wrapping up the last boxes of Charles S. Bliss!!!!

-

 







My former students who processed any part of Saginaw Michigan lumber baron Charles S. Bliss' collection will be glad to know that Natalie is completing the processing of the last 7 cubic feet of Bliss.  For many years my HST 583 class processed Bliss when we met in person in the Clarke. COVID caused me to shift the class to hybrid, so students in the class physically processing Bliss was no longer practical. So, completing the last of Bliss had to wait until I had a really capable processing student.  Thank you Natalie!

Bliss and his staff filled hundreds of Globe Leader Filing Cabinet boxes for his personal and business records. Most of the boxes were full of letters and assorted financials filled in rough alphabetical order. The boxes had sections separated by now acid paper sheets labeled A, B, C, etc. He and his staff roughly filed materials by personal and corporate names. Each box usually held an alphabetical run for a few months of a year.  This last box is one of several that were full of checkbook or pay order stubs. This box is full of checkbook stubs of his brother-in-law Charles O. Quigley. Charles married Della Bliss. 

Lastly, Natalie found this blank petition supporting Federal Amendment for Woman Suffrage wrapped around a stack of financial records. It was blank so it was just used as junk paper. You never know what you are going to find in the archives!

The Bliss collection (68 cubic feet) documents Bliss' personal life and career, 1879-1927. The collection documents his extensive Michigan lumbering interests, mainly in Butman Township, Gladwin County, and Vanderbilt, Michigan, although he bought and cleared property throughout the Northern Lower Peninsula. He also purchased delinquent international bonds, bought and operated multiple rental properties in Michigan and Arkansas, and participated in other land sales. He was strongly connected with Saginaw Financing Corporation, through which he was involved in banking. 

A Republican, Bliss served as a delegate to the Detroit State Convention in 1895. He was a member of the Board of Trade; the Saginaw Lumber Dealers Association; the National Union, St. Bernard Commandery- Knights Templar; East Saginaw Club; Elf Khurafeh Temple Order; Concatenated Order of the Hoo-Hoo (a social club); the Northeast Michigan Development Bureau; and the Royal Arch Masons, Gladwin Chapter 157. Bliss was a Master Mason. 

Bliss was also involved in baseball: Saginaw Baseball Club, Detroit Baseball Club, and the Northeastern Michigan Baseball League. The NMBL was founded in 1916, operated until 1986, spanned from Saginaw to Alpena. Bliss served as the director from an unknown date until June 3, 1927. 

We will soon update the finding aid, but if you want to learn more about the collection please see the online finding aid at https://findingaids.lib.umich.edu/catalog/ehll--bliss


 


Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

25th work anniversary

-
Image
Today is my 25th work year anniversary. I don't think anyone knows it but me. On July 5, 1996 I parked in the small lot west of Park Library and took the elevator to 4th floor. I had just cracked my windshield and was so embarrassed about it. My desk was in a work room with a kitchen where everyone ate, no privacy at all. My first job with a few students was processing Senator Griffin's 400 cubic foot collection. I had a brand new, huge computer that wasn't plugged in yet. It took up most of my desk space. When I taught Lib 197 we did so in a room where only I had a computer. My job has morphed so much since then. I am grateful for all the positives over the years and through my various jobs. Mostly it's been good. I try to learn from the good and the bad. I thank God for  this job and the interesting work I've done, and mostly for my amazing students throughout the years, and all the wonderful people on and off campus I've met and collaborated with and been pri...
Read more

Clarke Historical Library job announcement

-
 We have a new staff technical position in the Clarke Historical Library, the Archives & Reference Specialist. The person will work approximately 1/3 of their time with me processing and approximately 2/3 of their time with Bryan assisting with reference and outreach services. Applicants must apply on the CMU Jobs page by August 19, 2024. See https://www.jobs.cmich.edu/postings/41105. 
Read more

Meet my summer archives processing student Brandon Horn

-
Image
  Hello! I'm Brandon Horn, a senior at  Central Michigan University (CMU) studying Social Science with one more semester to go in my undergrad. During my two-month tenure over the summer, I processed CMU Athletics files, meticulously cataloging and preserving important historical documents and records. This involved examining a variety of materials, from game statistics, photographs, and event programs to media questionnaires, assisting Marian Matyn in ensuring they were accurately documented and stored from where they were previously in the Athletics Department's basement. Additionally, I played a crucial role in organizing and creating digital finding aids for these collections to help future researchers easily locate each item.   I was drawn to archival work because it allows me to connect with the past in a tangible way that tells an important part of CMU's storied past. Each document, photograph, and artifact captures a moment frozen in time, reflecting the experienc...
Read more