Collections

Collection includes 21 glass slides of the Grove Gardens of Saginaw, Michigan, circa 1907.

Beautiful, colored, homemade, glass lantern slides (21) of classical gardens in bloom in spring in the Grove district of Saginaw, Michigan. Each slide measures approximately 3 inches x 4 inches. The slides are undated, but annotation in the original listing states that the last three lantern slides were taken using the autochrome process, which was marketed to the public in 1907. The slides probably date from circa 1907. The slides are in the original numerical order. Images of the following gardens are included: Will McClelland, Mrs. Harwood Gilbert, G. H. Boyd, R. Judd, R. S. Montague, Treanor, C. L. Ring, Fred Buck, Mrs. Herman Zahnow, and Mrs. Blumbes. The slides are in excellent condition.

All of the gardens documented in the collection were very large and gorgeous, including classical architecture, fountains, and extensive grounds bordering on Lake Linton. Clearly the owners of the gardens were very wealthy Saginawians. According to Saginaw Images, at http://www.saginawimages.org (viewed February 5, 2009), Saginaw received 125 acres on September 5, 1905 from the Honorable Ezra Rust for a large park. This included property in Hoyt's Subdivision and the area known as the Middle Ground, which had previously been the site of many lumber mills. Lake Linton, also known as Rust lake or Wright's Bayou, ran behind the Grove mansions located on the west side of South Washington Avenue in Saginaw. In 1907-1908 Ojibway Island was built, swamp land was dredged, and lowlands were filled in. In 1924 Lake Linton was cut in half by Ezra Rust Drive which was constructed by a boat being sunk and covered with dirt. Additions to the park continued until 2000.

Organizational records include correspondence, lists of members, reports, clippings, and other related materials.

The collection includes the organizational records of SAESG, including Correspondence; Lists of Members; Reports; and related materials including, Reports and Newspapers Clippings (copies), 1954, 1987, undated. The collection includes MASA Committee Materials and Correspondence, 1954, 1995, undated, and MASA general Correspondence, 1961, 1975, undated. Robert Hall’s Personal and Professional Correspondence, 1953, 1972, undated; Speeches, 1960, 1971, undated; and Biographical Information, 1971, 1995, undated, complete the collection.

The Stephen L Barstow collection consists of various architectural records dating between 1953 and 1988, mostly undated, drawn or collected by Barstow.

The Stephen L Barstow collection consists of various architectural records dating between 1953 and 1988, mostly undated. The records are organized by topic. There may be drafts and copies, as well as some original blueprints for each building, but the collection does not include an entire set of complete blueprints for any building. Drawings include proposed developments, sketches, site plans, mechanical and other details, floor plans, survey maps, site profiles and plans, preliminary views, alternate plans, design development plans, elevations, master development plans, foundation plans, among others. There are various types of pencil notations on blueline and trace paper drawings. Items within each folder are numbered in pencil in the lower right corner to assist patrons in retrieving specific items.

The collection includes architectural drawings of various houses and churches of Midland, Michigan, including the Church of the Nazarene, and other nearby buildings including West Midland Community Center, Northwood Institute, Crown Petroleum, Inc. gas station on US-23, the Midland County Santa Claus Workshop [house], West Midland County Parks Site Plan, Midland Hospital’s chronic care room. Blueprints for Interlochen Music Camp, Kent Intermediate Schools, Bay Refining Company Station, Central Pumping Station, DePauw University Performing Arts Center, Kalamazoo Nature Center, the Leonard Refineries, Inc. service station and sign, Stadium Boulevard Site Plan, Theater for Wayne State University, Young Subdivision curb grades, Roscommon Congregational Church, Temple Beth-El in Spring Valley, New York, lamps and decks are also included.

Note: Some records are brittle due to high acidity and there is also an issue of fading.

Copyright Note: Many of the drawings in the collection are copyrighted by Alden B. Dow. It is unclear how or why Barstow collected them. “Copyright of all Aden B. Dow materials is held by the Alden B. and Vada B. Dow Creativity Foundation. Patrons wishing to reproduce the material for purposes other than scholarship purposes must contact the Foundation.” Drawings in the collection which are not under Dow copyright are so indicated in the folder listing.

The papers include biographical materials, photographs, copies of court transcripts, correspondence, and newspaper clippings regarding the Circuit Court of Appeals of Michigan, elections and court reform, the Criminal Investigation Division of World War II, Flint Hungarian Relief Committee, minutes of the Michigan Judges Association-Court Administration Committee, correspondence with Justic Warren Burger, speeches, and certificates of appointment.

The collection covers Roth’s life and career, especially as related to the busing ruling. The collection is mostly newspaper clippings, his speeches, notes, court case materials, and biographical materials, including obituaries. Photographs and a history paper of his son, Bradford, provide the only family materials. The Sixth Judicial Circuit, Annual Conferences, folder includes miscellaneous correspondence between Roth and Justice Warren Burger, 1971-1972.

Patrons are advised to exercise caution when researching in the collection which has suffered some mold and mildew damage.

Collection include images of Ann Arbor Railroad cars, engines, and Lifeboat No. 2 of the Edmund Fitzgerald, and retirement papers of Larsen.

The collection consists of images from various sources of Ann Arbor railroad cars, engines, and ferries, Lifeboat No. 2 of the Edmund Fitzgerald, damaged, as well as Larsen's retirement and layoff papers.

Organizational records of the club including minutes, bylaws, brochures, financial records, reports, and other materials.

The collection includes an incomplete run of Board of Director and Regular Club Meeting Minutes, Membership Cards and lists, Financial Statements, and Correspondence. Also included are the Club’s By Laws, the Charter meeting brochure, various scattered Reports, Project Materials, History Materials, a Plaque, Apron, three Banners, and other miscellaneous materials. Newspaper clippings (copies) are in various folders.

Processing Note: Publications of the Sunrise Rotary Club, including its newsletter, Spokesman, programs, directories, and miscellaneous publications of District 631 have been separately cataloged. The records of the first (ongoing) Rotary Club (Mount Pleasant, Mich.) are separately cataloged as well

Organizational records include various financial accounts and a photography (copy) of the store.

The collection consists mainly of accounts and related financial information, such as inventories of goods, expenditures, income, and the purchases and debts of customers, 1900-1959, and tax information, 1963. Each volume is indexed in the front.

Collection of materials about Jones and materials derived from his book.

The collection includes Biographical Information: his obituary (copy), autobiography, and memorial service programs and video; and materials related to the chancel play derived from his book (A) Non-violent revelation to John, (copies of which are available in the CMU Libraries).

Of particular interest to CMU students will be his autobiography which documents how the increasing racial violence and numbers of murders, particularly those of Robert and President John F. Kennedy and Rev. Martin Luther King, Jr., affected him. He also details incidents of racism against African-Americans in Mount Pleasant and CMU and the efforts of CMU students and Father John Goodrow of St. John’s Episcopal Church to work towards positive integration and changes at CMU and in Mount Pleasant.

The collection includes photographic materials, papers, photographs, and postcards, mostly of the Traverse City, Michigan, area and other cities, towns, lumber camps, mines, and locks in Michigan.

This collection consists mostly of glass-plate negatives, film negatives, and glass positive slides; arranged in order by format and size. Some papers, photographs, and postcards complete the collection. Ormond S. Danford, a lawyer in Traverse City, Michigan, collected these materials. At least some of the photographs and glass-plate negatives are signed by S. E. Wait. It is possible that some of the unsigned images in the collection were created by Wait, but this cannot be verified. There are also a few items from at least one other unidentified photographer in this collection. In Box 15 a number of people in the photographs of Traverse City and the Traverse City State Hospital folders are identified as members of the Berkwith family. This would indicate that whether or not Wait originally photographed the Berkwiths, the family gave or sold their photograph collection to Danford.

Series I consists of 256 glass-plate negatives, Boxes 1-9 (4.5 cubic feet), and each plate measures 6.5 x 8.5 inches unless otherwise noted. Only one of the images is dated, 1900; the rest probably date from 1850 to 1900, but are undated. Most of these negatives are formal portraits in which the people photographed are dressed in their very best clothes. Plaid dresses were very popular as were lacy scarves for ladies and girls. One little boy is proudly dressed in a kilt and tartan (Glass-plate negative #68). Most of the men are in three piece suits with small ties, and sport beards and mustaches. These portraits were taken in the same studio setting with the same furniture and props. Single portraits of men and of women, and group photographs of family members, children, and women, and one of two men boxing with boxing gloves, are also in the portraits. The few portraits which are exceptions to this show props in the background, are not centered, show partial images of other people in the background or are double portraits. One portrait of a woman (#101) has suffered extreme emulsion damage and loss. A scanned print has been generated for use and the glass-plate negative, while retained in the collection, should not be used by researchers. One portrait is clearly that of Myron E. Haskell (#35), Assistant Postmaster of Traverse City, as shown in Old settlers of the Grand Traverse Region, p.15. Most of the images probably date from the 1860s-1900 based on hair styles and clothing. Five portraits may date from the 1850s because of the earlier hair styles and clothing (#17, 51, and 94, which are portraits of women; and #34 and 46, which are portraits of men).

Five glass-plate negatives in this group are not portraits. These include: #29 Five floral wreaths; one labeled Hose Co. No. 3, one labeled G.A.R.-In Memorium McPherson Post No. 118-Traverse City, 8 x 10 inches; #79 Aerial view of houses, trees, and some industrial buildings. “S. E. Wait Photo” in lower right corner, 5 x 8 inches; #80 Trees in foreground on hills, town in background, 5 x 8 inches; #88 “Traverse City from Bill Org’s heights.” Trees with water in background. Emulsion peeling off right side, some already lost, 5 x 8 inches; and #89 “London Rally Decorations. Aug. 5th, 1900. Cong’l [Congregational] Church, Traverse City, Mich. S. E. Wait, Photo.” Interior view of church from rear with pews, walls and ceiling draped with various flags, 5 x 8 inches. (A positive of the interior of the Congregational Church is in Box 15.)

Most of the glass-plate negatives are in pretty good shape. Some plates suffer from various degrees of emulsion damage, scratches, and/or have edges or sections broken off them. A few have black outlines around the person in the portrait. Many appear to have had paper pasted on their backs at one time. Most group images were photographed with the plate horizontally, while one or two people are usually photographed on the plate vertically.

It would be logical from the assumed date of the images in Series I, 1850-1900, to assume that Wait, probably the only local photographer at the time, photographed and developed these images.

Series II consists of the remainder of the 240 glass-plate negatives and 100 film negatives in Boxes 10-13 (2 cubic feet). The film negatives are mostly undated, but some of the glass-plate negatives are dated between 1891 and 1916. The glass-plate negatives and some of the film were interfiled in the original boxes and so have not been separated into different series. Sizes of glass-plate negatives vary from 6 x 2 inches to 2.75 x 4 inches. The topic matter varies in this series and includes: images of towns, boats, people, horses and buggies, lumbering and logs, a stuffed eagle, cottages, and a wedding, as well as views from boats looking towards shore. Again, most of these are in good condition with minor scratches or emulsion damage to the plates. There are also images of published drawings, poems, and paintings where the published date is 1879-1894; as well as images taken of two stereoscopic view, one of which is identified as the Chicago Fire, 1871, taken by J. H. Abbott, Photographer (in Box 12). Some of the glass-plate negatives are identified by location name, including: Traverse City, Karlin, Hawkins’ Point, Cannon Creek, Old Mission Point, most of which are located near Traverse City, and various places on Mackinaw Island, Fort Mackinaw, Marquette Ore Docks, and two of Lighthouse Point (perhaps at St. Ignace). Many of the glass-plate negatives are not dated, but those with dates range from 1891 to 1916. Some are signed by S. E. Wait.

The 100 film negatives, all undated and all turn of the century 1899/1900, are in Box 13, folders 4-10 and vary in size from 4 x 5 inches to 4 x 4 inches. The negatives came from a set of identified boxes. The first box (Folder 4), identified as Minnie and Frank’s wedding trip, include 18 film negatives all 4 x 5 inches, all undated, mostly of the Soo Locks, Mackinaw Island, Fort Mackinac and buildings. Folders 5 (measuring 4 x 5 inches) and Folder 6 (Measuring 3 x 6 inches) were identified as Bangilt Cottage and Duck Point and include 16 undated, unidentified film negatives mainly of people by cabins and houses in the woods and nature views. Folder 7 includes 4 negatives of various sizes identified as the Onsmore Home and Boat. The same house is in three of the images and may be the Onsmore home. The remaining image is of people in a row boat called the Sea Gull. Folders 8-10 include 60 undated negatives of varying size from the Copper Country Trip box. These negatives are mostly of people and a town, although there are two of mining equipment. The last five images in Folder 10 are images of published photographs including a statue of Fr. Marquette, Lake Linden’s Congregational Church, Hancock’s Congregational Church, and Red Jacket Shaft, C. and H. Mining Co., Calumet.

Box 14 is Series III and includes 37 positive Lumberjack slides. The original box was identified as Lumberjack Slides-S. E. Wait. The slides are made by two pieces of glass held together with black paper, sometimes with tape. Some of the slides are identified, some have “U.S. Department of Agriculture” printed on them, others have handwritten notation, others have published text, including some from Chicago, and some slides are unidentified. Sometimes the slide with the text is reversed and very difficult to read. Some of the slides have ornate detail around the edges indicating that it was purchased rather than created by Wait. It is possible that Wait photographed some of the images while employed by the Agriculture Department, and they were later available for purchase by the public. The slides mostly document lumbermen, ox and horse teams, loads of logs, lumber camps, interiors of buildings, people in and by camps, lumberyards and sawmills, lumber locomotives and trains, machinery in mills, floating logs, log jams, lumber teams, sawyers, a cook house, and a lumberjack bunkhouse. At least one slide (#3 in Box 14) is of a log jam on the St. Croix River, St. Croix Falls, WI, 1886. Identified site locations are: Chorron’s Camp, west of Grayling; near Traverse City; Saginaw; and Queen Dam on Middle Branch of the Cedar [River]. A load of logs is identified as “Fine Norway Pine” and another as “The White Pine King” giving age: 423 years, height: 207 feet, and feet scaled: 29800.

The last box, Box 15 (.5 cubic foot), is Series IV and includes Papers, Photographs, and Postcards mostly documenting Traverse City, Elk Rapids, Fife Lake, Michigan. Dated materials range from pre-1898 through 1969, but most of the materials are undated. Of note here are the Aetna School Board District Meeting Minutes, 1877-1912 (1 volume) of Mecosta County, Michigan; Grand Traverse Historical Society Meeting Minutes, May 20, 1954-March 27, 1969; and photographs of Traverse City and its State Hospital, 1895, and undated, in which members of the Berkwith family are identified.

Papers document Minor's academic career, tests, syllabi for his many classes, and some Central Michigan University committee meeting minutes, lists of members, constitutions, and related correspondence, as well as some biographical and family materials.

The majority of the collection documents Professor Minor’s academic career at University High School, Chicago, 1907, 1912-1917, and 1921-1922; Kalamazoo Central High School, Kalamazoo, 1921-1924; and CMU, at least 1924 through 1946. The Kalamazoo and Chicago materials are mainly tests and some syllabi for the many classes he taught, and a few pieces of correspondence. Among the CMU academic materials in this collection are tests for many courses, meeting minutes and related materials of the Curriculum Committee, departmental correspondence and correspondence to Professor Larzelere, as well as other related materials. Also included are lists of members, constitutions, and related correspondence, 1927-1942, of the CMU. Cliophiles Club, a student history organization. Some History 201/English 416 student papers from an extension course Professor Minor taught in Bad Axe, Michigan, in 1945 are also included. One of the paper researched Ora Labora, a German communal settlement that existed in Huron County, Michigan, from 1862 to 1871.

One of the more interesting topics documented in Professor Minor’s CMU academic papers is the League of Nations Association assemblies. Related correspondence, notes, and other materials on the assemblies exist for 1929 through 1935 and 1939. Participating Michigan students and professors attended an annual meeting at the University of Michigan, where they represented various countries they had studied and about which the participants had accumulated data. For international peace advocates, like CMU President Anspach, this was an important event for both students and professors to attend.

Also of interest are Naturalization Educational Record Cards, 1916-1924. These mainly blank form cards document twelve immigrant men who took night courses from Professor Minor while he taught in Kalamazoo. Basically names and addresses are given, as well as some notation of their attendance in classes. One card notes that the man documented is a German mechanic. Additional biographical notes on six of the men as found on AncestryPlus are included.

Professor Minor is personally documented in the Biographical Materials, 1924, 1927, 1934 [2005] (copies); a few of his Publications; and some generic Correspondence with the Boys Brotherhood Republic in Chicago, an organization which helped juvenile delinquents find satisfying and honest employment, 1914, 1916. The only material of a somewhat personal nature is that Professor Minor’s family Budgets for 1921 and 1923.