Collections : [University of Michigan Bentley Historical Library]

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Collection

Abel Bingham Family Papers, 1817-1910 (majority within 1828-1866)

2 linear feet

Missionary family to Sault Ste. Marie, Michigan; correspondence, sermons of Abel Bingham, diaries of Hannah Bingham reflecting her daily activities and religious convictions.

The collection documents the lives of a missionary family to the Ojibwa Indians of the Upper Peninsula of Michigan. The papers have been arranged into the following series: Correspondence; Abel Bingham ministerial papers; Miscellaneous; and Bound Account Books and Diaries. The collection is of value for the family correspondence, for the sermons of Abel Bingham, and for the diaries of Hannah Bingham reflecting her daily activities and religious convictions (1817-1868). There are also papers concerning Fountain Street Baptist Church in Grand Rapids in the 1850s.

Collection

Albertine Loomis photograph collection, 1890s

1 envelope

Grand Rapids, Mich. native, University of Michigan graduate (Class of 1917), Detroit public schools teacher, and author. Photographs of Grand Rapids, Michigan.

The Albertine Loomis photograph collection is comprised of photographs relating to Grand Rapids, Michigan. These include the exterior of Western Union Telegraph Office, a photo of a telephone switchboard, and a photo of parade in downtown Grand Rapids during the Spanish-American War.

Collection

Arthur H. Vandenberg papers, 1884-1974 (majority within 1915-1951)

8 linear feet (on 11 microfilm rolls) — 25 volumes — 20 phonograph records — 1 film reel — 1 audiotape (reel-to-reel tapes)

Online
Republican U.S. Senator from Michigan; advocate of the United Nations and bipartisan foreign policy. Correspondence, scrapbooks, diaries, and visual materials.

The Arthur H. Vandenberg collection consists of 8 linear feet of materials (available on microfilm), 25 volumes of scrapbook/journals, and assorted audio and visual materials. The collection covers Vandenberg's entire career with a few folders of papers post-dating his death in 1951 relating to the dedication of memorial rooms in his honor in the 1970s. The collection is divided into four major series: Correspondence; Speeches; Campaign and Miscellaneous Topical; Clippings, Articles, and Scrapbooks; Miscellaneous and Personal; Visual Materials; and Sound Recordings.

Collection

Bartel J. Jonkman papers, 1908-1952

1 linear foot — 2 oversize volumes

U.S. Congressman from Grand Rapids, Michigan. Programs, clippings, photographs, campaign materials and scattered correspondence and speeches concerning his career.

The Bartel Jonkman papers consists of a miscellanea of correspondence, speeches, clippings, articles, and other materials relating to his Congressional career and to his activities in Grand Rapids.

Collection

Blake family papers, 1806-1984

1.8 linear feet — 2 oversize folders — 1 oversize volume — 902 MB (online)

Online

Correspondence and other papers of Alde L. T. Blake, including exchanges with Jane Addams, Ben Lindsey, Governor Woodbridge N. Ferris, and Anna Howard Shaw, and other materials documenting Alde Blake's suffragist activities. Scrapbooks of William F. Blake largely concerning family history and business interests, and his correspondence; a volume containing copies of private and unofficial letters written by William Blake to various persons during his tenure as U.S. Consular Agent. A volume with copies of letters sent by Robert Blake in his capacity as U.S. Consular Agent serving in Canada, including detailed commercial report about London, Ontario in 1873. Freeman N. Blake's Law School notebook. Also, included a genealogical tree of Kutsche family. Correspondence, notebooks, wills, certificates, and other materials relating to other Blake, Kutsche, and Tuck family members. Visual materials include two photo albums, as well as numerous photographs (some oversize), daguerreotypes, and one tintype. Photographs include photos of Anna Howard Shaw, Jeanette Rankin, and others following a lecture by Dr. Shaw; also group photos, possibly of woman suffrage groups.

Collection

Blodgett Family papers, 1872-1953 (majority within 1884-1934)

33 linear feet — 43 oversize volumes — 12 oversize folders

Family of Delos A. Blodgett, his son John W. Blodgett, and his grandson John W. Blodgett, Jr., residents of Grand Rapids, Michigan and owners of a series of logging companies active in Michigan, Mississippi, California, Oregon, and Vancouver Island. Correspondence, journals, cash books, ledgers, and maps of family businesses, including the Blodgett Company, Wright-Blodgett Company, Michigan-California Lumber Company, Michigan Timber Company, Hill-Davis Company, and Tidewater Timber Company; also personal correspondence and photographs.

The collection, although still largely unprocessed, has been grouped into different kinds of records. These include correspondence, business records, maps, and photographs.

Collection

Brecken Family papers, 1894-1937, 1965 (majority within 1913-1918)

1 linear foot

Grand Rapids, Michigan, family. Brief family history; letters to Clarence Brecken, also his journal, while stationed at Fort Benjamin Harrison during World War I; journal of Jennie Brecken, 1965; legal documents; and photographs.

The majority of the correspondence in this Family papers series was received by Clarence Brecken from various members of his family during 1918 while in training at Fort Benjamin Harrison. The strengths of this correspondence are the descriptions of daily rural life during wartime and the concerns and fears of the families on the home-front. The letters include such topics as Jennie's first driving lessons, the evils of alcohol and tobacco use, hopes for the end of the war, Clarence's mother's fear of her other sons being drafted, and the spread of influenza. Also of interest are the Brown Family letters to Clarence which include discussions of the war as well as a letter from overseas.

The folders containing family photographs and World War I photographs comprise the bulk of the Photographs series; the photographs are generally identified. The World War I photographs include a number of photographs of Clarence and his brothers, Earl and Howard, in uniform and some of Clarence at his training camp. Most of the family photographs are group photographs taken outdoors and show aspects of rural life, such as the huge woodpiles for the mill in the background of many photographs in the "Bentley Family" folder. Of especial note is the interior photograph of Brecken's Ice Cream store in the "Grand Rapids Area" folder. The photograph was taken in 1934, and the various offerings and their prices can be seen in the background.

Collection

Bryant Walker papers, 1873-1931

10 linear feet

Detroit, Michigan attorney, shell collector and student of conchology. Correspondence, notebooks, and lists relating primarily to his interest in mollusca and shell collecting; also copies of family letters, 1830-1841, written from Buffalo, New York, Grand Rapids and Detroit, Michigan; a University of Michigan student notebook from a course in physics, 1874.

The Bryant Walker collection consists largely of correspondence from throughout the world with conchologists. There are, in addition, his manuscripts of his writings, various lists, charts, and inventories, and miscellaneous family materials and a University of Michigan student notebook of a class on physics.

Collection

Buchanan family papers, 1847-1927

0.6 linear feet (2 boxes)

Online

Correspondence and miscellaneous business papers including Civil War letters exchanged between John C. Buchanan and his wife, Sophia Bingham Buchanan, while he was serving as first lieutenant in Co. D. of the 8th Michigan Infantry. Many of the letters are almost sermons and philosophical essays about his home and family, religion, his country and the war and its leaders. Others are detailed descriptions of camps and camp life, such as Seabrook plantation in South Carolina and its Negroes, James Island and its reptiles; his quarters and food; sea transports; marches, skirmishes and battles with the Army of the Potomac in the Maryland campaign and around Fredericksburg. The collection also includes letters from Claude Buchanan while he was a student at the University of Michigan; letters (1847-1858) of J. Irwin Beaumont of Mississippi and Minnesota to Angie Bingham (Gilbert); notebooks, speeches, business papers, and a diary of a trip to the South in 1884 made by Claude Buchanan.

Collection

Calvin Thomas Papers, 1838-1940 (majority within 1872-1919)

3 linear feet — 1 oversize folder

Professor of German at the University of Michigan and Columbia; mostly correspondence of Thomas with his family, professional colleagues, publisher, etc.; also some correspondence of his wife after his death; speeches, lecture notes, biographical sketches; papers include material on language studies at Michigan and Columbia, attitudes of academia toward Germans in World War I, accounts of European travels in 1877, 1896, and 1900; Civil War letter of Steven Thomas, Calvin's father.

The collection has been arranged into the following series: Biographical/personal material; Correspondence; Lectures and addresses; Journals/diary; Scrapbooks; Other family members papers; and Publications.

Collection

Carl Edgar Mapes papers, 1908-1939

1 volume — 1 folder

University of Michigan alumnus (Law School, 1899) who served in United States House of Representatives as a Michigan Representative from 1913-1939. The scrapbook contains newspaper clippings and other material relating largely to his death. Also included is a family portrait.

The collection consists of newspaper clippings and other material relating largely to his death. Also included is a family portrait.

Collection

Charles A. Simpson papers, 1910-1932

1 linear foot — 2 oversize folders

Online
Soldier from Grand Rapids, Mich., member of 337th Ambulance Company who served in the Allied intervention in Russia, 1918-1920, the "Polar Bear Expedition." Collection includes diaries and reminiscences of his service in Russia and training at Fort Custer, Michigan; also his diaries of life in Grand Rapids, photographs, motion pictures, and miscellaneous.

The collection includes diaries and a reminiscence of his service in Russia, at Obozerskaya and Archangel, and his training at Fort Custer, Mich.; also clippings and miscellanea. The collection also includes views of Fort Custer, Mich., and photos taken in Russia (both U. S. Signal Corps photos and snapshots) of American and allied soldiers, cities and towns, Russian people, battle scenes, and means of transportation; also a motion picture (16 mm original with DVD and streaming file use copies) containing miscellaneous scenes of American troops in Archangel. Also included Smith's diaries dated 1910 and 1914-1916.

Collection

Clara Marian Wheeler papers, 1874-1948

6 linear feet — 1 oversize folder

Grand Rapids, Michigan educator, principal of the Grand Rapids Kindergarten Training School, and advocate of kindergarten education. Correspondence, lecture and class notes, programs, photographs, and miscellaneous scrapbooks, ledgers, and account books.

The collection is comprised of correspondence and other papers largely concerning kindergarten education and her involvement in a parent and teacher organization. The series in the collection are Biographical / Personal materials, Correspondence; Kindergarten education; National Congress of Parents and Teachers; and Miscellaneous.

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

Cordelia Creswell papers, 1886-1935, 1950

1.5 linear feet

Special education coordinator in Grand Rapids, Michigan. Budgets, payrolls, annual and individual reports on students, program, delinquency, and education for individual with mental disabilities.

The Cordelia Creswell collection includes correspondence, budgets, payrolls, annual and individual reports on students, program, delinquency, and education for the retarded.

Collection

Cornelia Steketee Hulst papers, 1898-1949

0.3 linear feet

Grand Rapids, Michigan, high school teacher and author best known for her writing on Greek and ancient mythology. Papers include correspondence concerning her studies of classical subjects, poems, publications and excerpts from reviews.

The Cornelia Steketee Hulst papers include correspondence concerning her studies of classical subjects, poems, publications and excerpts from reviews.

Collection

Daughters of the American Revolution of Michigan records, 1893-2014

45.5 linear feet — 24 oversize volumes

Michigan Society of the Daughters of the American Revolution; minutes of the state executive board, proceedings of the Michigan state conferences, publications, reports, and scrapbooks; also papers concerning their genealogical work, record of activities during World War I and II; historical files for individual chapters of the Michigan DAR; and photographs.

The records of the Daughters of the American Revolution of Michigan document its organization, history, and activities. As the state society of the DAR, the organization also collected material on the activities of the various local chapters. The records have been arranged into the following series: State Executive Board Minutes; State Conference Proceedings (original and published); Reports; Various Records of DAR State Historian; Miscellaneous; Chapter Records (original materials, collected material, and membership yearbooks); Publications; Scrapbooks; Topical files; and Photographs.

Collection

David Giltrow photograph collection, 1960-1961

0.2 linear feet

David Giltrow was a student photographer for The Michigan Daily and Michiganensian from 1960 to 1961. The collection contains negatives and paper contact prints of photos taken by Giltrow. Subjects include John F. Kennedy's 1960 campaign stop in Ann Arbor and whistle stop train trip in Michigan, campus visits by Pat Kennedy Lawford and Chester Bowles, a Pete Seeger concert, Americans Committed to World Responsibility Conference, and a 1961 Ann Arbor Civil Rights march.

The David Giltrow photograph collection documents a selection of Giltrow's work as a photographer for the Michigan Daily and the Michiganensian from 1960 to 1961. The collection consists of original 35mm negatives and paper contact prints. The negatives cover six notable campus visitors and events. The collection also contains a brief biography and a group portrait of Michiganensian photographers which includes Giltrow.

Collection

Davis family (Grand Rapids and Pontiac, Mich.) papers, 1796-1891

0.3 linear feet

Online

Letters from relatives in New York, New Jersey and Iowa discussing in part plans to migrate westward; letter, 1852, recounting missionary life in India; Civil War letters from Townsend M. Luce (Co. F., Third Michigan Infantry), Rufus Cheney (Co. D, 2nd Michigan Cavalry), Charles O. Reed (probably Co. A, 4th Michigan Cavalry), Philip Segur (Co. A, 7th Michigan Cavalry), and one tentatively identified as Albert H. Freeman (Battery B, 1st Michigan Light Artillery); and miscellanea.

Collection

Denison family papers, 1848-1907

1 linear foot

Grand Rapids, Michigan, family. Correspondence and business and legal papers of Julius Coe Denison; diaries, 1886-1890 and 1897-1907, of Julius' wife, Cornelia Carter Denison, describing daily life; and diaries, 1879-1889, of their son, Arthur Carter Denison, concerning in part his activities as student at the University of Michigan in the 1880s.

The Denison Family papers date from 1848 to 1907 and measure one linear foot. The papers document the day to day activities in a segment of the lives of Julius and Cornelia Denison and their son Arthur.

The papers of Julius Coe Denison date from 1848 to 1878 and include correspondence, receipts, land deeds and other papers. The papers of Cornelia Denison (1885 to 1907) and Arthur Denison (1879 to 1889) are principally diaries which contain brief entries about their daily activities, lists of books they read, and lists of expenses. The early diaries of Arthur Denison document his activities at the University of Michigan.

Collection

Department of History (University of Michigan) student papers, 1930-1987

7 linear feet (263 papers)

Student papers, 1930-1987 prepared for classes in history at the University of Michigan (primarily Michigan history class taught by Lewis G. VanderVelde, but also including research papers for classes taught by Sidney Fine and others); topics concern Michigan social and political history; Michigan biography and bibliography; and local community history.

The student papers are organized alphabetically by author in two series, which are similar in date range and topics covered. Topics of papers concern Michigan social and political history; Michigan biography and bibliography; local community history and University of Michigan history. A topical index to the papers is available in the first box of the collection.

Collection

Department of Journalism (University of Michigan) research papers, 1967-1978

2 linear feet

Research papers, 1967-1979, of students in journalism at the University of Michigan; contain essays relating to the history of Michigan newspapers and journalists, and the development of radio and television broadcasting; include papers concerning newspapers in Adrian, Ann Arbor, Detroit, and Grand Rapids, and the journalistic efforts of Father Charles Coughlin, Henry Ford, and Gerald L. K. Smith.

The Department of Journalism research papers collection measures 2 linear feet and consists solely of student research papers written between 1967 and 1979. The papers contain essays written regarding the history of various newspapers -- many in Michigan cities such as Adrian, Ann Arbor, Detroit and Grand Rapids; journalists and the journalistic efforts of individuals such as Father Charles Coughlin, Henry Ford, and Gerald L.K. Smith; and the development of radio and television broadcasting.

The surviving administrative records of the Department of Journalism were retained by its successor unit, the Department of Communication, and can be found in that department's records.

Collection

Dorothy Leonard Judd Papers, 1935-1974

9 linear feet

Resident of Grand Rapids, Michigan, delegate to the Michigan Constitutional Convention (1961-1962), chairwoman of the Michigan State Advisory Committee to the U.S. Commission on Civil Rights, and member of the Michigan Civil Service Commission. Correspondence and topical files relating to her public activities; also materials concerning her interest in site planning for a Kent County airport; and photographs.

Except for some personal and genealogical studies, the Judd papers have been arranged into series accumulated as a result of specific interests and activities. These series include Michigan State Advisory Committee to the United States Commission on Civil Rights; Michigan Civil Service Commission; Michigan Constitutional Convention; Kent County Airport Site Planning; and Grand Rapids Politics and Reform.

Collection

Dorothy Smith McAllister papers, circa 1932-1967

2 boxes — 2 microfilms

Files relating to Democratic Party activities (largely on microfilm); files relating to her interest in civil rights, fair employment practices, and her involvement with the Michigan and National Consumers League.

The Dorothy Smith McAllister collection consists of files relating to Democratic Party activities (largely on microfilm); files relating to her interest in civil rights, fair employment practices, and her involvement with the Michigan and National Consumers League. The collection has two parts: original manuscripts and papers that have been microfilmed. A portions of the Original Materials series also appears on the microfilm, but the microfilmed material is unique--not a part of the papers.

Collection

Ed Beach photographs, 1931-1948

2.5 linear feet (in 5 boxes)

Ed Beach was an amateur photographer whose photographs document his hometown of Howell, Michigan and historical sites in other Michigan communities. His collection consists of photographic negatives (with some prints) and albums with prints of historic plaques and markers, statues of famous statesmen and their gravesites, early school buildings, historic houses, gristmills, sawmills, and county courthouses.

The Ed Beach collection consists of photographic negatives (with some prints) and albums with prints of historic plaques and markers, statues of famous statesmen and their gravesites, early school buildings, historic houses, gristmills, sawmills, and county courthouses. Other subjects include tourist sites in Michigan (such as Greenfield Village or Mackinac Island) and state parks, especially those in the Upper Peninsula. His hometown of Howell, Michigan is also heavily documented.

The Beach collection is arranged into three series. In the Kodak series the negatives measure 2 3/4 by 4 1/2 inches in size and cover the years 1931 to 1948. The Leica series consists of 35-millimeter strips and were taken between the years 1936 and 1938. The third series consists of seven albums of carefully identified photographs.

An item-level listing of the contents of the Kodak and Leica series is available at the library. To aid researchers a geographic and subject index has been created and is attached to this finding aid. These indices provide the best introduction to the collection.

Beach created the photograph albums around broad topics, and each has a title. The albums include: "Michigan Historic Places," "Around Lake Erie in Ontario. Trip to Chicago Century of Progress," "Michigan Courthouses," "Michigan Ships, Monuments, Historic Places, Buildings, Creek Scenes," "Indian and Trail Markers," "Around Michigan: Historic Places, Buildings, Mills, Dams, Bridges, Masonic Buildings," and "Michigan Governors' Homes, Michigan Trees, Old Buildings of Michigan." The photos in the albums include Beach's negative number.

Collection

Emigrantinstitutet (Växjö, Sweden) letters, 1869-1932

0.5 linear feet

Copies of letters from Swedish immigrants to Michigan to family and friends in Sweden.

This is a collection of copied letters from the holdings of the Emigrantinstitutet in Växjö, Sweden. The letters are from Swedish immigrants in Michigan and Indiana to their friends and families in Sweden. The letters are from various Michigan communities, including Benton Harbor, Calumet, Chippewa Lake, Custer, Elk Rapids, Escanaba, Grand Rapids, Hancock, Iron Mountain, Ironwood, Kalkaska, L'Anse, Ludington, Manistee, Marquette, Menominee, Michigamme, Montague, Muskegon, Rapid River, Tustin, and Vulcan. One of the letters is from Johan G. R. Baner of Ironwood, Michigan. In addition, there is daybook maintained by an immigrant recounting travels in America in 1890.

Collection

Emil Lorch Papers, 1891-2004 (majority within 1891-1963)

18 linear feet — 14 oversize folders

Professor of architecture at the University of Michigan; includes correspondence, professional organizational activities files, documentation, photographs, and architectural drawings accumulated during his work with the Michigan Historic Buildings Survey

The Emil Lorch papers are valuable for their documentation of the career of this important architectural educator and for that material about Michigan architecture and historic structures that Lorch accumulated in the course of his professional study and organizational involvement. The collection includes extensive correspondence with many of the country's leading architects, most notably members of the "Chicago School," and architectural educators, and manuscript and photographic documentation resulting from Lorch's involvement with the Michigan Historic Buildings Survey and various restoration projects, including Mackinac Island.

Collection

Episcopal Church, Diocese of Western Michigan records, 1851-2011

119 linear feet — 2 oversize folders — 1 drawer — 19 oversize volumes

Governing body of the Episcopal church in western Michigan, established in 1874; records include bishops' files, diocesan organization and committee files, photographs, scrapbooks, diocesan historian files.

The records of the Episcopal Diocese of Western Michigan are a rich resource of material, not only for the programs and activities of the Episcopal Church in western Michigan, but also for their documentation of the role of the church in the life of the various communities served by the diocese.

Records from the Episcopal Diocese of Western Michigan first came to the Bentley Historical Library in 1972. Since then, the diocese has made several significant additions to their records. In 1999 the record group was reprocessed with the aim of drawing together like materials. The record group now consists of twenty-two separate series. These are: Bishop's Files, Chancellor, Treasurer, Diocesan Historiographer, Standing Committee Files, Miscellaneous Files, Diocesan Record Books, Publicity Files, Defunct Parish and Mission Churches Files, Diocesan Committee Files, Diocesan Organization Files, Diocesan Financial Records, Visual Materials, Sound Recordings, Scrapbooks, Western Michigan University (WMU) Ministry Files, Women's Organizations, Miscellaneous office and staff files Bulletins of Church Services, Church of Christ the King, Miscellaneous parish materials, and Miscellaneous diocesan materials.

Collection

Ethnic and Cultural Communities of Michigan Web Archive, 2010-2014

57 archived websites (online; multiple captures)

Online
Web collection of websites created by various ethnic and cultural communities of the State of Michigan, 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.

The Web Archive of Michigan's Ethnic and Cultural Communities collection contains archived websites created by various ethnic and cultural communities of 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 African American, Arab American, Native American, Asian American and other ethnic communities and organizations who call the state of Michigan home. The collection is especially strong in documenting African American, Arab American, and Native American communities, business, religious, cultural and civil rights organizations, as well as distinguished individuals who belong to these communities.

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.

Collection

Field Family papers, 1836-1940

2 linear feet

Residents of Englishville and Grand Rapids, Michigan; family papers.

The collection is comprise of two series: Correspondence and Other family papers. Included is business and family correspondence of Abby Field, a worker with the Church of Christ of Englishville and Grand Rapids, Michigan. There is also correspondence of Myron and Susan Field Buck, Sylvester Field and Flora Bennett. Beyond correspondence, the collection includes a scattering of newspaper clippings, legal papers, diaries, and other materials relating to personal affairs, farm life and the Civil War.

Collection

Fountain Street Church (Grand Rapids, Mich.) records, 1856-1978

16 linear feet

Minutes and other records of the church's governing board; pastors' files, including sermons, addresses and publications; and administrative records of the church office, including reports, publications, treasurer's files, correspondence, and subject files; also photographs.

The records of Fountain Street Church are divided into three groups: (1) the files of the governing board, (2) the records of various pastors, and (3) the church's office files. Taken together these documents give an excellent view of the congregation's history since 1869. There is also a small series of photographs.

Collection

Frank D. McKay Papers, 1909-1965

3 linear feet — 2 oversize volumes

Grand Rapids, Michigan businessman and politician; correspondence, business papers; scrapbooks, and photographs.

The Frank D. McKay collection is divided into the following series: Correspondence; Topical Files; Business and financial papers; Newspaper clippings and scrapbooks; and Photographs.

Collection

Frank Manny papers, 1890-1955

6 linear feet

Progressive educator, student of Thomas Dewey at the University of Chicago, served as head of the state Normal School at Oshkosh, Wisconsin, superintendent of the Felix Adler School of Ethical Culture in New York City and as head of teacher education in the city of Baltimore. The papers include extensive personal correspondence, scrapbooks, journals, writings and other materials concerning his professional interests. Correspondence includes letters from distinguished authors and educators.

The papers consist of extensive personal correspondence, scrapbooks, journals, writings and other materials concerning his professional interests. Included are, letters from distinguished authors and educators. Much of the collection relates to the progressive education movement and to Manny's career as an educator in Grand Rapids, Chicago, and Boxford, Massachusetts.

Collection

Frederick N. Field papers, 1862-1865

23 items — 1 oversize folder

Online

The collection consists of correspondence, miscellaneous bank notes and printed material (including documents related to the government of the Confederate States of America), and a photographic portrait. There are six letters (1862-1865) written to his brother in which Field describes Camp Palmer; gives a graphic account of a march in pouring rain and the night spent sitting on shocks of wheat; tells of the capture of their picket line through the use of a countersign countersign; and discusses the soldiers' vote and the practice of enlisting men from the South as substitutes for northern draftees. Field also gives details of the battle in which he was wounded and criticizes officers in command. The collection includes one letter (Sept. 4, 1863) from Capt. George W. Lee relating to transportation charges for Field.

Collection

Gardner Stewart Williams Papers, 1900-1945

7 linear feet (in 8 boxes) — 7 oversize folders — 21.5 GB (online)

Online
Ann Arbor, Michigan based hydraulic engineer known for his multiple arch dams, hydroelectric plants, and for developing the Hazen-Williams hydraulic tables, designed and consulted on numerous water power and dam projects. Papers include biographical files, material relating to construction of dams and power plants on the Huron River and elsewhere, and papers relating to Michigan Engineering Society.

The papers of Gardner Williams, 1900-1931, include biographical material; papers relating to the history of Michigan Engineering Society; project files detailing construction of Huron River power plants and dams at Argo, Barton, Geddes, Superior, and French Landing; other Michigan project files for dams and plants in Sault Ste. Marie and elsewhere; Detroit Edison consultation materials; engineering reports by, or including comments of, Williams; and photographs.

The Williams papers came from the offices of Ayres, Lewis, Norris and May, Ann Arbor engineering firm. Obviously a fragment, they cover only the period of 1900 to 1931, with photographs spanning the dates 1900 to 1945.

The collection begins with a folder of biographical material and a folder regarding the history of the Michigan Engineering Society. Except for these, the collection divides into four series: Power Plants and Dams, the Detroit Edison Company, Engineering Reports, and Photographs.

Collection

Grand Rapids Kindergarten Training School records, 1891-1919

6 linear feet

Articles of incorporation and minutes; student registers and alumni rosters; performance records of students; student and teacher's notebooks, mostly those of Clara Wheeler; patterns and other teaching devices; and financial records.

The record group is organized into three series: Organizational Records; Scrapbooks and other informational material; and School Records. Included are articles of incorporation and minutes; student registers and alumni rosters; performance records of students; student and teacher's notebooks, mostly those of Clara Wheeler; patterns and other teaching devices; financial records, and scrapbooks containing photographs of teachers, students, and facilities.

Collection

Grand Rapids Urban League records, 1941-1986

4 linear feet

Affiliate of the National Urban League. Records include historical information file, administrative files, topical files, and photographs.

The records of the Grand Rapids Urban League document its activities as a civil rights and social service organization serving the African-American community in Grand Rapids. The records have been arranged into four series: Historical/Background Material, Administration Records, Topical Files, and Photographs. The series date from the organization's founding in 1943 up to the mid-1980s. There are numerous gaps in the files with the bulk of the records dating before 1970.

Collection

Graves family papers, 1833-1874

1 linear foot

Grand Rapids, Michigan, family. Letters of Albert and Martha Calhoun Graves, including letters written during Civil War while Graves was a member of Co. B, First Michigan Engineers and Mechanics; also family letter reflecting daily life.

The Graves family collection consists of letters of Albert and Martha Graves written during his Civil War service. There are also other family letters, genealogical information, and various other financial and legal family documents.

Collection

Howard Cyrus Lawrence Papers, 1916-1966

25 linear feet — 2 oversize volumes

Grand Rapids, Michigan businessman and Republican politician. Correspondence, business records, speeches, and other papers relating to state politics, charitable and civic interests, banking issues, the Grand Rapids Varnish Corporation, the Michigan Trust Company of Grand Rapids, and the Ypsilanti-Reed Furniture Company of Ionia, Michigan; also materials on Albion College, the Methodist Church, the Ionia Free Fair, and Republican Party politics, especially the campaign of Arthur H, Vandenberg for the presidency in 1940.

The collection documents the business, civic, and political interests of Howard C. Lawrence. The series in the collection are: Correspondence; Speeches and speech material; Financial; Business Interests; Charitable and Civic Interests; Clippings; Miscellaneous; Photographs; and Notebooks.

Collection

Immigration Sources Project (Netherlands) records, circa 1850-1933

1 linear foot

Papers collected in the Netherlands under the auspices of the Immigration Sources Project of the Michigan Historical Collections. Copies of letters and other materials of Dutch immigrants to Michigan written to friends and relatives in the Netherlands.

The collection of photocopied letters has been arranged alphabetically by the name of the city in Michigan which was home to the immigrant family, and thereafter by family name of. Most of these cities were in western Michigan.

Collection

Institute for Global Education records, 1971-2008

5 linear feet

Grand Rapids nonprofit organization working to achieve peace and social justice through education and outreach; records include administrative files, clippings, correspondence, event materials, publications, photographs and scrapbooks.

The Institute for Global Education records illustrate how community organizations coalesce, expand, and evolve to become agents of positive change. It will be of interest to persons researching social movements in Michigan and abroad from the 1970s through 2008. The record group consists of six series: Administrative and Related Records, Events, Publications, Affiliated Groups and Committees, Photographs, and Scrapbooks.

Collection

Irene Linda Lather Butler papers, 1923-1991

3 linear feet

Registered nurse and artist from Grand Rapids, Michigan and Tucson, Arizona. Letters exchanged with William Butler during their courtship and the first months of their marriage, 1923-1925; diaries, 1915-1979, detailing daily life and observations; subject files relating in part to her interest in nursing and sculpture.

The Irene Butler collection consists of four series of papers: Personal/Biographical, Correspondence, Diaries, and Artistic Endeavors. Together these series reflect Butler's lively mind and her awareness of the world about her.

Collection

Isaac M. Weston Papers, 1859-1899

6 linear feet — 3 oversize volumes

Grand Rapids Michigan businessman and politician, active in lumbering and banking in Wisconsin and Michigan, Democratic party official, head of Board of World's Fair Managers for Michigan, overseeing state's exhibits at 1893 Columbian Exposition. Collection primarily documents business activities with some material on World's Columbian Exposition, as well as personal and family material.

The Weston collection primarily documents the career of Isaac M. Weston. Included are smaller series of papers of his brother and father. The collection includes correspondence, topical files, business and legal papers, and photographs. Of note are materials concerning Michigan's exhibit at the World Fair in 1893 and papers concerning lumbering and land interests in Michigan and Wisconsin.

Collection

James Maxwell Mudge papers, 1951-1970

1.2 linear feet — 1 oversize folder

Michigan newspaperman; correspondence and clippings of articles and columns.

The collection consists primarily of clippings of newspaper articles and columns. In addition there is a scattering of correspondence, certificates, and drafts of speeches. Many of the articles relate to Detroit Mayor Jerome Cavanagh, especially his campaign for U.S. Senate in 1966. Correspondents include: Robert Griffin, John B. Swainson and G. Mennen Williams.

Collection

JJR Inc. photographic slides, 1960s-1990s

35 linear feet

The JJR photographic slide collection relates solely to the firm's Michigan projects. The files are arranged into three series: Michigan; University of Michigan; and Other Michigan Universities. Included are slides of project sites (with some aerial images), site plans, and conceptual drawings. Although the collection covers the entire state, the bulk of the slides relate to southeast and lower Michigan, especially Ann Arbor, Detroit, Flint, Grand Rapids, and Saginaw. The files are in the order maintained by the organization. There is thus some overlap between the general Michigan series and the University of Michigan and Other Michigan Universities series. The researcher is advised to examine the finding aid closely.

Collection

John R. Stiles papers, 1958-1965

2 linear feet

Grand Rapids, Michigan, businessman and Republican campaign official. Correspondence, reports, newspaper clippings and campaign materials concerning the Warren Commission's investigation of the assassination of President John F. Kennedy, the writing of the book, Portrait of the Assassin with Gerald Ford, and his activities as campaign manager for Paul Bagwell for governor in 1958, and as field director of the Richard Nixon for President campaign in 1960.

The collection documents John R. Stiles' work with the Warren Commission and the state Republican Party. The collection has been arranged into the following series: Portrait of the Assassin drafts; Warren Commission File; and Republican Party Political Files.

Collection

Kenneth C. Welch Papers, 1915-1972

13.6 linear feet (in 15 boxes)

Grand Rapids, Michigan, architect and planner. Correspondence, writings, working files, and photographs for out-of-state and Michigan projects, primarily in Grand Rapids, Lansing, Flint, and East Lansing; professional materials relating to problems of urban planning, the design of department stores and shopping centers, his general interest in lighting designs, traffic patterns, and parking areas, and to his work with the Lake Michigan Region Planning Committee, the American Institute of Architects and the Michigan Society of Architects; also Welch family materials, including record, 1915-1925, of the Welch Manufacturing Company of Grand Rapids, Michigan.

The Welch papers include a small amount of biographical and personal material, but the bulk of the collection documents his work on architectural, design and planning projects in Michigan and across the country - many having to do with shopping malls, business districts and urban redevelopment. The collection is arranged in eight series: biographical materials; correspondence; personal, financial, and family materials; professional information files; Michigan project files; out-of-state project files; articles and speeches; and photographs.

Collection

Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, and Transgender Community of Michigan Web Archive, 2010-2014

10 archived websites (online; multiple captures)

Online
Web collection of websites created by various lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender organizations in the State of Michigan, 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.

The Web Archive of Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, and Transgender Community of Michigan collection contains archived websites created by various LGBT groups and individuals of 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 LGBT equal rights organizations, religious groups, support systems, and activists who call the state of Michigan home. The collection is strong in documenting the events, activities, opinions, and resources of the various members of the Michigan LGBT community.

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.

Collection

Lillian Gill papers, 1950s-2007

6 linear feet

African American businesswoman from Grand Rapids, Michigan; correspondence, clippings, published materials, and photographs largely relating to her civic, political, fraternal, and church activities, especially her long-time involvement with the Order of the Eastern Star and with New Hope Baptist Church in Grand Rapids.

The Lillian Gill collection is comprised of the following series: Biographical and personal; Business career; Political and community interests; Order of Eastern Star, Free and Accepted Modern Masons; New Hope Baptist Church and other Baptist organizations; and Photographs. The great bulk of the collection details her Masonic responsibilities and her activities with her church and with her denomination's regional and state organization. Much of these series consist of printed material, including bulletins, brochures, programs, announcements, and the like. A smaller portion of the collection relates to her varied business endeavors as an insurance underwriters and as a salesperson with Amway. There is also slight material relating to her political and civil rights involvement with the local chapter of the NAACP.