Collections : [Archives of Michigan]

MS 2002-15 consists of the papers of Glenn S. Allen, Jr. documenting his career, beginning with his work as a delegate to the Michigan Constitutional Convention (1961-1962), through his service as budget director to Michigan Governor George Romney (1963-1968) and legal advisor to Governor William Milliken (1970-1974). The majority of the documentation is financial, and includes correspondence, reports, and budget analyses.

These records document the career of Glenn S. Allen, beginning with his work as a delegate to the Michigan Constitutional Convention (1961-1962), through his service as budget director to Michigan Governor George Romney (1963-1968) and legal advisor to Governor William Milliken (1970-1974). The majority of the documentation is financial, and includes correspondence, reports, and budget analyses.

The J. William Gorski Collection documents Polish communities and Polish Catholics in Michigan and Ontario. Materials include photographs, slides, church bulletins, publications, some correspondence and newspaper clippings.

The J. William Gorski Collection documents Polish communities and Polish Catholics in Michigan and Ontario. Materials include photographs, slides, church bulletins, publications, some correspondence and newspaper clippings. The collection contains a number of photographs of Detroit and Hamtramck. Most of the churches documented are Roman Catholic or Polish National Catholic Churches. In addition to slides and photographs, Gorski also scanned most of the visual material documenting Wayne County and the 1907 Polish Business Directory of Detroit. These disks are part of the collection. The collection is arranged into 2 series: Subject Files (Michigan and Ontario), 1909-2001 and Publications, 1984-2001.

The collection includes reproductions of older materials. In such cases, the date of the reproduction – rather than the date of the original – is used.

RG 2007-18 contains assessor cards prepared by the Lansing City Assessor. They span 1937 to the early 1990s. Each card includes the owner’s name, street address, land sketch, total valuation by year, building dimensions, building appraisal, building description, building sketch, and building permits. They are arranged by subdivision name and lot number.

RG 2007-18 contains assessor cards prepared by the Lansing City Assessor. They span 1937 to the early 1990s. Each card includes the owner’s name, street address, land sketch, total valuation by year, building dimensions, building appraisal, building description, building sketch, and building permits. They are arranged alphabetically by subdivision name and lot number.

The Lizzie Dravenstatt Papers chronicle daily life in a rural society. It includes a large collection of Dravenstatt's diaries, ledger books, and an autograph book of her son, Ray Dravenstatt.

The diaries (Series 1) begin in 1870 when Lizzie was 14 years old. After 1871, there is a gap in the diaries until 1897, when she again wrote about her daily activities. The diaries chronicle daily life in a rural society. She details the chores done each day, such as cooking, cleaning, and sewing. Dravenstatt also tells of the routines of her husband and son concerning the farming activities. Her dedication to her family and friends is evident in the frequent visits with them and her dedication to attending weddings and funerals. The church was also a major topic in the diaries; a large amount of Dravenstatt’s social activities involved the Eagle Methodist Church.

Dravenstatt additionally tells of new events in her time. She bought and used her first stove December 31, 1904. The family’s first automobile was bought May 6, 1910.

Not only does Dravenstatt discuss her own personal activities, but also events that affected her society. She frequently attended Temperance meetings and tells of measles and flu outbreaks in her local communities. Of particular interest are the entries that detail the coming of a Medicine Show (July 28, 1901) and Buffalo Bill’s Wild West Show (June 11, 1902 and August 7, 1908).

The account books (Series 2) detail the purchases of the Dravenstatt family. In many of the earlier diaries, they are included in the back rather than being in a separate volume. Dravenstatt wrote down nearly everything she bought, from insurance to ice cream. A transcribed copy of the ledgers (Series 4), done by Patricia Sanford Brown, is included in the collection.

The Autograph book (Series 3) belonged to Lizzie Dravenstatt’s son, Roy Dravenstatt. The book includes signatures and poems by local friends and family.

The Mary Pennington Collection spans multiple generations of the Pennington family. They resided in Pewamo, Michigan until 1920 when they moved to East Lansing, Michigan. Most of the collection concerns John H. Pennington’s immediate family, and particularly, his daughter, Mary Pennington. The collection is divided into six series: Family Memorabilia, Correspondence, Educational Materials, “I Am” Materials, Visual Materials, and Estate Papers of John Pennington.