Is there a body bag in the archives?

 

It looks like a body bag, and it took two of us to lift it, but no, it is not a body bag. If you look at what Maci is holding for a clue, you'll see it's really oversized, rolled railroad drawings, which are densely packed, wrapped and taped inside several garbage bags to protect them. She's holding a smaller rolled drawing, but some of them are quite large, bigger than our processing tables. These drawings are part of the collection of the Grand Trunk Western Railroad Historical Society (GTWRRHS) of Durand, Michigan. This is the second of two large "body bags" of drawings. There is also a large storage tub of them. The collection, which totaled approximately 90 cubic feet before processing, includes GTWRR annual reports and public relations publications, circulars, correspondence, administrative materials, manuals, catalogs, clippings, images, objects, and many architectural and engineering drawings. While most of the material covers Durand and Battle Creek stations/units, there is also material by and/or about its eventual owner, Canadian National, and other Michigan railroads. We will open and flatted all the rolled drawings, coordinated work that often requires two people. The large folders we rehouse them in are covering most of the processing room tables.  We are waiting on a 10 cubic foot addition to the collection. If we received that soon, I expect to conclude processing and description by December, if not earlier. The Clarke Historical Library has many books and collections about Michigan railroads. Please Google the Clarke, and search our catalog for more information.