Search

Church organized in Plymouth, Michigan in 1856; congregational minute books, 1856-1947; board of stewardship minute books, 1959-1967; announcement books, 1931-1960; subject files relating to the church's history, its administration, buildings, pastors, and activities; church publications; visual materials; and sound recordings.

The records of the St. Peter's Evangelical Church cover the period of 1856 to 1985 with the majority of the materials falling within the years of 1916 to 1960. The early records are in German, but most of the records from about 1920 are in English. The record group contains documents pertaining to the founding and history of the church, as well as its articles of association, bylaws, and constitution. Financial reports from 1939 to 1952, general correspondence, membership records, publications, announcement books, and records of the meetings of the Church Council and various committees from 1856 to 1961 are also included. There are photographs and pictures of the various pastors who have served the church over the years. Other audio/visual materials include slides, and cassette and reel-to-reel tapes.

The record group is arranged in ten series: Record Books, History, Operational, Buildings, Pastors, Congregation, Church Activities, Publications, Visual Materials, and Sound Recordings.

Detroit, Mich. brewery. Copy prints of photographs depicting the Stroh Brewery in Detroit, Michigan, its workers, and a delivery wagon.

The Stroh Brewery photographs include copy prints of photographs of the Stroh Brewery in Detroit, Michigan, its workers, and a delivery wagon.

St. Thomas Evangelical Lutheran Church, founded in 1842 in Freedom Township, near Ann Arbor, Michigan; record group includes church registers, financial records, administrative materials, and other subject files.

The St. Thomas Evangelical Lutheran Church record group includes church registers containing family and membership information; financial ledgers; constitutions and by-laws; anniversary and celebratory materials; files relating to church organizations; and photographs of church building.

Graduate of the College of Engineering of the University of Michigan in the class of 1911, later Detroit businessman. Papers and photographs relating to student life and activities.

The collection consists of programs and newspaper clippings largely concerning student life at the University of Michigan. The photographs are portraits and snapshots of Taylor, family members and friends; photographs of the construction of Barton Dam in Ann Arbor, Michigan; photographs of University of Michigan student surveying projects; and photographs of University of Michigan students, groups, and activities. In addition, there is an arithmetic notebook, 1833, of H. Green, student at the Detroit Academy. This item was probably collected by Taylor or perhaps in the possession of a family member.

The collection focuses primarily on John Tailyour, a Scottish merchant who traveled to North America and Jamaica in the 1770s and 1780s to conduct business, before finally returning to his home in Scotland in 1792. His correspondence is heavily business related, centering especially on his trading of slaves, foodstuffs, and sundry goods. It also chronicles the current events in both Jamaica and the Empire. Many of Tailyour's correspondents debate the meaning and merit of the cessation of the slave trade in the late 18th century, as well as the military events of the American and Haitian revolutions, and of the Maroon rebellion of 1795. The papers also include letters between John and his family in Scotland regarding John's mixed-race Jamaican children. He sent three of his children to Britain to be educated, which caused much family concern. Tailyour's account books and financial papers relate both to his Jamaican estate and business, and to his Scottish estate, from which he received added income from rents. The accounts for this estate continue for several decades after Tailyour’s death in 1815. A number of disparate and miscellaneous letters, war records, photographs, and realia that belonged to various members of the extended Tailyour family date mainly from the late-nineteenth and early-twentieth centuries.

The collection has three substantial parts. The most comprehensive and cohesive section is the one concerning John Tailyour, until his death in 1815. The second part contains business papers and accounts related to the Tailyour estate. The third part is the least integrated, and consists of a variety of family papers, photographs, military memorabilia, and other miscellanea.

The Tailyour papers date from 1743 to 2003, with the majority of the collection concentrating in the period from 1780 to 1840. Within these bulk dates, are the two largest portions of the collection: the correspondence and accounts of John Tailyour until his death in 1815, and the account records of the Tailyour estate after 1815.

Seven boxes contain John Tailyour's personal and business correspondence of 3757 letters. The letters focus on Tailyour's mercantile activities in the Atlantic market, especially on the slave trade, its profitability, and the threat posed by abolitionists. Tailyour's correspondence also chronicles personal and family matters, including the education and provision for his mixed-race children from Jamaica. In addition, the collection contains four of Tailyour's letter books of 1116 copies of retained letters that cover the period from 1780 to 1810, with the exception of the years 1786-7 and 1793-1803. In these letters, Tailyour's focus is business, particularly as it relates to the slave trade, but he also includes personal messages to his friends and family.

Tailyour's business papers contain 32 loose account records, as well as five account books documenting the years between 1789-90 and 1798-1816. These primarily concern his Kingston and Scottish estates, including the expense accounts and balance sheets for each, as well as the finances of his merchant activities during the period. Finally, 38 documents of probate records for John Tailyour mainly relate to his landed estate.

The latter portion of collection within these bulk years (1815-1840) also contains correspondence and accounts, although the 228 letters are almost entirely concerned with business accounts. These focus on Tailyour's estate after his death, with John's brother Robert as the main correspondent. Additional materials include 1761 business papers that chronicle the finances of the estate, 11 account books, and 6 hunting books. The business letters and account books detail the estate's expense accounts and receipts, as well as the balances for their annual crops, salmon fishing business, and profits derived from the rents collected on their land. The hunting books contain descriptive accounts of the family's hunts and inventories of their hunting dogs.

The third, and final, part of the collection consists of Tailyour family records (bulk post-1815), including 49 letters from various family members in the late-nineteenth and early-twentieth centuries and five letterbooks, kept by Alexander Renny Tailyour and Thomas Renny Tailyour. 4 account books are also present kept by Alexander Renny Tailyour and others. Some of the records concern the First World War, including a group of prisoner-of-war records sent from Germany, and journals kept at home that detail news of the war, and daily domestic activities.

The family history documents include 64 genealogical records and 58 probate records. Many of the genealogical items are brief notes on family history, and sketches of the family tree, including a large family tree that spans several hundred years to the present day. The probate records contain one will from the late-nineteenth century, but are otherwise entirely concerned with John Tailyour's estate in the years immediately after his death.

Of the printed records, Memoirs of my Ancestors (1884), by Hardy McCall is a genealogy of the McCall family, and Tailyour's Marykirk and Kirktonhill's estates are described in two printed booklets, one of which is an advertisement for Kirktonhill's sale in the early-twentieth century. Other printed material includes 14 various newspaper clippings concerning the family over the years, and 12 miscellaneous items.

The illustrations, artwork, and poetry comprise 14 fashion engravings, 12 sailing illustrations, a picture of a hunting cabin, two silhouettes, and a royal sketch, all of which date from the early- to mid-nineteenth century. Kenneth R. H. Tailyour's sketches are represented in two sketch books created in his younger years (1917 and 1920). Loose records of poetry, as well as a book of poems from George Taylor, are in this section.

The 221 photographs are of the Tailyour family from the late-nineteenth to the twentieth century, with the majority falling in the early decades of the twentieth century. Most are portraits of the Tailyour family from the early twentieth century, particularly Kenneth R. H. Tailyour.

The 138 pieces of ephemera are, for the most part, postcards of foxhunts during the nineteenth century. These announce the almost-weekly family foxhunts during the middle years of the nineteenth century. The 19 items of realia, include Robert Taylor's quill pen from 1826.

The audio-visual portion of the collection contains three items: a compact disc with an audio interview of John Dann, Director of the Clements Library, on National Public Radio's "The Todd Mundt Show;" a compact disc with photos of the West Indies; and a collection of photographs of the Tailyour papers in their uncatalogued state, and of the festivities surrounding the acquisition of the collection.

Finally, miscellaneous material of 18 pieces includes Robert Taylor's commonplace book of short stories, letters, and poems; the catalogue of Robert Taylor's books; James Tailyour's 1771 style and form book; and a communion book.

Genealogy and other vital information found in family Bible; travel diaries of Josiah Clark of trips to Canada and New York city; portraits of Tayler, Clark and Farmer family members. Materials documenting the career of Theron C. Tayler, specifically, his rotary kilns research and patented innovations.

Papers of Thankful O. Jones and other members of the Jones and Burch families of New York state and Clinton County, Michigan. Civil War papers of son Harlem, soldier with Co. K, 11th New York Volunteer Cavalry; letters of other family members concerning daily activities, business and fraternal affairs, and life in Maple Rapids, Michigan, in the 1890s; also photographs.

The papers of Thankful O. Jones reflect the private interests and concerns of a nineteenth century woman and members of her family who lived variously in New York, Missouri, Illinois, and Michigan. The collection includes correspondence sent to Thankful Jones from her siblings and children, but does not contain any of her own writings.

The bulk of the letters was written by Harlem B. Jones during his service in the Civil War. Writing to his mother and sister Emily on a weekly or semi-weekly basis, Harlem describes in detail his unfavorable impressions of camp life; his observations on the military strategies of Stonewall Jackson, Joe Hooker, and Ambrose Burnside; and his participation in the battle of Bull Run and the assault on Baton Rouge. Harlem also relates briefly his impression of Washington, DC, Abraham Lincoln, and the Presidential Election of 1864.

Also included are Civil War letters from Thankful Jones's step-son, Amos S. Jones, and from her nephew, Nelson C. Burch. These letters pertain largely to family news and interests.

Thankful Jones also maintained extensive correspondence with her brother Varnum D. Burch of Madison County, Illinois and Jefferson City, Missouri, following the Civil War. These letters reflect a variety of topics, ranging from health and living conditions to the anguish caused by a sexual indiscretion and the subsequent relations with an illegitimate child. Other correspondents of the Burch family include Sabina Burch and Lucy R. (Burch) Jones, sisters of Thankful; nephews Nelson C. Burch of Jefferson City and John C. Burch of Crawfordsville, Indiana; niece Celestia A. Moore, Abbie R. Flagg, and Hattie Willard; and F. A. Willett, a brother-in-law. Several letters from Thankful's son Asa reflect his life in Maple Rapids, Michigan in the 1890s; and those of Libbie Anderson document Thankful Jones' interest in the Woman's Relief Corps of Maple Rapids.

The collection also contains numerous military documents reflecting the Civil War service of Harlem and J. Eli Jones, as well as numerous deeds and estate papers of William Jones. Thankful Jones's efforts to settle her husband's estate and to secure the pension of her son Harlem are reflected in her business and military service correspondence. The papers also contain some Jones family biographical and genealogical material.

The collection also includes some papers of the Matthews-Owen family of Pittsford, New York and Owosso, Shiawassee County, Michigan. Included are some military papers of Henry Matthews and several letters to Mary Ann Matthews from her sister Abigail L. Ely and cousin Julia Owen, dating from 1835 to 1841. The relationship of this family with that of Thankful O. Jones remains unclear, but the papers do reflect conditions in Penfield and Fairport, New York in the 1830s and 1840s. Among the letters is an account of a duel in Washington, DC in 1838.

Professor of entomology at the University of Michigan. Personal and professional papers of Hubbell and his wife Grace Griffin Hubbell; also collected genealogical and family papers relating to the Hubbell and Hussey families (Grace Griffin Hubbell's mother was Lenora Hussey Griffin); Hussey family series includes papers of John Milton and Mary C. Hussey and their children and relate to John M. Hussey's Civil War service, Ohio agriculture and Grange activities and family life and customs; Hubbell family series includes papers of Clarence W. and Winifred Waters Hubbell relating in part to his work as engineer in the Philippines, 1907-1913; and collected Hubbell family photos and albums, including views of Benzonia, Michigan family farm and relating to C. W. Hubbell's service as engineer in the Philippine Islands, 1909-1911; also personal photograph series, including various residences of Hubbell, his scientific field trips to Tennessee, Florida, and the Philippines, and postcard views of Michigan communities.

The Theodore Huntington Hubbell papers form a disparate collection that documents not only his professional career as an entomologist and curator, but also sheds light on the late nineteenth and early twentieth-century Hubbell and Hussey families. The far-reaching scope of these papers derives from Theodore H. and Grace Griffin Hubbell's diligent collecting of family papers and photographs. The bulk of the early materials are Hussey family papers consisting of the personal papers of Grace's mother, Lenora Hussey Griffin, and her mother's nuclear family. This family consisted of Lenora's parents, John Milton and Mary C. Hussey, and her siblings, William J., Edgar P., Arthur, and Alice, and their spouses.

The Theodore H. Hubbell papers should be viewed as a subset of a larger universe of collections which include the Hussey family and Hubbell family collections here at the Bentley Historical Library and the John Milton Hussey letters and diary at the University of Michigan's William Clements Library. The strengths of this collection are diverse, ranging from a rich run of Civil War correspondence between John Milton and Mary C. Hussey, to Lenora Hussey Griffin's letters to her family about her education at Stanford, to Theodore Hubbell and J. Speed Rogers correspondence with various entomologists regarding field work and collecting. The collection will be of use to researchers interested in nineteenth-century agriculture, the Grange in Ohio, family life and customs, Joseph B. Steere's expedition to the Philippine Islands, and visual images of turn of the century Michigan and the University of Michigan. The collection is weak on documenting Theodore Hubbell's work as a teacher and curator of the Museum of Zoology; these records are retained by the museum for use in administering their collections.

The Theodore H. Hubbell papers span the years 1833-1988, with the bulk of materials covering the years 1852-1970; they are organized into five series: Genealogy, Hussey Family, Hubbell Family, Personal, and Professional. The first three series reflect Theodore and Grace Griffin Hubbell's efforts as genealogist/archivist for their respective families. The Personal series primarily deals with the private lives of Theodore and Grace Hubbell, but it also contains some materials linked to the first three series in the correspondence with Lenora Hussey Griffin. The materials in the first four series were rearranged during the course of processing to facilitate access to the Hussey and Hubbell family papers. The last series consists of Theodore Hubbell's professional correspondence (including letters to his cousin Roland F. Hussey) and project related materials; this series retains its original order.

Thomas B. Buell family of Branch County, Michigan. The family was engaged in farming, banking, real estate, and other business enterprises; family history and genealogy; correspondence and other papers of individual Buell family members; records of family banking operations in Union City and Elmira; and papers of Buells attending Olivet College.

The Buell family collection documents the lives and activities of Thomas Bingham Buell (TBB1) and successive generations of sons. The collection is composed mostly of correspondence and business records such as mortgages, contracts, stock certificates, receipts and deeds. The business records and much of the correspondence are valuable for their documentation of the running of a family farm and the operation of a privately-owned bank in 19th and early 20th century Michigan.

Another great value of the collection lies in the personal correspondence and writings of family members. The correspondence and journals of the wives, for example, are especially interesting as most were city bred with no farm experience until after their marriages. And the correspondence between sons and fathers reveals a great deal about the pressures of keeping up the family farm and bank.

The collection, consisting mainly of correspondence and other records of the Buell men, has been divided into nine series: Buell Family, Thomas Bingham Buell (1815-1899), Farmers National Bank, Darius David Buell (1852-1942), Thomas Bingham Buell (1880-1942), Dorr Darius Buell (1882-1920), Elmira Bank of Buell and Wickett, Darius David Buell (1907-1990), and Topical Files. The named series follow sequentially from father to son with the records of the two family banks placed after the papers of the Buell family member first associated with that bank. Because the family was involved so heavily in business dealings both with the farm and the banks, most of the collection in some ways relates to business activities. Thus, family correspondence is often a mixture of personal sentiment and business dealings. In the processing of the collection, files identified as "business" relate only to banking or real estate endeavors. Non-business papers might pertain to both personal and business affairs. Correspondence has generally been grouped by the family member who received it except in cases where it did not make sense to break up groups of related materials, as in the Olivet College subseries of the Darius David Buell (1852-1942) papers.

Letters describing his war-time activities as a first lieutenant and later a captain; includes details about the battles of Stone's River, Chickamauga, Lookout Mountain and Missionary Ridge, as well as the sieges of Kennesaw Mountain and of Atlanta. He expresses admiration for Generals Rosecrans and Thomas, tells of transporting prisoners and deserters, describes a hanging, and defines the Legion of Honor. Also contains some papers concerning his wife Lottie Langdon Conely's family and two Civil War letters to Lottie from David P. Ingraham (from Brooklyn, Mich.), a lieutenant and captain in Co. A, Ninth Michigan Cavalry, who tells about celebrating the Fourth of July and Christmas, and describes the Tennessee mountains. Includes unidentified photos of a beach party and bicyclists.