The Pantlind family is well known in the Grand Rapids area for managing and constructing the Pantlind Hotel, currently known as the Amway Grand Plaza.

Before moving to the Grand Rapids' area, the Pantlind family managed businesses elsewhere in Michigan. A.V. Pantlind managed hotels and railroad eating houses in Paw Paw, Eaton Rapids, East Saginaw, Marshall, Niles and Jackson, Michigan. In approximately 1865 his nephew, J. Boyd Pantlind, joined him. They came to Grand Rapids in the early 1870s, when A.V. Pantlind became one of the landlords of the Morton House.

The Morton House was a hotel located at the northwestern corner of Ionia Avenue NW and Monroe Avenue NW (currently Monroe Center). In 1835, the Hinsdill House was constructed at this site, becoming known as the National Hotel by the late 1830s. In 1872, the National Hotel burnt down (for the second time) and the Morton House was built to replace it in 1874. When the Morton House opened (with A.V. Pantlind as a proprietor), J. Boyd Pantlind served as a bell boy, porter and clerk. Upon the death of his uncle, J. Boyd became the sole proprietor of the hotel. J. Boyd later took over the management of the Sweets Hotel as well.

The Sweets Hotel was located where the current Amway Grand Plaza stands, at the northwest corner of Monroe Avenue NW and Pearl Street NW. The Sweets Hotel was constructed in the late 1860s. From 1913 to 1915, the hotel and surrounding buildings were demolished and the new Pantlind Hotel was constructed. Formally opened in 1916, the hotel was designed by Warren and Wetmore, architects of the Grand Central Terminal and Biltmore Hotel in New York City. The hotel was managed by the Pantlind family through the 1920s. The hotel was later purchased by the Amway Corporation in the 1980's and extensive additions and renovations were conducted.

A. Voorhis Pantlind (1821-1896), born in LeRoy, New York, initially worked as a metalsmith. A significant item in the collection is an 1843 handwritten letter of recommendation for A.V.'s work as a smith. A.V. moved to Ohio in 1843 and later to Paw Paw, Michigan. In 1850, he married Maria Dyckman. In the late 1850's, A.V. opened a hotel in Paw Paw. He later managed hotels and dining halls in Niles, Marshall, Jackson, East Saginaw and Eaton Rapids, Michigan. From 1872 until his death in 1896, A.V. managed the Morton House in Grand Rapids.

John T. “Pant” Pantlind (about 1844-1882) was the nephew of A.V. Pantlind. John's parents, Charles and Sophia died in 1880 and 1849, respectively. John managed hotels in Carson City, Nevada and in California. He was well known as a local social figure in those areas. The collection contains his personal scrapbook. In addition, several photographs taken in Nevada are included with the Isabel McLeod engagement book. Although unidentified, it is likely that these are photographs of John.

George Pantlind (about 1855-unknown) was the son of A.V. Pantlind. He received a degree in civil engineering from the University of Michigan in 1876. Historical directories list him as a lawyer. George was involved in local theater and was a member of the masons and the Whist Club.

Hattie Pantlind (about 1851-1868) was the daughter of A.V. Pantlind and George's sister. She died in 1868 at the age of 17, after a brief illness. The collection contains an envelope with a lock of hair that is identified as “dear Hattie's hair.”

J. (James) Boyd Pantlind (January 30, 1851-December 25, 1922) was the nephew of A.V. Pantlind. He was born in 1857 in Ohio. J. Boyd came to Michigan to work with his uncle in the late 1860's. After A.V.'s death in 1896, J. Boyd took over the operations of the Morton House. He managed the Morton House and then the Pantlind Hotel until passing the operations along to his son, Fred. In addition, J. Boyd managed the Ottawa Beach Hotel in Holland, MI for a time and was greatly involved in local business and social activities.

Jessie Louise Aldrich Pantlind (1858-1936) was the daughter of prominent local figure Moses Aldrich. Jessie married J. Boyd Pantlind on April 14, 1880. They had two children, Katherine (Pantlind) Lockwood and Frederick Z. Pantlind. Jessie was actively involved in local social activities and one local history book notes that she “gained reputation as a woman of exceptional business ability” (History of Kent County, edited by Arthur S. White, 1924). Jessie's personal scrapbook is included in the collection.

Fred Pantlind (July 26, 1886-1929), the son of J. Boyd and Jessie Pantlind, managed the Pantlind Hotel from approximately 1916 until his death. Fred was also an officer in the US Navy Reserve in the 1920's and was a commissioner for the Department of Conservation. Fred, like his father, had an excellent reputation within the hotel industry. He married Hilda Hummer in 1906 and they had four children: Frederica (Pantlind) Johnson, Katherine (Pantlind) Whinery, Hilda (Pantlind) Armstrong and Boyd II.

Moses Aldrich (1829-1879) was born in New York and came to Michigan in 1836. In 1855 he moved from Plymouth, MI to Grand Rapids, MI and went into business with his father-in-law, William B. Ledyard. He later went into the banking business, was mayor of Grand Rapids from 1868 to 1870 and was County Superintendent for the Poor from 1875 until his death in 1879.

The exact relation of the McLeod family to the Pantlind family is not known. Archibald McLeod's mother, Elizabeth Atkins McLeod, reportedly moved to Grand Rapids to be near her relatives in the Pantlind, Ledyard and Aldrich families. Isabel and Archibald were married in 1910. Archibald, a successful local businessman, died at a young age in 1923. Isabel and Archibald's only child, Janet, was thrown from a horse and died in 1932, at the age of 20. Isabel McLeod's brother, Curtis Wylie, was also a successful local businessman. Curtis Wylie and Isabel both donated significant amounts to the Grand Rapids Community Foundation. Curtis died in 1958 and Isabel in 1981. Their estates were given entirely to charity and neither left any descendants. The collection contains the engagement book of Isabel Wylie.

Katherine Whinery (January 28, 1910-December 29, 1998) was the daughter of Fred Pantlind and the granddaughter of J. Boyd and donated the majority of this collection. Katherine is known locally for being instrumental in building John Ball Park Zoo in the late 1940's. During the depression, the local zoo had been mostly dismantled.

Lt. Abrams (1895-1990) is commonly known as the father of aerial photography. He operated the ABC Airline Corporation in Lansing, Michigan, later known as Abrams Aerial Survey Corporation. Included in the collection is an aerial photograph of the Pantlind Hotel, addressed to Fred Pantlind and signed by Lt. Abrams.