Correspondence from the 19th and early 20th century compiled by Robert Beasecker. Authors include a variety of individuals, businesses, and organizations throughout the United States.
Philanthropy and society--Personal narratives; Charities--Michigan; Associations, institutions, etc.--Michigan
Russ Mawby discusses his youth on a fruit farm and involvement with 4H and the Boy Scouts, his agricultural studies at Michigan State and Purdue Universities, and his military service in the US Army. He reflects on the history of the Kellogg...
Michigan--History; Local histories; Memoirs; Oral histories (document genre); Grand Rapids (Mich.); Personal narratives; Heritage Hill (Grand Rapids, Mich.); Grand Valley State University
M.R. Bissell was born on 7 April 1882 in Grand Rapids. His father (M.R. Sr.) invented the Bissell Carpet Sweeper. The Bissell Carpet Sweeper Company was established in 1883. When Mr. Bissell’s father died prematurely, his mother took his place...
Michigan--History; Local histories; Memoirs; Oral histories (document genre); Grand Rapids (Mich.); Personal narratives; Heritage Hill (Grand Rapids, Mich.); Grand Valley State University; Women
Katherine Pantlind was the granddaughter of J. Boyd Pantlind, founder of the Pantlind Hotel. She married George Whinery in 1931. She is a prominent member of the Kent County G.O.P. Mrs. Whinery died 29 December 1998.
Michigan--History; Local histories; Memoirs; Oral histories (document genre); Grand Rapids (Mich.); Personal narratives; Heritage Hill (Grand Rapids, Mich.); Grand Valley State University
John Widdicombe was born in Grand Rapids. His great-grandfather came to New York from England, before moving to Grand Rapids. Mr. Widdicombe’s grandfather Alfred H. Sherwood started the Grand Rapids Panel Company, invented embalming fluid, and...
Michigan--History; Local histories; Memoirs; Oral histories (document genre); Grand Rapids (Mich.); Personal narratives; Heritage Hill (Grand Rapids, Mich.); Grand Valley State University
George Jackoboice was born in 1908. He graduated from the University of Notre Dame in 1931. He was a member of the Peninsular club and the Cascade Hills Country Club. He co-owned the family business, Monarch Road Machinery Co. He died on 10...
Moving images; Arizona; Petrified Forest National Park (Ariz.); Petrified forests
The Petrified Forest National Park is located in Navajo and Apache counties in northeastern Arizona. It became a national monument in 1906 and in 1962 was declared a national park. It is famous for its fossils, especially of fallen trees. 16mm film...
Moving images; Colorado; Mesa Verde National Park (Colo.); Pueblo architecture--Colorado--Mesa Verde National Park; Cliff-dwellings
Mesa Verde National Park is located in Montezuma County, Colorado. It was established as a national park on June 29, 1906 to protect the cliff dwellings built by the Anasazi. It was designated a World Heritage Site on September 6, 1978. 16mm film...
In 1905, the first Greek colony was established in Tarpon Springs. By the end of 1906, 1,500 Greek sponge divers and workers had arrived in Tarpon Springs. The sponge industry grew in the 1920s and 1930s with a fleet of about 200 ships. In 1936,...
Roy K. Cronkhite, draftsman and mechanical engineer, was born in Canada October 14, 1874. On his 32nd birthday, Mr. Cronkhite began recording his daily routine in a set of diaries. He continued the diaries for fifty years.
The name U.S.S. Michigan has been shared by 3 vessels in the United States Navy, U.S.S. Michigan (1843-1949), renamed the U.S.S. Wolverine; the U.S.S. Michigan (Battleship BB-27); and the U.S.S. Michigan SSBN 727, a Trident-class missile submarine...
Russel Kirkhof was an inventor, mechanic, businessman in Grand Rapids, Michigan. The collection includes diaries, patents, personal correspondence, legal correspondence, business ledgers, and records of his philanthropy.
The Michigan’s Soldiers’ Home was established in 1885. The city of Grand Rapids established a post office on the grounds in 1892. The collection includes envelopes and postcards cancelled by the Michigan Soldiers’ Home post office, images of...
Donald James Angus was born in Wisconsin and lived most of his life in Indianapolis, Indiana and Grand Haven, Michigan. He was self-educated and worked in the field of electrical engineering, specializing in electrical measuring and recording...
Conrad Thornquist was a Michigan native who attended the University of Michigan as an undergraduate and attended Harvard Law School in the Class of 1931. His papers include handwritten and bound class notes from his Harvard Law School coursework...
Edward V. Gillis worked in the tool and manufacturing business in Grand Rapids Michigan. Gillis was a collector whose focus was Native Americans. This collection includes magazines, posters, maps, other published and some unpublished materials. The...
Elizabeth Cecil was a writer from Baltimore, Maryland and wrote under the pseudonym Clarence Conway. Her correspondence with acquaintances and publishers document her efforts to publish her work. Writings include short stories, plays, poems, songs,...
The Mathias J. Alten papers document the personal life and career of the West Michigan painter. The collection includes biographical information, business records, exhibit catalogs, and newspaper clippings collected by family members.
