Local History at MSU Archives & Historical Collections: Families & Individuals - Large Collections

Brook Family papers (00195), 1877-1984                                                           

• 3.25 cubic feet
• The Brook Family papers (1877 - 1973) consist of photographs, newspaper clippings, memorabilia, and genealogy notes. The bulk of the collection is photographic material. Most of the photographic images are of family members but there are photographs of events at Haslett High School and buildings where family members resided. There are six family albums, fourteen cased 19th century photographic portrait images (daguerreo-, ambro- and tintypes), and over 100 loose photographic images (tintype and paper). The albums are mostly undated and unidentified family members. Identified photographs have been arranged into separate folders. Unidentified photographs have been arranged by size and type.
• Finding aid to the collection: https://archive.lib.msu.edu/uahc/FindingAids/195.html

Ivan Goodrich collection (00144), 1910-1965

• 1.33 cubic feet
• The records of Ivan Goodrich consist of correspondence, financial records and Michigan Tourist publications.  He was a member of various Eaton County, Michigan governmental board from 1938-1966.  There are also records for Hayes-Green Memorial Hospital, the Tri-County Planning Commission and Eaton County records of the Health Department, Road Commission, and Board of Social Welfare.
• Finding aid to the collection: https://archive.lib.msu.edu/uahc/FindingAids/144.html

Nixon Family and Starr Family papers (00060), 1897-1923

• 0.33 cubic feet
• Primarily the papers of Bruce Elbert and Ethel Nixon Starr of Lansing, Michigan. Includes household and business receipts and accounts, newspaper clippings and coroners' reports, and letters of condolence. Also various receipts and papers of fraternal orders that both belonged to, including the Order of the Blue Goose, the Knights of the Maccabees, and the Order of the Eastern Star. Of particular interest may be a set of receipts pertaining to B.E. Starr's purchase of a new REO automobile in 1923, and a photograph of Starr in folder 14.
• Finding aid to the collection: https://archive.lib.msu.edu/uahc/FindingAids/060.html

R.E. Olds papers (00027), 1884-1950                                                      

• 5.6 cubic feet, 9 volumes, 2 microfilm reels
• The collection is divided into two sections. The first section consists of Olds' personal papers. Included in this section are Olds' love letters to Metta Woodward, whom he married in 1899; correspondence related to his philanthropic activities; daybooks; and two journals of the Olds family's European tour. The second deals with Olds' business activities from 1904 to 1947. Included are correspondence series of Olds Motor Works, REO, and several small companies of which Olds was either owner or the major stockholder. Also included is correspondence between Olds and various investment agents and family photographs.
• Finding aid to the collection: https://archive.lib.msu.edu/uahc/FindingAids/027.pdf

Roy James Robb papers (00067), 1824-1957                               

• 1.3 cubic feet
• Survey field books, maps, and diaries of Roy James Robb, of East Lansing, Michigan. Primarily Ingham County, Michigan, but also of other Michigan counties including Clinton, Barry, Mackinac, and Iosco. Many older survey papers and field books done by previous Ingham County Surveyors (1824-1908) purchased by Robb for reference, which include a field book of Menominee County, Michigan, surveys. Of particular interest here is a fragile, hand-drawn map of Lansing Township (1896), which is only partially preserved (some has broken or rotted off). Robb's work includes surveys done for Ingham County, the Clinton County Drain Commissioner, and the Hiawatha Sportsman's Club (Mackinac County). Diaries contain brief notes pertaining to the surveys. Note: Roy James Robb was a Registered Surveyor who lived in East Lansing, Michigan. He was the Ingham County Surveyor from c.1906 to c.1908. His later practice included work for the Clinton County Drain Commissioner and the Hiawatha Sportsman's Club of Mackinac County.
• Finding aid to the collection: https://archive.lib.msu.edu/uahc/FindingAids/067.html

Stebbins Family papers (00014), 1741-1976                                               

• 1.33 cubic feet
• The collection consists of family correspondence, account books, newspapers, clippings about or by family members, and some legal documents. C. B. Stebbins was a prolific writer and numerous examples of his poetry, essays, editorials and historical manuscripts are included. The collection also includes newspaper clippings of his children's articles and poetry. Note: The Stebbins family has resided in Michigan since 1837 when Cortland Bliss Stebbins moved to Palmyra, Michigan, from Vermont where he had been a cabinetmaker and part-time journalist. In 1843 Stebbins moved to Adrian, Michigan, where he became the editor of the Adrian Michigan Expositor. In 1857, he moved to Lansing and became editor of the Lansing Republican. In 1858 he became an officer in the Michigan Department of Public Instruction, a position he held until 1878. He died in 1901.
• Finding aid to the collection: https://archive.lib.msu.edu/uahc/FindingAids/014.html

Emory W. Tappan papers (00065), 1928-1953                                        

• 6 cubic feet
• Survey notes, sketches, and certificates of Emory W. Tappan of East Lansing, Michigan. Early surveys relate to his association with Postiff and Tappan of Detroit, Michigan, whereas later ones are his independent work in the Lansing area. Some certificates of survey include negatives (box 3), while others are photocopied with pictures of buildings. Notes are accompanied by related correspondence, blueprints, and plat maps. Most surveys are from Ingham County, Michigan, and were conducted for Lansing area institutions and individuals, as well as the State and Local governments. Others are from Clinton, Eaton, Ionia Otsego, and Antrim Counties. Some relate to proposed sites for the Abbot Road, East Lansing, Post Office, and others include surveys for Michigan State College cross-country courses and for University President John A. Hannah. Includes surveying notes for a St. Johns, Michigan (1935) Works Progress Administration project, which also contains a proposal for the development of a city park and various construction notes.
• Finding aid to the collection: https://archive.lib.msu.edu/uahc/FindingAids/065.html

Allan S. Thompson Photographs collection (00186), 1898-1913                      

• 1866 glass negatives, 3 lantern slides, 1869 negatives, 573 photographs.
• The collection consists of glass plate negatives, film negatives, and contact prints of images of people, places, and events in the greater Lansing, Michigan area, 1898-1913. Included in the collection are images of products of the companies Thompson worked for. Also included are images that document the Lansing Wheelbarrow Company, including views of the buildings and grounds, men working, the arrival of raw materials via railroad, and the various processes necessary to produce the wheelbarrows, carts, trucks, and hardware. Other businesses documented include the Severance Tank Works, Oldsmobile Motor Car Company, and Capitol Electrical Engineering Company. Thompson also photographed local buildings, homes, churches, water towers, and firefighting equipment. The collection also contains images of local parades and carnivals and the Ringling Brothers Circus. Also included are images of Pawnee Bill's Wild West Show. Thompson also photographed his family, the mourning for U.S. President McKinley on the Michigan Capitol Lawn, the visit of Admiral Dewey, and panoramic views of Lansing.
• Finding aid to the collection: https://archive.lib.msu.edu/uahc/FindingAids/186.html

James H. Thompson papers (00057), 1910-1913

• 0.33 cubic feet
• 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. A particularly interesting exchange is between the Original Gas Engine Company, for whom he was secretary at one time, and Morse Brothers Machinery and Supply of Denver, Colorado. There is also correspondence about various investments Thompson or his clients had made, including the Superior and Boston Copper Company of Houghton, Michigan. Also documentation of two contested wills, that of Nettie Rosencrance and that of E.C. Thompson. Copies of several inquiries for and letters of recommendation and extensive correspondence pertaining to Republican politics and to the Presidential election of 1912. Correspondence with Triplex Tire Company about endorsing their tires, and bankruptcy papers for the Elk Cement and Lime Company. There is correspondence with newspapers and magazines about publishing articles and about subscription to their publications, and several clippings dealing with Thompson's Masonic activities. Much of Thompson's personal correspondence deals with the Masonic Order, and with the history of the Thompson family.
• Finding aid to the collection: https://archive.lib.msu.edu/uahc/FindingAids/057.html

Roy Clark Vandercook papers (00011), 1849-1957                                  

• 0.33 cubic feet
• This collection contains correspondence, newspaper clippings, scrapbook pages, legal documents, and a date book pertaining to Roy C. Vandercook of Lansing, Michigan. The correspondence deals primarily with the Michigan National Guard and the 1913 Copper Strike, including correspondence with Gov. Woodbridge Ferris. The collection also discusses the United States' occupation of the Philippines and World War 1 security measures taken in Michigan. Clippings deal primarily with Vandercook's activities in the National Guard, but also with his appointment as public relations manager of the Michigan Railroads Association and as commissioner of the newly founded Michigan State Police. There are several papers dealing with the National Guard in Michigan and with general political opinion. Other topics covered include Ferris Institute and the Michigan Constabulary. Note: Roy Clark Vandercook was originally a newspaper reporter, and remained so at least on a free-lance basis all his life. He worked at the Lansing State Journal; for the Associated Press, and for various newspapers around Michigan. He became active in the National Guard in 1898 and was Adjutant General from 1911-1915. In 1917-1918, he was Secretary of the Michigan War Board, and was Commissioner of the Michigan State Police from their creation in 1918 until 1923. He was public relations manager for the Michigan Railroads Association and their legislative agent in Congress. Vandercook was responsible for the majority of military action dealing with the 1913 Copper Strike.
• Finding aid to the collection: https://archive.lib.msu.edu/uahc/FindingAids/011.html

Eugene G. Wanger papers (00203), 1957-2003                                                 

• 11.8 cubic feet
• This collection consists of unpublished manuscripts, papers from the Ingham County Historical Commission (minutes, agenda, and reports); the R.E. Olds Museum Board of Trustees and associated governing committees documents. Of particular note is a "Discovering Ingham County: A Descriptive Bibliography" by Eugene G. Wanger and published by the Ingham County Historical Commission of Mason, Michigan. The bibliography covers general works on Ingham County; Lansing; East Lansing; Meridian; Haslett; Okemos; Mason; Williamston, and a “Brief History of the Ingham County Historical Commission. 
• Finding aid to the collection: https://archive.lib.msu.edu/uahc/FindingAids/203.html

Ada Hunt Whitehouse papers (00124), 1849-1972                                            

• 3.16 cubic feet, 11 volumes
• Primarily financial records of Ada Hunt Whitehouse, her family, and the Hunt Food Shop, pertaining to property holdings, taxes, wages, bank accounts, and outstanding debts. Also some bonds, insurance papers, a will, general ledgers, farm ledgers, and auditors' reports. Some personal correspondence, notes, and agricultural materials.
• Finding aid to the collection: https://archive.lib.msu.edu/uahc/FindingAids/124.html

Woodbury Family papers (00184), 1863-1976                                                   

• 0.3 cubic feet
• The collection consists of papers of the Woodbury family including John D. Woodbury, Chester D. Woodbury, and Charles G. Woodbury. The papers contain a folder related to the Capitol Savings and Loan Bank, and the articles of association of the Central Michigan Business College. The correspondence folders contain letters between the Chester Woodbury family and the Charles Woodbury family and contain information about family events, and some business information. There are also documents related to the settlement of the Edna Woodbury estate and the Eudora Hagadorn estate. There are two folders with documents related to land the Woodbury family owned, such as tax information, warranty deeds, state of Michigan land patent, and mortgages. There are also photographs and brochures related to the East Jordan Fruit and Land Co., Evelyn Orchards, and Roaring Brook Resort, which were business ventures that Chester and Charles were involved in. The Lindbergh Baby Kidnapping Notice folder contains a public notice for the reward for the kidnappers of Charles Lindbergh's son. The collection also includes reminisces written by Charles of his childhood along with photographs. There is also an essay written by Chester called the "Fun of a River Trip" which illustrates the advantages of a river trip; it contains pictures and captions. In addition, there is an oversized folder with plat maps of Roaring Brook Resort, and a map of Evelyn Orchard.
• Finding aid to the collection: https://archive.lib.msu.edu/uahc/FindingAids/184.html