Collections

William Quitman Wilkins kept this daily diary from January 1, 1869, through April 27, 1869, largely while attending medical school at the University of Louisiana and receiving clinical training at the Charity Hospital of New Orleans. He reported on case studies, operations, recommended treatments, pharmaceuticals, post mortem examinations, tests, and other aspects of his education. Wilkins also reported on his evening and weekend social activities, including attendance at concerts, operas, "varieties," Mardi Gras, and other events.

William Quitman Wilkins' kept this daily diary from January 1, 1869, through April 27, 1869, largely while attending medical school at the University of Louisiana (now Tulane University) and receiving clinical training at the Charity Hospital of New Orleans. He reported on case studies, operations, recommended treatments, pharmaceuticals, post mortem examinations, tests, and other aspects of his education. Wilkins kept his diary in a pre-printed "Patent Self Closing Diary for 1869."

The physicians he studied under included Drs. Frank Hawthorn, J. D. or S. M. Bemiss, Stanford E. Chaille, Warren Stone, and others. Examples of conditions represented in Wilkins' notes include dysentery "from alcoholic poison," pneumonia, typhoid, gangrene of the penis, delirium tremens from the use of opium, malaria, syphilis, constipation, chorea (in a ten year old), opium poisoning, suffocation from hemorrhage, and other ailments. He also wrote of smallpox vaccination and amputations. In one instance, he witnessed an African American woman's operation for "skirrus" (i.e. scirrhous) cancer of the breast (February 27).

In the evenings and on weekends, he attended concerts, "varieties," operas, and plays. He met Tom Thumb and visited Henry Clay's monument on Canal Street (January 9), watched James Robinson & Son (January 18), attended a performance of Fire Fly (January 21), assisted in the wedding of his aunt Sallie and uncle John (January 28), reported on Mardi Gras (February 9), and witnessed the Fireman's Festival and Parade (March 4).

W. Q. Wilkins had apparently received a gunshot wound in his leg/hip and toward the end of the term he underwent surgery to remove bone fragments (March 12). He left New Orleans on March 18, and arrived home in Oxford, Mississippi, the next day. After his arrival, he suffered for weeks with chills, a fever, and leg abscesses. During this time, he briefly mentioned family visitors, reading, taking invoices of drugs, and much bedrest. On April 3, Dr. Isom (possibly Dr. Thomas Dudley Isom [1816-1902]) removed two more bone fragments from his leg. By April 27, his health had improved and he began to study his textbooks once again.

The final 24 pages of the diary contain notes for one of Dr. Chaille's tests, lists of medicines, Medical Association of Lafayette County's fees for various medical treatments, names and addresses, and other notes.

This diary chronicles William Rawle Brooke's service with the Third Pennsylvania Cavalry during the Civil War (he later changed his name to William Brooke Rawle). It begins with Brooke's initial Army commission in May 1863 and concludes in August 1865, shortly before his discharge. Brooke described daily army life, provided detailed accounts of battles, and other events of note.

This diary is a compilation of three daily diaries, bound into a single volume, providing a record of William Rawle Brooke's service in the Union Army from May 5, 1863, to August 16, 1865, with additional notes on events later that year. He wrote every day, providing detailed accounts of battles throughout the Gettysburg, Bristoe, and Overland Campaigns, the Siege of Petersburg, and the pursuit of Lee's Army to Appomattox Court House.

The diary begins with Brooke's receipt of a commission and his journey to join the Third Pennsylvania Cavalry outside of Washington, D.C. Events discussed include Brooke's birthdays, the Presidential election of 1864, and the assassination of Abraham Lincoln. Brooke fastidiously chronicled his daily army life, with documentation of correspondence sent and received.

Michigan-born member of U.S. Army Co. I, 339th Infantry; served with the U.S. Polar Bear Expedition in Archangel, Russia. Collection includes Mielke's service records, a digital photograph of his grave marker, and digitized images of his service diary

The William R. Mielke papers consist of a single series, Military Service, which include his enlistment record, honorable discharge papers, scanned images of his service diary, and a photograph of his gravesite in Lewiston, Mich. The diary details his unit's movements from training at Camp Custer to England and on to Russia. Entries describe patrols, combat experiences, and living conditions among soldiers during the expedition.

William R. Ringer was a student at the University of Michigan Law School from 1920 to 1922. Collection consists of three volumes of detailed diary entries interspersed with ephemera collected while a student.

The William R. Ringer papers document his time as a law student at the University of Michigan from September 1920 to June 1922. The papers are organized into two series Diaries and Background.

A. L. Williams family of Owosso, Michigan. Personal and business correspondence of A. L. Williams, Owosso, Michigan pioneer, railroad entrepreneur, and spiritualist; and personal letters of other members of the family, including May Williams Dewey, wife of E. O. Dewey (Thomas E. Dewey family); and miscellaneous newspaper clippings, business ledgers, and personal and business diaries concerning business affairs and daily activities; "spirit messages" received from departed family and others; also photographs.

The Williams Family [Owosso] collection consists of 2 linear feet of material. It includes the personal and business papers of four generations of Williamses from 1838 to 1953. However, the bulk of the material relates to the family of Alfred Leonzo Williams between 1860 and 1890.

The Williamson family collection is made up of 9 bound volumes pertaining to Clara Gurley Williamson, her daughters Ruth and Mary, and other members of the Williamson family of New Brunswick, New Jersey. The items include diaries, financial records, a newspaper clipping scrapbook, and a photograph album.

The Williamson family collection is made up of 9 bound volumes pertaining to Clara Gurley Williamson, her daughters Ruth and Mary, and other members of the Williamson family.

The D. Abeel Williamson Diary, composed in a pre-printed pocket diary, contains David Abeel Williamson's daily entries about his life in New Brunswick, New Jersey, from January 1, 1862-May 25, 1862, and about his experiences with the 7th New York Militia Regiment from May 26, 1862-August 27, 1862. His early entries mainly record the weather and his social activities; he mentioned his admission to the bar in his entries of May 21, 1862, and May 22, 1862. A newspaper clipping about the surrender of Fort Donelson is pasted into the entries for February 16, 1862, and February 17, 1862. During his time in the army, Williamson noted the hot weather near Washington, D.C., and Baltimore, Maryland, and mentioned other aspects of military service, such as guard duty, marching, and reviews. A commuter's ticket for the "New Jersey Rail Road" is laid into the volume's pocket.

The Hattie S. Williamson Memorandum Book contains financial records of collections that the Second Reformed Dutch Church Sunday School of New Brunswick, New Jersey, received from November 26, 1865-June 16, 1867. The amount of each donation is recorded next to the donor's name. Other records pertain to the Sunday school's accounts with the Novelty Rubber Company and the church's efforts to raise money for an organ.

The Clara Gurley Account Book, kept from July 9, [1875]-April 16, 1880, contains accounts for Gurley's purchases of items such as books, ribbon, fabrics, and buttons. A piece of fabric is pinned onto the book's final page.

The first Clara Gurley Williamson Diary, written in a pre-printed Excelsior volume, covers the year 1905. Williamson began writing in Dresden, Germany, where she had lived with her children since late 1903, and recounted her daily activities and news of acquaintances. In April, she and her children took an extended tour of Europe, including Austria, Switzerland, Italy, France, and Holland, where Williamson remarked on visits to museums and other points of interest. The entries from August concern the family's return to the United States on the Holland-American Line steamer Ryndam and their first months back in New Brunswick, New Jersey, and Indianapolis, Indiana. Williamson kept a record of letters written and received and acquaintances' addresses in the volume's memoranda section. She laid newspaper clippings, a letter, calling cards, small photographs, stamps, and other items in the volume. The final page of the diary contains a newspaper clipping about the Williamsons' return to the United States and intention to relocate to Indianapolis.

The Mary Williamson Diary recounts the author's travels through Europe from April 10, 1905-August 11, 1905. Williamson described her daily activities and sightseeing in cities such as Prague, Munich, Venice, Rome, and Paris, as she visited museums and places of historical importance with her mother and sister. The diary includes a list of books Williamson read from 1907-1908 and a list of addresses of European hotels.

The Ruth A. Williamson Diary pertains to the author's experiences and travels in England from June 7, 1909-September 3, 1909. She spent most of her time in London; some later entries mention travels around southern England and to Edinburgh, Scotland. Williamson most frequently wrote about sightseeing and visiting famous landmarks, but also commented on other activities, such as shopping. Ruth A. Williamson's calling card is laid into the volume.

The second Clara Gurley Williamson Diary, also in a pre-printed Excelsior volume, contains daily entries about Williamson's life in Indianapolis, Indiana, from January 1, 1918-April 2, 1918. Williamson commented on her social activities, her health, and news of her friends and family members, especially her children. She occasionally mentioned news of the war, such as the signing of the Treaty of Brest-Litovsk (February 22, 1918). Financial records and instructions for knitting a "Kitchener sock" are written in the back of the volume. Items laid in include a calling card for Charles G. Williamson containing his military address, a cloth United States flag mounted on a small wooden dowel, and clippings about the deaths of Henry Janeway Hardenburgh and Douw D. Williamson. A postcard with a painting of Waikite Geyser in New Zealand, addressed to A. Parsons in London, England, is also laid into the diary.

The Scrapbook (1860s-1880s) is comprised of newspaper clippings about numerous topics, including biographies of William Gurley and biographical notices about other members of the Gurley family, such as Clara Gurley Williamson and Esther Gurley Cook. Some clippings feature prominent individuals such as Ulysses S. Grant, Charles Dickens, and Louisa May Alcott. Items report national news, news from Troy, New York, and stories about Emma Willard and the Troy Female Seminary. Additional topics include poetry, international travel, and stamp collecting.

A Photograph Album contains 42 carte-de-visite photographs, 2 lithographs, and 1 tintype print. Most of the photographs are studio portraits of men, women, and children, including many members of the Gurley family and related families. Most of the pictures are dated 1866-1880, though the album includes a 1902 photograph of Charles G. Williamson in a military uniform.

In this volume, Philadelphia pharmacist Peter Williamson transcribed his descriptions of 4 bird-hunting trips he took around the 1830s, his daughter Sarah's account of a trip taken from Philadelphia to northeastern New York in 1828, and genealogical information obtained from three Williamson family Bibles.

In this volume, Philadelphia pharmacist Peter Williamson transcribed his descriptions of 4 hunting trips he took between 1829 and 1832 (16 pages), his daughter Sarah's account of a trip taken from Philadelphia to northeastern New York in 1828 (5 pages), and genealogical information obtained from three Williamson family Bibles (9 pages)

The volume's first section recounts hunting trips Peter Williamson took around Pennsylvania, New Jersey, and Delaware. The first, entitled "An Excursion to the Chesapeake" (pages 1-10), covers his experiences hunting birds near the Delaware and Chesapeake Canal. Williamson recalled the trip in a humorous tone, and described his bad hunting luck. He and his companion, "C.," encountered a nearby family, with whom they shared a meal, and later hired local residents to serve as guides. Instead of assisting the hunters, however, the guides failed to retrieve fallen game, forcing Williamson and his companion to purchase birds previously shot by the locals. This account was published in The Cabinet of Natural History and American Rural Sports, vol. 1 (Philadelphia, 1830), pages 118-120.

The account, entitled "Journal of Sport for 1832 by one who has heretofore never been very fortunate in securing an unusual quantity of Game" (pages 11-15) describes Williamson's bird hunting trip near Thompson's Point, New Jersey, on March 22, 1832. In addition to his hunting activities, Williamson recalled a mishap with his dearborn carriage, in which the vehicle was nearly swamped by floodwaters on a country road. The trip was ultimately successful, as Williamson and his colleague shot 16 birds. The remaining stories (pages 16-17) also recount bird-hunting excursions. The first took place in the Delaware River near League Island and Maiden Island on April 14, 1832, and the second near Chesapeake City, Maryland, on an unknown date. The hunters sought ducks, geese, swans, and wading birds.

Peter Williamson's daughter Sarah wrote an account of a family trip from Philadelphia to northeastern New York in the summer of 1828, when she was 9 years old; his transcription is in this volume. The 5-page narrative, entitled "A Trip to Saratoga and Lake George," begins with the author boarding the steamboat Pennsylvania, which hit a sloop only an hour into its journey. After arriving at Bordentown, the family traveled to a town called Washington, where they embarked on a steamboat for New York City. Sarah briefly gave some impressions of the scenery and listed some of her sightseeing destinations in New York City. The Williamsons soon left for Albany aboard the steamboat Independence, and from there to Troy and Saratoga. Along the way, she recorded impressions of the Catskill Mountains and West Point. After arriving in Saratoga, the Williamson family visited several local springs, and Sarah mentioned seeing workmen boring for salt and an encampment of Oneida Indian families. On her way to Lake George, she described Glens Falls and other natural features in the area. She also visited the remains of Fort George and Fort William Henry, and briefly reflected on nearby gravesites and on a massacre that took place during the French and Indian War. The remainder of the account is a brief description of the family's return route to Philadelphia.

The final section of this volume consists of 9 pages of genealogical information that Peter Williamson copied from 3 family Bibles. Most entries consist of birth, death, and marriage dates. He explicitly mentioned his father and grandfather. Peter Williamson wrote this section of the journal on October 26, 1874.

The collection is arranged into three small series: Correspondence, Studley Family, and Other Papers. Included in the collection is a scattering of correspondence, diaries, 1860 and 1873, of trip in Florida and Europe, a scrapbook, and newspaper clippings concerning the activities of the Studley family, 1855-1910.

William Upjohn, an English immigrant, composed these diaries between January 1, 1836, and September 22, 1839, while he lived in Pittsford, New York. He commented on his farm, family news, the Erie Canal, and current events.

William Upjohn, an English immigrant, composed these 2 diaries (approximately 350 pages) while living in Pittsford, New York, in the 1830s. The diaries contain a single running account from January 1, 1836-September 22, 1839, as well as notes and financial information. Upjohn wrote almost daily about his life near Pittsford and the Erie Canal, and frequently mentioned his farm work. He grew several crops, including barley and wheat, and raised pigs and other livestock. He occasionally drew maps of his land, showing different planting areas, and made one particularly detailed sketch of his garden (June 22, 1839). Upjohn and his family lived near the Erie Canal, and he noted the annual onset of the navigable season, as well as that of winter ice on the water. In March and April 1838, he reported on his attempts to collect insurance after a fire occurred in his home.

Many entries pertain to Upjohn's children and to his family's health, and he recorded milestones such as the date when several of his children left for Michigan (May 20, 1836), the date of his daughter Keturah's marriage (September 25, 1837), and anniversaries of his birth, marriage, and emigration to North America (July 11, 1830). Keturah Upjohn Dally and her husband moved to Canada in October 1837, and her father's diary contains reports about the Canadian rebellions of 1837. On December 31, 1838, he reflected at length about the state of the world and listed several potential political flashpoints. Each volume also contains signed receipts, accounts, and other information pertaining to Upjohn's finances, as well as notes on topics such as pest control, trips to Rochester, and weather patterns.

Internationally recognized librarian; director of the University of Michigan Library. Correspondence and subject files relating to professional activities.

The Bishop papers consist of personal and professional files documenting William Warner Bishop's activities apart from his work as librarian at the University of Michigan. The librarian's files were separately received and continue to be maintained as part of the records of the University of Michigan Library.