Vandercook Family Papers

Collection

Identifier: Collection 329

Staff Only

Scope and Contents

This collection contains correspondence, photos, genealogical records, and artwork related to the Vandercook Family. The majority of papers relate to Wayne Vandercook, his grandfather Henry B. Vandercook, and his great uncle Michael C. Vandercook.

This collection would be helpful to researchers interested in the Vandercook family specifically, as well those researching middle class families of the early to mid twentieth century.

Dates

1822-2017

Biographical / Historical

The Vandercook family paternal line descended from Michiel Van Der Koeck of the Netherlands, who emigrated to the United States in 1699. His descendents lived in the New York and New Jersey area until Michael Vandercook (1822-1884) moved to Michigan in the 1840s. Michael Vandercook was in the business of monuments and gravestones, listed as a "Sgt. of Marble Works" in the 1860 and 1870 census and as "Salesman of Monuments" in the 1880 census. Michael Vandercook had 11 children including Henry Beecher Vandercook (1861-1942) and Michael C. Vandercook (1852-1880).

Michael C. Vandercook was a poet and songwriter. He died at the age of 27 and entrusted his books and writings to his brother Henry Beecher Vandercook. Henry Vandercook worked in the monument and gravestone industry in Allegan, Michigan. In 1891, he established the Grand Rapids Monument Company. Henry Vandercook began his career in politics in 1902 serving in the Michigan of House of Representatives. He served in two sessions. In 1903, Henry Vandercook introduced legislation to establish the Western State Normal College, now Western Michigan University. A dormitory building was named in his honor in 1939.

Henry Vandercook had four children including Faye Vandercook (1881-1948). In 1922, Faye Vandercook purchased the Grand Rapids Monument Company from his father and worked there until his retirement in the mid 1940s. Faye Vandercook served as the president of Michigan Retail Monument Dealers Association. He was married to Katherine Lewis in 1904 and had four children including Wayne Vandercook.

Wayne Vandercook (1905-1995) graduated from South High School in 1923. In 1925, he attended the Bliss Design School of Rockford, Illinois and then the Michigan State College for Landscape Achitecture. In 1931, Vandercook married his wife Mildred Bott (Todie) and returned to work at the Grand Rapids Monument Company.

During World War II, the Grand Rapids Monument company ceased production on monuments and memorials to assist with the war efforts. Vandercook and his employees worked on creating armored plates parts, utilizing the sandblasting techniques used in monument creation.

After the war, The Grand Rapids Monument Company returned to their normal operations. In 1961, Vandercook sold the Grand Rapids Monument Company. In 1971, his wife passed away and he officially retired in 1972.

During retirement, Vandercook focused on his artistic interests, taking art classes from the Grand Rapids Board of Education for Senior Citizens. He began drawing and painting wood covered bridges in the area and his art work was exhibited in local galleries and churches. The Kent County Road Commission also displayed his artwork, including the old wood bridge in Ada that was destroyed by fire in 1979. Vandercook began recieve commissions from local historical societies to paint local landscapes and parks and sold his art at many local art festivals.

Wayne Vandercook passed away on December 16, 1995.

This Historical/Biographical note was written using materials from the collection itself, census records, Michigan Legislative Represenstative Biographies from the Library of Michigan, Western Michigan University Archives Campus Buildings Tour, and the Grand Rapids Press Obituary for Wayne Vandercook.

Extent

8 Linear Feet (10 boxes)

Language of Materials

English

Additional Description

Abstract

This collection contains records from five generations of the Vandercook family, who lived in Grand Rapids, Michigan. The family members include Henry B. Vandercook, a Michigan State Legislator who is credited as the "Father of Western Michigan University." There are records related other family members, including Wayne Vandercook who was an artist. This collection has also information about the Grand Rapids Monument Co., a family owned business from 1891 to 1971. Researchers interested in this family line as well as local artists of Grand Rapids could find this collection beneficial.

Immediate Source of Acquisition

Michael J. Cronk, accession numbers 2003.054, 2003.092 and Keith D. Vandercook, 2019.041

Processing Information

This collection came to the library primarily in two accessions from an antiquites dealer. There was very little original order to the collection and the library staff created an arrangement schema of the materials by subject.

In 2023, processing staff made the decision to reprocess this collection to address clarity within the finding aid. After inspecting the materials during reprocessing, some negatives were identifed as having long term preservation issues and were scanned and discarded.

An inventory of the original boxes and the mapping of new containers instances, as well as the original finding aid, and the scans of the negatives are documented and available to view upon request.