Deb Malewski
Contributing Writer
(Deb Malewski/TCJ: An exciting find at the Courthouse Square Museum, enabling (left) Rod Weaver, CSA President, to present the Cass/Stevens letters to Alexis Antracoli, Bentley Library Director.)
A remarkable set of early Michigan political documents, letters exchanged between Lewis Cass, Secretary of War under the Andrew Jackson administration, and Stevens T. Mason, Michigan’s territorial governor, were recently donated by the Courthouse Square Association (CSA) in Charlotte to the Bentley Historical Library at the University of Michigan, where they will be preserved and made available for future research.
The letters, long held in the CSA museum archives, offer a direct connection to the turbulent years surrounding Michigan’s path to statehood in the 1830s, including the boundary dispute with Ohio known as the Toledo War. The correspondence reflects communication between two of the most significant figures in early Michigan government. Cass served as governor of the Michigan Territory from 1813 to 1831, while Mason, known as the “Boy Governor,” guided Michigan through the final stages of becoming a state between 1834 and 1837.
Curators at the Bentley Historical Library immediately recognized the importance of the documents. Principal Archivist Michelle McClellan described the letters as a “gem” and noted that the last Cass-Mason documents donated to the collection arrived in 1961.
“We at the Bentley are thrilled to receive these letters that are such an important part of early Michigan history,” McClellan said. “They fit chronologically into a series of letters already in the Stevens T. Mason papers and help tell a more complete story of those early years. We deeply appreciate the Courthouse Square Association reaching out to us to place these letters into the existing collection at the Bentley, where they will provide meaningful context for researchers.”
Because the Bentley Historical Library serves as one of the nation’s leading repositories for Michigan historical papers, the transfer ensures the letters will be preserved in climate-controlled archival conditions and integrated into a collection where scholars studying early Michigan politics can easily access them.
“We are happy these documents will now be preserved alongside other important Michigan territorial and statehood records,” said Rod Weaver, president of CSA. “While it is always difficult to part with significant artifacts, placing them where they can be properly conserved and widely studied ensures their historical value will continue to benefit researchers and the public.”
Members of the CSA were introduced to Bentley Library Director Alexis Antracoli, viewed the library’s collection of Cass and Mason documents, and received a tour of the archives from McClellan.
“The more that Michigan archives, museums, and historical societies can learn from one another and reflect together on the rewards and challenges of preserving history, the better,” McClellan said.
The Courthouse Square museum remains committed to preserving and sharing local history through its museum and archives in Charlotte, located at 100 W. Lawrence. When appropriate, the organization also works with larger institutions to ensure historically significant materials receive the highest level of professional care and accessibility.
