concern one or more of the major land holdings of the family.
In the California, West Virginia, and Vancouver subseries, there are files which provide background and summary-type information on Ward holdings. For California, there are additional files of materials from companies set up by the family to sell its redwood holdings. The Michigan subseries is further divided into three sections: Northern Michigan, Orchard Lake, and West Bloomfield. The Northern Michigan files can be used to trace the disposition of Ward land holdings in the 1920s. The Orchard Lake and West Bloomfield sections are interesting for the researcher studying the land development of these two areas in the 1920s, 1930s, and 1940s. The materials from companies set up by the Wards to oversee the sale of their properties, in addition to the business correspondence of Willis and Harold (see Correspondence series) are particularly helpful in this regard.