Collections : [University of Michigan William L. Clements Library]

This collection contains 5 letters that Thomas Benton Hagan wrote to his sister Clara about his life in the Canal Zone between 1907 and 1910. He frequently commented on family affairs, including his brothers' unspecified legal troubles.

This collection contains 5 letters that Thomas Benton Hagan wrote to his sister Clara about his life in the Canal Zone between 1907 and 1910. He frequently commented on family affairs, including his brothers' legal troubles.

Hagan, who signed his letters with his middle name, "Benton," frequently responded to news of his brothers, including the unspecified legal difficulties of Clarence and Ralph (which involved imprisonment). Hagan urged his sister to pass on advice for Ralph, and mentioned the possibility that he would never see his brother Clarence again. He also discussed his life in the Canal Zone, where he worked as a laborer. On at least one occasion, he served as acting foreman. Hagan suffered with fevers on multiple occasions; one illness required a 17-day hospitalization. On December 30, [no year], he mentioned the death of a friend in a work-related accident; the entire machinist union planned to attend the burial. Hagan wrote his letters on stationery from the Young Men's Christian Association (YMCA).

The Great Lakes Region cities and rivers photograph album contains approximately 125 photographs of Detroit, Grand Rapids, Chatham, Minneapolis, and Saginaw from 1916 to 1919.

The Great Lakes Region cities and rivers photograph album contains approximately 125 photographs of Detroit, Grand Rapids, Chatham, Minneapolis, and Saginaw from 1916 to 1919. The images show many of the same people canoeing, skiing, and fishing. Most album pages include handwritten captions with date, location, and names, and some photographs have handwritten notations on the back. Individuals referred to as John, Mother, Wahnita, and Aunt Anna appear most frequently. Also included are images of a Peace Day and Armistice Day parade in 1918 and a Standard Oil fire in July, 1919. A few images show scenes from the Panama Canal Zone.

The album is 21.75 x 13.5 cm with dark brown cloth covers.