Genealogy Collections at MSU Archives & Historical Collections: Family and Individual Collections

Charles Walter Hamilton Genealogy                                                                                     

• c.00106
• 1 folder
• This collection consists of a partial copy of a genealogy covering ten generations of the Hamilton family, several of whom settled in Michigan in the 1860s and 1870s. The genealogy includes biographical sketches of family members.
• Finding aid to the collection: https://findingaids.lib.msu.edu/repositories/2/resources/1303

Robert Hicks Family Papers                                                                                 

• UA 28.13
• 0.33 cubic feet               
• The Robert Hicks family papers consist of documents, oral history interviews, memorabilia, and two published family histories. An album and three folders contain photographs, news articles, documents, family histories, and a history of the development of the "Flowerpot" neighborhood in East Lansing, Michigan. The album also contains an outline of Thurber family history, an account of Robert Hicks' life from 1972 to 1986, and minutes from a Hicks Family Reunion. Letters discuss family activities, encyclopedia sales in Indiana, and farming in Canada. Oral interviews detail the life of Robert Hicks, his parents, and the development of the "Flowerpot" neighborhood. Also included is a history of the Sickle Family.
• The "Flowerpot" neighborhood was an East Lansing subdivision until 1948, which eventually became part of US-127 and I-496. Robert Hicks was born in St. Johns, Michigan, and married Zoe Thurber of Lansing in 1916. He died in 1986 at the age of 93.
• Finding aid to the collection: https://findingaids.lib.msu.edu/repositories/2/resources/1670

Francis Hodgman Papers                                                                   

• UA 10.3.92
• 5 folders
• This collection contains five books by Francis Hodgman: Early Days in Climax, The Hodgman Family, Home’s Sweet Harmonies, Songs by the Wandering Singer and The Wandering Singer and His Songs and Other Poems. Early Days in Climax was written in 1905 and outlines the history of the schoolhouses in the area. There are also several illustrations in the book of different schoolhouses. The Hodgman Family, 1903, is a partial genealogy of the family from 1663-1903. Home’s Sweet Harmonies is a book of music for either mixed voices or male voices published in 1899. Songs by the Wandering Singer are poems written by Hodgman and published about 1898. Lastly, The Wandering Singer and His Songs and Other Poems includes twenty-five of his poems with illustrations.
• Finding aid to the collection: https://findingaids.lib.msu.edu/repositories/2/resources/299

Perry Greeley Holden Collection                                                                    

• UA 17.26
• 9 folders, 1 volume
• The Holden Memoirs, which were printed in a scrapbook format, includes photographs, genealogies, and reproductions of correspondence, certificates, and news clippings.
• Perry Greeley Holden (1865-1959) was an educator, farmer, and scholar in the field of agriculture. He graduated from Michigan Agricultural College (now Michigan State University) in 1889; taught at M.A.C. 1889-1893; taught at the University of Illinois 1896-1899; was professor of Agronomy, 1903-1907, and Director of the Agricultural Extension Department, 1908-1912 at Iowa State College. In 1913 he joined the International Harvester Company and remained with that company until retirement.
• Finding aid to the collection: https://findingaids.lib.msu.edu/repositories/2/resources/326

Charles Adolphus Jewell Papers                                                                    

• UA 10.3.5
• 3 folders                           
• The Charles A. Jewell papers consist of original correspondence from Jewell's days as a student at Michigan Agricultural College from 1860 to 1862 (now Michigan State University). Also included are letters from Jewell while he served in the 18th Michigan Volunteers during the Civil War (1862-1865). A photocopy of a manuscript edited by Jewell's granddaughter, Ruth Jewell Nelson, contains transcribed family letters, family anecdotes, and genealogical information on the Jewell family.
• Finding aid to the collection: https://findingaids.lib.msu.edu/repositories/2/resources/1011

Sarah Van Hoosen Jones Papers                                                           

• UA 1.1.3
• 8 cubic feet
• The Sarah Van Hoosen Jones papers document her academic, agricultural, and civic accomplishments, and her interest in local Rochester history, but offer a very incomplete record of her activities as a farmer and a member of the State Board of Agriculture, and the Association of Governing Boards of State Universities and Allied Institutions. In her master's thesis and scientific articles, she discusses theories of dairy farm management and animal genetics, but there is almost no information regarding their later application on her farm. Her files relating to her public service add little to the official record, and her letters consist primarily of invitations, messages of congratulation, and letters of appreciation.
• The family papers include a genealogy, letters sent to family members, and tax receipts for the farm. Letters to Joshua Van Hoosen, Sarah's grandfather, were written by Rochester friends and neighbors while he was in California from 1852 to 1853. Two other letters, dated 1889 and 1892, are from Wilfred A. Brotherton, a Michigan botanist. Letters to Joseph C. Jones and his wife concern the former's career as a school administrator and editor and include letters from American author William Dean Howells. The Bertha Van Hoosen materials evidence her interest in the role of women in the medical profession.
• Finding aid to the collection: https://findingaids.lib.msu.edu/repositories/2/resources/336

Kedzie Family Papers                                                                               

• UA 28.6
• 0.5 cubic feet
• The Kedzie family papers consists of genealogies, correspondence, and books published by members of the family. Also included are photographs of Robert Mark Kedzie, Ester Hawley Kedzie, A. S. Kedzie, and unidentified men. Additionally, there are items relating to Michigan Agricultural College/Michigan State College (now Michigan State University), such as a 1907 Alumni luncheon program, a commencement program, and a brochure which seeks donations for various buildings titled "For the Veterans of World War II."
• Finding aid to the collection: https://findingaids.lib.msu.edu/repositories/2/resources/3193

John A. King Papers                                                                               

• UA 17.206
• 1.3 cubic feet
• The papers of John A. King contain correspondence, diaries, and typescripts of his diaries. One diary is from his freshman year at the University of Michigan (1939). The other diaries describe his experiences in World War II, his travels abroad, and King’s daily life in Michigan.
• The majority of the diaries contain information about King and his wife Joan’s life in Webberville and Okemos, Michigan. He writes about daily happenings and social activities that the two engaged in. He also makes note of the weather, relative humidity, and temperature for each day. In addition, he notes native animals such as fox, squirrels, raccoons, deer, mink, and muskrat that frequent his backyard and pond. Several of the diaries contain notes about raccoons caught in traps. The diaries also list books and movies that King read and viewed and his comments on each.
• The correspondence files contain conversations on politics, social functions, and discussions about issues of nature and scientific discoveries, as well as talk about families and happenings in each other's lives.
• Also included in the collection are King’s early research notes and field work on prairie dogs.
• The electronic resources series contains digital versions of King's autobiographical sketches, diaries, and correspondence from the years 1937-2013. The autobiographical short essays cover King's own life, genealogies of family members and himself, and his observations and philosophy. His curriculum vitae and other career documentation, as well as short biographies of some of his friends, are also included with the autobiographical material. Correspondence includes letters to business associates, politicians, colleagues, students, friends (including Army friends), and relatives. Some of his wife Joan's letters to politicians during her tenure as AARP State Legislative Chairman (1990-1991) are also included. The digital transcripts of King's diaries cover the years 1937-2002, from his time as a student at the University of Michigan through his careers in the Army and academia, and his family life. Four manuscripts of short stories and essays written under the pseudonym Rexford Strathroy are also included, as well as manuscripts for two scientific papers and a biographical sketch of his mentor and colleague J. Paul Scott.
• Finding aid to the collection: https://findingaids.lib.msu.edu/repositories/2/resources/460

Kinney Family Papers                                                                                         

• UA 10.3.440
• 9 folders
• The Kinney family papers cover three generations, and family members were located in Kansas, Michigan, Montana, Nebraska, and Ohio. Edward Porter Kinney's papers comprise a sizable portion of the collection. Since E. P. Kinney lived and worked in the Lansing area, much of the material in this collection pertains to East Lansing and Lansing, Michigan. Also, a majority of the material included in the family papers pertains to electricity and electrical engineering as many of the family members worked in this profession. The Kinney "family tree" is included in the genealogical files. The tree is extensive, dates back to the 1500s, and includes some narrative family history and three newspaper articles featuring Kinney family homes in East Lansing, Michigan.
• Finding aid to the collection: https://findingaids.lib.msu.edu/repositories/2/resources/1679

Kirkland Family Papers                                                                                                

• c.00127
• 6 folders, 1 volume
• The majority of the Kirkland family papers (1850-1889) consist of letters between family members in England and those who immigrated to the United States. The American branch eventually settled in Livingston County, Michigan. The letters discuss family matters and agriculture. Also included is a letter describing a trip (1880) to California via the transcontinental railway; a letter discussing the outcome of the Spanish-American War (1898); a patent medicine brochure (1893); and a genealogy of the family compiled by George Kirkland, which includes family records and a biography.
• Finding aid to the collection: https://findingaids.lib.msu.edu/repositories/2/resources/933

Lansing and Taft Families Papers                                                                

• 00058
• 0.66 cubic feet, 1 volume
• This collection includes the personal papers and records of Elijah M. Lansing, his grandson or nephew, Frank M. Lansing, Frank's wife, Rosadel Taft Lansing, and her father, Daniel Owen Taft. Papers span 1838-1917 with a generational gap from 1845-1881.
• E. M. Lansing's papers deal with his service in the 5th Brigade of the 6th Regiment of the Michigan Militia (The Washtenaw Guards) from 1838-1845. They include muster rolls, company orders and its constitution, a request to join the guards, and an invitation to a military ball.
• F. M. Lansing's papers include diaries and personal account notebooks, 1889-1916, and business records, receipts, and advertisements for the Howell Steam Laundry, his Lansing, Michigan, insurance agency, and his dry goods business. Also included are a scrapbook and an autograph book (1886) from Eastman College of Business, of Poughkeepsie, New York. His 1901 notebook contains some biographical data. His 1886 autograph book includes stamp portraits of himself and some Eastman College classmates.
• Rosadel T. Lansing papers include an autograph book (1883-1892), a chemistry workbook, and miscellaneous notes and receipts.
• D. O. Taft papers include personal correspondence, two eviction notices to his tenants, personal and farm accounts and transactions, and miscellaneous papers from his farm machinery sales. Three manuscript maps detail his own and neighbors' property holdings. Genealogical information on the Taft family is given briefly in the back of volume 18.
• Elijah M. Lansing, of Pittsfield, Washtenaw County, Michigan, was a member of the 5th Brigade, 6th Regiment, of the Michigan Militia (Washtenaw Guards). He was appointed Sergeant in 1842, Lieutenant in 1843, and Captain in 1845. Frank M. Lansing (born 1868) was the nephew or grandson of Elijah Lansing. He graduated from Eastman Business College in 1886 and was a dry-goods merchant until the mid-1890s, when he took over the Howell Steam Laundry in Howell, Michigan. From 1906 to 1917, he ran an insurance agency in the Howell area, until he resigned to become cashier at the Milford State Bank in Milford, Michigan. He married Rosadel Taft, daughter of Daniel Owen Taft (born 1833), of Livingston County, Michigan. Taft was a farmer and a dealer in farm machinery.
• Finding aid to the collection: https://findingaids.lib.msu.edu/repositories/2/resources/896

Frank D. Lewis Collection                                                                                    

• c.00199
• 1 folder
• This collection contains two Civil War poems "The Dying Soldier at Manassas," and "The Veteran's Growl." "The Veteran's Growl" was written by a soldier sent to Texas on garrison duty after the war ended; it describes the miserable conditions in Texas and satirizes War Department policies and Union leaders. Also included is a brief genealogy of Frank Lewis' family.
• Finding aid to the collection: https://findingaids.lib.msu.edu/repositories/2/resources/1329

Lowe family Papers                                                                                      

• 00136
• 0.66 cubic feet and 7 volumes
• This collection primarily consists of family letters from Vincent Lowe, a pharmacist in Benton Harbor, Michigan, his wife, Mary Emma Lowe, son, Harvey, and cousin, Angela Crooks. Also included are Mary Lowe's diary (1888-1891), newspaper clippings and miscellaneous printed materials from Benton Harbor High School (circa 1898-1908), a printed genealogy of the Lowe family, and a song book.
• Finding aid to the collection: https://findingaids.lib.msu.edu/repositories/2/resources/1154

Richard E. Lucas Publication                                                                                       

• c.00635
• 1 folder
• This publication provides an outline of all the residents and landowners of Meridian Township, Ingham County, Michigan in the nineteenth century. The information outlined came from federal censuses, cemetery records and several atlases. Near the beginning of the publication there is a citation for each person along with their age at the time of the record.
• Finding aid to the collection: https://findingaids.lib.msu.edu/repositories/2/resources/162

Mattoon family Papers                                                                                         

• 00019
• 1 cubic foot
• This collection consists of letters, diaries, and financial notebooks from various members of the Mattoon family. Most of the early letters (1835-1859) were collected by Charlotte B. Sweet Lindley, who was related to Nancy Agnes Amy Lindley Mattoon by marriage. Much of Lindley's family lived in New York, and most of the early letters relate to this state.  There are scattered letters from Michigan in the earlier years, and a large number of letters from Shiawassee, Clinton, and Alcona counties beginning in 1851. These Michigan letters contain limited information on agriculture and general life in the area. The most informative portion of this collection is the correspondence relating to the Civil War. Letters from Gershom Woodruff Mattoon and his brother, George Pearson, describe their enlistments and the movements of their regiments. A letter from Gershom dated December 4, 1864, tells of the burning of Loudon County, Virginia by Union forces in retaliation for raids by General Mosby. His mother’s letter of April 27, 1865 tells of the death of Abraham Lincoln. A letter from Cambric, New York dated April 24, 1864, describes how a neighbor of the family enlisted and then deserted after receiving his bonus, and a letter from another soldier dated July 12, 1864, tells of the horrors of the Wilderness Campaign during that summer. Gershom Mattoon remained interested in veteran's affairs and corresponded with old army comrades long after the war (1890-1910). Some of these letters shed additional light on the war. Letters from Samuel Smith (1900) describe conditions in Confederate prisons. A letter dated October 16, 1905, tells of Sheridan's famous ride from Winchester, and a letter of December 19, 1908, describes the battle of Cedar Creek in Virginia. A final letter of interest in the collection, dated March 13, 1881, relates the opinions of an old army comrade in Virginia on race relations, politics, Lincoln, and Jefferson Davis. This collection also includes diaries, financial accounts, and expense notebooks containing information on daily life and costs of goods and labor during the years indicated. One of these books contains notes spanning the years 1727-1908 and is interesting as an example of the art of the early bookbinder. Included in the collection is a financial record dated 1918-1920 was kept by Mildred Mattoon during her years at M.A.C. (now Michigan State University). Additional information concerning the Civil War is recorded in a bound book of family and regimental records. This book includes genealogical records. Rough notes, speeches, and writings by Gershom Mattoon, as well as newspaper clippings he collected to preserve the history of the war round out the collection.
• Finding aid to the collection: https://findingaids.lib.msu.edu/repositories/2/resources/864

Mayo Family Papers                                                                               

• UA 28.1
• 0.66 cubic feet
• This collection consists primarily of Civil War letters from Perry Mayo to his family in Calhoun County, Michigan, which vividly describe battles, marches, military personnel, and camp life, and give observations about the war. It also includes incomplete genealogies of the Angell, Bryant, Buell, Carpenter, Coryell, Freytag, Mayo, and Price families; a publication about the Price family; and a manuscript about the Carpenter and Coryell families. The collection also includes numerous documents relating to the history of Michigan State University, primarily Mary Mayo Hall and prominent people in the university's history, including Ray Stannard Baker, William James Beal, and David G. Fairchild. It includes some history of the Michigan State Grange, in which the Mayos were active, and a book on women in agriculture, which talks about Mary Mayo. The collection also contains letters of recommendation for Nelson S. Mayo, a veterinarian, who was apparently removed from his position at Kansas State Agricultural College for political reasons relating to the populist movement. In addition, correspondence with the donor, Robert S. Mayo, is included, relating to the Mayo papers, and a bound manuscript of some of Perry Mayo's letters, edited by Robert Mayo.
• Finding aid to the collection: https://findingaids.lib.msu.edu/repositories/2/resources/883

Meeker Family Papers                                                                                          

• c.00573
• 2 folders
• The collection consists of the diaries of Lucien Bonaparte Meeker and Helen Louisa Meeker. The 1882 diary of Lucien contains daily accounts of the weather, the happenings of the people in the household, as well as accounts of farming activities. There are a few entries in which Lucien talks of being called on to care for an ill horse. The diary of Helen Meeker, 1886, contains entries regarding chores, those who came to visit, and daily accounts of the weather. A genealogy of the Meeker family is also included in the collection.
• Finding aid to the collection: https://findingaids.lib.msu.edu/repositories/2/resources/1703

Henry Merriman Papers                                                                            

• 00139
• 0.66 cubic feet and 8 volumes
• Henry Merriman, an inventor from Jackson, Michigan, held more than 100 patents.  His collection includes some of his plans and sketches for inventions such as the shoe tree, wire shoehorn, Merriman Windjammer, spacecraft toilet, roll dispenser, belt tester, lubricated bushing, Merriman valves, lug tester, and window hook test equipment. The collection also contains correspondence between the inventor and his patent attorneys, Beaman and Beaman; Merriman's New Ideas; a Merriman family history, rather lengthy memoirs entitled "The Early Years in Kent County and West Whetland" (39 pages); newspaper clippings pertaining to his work; family photos, two autograph albums; and journals and notebooks such as "Notes on Gas", based upon 2nd Lieutenant Merriman's World War I experience.
• Finding aid to the collection: https://findingaids.lib.msu.edu/repositories/2/resources/1156

Addie E. Milks Diary                                                                                            

• c.00548
• 1 folder
• This collection consists of excerpts from the diary of Addie E. Milks describing early pioneer life in Michigan, including health and medicine, relations with local Native Americans, religious and social activities. Also included is a genealogy of the Sloan and McCormick families. Her mother, Ann McCormick Malone, moved with her family to Taymouth, Michigan, after the Revolutionary War. The editor/transcriber of the original diary is unknown.
• Finding aid to the collection: https://findingaids.lib.msu.edu/repositories/2/resources/1680

Olive Butterfield Mosher Autobiography                                                   

• UA 28.4
• 2 volumes
• The Olive Butterfield Mosher papers contain a two-volume autobiography, which was compiled by her son, Ira William Butterfield, in 1988. Volume one contains copies of her published works as well as copies from her journals and manuscripts. Volume two contains her poetry as well as genealogical information on the Mosher, Banks, and McCloy families.

• Finding aid to the collection: https://findingaids.lib.msu.edu/repositories/2/resources/173

Virginia Norfleet Reminiscences                                                                                      

• c.00149
• 1 folder
• This collection consists of a 14-page reminiscence of Virginia Sarah Camp Norfleet, giving a highly moralistic account of life in Tidewater area of Virginia from 1812 to 1894. There is a special emphasis on the Civil War and its impact. Norfleet also discusses slavery, the schools she attended, and the town of Franklin, Virginia. The Camp family genealogy is described.
• Finding aid to the collection: https://findingaids.lib.msu.edu/repositories/2/resources/912

Parsons Family Papers                                                                                               

• 00020
• 3 cubic feet
• The collection consists mainly of correspondence, diaries and account books of the Edward Parsons family. Edward Parsons' letters to and from New York relatives make up the bulk of the personal correspondence. Topics include Edward's experiences at Hamilton College (Clinton, New York) and his son, Jacob's experiences at Michigan Agricultural College (now Michigan State University); "Michigan Fever" in 1835; and the Civil War. An almost complete set of diaries kept by Parsons from 1827 until his death in 1889 contains notes on weather conditions, social and family events and farm business. Also included are three sets of family account books dated 1852-1884, 1847-1850, and 1857-1889, and miscellaneous printed accounts on assorted topics. Finally, Parsons' involvement with the Congregational Church and Society, Grand Blanc, Michigan, is reflected in church account books, reports, and legal documents.
• Finding aid to the collection: https://findingaids.lib.msu.edu/repositories/2/resources/865

Nell Pemberton-Rosenzweig Papers                                                                            

• c.00540
• 1 item
• This collection contains a photocopy of an unpublished manuscript by Nell Pemberton-Rosenzweig titled "Journey into the Wilderness." It describes the history of the Pemberton family from 1863 to 1907, including the hardships they encountered in their move from Pennsylvania to Mecosta County, Michigan. The author's grandparents (her grandfather was a Methodist minister) illustrate the difficulty of life as 19th century pioneers as they overcome harsh weather, poor travelling conditions, and separation from loved ones. Pemberton-Rosenzweig also discusses how she became interested in her family history and came to author the story.
• Finding aid to the collection: https://findingaids.lib.msu.edu/repositories/2/resources/1672

Porter Family Papers                                                                                          

• c.00179
• 0.25 cubic feet
• This collection contains correspondence and printed materials relating to the Porter, Prindle and Pierce families, primarily to Grace Porter Pierce of Grand Ledge, Michigan. The correspondence includes letters from Horace Greeley, connected by marriage with the Porters. It also includes letters to Grace Pierce from her brother, Bert Porter, a soldier in the 8th U.S. Cavalry. Porter was stationed in Nebraska before being sent to the Philippines with American occupation forces in 1910. His letters express dissatisfaction with army life and describe the Philippines and the army's attempts to quell native uprisings (1910-1912). Grace Pierce was an active member of the Ladies of the Modern Maccabees and the Daughters of the American Revolution. The collection contains correspondence and printed materials dealing with these organizations. It also includes marriage and school certificates, Civil War pension applications, horoscopes prepared for Grace Pierce, family genealogies, materials dealing with the history of Grand Ledge (1935-1936), and a letter from Richard Nixon to Grace Pierce (1957).
• Finding aid to the collection: https://findingaids.lib.msu.edu/repositories/2/resources/972

Powell Family Papers                                                                                                     

• c.00059
• 3 folders, 1 volume
• This collection contains materials relating to several generations of the family of John Powell of Lanesboro, Massachusetts. It includes the last will and testament (1826) of John Powell; nine letters (1803-1846) relating to his son, John Leavitt Powell, discussing agricultural conditions in Oneida County, New York and Michigan; a farm account book (1846-1887) and several receipts (1842-1843) of Joseph Priestly Powell, son of John Leavitt Powell, who farmed in Ronald, Ionia County, Michigan; and a handwritten indenture (1853). In addition, the collection contains a family genealogy with explanatory notes compiled by Ralph W. Powell in 1970.
• Finding aid to the collection: https://findingaids.lib.msu.edu/repositories/2/resources/1256

Chancey G. Robinson Papers                                                                             

• 00162
• 1.5 cubic feet
• This collection includes diaries of Chancey G. Robinson of Mason, Michigan (1884-1895), depicting agricultural life and the town of Mason during that period. It is particularly informative on the topic of swine-breeding and showing. The diaries also contain printed calendars, postal and exchange rates, and voting records, as well as personal financial records, addresses, and important dates. Included is a copy of the Constitution of the Michigan Victoria Swine Breeders' Association, letters to Robinson from area swine breeders (1893-1896), and a letter from the donor (1979) which gives information pertaining to the Robinson and Rayner families.
• Chancey G. Robinson (1863-1897) was the manager of William H. Rayner's farm in Mason, Michigan. He married Ida Bateman on September 26, 1883. They lived in the Rayner residence from the beginning of Robinson's employment there in early 1884 until they moved into their own home in 1895. Robinson remained in Rayner's employ until his death in 1897. The Robinsons had two sons, Homer and Eber J., the father of the donor.
• Finding aid to the collection: https://findingaids.lib.msu.edu/repositories/2/resources/1178

Hilam C. Scofield Papers                                                                                     

• c.00556
• 2 folders
• The collection contains a photocopy of Scofield's "Autobiography of a Pioneer Minister from 1823-1898," which was completed when he was seventy-five years old. In the autobiography, Scofield quotes from his own diary which he kept from about 1860 (see page 47). For the period preceding 1860, his narrative is based on recollection. In addition to the autobiography, the collection contains a genealogical record for the Scofield family.
• Finding aid to the collection: https://findingaids.lib.msu.edu/repositories/2/resources/1688

Reverend Leonard Smith Diaries Collection                                                       

• 00121
• 1 volume
• This collection consists of a typescript volume of the diaries of Rev. Leonard Smith (1833-1874) dating from 1859-1874 (diaries are missing for 1861, 1864, 1866, 1868, 1870-1872). This transcription includes photographs, legal documents, correspondence, maps, biographical information, genealogical charts, and an index to names. The original diaries are in the Illinois State Historical Society, Springfield, Illinois.
• Finding aid to the collection: https://findingaids.lib.msu.edu/repositories/2/resources/1101

Pierpont Smith Papers                                                                                        

• c.00096
• 2 folders
• This collection contains letters received by Pierpont Smith of New York from friends in Dexter, Michigan, urging him to move back to Michigan. The letters discuss politics, agricultural prospects, and local gossip. Also included is a rough genealogy for the Smith family.
• Finding aid to the collection: https://findingaids.lib.msu.edu/repositories/2/resources/1293

LeMoyne Snyder Papers                                                                     

• UA 10.3.97
• 7.4 cubic feet, 7 film strips, 3 audio cassettes, 3 CDs
• The LeMoyne Snyder papers document the professional life of an expert in forensic medicine from his early medical practice in Lansing to his later years as a "medicolegal expert" in Paradise, California. The Personal Papers series includes correspondence with Snyder's younger brother, Plummer, a brief genealogy, and alumni activities. There are also transcripts of oral histories of Snyder in which he recounts his childhood on campus. The oral history tapes and CDs contain reminisces from Snyder about his childhood on campus, recollections of Louise Snyder about an incident she and LeMoyne encountered involving the Hesse Crown Jewels, and LeMoyne playing the piano.
• LeMoyne Snyder was born on June 16, 1898, on the Michigan Agricultural College (now Michigan State University) campus to college president Jonathan LeMoyne Snyder and his wife, Clara Maud Mifflin Snyder. He had two brothers, Robert and Plummer. Snyder received his B.S. from M.A.C. (now MSU) in 1919 and his M.D. from Harvard Medical School in 1923. Snyder returned to Lansing around 1928 and worked as an attending physician at Sparrow and St. Lawrence Hospitals. From 1930-1934, Snyder studied law with Judge L.W. Carr and passed the Bar Exam in 1934. In 1933 he became the Medicolegal Director for the Michigan State Police, a position he held for 15 years. When MSU established the Department of Police Administration (now School of Criminal Justice), and the State of Michigan organized the Michigan Crime Laboratory, Snyder's interest in forensic medicine led him to play a significant role. In 1944 Snyder's book "Homicide Investigation" was published and became an important textbook for police academies and university courses.
• Finding aid to the collection: https://findingaids.lib.msu.edu/repositories/2/resources/112

Clarence Suelter Collection                                                                     

•  UA 17.227
• 1.0 cubic feet
• The collection contains information about different science programs at Michigan State University compiled by Suelter. Some of the materials are photocopies. There is substantial information relating to Robert C. Kedzie, as well as historical overviews of many natural science programs. Also included are an exhibit catalog for Sesquicentennial Celebration: The Natural Sciences at Michigan State University, 1855-2005 which Suelter created and Division of Mathematics and Science Education: Timeline for Development also written by Suelter.
• The electronic resources consist of a 750-page document detailing the history of the Michigan State University Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology from 1961-2011, authored by Suelter; a PDF document with images and text overviewing Suelter's career and published works; and a book on the history of the College of Natural Science as well as images and other materials used in it.
• Finding aid to the collection: https://findingaids.lib.msu.edu/repositories/2/resources/543

James Taylor Papers                                                                                

• 00026
• 1.5 cubic feet, 2 volumes
• This collection primarily includes the personal correspondence of James Taylor with friends and family, relating to higher education at institutes such as Michigan Agricultural College, the State Normal School, the University of Michigan, and Hillsdale College. He also discusses daily life, particularly of his family in Unadilla, Michigan. Teaching certificates and personal expense records of various members of Taylor's family, a commencement program from the University of Michigan Law School, a program for an Ann Arbor High School Exhibition, a passenger list from the R.M.S. Teutonic, a pamphlet discussing the taxation of church property, a brochure from a wagon maker, a business agreement and various business receipts from Taylor's agricultural equipment trade in Chelsea, Michigan, and a genealogy of the Taylor family are also included in the collection.
• Finding aid to the collection: https://findingaids.lib.msu.edu/repositories/2/resources/870

Jane Taylor Collection                                                                                   

• UA 17.292
• 1.25 cubic feet, 1 box, 1 oversize folder, 1 lantern slide box
• This collection consists of materials about Liberty Hyde Bailey including articles about him from newspapers, magazines, and scholarly publications. Included are photocopies of original documents relating to Bailey. Other materials include photographs (some are copies from Cornell), an issue of Country Life from 1902, items written by Bailey, and information on the Donley School and Carl School both with ties to Bailey. Also included is the handle of a fountain pen belonging to Bailey that the donor received from Cornell University.
• In this collection are also the materials from another collection (c.00596) that were merged with this collection. These materials include a teacher's record for the Carl School and Harry E. Saier seed materials, which includes seed catalogs, empty seed packets, and a membership card.
• The collection also includes hand tinted lantern slides of flowering trees and shrubs from 1932 and a Pioneer Seed Company sign.
• Finding aid to the collection: https://findingaids.lib.msu.edu/repositories/2/resources/1956

Thomas-Prescott Papers                                                                                    

• 00170
• 6.25 cubic feet
• This collection documents the lives of the Thomas and Prescott families of Michigan, Pennsylvania, and Ohio. The collection contains biographical papers, genealogy/lineage records, and correspondence of family members. Correspondence of the following family members are included in this collection: Thomas E. Thomas, B. H. Thomas, Benjamin H. Thomas Jr., Eleanor L. Thomas, Rosannah Tryphena Prescott Thomas, Charles B. Thomas, Charles Frederick Thomas, Harold P. Thomas, Louis Johnson Thomas, Sarah Eleanor Thomas Andrews, Charles H. Prescott, and Sarah B. Prescott.
• Finding aid to the collection: https://findingaids.lib.msu.edu/repositories/2/resources/1185

Charles Hutchinson Thompson Papers                                                             

• 00024
• 0.67 cubic feet
• The collection contains diaries (1891-1916), journals (1858-1869), and an account book (1859-1861) of Charles Hutchinson Thompson (1838-1916), a clerk in the State offices in Lansing, Michigan. Born in LeRoy, New York, he visited Michigan in 1845-1847 and returned to Orleans County, New York, where he attended school and held various jobs. Thompson moved to Michigan in 1856 and worked on a farm in Van Buren County until December 1857, when he was appointed porter in the State offices. He worked on the United States Census of 1860 in the office of the Secretary of State. In 1863 he engaged in mercantile business for a brief time and in October was appointed clerk in the Auditor General's office, where he was later placed in charge of the work of extra clerks in the Tax Department. He was made the Assistant Chief Clerk in 1889. Thompson joined Central M.E. Church in 1856, where he then held various positions including Steward, Treasurer, and Chorister.
• Also in the collection are minutes of a newly formed literary society known as the Capital Senate, of which Thompson was Secretary for a time; and, an unbound published genealogy, which he wrote, of the descendants of John Thompson of Plymouth, Massachusetts.
• Finding aid to the collection: https://findingaids.lib.msu.edu/repositories/2/resources/868

Thompson Family Genealogy                                                                              

• c.00519
• 1 volume in folder
• The collection contains an unbound printing of "A genealogy of the descendants of John Thompson of Plymouth, Mass.: Also sketches of families of Allen, Cooke and Hutchinson" by Charles Hutchinson Thompson of Lansing, Michigan.
• Finding aid to the collection: https://findingaids.lib.msu.edu/repositories/2/resources/1652

James H. Thompson Papers                                                                      

• 00057
• 0.33 cubic feet 
• This collection is comprised of correspondence and miscellaneous receipts and papers of James H. Thompson, a Lansing, Michigan, lawyer who was originally from Evart, Michigan. His business correspondence deals primarily with the giving of legal advice on real estate matters and with the collection of monies due his clients. There are copies of several inquiries for and letters of recommendation and extensive correspondence pertaining to Republican politics and to the Presidential election of 1912. Much of Thompson's personal correspondence deals with the Masonic Order, and also with the history of the Thompson family.
• James H. Thompson graduated from Michigan State Normal School (now Eastern Michigan University) and got his law degree at the University of Michigan. He was a partner in the law firm of Thompson and Trumbull in Evart, Michigan, before moving to Lansing, Michigan. He was President of the Board of State Tax Commissioners and the State Board of Assessors, and between 1901 and 1909 he sat on the State Board of Education. He held various executive and counseling positions for the R.E. Olds companies, was legal counsel for the Ann Arbor Railroad, was a member of the Board of Directors and Owners of the People's Bank of Bath, Michigan, and he was Vice President of the Holmes Realty Company. He was active for many years in the Masonic Order, eventually becoming a Grand Master in 1913, and he was a strong advocate and supporter of the Republican Party.
• Finding aid to the collection: https://findingaids.lib.msu.edu/repositories/2/resources/895

John Herbert Thomson Collection                                                      

• UA 10.3.320
• 1.0 cubic feet
• The John Herbert Thomson collection includes a scrapbook which contains photos of class rush, the Michigan State University campus and buildings, and students. The scrapbook also includes photos of scenes in the Upper Peninsula including Tahquamenon Falls, Newberry, Michigan 4th of July events including a wrestling match between Pittsley and McLeod, University of Michigan, one image of Crisp Life Saving Station and Lighthouse, Camp Custer 1917. Photographs not in the scrapbook include Helen Thomson, Betty Jean, and John; Nabisco employees, and Michigan Agricultural College (now Michigan State University) dances. Papers in the collection include college report cards for Helen McCullough Thompson, childhood report cards for Betty Jean Thompson, a family tree chart, army records, and funeral records.
• Finding aid to the collection: https://findingaids.lib.msu.edu/repositories/2/resources/3180

Warden Family Papers                                                                               

• c.00118
• 7 folders
• The Warden family papers consist of letters, diaries, poetry, certificates, and a family tree. The earliest letters in the collection are to Robert Warden from friends in Scotland. Later correspondence includes family letters as well as Civil War letters from Major Henry Dean, a family friend serving with the 22nd Michigan Infantry. Post-war correspondence includes a letter describing a trip from Acapulco to California by way of Cape Horn (1868).
• Robert Warden emigrated from Scotland around 1830 and settled in Green Oak, Livingston County, Michigan. He bought land in Green Oak with his cousin, Kinsley Bingham, and farmed. Bingham later became governor of Michigan and a U.S. Senator.
• Finding aid to the collection: https://findingaids.lib.msu.edu/repositories/2/resources/943

Alton Wheaton Papers                                                                                        

• 00208
• 2.5 cubic feet
• The Alton Wheaton papers contain primarily financial records and other forms of inventory that Wheaton took while working on his farm. There is also a small section on some of Wheaton’s community activities, some photographs of said activities, and two books on the Wheaton family genealogy. There are also a number of folders containing deeds and titles to various pieces of land Wheaton owned. There are also catalogs and manuals for the equipment he used at his farm.
• Finding aid to the collection: https://findingaids.lib.msu.edu/repositories/2/resources/3075

Whitinger Family Collection                                                                                

• c.00323
• 21 folders
• The collection contains a genealogy of the William Henry Whitinger and Hester Kitchen families entitled "The Whitinger History", and a genealogy of the Fladeboe family entitled "Before and After Ole and Agate", both by Eunice Fladeboe Whitinger; several newspapers; payment receipts from the city of Charlotte, Michigan; "Cribbage Crazy", a manuscript by Eunice Whitinger; a General Motors Magazine; a Hershey's Milk Chocolate wrapper and three war ration books from 1942.
• Finding aid to the collection: https://findingaids.lib.msu.edu/repositories/2/resources/1454

Wilson Family Papers                                                                                   

• 00051
• 1 cubic foot
• The collection primarily consists of diaries of George W. Wilson and his son, Arthur S. Wilson, both farmers in Ingham County, Michigan, which discuss daily life, social events, and farming. Also included are farm accounts of G.W. Wilson's farm in Delhi Township, Michigan, and of several public offices kept while Wilson was apparently Aurelius Township Treasurer (1871-1874), as well as his farm accounts. There is also a poem written by William Wilson about prison life while he was in Danville Prison, Georgia, during the Civil War; a Wilson family genealogy; and a letter from the donor.
• Finding aid to the collection:  https://findingaids.lib.msu.edu/repositories/2/resources/892

Zee and Schober Families Papers (UA 17.144.1)

• 4 folders
• James Wilmer Zee was a fruit farmer in Gloucester County, New Jersey.  He had contracts with the U.S. for Prisoner of War labor.  German P.O.W.s assisted with the fruit harvests.  After returning to Germany, some of the P.O.W.s wrote letters to James Wilmer Zee and his wife, Elsie, thanking them for their kindness and requesting care packages.
• Also included in this collection are post-World War II letters to Elsie Schober Zee and William Schober from family members in Germany.  Many of the letters were translated from German to English by Schober, who was a German immigrant.
• Finding aid to the collection: https://findingaids.lib.msu.edu/repositories/2/resources/2324