Collections : [University of Michigan Bentley Historical Library]

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Collection

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

2 linear feet

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

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

Collection

Albert Kahn Associates records, 1825-2014 (majority within 1900-1945)

166 linear feet (in 180 boxes; textual materials, photographs, and audiovisual materials) — 90 portfolios (photographs) — 22 scrapbooks (sample architectural materials) — 131 oversize volumes (books) — 12,731 drawings (in 45 drawers and 114 tubes; architectural drawings) — 111 MB (online)

Online
Albert Kahn was a Detroit-based architect, active from 1896 to 1942. He founded the firm, Albert Kahn Associated Architects & Engineers, which is today known as Albert Kahn Associates, Inc. He was best known for his industrial design work, including the Ford Motor Company's Highland Park and River Rouge plants; numerous commercial buildings in Detroit such as the Fisher Building, Detroit Athletic Club, and General Motors Building; and much of the University of Michigan's Central Campus, including Angell Hall, the Clements Library, and Hill Auditorium, as well as the Willow Run Bomber Plant near Ann Arbor, Michigan. After Kahn's death in 1942, his architectural firm, Albert Kahn Associates, Inc., has continued to be a worldwide leader in the design of factory buildings that enhance the manufacturing process. The Albert Kahn Associates records are composed of materials produced by Albert Kahn the architect, as well as materials produced by his firm, Albert Kahn Associates, Inc., and include correspondence, company files, photographs, published materials, and architectural drawings.

The Albert Kahn Associates records offer researchers the opportunity to study the correspondence, transcripts of speeches, photographs, and architectural drawings of the preeminent, American, industrial architect, Albert Kahn, and his firm, Albert Kahn Associates, Inc. On March 21, 2003 (the 134th anniversary of Albert Kahn's birthday), Albert Kahn Associates, Inc. (AKA) donated this collection to the Bentley Historical Library at the University of Michigan to ensure the conservation and accessibility of these records. Through this gift, AKA has shown its commitment to preserving the legacy of Kahn, whose factories on five continents influenced the development of industrial architecture and whose commercial, residential and institutional buildings define the character of Detroit and the University of Michigan today. The collection encompasses 166 linear feet (in 180 boxes) of correspondence, transcripts of speeches, newspaper and journal articles, company files, audiovisual materials, photographs and slides, as well as 90 leather portfolios containing photographs of completed buildings, 22 albums of sample architectural materials, 131 books, and 12,731 architectural drawings in 45 flat-file drawers and 114 oversize tubes.

The narrative and visual materials in the collection illuminate the breadth of Kahn's career and highlight the work of his architectural firm, Albert Kahn Associates, Inc., which continued to develop projects after his death, and remains a living institution. In pairing the textual materials with the photographs and architectural drawings associated with Kahn's projects, this collection offers a rich perspective on the master architect himself, illuminating his personal views on his own architecture and its place in a changing and often tumultuous world.

Collection

Allen family (Ann Arbor, Mich.) papers, 1824-1867

0.3 linear feet — 1 oversize volume

John Allen (1797-1851) and Ann I. Allen (1797-1875) co-founded--with Elisha Walker Rumsey and his wife Mary Ann Rumsey-- the city of Ann Arbor, Washtenaw County, Michigan. Correspondence, biographical and family history information, a plat book, and family portraits.

Correspondence of John Allen, co-founder of Ann Arbor, Michigan, his wife, Ann, and their children, largely concerning family affairs and travels, including journey to California in 1850, and the prospects of settlement in Michigan, Indiana, and Illinois; biographical and genealogical material, including family histories and reminiscences by James Turner Allen; and plat book (1830's) of Ann Arbor containing plats of land purchased by Allen from the United States.

Photographs, including portraits of John and Ann Allen and James T. Allen; photos of other family members.

Collection

Allen N. and Lisa Hibner collection of Upjohn Family Papers, 1790-1898, 2003

0.1 linear feet

Papers collected by Allen N. and Lisa Hibner of the Upjohn family of upstate New York and western Michigan. Materials include copies of family letters and photos, as well as one CD-ROM containing scanned images and transcribed documents.

Copies of family letters and photos. The collection includes one CD-ROM containing scanned images and transcribed documents and some paper copies.

Collection

Allmendinger Family Papers, 1824-2006 (majority within 1890-1986)

8 linear feet — 1 oversize volume — 1 oversize folder

Ann Arbor German-American family, owners of the Allmendinger Organ Company which later became the Ann Arbor Organ Company. Correspondence, scrapbooks, family genealogy, photographs concerning family affairs, materials on Helene Allmendinger's radio show, examples of spirit messages received by Helene Allmendinger from deceased family members; information pertaining to the Ann Arbor Organ Company, and family members still living in Germany.

The collection is divided into the following series: Family records and correspondence; Helene Allmendinger papers; Ina Allmendinger papers; Ann Arbor Organ Company; Harriet Birch papers, Other family members; Miscellaneous, and Photographs.

Collection

Alpheus Felch Papers, 1817-1896

6 linear feet — 6 oversize volumes — 1 oversize folder

Lawyer, Member of Michigan Supreme Court, 1842-1846, Democratic Governor of Michigan, 1846-1847, and holder of numerous other public offices; papers include correspondence and other papers documenting his career in public service.

The Alpheus Felch papers details the active life of this nineteenth century Michigan public servant. Not only are public issues discussed in the correspondence files but the researcher will also gain an understanding of some of the personal problems associated with public service. The collection also includes several files of other family members.

Collection

Ann Arbor Township Records, 1820s-1996

11 linear feet — 100 oversize volumes

Township record books, 1845-1902; registers of births, 1906-1943; registers of deaths, 1897-1912; poll books, tally sheets, and statement of votes from polls within township; records relating to surveys, repairs, etc. of township roads; reports and compiled statistics pertaining to township schools; property assessment roll books; and other miscellaneous records.

The records of Ann Arbor Township include township record books, 1845-1902; registers of births, 1906-1943; registers of deaths, 1897-1912; poll books, tally sheets, and statement of votes from polls within township; records relating to surveys, repairs, etc. of township roads; reports and compiled statistics pertaining to township schools; property assessment roll books; and other miscellaneous records. The records are organized into nine series:

  1. Township Record Books, 1845-1902
  2. Registers of Births, 1906-1943
  3. Registers of Deaths, 1897-1912
  4. Election records
  5. Highway Records, 1820s-1920s
  6. Treasurer's records, 1830s-1923
  7. School Records, 1840s-1930s
  8. Miscellaneous, 1827-1920s
  9. Assessment Roll Books, 1872-1996
Collection

Barber G. Buell papers, 1760-1935 (majority within 1849-1899)

3.3 linear feet — 1 oversize folder

Farmer at Volinia Township, Cass County, Michigan. Journals, financial records, papers of other family members.

The collection is divided into three series: Journals, Farm records, and Other Family Members.

Collection

Benajah Ticknor papers, 1818-1852

3 linear feet — 3 microfilms

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.

Collection

Benjamin F. Graves papers, 1815-1950 (majority within 1848-1903)

2.5 linear feet

Circuit court judge and Michigan Supreme Court justice; his wife, Ann Lapham Graves, was a Battle Creek educator and civic leader; their son, Henry B. Graves, was a Detroit lawyer. Family correspondence concerning life in Battle Creek, Michigan, student life of H. B. Graves at the University of Michigan, 1879-1882, Kansas land speculation, 1883-1885, the Spanish-American War and legal affairs; personal journals and circuit court and Supreme Court record books of B. F. Graves; and photographs.

The Benjamin F. Graves papers consist of family correspondence concerning life in Battle Creek, Michigan, student life of H. B. Graves at the University of Michigan, 1879-1882, Kansas land speculation, 1883-1885, the Spanish-American War and legal affairs; personal journals and circuit court and Michigan Supreme Court record books of B. F. Graves; and correspondence of Henry B. Graves and Ann Lapham Graves. The collection has been arranged by name of individual family member: Benjamin F. Graves; Lapham family; Henry B. Graves; and Miscellaneous.

The correspondence of Benjamin F. Graves includes letters from Henry B. Brown, December 26, 1890; Julius C. Burrows, March 17, 1869; James V. Campbell, 1858-1883; Isaac P. Christiancy, June 1868, November and December 1862, February 1873, August 1877; Thomas M. Cooley (throughout); Donald M. Dickinson, undated and December 1883; Alpheus Felch, December 1894; and John W. Longyear, April 1864 and March 1865.

Collection

Blake family papers, 1806-1984

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

Online

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

Collection

Board of Regents (University of Michigan) records, 1817-2016 (majority within 1899-2016)

286 linear feet — 3 oversize volumes — 20 oversize items — 298.4 MB (online) — 1 oversize folder

Online
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.

Collection

Boyd family papers, 1761-1945

1 linear foot

William H. Boyd family of Monroe, Michigan. Correspondence, diaries, addresses, photograph, and miscellaneous papers concerning family and business affairs, temperance, slavery and the First Presbyterian Church of Monroe, Michigan. Correspondents include: Isaac P. Christiancy and Alpheus Felch.

The Boyd family collection includes correspondence, diaries of family members, addresses, photographs, and miscellaneous papers concerning family and business affairs, temperance, slavery and the First Presbyterian Church of Monroe, Michigan. Correspondents include: Isaac P. Christiancy and Alpheus Felch.

Collection

Burrows family papers, 1760-1916

6 linear feet (in 7 boxes)

Burrows-Avery-Smith families of New York, Connecticut, and Michigan. Correspondence and business papers of Lorenzo Burrows, New York Congressman, 1849-1853; George L. Burrows, Saginaw, Michigan, banker and speculator; material concerning the Whig Party and New York state politics, 1848-1860. Correspondents include: Millard Fillmore, Washington Hunt, and John Young.

The Burrows / Avery / Smith collection was brought together and preserved by Emeline Burrows (daughter of Lorenzo Burrows) and Julia Smith (granddaughter of the elder Roswell Burrows).

The collection has been arranged into the following series: Correspondence and other papers of family members (arranged chronologically); Family records; Topical files; Visual Materials; and Financial materials.

Collection

Camilla and Ethel Green Family Papers, 1827-1988 (majority within 1910-1955)

8.0 linear feet — 1 oversize folder

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

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

Collection

Cathedral Church of St. Paul (Detroit, Mich.) Records, 1824-2002

25 linear feet — 19 oversize volumes

The Cathedral Church of St. Paul was founded in Detroit in 1824 as St. Paul⿿s parish. The record group spans the period from 1824 to 1995 and includes church registers of services, meeting minutes, and other documentation of the administrative life of the church. The record groups also includes record books of baptisms, marriages, and burials from 1824 to 1936.

The Cathedral Church of St. Paul records span the period from 1824 to 1995 and includes church registers of services, meeting minutes, and other documentation of the administrative life of the church. The record groups also includes record books of baptisms, marriages, and burials from 1824 to 1936.

The record group consists of seven series: Church Registers; Administrative Records; Church Publications, Annual Reports/Annual Meeting Reports, Vestry Records, Topical Files, and Miscellaneous earlier records.

Collection

C. C. Trowbridge papers, circa 1823-1840

0.5 linear feet

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)

Collection

Charles I. Walker Collection, 1817-1887 (majority within 1817-1825)

1 case

Online
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.

Collection

Cyrus W. Beckwith account book, 1825-1872

1 volume — 1 envelope

This collection consists of the record of Cyrus Beckwith's general store and other business activities, as well as portraits of Beckwith and his wife, Amarilla.

Collection

David Wheeler Palmer and family papers, 1807-1982

3 linear feet — 1 oversize folder

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.