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Josiah Littlefield papers

 Collection
Identifier: c-00188

Scope and Contents

The Josiah Littlefield papers contain a portion of Littlefield's unpublished autobiography, in which he describes his early life on a farm in Monroe County, Michigan (1850-1865), as well as biographical materials. The collection also contains four ledgers from Littlefield's mill, recording workers' hours and business transactions, property tax receipts, and a map showing Littlefield-owned land in Clare County, Michigan.

One ledger may be from a lumber camp (Gilmore Camp 1893-1895) showing workers accounts.

Dates

  • Creation: 1879 - 1958

Conditions Governing Access

Collection is open for research.

Conditions Governing Use

Permission to publish material from this collection must be obtained from University Archives & Historical Collections, Michigan State University.

Biography

Josiah Littlefield was born in Flat Rock, Michigan, in 1845. He graduated from the University of Michigan with a B.S. in 1871 and went to work as a surveyor and civil engineer in Falwell, Michigan. He joined in the logging boom in central Michigan a few years later, building his first mill in 1875. Littlefield became one of few lumbermen advocating reforestation when he realized that depletion of the forests would eventually end the lumber business. Littlefield was also involved in politics and government in Farwell, serving on the Village Board, as County Surveyor, and Registrar of Deeds.

Extent

0.1 Cubic Feet (, 1 folder and 4 volumes)

Language of Materials

English

Custodial History

Gift of Hazel Littlefield Smith, 1962-07-30. Transferred by Michigan State University Museum.

Legal Status

Copyright: Michigan State University. Property Rights: Michigan State University.

Title
Josiah Littlefield Papers
Status
4 Published And Cataloged
Date
July 1964
Description rules
Describing Archives: A Content Standard
Language of description
English
Script of description
Latin
Language of description note
Finding aid written in English.

Repository Details

Part of the University Archives and Historical Collections Repository

Contact:
Conrad Hall
943 Conrad Road, Room 101
East Lansing MI 48824 US
517-355-2330