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1 volume

Josephine Augustus kept this journal between 1899 and 1904, writing record and diary-like entries of her experiences running a boarding house and farm near Columbus, Ohio.

Josephine Augustus recorded her work repairing and cutting dresses, cutting carpet rags, making clothing, quilting, creating a scrapbook, and washing. She also noted how many persons were present for dinners and work done by her assistants. Augustus also made notes on the weather, illnesses, and the travel and activities of other persons (such as who attended a funeral). On February 25, 1900, "Jose Ruth Mag Katie & Bina Martin" went to M-P church to hear a woman from Japan lecture.

Josephine Augustus produced fewer entries between 1901-1902 and afterward her writing becomes more internally focused and personal, detailing her struggles with difficult nights and grief for her mother. The last entry is dated January 5, 1904; the rest of the notebook is blank save for two brief pages of expenses, possibly written by Augustus.

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76 items

This collection is mostly made up of letters that Josephine Dyer Varnum ("Josie") and John P. Varnum, natives of Massachusetts, wrote to each other and family members while living in Tallahassee and Jacksonville, Florida, in the 1880s. They commented on daily life, their young children, John's involvement in the newspaper trade, and his political work. Two letters relate to his work to ensure fair elections in the face of racial violence targeting the African American community of Madison and Greenville, Florida, in 1880.

This collection (76 items) is mostly made up of letters that Josephine Dyer Varnum ("Josie") and John P. Varnum, natives of Massachusetts, wrote to each other and family members while living in Tallahassee and Jacksonville, Florida, in the 1880s. They commented on daily life in Florida, their young children, John's involvement in the newspaper trade, and his political work. Two letters relate to his efforts in 1880 to ensure fair elections in the face of racial violence targeting the African American community of Madison and Greenville, Florida.

Letters from Josephine Dyer Varnum ("Josie") mostly consist of those she wrote to her mother and other family members while living in Tallahassee and Jacksonville, Florida, in the 1880s. The first two items are letters from Josephine L. Dyer to John P. Varnum ("Johnnie"), her future husband, written in October 1872. The remaining correspondence largely consists of Josephine's letters to her family in Massachusetts, in which she discussed many aspects of her life in Florida, such as food, weather, and her daily activities. She commented on a new sewing machine (April 1, 1884) and described some of her living quarters. Her letters include news of her husband John, who worked in the newspaper industry. Several letters are written on newspaper letterhead, and she commented on people wanting to work with John to start up a new paper, its sale, and its impact on his health. She writes about John's unsuccessful political campaing in 1877, and how he attended to visiting senators in 1884. Josephine also wrote about her children Charles ("Archie"), Grace ("Gracie"), and Edith ("Edie"). She wrote about the children's development, schooling, their feelings about their grandparents, and other subjects. She also sent a letter to an absent child about Christmas celebrations and gifts (December 30, 1883).

Josephine's letters provide a view of the family's social dynamics and racial beliefs. Several of her letters refer to her "Northern standpoint" or desire for a "Northern home." She notes at least two toys their children were using connected to racial stereotypes, an Uncle Remus book and an automaton bank of an African American man. She used racial epithets at least once (September 25, 1882), when she accused a domestic servant of causing her to burn her pies, suggesting at least some of the household workers were African Americans. Several other letters reflect a degree of prejudice, including disparaging Florida as "fit" only for African Americans (September 30, 1883), a preference for a white servant (February 11, 1885), and discomfort with integrated schools (September 28, 1885).

Correspondence to and from John P. Varnum comprises the rest of the collection, with many addressed to Josephine. He wrote about newspapers and politics. In a letter dated June 19, 1880, he scoffs at the Boston Globe, and recommends in addition to choosing a better paper that the recipient reads Albion W. Tourgée's A Fool's Errand, identifying some of the figures the characters represent and calling it "the most truthful novel ever penned." In his letters to his wife he wrote frankly about his frustration with politics and the stance of Northerners, the 1880 presidential election, the death of President James Garfield (September 20, 1881), and more.

In a 31-page letter to his wife dated November 6, 1880, he wrote in detail about the 1880 election in Madison and Greenville, Florida, and the racial violence and attempts at voter suppression targeting African American voters. He described threats and attempted violence against marshalls and himself as they worked to supervise the polls, noting attempts of fraud, the vigilance and protective efforts by members of the Black community, how they worked to evade being caught by white mobs, and the suggested presence of the Ku Klux Klan. He described his narrow escape as he was shot in the arm as he attempted to leave by train. In a subsequent letter dated February 9, 1881, John noted efforts to secure testimony about the contested election in Madison, leading to a verbal assault against an African American man, a retaliatory shooting that resulted in death, and subsequent imprisonment, threats of murder, and fleeing into the swamp.

Two letters are addressed to John P. Varnum from his father. Another correspondent wrote to Mr. Dyer from the Office of the Adjutant General at Tallahassee, Florida, on February 5, 1873, and reflected disparagingly on Florida's "second 'reconstruction' administration," comparing Governor Ossian Bingley Hart's wife, Catherine Hart, to Lucy Stone and referencing Josiah Walls' removal from office. Two items refer to John's military involvement, including his election as an active member of the 1st Florida Light Artillery (November 12, 1884) and his interest in applying for a commission as a Second Lieutenant in the army (December 10, [no year]).

The collection contains three undated documents: a manuscript map of properties along the Indian River; a printed list of letters of recommendation; and a partial manuscript addressed to the "republicans of Alachua county" opposing the National Party.

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1.5 linear feet — 1 oversize box — 2.83 GB (online)

Joseph Kumao Sano was a Japanese American veteran and lawyer whose family was forcibly removed to illegal detention centers during World War II. While incarcerated, Sano was recruited by the Army to serve as a Japanese language instructor for the Army Intensive Japanese Language School. Sano's military work extended beyond language instruction; he participated in the Strategic Bombing Survey in 1945 and served as a bilingual arbiter for the International War Tribunal for the Far East from 1946 until 1948. His papers consist of materials related to Japanese American incarceration; pedagogical notes for the Army Intensive Japanese Language School; and Sano's arbitration work. It also includes Sano's personal files, scrapbooks, and concentration camp ID cards.

The Joseph Kumao Sano papers are divided into three series: Personal Papers; War-time Imprisonment and Military Service; and Scrapbooks and Artifacts. His personal papers primarily consist of biographical material; identification and permits; and documentation from Sano's work with the California Bank. It also includes correspondence between Sano and his family.

Materials in the War-time Imprisonment and Military Service series document the forced removal of the Sano family from California to the Santa Anita detention center and the Jerome concentration camp; and Sano's work for the Army Intensive Japanese Language School, the Strategic Bomb Survey, and his service during the International War Tribunal for the Far East. It also includes his work post-war with the Bank of Japan.

The Scrapbooks and Artifacts series contains scrapbooks and albums documenting Sano's life until the forced removal of Japanese Americans in 1941, his work for the International War Tribunal for the Far East, certificates, Bank of Japan photographs, and personal photos of the Sano family. Also included are a number of objects collected by Sano during the war in the United States, and from Post-war Japan.

Researchers should note that this collection documents the forced imprisonment of Japanese Americans at the Santa Anita detention center and the Jerome concentration camp. For more information regarding language and the arrangement of this collection, please see the processing note.

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1 linear foot

The Joseph Shipley, Jr., collection is made up of business and personal correspondence related to the Shipley and Bringhurst families of Wilmington, Delaware. Most items are letters to Joseph Shipley, Jr., a native of Wilmington who was involved in shipping and banking in Liverpool, England, in the early to mid-19th century.

The Joseph Shipley, Jr., collection (1 linear foot) contains business and personal correspondence related to the Shipley and Bringhurst families of Wilmington, Delaware. The earliest items include letters to Joseph Bringhurst from correspondents in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, who commented on the cotton trade and finances from 1813-1817. The bulk of the collection is made up of business and personal letters to Joseph Shipley, Jr., from 1819 to the mid-1850s. Shipley, who lived and worked in Liverpool, England, regularly heard from merchants and family in Philadelphia and Wilmington and sometimes in New York and Manchester. The collection also includes some letters that Shipley wrote to his brothers. The Shipley correspondence often pertains to the shipment of cotton and other goods between the United States and Europe, to banking, and to family news from "Brandywine Mills."

Writers sometimes commented on current events or political affairs, such as elections, the advent of the "Native American" (Know Nothing) party and tensions between nativists and Irish Catholics in Philadelphia (May 14, 1844, and July 14, 1844), the "Oregon question," and the Mexican-American War. A letter from August 15, 1832, informs Shipley about the alarm over the cholera epidemic in Philadelphia. Several letters from the early 1840s mention the decline of the Bank of the United States, such as Richard Price's letter of October 30, 1840, which includes financial figures related to the bank. Shipley's later correspondence concerns personal and family matters, and he often received letters from his nieces and nephews in Delaware and Pennsylvania. The last items are letters written among members of the Bringhurst family. In one letter, Edward Bringhurst wrote to his wife Sarah about attending a religious service at the Sistine Chapel, presided over by the Pope (April 9, 1851). The collection also includes bills of lading, receipts, and indentures.

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2 linear feet

The Joseph Story papers contain the incoming letters of Joseph Story, a Massachusetts state representative, United States Supreme Court justice, and Harvard Law School professor. The papers deal with a wide range of political and legal issues concerning Massachusetts and the United States in the first half of the 19th century.

The Joseph Story papers (685 items) consist of the incoming letters of Joseph Story, a Massachusetts state representative, United States Supreme Court justice, and Harvard Law School professor. The collection contains 672 letters, 7 financial bills, and five printed items. Included are nine letters written by Story, and four by wife Mary Story. The rest were all addressed to Joseph Story, with the exception of two that were addressed to his daughter Sarah Wetmore Story and 15 written to his son William Wetmore Story. Forty-three items are undated. The papers deal with a wide range of national and state political issues and legal matters.

The collection covers the years 1794-1806, 1819-1825, and 1839-1843, with only a few items representing the remaining years. Included are letters from United States representatives related to congressional news; letters from prominent lawyers, judges, and jurors concerning legal matters and cases; and letters concerning Harvard Law School.

In addition to the letters are three drafts of Story's Supreme Court decisions:
  • October 1833: Antoine F. Picquet v. Charles P. Curtis, administrator of James Swan
  • October 1843: Augustus H. Fiske v. Lyman Hunt
  • October 1843: Bankruptcy case against B____.

The 1794-1806 letters document Story's early days as a Massachusetts lawyer and the beginning of his career as a state representative. Of particular interest are 10 letters from Samuel Sewall, a Massachusetts representative and later Supreme Court chief justice, under whom Story studied law. These mainly deal with Sewall's law office in Salem, Massachusetts, but also contain advice to Story on his reading of the law. Also of note are 14 letters from Jacob Crowninshield, a congress member and later secretary of the navy, concerning legislation affecting Massachusetts, policies regarding the fishing industry, and the presidential election of 1804. Prominent Boston lawyer James Sullivan contributed five letters related to various legal matters of the day.

The 1819-1825 letters document Story's activities as overseer of Harvard University and Supreme Court justice, during which time he split his residency between Salem and Washington D.C. Of special interest are 18 letters from Massachusetts congress member John Davis, in which he discussed international maritime law. Other notable contributors include Simon Greenlead (12 items), who discussed court decisions in Maine; Isaac Parker (6 items), who wrote about legal cases in Boston; Bushrod Washington (4 items), who reported on his legal cases before the Philadelphia circuit court; and Henry Wheaton (10 items), who shared judicial matters about New York. Also of note are letters from 1825 that relate to the need for altering instructional methods at Harvard, and a controversial election of members to the Corporation of Harvard College.

The Story papers contain only 27 items that date from 1826 to 1838. Of these, six are from French jurist Jean-Jacques Gaspard Foelix containing requests for Story to contribute to his journal Revue du droit français et étranger.

The 1839-1842 letters document the end of Story's career as an active justice, scholar, and law professor. Story received letters from prominent lawyers and judges from Portland, Boston, Providence, New York, Philadelphia, and Baltimore. Story also received requests for speeches and was given honors from scholarly institutions throughout New England.

Other prominent contributors include:
  • John C. Calhoun (1 item)
  • Henry A.S. Dearborn (9 items)
  • William Fettyplace (7 items)
  • Joseph Hopkinson (5 items)
  • Susan Ledyard (12 items)
  • Francis Lieber (10 items)
  • Jeremiah Mason (10 items)
  • Theron Metcalf (5 items)
  • Richard Peters (15 items)
  • John Pickering (8 items)
  • John Pitman (20 items)
  • William Prescott (5 items)
  • Jared Sparks (5 items)
  • Charles Sumner (8 items)
  • George Ticknor (10 items)
  • Bushrod Washington (4 items)
  • Daniel Webster (3 items)
  • Stephen White (16 items)
  • Nathaniel Williams (15 items)
Items of note include:
  • September 12, 1796: Leonard Woods to Story concerning religion and containing maxims on happiness
  • February 12, 1799: Samuel Sewall to Story concerning advice for reading law
  • January 15, 1800: Samuel Sewall to Story concerning the death of George Washington
  • April 3, 1800: Sewall to Story concerning advice for reading law
  • February 13, 1804: Jacob Crowninshield to Story concerning the Louisiana Purchase
  • February 26, 1804: Jacob Crowninshield to Story concerning the presidential and vice-presidential elections of 1804
  • March 23, 1804: Jacob Crowninshield to Story concerning the sinking of the Ship Philadelphia off the coast of Tripoli and the Barbary conflict
  • November 3, 1804: James Sullivan to Story concerning probate court decisions from 1776-1779
  • January 28, 1806: Jacob Crowninshield to Story concerning Napoleon's victories in Europe
  • April 13, 1819: Henry Wheaton to Story concerning an "Ann Act to protect Banks against embezzlement by their agents, Clerks, or servants, and for other purposes."
  • January 15, 1821: Elizabeth H. Walker to Story concerning arguments against slavery in congress
  • July 9, 1821: Henry Dearborn to Story concerning a military officer's trial before a Boston circuit court
  • August 25, 1821: Theodore Lyman to Story concerning the constitutionality of new laws concerning slaves and abolition in Massachusetts
  • December 10, 1821: Elijah Paine to Story concerning the selection of a president of Dartmouth College
  • June 1, 1822: Benjamin Livingston to Story concerning William Johnson's Sketches of the Life and Correspondence of Nathaniel Greene
  • June 11, 1822: Francis Scott Keys to Story, concerning Ralph Randolph Gurley and the American Colonization Society
  • August 15, 1822: Ralph Randolph Gurley to Story concerning American Colonization Society and the "African cause"
  • February 23, 1823: Sarah Dunlap to Story requesting help with her son will soon disgrace her family by marrying a divorced wife and profligate actress
  • August 22, 1823: William J. Spooner to Story concerning Phi Beta Kappa
  • December 7, 1823: John Mason to Story concerning the national debt and the Monroe Doctrine
  • June 5, 1825: Massachusetts Governor John Davis to Story concerning the Corporation of Harvard College
  • July 7 and October 24, 1825: Justice Smith Thompson to Story providing legal summaries of important cases appearing before Story
  • August 20, 1828: Joseph Hopkinson to Story regarding thoughts on the presidential election between Jackson and Adams and on becoming a federal judge
  • March 18, 1839: Charles Sumner to Story concerning Lord Brougham gifting Sumner his wig
  • August 26, 1839: Charles P. Curtis to Story, proposing the appointment of Edward G. Loring as a master in chancery of the United States Circuit Court.
  • January 7, 1842: H.G.V. Colby to William Wetmore Story concerning Colby's remarks in the case of Sampson vs. Stoddard
  • March 19 and May 13, 1842: Alexander Maxwell & Son of London to Story concerning a bill for books
  • June 7, 1842: Artist Augustin Edouard to Story concerning making a "silhouette likeness" of Story
  • December 31, 1845: Harriet Martineau to Sarah Wetmore Story, concerning Joseph Story's death
1 result in this collection

59 linear feet — 3.71 GB (online)

Professor at the University of Michigan Law School from 1969 to 2009, fellow of the American Academy of Arts and Sciences, and prominent legal scholar on a variety of topics including animal law, administrative law, and legal philosophy. Personal papers, correspondence, speeches, writings, and topical files.

The Joseph Vining papers contain 59 linear feet and 3.71 GB of personal and family papers, correspondence, writings, and topical files materials illustrating Vining's personal life, legal career, and scholarly work. The collection is divided into four series.

The Personal and Family Papers series features Vining's personal diaries and poetry written by Vining.

The Correspondence series contains correspondence organized by topic, year, and correspondent that focuses on Vining's legal career, scholarship, and leadership at the University of Michigan Law School.

The Speeches and Writings series includes recordings, transcripts, notes, and correspondence from speeches and presentations delivered by Vining. The series also contains correspondence, records, and notes from Vining's published and unpublished scholarly writings.

The Topical Files series contains materials about Vining's early legal career in Washington, D.C., his membership in various professional associations, and his scholarly work.

1 result in this collection

.1 Linear Feet — One folder stored in a manuscript box containing multiple single-folder accessions. — Binding in good condition; buckling on top of pages throughout book.

This is a handwritten daily journal of Corrine Coleman, a businesswoman in the small town of Hughesville, PA during the year 1908. Corrine and her husband were the town's undertakers.

Handwritten volume detailing life of businesswoman in small town America in 1908. This is a single item collection and will be housed with other single folder collections. This book is a detailed account of a year in Corrine Coleman's life, and so is a great example of the day-to-day activities of a woman in 1908.

This journal is a excellent example of daily life of a businesswoman in 1908. It details the challenges and celebrations of life for small town America. Notable areas of research interest may include: medical history, the spread of disease in small towns, infant mortality, women's fashion and health, small town communities, cooking and recipes, reading interests of women, and the role of the telephone.

Details provided by Whitemore Rare Books.

1 result in this collection

.1 Linear Feet — One folder stored in a manuscript box containing multiple single-folder accessions.

A small journal belonging to Mary Johnson, a single woman living in the northeastern United States. The first section of this journal details Mary's documenting of the 1881 financials of her father Josiah Johnson's estate after his passing. The second part of the journal details her life in 1887 as a single woman managing her family's estate.

The 1887 journal of a woman, Mary Johnson, managing her father's estate following his death. Johnson likely lived in New England, potentially in Connecticut. This journal is a valuable example of life for a single woman living and managing the estate of her family. It is also a helpful look into the emotional toll of women in the 1880s. Because this collection is only one folder, it has been placed in a box with other single-folder collections.

1 result in this collection

8 linear feet — 14 digital video files

Associate professor of kinesiology and coach of the synchronized swimming team at the University of Michigan and national officer in United States Synchronized Swimming. Material relating to the Michifish Swim Club and the synchronized swimming team both as a club sport and varsity sport. Records include meeting agendas and minutes, budget and fundraising files, publicity materials, meet information and results, correspondence, photographs, and motion pictures.

The Joyce Lindeman papers are divided into five series: Michifish, Topical Files, Varsity Teams, Department of Physical Education, United States Synchronized Swimming Incorporated, Photographs and Slides, and Motion Pictures. The contents chronicle the synchronized swimming team's promising rise from club to varsity status, and then the team's unexpected return to club status. The materials also document her work as a professor at the University of Michigan and her involvement in synchronized swimming at the national level.

1 result in this collection

5 linear feet — 1 oversize folder — 23.5 GB (online)

American born Druze, active in the American Druze Society and concerned with the history of the Druze in the United States. Papers relate to American Druze Society activities and to history of Druze in America.

The Julia Mullin Makarem papers are divided into four series: Personal, American Druze Society, Publications, and Audio/Visual Material.

1 result in this collection