Collections : [University of Michigan Bentley Historical Library]

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Collection

William Sprague Studley papers, 1846-1910

0.6 linear feet (in 2 boxes)

The collection is arranged into three small series: Correspondence, Studley Family, and Other Papers. Included in the collection is a scattering of correspondence, diaries, 1860 and 1873, of trip in Florida and Europe, a scrapbook, and newspaper clippings concerning the activities of the Studley family, 1855-1910.

Collection

Claude Thomas Stoner Photographs and Papers, 1870s-1977

9 linear feet (in 13 boxes)

Dexter, Michigan, collector of materials relating to the history of railroading in Michigan. Correspondence, subject files, printed matter and photographs; contain material concerning the Ann Arbor Railroad, the Grand Trunk Western Railroad, the Manistee and Northeastern Railway Company, the Michigan Central Railroad, the Pere Marquette Railroad, and Ephraim Shay.

The Stoner collection contains about 3,600 photographs and negatives collected by Stoner, relating primarily to Michigan railroads. The collection also contains related manuscript materials.

Stoner's major collecting interests were in the Ann Arbor, Grand Trunk Western, and Pere Marquette Railroads and their predecessors, and in logging railroads, especially Ephraim Shay's railroad and others using Shay locomotives. Along with these lines, the collection contains photos of dozens of other railroads, not all in Michigan.

The photographs most commonly depict locomotives, often with their crews posed beside. Other common subjects are railroad stations (exteriors only), train wrecks, trains in motion, logging operations, carferries, railroad bridges, the Detroit-Windsor railroad tunnel, and street railroads.

Dozens of Michigan cities and towns and a number of places in other states are represented in the collection. Places depicted most often in the photos include Ann Arbor, Cadillac, Detroit, Durand, Frankfort, Harbor Springs, and Howell, Michigan, and Windsor, Ontario.

The collection is organized into seven series: Classified photos, Unclassified photos, Albums, Unclassified negatives, Papers, Classified negatives, and Duplicate material.

Appended to this finding aid are two indexes, one for railroads and company names, the other for subjects. The indexes contain references to all items in the Classified photos, Unclassified photos, Albums, and Unclassified negatives series.

The index to railroads and company names indexes logging and industrial companies that operated railroads, as well as railroad lines themselves. It does not index locomotive manufacturers, nor does it index the names of railroad museums where some of the photos were taken.

The index to subjects indexes place names and topical subjects. It does not index the term "locomotives" since the majority of the photos in the collection would be indexed under that heading. Place names are indexed if the photo includes a view of some part of the place or of some event at the place. Close-up views of locomotives that do not show any background are not indexed by place, even if the description of the photo identifies where it was taken.

Collection

St. Clare of Assisi Episcopal Church, Ann Arbor, Mich., Records, 1953-1991

3.5 linear feet

Ann Arbor, Michigan Episcopal Church; The record group includes administrative files; newsletters; clippings, and visual materials.

The records of St. Clare of Assisi Episcopal Church consists of annual reports, minutes of vestry (Bishop's Committee) meetings, treasurer's reports, Altar Guild reports, correspondence, bylaws, membership lists, building committee reports, building specifications and construction plans, newsletters, clippings, photographs, and parochial reports.

The record group has been divided into eight series: Administrative and General Records; Newsletters; Genesis Records, Building Committee, Dr. Inez Wisdom file; Clippings, Visual Materials, and Later Records.

Collection

Neil Staebler papers, 1944-1992

319.5 linear feet — 2 oversize volumes — 12.4 GB (online)

Online
Ann Arbor, Michigan, businessman and attorney, chairman of the Michigan Democratic Party State Central Committee, U. S. Congressman-at-large, 1963-1964, gubernatorial candidate in 1964, member of the U. S. Federal Election Commission, 1975-1978. Chronological, congressional and topical files relating to political and personal activities; include political files detailing state election campaigns 1948-1964, particularly the campaigns of G. Mennen Williams and John B. Swainson; also photographs and transcript of oral interview, 1979.

Neil Staebler first began donating his files to the Michigan Historical Collections of the University of Michigan in 1961 following his eleven year tenure as chairman of the Democratic Party State Central Committee. Periodically thereafter and continuing into the 1970s, Staebler continued to add to his collection with Congressional papers (1963-1964), campaign files when he ran for governor in 1964, topical records created from his years of service with the Democratic National Committee (see attached vita), and records from his term as commissioner on the Federal Election Commission (1975-1978).

This collection comprised of twelve series documents Staebler's career and the course of Democratic politics since World War II. Since Staebler was principally an organizer of campaigns, a behind-the-scenes manager who preferred to handle the details of an election rather than to step into the candidate's spotlight himself, the collection concerns all phases of a successful campaign not just the posturings of the party's candidates. There is, for example, much information relating to the day-to-day operations of the party, i.e. fund-raising activities, the annual Jefferson-Jackson Day Dinner, the formulation of the party's platform and related resolutions at the Spring and Fall conventions, and the activities of party-related special interest organizations.

Collection

Edward William Staebler papers, 1870-1952 (majority within 1922-1944)

4 linear feet

Ann Arbor, Michigan businessman and Democratic mayor of the city, 1927-1931. Mayoralty files; papers, 1922-1926, concerning the Ann Arbor Board of Education; also papers, 1922-1952, of Staebler and Son, automobile dealership.

The Edward W. Staebler papers consists primarily of correspondence and subject files from the period when he was mayor of Ann Arbor. Smaller portions of the papers concern the family automobile dealership, Staebler and Son, and his involvement with the Ann Arbor Board of Education.

Collection

Squier Family papers, 1843-1977

4 linear feet

Papers of the Squier family of Battle Creek, Michigan. Include letters and diary of John E. Hickman, Civil War soldier in Co. C, 13th Michigan Infantry; letters and miscellanea of Theodore L. Squier, Sr., University of Michigan undergraduate student, medical student and instructor ca. 1914-1921 and Nina La Barge Squier, student in the University of Michigan Nurses' Training Program, 1919-1920; and letters and miscellanea of several family members who served in WWII. Also some records of the American Manufacturing Company of Battle Creek, Michigan.

The Squier Family Papers are organized into nine series, eight series of documents related to specific members or branches of the family and one series of photographs.

Collection

Charles Spoor papers, 1837-1893

25 items (in oversize folder)

The Charles Spoor papers include deeds, receipts, and other documents relating to land transactions in Ann Arbor and Mount Clemens, Michigan. Some involve early settlers of the towns, including Christian Clemens and other members of the Spoor family.

Collection

Shirley Wheeler Smith Papers, 1881-1959

15 linear feet — 1 oversize folder

Vice-president and secretary of the University of Michigan; correspondence; research materials for his biographies of university presidents; files relating to activities on the Ann Arbor City Council; course notes from classes at the University of Michigan; and photographs.

The Shirley Wheeler Smith papers include a combination of personal and professional materials. Much of Smith's career with the U-M is documented in the official records of the University, most notably in the records of the Secretary's Office and the papers of the presidents under whom he served (Angell, Hutchins, Burton, Little, and Ruthven). Even so, these papers contain much material relating to the business affairs of the U-M. The extensive correspondence files (with partial index) demonstrate wide influence in all phases of University operations as he corresponded with presidents, faculty, members of the board of regents, and other university personnel. Also documented in the collection is Smith's activities with the city of Ann Arbor and with other community organizations.

The collection has been arranged into the following series: Correspondence; Research for writings; Topical files; Ann Arbor City Council; Papers (by date); Personal and miscellaneous; and Photographs.

Collection

Shepard family papers, 1807-1934

3 linear feet — 1 folder — 1 oversize folder

John F. Shepard family; diaries, photographs, recipes and correspondence concerning family matters and nineteenth century farm life; also professional correspondence, student notebooks and lecture notes of John F. Shepard.

Although the Shepard family papers (1807-1934) cover three generations, the bulk of the materials are from John F. Shepard. The earliest correspondence is primarily addressed to his father Arthur, and to his grandfather John from family members and relatives. The letters deal with health, crops, and relatives. There are also letters from John F. Shepard's wife Berenice to her mother Mary Barnes (maiden name Van Valin) and from Berenice's father Charles to her mother. The Barnes and VanValins lived in Marshall, Michigan.

The John F. Shepard papers include professional correspondence from 1911 to 1934, mostly relating to University building plans. There are also minutes (1921-1925) of the Committee of Five on the Comprehensive Building Program, as well as Shepard's student notebooks from philosophy and psychology courses taught by James R. Angell and James H. Tuft at the University of Chicago, and by Alfred H. Lloyd and Walter B. Pillsbury at the University of Michigan.

The photographs are mainly of his wife's family, many from the late nineteenth century.

Collection

Isaac Sheets photograph collection, circa 1891-1895

1 envelope

University of Michigan non-graduate student in the Department of Literature, Science and the Arts from 1891-1895. Consists of panoramic views of Ann Arbor, Mich. and the University of Michigan campus near East University and South University avenues.

The collection consists of panoramic views of Ann Arbor, Mich. and the University of Michigan campus near East University and South University avenues.

Collection

Wilfred B. Shaw Papers, 1873-1954 (majority within 1900-1951)

7 linear feet (in 12 boxes) — 1 oversize folder

Online
General secretary of the Alumni Association of the University of Michigan and editor of the Michigan Alumnus; correspondence, drawings and etchings, photographs and other visual materials

The Shaw collection is an assemblage of personal materials such as correspondence, essays and student notebook, and of Shaw's work as an artists including drawings, etchings, and other examples of artistic expression that he used in connection with his work with the University's Alumni Association and its publications. Records of Shaw's activities with the university will be found in the record groups for the Alumni Association and the Bureau of Alumni Relations also located at the Bentley Library. The collection has been divided into five series: Correspondence, Essays, Drawings and Etchings, Miscellaneous, and Photographs and other Visual Materials.

Collection

Paul Shapiro photograph collection, circa 1980-1983

1 envelope

Photos of the 1983 Nazi march and anti-Nazi demonstration in Ann Arbor, Mich. and various Ann Arbor and University of Michigan scenes and events.

The collection consists of photos of the 1983 Nazi march and anti-Nazi demonstration in Ann Arbor, Mich. and as well as various Ann Arbor and University of Michigan scenes and events.

Collection

Thomas Mitchell Sawyer papers, 1951-1988

1 linear foot

Professor of humanities in the College of Engineering of the University of Michigan. Reminiscences and family history; files relating to his administrative responsibilities at the University; essay written by Jan Veering, and edited by Sawyer, describing Veering's year in Ann Arbor, Michigan, as a visiting Dutch scholar to the University of Michigan.

The Sawyer papers have been arranged into two series: Reminiscences and Family History which provides personal information on Sawyer and relates to memorable experiences during World War II and travels abroad and University Activities which is comprised of materials relating to Sawyer's activities at the University of Michigan in the period 1951-1986.

Collection

Alfred Isaac Sawyer papers, 1848-1931

6 linear feet

Homeopathic physician from Monroe, Michigan; correspondence, letterpress books, diaries, and other papers of Sawyer, his wife and daughter, and of members of the Toll family.

The Sawyer collection consists of correspondence and other papers of Alfred I. Sawyer, his wife Sarah Toll Sawyer, their daughter Jennie Toll Sawyer, and other members of the Toll family. The collection, in addition to family matters, relates to Sawyer's career as a homeopathic physician, his advocacy of the study of homeopathy within the curriculum of the University of Michigan, and his extensive activities within Masonry. The collection has been arranged into the following series: Correspondence; Various subjects -- Sawyer and Toll families; Homeopathy and homeopathic practice; and diaries of Sawyer and his daughter Jennie Toll Sawyer.

Collection

George Washington Sample papers, 1891-1944

1 linear foot — 1 oversize folder

This collection is comprised of business accounts, letterbooks, and correspondence relating to Republican politics, particularly election campaigns of 1912 and 1936, and enforcement of the Prohibition Amendment; and other papers concerning the career of Frank Knox and the coming of World War II. Correspondents include: Frank Knox (correspondence throughout), and Earl C. Michener, Mar. 23, 1936, Oct. 4 and Nov. 15, 1941; and photographs.

The photographs also include a black and white group photo of the members of the Washtenaw County Bar Association and of the Washtenaw County Courthouse staff.

Collection

Andrew Sacks photographs, 1964-1980, 1964-1980

1 linear foot

Photographer from Ann Arbor, Michigan. Photographs (prints and negatives) of student demonstrations at the University of Michigan, draft card burnings and other anti-Vietnam War protests, of the riot at the 1968 Democratic National Convention in Chicago, Illinois, of appearances of John Cage, Lyndon Johnson, Timothy Leary, Eldridge Cleaver, John Sinclair, John Lennon, Stevie Wonder, and Gerald Ford in Ann Arbor, and a meeting of Ku Klux Klan in Dearborn, Michigan.

The collection contains prints and 35 mm negatives of photographs taken between 1964 and 1980. The photographs primarily document student protests and other student political activities at the University of Michigan, as well as some other campus activities, including political speakers and social and musical events. Some events outside of Ann Arbor are also documented, including the 1968 Democratic Convention in Chicago and a Ku Klux Klan meeting in Dearborn, Mich.

The photographs are arranged chronologically, and are described in the following list by topic and date. Some undated photographs are grouped at the end of the sequence. Although the bulk of the collection is made up of negatives, for most topics the collection also contains prints of selected frames. In some cases there are no prints, and in a few cases no negatives. The list indicates these cases.

Prints and negatives are filed in parallel sequences in the collection, both in the same order.

Collection

Hoover Rupert papers, 1954-1970

1 linear foot

Methodist clergyman and author; pastor of the Ann Arbor (Mich.) First United Methodist Church. Drafts and galleys of books and articles, correspondence relating to writings and printed sermons.

The collection is comprised almost entirely of drafts of his writings and other materials relating to publication of his writings. There is also an extensive run of his published sermons.

Collection

C. Howard Ross Papers, circa 1955-1980

1 linear foot

Ann Arbor, Michigan, physician, researcher and speaker on such topics as geriatrics, local history, and the use of herbs and plants in medical treatment. Correspondence, published and unpublished writings, speeches and talks, clippings, photographs, and other papers relating to his various interests.

The C. Howard Ross Collection covers the period from about 1955 to 1980, and is made up largely of material related to Dr. Ross' strongest interests: geriatrics and history. There is little in the collection dealing with his childhood, his years as a school teacher or his work in industry. The bulk of the material deals with his years as a doctor and after his retirement from practice, and consists largely of reprints of published articles on geriatrics and history, especially local history, and of unpublished manuscripts chiefly about history and biography. There are some clippings concerning his activities as a physician and as a speaker on medical and other topics, primarily gardening, local history, and the use of herbs and plants in medicinal treatment.

Collection

Carl Rominger family papers, 1840-1945

5 linear feet

Ann Arbor, Michigan, family. Family correspondence of Carl, physician and geologist, his wife Frederika, his son Louis, and his daughter Julia; journals, 1861-1905, of Carl Rominger, including notes on his expeditions as State Geologist of Michigan, and other travels through New York, Missouri, Arkansas, Kentucky, and Ohio; and miscellaneous scrapbooks and account books; also photographs.

The collection has been arranged into the following series: Biographical and genealogical material; Correspondence; Miscellaneous and other papers; Notebooks from courses at Tübingen, 1839-1842; Carl L. Rominger notebooks and journals, 1861-1905; and Drafts and manuscripts of various writings.

The notebooks and journal are especially rich documenting Rominger's interest in geology, paleontology, and allied fields in New York, Missouri, Arkansas, Kentucky, Ohio, with the bulk pertaining to Michigan where Rominger served as state geologist.

Collection

Rinsey family papers, 1856-1950 (majority within 1913-1928)

1 linear foot

Ann Arbor, Michigan family, proprietors of Rinsey & Seabolt grocery store. Papers of David Rinsey, Ann Arbor, Michigan, grocer; also papers of his son George, a bank teller, and of George's wife, Ina Alexander Rinsey; including correspondence, legal documents, and photographs.

The collection includes correspondence and legal documents of David Rinsey, his son George, and of George's wife, Ina Alexander Rinsey. There are also photographs and photograph albums of the Rinsey family's home and place of business in Ann Arbor. The photographs consists of both formal and informal portraits; interior and exterior photos of their homes on North Division St., Ann Arbor, Michigan; interior and exterior photos of Rinsey & Seabolt grocery on E. Washington St.; and photographs of family events and activities.

Collection

Rudolph E. Reichert Papers, 1907-2004 (majority within 1907-1962)

17.5 linear feet

Ann Arbor, Michigan banker and commissioner of the Michigan Banking Department during the depression. Correspondence and other papers concerning his activities as banking commissioner and officer of the Michigan Bankers Association; includes letters from Mrs. Christine Reichert to her children while touring Europe, mainly Germany, on the eve of World War II, 1939; also letters between Reichert and British manufacturer in which British-American foreign policy is discussed, 1939-1945; and photographs.

The Reichert papers span the period 1907-1965 but bulk largest for the years 1927-1936. The collection deals with Reichert's career as Commissioner of the State Banking Department of Michigan, his activities as a local bank president in Ann Arbor, an officer in the Michigan Bankers Association, and a stockholder in the Argus Corporation. There are a few scattered items of a personal nature, in short, such personal correspondence as was handled through his business office.

The papers are rich in materials on the financial crisis in Michigan during the Great Depression when he was Banking Commissioner. Reichert was also active until the early 1950's in the framing of both state and federal legislation dealing with banks, federal deposit insurance, etc., and he carried on a full correspondence with Congressman Earl Michener and Senator Arthur Vandenberg on these legislative matters. Considerable material exists on the Michigan Bankers Association, especially for the years 1941-1944, when he was an officer of the group. There is some material on Republican party matters, but it is not very full.

Ann Arbor's business and financial life is well covered for the whole period, including material on Argus, Inc. for the post-war period. The effect of both the depression and the war on small town economic life is particularly well documented. There is an interesting series of letters, 1939-1945, between Reichert and a British rope manufacturer named Hendy, in which British and American policy in foreign affairs and the conduct of the war is argued at length.

The collection has been divided into the following series: Professional Papers; State Banking Department and related; Biographical/Personal; and Photographs.

Collection

Charles Rasch Collection, 1890-2011 (majority within 1953-2005)

24 oversize volumes — 4 linear feet (in 6 boxes) — 1 oversize folder

Charles ("Charlie") Rasch was a professional pianist, talented photographer, and graduate of the University of Michigan. The collection contains scrapbooks, photographs, and negatives documenting his life in Michigan. The majority of photographs and negatives are labeled with the date and location.

The Charles Rasch Collection (23 oversize volumes and 5 linear feet) is primarily composed of photographs and negatives documenting Michigan scenery. There is particularly strong coverage of Birmingham, MI, Harsen's Island, MI, the Island Lake Recreation Area in Brighton, MI, and the Bald Mountain Recreation Area in Oakland, MI. Many of these photographs, especially his early black and white work, display his artistic training and sensibilities. Rasch's scrapbooks also offer a rich representation of the ragtime music scene in Michigan and the Ann Arbor area. This collection is also notable for the care Rasch took to annotate his photographs. Many negatives and prints are individually labeled, and all include some information relating to the date and location.

The collection has been arranged in the following series: Scrapbooks and Albums, Papers, Individual Photographs, Photographs, and Photographic Negatives.

Collection

George W. Pray Papers, 1844-1890

1.5 linear feet — 1 oversize volume — 1 microfilm — 6,307 digital images

Online
Physician; member of the first graduating class of the University of Michigan in 1845; papers include journals, correspondence, physician's records.

The Pray collection includes journals, 1844-1849, covering his years as a student at the University of Michigan and in the Medical Department of Western Reserve College, Cleveland, Ohio. In addition, there is correspondence exchanged with his wife, Adele, primarily during the year 1879 when they were separated due to his service in the Michigan House. Other materials of interest include various personal and business account books and record books from his medical practice.

Collection

Eugene B. Power papers, 1937-1993

144 linear feet — 19 microfilms — 1 oversize volume — 1 oversize folder

Founder and director of University Microfilms, Ann Arbor, Michigan, and member of the board of regents of the University of Michigan. Correspondence, agendas of meetings, memoranda, reports and printed material relating to his business and University activities; and photographs.

The Eugene Power collection consists of correspondence, agendas of meetings, memoranda, reports and printed material, diaries and photographs relating to his businesses, University of Michigan related activities and personal interests. The papers has been arranged into the following series: Personal/Biographical; University Microfilms Incorporated; Projected Books, Inc.; University of Michigan Board of Regents; Correspondence, 1949-1970; Organizational activities and personal interests; Photographs; Sound Recordings; and Microfilmed records.

As processing on this collection has not yet been completed, the researcher should note that this finding aid, with few exceptions, is not a listing of folders but rather a listing of the subject categories within the papers. All major subject categories (usually names of organizations or individuals) have been listed, but the amount of material within the category could be as much as several linear feet of files or as small as a single folder.

Collection

Pond Family Papers, 1841-1939

9.6 linear feet (in 13 boxes) — 2 oversize drawers — 1 microfilm

Ann Arbor, Michigan and Chicago, Illinois family. Correspondence of Elihu B. Pond, editor of Michigan Argus, his sons, Chicago architects, Irving Kane and Allen Bartlit Pond, founders of firm of Pond & Pond, and other family members; include materials concerning family affairs, architectural projects, Jane Addams and the work of Hull House, European travels, politics especially as relates to period of the Civil War and the election of 1896; also photographs, architectural drawings and other visual materials.

The Pond Family papers consist primarily of correspondence and other materials of architects, Irving Kane (1857-1939) and Allen Bartlit Pond (1858-1929) documenting family matters, European travels, their involvement in the civic and social life of Chicago, and professional activities. The collection has been divided into four subgroups: Allen B. Pond papers; Irving Kane Pond papers; papers of other family members and miscellaneous; and visual materials.

Correspondence comprises the bulk of both the Allen and Irving Pond subgroups. This correspondence consists almost exclusively of exchanges between the brothers when they were separated because of travel, and with their parents and sister. There is little correspondence with clients, professional associates, or others outside of the family. The letters, however, are often detailed and revealing of the thoughts and activities of the Pond brothers. In addition to the usual descriptions of landscapes and social events when traveling abroad, their letters contain many comparisons of European and American trends in architecture, housing, the development of cities. To their family and with each other, the brothers also wrote of their non-professional interests: Chicago politics, social settlements in the city, humanitarian causes, and their involvement with various literary groups. Of note in the Allen Pond papers are letters containing references to Jane Addams and her work at Hull House. There are also accounts they received from family about Jane Addams and her talks when visiting Ann Arbor. Letters concerning Jane Addams are dated Sept. 1896; Jan. 1898; Sept. 18, 1898; Jan. 22,1900; Mar. 1901; May 28,1901; June 15,1901; undated 1901; Apr. 21,1902; July 7,1902; Aug. 18,1902; Feb. 16, 1903; Jan. 12,1904; Jan. 23,1905; Feb. 1905; May 29,1907; Mar. 1908; and Apr. 1908.

Their sister, Mary Louise and their mother, Mary Barlow (Allen) Pond wrote weekly of family affairs and the social and cultural events of Ann Arbor. Both comment extensively on the ideas and activities of many of the leading intellectual and literary figures of the day - William James, John Dewey, Kipling, Wharton and Shaw - as well as on their daily interactions with Angells, Cooleys and other prominent Ann Arbor families. Unfortunately, there are few surviving letters from Allen and Irving to the family in Ann Arbor. Much of the information in the collection about their work is therefore by indirect reference only.

Collection

Peter Pollack papers, 1965-2009 (majority within 1980-2005)

29 linear feet — 51 tubes — 13 folders (in 2 drawers) — 4 digital files (1.97 GB or 2,012.93 MB)

Online
Peter Pollack was a landscape architect who primarily worked in the Ann Arbor area. He also served as a professor at the University of Michigan’s School of Natural Resources. The collection includes correspondence, minutes, and working files that document Pollack’s involvement with various urban design and landscape projects in the state of Michigan in addition to his teaching career. The collection also includes drawings and plans for Pollack’s major projects.

The Peter Pollack collection (29.5 linear feet, 51 tubes, 13 oversized folders) documents Pollack's professional involvement in the field of landscape architecture. While the collection includes material relating to his teaching career and his involvement in landscape architecture organizations, the bulk of the collection relates to specific projects Pollack worked on. The collection documents his entire career, but includes a greater depth of information related to projects Pollack was involved with in the Ann Arbor area. In addition to the working files for these projects, the collection includes copious sketches drawn by Pollack and official project plans. The material relating to the Ann Arbor Downtown Development Authority and the Pfizer campus is particularly strong.

The collection has been arranged into the following series: Administrative Files and Promotional Materials; Project Summaries; Project Files; Teaching Files and Other Activities; Digital Materials; and Videotapes.

Collection

Pittsfield Township records, 1830-1980

7 linear feet (in 8 boxes) — 121 oversize volumes — 1.98 GB

Online
The Pittsfield Township (Washtenaw County, Mich.) records contain school district records for districts 1 through 8 and 8 fractional from 1860-1930, with occasional records dating back to 1830. The collection also contains a wide range of types of township records dealing with assessments, elections, finance, and legal activities, dating from 1832 to 1980. Township Board proceedings (1834-1965, with some gaps) and road records (1835-1887) are also available in digitized versions.

The collection consists of the following series: Pittsfield School Districts records, Miscellaneous Township Responsibilities, Township Administration, Treasurer's records, Assessment Rolls, Tax Rolls, Rolls of Lands Upon Which Taxes Were Unpaid, and Other Assessments.

Collection

William Wallace Phillips papers, 1963-1988

0.1 linear feet — 1 oversize item

This collection is comprised of correspondence and other papers relating to William Wallace Phillips' work and his calling as a hermit, as well as copies of his poetry.

Collection

Stuart Hoffman Perry papers, 1874-1966

2 linear feet — 53 oversize volumes

Publisher of the Adrian Telegram at Adrian, Michigan. Scrapbooks containing newspaper editorials primarily on political subjects; and miscellaneous correspondence and articles concerning his newspaper work; notes, 1899-1950, relating to his foreign travels, papers, 1935-1955, concerning his interest in meteorites; and photographs.

The collection has been arranged into the following series: Adrian Telegram, Correspondence, Speeches and Articles, Other activities and interests, Programs of meetings and annual dinners, Newspaper clippings, and Photographs.

Collection

Penrod/Hiawatha Company postcard collection, 1950s-2017

7.4 linear feet (in 10 boxes; over 5000 postcards)

The Penrod/Hiawatha Company collection is mainly comprised of postcards, although some supplemental photographic items directed toward tourists is also included. The postcards, numbering more than 5,000, primarily are of the Michigan landscape and its towns and cities, covering every region of the state. Typical postcard themes dominate, particularly natural scenery, outdoor recreation, and shopping districts. The postcards date from the 1950s through the opening decades of the twenty-first century, although very few display copyright dates. The collection is divided into the following series.

  1. Non-Postcard Items (calendars, brochures, booklets): Box 1
  2. Non-Penrod/Hiawatha Postcards: Box 2
  3. Penrod/Hiawatha Postcards, 1970s-1990s: Boxes 2-5
  4. Penrod/Hiawatha Postcards, mid- to late 1990s: Boxes 5-6
  5. Penrod/Hiawatha Postcards, late 1990s-2000): Boxes 6-7
  6. Penrod/Hiawatha Postcards, 2001-2004: Box 8
  7. Penrod/Hiawatha Postcards, 2005-2014: Box 9
  8. Oversize and miscellaneous: Box 10

As batches of postcards are received every years, it was decided to arrange the items in blocks of time according to the date of their accession. Thus for the researcher interested in a specific city, it will be necessary to examine the listing for each of the series.

Collection

Pattengill Family papers, 1767-1963

2 linear feet

Lansing and Ann Arbor, Michigan families; correspondence, photographs, clippings, and other family documents.

Although titled the Pattengill family papers, this accumulation is also the records of the Foster, Sharpsteen, and Woodward families. The historian of the family was undoubtedly Theodore G. Foster and his wife Margaret Foster (née Pattengill). Through these donors, the library received different family collections that have been separately cataloged, although they obviously contain inter-related materials. These other collections, also housed at the Bentley Historical Library are Theodore Foster papers (1835-1862); Henry R. Pattengill papers (1861-1939); and the Margaret Pattengill Foster papers (1903-1961).

This grouping of family materials is actually more about the Foster line of the family than Pattengill or Sharpsteen. The papers have been arranged by name of family: Foster, Pattengill, and Sharpsteen, with an additional series of various family members and miscellaneous. Within each family, the materials have been maintained as arranged by the donor into separate files for individual family members. Of particular interest are the papers of Seymour Foster who was postmaster of Lansing and active in preserving the memory of his brother Charles T. Foster who was killed during the Civil War. The Grand Army of the Republic named one of its veterans post in Charles T. Foster's name. Also included is a volume of transcribed correspondence of Theodore Pattengill Foster, describing his time as a soldier during World War II.

The collection is also of value for the genealogical research materials accumulated on the Foster, Pattengill, Springsteen, and Woodward families.

Collection

Franklin L. Parker papers, 1816-1911

12 linear feet — 1 oversize volume

Papers of Franklin L. Parker and the Parker family of New York (State) and Ann Arbor, Michigan. Family correspondence, business papers, diaries, 1850-1893, and other materials concerning land transactions.

The Franklin L. Parker collection relates mainly to land investments and other financial dealings, and family matters. The collection has been arranged into the following series: Correspondence; Letterpress books; Land records; and Personal and miscellaneous.

Collection

David W. Osler papers, 1956-2014

1960 drawings (architectural drawings) — 1.3 linear feet (in 2 boxes; textual and photographic material)

Ann Arbor, Michigan architect, Modern architecture, architectural drawings, presentation boards, photographs, journal articles, award submission notebooks, publicity material, and brief project summaries

The David W. Osler Papers document the professional career of this distinguished Ann Arbor architect, between the years 1956 and 2008. The collection provides researchers with a rich body of textual and visual materials, which illuminate the design excellence for which he is well known. Encompassing architectural drawings for 90 projects and photographs of 54 buildings, these papers offer a broad documentation of Osler's distinctive work in designing residences, libraries, churches, corporate and academic buildings, and condominiums. The collection contains the following series: Professional Papers, Photographs and Architectural Drawings.

Collection

Order of Pythian Sisters. Huron-Arbor Temple no. 66 (Ypsilanti, Mich.) records, 1903-1990

2 linear feet — 1 oversize folder

Women's affiliate of the Knights of Pythias. Minute books, annual reports, and other records of the Huron Temple (Ypsilanti, Mich.); also membership roster of the Arbor Temple (Ann Arbor, Mich.) which merged, ca. 1978, with the Huron Temple.

The records include temple minutes, annual reports, minutes of the past chiefs club, and miscellaneous papers and reports. Also included is a membership roster of Temple 80 of Ann Arbor. The Ann Arbor Temple merged with Temple 66 in October 1979.

Collection

Old West Side Association records, 1966-1978

0.5 linear feet

Ann Arbor, Michigan neighborhood association established to preserve the architectural character of homes in historically designated area of the city. Background information on the organization, correspondence, and topical file detailing activities of the organization.

The records of the Old West Side Association document the founding and subsequent growth of a neighborhood group in Ann Arbor, Michigan organized to preserve the historic architecture of their neighborhood. The record group has been divided into three series: Background Materials, Correspondence, and a Topical File.

Collection

Richard Nims papers, 1880s-1990s (majority within 1937-1954)

2.6 linear feet — 1 oversize folder

Detroit-born, amateur photographer and Navy veteran who graduated from the University of Michigan in 1941. Nims’ photographs document student life in Ann Arbor during the late 1930s, with particular focus on the popular student hangout The Pretzel Bell; and life in the Navy and the South Pacific during 1944-1945 and 1951-1952. The collection consists primarily of photographs and negative with some mixed material such as diaries, newspaper clippings, correspondence and ephemera.

The collection consists primarily of photographs and negative taken by Richard Nims with some mixed material such as diaries, newspaper clippings, correspondence, and ephemera. The collection contains the following series: Photographs/Negatives, Other Papers, and Motion Pictures.

Collection

Henry Wirt Newkirk Papers, 1862-1931

0.5 linear feet

Member of the Michigan State Legislature. Personal papers include correspondence, speeches and writings, a scrapbook, and photographs.

The collection has been arranged into a single series of Personal papers. Included are correspondence; two volumes of speeches and other writings concerning prohibition, woman suffrage, and other political and patriotic subjects; scrapbook, family materials, and miscellanea. Within the correspondence, there are collected letters of Michigan Senator Charles E. Townsend, 1913-1914, and a letter from Benjamin R. Tillman concerning smoking in the U.S. Senate. Other correspondents include J. G. Cannon, Secretary of State William J. Bryan, Booker T. Washington, James B. Angell, Frank Knox, Harry B. Hutchins, Charles E. Townsend, and Earl C. Michener.

Collection

Netherlands America University League records, 1976-1999

2 linear feet

Organization established to promote contact among people at the University of Michigan and in the Ann Arbor, Michigan, area who came from the Netherlands, also those who have worked or studied there, and those who share an interest in the social, cultural, and scientific life of the Netherlands. Consists of administrative records and topical files documenting the activities of the organization.

The Netherlands America University League records consists of administrative records and topical files documenting the activities of the organization. The files have been divided into two series: Administrative Records and Topical Files.

Collection

Mullett Family papers, 1665-1924 (majority within 1825-1924)

1 linear foot — 1 oversize folder

Williamston, Ingham County, Michigan, family. Financial records, clippings, and correspondence relating to Mullett Farm and John Mullett, surveyor; extract, 1864, from Meridian Township Register Book; letterpress book, journal, and correspondence, 1852-1893, of John H. Forster, surveyor, agent for Pewabic Mining Company, Hancock, Mich., and later owner of Springbrook Farm, Ingham County, Michigan; diary, 1840-1841, of Catherine Hall; and map, 1859, of Mullett Farm; and photographs.

The Mullett family collection contains many useful descriptions of the state, and is a good source of information for some of the state's economic and topographic conditions during the 19th century. The papers, 1825-1936, are broken down into four series.

Collection

Muehlig Funeral Chapel records, 1846-1867, 1882-1995 (majority within 1882-1916)

2 linear feet

Firm established in Ann Arbor, Michigan in the mid-nineteenth century as a furniture-undertaking business. Ledgers and daybooks of furniture and undertaking business, 1846-1867; funeral record books, 1882-1916, containing such vital information as name, date of death, age, cause of death, and occupation; register, 1919-1940, of funerals, containing names only. The records from May 1909 through 1916 include occasional information about deceased's parents.

The series in this record group include: Funeral Records; Funeral Record Books; Miscellaneous Funeral Records; and Financial Records.

Collection

Morgan Family Papers, 1821-1893

1 linear foot — 1 oversize folder — 1 oversize volume

Ann Arbor, Michigan family. Ledger, of Elijah W. Morgan, attorney and businessman, compiled in the 1840's containing his comments and evaluations of business and professional abilities of early businessmen of Washtenaw County, Michigan; correspondence, autobiography, and other miscellaneous business papers and deeds; also correspondence, drawings, and writings of his wife Lucy Stow Morgan, including letter describing life and customs in Ann Arbor, Michigan, in 1831; and other papers of Elijah's parents, including autobiographies of Elisha Morgan and Polly Babcock Morgan.

The Morgan family collection consists primarily of the personal and business papers of Elijah W. Morgan, one of Ann Arbor's pioneer citizens who had a distinguished career as an attorney and banker; letters and other materials of his wife Lucy Stow Morgan; and autobiographies and scattered papers of Elijah's parents, Elisha and Polly Babcock Morgan of Watertown, New York.

The bulk of the collection consists of the personal and business papers of Elijah W. Morgan. This includes correspondence (1821-1889), autobiographical material, essays on religion and temperance, and a large section of business and financial papers generated as a result of his law practice or his various business dealings.

Collection

Earl V. Moore papers, 1870s-1987 (majority within 1920s-1960s)

3 linear feet (in 5 boxes) — 1 oversize folder

Online
The Earl V. Moore collection consists of the personal and professional papers of a noted musician, composer and director. Moore taught music at the University of Michigan from 1916 and served as director of the School of Music from1923 until his retirement in 1960.

The papers of Earl V. Moore document his career as professor and dean of the School of Music of the University of Michigan, as well as his career as a composer and performer. Though some of the papers and visual images date from the 1870s, the bulk of the collection dates from the 1920s through the 1960s. Consisting of three linear feet of papers and visual materials, the collection reflects Moore's many accomplishments as conductor, composer, lecturer, organist, and participant in professional societies.

The Moore papers have been divided into seven series: Biographical/Personal Materials, Correspondence, Topical Files, Newspaper Clippings, Musical Scores, Sound Recordings, and Visual Materials.

Collection

Arthur D. Moore Papers, 1916-1984

8 linear feet

Professor of electrical engineering at University of Michigan and Ann Arbor, Michigan city councilman. Correspondence and other materials concerning professional interests and inventions, council activities, particularly urban renewal and effort to improve methods of garbage disposal and halt spread of trichinosis; and files relating to professional society, Tau Beta Pi, activities.

The papers of Arthur Dearth Moore document his career teacher and researcher at the University of Michigan, pioneering work in the field of electrostatics, activities in professional organizations, and his service on the Ann Arbor City Council. The papers have been divided into the following groups of material: Biographical; Correspondence; Tau Beta Pi; Naval Ordnance Laboratory; Organizations; Instructional Materials; Published Works; Unpublished Works; Hydrocal; Electrostatics Society of America; Reference Files-Electrostatics; Ann Arbor City Council; and Miscellaneous.

Collection

Michigan Visiting Nurses records, 1896-2010

11.3 linear feet

Michigan Visiting Nurses was created by the integration of the Visiting Nurse Association of Huron Valley into the University of Michigan Health System beginning in 1998. The Visiting Nurse Association of Huron Valley formed in 1980 with the merger of the Ann Arbor Visiting Nurse Association (AAVNA) and the Ypsilanti Visiting Nurse Agency (YVNA). The Ann Arbor association was formed in 1896 with the establishment of the University Hospital Circle of the King's Daughters, name later changed to the Ann Arbor Public Health Nursing Association. The Ypsilanti Agency was founded in 1941. Records include: Secretary's record books and files consisting of minutes, reports, and related organizational documents; scrapbooks; financial records; and subject files.

The Michigan Visiting Nurses (MVN) records cover over 100 years of public health nursing in Washtenaw County, documenting the changing nature of this service and its associated agencies over the course of the twentieth century. The MVN records are organized into four series: Ann Arbor Visiting Nurse Association, Ypsilanti Visiting Nurse Agency, Visiting Nurse Association of Huron Valley, and Michigan Visiting Nurses.

Collection

Michigan Peaceworks records, 2001-2011

4.5 linear feet (in 6 boxes) — 26.2 GB (online)

Online
Michigan Peaceworks (MPW) was an Ann Arbor based grassroots organization dedicated to peace, social justice, and human rights that was founded in 2001 following the September 11th attacks. The collection includes material related to their public events and outreach activities in Ann Arbor. These events and activities are well represented in posters, fliers, and photographs.

The Michigan Peaceworks Collection (4.5 linear feet) is largely composed of visual material in the form of photographs, flyers, and posters, related to events and rallies sponsored by Michigan Peaceworks and offers strong documentation of the peace community in Michigan in the decade following the September 11th attacks. The collection has been arranged in the following series: Administrative Files, Events and Activities, Publications and Outreach, Topical Files, Digital Materials, and Visual Material.

Collection

Michigan Daily records, 1950-2006

45 linear feet — 18.3 MB (online)

Online
University of Michigan student newspaper. Records include biographical information about University of Michigan faculty, staff, and administrators, including news clippings, news releases, and curriculum vitae; and negatives and contact prints of images of University buildings, student and staff activities, athletic events, and life in Ann Arbor, Michigan; and portraits of faculty, staff, and administrators.

This record group consists primarily of visual materials created by the photographic staff of The Michigan Daily. The photographs cover the full spectrum of activities on campus -- classroom scenes, staff and faculty portraits, academic ceremonies, student protests, athletics, student life, speakers and musical performers, as well as some Ann Arbor scenes and events and occasional events of state and national significance. To date, no administrative records have been donated to the Bentley Historical Library. The records were received in several accessions. The organization of the records in part reflects these multiple accessions with several distinct runs of negatives and prints (though there may be some overlap in years.

Collection

George Meader Papers, 1922-1990 (majority within 1943-1966)

45 linear feet — 1 oversize folder

Ann Arbor, Michigan attorney, counsel to U.S. Congressional committees, and Republican Congressman, 1951-1965. Correspondence files concerning work with the Senate Committee Investigating the National Defense Program after World War II, and Congressional files, especially concerning his work with the House Judiciary Committee and the House Committee on Government Operations; also photographs and motion picture films.

The George Meader papers primarily document his Congressional service from 1951 to 1964. There are some materials documenting his personal and professional life aside from his work in Congress. The papers relating to Congressional service include correspondence, speeches, campaign literature, texts of radio broadcasts, press releases and newsletters, photographs, and sound recordings. The other materials include memoirs, diaries, correspondence and memoranda, case files, photographs and film, scrapbooks, and correspondence regarding organizations to which Meader belonged and relating to the opening of his Ann Arbor law practice in 1939. Also included in the Meader papers are the diaries, notebooks, and student papers of his daughter, Barbara.

The collection has been divided into five series: the National Defense Investigating Committee, Congressional Files, Personal, Professional, and Visual Materials. The first two series cover Meader's professional activities in Washington, D. C., including what he saw as crucial work on the Truman committee. The original order of material in these series has been pretty much maintained. The next two series, Personal and Professional, reflect the artifice of the archivist as the original order of materials in the groups was significantly altered in the course of processing.

Collection

William H. McNitt papers, 1968-1976

5 linear feet

Ann Arbor, Michigan, archivist; collected materials relating to local Democratic Party politics; student papers; and photographs.

The McNitt papers consist of materials collected relating to his interest in, and activities with, the local Democratic Party. Included are newsletters, leaflets, campaign materials and newspaper clippings concerning state, county, and municipal politics, particularly the presidential campaigns of Eugene McCarthy in 1968 and George McGovern in 1972, Ann Arbor City Council and school board elections; the New Democratic Coalition of Michigan; the Human Rights Party; the state presidential primary in 1972; Democratic state conventions; state elections in 1968, 1970, 1972, and 1974; and the election campaign of Congressman Richard F. VanderVeen in 1974.

The collection also includes copies of student papers on topics relating to Michigan history. The titles of these papers are "The Library Extension Movement in Grand Rapids", "Journalism and the Republican Party of Michigan, 1890-1920; A Study of the Michigan Republican Newspaper Association", and "Peace and American Society : Rebecca Shelley and the Peace Movement."

Finally, there are many hundreds of photographs taken by McNitt relating to the construction of the Bentley Library and to the accessioning of the papers of Gerald R. Ford.

Collection

Julia Bird Martin papers, 1796-1965

1 linear foot (in 2 boxes) — 1 oversize folder

The Slatford Bird families were residents of Ann Arbor, Michigan. Correspondence and family papers, including letters, 1851-1853, of John Slatford written from the California gold fields describing his activities.

The Slatford and Bird family papers were collected by Julia Bird Martin, who was the great grand-daughter of Job Slatford and grand-daughter of Jane Slatford Bird. The collection consists of family correspondence from various members of both the Slatford and Bird families. The collection not only relates to family matters, but also includes letters of John Slatford written from the California gold fields, 1851-1853. In addition there are clippings, photographs, postcards, and family memorabilia.