Rochester, Michigan Calendar - featuring images from book with same name by photographer Rodney L. Arroyo, 2010

The Rod and Susan Wilson collection of Rochester (Michigan) History is quite diverse as the Wilsons collected all sorts of two and three dimensional items that touched on the history of Rochester, Michigan. During processing the Wilsons’ own research materials were separated from the original historical materials they collected. These materials were placed in the first series - the Rod and Susan Wilson Files, which include correspondence, presentation notes, the manuscript of Rochester: Preserving History, A Pictorial Journey and other documents generated and gathered by the Wilsons in the course of their preservation and historical research activities. Also included are copies of original historical materials that the Wilsons made for their research.

The rest of the collection is devoted to original historical materials – manuscripts, photographs, and other materials illustrating and documenting various aspects of the history of Rochester, Michigan, from the mid-19th century to the present. The Wilsons occasionally gave specific items back to living relatives, leaving only copies in their place.

The collection is mostly organized by topic, based on the way the Wilsons had sorted the materials they acquired. Some files are also grouped by provenance and format. The series are: Cities of Rochester and Rochester Hills; People and Genealogy; Social Life; Business; Other Subjects on Rochester and Oakland County History; Schools; Newspaper Clippings; Graphic Materials; Maps and Posters; Artifacts and Scrapbooks.