Collections : [University of Michigan Bentley Historical Library]

History, administrative and financial records, files of church organizations, publications, and papers of individual pastors; also record books (prior to 1875) of Frederick Schmid, formerly pastor of the Bethlehem Church, now Bethlehem United Church of Christ; and photographs.

The records of Zion Lutheran Church of Ann Arbor span the years 1875-1981. Those records in the collection which date before 1875 were kept by the Rev. Frederick Schmid probably when he was minister of the Bethlehem Church. These record books (in box 12) include two volumes of baptismal records, a family register, and a record book of marriages performed. These four volumes date from 1833 to approximately 1875 when Zion was established. The volumes are in German.

Except for these volumes, the records in the collection are of Zion Lutheran Church. Included are historical materials, administrative and financial records, records of church organizations, church bulletins and newsletters, membership records, and sermons and collected materials of the church's pastors. The earlier records of the church are usually in German.

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.

Philo E. and Fannie E. Pettibone Wright family of Detroit, Michigan. Personal papers of Fannie Wright with her husband Philo, her brother Sherman Pettibone, her daughters Virginia, Maude, and Evelyn, her son Philo S., and other members of the family, concerning family affairs and the genealogy of the Wright and Pettibone families.

The collection has been arranged by name of family member. Included is personal correspondence of Fannie Wright with her husband Philo E., her brother Sherman Pettibone, daughters Virginia, Maude, and Evelyn, son Philo S., and other members of the family, concerning family affairs and the genealogy of the Wright and Pettibone families. There are also fifty-seven volumes of Fannie E. Wright's diaries, 1863-1925, recording family news, social events, and home activities in Detroit, Michigan. Also of interest are account books of the Sherman Pettibone farm of Tallmadge, Ohio, and account books of Philo S. Wright, 1893-1913. Photographs in the collection consist of individual and group portraits of family members; photographs of family homes; and photographs of boating on the Detroit River.

Residents of New Jersey, New York, and Michigan. In Michigan, the Woodruffs settled the area known as Woodruff's Grove, which later formed a key part of Ypsilanti, Mich. Includes modern copies of photographic portraits of Benjamin Woodruff and his wife, Freelove Sanford Woodruff, residents of Woodruff's Grove.

The Woodruff family photograph collection includes modern copies of photographic portraits of Benjamin Woodruff and his wife, Freelove Sanford Woodruff.

The Smith-Parker-Hicks-Winegar Family Papers document the history of several branches of the family who settled in Southern Michigan in the mid-1830s. The collection's seven series contain genealogical records, biographical materials, financial and business records, family correspondence, travel papers, military papers, as well as collected news clippings and scrapbooks about the Detroit Tigers.

The Smith-Parker-Hicks-Winegar Family Papers comprises the papers of various family members collected and maintained by Dr. George and Mrs. Lois Winegar. The collection is divided into seven series: Genealogical Papers and Miscellaneous Family Records, the Robert R. Smith papers, the Blanche Smith Parker papers, the Lois V. Parker Hicks papers, the W. J. Bryan Hicks papers, the George and Lois Winegar papers, and the Detroit Tigers Scrapbooks and Collected Material. The collection is organized around individual family members except for the first series, which contains genealogical and personal papers of multiple people from various family branches.

Professor of geology and paleontology at the University of Michigan, director of the Michigan Geological Survey, and chancellor of Syracuse University, popular lecturer and writer on scientific topics and as a Methodist layman who worked to reconcile traditional religious beliefs to nineteenth-century developments in the fields of evolutionary biology, cosmology, geology, and paleontology. Papers include extensive diaries, field notes and maps from travels and geological expeditions, correspondence, speeches, articles and other publications and photographs.

The papers of Alexander Winchell are those of an orderly man who carefully documented his own life through well-organized correspondence, diaries, notebooks, and scrapbooks. Winchell kept thorough evidence of his activities, writings, lectures, and thoughts, for most of his life. The only area that seems poorly documented is his university teaching. The collection does not appear to include significant material relating to relationships with students in the classroom.

"Alexander Winchell, an editorial tribute," published in The American Geologist (Feb. 1892, MHC call number DB/2/W759/A512), includes a year-by-year account of Winchell's life, based on the papers, and probably written by his brother N. H. Winchell. Although there are no footnotes in this work, it provides a useful summary of Winchell's activities and clues to the existence of documentation in the collection.

The collection is divided into six major series: Biographical, Correspondence, Diaries and journals, Writings and lectures, Reference and research files, and Scrapbooks; and three smaller series: Visual materials, Processing notes, and Card files.

Winchell's bibliography is located in Box 1 (the most complete copy is in the "Permanent memoranda" volume), and drafts of many of his writings are found in Boxes 8-14. Copies of many, but not all, of Winchell's publications are found in the MHC printed collection. The card catalog includes details for all separately cataloged items. There are also three collections of pamphlets that are not inventoried: two slightly different bound sets prepared by N. H. Winchell after Alexander Winchell's death (MHC call numbers DA/2/W759/M678/Set A and DA/2/W759/M678/Set B) and a two-box collection of pamphlets collected by the University Library (MHC call number Univ. of Mich. Coll./J/17/W759).

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.

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.

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.

Marquette, Michigan businessman, Democratic state senator, and Republican regent of the University of Michigan. Letterbooks and correspondence relating to activities in the Democratic Party in Michigan, particularly in the Upper Peninsula, to his service within the state legislature, and to state and national elections, 1876-1896; also correspondence and other records concerning his extensive business interests that include Northern Michigan iron, insurance, banking, and general investments.

The collection documents the development of the economy of the Upper Peninsula of Michigan from the perspective of one of its pioneer entrepreneurs. Through correspondence and other business records, there is documentation of White's extensive business interests in Northern Michigan iron, insurance, and banking. Other portions of the collection concern his service in the state legislature and his involvement in state and national elections, 1876-1896.

Peter White's correspondence, the largest portion of the collection, has been divided into two series: correspondence/business papers and insurance correspondence. The papers for 1850-1853 deal with White's activities as clerk for Robert Graveraet. Also discussed in this early period are legal matters with some material on his work as postmaster and various family matters. The correspondence for 1854-1862 deals with early mining companies with whom he had association and provides some information about the financial aspect of various organizations. White acted as a marketing agent for several companies and this aspect is covered well. The term served by White in the state legislature is covered very sparsely.

Beginning in 1863 White activities expand to encompass insurance and banking concerns. While the iron interest is well represent in the papers for 1863-1873, insurance and banking occupy an increasingly important place. After 1874, White's insurance business is heavily represented in the correspondence. Banking also continues to occupy an important place but the iron companies are far less frequently a subject of discussion. Local politics is also discussed in the correspondence for 1874-1891. As someone who had been actively engaged in politics and public service, White commented on state and national election campaigns from the 1870s to the 1890s. Most notable are letters exchanged pertaining to the campaign of Williams Jennings Bryan in the presidential election of1896. Beginning in 1902, the insurance correspondence decrease and the investment phase of White's career make itself evident. After 1900 correspondence with the University of Michigan and its history department becomes more important.

The remainder of the collection consists of Business Records, divided between folder records and bound records. Each of these series includes records of specific companies with whom Peter White was associated. These include the Phenix Iron Mining Company, the Michigan God Company, the Manhard-Jopling Company, the Lake Superior Leather Company, and the Schoolcraft Iron Company.

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.

Lapeer, Michigan businessman; correspondence and other business papers.

The White collection includes correspondence and other business papers relating to his real estate transactions. There is also a personal account book and an account book of the White and Langdon general store, 1843-1845.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

Colorado clergyman, proponent of the creation of the Black Canyon of the Gunnison River as a national monument, U.S. Army chaplain during World War II. Correspondence with family members while serving as chaplain during World War II, also other documents from his military service, including programs from services he performed during the war; papers accumulated from his career as Presbyterian minister in Colorado, especially notes from sermons; scattered papers of other, earlier family members; and Black Canyon Monument series which includes correspondence, blueprints and landscaping designs, clippings, and various publications; files relating to research and writing of book about Black Canyon; and photographs and postcards of the area.

The Mark T. Warner Papers (3 linear ft.) include correspondence with family members while serving as chaplain during World War II and other documents from his military service, including programs from services he performed during the war; papers accumulated from his career as Presbyterian minister in Colorado, especially notes from sermons; scattered papers of other, earlier family members; and papers relating to is efforts to have Black Canyon Monument established. The papers are organized into of five series: Personal; Chronological; Church Files, Military Files; and Black Canyon Monument.

Republican governor of Michigan, 1905-1910. Account books, and legal and business papers of P. Dean Warner, Oakland County, Michigan, farmer and cheese manufacturer; and political scrapbooks and other papers of his adopted son, Fred M. Warner, largely concerning election campaigns; and photographs.

The Fred M. Warner papers include papers of P. Dean Warner and Fred M. Warner. Included are letters, legal documents, business papers, a volume recording customers of Warner's cheese business, and scrapbooks. Except for a few folders relating to aid given to California following the 1906 earthquake, there are few documents relating to Warner's terms as governor.

Professor of law at the University of Michigan. Papers collected relating to the founding of the University; include original draft of the act to establish the Catholepistemiad, table explaining meaning of names of professorships, various drafts and amendments, receipts, correspondence, and related documents; contain papers drafted or signed by Augustus B. Woodward, John Monteith, and William Woodbridge.

Collected documents relating to the founding of the University, including original draft of the act to establish the Catholepistemiad, table explaining meaning of names of professorships, various drafts and amendments, receipts, correspondence, and related documents; contain papers drafted or signed by Augustus B. Woodward, John Monteith, and William Woodbridge.

Papers of Helen B. Van Tyne and earlier members of the Belfield family. Civil War papers and family correspondence of Henry H. Belfield, founder of the Chicago Manual Training School; and papers, 1944-1971, of Helen Van Tyne, Ann Arbor, Michigan civic leader and member of the citizens advisory council of the Washtenaw County Juvenile Court, concerning her interest in the problem of juvenile delinquency, the Michigan League for Planned Parenthood, the Michigan Council on Women in Business and Industry, and the James Foster Foundation.

The papers of Helen Van Tyne consist of materials relating to two major areas: Mrs. Van Tyne's involvement in various Ann Arbor-area civic organizations from the late 1940s until the late 1960s, and a collection of family papers, photographs, and ephemera, particularly relating to her grandfather, Henry Holmes Belfield (1838-1913). The collection has been divided into three series: Organizational Affiliations, Personal Papers, and Belfield Family Papers.

Western Michigan teacher, businessman and local historian. Correspondence, journal, speeches, notes and articles.

The collection is arranged into four series: Correspondence; Journals; Speeches, notes and articles; and Other materials. The collection documents his career as a teacher in Battle Creek, Kalamazoo and Galesburg, Michigan. Of interest are his experiences as a teacher in Mississippi before the Civil War. The correspondence and journals reveal his scholarly and political interests. The collection also includes minutes, 1861-1876, of the Galesburg Temperance Society.

Papers of the Upjohn family of Hastings and Kalamazoo, Michigan, collected by Dr. E. Gifford Upjohn. Papers and genealogical materials of Upjohn and related families, especially the Mills family, Kirby family, and Clough family; include materials concerning family activities, medical practice, and daily life; also papers concerning the work of Clough family members as missionaries to southern India; and selected Upjohn Pharmaceutical Company historical records; and photographs.

The Upjohn family papers, collected and preserved by Dr. E. Gifford Upjohn, consist of materials brought together by various family members primarily for genealogical purposes. More than a "family archive" because of the importance of the Upjohns as founders of the Upjohn Pharmaceutical Company in Kalamazoo, the collection includes material spanning the period from the early 1800s to the present. The Upjohn Collection consists of three feet of manuscripts, two feet of family related books and bound manuscripts, and two feet of photographs.

Because of its diversity, the collection has been divided into five series of papers: Upjohn family; Families related to the Upjohns; Upjohn Company; Printed Materials; and Photographs.

Papers collected by Robert U. Redpath and Richard U. Light of the Upjohn family of upstate New York and western Michigan, founders of the Upjohn Company. Daybooks, daily journals, sermon notes, and journal of trip to America and on the Erie Canal in 1830 of William Upjohn.

This collection, accumulated by Robert U. Redpath and Richard U. Light, consists largely of papers of William Upjohn, born in England, who migration to New York in 1830. Much of the material dates from before the passage to America, and includes sermons, daybooks and journals, and material relating to his work as surveyor and timber appraiser. The materials after 1830 concern his passage to his eventual home in upper New York State and to his business endeavors. Of interest is a folder of the minutes of the Greenbush Debating Society in 1833. In addition, there is a series consisting of papers (mainly photocopied) of other family members, including correspondence, Civil War materials, and miscellanea. A final series is comprised of various medical volumes owned by Upjohn family members.

Transcripts for diaries of William Upjohn written from 1820 to 1826 were added to the collection in 2019.

Treasurer's records include letterbooks, disbursements, receipts, ledgers, journals, balance books, daybooks, payroll books, and other business records.

Treasurer's records include letterbooks, disbursements, receipts, ledgers, journals, balance books, daybooks, payroll books, and other business records. The records provide and insight into, though not a complete record of, the day-to-day financial operation of the university

Correspondence and other files of University of Michigan Secretary Shirley W. Smith and of Controller and Assistant Secretary John C. Christensen. The files document university operations, relations with the state legislature, business and financial matters, buildings and grounds, and such university events as the graduation commencement. The files also relate to the university's struggles during the Depression to maintain its facilities and to provide employment for deserving students as seen in its relations with the Federal Emergency Relief Administration and the National Youth Administration. There are also earlier collected files of treasurers George S. Baker and James H. Wade.

The records of the University of Michigan Secretary, although including earlier materials from the mid-nineteenth century, are in fact the files of secretary Shirley Wheeler Smith and of controller and assistant secretary John C. Christensen and date primarily from 1908 to 1944.

The secretary was the official who performed much of the detail work involved in the administration of the university. The files of the secretary and of those individuals who worked under him pertain to matters of operations, relations with the state legislature, business and financial dealings, building and grounds, and management of university-wide events (particularly commencements). Within these files, the researcher will also find documentation of the university's struggles during the depression to maintain its facilities and to provide financial aid through employment to deserving students. This information will be found in a topical files series under the headings Federal Emergency Relief Administration and National Youth Administration.

The miscellaneous folders in this record group that fall before the period when Smith was secretary consist of collected materials accumulated by the university's treasurer and pertain to financial dealings of the university (land transactions, bequests, etc.)

Admission records, statistics on faculty and students, and records of examinations; also reports, petitions, and resolutions of the faculty of the University's College of Literature, Science and the Arts.

The records of the Registrar document the functions of the registration and admission of students at the University of Michigan including on admission and registration policy and procedures, official lists of registrants, and the automation of registration process. The records are organized in seven series: Admissions; Faculty Reports, Petitions and Resolutions; Topical Files, Faculty Card Files, and Academic Record Project.

Contains addresses, brochures or pamphlets, bulletins or college catalogs, histories and manuals. Includes the newsletter Medicine at Michigan as well as miscellaneous reports about the Medical School. Also contains publications from the Center for Molecular Genetics, Office of Biomedical Research, Office of Medical Education, Galens Medical Society and the Phi Chi fraternity.

The Medical School Publications are divided into four series: Unit Publications, Sub-Unit Publications, Topical Publications and Student Publications. Some publications (or their successors) may no longer be available in print but are available on the school s website.

The University Library system at the University of Michigan provides information resources and services to faculty, students, staff, and the public, and is comprised of undergraduate, graduate, and subject-oriented divisional collections. The record group includes administrative files of library directors, reports, committee files, financial records, photographs, and publications.

The records of the library of the University of Michigan document the development and administration of the central library. The records include topical files, miscellaneous correspondence and reports, and business record books, 1886-1916; include files of librarians/directors/deans Theodore W. Koch, William W. Bishop, Warner G. Rice, Frederick H. Wagman, Richard Dougherty, Robert M. Warner, Don Riggs, William A. Gosling, and Paul Courant; also assorted papers of earlier librarians, Andrew Ten Brook and Raymond C. Davis.

1. The records are organized into elleven subgroups:
2. Assistant Director for Technical Services, 1984 - 1999
3. Associate Director for Public Service Files, 1976 - 1998
4. Associate Director for Technical Services, 1979 - 1986
5. Associate Director's office, 1982 - 1989
6. Audio - Visual Materials, 1954 - 2001
7. Collection Development Office, 1949 - 1986
8. Deputy Director's Office, 1980 - 1991
9. Directors Office, 1905-2013
10. Human Resources, 1956 - 2001
11. Miscellaneous Records, 1837 - 1985
12. Other Offices and Programs, 1904 - 2004

Records generated by administrators and offices charged with the financial activities of the University, including Secretary and Vice-President Shirley W. Smith and Controller and Assistant Secretary John C. Christensen; include general University financial records; records of land; trust fund records; proposed development and construction projects; operating records of buildings, divisions and other units.

The records of Financial Operations date from 1837 to 1982, primarily after 1910. The 27 linear feet of manuscript material, 52 oversized volumes and one reel of microfilm reflect not only the financial records normally associated with an accounting office, but also the broad range of subjects which became a concern under the leadership of Shirley Smith. What would eventually become Financial Operations may have served as a records storage office for many of the other units under Smith's control. In any event, Financial Operations became the guardian of a wide variety of records, documenting the University in a number of ways not normally expected of an accounting service.

Of particular note, the collection contains a variety of different record formats. Bound materials, in the form of books, are included in the boxes and when numbering more than one, are listed in the finding aid as multiple volumes. The collection also contains oversized volumes, in the form of large accounting books. These oversized volumes are numbered and stored separately. They are listed in the finding aid where intellectually appropriate, and designated by volume number. Enclosed in this finding aid is an index of the oversized volumes, organized by number, and their contents.

The collection is divided into six series: General University Financial Records; Trust Fund Records; Records of Land, Proposed Development and Construction; Operating Records of Buildings, Divisions and other Units; Miscellaneous Reports, Studies and Volumes; and Accounting Office Records.

Founded in 1841, the College of Literature, Science and the Arts (LSA) is the liberal arts college of the University of Michigan, encompassing over 100 academic departments and non-departmental centers, programs, institutes, museums, and laboratories. The record group includes correspondence, meeting minutes, memoranda, reports, proposals, subject files, and program materials from the administrative offices of the dean and the academic units that make up the college.

The records of the College of Literature, Science and the Arts (LSA) of the University of Michigan date from 1846 with the first meeting of the literary college's faculty. They now span more than a century and a half and comprise 549.4 linear feet (in 550 boxes), 3 volumes, and 169.9 GB of minutes, correspondence, memoranda, reports, and subject files detailing the activities of the college from its early beginnings in the mid-nineteenth century to its present status as the largest of the university's colleges.

The administrative records of the college have come to the library in six major accessions beginning in 1942 with small periodic accessions thereafter. In addition, the college has periodically deposited bound record copies of the minute books of the meetings of the LSA faculty. Covering the years 1846 to 2007, the minute books (oversize volumes, boxes 204 to 209, and box 388) are the most important source of information about the college, especially for the period before World War I because few other extant records document the activities of the university's liberal arts college.

University of Michigan unit established in 1990 in part to collect and disseminate information regarding the history of health sciences in Michigan. Records include newsletter of the Center; collected historical manuscripts, photographs, and motion pictures relating to the development of health sciences at the University of Michigan; include notebooks of medical school students, account book, 1831-1839, of Berrien Springs, Michigan physician, and miscellaneous materials relating to the medical school and to medical practice.

The records of the Center for the History of Medicine (CHM) records include administrative records documenting operation of the center and archival material collected by the center. The materials have been divided into three subgroups: Administrative, Collections, and Center for the History of Medicine Website.

The University of Michigan's highest governing body is the Board of Regents. The Regents deal with virtually every aspect of university policy and campus life. The records of the Regents reflect this broad range of interests and authority. This record group contains exhibits from meetings beginning in 1899. These exhibits are the most complete record of the actions of the Regents, supplementing and detailing the published minutes Proceedings of the Board of Regents. Additional documentation in this record group includes manuscript minutes, 1837-1870, correspondence, material by and about the Regents, photographs, audio recordings of meetings, 1977-2011, and material on recent presidential searches.

As the official governing body of the university, the Regents deal with virtually every aspect of university policy and life. The records of the Regents--which includes exhibits of Regents' meetings, topical files, correspondence files, audio and visual material, and archived web content--reflect this broad range of interests and authority. But while the documentation is wide-ranging, it is not continuous. Certain types of records are continually before the Regents, particularly information regarding salaries, leaves of absence, appointments to faculty positions, and formal approval of degrees conferred upon students. More often, however, the Regents are presented with a specific problem and asked to resolve it through the creation of policy. After the creation and successful implementation of a policy, the situation which caused the issue to arise is usually no longer a matter of Regental concern. The Regents' records reflect this pattern of action. Issues arise, are resolved, and then are supplanted by new concerns.

The Alumni Association of the University of Michigan was established in 1897 following a consolidation of the Society of Alumni with the alumni societies of the professional schools. The Michigan Alumnus became the association's official organ. As the organization grew, local chapters were established and provided greater structure. The records include files pertaining to the Alumni Association's administrative office and various chapters and interests groups. This includes national and international U-M alumni and alumnae clubs, the Alumnae Council, the Society of Alumni, the University of Michigan Black Alumni (UMBA-formerly the African American Alumni Council (AAC)), and the Reunion of Black Graduates (RBG). The records include but are not limited to correspondence, minutes, reports, and survey responses, audiovisual materials, digital files, photographs, and publications.

The collection spans 1845-2001. The textual records of the Alumni Association (boxes 1-133) are largely unprocessed, and are described in only general terms in this finding aid. Exceptions include files maintained by Marjorie Williams who served as the vice chair and chair of the Alumnae Council from 1960 to 1962, Class Reunion files, and Topical Files.

Additions to the collection (boxes 168-171) incorporate records, audiovisual materials, photographs, and publications pertaining to the University of Michigan Black Alumni (UMBA). To note are materials specifically related to the African American Alumni Council (AAAC)-formerly the UMBA, and the Reunion of Black Graduates (RBG). This includes information about the Dr. Leonard F. Sain Award, the Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. scholarship and symposium, the Camp Michigania retreat, and annual reunion for black graduates photographs, planning materials, and souvenir books.

Collection of diplomas issued by the University of Michigan.

The Diplomas collection consists of approximately 180 diplomas issued by the University of Michigan, 1845-1934, as well as some special program diplomas and certificates and seven diplomas for other institutions of higher education.

Blueprints, renderings, and blue-line prints of original University structures, and additions to, and alterations of existing structures. Architects and architectural firms represented include: Albert Kahn, Alexander J. Davis, Pond and Pond, C. William Palmer, and William LeBaron Jenney.

This collection of University of Michigan architectural blueprints, renderings, and blueline prints has been drawn together from different sources. The provenance is not always clear, though most of the sheets probably originated with the Buildings and Grounds Department of the University. The collection is selective and does not include all campus buildings. Significant buildings are included, however, as are important architects and architectural firms. Represented in the collection are the works of Albert Kahn, Alexander J. Davis, Pond and Pond, the Chicago architectural firm, C. William Palmer, William L. Jenney, and York and Sawyer of New York.

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.

Formerly known as the Kalamazoo Congregational Association (1849-1938) and the Kalamazoo Association of Congregational-Christian Churches of Michigan (1938-1963). Correspondence, minutes, directories, membership records, and records of some churches in the association.

The record group includes minutes of annual meetings, correspondence, communications between the Association and the local churches, and other records documenting the organization and activities of the Association. Most of the records pertain to the period before the merger with the Evangelical and Reformed Church.

The series in the record group include: Record books; General correspondence; Church files; Other Records; and Conference Miscellaneous.

The Michigan Conference of the United Church of Christ was formed from the merger of the Michigan Conference of the Congregational Church and the Michigan-Indiana Synod of the Evangelical and Reformed Church. The record group includes retired records of individual associations, conferences, and local churches. Also included are files on churches and pastors within the Conference.

This record group is comprised primarily of records of the associations and conferences that make up the United Church of Christ Michigan Conference. The records document the mergers between smaller conferences to make the larger ones of today. These records are largely made up of correspondence, minutes, agendas, conference materials, and programming information.

Besides records of the individual associations and conferences, the collection also contains an extensive amount of records from individual churches, which can be found in the "Records from individual churches" and the "Church files" series. Because their relationship to each other is unknown, these series were not combined. The "Church files" series are records that may have been stored by the Michigan Conference rather than the individual churches. The "Records from individual churches" concerns materials that belonged to the individual churches. Whether these churches belonged to the smaller associations that make up the Michigan Conference is unknown. Therefore, they were kept separate. More information on these series can be found in the individual series' description below.

The record group has been arranged into the following series: Michigan Conference; Associations and conferences; Woman's Home Missionary Union and related; Records from individual churches; Annual Meetings of Michigan Congregational Conference and of the United Church of Christ; Evangelical and Reformed Church; Church files; Photographs; Ministerial files; and Student ministry.

Hamburg, Livingston County, and Ann Arbor, Michigan, family. Correspondence, newspaper clippings and photographs of the Lohmiller, Twichell, and Hollister families.

The papers of the Twichell family document three generations of the extended Twichell families. It includes extensive correspondence files, reminiscences of life on turn-of-the-century Michigan farm and of student life the University of Michigan, files relating to the family businesses including boardinghouses in Ann Arbor, and photographs of family members, towns in Michigan, and University of Michigan students. The collection has been arranged into the following series: Correspondence, Alphabetical Files, Photographs, and Sound Recordings.

U.S. District Court Judge, Eastern District of Michigan; Federal trial court case files, personal and professional correspondence, scrapbooks, University of Michigan student notebooks, and other materials concerning legal activities, Republican Party politics, prohibition, the election of 1924, Sigma Alpha Epsilon affairs; also family materials, including grandfather, John J. Tuttle, Leslie, Michigan, Ingham County official and businessman; and photographs.

The Arthur J. Tuttle Papers are arranged in 13 series: case files, opinions and jury instructions, topical office files, conciliation commissioners, criminal files, correspondence, letterbooks, scrapbooks, University of Michigan, financial matters, miscellaneous biographical materials, Tuttle family materials, and visual materials.

Pioneer Ann Arbor, Michigan family, involved in farming, then real estate, developed the Tuomy Hills area of the city. Papers include personal and business correspondence of Cornelius and Kathryn Tuomy and of other family members; ledger books, 1868-1890, 1911-1938, and diaries, 1920-1921, 1925, 1926, 1936 concerning business and personal affairs; also papers of Kathryn G. Tuomy as president of the Michigan Federation of Business and Professional Women; and photographs.

The Tuomy Family papers document the daily life of three generations of a pioneer Ann Arbor area family. The three linear feet of papers span the years 1840-1966 with the bulk of the material falling within the decades bound by 1905-1945. The papers have been divided into four series, a small set of documents with biographical information, a larger set of personal and business correspondence, and family material arranged as a set of topical files. There is also a box of unidentified family portraits

A strength of the Tuomy Family papers is the documentation of daily life for a prominent Ann Arbor family from 1900 until the 1960's. Kathryn G. Tuomy's materials provide good exposure to the life of an Ann Arbor woman who has a university education and a family business to maintain. The papers are weaker in their coverage of the Tuomy and Tuomy real estate business. There is only marginal documentation regarding Cornelius W. (Bill) Tuomy's time in political office as drain commissioner. The photographs are not strongly backed up by the written documentation regarding the Tuomy and Tuomy real estate office and properties.

Clerk to Gen. Lewis Cass on 1819 expedition among Indians of upper Great Lakes, Indian agent and negotiator, mayor of Detroit in 1834, and later University of Michigan regent. Papers consist primarily of material relating to his early experience among the Indians including reports to Cass and other accounts of Indian life and language. Consists in part of photostats of material held by the Burton Historical Library.

The Trowbridge collection consists mainly of materials accumulated during the early years of his career when he was acting as Indian agent and when he devoted himself to the study of the languages and customs of the native Americans of the upper midwest.

The major portion of the Trowbridge papers are located at the Burton Historical Collection (NUCMC 70-1194)

Business and commercial family of Ionia, Michigan; correspondence and financial records of Angelo E. Tower and Osmond S. Tower; correspondence and business records of Louis S. Lovell, W.B. Heath, and George Webber, Ionia, Michigan, businessmen.

The collection was accumulated and donated by Ada Health Owsley, the daughter of W.B. Heath, who had himself married into the Tower family. Most of the collection relates to the business dealings of Tower family members. The most important exception is a portion of the correspondence dealing with the Civil War service of Angelo Tower, a captain with Company E, Sixth Michigan Cavalry. These papers include both letters to his family and other documents relating to his military responsibilities. The collection, both correspondence and financial records, documents the development and commercial growth of Ionia, Michigan, and includes various records of Louis S. Lovell, bank cashier W.B. Heath, and George W. Webber, president of the Second National Bank of Ionia. The fact that there are some papers of George W. Webber, a banking competitor to the Towers is curious. Perhaps a possible merger of the two Ionia banks led to the storage of retired records in a common area. Regardless, the banking records of Tower and Webber offer some insight into the commercial development of Ionia.

Graduated from Berkshire Medical Institute ca. 1810; joined U.S. Navy ca. 1816; first tour of duty in 1818; retired from the Navy in 1852 from post of chief Surgeon of the Boston Navy Yard. Journals, letter book, medical notes, correspondence, and essays of Benajah Ticknor, doctor and surgeon with the U.S. Navy. Of primary importance are the journals which describe journeys made by Ticknor with the Navy to South America, the Far East, and Europe.

The Ticknor collection consists of photocopied and microfilmed papers from various institutions with Ticknor materials. The materials were gathered together by individuals involved in the restoration of Ticknor's Ann Arbor home, now known as Cobblestone Farm. The collection, subsequently donated to the Bentley Historical Library, includes Biographical material, journals, a letter book, writings, letters to his friend Congressman Elisha Whittlesey in Ohio, and State Department records from his diplomatic missions to the Far East.

Ypsilanti, Michigan business; account books and daybooks.

The record group consists of account books and daybooks of the firm. Included is a record of log purchases, 1845-1853, and accounts of wheat purchased in 1842.

Quaker abolitionist and physician in Mt. Pleasant, Ohio, and Schoolcraft, Michigan. Correspondence of Thomas, his wife Pamela S. Brown Thomas, and their children; addresses, autobiography, financial ledgers, and files relating to business activities, medical practice, and anti-slavery activities.

The collection is divided into two series: Correspondence and Other papers: anti-slavery, medical practice, and family.

The correspondence is of Thomas, his wife Pamela S. Brown Thomas, their children Ella, Malcolm, and Stanton, and relatives, friends, public leaders, abolitionists, and publishers. These letters deal largely with family affairs, land transactions, medical discoveries, woman suffrage, the Liberty Party, and Thomas's anti-slavery activities. There are also letters of Stanton B. Thomas while a student at the University of Michigan (1859-1864) and Civil War letters of S. B. Thayer, medical director of the Merrill Horse Regiment. Other Thomas papers include manuscript addresses, essays and other papers; a manuscript autobiography of Thomas; three account books, 1832-1879, pertaining mainly to his medical practice and other business affairs. Of interest is a prospectus for a newspaper, the American Freeman, which lists Schoolcraft area subscribers.

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.

Graduate of the College of Engineering of the University of Michigan in the class of 1911, later Detroit businessman. Papers and photographs relating to student life and activities.

The collection consists of programs and newspaper clippings largely concerning student life at the University of Michigan. The photographs are portraits and snapshots of Taylor, family members and friends; photographs of the construction of Barton Dam in Ann Arbor, Michigan; photographs of University of Michigan student surveying projects; and photographs of University of Michigan students, groups, and activities. In addition, there is an arithmetic notebook, 1833, of H. Green, student at the Detroit Academy. This item was probably collected by Taylor or perhaps in the possession of a family member.

Detroit, Michigan lawyer and banker, and alumnus of University of Michigan. Correspondence, essays, and newspaper clippings concerning the Detroit banking crisis of 1933; and biographical and genealogical information on the Church, Benedict and Mahon families; also photographs.

The Orla B. Taylor collection consists of correspondence, essays and other writings, and biographical and personal material. Many of the writings relate to banking in Detroit in the 1930s.

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.

First president of University of Michigan. Correspondence, essays, sermons, lectures, poetry, and photographs.

The Tappan papers include addresses, lectures, sermons, poems, biographical material, list of books in the Tappan library, and correspondence.

Sylvan Township, Washtenaw County, Michigan records.

The record group consists of township board records, 1834-1910, justice of the peace docket books, 1885-1925, assessment books, 1859-1886 (with some gaps), minutes of the board of school inspectors, 1866-1894, and records of School District Number 7 records, 1837-1910.

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

St. Thomas Evangelical Lutheran Church, founded in 1842 in Freedom Township, near Ann Arbor, Michigan; record group includes church registers, financial records, administrative materials, and other subject files.

The St. Thomas Evangelical Lutheran Church record group includes church registers containing family and membership information; financial ledgers; constitutions and by-laws; anniversary and celebratory materials; files relating to church organizations; and photographs of church building.

Macomb County and Kalamazoo, Michigan, family. Papers of Addison Ray Stone, graduate of the University of Michigan Medical School, later assistant surgeon in the 5th Michigan Cavalry during the Civil War, including medical school theses and notes and letters to his wife during the war; papers of William A. Stone, physician concerned with mental illness, assistant superintendent of the Michigan State Hospital for the Insane at Kalamazoo; papers of Dr. Harriette Stone, assistant physician at the State Hospital, containing letters from her father, Samuel P. McCalmont, Republican legislator from Pennsylvania, later founder of that state's Prohibition Party; papers of William A. Stone, Jr., and other members of Stone, McCalmont, Osborn, and Keeler families; and photographs.

The Stone-McCalmont family papers date from about 1832-1930 and contain materials relating to different family members. The collection has been arranged by name of family.

Records of vestry and congregational meetings; parish registers, records of women's guild and women's auxiliary; and treasurer's record book.

The records of St. Luke's include minutes of vestry and congregational meetings; registers of members, baptisms, marriages, etc.; registers of church services; church publications; scrapbooks detailing activities; photographs; and record books for church women's organizations.

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.

Papers, 1925-1979, of Charles L. Stevenson, professor of philosophy at the University of Michigan, and his wife, Louise Destler Stevenson. Correspondence with philosophers George E. Moore and Ludwig Wittgenstein; Stevenson-Destler courtship letters; student letters from Yale in the 1920's; also manuscripts and lecture notes on philosophy; diaries of Louise Stevenson; draft of her novel; and sermon books 1841, 1845-1846 of his great grandfather, the Rev. Isaac D. Williamson, New York state clergyman.

The Charles L. Stevenson papers consist of his student notebooks from Yale, Cambridge and Harvard Universities; course materials and notes for his lectures in philosophy courses at the University of Michigan and professional correspondence, including letters with Ludwig Wittgenstein and George E. Moore; professional writings; and personal and family papers. The collection is divided into the following series: Personal/biographical; Correspondence; Education: Yale, Cambridge, Harvard; Course materials and lecture notes: Yale, University of Michigan; Writings and Research Notes; Miscellaneous; Louise Destler Stevenson Papers; and Other Family Members.

Church registers, baptismal records, and death and marriage records dating from 1704 to 1842.

The record group includes church registers, baptismal records, and death and marriage records dating from 1704 to 1842.

Ann Arbor, Michigan Episcopal Church; vestry and parish records, liturgical materials, Christian service and educational materials, administrative records, printed material, and photographs.

St. Andrew's Episcopal Church has created a rich body of material which documents both its own history and its place within the history of Ann Arbor. The records of the parish have been arranged into nine series: Vestry; Registers; Church Programs; Administrative Records; Scrapbooks; Diocese of Michigan and other non-parish material; Liturgical Materials; Publications; and Photographs.

Donald G. Staebler was a farmer who worked on the Staebler Family Farm in Dixboro, Michigan. Staebler collected and preserved historical documents relating to the Staebler family. He used these records to write a history of the farm. The collection includes scrapbooks of photographs, correspondence, and other materials related to the family. Also included are Staebler's written notes and drafts of the farm's history.

The Donald G. Staebler papers contains his writings and research, as well as material documenting the Staebler Family Farm in Dixboro, Michigan. The first box holds four scrapbooks that includes photographs, newspaper clippings, and other collected records from members of the Staebler family. Within these scrapbooks are written histories of the farm and family to provide context for the documents.

The second box consists of additional collected family materials including diaries, correspondence, and other records related to members of the family like Helen Staebler Martin and Henry Staebler. This box also includes more of Donald Staebler's writings, and letters to his wife, Lena while he lived in England.

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

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

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

Spalding-Sexton family of Connecticut, Alabama, and northern Michigan. Correspondence, reminiscences, and other materials of William P. Spalding, Sault Ste. Marie, Michigan businessman; correspondence, 1887-1901, of Edward Spalding, dental student at University of Michigan, later Detroit, Michigan dentist; and other family papers relating to business affairs, and conditions in the South before and after the Civil War; and photographs.

The Spalding-Sexton Family collection consists of photocopies and microfilm of letters largely collected by Mrs. Miranda Sexton Spalding of Sault Ste. Marie, Michigan (also of Ellington, Connecticut, Eutah, Alabama, and Ruffin, North Carolina). The collection is arranged chronologically. In the detailed contents list below, description is generally at the folder level, however, some letters of notable content have been highlighted with additional description. Also included are photographs.

Scope and Content (by time period)

In the pre-Civil War era, materials on the Sexton (nee Bartlett) family predominate. Connecticut-born merchants, teachers, farmers, and preachers, the correspondence reflects their activities mainly in Connecticut, Alabama, Texas, Illinois, and New York. It is particularly good on the problems of merchants in Alabama and on life in Texas. It contains comparisons of their new locations with their native Connecticut.

Early Spalding (nee Paine) family material is concentrated around the death of Dr. Luther Spalding in 1825 and his estate. Thereafter, correspondence is sparse until about 1850, when Mary Spalding (Mrs. C.P. Chamberlain) becomes a regular correspondent. Her letters mainly concern family matters and life in New Lisbon, Ohio, and Canisteo, New York.

During the antebellum period, the Collection includes scattered letters from William P. Spalding on business developments and social life at Sault Ste. Marie, Michigan, and his travels through northern Wisconsin and Upper Peninsula Michigan mining areas and to New York City. The letters of his wife, Miranda Sexton Spalding, mainly deal with her early life as a student in Connecticut and as a teacher in Alabama.

During the Civil War, the papers of William P. Spalding predominate. They concern the activities of the 27th Michigan Infantry and developments in Michigan, particularly at the Soo, in the Upper Peninsula mining areas, and in the Thumb. Included are the letters from William Spalding while in service, 1862-1864, and to him from his wife, children, business associates, and members and former members of the regiment (including William Childs letters on activities of the regiment, 1864-1865). Other Civil War soldier letters include those of Miranda Sexton Spalding's brothers: Edwin Sexton, a member of Company l, Delanos Calvary, 2nd Illinois Volunteers, 1861-1864, and John Sexton, a member of an Alabama regiment, Confederate States of America, 1863 (concerning his capture and incarceration by Union forces and the family in Alabama). There are also letters, 1860-1865), to Charles and Mary Sexton, the parents of Miranda Spalding, from friends and relatives in Connecticut about developments there.

From 1866 through 1886, the collection becomes less extensive. It includes correspondence from Miranda Spalding about her life trying to run a plantation in Ruffin, North Carolina, 1869-1874, and from members of the Sexton family on their experiences in Alabama, Texas, and Illinois during and after the war.

After 1886, the collection is almost totally dominated by the immediate family of William P. Spalding, particularly his son: Edward and his wife: Miranda. Edward's letters describe his life as a student at Michigan Normal College, 1887-1889, as a dental student at the University of Michigan, 1889-1892, and as a dentist in Detroit, 1892-1910. Miranda's epistles recount family affairs and life at the Soo. Scattered throughout the period is correspondence from another son, Eugene, on family matters and his medical practice in Luverne, Minnesota. After 1900, Adelle H. Spalding, second wife of son William, writes frequently concerning mining activities in Idaho and Alaska.

Scope and Content (by name of family member)

"Addison" (Joseph Addison) Sexton. (1810-1902). The collection includes letters he received, particularly during the period 1828-45. His own correspondence contains comments on family, education, religion, and the areas where he lived.

Alfred M. Sexton (1815-1895). His letters deal with family affairs and conditions in Alabama.

Charles Sexton, Jr. (1809-1842). His letters describe his marital and financial difficulties.

Charles Sexton, Sr. (-1864). Collection includes the letters he received from family and friends, particularly after he left Ellington in 1860. His correspondence reflects his deep interest in religion (a church deacon), family, farming, and temperance.

Edwin Sexton (1814-between 1895 and 1901). The collection includes his Civil War letters to his sister, comments on life in Illinois and family affairs.

Hannah Sexton (-1848). Her letters comment on her experiences in Alabama and Connecticut.

Henry M. Sexton (-1866). His letters, though few, describe his teaching experiences in New York, contrasting the areas with Connecticut, and comment on his religious convictions.

John M. Sexton (-1873). His letters contain good commentary on the problems of being a merchant in the Deep South and the difficulties of merchants who tried planting. The collection includes the letters he received during the period, 1839-45.

Lorenzo Sexton (1812-1892). His letters are few, but his wife wrote of family matters and of the problems faced by planters.

Mary B. Sexton Lively (1816-1891). Her letters contrast Alabama with Connecticut, describe the problems of settling in Texas, the impact of the Civil War there, and the subsequent re-location to Illinois. They contain some good comments on the problems of being a merchant in the Deep South and the consequences of slavery for the poor whites of Texas.

Otis Sexton (circa 1818-between 1895 and 1901). His letters describe family and conditions in Alabama, his congregations, and his religious beliefs.

Samuel Sexton (-1904). His letters, though few, mainly comment on family matters and farming.

Maria Paine Spalding (-1860). Her correspondence concerns her husband's death and estate and her family (the Paines) in Stow and New Lisbon, Ohio, and Madison, Indiana, as well as Connecticut.

Mary E. Spalding Chamberlain (1825- ). Correspondence mainly concerns family affairs (particularly the health of mother Spalding and her eventual commitment and care) and mutual friends (including Dr. Leonard Hanna of New Lisbon, Ohio, father of Mark Hanna). Some comments on her husband's medical practice.

John Spalding (1820-1887). His letters are few and scattered. They mainly concern business developments at the Soo, in Cleveland, and in the Upper Peninsula of Michigan mines.

Miranda Sexton Spalding (1826-1910). Most of her correspondence deals with personalities and developments in Sault Ste. Marie, Michigan. There are also comments on life in Alabama, North Carolina, Minnesota, and Connecticut.

William P. Spalding (1822- ). His correspondence mainly consists of Civil War letters (both from and to him) and comments on mining prospects. During his service in the war, his associate, R.C. Kibby, sent him regular reports on business conditions at the Soo, and after his resignation, members of his old regiment kept him informed of their activities, both in the war and in civilian life. He was active in the G.A.R. and the Republican Party.

William Spalding, Jr. --"Willie" (1849- ). Her correspondence largely concerns mining in Florence, Idaho, a trip east in search of capital for a mining venture, the journey to Alaska in 1909, and life in the Alaska gold fields. His letters, though few, deal mainly with developments in mining and prospecting.

Alfred Eugene Spalding--"Genie" (1851-1920). Most of his letters concern his medical practice (surgical developments, patient problems, etc.) and family affairs.

Edward Bartlett Spalding (1868-1960). His letters deal with life at the Normal College, 1887-1889, and at the University of Michigan, 1889-1892 (courses, housing, vocal music---including the U. of M. Glee Club, Dental fraternity, and social activities), with establishing and expanding a dental practice in Detroit (financial problems, new techniques, etc.), and with Detroit social, vocal music, and church (Presbyterian, including comments on the Rev. Duffield) activities. There are scattered comments on politics, the Spanish-American War, and his role as a party-time instructor at the U. Of M. Dental School from 1904 through 1908.

Letters to his wife, Mary Soule, written while serving as an officer in the Union Army during the Civil War; Civil War diary, 1863-1865; a letter from Byron Stoddard of the Sixth Michigan Infantry; correspondence, 1890-1904, with J. C. Leonard who collected materials for University of Michigan Museums throughout the western part of the United States; literary manuscript of Annah May Soule; and photographs.

Portraits and photographs of Soule and his wife, Maryy Soule; group photograph of the officers of Company D, Sixth Michigan Infantry, 1861; and album, ca. 1865, of Civil War soldiers, most of whom were members of the Sixth Michigan Infantry.

Letters from Lucy Smith to her parents in Vermont describing her life in Michigan (originals and photocopies) and notebook of poetry and personal writings (photocopy); genealogical materials; materials related to Harry Keal, and paper concerning the Orrin White house.

Resident in China from Farwell, Michigan; papers concern her family life in Farwell, and missionary activities; include letters, diaries, and accounts of father, Josiah L. Littlefield, Farwell lumber dealer and visitor to China, 1916-1917; letters, 1918-1928, of husband, Dr. Dennis V. Smith, medical missionary to China, describing in part Chinese politics and civil war, 1918-1920; letters and other papers of Hazel Littlefield Smith, including materials concerning various European travels, and manuscripts of writings about Irish author Lord Dunsany, her father, and Farwell, Michigan; and photographs. Other correspondents of Hazel Smith include world-renowed scientists (Edwin Hubble and William Beebe), from Chinese Princess Der Ling, and from distinguished European writers and actors (Pierre LaMure, Selma Lagerlof, Brian Aherne, and Ronald Colman).

This collection was accumulated by Hazel Littlefield Smith and consists of materials concerning her career and interests and those of her family, specifically her husband, Dr. Dennis Smith, and her father, Josiah Littlefield (1845-1935), a pioneer lumberman and businessman in Farwell, Michigan.

The collection is particularly valuable for three topics: early days (late nineteenth and early twentieth centuries) in Farwell, Michigan; missionary life in China in the period ca. 1915-1928; and the travels and writings of Hazel Littlefield Smith. The materials include correspondence, compositions and business-related materials of Josiah Littlefield; correspondence and other materials of Dr. Dennis Smith, Hazel Littlefield Smith (and Josiah Littlefield) concerning conditions in early republican China; and correspondence and other materials of Hazel Littlefield Smith concerning her travels in Europe (1920s-1950s), her management of the family farm near Farwell, Michigan (1940s), and her essays, poetry and other publications, including Lord Dunsany: King of Dreams.

The three principal figures in the collection--Hazel Littlefield Smith, Dennis Smith and Josiah Littlefield--were highly perceptive observers of persons and events. Their letters are rich in detail, whether describing travel experiences or everyday life in rural northern Michigan.

The collection is arranged into six series: Littlefield Family, China-related materials, Hazel Littlefield Smith, Miscellanea, Dr. Dennis V. Smith, and Visual Materials.

Grand Rapids, Michigan family, involved in furniture making and other businesses, also active in local state and Republican Party politics and businessmen's associations. Papers include family papers and correspondence, business records, scrapbooks and visual materials.

The Sligh family collection consists of the personal and business papers of the four generations of Slighs mentioned in the biographical introduction: James W. Sligh, Charles R. Sligh, Charles R. Sligh, Jr., and Robert L. Sligh. Although there is some overlap, the files have been arranged into seven series, one for each of these three Slighs, one for the Sligh Furniture Company and related family businesses, and one each for Newspaper clippings and Scrapbooks, and Visual Materials.

Hillsdale, Michigan family; papers relating to participation of family members in the Civil War, farming in Kent County, Hillsdale College, religion, and daily activities.

The Slayton Family papers include material relating to participation of family members in the Civil War, farming in Kent County, Hillsdale College, religion, and daily activities. The collection has been arranged by family and family member name. The series in the collection are: Children of Russell and Berthena Slayton, Children of William C. and Sarah M. Slayton, Children of George and Sarah Slayton, and Miscellaneous Papers.

Collector of Cross Village, Michigan materials. Collection consists of business records for a general store, land patents made to members of the Native American community, a letter and photograph of Catholic priest N. Louis Sifferath, a panorama of the village waterfront, and a plat map of Cross Village Township.

The Mary Shurtleff collection consists of documents and images relating to Cross Village and its inhabitants. The collection is arranged in 3 series: Business records, Other collected documents, and Visual materials.

Paul Cutler Showers was a journalist and freelance writer. His writing and editing days began through involvement with The Gargoyle and The Michigan Daily while attending the University of Michigan. Showers's papers document his lengthy journalism career through his writings, recollections, and correspondence regarding the Detroit Free Press, the U.S. Army's Yank Magazine, and the Sunday New York Times. Family history played an important role in his life and can be seen through his collection of family photographs, recollections, and stories. In his later years, Showers became a prominent children's author known internationally for his work with the "Read and Find Out" series of science books for beginning readers.

The Paul Cutler Showers Papers document the life of a writer and editor, a University of Michigan alumni, an avid genealogist, a World War II veteran, and a prominent children's author.

The arrangement of the papers maintains their original order of four series including Correspondence, Family History, Personal and Professional Papers, and Visual Materials. These are in alphabetical order except for the Personal and Professional Papers series, which follows its original chronological organization according to Paul Showers's career. The papers contain very little information about his work as a children's non-fiction author. This portion of his papers are within the Kerlan Collection, which is part of the Children's Literature Research Collections at the University of Minnesota.

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.

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

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

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

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

Family of Brackley Shaw of Adrian, Michigan, Republican state representative from Lenawee County, Michigan, 1869-1870, later state senator, 1881-1884. The collection consists of personal correspondence of Shaw, his son Horatio W., and his brother Horatio W. Shaw.

The Shaw family collection consists of letters to and from several members of the Shaw family of Lenawee County during the period 1840-1938, with the bulk falling in the years roughly 1860-1890. Family members represented include Horatio Shaw (1822-1910), a Presbyterian missionary and clergyman; his brother, Brackley Shaw (b. 1818), member of the Michigan Legislature (1869-70; 1881-84); and Brackley's son, Horatio W. Shaw (1847-1918), Michigan artist. The letters have been described by chronological time period.

1845-1848: Letters from Horatio Shaw to Brackley Shaw

1850-1859: Largely family correspondence, including some letters home (1855, 1857) from Reverend and Mrs. Horatio Shaw from their missionary station in Allahabad, India.

1860-1865: Correspondence includes a few items pertaining to the Civil War, most of which does not relate to Michigan.

1866-1870: A great deal of political correspondence is included in these years, particularly during 1869, when Brackley Shaw served as a Republican member of the state House of Representatives from Lenawee County. There are letters from Shaw to his wife describing events in Lansing, and correspondence with various persons on such subjects as railroads, prisons and other state institutions, and dentistry regulation. There is also a letter of H. E. Baker (Detroit Advertiser and Tribune) to Brackley Shaw, dated December 25, 1668, with comments on the character of Senator Zachariah Chandler.

1871-1879: Mostly family correspondence, including letters written from White Cloud, Kansas, with descriptions of conditions there in the late 1860's and early 1870's.

1880-1890: Considerable political correspondence during Brackley Shaw's two terms as Republican member of the state senate (1880-1884). Topics covered include: homeopathic medicines, temperance and prohibition, Republican Party politics, prisons and reformatories, protection for corporate minority stockholders, and a great deal of correspondence pertaining to the election of a United States Senator in the spring of 1983. There is a large collection of letters from Shaw to his wife describing his senatorial activities. Also included are letters, 1881, 1383, 1884, from various Philadelphia artists to Horatio Shaw, the painter, and letters, 1881-92, from H. Shaw (signed "Pat") to his wife Susie. Some letters contain references to well-known American painters of the time, including comments on Shaw's style and abilities as an artist

1891-1936: family correspondence.

Friedrich Schmid was a pioneering clergyman, regarded as the first Lutheran pastor in Michigan. He organized the first Evangelical Lutheran Congregation in the state, helped organize some 20 churches in southeastern Michigan, and founded and served as the first president of the Michigan Synod. Collection includes digital images of records of baptisms, marriages, and deaths, 1833-1875.

Materials in this online collection include digitized copies of registers of baptisms, marriages, deaths, and general information about families in the congregations of Salem Lutheran Church and Zion Lutheran Church (along with its precursor organization, Bethlehem Church) in the period between 1833 and 1875.

Materials collected by Fred R. Schmalzriedt, a Detroit attorney.

This collection is comprised of contracts, dated 1799 and 1801, signed by Henry Dearborn and James McHenry, U.S. Secretary of War, for distributing food rations to various army posts, including Detroit and Michilimackinac.

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

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

Business records of J.C. Satterthwaite, primarily of his flour and lumber mill, but also documenting his activities as railroad freight agent and his other business interests in Tecumseh, Michigan.

The business records in this collection chronicle the commercial and financial transactions of J.C. Satterthwaite and family in the period of 1844-1874 (with the bulk falling in the 1850s and 1860s). Though there are some records prior to the period when Satterthwaite had control of the "Raisin Mills," the great majority of records document the various commercial activities of the Satterthwaite family. Concerned with the routine of daily business life in Raisin and Tecumseh, Michigan, the daily transactions offer a microcosm of small town commerce in nineteenth-century Michigan.

The collection has been arranged by the different kinds of enterprises in which the Satterthwaites were involved: the grain and flour mills, a warehouse (or possibly warehouses), and a retail store. For each of these, Satterthwaite maintained day books, ledgers, and journals. The day books document the daily register/receipts of the grain mill, retail establishment, and warehouse. These volumes encompass the years 1844-1865, with an emphasis on the activity at the grain mill.

The ledgers contain the running documentation of individual customer accounts with an emphasis on accounts established at the warehouse. In addition to ledgers for the grain mill and warehouse, the collection contains two which list railroad freight accounts. These last, seemingly unrelated to any of the other businesses, are presumably evidence of J.C. Satterthwaite's additional career as a railroad freight agent.

The cash books record the cash flow of the various establishments, with, as in the day books, an emphasis on the grain mill transactions. Somewhat unrelated to the rest of the collection is a cash book related to the selling of plaster. Its connection with the other Satterthwaite business records is unclear.

The day books, in particular, offer insight into the bulk quantities of staples purchased by individuals at that time, while that of the retail store reflects other, smaller necessities purchased regularly by the townspeople of Raisin and Tecumseh. The collection concludes with a miscellaneous series consisting of the personal financial documents of J.C. Satterthwaite, coupled with two folders of loan documents and receipts, which together suggest an active borrowing and loaning of funds outside of the confines of the Bank of Tecumseh.

Several volumes in the collection have illegible pages due to their later use as scrapbooks. These scrapbook pages contain contemporaneous newspaper clippings consisting of poetry, caricatures, and inspirational stories.

The Safford Sunderland papers trace several generations of a Southeastern Michigan family, showcasing everyday life and Michigan (as well as U.S.) history over the course of the first half of the Twentieth Century.

The Safford Sunderland Family collection consists of the papers of Gertrude Sunderland Safford, her husband Homer E. Safford, his sister Ada M. Safford, and of two of the Sunderland Saffords' daughters, Helen Safford Toohy and Mildred H. Safford. The papers also contain information on and materials from Gertrude Sunderland Safford's parents, Jabez T. Sunderland and Eliza Jane Read Sunderland; her siblings, Edson Read Sunderland and Florence Sunderland; and the Sunderland Saffords' other two children, Truman Sunderland Safford and Virginia Safford Arnold. Additionally, there is some material from and on Helen Safford Toohy's husband (Clifford M. Toohy) and daughters (Janet Toohy Ferguson and Phyllis Toohy). Finally, the collection contains Ada Murray Safford's extensive genealogical materials on the Murray and Safford families.

The papers are organized into six series arranged by family member: Photographs, Gertrude Sunderland Safford, Homer Erwin Safford, Ada Murray Safford, Mildred Hortense Safford, and Helen Safford Toohy.

A leading figure of the Anti-Saloon movement, founder of the Ohio Anti-Saloon League, first general superintendent of the Anti-Saloon League of America and superintendent of the New York Anti-Saloon League. Papers include manuscript letters, speeches, diaries and miscellaneous material, and photographs. Letters include correspondence with many prominent prohibitionists and other social reformers.

The Howard Hyde Russell papers held by the Bentley Historical Library consist of three linear feet of manuscript letters, speeches, diaries and miscellaneous material, and photographs, 1849-1946. The Russell papers include professional correspondence and speeches relating to his work with the Anti-Saloon League, biographical and autobiographical writings, diary entries, notebooks and newspaper clippings and other miscellanea; family correspondence, including papers of his father, Joseph A. Russell, and his wife, and collected historical letters.

In 1977, the bulk of the Russell papers were microfilmed along with one linear foot of correspondence, financial records, and other documents held by the Ohio Historical Society on loan from the Westerville Public Library of Westerville, Ohio. This material when filmed was interfiled with the Bentley Historical Library folders, and includes correspondence dealing with personal, business and temperance matters, 1877-1911; notes for speeches and sermons, undated; congratulatory correspondence on the occasion of Russell's 65th birthday and 40th wedding anniversary, 1920; correspondence and other papers of James B. Merwin concerning Merwin's association with Abraham Lincoln and both Merwin's and Lincoln's connections with the temperance cause; a diary, 1891, of records, 1891-1896, including an account book, notes payable, and cancelled checks; an undated typescript Russell biography and an incomplete typescript autobiography of Russell's father, Joseph A. Russell, 1899. All Ohio Historical Society material are designated "OHS"; Michigan Historical Collections materials are designated "MHC."

The records include minutes of meetings, the annual reports to the Grand Chapter Royal Arch Mason of Michigan, pocket registers of membership, and a financial ledger.

Residents of Highland Township, Oakland County, Michigan. Civil War reminiscences and other papers of James D. Rowe, soldier in the 1st Michigan Cavalry; Civil War letters of Spencer D. Lee, related family member, also in the 1st Michigan Cavalry; business records of Grant and Carrie Jackson Rowe, publishers of the Milford Times; sermons of Samuel Simpson Marquis as transcribed by Mrs. G. S. Rowe; collected materials largely concerning Milford and Highland Township history; and miscellaneous photographs and Civil War print.

The collection is divided into three series: Rowe Family Papers, Milford Historical Materials, and Milford Times Records. The bulk of the collection consists of correspondence, genealogical material and reminiscences relating to the Rowe family. The Civil War years are particularly well documented in letters written by in-laws: William Putnam, brother of Helen; the wife of James Rowe; and Spencer Lee, who married Helen's sister, Sarah. The Milford Times Records series contains business correspondence and records of the Milford Times, a newspaper published and edited by members of the Rowe family from 1890 to 1950. Carrie Jackson Rowe, who ran the Times for 46 years with her husband, Grant, was interested in Highland County local history; her writings on historical topics, as well as the historical documents she collected, form the Milford Historical Materials series.

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

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

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

Michigan family from Adrian and Flint, Michigan. Family papers, sound recordings, and photographs.

The collection is arranged by family name: Tomlinson, Pomeroy, and Raab. The earliest item is an account maintained by Alexander Tomlinson of Sherwood, Michigan. Within the Raab family papers are diaries, 1891-1892, of Florence Raab concerning her life in Adrian, Michigan. In addition, the collection includes papers and audio-tapes of Irving T. Raab reminiscing about his student life at the University of Michigan in the years before 1900. These tapes also concern his life in Flint and career as Presbyterian clergyman. The photographs in the collection are of family members.

St. Joseph, Berrien County, Michigan family. Papers of family members, primarily correspondence of Ann G. Loomis Preston with her father, Jonathan Loomis, and with her sons Wallace and Fowler, sailors in the Union navy during the Civil War; typescript of excerpt of Civil War diary of Wallace Preston; paper, 1978, of Harriet N. Preston based upon family Civil War experiences; photographs, clippings and miscellanea concerning family and St. Joseph, Michigan.

In 1972, a bundle of over forty Preston family letters, dating mainly from 1850 to 1870, were discovered in the attic of the family home in St. Joseph. Over the next few years, Harriet N. Preston, wife of Arthur G. Preston, Jr. (grandson of Wallace Preston), took an interest in these letters and the Preston family history. Mrs. Preston arranged the letters, compiled typed transcripts, and authored several papers based on the letters.

The Preston family papers document Great Lakes shipping in the nineteenth century, the Union Navy during the Civil War, and daily life in St. Joseph, Michigan during the latter half of the nineteenth century. The collection has been divided into five series: Correspondence; Legal Documents; Newspaper Clippings, Scrapbook and Miscellaneous Materials; Family Histories; and Photographs.

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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.

The Pierson Family papers cover the period between 1821 and 1996. Prominent members of the family include lawyer and politician Job Pierson (1791-1860) who served in Congress as a representative of New York from 1831 to 1835, and his son Reverend Job Pierson of Michigan. The collection is composed primarily of family correspondence, legal papers, genealogical research, newspaper clippings, printed materials, and visual materials, which include photographs, ambrotypes and daguerreotypes, tintypes, and ink drawings. The collection also contains materials documenting Clara Dillingham Pierson’s writing career as a children’s book author.

The Pierson Family papers cover the period between 1821 and 1996. The collection is composed primarily of family correspondence, legal papers, genealogical research, newspaper clippings, printed materials, and visual materials, which include photographs, ambrotypes and daguerreotypes, tintypes, and ink drawings. The collection also contains materials documenting Clara E. Dillingham Pierson's writing career as a children's book author.

The collection has been arranged into four principal series: Family Groups, Clara E. D. Pierson (1868-1952) Papers, Visual Materials, and Other Materials.

Records of railroad companies, mainly Michigan lines, absorbed with the merger of the New York Central Railroad Company and the Pennsylvania Railroad Company into the Penn Central Transportation Company.

The nature of the records of the Pennsylvania Railroad and the New York Central Railroad reflects the recent history of the two companies. When the Penn Central Transportation Company was formed in 1968, the offices of New York Central--the junior merger partner--were dismantled and only a small percentage of records retained. Therefore, the extant New York Central records consist almost entirely of minutes and account books of a routine nature. By contrast, records of the Pennsylvania Railroad were relatively undisturbed by the merger and are today richer and more varied than those of the New York Central. The Penn Central records are most useful for their documentation of the growth of the railroad industry. They depict an industry in constant flux due to the opportunities for success offered by a burgeoning industry and the intense competition among railroads that resulted. A single volume of records often contains minutes of two or more railroads, reflecting either the failure of the original company or its takeover by or merger with another company.

Besides documenting the history of individual railroads and of the railroad industry as a whole, the Penn Central records are a good source on the economic and commercial development of Michigan and neighboring states, and provide insight into the rise and decline of various towns along the railroad. Minutes of New York Central subsidiaries, for example, contain discussions of negotiations with town officials over the proposed construction of tracks, bridges, depots, and the like. Similarly, the locality files in the Superintendent--Toledo Division series of the Pennsylvania Railroad records consist of correspondence and memoranda regarding improvements to, or the abandonment of, stations in small towns in Michigan, Indiana, and Ohio. This series also contains substantial correspondence files on Toledo, Detroit, and Grand Rapids.

Labor and social historians will find the Penn Central records useful in illuminating the lives of workers and in documenting relations between management and workers. More than 40 feet of labor relations files of the Ann Arbor Railroad include agreements between the company and unions, grievances, petitions concerning work rules and pay, wage and hour schedules, and circular letters. There are small series of labor relations files of other companies scattered throughout the collection. Researchers will also find information on the workplace and working conditions in the locality files of the Superintendent--Toledo Division series of the Pennsylvania Railroad; these files contain, for example, memoranda concerning clubrooms and sleeping quarters for workers in city depots.

There is very little technical material in the Penn Central records; photographs are likewise scarce. The most notable exceptions are in the car ferry files, found in three subseries of the Pennsylvania Railroad records: General Manager--Western Region, Vice-President and General Counsel, and Subsidiaries: Mackinac Transportation Company. The car ferry files include maps, plans, specifications, blueprints, and some photographs.

A large portion of the collection consists of records of small railroads that ran through Michigan or were based in Michigan. Records of these companies are brief, often including nothing more than articles of incorporation, a few pages or a volume or two of minutes, and perhaps some annual reports and financial records. Although many of these railroads were subsidiaries of either the Michigan Central Railroad, the Lake Shore and Michigan Southern Railroad, or the Grand Rapids and Indiana Railroad, they have been filed under the parent company of which the sub-system was a part (New York Central, Pennsylvania, or Ann Arbor Railroad) to promote ease of access. Thus, for example, records of the Canada Southern Bridge Company, a subsidiary of Michigan Central Railroad, are filed under New York Central Railroad, the parent company of Michigan Central. Researchers uncertain of the parentage of a particular railroad should look in the subsidiaries section of the contents list under Ann Arbor, New York Central, and Pennsylvania Railroads. The railroads in each of these subsidiaries sections are arranged in alphabetical order.

Brief histories of individual railroads can be found in the "Green Books"--the annual reports of the New York Central Railroad Company and its subsidiaries. There are several published histories of the Pennsylvania Railroad in boxes 183 and boxes 155-157 and on microfilm in box 60.

A card file giving the date of incorporation, name changes, and parentage of subsidiaries of the Michigan Central Railroad, Lake Shore and Michigan Southern Railroad, and the Grand Rapids and Indiana Railroad has been photocopied and can be found in box 1 of the collection. This folder also contains a list of records in the Public Archives of Canada of Grand Trunk and Great Western Railway system properties in the United States. Finally, there is a section of Aids, Gifts, Grants and Donations to Railroads Including Outline of Development and Successions in Titles to Railroads in Michigan by the Michigan Railroads Commission (1919).

Information in this finding aid concerning the histories of the various railroads was drawn from the collection itself, from sources compiled by the project archivists, and from the following published sources: William Frederick Dunbar All Aboard! A History of Railroads in Michigan (Grand Rapids, Michigan: William B. Eerdmans Publishing Company, 1969) and Henry E. Riggs, The Ann Arbor Railroad Fifty Years Ago (Ann Arbor Railroad Company, 1947?)

Marshall, Calhoun County, attorney, Republican state senator, 1878-1882; contain correspondence, legal files, diaries and financial records concerning business and family affairs and the history of Marshall; also family papers, including Civil War letters of brother, Philo D. Patterson, student letters from the University of Michigan of son, Frank D. Patterson, 1892-1894, and records of business partner William H. Brown.

The John C. Patterson collection is divided into the following series: Correspondence; Letterpress books; Legal files; Diaries; Miscellaneous business records; John C. Patterson personal; and Other family members and miscellaneous. Much of the correspondence is addressed either to Patterson or to William H. Brown and pertains to their law practice. Other correspondence relates to family matters, politics, and Hillsdale College. Included in the correspondence are nine letters of Philo D. Patterson written while he was serving in Company H, Ninth Michigan Infantry, February-September 1865. Two of the letters reflect on the assassination of President Lincoln. There are also letters from Frank Dean Patterson, 1892-1894, when he was a student at the University of Michigan.

New York State and Ann Arbor, Michigan family; family correspondence, business papers, student notebooks, photograph albums.

The Patterson family papers have been arranged as much as possible by family member name. To avoid confusion and because the name George Washington Patterson was passed down from father to son, the series names have been given a Roman numeral to distinguish one family member from another.

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

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

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

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

Lawyer at Coldwater, Michigan, Civil War officer, U.S. Marshal of Eastern District of Michigan and Minister to Belgium. Correspondence from family, friends and associates regarding personal and business affairs, military matters, and Democratic politics; miscellaneous other materials and photographs.

The John G. Parkhurst collection consists of correspondence from family, friends and associates regarding personal and business affairs, military matters, and Democratic politics; miscellaneous other materials and photograph. the collections has been divided into the following series: Correspondence; John G. Parkhurst Civil War service; John G. Parkhurst diplomatic and other activities; and Other family materials, business records, and miscellaneous.

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

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

This series contains family correspondence, the diary of Elizabeth Parker Robinson (1891-1896), the dairy of DeWitt Parker (1891), as well as genealogical material, a graduating essay from a Bay City, Michigan high school, and photographs, including an ambrotype portrait of Elizabeth L. Parker.

Upper-class Michigan family in the nineteenth and early twentieth centuries with various business interests including lumbering, mining, and land transactions in Montana, Michigan, California, West Virginia, and British Columbia. The family was also active in the development of the Orchard lake area, especially during in the 1920s through the 1940s. The collection contains both business and personal materials including correspondence, subject files, legal records, maps, blueprints, and photographs.

The Palmer Family papers document the activities of an upper-class family in nineteenth-century and early twentieth-century Michigan. The strength of the collection is its documentation of the growth of early business in Michigan. The Charles Henry Palmer (Senior) series contains the bulk of this information, with papers documenting his activities as an investor in mining and railroads in Michigan's Upper Peninsula from the 1850s through the 1880s. The balance of the collection contains both business and personal materials documenting the lives of various Palmer family members. Materials include correspondence, legal materials, business records, photographs, diaries and journals, and newspaper clippings.

David Wheeler Palmer was a Bridgewater, Michigan school teacher and farmer. His papers consist of diaries, 1846-1864, 1876-1882, and 1887-1892, concerning daily activities and farm life. There are also papers of other family members, including Emmett Newton Palmer, a Brooklyn, Michigan physician, Fred E. Palmer, a surgeon who served in the Spanish-American War, and Louisa Palmer, who was a teacher in Hawaii.

The David Wheeler Palmer collection consists mainly of his diaries and other papers. These diaries, dating from 1846 to 1892 with some gaps, comment in detail on his life, his family, the weather, financial transactions, and local politics. Other portions of the collection include materials of other family members: Palmer's wife Fidelia Randall Palmer; her brother Roswell Randall, Jr.; Emmett Palmer, the son of David and Fidelia; Fred Palmer, the son of Emmett; and Joseph Palmer, the father of David. Of interest are the photographs accumulated by Dr. Fred Palmer while he was serving in the Philippines. These include images of Hawaii on route to the Philippines and of the Santa Mesa facility in the Philippines. Another family member represented in the collection is Louisa Palmer who taught in Hawaii. She was an inveterate traveler who wrote extensive letters describing places visited for her students and family.