Search Constraints
Number of results to display per page
Search Results
- Description:
- One 2-page letter, dated July 12th 1905, to "O.E.D. [Oliver E. Dunbar]" from "H.T.D. [Harris T. Dunbar]." The letter is handwritten in black ink on white linen paper (both sides) that has pre-printed light blue lines. The letter is transcribed as follows: "O.E.D. The numbers on the house safe are 40-60-35. The D&S bonds are in the upper left hand space - You will find space where you sign and on numbers 7, 14, 21, & 28 you sign twice - You can take those four with you if you desire or leave them in the safe. You will find directions on my desk to open D&S safe if you wish to get in it. Don't let Julia see these bonds. H.T.D." "July 12th /05 Recd. of O. E. Dunbar the four above mentioned bonds numbered 7-14-21-28 which I am to put in safety deposit vault at Manufacturers & Traders Bk. L.H. Dunbar" H: 27-26-25-24-23-22 A: 20-19-18-17-16-15 F: 13-12-11-10-9-8 L: 6-5-4-3-2-1 J: 7-14-21-28 L F A H 1st date of registry Mar 19/04. Transfer date of registry July 6/05. 7-14-21-28 transfer OED Trust July 7/05."
- Date Issued:
- 1905-01-01T00:00:00Z
- Data Provider:
- Detroit Historical Society
12. Typewritten letter on Harrison Granite Company stationary from the company to Frances A. Pingree
- Description:
- Typewritten letter on Harrison Granite Company stationary from the company to Frances A. Pingree thanking her for her payment of $290 for the cost of the foundation of her mausoleum, dated June 19, 1903. The letter reads: New York, June 19/03 Mrs. Hazen S. Pingree, Detroit, Mich. Dear Mrs. Pingree: We thank you for your remittance for $290. in payment of cost of foundation of your mausoleum, received to-day. Yours very truly, Harrison Granite Company, Per W.H. Harris Pres.
- Date Issued:
- 1903-01-01T00:00:00Z
- Data Provider:
- Detroit Historical Society
- Description:
- This 6-page letter was handwritten in black ink on slightly yellowed paper by Edward F. Marschner who was the president of the Detroit Board of Education. The paper is printed with light red lines and shows the letterhead of the Board of Education of the City of Detroit as well as the names of officers. It also has the watermark, "English Bond." The text of the letter has been transcribed as follows: "Detroit, Mich. December 31st 1900 To the Hon, William C. Maybury, Mayor of Detroit. My dear Sir, Your suggestion to prepare, for future reference, records and documents, showing the progress made during the closing century (the 19th) these records to be placed in a box and sealed, to be opened a century hence, I deem a very good and valuable one and I take great pleasure in doing my share in the matter by complying with your request to submit a report upon the subject: "Progress of Public Education in Detroit in the 19th Century." This being the century in which the 1st steps were taken toward the establishment of a "Public School System" makes this statement a valuable and interesting one for our coming generations and I earnestly hope that nothing may occur to destroy it. The earliest records we have of any attempt being made to introduce Public Schools are from the year 1802 when a petition to congress was presented asking for "one or more townships of land for the purpose of erecting or endowing an academy." In March 1804 the government directed that section No. 16 of the public lands of every township be appropriated to educational purposes. This law laid the foundation of the primary school fund of the state. Nothing was done toward establishing schools under the above act until 1827 - at which time there was an act passed authorizing each township to determine by vote whether they should maintain township schools. If so, a township of 50 families was to have one schoolmaster for a period of six months in a year; a township of 100 families, a teacher for a period of 12 months; a township of 150 families, two teachers and those of 200 families two teachers and two schools. Under this act Detroit secured a teacher and in May, 1827, a common school was established in a room in the academy. In 1832 the city was divided into two districts and a school taught by one Chas. Wells was opened in the academy. In the same year a number of ladies formed a free school society, and a notice published by the society in 1833 tells of their progress as follows: They had opened a school under a competent instructress during the year with an average daily attendance of 50 pupils and an enrollment of 150 pupils, they had paid to their instructress and for fuel and other expenses $233.00, had erected a school house at a cost of $475.00 toward which they paid $350.00, leaving an indebtedness of only $125.00 at the end of the year, the schools were kept for a half day only and on two days each week the girls were taught sewing. Children between the ages of 4 and 10 years only were admitted and were furnished books and tuition free. The methods employed by the ladies of the free school society for raising funds to maintain their schools were many and unique. They gave fairs and also prepared tomato catsup which was sold by the bottle or dozen, by dealers, the proceeds of sale being devoted to the maintenance of their schools. In 1836 the society maintained two schools. In 1837 they maintained 3 schools with an attendance of 200 children. In 1837 the state was admitted to the union and the government granted 1,067,397 acres of land for public schools. In 1838 three school inspectors were elected who proceeded to put the state law in operation. They ordered a census taken which showed that there were 1,320 children under 15 years of age. They also divided the city into seven districts and maintained school in five districts for three months each. In 1839 the city received the first money from the primary school fund, the amount of which was $1,342.08, last year, ending June 30th 1900, we received from this fund the sum of $116, 456.00. On February 2nd, 1842 an act creating free, or public schools, and making Detroit one school district was approved and took immediate effect. Under this act all schools organized within the limits of the city were to be public and free to all children between the ages of 5 and 17 years residing within the city. The first "Board of Education of the City of Detroit" was elected under this act and consisted of 12 members, and the Mayor and Recorder of the City, there were 6 Wards in the City and each ward elected 2 members. The interest in education matters now increased steadily, every thing was done to advise learning until at the present time we maintain 69 schools which are attended by 34,153 pupils who are ably guided by a corps of 898 teachers. Our expenditures for the fiscal year ending June 30th 1900 were $1,085,710.16. With this I will close my brief scetch [sketch]. Time will not admit my giving a fuller report and I will close with a wish that the new Century will be one of prosperity and advance to our education institutions. May education advance in the coming years in such strides as to fully erase ignorance, superstition and poverty from all mankind and substitute intelligence, reason and happiness therefore. This is the sincere wish of yours truly, Ed. F. Marschner President Board of Education 1900-1901."
- Date Issued:
- 1900-01-01T00:00:00Z
- Data Provider:
- Detroit Historical Society
- Description:
- Handwritten letter from Lewis Cass, Jr. to the wife of William Foxen. The letter reads: Clarendon Dec 9, 1874 Mrs. Foxen, The enclosed cross and chain have been blessed by his holiness, the Pope [Pius IX], & I request you to accept them, as a token of my esteem for your husband. Lewis Cass. Mrs. William Foxen, Detroit
- Date Issued:
- 1874-01-01T00:00:00Z
- Data Provider:
- Detroit Historical Society
- Description:
- A letter from Ralph Emery, a clerk working for the Detroit Stove Works, to his father, Robert T. Emery, in Belfast, Maine, dated October 14, 1886. The letter is written on Detroit Stove Works letterhead, which features a lithograph, credited to the Calvert Lithograph Company, depicting the Detroit Stove Works offices in Detroit and Chicago as well as the company's foundry in Hamtramck, Michigan. The letter reads: My dear Father, Was glad to receive yours of the 10th. There is very little going on now in Politics. election here first of next month + there will be a hot fight. We are having one of the worst storms there has ever been in Detroit, it began raining this morning + continued until noon, when the wind began to blow, + has been blowing a hurricane ever since, have never seen it blow so hard, the damage will be great, both on land + in the lakes, the ferry boats have been unable to run + the vessels along the docks have received considerable damage, hear one or two [steeples?] have blown over + a large number of trees - a part of the roof of one of our buildings at the works blew off this afternoon but nothing serious, one of the McMillian from Furnaces had the lot blown off this a.m. - the city tonight is almost in total darkness, as there is trouble with the wires running to the electric lights, it seems very strange not to see this city brightly lighted. The Hazeltines will probably arrive here this Saturday, shall be so glad to see them - Glad you enjoyed your trip to Boston + found all friends well, saw by the "City Press" Will [Quimby?] was married also had a letter from a friend in Boston, who wrote a friend that saw them at the Fremont House, said if he ever saw a foolish looking couple they were one - Please remember me to all friends + write whenever you can. Your affec. son, Ralph Emery
- Date Issued:
- 1886-01-01T00:00:00Z
- Data Provider:
- Detroit Historical Society
- Description:
- One letter, dated February 10, 1870, from the Banking House of John Johnston & Co. of Port Huron to the Richmond & Backus Company of Detroit. The letter was handwritten in black ink on white paper that has black letterhead text at the top.
- Date Issued:
- 1870-01-01T00:00:00Z
- Data Provider:
- Detroit Historical Society
- Description:
- This 9-page letter is a blue carbon copy that was typewritten onto slightly to heavily yellowed paper by Wales C. Martindale who was the Superintendent of Public Schools. The paper shows his office letterhead in fine black script in the upper left corner of the page (first page only). The letter is dated December 31st, 1900, on the first page and is signed, "Wales C. Martindale," in black ink on the last page. He has also signed "W. C. Martindale" along the left margin on pages 1 through 8. The body of the letter gives many details and statistics concerning the history and development of the public school system in the city. The pages of the letter are held together at the top with two brass prongs.
- Date Issued:
- 1900-01-01T00:00:00Z
- Data Provider:
- Detroit Historical Society
- Description:
- Handwritten letter, with envelope, from Divie Bethune Duffield to the family of Jacob Merritt Howard, expressing sympathy upon the senator's death. The letter is handwritten on both sides of a piece of stationery from the "Law Offices of D.B. and H.M. Duffield, Nos. 23, 25, and 27 Seitz Building, Congress Street." The letter reads: Detroit Mich., April 7th, 1871 In pursuance of instructions, I beg leave to transmit the enclosed proceedings of the Detroit Bar to the members of the family of the late Senator Howard as expressive of their views of his professional & individual character & to announce that the Lance have been duly presented to the U.S. District Court & also to the Supreme Court of the State, the latter of which ordered the same to be published in the forthcoming volume of its reports. Accompanying this paper with my own deep sympathy for you all in this very sore bereavement, I beg leave to [?] myself with great respect. Your ob't sev't D. Bethune Duffield Secretary of the Detroit Bar To the children & family of the late Senator Howard.
- Date Issued:
- 1871-01-01T00:00:00Z
- Data Provider:
- Detroit Historical Society
- Description:
- Typewritten letter sent to Thomas E. Clark of the Electric Service and Appliance Company of 166 Randolph Street from T. Marshall, the general freight and passenger agent of the Lake Erie and Detroit River Railway on July 4, 1902. Marshall expresses that he was impressed with the demonstration of Clark's wireless telegraph during his recent visit to Clark's office. He is interested in testing the system with the Lake Erie and Detroit River Railway railroad car ferry SHENANGO. Marshall closes with his signature. The letter is printed on Lake Erie and Detroit River Railway, Traffic Department letterhead.
- Date Issued:
- 1902-01-01T00:00:00Z
- Data Provider:
- Detroit Historical Society
- Description:
- 3-page letter written by Malcolm J. McLeod, President of the Trades Council. It is printed in typewritten text that has been mimeographed onto slightly yellowed paper. The paper is printed with light blue lines and also shows the letterhead of the Detroit Street Railway Employees' Association in dark blue text across the top. The letter is dated "Jan. 1st 1901" and is signed in black ink by Malcolm J. McLeod. Several handwritten corrections have been made in black ink throughout the letter. The body of the letter discusses the trades union movement, typical wages rates, and working hours.
- Date Issued:
- 1901-01-01T00:00:00Z
- Data Provider:
- Detroit Historical Society