Collections : [University of Michigan William L. Clements Library]

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Collection

Daniel J. Zutt letters, 1922-1923

4 items

The collection consists of four letters, dating from November 20, 1922, to June 29, 1923, that Daniel Zutt wrote to his mother Elise Hartmetz Zutt while he was studying in Berlin and traveling around Europe. The letters primarily discuss Zutt's social activities and the economic situation in the Weimar Republic.

The collection consists of four letters, dating from November 20, 1922, to June 29, 1923, that Daniel Zutt wrote to his mother Elise Hartmetz Zutt while he was studying in Berlin and traveling around Europe. The letters primarily discuss Zutt's social activities and the economic situation in the Weimar Republic.

While in Berlin, Zutt boarded with the Rehse household at Hektorstrasse 5 in Halensee. He discusses his frustration with the bureaucratic police registration process for foreigners and his difficulty in finding time to write home and keep his diary. Zutt traveled around Germany including Mainz, Worms, and Aachen to visit family as well as sight-see with another American. He celebrated Thanksgiving, visited the American embassy in Berlin, and attended a Berlin Philharmonic concert courtesy of free tickets from his landlady and her violinist daughter. Zutt intersperses German words in his letters and notes that he socialized with Germans to learn the language, including attending cabarets. Zutt comments on costs, the untenable economic situation, uncertainty over the value of the German mark, export rules, and the food shortage. Zutt later studied in Paris, France, but returned to Berlin for a stay in 1923, traveling through former WWI battle zones.

Collection

Mary and Frank Young papers, 1899-1918 (majority within 1899-1907)

50 items

This collection is made up of 48 personal letters addressed to Frank Dwight Young and his wife, Mary Davis Stephens, of Greenwood, New York, as well as 2 printed wedding invitations. The couple received letters from female family members and acquaintances throughout the state of New York and from as far away as Pontiac, Michigan, and Topeka, Kansas. Correspondents discussed a variety of topics, such as the death of the Youngs' first son and the lives of women in the early 20th century, including an unmarried female teacher's experiences in Hartford, Connecticut, and New York City.

This collection is made up of 48 personal letters addressed to Frank Dwight Young and his wife, Mary Davis Stephens, of Greenwood, New York, as well as 2 printed wedding invitations. The couple exchanged letters and received correspondence from female family members and acquaintances throughout the state of New York and from as far away as Pontiac, Michigan, and Topeka, Kansas.

Mary Young wrote to her husband while visiting family in Massachusetts in June and July 1899, describing an encounter with President William McKinley and his wife (June 21, 1899) and a Fourth of July clambake in Attleboro (July 5, 1899). During this time, she also visited churches, attended religious meetings, and reflected on religion. Most of the remaining items, dated 1902-1907, are the Youngs' incoming correspondence from female family members and friends. Nine condolence letters concern the death of Paul Redman Young in early 1904. Mary's friend Bertha in Topeka, Kansas, wrote a letter about the arrest of temperance advocate Carry Nation, in which Bertha expressed her own negative opinions of illicit saloons (January 11, 1903).

Ivanna, another acquaintance, wrote to Mary Young about her career as a music teacher and substitute teacher in Huntington, New York; Hartford, Connecticut; and New York City, in the early 20th century. She discussed various teaching experiences, explained her decision to relocate to New York City from Hartford in December 1907, and described her lodgings in Harlem (December 14, 1907). In one undated letter, she shared some of her thoughts on marriage; though at one time she intended to marry someone and did not oppose the idea of marriage, she expressed contentment with her single life. Other frequent correspondents included Mary's sister Estelle and her sister-in-law Ellen. Frank Young wrote the final 2 letters on July 12, 1917, and July 6, 1918, giving Mary news of Greenwood.

Collection

Mary Young papers, 1864-1905 (majority within 1895-1901)

0.25 linear feet

This collection contains letters that Mary C. Young of Cambridge and Waltham, Massachusetts, received from her brother and sister-in-law, Gorham and Mary Blake, who lived in Georgia and in Oakland, California. Gorham Blake wrote of his mining interests in California and Georgia, and later described his life in Oakland. After his death, his widow frequently corresponded with Young, about her late husband's life and her own health. The collection also includes 6 portraits of Blake family members.

This collection contains 50 letters that Mary C. Young of Cambridge and Waltham, Massachusetts, received from her brother and sister-in-law, Gorham and Mary Blake, who lived in Georgia and in Oakland, California. The collection also includes 6 cartes-de-visite of Blake family members.

The Correspondence series comprises the bulk of the collection. In his first letter (6 pages), Gorham Blake described his recent journey to the Dardanelles Mine in Placer County, California, which took him across the Great Plains and the deserts of Nevada (August 16, 1864). Two letters he wrote from the Loudsville Camp in White County, Georgia, mention his local mining interests, the weather, and a recent earthquake (September 6, 1886, and January 5, 1887). Having received a medical degree around 1877, he occasionally offered medical advice. The bulk of Blake's correspondence is dated between 1895 and 1897, as he described his life in San Francisco and Oakland, California. He commented on political issues such as the Southern economy and the nation's upper class, and discussed his mining interests in Georgia and California. Some of his letters address religion and spiritualism, and toward the end of his life he focused more prominently on his life and on news of his extended family. His last letter fragment is postmarked April 6, 1897.

Mary Young's cousin wrote a condolence letter about Gorham's death on December 17, 1897, and enclosed a handwritten invitation to the funeral and a lengthy printed pamphlet on Masonic funeral rites. Gorham's widow Mary composed most of the remaining correspondence, discussing her husband's life and death as well as her finances, which were affected by her ownership of at least one mine in Georgia. Her final letter is dated January 4, 1901.

Charles Husband, an employee of the Alameda County Treasurer's Office and a friend of the Blakes, wrote 3 letters, including descriptions of Gorham Blake's ailing health (December 14, 1897) and funeral (December 27, 1897). M. Louise Warren wrote one letter to Edward J. Young, about her desire to purchase a statuette of "Wesley" (November 25, 1905).

The collection's 6 Photographs, all cartes-de-visite, show the following members of the Blake family:
  • Mary C. Blake (1862)
  • Gorham Blake (May 15, 1866, and two undated)
  • Frank Blake (undated)
  • James Blake (undated)
Collection

George H. B. Young letters, 1864

7 items

This collection is made up of 7 letters that Private George H. B. Young wrote to his family while serving with the 26th Ohio Independent Light Artillery Battery in Vicksburg, Mississippi, between April 24, 1864, and September 16, 1864.

This collection is made up of 7 letters that Private George H. B. Young wrote to his family, while serving with the 26th Ohio Independent Light Artillery Battery in Vicksburg, Mississippi, between April 24, 1864, and September 16, 1864.

Young addressed his letters to his parents, George H. and Rebecca Young, and to his brother, Jacob B. Young. He occasionally signed his letters "Hardesty." He described his experiences at Vicksburg during the Union occupation, and recorded his impressions of African Americans and captured Confederate soldiers (April 24, 1864). Young expressed fondness for military life, which he preferred to farm work, and provided details about camp life and the size of his battery. In one letter, he suggested that his brother Jacob ride to Vicksburg to collect his pay, though he anticipated difficulties along the route, such as possible capture by Confederate forces (April 24, 1864). He drew a picture of a person carrying a letter (May 2, 1864), and wrote 3 letters on stationery from the United States Christian Commission.

Collection

Joseph LaVille Young collection, 1858-1947 (majority within 1898-1946)

1 linear foot

This collection is made up of correspondence, documents, photographs, printed items, and genealogical papers related to Joseph LaVille Young, who served in the Virginia Militia, United States Army, and United States Navy from the 1890s to the end of World War I. Most of the materials pertain to Young's military career, particularly during the Spanish-American War and World War I.

This collection (1 linear foot) is made up of approximately 200 letters and documents, 15 photographs, 30 printed items, and genealogical papers related to Joseph LaVille Young, who served in the Virginia Militia, United States Army, and United States Navy from the 1890s to the end of World War I. The bulk of the collection is comprised of a partially disassembled scrapbook; the loose items from the scrapbook have been arranged into series of correspondence and documents, photographs, printed items, and genealogical materials.

The majority of the Correspondence and Documents relate to Young's service in the Spanish-American War and World War I. They include commissions, orders, memorandums, and financial records. One small group of items pertains to Theodore Roosevelt's efforts to raise volunteer troops during World War I, including a signed letter from Roosevelt to Young, who had wanted to raise a Virginia regiment (May 25, 1917). Joseph LaVille kept a small memorandum book while stationed in France from January to February 1918. Most of the notes concern his expenses and other financial affairs, and he also copied information about converting English measures to metric units.

Additional manuscripts include some personal letters that Young wrote to his sister Linda while in France during World War I and a small number of documents related to the military service of Joseph LaVille Young, Sr. The later letters and documents concern Young's desire to return to the military during World War II, his real estate career, and the genealogy of the Pritchard family.

The Photographs include group portraits of the "Richmond Light Infantry Blues" during their Spanish-American War service in Cuba, and studio and informal portraits of Joseph LaVille Young as a young man, a Spanish-American War soldier, a member of the United States Navy, and an older man. One image shows Young posing in front of the family home in Portsmouth, Virginia, and another shows an unidentified man flexing his biceps and upper back muscles.

The Printed Items series is made up of 9 picture postcards, featuring scenes from multiple French towns; newspaper clippings, including obituaries for the elder Joseph LaVille Young and other family members; advertisements for real estate in Richmond, Virginia; and a pamphlet titled La Langue Anglaise sans Màître (1915).

The Genealogical Papers series includes histories, tables, and notes related to the Hollowell, Bacon, Hunter, Pettit, Godfrey, Swift, James, and Pritchard families. Included is a family tree showing Joseph LaVille Young's ancestors and a binder containing information on heraldic crests.

Collection

Charlotte York letters, 1845-1852

24 items

This collection is made up of 23 letters that Charlotte York wrote to her fiancé and husband, Stiles P. York, in the mid-19th century. She discussed her life in Tarrytown, New York, while her husband was in New York City.

This collection is made up of 23 letters that Charlotte York wrote to her fiancé and husband, Stiles P. York, in the mid-19th century. She discussed her life in Tarrytown, New York, while her husband was in New York City.

Charlotte wrote 5 letters from November 6, 1845-March 22, 1852, and 18 undated letters during the couple's courtship and after their wedding. In one undated letter, identified as "Thursday 2 o'clock," Charlotte anticipated their upcoming wedding and her transition from single to married life, and she later wrote one letter on their anniversary, May 12. Before and during their marriage, she reflected on her feelings for her husband and on her role as a housewife. She also reported the weather conditions and provided news about her neighbors and family members, particularly her mother and her sister Alletta. One letter is about her visit to Newburgh, New York, in March 1852. Charlotte occasionally referred to the Tarrytown Female Seminary, which she ran out of her home, and the collection includes a manuscript advertisement for her services, accompanied by a list of references.

Collection

William Yardley mathematics and surveying exercise book, 1812

1 volume

The William Yardley Mathematics and Surveying Exercise Book contains solved geometric, trigonometric, and surveying exercises, including practical problems and illustrated examples that feature drawings of buildings, animals, and landscape elements.

The William Yardley Mathematics and Surveying Exercise Book contains solved geometric, trigonometric, and surveying exercises, including practical problems and illustrated examples that feature drawings of buildings, animals, and landscape elements. Calligraphic lettering appears throughout.

One letter written by Harry [Crockett?] to his mother, Mrs. L. F. Crockett, from Portland, Maine, on October 8, 1903, is laid into the volume. Written on John W. Perkins Company, Wholesale Druggists, illustrated stationery, the letter comments on family matters, business, and deaths of acquaintances, including one gentleman who was killed by an electric car.

Collection

David Wyrick collection, 1860

1 volume

This collection is made up of a letter, drawings, maps, and newspaper clippings related to David Wyrick's discovery of inscribed stones in a Native American burial mound near Newark, Ohio, in 1860.

This collection is made up of a letter, drawings, maps, and a newspaper clipping related to David Wyrick's discovery of inscribed stones in an Indian burial mound near Newark, Ohio, in 1860. The items were once bound together under the title "Hebrew Inscriptions alleged to have been dug up in Ohio, U.S.A." Wyrick wrote an 8-page letter to William Brockie, editor of The Sunderland Times, on September 8, 1860, about his archaeological exploits. He recounted his actions on June 29, 1860, the day of his discovery, describing the Newark burial mounds and the Hebrew-inscribed "Keystone" he discovered there. Wyrick addressed the possibility that he had been the victim of a hoax, but ultimately expressed his belief that the stone was a genuine ancient artifact, possibly a relic of one of the Lost Tribes of Israel. His letter also refers to the draining of a nearby artificial pond, the durability of the logs located on its floor, and the discovery of several skeletons in a burial mound.

Wyrick's letters contain references to enclosed drawings and maps (which are present in the collection). Four colored drawings include two- and three-dimensional views of each of the Keystone's four inscribed faces, a diagram of the burial mound where Wyrick unearthed the artifact, and a cross-section of a mound containing several skeletons. Three of the manuscript maps are overhead views of the Newark earthworks, including copies of maps by Caleb Atwater (1820) and Squier and Davis (1848), and Wyrick's own detailed map (1860). A final manuscript map is a view of an artificial lake near Utica, Ohio (undated). Some of the visual materials have lengthy captions written on the verso.

The final items in the Wyrick collection are two newspaper clippings published in The Sunderland Times on October 6, 1860, regarding the Wyrick excavation. One article reprints several lengthy quotations from Wyrick's letter to William Brockie, and the other contains translations of the stone's Hebrew inscriptions.

Collection

Nathaniel J. Wyeth collection, 1831-1853

0.25 linear feet

This collection is primarily made up of incoming letters to Nathaniel Jarvis Wyeth of Cambridge, Massachusetts. Wyeth corresponded with his siblings, cousins, and other family members about his travels to Oregon, their personal lives, and finances.

This collection (139 items) is primarily made up of incoming letters to Nathaniel Jarvis Wyeth of Cambridge, Massachusetts. Wyeth corresponded with his siblings, cousins, and other family members about his travels to Oregon, their personal lives, and finances.

Between September 1831-February 1832, Nathaniel received 4 letters from Jacob Wyeth, his brother, about preparations for their expedition to Oregon. Jacob later provided news from Galena, Illinois, where he married and settled down after his time in Oregon. From 1834-1848, Nathaniel J. Wyeth, his wife Elizabeth, and other family members received personal letters from members of the Wyeth, Jarvis, and Clark families, often concerning travel, religion, and family news. In 1841, Nathaniel Jarvis Wyeth wrote a series of letters to his wife about a visit to New Orleans, Louisiana. The bulk of the letters from 1848-1851 are short missives from Nathaniel's brother Leonard regarding the brothers' financial affairs.

Collection

Sarah Wright correspondence, 1900

4 items

This collection is made up of four letters sent in response to Sarah Wright's inquiries about her missing husband Frank Wright, dated between April and June of 1900. Three letters are from J. M. Hawks, one of Frank's friends, and Dr. Lewis Van Gilder Guthrie, the superintendent of the Second Hospital for the Insane in West Virginia, where Frank died in 1896.

This collection comprises four letters sent in response to Sarah Wright's inquiries about her missing husband Frank Wright, dated between April and June of 1900. Three letters are from J. M. Hawks, one of Frank's friends, and Dr. Lewis Van Gilder Guthrie, the superintendent of the Second Hospital for the Insane in West Virginia, where Frank died in 1896.

For detailed information about each item in the collection, please see the box and folder listing.