This collection contains ephemera related to Alice Potter Fordney, antiques dealer and rugmaker. Items in the collection include business correspondence with Armstrong, F. Schumacher & Co., and the Montclair art museum; personal correspondence with friends and family; hooked rug patterns; and antiques sale flyers from the early 20th century. Also included in the collection are newspaper clippings, including the obituary of Fordney's sister Ellen Franklin; reference material for rug making and interior design (informational sheets, books and patterns); several items related to the Yeates School, which Fordney's brother William Bush Fordney attended; several photographs of unidentified persons; and a statement related to the will of William J. Fordney, her uncle.
Admin/Biographical History
Alice Potter Fordney was born June 21, 1887 in Lancaster, the daughter of Ida Cox and Thomas Potter Fordney. A prominent antique dealer from the late 1920s to her retirement in 1965, Fordney also made and sold hooked rugs.
Fordney's family features prominently in Lancaster County history. Her maternal great-grandfather was John Michael, who owned the historic Grape Hotel from 1805-1839. Fordney's paternal great-grandfather William Jenkins built Wheatland in 1828 and later sold the property to President James Buchanan. Colonel William Bush Fordney, her paternal grandfather, was a prominent lawyer in Lancaster. He served as district attorney from 1839-1845 and negotiated for the loan that enabled Lancaster city to build the "water works" in the 1830s. Sarah Cox, her maternal grandmother, was a known philanthropist and for years helped to manage the Home for Friendless Children in Lancaster. Her sister, Ellen Fordney Franklin, was a "pioneer" in the industry of women's knit suits, opening her first shop in 1929 in Philadelphia.
Fordney never married. She kept in contact with her nieces and nephews, as evidenced by letters in the collection. According to notes provided by Wendell Zercher, Sarah Ellmaker McIlvaine Muench, her niece and the donor of the collection, recalled her as "warm and artistic," and "a character." She died April 17, 1973, at the age of 85.
Works Cited:
"Mrs. Franklin, pioneer of women's knit suits, dies." Daily Intelligencer Journal [Lancaster, PA], 10 May 1963, p. 2.
"Accident Fatal to Mrs. Sarah A. Cox." Daily Intelligencer Journal [Lancaster, PA], no date, page unknown.
"Miss Fordney, Antique Dealer, 85, Succumbs." Daily Intelligencer Journal [Lancaster, PA], 18 April 1973, p. 2.
"One of Lancaster's Most Prominent and Venerable Citizens Passes Away." Daily Intelligencer Journal [Lancaster, PA], 29 July 1889, p. 1.
3 boxes, 37 folders, 333 items, 1,015 pages to scan, 4.5 cubic ft.
Object Name
Archive
Language
English
Object ID
HC0001
Location of Originals
LancasterHistory, Lancaster, Pennsylvania
Associated Material
Sarah McIlvaine Muench Family Papers, MS 44 at Archives and Special Collections, Shadek-Fackenthal Library, Franklin and Marshall College, Lancaster, PA.
Related Item Notes
See photograph collection.
See curatorial collection for examples of rugs.
Fordney Family Diaries (MG0539)
Notes
Preferred Citation: Title or description of item, date (day, month, year), Archive of Alice P. Fordney (HC0001), Box #, Folder #, LancasterHistory, Lancaster, Pennsylvania.
Access Conditions / Restrictions
The kraft paper patterns in Folders 33-37 are restricted. Please make an appointment with the Director of Archival Services to view these items.
Copyright
Collection may not be photocopied. Please direct questions to Research Center Staff at research@lancasterhistory.org. Permission for reproduction and/or publication must be obtained in writing from LancasterHistory.
Credit
Courtesy of LancasterHistory, Lancaster, Pennsylvania.
Accession Number
G.04.23.52
Classification
HC0001
Description Level
Fonds
Custodial History
From the Heritage Center of Lancaster County collection, G04.23.52.
Processed and finding aid prepared by MJ, June 2018.
This collection contains letters written to U.S. Army Private
George L. Caley during his service in World War II. The correspondence is from his parents and siblings in Philadelphia, aunts and uncles and friends in Columbia, Lancaster County, and friends from Millersville University. Many of his friends are also in the service and write to him of their experiences. The letters contain family and local news, as well as news of friends and family in the service.
This collection contains ephemera related to Julius J. "Jule" Ritchey of Lancaster and his career as a middleweight boxer.
Admin/Biographical History
Julius J. "Jule" Ritchey was born in 1895 in Lancaster's Cabbage Hill neighborhood. During his career as a middleweight boxer, he fought 75 bouts, won 65 of them and had 4 KOs. He fought alongside local contemporaries Leo Houck, Rosey Stoy, and Tim Droney. He trained in various places around the world, including Havana, Cuba. Ritchey later worked from Armstrong until he retired in 1960. He died 9 January 1983 in Lancaster.
Preferred Citation: Title or description of item, date (day, month, year), Jule Ritchey Collection (MG0913), Folder #, (or Object ID), LancasterHistory, Lancaster, Pennsylvania. URL if applicable. Date accessed (day, month, year).
Access Conditions / Restrictions
No restrictions. Please request at the Reference Desk or contact Research@LancasterHistory.org prior to visit.
Copyright
Collection may be photographed. Please direct questions to Research Center Staff at Research@LancasterHistory.org.
Permission for reproduction and/or publication must be obtained in writing from LancasterHistory. Persons wishing to publish any material from this site must assume all responsibility for identifying and satisfying any claimants of copyright or other use restrictions. Publication fees may apply.
Credit
Courtesy of LancasterHistory, Lancaster, Pennsylvania
Accession Number
Unknown.MG0913
Other Numbers
MG-913
Classification
MG0913
Description Level
Fonds
Custodial History
Transferred from Boxing Information File, 13 May 2003. Transferred from Document Collection, Box 32, Folder 9, Items 1-7, 13 April 2022.
Grace Anna Brosius was the daughter of Hon. Marriott Henry Brosius and Elizabeth Jackson Coates Brosius of Lancaster, Pennsylvania. She attended Swarthmore College from 1895-1897. She married Clement Miller Biddle (1876-1959) on 28 November 1900 in Lancaster, Pennsylvania.
Swarthmore College Photograph Albums (SFHL-PA-010)
Biddle Family Papers (SFHL-RG5-177)
Related Item Notes
Scrapbooks:
1898-1900 (MG0434_Box096)
1911-1926 (MG0434_Box097_It01)
1926-1937 (MG0434_Box097_It02)
Photograph albums and loose photographs (Grace Anna Brosius Biddle Collection)
Album 1, 1900s-1940s (GB-01-01-001 to GB-01-01-111)
Album 2, 1900-1907 (GB-01-02-01 to GB-01-02-41)
Notes
This scrapbook has not been fully cataloged.
Preferred Citation: Title or description of item, date (day, month, year), Scrapbook Collection (MG0434), Box #, Object ID, LancasterHistory, Lancaster, Pennsylvania.
Access Conditions / Restrictions
No restrictions.
Copyright
Collection may not be photocopied. Please direct questions to Research Center Staff at Research@LancasterHistory.org for permission for reproduction and/or publication must be obtained in writing from LancasterHistory.
Credit
Courtesy of LancasterHistory, Lancaster, Pennsylvania.
This collection contains deeds, articles of agreement, descriptions of property, and a land draft pertaining to property on Gibney Road in West Lampeter Twp. and one deed for property in Penn Twp.
Preferred Citation: Title or description of item, date (day, month, year), Gibney Road Property Records, 1846-1955 (MG0919), Folder #, (or Object ID), LancasterHistory, Lancaster, Pennsylvania. URL if applicable. Date accessed (day, month, year).
Access Conditions / Restrictions
No restrictions. Please request at the Reference Desk or contact Research@LancasterHistory.org prior to visit.
Copyright
Collection may be photographed. Please direct questions to Research Center Staff at Research@LancasterHistory.org.
Permission for reproduction and/or publication must be obtained in writing from LancasterHistory. Persons wishing to publish any material from this site must assume all responsibility for identifying and satisfying any claimants of copyright or other use restrictions. Publication fees may apply.
Credit
Courtesy of LancasterHistory, Lancaster, Pennsylvania
Accession Number
2004.MG0919
Other Numbers
MG-919
Classification
MG0919
Description Level
Item
Custodial History
Transferred from Document Collection Box 33, Folder 9, 15 April 2022.
Postcard from [Elsie Singmaster Lewars] to Mrs. Charles Coleman
Description
Postcard of the mountains, Peacham, Vermont, from [Elsie Singmaster Lewars] to Mrs. Charles Coleman in Lancaster with a message about visiting "Stevens country". 6 September 1944.
These items are on one sheet with a note from Elsie Singmaster Lewars:
Transcription of letter from Thaddeus Stevens to Col. Blanchard stating that he had to return to Pennsylvania for business and regretted that he was not able to meet with the Juvenile Society. If they raise $150 for the society's library, he will add another $50. Lancaster. J. O. Cowles, secretary. Barnet, Vermont. 17 October 1854.
Transcription of letter from Thaddeus Stevens to Col. Blanchard which enclosed Stevens' $50 subscription to the Peacham Juvenile Library Society and offering advice to the Peacham Academy. J. O. Cowles, secretary. Lancaster. 11 November 1854.
Handwritten note from Lewars regarding Stevens' travel to Vermont after the death of his mother, Sarah Stevens, on 5 October 1854.
Preferred Citation: Title or description of item, date (day, month, year), Thaddeus Stevens Collection (MG0115), Part 1, Folder # or Object ID, LancasterHistory, Lancaster, Pennsylvania. URL if applicable. Date accessed (day, month, year).
Access Conditions / Restrictions
Please use digital images and transcriptions when available. Original documents may be used by appointment. Please contact Research@LancasterHistory.org prior to visit.
Copyright
Images have been provided for research purposes only. Please contact Research@LancasterHistory.org for a high-resolution image and permission to publish.
LancasterHistory retains the rights to the digital images and content presented. The doctrine of fair use allows limited use of copyrighted material without permission from the copyright holder. Fair use includes comment, criticism, teaching, and private scholarship. Any images and data downloaded, printed or photocopied for these purposes should provide a citation. All other uses beyond those allowed by fair use require written permission.
Permission for reproduction and/or publication must be obtained in writing from LancasterHistory. Persons wishing to publish any material from this site must assume all responsibility for identifying and satisfying any claimants of copyright or other use restrictions. Publication fees may apply.
Credit
Courtesy of LancasterHistory, Lancaster, Pennsylvania.
Other Numbers
MG-115
Other Number
MG-115, Part 1, Folder 7, Insert 3, Item 1
Classification
MG0115
Description Level
Item
Custodial History
Added to database 25 April 2022.
Old # MG-115, Part 1, Folder 7, Insert 3
Digitization of this document was funded by the Pennsylvania Historical and Museum Commission, PHMC Appl ID # 202010016624, 2020-2023.
Boxing and Wrestling Collection of Paul L. Stauffer
Description
Collection of boxing and wrestling ephemera, photographs, and programs compiled by Paul L. Stauffer:
National Bank and Trust bank books with records of proceeds from boxing matches, 1936-1941
Issues of the Referee Sportsman, 20 December 1937, 24 January 1938
Souvenir Pictorial Program, 24 May 1937
Scrapbook/album of photographs of boxers and wrestlers, programs, and newspaper clippings relating to the sports, 1930s-1960
Admin/Biographical History
Paul L. Stauffer, retired president of Lancaster Pump and Manufacturing Co., was business manager of the local Boxing and Wrestling Club in the 1930s and 1940s.
Preferred Citation: Title or description of item, date (day, month, year), Boxing and Wresting Collection of Paul L. Stauffer (MG0925), Folder # or Object ID, LancasterHistory, Lancaster, Pennsylvania. URL if applicable. Date accessed (day, month, year).
Access Conditions / Restrictions
This collection has not been fully cataloged, but may be used by appointment. Please contact Research@LancasterHistory.org prior to visit.
Copyright
Collection may not be photocopied. Please direct questions to Research Center Staff at Research@LancasterHistory.org for permission for reproduction and/or publication must be obtained in writing from LancasterHistory.
Credit
Courtesy of LancasterHistory, Lancaster, Pennsylvania.
Ressler Family and Mascot Roller Mill Collection, 1942-1990
Description
The Ressler Family and Mascot Roller Mill Collection contains Christmas cards sent by the Ressler Family, owners of the Mascot Roller Mill in Upper Leacock Township, and information about the mill, the family home and the Ressler Mill Foundation.
Admin/Biographical History
The Mascot Roller Mill was built in 1760 by Jacob Becker. William Ressler acquired the mill in 1864 and his family continued to operate the mill until 1977. With the mill no longer in production, the Ressler Mill Foundation was established to preserve the mill and its waterways.
Preferred Citation: Title or description of item, date (day, month, year), Ressler Family and Mascot Roller Mill Collection, 1942-1990 (MG0887), Box #, Folder #, (or Object ID), LancasterHistory, Lancaster, Pennsylvania. URL if applicable. Date accessed (day, month, year).
Access Conditions / Restrictions
No restrictions.
Copyright
Collection may not be photocopied. Please direct questions to Research Center Staff at research@lancasterhistory.org. Permission for reproduction and/or publication must be obtained in writing from LancasterHistory.
Credit
Courtesy of LancasterHistory, Lancaster, Pennsylvania
This collection contains programs and ephemera from the Columbia Symphony Orchestra.
Admin/Biographical History
The Columbia Symphony Orchestra was established by C. Bernard Seiple and performed at the Columbia High School Auditorium and at the Columbia Opera House.
Preferred Citation: Title or description of item, date (day, month, year), Columbia Symphony Orchestra Collection (MG0927), Box #, Folder #, (or Object ID), LancasterHistory, Lancaster, Pennsylvania. URL if applicable. Date accessed (day, month, year).
Access Conditions / Restrictions
No restrictions.
Copyright
Collection may not be photocopied. Please direct questions to Research Center Staff at research@lancasterhistory.org. Permission for reproduction and/or publication must be obtained in writing from LancasterHistory.
Credit
Courtesy of LancasterHistory, Lancaster, Pennsylvania
Masonic Homes of Lancaster County Collection, 1910-1957
Description
This collection contains programs, booklets, and leaflets about the Masonic Homes at Elizabethtown; a booklet about the Louis H. Eisenlohr Home for Girls at the Masonic Homes; and information, correspondence and an admission application for the Thomas Ranken Patton Masonic Institution for Boys.
Admin/Biographical History
The Masonic Homes of the Grand Lodge of Pennsylvania was established in Elizabethtown in 1910. It is known today as the Masonic Village at Elizabethtown.
Preferred Citation: Title or description of item, date (day, month, year), Masonic Homes of Lancaster Collection, 1910-1957 (MG0929), Box #, Folder #, (or Object ID), LancasterHistory, Lancaster, Pennsylvania. URL if applicable. Date accessed (day, month, year).
Access Conditions / Restrictions
No restrictions.
Copyright
Collection may not be photocopied. Please direct questions to Research Center Staff at research@lancasterhistory.org. Permission for reproduction and/or publication must be obtained in writing from LancasterHistory.
Credit
Courtesy of LancasterHistory, Lancaster, Pennsylvania
