Collections : [University of Michigan Bentley Historical Library]

First governor of Michigan; correspondence, drafts of letters to Andrew Jackson and to Secretary of State John Forsyth; draft of his inaugural address, 1838 and of other messages to the Legislature; topics covered include the Toledo War and the dispute arising from his appointment as Secretary of the Michigan Territory.

The Mason papers include correspondence, drafts of letters to Andrew Jackson and to Secretary of State John Forsyth; draft of his inaugural address, 1838 and of other messages to the Legislature; topics covered include the Toledo War and the dispute arising from his appointment as Secretary of the Michigan Territory. The Mason papers have been arranged into three series: Correspondence (covering the years 1831-1842); Other papers; and Addresses and messages to the Legislature in the period of 1834 to 1840.

Albion, Michigan, family. Papers of Barton Stout Taylor, Methodist clergyman; diaries of his wife, Elizabeth Gurney Taylor, detailing her everyday activities; papers of Ralph Wendell Taylor, alumnus of University of Michigan and teacher in the Philippine Islands, 1901-1908; and other family materials.

The Taylor family papers consist of correspondence Barton Stout Taylor, Methodist clergyman; diaries of his wife, Elizabeth Gurney Taylor, detailing her everyday activities; papers of Ralph Wendell Taylor, alumnus of University of Michigan and teacher in the Philippine Islands, 1901-1908; and other family materials. The collection is arranged into the following series: Correspondence; Family miscellaneous, Barton S. Taylor; Elizabeth Gurney Taylor; and Other family members.

Township meeting minutes; highway commissioners, 1827-1831; assessment rolls, 1832-1838; also miscellaneous school records, districts 1 and 5; and election record books, 1827-1860.

Township in eastern Washtenaw County, Michigan. The record group consists of a scattering of early nineteenth century Ypsilanti Township records, mainly in the period of 1827 to 1838. These include minutes of township meetings and of the highway commission, and assessment rolls. Another portion of the record group consists of records of individual school districts.

Camilla and Ethel Green were mother and daughter who resided in the Ann Arbor, Michigan area from the late 1800s through their deaths in 1955 and 1988, respectively. Both women corresponded prolifically with their family, friends and former students. This collection consists primarily of their letters, which are largely organized chronologically if not already grouped by correspondent.

This collection reflects the papers amassed by Camilla and Ethel Green over nearly a century. It is divided into four series: Family Background and Documents, University of Michigan, Correspondence, Photographs. The bulk of the collection occurs from 1910 to 1955 and features correspondence with various friends and family members; a large portion of the letters has been organized by correspondent and/or the correspondent's family, and the remainder is sorted chronologically.

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.

Paulus den Bleyker family of Kalamazoo, Michigan. Papers of Paulus den Bleyker, his son John, John's wife, Anna Balch den Bleyker, and other family members relating to family and business affairs.

The collection includes the correspondence and business papers of Paulus den Bleyker, papers of his son John den Bleyker and John's wife Anna Balch, Paulus' daughter, Martha, and other family members and descendents. Much of the correspondence is in Dutch, but an English calendar of these letters (in box 1) has been prepared by Harry DeVries and Effa Zwier.

Many of the papers for the years 1828-1851 are on affairs in Holland and the den Bleyker settlement near Kalamazoo. For the years 1851-1856, the correspondence deals with personal affairs, the building of a flour mill and a saw mill and land transactions. For the years 1856-1857, there are many letters from family and friends but the bulk of them concern den Bleyker's real estate dealings. For 1872 to 1936, the correspondence is of John and Anna Balch den Bleyker and relates to family and business.

Of special significance in the collection is the file of letters exchanged between Paulus den Bleyker and A.C. Van Raalte, the founder of the Dutch community in Holland, Michigan.

Minutes, rosters of ministers, and statistical and financial records; also retired records of individual Presbyterian churches, including the; and miscellaneous synodical files.

The record group includes record books of defunct Presbyterian churches within the Presbytery. Most of these are Detroit churches: Cadillac Boulevard, Broadstreet United, Third Street Union Mission Sunday School, Church of the Redeemer, Forest Avenue, Marston Avenue, and the Welsh United. Also included are Hamtramck United Presbyterian Church, Waterford Center Presbyterian Church, and Ida Presbyterian Church. A valuable source of information about the churches of the Presbytery is the Church Files series which includes annual reports, membership directories, clippings, and other materials relating to church activities. The Administrative records and topical files is of value for evidence of the church's role in issues of race and poverty. The minutes of Presbytery meetings contain the earliest records of the organization dating back to 1828.

State geologist of Michigan. Field notes, 1837-1841, of his geological survey of the state, including some original drawings [original and typescript copies, and microfilm of pages 197-291]; letter book, 1841-1845; miscellaneous correspondence and field notes, including letter, May 31, 1841, to Abram Sager; notes and other papers collected by Mrs. John Ehlers for her book on Houghton, including copies of papers of Bela Hubbard; and photographs.

The Douglass Houghton manuscript collection at the Michigan Historical Collections includes one volume of field notes, 1837-1841; typed transcripts of the field notes; a one volume letterpress book, 1841-1845; miscellaneous correspondence, newspaper clippings and other papers (photostats and typescripts of materials in other repositories); and notes collected by Mrs. John Ehlers for a book on Houghton.

An appendix to this finding aid contains an inventory to the manuscript maps found in the collection, and other Houghton maps.

The reports of Houghton's work for the Michigan Geological Survey have been published in Geological Reports of Douglass Houghton: First State Geologist of Michigan, 1837-1845, Lansing, Mich.: Michigan Historical Commission 1928. [MHC call number EA/153/MG345/G345, available online through HathiTrust]

The collection incldues biographical sketch of Zina Pitcher and the Backus-Pitcher family genealogical information. Correspondence includes scattered letters relating to Pitcher's activities as Medical School professor at the University of Michigan; Emily Louisa Pitcher's undated letter to the University of Michigan President Angell in which she writes about Dr. Pitcher's professional accomplishments; a letter by the former University of Michigan professor of botany and founder of the Harvard Herbarium Asa Gray, addressed to Emily Pitcher. Collected Backus family papers include Civil War documents. Also included documents relating to Detroit property, notably a deed agreement with the Association for the Promotion of Female Education.

Utica, Michigan attorney, justice of the peace, and state representative. Correspondence mainly concerning family, legal, and political affairs; also scattered municipal and township records, 1846-1865, for Utica and Shelby and Sterling townships in Macomb County, Michigan, especially school records; and miscellaneous business and legal papers, poems, essays, and notebooks.

The papers of Seth K. Shetterly cover the years 1835-1934 though the bulk of the material falls between 1850 and 1890. The papers are arranged into four series: Correspondence, Municipal and Township Records, Miscellaneous Papers, and Diaries and Ledgers.

Presbyterian church established in Ypsilanti, Michigan in 1829; Church registers, session minutes; records of woman's missionary society and ladies aid society; records, 1906-1940, of board of trustees; and records, 1830-1846, of the First Congregational Society.

The record group includes registers containing record of baptisms, marriages, and membership. In addition, there are early record books of the church, including session minutes. Many of the records relate to groups within the church, especially the Woman's Missionary Society and the Ladies Aid Society. The remainder of the record group is comprised of miscellaneous early documents, history and background information, and a scattering of photographs.

Papers of the Stewart, Van Akin, and Seymour families, of Flint, Michigan. Includes correspondence, genealogies, newspaper clippings, family memorabilia and photographs.

The collection consists of four series: Jennings-Van Akin-Burd, Tilden-Stewart, Stewart-Seymour, and Visual Materials. The strength of the collection lies in its documentation of the history of the Stewart and Seymour families, especially the family correspondence from the nineteenth and early twentieth centuries.

Edward (Ed) Nicholas Cole was a President of General Motors Corporation and highly influential automotive engineer. His wife Dollie Ann was a well-known philanthropist and socialite in Michigan and Texas. Collection include correspondence, reports, technical records, speech transcripts, genealogical papers, photographs, audiovisual materials and scrapbooks.

The Edward Nicholas and Dollie Ann Cole papers contain materials from influential automotive exectuive Edward Nicholas Cole and his wife Dollie Ann Cole. The collection has been organized into two series:

The Edward Nicholas Cole series contains correspondence, business records, reports, photographs, audiovisual materials, transcripts, and blueprints. The series has been divided into four subseries: the Correspondence subseries contains personal and professional letters, the Project Files subseries includes documents related to Cole's career with General Motors, Chevrolet, Checker Motors Corporation and other projects. The Speeches and Appearences subseries chronicles Cole's public speaking engagements in the early 1970s and the Personal Materials subseries contains photographs, audiovisual materials and other materials related to Cole's family and recreational interests.

The Dollie Ann Cole series contains correspondence, papers, photographs and scrapbooks. The series has been organized into two subseries: the Correspondence series which contains letters dated between 1968-1976 and the Topical files series which includes materials related to Cole's charitable and community work, her media appearances and other pursuits.

Detroit businessman, Republican governor of Michigan (1873-1876) and candidate for the US Senate in 1881; correspondence, speeches, newspaper clippings, and other materials concerning politics, business interests, and state government.

The Bagley collection includes correspondence, speeches, newspaper clippings, and other materials concerning politics and his various business interests. There are also subject files relating to the Centennial Exposition at Philadelphia in 1876 which took place during his gubernatorial administration. The clipping files are of value for articles on Isaac P. Christiancy and Zachariah Chandler and for newspaper coverage of his term as governor and his unsuccessful campaign for senator.

Speeches and publications, 1830-1856, of Lewis Cass, democratic politician.

Speeches and publications, 1830-1856, of Lewis Cass, democratic politician. Topics include, prosecution of the war and Mexico, extension of slavery in Kansas and Nebraska territories, railroad land grants and other internal improvement projects and foreign affairs. Some speeches were delivered in the U.S. Senate, other at various civic or ceremonial affairs.

Republican State Senator from Monroe County, Michigan, 1850-1851, Michigan Supreme Court Justice, 1858-1875, U.S. Senator, 1875-1879, and U.S. Minister to Peru. Letters to his children, business letters from his law partner Robert M. McClelland, Catholic Bishop Peter P. LeFevre and Nathaniel L. Christiancy; legal documents, Civil War address, Michigan Supreme Court docket book, and miscellaneous papers.

The Isaac Peckham Christiancy collection relates primarily to the period in his career prior to becoming a United States Senator and Minister to Peru. The papers have been arranged into the following series: Background Information; Correspondence; Business, financial, and miscellaneous; Legal files: law practice and Michigan Supreme Court. Of note are letters to his children and business letters from his law partner Robert M. McClelland, Catholic Bishop Peter P. LeFevre and Nathaniel L. Christiancy. In addition, there is an address he gave during the Civil War.

Correspondence, 1861-1864, of family members who served in the Civil War, including brothers William Baird (Co. C, 6th Michigan Cavalry and later Co. K, 23rd U.S. Colored Infantry) and Henry C. Baird (Co. L, 7th Michigan Cavalry), cousins William E. Baird (Co. E, 22nd Michigan Infantry) and Frederick Diem (Co. C, 6th Michigan Cavalry); other family correspondence of the Civil War era, a reminiscence by William Baird of his family history and Civil War experiences, and miscellanea. William Baird's reminiscence includes an account of his parentage, life on a farm in St. Clair County, early schooling and teaching experiences, and his experiences in the Civil War. He enlisted in Company C, 6th Michigan Cavalry in 1862, and was in winter camp in Washington. The highlights of his journal are the battle of Gettysburg, where he was wounded; studying in a Philadelphia hospital to become a commissioned officer; the granting of his commission through the help of Representative Francis W. Kellogg, and his assignment as first lieutenant to Company K, 23rd U. S. Colored Infantry.

Family from Flint, and East Saginaw, Michigan; family correspondence.

The collection consists of papers and a photograph album. The papers, 1830-1919, of the Clarke and DeLand family of Flint and East Saginaw, Michigan. Clarke family materials include correspondence of Daniel Clarke and family, notably letters of Mary Flint (Mrs. Daniel Clarke) written from Argentina, 1837-1844, and letters of William Flint Clarke, written while he was a student at the University of Michigan, 1869-1873. DeLand family materials consist of correspondence of Charles V. DeLand and family, including letters of his daughter, Dell DeLand Clarke. The collection also includes miscellaneous writings and printed material, and an early account book of Leonard G. Perry. The photograph album is contains portraits of the members of the class of 1873 of the University of Michigan. This album also contains portraits of members of the faculty, views of University buildings, and various group images.

Flint, Michigan industrialist; governor of Michigan, 1865-1868. Correspondence concerning land speculations, lumbering, and political activities; correspondence of his son primarily relating to estate and land holdings; speeches, notes and other papers detailing his gubernatorial administration; deeds and other papers concerning land purchases in Ohio, Iowa, and Michigan; newspaper clippings, biographical material and obituaries; journals, diaries, notebooks, letter book, political scrapbook, 1866-1869, executive journal of state of Michigan, 1865-1867, farm records and accounts; and photographs.

The Crapo papers have been arranged into the following series: Correspondence; Personal and Biographical; Political; Business records; and Miscellaneous (mainly financial). The collection relates primarily to the career of Henry H. Crapo with the files dating after 1869 pertaining to the business activities and political activities of his son W. W. Crapo.

In 1992, the bulk of the Crapo papers was microfilmed. This finding aid begins with a listing of the contents of the microfilm followed by a container listing of those portions of the collection which were not microfilmed. For reasons of preservation, the researcher should use the microfilm copy. Access to the original materials will be limited to the unmicrofilmed portions of the Crapo papers.

University of Michigan professor of law, Detroit, Michigan, attorney, Michigan Supreme Court justice. Family correspondence, journal of trip to Sandusky, Ohio, in 1844, and lecture materials; also papers of Valeria Campbell, corresponding secretary of the Soldiers' Aid Society of Detroit, U. S. Sanitary Commission, concerning the society, the Detroit Soldiers' Home, and other relief agencies; and University student letters, 1872-1876, of Henry M. Campbell.

The James V. Campbell papers include materials documenting Campbell's career as professor of law at the University of Michigan, lawyer, and Michigan State Supreme court justice as well as papers of other Campbell family members. The papers include family correspondence, a journal of a trip to Sandusky, Ohio, in 1844, and lecture materials; also papers of Valeria Campbell, corresponding secretary of the Soldiers' Aid Society of Detroit, U. S. Sanitary Commission, concerning the society, the Detroit Soldiers' Home, and other relief agencies; and University student letters, 1872-1876, of Henry M. Campbell.