Summary of Carolyn Gay Taft Farm Letters "cast of characters", timeline, and Taft family tree
High level overview
Carolyn Gay Taft was a lady farmer in the early 1900’s on Old Mission Peninsula. She owned a 40-acre plot in Section 9, S.W. ¼ of N.E. ¼, T29N-R10W. She was actively involved in farming from 1911 until the mid-1940’s. Because Carolyn’s primary job was as a teacher in Illinois, she hired farm hands to run the farm in her absence during the Fall and Winter months. These farmers, and their families, lived on the farm and sent frequent written reports to Ms. Taft. Most letters are written by the farmer’s wives and provide a record of both agricultural and social history.
Mary Morgan
Local History Collections, Peninsula Community Library, Traverse City (Mich.)
Traverse Area District Library, Traverse City (Mich.)
2023
Christoper Mericle
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Peninsula Community Library records
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Peninsula Township, Grand Traverse County, Michigan
Finding Aid of Carolyn Gay Taft Farm Records, 2023
Finding aid of the Peninsula Community Library records collection. Collection is part of the holdings of the Peninsula Community Library.
Carolyn Gay Taft was a lady farmer in the early 1900’s on Old Mission Peninsula. She owned a 40-acre plot in Section 9, S.W. ¼ of N.E. ¼, T29N-R10W. She was actively involved in farming from 1911 until the mid-1940’s. Because Carolyn’s primary job was as a teacher in Illinois, she hired farm hands to run the farm in her absence during the Fall and Winter months. These farmers, and their families, lived on the farm and sent frequent written reports to Ms. Taft. Most letters are written by the farmer’s wives and provide a record of both agricultural and social history. There are approximately 382 letters.
Morgan, Mary
Local History Collections, Peninsula Community Library, Traverse City (Mich.)
Peninsula Community Library
2023
Christopher Mericle and family - Descendants of Carolyn Gay Taft
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Peninsula Community Library records
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LCH010pcl-findingaid.pdf
Peninsula Township, Grand Traverse County, Michigan
Carolyn Gay Taft Farm Letter - September 30, 1931
Old Mission Peninsula (Mich.)
Agriculture
Farmers
Crops and climate
Carolyn Gay Taft (1873-1952), was the owner of a small cherry farm on Old Mission Peninsula in the early 1900’s. While she spent her summers on the Peninsula, her primary job as a teacher at the Illinois State School for the Deaf required hired hands to run the farm in her absence. These farmers, and their families, lived on the farm and sent frequent written reports to Ms. Taft. Most letters are written by the farmer’s wives, and provide a record of both agricultural and social history.
Ralph Kitchen, Joseph Kitchen, Essie Kitchen, Max Gilmore, Hazel Gilmore
Collection donated to Peninsula Community Library by the surviving members of the Taft family.
Peninsula Community Library
1931-09-30
Mary T Morgan
This document is protected by copyright law. Contact the Peninsula Community Library for permission to reproduce, display, or transmit this document.
None
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LHC 010
Traverse City, Peninsula Township, Grand Traverse County, Michigan
Carolyn Gay Taft Farm Letter - September 23, 1931
Old Mission Peninsula (Mich.)
Agriculture
Farmers
Crops and climate
Carolyn Gay Taft (1873-1952), was the owner of a small cherry farm on Old Mission Peninsula in the early 1900’s. While she spent her summers on the Peninsula, her primary job as a teacher at the Illinois State School for the Deaf required hired hands to run the farm in her absence. These farmers, and their families, lived on the farm and sent frequent written reports to Ms. Taft. Most letters are written by the farmer’s wives, and provide a record of both agricultural and social history.
Ralph Kitchen, Joseph Kitchen, Essie Kitchen, Max Gilmore, Hazel Gilmore
Collection donated to Peninsula Community Library by the surviving members of the Taft family.
Peninsula Community Library
1931-09-23
Mary T Morgan
This document is protected by copyright law. Contact the Peninsula Community Library for permission to reproduce, display, or transmit this document.
None
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English
Document
LHC 010
Traverse City, Peninsula Township, Grand Traverse County, Michigan
Carolyn Gay Taft Farm Letter - June 1, 1931
Old Mission Peninsula (Mich.)
Agriculture
Farmers
Crops and climate
Carolyn Gay Taft (1873-1952), was the owner of a small cherry farm on Old Mission Peninsula in the early 1900’s. While she spent her summers on the Peninsula, her primary job as a teacher at the Illinois State School for the Deaf required hired hands to run the farm in her absence. These farmers, and their families, lived on the farm and sent frequent written reports to Ms. Taft. Most letters are written by the farmer’s wives, and provide a record of both agricultural and social history.
Ralph Kitchen, Joseph Kitchen, Essie Kitchen, Max Gilmore, Hazel Gilmore
Collection donated to Peninsula Community Library by the surviving members of the Taft family.
Peninsula Community Library
1931-06-01
Mary T Morgan
This document is protected by copyright law. Contact the Peninsula Community Library for permission to reproduce, display, or transmit this document.
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LHC 010
Traverse City, Peninsula Township, Grand Traverse County, Michigan
Carolyn Gay Taft Farm Letter - May 27, 1931
Old Mission Peninsula (Mich.)
Agriculture
Farmers
Crops and climate
Carolyn Gay Taft (1873-1952), was the owner of a small cherry farm on Old Mission Peninsula in the early 1900’s. While she spent her summers on the Peninsula, her primary job as a teacher at the Illinois State School for the Deaf required hired hands to run the farm in her absence. These farmers, and their families, lived on the farm and sent frequent written reports to Ms. Taft. Most letters are written by the farmer’s wives, and provide a record of both agricultural and social history.
Ralph Kitchen, Joseph Kitchen, Essie Kitchen, Max Gilmore, Hazel Gilmore
Collection donated to Peninsula Community Library by the surviving members of the Taft family.
Peninsula Community Library
1931-05-27
Mary T Morgan
This document is protected by copyright law. Contact the Peninsula Community Library for permission to reproduce, display, or transmit this document.
None
PDF
English
Document
LHC 010
Traverse City, Peninsula Township, Grand Traverse County, Michigan
Carolyn Gay Taft Farm Letter - May 26, 1931
Old Mission Peninsula (Mich.)
Agriculture
Farmers
Crops and climate
Carolyn Gay Taft (1873-1952), was the owner of a small cherry farm on Old Mission Peninsula in the early 1900’s. While she spent her summers on the Peninsula, her primary job as a teacher at the Illinois State School for the Deaf required hired hands to run the farm in her absence. These farmers, and their families, lived on the farm and sent frequent written reports to Ms. Taft. Most letters are written by the farmer’s wives, and provide a record of both agricultural and social history.
Ralph Kitchen, Joseph Kitchen, Essie Kitchen, Max Gilmore, Hazel Gilmore
Collection donated to Peninsula Community Library by the surviving members of the Taft family.
Peninsula Community Library
1931-05-26
Mary T Morgan
This document is protected by copyright law. Contact the Peninsula Community Library for permission to reproduce, display, or transmit this document.
None
PDF
English
Document
LHC 010
Traverse City, Peninsula Township, Grand Traverse County, Michigan
Carolyn Gay Taft Farm Letter - May 19, 1931
Old Mission Peninsula (Mich.)
Agriculture
Farmers
Crops and climate
Carolyn Gay Taft (1873-1952), was the owner of a small cherry farm on Old Mission Peninsula in the early 1900’s. While she spent her summers on the Peninsula, her primary job as a teacher at the Illinois State School for the Deaf required hired hands to run the farm in her absence. These farmers, and their families, lived on the farm and sent frequent written reports to Ms. Taft. Most letters are written by the farmer’s wives, and provide a record of both agricultural and social history.
Ralph Kitchen, Joseph Kitchen, Essie Kitchen, Max Gilmore, Hazel Gilmore
Collection donated to Peninsula Community Library by the surviving members of the Taft family.
Peninsula Community Library
1931-05-19
Mary T Morgan
This document is protected by copyright law. Contact the Peninsula Community Library for permission to reproduce, display, or transmit this document.
None
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English
Document
LHC 010
Traverse City, Peninsula Township, Grand Traverse County, Michigan
Carolyn Gay Taft Farm Letter - May 15, 1931
Old Mission Peninsula (Mich.)
Agriculture
Farmers
Crops and climate
Carolyn Gay Taft (1873-1952), was the owner of a small cherry farm on Old Mission Peninsula in the early 1900’s. While she spent her summers on the Peninsula, her primary job as a teacher at the Illinois State School for the Deaf required hired hands to run the farm in her absence. These farmers, and their families, lived on the farm and sent frequent written reports to Ms. Taft. Most letters are written by the farmer’s wives, and provide a record of both agricultural and social history.
Ralph Kitchen, Joseph Kitchen, Essie Kitchen, Max Gilmore, Hazel Gilmore
Collection donated to Peninsula Community Library by the surviving members of the Taft family.
Peninsula Community Library
1931-05-15
Mary T Morgan
This document is protected by copyright law. Contact the Peninsula Community Library for permission to reproduce, display, or transmit this document.
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English
Document
LHC 010
Traverse City, Peninsula Township, Grand Traverse County, Michigan
Carolyn Gay Taft Farm Letter - May 10, 1931
Old Mission Peninsula (Mich.)
Agriculture
Farmers
Crops and climate
Carolyn Gay Taft (1873-1952), was the owner of a small cherry farm on Old Mission Peninsula in the early 1900’s. While she spent her summers on the Peninsula, her primary job as a teacher at the Illinois State School for the Deaf required hired hands to run the farm in her absence. These farmers, and their families, lived on the farm and sent frequent written reports to Ms. Taft. Most letters are written by the farmer’s wives, and provide a record of both agricultural and social history.
Ralph Kitchen, Joseph Kitchen, Essie Kitchen, Max Gilmore, Hazel Gilmore
Collection donated to Peninsula Community Library by the surviving members of the Taft family.
Peninsula Community Library
1931-05-10
Mary T Morgan
This document is protected by copyright law. Contact the Peninsula Community Library for permission to reproduce, display, or transmit this document.
None
PDF
English
Document
LHC 010
Traverse City, Peninsula Township, Grand Traverse County, Michigan