Transportation
These collections are related to the history of air, rail, automotive, or marine transportation. Materials may be accessed by request in the Reading Room in Seidman House. Contact Leigh Rupinski at (616) 331-8726 or [email protected] to schedule a research appointment.
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Morton Manufacturing Company Records (RHC-20)
The Morton Company was organized by Matthew Morton about 1870, at Lapeer, Michigan to build steam engines. The company also operated under the name Morton Valve Company and produced valves for saw mills and water works plants, horse power devices, and agricultural machinery. Matthew Morton developed and patented the first milling machine and machines used in locomotive repair work. Their machines were sold to Navy yards, manufacturers of heavy machinery, steel and tin mills, and railroad shops. During World War II, the Morton Company produced special boring and milling machines for the tank program and special welding machines for the jet program. In 1968, Morton filed for bankruptcy due to an insufficient volume of business and closed in 1972.
Grand Rapids & Indiana Railroad Plat Maps (RHC-62)
Formed in 1864, the Grand Rapids & Indiana Railroad was an important link carrying freight and passengers from the Straits of Mackinac, Michigan to Cincinnati, Ohio. It was eventually incorporated into the Pennsylvania Railroad. The railroad served to accelerate the settlement of northern Michigan, which was largely a wilderness in the mid-1800s. The ledger of Traverse district plat diagrams showing land development plans of the Grand Rapids & Indiana Railroad in northern Michigan.
Marine Investigation Report Files (RHC-66)
The U.S. Coast Guard Marine Board of Investigation investigates incidents and accidents to improve marine safety. The Board is charged with determining the cause of casualty and the extent of the responsibility for an incident. Certified copy of a transcript of a hearing by the Marine Board of Investigation, Manistee, Michigan in October 1967. The Board investigated the loss of, and damage to, numerous vessels with loss of life. The wreck occurred on the eastern coast of Lake Michigan near Point Betsie, Michigan, during high winds and heavy seas on or about 23 September 1967.
Fei Hu Films Research and Production Files (RHC-88)
his collection contains production records, research files, and audiovisual materials created and collected by Fei Hu Films in the development and production of documentaries about the history of the American Volunteer Group, "Flying Tigers," and the Civil Air Transport airline, later named Air America. The materials span in date from the early 1940s to 2007, and include original film and video recordings, analog and digital production records, and a variety of research files on both organizations.
James E. Boring Papers (RHC-90)
James E. Boring (1912-1982) worked as mechanic and machinist. He served in the U.S. Navy as a fire controlman, and was discharged in Shanghai in March 1946 to work with United Nations Relief and Rehabilitation Administration (UNRRA) as assembly plant manager. In January 1949, Boring began his employment with Civil Air Transport, as Chief of Ground Transportation Department in Taipei, Taiwan. Boring was transferred to the Air Asia Company Limited as Director of the Ground Transportation Division, when it split from Civil Air Transport in 1955. He remained employed there until 1973, when he and his family returned to the United States. The collection contains the business and personal papers of James Boring, including records which document Boring's activities as the Director of Ground Transportation Division of Air Asia Company Limited in Taipei, Taiwan in the 1960s and early 1970s.