Abstract The Avery C. Gilleo collection includes letters written by him while serving in the Michigan National Guard, 126th Infantry (63rd Brigade, 32nd Division, Company K) during World War I. The letters were written to his fiancee Eleanore Alten, the daughter of painter Mathais Alten. The collection also includes a portable letter writing kit that Gilleo used while in service and a pocket compass-mirror combo. In the letters Gilleo describes his duties as an officer, social issues and plans for...

Abstract The Beineman/McSorley papers are comprised mostly of letters written between husband and wife, John & Alta (Beineman) McSorley, during the United States' involvement in World War II. John enlisted in the United States Army in March 1943 and was discharged in October 1945. He went abroad during the later part of the war, spending at least some time in Paris and the French countryside. The couple wrote letters nearly every day. Most of Alta's letters relate to life at home in Grand Rapids,...

Abstract The Christian Meyer (Meijer) postcards is a small collection of 65 postcards, most of which were sent in 1912/1913 by Chris Meyer, along with his traveling companion Jurien Kuiper, back to the Meijer family in Leiden, Netherlands. The postcards document the immigration of these two young men to the United States and to Grand Rapids, Michigan. They provide a glimpse into the life changing experience of immigrating to a new country and a new life. The cards depict scenes from Hoboken, New...

Abstract Forming the bulk of this collection are the diaries of Dorothea Sophia Rector Spring, generally known as Dora Spring. She was a Michigan farm woman, recording her daily life from 1867 to 1928 in the documents found here. Also included are letters to her husband, Albert Jared Spring, and other correspondence. Some additional manuscript items include death certificates, birth announcements, and newspaper clippings. Subjects of the original photographs, and copies of photographs, include her...

Abstract Halden Adrion, a native of Grand Rapids, Michigan, served as a bomber pilot during World War II. This collection consists primarily of letters written by Halden Adrion before and during his service as a bomber pilot in World War II (1940-1945) to his girlfriend and eventual fiancée, Elsie Evans. Also included are some letters from Evans to Adrion, along with a few other miscellaneous items of correspondence. The letters describe army life for Adrion, particularly the life of an Army Air...

Abstract Photocopied letters to Isaac Lewis Tower, a soldier with the 13th Michigan Infantry Regiment during the Civil War. Tower was wounded at Chickamauga in 1863, and returned home after being captured and paroled in 1864. Topics include his brother, George Tower's, death; attitudes toward Confederate sympathizers and daily life during the war. Another group of letters reflect daily life at home and women’s opinions about the war. Also, there are letters from soldiers of the 13th Regiment to Isaac...

Abstract This collection contains photocopies of soldier's letters and photographs, primarily having to do with the 1st Michigan Engineers and Mechanics regiment during the American Civil War. The contents are from the personal collection of John Gelderloos, who has been collecting items from this regiment since 2002. Primary focus is on soldiers from Kent County although some are from other Michigan Counties. Additional items cover the postwar period and include family photos as well as business...

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John W. Champlin (1831-1901) was a lawyer and a justice of the Michigan Supreme Court. The papers include Civil War letters between Champlin and his brother, Brigadier General Stephen G. Champlin (1827-1864) as well as other documents concerning the General's military career. Also included are speeches and lectures given by John Champlin and correspondence relating to Champlin's experiences with Jay Gould.

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The Judge Douglas Woodruff Hillman papers is a collection on one of Grand Rapids' prominent citizens during the second half of the twentieth century. A Second World War veteran, lawyer, and judge, Douglas Hillman (1922-2007) was also a charting member of the Grand Rapids Human Relations Commission. With its numerous photographs and war-time correspondence, this collection is particularly useful for those wanting to learn more about Judge Hillman's military service and post-war home life.