The Ward M. Canaday Center
for Special Collections
The University of Toledo
Finding Aid
Ward M. Canaday Financial Records
MSS-275
Size: 21.25 linear feet
Provenance: Received as a donation from Patrice Spitzer
Access: Open
Collection Summary: Collection cosists of multiple ledgers, bills, brokers' notes, and ckecks for multiple businesses and properties owned by Ward M. Canaday
Subject(s): Business and Commerce
Related Collections: MSS-272, MSS-273, MSS-274
Processing Note: The organization of this collections is done both chronologically and alphabetically. Those papers that were bound remained in their originial binding and organized seperately.
Copyright: The literary rights to this collection are assumed to rest with the person(s) responsible for the production of the particular items within the collection, or with their heirs or assigns. Researchers bear full legal responsibility for the acquisition to publish from any part of said collection per Title 17, United States Code. The Ward M. Canaday Center for Special Collections may reserve the right to intervene as intermediary at its own discretion.
Completed by: Jacalyn DeSelms December 2015
Biographical Sketch
Ward Murphey Canaday, often known as the "father of the Jeep," was a longtime member of the Toledo community and a benefactor for the University of Toledo. Canaday was educated at Harvard University. He began his Willys Overland Company career in 1916, assuming the position of Advertising Director. Canaday would spend most of the next half century with Willys, helping the company establish the first automobile credit company and, later, rising to become Chairman of the Board and President of the company, in addition to resurrecting Willys Overland from bankruptcy in the early 1930's. One of the most important successes of Canaday’s reign at Willys was the creation of the Willys MB, the vehicle that would later gain the moniker of Jeep. Canaday also branched out into government service, serving as the Assistant Administrator and Director of Public Relations for the United States Federal Housing Administration from 1933 to 1935 and playing an active role in the passage of the National Housing Act of 1933. Canaday would also go on to serve as the Co-Chairman of the Caribbean Commission from 1948 through 1952. Canaday was also active locally, serving as a member of the Toledo Club, a Trustee for the Toledo Art Museum, a member of the Board of Directors of the Toledo Area Medical College and Foundation, the Chairman of the Board of the University of Toledo Foundation, a member of the Board of Directors of the University of Toledo from 1953-1967, and the President of the Friends of the University of Toledo Libraries for four decades.
Scope and Content Note
This collection focuses on the financial records of Ward M. Canaday and his businesses. The records in this collection contain ledgers from such businesses as Dealers Finance Company, Inland Trading Company, Ottawa Hills Company, Franklin Motors, and Willy Properties. This collection also houses information and ledgers for Canaday’s sugar cane and livestock farms in St. Croix, Virgin Island. The general time frame of these records range from 1920 until the 1960’s.
Folder List
Box |
Folder |
Item |
Series I- Ward M. Canaday Businesses | ||
1 | 1 | Canaday, Ewell, and Thurber |
1 | 2 | Canaday, Ewell, and Thurber |
1 | 3 | Canaday, Ewell, and Thurber |
1 | 4 | Dealers Finance Company |
1 | 5 | Dominion Industries Co., annual reports, 1933-1935 |
1 | 6 | Franklin Automobiles |
1 | 7 | Franklin Motors |
1 | 8 | Frankling Motors |
1 | 9 | Hydeborn Corporation |
1 | 10 | Inland Trading Corporation |
1 | 11 | John Fay Inc., annual reports, 1918-1929 |
1 | 12 | National Advertising Company/Lee Larson |
1 | 13 | National Advertising Company/Lee Larson |
1 | 14 | National Advertising Company/ LeeLarson |
1 | 15 | Ottawa Hills Company, annual reports, 1938-1948 |
1 | 16 | Ottawa Hills Company, ledgers, 1945-1947 |
1 | 17 | Ottawa Hills Company, property tax documents, 1940-1960 |
2 | 1 | Ottawa Hills Company, tax documents |
2 | 2 | Ottawa Securities Inc., annual reports, 1928-1931 |
2 | 3 | The Caslon Company, annual reports, 1928-1931 |
2 | 4 | The Caslon Company, annual reports, 1932-1937 |
2 | 5 | The Caslon Company, annual reports, 1938-1944 |
2 | 6 | United States Advertising Corporation, annual reports, 1928-1932 |
2 | 7 | United States Advertising Corporation, annual reports, 1933-1934 |
2 | 8 | United States Advertising Corporation, annual reports, 1935-1936 |
2 | 9 | United States Advertising Corporation, annual reports, 1937-1940 |
2 | 10 | Ward M. Canaday Inc., annual report, 1924-1931 |
2 | 11 | Ward M. Canaday Inc., annual report, 1933-1946 |
2 | 12 | Willys Morrow, meeting minutes, 1939 |
3 | 1 | Willys Overland |
3 | 2 | Willys Real Estate Realization Corporation, ledgers |
3 | 3 | Willys Real Estate Realization Corporation, miscellaneous, folder 1 of 2 |
3 | 4 | Willys Real Estate Realization Corporation, miscellaneous, folder 2 of 2 |
3 | 5 | Wilson Foundry and Machine Company |
3 | n/a | Wilson Foundry and Machine Company, business activities, book |
Series II- Canaday Personal Records | ||
4 | 1 | 1947, Ward M. Canaday and Marian C. Canaday personal accounts and receipts, January- December |
4 | 2 | 1948, Ward M. Canaday and Marian C. Canaday personal accounts and receipts, A-C |
4 | 3 | 1948, Ward M. Canaday and Marian C. Canaday personal accounts and receipts, D-F |
4 | 4 | 1948, Ward M. Canaday and Marian C. Canaday personal accounts and receipts, G-L |
4 | 5 | 1948, Ward M. Canaday and Marian C. Canaday personal accounts and receipts, M-R |
4 | 6 | 1948, Ward M. Canaday and Marian C. Canaday personal accounts and receipts, S-Z |
4 | 7 | 1949, Ward M. Canaday and Marian C. Canaday personal accounts and receipts, A-I |
4 | 8 | 1949, Ward M. Canaday and Marian C. Canaday personal accounts and receipts, J-P |
4 | 9 | 1949, Ward M. Canaday and Marian C. Canaday personal accounts and receipts, Q-Z |
4 | 10 | 1950, Ward M. Canaday and Marian C. Canaday personal accounts and receipts, A-L |
4 | 11 | 1950, Ward M. Canaday and MArian C. Canaday personal accounts and receipts, M-S |
4 | 12 | 1950, Ward M. Canaday and Marian C. Canaday personal accounts and receipts, T-Z |
4 | 13 | 1951, Ward M. Canaday and Marian C. Canaday personal accounts and receipts, A-L |
4 | 14 | 1951, Ward M. Canaday and Marian C. Canaday personal accounts and receipts, M-S |
4 | 15 | 1951, Ward M. Canaday and Marian C. Canaday personal accounts and receipts, T-Z |
4 | 16 | Canaday European Trip |
4 | 17 | Doreen Spitzer, bank statements |
4 | 18 | Floyd Farr, correspondence |
4 | 19 | H. J. Leonard, tax data |
4 | 20 | Marian C. Canaday, bank statements, 1945 |
5 | 1 | Miscellaneous payroll and expense accounts, 1947-1948, folder 1 of 4 |
5 | 2 | Miscellaneous payroll and expense accounts, 1947-1948, folder 2 of 4 |
5 | 3 | Miscellaneous payroll and expense accounts, 1947-1948, folder 3 of 4 |
5 | 4 | Miscellaneous payroll and expense accounts, 1947-1948, folder 4 of 4 |
5 | 5 | National City Bank of New York, check book |
5 | 6 | Ward M. Canaday Agency, annual reports, 1925-1928 |
5 | 7 | Ward M. Canaday, auto insurance |
5 | 8 | Ward M. Canaday, broker statements, 1949-1950 |
5 | 9 | Ward M. Canaday, miscellaneous bank notes |
5 | 10 | Ward M. Canaday, personal accounts, annual reports, 1925-1939 |
5 | 11 | Ward M. Canaday, personal bank statements |
5 | 12 | Ward M. Canaday, portraits |
5 | 13 | Ward M. Canaday, travel expenses |
Series III- Canaday Virign Island Businesses | ||
6 | 1 | Virgin Islands, cash receipts |
6 | 2 | Virgin Islands, expense sheets, 1947 |
6 | 3 | Virgin Islands, Frits Lawaetz, 1946 |
6 | 4 | Virign Islands, Frits Lawaetz, 1947 |
6 | 5 | Virgin Islands, Frits Lawaetz, bills paid |
6 | 6 | Virgin Islands, Frits Lawaetz, reports, January-December 1940 |
6 | 7 | Virgin Islands, Frits Lawaetz, reports, January-December 1941 |
6 | 8 | Virgin Islands, Frits Lawaetz, reports, January-December 1942 |
6 | 9 | Virgin Islands, Frits Lawaetz, reports, January-December 1943 |
6 | 10 | Virgin Islands, Frits Lawaetz, reports, January-December 1944 |
6 | 11 | Virgin Islands, fuel reports, 1951 |
6 | 12 | Virgin Islands, invoices |
6 | 13 | Virgin Islands, miscellaneous expense reports |
6 | 14 | Virgin Islands National Bank, checks, December 1938-December 1939 |
6 | 15 | Virgin Islands National Bank, checks, January-December 1940 |
6 | 16 | Virgin Islands National Bank, checks, January-December 1941 |
6 | 17 | Virgin Islands National Bank, checks, January-December 1942 |
6 | 18 | Virgin Islands National Bank, checks, January-December 1943 |
6 | 19 | Virgin Islands National Bank, checks, January-December 1944 |
6 | 20 | Ove E. Olsen |
6 | 21 | Ove E. Olsen, weekly statements |
Series IV- Canaday Binder Collection | ||
7 | 1 | Virgin Islands, payroll, January-December 1945 |
7 | 2 | Virgin Islands, payroll, January-August 1946 |
7 | 3 | Virgin Islands, payroll, Septmber-December 1946 |
7 | 4 | Virgin Islands, payroll, January-June 1947 |
7 | 5 | Virgin Islands, payroll, July-December 1947 |
7 | 6 | Virgin Islands, payroll, January- April 1948 |
7 | 7 | Virgin Islands, payroll, May-December 1948 |
7 | Virgin Islands, 1946-1947, binder | |
8 | Dealers Finance Company, journal vouchers, January 1935-January 1937, binder | |
8 | Dealers Finanace Company, January 1937- December 1937, binder | |
8 | Empire Securities Inc., 1948-1954, binder | |
9 | ` | Frankling Motors, Inc., journal vouchers, binder |
9 | Inland Trading Co., broker vouchers 1927, binder | |
9 | Inland Trading Co., April 1931- July 1931, binder | |
10 | Inland Trading Co., July 1931- September 1931, binder | |
10 | Inland Trading Co., January 1934-December 1935, binder | |
10 | Inland Trading Co., brokers vouchers 1936, binder | |
11 | Inland Trading Co., January 1936-Decmber 1938, binder | |
11 | Inland Trading Co., broker vouchers 1938, binder | |
11 | Inland Trading Co., April 1939-December 1944, binder | |
12 | Ottawa Hills Company, 1945, binder | |
12 | Ottawa Securities, Inc., journal entries, 1929-1932, binder | |
12 | Security Ledger, 1928-1930, binder | |
13 | Virgin Islands, January 1949-December 1955, binder | |
13 | Ward M. Canaday Inc., December 1923-December 1933, binder | |
13 | Ward M. Canaday Inc., January 1934-June 1937, binder | |
14 | Ward M. Canaday Inc., June 1937-October 1938, binder | |
14 | Ward M. Canaday Inc., September 1939-May 1940, binder | |
14 | Ward M. Canaday Inc., January 1941-October 1943, binder | |
15 | Ward M. Canaday Inc., 1946, binder | |
15 | Ward M. Canaday, personal, 1925-1930, binder | |
15 | Ward M. Canaday, personal, 1933, binder | |
16 | Ward M. Canaday, personal, 1943-1944, binder | |
16 | Ward M. Canaday, personal, January-December 1948, binder | |
16 | Ward M. Canaday, personal, January 1949, binder | |
17 | Willys Properties, Inc., December 1936-July 1938, binder | |
17 | Willys Properties, Inc.,broker vouchers, 1937, binder | |
17 | Willys Real Estate Realization Corporation, security files, up to June 1949, binder | |