Lt. General Daniel B. Strickler Collection (MG-0029)
Description
General Strickler was a three star general who served in the Mexican Conflict, World Wars I and II, the Korean War, and the Far East Command in Japan. He was born in Columbia, Pa., educated as a lawyer, and served as Pennsylvania's Republican Lieutenant Governor from 1947-1950. Collection includes military citations and certificates, correspondence when elected, speaking engagements, clubs and organizations, and photographs.
Admin/Biographical History
Daniel Bursk Strickler
Personal Life:
Daniel Bursk Strickler was born on 17 May 1897 in Columbia, Lancaster County, Pennsylvania. His parents, Calvin Ruby Strickler and Harriet Bursk Strickler, raised him in Columbia. Strickler married Caroline Grace Bolton on 11 October 1924. Daniel and Caroline Strickler had two children, Nancy Cupper Strickler and Daniel Bursk Strickler, Jr. Daniel Bursk Strickler, Sr. died on 21 June 1992.
Military Career:
Daniel Strickler enlisted in the 4th Pennsylvania Infantry of the Army National Guard under the command of General Edward C. Shannon as a private on 31 January 1916. By April, Strickler was promoted to corporal and in July was assigned to the Mexican Border Conflict as a sergeant. He soon showed his value as a soldier and leader, and in April of 1917 was elected second lieutenant of Company C of the 4th Pennsylvania Infantry of the Army National Guard.
In September, Strickler was promoted once again to first lieutenant, at the same time that Company C became Company B of the 109th Machine Gun Battalion of the 28th Infantry Division of the United States Army. His company was deployed to France in September 1917 during World War I. Strickler served in five French campaigns including the Battle of Argonne Forest, which was when he received his Purple Heart. He obtained several commissions over the next eleven years including captain in 1918, major in 1922 and lieutenant colonel in 1928.
Just seven years after being promoted to colonel, Strickler was sent to France for a second time. He was in command of the 28th Division, Infantry Regiment during World War II. In 1942, he started command with the 109th Unit and then the 110th Unit of the 28th Division. In June of 1944, Strickler and his men landed at Omaha Beach. Strickler commanded troops during the Battle of the Bulge in the following December. He returned to the United States after three years of fighting.
Strickler was presented the honor of brigadier general in March of 1946 and on 24 December 1947, he was promoted to major general. Strickler remained in the Army and served in the Korean War from 1950 to 1953. Afterwards, he served as an advisor for the Army as a diplomat to Korea until his retirement in 1957. Strickler's final commission occurred on 8 February 1960 to lieutenant general. He had been honored many times and received military decorations for valor, heroism, and dedication including three stars.
Education:
Daniel Strickler attended Columbia area public schools until he graduated from Columbia High School in 1916. He was the captain of the track team, president of the junior and senior class, and a member of the baseball and basketball teams. Upon his return from World War I in 1918, Strickler enrolled at Cornell University Law School in Ithaca, New York. He took on many more responsibilities at this stage of his life. Not only did he receive his Bachelor of Laws (LLB) degree in 1922, but he was also a member of various organizations, clubs and teams during his three years at Cornell University. He was captain of the track team and a member of the Senior Honor Society. Strickler was also president of the following organizations: Senior Class, Student Council, Quill and Dagger Society and Alpha Kappa Chapter of the Kappa Sigma Fraternity.
Professional Career:
Daniel Strickler was admitted to the Bar of several courts during the 1920s including Supreme Court of Pennsylvania; Courts of Lancaster County, Pennsylvania; Superior Court of Pennsylvania; United States District Court; and United States Supreme Court. He worked with several law firms after obtaining his degree and in 1930, between the births of his two children, he established his own law firm in Lancaster. His legal career was not much different from his military or educational careers. He was involved with various professional organizations such as Pennsylvania Bar Association, Lancaster Bar Association, The American Bar Association, the Blackstonian Club of Lancaster, and the Republican Club. Strickler served as Auditor for Lancaster County from 1927 to 1929 and on a Special Counsel for the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania from 1928 to 1930. In 1931, Strickler was elected to the Pennsylvania Legislature to serve in the House of Representatives, thus jump-starting his political career.
Political Career:
The political career of Daniel Strickler brought him several new titles including auditor, special counsel member, representative, commissioner, solicitor, committeeman, delegate and lieutenant governor. He served as a member of the Pennsylvania House of Representatives during 1931 and 1932, General and Special Sessions. In 1931, Strickler served as the delegate for Pennsylvania at the National Young Republican Conference in Washington, DC. He was the temporary president of the Young Republican State Committee (YRSC) during 1931 as well. After his temporary appointment, he became an executive committee member of YRSC until 1936 and was also appointed as treasurer from 1934 until 1936.
From April to December of 1932, Strickler became the commissioner of the police department of Lancaster City as a special temporary appointment. During this time, he was in charge of cleaning up the police department and taking a stand against corruption and crime. He was a strong prohibitionist and cleaned up the city. Upon selection, he became the solicitor for Lancaster County, the York-Lancaster Inter-County Bridge Commission, and the Lancaster Municipal Airport from 1933 to 1941. He also served as the Republican County Committeeman for the 1st Precinct, 6th Ward, in Lancaster City until 1941. In 1946, Strickler was elected lieutenant governor of Pennsylvania, which he fulfilled from 1947 until 1950 when he resigned to serve in the Korean War.
System of Arrangement
Boxes 1-6 are organized by subject. Scrapbooks are organized by volume
Book 1: Daniel B. Strickler Scrapbook, Military Records, November 1918-February 1933
Book 2: Daniel B. Strickler Scrapbook, [1919-1922]
Book 3: Daniel B. Strickler Scrapbook, October 1923-January 1947
Book 4: Daniel B. Strickler Scrapbook, April 1932-November 1933
Book 5: Daniel B. Strickler Scrapbook, February 1942-September 1975
Book 6: Daniel B. Strickler Scrapbook, March 1945-January 1947
Book 7: Daniel B. Strickler Scrapbook, January 1947-May 1948
Book 8: Daniel B. Strickler Scrapbook, January 1947-October 1950
Book 9: Daniel B. Strickler Scrapbook, January 1958-March 1958
This collection contains genealogy for some of the descendants of Philip Lefever. Family history includes family sheets for several descendants, the family crest and a family tree. Copies of the will and estate inventory of Martin K. Lefever are among the documents. Minutes are preserved from the Adam Lefever Descendants Reunions, 1945-1979. There are also legal papers and information for the Philip Lefever Cemetery and Philip Lefever Burial Ground Association, including the rededication of the cemetery in 2001.
The John Wise and History of Ballooning Collection contains material about John Wise, a pioneering balloonist from Lancaster County, Pennsylvania, and the history of ballooning. Articles written by and about John Wise provide information about the man and his career. The bulk of Series 1 is correspondence, research notes, and drafts of "The John Wise Story," by John H. Andrews. Series 2 contains material about the ballooning hobby, other early aircraft, and the history of air mail.
Admin/Biographical History
As an adventurous and inquisitive young boy, John Wise was drawn to the skies above his native Lancaster County. He was fascinated by aerial pursuits and began to conduct experiments. He tied his cat to his homemade parachute and observed the cat's safe descent from a local church steeple.
A keen interest in ballooning developed and Wise became a famous aeronaut. Although balloon ascensions were common at county fairs and carnivals he had never observed an ascension before he made his first one in Philadelphia in 1835. John Wise completed 462 balloon ascensions including Lancaster ascensions from Penn Square and the prison yard.
In the nineteenth century many ascensions were made just for the novelty of the event, but John Wise's approach was from a scientific perspective. Each ascension gave him a chance to conduct scientific investigations of the atmosphere, pneumatics and hydrostatics.
It also gave him the opportunity to develop a more advanced flying machine. Wise was the first to observe the "great river of air which always blows from west to east" in the higher regions of the atmosphere. Today we call this phenomenon the jet stream. He also developed the ripcord safety mechanism.
John Wise promoted the advantages of balloon transportation. In 1843 he conceived a project for crossing the Atlantic Ocean and asked Congress to appropriate $15,000 for the project. Congress rejected the appropriation. Wise suggested a plan to bomb the Castle at Vera Cruz during the Mexican War and during the Civil War the Bureau of Topographical Engineers requested his services as a balloonist. He is credited with the first airmail transportation in 1859.
Detailed descriptions of his ascensions and experiments are found in his book, Through the Air, published in 1873. The last ascent of John Wise took place on September 29, 1879 from St. Louis, Missouri. This flight ended disastrously in Lake Michigan where his balloon fell and his remains lie.
Prepared by the Lancaster County Historical Society, ca. 1995.
The Fulton Opera House Collection contains programs, tickets, and schedules for public performances and events at the Fulton Opera House in Lancaster, Pennsylvania. The programs list cast members and celebrities, as well as advertising for businesses and sponsoring organizations. The collection also includes a booklet from the theatre's centenary celebration in 1952 and items related to the Landmark Campaign to restore and renovate the theatre in 1995.
World War I Papers of Thomas, James, and Victor Kegel
Description
The World War I Papers of Thomas, James, and Victor Kegel collection contains materials written and collected by three brothers who fought during World War I in the 109th Machine Gun Battalion. The collection contains letters written by the brothers to their families while in the service, and some other letters from their loved ones. There are also newspaper articles, literature on the battalion they fought in, post cards, military paperwork, and photographs.
Admin/Biographical History
Thomas Kegel (1895-1958), James Kegel (1891-1927), Victor Kegel (1898-1923) were three brothers who served together in the 109th Machine Gun Battalion during World War I. Their parents were Charles and Mary Rogers Kegel, and they had eleven children. Their family home was on 59 Locust Street in Lancaster, Pennsylvania. They were all drafted in 1917, and were trained in Camp Hancock in Augusta, Georgia. After their extensive training, they were sent to fight in the trenches in France. On separate occasions, each brother was wounded during the war, but they all survived and came home to Lancaster after the war in 1919.
James L. Kegel was born on August 10, 1891. He was a poultry dresser and dealer and was married to Arabella E. Raymond Kegel (1884-1966) on August 27, 1911. They had three children: Charles, James, and Mary Annabelle. James passed away at the age of 35 on February 9, 1927, due to pneumonia.
Thomas Kegel was born on January 18, 1895. He married Veronica R. "Fannie" Karch Kegel. Together, they had four children: Thomas, Helen, Dorn Anne, and John. He was a watchmaker, in addition to other various occupations. By a doctor's recommendation in 1939, Thomas and his family moved to Miami, Florida, due to his injuries and struggles with PTSD. He passed away on February 18, 1958.
Victor A. Kegel was born on March 29, 1898. He was a poultry dresser after coming back to Lancaster from the war in 1919. He was married to Ellen F. Kegel. He passed away on December 26, 1923, due to inflammation of the brain. He was 25 years old.
The dosuments in folders 24, 33, and 47 are fragile and require staff supervision.
Object ID
MG0798
Related Item Notes
World War I Collection, 1916-1972, MG-45
World War I Papers for Frank Schober, MG-797
Charles E. Schuler Papers, MG-780
William Barlow Papers, MG-781
William Raymond Elbert Papers, MG-784
Military Records for Charles A. Meisenberger, MG-782
Diary Collection, 1836-1978, MG-247
William J. Buch Papers, 1917-1958, MG-658
Notes
Donation was made possible with the assistance of Charles and Mary Brill.
Access Conditions / Restrictions
Restrictions are noted at the item level. The documents in Folders 24, 33, and 47 are fragile and require staff supervision. Please contact research@lancasterhistory.org at least two weeks prior to visit.
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.
Other Numbers
MG-798
Other Number
MG-798
Classification
MG0798
Description Level
Fonds
Custodial History
Processed and finding aid prepared by EM, January/February 2019.
Newspaper articles about James Buchanan: “Lancaster Unveils Statue to Buchanan.” Lancaster New Era. “Buchanan’s Letters Go On Display.” Lancaster Intelligencer Journal. “James Buchanan’s Papers Displayed.” Lancaster New Era. “Buchanan Letters, Notebooks Give Insights to 15th President.” Lancaster New Era. “College Displays Buchanan Letters.” “Ceremonies Mark Birthday of Buchanan.” Lancaster Intelligencer Journal. . “Activities to Commemorate Death of James Buchanan.” Lancaster Intelligencer Journal. “Buchanan Papers Found at Wheatland Junior High.” 12 October 1983. “Rededication of Buchanan’s Restored Tomb on May 22.” “Buchanan Staunch Defender of Unity for United States.” 1 June 1928, 30 September 1975, 25 October 1975, 6 November 1975, 13 November 1975, 25 April 1977, 5 June 1978, 12 October 1983, May 22.
James Buchanan Papers, Penn State University Libraries,
https://libraries.psu.edu/findingaids/1458.htm
Related Item Notes
James Buchanan Collection (MG0096) https://collections.lancasterhistory.org/en/permalink/lhdo3760
James Buchanan Family Papers
Historical Society of Pennsylvania microfilm
Photograph Collection
Curatorial Collection
Wheatland Collection
Wheatland Mansion
Notes
May 2020 PastPerfect Conversion
Access Conditions / Restrictions
Please use digital images and transcriptions when available. Original documents may be used by appointment. Please contact archives@lancasterhistory.org at least two weeks prior to visit.
Copyright
Images have been provided for research purposes only. Please contact archives@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. Some items are photocopies from other collections--researchers must obtain permission for reproduction and publication from the owner of the original material.
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, Pa.
Other Number
MG-0096, Folder 052
Description Level
Item
Custodial History
Digitization of the James Buchanan Collection was funded by the Pennsylvania Historical and Museum Commission, PHMC Appl ID # 201808013051, 2019-2020.
Newspaper articles about James Buchanan (photocopies): “James Buchanan Funeral Described by John Rengier.” 27 February 1958.“Buchanan Now Seen Victim of History.” Lancaster Intelligencer Journal. 23 May 1960. “James Buchanan’s Birthday Honored.” Lancaster Intelligencer Journal. 30 April 1973. “Indiantown Commander Lauds James Buchanan.” Lancaster New Era. 30 April 1973. “Ceremonies Mark Buchanan’s Birth.” Lancaster New Era. 21 April 1975. “Buchanan’s Birth Observed.” Lancaster Intelligencer Journal. 23 April 1975. “Ceremonies Sunday to Mark Buchanan’s Birth.” Lancaster New Era. 22 April 1976. “Buchanan to be Honored.” Lancaster New Era. 19 June 1976. “Philadelphia Author to Lead Tour of Woodward Hill.” Lancaster Intelligencer Journal. 9 June 1978. “110th Anniversary Marked at James Buchanan’s Grave.” Lancaster Intelligencer Journal. 12 June 1978. “Buchanan Defended at Annual Tomb Rites.” 9 August 1984. “Buchanan Remembered at 198th Birthday Rites.” Lancaster New Era. 24 April 1989.
James Buchanan Papers, Penn State University Libraries,
https://libraries.psu.edu/findingaids/1458.htm
Related Item Notes
James Buchanan Collection (MG0096) https://collections.lancasterhistory.org/en/permalink/lhdo3760
James Buchanan Family Papers
Historical Society of Pennsylvania microfilm
Photograph Collection
Curatorial Collection
Wheatland Collection
Wheatland Mansion
Notes
May 2020 PastPerfect Conversion
Access Conditions / Restrictions
Please use digital images and transcriptions when available. Original documents may be used by appointment. Please contact archives@lancasterhistory.org at least two weeks prior to visit.
Copyright
Images have been provided for research purposes only. Please contact archives@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. Some items are photocopies from other collections--researchers must obtain permission for reproduction and publication from the owner of the original material.
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, Pa.
Other Number
MG-0096, Folder 053, Insert 02
Description Level
Item
Custodial History
Digitization of the James Buchanan Collection was funded by the Pennsylvania Historical and Museum Commission, PHMC Appl ID # 201808013051, 2019-2020.
The Auto Racing Collection contains photocopies of photographs of race car drivers, newspaper articles, advertisements, and programs related to auto racing at Lancaster County speedways. The items include a history of auto racing in Lancaster County, information about J. Earl Way, and an article about a benefit for the Williams Grove Old-Timers Association.
Admin/Biographical History
J. Earl Way (1907-1997) of Salunga, Pennsylvania was a barber, dance instructor, and local band leader. He was also involved in auto racing, was a race promoter at Landisville Speedway, and wrote articles about racing for several newspapers. https://www.newspapers.com/clip/43953963/obituary-for-j-earl-way-aged-89/
Preferred Citation: Title or description of item, date (day, month, year), Auto Racing Collection (MG0137), Folder #, 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.
Permission for reproduction and/or publication must be obtained in writing from LancasterHistory.
Credit
Courtesy of LancasterHistory, Lancaster, Pennsylvania.
Other Numbers
MG-137
Classification
MG0137
Description Level
Fonds
Custodial History
Processed and finding aid prepared by AS, 1999. Finding aid typed by KS, March 2013. Added to database 25 September 2021.
This collection contains records of the Wheatland Diner, including correspondence, advertising, menu, recipe cards, blueprints and documents for the sale of the property. Newspaper articles report the plan for and delivery of the diner ,fires, 1956 fatal accident, problems with teenage customers and the sale of the property.