Collections

The collection documents the history of the club mostly through meeting minutes, photographs, and scrapbooks.

The collection documents the history of the Zonta Club of Mt. Pleasant, through meeting minutes, photographs, scrapbooks, and after 1992, scrapbook materials. The three oversized scrapbooks are acidic and brittle and should be handled with care. Later additions added mostly meeting minutes. The collection is organized alphabetically and chronologically. The collection is ongoing. The Zontian is separately cataloged.

Collection includes genealogical information on the Courser, Richardson, and Kuiphof families.

This is a dense genealogy collection mostly about the Courser family, with some information on the Kuiphof and Richardson families. A number of older photographic images are scans. Two photographs and the large ancestry chart are laminated. Three oversized items are acidic and two are framed with glass.

Researchers may also be interested in the Elaine Coraleen Smith Courser Papers, [circa 1981], which is also housed in the Clarke Historical Library.

Collection of Wright's papers and reference materials concerning the treatment of Michigan mental health patients, the Michigan Civil Rights Commission, discrimination, and some biographical information. Of interest is an article about Malcolm X's widow, Betty Shabazz, and their daughters.

The collection consists of materials both generated and collected by Wright documenting his work and research in the areas of Michigan civil rights, racial discrimination, and mental health, particularly at the Caro, Michigan, Regional Mental Health Center. The Articles cover a wide variety of discrimination for African Americans and other ethnic groups. Of particular note is an article about Malcolm X’s widow, Betty Shabazz, and their daughters.

All of the negatives that match photographs have been filed with the appropriate photograph.

The records include circulars regarding business and shipping operations for the Port of Detroit, Michigan, 1790-1827.

The records include 90 letters and 35 printed circulars regarding business and shipping operations for the Port of Detroit, 1790-1827. The records relate to the leveling of duties on goods and merchandise imported on foreign ships and vessels; rules regulating the receipt and distribution of fines, penalties, and forfeitures of foreign vessels; and rules regulating the registration and enrollment of U.S. vessels.

Correspondence regards the appointments of Inspectors of Revenue David Duncan at Michilimackinac, 1803; Matthew Ernest at Detroit, 1800; and William Woodbridge (1780-1861), Inspector and Collector at Detroit, 1814 [later Michigan Governor and U.S. Senator].

Other important Michigan correspondents include Reuben Atwater (1768-1831), Collector of the Port of Detroit [later acting Governor, 1811-1812, and Secretary of the Territory of Michigan, 1808-1814]; Peter Audrain; and A. Gallatin.

Other correspondence concerns the schooners Wilkinson on March 16, 1804; the Eagle and the Champion on April 24, 1816; the Fair American on March 19, 1816; and the Hornet, November 27, 1818.

Most of correspondence is between the Port of Detroit inspectors and the U.S. Treasury Department’s Comptroller’s Office. The collection is arranged in chronological order.

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 records consist of photocopies of legal-sized mortgages, insurance policies, tax receipts, blueprints, oaths and bonds, notices of candidates and meetings, petitions, school district records, and miscellaneous.

The records consist of photocopies of mortgages, insurance policies, tax receipts, blueprints, oaths and bonds, notices of candidates and meetings, petitions, school district records, and miscellaneous.

Collection of reports, Right Track Reports, manifests, and other materials documenting the history of the Ann Arbor Railroad Company and its car ferries.

The collection consists of Wilson’s typed reports, Right Track Reports, 1980-1981, and other materials, mostly originals, that he collected from various sources, mostly documenting the history of the Ann Arbor Railroad Company and its ferries. Most of these materials are various types of communications or regulations. The scrapbooks of newspaper clippings from various newspapers, 1962-1985, are acidic on black pages, and were originally housed in binders. The scanned newspaper clippings are largely the same information, but are in good condition. Most of the materials are in stable or good condition. Those that were acidic were photocopied.

The 2013 Addition consists of Car Ferry Manifest, Kewaunee Boat Landing, June-December 1975 (Boxes 7-8, .75 cubic ft.).

Researchers may be interested in knowing that there are several collections and many publications by and about the Ann Arbor Railroad in the Clarke, as well as other collections and published sources documenting other railroad companies.

Collection of miscellaneous materials related to the Tuscola and Saginaw Bay Railway.

The collection consists mostly of miscellaneous materials related to the Tuscola and Saginaw Bay Railway Company.

Processing Note: Tuscola and Saginaw Bay Railway Company calendars, 1979-1985, were removed from the collection and separately cataloged during processing. The name of the Railway varies on different publications, so it also varies in the Box and Folder Listing.

Researchers may be interested in knowing that there are a number of railroad collections in the Clarke, as well as published sources documenting railroad companies.

The collection mostly documents Michigan railroads, focusing on the Ann Arbor Railroad Company (AARR), related lines, and its ferries in many formats. Also included are some organizational records of the Ann Arbor Railroad Technical and Historical Association (AARTHA).

Collection, collected over time by Don Wilson, some of which he was given by other rail fans. The collection mostly documents Michigan railroads, focusing on the Ann Arbor Railroad Company (AARR), related lines, its reorganization, abandonment, and its ferries. Some ferry information is general such as Twin Screw Specs (Box 5), and there is information specific to the M.V. [Motor Vessel] Viking (originally Ann Arbor No. 7) and the City of Milwaukee. Formats include slides, photographs, negatives, photograph printing plates, blueprints, scrapbooks, photograph albums, speeches, notes, newspaper clippings and magazine articles, maps, digital scans and positive prints from those scans, a CD, and miscellaneous, related publications. Also included are some organizational records of the AARTHA. Other railroads documented to various degrees in the collection include: Central Michigan Railroad (CM); Detroit, Caro and Sandusky Railroad (DC and S); Detroit, Toledo, and Ironton Railroad; Grand Trunk Railway (GT); Green Bay and Western Railroad; H and E Railroad [probably the Huron and Eastern]; Manistique and Lake Superior Railroad; Michigan Interstate Railway Company; Michigan Northern Railway Company; Mid-Michigan Railroad; New York Central Railroad (NYC) and St. Louis Railroad (SLRR); New York Central State Railroad (NYCS); Norfolk and Western Railway Company; Northwestern Pacific Railroad; Penn Central Railroad; Southern Pacific Transportation Company; Tuscola, Saginaw Bay Railroad (TSBRR); Toledo, Owosso, and Flint Railroad (TOandFRR); Wabash Railroad, and Wisconsin Central Railroad.

Items of special interest to researchers may include: manifests of the M.V. Viking, February-August 1976, and AARTHA bylaws, meeting minutes, newsletter information, member lists, and other information (Box 1); reorganization information (see Vincent M. Malanaphy folders (Boxes 2, 4), Michigan Interstate Railway Co. and MI Rail System Rationalization Plan information (Box 4), AARR photographs (Boxes 2-3), Pamona Derailment Negatives, undated (Box 5).

Photographs, negatives, and history of a plethora of railroad related topics are found throughout the collection. There are three slide boxes and two note card boxes full of slides on railroads (Slide Boxes 1-5).

Blueprints include line, lever circuit controllers, and station design plans, styling and painting design, system maps, tracks and structures, equipment, station and train car blueprints, and property drawings.

The 2016 addition, Boxes 14-16 and Folder #21 (legal-size), 1.5 cubic feet from Don’s friend Don Maddock was organized by Maddock into the series of Abandonment Petitions and Michigan Interstate Era. Included are paper documents, scans and positive prints of some of Wilson’s negatives, a few other topical files, a CD, and three color photographs. The addition largely documents the reorganization and end of the AARR. Sale papers for the City of Milwaukee are included. Most of the 2019 addition papers are copies. Note: 2016 addition negatives are housed in print file negative preservers, not archival negative sleeves.

Researchers may be interested in knowing that there are several collections and many publications by and about the Ann Arbor Railroad in the Clarke, as well as other collections and published sources documenting other railroad companies.

Processing Note: The collection is organized by size and format, and then in alphabetical and chronological order. A few publications, two general railroad films, and a tote bag were returned to the members of the AARTHA. Some publications (24), both monographs and parts of serials, were cataloged separately and added to the Clarke’s collections. Some of the items are quite acidic or fragile, most of which were photocopied and the originals were withdrawn from the collection (.25 cubic ft. total). In a few cases, where entire folders were composed of very fragile tissue paper records or acidic records, the decision was made to leave the materials as they were without copying them. Numerous abbreviations were used by Mr. Wilson within the collection, which were replicated by the processors. Michigan was often abbreviated MI by Mr. Wilson and is used in this finding aid. See the Scope and Contents Note for abbreviations used for names of railroad companies.

The collection includes Edith Ellison Williams family papers, mostly of the World War II letters of her father, Max Ellison, to his wife (Edith's mother), Florence. Also included are Civil War letters of Chauncey J. Bunyea, his friends and relatives who mostly served in Michigan units, and family history materials.

The collection consists of family information of Edith Williams, 1859, 2018, 1.75 Cubic Feet (in 4 boxes). The collection is organized into three series: Civil War, World War II, and Family Materials, and within each series by size and format, chronologically, and then alphabetically. General family history information includes: a family tree, affidavits, ledgers, letters, biographical information, ancestry information, naturalization records, and death certificates.

Civil War correspondence includes accounts from Chauncy Bunyea, Daniel Chapin, Edward Trembley, and some Union soldiers who were friends or neighbors (see Miscellaneous Correspondence folders). This series includes letters and war accounts spanning the entirety of the Civil War. There are accounts of Gettysburg, the Second Battle of Bull Run, the Siege of Petersburg-Richmond, fighting in eastern Tennessee, and letters talking about home life in Michigan. Topics mentioned include enlistment, witnesses of a court-martial and execution, life as a Union soldier, troop movements, generals McClellan, Butterfield, and Pope, and the occupation of forts and camps.

World War II correspondence includes accounts from Max M. Ellison, a soldier in the 1st Cavalry Division of the Michigan Seventh Cavalry, about his experience fighting in the Pacific Theatre of war. This portion of the collection includes letters to Ellison’s wife (Florence), daughter (Edith), and Nortons (in-laws). The main themes of the letters are about the life of a soldier, fighting on the front line, and the liberation of the Philippines, Admiralty Islands, and New Guinea. The letters also contain experiences about interacting with the local population, cutting hair for soldiers, the cigar trade between soldiers, entertainment, local wildlife, and the local food. Furthermore, Ellison writes about President Franklin Roosevelt, dead Japanese soldiers, and prizes of war. The tone of his letters are more serious after October 20, 1944, following the invasion of the Philippines. He sees combat until March 6, 1945, after he is wounded and placed in the hospital. Additionally, Ellison writes extensively about his Michigan hometown of Bellaire, training horses, and building a future home and life. Some of the letters include church service pamphlets, hospital pamphlets, newspaper clippings, and drawings.

Processing Note: During processing .25 cubic feet of peripheral materials and envelopes were removed from the collection and returned to the donor as per the donor agreement. Acidic materials were photocopied and the originals were withdrawn from the collection.

The collection documents the Flint Co-op Teachers Program with Wilcox’s subject files and correspondence with students studying to become teachers while he was Assistant Director of the Department of Special Studies.

The collection documents the Flint Co-op Teachers Program, 1957-1964, undated. Included here are Wilcox’s subject files and correspondence with students studying to become teachers while he was Assistant Director of the Department of Special Studies.

Papers include original correspondence to Whittier, typed transcripts of the same, poems, writings, biographical materials, memorials, and correspondence by Whittier, and miscellaneous.

The collection includes approximately .75 cubic feet of original correspondence, mostly to Whittier 1829-1890, undated, approximately .5 cubic ft. of typed transcripts of the same, about 20 folders of Whittier’s poems, writings, biographical material, memorials, correspondence by JGW, 1835-1889, and miscellaneous, 1840-1892, undated. Of particular note are correspondence with Charles A. Dana, Ralph W. Emerson, Oliver W. Holmes, Lydia Maria Child, Dorothea Dix, Henry W. Longfellow, Henry B. Stanton, and Frances E. Willard regarding poems and abolition. There are also 10 letters to Whittier from his brother, Matthew F. Whittier and several letters from Elizabeth Whittier (?) and other relatives. Signatures are listed as signed. There is also an incomplete item-level index in Box 3.

The collection is also available on one reel of positive microfilm Acc#443 and the index is available on positive microfilm Acc#359 (section 2). The Clarke also houses books and poems by or about Whittier.

The collection consists mainly of her unpublished manuscripts, research, and related photographs and slides.

The collection consists mostly of an unpublished manuscript of hers entitled Roles of Topography, Vorticity, and Aerodynamics in the Creation of Eolian Systems, and the accompanying photographs, slides, 1968, and other visual materials, manuscript reviews, and related correspondence, 1995, 1998. Other parts of the collection include some Biographical Information, 1998, Communications (correspondence and emails) about her manuscripts and rock collections after her death, 1998-1999, her published articles. Additional, related photographs were added to the collection in 2010 and, again, in 2013.

Some of her research papers were sent to the Smithsonian.

The collection consists mainly of her slides of Michigan nature scenes, flora, animals, the Chippewa River, Whitney's family, Central Michigan University, and the Gainesville Community Circus (Texas). Whitney had a good eye and some of the images, particularly of flowers, are quite lovely.

The slides of this collection primarily cover Michigan landscape associated with natural fauna, wildlife, and Michigan’s Great Lakes. The collection includes a substantial number of slides from Beaver Island, dated 1963. Slides of the Whitney family are also incorporated within the collection. A special note should be given to the unique slides of the Gainesville Circus located in Gainesville, Texas, which first performed in May of 1930. (Information on the Gainesville Community Circus in Gainesville, Texas was found at http://www.texasescapes.com/MikeCoxTe xasTales/258-Circus.htm, accessed December 17, 2010).

Collection includes various sizes and types of photographic materials of the William H. White family,William H. White and Company, a lumbering and shipping business, and the city and people of Boyne City, Michigan.

The collection includes papers (series) of Ardith Westie, Charles Westie, combined papers Ardith and Charles Westie, and papers of John E. Westie.

The collection includes papers (series) of Ardith Westie, Charles Westie, combined papers Ardith and Charles Westie, and papers of John E. Westie. The collection is in good condition and is organized by series, size, alphabetically and chronologically.

The first series consists of the papers of Ardith Westie, about 2.5 cubic feet (in 3 boxes) which is split into five sub series: Biographical, Community, Personal Correspondence, College Years, and CMU. The series documents her outstanding high school years, very active college years at CMU, her later career at CMU, her personal friendships, and her social community interests and activities

Ardith’s Biographical materials sub-series, 1933-2000 (scattered), undated, includes photographs of her throughout her life, high school materials.

Her Community papers sub-series documents her activities and interests including mother interest groups and GAP, Mount Pleasant’s Group Action for People, as described in her biographical section.

Her Personal Correspondence sub-series, 1931- 2013 (scattered), undated, includes, in many cases, 70 years of friendship with female college friends, including Jane Yost Stone, who was Ardith’s college roommate for three years, as well as some of their boyfriends and male friends, and with her family. The young men wrote in the 1940s of waiting to be drafted, of training and serving, and missing friends. Elmer White was also associated with the Michigan Press Association. Some v-mail examples are in the men’s war correspondence. The women’s correspondence reflects the evolution from their college interests, through marriage and work, raising and caring for children, to grandchildren, losing spouses, to living as seniors. The baby announcements in the Lucy Booth Bradley and Gladyce Ellis folders are adorable. Most of this correspondence is to Ardith. During her college years she wrote at least weekly to her family, usually her mother, but also to her twin sisters, Carmen and Janice, and received an equal amount of mail in return. They sent mostly letters and postcards, as well as holiday and birthday cards. Ardith wrote about her classes, expenses ($6 was sufficient for her to survive for two weeks with money to spare), clothing needs, friends, her CMLife work, and of her feelings. After she and Chuck married, he sometimes wrote or typed within her letters to her family. Her mother and sisters wrote about the family’s health, social and farm activities, finances, her sisters’ classes and social life, church events, and news of extended family and friends. The few references to World War II mainly concern men being drafted or dying. One of the interesting letters is in April 1942 where Ardith notes she was studying for exams when Chuck burst in and announced he had to report for the draft on April 30.

Within the Family Correspondence are two examples of commercially produced greeting cards with racist depictions of African American children. The first is on a January 4, 1940 New Year’s card, and features a naked black child inside a barrel. The second is on a February 19, 1942 birthday card and has a black girl hanging laundry, bent over, showing her patched underwear.

Ardith also corresponded less frequently with friend and fellow War Years alum, Senator Robert P. Griffin with clippings (copies) documenting the visit of President Gerald R. Ford to CMU to inaugurate the Robert P. Griffin Endowed Chair.

Ardith’s College Years sub-series, 1938-1942, document her very involved life as a CMU college student, as a member of multiple groups, including Kappa Delta Pi and Masquers (the CMU dramatic club), her homework, notes, and essays, clippings, accounts, dance books with pencils, diaries, some correspondence, and her 1942 valedictorian address. Her commencement program is in her Personal Correspondence to/from Family.

Her CMU sub-series, 1945-1993, and undated, documents Ardith’s work and leadership with the CMU Alumni Association, Housing Committee, Summerfest, CMU 75th and Centennial celebration including history and awards, and the creation and dedication of the Peace Grove, 1995.

The Ardith and Chuck Westie Papers, approximately .5 cubic foot, include personal and CMU materials, including CMU projects and other projects they worked on together, and people with whom they both corresponded, 1940s-2015, and undated, including the CMU War Years Gatherings or Reunions and the CMU Peace Grove Memorial in honor of the CMU students who died while serving their nation in World War I and II. Lists of these students are in the related correspondence. They corresponded with many friends including fellow CMU alums Norm Johnston, a prison history author, and Robert E. McCabe, the architect of the Detroit Renaissance Center. Both Westies researched and documented the history of the First United Methodist Church of Mount Pleasant, of which they were members.

Charles “Chuck” Westie’s Papers, approximately 3 cubic feet, are divided into the sub-series of Biographical materials, College Years, and CMU materials from when he was a professor at CMU

His Biographical Materials sub-series, 1937-1981 (scattered) and undated, includes photographs of Charles, 1937-1993, undated, while a student and professor, and his Personal Correspondence, from family and friends, 1937-1940s, undated. There are examples of his correspondence to Ardith and her family in her Personal Correspondence to/from Family folders 1940 and forward. Charles strongly questioned the WWII before he was drafted. He later wrote letters of support for men seeking conscientious objector status, 1969-1972. Charles wrote powerfully about his attitude about war in an untitled [anti-Viet Nam] article, 1969, referring to his experience at Normandy and how he witnessed many American soldiers and friends die. There is a letter and poem to Ardith about his thoughts about the death of his dear friend John Evans after viewing John’s wedding photographs, July 1944. Related to this is 1946 correspondence to/from Ed Slavinsky’s family. Ed and Charles met in the Percy Jones Hospital when Charles was recovering from losing his leg and Ed was suffering from “battle fatigue,” later called post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD).

His College Years sub-series, 1937-1943, include: Charles’ Central Michigan College of Education B.S. degree and commencement materials, 1945; his academic transcript, 1943, his commencement invitations, and program, 1945; English papers, plays and poems he wrote or participated in; correspondence to friends, mainly his then girlfriend, Lillian Hunt, Masquers (dramatic club) materials, and photographs of his college buddies and girlfriends; a CSTC (Central State Teachers College) pennant and Chippewa Pledge. An oversized photograph album with wooden covers, with a front cover carved by Chuck with an image of an Indigenous man and pinecone, includes images before and during his college years. Photographs which became loose from the volume are in a large envelop boxed with the album.

The majority of Charles’ CMU materials sub-series focuses on his academic career, committee work, and interests while at CMU. Well documented in his papers are his efforts to form and the early years of the CMU Faculty Association (FA). which began as the Mount Pleasant Chapter of the American Association of University Professors. There are correspondence, memos, reports and newsletters, and oversized reports of Committee Z, which investigated and reported on CMU faculty salary compensation compared to faculty nationally. This subseries documents the hostility between the faculty and the administration, and evidence of faculty who were fired or whose tenure, promotions, and salary increases were delayed or denied in retaliation for their complaints and union activity by the administration. Charles communicated with administrators, faculty, professors, Michigan and national union officials, and politicians, including Senator Guy Vander Jagt.

His papers document the Sociology Department and its successor, the Sociology and Anthropology Department, with meeting minutes, memos, reports, and examples of Charles’ tests. There is documentation of committees or topical projects or CMU units he helped create or in which he actively participated. The major projects and committees in his papers include: the CMU Centennial, Art Gallery, the Honors Program, the Museum, the Peace Grove, Veit Woodland, Lem Tucker scholarship, Indigenous education, and the all Ojibwa Boy Scout Troop 606, handicapped and non-traditional CMU students, foster children, and Korean orphans supported by CMU.

Also documented in his papers are CMU student protests and related activities including Jane Fonda speaking at CMU, 1970; President Boyd’s reaction to the community at CMU, and the suspension of CMU African American students in 1970.

Ardith and Chuck corresponded with or documented significant CMU people including presidents Abel, Anspach, Boyd, and Foust, Norval Bovee, D. Louise Sharp, Rolland H. Maybee, and Senator Robert P. Griffin.

There is one box of legal-size materials of Charles’ related to his CMU career and interests, There is also one Oversized folder which includes: a Bicentennial Declaration of Human Rights for Handicapped Persons, by the CMU Office of Career Development for Handicapped Persons [1976]; a poem about Sigma Kappa, undated; and a handmade poster advertising the 1969-1970 classics film schedule.

The Papers of John E. Westie, 1957-1973, undated, .5 cubic foot (in 1 box) is the last series in the collection. With the exception of his C.P. [College Preparatory] high school English papers, 1964-1965, and two brief notes (copies) from President Anspach, 1957, 1960, his papers focus on his successful fight to have the government classify him as a conscientious objector during the Viet Nam War. His correspondence and paperwork with the Isabella County draft board, Selective Service, his lawyer, and between he and his wife, Sandy, and his parents, demonstrate his efforts and the difficulties he overcame. This series includes publications from or by the government about the selective service process, and more from or by religious organizations that advocated for conscientious objectors, the Central Mennonite Committee and the United Methodist Church, the Midwest Committee for Draft Counseling and its Central Committee for Conscientious Objectors, and the National Interreligious Service Board for Conscientious Objectors. Newspaper clippings (copies) about the draft or conscientious objectors, 1965-1972, undated, complete the series.

Researchers may also be interested in other collections in the Clarke documenting the history of CMU, the Faculty Association, Mount Pleasant, and other topics in this collection. Charles’ World War II material is in the state Archives of Michigan.

Processing Note: 31 cubic feet of duplicate publications, miscellaneous materials, most envelopes, blank forms, drafts, vitas, information with social security numbers, and peripheral materials were withdrawn from the collection. Very acidic materials and poor-quality photocopies were photocopied and only the new copies were retained in the collection. 68 Michigan postcards were added to the Clarke’s Michigan Postcard Collection. 20 monographs and 10 issues of magazines re: CMU history and conscientious objectors were separately cataloged. Envelopes were retained if that was the only way to identify the address of the sender. The postal date from the envelope was added in pencil to undated correspondence. Whenever possible, undated correspondence without envelopes was dated from the letter’s contents and context.

Collection of research materials Westbrook amassed for his book on historic homes of Mount Pleasant and Isabella County, Michigan.

The collection consists of materials, scanned photographs, copies of pages from historical books, notes, and other materials Westbrook amassed for his book, and drafts of his chapters. A copy of the Morning Sun [Mount Pleasant, Mich.] newspaper article about his research and the release of the book, 2012, and a CD of Westbrook’s work is also included.

Wesley Foundation (Central Michigan University) includes plans, reports, board meetings, newsletters, applications, photographs, slides, an object, and a CD.

The Organizational Records, 1939-2016, and undated contain the Wesley Foundation (Central Michigan University) (WFCMU)’s plans, reports, board meetings, newsletters, applications, photographs, slides, an object, and a CD. The collection is organized alphabetically. The majority of the collection contains WFCMU minutes, annual reports, and many photographs of different events related to the WFCMU activities including, parties, gatherings, trips, and others. The slide box contains slides of the Wesley Foundation activities including, notably, a mission trip to Jamaica and a metal trading stamp saver with stamp books used in a campaign to purchase a bus to transport students. The oversized folders include a scrapbook, 1948-1950, and loose pages of a scrapbook missing its covers, with photographs of early WFCMU people, places, and events with a description written about each black and white photograph. The Homosexuality folder contains letters of appreciation and welcome flyers that invite all people of various orientation. The CD documents one of the leading pastors, the Rev. Thomas Robert Jones, with a slide show of Jones, the church members and a trip they took to New York City. Another pastor documented in the collection is the Rev. Steven Michael Smith, who was the lead pastor, 1996-2000. The collection also includes newsletters and newsletters about Native American tribes, like the Anishinaabe and the Saginaw Chippewas in the Mount Pleasant area, published by the WFCMU.

Researchers may also be interested in the Above Ground newsletter of the WFCMU and Rev. Thomas R. Jones' collection, which are separately cataloged and housed in the Clarke.

Papers of the Wells family of New York (State) and Saginaw, Michigan, include business records, correspondence, diaries, genealogy notes, photographs, oversized materials, and Eclipse Motor Car Company vouchers.

The Wells Business Records, almost all legal-size (2 cubic feet in 5 boxes), is divided into Eclipse Motor Car Company Vouchers, 1906-1911 (3 boxes), and Traverse City Iron Works Estimates, 1931-1942, except for 1940. Eclipse Motor Car Company was an automobile company based in Saginaw and operated by the Smith family that was later purchased by General Motors Company. It ordered iron supplies from Traverse City. Also included is one folder of letter-size business correspondence requesting catalogs and information on machinery of the Brady Cooperage Machinery Company, which was located in Manistee and Traverse City, Michigan, 1911-1916. This was apparently a company that supplied machinery to make barrels. Apparently, Brady Cooperage Machinery Company made round wooden tire spokes for the Eclipse Motor Car Company.

The Wells Family Correspondence, 1823-1947 (Scattered), and undated (5 cubic feet in 10 boxes), is composed almost entirely of letter-size correspondence between Wells family members and their extended relatives, Cochranes, Smiths, Wadhams, and Wells, and their friends and some business associates. Correspondence is filed alphabetically by surname, then first name of the writer of the letters, and chronologically within each folder. Additional miscellaneous items that do not fit elsewhere in the collection, such as locks of hair, report cards, etc. are also filed with correspondence. It is clear that for the most part the families through the generations cared about each other. Most of the letters concern family news of birth, deaths, marriages, news of illness and social events. Letters that may of particular interest to researchers include: A letter to Mrs. Wallis Craig Smith (nee Jean Wadhams Wells, daughter of C. W. Wells) from Mrs. Jefferson Davis, 1905, with an undated clipping of Jefferson Davis’ signature; Civil War correspondence of C. W. Wells to his parents, siblings, and friends, 1861-1865, particularly a letter discussing a battle with Confederate General James Longstreet’s troops, April 23, 1863; Correspondence from California discussing earthquakes, business, and gold mining, from Chester (Chet) Wells to his parents and siblings, 1853-1886; To Wells, Ermina, from William and Col. Luman Wadhams (cousin) and L. Wadhams (nephew), mostly in San Francisco, 1850-1882 (scattered). The Wadhams operated a general store in San Francisco; Correspondence from Wells, Jane A., to Benjamin and Charlie (sons) and Charlie’s wife, Mollie, June 3 and 14, 1876 re: death of their daughter Mattie of Scarlet; a letter from Mollie Wells to Mr. Paxson regarding Women’s Temperance, November 11, 1870; a letter from C. W. Wells to daughter, Jean W. Wells, October 10, 1893 while at the World’s Fair in Chicago; and Correspondence from Cochrane, John to Jane Cochrane (mother), James C. (brother), and sister, 1848-1862 (This includes an 1849 letter from Vera Cruz, Mexico, 1850 from San Francisco, and an 1851 letter from Panama.)

Diaries, (.5 cubic foot in 1 box), include those of Mrs. E. J. (Mrs. W. V.) McLean, 1854, 1871 (2 v.) and 1867 (1 v.); her husband, W. V. McLean, W.V., 1855, 1863, 1865, 1869, 1875 (5 v.); possibly Mrs. Henry Prindle?, 1886 (1 v.), and G. W. Smith, 1883 (1 v.). There are also six unidentified diaries, 1862, 1865-1866, 1872, 1884, and 1891. The link between G. W. Smith and Mrs. Henry Prindle and the Wells is undetermined.

Genealogy Notes, 1894-1945 (Scattered), and undated, (1 cubic foot in 2 boxes), are grouped roughly by surname of family members. These notes were definitely generated and gathered by Jean Craig Smith and include a number of her correspondence regarding her ancestry and for admittance into the DAR.

Photographs, 1860s-1915, and undated (1 cubic foot in 2 boxes), consists of various sizes and types of photographic materials, including cabinet cards, albumen image in a case, cartes-de-visites, stereoscopic views, and a variety of other 19th and early 20th century family photographs. Many of the images are partially identified if not both identified and partially dated. Photographs are grouped by type, size, and family groups. Of particular interest to researchers will be the Civil War Cabinet Card Portraits, includes C.W. Wells and Maj. Gen. Joe Hooker (39 total) and Stereoscopic Views, two of the Civil War, and one of C.W. Wells’ House.

Oversized Materials include Legal Documents, 1872-1901 (Scattered) mainly related to the Last Will and Testament of C.W. Wells, deeds, and guardianship legal documents (.5 cubic foot in 2 boxes), Oversized Photographs,1910-1916, and undated (.25 cubic foot in 1 box), and Oversized Miscellaneous including notes, obituaries, undated (.25 cubic foot in 1 box).

Oversized Folders include: blueprints, drawings, and proposals related to the Battle Creek Pump Station 8, 1941; Battle Creek Sewage Plant, 1938, the Midland Chemical Warfare Plant, 1942, and the Traverse City Pump/Lift Station, 1941, and an undated partial map of Essex County, New York State, showing the AuSable River, home of the Benjamin Wells family. The map was probably cut out of a magazine.

Lastly, Oversized Volumes, are the account ledgers of Jean Wells Smith, 1893-1901, and 1898-1906.

George Weeks papers include: awards; audiocassettes; correspondence; copies of newspaper clippings; pamphlets; planners; maps; notebooks; photographs.

The collection contains awards, audiocassettes, correspondence, copies of newspaper clippings, pamphlets, planners, maps, notebooks, photographs, and other materials related to Week’s journalism career and research about Northern Michigan. The majority of the Northern Michigan research materials are for Week’s book, Sleeping Bear, Yesterday and Today.

Materials about the Day family were organized into a separate collection, the Day Family Papers. Correspondence between Weeks and the members of the Day family are within this collection and the Day Family Papers. Researchers may also be interested in his books and the D. H. Day Family Papers, which are separately cataloged in the Clarke.

Diaries of Alexander B. Weeks, photograph of Weeks and wife, Sarah, and biographical materials.

The collection consists of three of Weeks’ diaries, volume 1) January 1, 1851- September 20, 1851, volume 2) September 21, 1851- February 29, 1852, and volume 3) October 2, 1853- December 15, 1857. The collection is organized alphabetically In the first diary, Weeks noted social and family news, visitors, the weather, major newspaper stories, and patrons or “sitters” who sat for “their likenesses.” He also commented several times about his daughters, particularly little Manty who was teething, learning to talk, walk, and was inoculated.

In the end of volume 1 and all of volume 2, Weeks vividly described his voyage to Brazil with Charles Deforest Fredricks, his fellow passengers, weather, other ships seen, seasickness, etc. Once in Brazil, Weeks noted his busy business, social activities, his friends Charles Saturnino Masoni and George Penabert, the natives, landscape, religious and other customs, slavery, and the local political struggles between Rosas, the Provincial Governor of Buenos Aires, and Gen. Urquiza. Similarly, he describes the beginning of his return voyage home and Montevideo, Uruguay, as well as correspondence with his family, and how much he misses them.

The first two diaries have some of Week’s poetry in the rear of the volumes and a few notes and doodles on the inside covers. The name of the printers who created the book in Pernambuco, Brazil, is pasted on the inside front cover of volume 2.

In his third diary Weeks documented his domestic life and business transactions in Toledo, Ohio, and Detroit, covering the same topics as in the first diary, before his voyage. The third diary is missing its front cover. The first page is divided into columns to serve as an account book. The headings of the columns are: Date, Names, Residence, Size, Price, Case, D/P (D/P probably means: Daguerreotype/Photograph).

Biographical Materials include: Week’s business cards from Poughkeepsie, undated (circa 1841?), a bill to an estate for money owed to Sarah Ann Weeks, August 5, 1870, and a photograph (copy) of Sarah and Alexander Weeks.

Justice Weaver’s papers, 1959, 2014, and undated, are the only complete records documenting the inner-workings of a Michigan Supreme Court Justice in a public archive. The collection includes multiple series listed below.

Justice Weaver’s papers are the only complete records documenting the inner-workings of a Michigan Supreme Court Justice in a public archive. These records are invaluable for documenting the process of how justices reach opinions about cases (a process kept secret until now). The papers also document the career and the increasingly negative relationships she experienced while a Michigan Supreme Court Justice. Justice Weaver documented all these main points very well and wanted her papers preserved and studied.

Series 1, processed by Jennifer Bentley, is the Court of Appeals series, 1984-1995, 21.5 cubic feet (in 44 boxes), within the Weaver Papers, includes court documentation and court publications created by Justice Weaver during her time as an Appellate Justice for the Michigan Supreme Court. Some boxes within the series share overlapping series content with other series in the collection. The entirety of the series is comprised of legal manuscripts and court publications, as well as personal notes within docket packets that Justice Weaver used to form later legal opinions for several cases. Many of the manuscripts within the Court of Appeals series are legal-size with half of the collection in letter-size formats.

For the bulk of this series each court case handled by Justice Weaver’s office is stapled in its own docket. Each Docket consistently includes: case syllabus, orders from lower courts, per curiam (unanimous agreements between the justices), case notes, and court generated summaries of the case. Occasionally, in more notable case dockets, court transcripts are also included.

Besides court dockets there are corresponding case call notes for each case. All newspaper clippings have been copied. Also within this series there are Michigan Supreme Court rotation schedules for the justices. Memorandums between court officials and the justices appear throughout the case call notes as well as within the dockets. Within the Court of Appeals series, there are two mini cassette tapes labeled as “case notes”.

Throughout the entire Justice Weaver collection there are Post-it notes with hand-written notes by Weaver. A few pages exhibiting the plethora of extant notes taken on a case have been preserved in-situ to illustrate Weaver’s growing dissent over her sixteen-year career with Michigan’s Supreme Court. All other substantive notes have been copied and then the originals were withdrawn from the collection.

Series 1 Processing Note: As noted above, all newspaper clippings have been copied. A few pages exhibiting the plethora of extant notes taken on a case have been preserved in-situ to illustrate Weaver’s growing dissent over her sixteen-year career with Michigan’s Supreme Court. All other substantive notes have been copied and then the originals were withdrawn from the collection. Less than .25 cubic foot of this series was withdrawn during processing.

Series 2, processed by Sulaiman Albinhamad, is the Per Curiam series. Per Curiam is defined as a decision (or opinion) ruling issued by an appellate court of multiple judges in which the decision rendered is made by the court or at least a majority of the court acting collectively and unanimously. Per Curiam is Latin for “by the Court”. Per Curiam rulings are issued in the name of the Court, rather than by individual judges or a judge. Typically, the Court deals with issues deemed non-controversial.

The Per Curiam series, 1995-2006, 14 cubic feet (in 28 boxes) within the Justice Elizabeth Weaver collection, includes personal unpublished notes of Justice Weaver and others during her time as Justice (January 1995- August 2010) and Chief Justice (January 1999-January 2001) for the Michigan Supreme Court. The manuscripts within this series are both letter-size and legal-size, but are filed in legal-size folders and boxes to keep related materials together. Per Curiam cases in this series include a range from civil cases to murders.

Each Per Curiam case folder usually includes (in this order): case Syllabus (which is blue in color); Order; Notes from meetings to review the material organized by date, either weekly or monthly, or from Justice Weaver to her staff; Memorandum; and Reports (which are green in color). Drafts and final versions of the Per Curiam are included.

There may be one to three different docket numbers in the same Per Curiam case folder/s. Some folders have materials, each with a different docket number, but the numbers are cited in the related Memorandum.

Series 2 Processing Note: .75 cubic foot of materials were removed from the series during processing, mostly duplicates and peripheral or reading materials not specific to the files.

Series 3 and 4 in this collection are Disqualifications of Judges, 1995-2009, and undated, and Fieger Articles and Dockets, 1994-2009, and undated, which originally were somewhat interfiled, were both also processed by Sulaiman Albinhamad

Disqualifications of Judges (DQs), 1995-2009, and undated, 2 cubic ft. (in 4 boxes), includes Administrative Memorandum, Administrative Orders, articles, case examples, dissents, notes, resolutions, and folders on specific judges.

Fieger Articles and Dockets, 1994-2009, and undated, 1.75 cubic ft. (in 4 boxes), includes articles (copies) about Attorney Geoffrey Fieger and information from Dockets cases in which he was involved or justices were biased against him. In court, Feiger pushed the limits of what was considered appropriate behavior and language by attorneys, which led to questions about which justices should be disqualified or recuse themselves from judging him or other attorneys and why. The rules for disqualification of justices were not written down or encoded, and when Judge Weaver pushed for that to happen, the other justices, after much discussion and writing, eventually all sided against her.

Geoffrey Nels Feiger (1950-) is a controversial American attorney based in Southfield, Michigan. His law practice focuses on personal injury, civil rights litigation and medical malpractice cases, but he is best known as Jack Kevorkian’s defense attorney in doctor-assisted suicide trials. He also ran unsuccessfully as a Democratic nominee for governor of Michigan in 1998.

During most of this time period, Elizabeth Weaver served as a Michigan Supreme Court Justice, 1995-2010. She served on the Michigan Court of Appeals, January 1987-January 1995.

(This information is from the collection and a Wikipedia article accessed May 11, 2017 https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Geoffrey_Fieger.)

Series 3 and 4 Processing Note: 4 cubic feet of copies and peripheral materials were withdrawn during processing.

Series 5, processed by Cassie Olson, is Michigan Supreme Court Campaign Materials, 1990, 1995 and undated,.75 cubic ft. (in 2 boxes), includes campaign materials such as: application materials, financial reports, speeches, endorsements, letters, itineraries, events, media plans, bumper stickers, Court of Appeal cases relevant to her campaign for the Michigan Supreme Court, and other, related materials.

This series documents Justice Elizabeth Weaver’s first campaign for the Michigan Supreme Court while serving as a judge on the Michigan Court of Appeals. Items of note include her decisions on Court of Appeals cases relevant to her campaign for Michigan Supreme Court, including Plummer v. Bechtel, Pulver v. Dundee Cement Company, Rodriguez v. General Motors Saginaw Steering Gear Division, Dedes v. South Lyon Community Schools, Paschke v. Retool Industries, and Chase v. Sabin. Weaver sought and received many unique endorsements from businesses, organizations and individuals such as Governor John Engler, Michigan State Medical Society, Michigan Police Legislative Coalition, National Black Women’s Caucus, the Korean Medical Association of Michigan and the Polish American Conference. Weaver ignored any materials sent by one organization – the Michigan Human Rights Campaign Committee – which supported lesbian and gay-friendly candidates.

Because this was the first year of her Supreme Court campaign and reelection materials, a sample of these materials was retained that will not be retained in the future, including sample ballots, acidic materials, event invitations, and sample letters.

Series 5 Processing Note: 8 cubic feet of copies, sensitive, and peripheral materials were withdrawn during processing. All acidic materials were copied and the copies were added to the collection.

Series 6, processed by Courtney Riggs, is the Hall of Justice Materials, 1997-2010, and undated, 4 cubic ft. (in 3 boxes, 1 Oversized folder) includes: newspaper articles, newsletters, financial reports, speeches, floor plans, dedication ceremony invitations, a plastic hard hat, and other, related materials.

This series documents Justice Elizabeth Weaver’s role in the planning of the Hall of Justice. Also included are her contributions to the Learning Center located in the Hall. Items of note include a personal note from Mary Stallings Coleman (1914-2001), the first woman elected to the Michigan Supreme Court, and a private conversation note containing information about a meeting that continued after Weaver left the room. Weaver, as Chief Justice from 1999 to 2001, oversaw the Advisory Committee and contributed to the Hall planning via floor plan changes, interior designs, etc. As The Learning Center was Justice Weaver’s idea, she oversaw these decisions with this as well (Box 1, folder 4). Albert Kahn Associates was the architecture firm and a variety of their architectural drawings are found in Oversided Folder 1.

Groundbreaking for the Hall occurred in 1999, in which Weaver participated by breaking ground and presenting a speech. When the Hall was completed in 2002, each Justice had the chance to prepare a letter to be placed into a time capsule. Although Weaver may have contributed greatly to the Hall, it seems that most of the other Justices did not approve of her involvement. The aforementioned side meeting and the unsuccessful attempt to name the Learning Center after her are indications of differences of opinion and perhaps a power struggle.

Series 6 Processing Note: 1 cubic foot of copies, reading materials, and peripheral materials was withdrawn during processing. Acidic newspaper clippings were copied and the copies were added to the collection.

Series 7, processed by Courtney Riggs, contains Brady v Attorney Grievance Commission (AGC) Materials, 2006 - 2010 and undated, .75 cubic ft. (in 2 boxes), including: case notes, a cassette, legal findings, a microcassette, news articles copies, a press release draft, and other, related materials.

This series documents Justice Elizabeth Weaver’s involvement in the Brady v AGC case. Also included are documents describing AO 2006-8, or what Weaver refers to as a “Gag Order” directed towards her, and information about the escalating tensions between the Justices. Items of note include Weaver’s notes on the Justices’ attitudes towards her (Box 1, folder 7) and the document indicating Justices Markman, Corrigan, and Young were against her (Box 1, folder 2).

The Brady v AGC case involves Paul Fischer, then Executive Director of the Judicial Tenure Commission, accusing Judge Steven Servaas of forfeiting his role as judge due to the moving of his office and inappropriate behavior towards staff. Brady, head lawyer on the case, represented Servaas. Weaver would ultimately disqualified herself on the case due to her disclosing information to her lawyer, who was also working on the case.

Also included is the Third Judicial Circuit Appeals Case. The impact of this case documents the split between Weaver and the rest of the Justices. Weaver was then found in contempt of court rules. It also documents the actions of Justice Mary Beth Kelly, who later served as Chief Justice for the 2009 – 2010 term. Included is a cassette documenting Justice Mary Kelly’s concerns and a microcassette of Justice Diane Hathaway’s conversation, most likely with Weaver herself. Of note are news articles regarding Justice Robert Young and a transcription of his racist comment (Box 2, folder 5).

It is unknown to the Archivist after processing (in 2018) why Justice Weaver talked to the lawyer. In Box 1, folder 7, there is indication that Weaver forgot the case was still open. Referencing Weaver’s book indicates that the other Justices wanted to get Weaver into trouble. In fact, Justice Weaver was advised to turn herself in to the Judicial Tenure Commission (Box 1, folder 2).

Justice Weaver’s book, Judicial Deceit: Tyranny and Unnecessary Secrecy at the Michigan Supreme Court, pages 648 – 656 was referenced for background information about AO-2006 and the Brady case.

Series 7 Processing Note: 1 cubic foot of copies and peripheral materials was withdrawn during processing. All acidic materials were copied and the copies were added to the collection.

Series 8, processed by Courtney Riggs, Wayne County v. Hathcock Materials, 2003-2005, .25 cubic foot (in 1 box) includes: a reference book, agendas, memorandums, news articles, notes, opinions and other, related materials.

This series documents Justice Elizabeth Weaver’s involvement in the Wayne v Hathcock County case. This case would come to overrule the 1972 case of Poletown Neighborhood Council v. City of Detroit, in which General Motors was allowed to take land from private owners. While Weaver initially agreed with the other Justices, she later changed her opinion, causing tension between Justices. The reference book included in the collection references what the Wayne County v Hathcock decision means to the public.

Series 8 Processing Note: .5 cubic foot (.5) of copies and peripheral materials was withdrawn during processing.

Series 9, processed by Courtney Riggs, Pellegrino v Ampco Materials, 2007-2010, undated, 1 cubic foot (in 2 boxes) includes: appeals, case notes, legal findings, and other, related materials.

This series documents Justice Elizabeth Weaver’s involvement in the Pellegrino v Ampco Systems case. Also included are documents describing the rules to disqualifying Justices from cases and information about the escalating tensions between the Justices. The Pellegrino case itself involves Anthony and Shirley Pellegrino’s involvement in a car accident driven by an Ampco employee. Shirley died in the crash, while Anthony was severely injured.

During the trial, Fieger represented Pellegrino. Fieger thought that Ampco should not be able to change jurors and thus, a Baston Challenge was called. Legally, the definition of a Baston Challenge is “an objection to the validity of a peremptory challenge, on grounds that the other party used it to exclude a potential juror based on race, ethnicity, or sex” (https://www.law.cornell.edu/wex/batson_challenge). The Challenge resulted in the Justices questioning if the Judge should be turned into the Judicial Tenure Commission. While most of the Justices agreed, Weaver dissented to this, as well as to the idea of disqualifying judges. Weaver’s actions, and that of the other Justices, resulted in high tensions.

Processing Note: .5 cubic foot of copies and peripheral materials was withdrawn during processing. All acidic materials were copied and the copies were added to the collection.

Series 10, processed by Courtney Riggs, Speeches, 1975-2010, undated, .75 cubic foot (in 2 boxes) includes: speeches in paper, CDs, and microcassette (if no paper speech copy was available), information about Weaver’s Central Michigan University (CMU) courses she taught and other, related materials.

This series documents Justice Elizabeth Weaver’s Speeches from 1975 to 2010. Enclosed are her speech duties as a Justice, which include performing investitures and swearing in other legal officials (Box 1, Folder 6). Weaver also gave such speeches as Court House Dedications, Boy Scouts, and special events, like the 100th Anniversary of the Juvenile Court (Box 1, Folder 3). Weaver also performed marriages during her career.

One Court House dedication Weaver performed was the Isabella County Courthouse Dedication Ceremony, which took place on September 6th, 2000 (Box 1, Folder 5).

Weaver taught two classes, Educational Administration: Introduction to School Law and Elementary Education/ Secondary Education: Law for Teachers, for CMU Off Campus extension courses (Box 2, Folder 4). These classes took place in Traverse City.

A list of copyrighted interviews with or coverage about Justice Weaver is included in the back of Box 92, Speeches, August 2002 – 2005, folder. These CDs or DVDs were withdrawn from the collection due to copyright issues.

Processing Note: 7 cubic feet of copies, correspondence, drafts, floppy disks, memorandums, microcassettes (if paper speech was available), and peripheral materials was withdrawn during processing.

Series 11, processed by Jonathan Strom, Trial Court Assessment Commission (TCAC), 1993, 1999, undated, 1 cubic foot (in 2 boxes) includes: Meeting minutes of the commission and its subcommittees, correspondence between commission members and various people related to TCAC’s mission, reports generated and /or used by the commission, memorandums, and other related material.

This series documents Justice Elizabeth Weaver’s involvement in TCAC as Chairman. It exhibits how the commission function, how they developed and executed their plan of trial court reform, and how they managed blowback from the legal community. Portions of this series which may be of particular interest are: data generated by the commission’s assessment, and documents related to the demonstration projects that included Barry, Berrien, Isabella, Lake, Washtenaw counties and the 46th Circuit Court. TCAC formed in 1997 to assess the status of trial courts in Michigan and to recommend a solution to streamline the process. They were dissolved in December of 1998 after conducting multiple studies and experiments.

Processing Note: 3 cubic feet of copies, blanks, drafts, trivial correspondence, job applications, and peripheral materials were withdrawn during processing.

Series 12, processed by Brian Schamber, Probate Court and Leelanau Materials, 1974-1990, and undated, 4.5 cubic ft. (in 9 boxes, 1 Oversized folder) includes: newspaper articles, publications, financial reports, cassette tapes, a county flag, correspondence, surveys, and other, related materials. All boxes in this series are Legal-sized boxes.

This series documents Justice Elizabeth Weaver’s time as the probate judge of Leelanau County, her service on the Committee for Juvenile Justice (CJJ), her controversial stance on jailing juveniles (Jailing, Box 97), and her dispute with some members of the county board of commissioners (Yarger Dispute, Boxes 102-103). CJJ meeting folders may contain the following: meeting minutes, charts related to the meeting, and other documents received at the meetings. This series also contains correspondences between other judges, a letter of recommendation from former Michigan Governor and Supreme Court Justice G. Mennen “Soapy” Williams, promotional and campaign materials, publications, mortgage and land dispute cases. A bicentennial flag, which measures 57x 35 inches made by the Spartan Flag Co. of Northport Mi. and bears the county seal of Leelanau County on a blue background, is stored in an oversized folder.

Within the Probate Court Series, is the Leelanau School subseries, which holds documents from Judge Weaver’s time as a board member for the Leelanau School, a private Christian Science school on the Crystal River. Documents in this series cover board meetings, correspondence from headmasters and Congressman Vander Jagt, legal paper work regarding property boundaries, and promotional materials related to the school.

Processing Note: 20 cubic feet of copies, reading materials, and peripheral materials was withdrawn during processing. Acidic newspaper clippings were copied and the copies were added to the collection. One publication was separately cataloged.

Series 13, processed by Ashley Blackburn, Court Reform Materials, 1975-2009, and undated, 6 cubic feet (in 12 boxes) includes: judicial reform documents, trial court reform documents, county court documents, meeting minutes, agendas, correspondence among the Justices, judge recommendations, Court of Appeals documents, media reports, business cards, legal notes, resolutions, newspaper clippings (copies), Demonstration Project documents, Justice Weaver’s notes on bills, and other related materials.

This series documents one of Justice Elizabeth Weaver’s most important platforms: court reform. Included in materials are recommendations on how all Michigan courts should be structured, run, and budgeted and how all judges and Justices should obtain office and behave while in office. Materials show Justice Weaver’s firm point of view on the subject and how other Justice’s communicated with her on the subject of court reform, and how the subject of court reform impacted her role in the courts. Some boxes include dissent documents and related communications among many of her fellow Justices. Many of the boxes also include documents showing support from the community and Justice Weaver’s contemporaries in the courts for her firm stance on Court Reform. Many of the boxes contain media relations, such as news articles showing positive or negative press on the topic of court reform or Justice Weaver herself.

In Box 104, AAUW stands for the American Association of University Women. In 1976, Irene Brown was the Grand Travers Area Representative on the State Board of AAUW. Michigan State Representatives H. Lynn Jondahl and Dennis O. Cawthorne are mentioned. Ingham County Probate Judge Donald S. Owens, who later went on to serve in the Michigan Court of Appeals (2000-2016), is corresponded with. There is also correspondence with Wayne County Juvenile Judge Gladys Barsamian who served in the court from 1975-1993; she died in January 2016.

Box 109 includes information on the Demonstration Projects, sometimes abbreviated Demo, in Michigan Courts. These projects, many of which were led by Justice Weaver, involve restructuring and merging county courts, including probate, trial, district, and circuit courts.

Boxes 111 and 112 mention State Representative Michael (Mike) Nye. Nye also served as a judge for the 30th Probate Court in Hillsdale County. In 1995, during his time as a state representative, Nye introduced House Bill 5158 which dealt with court restructuring and funding. Nye retired in 2012.

In Box 112, MACC stands for Michigan Association of County Clerks.

Box 115 also includes a few multimedia DVDs which record Justice Weaver speaking on the subject of Court Reform to the state of Michigan and a Michigan women’s group. These DVD’s must be played in VLC Media Player. Box 115 also includes an article referencing Senator Barack Obama. A few folders in Box 115 have specific mention of Central Michigan University (CMU) Professor James P. Hill and general Isabella County information.

All the boxes in this series are .5 legal-size cubic foot boxes. 12 boxes, 6 cubic feet in total.

Processing note: At least 5 cubic feet of material was withdrawn from the collection. Not all acidic materials were kept; news clippings that were kept were photocopied and added to the collection. The majority of the acidic items were newspaper articles. Some sticky notes were also photocopied and added into the collection; the rest were withdrawn. At least five items (publications and multimedia) were separately cataloged. Box 1 and Box 2 were processed by Brian Schamber (originally under Probate Courts), therefore the folder descriptions and look vary from the rest of the series.

Series 14, processed by Courtney Riggs, Orals, 1991-2010, and undated, 40.5 cubic feet (in 82 boxes) includes: case notes, legal findings, memorandums, morning reports, pre-orals, orals, orders, supporting constituent correspondence, syllabuses and other, related materials.

This series documents the Supreme Court cases for which the Justices required Orals. Also included are documents describing how the Court reached certain decisions. Such cases include; the People v Budzyn, (102654/102655), in which a black man was killed by a white police officer, and In Re Hon William Runco (113567), which was the first time the Supreme Court became involved in a Judicial Tenure Commission (JTC) case.

Orals is the final step in the process of Michigan Supreme Court case review. First, the Justices decide if a case should be reviewed at all. Then, a case might require a Justice to review or research the case. Next, the Justice may require the lawyers to specifically address one or a few points (mini orals). If the Justices have many or various points to review, the case requires Orals, or presentations by lawyers for the case.

The process for Orals is complex. First, Weaver’s law clerks wrote up a Pre-Oral for her to read about the case. These law clerks include Susan Grace Davis, Graham Bateman, Stephanie, Angela Verner, and Elizabeth Bagley Roth. After the Pre-Oral, Justices hear the case for thirty minutes (Orals). Afterwards, a Justice wrote an opinion. The draft was then circulated to the other Justices. The Justices then edited and revised certain phrases to make it legally correct. If the other Justices did not agree, they wrote up a dissenting opinion or their own opinion. The Justices then decided whom they agreed with and a majority/minority was established. A Justice could also concur in part, and dissent in other parts. “I release my string” is a common phrase used to establish when a Justice threw out their own opinion, as there could only be one majority opinion.

“LIG” is another term used on the Supreme Court. This means leave to appeal improvidently granted, in which the Court believes the case was allowed to be appealed when it should not have been (as explained by CMU Emeritus Professor Joyce Baugh in an email to the Archivist, February 2018).

Abeyance is also a term used by the Supreme Court. According to Black’s Law Dictionary, this means “a state of temporary disuse or suspension.”

Justices made history by hearing an oral argument at the Lapeer County Courthouse in 2007. Completed in 1846, it is the oldest Michigan courthouse still in operation. The plan was to continue this tradition at various courthouses in the upcoming years, but this seemingly has not come into fruition. This is documented in Box #60.

Processing note: 40.5 cubic feet of copies, drafts, and peripheral materials was withdrawn during processing. All acidic materials were copied and the copies were added to the collection. 5 cubic feet of Orals VHS tapes and DVDs are separately cataloged.

Series 15, processed by Brian Schamber, Crystal River Materials, 1975-2005 (Scattered), and undated, 1.5 cubic feet (in 3 boxes) includes: correspondence, constituent letters, a DNR packet, EPA documents, zoning ordinance, directories, reports, newspaper clippings(copies), meeting minutes, circuit court case materials, memorandum, a VHS videotape, water level reports, plat map and a survey sketch

This series documents documents environmental issues in the Crystal River and Glen Lake, Michigan area. Of particular interest are documents related to the Homestead golf course development project (all boxes) which contain correspondence surveys from the Environmental Protection Agency, the Department of the Interior, and Bill Ford (William Clay Ford, Jr.) and the Friends of Crystal River, a local grassroots environmental organization. The collection also documents a law suit related to water level control between Leelanau County and the Glen Lake-Crystal River Watershed Riparians verses the Glen Lake Association. Continued by Series 26.

Processing note: 1.5 cubic feet of peripheral materials, duplicates, copies, in several formats were withdrawn.

Series 16, processed by JoAnna Lincoln and Cassie Olson, Mini-Orals (MOAAs or Mini-Oral Argument on the Application), 2002-2010 and undated, 11.75 cubic feet (in 24 boxes) includes: case notes, legal findings, memorandums, orders, transcripts, supporting constituent correspondence, syllabuses and other, related materials.

This series documents the Supreme Court cases for which the Justices required Mini-Orals to determine if the case should be tried in the Supreme Court. Also included are documents describing how the Court reached certain decisions.

The Mini-Oral Argument on the Application, or MOAA, gives the Court an opportunity to explore the issues involved in the case without the full briefing and submission that follows a leave to appeal. Many times, the Court orders a MOAA to discuss more specific issues before elevating it to a full oral argument.

Each MOAA case included some variation of the following materials: memorandum opinion, orders, a syllabus, memorandums, applications, motions, supplemental reports, Weaver’s notes, conference agendas, a transcript, and photographs.

Some of these cases include; MOAA Docket 127292 wherein a baby was either thrown or fell accidentally out of a window, MOAA Docket 133988 wherein a woman crossing the street was hit by a police car, and Docket 135247 in which the MOAA was held at the Barry County Historical Courthouse with high school students present for educational purposes. In her notes, Weaver expressed her opinion that Docket 135247 was the worst MOAA they had ever heard.

Orals is the final step in the process of Michigan Supreme Court case review. First, the Justices decide if a case should be reviewed at all. Then, a case might require a Justice to review or research the case. Next, the Justice may require the lawyers to specifically address one or a few points (mini orals). If the Justices have many or various points to review, the case requires Orals, or presentations by lawyers for the case. For more information on Orals, see the finding aid for Orals.

Processing Note: 7.5 cubic feet of copies, miscellaneous agendas and notes, drafts, and peripheral materials were withdrawn during processing.

Series 17, processed by JoAnna Lincoln, Reference Materials, 1985-2010, and undated, 1 cubic foot (in 2 boxes) includes: various reports and publications by the courts for the state of Michigan, audits, forums, essays, materials for events Weaver attended, legal documents investigating Weaver and other justices for judicial malpractice, personal correspondence, correspondence from constituents with strong feelings, materials from organizations Weaver was involved with, and Weaver’s personal membership cards.

Processing Note: Ten feet of materials including duplicates, newspaper clippings, empty envelopes, advertisements, court orders, sticky notes, reference materials, floppy disks, FYIs, and peripheral materials were removed from the collection during processing. 19 items were separately cataloged.

Series 18, processed by Nikki Brabaw, Campaigns Material, 1974-2010, and undated, 2.5 cubic feet (in 5 boxes) includes: Materials relate to the various campaigns and elections Weaver ran for – Probate Court in 1974, Court of Appeals in 1986 and 1992, Michigan Supreme Court Justice in 1995 and 2002, and her appointment to Chief Justice in 1999. This series also documents Justice Weaver’s initial resignation from Supreme Court in 2005 that she later revoked, her campaign for a third term as Justice in 2010, that she revoked, and her official resignation in 2010. Justice Weaver’s attempts to reveal to the public the corruption of the other Michigan Supreme Court Justices are somewhat displayed in this collection, and the backlash she received from other justices that ultimately led to an investigation into her conduct as a justice and her later, forced, resignation. This series also documents that Justice Weaver legally changed her name from Betty to Elizabeth to help avoid confusion when the public assumed her full name was Elizabeth. Also included is the page from Corp! Magazine in which Weaver was named one of the top 95 most powerful women in Michigan in 2002. Along with Justice Weaver’s campaigns, this series also includes the other judges and politicians that she endorsed and supported during their campaigns and when she was not back up for election. The last box of this series also includes three-dimensional objects – two hats and one paper weight. Researchers may also be interested in Series 5 of this collection which covers 1990, 1995 and undated materials .75 cubic feet (2 boxes), of Weaver’s first run for Michigan Supreme Court. Researchers may also note that there are only three items in one folder pertaining to Weaver’s 1992 campaign for Court of Appeals. An exhaustive, unsuccessful search was completed to find additional materials.

Processing Note: Approximately 22.25 cubic feet of materials including duplicates, newspaper clippings, empty envelopes, post-it notes, reference materials, floppy disks, miscellaneous financials, miscellaneous notes, letters addressed to Weaver that have no response, miscellaneous cassette tapes, acidic paper, event invitations that Weaver did not attend, receipts, agendas and calendars, miscellaneous office supplies, unsupported CDs, and peripheral materials were removed from the series during processing. Cassette tapes of radio interviews with Justice Weaver in which she openly discussed the wrongdoings of the other Justices, and how she felt the court system should change, were also withdrawn due to their content. Twenty-nine photographs were removed from this series and interfiled with the other general photographs in the collection. Also withdrawn was a card from Nancy (who worked for Weaver) in which an actual flower was pressed insecurely into the front and was breaking off into the rest of the series. Researchers may also note that special attention was given to any materials from Justice Weaver’s first run for Michigan Supreme Court in 1994, Hall of Justice documents and speeches. A few of these items were found in this series and were appropriate interfiled. Thirty-four items were separately cataloged and twenty-one additional items were added to the Michigan Vertical Files.

Series 19, processed by Brad Davis, 46th District Court Docket No. 128878 materials, 2004-2006, 2018, and undated, 2.25 cubic ft. (in 5 boxes) includes: case overview, appendices, application to leave for appeal, and sealed exhibitions.

This series documents the suppressed case of the 46th Circuit Trial Court v. Crawford County. The Trial Court’s predecessor, the 46th Circuit Court, was the circuit court servicing Otsego, Crawford, and Kalkaska counties. There was a plan to evaluate the feasibility of consolidating various court functions into a single entity known as the 46th Trial Court.

In order to facilitate this consolidation, the Trial Court began a large-scale administrative reorganization for the purpose of standardizing wages, benefits, and personnel policies in 2004. During the reorganization, the Chief Judge requested that his employees switch to less-favorable prescription drug and health insurance plans and that they relinquish longevity plans for an enhanced employee pension plan funded by the counties. The Chief Judge presented his enhanced benefits plan to the Tri-County Committee, and subsequently to each county’s board of commission. The resolution was passed by the Otsego and Kalkaska county boards.

The Crawford County board refused to sign the contract because the board’s concern regarding the prospect of a sizeable unfunded liability, led to the District Court’s involvement. In 2004, Crawford County refused to pay its share of the costs of the enhanced benefit plans. In 2005, Kalkaska County Board of Commissioners rescinded its resolution on the basis of the concerns raised by Crawford County. Otsego County proceeded to fund the entire cost of the enhanced benefits plan without reimbursement from the other funding units.

Application for leave to appeal was answered in 2005. A major issue in the case was that Judge Davis tried inappropriately to impose his plan on the counties without the commissioner’s approval, super-ceding his authority. The case was decided in 2006, and later suppressed. The 46th District Court is now the 46th Circuit Court. (Information taken from the Case Overview provided in the collection.)

Processing Note: Nothing from the collection was withdrawn during processing.

Series 20, processed by Brad Davis, Reform Michigan Government Now Materials, 2008, .25 cubic ft. (in 1 box), includes: orders from the court, news articles, and memoranda.

This series documents the decision o f the courts on a proposed amendment to the Michigan constitution to be included on the ballot during the 2008 presidential election. Reform Michigan Government sought to amend the Michigan constitution to completely reform the Michigan courts by increasing the number of local judges and decreasing the number of Michigan Supreme Court Justices from seven to five. The proposed amendment became a topic of controversy between Michigan Democrats and Republicans.

72% of Michigan voters eventually favored the amendment. However, the proposal also encountered opposition, most notably among the Michigan Republican Party, which launched a campaign to stop the proposed amendment from being placed on the ballot in November 2008. The argument between supporters and the opposition to the amendment led to the proposal reaching the Michigan Court of Appeals. The Court of Appeals ruled that the amendment was unconstitutional, causing a greater controversy.

The ruling by the Court of Appeals was challenged and the case was brought to the Michigan Supreme Court. The Supreme Court ruled in favor of the lower court, leaving the proposed amendment off the ballot in the November election. (Video recordings of the oral arguments for this case are separately catalogued.)

Processing Note: .25 cubic ft. of material outside the scope of the collection were withdrawn during processing.

Series 21, processed by Lindsey Rogers, Macomb County Probate Court (MCPC) Materials, 1999-2009, .5 cubic foot (in 1 box), includes: correspondence, supporting documents (memorandums, emails, and statements from members of the court and the public) concerning the investigation of the behavior of MCPC judges.

This series was created due to apparent negligence on the behalf of certain judges on the MCPC. Justice Weaver became involved after an article appeared in the newspaper, which detailed the ongoing issues between Judge Pamela Gilbert O’Sullivan and then-Chief Judge Kathryn George. The series centers on several mishandled cases and issues surrounding the Addams Guardianship Services. These issues affected Justice Weaver’s personal life and her position on the Michigan Supreme Court.

Of particular note is Justice Weaver’s rapidly deteriorating friendship with Judge Kenneth Sanborn, as indicated in letters throughout this series. The materials within indicate that Justice Weaver may have been building a case against Judge George, and later newspapers articles show that Judge George was removed as Chief Judge and was investigated by the Michigan Judicial Tenure Commission (MJTC). Justice Weaver’s relationships with the other Supreme Court Justices is also documented throughout this series.

Weaver’s attempts to replace Sanborn with O’Sullivan and to file complaints against George with the MJTC all failed by October 2008 (“Probate’s acting chief judge will stay put,” Macomb Daily, October 3, 2008, accessed online December 21, 2018.)

Processing Note: 1 cubic foot of duplicates, out-of-scope materials, and blanks were withdrawn during processing.

Series 22, processed by Anna Dean, Emily Moran, and Mitchel Watts, Administrative Meeting Minutes, 1994-2010, 2.75 cubic ft. (in 6 boxes) is a compilation of minutes created by Justice Weaver for reference. Most of the boxes of this series include agendas and meeting minutes of the court and of court administrative meetings. The fourth box contains the opening and closing of files, Michigan Justice Tenure Commission (JTC) staff reports and letters of recommendation regarding JTC amendments

At the Court Administrative meetings the Justices discuss the inner workings and rules of the court themselves and approve meeting minutes from prior meetings. There are specific court processes that were often changed or adjusted. During these meetings important changes to the court, such as the nomination and acquisition of a new Chief Justice, were discussed. Towards the end of these meetings, Justice Young abstained from approving meeting minutes for a multitude of years. He stated that he will stop abstaining when Justice Weaver is removed from the court. These meetings occurred approximately once a week or every other week.

During court case file review meetings the Justices vote on whether or not a case showed the plaintiff guilty or innocent or decide whether or not they wanted to review a case. These meetings occurred approximately once a week or every other week.

The opening or closing of certain cases is also documented in this series. There is a statute of limitations so if the Justices wish to open or close these files they are allowed to do so only within a certain period. These meetings rarely occurred.

Box 244 (a .25 cubic foot box) includes two JTC folders. During JTC meetings complex changes for justices’ roles were discussed, including a large number of rule changes which govern judicial disciplinary proceedings. These changes were considered in 1999 and 2000. Some of these changes were accepted. There were also a number of recommendations by various people to amend these rules. The JTC met the second Monday of each month.

The Michigan JTC was established by the state in 1968. The Commission strives to hold state judges, magistrates, and referees accountable for their misconduct without jeopardizing or compromising the essential independence of the judiciary. The basis for Commission action is a violation of the Code of Judicial Conduct or Rules of Professional Conduct, which are published with the Michigan Rules of Court. (This information is from the MI JTC’s website, accessed February 20, 2019.)

Processing Note: 58.75 cubic foot of duplicates, out-of-scope materials, and blanks were withdrawn during processing.

Series 23, processed by Carolyn Niehaus, Denials, 2007 – 2009, 9 cubic ft. (in 18 boxes), includes: case notes, legal findings, memorandums, orders, holds, transcripts, supporting constituent correspondence, Justice Weaver notes, syllabuses and other, related materials.

This series documents the Supreme Court cases for which the Justices determine that the case should not be reviewed or tried in the Supreme Court. Also included are documents describing how the Court reached certain decisions.

Each Denial case includes some variation of the following materials: memorandum opinion, orders, a syllabus, memorandums, hold orders, applications, motions, supplemental reports, Weaver’s notes, a transcript, photographs, and other documents relevant to the evaluation of individual cases.

Hold orders appear as regular correspondence between Justices within each Denial case docket. According to Black’s Law Dictionary, a hold order is “an instruction to stop activity by a previous order” (March, 2019). Hold orders appear in the Denial cases through phrasing such as “Please hold this case for conference consideration”, “Please hold this case. I would like to review the file at greater length”, or “THIS IS NOT A HOLD”.

Orals is the final step in the process of Michigan Supreme Court case review. First, the Justices decide if a case should be reviewed at all. If not, the case is denied. Then, a case might require a Justice to review or research the case, and then it may be denied. Next, the Justice may require the lawyers to specifically address one or a few points (mini orals), and then the case may be denied. If the Justices have many or various points to review, the case requires Orals, or presentations by lawyers for the case, and even then the case may be denied. For more information on Orals, see the finding aid for Orals.

Processing Note: 1 cubic feet of copies, miscellaneous agendas and notes, drafts, and peripheral materials as well as cases involving minors were withdrawn during processing. While cases involving minors are a matter of public record, the Justices’ notes about these sensitive cases were not. Therefore, they were withdrawn during processing.

Series 24, processed by Mitchel Watts, the Governor’s Task Force on Child Abuse and Neglect (GTFCAN), 1978-2014, undated, 1 cubic foot (in 2 boxes, 1 Oversized folder) includes: reports, notably the Washtenaw County Trial Court Family Division Juvenile Court Reorganization Report 2001, appointments, state-congressional bills, letters, executive summary, model protocols and a CD. The collection documents the Task Force’s findings and reports on child abuse and neglect in the state of Michigan. The series includes case documents on the debatable topic of whether or not spiritual healing qualifies as child abuse (see Weaver GTFCJ, Spiritual Healing, 1993-1997 folder). A speech made by Justice Weaver (see Weaver GTFCAN, Leland Education Foundation Speech, 2011 folder) details changes she wanted to implement in the court system. There is a CD (see Weaver GTFCAN, State Court Administrative Office 8th Annual Child Welfare Services Conference, Pathways to Permanency, CD, 2012 folder) records an annual conference sponsored by the GTFCAN. Lastly, there is her oversized certificate of to the GTFCJ in 2004. The oversized folder includes Weaver GTFCJ, Appointment Certificate, 2004.

Originally established in 1991, the Governor’s Task Force on Children’s Justice (GTFCJ) was renamed The Governor’s Task Force on Child Abuse and Neglect (GTFCAN) in 2010. The charge of the Task Force remained the same, which was to review and evaluate State investigative, administrative and both civil and criminal judicial handling of cases of child abuse and neglect, including child sexual abuse and exploitation, as well as cases involving suspected child maltreatment related fatalities and cases involving a potential combination of jurisdictions, such as intrastate, interstate, Federal-State, and State-Tribal. Justice Weaver served on both task forces as chair, 1993-2012. Justice Weaver was aware of the suffering of minors in the court system and sought to alleviate their suffering by accelerating the rate by which their cases were heard and resolved through reorganization and reassignments of cases that were waiting for a judge to hear or review them. Her ideas proved unpopular as most Michigan judges did not desire a larger caseload. (This information is from the series, her book, and the website Michigan.gov/Michigan Department of Health and Human Services, accessed in October 2020.)

Processing Note: 1 cubic foot of duplicates, copies, blank papers and miscellaneous information was withdrawn during processing.

Series 25, processed by Emily Moran, Justice Elizabeth A. Weaver Miscellaneous and Photographs, 1987, 2011, undated, includes: awards and various installments of each ceremony in this series, particularly her investiture as Chief Supreme Court Justice in 1995 and involvement with the Michigan Women’s Hall of Fame (MWHoF), speeches, including those related to her induction, other women’s inductions into the MWHoF, as well as graduations and other events, and correspondence. Also included are some financial reports, and a folder regarding her judicial misconduct (October-December 2002). Other folders of interest include materials related to the Supreme Court Learning Center, Supreme Court Survival Kit, which are intended for new Justices. Weaver answered a number of questions about her upbringing and how she became interested in a legal career. Lastly, there is a script of her speaking part in an educational video about the courts. The collection is arranged in alphabetical order. There is a thank you note from President George W. Bush and two packets titled Portfolio of Michigan Capito Woodcuts, Reprinted from 1879, and coins, for Capitols 125th Anniversary, 2004. Miscellaneous photographs (Box 284) include formal and informal photographs of Justice Weaver campaigning, interacting with colleagues and friends, group photographs of justices, in the Michigan Woman’s Hall of Fame, Hall of Justice images, and documentation of the arson destruction and recovery of the Court of Appeals office, 1987. There is one photograph of her with President Ronald Reagan, 1995.

Michigan Women Forward, previously known as the Michigan Women’s Foundation, began in 1986 as an organization “devoted to the economic and personal well-being of Michigan women and girls.” Since 1987 they have held annual induction ceremonies into the Michigan Women’s Hall of Fame. Justice Elizabeth Weaver was inducted into the Hall of Fame in 2005 and gave speeches in honor of other nominees in 2006 and 2008. (This information is from the collection and the Michigan Supreme Court Learning Center’s website, https://courts.michigan.gov/education/learning-center/Pages/default.aspx, Accessed 2 November 2020.)

The Supreme Court Learning Center was established as a hands-on gallery to engage visitors and aid them in understanding the roles of the judicial branch of government. The Learning Center offers tours and educational programs geared towards K-12 students across the state. Justice Elizabeth Weaver was the Supervising Justice for the Learning Center in 2006, however it is not clear how long she held this position. (This information is from the collection and Michigan Women Forward’s website, https://miwf.org/, Accessed 2 November 2020.)

Processing Note: During processing 7cubic feet of duplicates, copies, blank papers and miscellaneous information was withdrawn. Three items relating to budget reports had previously been cataloged and were placed with their appropriate collections.

Series 26, processed by Mitchel Watts, is a continuation of Series 15, the Crystal River series, 1983-2003, undated, 1.5 cubic feet (in 4 boxes) includes: dockets for the Michigan Appeals and Supreme Court, reports, letters, and maps. The majority of the series is recorded proceedings of the Michigan Supreme Court case Friends of the Crystal River V. Kuras Properties. Notably, the series has a full report from the Department of the Army that details their findings in Glen Arbor Township (see Weaver Crystal River, Department of the Army Permit Evaluation Homestead, Undated folder). The series has two folders of letters, one each that supports and disapproves of the proposed golf course (See Weaver Crystal River, Golf Course Support Letters, 1987 folder and Weaver Crystal River, Letters Opposed to the golf Course, 1986-1987). The series also contains a map that shows where the Homestead proposed purchase of land would be in Glen Arbor Township (See Weaver Crystal River, Facts and Maps Concerning the Homestead Golf Course, 1983, 1986). The legal-size box contains recorded proceeding of the case in the Appeals Court.

In 1986, the Homestead Resort in Glen Arbor, Michigan, planned to build a golf course some of which would overlap the Crystal River. The Homestead sought to incorporate the Crystal River as a water hazard within the golf course. Some of the local population so (saw?) this new course as a violations to rivers purity and formed a group called Friends of the Crystal River. The Friends filed a suit against Homestead alleging that their new course would violate the state’s wetlands act and Environmental Protection acts by disrupting the river’s ecology and interfering with the public’s right to use it. When the golf course was approved by the Environmental Protection Agency, the Friends filed a suit which eventually reached the Michigan Supreme Court under docket number 107823. The Supreme court decided to abolish all previous rulings in the lower courts and left the decision to the Department of the Army to determine if the golf course could be built without affecting the environment. After a long survey, the Department of the Army deemed that building the golf course would not be best for the land and Crystal River and therefore the Homestead golf course was not built.

Processing Note: During processing 1 cubic foot of duplicates, blank papers, newspaper clippings and miscellaneous information was withdrawn. One cassette tape and 9 mini cassette tapes were also withdrawn for their miscellaneous information.

Series 27, processed by Emily Moran, Events, 1994-2004, .25 cubic feet (in 1 box) includes: invitations and / or tickets to a wide array of events such as, luncheons, conferences, inductions, banquets, ceremonies, fundraisers, birthday parties, graduations, retirement parties, and organization meetings. There is a folder that contains speeches given by Justice Weaver when attending events titled Events Featuring Speeches, 1994-2004. The folder titled Events Relating to Attorneys / Law Topics, 1998-2004 features events hosted by organizations such as the Prosecuting Attorneys Association of Michigan and the Michigan Trial Lawyers Association. The folder titled Events Relating to Friends and Family, 2001-2004 includes invitations and tickets to weddings, graduations, retirements, plays, and symphonies. Events Relating to Judges / Judicial Topics, 1999-2004 has invitations regarding investitures, as well as events hosted by the Michigan Supreme Court Historical Society and the Michigan Judicial Institute. Lastly, the folder titled Events Relating to Miscellaneous Organizations, 1999-2004 contains invitations to events hosted by organizations that do not fit into other folders listed, such as the House Republican Campaign Committee and Michigan Senate Republicans.

Founded in 1928, the Prosecuting Attorneys Association of Michigan (PAAM) is a voluntary association serving the state of Michigan. As an organization, their primary function is to keep all prosecuting attorneys throughout the state of Michigan updated of changes in law, legislation, and other matters that pertain to their offices. Their goal is to create a uniform system of conduct, duty, and procedure, for each county in the state. (This information is from the Prosecuting Attorneys Association of Michigan’s website, https://www.michiganprosecutor.org/, accessed 25 November 2020.)

The Michigan Trial Lawyers Association is now known as the Michigan Association of Justice (MAJ). The organization’s mission statement is “to promote a fair and effective justice system,” through supporting the work of attorneys who obtain justice for persons who are injured by misconduct or negligence of others. The organization achieves this by hosting seminars, forums, and publications to help MAJ members advocate for their clients successfully. (This information is from the Michigan Association of Justice website, https://www.michiganjustice.org/, accessed on 25 November 2020.)

Processing Note: 4 cubic feet of copies, thank you letters, event schedules, blank papers and miscellaneous information was withdrawn during processing.

Series 28, processed by Emily Moran, Court Cases, 1996-2008, .5 cubic feet (in 1 box) includes: court-related documents, such as syllabi, opinions, hearing transcripts, supplemental reports, and orders. Also included are personal notes taken by Justice Weaver during oral hearings and memorandums sent between the Justices. Three cases are highlighted in the collection: Gilbert v. DaimlerChrysler Co., In re Haley, and In re Nettles-Nickerson. Each court case has a folder Syllabus, Official Documents, and a folder Orals, Personal Notes, in which Justice Weaver made notes and comments regarding each case. A specific folder In re Haley Memorandums between Justices, 2005-2006, features the back and forth hostile deliberation about the majority and minority opinions between both Justice Weaver and the majority, Robert P. Young, Jr., Clifford W. Taylor, Maura D. Corrigan, and Stephen J. Markman. A folder Sample of Weaver Selected Cases, 1996-1998, were intentionally retained by Justice Weaver to demonstrate her dissenting opinions.

Processing Note: 5.5 cubic feet of copies, memorandums, supplemental information, and miscellaneous materials were withdrawn during processing.

Series 29, processed by Marian Matyn, Justice Elizabeth A. Weaver Budgets, Calendars, 1975, 2007 (Scattered), 1 cubic feet (in 2 boxes), consists of the remnants of two series, Budgets and Calendars, combined into one. The series includes budget information for the Judiciary, 1998; Recorder’s Court, 1997; a survey of court employee compensation, 1996; and correspondence and an article about the Justices no longer having a state car in 2007 due to budget cuts. Also included is a sample of Weaver’s various types of calendars, 1975-1976; 1981; 1986; 1995; 2001 and 2005. She had multiple calendars each year with both personal and professional entries duplicated from one calendar to the next. In 1975 Weaver had two desk calendars. The archivist combined pages with information on them, which sometimes is duplicative, into one folder. The calendars span her time as a Probate Court Judge, January 1974-1986, and as a Michigan Supreme Court Justice, 1995-2010, and as Chief Justice, 1999-2001.

Processing Note: During processing 4 cubic feet of duplicates, miscellaneous, phone message books, and blanks was withdrawn. 1 publication was separately cataloged.

Series 30, processed by Emily Moran, Leelanau Center for Education (LCE), 1980-1987, and undated, .25 cubic ft. (in 1 box), contains materials relating to Justice Weaver’s involvement within the Leelanau Center for Education (LCE), such as letters of grievances, letters regarding the Homestead golf course development project, LCE curriculum and policy changes, and Justice Weaver’s 1987 resignation from the Board of Trustees. Folders of interest include Grievances to LCE Board of Trustees, 1987, featuring letters from Leelanau School alum, The Homestead Golf Course Project, 1986-1987, containing materials sent to the Board of Trustees concerning the golf course development project, and LCE Curriculum, 1980-1987, undated, which highlights school curriculum and policies, including Christian Science programs. Lastly, Resignation from the LCE, 1987, has farewell letters sent to Justice Weaver after her departure from the Board of Trustees

Researchers may also be interested in related materials found in Series 12 Probate Court and Leelanau Materials 1974-1990, undated, as well as folder Leelanau School Documents, 1986-1987, in Series 15 and 26 Crystal River Materials.

Camp Leelanau for Boys and Camp Kohahna for Girls were founded by M. “Skipper” Beals and his sister Maude Beals Turner in the early 1920s. Originally providing daily educational programs, the camps paved way for the creation of what is now known as the Leelanau School to offer year-round traditional academics. The two camps joined together in the 1970s to share land and were located in Northport from 1981-1988. In 1988, the non-profit organization Camp Leelanau and Kohahna Foundation, Inc. was formed to take on the responsibilities of running the camps.

Previously known as the Leelanau Center for Education, the Leelanau School is a private boarding and day school for K-12 students. The Homestead, Leelanau School, and Camp Leelanau were supervised by the governing board of the Leelanau School and shared space on the same property before a division of the land between the three groups in the 1980s. The school is designed to be a facility for students looking to learn in a Christian Science community. (This information is taken from the collection, The Leelanau School’s official website, https://leelanau.org/, and Camp Leelanau and Kohahna’s official website, https://leelanau-kohahna.org/, accessed 1 December 2020.)

Processing Note: 1 cubic foot of copies, meeting minutes, newspaper clippings, water damaged materials, and miscellaneous papers were withdrawn during processing.

Series 31, processed by Marian Matyn, Justice Elizabeth A. Weaver CJJ (Michigan Committee on Juvenile Justice), 1995, 2006, 1.5 cubic feet (in 3 boxes), includes: meeting minutes and related emails, attachments, reports, proposals, and statistics for the committee, executive committee, and subcommittees on which Weaver served, 1995-2006, There is material for every year except 1996 and 2000. There are reports, proposals, and statistics on at risk, abused, and disproportionately incarcerated Michigan Black, Native American and female minors from organizations and government agencies responsible for their care, trying to improve their care, or reporting on it including: Childhelp USA, Leelanau County Family Coordinating Council, Michigan Child and Family Services, Michigan State University School of Criminal Justice, Alternatives for Girls, Michigan Department of Human Services’ Bureau of Juvenile Justice (BJJ), Black Family Development, Inc. (Detroit), and Girls Rock Our World (G.R.O.W.). There is also a letter from Margie Good who served on the CJJ with Weaver recommending the governor reappoint Weaver due to her excellent service to the committee. In 2005 the CJJ was supposed to submit a Juvenile Crime analysis report, 2000-2003, but members found many inaccuracies in it.

The Michigan Committee on Juvenile Justice, abbreviated by Weaver as CJJ, provides advice, suggestions and solutions to the Governor on juvenile justice issues. The CJJ works collaboratively with the Department of Health and Human Services and other agencies. The Committee has been instrumental in changing practices, policies, and philosophies to improve the juvenile justice system. Created in 1975, it is an important liaison with the Office of Juvenile Justice and Delinquency Prevention (OJJDP), an office of the federal Department of Justice. Every three years the CJJ is required to develop and submit a juvenile justice plan to the OJJDP. The mission of the CJJ is to advise the Governor on matters related to juvenile justice legislation and administration, to mobilize communities to develop and implement prevention services, and to create a strategic plan that sets standards, determines priorities and allocates funds for successful. delinquency prevention and rehabilitative programs. (This information is from the MCJJ website, https://michigancommitteeonjuvenilejustice.com/about-us/about-us.html, accessed December 1, 2020.)

Processing Note: 1.5 cubic feet of duplicates, out-of-state publications, reading materials, and miscellaneous information was withdrawn during processing.

Series 32, processed by Emily Moran, Central Michigan University Law Couse, 1976 and undated, .25 cubic foot (in 1 box), ccontains materials relating to Justicer Weaver's law course which she taught through CMU at NMCC in Traverse City, Michigan. Materials include class syllabus, lecture outlines, lecture notes, quizzes and tests relating to the course. Lastly, there is a booklet relating to laws of Michigan (in folder CMU Law Course, You and the Law Publication), undated.

Central Michigan University (CMU) began officially offering classes in Traverse City in 1979 through Northwestern Michigan Community College (NMCC). The course taught by Justice Elizabeth Weaver in 1976 was a special opportunity provided to students given the unique circumstances of Justice Weaver offering to run the course.

Processing Note: During processing 1 cubic foot, .5 cubic foot from this series and .5 from Media series, which was photocopied news clippings and recordings of Weaver being interviewed by the press over the phone, were withdrawn.

Series 33, processed by Emily Moran, Mitchel Watts, Opinion Agendas, 1997-1999, 2008, .5 cubic foot (in 1 box), is agendas for meetings at which the Michigan Supreme Court decided which opinions to rehear. There are some additional notes as to which justice initially reviewed the case and presented it to the other justices, vote tallies and comments.

Processing Note: .25 cubic foot of duplicates were withdrawn during processing.

Series 34,processed by Emily Moran, MItchel Watts, Objects, 1984-2011, undated, 5cubic foot (in 3 boxes, 6 Oversized folders, 1 Oversized framed portrait) includes: a sample of her election banners, posters, t-shirts, and bumper stickers; certificates, oaths of office, and diplomas, awards and plaques, and an oil painting of when she was a probate judge, undated.

Processing Note: .5 cubic foot of duplicates was withdrawn during processing.

Closed series Processing Note: During processing, Michigan Supreme Court Orals, 1998-2010 (videotapes and DVDs) were separately cataloged as a series. Please refer to that catalog record for further information. Also during processing several series marked Closed when donated to the Clarke were withdrawn from the collection during processing, a total of 3.5 cubic feet.

Papers include copies and transcriptions of correspondence, articles, and biographical materials. Note: A users copy is available for researchers to use.

The collection consists of photocopies and transcriptions of correspondence to and from Watson, copies of articles he wrote and published, copies of Strangite Mormon articles he reprinted, and copies of his biographical information.

Some correspondence is with family and friends, including his daughter, Grace, and his grandchildren. Other correspondence is with two of Strang’s widows, Betsy (Elizabeth) and Elvira and three of Strang’s sons, Charles J., Gabriel, and Clement J. Strang. There is also correspondence with major Strangite Mormons, such as Lorenzo Dow (L. D.) Hickey, publisher Edward Couch, and Joseph Smith III, leader of the Reorganized Church. The correspondence mainly discusses Strangite beliefs, activities, and history.

For further information see related collections such as Lorenzo D. Hickey Papers, Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints (Strangite) Collection and Miscellaneous collection, or numerous books on Mormons and Strangites at the Clarke Historical Library.

Note: A users copy is available for researchers to use.

The collection documents the activities and interests of Bernice Watson before, during, and after serving in the 64th Michigan Legislature, 1947-1948.

The collection documents the activities and interests of Mrs. Watson before, during, and after serving in the 64th Michigan Legislature, 1947-1948.

Family papers of Amasa B. Watson are divided into the following series: Amasa B. Watson Papers, Amasa B. Watson Family and Associates Papers, Mrs. Martha A. (Brooks) Watson Papers, and Miscellaneous Papers The papers include: biographical materials; family correspondence; business correspondence, mostly related to lumber and timber, but also the Republic National Convention, 1888; education of his nephews at the Michigan Military Academy (Orchard Lake, Mich.); General Orders, 1861; and after his death, his wife's correspondence related to the building of his mausoleum and the Amasa B. Watson Grand Army of the Republic (GAR) Post No. 395.

Family Papers, 1854-1932 and undated. The collection is divided into the following series: Amasa B. Watson Papers, Amasa B. Watson Family and Associates Papers, Mrs. Martha A. (Brooks) Watson Papers, and Miscellaneous Papers. Most of the collection documents Watson's business interests in pine lands and lumber sales.There are five folders of lumber correspondence with Hull and Watson; later M. B. Hull and Company, and finally Hull, Ulrich, and Company, 1879-1888, and four folders of related receipts and land taxes, 1860-1888. Eventually, Hull became executor of Watson's estate.

Family correspondence often relates to pine and land interests inherited from Watson. Family correspondence from his siblings concerns lumber and shingle sales. Correspondence from Watson's adopted sons, James and John Mead, is more personal in nature, and quite warm. In the correspondence, the boys describe their lives and experiences at school.

In the family and associates papers, there is correspondence with the family lawyer (and son-in-law) Thomas F. Carroll, and Watson's Mississippi agent, D. D. Carter, concerning land and estate concerns, 1903-1923. Correspondence to James and John Mead also concerns these issues, 1892-1894. The papers of Philander J. Mead (d. 1853), paternal grandfather of the Mead children and father of William J. Mead, are of little interest except where they concern pine and land interests. The papers of William W. Mead, 1888-1932, cover mostly his and his aunt/ mother's business concerns, estates, and the building of Amasa Watson's mausoleum. William was his aunt/ mother's right hand man. Mrs. Watson's papers cover her husband's estate, mausoleum, and land and timber business concerns. The Amasa B. Watson Grand Army of the Republic (G. A. R.) Post 395 correspondence documents Mrs. Watson's donations, both to Post 395 and to individual Civil War veterans. The G. A. R. letterhead has an illustration of Watson as an older man. Also included is a 1912 meeting booklet listing the Post's officers and regular meetings, held on the first and third Friday of each month at 325 Central Avenue. The booklet has an oval portrait of Amasa B. Watson on the title page.

Additional family and miscellaneous papers relate to land patents, mostly copies, 1884-1919, and abstracts of titles of Amasa B. Watson's land, created for his heirs and for legal purposes. Biographical information and a carte-de-visite of Amasa B. Watson in his Civil War uniform complete the collection.

The negatives, and some modern prints made from them, document the Lewis M. Ward family, animals, logging, nature, people, and possibly locations in Charlevoix, Michigan, New York (State), and Niagara Falls.

Glass-plate negatives, circa 1905, of the H. E. Ward family and farm, Max and Carrie Ward, Two Rivers area, people, logging, animals, and nature. Some images may be of Charlevoix or New York (State), or of Niagara Falls (New York and Ontario, Canada).

The negatives are in their original order and boxes, inside of larger, acid-free boxes (1-3) for support. The negatives are both very fragile and very heavy, and should be lifted and handled with care by researchers.

Box 4 contains prints made from the negatives in Boxes 1-3 in December 2000 and January 2001. The folders note from which box of negatives the prints were created. They are in order by large box number and then negative box numbers within each box. All the boxes are also numbered.

The papers include papers of Charles O. and Gerrit S.Ward, and the Ward and Ely families.

The collection includes genealogical materials for the Ward and Ely families of Alma, Michigan; Ward family photographs (19th-20th centuries), including some of Charles O. Ward in uniform and in local bands. The materials of Gerrit S. Ward include correspondence to/from Gerrit S. Ward to/from family, 1860-1897, and about his various business interests including banking, mines, and timberlands, 1886-1916; deeds and correspondence to Alma and Montcalm County lands, 1883-1911; Gerrit S. Ward’s estate records, 1916-1917 (copy, 1940); an annual report of the First Bank of Alma (illustrated with pictures of the bank and its staff and officers), 1916; legal papers, mostly regarding land, 1886-1910; Civil War artifacts and pension materials, 1862-1928; miscellaneous; and correspondence re: the Roanoke Rapids Paper Manufacturing Company, 1907-1910.

Materials for Charles O. Ward include Spanish-American War military certificates, 1898-1899; correspondence, mostly between Charles and Gerrit S. or Hugh E. Ward, 1898-1960; and numerous deeds and related legal papers concerning his real estate businesses in Alma, 1887-1961.

The materials of Josephine Ely Ward include correspondence, 1916-1917; estate records, 1940; and the Ely family genealogy.

Also included is an 1820 certificate of military appointment for Sardis Ward as a cornet player for the 6th New York Cavalry.

Two Oversized scrapbooks complete the collection. Volume 1, 1885-1961, mostly consists of newspaper clippings on the Spanish-American War, 1898. It includes telegrams about Charles O. Ward’s health and hospitalization at St. Joseph’s hospital in Philadelphia, November 1898, with typhoid. Telegrams were sent between T.S. Ward, G.S. Ward, Charles Spicer, Sarah Ward, and Josie Ward.

Scrapbook Volume 2, 1885-1941, includes many articles on Charles O. Ward and his wife, and the Ely and Ward families. Two memorial booklets for William Sisson Turck, (August 7, 1839-September 19, 1912), Mason, Major of the 26th Michigan Infantry Regiment, Alma Supervisor, County Treasurer, Michigan Representative, President of Alma, and member of the Board of Managers of the Michigan Soldiers’ Home in Grand Rapids are also included. Volume 2 also contains an Alma College commencement program, June 22, 1888; Hugh Ward’s recital program, 1918; and a memorial resolution from the Alma Order of the Eastern Star for Electra Brewbaker (died November 20, 1932 at age 81).

Both scrapbooks are quite acidic, but Volume 2 is very acidic, fragile, with detached covers and spine.

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 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.

The collection includes biographical materials, minutes, correspondence, reports of shipments, sales, and prices for the Michigan State Millers Association, published freight rates for various railroads, and a train schedule.

The collection consists mostly of published railroad tariff rates, 1897-1916 (scattered, 10 folders). The tariffs, particularly those for grain and grain products, were probably collected by Voigt for the Association’s reference purposes. Also, there are records of the Association which document when Voigt served as the Association’s Michigan representative to its national organizational meetings, 1895-1898 (3 folders). Also included are biographical materials on Voigt and information on the Voigt House, 1906, 2000 (1 folder).

This is an incomplete, unofficial set of Vernon (Isabella County, Mich. : Township) Township records. Also included are three oversized scrapbooks and a copy of the graves in a cemetery.

The collection includes a miscellaneous group of incomplete township records. Most of the records are some type of election records, including absentee voter applications and lists, appointments, board of election inspectors miscellaneous, bonds, caucus meeting minutes, election returns, instruction ballot, oaths of office and acceptances, resignations and tally sheets, some of which are in book form. Other township records include Board of School Inspectors petitions, a dog tax list, meeting minutes, one set each) for the highway commissioners and township board, miscellaneous correspondence and receipts, and sheep damage bills.

Also included with the donation are three oversized volumes, all scrapbooks of mostly newspaper articles. Volume I, 1915-1969, mostly undated, includes mid-Michigan births, deaths, marriages, and events from local newspapers. Volume II, 1961-1966, documents mostly news of Shepherd high school, including sports, homecoming, and students. Other articles document soldiers, babies, some Winn, Michigan, news, two images with text of Representative Al Cederberg, and articles by Ruth Lau and Ida Clark. Volume III, 1914-1918, and 1941-1945, mostly document Isabella County, Michigan news articles of World War II soldiers, women who served, their letters, obituaries, and related article. There are two pages of WWI material, including an image with text of members of the Mount Pleasant Indian School who enlisted with a list of WWI dead soldiers from Isabella County on the back.

An oversized copy of the graves of Woodland Cemetery (Rosebush, Michigan), undated, on greased paper completes the collection. The location of the cemetery was identified by the donor. The copy includes names from gravestones but not the dates. The copy was repaired at one point with scotch tape, which was removed by the archivist, so now the copy is in two pieces. The copy has sustained some stain damage from water and perhaps mildew, although there is no odor.

Processing Note: Three live birth certificates were sent to the Michigan Department of Health. According to the township record schedule most of these records should have already been destroyed. However, they are now kept as examples. Acidic materials or those with mold were copied and the originals were withdrawn from the collection, totaling approximately .25 cubic feet.

The papers include mostly Minnie's diaries, 1901-1905, 1922-1923, 1924-1969; a 1902 embalming course workbook of her husband, E. G. Van Deusen, 1902; R.G. Van Deusen's account book,1842-1849, and meeting minutes of the Knights of the Modern Maccabees Tent 419 (Elsie, Michigan), 1910, 1915.

The collection consists mainly of Minnie’s diaries from 1901-1905, 1922-1923, and 1925-1969. She recorded the weather; her and her family’s daily activities; and local marriages, births, and deaths. Also included are her World War II ration books, 1943-1944; her miscellaneous correspondence; stock certificates; and copies of family-related newspaper clippings, 1899-1944 scattered). E. G.‘s embalming course workbook, 1902; his father’s account book, 1842-1849; meeting minutes of the Knights of the Modern Maccabees Tent 419 (Elsie, Michigan), 1903-1913; and some related correspondence, 1910 and 1915, are also included. E. G.’s brother, Milo R., was Commander and Secretary of Tent 419 from 1903-1913. Some clippings and biographical information on Milo R., Roe G., and E. G. Van Deusen are in the miscellaneous folder.

The collection, 1927-1962, and undated, documents the company history of Valley Chemical Company, through meeting minutes, photographs, company history, forms, bylaws, accounts, and stock certificates.

The collection, 1927-1962, and undated, totals 1.25 cubic feet (in 2 boxes, 4 Oversized volumes,), and documents the company history of Valley Chemical Company, through meeting minutes, photographs, company history, forms, bylaws, accounts, and stock certificates. All the boxes in the collection are .5 cubic foot letter-size boxes. Loose stock certificates within scrapbooks were collected, sleeved, and placed in a folder in box 2.

The collection is organized by size and then alphabetically and chronologically.

Researchers may also be interested in the Muskegon Rendering Company (Muskegon, Michigan) organizational records, 1937, 1939 which are also housed at the Clarke.

Processing Note: During processing a small number of duplicates and blanks were removed from the collection and returned to the donor as per the donor agreement.

Family papers include correspondence, diaries, account books, school notebooks, autograph books, legal papers, obituaries, teaching contract and certificate, a history of Shepherd, Michigan, and specifications for the Shepherd town hall.

This collection of family papers includes correspondence, diaries, account books, school notebooks, autograph books, legal papers, obituaries, a teaching contract and certificate, a history of Shepherd, and specifications for the Shepherd town hall. It provides an interesting view of the lives of early Shepherd pioneers.

The collection consists of the company's business correspondence, 1894-1900.

In general, the correspondence was addressed to the Company from field sales personnel working in Michigan, Ohio, and Indiana, reporting their sales, failures, and market potential. Most of the correspondence concerns the tactics and interference of salesmen of the National Publishing Company of Boston, a chief competitor, which eventually bought out the Union Publishing Company in 1899. Also included are scattered accounts, invoices, and expense accounts, as well as materials relating to H. O. Kenyon’s involvement in the Kenyon and Thomas Company, manufacturer of Hale’s ointment.

Collection of materials written about Twain and his works, and related materials.

The collection consists of two types of materials. The first group of materials, which were collected by Dr. Norman E. Clarke, includes items that were either written or endorsed by Mark Twain, or written about Mark Twain and his works. This group of materials includes: two brief handwritten notes by Twain, undated, and his wife, Olivia, 1890; postcards; portraits (mostly reproductions); newspaper and magazine clippings (originals and copies); articles about Twain, his works, and house; advertising fliers for Twain books; a Mark Twain calendar, 1910; various items published by the Mark Twain Assn. of America and the Mark Twain Birthplace Memorial Shrine; play bills, 1881; artifacts, including: a Mark Twain bust, Mark Twain brand cigar box, a Mark Twain brand memory game, a Mark Twain brand Scrap Book, and a brick from his house]; periodicals; and other materials.

Originally, this material came to the Clarke with Dr. Clarke’s large collection of books by and about Mark Twain. The books have been separately cataloged and are also housed in the Clarke Historical Library.

The second type of materials in the collection are various lists generated by the Dr. Norman E. Clarke and the Clarke Historical Library staff about Dr. Clarke’s Twain collection. These latter items, which are identified by an * [asterisk] preceding the folder description in the Box and Folder Listing, were compiled in order to produce the book entitled, the Norman E. Clarke Mark Twain collection: an exhibition for collectors, which was published by the Clarke in 1971. A copy of this is available at the Clark and Park libraries. These materials are typed and/or handwritten, and include galley proofs of the publication.

Papers include family genealogical materials, Tuma's biographical materials, awards and certificates, photographs, DVDs and a cassette tape of anniversary and reunion celebrations, large framed photographs, and other materials documenting the Embers Restaurants in Mount Pleasant and Traverse City, Michigan..

The Clarence Tuma Papers consist of the Tuma family genealogy, newspaper clippings, magazine articles, speeches, recipes, menus, bank statements and awards and certificates. The topically grouped material is arranged alphabetically. Newspaper clippings,1960 – 2007, include information on Tuma’s World War II Service, The Embers, and the Rashid Family. Photographs consist of Tuma’s service in World War II, family, The Embers, and Rashid Family Reunions. A special note is to be given to three photographs in the collection of a funeral of an unidentified individual. Also included are awards and certificates, 1964-2007, and plaques comprising of the Trustee Appreciation Award, the Salut Au Restaurateur Award, and the Alumni Recognition Award. Oversize Folder 1 contains oversized documents such as bank statements and certificates. Oversize Folder 2 contains family photos. Oversize Folder 3 contains a photograph of the Embers Restaurant in Traverse City, Michigan. Oversize Folder 4 contains photos of the Rashid Club of America.

Electronic sources include DVDs of Clarence Tuma’s 80th Birthday, the 75th Reunion of the Rashid Club of America and the Lion’s Club Farewell to the Embers. A cassette tape is also included, which is titled “Congratulations Clarence and Janet Tuma.” A later addition includes a thank you note from Rosalynn Carter, 2015.

This collection, 1956, 2020, and undated, consists mainly of land and timber statistics, maps, and reports that Trygg researched, compiled and wrote, which were used as exhibits during various Indian Claims Commission trials in the 1960s to prove that Indian tribes were undercompensated for land in Michigan and Wisconsin that they ceded to the United States Government.

This collection, 1956, 2020, and undated, consists mainly of land and timber statistics, maps, and reports that Trygg researched, compiled and wrote, which were used as exhibits during various Indian Claims Commission (ICC) trials in the 1960s to prove that Indian tribes were under compensated for Michigan and Wisconsin land they ceded to the U.S. Government. Trygg was a meticulous, detailed researcher, as demonstrated by this collection. Information includes land acreage, value, abstracts of deeds and land surveys; historical and economic background reports about the land by Dr. Helen Knuth and its settlement; data about the economic value of land on water ways; and timber and forest statistics, value and prices. Other information includes: a report on school forest in Michigan by John H. Carroll, Michigan State University, [1968]; a predictive article Water Supply, Water Demand 1960-1980 by C.R. Humphrys in 1959; and a Report of Investigation of the Value of the land, by Thomas LeDuc, 1958. There are four folders in the front of the box related to Trygg, including: Biographical Materials (about him, his family and others whose research helped Native Americans), information about books he wrote, his collections at other institutions, and some of his historical research correspondence, 1961, 1965.

Native American tribes of Michigan and Wisconsin documented in the collection include the Chippewa, Odawa, Potawatomi, Saginaw Chippewa Indian Tribe of Michigan, and the Red Lake Band, including the Bay Mills Indian Community, the Ottawa and Chippewa Indians of Michigan, Wyandot and Winnebago. Royce areas documented in the collection, include 111, 117, 177, 205, 211, 242, 220, 261, and 268.

Most of the material is in good condition, with some acidification and brittleness. Many pages are copies, dittos, faded, or onion-skin paper

Researchers may be interested in his collections at the Minnesota Historical Collections and Bois Forte Heritage Center in St. Louis County, Minnesota. Trygg also wrote several books, copies of which are separately cataloged in the Clarke.

Processing Note: During processing 4 cubic feet of duplicates, heat-transfer copies of reference and reading materials and unidentified materials were withdrawn from the collection during processing. Pages which were severely acidic, often heat-transfer copies, were photocopied and the modern copies retained in the collection. Seven titles were also separately cataloged.

The papers include Robert Troup's accounts, land papers for New York counties, legal papers,correspondence, miscellaneous, genealogical materials, and materials of his children, Louisa and Robert.

The collection consists mostly of Robert Troup’s Accounts, 1790-1831, undated; Land Papers for New York counties, 1759-1826, undated; Legal Papers, 1812-1831; Correspondence, 1793-1831, undated; Miscellaneous, 1763-1851, undated; Genealogical Materials; and the Papers from two of Robert’s children, Louisa and Charles Goelet Troup. Of note are land documents re: the Puteney Estate, Phelps-Gorham Tract, and the Holland Purchase. Originally, this collection had been split into two separate collections.

Photographic materials collected by the Trelfas, documenting a wide range of Michigan and national people, places and events.

This collection, 6.25 cubic feet (in 14 boxes) 1849-1925, and undated, was donated over a period of time by one or both of the Trelfa brothers and is divided into six series. The series were established by accession number and topic matter. For a more detailed listing see the Box and Folder Listing. Overall the collection is in good physical condition.

Series 5 consists of 0.75 cubic ft. (in 2 boxes) Acc#2643, Spanish-American War images. Box 1 includes 52 and Box 2 contains 19 film negatives in homemade glass casings, #807-1740, #1742-1760, all undated, each measures approximately 5x4 inches. Topics include views of Washington, D.C., war camp, streets and buildings, camp, officers, soldiers, horses, tents, two unidentified African-American girls, three unidentified African American boys, an unidentified native man with a mule cart full of furniture, parade ground, railway, people, animals, etc.

Photographic materials collected by the Trelfas, documenting a wide range of Michigan and national people, places and events.

This collection, 6.25 cubic feet (in 14 boxes) 1849-1925, and undated, was donated over a period of time by one or both of the Trelfa brothers and is divided into six series. The series were established by accession number and topic matter. For a more detailed listing see the Box and Folder Listing. Overall the collection is in good physical condition.

Series 4 consists of 0.50 cubic ft. (in 1 box), Acc#3073, Crowe Glass Negatives. The collection consists of 92 glass-plate negatives #1-96, undated, circa 1913-1916. Most of the plate measure 5x7 inches. Topics include views of Alpena, Crescent Island, Grand Lake, Presque Isle Bay, Misery Bay, Whitefish Point, Hubbard Lake, Fort Mackinac, Thunder Bay Island, Sulpher Island, and Partridge Point, streets, buildings, a circus, parade, elephant, cage, clown, animals, boats, swimming, river, Iroquois Hotel, and homes.

Photographic materials collected by the Trelfas, documenting a wide range of Michigan and national people, places and events.

This collection, 6.25 cubic feet (in 14 boxes) 1849-1925, and undated, was donated over a period of time by one or both of the Trelfa brothers and is divided into six series. The series were established by accession number and topic matter. For a more detailed listing see the Box and Folder Listing. Overall the collection is in good physical condition.

Series 3 consists of 2.00 cubic ft. (in 4 boxes) and has no Acc# or related names. The collection consists almost entirely of glass-plate negatives, but also includes 8 film negatives and notes. The negatives vary in size. Some of the negatives or accompanying notes date the majority of the images from the 1860s-1889. Some of the original sleeves of the plates in Boxes 1-3 noted “See Boulton album.” Topics in Box 1 include views of Alpena including streets, buildings, homes, Camp Alger, Thunder Bay Island, Island Lake, and Oxbow, as well as logs, sailboat, and life saving boat. Box 2 topics include Alpena, Rapid City (Antrim County), buildings, dam, bridge, river, railroad images, boat, fairgrounds, baseball, etc. Box 3 images also include Alpena and Rapid City images as well as some of Mackinac Island, including people, buildings, streets, race, sports, fairgrounds, etc. Box 4 covers the same topic matter as Boxes 2-3 and also includes images of Professor Crocker’s Educated Horses.

The collection includes papers and photographs about Alpena, Michigan, and general Michigan history.

This collection of papers and photographs focuses on the history and people of Alpena, Michigan, although there are other Michigan counties and topics documented in it. Additional related Michigan materials may be found in several other photographic and papers collections of Fred R. and Tom C. Trelfa.

Photographic materials collected by the Trelfas, documenting a wide range of Michigan and national people, places and events.

This collection, 6.25 cubic feet (in 14 boxes) 1849-1925, and undated, was donated over a period of time by one or both of the Trelfa brothers and is divided into six series. The series were established by accession number and topic matter. For a more detailed listing see the Box and Folder Listing. Overall the collection is in good physical condition.

Series 6 consists of 1 cubic ft. (in 2 boxes) Acc#3072, Sepull Glass Negatives. The identity of Sepull is unknown. Box 1 includes 49 glass-plate negatives #1-55, undated, circa 1902-1904. Each plate measures approximately 5x7 inches. Topics include Alpena, Stubbs Long Lake and Ox-box, streets, buildings, lake, canoe, car, engine house, lighthouse, mill, dock, snow, logs, train, river, dam, animals, homes, fire damage. Box 2 includes 55 glass-plate negatives #56-140, 1892-1906 and undated. Each plate measure between 4x3 inches and 5x7 inches. Topics include Alpena, St. Clair River, Thunder Bay River, Middle Island, Partridge Point Bluffs, Horseshoe Falls, Niagara Falls, Belle Isle, Bear Island, Grass Isle, and Barr Isle, streets and buildings, people, boats, life saving station, river, logs, farm, animals, homes, etc.

Photographic materials collected by the Trelfas, documenting a wide range of Michigan and national people, places and events.

This collection, 6.25 cubic feet (in 14 boxes) 1849-1925, and undated, was donated over a period of time by one or both of the Trelfa brothers and is divided into six series. The series were established by accession number and topic matter. For a more detailed listing see the Box and Folder Listing. Overall the collection is in good physical condition.

Series 2 consists of 0.75 cubic feet (in 2 boxes), Acc#3074, Voegel Fish Hatchery/Boulton Collection. This collection consists of 277 film negatives, varying in size, all undated, 6 black and white photographs, undated, and 6 postcards, 1925 and undated. Some of the original sleeves of the plates in Box 1 noted “See Boulton album.” Topics in Box 1 include home interiors, cemeteries including Green Hill Mausoleum, street, farm, and outdoor scenes, fishery operations views, Mammoth Spring Roller Mills, woods, fences, lumber, vehicles, etc. Topics in Box 2 include landscapes, places, fields, equipment, people, vehicles, boats, animals, cemeteries, etc. Out-of-state locations documented include Mammoth Springs, Arkansas; Frisco Station, Oklahoma; Devil’s Saddle, Utah; Martinsburg, West Virginia; Friers Point, Mississippi; Northville Hatchery, San Marcos, Texas; the Mississippi River; and Hot Springs, Arkansas.

The collection consists mostly of glass-plate negatives documenting dynamos, Great Lakes ferries, nature, baseball, buildings, people, logging,and other topics, in or near Hurley, Saint Ignace and Montreal, Michigan, near Marquette.

The collection includes glass plate negatives sizes 3x5 inches, 3.25x5 inches, 4.25x4.25 inches, 5x7.5 inches, 5x inches, 5x8.5 inches, and 21 acetate film negatives, size 3.5x5.62 inches. Topics include dynamos, industry, Great Lakes ferries, nature, baseball, parlors, buildings, railroads, lumber, ships, logging, mine shafts, people in Hurley, Saint Ignace, and Montreal, Michigan, near Marquette. It appears that negatives in boxes 1-3 were probably taken by W. Wells Lamb, a photographer from Glidden, Wisconsin. Other photographers are unidentified. Items were identified as much as possible from labels, slips of papers, notes on original boxes, and, whenever possible, information on/in the negatives themselves. Negatives with damage such as fading, spotting, oxidation, cracks, broken or missing pieces, deteriorated or flaking emulsions have been noted on the sleeves. (For information on Fred R. Trelfa see the finding aid to his other collections.) Boxes 1-8 measure 4x7x10.5 inches, smaller than a .5 cubic foot letter-size box.

Photographic materials collected by the Trelfas, documenting a wide range of Michigan and national people, places and events.

This collection, 6.25 cubic ft. (in 14 boxes) 1849-1925, and undated, was donated over a period of time by one or both of the Trelfa brothers and is divided into six series. The series were established by accession number and topic matter. For a more detailed listing see the Box and Folder Listing. Overall the collection is in good physical condition.

Series 1 consists of 1.25 cubic ft. (in 3 boxes), Acc#3071, Boulton Collection. The collection consists of numbered glass-plate negatives #176-242, 244-332, and 330-345-3, dating between 1886-1916, as well as unnumbered plates. Size of the plates varies. Some of the original sleeves of the plates in Box 1 noted “See Boulton album.” The identity of Boulton is unknown. Topics include views of Alpena, buildings, logs, rivers, ships, homes, and fire damage. Some of the original sleeves of the plates in Boxes 2-3 noted “From Dorothy MacDonald”. Her identify is unknown. Images cover the same topics as those found in Box 1, as well as an elephant, animals, Partridge Point, and Thunder Bay.

A significant manuscript collection of Michigan and the Old Northwest Territory. The major series of the collection are Manifests, American Fur Company, Circulars and Correspondence of the U.S. Treasury Department and Collector of Customs with subseries of Marine Hospital Money Returns and Registry of Vessels; Miscellaneous, U.S. Payment Vouchers, Bids for the Construction of Lighthouses with subseries Bois Blanc Lighthouse, Chicago River Lighthouse, St. Joseph Lighthouse, South Manitou Island Lighthouse, Miscellaneous Lighthouses, Treasury Circulars, and Pottawattamie Lighthouse; Light Boat Reports and Scrapbooks.

This is a significant manuscript collection of Michigan and the Old Northwest Territory. The collection consists of some 928 individual items and 20 volumes, 1802-1971, and relating to the conduct of the fur trade and commerce at Michilimackinac and Sault Ste. Marie, and lighthouses and maritime activities on the Great Lakes.

The collection is organized chronologically and alphabetically. The major series of the collection are Manifest, American Fur Company, Circulars and Correspondence of the U.S. Treasury Department and Collector of Customs with subseries of Marine Hospital Money Returns and Registry of Vessels; Miscellaneous, U.S. Payment Vouchers, Bids for the Construction of Lighthouses with subseries Bois Blanc Lighthouse, Chicago River Lighthouse, St. Joseph Lighthouse, South Manitou Island Lighthouse, Miscellaneous Lighthouses, Treasury Circulars, and Pottawattamie Lighthouse; Light Boat Reports and Scrapbooks.

In the descriptions, few changes have been made in spelling although for the sake of clarity some consistency has been imposed. Variant spellings of names have also been entered. However, when the identification of a particular name was in question, the spelling as recorded by the file clerks at Michilimackinac or Sault Ste. Marie (and usually cited on the verso of the document/letter) is given.

Titled “Manifests,” Boxes 1-2 actually consist of manifests, bills of lading, clearance papers guaranteeing protection for vessels bound to and from Canada (particularly St. Joseph=s Island, cited herein as St. Joseph), documents certifying duties paid on entering goods, and other papers relating to commodities entering or departing from Michilimackinac. Since Box 1 includes pre-War of 1812 documents, they are of particular value because many of the commodities entered or shipped out were done so on behalf of the American Fur Company through their various agents. In addition, these documents also prove valuable for information on the numerous schooners, sloops, and brigs traveling the lakes, in particular the “Hunter,” “Thames,” “Nancy,” John Jacob Astor,” “Saguina,” “Contractor,” “Ranger,” “Adams,” and “Montreal.” Names of individuals and companies which frequently occur are Rocheblaue and Portier, Isadore LaCroix, Daniel and David Mitchell, Jr., Tousaint Pothier, Giasson and Berthelot, Lafromboise and Schindler, Josiah Bleakley, George Gillespie, and The Michilimackinac Company.

Dating from 1838 to 1847, the American Fur Company papers which make up the remainder of Box 2 complement the numerous collections, in original manuscript or on microfilm, which the Clarke holds relating to the company. Certainly from the perspective of commerce, domestic and foreign markets, domestic manufacturers, transportation, and the problems encountered by American Fur Company agents in the field, these papers provide detailed information. The majority of them relate to incoming and outgoing correspondence from John R. Livingston, head of the St. Mary’s Outfit at Sault Ste. Marie, and deal with various accounts, problems incurred by agents in the field, transportation of supplies, and concern over a decreasing market. Market problems, both domestic and foreign, relating to furs and fish are well covered in the correspondence from Ramsay Crooks and George Ehninger in the New York central office to Livingston. Early mining efforts in the Upper Peninsula of Michigan and problems of transporting goods to and from their sites are also to be found in the letters of the Union Mining Company and the Eagle Harbor Mining Company to and from Livingston.

The circulars and correspondence between the U.S. Treasury Department and the Collectors of Customs (usually Abraham Wendell at Michilimackinac) contained in Box 3 are divided into four major subseries: marine hospital money returns; registry of vessels; general information sent to the collectors; and miscellaneous documents. The section on hospital money returns is important for the detailed information on the number of men on board the various great Lakes vessels, their names and time of service, and the amount of hospital tax paid by each. The material relating to the registration of vessels in general tends to be printed documents communicating Congressional acts concerning registry, registry forms, duty rates, etc. Several of the items are actual registration documents filed with the Collector by masters of the various vessels. The third section, general information and communications, deals with duties, laws covering the Collectors, and problems with certain imports. The three miscellaneous documents relate to land transactions.

Box 3 also contains circulars and correspondence from the Treasury Department to the Collectors of Customs and communications with the Superintendents of Lighthouses (usually Abraham Wendell). This series is divided into four subseries: miscellaneous materials; circulars and correspondence from the Treasury Department to and from the Superintendents of Lighthouses; U.S. payment vouchers; and bids submitted for construction of lighthouses. The miscellaneous materials include questions regarding duties and annual and quarterly reports, and certain treasury notes. The superintendents of Lighthouses material deals with reports submitted, questions relating to these reports, allocation of funds, and general instructions to Superintendents and Keepers. Payment vouchers are included for wages paid to the various Deputy Collectors, Aids to the Revenues, and government suppliers. The materials on construction bids include those submitted to the Superintendent for the proposed lighthouses at White Fish Point, Detour, and Copper Harbor as well as several bids to furnish supplies and fuel for various light boats.

The Bois Blanc and Chicago River Lighthouses material in Box 3 is particularly important as it concerns both daily operations of these lighthouses and quarterly inventories of property and supplies on hand as well as those expended during the period in question. Various procedures, storms and requisitioned supplies, are discussed in the letters.

Similar information is in Boxes 3 and 4 which deal with the Saint Joseph River, South Manitou Island, miscellaneous lighthouses, Pottawattomie Lighthouse, Light Boat reports, Thunder Bay Island Lighthouse, Presque Isle and Bois Blanc lighthouses, and the schooner “Sparrow.” Boxes 5-7 contain scrapbooks on such subject as Alcona, Iosco, and Presque Isle Counties, Mackinac Island, and the Rogers City centennial.

Researchers are encouraged to consult other collections in the Clarke. Since a majority of the Trelfa Collection originates from the period of Abraham Wendell’s tenure as Collector of Customs and Superintendent of Lighthouses, the Abraham Wendell Papers should be used to gain a more comprehensive picture of commercial and maritime life on the Lakes. Similarly the collections of the American Fur Company (in original or on microfilm) and the Henry Rowe Schoolcraft Papers, the Henry Hastings Sibley Papers, the George Johnston Papers, and the Lawrence Tafiaferro papers (all of which are on microfilm) should be used. There is also a Fred R. Trelfa Photograph Collection of photographs relating primarily to Alpena and Alpena County history.

Photographs and negatives of various types, mostly of Michigan people, places, events, focusing on Alpena, Michigan, and the Trelfa family.

This collection includes photographs, negatives, and rolled photographs. A large number of the images are from Alpena, Michigan, but various people and places in Michigan are documented in the collection. Most of the images are not dated. Boxes 11-18 are an addition. An alphebtical index of the negatives in Boxes 11-18 is in the front of Box 11. Abbreviations are duplicated from original notes.

The collection includes various business records of the Traverse City Wagon Works.

The collection consists of various business records of the Traverse City Wagon Works, 1903-1923, and undated, including journals, ledgers, and receipts.

Mold Alert: The collection is quite dirty and not in good condition overall. There is what appears to be dried mold on many pages. Patrons should be careful in using the collection if they have any type of allergies or breathing issues.

The records include receipts, work estimates, notes, blue prints, photographs, and organizational history notes.

The majority of the collection consists of receipts, 1906-1925, or work estimates, 1932-1942, and undated. There are also a few notes of William A. Royce, blue prints, photographs (copies of late nineteenth or early twentieth century work crews), and organizational history materials.

This is collection of oral history interview cassettes of Richard C. “Chit” Train, transcriptions of the one and only oral history interview with Kha Nay Ung Train, a draft outline of book chapters all by Joan Shippers Memering, and a few related materials.

This is collection of mostly oral history interview cassettes of Richard C. “Chit” Train, transcriptions of the one and only oral history interview with Kha Nay Ung Train, and draft outline of book chapters all by Joan Shippers Memering. There are also a few related newspaper clippings (copies) of Cambodian refugees in mid-Michigan, including one by Memering, a cassette of This Shattered Land by Jim Laurie [and Pamela Hill, who is not listed in the credits], a documentary of the destruction of Cambodia, 1970-1979, by the Khmer Rouge Regime and the Cambodian Famine, 1979-1980. The slides are all topically related. About half the slides are from a slide presentation titled Kampuchea: it’s People, Land and Culture by Asia Resource Center, Ontario, 1980. Kampuchea was the Cambodian state, 1975-1979, under the Khmer Rouge, the Communist Party of Kampuchea. The collection is organized alphabetically, chronologically, and by format. he collection is in very good condition.

The oral history interview cassettes includes black and white cassettes. The black cassette tapes are written on in pen or marker, while white cassettes have typed labels, so the black cassettes were the initial recordings and the white cassettes appear to be a master copy as they are not edited. For most dates there are both black and white cassettes, but for some dates there are only cassettes of one color.

Besides the Trains, Joan interviewed other Cambodian refugees: Meng Leng [Phou], Heng Suy Keang, who was called Lim Son Seak, Tan Chen Fu, Ing May, and Din Leng, who are discussed in her draft book chapter. For more information about them, please see the Joan Shipers Memering Papers finding aid.

There is also one folder of correspondence and between the Trains and Joan and one folder of materials about Richard C. Train.

Processing Note: A folder of a few mailing envelopes and a duplicate transcription were returned to the donors as specified on the donor form.

This collection, 1928-2020 (Scattered), and undated,contains biographical materials, awards, books, letters, plaques, photographs, newspaper clippings, sketches, medals, cassette tapes, VHS tapes, CDs, a U-Matic colored videocassette and a scrapbook.

This collection, 1928-2020 (Scattered), and undated, contains biographical materials, awards, books, letters, plaques, photographs, newspaper clippings, sketches, medals, cassette tapes, VHS tapes, CDs, a U-Matic colored videocassette and a scrapbook. The majority of the collections contains photographs of Rose Traines’ metal sculptures. There are also photographs of Rose throughout her life and of her husband Robert Traines. There are letters sent to Rose by Robert before they got married (see Robert Traines Letters folder). There are letters from Michigan Governor William Milliken and his wife, Helen Wallbank Milliken, sent to Rose Traines for consecutive years while he was in office. There are also letters from Michigan state and federal politicians (see Political Letters folder). A sample was retained from sketches of metal sculptures drawn by Rose Traines. There are two autographs in the collection from American Actress Carol Channing and Miss America Mary Ann Mobley (See Autographs folder). There two folders of programs that provide details about Rose, her metal sculptures and exhibits (see Programs folders). There is one folder with a paper titled ‘sentenced to life’ which is a personal account by Rose telling her life story and listing her major accomplishments. There isa also a copper raised outline of Rose’s hand attached to a piece of wood (see Metal Hand Print folder). There are two boxes of VHS tapes, CDs, and Cassette tapes that document Rose’s metal sculpture exhibits. The oversized Box contains a scrapbook of Rose’s time in Alpha Phi, a CMU alumni frame, self-portrait art works, oversized photographs, a large love letter, and a 90th birthday signed poster.

Objects in the collection include: her childhood dress and nightie, baby clothes, CMCH anniversary medal, her Ames Draft-Pak, a mobile drafting/drawing case, and her adult, large navy blue, cotton sweater with her name monogrammed on it, The childhood clothes are a white, silk handmade little girl’s slip with matching ribbons, a littles girl’s two-piece dress with a plaid skirt with the colors red, white, blue, green, purple and yellow with cream sleeveless top with six buttons. The baby clothes are a handmade knitted baby girl’s pink sweater with matching hat with pink ribbons and two sets of boots made of silk and leather, one pair with white laces and the other with pink laces, and a baby’s pink waterproof pants with laced trim.

Organizational records includes secretaries books, treasurers books, and Christmas books of the Club.

The Secretaries’ Books, 1913-1995, include the Club’s meeting minutes, programs, and correspondence. In later years, some photographs are also attached inside the bound volumes. These books were bound by the Club.

The Treasurers’ Book, 1943-1968, a simple spiral bound notepad, includes the Club’s cash received and disbursements accounts.

The Christmas Books, 1931-1941 and 1961-1971, document various local, needy families that the Club helped at Christmas time. The 1931-1941 Book notes gifts given in 1929. The books list families who received Christmas gifts, food, clothing, and other household supplies from the Tourism Club and individual members of the Club. The names, ages, addresses of family members, income/employment information, if any, and gifts received, as well as their financial, medical, and other personal information are listed, such as what assistance, if any, that they received from government or other sources. Because of the personal information in these books and the fact that some of the people listed in them were infants in the 1970s, the Christmas Books are closed to researchers until 2040. To avoid inappropriate use of these books, they are housed separately from the other materials in the collection. The Christmas Books were also bound by the Club.

This collection includes Abstracts of Title and related papers for the Michigan counties of Antrim, Arenac, Clare, Iosco, Kalamazoo, Lake, Manistee, Missaukee, Newaygo, and Osceola, some Title Opinions for property in Michigan counties re: oil and gas leases, and an obituary for Tope.

The collection consists mostly of Harry E. Tope, Sr.’s Abstracts of Title, 1902, 1986 [bulk late 1930s and early 1940s] for ten Michigan counties (10 folders) and Title Opinions, 1935, 1969, regarding oil and gas leases for several Michigan counties (1 folder). Also included is an obituary of Harry E. Tope, Jr. and related newspaper article, July 3, 1990 (copies).

Family papers include correspondence, financial, business and legal papers, photographs, daguerreotypes, photograph albums, biographical materials, scrapbooks, genealogical materials, poetry, publications, and miscellaneous.

The Thurston Family Papers, ranging from 1823 to 1974, consist of correspondence; a diary; financial, business, and legal papers; photographs, daguerreotypes, biographical materials, and a scrapbook of advertising cards. The papers fall in to six groupings, Genealogy, The John Gates Thurston Family, The Francis H. Thurston Family, The George Lee Thurston II Family, George Lee Thurston III, and Visual Images. The folders in each grouping are arranged alphabetically.

Genealogy contains genealogical material and several drafts of The Thurston Chronicle, a history of the Thurston family, by George Lee Thurston III.

The John Gates Thurston Family material includes legal papers and records from the Massachusetts House of Representatives, an 1824 letter describing Lafayette’s visit to Alexandria, a 1836 diary of John’s trip to Chicago, Civil War letters from his son George L. Thurston I and Henry Nourse, and a passport from a trip to Europe in 1839.

The Francis H. Thurston Family material includes articles by Francis on such topics as Michigan trivia, Civil War memories, building a canvas canoe, and descriptions of the excellence of Michigan. Letters from his mother (1862, 1963) include Civil War news, details of his brother’s death following the war, and marriage advice. In an 1897 letter from his son, George, Francis learns that George had to put in a telephone because the competing lumber mill had one and was getting more business. A letter (1907) to Francis’ recently widowed daughter-in-law Lenore gives her nearly word for word financial advice given to him in 1886 by his friend E. H. Russell when William McNeil had a breakdown and nearly financially destroyed Francis.

The George Lee Thurston II Family material is more eclectic than the rest of the collection because of the variety of people and materials in this grouping. Included is correspondence of the Mohrmann family (George married Lenore Mohrmann) written in German and a German report card as well as both the original and transcript copies of William’s suicide poem “Pallida Mors.” George Lee Thurston II’s publication, the Intermediate Valley contains facts about Michigan, ads, and humorous stories. Letters from his Uncle Dud (1879, undated) are humorous and encourage George to develop his writing--both style and content. Letters written in 1879 from his boyhood friends in Ohio talk of the yellow fever epidemic and of the diphtheria epidemic in Michigan. Frederick Crandall Thurston’s (George’s son) correspondence includes letters he wrote to his family while he was looking for work in New York, 1930-1931, describing railway travel and his negative reaction to radios. The copies of the 1934 editions of the Remington News (Culpepper, Va.) indicate depression-era prices and an unusually progressive attitude (for the South) towards blacks which contrasts with an 1856 receipt for the sale of Hannah (a Negro) for $50 (the connection with the Thurston family is unclear).

Visual Images include photographs, photograph albums, daguerreotypes, and a scrapbook of advertising cards. Identified daguerreotypes and photographs include many family members and friends whose names appear in the Thurston papers. Among these are E. H. Russell, William McNeil, and Mary B. Thurston Nourse. The unidentified daguerreotypes include two images of a man with his dog and one image of a woman kissing a baby. The unidentified daguerreotypes are labeled with a number; the same number followed by a letter (ie 5a, 5b), indicates different daguerreotypes of the same person. A folder with a photograph of a Lee Thurston is in the Clarke’s Biographical Photographs File. The scrapbook includes only one Michigan advertising card, the rest being from New York (State) or other states.

The collection consists mainly of correspondence from Lloyd W. Thompson to his wife, Lillian, 1944-1946.

This is a wonderful collection documenting the state-side World War II experience of the average homesick Michigander, pressed into duty for his country and wanting desperately to get home as soon as possible to his wife and new baby. It is also a unique collection documenting the prisoners of war, mainly German, who were processed in/out and worked in North Carolina, their treatment, work projects, and care.

The collection includes 173 letters that Lillian received from her husband, Lloyd Thompson. 165 were written between February and December 1945, and eight were written in 1946. Lloyd wrote them from North Carolina, where he was stationed either at the Prisoner of War Camp of Fort Butner or Hendersonville. Lloyd always wrote of missing her, wishing to be discharged, of his friends and officers in the army, of working on and driving various vehicles, of their baby, of life in the barracks, of prostitutes and drinking in town and at parties, of the arrest of prostitutes and GIs caught with them in Durham, and of the point system by which U.S. soldiers were dismissed from duty. Mostly, Lloyd wrote of the prisoners of war (POWs), who were all Germans until November 23, 1945 when French, Czech, Polish and Dutch prisoners were added to the camps. He noted the weekly American movies they watched, the crops they harvested, POW escapes, a tunnel and bomb they created, searching them, transporting them, what they ate, changes in their status and privileges after VE Day, how his truck drivers occasionally hit POWs, and how local farmers and pulp wood manufacturers fought Washington, D.C. to extend the time they could employ POWs. (The deadline originally was January 1, 1947, but this was extended through the end of March.) Lloyd was assigned to clean out side POW camps and eventually Camp Butner. His dismissal was delayed until the camp was nearly emptied, at which point he collected supplies for his wife and himself (new shoes, wool trousers, a jacket, soap, and towels) and shipped them home. He also noted others, particularly civilians, who were caught sneaking into POW areas and, later, civilians who stole camp supplies.

Also included in the collection are letters Lillian received from female relatives and friends, including two from her mother-in-law, Mrs. M. Thompson, in 1944 and 1945; one from a friend Corporal Abbigail Balgooyen [spelled with two b’s]; two from her sister, Ella Jannetta, in Durham, North Carolina, in 1945; two from Thompson relatives, Mary Ellen, and Bob, Helen and Kids; and a congratulatory baby card form two friends, all dated 1945. Most of the letters are pretty general in nature and brief, inquiring about Lillian and the baby, Lloyd being gone, and noting the health and activities of mutual friends and family members. Of special note is the letter from Lillian’s friend, Cpl. Abbigail Balgooyen, dated June 20, 9144. Abbigail was a member of the Women’s Army Auxiliary Corps (a WAAC) stationed “Somewhere in England”. Her letter vividly describes the extremely uncomfortable living conditions in her “camp,” which included straw mattresses (bolsters), “cell” like rooms, and having no pillows. She had had measles, which delayed her being sent to England. A U.S. World War II Army Enlistment Record of Lloyd W. Thompson (copy) is included.

The letters are all handwritten, mostly in ink, a few in pencil, on various types and sizes of paper. A few of the letters are acidic and yellowed. Two photographs are included, one of an old man and two young boys ( with letter of March 27, 1945) and one of Lloyd, who has his back towards the camera (with letter of June 8, 1945). Information about POW camps in the U.S. and Fort Butner is included (copies, 2006), as well as a rough inventory of the letters.

Papers include correspondence, photographs, including a diary and photographs of Foochow, China, 1899-1901, a biography of Michigan poet Will Carleton, and other materials.

The collection includes personal correspondence between Thompson and William R. Longstreet, a bookkeeper and religious leader in Saginaw, Michigan, 1891-1895, concerning the nursing of patients, social and religious affairs, a trip to New York, in 1892, and welfare work of the Jefferson Avenue Epwarth League. There is also a diary of Isabelle Longstreet, describing her missionary work in China, June 1899-October, 1901 and a brief biography of Will Carleton (1845-1912), a notable Michigan poet.

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.

The collection consists of Pat's major project and backup files for digitizing, website, and exhibit work she did mostly for the Clarke Historical Library staff, 2004-2015.

These files, paper and digital, 2004-2015, and undated, constitute Pat’s major project files for work she did for mostly Clarke staff, and some patrons, in creating exhibits and related materials for display in the Clarke, traveling exhibits, and in on-line exhibits, exhibit booklets, numerous Clarke webpages and on-line bibliographies, and materials she and her many students digitized for CONDOR, CMU’s online digital repository. Some of the digital images are pdfs, others are tifs. Text, directions, and prints of various size of images may also be included.

A master copy of mostly printed materials she scanned for the Clarke or patrons is housed in another location in the Clarke stacks.

This is the official organizational records of The John Goodrow Fund (JHGF), from its 1985 establishment to its 2020 dissolution.

This is the official organizational records of The John Goodrow Fund (JHGF), from its 1985 establishment to its 2020 dissolution. The records include founding documents, dissolution materials, meeting minutes, agendas, reports, budgets, communications (emails and correspondence), fundraising documentation for the annual dinner and golf scramble, insurance, tax, and policy materials. Documentation of Sally Goodrow’s 2009 retirement and 2022 obituary, and a few newspaper clippings (copies) are also included. The records are organized topically and chronologically, according to original order. The collection is in excellent physical condition.

Researchers may be interested in additional materials documenting JHGF and Fr. Goodrow found in the St. John’s Episcopal Church (Mount Pleasant, Mich.) Organizational Records and the Fr. John H. Goodrow Papers, which are both housed in the Clarke Historical Library. Newspaper articles about the JHGF may be found by searching digitized Mount Pleasant area newspapers.

Processing Note: Duplicates, cancelled checks, and newspaper articles were withdrawn during processing. Copies of the articles were retained in the collection.

Glass-plate negatives (76) include views of Sault Sainte Marie, Michigan, businesses, steamboats, the Soo Locks, school children, parades, including a circus, and miscellaneous images, 1894, 1938, and undated.

The collection is organized by size first and then numerical order. There are 17 glass-plate negatives, each measuring approximately 8 inches by 10 inches, 24 glass-plate negatives, each measuring approximately 6.5 inches by 8.5 inches, and 35 glass-plate negatives, each measuring 5.5 inches x 7.5 inches.

The collection documents businesses (often two businesses are photographed on one plate), various steamers, the Soo Locks, notably Weitzel Lock, lock construction, school children, parades (6 images), of which one is a circus parade with elephants and camels, and a few miscellaneous topics, in Sault Sainte Marie, Michigan, 1894-1900s. Some of the images are dated with two dates, the later being 1938, when they were owned by Gordon Daun. Other images are undated, but they clearly date from the 1894-1900s period.

The descriptions of the negatives are from the original sleeves. Further notation, in square brackets, has been made by the Archivist when there was no original description, when the original description is insufficient to understand what the image is, or when negative is damaged. Abbreviations in the original descriptions are spelled out for ease of use by researchers.

Fifteen of the plates were badly crushed, broken into numerous pieces, or had emulsions that were severely damaged, in several cases peeling off so badly that it looked like a cat had shredded the image. Pat Thelen, Clarke digitizer, had a Herculean task to piece the images back together again and clean up as many problem spots as possible. The badly damaged negatives were withdrawn from the collection. The scanned copies are on a disc and printouts of the images are filed in the rear of Box 3 according to the size of the original plate, and then numerically. These printed images are the best images that could be created from the pitiful remains of the negatives.

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

This collection consists of personal information, journal entries, poems, and correspondence of Gene Stratton-Porter, 1904, 1914 - 1924, 2019, and undated.

This collection consists of personal information, journal entries, poems, and correspondence of Gene Stratton-Porter, 1904, 1914 - 1924, 2019, and undated, .5 Cubic Feet (in 1 box). The collection is organized alphabetically. All the correspondence is photocopies.

A large portion of the collection consists of letters sent from Gene Stratton-Porter to Mr. and Mrs. Robert Cochrane, close friends of hers. These letters talk about her writing, surroundings (people, objects), and the environments (nature) she was in. There are also journal entries, where Stratton-Porter makes observations about the world around her. The box also includes poems with markings and edits that were probably made by Gene Stratton-Porter herself. At times, the markings themselves appear to be in another’s handwriting other than Stratton-Porter, in which the reader can make out through the content notes. Topics in her poems typically are nature and emotions. Gene made frequent mention of what her writing meant to her and how it made her feel. This correspondence helps to understand Stratton-Porter on a deeper, more emotional level. Some collection highlights include “A Collection of Poems” by Gene Stratton-Porter, edited poems and short stories, and letters revealing a deeper understanding of her love for nature. Most of the letters are typed. Some letters, from her later life, are addressed from California, her final permanent residence, to various parts of the country, including Arkansas, New York, and Indiana. Most of the letters, however, do not contain a location.

Processing Note: One folder of duplicates was withdrawn from the collection during processing.

The collection documents the history, committees, activities, building renovations, 125th anniversary, and people of the church in registers, meeting minutes, photographs, newsletters, bulletins, sermons, and other materials. The collection is ongoing. Allergy Alert: Researchers with allergies should use Boxes 16-17 with caution.

The organizational records of the church are filed alphabetically and then chronologically in the following major series: The Evangel (the church’s monthly newsletter), 1966-1968, 1972-1985, 1987-current, and undated; Parish Registers, 1875-1958, which document the baptisms, confirmations, marriages, and burials of parishioners; Vestry meeting minutes, 1947-current, which record the business of the church officers and committees; Registers of Services, 1913-1975, which list the day, time, and the number of attendees and communicants at each service; and the St. John’s, later called the Ladies’ or Women’s, Guild meeting minutes, which include bylaws, member lists, accounts, and related materials of the Guild, 1886-1974 and undated; and, lastly, a variety of blueprints, notes, meeting minutes, bids, photographs, and other materials documenting Renovations of the church building and grounds, 1978-1982, 1992-1996, and undated. Other records, such as programs for special services, Lenten Prayer Booklets, and materials documenting the Boy Choir are included in the collection.

Early records of the Rt. Rev. J. N. Rippey, who served as acting rector of several churches including St. John’s from 1887 through 1910, include: a journal and parish registry book with baptisms, confirmations, burials, and marriages, 1887-1911, and three scrapbooks, 1874-1935 and undated, which document Rippey’s life and work, as well as the news of other Episcopalian clergy and parishes in Michigan with newspaper clippings, service programs, and newsletters from various Episcopal churches. Two handwritten sermons of Rev. Rippey dated June 28 and July 29, 1908 are also included.

Materials related to the illness, death, contract, and sermons of Rev. John H. Goodrow, are also included. Goodrow served as rector at St. John’s from 1962 until his sudden death in 1985. The Goodrow Fund at St. John’s was established and named in his honor. Materials documenting the Goodrow Fund are also in the collection.

The older materials, particularly the scrapbooks are highly acidic and fragile and should be handled with care by researchers.

Numerous materials documenting the events of the 125th anniversary are included, as is documentation on the development and workshops of the Center for Christian Spirituality.

Also included are sermons of Rev. Wayne Nicholson, a beloved, gentle priest at St. John’s from 2007 to present, who was blessed with the gift of writing and presenting wonderful sermons. His coming to St. John’s encouraged the 125th anniversary events and made the establishment and success of the Center for Christian Spirituality possible.

Ground Breaking for the joining of the existing buildings and remodeling of them began with a special Pentecost service with music created by one of St. John’s organists, Dr. Moonyeen Albrecht, and our Deacon Nancy Casey Fulton, on May 15, 2016 (See Box 15: Building Remodel/Ground Breaking Materials, 2015- folder).

Vestry Meeting Minutes, 1947-current are in the collection. Vestry Minutes, 1957-1982 (1 cubic ft. in Boxes 16-17) were added to the collection in 2016. They were previously housed in the basement and have a strong mildew smell. Allergy Alert: Researchers with allergies should use Boxes 16-17 with caution.

Boxes 19-20 include more information on Rev. Wayne Nicholson, who died unexpectedly in 2019, shortly after he retired. Early deeds, significant mortgages on church property, and information on the creation and purchase of the pipe organ created by Gabriel Kney, and the stained-glass windows and tabernacle, created by Conrad Schmitt Studios, Milwaukee, Wisconsin, are included. Other materials document a new phase of the Center for Christian Spirituality, historical materials of the Boys Choir, and recordings of services and music.

The collection, which is on DEPOSIT, consists mostly of 208 letters between Marjorie Bump Main and Donald St. John, 1987-1964, initially focused on her memories of and relationship with Ernest Hemingway.

The correspondence, 1965-1974, is organized in alphabetical and chronological order. First is Don’s correspondence with Marjorie Bump Main, 1966-1974, consisting of 208 mostly letter-size letters and a questionnaire. A few letters from Georgianna Main Dickinson to Don are mixed into the November-December 1974 correspondence. One folder includes legal-size letters, April-November 1967. Also included is one folder of correspondence from John J. McCune to his friends Don and Ruth St. John, September-October 1965 and January 1974. A folder with a two photographs of Marjorie and one of a man, probably her husband, Sid Main, unidentified and undated, [1966] copies of 1920s-1930s photographs, completes the collection.

COPYRIGHT NOTE: All physical and intellectual property rights (copyright) remain with the Michigan Hemingway Society as of the deposit agreement of Oct. 10, 2016.

The initial focus of the correspondence between Don and Marjorie, was Ernest Hemingway and his relationship with Marjorie, and what she remembered about him, his family, and related events. These letters and a questionnaire span November 1966- January 1967. As Don’s and Marjorie’s friendship developed by February 1967, their correspondence quickly became an exchange between friends, more personal, and less about the Hemingway family.

Hemingway scholars have found discrepancies between information in Georgianna’s book and Marjorie’s letters to Don St. John. Without the correspondence between Marjorie and Ernest it is impossible to verify what their real relationship was and if the discrepancies are intentional or accidental due to failing memory. Marjorie acknowledged in multiple letters that some of her memories were not as clear as they might have been in the past, that she had pushed them to the back of her mind, and that writing to Don gave her some clarity while remembering old memories. In several of her letters Marjorie wrote that she was “trying hard to remember the truth about things” that had happened so long ago (Marjorie letter of January 13, 1967).

Marjorie always signed her letters M. Her letters are either handwritten or typed, and her handwriting deteriorated as she aged.

Don’s correspondence to Marjorie is the typed carbons of the letters he sent to her. On January 27, 1967 he sent her a 10 p. questionnaire. Unfortunately, Marjorie answered the questions in blue ink which is seriously faded, rendering it mostly illegible (her response with the questionnaire is undated, probably January 28, 1967). She also added some typed supplementary commentary to her answers which is legible and cited above.

Processing Note: A number of the letters are acidic. Acid-free paper has been placed in between each of the pages of the letters to help absorb acid and slow deterioration.

Descriptions in Marjorie’s correspondence:

Marjorie described herself in 1919 as:

an immature, sheltered girl of thirteen (Marjorie letter of December 1, 1966), having “extreme youthful naivety combined with hero worship and adoration.” (Marjorie letter of January 16, 1967)

Ernest and Marjorie’s relationship with him:

Marjorie felt Ernest was associated with the arts and emotion and therefore “was way over my head.” She wrote to Ernest during the war and sent him a sweater, as each girl in school wrote to a soldier, and that he wrote to her occasionally during the war (Marjorie letter of January 13, 1967).

“Ernest … was the first boy to take [her] to parties, dances, ball games, etc…it was like having a brother … He started her first real interest in reading…read his own first stories aloud.” She remembered their relationship as a “very good brother-sister relationship.” (Marjorie letter January 26, 1967)

Ernest kissed her gently a few days before he left for Toronto in 1920 (she does not give a specific day when this happened (Marjorie supplemental response to Don St. John’s questionnaire, undated, probably January 28, 1967).

As example of his brotherly concern for her, Marjorie recalled how Ernest drove Marjorie and Helen from Marjorie’s home to Charlevoix to get ice cream one night because he thought they needed protection and should not go there alone at night. Ernest told her he wished he could sit with her every Christmas in 1919; he told her to forgive friends; to not be humble with men; that he only enjoyed church if he went with someone he cared about; and that he did not want anyone to agree with him about his negative family relationships. She felt he was a positive influence on her life and education and that he always behaved respectfully with her (Marjorie letter of January 15, 1967).

Marjorie remembered Ernest was the brother she never had, and that they loved each other “as a person with an understanding spirit” only. She also noted that Ernest wanted his women to drink a lot and one drink for her was enough. Her mother treated Ernest well and he liked her in 1919 (Marjorie letter of December 1, 1966).

She believed that Ernest invented an image of himself that was very different from the young man she knew in Petoskey. She wrote that Ernest was like a big brother, even when he took Marjorie to a few high school dances and parties, and that he read his stories to her and they were both sad when they were rejected by publishers (Marjorie letter of December 3, 1966).

Ernest, Marjorie wrote, contributed to “her character development. He hated anything of show or pretense.” (Marjorie Letter of December 4, 1966). Ernest “taught me to look at faces and not clothes or position in society.” (Marjorie letter of January 16, 1967)

Their possible engagement:

Marjorie denied that they were ever engaged, that the thought of their engagement was only “gossip of a small town,” and that her mother would never have started such a rumor (Marjorie letter of December 4, 1966).

Any thought that Ernest wanted to marry her she thought was “a passing thought” that she believed first arose in his minds when he saw her in Florida (Marjorie letter of December 1, 1966).

Ernest kissed her gently a few days before he left for Toronto at an unspecified date (Marjorie supplemental commentary to questionnaire, undated, probably January 28, 1967)

Ernest and his “spiteful” stories about her and her mother:

Marjorie felt Don read too much into the fictional relationship in “The End of Something,” that all she and Ernest ever were was friends, they parted as friends, and she did not know why he wrote what he wrote in the story. She noted there was never any possibility their friendship would develop beyond friendship as she was not into emotional relationships in 1919 and planned on attending college (Marjorie letter of January 6, 1967).

She remembered that Ernest became mad when her mother was against their friendship (no specific date is give) so he wrote “In Our Time” out of spite. Afterwards he asked them to forgive it (the story) and they did. (Marjorie letter of December 3, 1966).

Later, Marjorie chose not to attend the wedding Ernest and Hadley’s wedding in the summer of 1921 because Ernest did not invite Marjorie’s mother (Marjorie letter of January 28, 1967).

Referring to the Hemingway stories with a female named Marjorie in them, she recalled ‘The stories Ernest wrote were a blow, but not a deep one.” (Marjorie letter January 26, 1967)

Ernest’s relationship with his parents:

Marjorie believed Ernest chose to hate his mother, Mrs. Hemingway, because of her lack of interest in him, and that he later transferred this rejection to Marjorie’s mother. She felt that he enjoyed the fact that his stories and divorce shocked his parents. They considered divorce a “disgrace.” Marjorie believed that Ernest changed after he married, that drinking alcohol made him [in his opinion] a better writer and made him tough and strong, like he wanted to be. Marjorie believed Ernest killed himself because he could not endure the memories of the persona he had created when he was told to stop drinking (Marjorie Letter of December 4, 1966).

Last visit/ Marjorie’s destruction of Ernest’s letters:

In 1939 Ernest visited Marjorie and her husband, Sid, at their home in their then Ormand Beach, Florida. (There is no reference to any contact or communication between them since their last phone call prior to December 1922.) Ernest liked her husband and children and wrote her twice after their visit. Marjorie recalled that during the visit Sid had to buy more alcohol for Ernest and that Ernest’s driver helped her cook some liver. She recalled it was all the food they had in the house for Ernest to eat during the visit, which makes it sound like a surprise visit (Marjorie letters of December 3 and 4, 1966). Don did some research and found the driver who recalled that Sid bought both alcohol and the liver after Ernest arrived (Don letter of Dec. 6, 1966). From the driver’s recollection it sounds like the visit may have been planned but Ernest preferred liver which she did not have in the house. Marjorie also recalled that Sid liked Hemingway’s stories more than she did (Marjorie letter of December 1, 1966).

Marjorie received a last letter from Ernest after the 1939 visit, which “cleared the air between us” and after that she burned any of his letters (Marjorie supplemental commentary, undated, probably January 28, 1967). She noted that she destroyed his letters to prevent them becoming public property (Marjorie letters of December 3, 1966).

Other Hemingways:

Marjorie remembered Dr. Hemingway fondly and had a good relationship with all the Hemingway girls, especially Ursula. The two of them exchanged letters until Ursula’s death. (Marjorie letter of December 3, 1966).

Mutual neighbors:

The Dilworths and Smiths of Horton Bay are briefly named (Marjorie Letter of December 4, 1966). When Don asked about a falling out between Ernest and Jim Dilworth, Marjorie remembered that “Dilworths agreed with [Ernest’s] parents against him [his shocking stories]. He was fond of them and could hurt everyone through them.” (Marjorie letter of December 4, 1966)

The collection consists of materials documenting the life, career, and research interests of Jo Stephenson, including her master's work on Gerald Heard, for which she studied with Russell Kirk, and materials documenting her husband, David Schock.

The collection, 1944-1998, and undated (Approx. 1 cubic foot) consists of materials documenting the life, career, and research interests of Jo Stephenson, including biographical materials, poetry, creative writing, embroidery, school papers, articles she wrote for publication in newspapers, her husband, David Schock, her master’s work on Gerald Heard, and Heard’s writings and presentations (copies or transcriptions), and notes or comments on them she used as reference materials (12 folders). A later addition added two folders of freelance work she did on Lake Isabella, Michigan, and the Veterans Memorial Library in Mount Pleasant, Michigan, and 5 slide boxes of slides documenting Lake Isabella. The collection is organized alphabetically by folder title.

Papers consist mostly of drafts of Stengren's translation of Kierkegaard's Relation to Hegel, by Dr. Niels Thulstrup.

The papers, 1972-1980, 1985, and undated, consists mainly of handwritten and typed drafts of Prof. Stengren’s translation of Kierkegaard’s Relation to Hegel by Niels Thulstrup (1980). Also included is Professor Stengren’s correspondence concerning this book with Dr. Niels Thulstrup of the Soren Kierkegaarde Selskabet, Copenhagen, Denmark, and the editors at Princeton University Press. Some of Dr. Thulstrup’s correspondence as well as miscellaneous notes and citations are in Danish. Some of the Danish material has been translated into English.

Processing Notes: Duplicate copies of handwritten drafts and several galley proof drafts were withdrawn from the collection during processing.

Papers include articles, poems, and stories by Stebbins,correspondence, notably a letter from Stebbins to Horace Greeley, 1847 re: the presidential election, general store ledgers, a post office letter book, school notebooks, and miscellaneous.

The collection includes a number of articles, poems, and stories by Stebbins. The correspondence between Stebbins and his children mostly describes family news and business travels. Of note is a letter from Horace Greeley, dated 1847, concerning the presidential election. His work is documented through surviving oversized store ledgers and a post office letter book. A number of school notebooks and miscellaneous items complete the collection.

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.

Papers of the starr family Family papers include: biographical materials; correspondence; legal papers; autograph albums; photographs and miscellaneous; school reports; and teaching certificates.

Family papers, 1839-1942, and undated include: biographical materials, 1928-1929; correspondence, 1895-1935; legal papers, 1839-1866; autograph albums, 1878, 1880-1882, 1885-1889; photographs and miscellaneous, 1883-1897 and undated; school reports, 1880-1881; and teaching certificates, 1879-1883 and 1879-1911. Most of the correspondence is to Minnie and Clara Ellen Starr concerning their nephew, Jack. Photographs document several generations of the Starr family, Dennis and Nancy Quick, and the Hamer family, the first African American family in Royal Oak, Michigan. Other materials document Eva, George E., Mary, and the general family, within photographs, a family tree, and some miscellaneous legal papers and correspondence. The collection is organized by family, alphabetical by individual creators’ names, and then chronologically organized.

Collection of papers of various Stacy family members including: Consider A. Stacy, James A. Stacy, L. Loana Stacy, Marla M. Stacy, and Scovel C. Stacy of Tecumseh, Adrian, and Fenton, Michigan.

The collection includes genealogical materials for the Ward and Ely families of Alma, Michigan; Ward family photographs (19th-20th centuries), including some of Charles O. Ward in uniform and in local bands. The materials of Gerrit S. Ward include correspondence to/from Gerrit S. Ward to/from family, 1860-1897, and about his various business interests including banking, mines, and timberlands, 1886-1916; deeds and correspondence to Alma and Montcalm County lands, 1883-1911; Gerrit S. Ward’s estate records, 1916-1917 (copy, 1940); an annual report of the First Bank of Alma (illustrated with pictures of the bank and its staff and officers), 1916; legal papers, mostly regarding land, 1886-1910; Civil War artifacts and pension materials, 1862-1928; miscellaneous; and correspondence re: the Roanoke Rapids Paper Manufacturing Company, 1907-1910.

Materials for Charles O. Ward include Spanish-American War military certificates, 1898-1899; correspondence, mostly between Charles and Gerrit S. or Hugh E. Ward, 1898-1960; and numerous deeds and related legal papers concerning his real estate businesses in Alma, 1887-1961.

The materials of Josephine Ely Ward include correspondence, 1916-1917; estate records, 1940; and the Ely family genealogy.

Also included is an 1820 certificate of military appointment for Sardis Ward as a cornet player for the 6th New York Cavalry.

Two Oversized scrapbooks complete the collection. Volume 1, 1885-1961, mostly consists of newspaper clippings on the Spanish-American War, 1898. It includes telegrams about Charles O. Ward’s health and hospitalization at St. Joseph’s hospital in Philadelphia, November 1898, with typhoid. Telegrams were sent between T.S. Ward, G.S. Ward, Charles Spicer, Sarah Ward, and Josie Ward.

Scrapbook Volume 2, 1885-1941, includes many articles on Charles O. Ward and his wife, and the Ely and Ward families. Two memorial booklets for William Sisson Turck, (August 7, 1839-September 19, 1912), Mason, Major of the 26th Michigan Infantry Regiment, Alma Supervisor, County Treasurer, Michigan Representative, President of Alma, and member of the Board of Managers of the Michigan Soldiers’ Home in Grand Rapids are also included. Volume 2 also contains an Alma College commencement program, June 22, 1888; Hugh Ward’s recital program, 1918; and a memorial resolution from the Alma Order of the Eastern Star for Electra Brewbaker (died November 20, 1932 at age 81).

Both scrapbooks are quite acidic, but Volume 2 is very acidic, fragile, with detached covers and spine.

The collection includes various Michigan history small collections, most of which are one folder or one volume in size, largely consisting of property records, but may include biographical information, correspondence, stock certificates, and other material. About half of the collection is records of [Jordan School] School District No. 6 (Isabella County, Mich.).

Folder 1: Bennett House / George H. Day, Papers, 1898, 1920 and undated include: Two pages of petitioners recommending Day for the position of Deputy U.S Marshall at Mount Pleasant, acidic, undated; and a letter from Committee on the District of Columbia, U.S. Senate, Sept. 13, 1897 from James McMillan, Chairman, to George H. Day re: Day’s appointment as Deputy Marshal at Mount Pleasant; and the deposition of Fred C. Whitney that on Dec. 21, 1900 in the Bennett House-Annex in Mount Pleasant, George Hunt said to George H. Day that he would kill Day and moved to do so, signed by Whitney and sworn before Notary Public Eugene S. Brown, March 28, 1901. Printed stock certificate No. 103 for Mount Pleasant Sugar Company, that George H. Day owns 10 shares worth $10 each, decorated with eagle, Lady Liberty, and gold company seal (1901), Feb. 6th, 1903, signed by secretary and president of company. Bennett House (Hotel) materials include: 1) Land contract Dec. 1, 1919 George H. Day and wife Henrietta sell Lot 10 in Block 13 in Mount Pleasant, and its buildings and land described as the “Bennett House and Annex” described in the inventory, Exhibit A, for $12,957.50 to Ralph G. Fisher and wife, Anna E., to be paid in installments through 1927, except an outstanding mortgage of $8542.50, signed by all named and two witnesses. Not recorded. Acidic with two staples. 2) Deed to all personal property not of the George H. Day and his wife, Henrietta, in the Hotel Bennett, Mount Pleasant, Mich., as inventoried (15 p. inventory attached), sold by Ralph G. Fisher and wife, Anna F., to David T. Foley and wife, Mary, for $1, Oct. 2, 1920, signed by Fisher and two witnesses. 3)For $1 Ralph G. and Anne E. Fisher sell their right, title, interest and equity in the attached land contract and personal property, Exhibit A, Oct. 1, 1920, signed by Fishers and two witnesses, witnessed by Notary Public Arthur M. Gilman, with financial notes. 4) Exhibit A. (copies) 3 pages (2 are front and back) listing goods in Bennett Hotel. 5)Note, March 18, 1919, received from George H. Day $500 in part payment for purchis [sic] of Bennett House and Annex Property on East Broadway Block 10 Lot 13, Mount Pleasant, and I agree to pay all other bills except a certain mortgage held by Isabella State Bank as of April 1, 1918. Not signed. 6) Agreement between George H. Day and wife, Henrietta, and Ralph G. Fisher and wife, Anna E., about payments to be made 1920-1927 and about keeping buildings and mortgage, April 29, 1920, signed by all named and two witnesses. Acidic. 7) Agreement between George H. Day and wife Henrietta and David T. Foley and wife, Mary, about payment and interest and about mortgage, Oct. 2, 1920, signed by all named and two witnesses. 8) Promissory note, George H. Day promises to pay Henrietta Day $399 with interest at 6%, note secured by chattel mortgage, Jan. 15, 1898. 9) Note of conveyance of property Lot No. 20 of Block No. 5 and Lot No. 22 of Block 11 of Mount Pleasant, valued at $225 and a note for $399, secured by chattle mortgage, consideration of four notes of $100 each made to Henrietta Day eight years ago which was stolen, Jan. 15, 1898, signed by Henrietta and witness. Green and white printed stock certificates (8) for Transport Truck Company, Mount Pleasant, Mich., received of George H. Day, Bennett House, five certificates each for $62.50 for 25 shares, and 1 for $125 for 25 shares, purchased Jan. 30, May 29, July 9 (2), Sept. 10, Nov, 17 and Dec. 17 and 18, 1917, signed by the secretary (name varies). Also a typed letter from the company on letterhead to George H. Day withdrawing stock certificate No. 536, July 14, 1919.

Folder 2: Cooper, William J., Papers, 1913, 1977, and undated, includes: Biographical materials including his obituary (copy), 1957; Certified copies of: his birth certificate (b. 1871), copy 1941; his death (1957) certificate, 1958; his wife’s death certificate, Nella Moss Cooper, 1945. Printed stock certificate for Houghton Heights Corporation, Mount Pleasant, Mich., for Houghton Heights Lake Resort (his idea), No. 4 for 25 shares for $25 for Wallin Russell, 1915. Legal and property records include: 1) Abstract of title and letter from Roscommon County Abstract Company, 1913 (cover is acidic), and related Warranty Deed for multiple properties in Roscommon that Wm. Houghton sold to Chas. J. Myers, N.J. Brown, Fred Russell, and Wm. J. Cooper, for $5,000, Sept. 1913, signed by Houghton and witness before Notary Public Arthur W. Ladd, recorded by Roscommon Register of Deeds Wm. J. Houghton in liber 45 Deeds, p. 233, Oct. 1913. 2) Quit-claim deed James S. Bellis and wife sell Lot 6 in Block 3 of Partridge’s addition to Mount Pleasant and additional land for $100 to William H. Cooper and wife, registered on Nov. 1933 by Isabella County Register of Deeds Clyde V. Showalter in v. 160 Deeds, p. 522 on Nov. 1933, with three appearance papers for Marie G. Bellis of Illinois before Notary Public Martha Petner, March 26, 1936; for James S. Bellis and wife, Mary, before Washington (State) Notary Public Florence Ethington, March 17, 1937; and Arthur E. Bellis and wife, Iva, before Colorado Notary Public Fred B. Robinson, Oct. 18, 1933. 3) Release of Part of Mortgaged Premises Isabella Co. State Bank land in Broomfield Twp., Isabella County, for $1 to Jesse Courser, signed by bank reps and witnesses, before Notary Public J. Elmer Graham, Dec. 1948, registered by Isabella County Register of Deeds Ray H. Zingrey in liber 114 of Mortgages p. 628, Aug. 1945. 4) Warranty deed, William J. Cooper sells lands in Roscommon County for $1 to Arthur H. Cooper Jan. 1947, signed by William and witnesses before Notary Public Walter E. Myers, Nov. 1949, registered in liber 146 Deeds p. 146 by Roscommon Register of Deeds, Zachary Smith Jr., Feb. 1957. 5) Land Contract (Gleason form), Clifford E. Russell sells to Hazen A. Bunting and wife, Mildred, for $325 land in Mount Pleasant, March 1948, signed by all named and witnesses, not recorded. 6) Land Contract (Gleason form), Arthur H. Cooper (son of William J. Cooper) and wife, Mary, and Elleda Hubel sell property in Mount Pleasant to Elza E. Ducan and wife Martha for $6,500, signed by all named and witnesses, not recorded, noted as paid in full with interest, May 1954. 7) Warranty Deed, William J. Cooper sells land in Lincoln Twp., Isabella County to Arthur H. Cooper for $1, signed by William and witnesses Dec. 1950, acknowledged before Notary Public William W. Russell, Feb. 1952, with note from County Treasurer Elmer Kirkconnell of no tax liens or titles and taxes paid for 5 years as of Jan. 1957, recorded in liber 272 Deeds p. 399 by Isabella County Register of Deeds Roy H. Zingery. 8) Warranty Deed, William J. Cooper sells land in Mount Pleasant to Arthur H. Cooper for $1, signed by William and witnesses Dec. 1951, acknowledged before Notary Public Mary S. Johnson, March 1954, with note from County Treasurer Elmer Kirkconnell of no tax liens or titles and taxes paid for 5 years as of Jan. 1957, recorded in liber 272 Deeds p. 400 by Isabella County Register of Deeds Roy H. Zingery. 9) Quit-claim deed, Arthur H. Cooper (first party) sells land in Roscommon County to Arthur H. Cooper and wife, Mary (second party), for $1, signed by Arthur and witnesses, March 1957, acknowledged before Isabella County Notary Public Ann L. Kirkconnell, March 1957, not recorded. 10) Quit-claim deed, Arthur H. Cooper (first party) sells land in Broomfield Twp. Isabella County to Arthur H. Cooper and wife, Mary (second party), for $1, signed by Arthur and witnesses, March 1957, acknowledged before Isabella County Notary Public George J. Marks, April 1957, recorded in vol. 273 Deeds p. 418 by Isabella Register of Deeds Roy H. Zingery, April 1957. 11) Agreement between Peter J. Gruss and wife, Martha, sell property in Lot 15 Block 1 Mount Pleasant to Arthur H. Cooper and wife, Mary, for $6,500, signed by all named and witnesses, June 5, 1961. 12) Letter from Harold D. Tift, president of DeTray Realty Company, Houghton Lake to Mr. Mrs. Arthur Cooper, May 5, 1977, with an offer from Russell A. Post III to purchase their furnished cottage for $7,500, with pink buy/sell agreement form, signed by Post, Coopers and broker, May 3, 1977, note on back about personal property Coopers will remove. 13) Papers turned to Trustee (copy) lists mortgage and contracts, names and amounts and total, undated.

Folder 3: Davis, L. Leonard “Lindy”, Central State Teachers College Scrapbook, at least 1925, 1931?-1932?,possibly later?. Scrapbook cover with red, brown, blue, and yellow woven pattern, circle on front with “Central State Teachers College Mount Pleasant, Mich. 1931?-32? (dates partially missing) and “Lindy”, tied with black ribbon, acidic pages. Scrapbook includes black and white photographs, postcards of Central students, buildings, including the Dec. 17, 1925 Central Michigan Normal School Fire, the grounds including basketball court and alumni field, the McCarthy log cabin, band sitting and marching, various events, students, a priest, athletes especially football team, includes team photograph of 1932, baseball and basketball players, and women playing lacrosse, man with tripod camera, men with a line of fish, a chemistry set and geyser (presumably related to oil fields), portraits, band director, three group portrait. Nobody is identified, some images are faded, mostly undated. Some of the photographs of the 1932 homecoming festivities are also in the 1932 Chippewa yearbook. Some images are cropped and there are three pages of heads (photographs cropped so all that exists is the head). Included is a biographical note about L. Leonard “Lindy” Davis.

Folder 4: Dexter Family Papers, 1878, 1930, and undated, include: Papers of Ransom Dexter include: 1) Letter from S. R. Thompson of Tilden, Ill., 1894. 2) Receipts of taxes paid Marion Township, Saginaw County, Mich., 1911, 1913, 1915-1916. 3) Legal papers include Ransom’s Naturalization certificate from Washington Co., Ill., 1878 (he was originally from England), Chattel Mortgage to him, 1888. 4) Farmer’s Mutual; Fire Insurance Co. policy, 1897. 5) Mortgage, assignment and discharge thereof, Dexter to Amanda L. Curtis, 1901-1917, Last Will and Testament of Ransom Dexter, naming his wife, Mary Ursula, sons, Ernest and Walter, and daughter Ivah May, to inherit his 80 acre farm in Marion Twp. (Ransom died June 19, 1916), the will was probated Nov. 11, 1925, and related probate court records naming Ernest executor, Aug. 9, 1924, a letter from Ernest to the court, Nov. 6, 1925, with financials, and two related receipts, 1925. Papers of Ernest R. (Ransom) Dexter of Mount Pleasant, Mich., include: 1) A small note with some Dexter family members of Clare, Mich., written on it, undated. 2) Obituary of Mary Ursula Crane Dexter, written by her son Ernest, 1924. 3) Letters, one from Ernest to his brother, Walter and wife, mostly about agreeing to sell the farm, March 19, 1928 (a handwritten copy), a letter from his sister, Ivah, to Ernest mostly about the farm, 1930. 4) Receipts of taxes paid in Marion Twp., Saginaw County, 1913, 1915-1916, 1924. 5) Political career materials: include his card and newspaper advertisement as he runs for county clerk, undated (1903-1907?). 6) A delinquent tax record, 1903 with a newspaper article on it recording that he voted as a member of the Board of Supervisors of Saginaw County, 1903 7) A Clerk’s bond/oath he signed as Township Supervisor, 1907. 8) Three certificates of nomination at primary election, Isabella County, Mich. that E.R. Dexter won the most votes for nomination to Representative in the State Legislature by the Republican Party, 1922, 1924, 1926, all three with gold seals of the Circuit Court of Isabella County. 9) Ancient Order of Gleaners insurance receipts, 1928-1931 and 1933 and a AOOG South Brant Local Arbor No. 846 insurance receipt booklet of Ernest of Brant, Mich., 1904-1915. 10) A memorandum book of miscellaneous accounts and notes, and what appears to be horse breeding notes, 1905-1907.

Folder 5: Francisco Family Papers, 1908, 1978, includes: 1) Holy Baptism certificate of Harrison Alexander Francisco, born Aug. 14, 1911, baptized May 26, 1913. 2) Legal records include: Death Certificate, certified copy, for Harry H. Francisco, died Aug. 14, 1944. 3) Warranty deed Charles Francisco and wife Mabel sell to Harry Francisco, property on Lot 2 of Block six, in Hall’s addition to Mount Pleasant, for $300, recorded by Register of Deeds, Isabella County, March 1908, Liber 97 Deeds, p. 251, signed by all named and witnesses before Isaac R. Jameson, Notary Public. 4) Bill of Sale of Smith’s Photograph Gallery on Broadway, Mount Pleasant, sold by Hannah Francisco to Harry Francisco for $1, April 14, 1913, signed by Hannah and two witnesses, not recorded, her copy, 5) Warranty Deed, Susie M. Orr sells property in Lot 2, Block 11, in Bentley’s Addition to Mount Pleasant, to Harry H. Francisco for $1, recorded by Register of Deeds, Isabella County, Jan. 1929, liber 148 Deeds, p. 86. 6) Letter from City of Mount Pleasant Building Inspector Ken B. Croll about dividing property in Bentley Addition Block 11 Lots 1 and 2 to Harry Francisco, Aug. 31, 1978 with a property survey, done by Registered Land Surveyor William B. Ruddell on May 25, 1978.

Folder 6: Hunter, John, Family Papers, 1899, 1909, all related to property and mortgages following the death of John Hunter, include: 1) Mortgage loan of $250 of Samuel Jones of Hamburg, Livingston County, Mich., owed to John Hunter, March 2, 1899 with interest paid noted on back. 2) Mortgage John Hunter and wife to Samuel Jones for Lots 3-5 in Block 1 of Leaton’s addition to Mount Pleasant for $250, signed by Hunters and witnesses before notary public, recorded March 3, 1909 in liber 61 Mortgages p. 492 by Isabella County Register Matthew Morrison. 3) Assignment of Mortgage of Samuel Jones, deceased, to pay debt by Executor to Rebecca Jones, for mortgage executed by John Hunter and wife, recorded in Isabella liber 61 of Mortgages, p. 492, Dec. 26, 1899, signed William J. Jones, Executor, and witnesses, recorded by Isabella County Register Matthew Morrison, Jan. 1900, liber 62 Mortgages, p. 142, and two related notes assigning part of the mortgage to William Shippler and part to William J. Jones both of Hamburg, Mich. Both were assigned and recorded on Dec. 18, 1902 in liber 68 Mortgages p. 213 by the Isabella County Register of Deeds. 4) Affidavit of Bruce Hunter, verifying who the adult children of John Hunter, deceased, and his wife Margaret A. Hunter, were including: Bruce Hunter of Mount Pleasant, Anna Burnett, formerly Anna Hunter, of Buchannan, Mich., Milford Hunter and John S. Hunter of Manitoba, Emerson B. Hunter of Creelman NW Territory, and Theodore Hunter of Toronto, Canada, recorded in liber 92 of Deeds p. 370 by Isabella County Register of Deeds A.L. Young, Bruce, James and Theodore before Notary Public Isaac R. Jamerson, July 1907. 5) Appearance verifications for 1) Anna Burnett, formerly Anna Hunter, County of Berrien, Dec. 3, 1907 before John C. Dick, Notary Public, and for 2) John S. Hunter and wife, Ethel M. Hunter, Manitoba Province, Canada, Sept. 19, 1907 before a Notary Public. 6) Quit-claim deed, Emerson B. Hunter and wife, sell for $1 to Margaret A. Hunter Lots no. 3-5, 7-8 in Block 1 Mount Pleasant, signed by them and witness, recorded Dec. 1907 in liber 90 Deeds p. 610 by Isabella County Register of Deeds. 7) Quit-claim deed, Theodore Hunter, sells for $1 to Margaret A. Hunter Lots No. 3-5, 7-8 in Block 1 Mount Pleasant, signed by Theodore and witness, recorded Dec. 1907 in liber 90 Deeds p. 611 by Isabella County Register of Deeds. 8) Quit-claim deed, Bruce Hunter and wife and Anna Burnett, sell for $1 to Margaret A. Hunter Lots No. 3-5, 7-8 in Block 1 Mount Pleasant, signed by Bruce, Mary and Anna, and witnesses, recorded Dec. 1907 in liber 90 Deeds p. 612 by Isabella County Register of Deeds. 9) Quit-claim deed, Milford Hunter and wife and John S. Hunter and wife, sell for $1 to Margaret A. Hunter Lots No. 3-5, 7-8 in Block 1 Mount Pleasant, signed by all named and witness, recorded Dec. 1907 in liber 90 Deeds p. 613 by the Isabella County Register of Deeds. 10) Discharge of Mortgage executed by John and Margaret A. Hunter to Samuel Jones, as recorded in Sept. 1909 before Notary Public William A. Sheffer. 11) Warranty deed, Margaret A. Hunter sells to Colin A. McCall and wife, for $2,000 Lots 3-5, 7-8…signed by Margaret and witnesses before Notary Public Alfred L. Young, recorded in liber 101 Deeds p. 310 by Isabella County Register of Deeds Martin Meneey, Oct. 1909.

Folder 7: Order of Knights of the Maccabees, Caldwell Tent No. 648 warranty deeds (2), 1903, 1932, for the same piece of property. 1) Deed 1, land originally purchased for $100 in 1903 in Deerfield Township, Isabella County, from Henry D. James and wife, Alma, by Thomas Hogg, Sir Knight Commander and Samuel Ash, Sir Knight Record Keeper, for the KOTM. On back, signed by all named, April 25, 1903, witnessed by Henry G. Bacon, Justice of the Peace, and recorded July 3, 1903 in Isabella County Deeds liber 86 Deeds, p. 251 by the Register of Deeds Hovey. 2) Deed 2 notes Samuel Ash, now Sir Knight Commander and Frank E. Phillips Sir Knight Record Keeper successors of prior two officers purchased the same land from them for $1. On back, signed by all named, witnessed by two women, one is the Notary Public of Isabella County, Mildred Koyl, and recorded June 11, 1932 in Isabella County Deeds liber 156 Deeds, p. 590 by the Register of Deeds, Clyde Showalter.

Folder 8: Saylor, Harrison H., Materials, [1914], 1998, and undated, includes: 1) Biographical note on Harrison H. Saylor (1896-1981) WWI veteran, optometrist, musician, and Shriner originally from Mount Pleasant, provided by Barbara S. Schwemmin, a cousin by marriage in 1998. 2) Photographs, 4 of Harrison, one with his bugle in his American Legion uniform, one with his buddies immediately after being inoculated prior to being sent to France in WWI, one each of his parents, one of his two sisters with two friends, undated, [ca. 1880-1918], 1917 Republic Band of Alma, Mich. includes Saylor with cornet, members identified, by Harrison’s cousin, 1980, and two formal portraits of Harrison, one dated 1930, the other, matted, taken by K. K. Spellman in 1936. 3) Harrison’s WWI dog tags (2) tied to a strip of material (linen?), undated [1914-1918]

[Jordan School] School District No. 6 Isabella County (Mich.), Records, 1880-1920, folders, includes: Teachers Daily Attendance records (various titles). These volumes list teacher’s name, dates, pupils’ names, ages, and grades, and may include other information such as names of visitors or reports. 1) Teachers Daily Register (1 volume in 1 folder), 1902-1904; 2) Teacher’s Class Attendance and Summary Record (1 volume in 1 folder), 1927. School Board or Director’s Books of Records and Accounts under various titles, includes annual meeting minutes, acceptance of office, assessor’s bonds, orders and warrants upon township treasurer to pay school bills, certificates of district board, notices of annual meeting, and receipts: 1) The Economic Series School Blanks, published by G. H. Slocum, Caro, Mich. (1 volume in 1 folder), 1894-1901; 2) Economic Series School Officers’ Blanks, published in Caro, Mich. (1 volume in 1 folder), 1906-1917; 3) Director’s Book of Records and Accounts, published by Henry R. Pattengill, Lansing, Mich., also includes treasurer’s bonds and accounts and annual school census with names, birthdays, parents and addresses of pupils (1 volume in 1 folder), 1908-1920; 4) Director’s Account Book, printed by Emerich of Pittsford, Mich., includes information listed above except census (1 volume in 1 folder), 1920-1930; 5) Director’s Book, School District Accounting and Records, published by Mich. Education Company, Lansing, includes information listed above except census (1 volume in 1 folder), 1926-1934. School District Treasurer’s and Assessor’s Accounts [various titles] volumes includes: 1) Assessor’s Cash Account Book, receipts and expenditures [some pages loose from spine] (1 volume in 1 folder), 1875-1925; 2) Treasurer’s Account Book, published by Hillsdale School Supply and Publishing Co., Hillsdale, Mich., receipts, expenditures, reports (1 volume in 1 folder), 1921-1926; 3) Treasurer’s Account Book, published by Hillsdale School Supply and Publishing Co., Hillsdale, Mich., receipts and expenditures, [back cover separate from volume], (1 volume in 1 folder), 1926-1931. Loose papers, 1879, 1946, and undated, include: 1) Note about the provenance of the records through three generations of the Robert family, Edward Robert and his son, Lawrence Robert, both having served on the school’s board. Larry Robert notes the school merged with Rosebush school in 1947 and the records were stored in a house that was Edward’s, then belonged to Lawrence, and, later, his son, Larry. 1) Annual Financial Report, 1926; 3) Annual Statistical Reports, 1927, 1929-1932; 4) Annual Statistical and Financial Reports to the Superintendent of Public Instruction, 1937-1940; 5) Annual Summaries of Registration and Attendance, 1945-1946; 6) Articles of Agreement between D. M. Browning, Commissioner of Indian Affairs and Directors of Public School District No. 6, Isabella County, Mich. for ten Indian pupils (they are not named), 1895-1896, contract approved Oct. 25, 1895, signed by directors, stamped by Commissioners of Indian Affairs as “received Sept. 7, 1895”, and related Dept. of the Interior Office of Indian Affairs letter to School District No. 6 Directors, that a bill for $28.41 will be paid, signed by Assist. Commissioner, April 23, 1896; 7) Bond for John Gefford (sp?), as School District Treasurer for School District No. 6, $1,000, Gefford signed, before Notary Public John A. Kennedy, July 1913; 8) Teacher’s Contract, Miss M. B. Richmond to teach and do janitors work for four months beginning Nov. 1909, for $30/month, signed by teacher and directors of Isabella School District No. 6, Oct. 22, 1902 (copy); 9) Warranty Deed, Lana Butch sells property to the School District No. 6 Isabella Township, Isabella County, Mich. for $70, Lana made her mark X, signed by witnesses, acknowledged before Notary Public John R. Robinson, recorded in liber 30 Deeds p. 80, Oct. 1879 by Isabella County Register J. M. Houer (sp?)

Oversized Materials: McCarthy, Dennis, Farm and Family History Scrapbook, 1911, 1986 and undated (1 Oversized Volume in 1 folder). Gold Hallmark cover with words “Photos: and “Photographs” in various, decorative fonts. Masking tape on cover states “Kevin Farm and Family History Keep This.” “Farm” is written on the cover in green marker. Black and white photographs, acidic newspaper articles, and notes about Dennis McCarthy’s log cabin, the family’s first home, which was bought by CMU Alumni Association and moved to campus in 1928, later taken apart by CMU. Also includes postcards and photographs (black and white and color) of various McCarthy family members and farm life and animals, a Ferris Institute pennant, and a Centennial farm certificate.

Oversized Materials: Native American Land Patents, 1872, 1891 (1 Oversized folder). Both patents re: treaties of 1855 and 1864, land given to members of Saginaw, Swan Creek and Black River tribes, Michigan: 1) Land patent for land selected for Shaw-wa-nis, Aug. 20, 1872, with orange seal, signed by president, assistant secretary, and recorder of General Land Office, recorded in Chippewas of Saginaw, Swan Creek and Black River v. 3, p. 2621. Noted on back, received by Isabella County Register of Deeds, recorded in lib. 10 Deeds, p. 429, C. Bennett. Acidic. 2) Canceled patent with letter, land selected for Waw-no-quay-wa-shaw-we-no, Aug. 20, 1872, no seal, signed by president, assistant secretary, and recorder of General Land Office, recorded in Chippewas of Saginaw, Swan Creek and Black River v. 3, p. 313. Parts of patent are crossed out in red ink and noted as canceled Sept. 26, 1874. Letter attached with green ribbon in two parts, on either side of the canceled patent, notes the patent is a true copy from the General Land Office, Oct. 30, 1891, signed by the Commissioner of the General Land Office. The second page of the letter blank.

[Jordan School] School District No. 6 Isabella County (Mich.), Records, 1880-1920, Oversized loose papers and Oversized volumes, include: 1) Annual Statistical Reports with School Census on the back (loose papers in 1 folder), 1913, 1918-1923, and 1925; 2) Teacher’s Term Report to Director (loose papers in 1 folder), 1925-1926. Teachers Daily Attendance Records Volumes (various titles). These volumes list teacher’s name, dates, pupils’ names, ages, and grades, and may include other information such as names of visitors or reports. 1) [Teacher’s] School Register (Oversized Volume), 1918-1920; 2) Teachers Attendance and Scholarship Records and Reports designed for rural and small graded schools (8 Oversized Volumes), 1929-1930; 1930-1931; 1931-1932; 1932-1933; 1933-1934; 1934-1935; 1935-1936; 1936-1937; 5) Teachers Attendance and Scholarship Records and Reports designed for rural and small graded schools (different size and format) (4 Oversized Volumes): 1940-1941, 1941-1942, 1942-1943 (no 1943-44 or 1944-45) and 1945-1946. School Board or Director’s Books of Records and Accounts under various titles, include: 1) Director’s Book, School District Officers’ Record Account Books (Oversized Volume), 1933-1937 2) [Director’s Book (Oversized Volume, no covers, in folder), 1938-1941. School District Treasurer’s and Assessor’s Accounts [various titles] Volumes includes: 1) [School Treasurer’s Record of] Receipts and Disbursements (Oversized Volume, no covers, in folder), 1941-1943; 2) School Treasurer’s Record of Receipts and Disbursements (Oversized Volume, no covers, in folder), 1947-1954.

The 2018 Addition to the collection in Box 2 (.25 cubic ft. includes:

Education survey of Isabella County, Michigan School District No. 1 in 1929 by L. E. Johnston, 1929 (copy) [2018]; Lincoln Township, Isabella County School District No. 1 Teacher’s Daily Register from 1887 and 1897-1900 (copy), 2018; a class memento with a ribbon from Lincoln Township, Isabella County School District No. 2 in 1907-1908; copy of a Lincoln Township, Isabella County Irishtown school list from School District No. 2 in 1870-1940 (copy), 2018.

Photographs include: a photograph of children in Isabella County at Rolland Township School [1938-1939] with related ancestry documents, 2018; photographs of children and teachers in Isabella County at Blanchard School, Bowen School and Demlow School in 1911, 1925, 1930, 1936, undated; photographs of children and teachers in Isabella County at Hulse School, Jordan School and Lincoln Center School in 1939, 1941-1942, 1960, undated; photographs of children and teachers in Isabella County at Maple Hill School and N. Rosebush School in 1898, the 1920s, undated; an aerial photograph of Central Michigan University’s football field and the surrounding area, undated; photographs of men (two are of Hon. Patrick H. Kelly, 1922, undated), and a group photograph of identified township and county officials in the old Isabella County Courthouse,1941(copy), [2018].

Also included in Oversized Folder 5 is one oversized aerial photograph of the southeast side of Mount Pleasant, Michigan taken from River and Bradley roads, 36x52 inches, [1950s-1960s].

Papers consist mostly of business correspondence related to the oil drilling business in mid-Michigan, as well as related plat books, forms, genealogical materials, and miscellaneous.

The collection consists mostly of business correspondence to/from Will Spencer, 1934-1938 (1.5 cubic ft. in Boxes 1-3). Will signed his letters as F.W. Spencer. The correspondence is in alphabetical order by surname or company name. Most of the correspondence is from Will to people who owned property in mid-Michigan inquiring if they would like to lease their land for gas/oil drilling to Phillips Drilling Company of Butler, Pennsylvania. Some of the correspondence is between Will and county officers about land that might be purchased for taxes, inquiries re: ownership of certain property, and requests to the Department of Natural Resources for plat maps. There are also some bills and receipts for maps or mapping. There are also occasionally requests to Spencer for some of his farm products. There is no personal correspondence in the collection.

Plat books in which specific properties are marked are found in Box 4 (a letter-size .25 cubic foot box). Also in this box is a publication on Fringe Wells of the Crystal-New Haven Files and the Beaverton Area, 1936, by C. Roe.

Box 5 (a legal-size .25 cubic foot box) includes miscellaneous materials related to Michigan oil exploration and leasing. Of note are lists of properties owned by Indigenous people in Denver and Isabella townships, Isabella County, which were available for oil or gas leases, 1934, 1936. People listed as holding this land include: Wellington, Joseph, and Israel Collins; Mary Conley; George Corbin; Mary Egleston; Mary Isaac; Johnson Jackson; Emma McClure; Jane Nottawa; Eliza and Mary Ann Pay-she-min-nee; Maria Pelcher; Lucy and E.(Earnest) Pontiac; William and Albert Strong. The 2021 addition is mostly housed in Box 5 and includes: 1934 miscellaneous; typed lists of oil well permits issued by the Michigan Department of Conservation, 1938; materials Spencer collected, created, or signed for Paul Odil including mostly copies of oil and gas leases and agreements, and correspondence, 1931-1933. ALso included are typed English 201 papers that Hazel Spencer wrote while attended Central State Teachers College, now Central Michigan University, in 1934.

Agendas, meeting minutes, scrapbooks, newsletters, correspondence, by-laws, and printed materials of SNAG, mostly documenting SNAG's fight against the expansion of M-20, 1993-1995.

The collection documents SNAG’s goals and efforts with correspondence, agendas, meeting minutes, printed materials, newsletters, and scrapbooks, 1973-1993, undated. An addition includes materials generated when SNAG fought the expansion of M-20.

Papers include certificates, diplomas, programs, publications, photographs, an Appleblossom club pin and bracelet, and an honorary plaque.

This collection contains various papers related to Maurice Lemuel Smith and the Appleblossom Club. The information within this collection is organized in Alphabetical order. Material in this collection includes certificates, diplomas, dedication programs, publications and photographs. Appleblossom Club memorabilia include a club pin and bracelet. The collection also includes an honorary plaque from Ronan 303 where the Appleblossom Club used to meet and one framed photograph of M.L Smith. The room ceased to exist following renovations at Ronan in 2010-2011.

Family papers include: biographical materials and correspondence (transcripts).

The collection includes (copies) of Correspondence to/from Levi, Lib, and the Fowler brothers, some Transcriptions of Correspondence, and Biographical Materials. The Correspondence mainly discusses Levi’s and other soldiers’ experiences marching, camping, fighting, illness, and people of the south, 1862-1865, undated. One letter written to Lib after Levi died (letter dated April 20, 1865) notes the death of President Lincoln. Later correspondence is mostly between the Fowler brothers discussing family news, 1898, 1900, 1903, and undated. Earlier Correspondence, 1851, and 1855 is between Levi, his father, and brother. Two copies of the same photograph are included in the folders.

Family papers, photographic images, promotion papers, and medical writings of Joseph Rowe Smith, Jr., letters to/from his brother, Henry Smith, military and medical papers of Joseph Rowe Smith, Sr., and miscellaneous family materials.

The papers of Joseph Rowe Smith, Sr., 1823-1859, and undated, document his diary of his military career, 1823-1835, which traces his traveling, survey work in Florida, illnesses, births, and deaths of children, his affection for his wife, and conversion to Christianity following exposure to several severe cholera epidemics are particularly interesting. His faith comforted him through the loss of two babies. Also of interest are medical reports on his injured elbow, and estate papers.

The papers of Joseph Rowe Smith, Jr., 1848-1910, and undated, include his promotion papers, photographic images, and his medical writings. Also found in Box 1 are letters from Henry Smith to his brother Joseph R. Smith, Sr., and a journal, 1870-1878, and several folders of miscellaneous materials of Horace Smith, 1870, 1920.

Miscellaneous family papers and photographic materials, mostly undated, complete the collection. Item-level index cards are also found in Box 3. Note: The Clarke also has two portraits of Smith: one is a small. framed, damaged water color portrait probably from his West Point graduation, circa 1823;the second is an oversized, framed, painted portrait of Smith in uniform with his arm in a sling, undated. For more information about the portraits, please refer to the Framed Art Inventory binder.

A letter Smith wrote on November 13, 1862 to President Abraham Lincoln recommending Rev. S. T. Carpenter of Polo, Illinois for chaplain at the Washington Park Hospital in Cincinnati. Note by Surgeon General W. A. Hammond concurring is housed in the Abraham Lincoln Presidential Library and Museum. A link to the finding aid describing the letter is found at https://illinois.as.atlas-sys.com/repositories/2/resources/2557.

Papers include mostly solicitation letters.

The collection consists of printed solicitation letters, 1942-1976, undated, and miscellaneous related publications, undated of the Christian Nationalist Crusade. Biographical Materials (mostly copies) (1 folder) are also included.

Copies of books by or about Smith are in the CMU libraries. Smith’s papers are at the Bentley Historical Library in Ann Arbor, Michigan.

The papers are mostly Elias' business accounts and legal agreements. Also included are correspondence and accounts of his wife and daughter, Martha and Iola, with lawyers about Elias' estate.

The papers are organized by creator: Elias, Martha and Iola, and Smith Family, and then alphabetically and chronologically. Elias W. Smith’s papers mostly involve his business accounts and legal papers involving business agreements. Materials of his wife and daughter, Martha and Iola Smith, include correspondence and accounts, mostly with lawyers about his estate and debts.

Family Papers, 1865-2015, and undated, are a genealogical history for the Smalley and Beemer families and also documents early history of the white settlement of Clare, Michigan.

Family Papers, 1865-2015, and undated, is a genealogical history for the Smalley and Beemer families and also documents early history of the white settlement of Clare, Michigan. The collection contains many different formats including 3-dimensional objects, original documents, and printed material. Box 1 is legal sized, the rest are letter-sized boxes, Boxes 2-3 are .5 cubic foot boxes, and Box 4 is .25 cubic foot. The collection is organized according to original order. The folders are ordered so that you may recreate the binders that the documents were originally donated in. Besides this, the folders are ordered alphabetically. Box 1 (Legal) Includes: Mainly original documents which includes Tax Papers, Wills, Bank Papers, as well as Birth and Death Records. Most of this Box contains tax documents and related paraphernalia. Boxes 2-4 Include: history and genealogical study of the Beemer and Smalley families, including a focus on David Smalley and his time in the Civil War. Photographs, late 19th -20th centuries (Box 2, Folders 4/5; Box 3, Folders 2/5). An autograph book for Cordelia Smalley (Box 3, Folder 4). A rationing booklet with stamps intact (Box 4, Folder 2). A family history, as remembered by the donor (Box 4, Folder 2). There are multiple oversized and 3-dimensional objects, including Alice Smalley Beemer’s diploma from Central Normal School, 1909, a photograph probably of Alice Smalley Beemer printed onto cloth, a tinted photograph of what is probably the old centennial farm of the Smalley family, and the honorable discharge papers of David Smalley from the Civil War Union Army at age 18.

Box 1 (Legal) Includes: Mainly original documents which includes Tax Papers, Wills, Bank Papers, as well as Birth and Death Records. Most of this Box contains tax documents and the related paraphernalia.

Boxes 2-4 Include: A thorough history and genealogical study of the Beemer and Smalley families, including a focus on David Smalley and his time in the Civil War. Photographs dated back to the late 19th century into the 20th century (Box 2, Folders 4/5; Box 3, Folders 2/5). An autograph book for Cordelia Smalley (Box 3, Folder 4). A rationing booklet with stamps intact (Box 4, Folder 2). A family history as remembered by the donor (Box 4, Folder 2).

Oversized Materials: Multiple oversized and 3-dimensional objects. Some of which include Alice Smalley Beemer’s degree paper from Central Normal School dated to 1909, a picture of what we can assume is Alice Smalley Beemer printed onto cloth, which came to the archive framed, a tinted photograph of what is believed to be the old centennial farm of the Smalley family, and the honorable discharge papers of David Smalley from the Civil War Union Army at age 18.

Processing Note: 1 cubic foot of materials, including duplicates, blank documents, and books already a part of the collection, were removed and given back to the donor during processing. Six teacher’s books were separately cataloged.

This Family Collection consists of historical information about Alpena and Alcona counties, Michigan, written or collected by Marcia Simmons and baby items of Ira N. Simmons, JrJr.

This Family Collection consists of historical information about Alpena and Alcona counties, Michigan, written or collected by Marcia Simmons and baby items of Ira N. Simmons, Jr. The writings by Simmons include: Paper Trails, Jewish Community of Alpena, MI, a family history of the Meyers, Alpern, Cohen, Tumim, and Malsh families, which provide in-depth biographies of family members; Alpena County MI Navy, Marines, Coast Guard Casualties List with Burial Locations; a history of the First Park for the City of Alpena, and a history of the Malsh, Alpern, Campbell block in Alpena. A history of early members of the Alpena, Michigan, Jewish community, written by Rabbi Robert Laymen is included in the collection. A Simmons family photograph, undated, and lovely, unique baby items purchased for the donor's father, Ira N. Simmons, Jr., including a cup, spoon, rattle, and two rings, circa 1922, complete the collection. The materials are organized by format and size and alphabetically.

A 2023 addition to the collection includes: Folk stories of John Kee Smith: an interview by Marvin Skupski (copy), 1972, with Smith’s obituary, 1999; Glen Pamame, Native American of Mikado, Alcona County, MI, compiled by Marcia Simmons, 2017; and an oversized Detroit and Mackinac Railway Train Schedule, in effect June 13, 1911, a Bay City imprint. The cardboard schedule measures 22.5x14 inches, has edge and water damage, cracks. Pamame was born on September 29, 1910 in Oscoda, Michigan and died while in service in France on December 10, 1944 with the rank of private first class in the 143rd Infantry, 36th Division, US Army. He is buried in Epinal Cemetery, Lorraine, France. His mother, Susan Cloud, was Ojibwe and his father, William Pamahme, was Odawa.

A second 2023 addition (Box 3) includes Alcona County history that was collected or created by her friend Janet Higgins including: Alcona County railroad-related maps; photographic materials (mostly copies) of Alcona Village, Harrisville, Haynes Township, Mikado, and Sturgeon Point; a History of Hubbard Lake by Lucille Schooks and Virginia Seigrist, and a Civil War diary transcription and family genealogy materials of John Lafayette Reams (1837-1909) by Walter and Valerie (Reames) Joslin. Reames of Logan County, Ohio, served in the Ohio Volunteer Infantry, 192nd Regiment, Company D. After the death of his wife, Deborah Ann, in 1880, he moved with his six children to Greenbush, Alcona County. Higgins also donated material created or collected by other people. Dr. Carl Bajema, a biology professor at Grand Valley State University, donated his correspondence and research on Alcona County logging railroads, saw and shingle mills (1 folder). Bob Haltiner donated photographic materials (some copies) of lumber camps, narrow gauge locomotive, and a mailman, James H. Miller (1 folder). Alcona County maps (mostly copies,1 folder) are from Marv McKay. The Turtle, a newsletter of the Detroit and Mackinac Railway, volume 1, no. 1 1951-Volume 5 no.2 1955 (scattered) was donated by Dan Stock, Huron Shores Genealogical Society.

The collection contains biographical materials, correspondence, field notes, legal documents, receipts of the Sylvester Sibley family, along with a Speech of Hon. H.H. Sibley on the Territories and Our Indian Relations.

The collection documents Sylvester Sibley’s life in the personal and surveying correspondence, legal documents, and various surveying materials. Additional Michigan and Massachusetts Sibley relatives are documented in the Biographical Materials, Personal Correspondence, Legal Documents, Receipts, and Speech folders. A cataloged copy of the speech of Henry H. Sibley is available in the Clarke. Several books on Henry H. Sibley are separately cataloged in the Clarke and Park libraries.

The collection documents Shorts' business and insurance acumen, career, and interests, with numerous materials, 1914-1975, and undated.

Most of the collection documents R. Perry Shorts’ business and insurance career, acumen, and interests, particularly in his Articles, Speeches, Photographs and Insurance Decisions, which are typed notes on cards. His social activities and interests, including: education, patriotism, CMU and U. of M., youth groups, and charitable organizations, are documented in same series, as well as in Biographical Materials and Miscellaneous Materials.

Shorts’ banking interests, particularly the history of the Second National Bank of Saginaw and the National Bank of Detroit, American business history, interests, and views, are well documented in his speeches and articles.

The only personal material is found in Shorts’ limited correspondence with his family and friends, and in some photographs. There is no material about his wife and children.

Additionally, the Clarke Historical Library has two publications by Shorts. Currently, the Clarke has no tape-to-tape players or 16 mm film projectors available to listen to the recordings.

See CMU Photograph Files for pictures of Kelly/Shorts (formerly known as Perry Shorts) Stadium. For more information on Hannah Mary Shorts Vowles, see her biography, as written by Jane P. Cole, which is available at Clarke Historical Library. Also of interest are the papers of James S. Symons, which include a memorial resolution that was signed by R. Perry Shorts, among others. These papers are also available at the Clarke.

The collection, 2019, 5 cubic feet (in 10 boxes), was collected by Quita V. Shier to research her subsequent book on the topic, and includes research copies of military service records of the men in Company K from the National Archives and information from online censuses and newspapers documenting the First Michigan Sharpshooter Regiment, Company K.

The collection, 2019, 5 cubic feet (in 10 boxes), was collected by Quita V. Shier to research her subsequent book on the topic, and includes research copies of military service records of the men in Company K from the National Archives and information from online censuses and newspapers documenting the First Michigan Sharpshooter Regiment, Company K. The military service records document enlistment, pay, invalid status, death or discharge, and/or pension records in military forms and correspondence. Only a few images are included of tombstones or portraits of soldiers in obituaries. A few tax or land records are also included. The collection documents the lives and significance of the Company K soldiers during the Civil War era. This collection is organized alphabetically by the name of the soldier’s surnames. The originals are housed in the National Archives.

Collection includes Moral Re-Armament newsletters, newspaper clippings, news releasees, and magazines; correspondence to/from Shera; and miscellaneous materials.

The collection is organized alphabetically by type of material, and chronologically within folders. Most of the collection consists of local school newsletters, state and national newspaper clippings, news releases, 1941-1949 (Scattered), and the New World News magazines, 1945-1947, which document the interests, activities, and ideals of MRA.

Correspondence includes that to Arthur Shera and his family, 1944-1949, and from Arthur to Howard Davidson of New World News, 1945-1946, a MRA periodical, and to various people 1948-1949. Also included are mailing correspondence, press releases, forms, and programs,1946-1946, and undated, for Ideas Have Legs, which was first a book and later a play, which disseminated the ideals of the MRA.

Miscellaneous materials in the collection include an organizational history and biographical materials on Arthur Shera from a variety of online sources; Book Order Forms 1945-1947; Lists of Food for Europe from the Grand Rapids (Mich.) team, 1946; Lists of Names, 1944, 1947, and undated (these are likely various mailing lists, rather than a list of members), the very brief play, Where are you?, undated; and some miscellaneous poems by Arthur and other members of the MRA, 1945, 1947, and undated.

Political Campaign Objects, 1920-2017, undated, contains materials relating to American politics, specifically presidential races and state-level campaigns in Michigan.

Political Campaign Objects, 1920-2017, undated, contains materials relating to American politics, specifically presidential races and state-level campaigns in Michigan. The collection is organized by size, format, and chronologically and alphabetically. Correspondence between the donor and Michigan Governor James Blanchard, President Johnson, and President Obama, as well as invitations to mostly presidential inaugurations and other political events are in Box 1. Political memorabilia such as campaign pins and bumper stickers for both national and state-level campaigns are also included. There are campaign memorabilia items such as mint tins and candy wrappers for presidential candidates Bill Clinton, Hillary Clinton, and Donald Trump.

Box 2 has the topic of Berlin Wall Fragment, 1989, Stamps, Detroit Topics and Great Lakes Vessels, 2001, and War Ration Book of Kathryn M. Rowe of Vickery, Ohio, 1943.

Box 3 features a Riegle US Senator paper visor and a blue Dukakis ’88 mesh ballcap.

Campaign apparel is found in Oversized Folder No. 1 are a yellow ACLU T-shirt promoting abortion access and Bill Clinton graphic t-shirt about re-uniting America. There are two Elizabeth Warren posters from her presidential campaign and a cardboard coat hanger of President Lyndon B. Johnson. Oversized Folder No. 2 has a red crewneck sweatshirt in white text stating (Engler=Union Buster).

Box 4 includes 2 glass steins and 1 porcelain mug. The mug is white porcelain with red, white, and blue stars, strips and a ribbon motif with the words “84 Democratic National Convention.” The chipped mug was manufactured by Porcelain by Paula, Inc., California, the official supplier for the convention, as noted on the bottom of the mug. The mug measures four inches high and three inches in diameter The two clear glass steins are the same. Each stein feature a blue motif of the white house with an eagle, flag, branches, and stars ringed by the words “President and Vice President Inauguration 1997.” Each stein measures five inches high and three inches in diameter. The steins are in excellent condition.

Box 5 includes mostly political pins, the majority of which are for presidential campaigns, documentation of the 1988 Democratic National Convention, including pins, photographs, passes, and an assorted of other political campaign objects, such as a comb, nail file, a few newsletters, a postcard, and other items.

Oversized Folders 3-5 include more campaign apparel: a Black, cotton book bag with white trim and strap, with McGovern/Shriver in red embroidered font on the front, undated [1972], with a note from Shagena who carried her books at CMU in it; a Democratic National Convention Atlanta 1988 vest worn by participants; and a Jesse Jackson presidential campaign poster, 1988.

Processing Note: Approximately .5 cubic feet of duplicates were withdrawn from the collection. The matches were removed from the matchbook.

The collection documents the international women's rights organizations, including the National Council of Women and International Council of Women, both of which Wright served as president, and Wright's career as a writer, lecturer, reformer, pacifist, and feminist.

The collection is of great use to any person researching American, European, and International women’s rights organizations, including the ICW and NCW, among others; the women’s rights movement; pacifism; working women; literature on the women’s movement and prominent members of the movement, particularly May Wright Sewall. Other topics of interest are the Paris Exposition (1900) and the Columbian Exposition in Chicago (1893), both of which she attended in connection with women’s rights meetings. His Imperial Highness Crown Prince Pu Lun of China who visited the ICW meetings in Indianapolis and became a patron to the girls’ school in documented in Vol. 4. Vol. 6 has a letter from Sewall to the Empress Frederick in Dresden, 1892. There are also materials describing the Norddeutscher Lloyd Bremen ocean liners on which she sailed to meetings in Europe.

While most of the collection is in English, there are materials in Greek, French, German, Italian, and Danish. Issues no. 313, 314, and 316 (1893) of the first women’s suffrage journal in Greece, the title of which is translated as The Women’s Journal, are in v. 7. These are the only issues of the journal believed to be in the U.S. [This information from scholar Karen Offen in April 2006], and include an article about and photograph of Sewall.

Note: Photographs and newspaper etchings are scattered throughout most of the scrapbooks.

The papers include biographical materials, financial records, correspondence, legal documents, miscellaneous, poetry, sketches and drawings, and material relating to the Michigan Soldiers' Monument Association, William Austin Burt, and a company of Iowa Militia.

The collection included biographical materials, financial records, correspondence, legal documents, miscellaneous, poetry, sketches and drawings, and material related to the Michigan Soldiers’ Monument Association, William Austin Burt, and a company of Iowa Militia, 1839. The collection is organized chronologically and then by types of materials. The materials relating to William Austin Burt are filed at the end of the collection.

Papers include mostly correspondence, some from Michigan politicians, autograph album, and a scrapbook. Also included are the papers of Wilber M. Brucker.

John P. Schuch’s papers, mostly correspondence from 1920 to 1951, are chronologically arranged. They document his work as sheriff, hotel owner, National Guardsman, Michigan Representative, and Michigan Senator. Of particular note are congratulatory and other letters from Michigan and national politicians, including: Michigan Governor Fred W. Green, Herbert Hoover (signed), and Franklin Roosevelt (signed), all from 1928, and two letters from Michigan Senator Arthur H. Vandenberg, from 1930. Three autograph albums; 1882-1890; a Scrapbook, 1918, 1926, (1 Oversized volume), of newspaper clippings documenting his campaigns for sheriff in 1922 and 1925; and miscellaneous items, including a partial typed transcription of the treaty of 1819; are also included.

There are two folders of scrapbook materials, mostly relating to Wilber M. Brucker, dating, 1920-1930s. Included are newspaper clippings, photographs, campaign brochures, Christmas cards from Bruckers to Schuch, and invitations.

Item-level index cards are available to assist researchers.

School district records, teacher attendance records, related materials.

The collection documents the history of Lynch School, notably in district record books, 1895-1930, and teachers attendance records of students, 1900-1937. The collection was fumigated, ph-balanced, and perfumed in September 1999.

The collection consists of Schock's recording business correspondence and the actual recordings, mostly of Mount Pleasant area businesses, organizations, people and schools.

This collection consists of Schock’s recording business correspondence, documenting arrangements and ideas for recorded interviews, commercials, dance recitals, and musical recordings, mostly of Mount Pleasant people, businesses, schools, and organizations, and Central Michigan University faculty and students musical productions, 1991-1997, and undated. Included are paper business correspondence, notes, drafts of scripts, as well as informational materials about the businesses and organizations (1 cubic ft.), and the master and draft cassette recordings (in 6 cassette storage boxes). The Mary McGuire School cassettes document activities school teachers and students pursued after receiving a unique state grant. Hash marks in folder descriptions indicate illegible words written on the cassettes.

The David Schock 2021 addition, 1989, 2021, and undated, consists of various videos Schock contributed to with and without the help of Central Michigan University (CMU). Box 8 contains all health-related videos with majority focusing on HIV/AIDS awareness and a few focusing on various systems of the body. Box 9 includes education-related videos, such as a series titled Problem Solving Students, a series from the National Council for Accreditation of Teacher Education videos, and other educational resources. Boxes 10 and 11 house videos filmed in collaboration with the Office of Highway Safety Planning (OHSP) that feature multiple public service announcements (PSAs) and Roll Call videos. Box 12 features raw footage of Schock’s documentary Road to Andersonville. Included with this are interviews for the documentary. Box 13 contains miscellaneous film that do not fit into a clear category. Some examples of this are VHS tapes about quail egg hatching, sculptures, and music.

Box 14 contains materials related to Justice Elizabeth Weaver. Schock helped write Justice Weaver’s book, a copy of which is separately cataloged in the Clarke. Also included are correspondence and interview release forms and Thelma South Schaibly’s 1994 publication of short stories to teach children morals and the meaning of life.

A few folder titles require further description, which we received from the Donor in April 2021. NGS is the abbreviation for the National Geographic Society. Schock created a video for them about geographic education with Mike Libbee of the CMU Geography Department. PDS is likely in collaboration with OHSP. The Hospice Experience documented hospice in Mount Pleasant. The Audition Crashes were stock footage of crashes for the OHSP projects, for example Life’s a Wreck, a film about physics concepts.

The addition is organized by topic, format, and chronological order.

Boxes 8-13 are each 1 cubic foot boxes and Box 14 is .5 cubic foot.

Researchers may also be interested in his personal papers collection, other recordings, and the papers of Elizabeth A. Weaver, which are separately housed and cataloged in the Clarke.

Copyright Note: Copyright is complicated for this collection. CMU holds the copyright for materials used in programs for the CMU Education Materials Center, including interviews from the early 1990s with young people infected with AIDS. The copyright for the Interfaith Ministries immigrant labor tapes, used for final appeals, is held by the Interfaith Ministries, Schock holds the copyright for the Road to Andersonville documentary material, regarding ceremonies held for Michigan Native Americans buried at Andersonville Prison in Andersonville, Georgia.

Permission/Release forms: The only interview permission/release form in the collection is for an interview with one of Elizabeth A. Weaver’s relatives (see Box 14).

The collection documents his media and academia career, with photographs Schock collected.

The collection consists of papers documenting Schock’s career in media and academia, such as stories he wrote, his tenure materials, biographical materials, correspondence, and photographs he collected.

Musical collection, 1901-1927, documents the music a Saginaw, Michigan, dance band played, and Michigan publishers, distributors of music, and/or composers, and some Michigan tunes.

This Musical Collection, 1901-1927, undated, 3.5 cubic ft. (in 7 boxes, 1 Ov. folder), consists mostly of published, copyrighted dance band music. This collection documents Michigan music publishing companies and distribution companies used by dance bands prior to 1930, and, to a lesser extent, some individual Michigan publishers and/or composers, including Susie Adams, Joseph H. Hughes, and R. Harry Richardson. The smaller publishers may have been Michigan town newspaper publishers. There are also some examples of tunes with Michigan or a Michigan town in the title. Overall the music is in good condition, but some of it is becoming acidic. There are some songs which are incomplete, missing, for example, a trumpet or viola part. All of the music is letter-size except for the one folder of oversized music.

Most of the music was published by the Detroit branch of New York publisher Jerome H. Remick. Other publishers include: Jos. H. Hughes, Saginaw, and Michigan Music P.C. [Publishing Company], Saginaw. [Joseph H. Hughes is listed in OCLC as a composer who worked with arranger R. Harry Richardson. They composed a patriotic song, “I love my home land,” which was published in Saginaw in 1917.]

The collection is organized as follows: Basic dance band music from these three publishers, organized alphabetically by title (Boxes 1-5); 2-sided, dance band music with one song printed on the front side, and a second song printed on the back side of the same piece of music, organized alphabetically by title (Boxes 6-7). The last two folders in Box 7 include Advertising Materials from the Jerome H. Remick Company, Detroit, 1913-1917, undated; and manuscript music for the tune “She Rests…,” composed by Susie Adams, stamped R. Harry Richardson Co., W. Bay City, 1901. Oversized materials (in 1 Oversized folder) include five songs, three published in Saginaw, two by Jos. H. Hughes and one by Williams Song P.C. The last two songs include one published by the Grinnell Bros., Detroit, 1908, and the song “Ypsilanti,” published by a Chicago firm, undated. For each piece of music the folder label includes: title, composer, publisher name and location, and date. All boxes are letter-size .5 cubic foot, except Box 5 which is letter-size .25 cubic foot.

Processing Notes: During processing approximately 5 cubic feet of materials were withdrawn from the collection and returned to the donor, as per the donor agreement. This material included duplicates, concertina music, published music journals and catalogs, and miscellaneous, peripheral items. A few Michigan business fliers or brochures were added to the Michigan vertical files.

The collection includes maps, newspaper clippings, correspondence, photographic materials, postcards, publications, scrapbooks drafts and revisions of Satterlee's catalogs, and information from the Michigan Antique Arms Collectors, Inc.

The collection includes Michigan-related materials including hand-drawn maps, newspaper clippings (copies), and correspondence, as well as photographs, two slides, postcards, publications, rough drafts by Satterlee, revisions of Satterlee's work, and materials from the Michigan Gun Collectors Association now the Michigan Antique Arms Collectors, Inc. (Box 1). Also included are scrapbooks and re-foldered scrapbook materials on Satterlee's research, his future publications of A Catalog of Firearms for the Collector, and miscellaneous materials (Boxes 2-3).

Santer's papers, 1978, 2018, and undated, mostly consist of two major series, State of Michigan boundaries information and the drafts of his book, the Great Lakes Basin, 1984-1986.

Santer’s papers, 1978, 2018, and undated, mostly consist of two major series, State of Michigan boundaries information and the drafts of his book, the Great Lakes Basin, 1984-1986. Remaining materials in the collection include one folder each of: Biographical Materials, 2003, 2006, and undated; Articles and Presentations (copies), 1990, 2005; and a VHS Videotape, Monuments on the Landscape: Indication of a Changing Spirit in the Great Lakes Basin, for the Mecosta County Council for the Humanities, 1987. The collection is in good physical condition. Many of the materials are photocopies or reference materials. The collection is organized alphabetically and chronologically.

The largest series, including almost all of Santer’s correspondence, reference materials, a cookie cutter, presentation and meeting materials, Michigan Senate and House bill materials, petition, and samples concerning boundaries, borders, and maps document his ongoing, long-term efforts to convince Michigan legislators to legislatively acknowledge the current legal boundaries of Michigan, particularly on the Great Lakes, on all graphics and images. A Michigan boundaries map calendar in the collection was created by Michigan State University Geography 426 students in Spring 2005. Most of his correspondence, three folders, 1978, 2018, concerns general discussion about Great Lakes boundaries with Michigan politicians, government department personnel, organizations, and publishers. One folder of correspondence specifically concerns the boundaries of Michigan on drafts of the official Michigan quarter, 2002-2006.

His handwritten chapter drafts for his book, the Great Lakes Basin, 1984-1986, which he submitted to Michigan State University Press (MSU) in 1986, compose the next largest series. Chapter 6 drafts were not donated to the Clarke.

Research may also be interested in his collection focused on Mecosta County, Michigan, history at Ferris State University Archives.

Processing Note: 1 cubic foot of duplicates, reading materials, out-of-scope materials and acidic newspaper clippings were withdrawn during publication as well as six duplicate publications. Acidic clippings were photocopied and the copies were added to the collection. As per Santer’s request, all draft pages of his book were photocopied and the photocopies were returned to him. Five additional publications were separately cataloged. Lastly, three Big Rapids items were transferred to Ferris State University Archives.

Family papers include: biographical materials, correspondence, genealogical materials, photographic materials, indentures, a physician's account book, oversized certificates and diplomas.

The collection includes: Biographical Materials, Family and Professional Correspondence, Genealogical Materials; Family Photographic Materials, including photograph albums, tintypes, and daguerreotypes; Sample’s Physician’s Account Book, 1885, 1923; Indentures for property in Seneca County (New York), and oversized Medical and other Certificates and Diplomas. Except for the Indentures, everything else was created by or belonged to Sample.

A large framed painting of Mrs. Chester Sample is in the framed art collection.

Glass-plate negatives of images of daily life, leisure, architecture, and habits of life in Flint, Michigan, in the 1890s. Images of the Great Forepaugh Show (circus) are included.

The glass-plate negatives collection of Owen P. Safford consists of 4 boxes (.5 cubic ft. each). Although the images are undated, from the style of ladies’ clothing the date(s) of the collection appear to be the late 1890s. Two pages from a daily calendar (1897) indicates some relative date range of when the images were produced. All of the images are snapshots of daily life, leisure, architecture, and habits of the late 1890s.

Box 1 contains the calendar pages of 1897 as well as a wonderful Christmas scene of a decorated table-top tree complete with candles on the branches and surrounded by children. The images of children take up the bulk of Box 1 as portraiture seems to be a favorite subject for the photographer. Most notably it is in Folder 1 that the image of two boys, both in sailor suits while holding a toy sail boat, appear quite iconic of the period.

Box 2 contains the scenes of home life of the 1890s, complete with lace covered tea tables, heavy draperies, and richly patterned wallpapers. Images of horse drawn carriages as well as views of a farm yard can be found within Box 2, as well as a late nineteenth century circus. One image of the circus captures the lettering on the train car reading “Forepaugh Circus complete with elephants, camels, and a one-man-band,” identifies the circus as the Forepaugh Circus. Like most circuses, Forepaugh operated under various titles during its existence. It was the Adam Forepaugh Circus, 1878-1894, and the Adam Forepaugh and Sells Bros. Circus, 1896-1904. Extant circus routes for the circus show that during the 1890s the circus performed in the same Michigan cities in the summers of 1893 and 1899. The circus performed in Flint on July 25 1893 and on the same day in 1899. We assume that Safford photographed the circus when it was in Flint. (Circus route information is from the Circus Historical Society website viewed, April 17, 2013.) Note: the subject heading for Forepaugh is Great Forepaugh Show.

Box 3 contains the most fascinating images of late nineteenth century mechanical equipment, labeled “Machinery.” The two folders are comprised of a single machine whose purpose remains undiscovered by the processor. One image contained within the machinery negatives is specifications in German and per the translation of the title it appears to be a generator. Also within Box 3 is the folder labeled “Military,” which upon further investigation and consultation with the Director of Museum Studies and Maritime Historian, Dr. Jay Martin, the dating of the negative as well as location and subjects were made clear. The “Military” glass plate negative is that of a military band, probably from Antwerp, Belgium, given the uniforms of the men and the background architecture pictured. Besides this image of possible European provenance, there are a number of images in the collection of large European style buildings exteriors (in Box 1) and the interiors of churches or cathedrals (in Box 1). Whether Safford himself traveled to Europe and took these images, or collected the images taken by a friend who visited Europe is unknown. There is no documentation available proving he traveled. Box 3 also contains portraits which were primarily used to date the collection of the late 1890s given the abundance of ladies with iconic leg o’mutton sleeves, mourning wear, and fabulous hats of all kinds.

Box 4 contains a large amount of glass-plate negatives where the subject is a Regatta. Many types of sail boats from many angles are pictured. Other types of boats are contained within Box 4 as well, as various rowboats and a steamship are represented among the negatives. Scenes of forests, rivers, and streams make up the rest of Box 4.

Positive prints from scans were made of two images that were hard to identify from the negatives; one of the Antwerp Band in Box 3, and another of a view of a house photographed from underneath a bridge in Box 4. These prints were added to the collection.

Collection contains biographical materials, photographs and postcards, cash book, diaries, photographs, and writings.

The collection includes: Biographical Information about Ryder, mainly in newspaper clippings (copies); his Cashbooks, 1931-1944; Diaries, 1909-1956; some Photographs and Postcards made from photographs of him while attending Acadia University; Sermons, 1910-1919; Writings, 1933, undated; and church-related miscellaneous.

The diaries document Ryder’s years at Acadia University, 1910-1915, in great detail. The other diaries vary in amount of detail and document his stay in various places, including: as minister of Havelock Baptist Church, 1915-1916; and living in Parma, New York, 1916-1921; Vancouver, 1919; Chicago and Savanna, Illinois, 1919-1924; Oshkosh, Wisconsin, 1925-1927, St. Paul, Minnesota, 1928-1934, Flint, Michigan, 1935-1942, and Mount Pleasant, Michigan, 1942-1956.

Ryer’s correspondence file is very thin consists mostly of brief notes from CMU President Charles L. Anspach or Business Manager Norval C. Bovee.

The index of Ryder’s sermons includes a list of baptisms, marriages, and funerals he performed, 1919-1921.

The Clarke Historical Library also has copies of a number of Ryder’s publications including: Men and religion, a functional approach (1932); Society in the making; an introduction to sociology volumes 1-2 (1934); Sociological surveys of Iosco County, Michigan (1948); and Studies of economic and social aspects of Montcalm County, Michigan (1950).

The collection consists mainly of records, books, and other instructional materials on various types of dancing, and related activities, which Ryan collected or wrote and then used for her classes. Also included are biographical materials and photographs.

The collection is valuable to any researcher studying different types of dancing and the teaching dancing. The collection consists mainly of records, books, and other instructional materials on various types of dancing that Ryan collected or wrote and used for her classes. A few biographical materials in the collection (Box 9) relate to her biography, teaching notes, and some photographic materials of Ryan. Other photographs (Box 10) related to Physical Education.