3 microfilms
The record group includes church registers, baptismal records, and death and marriage records dating from 1704 to 1842.
4 linear feet — 1 oversize volume
The Standish Backus collection consists of correspondence and reports relating to the Kelsey Expedition to the Near East for the University of Michigan and correspondence files, 1926-1942, concerning business affairs and social activities in Detroit and Grosse Pointe, Michigan; also writings of father Charles K. Backus, and photographs. The Photographs include portraits of members of the Backus and Standish families, and of Mr. and Mrs. Joseph Boyer.
The collections is arranged into five series: Kelsey Expedition to the Near East; Correspondence files; Personal and memorabilia; Charles K. Backus volumes; and Photographs.
8 microfilms (3 linear feet)
The S.S. Kresge Company corporate records are arranged topically, and primarily relate to the company's activities in the years 1945-1965. To trace the company's history from 1912-1945, the researcher should use the applicable annual and quarterly reports, the minutes from Meetings and Proceedings of Directors, Shareholders, and Incorporators, and materials from the historical files. The latter contain interesting periodicals and company pamphlets that pertain to the company's history both before and after 1945.
For the postwar years, the researcher should turn again to the annual and quarterly reports, meetings and proceedings minutes, and historical files, but should supplement them with use of minutes from the Executive and Operating Committees, and Sebastian Kresge's correspondence with the company president for the years 1953-1966. The minutes from the Executive Committee almost always contain brief summaries of committee decisions. Property purchases, modernization and construction programs, divided action, personnel (retirements and salaries), and tax matters comprise the majority of areas in which the committee made decisions. Minutes are not available for every meeting of the committee, but there are often notations at the top of existing minutes which indicate that for certain meetings no written record was kept.
The minutes from Operating Committee meetings reflect the postwar concerns with competition from discount stores and the need to increase Kresge sales and merchandise turnover. They are particularly detailed for the years 1945-1950, but thereafter are somewhat frustrating in that the writer often discusses what topics were covered at the meetings but fails to summarize the contents of the discussions. There are included with the minutes occasional reports made by the President and other officers to the committee on various topics. These are particularly interesting; see, for example, the 1946 and 1961 reports on sales problems and new programs. The quantity of minutes from 1959-1963 is considerably smaller than that from earlier years because President Cunningham relied on contacts with individual regional managers and department heads rather than group meetings.
The files of correspondence between Sebastian Kresge, founder of the company and chairman of the board from 1925-1966, and company presidents Frank Williams and Harry Cunningham are very useful for tracking the continued involvement of Kresge in the corporation's affairs, and for documenting major corporate concerns and operations. Among the latter are organizational changes, competition from discount and other variety-type stores, deteriorating downtown store neighborhoods, attempts to purchase competitors Kress and Zayre, trial programs to establish a Kresge credit program for its customers, and the emergence of the K mart idea. There is a limited amount of such correspondence (2"), but it is quite rich in content.
7 microfilms (2 linear feet of original material)
The Spalding-Sexton Family collection consists of photocopies and microfilm of letters largely collected by Mrs. Miranda Sexton Spalding of Sault Ste. Marie, Michigan (also of Ellington, Connecticut, Eutah, Alabama, and Ruffin, North Carolina). The collection is arranged chronologically. In the detailed contents list below, description is generally at the folder level, however, some letters of notable content have been highlighted with additional description. Also included are photographs.
Scope and Content (by time period)
In the pre-Civil War era, materials on the Sexton (nee Bartlett) family predominate. Connecticut-born merchants, teachers, farmers, and preachers, the correspondence reflects their activities mainly in Connecticut, Alabama, Texas, Illinois, and New York. It is particularly good on the problems of merchants in Alabama and on life in Texas. It contains comparisons of their new locations with their native Connecticut.
Early Spalding (nee Paine) family material is concentrated around the death of Dr. Luther Spalding in 1825 and his estate. Thereafter, correspondence is sparse until about 1850, when Mary Spalding (Mrs. C.P. Chamberlain) becomes a regular correspondent. Her letters mainly concern family matters and life in New Lisbon, Ohio, and Canisteo, New York.
During the antebellum period, the Collection includes scattered letters from William P. Spalding on business developments and social life at Sault Ste. Marie, Michigan, and his travels through northern Wisconsin and Upper Peninsula Michigan mining areas and to New York City. The letters of his wife, Miranda Sexton Spalding, mainly deal with her early life as a student in Connecticut and as a teacher in Alabama.
During the Civil War, the papers of William P. Spalding predominate. They concern the activities of the 27th Michigan Infantry and developments in Michigan, particularly at the Soo, in the Upper Peninsula mining areas, and in the Thumb. Included are the letters from William Spalding while in service, 1862-1864, and to him from his wife, children, business associates, and members and former members of the regiment (including William Childs letters on activities of the regiment, 1864-1865). Other Civil War soldier letters include those of Miranda Sexton Spalding's brothers: Edwin Sexton, a member of Company l, Delanos Calvary, 2nd Illinois Volunteers, 1861-1864, and John Sexton, a member of an Alabama regiment, Confederate States of America, 1863 (concerning his capture and incarceration by Union forces and the family in Alabama). There are also letters, 1860-1865), to Charles and Mary Sexton, the parents of Miranda Spalding, from friends and relatives in Connecticut about developments there.
From 1866 through 1886, the collection becomes less extensive. It includes correspondence from Miranda Spalding about her life trying to run a plantation in Ruffin, North Carolina, 1869-1874, and from members of the Sexton family on their experiences in Alabama, Texas, and Illinois during and after the war.
After 1886, the collection is almost totally dominated by the immediate family of William P. Spalding, particularly his son: Edward and his wife: Miranda. Edward's letters describe his life as a student at Michigan Normal College, 1887-1889, as a dental student at the University of Michigan, 1889-1892, and as a dentist in Detroit, 1892-1910. Miranda's epistles recount family affairs and life at the Soo. Scattered throughout the period is correspondence from another son, Eugene, on family matters and his medical practice in Luverne, Minnesota. After 1900, Adelle H. Spalding, second wife of son William, writes frequently concerning mining activities in Idaho and Alaska.
Scope and Content (by name of family member)
"Addison" (Joseph Addison) Sexton. (1810-1902). The collection includes letters he received, particularly during the period 1828-45. His own correspondence contains comments on family, education, religion, and the areas where he lived.
Alfred M. Sexton (1815-1895). His letters deal with family affairs and conditions in Alabama.
Charles Sexton, Jr. (1809-1842). His letters describe his marital and financial difficulties.
Charles Sexton, Sr. (-1864). Collection includes the letters he received from family and friends, particularly after he left Ellington in 1860. His correspondence reflects his deep interest in religion (a church deacon), family, farming, and temperance.
Edwin Sexton (1814-between 1895 and 1901). The collection includes his Civil War letters to his sister, comments on life in Illinois and family affairs.
Hannah Sexton (-1848). Her letters comment on her experiences in Alabama and Connecticut.
Henry M. Sexton (-1866). His letters, though few, describe his teaching experiences in New York, contrasting the areas with Connecticut, and comment on his religious convictions.
John M. Sexton (-1873). His letters contain good commentary on the problems of being a merchant in the Deep South and the difficulties of merchants who tried planting. The collection includes the letters he received during the period, 1839-45.
Lorenzo Sexton (1812-1892). His letters are few, but his wife wrote of family matters and of the problems faced by planters.
Mary B. Sexton Lively (1816-1891). Her letters contrast Alabama with Connecticut, describe the problems of settling in Texas, the impact of the Civil War there, and the subsequent re-location to Illinois. They contain some good comments on the problems of being a merchant in the Deep South and the consequences of slavery for the poor whites of Texas.
Otis Sexton (circa 1818-between 1895 and 1901). His letters describe family and conditions in Alabama, his congregations, and his religious beliefs.
Samuel Sexton (-1904). His letters, though few, mainly comment on family matters and farming.
Maria Paine Spalding (-1860). Her correspondence concerns her husband's death and estate and her family (the Paines) in Stow and New Lisbon, Ohio, and Madison, Indiana, as well as Connecticut.
Mary E. Spalding Chamberlain (1825- ). Correspondence mainly concerns family affairs (particularly the health of mother Spalding and her eventual commitment and care) and mutual friends (including Dr. Leonard Hanna of New Lisbon, Ohio, father of Mark Hanna). Some comments on her husband's medical practice.
John Spalding (1820-1887). His letters are few and scattered. They mainly concern business developments at the Soo, in Cleveland, and in the Upper Peninsula of Michigan mines.
Miranda Sexton Spalding (1826-1910). Most of her correspondence deals with personalities and developments in Sault Ste. Marie, Michigan. There are also comments on life in Alabama, North Carolina, Minnesota, and Connecticut.
William P. Spalding (1822- ). His correspondence mainly consists of Civil War letters (both from and to him) and comments on mining prospects. During his service in the war, his associate, R.C. Kibby, sent him regular reports on business conditions at the Soo, and after his resignation, members of his old regiment kept him informed of their activities, both in the war and in civilian life. He was active in the G.A.R. and the Republican Party.
William Spalding, Jr. --"Willie" (1849- ). Her correspondence largely concerns mining in Florence, Idaho, a trip east in search of capital for a mining venture, the journey to Alaska in 1909, and life in the Alaska gold fields. His letters, though few, deal mainly with developments in mining and prospecting.
Alfred Eugene Spalding--"Genie" (1851-1920). Most of his letters concern his medical practice (surgical developments, patient problems, etc.) and family affairs.
Edward Bartlett Spalding (1868-1960). His letters deal with life at the Normal College, 1887-1889, and at the University of Michigan, 1889-1892 (courses, housing, vocal music---including the U. of M. Glee Club, Dental fraternity, and social activities), with establishing and expanding a dental practice in Detroit (financial problems, new techniques, etc.), and with Detroit social, vocal music, and church (Presbyterian, including comments on the Rev. Duffield) activities. There are scattered comments on politics, the Spanish-American War, and his role as a party-time instructor at the U. Of M. Dental School from 1904 through 1908.
17 archived websites (online; multiple captures)
The Web Archive of Michigan's Social Justice collection contains archived websites created by various organizations and individuals committed to serving social justice in the State of Michigan. The websites have been archived by the Bentley Historical Library, using the California Digital Library Web Archiving Service crawler from 2010-2015 and the Archive-It web archiving service beginning in 2015. Access to all websites archived by the Bentley Historical Library is available at: https://archive-it.org/organizations/934.
Web Archives include websites of, social justice media, organizations, and activists who call the state of Michigan home. The collection is especially strong in documenting organizations that represent ethnic and marginalized communities in Michigan.
The year that appears next to the website title in the contents list indicates the date that the website was first archived. Archived versions of the site from later dates may also be available.
1.75 linear feet
This collection is made up of correspondence, documents, photographs, printed items, and ephemera related to the ancestors, descendants, and extended family of Merwin P. Snell and his first wife, Minnie Gilbert Andrews Sprague.
The Correspondence series (106 items) contains personal letters addressed to members of the Snell family. The earliest materials pertain to Merwin Porter Snell and his first wife, Minnie Sprague Snell. In the late 19th and early 20th centuries Merwin P. Snell exchanged letters with his cousins. He sent a lengthy letter about comparative religion to Reverend O'Connell of the Catholic University of America on May 25, 1903. Additional family letters are scattered throughout the series.
The bulk of the correspondence relates to Merwin P. Snell; his second wife, Minnie Louise Snell; and their daughters Margaret and Priscilla. From around 1910 to the early 1920s, Merwin and Minnie exchanged letters with their daughters, who sometimes commented on their studies at St. Joseph's Academy in Adrian, Michigan. Some of the family's letters contain illustrations, including drawings that Margaret and Priscilla made as young children. On May 31, 1929, Priscilla Snell wrote to Charles E. Stimming of Loyola University Chicago about women's personal engagement with religion and the necessity of educating women.
In the summer of 1937, Minnie L. Snell visited San Francisco, California. While there, she frequently exchanged letters with her daughters, who lived with Margaret's husband, Leslie Drew Barney, in Detroit, Michigan. Margaret and Priscilla Snell shared news of their life in Detroit, while their mother described her experiences in California (often related to social outings). The series includes several picture postcards depicting San Francisco scenery. In 1947 and 1948, Priscilla Snell, who had taken holy orders under the name Sister Marie Virginia, described her life in Puerto Rico, where she joined a convent. She wrote about her fellow nuns, religious life, travels within Puerto Rico, and leisure activities. Priscilla enclosed a newsletter titled The Barry Bulletin in her letter of August 4, 1957.
The correspondence also includes a few later letters to Margaret Snell Barney from a cousin regarding their shared genealogy, picture postcards of Detroit scenes, and personal letters from friends and family members.
The Documents series consists of two subseries. Legal and Financial Documents (10 items, 1910-1980) include birth, death, and marriage certificates, a will, and other items related to Merwin P. Snell, Minnie L. Snell, and Margaret Snell; some of these items are later or replacement copies. Two receipts concern expenses related to Merwin P. Snell's funeral in September 1921. A subseries of 6 St. Joseph's Academy Report Cards pertains to the academic progress of Priscilla and Margaret Snell in the 1920s.
The Writings, Notes, and Drawings series contains a narrative essay, three groups of poems, drawings of children and a moose, a watercolor painting of a castle tower, a cutout of a bird pasted onto a black, and plot notes for a one-act play.
The first item is a typed copy of "Thrilling Adventures of a Sailor Boy," an essay about E. Watson Andrews (7 pages, January 12, 1859). On April 2, 1858, Andrews boarded the ship Courser for a voyage from China to the United States. The ship was destroyed soon after its departure. Andrews and others boarded a lifeboat, which soon met with a fleet of Chinese pirates. After a violent encounter with the pirates and their subsequent rescue, Andrews and other survivors safely made it to Hong Kong, where Andrews complained of harsh treatment by the United States consul.
The poetry includes manuscript and published verses by Marie LeBaron (15 items), Minnie Sprague Snell (10 items), and various members of the Snell, Long, and Andrews families (13 items). The poems concern topics such as nature, religion, the Civil War, and family. Some items are printed on newspaper clippings.
The Photographs series (approximately 230 items) documents multiple generations of the Snell, Andrews, Hallock, McLaughlin, Wellington, Barney, Snetsinger, and Hames families from around 1861 to 1978. The images, some of which are framed, include black-and-white and color prints, cartes-de-visite, cabinet cards and other card photographs, tintypes, photographic postcards, newspaper clippings, and photo-illustrated Christmas cards. The pictures include formal individual and group portraits, schoolchildren, and a wedding party. Several items depict Priscilla Snell in a nun's habit, and a few show Spanish-American War-era and early 20th century soldiers in uniform. A small number show the interior of an office or residence. Many of the photographs were taken in cities in Connecticut, Michigan, and Ohio.
The Scrapbook is a repurposed account book, with newspaper clippings pasted in over most of the original financial records. Pages 1-35 contain scrapbook material, and pages 36-66 contain financial records dated 1875-1877. Most of the clippings are poems and articles written by Marie LeBaron (or Le Baron) in the 1870s, including articles about Washington, D.C., and Congressional politics. Visual materials include a painting of a flower against a colored background resembling stained glass, a painting of a pear, an illustrated poem, and a group of faces (drawn into the back cover). One article concerns LeBaron's interest in theosophy. Two articles concern the 1980 Nobel Prize in Physiology or Medicine, awarded to George D. Snell.
The Printed Items and Ephemera series (53 items) is made up of newspaper clippings, published volumes, and other items. Twenty-seven newspaper clippings and obituaries relate to relatives and friends of the Snell family. Some articles concern marriages and other social news. Two articles concern the longevity and early recollections of Diana McLaughlin and Minnie L. Snell; the article about Snell largely concerns her father's work as a lumberman in northern Michigan.
Additional items include memorial cards for Merwin P. Snell, Minnie L. Snell, Leslie Drew Barney, and Marie L. Wellington; a reward of merit; a photographic postcard of Detroit and a painting of "Mrs. Andrews"; a musical score for "Brotherhood Song" by Joseph Mansfield Long, signed by the composer; and invitations for commencements at St. Joseph's Academy (1931) and the Catholic University of America ([1947?]). Personal ephemera items include a silk pouch made by Eliza Allen's mother in 1805, containing small paintings by Eliza's friend, Caroline Mayhew (1818), and a carte-de-visite portrait of Eliza Hallock (née Allen) taken in 1864; a baby book with notes about the first months of Margaret LeBaron Snell (1911); Marie LeBaron Barney's diploma from Saint Theresa High School in Detroit, Michigan, with a tassel and 3 photographs (June 7, 1953); and two pieces of embroidery with floral designs, done with thin yarn (undated).
The Genealogy series (11 items) is made up of notes and a family tree related to the Snell, Long, LeBaron, and McLaughlin families, as well as a memorandum printed in memory of Gerard Hallock Snell.
1 linear foot — 1 oversize volume
The collection provides a telling insight into Detroit's school desegregation by forced busing. Wohlfield's committed personal involvement offers an important perspective into the antibusing movement. Her responsibilities as executive secretary and president of Mothers Alert Detroit are well documented in the minutes, correspondence, and notes in the collection. The collection has been arranged into the following series: Northeast Mothers Alert; Mothers Alert Detroit; Republican Party 14th Congressional District Committee; and Other Organizational Activities.
2 linear feet
The records of Save Our Sons and Daughters comprise two linear feet. The records are divided into three series: Topical Files, Correspondence, and Visual. The collection is most valuable for the documentation it provides on the establishment and life of an urban, grass roots organization. It also provides insight into the profound impact of teen violence on the lives of Detroiters.
322 items (0.5 linear feet)
The Samuel Williams papers contain 273 letters, 30 survey records, 11 receipts, 4 maps, 3 ledgers, and a legal document, spanning 1814-1866.
Approximately one-fifth of the correspondence is organized by writer. The John H. Eddy Letters to Samuel Williams series contains three 1817 letters: September 15, concerning John Eddy's comments on drafts of maps of Ohio, Indiana, and Michigan Territory; September 30, regarding a request for corrections to maps using astronomical observations; and December 6, commenting on cartographic scale.
The Samuel Williams Drafts to Lucius Lyon series comprises 20 letters, covering 1841-1849, and containing comments by Williams on cartography and the work of the Surveyor General's Office. Williams wrote to Lyon on such topics as bills concerning his office, surveys in progress, and cartographical issues. On March 3, 1846, he described disagreements within the office, and referred to colleagues' plans to "sabotage" its work. In several other letters postdating 1845, he attempted to tie up loose ends after his resignation; he made ongoing references to missing field notes on Ohio, and to difficulties in establishing the boundary between Michigan and Ohio (March 2, 1847). Williams wrote drafts to several other recipients on the same pages as his drafts to Lyon, and these are also included.
Thirty-one letters make up the Henry S. Tanner Letters to Samuel Williams series, which spans 1818-1836. Letters concern the death of John H. Eddy (August 16, 1818), the exchange of maps of Ohio and Indiana, and the prices and sale of Tanner's publications. On March 3, 1823, Tanner requested assistance in drawing county lines in several states. The letters also document several financial transactions between the men.
Ezekiel S. Haines became surveyor-general in 1838. He wrote 42 letters in the collection between 1838 and 1847, which comprise the Ezekiel S. Haines Letters to Samuel Williams series. The letters are generally brief and business-like, and mainly concern routine office matters such as payroll, business trips, and communications with colleagues.
The Mammoth Cave Drafts and Documents series contains four items: two drafts of narratives of a trip through the cave, and two detailed manuscript maps of the cave. Although the maps are undated and unattributed, the handwriting that appears on them seems to match Williams' own.
The Other Correspondence and Documents series contains 222 items, both incoming and outgoing, spanning 1814-1866. A retained and signed copy of a letter from William Henry Harrison to Edward Tiffin, surveyor general, dated September 16, 1815, reports the signing of a treaty between the United States and members of the Wyandot and other tribes. Harrison commented that "we thought it probable that the Indians did not really understand that the Treaty gave the latitude of location which the words authorized...".
In 2022, the Clements Library added the following letter to this series: Sam[ue]l Williams ALS to Tho[ma]s V. Swearingen, April 10, 1829; Chillicothe, Ohio. 3 pages. The letter pertains to ordering books from New York and from John McClintock. Williams wants John Adlum's treatise on vine cultivation, Henry Tanner's Atlas (for Col. Brown). He asks whether or not Anthony Finley published his "Internal Improvements" maps and what financial discounts Finley would he give booksellers. Williams is sending the money for the books with mapmaker / cartographer Alexander Bourne. Includes a short list of atlases/maps wanted from Finley.
Many of the early letters in this series document the surveying of Michigan, particularly the difficulties of such a task because of fallen brush and timber (December 25, 1817) and unexpected snow (April 30, 1831). Other frequent subjects include updates on surveys in progress of Ohio, Indiana, and Michigan; corrections to maps and atlases; the sale of public land; and comments on Midwestern geography. The most frequent letter writers were Lucius Lyon, who wrote approximately 20 letters; Robert D. Lytle, who contributed approximately 10; John Mullett, who wrote 5; and Samuel Williams himself, who contributed around 10 letters to various recipients. Lyon wrote letters on a number of business topics, including his progress surveying the Michigan Territory (April 30, 1831), soil and minerals in Michigan, business transactions with mutual acquaintances and colleagues, and ongoing issues arising from the transfer of the Office of the Surveyor General from Ohio to Michigan.
The Survey Records series contains 30 undated records for the Michigan Territory, which include latitude and longitude calculations and comments on trees and soil for various areas of the territory. The "Maps" series contains two maps by Alexander Macomb, located in Map Division: [Michigan Territory And the Great Lakes, 1819] and [Saint Mary's River], 1819.
11.5 Linear feet (3 manuscript boxes; 4 records center boxes; 3 oversize flat boxes)
The Sam Karres Archive largely consists of sketches of the Detroit area during the 1980s as well as other types of documents that relate to the drawings. It has been divided into six series: guidebooks, small sketchbooks, medium sketchbooks, large sketchbooks, printed materials, and miscellaneous items.
Guidebooks: In this series, there are three binders composed by Sam Karres' friend, Denny Stavros that provide background on the artist as well as discuss the content of his sketchbooks that were donated to University of Michigan's Harlan Hatcher Graduate Library for The Modern Greek Studies Collection. Following the descriptions of the sketchbooks, there are indexes and appendixes that include some of Karres' writings, photographs that complement the drawings, and photocopies of pages from the sketchbooks. The binders are divided up by the dates the sketchbooks were given: December 9, 2011, September 28, 2012, and June 20, 2013. The sketchbooks have been designated as small, medium, or large by Stavros in addition being assigned individual numeric identifiers. There is also one hand-written list of periodicals and ephemera donated by Stavros on September 28, 2012. A few of the articles and all of the ephemera relate to Sam Karres.
Small Sketchbooks: This section consists of ten sketchbooks ranging in size from 3.5 by 4. 75 inches to 5.5 by 8 inches. The majority of these sketchbooks from this series dates from the late 1970s and contends with a variety of subjects including: restaurant scenes, animals, human forms and faces, boats, and especially Greek Orthodox religious figures and practices.
Medium Sketchbooks: This series consists of twenty-two sketchbooks, ranging in size from 6 by 9 inches to 9 by 12 inches, completed between 1977 and 2009. Some of the themes depicted in the drawings are: restaurants, dogs, horses, wrestling, daily life activities, Karres' family, and characters like Greektown Stella, International Cowboy, and performers that could be found in Detroit's Greektown.
Large Sketchbooks: This series consists of forty-seven sketchbooks, ranging in size from 11 by 14 inches to 14 by 17 inches. Although the drawings in this section were completed between 1955 and 1991, the majority of the images were executed in the 1980s. Some of the themes reflected in these sketchbooks are: human forms, restaurant scenes, tug boats, factories, weightlifting, performances, Detroit's Greektown, vacations, and Karres' aging parents.
Miscellaneous: The items in this series consist of letters, news articles, exhibition catalogs, a flyer, an awards booklet, and photocopies of photographs. These assorted materials that range in date from the late 1950s to 2004, were donated by Sam Karres' friend, Denny Starvos to the University of Michigan's Harlan Hatcher Graduate Library for the Modern Greek Studies Collection on September 28, 2012. They are arranged in numerical order according to the numbers Starvos assigned to them.