.25 cubic ft. (in 1 box)
Very few of Grawn's papers exist. Most of these are biographical materials written about him and some miscellaneous materials.
1 cubic foot (in 2 boxes)
The collection includes glass-plate negatives, one Kodak safety film negative, a postcard, prints created from the negatives, duplicates of the prints, and some original prints for which there are no extant negatives. Some of the photographs are mounted on board, postcards, or other paper. Some of the glass-plate negatives were sent by Clarke staff in the early 1970s to the University of Michigan where prints were created from the plates. Additional prints were created over time. The prints originally created from the plates measure 4”x5”. Later copies measure 5”x7” and 8”x10”. The glass-plate images have very sharp detail. The miscellaneous images in the collection vary in size and are mounted on postcards, soft paper, or board. A total of 75 negatives and 185 images (including copies) compose the collection.
The collection is divided by format, then alphabetically organized by topic. Box 1 includes Biographical Information (copies, 1 folder) and Photographs. Box 2 includes Glass-plate Negatives.
Most of the original images were taken by James C. Freeman. Some are signed on the back “J. C. Freeman” or have notes from Mary, such as an image of Mount Pleasant rooftops in Mount Pleasant, Michigan, General Views folder, which reads on the back “Papa took this picture from the courthouse cupola Mt. P.” Other images have notations on them and include either James or Mary’s names or both.
After the collection came to the Clarke, it was widely dispersed over time between many general Michigan photograph files. The unlabeled boxes of negatives were housed in the old map room of the Clarke. In 2007 a request was made to recompile as much of the collection as was possible. This collection is the result. For some images there are multiple negatives, multiple prints, multiple copies, or no copies or no negatives.
The collection includes James C. Freeman’s local photographs of downtown Mount Pleasant, Michigan, buildings, notably the Isabella County Courthouse, general views of town, a baseball game, a train by the depot, and three men fishing. Also included are photographs of Central Michigan University (CMU) buildings, and the only extant photograph of Mr. Grawn at CMU with faculty, which is dated 1917-1918. One image of the Old Main building has a notation on the back of the print which states that it was used by the 1893 Mount Pleasant newspaper in an article about the groundbreaking at CMU. An etching based on the photograph was actually used in the paper, not the image itself. Many images of the Mount Pleasant Indian School, mostly of buildings and a few of staff and students, are also included. None of the other photographs are dated, but they all appear to be from the 1890s.
Many images of Apaches and Sioux, Indian schools on their reservations, Sioux teepees, and western scenic scenes, one of which is labeled “below rim Grand Canyon” are also in the collection. Whites and Native Americans are shown in the school and scenic views. These images were originally divided simply into Sioux or Apache folders. Most Apache reservations are in Arizona, as is the Grand Canyon. The archivist was unable to determine which Apache tribe/s are represented in these images or precisely where the images were taken, except that they were likely taken in Arizona. The Sioux images are from an unspecified South Dakota reservation.
The western and scenic views have either [Apache] or [Sioux] at the end of their label indicating their folder of origin. The archivist maintained the folder labels following the arrangement used in the Michigan general photographs collection folders at the Clarke as much as possible to allow patrons who have used the photographs in those folders to find photographs of interest in this collection.
approximately 8 cubic feet (in 17 boxes, 4 Oversized folders)
This collection consists of a wide range of materials including biographical information, manuscripts, research and notes, and correspondence (including Central Michigan University (CMU) Department of Social Sciences, Michigan Historical Society, personal, and student academics). The collection is widely related to the history of Michigan and the history of Central Michigan University. Correspondence with President Dwight D. Eisenhower and correspondence between H.L. Menckin and Mr. Leighly can be found in box 2 of the collection. Telegrams from the following people can be found in box 8: Richard Nixon, Congressman Elford A. Cederberg, Governor G. Mennen Williams, and Arthur S. Flemming (Secretary of the Department of Health, Education, and Welfare). Box 4 of the collection holds a Correspondence from Henry Miller, and Box 6 has newspaper clippings related to Senator Robert Griffin, and alumni of CMU.
1 (Boxes 11-12). Oversized folder 4 includes his and related certificates and diplomas, 1835, 1925. This collection was processed by three student processors: Anjali Grose, Tressa Graves, Bronwyn Mroz Benson.
Materials processed by Anjali Grose largely include correspondence related to: the Central Michigan University (CMU) Department of Social Sciences; the Michigan Historical Society Trustees and Committees; the Michigan Historical Society about state conferences; student academic; and personal information. Other materials processed by A. Grose include a collection of glass slides used for educational purposes (most of these slides were withdrawn); research and a rough draft of a paper on Father Nouvel; newspaper clippings (copies) on R.H. Maybee, H.C. Maybee, and B. Maybee; programs for the memorial services of R.H. Maybee and H.C. Maybee; photographs and related correspondence; miscellaneous research, notes, and sources; and the scrapbook materials found in Box 9.
Materials processed by Bronwyn Benson include Maybee’s Master’s Thesis, the manuscripts for his publications and speeches, the transcripts of sources he used for his research, and a newspaper article relating to a mystery rock Maybee was researching; correspondence from Dwight Eisenhower and H. L. Mencken; documents relating to CMU including the dictation discs and reel-to-reel tapes, and the architectural plans for a possible new building; and the documents pertaining to Claude S. Larzelere and his wife including speeches, teaching notes, and diplomas.
Materials processed by Tressa Graves include biographical information pertaining to Maybee’s research, information on Mount Pleasant Indian Industrial Boarding School, United States Navy V12 program at CMU during World War II and various data related to the surrounding area and CMU. Other materials included the telegrams from Richard Nixon, Congressman Elford A. Cederberg, Governor G. Mennen Williams, and Arthur S. Flemming, updated information on the Prof. Charles Bellows’ desk (up until the new Maybee information it was presumed to be Charles Grawn’s), Claude S. Larzelere’s certificates and diplomas, and a letter from Henry Miller. Besides the significant materials, most of the materials that were processed were withdrawn.
What did others process? Other materials found include two 16mm films, seven glass slides used for educational purposes, photographs, four Reel-to-Reel tapes, pamphlets and catalogues from a scrapbook on CMU. Notecards are organized by size into 5 boxes (Boxes 13-17) pertaining to research by R.H. Maybee and CMU faculty members, and oversize materials including Federal Census data for Isabella County, Michigan, CMU account books, and others.
Oversized folders 1-3 include materials collected by Maybee, a proposal by architects, undated; notes on CMU accounts, 1894-1923; and notes on Rolland Township, Isabella County, Michigan Federal Census data, 1860.
In addition to this collection, papers of Claude S. Larzelere and publications by both Maybee and Larzelere are separately cataloged and housed in the Clarke Historical Library. Maybee also wrote an article on David Ward which was published in Michigan History (32, 1, March 1948). Copies of Maybee's notes on CMU history may also be found in the Central Michigan University 75th Anniversary collection in the Clarke.
Processing Note: A total of 24 cubic feet was withdrawn from this collection including duplicates, published items, reading materials, generic correspondence, generic applications, resumes, interview materials, and student papers.