Collections

Organizational records of Michigan Business Education Association (MBEA).

The John M. Trytten Archives of the MBEA date from 1936 and include the Articles of Incorporation, Constitutions, By-Laws, Policies, Meeting Minutes of the Executive Board, General Meetings, and miscellaneous meetings, Correspondence, Financial Records, Treasurer’s Ledgers and Reports, Miscellaneous Materials, Miscellaneous Reports, folders of materials relating to the Annual Convention, Fall Conference, Workshops, and Membership, and various Photographs, among other materials. The Archives is ongoing.

Newsletters of MBEA, including: Business education today in Michigan, MBEA today, and News bulletin, are cataloged separately as periodicals.

Numerous business records of lumber company and family papers of Millard D. Olds.

This collection consists mostly of the Business Records of M. D. Olds and Co. (Boxes #4-36 and 335 volumes) and some personal Family Papers (Boxes #1-3). All aspects of the business interests of Millard D. Olds, including timberlands, timber, lumber, coal and wood delivery, lumber camps, ferryboats, railroads, poultry and oranges, sugar, apartment buildings, etc. are documented. Also documented are private real estate deals, loans, mortgages, and court cases in which he was involved. There are also materials relating to the estates of several people that Olds was involved with, including Julia and Robert B. Small, Horace N. Olney (who may have been a cousin), and Valentine Fries. He became involved with these estates and with several small businesses because he was financially invested with the deceased person or troubled business. He also advised Lillian Robinson, widow of his one-time business partner, about business matters.

Family Papers (3 boxes or 1.25 cubic ft.) is organized alphabetically by topic. It includes biographical materials, family deeds, house plans, M. D. Olds’ estate materials, two photographs, and personal correspondence. The largest section is the personal correspondence, 1908-1945 and undated (9 folders), which includes letters to and from Olds, Ora, and their daughters and sons-in-law, as well as other relatives.

Business Records is divided by format (Papers and Volumes) and then by function. Papers include Subject Files and Business Correspondence. The Volumes are mostly financial Account Books, although some Non-Financial Volumes are included.

The Subject Files (23 boxes or 11.5 cubic ft.) include: reports, legal records, court cases, estate records, statistics, meeting minutes, and government forms such as accident reports or coal proposals. All of M. D. Olds’ business and legal interests are documented here, as are his Michigan, Ohio, California, and Oregon concerns.

The Subject Files are boxed by size (Legal Size in Boxes #4-18 and Letter Size in Boxes #19-26) to best use limited space. There is an alphabetical run of topics in each set of boxes. In a few cases, related correspondence has been interfiled there.

The Business Correspondence (11 boxes, #27-36, or 5.5 cubic ft.) is organized chronologically by people or companies with lots of correspondence in a given year meriting its own folder(s). Both Art Schupp and Lou Buhrman wrote to Olds about business or legal concerns. Lou wrote about the Pacific and Eastern Railway Court Cases while Art wrote about the Columbia or Paulding Sugar Co.

The Business Correspondence documents various business concerns including lumber camps; Olds’ Scalers, notably John Lyberg; tugboats; government relations; the business interests of Olds’ sons-in-law, and the Olds Bros. General Store (1931). Most of the folders are thin.

The Volumes (335 Oversized volumes or 36 cubic ft.) vary greatly in size. For the sake of convenience, they are housed together. Most of the volumes are Account Books. This subgroup is further divided by function. Each function group is organized chronologically on paper, although they may actually be shelved by size, with extremely heavy or large volumes located on the bottom of a stack of volumes.

The Non-Financial Volumes include: Township Survey Books, 1897-1922, undated; Field Report Sheets, 1919; Real Estate Book, 1894-1903; Letterpress Books, 1901-1907; Telegram Books, 1909-1918, undated; Memo and Steno Books, 1897-1918, 1923

The Account Books include: Account Books, 1898-1921; Apartment Books, 1924-1937; Bank Accounts, 1923-1944; Cash Books, 1904-1931; Companies Olds Purchased, 1885-1924; Lumber Accounts (various), 1893-1936; Ledgers, 1893-1938; Trial Balance Books, 1907-1917; Payroll Books, 1910-1955; Lumber Camp Books (various), 1895-1913; Coal Shipment Books, 1936-1950; Coal and Wood Delivery Books, 1904-1964; Log Scale Book, 1891-1893; Scale Weight Books, 1906-1965, undated; Steamer Books, 1900-1925

Blueprints (8), undated, mostly of the Olds' residence are found in 1 Oversized folder.

Processing Notes: The collection originally included 119 cubic ft. of papers in oversized boxes and 309 volumes. Duplicates, most tax materials, receipts, bills, generic correspondence, publications, and other peripheral materials were returned to M. D. Olds’ descendants as per their request. Also returned were photocopies of all personal correspondence retained by the Clarke. 54 cubic ft. of material (in 36 boxes, 335 volumes, and 1 Oversized volder) has been retained by the Clarke.

Mount Pleasant Area Diversity Group (Mich.) Organizational records, 1951-2009, and undated, include mostly meeting minutes, related reports, and historical documentation of the group's activities and events to fight racism and discrimination and foster multiculturalism.

The collection consists of paper organizational records of the MPADG, 1976-2014, and undated. It collection is organized alphabetically and chronologically. Important records include Articles of Incorporation, Mission Statement, By-laws, and Tax-Exempt Status papers. There is a complete set of Meeting Minutes with agendas and related materials, 1993-2011, and a few 2012 meeting minutes, as well as meeting minutes from 1992 of the local ministerial association. Other information documenting the group includes correspondence, activities and events materials, conference materials, the group’s history, marketing plan, newspaper clippings (copies), treasurer’s reports, grant requests, and meeting minutes of MPADG Trustees, and reports, 2009-2010.

Of particular interest to researchers will be documentation of incidents in Mount Pleasant and Michigan, 1996-2005, specifically the incidents at Mount Pleasant High School and the communication and plans of actions to address them and collected materials on how Michigan police dealt with juveniles and youth, 1991-2000, undated. Related to this are two folders of materials, agendas, meetings minutes, and a Mount Pleasant High School student survey of the Mount Pleasant Parents of Color, 1993-1997. Also related is the Mount Pleasant School District Strategy 7 Committee Meeting Minutes, Related Materials [multi-cultural education] folder, 2000-2001.

There are also two reports of interest: Isabella County Human Rights Committee Report to the Isabella County Board of Commissioners, July 21, 2009, and Overview of a Project to Explore Racial/Ethnic Diversity at CMU … presented to MPADG, by Mary S. Senter, Sept. 20, 2007.

MPADG also collected Michigan non-discrimination ordinances and information on how to file complaints, 1976-2010 (Scattered).

In 2000 Central Michigan University President Mike Rao asked for the MPADG’s list of efforts for a study on diversity related activities in the Mount Pleasant community. His letter and CMU’s plan are included in the collection.

Lastly, there is a compilation of information entitled Dr. Merze Tate: A Brief Review of a Groundbreaking Career, by Daniel L. Shaw, 2004.

History of the club, its members and activities in programs, photographs, awards, correspondence, scrapbooks,newspaper clippings (copies), meeting minutes, and other materials.

The collection mostly consists of the Clubs’ scrapbooks, photographs, and awards, and other records documenting the Club’s activities, programs, and members.

Biographical materials, photographs of her Alma, Michigan, garden, and postcards of Mrs. Francis King, stock certificates and scrapbook of Francis King.

The collection consists mostly of black and white photographs (copies) and other documentation of Mrs. King’s garden in Alma, Michigan. Some of the images include the Kings, their children, Ackney, pets, farm animals, and structures, such as walls and benches, in the garden. There are also photographs of a church decorated with flowers, probably by Mrs. King. Also included are copies of biographical materials, and postcards that Mrs. King sent to relatives and Ackney. Stock certificates and a scrapbook represent Francis King. The scrapbook documents his life, political and business interest, 1908-1911, through photographs, newspaper clippings, notes, and correspondence. The Clarke also has some of Mrs. King’s books.

The collection documents the reconstruction and new addition of the CMU Park Library building, as well as ongoing life in the new building.

This collection documents the reconstruction and new addition of the CMU Park Library building, as well as ongoing life in the new building, located on the corner of Preston and Franklin Streets in Mount Pleasant, through photographs, webpages, clippings (copies), publications, and other materials. This collection was kept separate from prior Park Library collection due to its timely nature and for ease of retrieval, as requested by the Dean of Libraries.

Included here are various publications of exhibits and events, news articles, website pages, and brochures generated since 2002 documenting ongoing events in the building. Of particular note is Library needs of faculty in a changing environment: report of findings, a report based on a survey, written by Professor Mary A. Senter, December 2006. Also included are two CD-Roms, one of the library’s opening, January 9, 2002, and another of the 50th anniversary of the library’s federal depository program, January 24, 2008.

Later additions to the collection from the Dean’s Office include materials used to plan the new building, 3 CD-Roms of photographs of the construction and dedication. The collection is ongoing. A 2023 addition from the Libraries Business Services legacy files includes photographs of the interior construction and completed building exterior, and a Michigan Construction journal featuring the new building, and a questionnaire asking for construction details which were included in the article (see Box 1 Exhibits/Events Brochures folder).

Reference Point, the Park’s newsletter, is separately cataloged and housed as a periodical in the Clarke’s collections.

For additional information about the Park, see other, related collections documenting the history of the Park Library in the Clarke Historical Library.

The collection consists mostly of Central Michigan University conference materials and programs related to middle level teachers, scrapbooks and photographs of Central Michigan students minoring in Middle Level Education, and Transitions Summer Camp materials of Mount Pleasant Public School students entering middle school.

Collection includes biographical materials on Bailey (1 folder), 2014; Learn today .... teach tomorrow conference (held at Central Michigan University (CMU) for pre-service teachers) programs, 2006-2014 (1 folder); and a plaque from the National Middle School Association presented to CMU, the host site for CMLA, November 1999 (1 folder). Also included are beautiful Collegiate Middle Level Association at CMU (CMLACMU) scrapbooks, 1996-2013, created by student members.

Later additions to the collection include: Photographs, matted, of CMU Graduates with a Middle Level Education Minor, 1996-2014, which were originally displayed in the hall of the unit. There are also photographs of graduates unmatted, 2015-2018. Also added were Transitions Summer Camp Materials, which include forms, agendas, plans, notes, some financial and grant information, and photographs, 2009-2013. This camp was for students entering middle school. They reviewed math, spelling, science skills, coping and confidence-building exercises, and learned how to cope with locker combination locks. CMU students led the camp for Mount Pleasant area students.

The collection includes miscellaneous township records of Nottawa and Vernon townships (Isabella County, Mich.) and Shepherd, Mich.

The collection includes Township records for Nottawa Township, Shepherd Village, and Vernon Township Isabella County, Michigan. The Nottawa Township records are school records and include Annual Reports and Census statistics.The Shepherd Village records include a School District Record Book. The Vernon Township records are very incomplete and there are large gaps in years when it was received by the Clarke. The Board of Review papers include minutes. Board of Township papers include meeting minutes, letter to the Board, Resolutions, and Agreements, etc. The Election papers mainly consist of election returns and other related materials. The Highway Commission papers include petitions to, a resolution with map, map of road districts, contracts, correspondence, order for traffic signs, etc. The Miscellaneous papers include a proof of publication, a voided bond from Vernon Township, original bids to build the township hall (which is still standing and in use in 2012) and work on the hall, etc. Oaths of Office papers include oaths and bonds with oaths attached. The Township Clerk papers include letters to, valuation of lands, financial records, minutes, etc. Schools papers Miscellaneous include maps of school districts, a postcard with names of teachers from Vernon Township 1880, Isabella County Teachers Directory, 1907-1908, etc.

Processing Note: During processing, 5 cubic feet of loose papers and 53 Oversized Volumes were withdrawn from the collection as per Michigan local and township records schedules. Publications from the State of Michigan, donated with the collection, are separately cataloged.

Some treasurer’s and tax records were retained as 20th century examples.

Organizational records include: annual president and chairperson reports, treasurer reports, meeting minutes, officer guidelines, photographs (black and white and color), scrapbooks and correspondence documenting the Division's activities, history, Annual International Tea and national and council meetings.

The collection, 1926-2014, and undated, approximately 12 cubic feet (in 21 boxes, 1 legal-size folder, 4 Oversized Volumes) documents the organizational records and history of the Michigan Division of the Woman’s National Farm and Garden Association (WNFGA). Organizational records include: annual president and chairperson reports, treasurer reports, meeting minutes, and officer guidelines. Photographs (black and white and color), scrapbooks and correspondence illuminate the Division's activities and provide additional insight into its history. Photographs provide images of Annual International Tea and national and council meetings.

Included in the collection are Cranbrook Branch of WNFGA scrapbooks, 1963-1968 and 1983-1988 (Box 6 and Oversized scrapbooks). The scrapbooks and related newsletters and miscellaneous were created by Barbara Van Buren. The Cranbrook Branch no longer exists.

The Annual International Tea records, 1996-2008, were originally composed annually in binders. Due to materials becoming loose, the contents were transferred into archival folders. However, their original order was maintained. These reports include correspondence, photographs and newspaper clippings.

The organizational records generated during the tenures of two presidents, Louise Shoksnyder (Boxes 18-19 and Oversized scrapbook, 2007-2008) and Ila Leonard Wermuth (Box 21), were separately identified as such, and this original order was maintained during processing.

Several fairly complete newsletters and historical publications were separately cataloged during processing.

The collection is in good physical condition and is organized by size and alphabetically by series. The Cranbrook Scrapbooks have weak or damaged binding. Scotch tape was also found in scrapbooks and the Annual International Tea folders. In both cases, materials in these series may become loose over time. Acidic materials have been replaced with copies. All of the boxes are .5 cubic foot boxes except Box 21, which is .25 cubic foot.

Researchers may also be interested in the collection of Mrs. (Francis) Louisa King, 1902-2000, and other Woman’s garden club collections which are also housed at the Clarke.

Processing Notes: During processing .75 cubic foot of material, consisting of duplicates, miscellaneous financial records, and generic correspondence, were removed from the collection.

The collection consists of the organizational records of Central Michigan University Clarke Historical Library.

The collection documents in text and images all aspects of the history and functions of the Clark Historical Library since its founding. Photographs are mostly in Boxes 7-8, but other images may be found in various publications and scrapbooks.

An addition to the collection in 2021, Board Meeting Minutes (Boxes 12-17), 1962-2006, undated, may include agendas, attachments, reports, and board packets, and 1 box of board member correspondence and photographs.

Another 2021 addition is the Charles H. Wright addition, 1959, 1978, 1 cubic foot (in 2 boxes) features official government documents from African countries. Most folders are official Parliamentary Debates of the Eastern House of Assembly of Nigeria. Each packet includes who attended, the information discussed, and relevant recorded dialogue. Other materials included in the collection are an Official Gazette from the Republic of Nigeria, as well as multiple Monthly Digest of Statistics from Zambia. Multiple titles were separately cataloged.

The 2021 addition, No Acc#, Boxes 20-36 (7.75 cubic feet in 17 boxes) focuses on the Clarke Historical Library, though other materials include Frank Boles' professional correspondence and materials about the Park Library, Mid-Michigan Library League, Michigan Historical Review, and Clarke Historical Library Board of Governors 1954-2019. The Mid-Michigan Library League is one of Michigan's eleven library cooperatives and as of 2021, includes 36 libraries in 15 counties located in Michigan's lower peninsula. The Michigan Historical Review is a scholarly publication about Michigan history and joint venture of the Clarke and CMU's History Department. Some materials are in Spanish. The 2021 addition was arranged to match the organization of previous accessions to the collection. Some of the addition was interfiled into Boxes 10-11.

In 2024 the Clarke’s official Accession Books and one Deaccession book, 1956-2022, were digitized for internal staff use only. The original paper and microfilm are in Boxes 37-38 of this collection. These boxes are closed to researchers. The collection is ongoing.