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University of Michigan Bentley Historical Library

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Address:

1150 Beal Avenue
Ann Arbor, MI 48109-2113, USA
bentley.ref@umich.edu

Claude Thomas Stoner Photographs and Papers, 1870s-1977

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Summary

Creator:
Stoner, Claude Thomas.
Abstract:
Dexter, Michigan, collector of materials relating to the history of railroading in Michigan. Correspondence, subject files, printed matter and photographs; contain material concerning the Ann Arbor Railroad, the Grand Trunk Western Railroad, the Manistee and Northeastern Railway Company, the Michigan Central Railroad, the Pere Marquette Railroad, and Ephraim Shay.
Extent:
9 linear feet (in 13 boxes)
Language:
English.
Call Number:
85439 Aa 2
Authors:
Finding aid prepared by: Leonard A. Coombs

Background

Scope and Content:

The Stoner collection contains about 3,600 photographs and negatives collected by Stoner, relating primarily to Michigan railroads. The collection also contains related manuscript materials.

Stoner's major collecting interests were in the Ann Arbor, Grand Trunk Western, and Pere Marquette Railroads and their predecessors, and in logging railroads, especially Ephraim Shay's railroad and others using Shay locomotives. Along with these lines, the collection contains photos of dozens of other railroads, not all in Michigan.

The photographs most commonly depict locomotives, often with their crews posed beside. Other common subjects are railroad stations (exteriors only), train wrecks, trains in motion, logging operations, carferries, railroad bridges, the Detroit-Windsor railroad tunnel, and street railroads.

Dozens of Michigan cities and towns and a number of places in other states are represented in the collection. Places depicted most often in the photos include Ann Arbor, Cadillac, Detroit, Durand, Frankfort, Harbor Springs, and Howell, Michigan, and Windsor, Ontario.

The collection is organized into seven series: Classified photos, Unclassified photos, Albums, Unclassified negatives, Papers, Classified negatives, and Duplicate material.

Appended to this finding aid are two indexes, one for railroads and company names, the other for subjects. The indexes contain references to all items in the Classified photos, Unclassified photos, Albums, and Unclassified negatives series.

The index to railroads and company names indexes logging and industrial companies that operated railroads, as well as railroad lines themselves. It does not index locomotive manufacturers, nor does it index the names of railroad museums where some of the photos were taken.

The index to subjects indexes place names and topical subjects. It does not index the term "locomotives" since the majority of the photos in the collection would be indexed under that heading. Place names are indexed if the photo includes a view of some part of the place or of some event at the place. Close-up views of locomotives that do not show any background are not indexed by place, even if the description of the photo identifies where it was taken.

Biographical / Historical:

Claude Thomas Stoner was born May 12, 1899 in a log house near Ashley, Michigan. His childhood interest in railroads led him, after a few years of farming, to work for the Ann Arbor Railroad, first in Ashley in the 1920s, then in Alma, Michigan, from about 1928 to 1930. He served as a filing clerk in Howell, Michigan, from 1930 to 1938, and as a warehouse foreman in Elberta, Michigan, from 1938 to 1942, living in Frankfort, Michigan, the end of the Ann Arbor line. He left this work because of a back injury and returned to the Ann Arbor, Michigan, area, to live in Dexter, Michigan. He worked for King Seeley Corporation, makers of speedometers and other auto parts, but principally for Argus, Inc., camera manufacturers. In both firms he worked in the metallurgy department, retiring from Argus in 1962. His work involved heat treating of dies and other precision parts. According to his friend, photographer Sam Sturgis, he was a master tool maker.

From the 1930s on, every house where Stoner lived had a darkroom in the kitchen, bathroom, or basement. During the 1940s and 1950s Stoner's interest in railroad photography developed rapidly.

Already he was a man of many hobbies: gardening, bird-watching, coin collecting, and sports, especially the Detroit Tigers. Concern with local history led him to join the Washtenaw County Historical Society and Dexter Historical Society, as well as the Ann Arbor Train and Trolley Watchers. An indulgent father and grandfather, he loved children, too, and often took them for walks--along the railroad tracks or to the depot, where he sent unauthorized messages in Morse code to friends down the line. He enjoyed practical jokes and had a sharp mind. Stoner died March 19, 1977.

Biographical sketch by May Davis Hill, based on interviews with Barbara Stoner.

Acquisition Information:
The collection was donated in 1977 by Barbara and Jean Stoner and Catherine Stoner Kelly (daughters of Claude T. Stoner) and Charles A. Muer and Chris J.D. Zarafonetis (donor 6201 ).

Subjects

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Subjects:
Railroads -- Michigan.
Agricultural machinery.
Dams.
Ferries.
Freedom Train.
Guards.
Harbors.
Horse railroads.
Hotels and taverns.
Hunting.
Iron industry.
Lifeboats.
Lifesaving stations.
Logging railroads.
Lumber industry.
Marine accidents.
Railroad accidents.
Railroad bridges.
Railroad cars.
Railroad construction and maintenance.
Railroad employees.
Railroad facilities.
Railroad locomotives.
Railroad motor-cars.
Railroad shops and yards.
Railroad stations.
Railroads -- United States.
Ships -- Great Lakes.
Street-railroads -- United States.
Tracklaying vehicles.
Tunnels.
Winter.
Formats:
Photographs.
Names:
Ann Arbor Railroad Company.
Grand Trunk Western Railroad Company.
Manistee and Northeastern Railroad.
Michigan Central Railroad Company.
Pere Marquette Railway.
American Rolling Mill Company.
Ann Arbor Street Railway Company.
Ann Arbor and Ypsilanti Electric Railway Company.
Antrim Iron Company.
Arcadia & Betsey River Railway Company.
Atchison, Topeka, and Santa Fe Railway Company.
Atlantic and Gulf Railroad Company.
Au Sable & Northwestern Railway Company.
Baltimore and Ohio Railroad Company.
Bath & Hammondsport Railroad.
Bear Lake and Eastern Rail Road Company.
Beaver Island Lumber Company.
Big Rapids and Western Railroad Company.
Blaney and Southern Railway Company.
Boyne City and Southeastern Railroad Company.
Boyne City, Gaylord and Alpena Railroad Company.
Boyne City Railroad Company.
Buckley & Douglas Lumber Company.
C.W. Jones Lumber Company.
Cadillac & Lake City Railway Company.
Cadillac and Northeastern Railroad Company.
Calumet and Hecla Consolidated Copper Company.
Canadian National Railways.
Canadian Pacific Railway Company.
Cass Scenic Railroad.
Cedar Point & Lake Erie Railroad.
Central Pacific Railway Company.
Chesapeake and Ohio Railway Company.
Chicago and Grand Trunk Railway Company.
Chicago and Michigan Lake Shore Railroad Company.
Chicago and North Western Railway Company.
Chicago and West Michigan Railway Company.
Chicago, Burlington & Quincy Railroad Company.
Chicago, Kalamazoo and Saginaw Railway Company.
Chicago, Milwaukee, St. Paul and Pacific Railroad Company.
Chippewa Lumber Company.
Cincinnati, Jackson and Mackinaw Railway Company.
Cincinnati Northern Railroad Company.
Cincinnati, Saginaw and Mackinaw Railroad Company.
Cleveland, Cincinnati, Chicago, and St. Louis Railway Company.
Cleveland-Cliffs Iron Company.
Cobbs & Mitchell.
Columbus, Chicago and Indiana Central Railway Company.
Crawford and Manistee River Railway Company.
Cummer-Diggins Company.
Cummer Lumber Company.
Cummer Sons Cypress Company.
Cutler & Savidge Lumber Company.
D.N. McLeod Lumber Company.
Denver and Rio Grande Railroad Company.
Detroit and Lima Northern Railway Company.
Detroit and Mackinac Railway Company.
Detroit and Milwaukee Railroad.
Detroit & River St. Clair Railway Company.
Detroit and Toledo Shore Line Railroad Company.
Detroit, Bay City and Alpena Railroad Company.
Detroit Edison Company.
Detroit, Grand Haven & Milwaukee Railway Company.
Detroit, Grand Rapids & Western Railroad Company.
Detroit, Jackson & Chicago Railway.
Detroit, Lansing and Northern Rail Road Company.
Detroit (Mich.). Dept. of Street Railways.
Detroit River Tunnel Company.
Detroit Terminal Railroad Company.
Detroit, Toledo, and Ironton Railroad.
Duluth & Iron Range Railroad Company.
Duluth, Missabe and Iron Range Railway.
Duluth South Shore and Atlantic Railway Company.
E. Shay and Son (Harbor Springs, Mich.)
East Broad Top Railroad and Coal Company.
East Jordan & Southern Railroad Company.
Empire & South Eastern Railroad.
Erie & Michigan Railway & Navigation Company.
Escanaba and Lake Superior Railroad Company.
Fenton & Long Lake Railroad.
Flint and Pere Marquette Railroad Company.
Fort Wayne, Jackson & Saginaw Railroad Company.
Foster, Blackman & Company.
Frankfort and Southeastern Railroad Company.
General Motors Corporation.
Goldrush-Pigeon Forge, Gatlinburg & Western Railroad.
Grand Rapids and Indiana Railway Company.
Grand Rapids, Kalkaska & Southeastern Railroad Company.
Grand Rapids, Newaygo and Lake Shore Railroad Company.
Grand Rapids Railway Company.
Green Bay and Western Railroad Co.
Hart Cedar & Lumber Company.
Hecla and Torch Lake Railroad Company.
Henry Stephens & Company.
Hermansville and Western Railway Company.
Hersey Gravel Company.
Hobart and Manistee River Rail Road Company.
Hopkins Manufacturing Company.
Horning & Hart.
Houghton, Chassell & Southwestern Railroad Company.
Hovey & McCracken.
Illinois Central Railroad Company.
J. Alley & Company.
J.E. Potts Salt & Lumber Company.
Jennings & Northeastern Railway.
Keweenaw Central Railroad.
Klise Lumber Company.
Lake County Railroad.
Lake George and Muskegon River Railroad Company.
Lake Shore & Michigan Southern Railway.
Lake Superior and Ishpeming Railway Company.
Lobdell-Bailey Manufacturing Company.
Loud Bros.
Louis Sands Salt and Lumber Company (Manistee, Mich.)
Ludington and Northern Railway Company.
Mackinac Transportation Company.
Manistee & Grand Rapids Railroad Company.
Manistee & Luther Railroad Company.
Manistique and Lake Superior Railroad Company.
Manistique, Marquette and Northern Railroad Company.
Manitou and Pike's Peak Railway Company.
Marquette and Southeastern Railway Company.
Marquette, Houghton and Ontonagon Railroad Company.
Mason and Oceana Railroad Company.
Michigan Electric Railway Company.
Michigan Railway Company (1914-1921)
Mineral Range Railroad Company.
Mitchell Bros. Company.
Moore, Park & Sharp.
Mount Washington Railway Company.
Munising Railway Company.
Nahma & Northern Railroad.
New York Central Railroad Company.
New York Central and Hudson River Railroad Company.
Norfolk and Western Railway Company.
North Park Railway Company.
Northern Michigan Traction Company.
Ohio and Michigan Sand and Gravel Company.
Paris & Pere Marquette River Railroad Company.
Peerless Portland Cement Company.
Pennsylvania Railroad.
Pere Marquette Line Steamers.
Pontiac, Oxford and Northern Railroad Company.
Port Huron and North Western Railway Company.
Rio Grande Southern Railroad.
Saginaw, Tuscola and Huron Railroad Company.
Saginaw Valley and St. Louis Railroad Company.
St. Clair Tunnel Company.
Saldern Logging Company.
Seaman & Webster.
Solvay Process Company.
Soo Line Railroad Company.
South Haven and Eastern Railroad Company.
Southern Railway (U.S.)
Southern Pacific Railroad Company.
Staples & Covell.
Temiskaming and Northern Ontario Railway.
Thayer Lumber Company.
Thousand Islands Railway.
Toledo and South Haven Railroad Company.
Toledo and Western Railway Company.
Toledo, Ann Arbor and Jackson Railroad Company.
Toledo, Ann Arbor and North Michigan Railway Company.
Traverse City, Leelanau and Manistique Railway Company.
East Tennessee and Western North Carolina Railroad Company.
Union Pacific Railroad Company.
United States. Army. Military Railway Service.
University of Michigan.
Wabash Railroad.
Weidman Lumber Company.
West Michigan Lumber Company.
Western and Atlantic Railroad Company.
Wheeling and Lake Erie Railway Company.
Wilson, Luther & Wilson.
Wisconsin Land & Lumber Company.
Wm. Crippen & Son.
Detroit Zoological Park (Mich.)
Shay, Ephraim, 1839-1916.
Stoner, Claude Thomas, 1899-1977.
Day, D. H. (David Henry), 1854-
Masten, C. C.
Sykes, W. L.
Worden, J. H.
Places:
Dexter (Mich.)
Adrian (Mich.)
Alleyton (Mich.)
Ann Arbor (Mich.)
Annpere (Mich.)
Ashley (Mich.)
Bad River (Wis.)
Bannister (Mich.)
Battle Creek (Mich.)
Bay City (Mich.)
Bay Point (Mich.)
Bear Lake (Mich.)
Beaver Island (Mich.)
Benzonia (Mich.)
Beulah (Mich.)
Big Rapids (Mich.)
Birmingham (Mich.)
Blissfield (Mich.)
Boon (Mich.)
Boyne Falls (Mich.)
Brighton (Mich.)
Cadillac (Mich.)
Cedar Point (Sandusky, Ohio : Amusement Park)
Cedar Springs (Mich.)
Chase (Mich.)
Cheboygan (Mich.)
Chelsea (Mich.)
Chilson (Mich.)
Chippewa Lake (Mich.)
Clarion (Mich.)
Clinton (Mich.)
Coopersville (Mich.)
Corunna (Mich.)
Croton (Mich.)
Crystal Lake (Mich. : Lake)
Dade City (Fla.)
Dempsey (Mich.)
Detroit (Mich.)
Detroit River (Mich. and Ont.)
Dexter (Mich.)
Dighton (Mich.)
Durand (Mich.)
East Jordan (Mich.)
Eastlake (Mich.)
Elberta (Mich.)
Elsie (Mich.)
Fenton (Mich.)
Filer City (Mich.)
Fowlerville (Mich.)
Frankfort (Mich.)
Fremont (Mich.)
Glen Haven (Mich.)
Grand Ledge (Mich.)
Grand Rapids (Mich.)
Grass Lake (Mich.)
Grayling (Mich.)
Grays River (Wash.)
Greenville (Mich.)
Hamburg (Mich.)
Harbor Springs (Mich.)
Haring (Mich.)
Hart (Mich.)
Hawk Junction (Ont.)
Hermansville (Mich.)
Howell (Mich.)
Hoxeyville (Mich.)
Hudson (Mich.)
Huron River (Oakland County-Monroe County, Mich.)
Jackson (Mich.)
Jennings (Mich.)
Kalamazoo (Mich.)
Lacoochee (Fla.)
Lake City (Mich.)
Lake Odessa (Mich.)
Lakeland (Mich.)
L'Anse (Mich.)
Lansing (Mich.)
Lewiston (Mich.)
Ludington (Mich.)
Luther (Mich.)
Mable (Mich.)
McKinley (Mich.)
Mammoth Cave (Ky.)
Mancelona (Mich.)
Manistee (Mich.)
Manistee River (Mich.)
Manistique (Mich.)
Marion (Mich.)
Marquette (Mich.)
Marshall (Mich.)
Mesick (Mich.)
Millersville (Mich.)
Missaukee Junction (Mich.)
Northville (Mich.)
Otter Lake (Mich.)
Owosso (Mich.)
Parma (Mich.)
Petoskey (Mich.)
Petrolia (Ont.)
Pomona (Mich.)
Port Huron (Mich.)
Reed City (Mich.)
Ricker (Mich.)
Rogers City (Mich.)
Rushton (Mich.)
Saint Helen (Mich.)
Saint Louis (Mich.)
Salem (Mich.)
Sault Sainte Marie (Mich.)
Shelby (Mich.)
Shelldrake (Mich.)
Sherbrooke (Quéebec)
Sherman (Mich.)
Sigma (Mich.)
Smithville (Mich.)
South Lyon (Mich.)
Spencer (Mich.)
Spring Arbor (Mich.)
Stratford (Mich.)
Sturgeon Bay (Emmet County, Mich.)
Suttons Bay (Mich.)
Svensen (Ore.)
Tecumseh (Mich.)
Thompsonville (Mich.)
Toledo (Ohio)
Traverse City (Mich.)
Trout Creek (Mich.)
Tustin (Mich.)
Urania (Mich.)
Washington, Mount (N.H.)
White River (Mich. : River)
Windsor (Ont.)
Wolverine (Mich.)
Woodville (Newaygo County, Mich.)
Ypsilanti (Mich.)

Contents

Using These Materials

Info for Visitors

How to Request

Ordering Reproductions

Download PDF Finding Aid
RESTRICTIONS:

The collection is open for research.

USE & PERMISSIONS:

Donor(s) have not transferred any applicable copyright to the Regents of the University of Michigan. Patrons are responsible for determining the appropriate use or reuse of materials.

PREFERRED CITATION:

item, folder title, box no., Claude Thomas Stoner Photographs and Papers, Bentley Historical Library, University of Michigan

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Collection

Claude Thomas Stoner Photographs and Papers, 1870s-1977
Call Number 85439 Aa 2
Total components 3,037
Last indexed 2023-12-08