The collection is composed solely of a single handbill which announces the first train for what was then the new Flint Belt Line. The train was scheduled to leave on Monday, June 4, 1923 from Pere Marquette Station.

The bill also announces several festivities in connection, such as the last spike being driven where Davison Road crossed the Belt Line, a free ride on the train, bands playing, and movies being taken. A dinner was announced for subscribers to the Belt Line fund at Hotel Durant.

Paul Purdy signed his name at the date at the bottom of the bill.

The collection can be broken into two halves. One half contains various local and state government compendiums and manuals. The other half consists of records related to one part of the life of Paul D. Phillips.

Concerning government records, the majority come from the city of Flint from the 1920s to the mid-1940s. Of significance are three copies of the 1939 compiled ordinances of Flint. The ordinances provide for enforcement and regulation of building and traffic codes, zoning changes, safety, welfare, public morals, health, recreation, business, and public works. Two interesting developments are that African Americans were no longer legally considered nuisances when renting property from white owners in certain parts of Flint, as city ordinances had described them in the 1920s, and that city health inspectors were empowered to inspect factories.

Accompanying the compiled ordinances is a 1926 schedule of license fees. Some service fees were crossed out with dark green ink. In their place, and in the same colored ink, someone wrote different charges for services. Ordinance No. 195, approved in 1917, regulated the use of motor vehicles of various types within the city limits. It represents an example of the automobile’s growing influence within Flint. The 1946 Flint Municipal Traffic Code, in contrast, is more descriptive and longer. In it are loose-leaf sheets of paper, which list taxicab companies in Flint from 1949 to 1950 and how many cabs each owned. These companies, including independent contractors associated with them, operated 150 cabs in the city.

The collection contains the 1920 report to the City Plan Commission. This contains extensive statistical information of the population of Flint at the time, excepting ethnic statistics. The report was related to a vote held in 1917 concerning a new charter amendment. The report was meant to compile statistical data for use in future planning.

Another document of interest is a booklet which contains a proposed revised city charter. It was published in 1919 after members of the Charter Provision Commission took suggestions from voters and examined charters from other cities.

Other government documents include a copy of the 1930 city charter, a copy of the 1938 official planning and zoning ordinances, and copies of the 1946 and 1948 state of Michigan elections manuals.

The other half of the collection is related to the life of Phillips. It does not contain records that reflect his personal tastes, but gives an idea that he was something of an outdoorsman. Phillips served as secretary of the Genesee Sportsmen’s Club in the early 1920s. The records contain the rules and by-laws of the Congress of Michigan Game Associations, newspaper clippings relating to activities of the club and associated individuals, and correspondence of club activities. The correspondence is largely limited to advocacy Phillips and other members of the club engaged in in 1921 and 1922. Objections rose among club members, Phillips included, toward state game warden John Baird out of concern that the warden and Governor Alexander J. Groesbeck were using funds meant to support conservation, propagation, and law enforcement of game for establishing and maintaining political connections. Phillips received letters from, and drafted letters to, individuals within the club and from across the state to mobilize a response. He and others often referred to political interference as “Bairdism” or “Groesbeckism.” Other records of the club include the fifth and sixth annual banquet programs and programs for other events.

The remaining records in the collection comprise documents from the Republican Party, a publication call “The Wheeze,” programs of First Baptist Church, including a program from its fiftieth anniversary, and by-laws of the Flint Shriner’s Club from 1925.

This folder contains images of members of Black organizations in Flint, Michigan.

The images in this folder depict Black musicians.

The collection represents documents relating to both times George Wilber enlisted in the United States Army, first in 1898 and later in 1899 after having been mustered out of service. Wilber initially enlisted in 1898, possibly as a minor. A letter details that either a parent or legal guardian would have been required to endorse his decision to enlist, should he have been a minor at the time. Wilber enlisted into the 35th Michigan Volunteer Infantry Regiment. The regiment was transferred to Georgia, but never saw combat. The Spanish-American War ended a mere three weeks after it had completed its training.

Wilber was mustered out shorty after but chose to reenlist the following year, which saw him placed in the 42nd Infantry Regiment. That unit was transferred to the Philippines via San Francisco and Honolulu. A newspaper clipping details a letter written to his mother where he described the flowers on Oahu and the queen’s palace. Wilber was later promoted to the rank of First Sergeant.

Included also in the collection are several military manuals from throughout the 1890s. It is probable that Wilber consulted them over the course of his service.