Beyster Land Company records, 1881-2010 (majority within 1881-1954)

Summary

Creator:

Beyster Land Company.

Abstract:

This collection primarily includes the Beyster Land Company records and the John Beyster & Sons Company records. Both companies were primarily active in the late 1800s to the mid-1900s. The Beyster Land Company was responsible for developing manufacturing and industry properties in the Detroit, Michigan area. The John Beyster & Sons Company was a business for lumber, lath, shingles, and box manufacturing. Record types include correspondence, tax documents, architectural plans, and business ledgers. The collection also includes a small number of materials related to the Beyster family, such as a family tree, photographs, and estate papers.

Extent:

3 linear feet (in four boxes)

Language:

English

Call Number:

2023012 Bb 2

Authors:

Finding aid created by Alexis Miettinen in September 2023.

Background

Scope and Content:

This collection primarily includes records from the Beyster Land Company and John Beyster and Sons Company. The records present in the collection begin in the 1880s, shortly after the end of the Industrial Revolution. The Beyster Land Company was involved in land and property acquisition, as shown by the volume of property records in the collection. At least one of the property documents includes a racial covenant, which restricted certain racial groups from buying or occupying land. Other business records include correspondence, tax documents, property information (including deeds and mortgage records), private and business ledgers, audits, patent information, building plans, and automobile records. Along with the business records, the collection encompasses a small portion of family records, including a family tree, photographs, and the will and estate records of John Beyster.

Biographical / Historical:

The Beyster Land Company and John Beyster and Sons and Company were Michigan-based businesses primarily active in the late 1800s to mid-1900s. The Beyster Land Company was responsible for developing manufacturing and industry properties in the Detroit, Michigan area, while John Beyster and Sons Company produced construction materials such as lumber, lath, shingles, and boxes. The Beysters occupied several blocks of yard industry in Detroit with machinery and appliances and an operating mill. They also leased a loading dock for shipments by water. Despite the passing of John Beyster in 1923, John Beyster and Sons Company continued well into the 1940s.

John Robert Beyster (known as Robert 'Bob' Beyster) is a descendant of the family. He was the founder of Science Applications International Corporation (SAIC) and was a four-time University of Michigan alumnus. Bob Beyster's papers are held by the University of California San Diego's Special Collections.

Acquisition Information:

Donated by Mary Ann Beyster (donor no. 12154 ) in March 2020.

Arrangement:

The collection is arranged into two series: 1. Beyster family papers 2. Business records.

Accruals:

No further additions to the records are expected.

Rules or Conventions:

Finding aid prepared using Describing Archives: A Content Standard (DACS)

Related

Additional Descriptive Data:

Related Materials

Researchers can find J. Robert Beyster's papers at the University of California San Diego's Special Collections.

Additionally, displays of J. Robert Beyster's personal artifacts are available in the buildings at the University of Michigan: the Nuclear Engineering Laboratory (NEL), the Bob and Betty Beyster Building (BBB), and the Naval Architecture and Marine Engineering Building (NAME).

Subjects

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Subjects:

Business -- Michigan.
Business enterprises -- Michigan -- Detroit.
Business records -- Michigan -- Detroit.
Family-owned business enterprises -- Michigan -- Detroit.
Real estate business -- Michigan -- Detroit.

Formats:

Genealogical tables.
Photographs.

Names:

Beyster Land Company.
John Beyster & Sons Co.
Beyster family.