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 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.

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.

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.