Collections

The papers include correspondence, diaries, journals, accounts books, tintypes, prayerbooks, sermons, hymns in Ojibwa, a New Testament in English and Seneca, and photographic images.

Family papers, 1765-1964, and undated, include: correspondence relating to Rev. Bingham's associations with the Baptist Missionary Society, Boston, his ministry at the Tonawanda Indian Mission in New York State, the Baptist Indian Mission at Sault Ste. Marie, Michigan, and his social activities in Grand Rapids, Michigan; diaries of Bingham and his wife, journals, account books, and tintypes. Also included are prayer books and hymns in Ojibwa, Bingham's sermons, in English, and a New Testament in both English and Seneca. Among his correspondents is John Claude Buchanan, his son-in-law, whose letters relate to Buchanan's service with the 8th Michigan Infantry during the Civil War, 1861-1864. Three boxes of photographic images complete the collection.

The collection includes correspondence relating to Bingham’s associations with the Baptist Missionary Society, Boston, his ministry at the Tonawanda Indian Mission in New York State, the Baptist Indian Mission at Sault Ste. Marie, Michigan, and his social activities in Grand Rapids, Michigan. Correspondents include John Claude Buchanan, Bingham’s son-in-law, relating to his service with the 8th Michigan Infantry during the Civil War.

The collection is also available on 19 reels of positive microfilm Acc# 359 (Section 4, 1 reel) and 444 (18 reels). Some letters are available on 2 reels of positive microfilm Acc# 614 of the American Baptists Foreign Mission Society, 1800-1900, American Indians and 1814-1900, France.

Photocopies made from 2 reels of microfilm of company related materials including correspondence (copies), index card, and finding aids (copies) of other, related collections.

This is an artificial collection of related materials, pulled together by topic. Included in the records are correspondence to/from Samuel Abbott, who served as the Collector at Michilimackinac (1812-?) and as manager for the Company, 1812-1848 (and longer?). Some of the correspondence is from James Abbott, Samuel’s brother, who was also a manager for the Company in the Detroit, Michigan, area. (There is no further information available on the Abbotts.) Other records include expense accounts for transportation to the Council in the summer of 1825. The Shipping / Receiving book provides good information of prices paid per pelt, for everything from mink to rat skins. There is an Indenture of Mortgage signed by John Jacob Astor, 1827, in the Mortgage Records, and a Capital Stock certificate of the Mackinac, Lake Superior Copper Company, 1845, in the Correspondence. These materials are all photocopies made from 2 reels of microfilm.

Additionally, there are index cards to assist researchers using the records. The related American Fur Company business records of Mackinac Island, Michigan, to Montreal, Quebec, Canada, 1817-1834, are available on microfilm at the Clarke, as are books about the Company.

See also numerous related reels of microfilm on the American Fur Company, the Mackinac Island Collection, and the Abraham Wendell Collection.

On April 13, 2001, the paper collection, which had been on deposit at the Clarke, was returned to Mackinac State Historic Parks as part of the Sault Sainte Marie Collection. The microfilm of this American Fur Company Collection is at the Clarke, Reels 1-2, Microfilm MSS F-52.

The papers include accounts, land papers, correspondence, miscellaneous, and printed materials.

The collection includes Arthur Bronson’s Accounts, 1817-1843 and undated; Land Papers, 1833-1844, for Illinois, Florida, Indiana, Michigan, North Carolina, New York (State) and Kings County, and Wisconsin; Legal Papers, 1828-1849; Correspondence, 1820-1848 and undated; Miscellaneous, 1825-1843 and undated; and Printed Materials, including maps, laws, land sale fliers and advertisements, etc., 1815-1867 and undated. Companies documented include the Peru Iron Company, Union Bank of New York, and the Ohio Life Insurance and Trust Company.

Some of Arthur’s papers are found in the collections of his father and brother, Isaac and Frederic Bronson, and in the Bronson Family Papers. Bronson papers housed at other institutions are available at the Clarke on 30 reels of positive microfilm (Micro. Mss. F-40). These include Arthur’s letters, 1825-1838?, 1815-1844 and accounts, 1823-1844 (reels 3-5); letters, 1822-1834 (reels 9-10); letters, 1838-1844 (reels 13-16); legal cases, undated (reel 19); letters, 1835-1836 (reel 22); and accounts, 1846-1865 (reel 23).

For additional letters of Anna Eliza (Bailey) Bronson, see the Bronson Family Papers finding aid.

Letters to Arthur Bronson may also be found in the Charles Butler Papers (3 reels of positive microfilm, Mss. Micro. F-79).

The papers include personal and business papers of seven members of the Bronson and Brinckerhoff families.

The collection includes personal papers and business papers of various members of the Isaac Bronson Family, including: Ann Bronson (1810-1840), Isaac’s daughter; Anna Eliza (Bailey) Bronson (dates unknown), Arthur’s wife; Anna (Olcott) Bronson (d.1850), Isaac’s wife; Charlotte (Brinckerhoff) Bronson (1818-1861), Frederic’s wife; Harriet Bronson (1798-1835), Isaac’s daughter; Laban Bronson (dates unknown); and Oliver Bronson (1799-?), Isaac’s son.

Also included are six volumes, letter books, and scrapbooks of Frederic Bronson (1850-1900), son of Frederic Bronson (1802-1868), while he lived at Verna Farms. The volumes deal with horse and stock breeding.

For additional information, see the Isaac, Arthur, and Frederic Bronson Papers, and the Troup and Brinckerhoff Family Papers.

Bronson Family Papers, 1760-1865, housed in other institutions are available on 30 positive reels of microfilm. (Micro Mss F-40).

Additional reels concerning Isaac, Arthur, and Frederic are noted in their finding aids.

Papers include correspondence, notebooks, legal documents, essays, and photographs.

The Chaney Family Papers include correspondence, notebooks, legal documents, essays, and photos, which are arranged alphabetically by topic. The correspondence spans almost 120 years and consists of correspondence between family and friends. A letter from L. W. Caryl to Henry Chaney, dated 29 July 1832, describes a method for early diagnosis and cure of cholera. Between May 1837 and January 1838, Isabella Caryl (then living in New York) received letters from several of her former school mates (who called themselves “The Hill Girls”) who had moved to Detroit. Among the notebooks is one of Willard Chaney’s medical notebooks. Of the seventeen photos in the collection, only one, Marjorie Chaney Bow (Henry’s granddaughter), is identified.

The papers include family correspondence, journals, notebooks, a photograph, and miscellaneous, mostly concerning Dr. Blackwood's medical career and gold mining experiences in California during the Gold Rush of 1849.

The Papers include personal correspondence, mainly between Dr. and Mrs. Jane Blackwood, describing journeys to California and Nevada, the uprising of Negroes (June 16, 1827), and a cholera epidemic (from Jane Blackwood, 1849). There is a diary of Mrs. Blackwood, and her notes on mathematical calculation, kept while living in Ovid (New York), 1827. Dr. Thomas Blackwood is also documented by a medical notes book, 1827-1832, including the diagnosis and treatment of his patients, receipts, payments, and births, August 1832-September 1833; his certificate of entrance to the Washtenaw Medical Society, June 1832; and his travel journal, 1850, while aboard the Loo Choo. Lastly, there is a copy of his first letter published in the Washtenaw Whig, September 12, 1849.

The papers include mostly transcripts of Ward family correspondence, 1807-1875, and undated, genealogical notes, and memoirs of Emily Ward, both undated.

Except for one original letter dated Aug. 23, 1850, the Family Papers consist of typed transcripts of family genealogical notes, family correspondence, and the undated memoirs of Emily Ward, sister of Eber B. The correspondence, 1807-1875 and undated, is mostly between Ebe B.r; his father; his sister, Emily; and business associates. The correspondence discusses family news, business, traveling, fishing, and other business interests of Eber B. Ward and his son, Eber Ward, Jr.

The Clarke also has the published remonstrance concerning Eber B. Ward’s will (1875) and an account book from Jos. S. Stearns Lumber Company. Stearns worked early in life as an errand boy for Eber B. while the latter was President of the Pere Marquette Railroad. Eventually, Stearns married Catherine Lyon, Eber’s sister-in-law.

The collection consists of family photographs, correspondence, drafts of her children's stories, correspondence, and accounts.

The collection documents the life, research, and writing career of Frances Margaret “Madge” Fox. The collection only lacks copies of her outgoing correspondence to friends and business colleagues.

Physically, the collection is in very good condition. Items that were very fragile or acidic have been photocopied and the originals removed from the collection. Except for Box 53 which has legal-size materials in it, the collection consists of letter-sized or smaller materials.

The collection is divided into the following series: Biographical Materials, 1886-2008 (Scattered) and undated, 1 box (.5 cubic feet). This includes originals and photocopies of census records, newspaper articles and magazine clippings, library cards, and printouts of e-photographs, documenting Madge’s life, literary career, death, education, research, and homes. Art by Walt Harris, the illustrator of Little Bear is also found here.

Photographs, 1877-1953 (Scattered), and undated, 3 boxes (1.5 cubic feet), consists of one folder of negatives, the rest all being various pre-1960 forms of photographs including a stereographic view, tintypes, cartes-de-visites, and snapshots, all black and white, in various shapes and sizes. Many of the images are unidentified and undated. Identified photographs are filed alphabetically by the name of the person, and by topics and date when possible. There are photographs of Marge, her family and friends, animals, birds, and various research topics.

Business Correspondence, 1899-1953, 1955, and 1958, and undated, 6 boxes (3 cubic feet). Most of the Business Correspondence consists of communications from editors, thank you notes, rejection letters, commentary and suggestions, as well as royalty checks. This is filed chronologically. Of particular note in this series are decorative notes with art from Walt Harris, who sketched a bear and porridge on his note of October 2, 1923. He was the artist of Little Bear. Additional art by Harris is in the Biographical Materials box.

The vast majority of Personal Correspondence is letters and postcards from her friends and relatives to her. Correspondence with her closest relatives and friends, 1912-1952, and undated, composes 3 boxes (1.5 cubic feet). It is filed alphabetically by surname. These are the people with whom she corresponded often and regularly. Here are letters from her Aunt Annie, distant relatives of her father’s, and many friends from Washington, D.C. and Mackinaw, as well as the Joslyns. There are a number of letters from associates in the publishing business, notably Madge’s friend Mrs. Jessica Mannon of Bobbs-Merril Company’s Editorial Board. These letters discuss health issues, their shared history, family news, her publications, travel plans, and research ideas, as well as the last and next time Madge and the letter writer met or will meet, and friends and relatives common to both. There is also one folder of correspondence from Madge Fox to various people, 1883-1952, and one folder about damage and repairs to her home, 1926.

More generic letters from a wider span of friends, fans, and children with whom Madge corresponded more rarely, or perhaps once or twice, compose the remaining personal correspondence. Some of these letters are as simple as Dear Miss Fox, I love your books. When possible, correspondence is filed alphabetically by surname, 1920-1950s. There are also folders for people who signed only with their first names or initials that could not be matched to or with any of the other correspondence. This section of the correspondence totals 2 boxes (1 cubic foot).

Research Notes, 1901-1943 and undated, 1 box (.5 cubic feet). This includes a bibliography, reference and photographic material organized alphabetically by topics.

Stories, include the actual story, drafts, they may by typed, handwritten, or published, and may include related materials such as notes, drawings, photographs, letters of rejection from an editor, an index to a book, or a cover page. The stories, which cover a plethora of topics in each subseries, are arranged alphabetically by title. Sometimes the title varies on different items in the folder. If so, square brackets are used on the folder heading. In one case, there is no title, so I created a title based on the topic and put it in square brackets. Many of the stories are based on factual documentation. The stories, particularly the drafts, show the development of her stories and are the core of the collection.

The Stories are subdivided into the following subseries: Handwritten Stories, 1921-1943, and undated, 5 boxes (2.5 cubic feet); Published Stories, 1899-1952, and undated, 2 boxes (1 cubic foot), includes advertisements, lists of her published stories, and the stories themselves. Typed Stories, which are subdivided into the following subjects:

Activities, Greeting Card Suggestions, Plays, and Poems, also includes models for paper dolls and other easily made toys and games for small children, 1934, 1944 (Scattered), and undated, 1 box (.5 cubic feet). Madge wrote ideas for babies and small children’s games, activities, paper dolls, as well as various plays for children to act in, poems for children, and a few ideas for greeting cards.

Animal Stories, includes animals, insects, and Uncle Sam’s Birds book, 1917-1948, and undated, 6 boxes (3 cubic feet), includes a list of all the stories, and then the stories. There are many stories regarding a wide array of animals, notably bears, birds, U.S. Army mules, cats, and dogs, including Owney, the well traveled U.S. mail dog, and Balto who delivered diphtheria serum to Nome, Alaska, during an epidemic of the disease, among others.

Buildings, Countries, Events, and Places Stories, 1912-1947, and undated, 3 boxes (1.5 cubic feet). The United States, England, Bermuda, and other countries are documented here.

Famous People Stories, 1923-1952, and undated, 3 boxes (1.5 cubic feet) includes stories of royalty, politicians, inventors, explorers, soldiers, American heroes, but not Indians nor saints.

Indian Tales, Famous Indians, and Captivity Stories, 1928-1950, and undated, 2 boxes (1 cubic foot) documents famous leaders, incidents, tales, and captivity stories.

Michigan Stories, 1914-1945, and undated, 1 box (.5 cubic foot), includes stories of important and common Michigan people and events, based mainly in and around Mackinaw City. Here are a number of stories and experiences of some of Madge’s Michigan friends.

Miscellaneous Stories, 1910-1952, and undated, 6 boxes (3 cubic feet) covers a plethora of topics, including American and foreign, current and historic trees, plants, statues, art, inventions such as sewing machines and fly paper, and common everyday items such as bells and beads.

Religious, Holidays, Saints, Christmas Stories, 1917-1946, and undated, 2 boxes (1 cubic foot) includes information on a variety of Catholic saints, many Quakers, history of many holidays and holy days, and many religious themes, as well as Christmas stories.

Volumes, 4 boxes (2 cubic feet) include: Accounts, 1901-1947 (27 v.); Address books, 1919, 1931, 1940 (3 v.), Diaries, 1917-1952 (14 v.), Quotations, 1898, 1943 (1 v.), and Story Notes, 1915-1949, and undated (34 v.). Her Accounts note which stories Madge sent to publishers, which were published, and what she was paid for them. Her Diaries consist of brief, sometimes intermittent notes, mainly about health, travel and social plans and events, and her research and writing work. They vary in detail and completeness. All the volumes vary in size and shape.

Legal-size Materials, 1 box (.5 cubic feet) consists of her Publishing Contracts, 1902-1951, some partial Research Notes on Paw Paw (Mich.), undated; and a Scrapbook, 1897, 1945, made in a Beckman and Mechelson, Inc., Bay City (Mich.) Stock Certificate Book.

Index Cards to Madge’s personal and business correspondence, 4 boxes, 1899-1944, complete the collection. Noted on the index cards is the name of the writer, recipient, date, address, and number of pages. The cards are arranged chronologically. [Note: the cards existed prior to Marian processing the collection. It is unknown if Madge or earlier Clarke staff created the index cards.]

The papers include mostly correspondence, reports, and notes on Isle Royale, notebooks, biographical information, an autograph album, and family correspondence.

The collection includes Dustin’s articles, correspondence, reports and notes on Isle Royale, notebooks, and personal items, such as biographical information, newspaper clippings (copies) by/about him, an autograph album, and family correspondence. A number of his publications and another collection on George A. Custer are also housed in the Clarke Historical Library.

The papers include documents and transcriptions of papers of and about Frederic Baraga and an engraving.

The collection consists of copies of transcribed documents assembled from originals or photocopies in the U. S., Canada, and Europe by the Historical Commission of the Bishop Baraga Association. The goal of the Association is to the promoted the Cause for Beatification of Bishop Baraga.

An extensive list of the documents includes, for each item: date, name and location of author, and recipient and institution where the document is housed. This list was compiled by the Association in 1954 and is found after the finding aid. Transcripts are filed within the boxes in chronological order.

Most of the documents are letters from Baraga to other clergy about his mission work and aspects of Catholicism. Some letters are to his siblings. Material after his death includes a eulogy and letters from clergy about Baraga.