Collections : [University of Michigan Bentley Historical Library]

Back to top
Number of results to display per page
View results as:

Search Results

Collection

Ward Family Papers, 1860-1964 (majority within 1900-1940)

31.2 linear feet — 1 oversize volume — 8 oversize folders

Orchard Lake, Michigan, family, with various business interests, including lumbering and land transactions (in Michigan, California, West Virginia, and British Columbia), and also active in the development of the Orchard Lake area, especially from the 1920s to the 1940s; Correspondence files of individual family members, subject files detailing family interests and activities, business and legal records, maps, blueprints, and photographs.

The majority of the Ward Family collection is comprised of materials generated by Willis Ward and his son, Harold, and thus reflect the life of the family in the twentieth century. The strengths of the collection rest on materials which document upper-class family life in the first three decades of this century; the development of the Orchard Lake area in the 1920s, 1930s, and 1940s; the extensive Michigan land holdings of the Ward family; and the history of the lumber town of Deward, Michigan. The researcher should be aware that there are only limited materials in the collection which document either David Ward's business pursuits in Michigan or his personal life. The researcher should supplement those materials with use of Ward's published autobiography.

There are six series which comprise the Ward collection: Personal; Correspondence; Land Holdings; Photographs; Architectural Drawings; and Maps. Whenever possible the original order of materials in the first three series has been maintained.

Collection

Warren E. Heald papers, 1862

4 items

Online

Letters to family members describing battles, daily events and personal matters; also discharge certificate. Three letters (Mar., Sept., Oct. 1862) were written to members of his family while he was in hospitals in Philadelphia and Fairfax. During the summer he had been on all the marches with his regiment; but then he had become ill again and unable to go on. He said hospital fare was not very good. Finally, in November, 1862, he was discharged on a surgeon's certificate of disability.

Collection

Warren Petoskey papers, 1873-2016 (majority within 1990s-2016)

0.3 linear feet — 1.4 GB (online) — 1 archived websites (online)

Online
Warren Petoskey is an Odawa and Lakotah elder. He is a writer, musician, dancer, and lectures on the history of American Indian boarding schools. The collection includes materials related to his professional and personal activities and interests, biographical and historical information, copies of genealogical records, as well as personal photographs and audio recordings.

The Warren Petoskey collection, 1873-2016, contains correspondence regarding presentations that Petoskey has held and his professional performance, copies of genealogy and family records, writings -- including his poetry, essays, and his published memoir, Dancing My Dream, --photographs of himself and family members, certificates for language learning and earned in the course of his work as an addictions counselor, and other materials that document Warren's life as an Odawa and Lakotah elder. The collection also includes an oral history interview audio recordings, the contents of an audio CD, Sacred Dream, with Native American music written and performed by Warren Petoskey, and an archived website for Petoskey's ministry, Dawnland Native Ministries.

Collection

Warren P. Lombard papers, 1877-1939

3 linear feet (in 4 boxes)

Professor of physiology at the University of Michigan; correspondence, speeches, and other materials concerning U-M Medical School activities, the Ann Arbor Red Cross, the Ann Arbor Art Association, and Lombard’s interest in art and etching.

The Warren P. Lombard papers have been arranged into the following series: Biographical/miscellaneous; Correspondence; Organizational and other interests; Physiology and related materials; and Photographs. Much of the collection relates to Lombard's organizational activities, notably the Ann Arbor Red Cross and the Ann Arbor Art Association. Some of Lombard's correspondents include: James B. Angell, William W. Bishop, Marion L. Burton, James J. Couzens, John G. Curtis, Joseph Erlanger, Frederick R. Green, Charles W. Greene, Granville S. Hall, Yandell Henderson, Donald R. Hooker, Frederic S. Lee, Carl Ludwig, Graham Lusk, George W. Norris, Reuben Peterson, William T. Porter, Henry Sewall, Albert A. Stanley, Langdon C. Stewardson, and Victor C. Vaughan.

Collection

Warren S. Wilkinson papers, 1801-1991

1 linear foot (in 3 boxes) — 5 oversize volumes

Scrapbooks of Warren S. Wilkinson, member of the board of the Evening News Association, publisher of the Detroit News. Scrapbooks relate to the life and work of James E. Scripps, founder of the Detroit News, and to the struggle over the sale of the newspaper to Gannett Company in 1985.

The collection contains scrapbooks assembled by Wilkinson relating to the life and work of James E. Scripps, as well as the machinations surrounding the sale of the Evening News Association to Gannett Company in 1985. Most of the scrapbooks have been copied for the library and the originals returned to the donor. The collection consists of photocopies of the scrapbooks along with scanned images of many of the photographs. Scanned photos are identified by the scan number noted on the reverse of the page.

The family scrapbooks document James E. Scripps's personal life and his family, the history of the Detroit News, Scripps family interests including the Detroit Museum of Art, the Scripps home on Trumbull Avenue in Detroit, and Trinity Episcopal Church located at the corner of Trumbull and Grand River Avenues in Detroit one block from the family home.

Wilkinson's scrapbooks titled "The Twilight of the Evening News Association" contain photos, correspondence, trial transcripts, financial charts, and commentary documenting the company's struggle for profitability in the 1960s and 70s, and negotiations and lawsuits over the sale of the company in the 1980s. The first volume in this sequence contains many photos of News operations from the early part of the twentieth century.

Collection

Warren W. Florer papers, 1877-1955

1.5 linear feet — 1 oversize folder

Professor of German at University of Michigan. Correspondence, articles, speeches and research notes.

The Florer papers have been arranged into the following series: Correspondence; Personal; University of Michigan; Education and the Teaching of German; and Articles and research materials. Some of Florer's correspondents include James B. Angell, Wilber M. Brucker, Fred W. Green, Harry B. Hutchins, and Harry F. Kelly. Some of the other files of interest concern his interests in Louis Kossuth, Gustav Frenssen, Hermann Kiefer, and the Schilling family of Scio township, Washtenaw County, Michigan. There are also materials on early German settlers of Michigan, and the firing of members of the German Department of the University of Michigan during World War I.

Collection

Washtenaw Abstract Company records, circa 1824-1954

42 volumes — 1 linear foot — 19 oversize folders

Land title company based in Ann Arbor, Michigan. Abstracts of mortgages, deeds, and other legal papers recorded in Washtenaw County; and plat maps for Washtenaw County additions and subdivisions.

The collection contains two series of abstracts of Washtenaw County land ownership and transaction records and two series of plat maps.

Collection

Washtenaw County Historical Society records, 1827-2014

17.5 linear feet (in 18 boxes) — 1 oversize folder (UBPl)

Local historical society for Washtenaw County, Michigan Organizational records and collected historical materials.

The Washtenaw County Historical Society records include collected historical documents and photographs relating to the people, events, and history of the county, its cities and townships. There are also administrative records of the organization, including minutes of meetings, subjects relating to Society programs and projects, and financial miscellanea.

Collection

Washtenaw County Medical Society records, 1866-2015

15 linear feet

Component county medical society of the Michigan State Medical Society; executive records, publications, topical files, and minutes of meetings.

The record group includes executive records (correspondence and memoranda), Board minutes and other meetings, reports, and topical files.

Collection

Washtenaw County (Mich.) records, 1824-1946

14 linear feet (in 16 boxes) — 16 oversize volumes — 1 oversize folder

Correspondence files of the county clerk, register of deeds, county treasurer, and other county offices; also township poll lists, political party enrollment books, list of Civil War volunteers, record of county soldiers and sailors during World War I, and miscellaneous welfare records.

The record group consists of records of some of the elected officials and departments of the government of Washtenaw County, Michigan. These include the county clerk, register of deeds, and the county treasurer. There are other records relating to elections and to the political party enrollments and to the work of county government in caring for the poor. Of interest are records pertaining to the service of Washtenaw County residents serving in the Civil War and in World War I.

Collection

Washtenaw Intermediate School District records, 1834-1966

1 linear foot — 21 oversize volumes — 1 portfolio

The records of the Washtenaw Intermediate School District predate the formal establishment of the District in 1962. Most probably, these materials were transferred from individuals concerned with the history of education and schools in Washtenaw County or from other previous county units responsible for the schools. The records have been arranged into four series: Nineteenth Century records; Manuscript school histories; Annual Statistical Reports; and Maps. The Annual Statistical Reports were for the Washtenaw County Township Clerk. These volumes, dating from school year 1902/03 to 1924/25, provide detailed information about the schools in the townships of the county. Included is the name of child, name of parent or guardian, number of children by sex, attendance records, names of teachers, and budget and salary information.

Collection

Wayne County Circuit Court records, 1822-1851

3 linear feet (34 microfilm rolls and 2000 items)

Microfilm of court journals, calendars, and case files; photocopy of court agenda, 1838; and miscellaneous case listings and indices; also selective photostatic copies of the microfilm.
Collection

W. B. Hinsdale papers, 1893-1942 (majority within 1922-1938)

4.25 linear feet — 1 oversize folder

Often termed the father of Michigan archaeology, Wilbert B. Hinsdale developed and cared for the collections of the Great Lakes Division of the Museum of Anthropology at the University of Michigan from 1922 to 1944, after retiring from his position as Dean of the Homeopathic Medical College. The papers contain correspondence, topical files related to archaeological subjects, site files for archaeological sites throughout Michigan, and personal scrapbooks, diaries, and photographs.

The W.B. Hinsdale Papers consist of five series: Personal, Correspondence, Topical Files, Writing and Michigan Site Files.

Collection

W. B. Pillsbury papers, 1858-1960 (majority within 1890-1942)

3.5 linear feet

Pillsbury was professor of psychology at the University of Michigan from 1897 to 1942. His papers include family and professional correspondence, University of Michigan materials, writings, and photographs.

The Walter B. Pillsbury papers consisting of correspondence, course materials, writings, and photographs documents the career of one of the significant leaders in the early development of psychology as a discipline. The collection was received in three principal accessions from Pillsbury and members of his family. The series in the collection are Biographical/personal, Professional Files, Photographs, and Family Papers.

Collection

Wealthy Park Baptist Church (Grand Rapids, Mich.) records, 1892-1982

16 linear feet

Church originally established as a Sunday school mission of Fountain Street Baptist Church in 1875. The Church was officially incorporated as Wealthy Street Baptist Church in 1886. In 1988, following the move of the church to the Grand Rapids suburbs, the name was changed to Wealthy Park Baptist Church. The record group has been arranged into the following series: Church Administration (2 linear ft.; 1892-1975); David Otis Fuller correspondence and sermon files (9.5 linear ft.; 1928-1985); Missionary correspondence (4.5 linear ft.; 1923-1980); and Photographs (0.1 linear ft.; ca. 1920s-1980s).

Wealthy Park Baptist Church Records have been divided into four series: CHURCH ADMINISTRATION; DAVID OTIS FULLER FILES; MISSIONARY CORRESPONDENCE; and PHOTOGRAPHS. The records document a wide variety of church activities, Reverend David Otis Fuller's career, and the experiences of missionaries who were sponsored by the church.

Collection

Wesleyan Methodist Church, Michigan Conference records [microform], 1852-1942

3 microfilms

Minutes, financial material, membership statistics, and biographies of ministers; and minutes, 1857-1916, of the Leoni Wesleyan Church.

The records include microfilm copies of conference minutes, 1852-1942 and a volume containing Leoni Wesleyan minutes, 1857- ca. 1860, and records of the Mutual Improvement Association of Michigan Conference, 1871-1917. The originals of these records are in the Archives, Wesleyan Church, Marion, Ind.

Collection

West Side United Methodist Church (Ann Arbor, Mich.) records, 1846-2000 (majority within 1950-1999)

16 linear feet (in 17 boxes) — 42.9 GB (online)

Online
Church originally established by German immigrant families to Ann Arbor, Michigan. Quarterly and annual reports of the church, records of church boards and commissions, Sunday School minutes and reports, subject files, publications, visual materials, and sound recordings.

The West Side United Methodist Church (Ann Arbor, Mich.) record group contains all extant records of the West Side United Methodist Church of Ann Arbor from its founding as the Erste Deutsche Methodisten Kirche in 1847 up to the 1990s. All records dating prior to World War I are in German, those from later time periods are in English.

Records from the German period are not complete, but do include quarterly conference meeting minutes (1847-1867 and 1883-1916), official board minutes (1897-1908), Sunday School board meeting minutes (1876-1915), Sunday School attendance and contribution records (1901-1918), a record of baptisms (1857-1901), minutes of meetings of the leaders (1901-1908), Epworth League minutes (1900-1917), and records on receipts and expenditures (1879-1893).

Records from the years since World War I vary in completeness depending on the time period. Records from the years prior to the move to the church on Seventh Street in 1952 are less complete than those for the most recent decades. For the period from World War I to 1952, the collection contains quarterly conference reports for most years; official board minutes (1922-1931 and 1944-1952); Board of Christian Education minutes and correspondence (1943-1952); Ladies Aid/Women's Society for Christian Service records (1935-1952); Sunday School board minutes and records on attendance, contributions, and expenditures (1923-1952 - incomplete); letters from former pastors and their wives upon celebrating the 40th anniversary of the Jefferson Street church (1934); photographs of the church building and activities of the congregation, yearbooks (1946-1952), and correspondence concerning the sale of the Jefferson Street church and the construction of the Seventh Street church (1949-1952).

The records for the years since 1952 are relatively complete and quite extensive. Included are quarterly (more recently annual) conference reports, minutes and correspondence of major boards and commissions (Administrative Council, Board of Trustees, Education, Evangelism, Finance, Memorials, Council on Ministries, Missions, Nominations, Outreach, Staff-Parish Relations, United Methodist Women, and Worship) plus various short-lived temporary committees and task forces, correspondence chronological files, subject files on special projects and events, church newsletters, Sunday bulletins, directories, and photographs of the church building and activities of the congregation.

The record group is arranged in six series: Quarterly and Annual Reports, Boards and Commissions File, Sunday School File, Topical File, Publications File, Photographs File, and Audiotapes, Films and Video.

Researchers interested in baptismal and marriage records should contact West Side United Methodist Church.

Collection

White family papers, 1822-1899, 1949

2 folders — 1 oversize folder

New York state and Ann Arbor, Michigan family. Genealogical materials, land grants and deeds, commissions, and other documents of various family members; and photographs.

The White family papers include genealogical materials, land grants and deeds, commissions, and other documents of various family members; and photographs.

Photographs include portraits of Alfred Holmes White, alone and with his wife, Rebecca D. White; informal photographs of the Whites' fiftieth wedding anniversary celebration; and photograph of Alfred White with chemistry students at University of Michigan.

Collection

Whitehead family papers, 1862-1900

0.3 linear feet

Papers of the Edward and Nellie Wilson Whitehead family of Coldwater, Branch County, Michigan. Family letters largely concerning daily activities, including occasional mention of land prices, social customs, fashions and health problems.

The collection of the Whitehead family of Coldwater, Michigan consists entirely of letters from family and friends. The correspondence centers around Edward and Nellie Wilson Whitehead, chiefly from Nellie Whitehead's sisters Lucy Wilson Gifford Smith, Leothie Wilson Culver, Orpha Wilson, and Laura Wilson, and her cousins Mary and Naomi Baker. The bulk of the letters were written in the 1870's when Edward and Nellie Whitehead were living in Webster and Churchville, New York. There are, however, a few earlier letters (the first being in 1862) as well as some later in the 1880's. With the last composed in 1900. The letters are all of a general type with an occasional passage discussing land prices and conditions, fashions of the days health problems, etc. The majority speak of family concerns-neighborhood and family gossip. The correspondence came from Angola, Indiana; Battle Creek, Batavia, Coldwater, Jackson, and Sturgis, Michigan; and Batavia, Churchville, and Webster, New York, with the largest share, naturally, coming from Michigan.

Collection

Whittemore Family Papers, 1817-1978

5 linear feet — 1 oversize volume — 1 oversize folder

Gideon O. Whittemore family of Pontiac and Tawas City, Michigan. Business and personal correspondence of Whittemore, his wife, their son James O. Whittemore, and other members of the Whittemore, Mack, and Abram Mathews families; also business and legal documents, sermons, photographs, and miscellaneous papers, covering family matters, Tawas City, Michigan (which the family founded), lumbering, journey of the Mormons across the United States and settlement in Salt Lake City, Utah, University of Michigan and its branches, and family genealogy.

The papers date from 1817 to 1978, and include correspondence, business papers, deeds, genealogical materials, photographs and other papers of Gideon O. Whittemore, his wife, their son James Olin Whittemore and other member of the Whittemore, Mack, Harlow, and Abram Mathews families. Letters of Temperance Mack and Almira Covey document in part the journey of the Mormons across the United States and settlement in Salt Lake City. Other papers relate to activities in Tawas City (which the family founded), lumbering interests, and other business matters. A portion of the papers of James Olin Whittemore pertain to his activities as a student at the University of Michigan, class of 1846.

The Whittemore family collection has been arranged into the following series: Correspondence; Other Family papers; Genealogical records; Temperance Mack letters and related; Individual Whittemore family members; Photographs; and Business and professional ledgers and daybooks.

Collection

W. H. Tipton photograph collection, circa 1890

1 envelope

William H. Tipton (1850-1929) was a Gettysburg, Pa.) photographer known for documenting the aftermath of the Battle of Gettysburg, monument dedications, and veteran reunions. Consists of photographs of monuments commemorating Michigan military units at the Gettysburg battlefield.

The collection consists of photographs of monuments commemorating Michigan military units at the Gettysburg battlefield.

Collection

Wilber M. Brucker Papers, 1877-1968

54 linear feet — 2 oversize folders — 22 GB (online)

Online
Prosecuting attorney of Saginaw County, Michigan, attorney general of Michigan, 1929-1931, governor, 1931-1932, general counsel to the Department of Defense during the Army-McCarthy Hearing, 1954-1955, and Secretary of the Army, 1955-1961. Correspondence, speeches, tapes, appointment books, scrapbooks, photograph albums, newspaper clippings, and other materials concerning his political career.

The Wilber M. Brucker Collection consists of correspondence, subject files, scrapbooks, tape recordings, visual materials, political ephemera, and other materials from a lifelong career in public service. The collection provides significant, though not always extensive, material on his activities as state attorney general, governor, and secretary of the army. In addition, the papers include documentation from Brucker's private career: his law practice, his involvement in the preparation of a plan for the reapportionment of the Michigan Legislature, his devotion to Republican Party causes, his activities with the Knights Templar of Michigan, and as a member of the World War I Rainbow Division. With some exceptions, the early phases of Brucker's life are not as well represented as one might hope. There is really no body of Brucker gubernatorial materials extant. What remains are scattered items, largely concerning the election campaigns of 1930 and 1932.

The collection has been arranged into twelve series: Biographical; Correspondence; Family Papers; Subject Files; Knights Templar; Rainbow Division; Appointment Books; Speeches; Secretary of the Army; Newspaper Clippings; Personal: Albums, Scrapbooks, etc.; and Visual Materials.

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

Will D. Perry diary, 1883

3 volumes (in 1 box)

Student in the Commercial Department, Hillsdale College. Diaries and trascriptions of diaries describing Perry's life as a student, and also working on his parents' farm; his hat business in Beatrice, Neb.

Diary describing his life as a student, and also working on his parents' farm. A second volume includes brief notes relating to his hat business in Beatrice, Neb. A transcription of both volumes, illustrated, prepared by Joyce Perry, accompanies the diary.

Collection

Will E. Hampton papers [microform], 1839-1959

2 microfilms

Online
Mayor of Charlevoix, Michigan, editor and publisher of the Charlevoix Courier 1890-1920, secretary of the state lodge of the Knights of Pythias. Includes correspondence and miscellaneous papers relating to the Knights of Pythias; and Civil War reminiscences and letters of his father, Carlos Hampton, surgeon with the Michigan 4th Infantry; and his mother's account of her Civil War experiences in Hunt County, Texas.

The Will Hampton papers consist of correspondence, poetry, speeches, and historical reminiscences of Will Hampton as well as poetry and reminiscences of his mother Cornelia C. Hampton and correspondence of his father Carlos D. Hampton relating to his service in the Civil War. The collection is arranged in three series: Cornelia C. Hampton, Carlos D. Hampton and Will E. Hampton.

Collection

William A. Comstock Papers, 1899-1949

14 linear feet — 2 oversize folders

Alpena, Michigan, businessman, University of Michigan regent and Democratic governor of Michigan, 1933-1934; correspondence, diaries, business papers, and other items, concerning Democratic party affairs, state and national elections, real estate and financial transactions, and photographs.

The William A. Comstock papers document activities of a businessman/promoter and a Democratic Party functionary. Although the collection dates from 1902 to 1949, the bulk of the papers date from 1919 to 1932, the period of Comstock's primary business involvements. The collection has been arranged into five series: Correspondence, Other Papers and Records, Business Record Books, Diaries, and Photographs.

Collection

William Augustus Lewis papers, 1840-1917

2 linear feet

Officer with the 23rd Michigan Volunteer Regiment during the Civil War, later Saginaw County, then Evart, Michigan, local government official. Biographical material, correspondence, Civil War files, and diaries relating to local and wartime activities, family matters, and professional activities.

The William Augustus Lewis papers include biographical material, correspondence, Civil War files, and diaries relating to local and wartime activities, family matters, and professional activities. the papers are organized into the following series. Biographical, Correspondence, Civil War, Miscellaneous, and Diaries.

Collection

William B. Mershon Papers, 1848-1943

46.5 linear feet — 1 oversize folder — 14 microfilms

Online
Saginaw, Michigan, lumberman and businessman, and Michigan State Tax Commissioner, 1912 and wildlife conservationist and sportsman. Papers include extensive correspondence files, business records and photographs.

The William Mershon collection consists of correspondence dealing with Mershon's various activities as a lumberman, Saginaw businessman, and member of the State Tax Commission in 1912. Subjects included in the papers are Michigan wildlife conservation, the Michigan Sportsmen Association, the Michigan Manufacturers Association, the Michigan State Tax Commission, Michigan politics, the Democratic party, personal business investments, lumbering and mining interest, and personal affairs.

The collection also includes diaries, a book of notes on hunting and fishing trips, and various business records such as cash books, time books, ledgers, and journals. These primarily concern his investments and lumbering business. Many of the business records are available on microfilm. The collection also includes photographs.

Collection

William Boston papers, 1862-1865

39 items — 3 volumes (in 1 box)

Online

Original and typescript of diaries (1862-1865) written while Boston was serving in Company H, 20th Michigan Infantry. The entries are chiefly descriptions of army life and battles in the campaign of Fredericksburg, first and second Kentucky campaigns, Vicksburg, the Wilderness, and Petersburg. National Park Service maps with a synopsis of the campaigns have been added to the typescript copy. The April 22, 1863 entry speaks of Frank Thompson (Sarah E. E. Seelye) as their brigade postmaster. The collection also contains thirty-seven letters (Jan. 1863-Apr. 1865) written to his aunts while Boston was serving in the 20th Michigan Infantry. He was sick and in hospital camps before Petersburg; once there, he gives accounts of activities there (Sept. 1864-Apr. 1865): picket duty, building fortifications, battles. He comments on food, the coming election, an African American regiment, General Burnside, the Sanitary and Christian Commissions, boxes from home, prisoners, the draft, and the reaction to the death of Lincoln. He describes two Thanksgiving dinners, and especially the fall of Petersburg. The collection also include's Boston's discharge certificate from the Union Army.

Collection

William Christian Weber Papers, 1858-1940

28 linear feet (in 30 boxes) — 15 oversize volumes — 15 oversize folders

Detroit, Michigan businessman and civic leader. Business correspondence relating to Weber's activities as a dealer in timber lands, his role as a member of the Art Commission in the development of Detroit, Michigan's Cultural Center, his involvement in the construction of the Detroit-Windsor bridge and tunnel and his activities during World War I; and correspondence and class notes of his sons, Harry B. and Erwin W. Weber, while attending University of Michigan; also photographs, including family portraits, aerial views of Windsor, Ontario, and Detroit, photographs of the construction of the Detroit-Windsor Tunnel and Ambassador Bridge, and glass negatives of family vacations in Upper Michigan, Ontario, and Quebec; and maps of land and timber holdings

The William C. Weber papers cover 28 linear feet (30 boxes), outsize folders, and 15 outsize volumes. Besides information on timber and mineral lands in Michigan, the important aspects of the Weber papers include information on the development of the Cultural Center of Detroit and Weber's very controversial role in it, items on the Detroit-Windsor bridge and tunnel and the development of the Border Cities, and the papers of his two sons, especially the letters they wrote as students at the University of Michigan and their class notes and examinations.

There is one foot of materials related to the Cultural Center (Box 19 and outsize folders) and another of the Detroit-Windsor Tunnel and Ambassador Bridge (Box 20 and outsize folders).

Architectural site plans and property maps of the Detroit Cultural Center are also found in the outsize unbound material.

The collection includes maps relating to Weber's his land holdings in northern Michigan and Windsor, Ontario, including maps of land survey, of timber estimates, and tax and title status for Michigan lands, maps of Windsor subdivisions, maps of coal mining region around Caryville, Tennessee and property maps of the Detroit Cultural Center.

Collection

William D. Corson Papers, 1896-1926

0.42 linear feet — 1 oversize folder

Soldier with the 31st Michigan Volunteer Infantry during the Spanish-American War. War-related documents, including bills, orders and passes, and pension applications; also financial materials, 1901-1902, relating to his involvement in the Ann Arbor Gun Club; and photographs.

The William D. Corson collection is primarily an accumulation of the momentos of a number of the men of the 31st Michigan Volunteer Infantry. Materials include newspaper clippings concerning the Michigan 31st both in Chattanooga and in Cuba, bills of purchases by the commissary in Cuba (many of these for cigars), orders and passes issued through the office of Captain Ross Granger, souvenirs, and photographs.

The collection also contains insurance policies, including those from the period of Corson's duty during the Spanish-American War and pension applications for veterans of the war. These applications were solicited by law firms and seem to represent a thriving local industry.

The rest of the collection contains material collected after the Spanish-American War when Corson was a saloon proprietor. Included are photographs of the saloon taken around 1910. Corson was also the secretary and treasurer of the Ann Arbor Gun Club and kept shooting scores, bills, receipts and an account book of the club. An oversized group portrait shows Corson and other members of the club.

In addition, the collection includes photographs of family and friends, Ann Arbor scenes, a group portrait of the veterans of the 31st Michigan Volunteer Infantry, and photos of military activities, while training in the United States and while stationed in Cuba. A number of advertising cards for several local Ann Arbor businesses are included and probably date prior to 1910.

Collection

William Harold Payne papers, 1853-1933

2 linear feet

Professor of pedagogy at the University of Michigan; chancellor of University of Nashville and president of Peabody Normal College. Correspondence and other papers concerning his activities in education and family matters.

The collection has been arranged into two series: Correspondence and Other papers. The correspondence dates from 1853 to 1933 and includes many letters addressed to his second wife Elizabeth Clark prior to their marriage. The Other Papers series concerns his activities as an educator and college president. Materials in this series include addresses, lectures, autobiographical and biographical volumes, personal account books, visual material, and other miscellaneous notebooks.

Collection

William Henry Phelps papers, 1872-1939

2 linear feet

Methodist Episcopal clergyman and editor of Michigan Christian Advocate. Correspondence relating to his editorial work and his interest in economic and labor problems, including the Flint, Michigan, Sit-Down Strike of 1937; also sermons, student paper, notebooks of classes at Albion College, and record of weddings performed in 1913 at the First Methodist Church of Battle Creek, Michigan; and photographs.

The collection is arranged into three series: Correspondence, Sermons, and Other Materials. The great bulk of the collection is comprised of the manuscripts of his sermons in the period of 1895 to 1915.

Collection

William Herbert Hobbs pamphlets and reprints, 1889-1951

1 box

Professor of Geology at the University of Michigan; reprints of articles on various geological topics including his research and exploration in Greenland.

The Hobbs collections consists of pamphlets and reprints of articles on various geological topics including his research and exploration in Greenland.

Collection

William Herbert Hobbs papers, 1880-1955 (majority within 1905-1951)

13 linear feet (in 15 boxes) — 13 scrapbooks (in 7 boxes)

Professor of Geology at the University of Michigan, also chairman of the Ann Arbor Branch of the National Security League during World War I. His papers contain correspondence and other materials concerning his activities with the National Security League, a dispute over the political views of Charles Lindbergh, polar expeditions, and his work in the fields of geology, seismology, and meteorology. The collection also includes manuscripts of published and unpublished books and articles, biographical material, scrapbooks and notebooks detailing the University of Michigan expeditions to the Pacific and Greenland, and travel notes of trips to the Near East, Spain, the West Indies, Switzerland, and Russia.

The William Herbert Hobbs papers, 1880-1955, is comprised of correspondence, scrapbooks, manuscripts, printed material, and photographs documenting Hobbs' professional, political, and personal activities. Correspondence and other materials concern his activities with the National Security League, a dispute over the political views of Charles Lindbergh, opinions and reviews of his writings and those of other scientists, communications with newspapers and colleagues regarding various expeditions, and his work in the fields of geology, polar exploration, seismology, and meteorology. The collection also includes manuscripts of published and unpublished books and articles, biographical material, scrapbooks and notebooks detailing the University of Michigan expeditions to the Pacific and Greenland, and travel notes of trips to the Near East, Spain, the West Indies, Switzerland, and Russia.

Collection

William H. Lightner scrapbook, 1873-1878

0.1 linear feet

This unbound scrapbook contains invitations and programs to various University of Michigan social events including Junior Hops and commencement exercises from Ann Arbor High School (1874-1877) and the University of Michigan (1874-1877). The scrapbook also contains receipts, report card slips, tickets, school songs, Psi Upsilon Fraternity member death notices, a graduation examination, 1 small publication (titled: A Card), as well as other small souvenirs and ephemera.

Collection

William H. Turnbull scrapbook, 1887-1895

1 volume (in 1 box)

This scrapbook contains programs, invitation, receipts, and other memorabilia from his years as a student at the University of Michigan.

Collection

William H. Withington papers [microform], 1853-1909

2 microfilms

Civil War officer, banker, Republican State Representative and Senator from Jackson, Michigan. Correspondence, special orders, notes, business papers, and miscellaneous items, primarily relating to his Civil War service as Colonel of the Seventeenth Michigan Infantry, and to a possible appointment to the U.S. Senate in 1894; also notes on the management of the Withington & Cooley Manufacturing Company, 1895-1903, diary of a European trip, 1897, and photographs.

The papers of William H. Withington consist of correspondence, special orders, notes, and miscellaneous items relating to his Civil War service as Colonel of the Seventeenth Michigan Infantry; business records of the Withington & Cooley Manufacturing Company, correspondence and other material concerning his political career as Republican state legislator and state senator.

This collection is divided into four series: Civil War Activities, Personal Papers, Withington & Cooley Manufacturing Company Records, all of which are arranged chronologically, and Newspaper Clippings.

Collection

William K. Anderson Papers, 1878-1967 (majority within 1936-1964)

3 linear feet — 1 oversize volume

Detroit, Michigan, businessman, founder of Detroit Power Squadron and officer with its parent body, the United States Power Squadrons. Series in the collection include United States Power Squadrons; Boating Organizations; Published and unpublished articles and speeches; World War II Activities; Personal and Miscellaneous; and Photographs.

The papers of William K. Anderson consist primarily of materials relating to his life-long interest in boating, navigation, and other marine activities. Most heavily documented are those files detailing his involvement with various powerboat groups, the United States Power Squadrons and the Detroit Power Squadron being the most prominent. The collection has been divided into six series: United States Power Squadrons, Boating Organizations, Writings, World War II Activities, Miscellaneous and Personal, and Photographs.

Collection

William Livingstone and family papers, 1850-1995 (majority within 1865-1925)

2 reels (in 4 boxes) — 1 oversize volume — 1 oversize folder

Livingstone was a Detroit, Michigan businessman, banker, and newspaper publisher. He was an advocate of improving shipping on the Great Lakes, helping to found the Lake Carriers' Association. Livingstone successfully lobbied Congress for funds to construct a channel in the lower Detroit River (the Livingstone Channel). The collection consists of manuscript and visual materials, some of which were collected by later family members. Included are diaries and account books, 1871-1882 (scattered) and 1925; correspondence and newspaper clippings; subject files pertaining to the Dime Savings Bank and the Lake Carriers' Association; and a speech book containing draft of speech written for James G. Blaine, presidential candidate in 1884. Visual materials include photographs and drawings.

The papers of William Livingstone consist of manuscript and visual materials, some of which were collected by later family members. The papers include diaries and account books, 1871-1882 (scattered) and 1925; correspondence and newspaper clippings; subject files pertaining to the Dime Savings Bank and the Lake Carriers' Association; and a speech book containing draft of speech written for James G. Blaine, presidential candidate in 1884. Many of the letters in the collection were personal communications sent to Marion Scherer from family and friends while she was away at school. Visual materials include family photographs and drawings. The collection is organized into three series, William Livingston Jr. Topical Files, Correspondence, and Visual Materials.

Collection

William M. Dewing diary, 1858-1864

1 volume

Farmer near present-day Cranbrook, Michigan. Description of daily life.

Brief descriptions of everyday life. Transcribed by Miriam E. Kushner.

Collection

William M. Greene papers, 1850-1863

1 linear foot

Online

Five letters (1862-63) written to his sister while Greene served in the Union army during the Civil War. He describes the Blue Ridge Mountains region while on a march, speaks of the monotony of camp life, describes winter quarters near Fredericksburg, mentions a box from home, comments on home news and the men in his company, tells of a boat trip from Fredericksburg to Newport News, of their new camp, and of purchasing oysters.

Collection

William Montague Ferry family papers [microfilm], 1823-1904

2 microfilms (0.8 linear feet and 1 oversize folder)

Online
William Montague Ferry served as missionary to Indians at Michilimackinac, Michigan for the United Foreign Missionary Society, 1822-1834 and as clergyman in Grand Haven, Michigan. William Montague Ferry, Jr. served in the 14th Michigan Infantry in the Civil War, as University of Michigan Regent and later moved to Park City, Utah where he was active in Democratic Party politics. Thomas W. Ferry served as congressman, 1865 to 1871, and as U.S. Senator from 1871 to 1883. Papers include correspondence describing missionary work of William M. Ferry, Sr., civil war letters of William M. Ferry, Jr., some political correspondence of Thomas W. Ferry, and letters of Amanda White Ferry, wife of William Sr.

The Ferry family collection consists of letters and typescripts of letters from William Montague Ferry and his wife Amanda White Ferry describing their trip from Ashfield, Massachusetts, to Mackinac Island and their missionary work among the Indians; letters, 1862-1901, of Colonel William M. Ferry, University of Michigan regent, particularly to his wife and other relatives while serving in the Fourteenth Michigan Infantry during the Civil War; speeches and letters from contemporary politicians to Thomas White Ferry, lumberman and U.S. Senator; and two scrapbooks of newspaper clippings on the Ferry family. Correspondents in the collection include: Susan B. Anthony, Henry P. Baldwin, Zachariah Chandler, Schuyler Colfax, William M. Evarts, Hamilton Fish, Rutherford B. Haye, Whitelaw Reid, and Elizabeth Cady Stanton

Collection

William M. Woodworth papers, 1895, 1900-1901

1 folder

This collection consists of a copy of Woodworth's last will and testament, 1895; privately printed copy of pamphlet of his "Poems" (1900), and letter written upon his return to Grayling, 1901.

Collection

William Palmer Wells papers, 1879, undated

0.4 linear feet (2 items and 4 v.)

Professor of Law at University of Michigan. Papers consist of a communication to University of Michigan Board of Regents requesting leave of absence; doctor's report on his health; and four volumes of notes for his law lectures.

The William P. Wells papers consist of a communication to University of Michigan Board of Regents requesting leave of absence; doctor's report on his health; and four volumes of notes for his law lectures.

Collection

Williams family papers, 1838-1953

2 linear feet

A. L. Williams family of Owosso, Michigan. Personal and business correspondence of A. L. Williams, Owosso, Michigan pioneer, railroad entrepreneur, and spiritualist; and personal letters of other members of the family, including May Williams Dewey, wife of E. O. Dewey (Thomas E. Dewey family); and miscellaneous newspaper clippings, business ledgers, and personal and business diaries concerning business affairs and daily activities; "spirit messages" received from departed family and others; also photographs.

The Williams Family [Owosso] collection consists of 2 linear feet of material. It includes the personal and business papers of four generations of Williamses from 1838 to 1953. However, the bulk of the material relates to the family of Alfred Leonzo Williams between 1860 and 1890.

Collection

William Shadford photograph collection, circa 1890-1901

1 folder

Ann Arbor, Mich. resident. Consists of interior and exterior photographs of various Ann Arbor, Michigan, businesses.

The collection consists of interior and exterior photographs of various Ann Arbor, Michigan, businesses.