Collections : [Archives of Michigan]

This collection represents materials gathered by Leroy Barnett for his book, A Drive Down Memory Lane: The Named State and Federal highways of Michigan, published by Priscilla Press in 2004. The documents included in this accession were mainly derived from statute books, legislative journals, government records, transportation periodicals, newspapers, and period cartographic materials.

This collection represents materials gathered by Leroy Barnett for his book, A Drive Down Memory Lane: The Named State and Federal highways of Michigan, published by Priscilla Press in 2004. The documents included in this accession were mainly derived from statute books, legislative journals, government records, transportation periodicals, newspapers, and period cartographic materials.

The contents of each folder include brief histories for each trunk line that bears a name and number. These histories formed the basis of A Drive Down Memory Lane. A very small part of the information contained in this collection was not used in the book, as the material related to highways that ultimately did not fall within the purview of the study.

This collection consists of photographic prints and negatives, dating ca. 1860 to 1950. The photographs cover a wide variety of topics pertaining to the Battle Creek area, including street scenes and buildings of various types around town, social activities, people and lake scenes. Also included are images of some of the more famous institutions and businesses in the area: the Battle Creek Sanitarium, the Kellogg Company and the Postum Company.

This collection consists of photographic prints and negatives, dating ca. 1860 to 1950. The collection of photographs was gathered together for a publication on the history of Battle Creek in photographs, produced as part of a series sponsored by Great Lakes Federal Savings. The photographs cover a wide variety of topics pertaining to the Battle Creek area. These topics include street scenes and buildings of various types around town, social activities, people and lake scenes. Also included are images of some of the more famous institutions and businesses in the area: the Battle Creek Sanitarium, the Kellogg Company and the Postum Company. The collection is arranged alphabetically by subject.

This collection represents three generations of the Bush family in Michigan. Includes genealogies and biographies of the Bush and Willard families; correspondence; a portrait of F. Willard Bush; papers of Sumner O. Bush and Charles Sumner Bush; unidentified financial records, pamphlets and circulars; and a computer disk containing transcriptions of the letters in the collection.

The collection represents three generations of the Bush family in Michigan. The arrangement reflects this, as it moves from the oldest generation to the youngest.

The first folder provides genealogical information on the Bush and Willard families (The Willard family was the family of Cynthia Melissa Willard Bush.). There are also two clippings from the Battle Creek newspaper containing biographical information on Sumner Orlando Bush and his son, Charles Sumner Bush. The next folders contain letters of Frederick Eli and Cynthia Melissa (Willard) Bush. This includes correspondence with the Bush sons, Bush family members, Willard family members, and friends.

Materials documenting Frederick Willard, Edwin Alvarez, Henry Eli, and Sumner Orlando follow the letters of the Bush parents (Frederick and Cynthia). The bulk of these are correspondence. The letters are grouped in folders according to recipient and arranged in order from the eldest son (Frederick Willard) to the youngest (Sumner). A tintype of Frederick Willard Bush (1858) is also included, (Box 2, Folder 1). The collection then moves to the next generation. Papers of Charles Sumner Bush, son of Sumner, are present toward the end.

Common subjects include family news (e.g., births, deaths, marriages, new jobs, college graduations), business and financial concerns (e.g., mortgages, family farms, insurance, possible career paths), current events (e.g., elections, slavery, the Civil War), health, the weather, and crop conditions. There are also reflections on spiritual concerns and on living life as a Christian.

The collection includes letters that the Bush sons and several others wrote while attending college. Frederick Willard, Henry and Sumner Bush all attended Olivet College and wrote of their experiences there. Willard also attended Marietta College in Marietta, Ohio. The brothers received letters from friends and relatives in other colleges. The collection also contains a folder of letters to Frederick and Cynthia Bush from an Olivet College student identified as “Amanda.” (The precise nature of Amanda’s relationship to the Bushes is unclear. The letters do indicate that the family partially funded her scholarship to Olivet.) The college letters describe student life (e.g., classes, rooming conditions, and teachers).

The materials of four soldiers might be of interest to military researchers. Frederick and Samuel Willard (brothers to Cynthia Melissa Willard Bush) and Edwin Bush served in the Civil War, while Charles Sumner Bush served in World War I.

Frederick Willard was stationed in Louisiana during the Civil War. In his letters, he describes troop movements and morale and relates some general thoughts on the war (He describes Copperheads as “traitors” and writes of “defending our beloved country from slavery, disunion and tyranny.”). He also discusses the local environments, and in one letter (February 10, 1864), he describes the affects of the war on Louisiana. There are also two pre-War letters from Frederick. One is dated 1841 and the other is dated 1859. In the 1841 letter, he discusses a recent move and reflects on the recent death of President William Henry Harrison. In the 1859 letter, he reflects on the death of his sister, Lucena.

Samuel Willard enlisted sometime in 1862. He saw action at Gettysburg in July 1863. Afterward, he suffered poor health and seems to have been hospitalized for the remainder of the war. He stayed in hospitals in Annapolis, Maryland; Louisville, Kentucky; and Madison, Indiana. In his letters, Samuel relates war news (the 1864 surrender of Fort Sumter, for example), and discusses troop movements and morale. He often comments on the hospitals in which he stayed. In one letter (July 30, 1863), he describes his experience at the Battle of Gettysburg. In another (October 30, 1863), he mentions a funeral for Confederate prisoners. There is also one post-War letter, dated 1867. In it, Samuel describes the weather and discusses some family news.

Edwin Bush enlisted in Company E, 17th Michigan Infantry on August 12, 1862. He saw action at Antietam and at Mississippi, Tennessee, and Kentucky. His unit returned east in 1864. Edwin was shot during the siege of Petersburg, Virginia and died of his wounds on June 18, 1864. In his letters, Edwin describes marches, guard duty, troop morale, the food and various aspects of Army life. He comments on battles and on other troops and some officers (including Generals McClellan and Burnside). He mentions war news and other current events (e.g., Congressional elections).

Charles Sumner Bush, son of Sumner Orlando and Vernellie Daley Bush, was a World War I veteran. Bush, who enlisted at Camp Custer on November 26, 1917, served in the Motor Transport Corps 373, and was promoted to sergeant within a few weeks of enlisting (December 3, 1917). In April, he was transferred to the American Mission Reserve Mallet, American Expeditionary Force. He served overseas in France from February 27, 1918 to June 19, 1919. Bush mustered out of the service on June 25, 1919. His papers contain a black and white photograph of Mrs. Sarah (Rector) Hyslop, whom Charles Sumner married in 1923. The diary, kept by Charles Sumner Bush in 1918, documents his battlefield experiences in France, soldier camps, traveling in Army truck convoys, the weather and terrain, local reaction to American troops, and the Spanish flu epidemic. Also included is a copy of Special Orders No. 50 dating December 3, 1918. This order is signed by Frank O. Robinson, 1st Lt., MTC, USA, Comdg” and lists battles in which Robinson’s unit engaged. While individual names are not listed in the order, it appears that Bush engaged in the 1918 battles outlined by Lieutenant Robinson (e.g., Second Battle of the Somme, Second Battle of the Marne, Third Battle of the Somme, etc.)

The collection ends with a folder of ephemera and a computer disk. The ephemera date from the 19th century and include leaflets and some unidentified handwritten financial information. The disk contains electronic copies of seven transcriptions of letters in this collection. (Printed copies of these transcriptions are filed in the collection with their respective original letters.)

The Mary Pennington Collection spans multiple generations of the Pennington family. They resided in Pewamo, Michigan until 1920 when they moved to East Lansing, Michigan. Most of the collection concerns John H. Pennington’s immediate family, and particularly, his daughter, Mary Pennington. The collection is divided into six series: Family Memorabilia, Correspondence, Educational Materials, “I Am” Materials, Visual Materials, and Estate Papers of John Pennington.

The Lizzie Dravenstatt Papers chronicle daily life in a rural society. It includes a large collection of Dravenstatt's diaries, ledger books, and an autograph book of her son, Ray Dravenstatt.

The diaries (Series 1) begin in 1870 when Lizzie was 14 years old. After 1871, there is a gap in the diaries until 1897, when she again wrote about her daily activities. The diaries chronicle daily life in a rural society. She details the chores done each day, such as cooking, cleaning, and sewing. Dravenstatt also tells of the routines of her husband and son concerning the farming activities. Her dedication to her family and friends is evident in the frequent visits with them and her dedication to attending weddings and funerals. The church was also a major topic in the diaries; a large amount of Dravenstatt’s social activities involved the Eagle Methodist Church.

Dravenstatt additionally tells of new events in her time. She bought and used her first stove December 31, 1904. The family’s first automobile was bought May 6, 1910.

Not only does Dravenstatt discuss her own personal activities, but also events that affected her society. She frequently attended Temperance meetings and tells of measles and flu outbreaks in her local communities. Of particular interest are the entries that detail the coming of a Medicine Show (July 28, 1901) and Buffalo Bill’s Wild West Show (June 11, 1902 and August 7, 1908).

The account books (Series 2) detail the purchases of the Dravenstatt family. In many of the earlier diaries, they are included in the back rather than being in a separate volume. Dravenstatt wrote down nearly everything she bought, from insurance to ice cream. A transcribed copy of the ledgers (Series 4), done by Patricia Sanford Brown, is included in the collection.

The Autograph book (Series 3) belonged to Lizzie Dravenstatt’s son, Roy Dravenstatt. The book includes signatures and poems by local friends and family.

MS 2006-27 consists of records of the Pearl Sarno collection (covering the years 1856-2005, bulk of material dated 1870-1995). The collection is divided into three series. Series 1 consists of the Pearl Sarno personal papers (1904-2002). Series 2 consists of the Covert Congregational Church records (1870-2005), and includes a large number of records relating to the Women's Club of the First Congregational Church. Series 3 consists of the Covert Township records (1856-1921, 1953-1967.

RG 59-14 contains documents and records relating to the Michigan Military Establishment and the Adjutant General's Office.

RG 59-14 contains documents and records relating to the Michigan Military Establishment and the Adjutant General's Office. Specifically, this collection includes: service records (descriptive rolls, regimental service records, officer records, enlistment records, and health records), post-service records of former soldiers, reports, minutes of various organizations related to the Michigan Military Establishment, correspondence, general and special orders, educational material, publications, and photographs.