These papers contain the records of the Austin and Foote families of Milford from 1842 to 1907.

An account book (1852-1866) and household accounts of the Foote family (1840-1878) are included as well as political tickets for Oakland County in the election of 1864. Materials on reunions of the Grand Army of the Republic and Women's Relief Corps (1890s) and articles of the Battle of Chickamauga are also included. The Civil War related materials have been scanned and put online at

http://civilwar.archives.msu.edu/collection/7-1C-25/austin/.

The majority of the materials are the correspondence, diaries, class notes and teaching certificates of Hattie Foote Austin, a Milford teacher. These materials deal with personal matters, travel, teaching problems in the 1880s and other subjects. Letters from her cousin George Hodge, describe student life at Eastern Michigan University in Ypsilanti, Michigan and University of Michigan, Ann Arbor in the 1880s. Business papers of her husband, Andrew V. Austin, mostly dealing with Detroit Telephone Company and Michigan State Telephone Company are included as well.