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The organizational records include: an organizational history, account books, Christmas bird count reports, constitution and bylaws, meeting minutes with attachments (earlier years are in volumes), membership lists, miscellaneous, newsletters, newspaper and magazine clippings (copies), pamphlets, photographs, programs and property materials.

The organizational records include: an organizational history, account books, Christmas bird count reports, constitution and bylaws, meeting minutes with attachments (earlier years are in volumes), membership lists, miscellaneous, newsletters, newspaper, and magazine clippings (copies), pamphlets, photographs, programs, and property materials. The collection is organized by alphabetically and chronologically. The collection is ongoing.

A copy of William Theunissen’s Chippewa Valley Audubon Club, 1951-1992 history of the Club is separately cataloged in the Clarke.

Processing Note: Duplicate materials and acidic materials, which were copied, were returned to the donor as per the donor agreement.

History of the club, its members and activities in programs, photographs, awards, correspondence, scrapbooks,newspaper clippings (copies), meeting minutes, and other materials.

The collection mostly consists of the Clubs’ scrapbooks, photographs, and awards, and other records documenting the Club’s activities, programs, and members.

The papers include photographic materials, and papers about Norm Lyon's personal and family life, his work as an oil field reporter and photographer for the MIchigan Oil and Gas News (MOGN), and his work as a photographer for the Mount Pleasant Daily Times News.

The collection consists of two main types of formats, photographic materials and papers. The photographic materials include: film negatives, strip negatives (multiple images on 35 mm film negatives), single image negatives, photographs, photograph and negative albums, transparencies, and paste-ups (for MOGN publications). The papers include: correspondence, reports, articles, newspaper clippings, obituaries, maps, and other materials.

The collection has materials from 1929-1930, 1933-1956, 1959-1977, 1979-1985, 1987-1989, 1991, and undated materials of this time period. Many undated negatives can be dated to the 1930s by the size and format of the negative material. Other papers in the collection that predate 1929 are in reality either later (ca.1960s) copies of pre-1929 materials or later (ca. 1950-1960s) notes about times prior to 1929.

The smallest part of the collection documents Norm Lyon’s family, mostly in negatives. Documented here are his wife, Phyllis, children, JoAnn and Dick, their pet dog, “Rip”, relatives, friends, and home life. The children are well documented as infants, at Christmas, 1937, 1940-1941, in Halloween costumes, on family vacations, particularly to Niagara Falls, 1941, and Leonidas (Mich.), while camping, playing with little friends and Rip, in the snow, or with their favorite toys. Phyllis is documented with the children, particularly when they were babies and toddlers, with lady friends working on craft projects, on vacation, and in general sitting and knitting. Norm is rarely photographed except for when he broke his leg and a few portrait shots, all undated The whole family is documented on vacations, camping or at Leonidas (Mich.), at Christmas, playing cards, and while visiting with friends and relatives. Most of the images are negatives and date from approximately 1935 to 1945. A few photographs, probably of the Lyon family or their friends and relatives also are included in the collection, notably in weddings, graduations, or anniversary photographs. None of these photographs are identified.

Civic and other organizations in which Norm was active, particularly the Mount Pleasant Kiwanis Club and the Pere Marquette Club, are documented in both negatives and photographs.

Norm’s work with the Mount Pleasant Daily Times recorded life in Mount Pleasant and the surrounding central Michigan area. Most of the images are negatives and include downtown Mount Pleasant parades, Christmas and Halloween decorations, downtown events and sales, politics, juries, veterans, meetings of various boards, the Indian Hall Dedication of July 7, 1940, Isabella County Fairs, 1947-1948 and 1956, the dedication of the new airport, the opening of Island Park swimming pool, paving streets, city offices, police (both state and local), accidents, fires, various clubs and civic groups particularly the Boy and Girl Scouts, American Legion, Archery Club, Elks Club, 4-H and FFA, Jaycees, Kiwanis, and Lions Club, as well as the local schools and sports teams, and the widening of US-127.

Other Michigan localities documented in negatives include the Pre-Edenville Dam, 1941, Reed City, 1940 (?), Ithaca, 1935, 1937, the Arenac Salt Plant, 1940, and Barrier Salt (Armada), 1966.

Central Michigan University (CMU) is documented as well. Negatives of the Cornerstone Ceremony at Rachel Tate Hall, 1956, the Construction of the Arts and Crafts Building, 1947, are included. Other images of note include the College Hop, 1936, Doc. Sweeney’s Gym[nastics] Troupe, 1942, the Football Team, 1934 and ca.1930s, Homecoming, including football players and a parade, 1935, as well as practice session negatives of both men’s baseball and women’s basketball, and the team image of the Men’s Basketball Team, 1942 are included. Photographs of CMU document most notably the Central State Training College Training School Fire of January. 8, 1933, general building images, and people, including the men’s baseball team, undated

Other unidentified negatives, probably documenting Mount Pleasant and the related area, include: suicides, squatters, farmers, agricultural scenes and products, and farm animals, hot air balloons, vehicles, trains, voting polls, buildings (interior and exterior shots), fires in general, and the Wolscheid Fire, 1948, in particular. Related photographs also mostly of the Mount Pleasant area, document children, buildings, the Kiwanis Club, street paving, snow storms, city vehicles, and the Chippewa Centennial Queen and Runner-up, 1967.

The largest group of negatives, as well as some of the photographs, documents oil exploration and production businesses in Michigan, 1930s-1980s.

Within the oil topics, a large number of negatives and photographs, 1930s-1970s, document men, most of whom are in groups wearing suits, usually holding drinks and cigarettes. While most of these men are unidentified, some are partially identified and other photographs or negatives are dated. It is highly likely that they all are attending Association meetings. One particular set of negatives shows men at the Mount Pleasant Country Club, watching a couple of go-go dancers, 1966.

Other negatives show groups of men who were probably connected with the oil industry relaxing, at meetings, playing cards, fishing, golfing, or hunting. A funny negative shows a group of men dressed up as women golfers. Numerous other images show men in groups either working in or visiting oil fields. The negatives of men in groups span 1935 through 1975, and undated. The photographs of men in groups span the 1960s.

There are also a smaller number of negatives of men who are working in fields unrelated to the oil business, such as in general stores.

Lastly, there are a number of negatives, 1930s-1970s, and some photographs, 1960s, of individual men in the Men-Portraits folders, some of which are identified either by surname or date. While a number of the men may be well known in the oil industry, the most famous central Michigan names associated with the Purple Gang are Isaiah Leebove, circa 1937, and Jack Livingston, undated, circa 1930s, both documented in photographs. Another famous Michigander is Spikehorn [John E.] Meyer (d. 1956) of Harrison, Michigan, 1940s, undated (photographed with his pet deer and bear, and people, including children). Spikehorn is documented in negatives and a few photographs.

A few Michigan politicians are also found in the collection, probably while campaigning, and include governors Soapy [G. Mennen] Williams and Kim Sigler (in negatives) and George Romney (in photographs).

The largest and arguably the most important part of the collection documents the oil exploration and production business throughout the state of Michigan, 1930s-1970s. A few images of the oil business in Texas, Florida, Ohio, and Illinois are also included.

The collection documents in detail the entirety of the oil business, from maps, drilling, core samples, construction of rigs, storage tanks, shipping oil, fires and other disaster, to seismology. Changes and developments in field equipment are recorded, from horse-drawn vehicles, wooden derricks, and using tractor-powered vehicles to sink well pipes to diesel-powered equipment and full-scale production refineries.

Major topics related to the oil exploration and production business in Michigan are well documented by negatives in the collection. These topics include the Association meetings, parties, and other outings, usually baseball or golf, 1940-1974, undated, and Buildings and Plants, most of which are identified, including non-Michigan locations. Plants with a large number of images include: Gaylord, 1967-1971; Gulf-Bateson, 1935, 1940-1942, undated, Gulf-Bay City, 1939-1941, undated and Gulf-General, 1941; Hilliard’s in Roscommon County and Vogel Centre, 1941, 1967; Kalkaska, including Shell Oil Co., 1969-1972, 1974; McClure (various locations), 1966, 1969-1971 and 1975; Porter fields, 1933, 1936, 1939-1940, undated; Pure Oil Co., 1930s, 1936, 1939-1940, undated; Reed City (MI), 1941, Roosevelt Refinery, Mount Pleasant, 1940, 1943, 1947, undated; Saginaw, 1937, 1941, 1975, undated; Shell Oil Co., 1970-1974; Sun Oil Co., 1940-1941, 1965-1966; Tekonsha, Michigan,1966-1967, 1969; and Wise Township (Isabella County), 1940-1941, undated.

Other oil business subjects well documented by negatives include Derricks, both identified and dated, 1930s-1970s, and those neither identified nor dated, including rigs blown down, destroyed, off-shore, and tilting. Fires are also well documented, particularly the Roosevelt fire, 1933, Six Lakes fire, 1974, Struble Well fire, 1934, and the Woods Well fire, circa 1930s. Gas and Gas Plants, Gushers, and Land Leases, Sales, and Landsmen are fairly well documented. The Oil Expos[itions] of 1935-1937 are well documented, showing various exhibiters, their equipment, signs, salesmen, and attendees. Oil Scouts, Pipes, Pumps, and Storage Tanks are also documented. Negatives of refineries, mostly undated, which are well documented included McClanahan Refinery, Toledo Pipe Refinery (Ohio), 1935-1936, and Total Refinery (probably located in Alma. Well sites are well documented in Buckeye, 1936-1938, Durbin, 1935, and Sherman Rocks, 1937.

Brine and gas exploration, laying of lines or pipes, plants and gas stations are also documented, mostly by negatives.

The oil business is also documented in photographs, which mostly dated from the 1960s. Buildings and Plants documented here include Bay Refining Co., and Belle River Gas, 1967, Simrall Pipeline Corp., and Durbin Station. Other topics covered include: Core Samples; Derricks, including Hilliard and McCloud for 1961; Fires, 1961-1963, Florida (Orange County), 1965; Gushers; McClure Drilling Co., Equipment on a Ferryboat, 1961, Pumps; Sinkholes, Storage Tanks; and Wells Sites, including Off-Shore sites.

The Transparencies also document the oil business in Michigan. The Slides nearly all document the oil business in the early 1970s, including the Crawford Well Fire, 1976; Derricks; Kalkaska; seismology, rigs, equipment, fires, core samples, pumps, storage tanks, various people, McClure, equipment, etc.

The partial reels of 35 mm film all are labeled in some form. One partial reel found in Box 11 appears to be personal. Otherwise, all the partial reels in Box 12 document an oil hearing, 1971-1973, McClure, Natural Resource Commission, etc.

The Oversized Folders include photographs (2 folders) and paste-ups (1 folder), all related to Norm’s publishing work with the oil industry.

The Papers are a small part of the collection. Found here are articles and reprints of articles about the Michigan oil business; an oil drilling notebook reports, maps, and other oil related materials. Pigeon River, and the blowout at Williamsburg, 1973-1974 are specifically documented here. The rest of the Papers documents Norm Lyons in biographical information, including correspondence, obituaries notices (of Norm and Phyllis), newspaper clippings, notes, and speeches, and information about the Mount Pleasant Kiwanis Club, particularly their 50th Anniversary in 1983. Other people, probably his friends or oil associates are documented briefly in correspondence and newspaper clippings.

Processing Note: This was a challenging collection to process for several reasons. First, it arrived in a state of complete disorder. Many of the images, negatives and positives, were without any form of identification. Secondly, a number of negatives were often in one wax-paper sleeve with either little or no identifying information or a lot of information that did not always seem to apply to the contents. For example one sleeve might have 15 negatives of different men and the names of only two men on it. Norm’s writing was often difficult to read, particularly when he used his own style of abbreviations. Students and Marian tried mightily to identify and read his notations. Also, some of the photographs were identified by Norm as belonging to various years. As we could, we maintained that grouping. That is why there are photographs in a folder 1965-1967 (we do not know which individual photographs date from which year) and other photographs in a folder strictly labeled 1967 only. Simply sleeving the collection took nearly three months while sorting it took longer. Some items were identifiable only using a lightbox and loupe.

The collection includes: correspondence, meeting minutes, committee reports, scrapbooks, photographs and negatives, and printed materials of the organization, and items relating to the Michigan State Federation of Women's Clubs. The collection is ongoing.

The Mount Pleasant Woman’s Club organizational records consist of materials from 1894 forward which document the activities of this community organization. The collection was originally subdivided into three series, Minutes, General Administration, and Scrapbooks.

The Minutes series contains Club meeting minutes from 1894 to 1996, and 1999-2003, which are part of the Recording Secretary’s Files. Both sets of minutes are arranged chronologically. These provide the richest source of information on club activities throughout the years. They are nearly complete with only two gaps, 1902-1905 and 1916-1917. Information from these time periods can be found in Scrapbook 1. Some of the bound volumes of minutes contain membership lists, attendance records, bills and receipts.

The General Administration series consists of materials from 1896 to 1998 which primarily document activities of club committees and divisions. Types of materials found here include: reports, committee minutes, histories of the Club, Mount Pleasant Community Calendars, the constitution and bylaws, correspondence, newspaper and magazine clippings, annual programs, certificates, awards, and a photograph. Major topics of this subgroup include; Club House Committee, Health Division, Home and Garden Division, and the Michigan State Federation of Women’s Clubs. A wide variety of information is present in the subgroup, but tends to be quite scattered and not comprehensive.

The Scrapbooks series includes Scrapbooks which primarily contain, and may include annual and specific meeting programs, reports, bylaws, photographs and recipes. It appears that the books were created by several different sources and seem to form a couple of different roughly chronological series: Volumes 1-5 cover the years 1895 to 1960 and Volumes 6-8 span the years 1939 to 1960. Volumes 9 and 10 are special cases; 9 contains only annual programs, while 10 is primarily made up of photographs which document a wide variety of Mount Pleasant area topics. Subjects covered in volume 10 include: schools, farming, barns, sports, agricultural extension service, oil and gas, girl scouts, Central Michigan College, churches, and recipes.

Several printed works pertaining specifically to the Michigan State Federation of Women’s Clubs were transferred from this collection to the Clarke book collection.

Portions of this collection were microfilmed by the Clarke Historical Library in 1994. The master negatives are on file in the microfilming department of CHL.

Additions to the collection since 1994 include various administrative materials, meeting minutes, guest books, photographic materials, and more oversized Scrapbooks.

The 2024 addition to the Mount Pleasant Women’s Club collection, mostly found in Boxes 13-14, is mostly composed of materials organized by year. Within these folders are newsletters, members’ volunteer hours, ESO (Epsilon Sigma Omicron) reports, yearbooks, awards, certificates, photographs, correspondence, handbooks, executive board meeting minutes, treasurer’s reports, budgets, dues reports, End of the Year reports and narratives, bylaws, new member’s handbook, Northeastern District newsletters, and GFWC Michigan statistical report forms. This addition also contains photographs of general gatherings, a club centennial event, the arts group, bird housebuilding, and nature walks; a trifold, handbook, programs, materials related to the ESO book reading club including yearly and cumulative statistics, scrapbook materials, photocopies of newspaper clippings, and correspondence with the Embers restaurant from whom the club rented out space for their meetings. Materials related to finances include audit reports, a general ledger, the treasurer’s book and reports. Included with the treasurer’s book are three Exchange Saving Bank account books and materials related to the leasing of a meeting place from St. John’s Episcopal Church. Box 10 contains membership cards that are sorted into active and inactive members as of 2024. They are arranged alphabetically. Some cards have notes about due payments or why the member is no longer active because they are deceased, moved away, or left the group. Behind some cards is correspondence from that member about why they are rescinding their membership. The cards date from approximately 1950 and 2010. Ten items were interfiled into Box 1-12.

Boxes 1-3, 6, 13-14 are cubic foot boxes. Boxes 4, 7, 9-12 are .5 cubic foot boxes. Box 5 is a flat scrapbook box, Box 8 is a .25 cubic foot box. The Oversized scrapbooks are unboxed, stored flat with flags in them. Most of the collection is in very good condition. The exceptions to this are a few scrapbooks and the guest book with wooden covers, the pages of which are quite acidic.

This collection, 1965-2018, and undated, includes bylaws, meeting minutes, annual reports, newsletters, program booklets, correspondence, thank you cards, newspaper clippings, photographs, scrapbook pages, and other materials related to the operations of the NED and the clubs in its jurisdiction.

This collection, 1965-2018, and undated, includes bylaws, meeting minutes, annual reports, newsletters, program booklets, correspondence, thank you cards, newspaper clippings, photographs, scrapbook pages, and other materials related to the operations of the NED and the clubs in its authority. Materials related to the operations of the NED include their bylaws, budgets, minutes of the NED’s executive board, workshops, several conventions, official calls to NED workshops and Great Lakes conferences, a guide for new officers, lists of officers, awards and certificates earned by the district, the NED’s presidents’ annual reports to the GFWC Michigan board of directors, NED newsletters, thank you cards written to NED officers, and GFWC brochures. There are pages of several binders that contain materials about the NED’s annual convention and officer meetings and the papers of the secretary. Also, there are photographs of various NED members at events such as the annual convention and Great Lakes conference, photographs in folder 39 include identification of persons, some photographs included in the scrapbook pages have an event and year labeled, others do not. This collection also includes photocopies of newspaper clippings along with awards that highlight the accomplishments of both the NED and its member clubs, including a key to the city of Clare presented to the Clare Study Club. Additionally, photocopies of three obituaries of three prominent NED officers are included. Materials pertaining to the defederated clubs from Gladwin County, Alma, and Pinconning that include correspondence between the clubs and the NED about defederation, Gladwin County Woman’s Club yearbooks, club histories, program booklets, and a photocopy of a newspaper article about the Pinconning Woman’s Club’s 75th anniversary. There are materials relating to the GFWC Michigan Education Foundation that include minutes from a 2017 meeting, correspondence from the Foundation to the NED, and an informational brochure. The general correspondence folder includes correspondence between club presidents, members of the NED Past Presidents Club, NED officers, GFWC Michigan officers, the GFWC International President Rose Ditto, and Bay Cliff Health Camp. The collection is organized by size, alphabetically and chronologically. Box 1 is a cubic foot box. The collection is in good physical condition.

The three main series in the collection include: Annual Meetings, Club materials, GFWC MI.

Annual Meetings: This series includes materials that relate to the NED’s annual convention/meeting hosted by one of the member clubs with assistance from NED’s executive board. Materials in this series include annual reports given by the clubs that describe challenges and accomplishments of their club over the last year, program booklets that provide information about the convention and the NED, and the minutes of the convention.

Club materials: This series contains materials that relate directly to member clubs of the district rather than the NED itself. Materials include program booklets, member lists, constitutions and bylaws, event flyers, and photocopies of newspaper clippings. Clubs represented in this series include the Clare Study Club, Farwell Women’s Club, Gaylord Study Club, Harrison’s Women’s Club, Ladies Literacy Club of East Tawas, and Rogers City Women’s Civic League. Researchers interested in the Mount Pleasant Woman’s Club can find their materials in the Mount Pleasant Woman’s Club Organizational Records collection at the Clarke.

GFWC Michigan (GFWC MI): This series contains materials that relate to GFWC Michigan operations. These include board of directors meeting minutes, the board of directors’ annual reports that describe their accomplishments, and materials related to the state convention including press releases, registration information, and program booklets.

Researchers interested in the GFWC may be interested in the Mount Pleasant Woman’s and Junior Woman’s clubs Organizational Records in the Clarke Historical Library. Both clubs were members of the GFWC within the NED.

Processing Note: Approximately a quarter of a foot of material was withdrawn during processing. Withdrawn materials included duplicate items, original newspaper clippings after being photocopied, miscellaneous and out of scope materials, blank forms, and unidentified photographs.

The organizational records include meeting minutes, correspondence, policies, bylaws, photographs, programs, accounts, scrapbook, and other materials.

The organizational records include meeting minutes, 1967-1971. 1986-1990; correspondence, 1969-1976; Central Michigan University's Gerald L. Poor School Museum materials, 1976; policies, bylaws, and articles of incorporation, 1965-1973; photographs, 1960s-1970s; programs, 1969-1973; accounts,1971-1978; scrapbook, 1967-1972; and other materials.

Organizational records includes secretaries books, treasurers books, and Christmas books of the Club.

The Secretaries’ Books, 1913-1995, include the Club’s meeting minutes, programs, and correspondence. In later years, some photographs are also attached inside the bound volumes. These books were bound by the Club.

The Treasurers’ Book, 1943-1968, a simple spiral bound notepad, includes the Club’s cash received and disbursements accounts.

The Christmas Books, 1931-1941 and 1961-1971, document various local, needy families that the Club helped at Christmas time. The 1931-1941 Book notes gifts given in 1929. The books list families who received Christmas gifts, food, clothing, and other household supplies from the Tourism Club and individual members of the Club. The names, ages, addresses of family members, income/employment information, if any, and gifts received, as well as their financial, medical, and other personal information are listed, such as what assistance, if any, that they received from government or other sources. Because of the personal information in these books and the fact that some of the people listed in them were infants in the 1970s, the Christmas Books are closed to researchers until 2040. To avoid inappropriate use of these books, they are housed separately from the other materials in the collection. The Christmas Books were also bound by the Club.

The collection documents the history of the club mostly through meeting minutes, photographs, and scrapbooks.

The collection documents the history of the Zonta Club of Mt. Pleasant, through meeting minutes, photographs, scrapbooks, and after 1992, scrapbook materials. The three oversized scrapbooks are acidic and brittle and should be handled with care. Later additions added mostly meeting minutes. The collection is organized alphabetically and chronologically. The collection is ongoing. The Zontian is separately cataloged.