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This collection primarily consists of correspondence of U.S. diplomat Christopher Hughes; his twin sister Peggy Hughes Moore; his in-laws the Moore family; his spouse Laura Smith Hughes (1792-1832); their daughter Margaret Smith Hughes Kennedy (1819-1884); and Anthony Kennedy (1810-1892), his son-in-law. The papers largely date between the War of 1812 and the U.S. War with Mexico. Christopher Hughes corresponded with U.S. Presidents, Secretaries of State, and a large circle of friends and family on both sides of the Atlantic. The papers reflect American diplomatic policy in Europe after the War of 1812, particularly in Sweden, the Netherlands, Denmark, and France. They also present the lives and experiences of the social and personal lives of women and children who traveled as part of the duties of an American diplomat.

This collection primarily consists of correspondence of U.S. diplomat Christopher Hughes; his twin sister Peggy Hughes Moore; his in-laws the Moore family; his spouse Laura Smith Hughes (1792-1832); their daughter Margaret Smith Hughes Kennedy (1819-1884); and Anthony Kennedy (1810-1892), his son-in-law. The papers largely date between the War of 1812 and the U.S. War with Mexico. Christopher Hughes corresponded with U.S. Presidents, Secretaries of State, and a large circle of friends and family on both sides of the Atlantic. The papers reflect American diplomatic policy in Europe after the War of 1812, particularly in Sweden, the Netherlands, Denmark, and France. They also present the lives and experiences of the social and personal lives of women and children who traveled as part of the duties of an American chargé d'affaires.

The papers also include financial papers, military documents, property documentation, materials related to the San Pedro Company, writings, poetry, sketches, photographs, ephemera, and other printed items. Among the writings is an 1840 account of a visit by Christopher Hughes to physician Fru Jansen at Catherineberg for health care; 1842 travel writing by Margaret Hughes; and manuscript and printed poetry, including dinner toasts, a valentine poem, an acrostic on Margaret's name, translations, and more.

Other selected items include pencil sketches of four of the five peace commissioners at the Treaty of Ghent negotiations in Belgium, by Dutch artist P. van Huffel, January 1815. The portraits include John Quincy Adams, James A. Bayard, Henry Clay, Albert Gallatin, and Christopher Hughes (as secretary of the delegation). A lithographed portrait of Christopher Hughes, by Jean Baptiste Madou, from 1829 is also present in the collection's oversize materials, with a lithograph image of "le capitole a Washington" below the portrait of Hughes. It features an autograph presentation from Christopher Hughes to Prince Henry of the Netherlands, July 12, 1845. A group of 24 photographs from the early 1930s depict the grave of Laura Smith Hughes (1795-1832) and the church where she was buried, Bromme Church in Akershof, near Stockholm, Sweden, and a variety of other people and places.

Please see the Christopher Hughes Indices and Notes for an index of letter writers and inventories of non-correspondence materials.

The Chrystal G. Tibbs Papers comprise over a half-century of documents pertaining to Tibbs's membership in various chapters of the Alpha Kappa Alpha Sorority and to the history of the sorority at large. Founded at Howard University in 1908, A.K.A. was the first sorority established by African-American women and currently has approximately 250,000 members. The collection's four series contain papers pertaining to Tibbs's personal participation in sorority activities (including those related to her tenure in various administrative posts), materials from several Michigan chapters, sorority publications, and audiovisual materials. In addition, the collection contains work done by Tibbs and family members to document the Powell, Webster, and Winchester family history.

The Chrystal G. Tibbs Papers comprise materials accumulated through Tibbs's participation in Alpha Kappa Alpha conferences, chapter meetings, and special interest groups at the local, state, regional, and national level over a span of fifty years. The activities of Michigan-based chapters are particularly well represented. Materials also include personal and professional documentation directly related to Tibbs and her immediate family. The collection is divided into four series: Personal Papers, Professional Career, Powell Family Papers, and Alpha Kappa Alpha Sorority.

Governing body of the Church of God denomination in Michigan. Administrative records, 1925-1988, including annual reports, minutes of Michigan Ministerial Assembly, and minutes and reports of various church committees, divisions, and boards; correspondence with various individual congregations, also collected historical materials about specific congregations; correspondence of executive secretary-treasurer Gale Hetrick; correspondence files of other clergy and church officials; historical materials collected by Hetrick as background for his history of the church; audio-tapes; and photographs.

The records of the Church of God in Michigan consist primarily of correspondence, administrative records, collected historical files, and photographs and audio-tapes, covering the period of 1880 to 1988. The bulk of the records date from 1920, the year of the founding of the Michigan Ministerial Assembly. In large part, the collection was collected and maintained by church historian and executive secretary, Gale Hetrick.

The collection divides into eleven series: Michigan Ministerial Assembly; Administrative Records; Congregational Records; Congregation Historical Materials; Executive Secretary-Treasurer, Gale Hetrick, Correspondence Files; Correspondence with Clergy and Church Officers; Church Organizational Files; Printed Material; Collected Historical Materials; Audio-tapes; and Photographs. The final two series, Audio-tapes and Photographs are unprocessed.

Episcopal church located in Detroit, Michigan; church records include church histories, vestry minutes, annual parish meeting minutes and reports, membership directories and card indexes, scattered correspondence and bulletins, records of church women's organization, and photographs.; also register of baptisms, marriages, burials, and communicants; and registers of church services.

The records of the Church of the Ascension Church span most of this parish's history, though there are many gaps especially in the late 1970s through to its demise in the 1980s. The record group is strongest for the middle period of the church's history. There is unfortunately little material relating to the ethnic changeover of the church in its last decade. The record group has been arranged into the following series: Registers of baptisms, burials, marriages, communicants; Registers of church services; Historical/background information; Vestry meeting minutes; Parish meetings/reports; Church Office; and Church organizations. The Historical/Background Information series includes written histories, newspaper clippings, and photographs of church personalities and activities. The greatest depth of information about the church is found in the run of Vestry meeting minutes and the series of Parish meetings/reports.

Church of the Good Shepherd (Episcopal) in Dearborn Heights, Michigan was established in 1954. In 1990, the church building was sold; and in 1998, the congregation officially disbanded. The records include a complete register of church vital records, parochial reports, and annual reports.

The records of the Church of the Good Shepherd are perhaps of most value for their genealogical information about church families. In addition, the records include a complete church register and an inclusive series of parochial reports, Bishop's Committee meetings, church school records, and annual reports. Church histories were written in 1959 and 1981 and a scrapbook spanning the life of the church combines pictures and newspaper clippings.

The records have been arranged into the following series: Registers of Baptisms, Marriages, Burials, Communicants, etc.; Administration; Membership; Activities; and Historical and Background Information.

Episcopal Church in Detroit, Michigan with long history of involvement in social action activities and urban ministry. Records include minutes, registers, scrapbooks and photographs.

The records of the Church of the Messiah (2.5 linear ft., 1875-1988) span most of it's years -- from establishment in 1874 through several transitional periods and into the late 80s. The collection consists mainly of ledger books and record books, collected material pertaining to church history, scrapbooks of clippings, and photographs. There are four series in the Church of the Messiah collection: Minutes, Registers, Scrapbooks and Miscellaneous Material, and Photographs.

Researchers should note that Church of the Messiah collaborated in ministry with Epiphany Episcopal Church in the early 1970s. The two churches merged in 1974. The Bentley Historical Library holds a small collection of Epiphany records (1 linear ft. and 4 oversized volumes).

Interdenominational church women's organization, formerly known as United Church Women of Ann Arbor. Minutes, reports, yearbooks, scrapbooks, photographs, sound recordings, and other files relating to activities and interests.

The record group begins with a file relating to the organization's history and administrative structure. This is followed by a bound volume containing minutes for the years of 1941 to 1950. The record group is then arranged into yearly files dating from 1950 to 2004. These files include such materials as mimeographed board of directors reports as well as a variety of newsletters, bulletins, and financial reports. An important source of information about the organization is a series of scrapbooks with clippings and some photographs detailing group activities in the period of 1960 to 2001.

Interdenominational church women's organization. Histories, programs, office files, scrapbooks, and photographs of activities.

The records of Church Women United in Michigan (CWUMI) reflect only a part of the organization's history. No primary materials exist prior to 1948, and the existing material created between 1948 and 1954 is very sketchy. Documentation is richest starting the 1960s. Material from this era includes minutes of CWUMI executive and annual meetings, material relating to committees and committee reports, bylaws, correspondence of CWUMI presidents, periodical publications, files relating to projects and activities, material related to CWUMI local groups, and lists of member organizations.

The Citizens for Traditional Values record group documents four separate but interrelated organizations having many of the same members and sharing a strategy aimed at uniting conservative Christians on behalf of similarly-minded candidates for office. These organizations were The Freedom Council (1985-1987), the Michigan Committee for Freedom (1986-1992), the MCFF offshoot organization Celebrate Life (1989-1992), and the Citizens for Traditional Values (1991-present). The record group contains a variety of documentary materials such as office files, correspondence, budgets, reports, fundraising information, draft materials, and news clippings.

The record group contains materials from The Michigan Freedom Council (MFC -1985-1987), the Michigan Committee for Freedom (MCFF -- 1986-1992), the MCFF offshoot organization Celebrate Life (1989-1992), and the Council for Traditional Values (1991-present), conservative Christian political activist groups working in Michigan. The records contains a variety of documentary materials such as office files, correspondence, budgets, reports, fundraising information, draft materials, and news clippings to give a well-rounded view of the conservative Christian political scene in Michigan.

This collection includes individual carte-de-visite portraits of Civil War soldiers that are not part of any manuscript collection. It also includes a few group portraits.

Many other Civil War portraits are found in individual manuscript collections. To find a listing of collections containing portraits and other photographs from the Civil War, please refer to the MIRLYN catalog under the subject United States--History--Civil War, 1861-1865.