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Charles Arthur Jackson Collection

 Collection
Identifier: RH-A-2938

Scope and Contents

The collection is composed of photographs from the E.B. Russell grocery store and house, and photographs and a journal from the Cooper Township School District #1. The items date from 1851 to 1945.

Dates

  • Creation: 1851-1945

Creator

Conditions Governing Access

No restrictions for the photographs although care should be taken handling the journal.

Biographical / Historical

Ernest B. Russell (1861-1924) worked as a bottler with William Russell until 1888 when he went in with Eugene Welch on a grocery store in the 200 block of the west side of South Burdick Street. By 1899 he was the sole proprietor. Russell was in business on South Burdick until 1919. The store was on the site of the front entrance of the Gazelle Sports store at 214 S. Kalamazoo Mall. In this collection there are a total of five photographs, one exterior, four interior and one vehicle. Many of the people in the photographs are identified.

The E.B. Russell home stood at the southwest corner of W. Lovell and S. West (Westnedge) Streets, address 406 S. West. Furniture store owner, Edwin A. Carder built the home around 1880. The Russells were in the home by 1905. The house continues to appear in the 1932 Sanborn Fire Insurance Map although by that time it is identified as apartments. The Bethel Baptist Church is on the site of the Russell home by 1951.

The journal is from School District #1 in Cooper Township which was in Section 11 in the northeastern part of the Township. The Deming School was located at "B" Ave. and Riverview which seems to be where school #1 is in the 1873 and 1890 county atlases, copies enclosed in the donor file and with the collection. The small photograph shows a one-room brick building. Cooper Township's first school was organized in 1836. Eventually by 1880, there were six districts. (1880 Kalamazoo County History, p. 405) According to the 1880 Kalamazoo County History, Dr. David E. Deming was the first settler of the township, coming in 1833 and came here permanently in 1834. He organized the township and was the first supervisor. He also served in the Michigan State Senate. He died in 1879. His brother Cyrus also came to live in the township. (p. 397, 1985 reprint)

Extent

0.25 Cubic Feet

Language of Materials

English

Physical Description

The collection which amounts to .25 cubic feet is composed of nine copy photographs along with seven copy negatives and a journal from the Cooper Township School District #1. The journal is 12 ½”x7 ¼” with three tie bindings. Both the front and back covers are separated from the book. The journal is filled mainly with minutes from annual meetings for School District #1 from 1851-1945. Also included are signed statements from individuals accepting certain positions within the school district. The journal continues to be legible although the binding and covers are delicate. The photographs, which range from 8”x10” to 5”x7” some of which are in sepia-tone, are copies of the E.B. Russell grocery store on South Burdick Street, the E.B. Russell house which sat on the corner of S. Westnedge and W. Lovell Street and the Cooper Township School District number 1. Negatives of the grocery store and house also are included. Mostly all of the people, including the students are identified. The original photographs of the store and house were the property of Lucille Russell who was the daughter of Ernest B. and Amelia Waite Russell. The school photographs came from Charles Arthur Jackson who is pictured in the photograph of students. The copy photographs are in good condition.

Title
Charles Arthur Jackson Collection Finding Aid
Status
Completed
Author
Lynn Houghton
Description rules
Describing Archives: A Content Standard
Language of description
English
Script of description
Latin

Repository Details

Part of the Western Michigan University Archives & Regional History Collections Repository

Contact:
Charles C. and Lynn L. Zhang Legacy Collections Center
1650 Oakland Drive
Kalamazoo MI 49008-5307 US
(269) 387-8490