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.
Collection of Ellmaker family papers, including original papers of the first immigrant, John Leonard Ellmaker of Germany. Papers include correspondence, genealogy charts, deeds and legal papers. newspaper clippings, photographs, articles on Jacob Eichholtz, and a diploma and teachers' certificate. There is also a blank book with paper made at Ephrata Cloister in 1796.
Preferred Citation: Title or description of item, date (day, month, year), Collection Title (MG#), Box #, Folder #, (or Object ID), LancasterHistory, Lancaster, Pennsylvania. URL if applicable. Date accessed (day, month, year).
Access Conditions / Restrictions
No restrictions. Please request at 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.
Classification
MG0071
Description Level
Fonds
Custodial History
Cataloged prior to 1997. Added to database 23 October 2018.
Collection contains the original and typed copies of correspondence describing life in the gold fields of California in the 1850s, an account of crossing the desert on the way west, and a journal describing the sea voyage home. Also, two newspaper images relevant to the gold rush and Mr. Hackman's obituary. He sent many letters home to his family in which he related the details of his experience, hardships of finding gold, the high prices and lack of provisions, observations of life in mining towns, his health, and asked for news from home. He also wrote letters to his sweetheart, Harriet B. Miller asking her to write him back, and his uncle, regarding family financial information.
Admin/Biographical History
David Baer Hackman (1827-1896) was the second child of David Heistand Hackman and Susanna Frantz Baer. He was a third cousin, once removed, of Milton Hershey. David left Lancaster in the fall of 1849 with the hope of finding gold in California. In the spring of 1850, he went to Ohio and joined others headed west. They boarded a steamboat in Cincinnati that was bound for St. Louis and then travelled by wagon train to Sacramento City, where they arrived in September 1850. David found enough gold to buy food and supplies, and then had modest success in 1853. In 1854, he decided to return home, this time travelling by steamer and train from San Francisco to New York via Panama.
The adventure of travelling westward and his life in the gold fields of California are described in detail in David's journal and correspondence. He sent many letters home to his family in which he related the details of his experience, hardships, the prices and lack of provisions, observations of life in mining towns, and asked for news from home.
David also wrote to his sweetheart, Harriet B. Miller (1829-1870), the daughter of Adam and Rebecca Miller of Manheim. Although he did not receive any letters from her, they reunited upon his return to Lancaster in 1854 and married soon after. They had one son named Augustus, who became a minister. Harriet passed away in 1870. David later married Ella C. (1851-1907) and they had five children, Frank, Mabel, Harry, Walter, and Edith.
David's obituary shows that he was involved in the grocery, clothing, hat, and shoemaking businesses. In the 1860 Census he is listed as a hatter, and in 1880 as a saloon keeper. He was well-liked and respected in the community. David and Harriet are buried in Manheim Fairview Cemetery.
Scrapbook appears to be the work of Thomas' son, Blanton Welsh. The volume was origianlly a record book for the Commonwealth Insurance Company, for which Thomas Welsh was an agent in Columbia. The scrapbook contains newspaper articles from the Columbia Spy, beginning with articles on the cholera epidemic of 1854, Welsh's cases as Justice of the Peace, and published war correspondence by Thomas Welsh under the names "Thirsty Squad" and "45". Blanton continued the scrapbook with newspaper articles about his father and sisters, and a lawsuit against him in 1930; his mother's obituary; his wedding announcement; his visiting cards; a letter from Lillie to Blanton; and letters to Thomas Welsh. The letters to Thomas Welsh are scanned and transcibed as MG0828_SeriesD-61_F03, MG0828_SeriesD-61_F04, MG0828_SeriesD-61_F05, MG0828_SeriesD-61_F07, MG0828_SeriesD-61_F08, MG0828_SeriesD-61_F09, MG0828_SeriesD-61_F10, MG0828_SeriesD-61_F11, MG0828_SeriesD-61_F12, MG0828_SeriesD-61_F13, MG0828_SeriesD-63_F10, MG0828_SeriesD-63_F14, and MG0828_SeriesE_F04.
Admin/Biographical History
Thomas Welsh (1824-1863) was a Lancaster County native (born and raised in Columbia), who rose from hardscrabble origins to local fame, first as a Mexican War hero, and then as a brigadier general during the Civil War. He was well known and well respected as a no nonsense officer, for his leadership and gallantry in battle, for his dedication to the service of his country, and for his concern for the welfare of his men. See MG0828 for more biographical information.
Provenance: Passed down through the family, Blanton Charles Welsh to Emilie Benson (Welsh) Wiggin to Nancy Jane (Wiggin) Townsend. Acquired from: Chuck Townsend, Knoxville, Tennessee, 2016/05/15.
Access Conditions / Restrictions
Please use digital images and transcriptions when available. Original documents may be used by appointment. Please contact research@lancasterhistory.org at least two weeks 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. 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, Pennsylvania.
George and Rhonda Andreadis Collection of Lancaster City Records, Series 4 Railroads
Description
The documents in MG0545, Series 4 represent the business of the City of Lancaster related to the Columbia and Philadelphia Railroad and the Pennsylvania Railroad, including correspondence, invoices and a petition.
George and Rhonda Andreadis Collection of Lancaster City Records, MG0545
Access Conditions / Restrictions
No restrictions. Original documents may be used. 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.
Permission for reproduction and/or publication must be obtained in writing from LancasterHistory.
Credit
Courtesy of LancasterHistory, Lancaster, Pennsylvania.
Other Numbers
MG-545, Series 4
Other Number
MG-545, Series 4
Classification
MG0545
Description Level
Series
Custodial History
Note: These documents are mostly administrative records, not permanent records, and were likely purged by the city offices when they were no longer needed. We are fortunate that they survived as they contain details about Lancaster's past.
Collection was organized and rehoused by JP, Summer 2011.
The Haldeman Family Papers and Business Records collection contains correspondence between various members of the Haldeman family-the majority of which were sent or received by Samuel Haldeman or his daughter Eliza. The first sets of letters are between Samuel's parents and other family and acquaintances, then progress to Samuel and his family. The content includes Paris Haldeman's life during the California gold rush; Eliza's studies in Philadelphia and France; the Civil War; Carsten Haldeman's severe throat illness; and Samuel's travels throughout Europe. The letters span from 1814 to 1883. Mentioned in many of the letters to and from Eliza is her friend Mary Cassatt, an American Impressionist artist. As for the letters sent by Samuel, their content tends to be extremely detailed, sending home as good a description of his travels as he could with locations ranging from Philadelphia to Pompeii. Also included in the collection are several newspaper clippings concerning the Haldeman mansion and Chickies Rock as well as a ledger from the E. Haldeman and Co. furnaces at Chickies.
Admin/Biographical History
Samuel Steman Haldeman (1812-1880) born at the mansion in Bainbridge on August 12, 1812, was the oldest of seven children of Henry Haldeman (1787-1849) and his wife Frances Steman (1794-1826). His father, who appreciated culture, endeavored to foster a love of learning in his children. His mother, an accomplished musician, died when Samuel was fourteen years of age.
Samuel was educated in the public schools, at the classical academy in Harrisburg and at Dickinson College, Carlisle, PA. He found college routine irksome and left after two years at the age of eighteen saying, "I cannot learn from others, I must see for myself." Thereafter he educated himself by attending lectures, recording observations of bird habits, learning to stuff birds and mammals from a traveling Methodist minister, resulting in a large collection of specimens in natural history and also a scientific and linguistic library.
As a child Haldeman had a penchant for collecting specimens from nature and Native American stone implements found on and near the mansion site, keeping them in his own museum. His collection included skeletons of rabbits, opossums, muskrats, and field mice, which he prepared by boiling the carcasses. It also included fresh-water shells from both banks of the Susquehanna River and its islands. A letter from Samuel to a friend, dated 1844, says, "I collected shells on the banks of the Susquehanna long before I knew the meaning of genus and species." We'll see later what an influence these early shell-collecting days on the Susquehanna River had on Haldeman's scientific scholarship.
After his marriage in 1835 to Mary A. Hough of Bainbridge, he moved to a new residence at the base of Chickies Rock, Marietta. Not only did he design the stately home built by his father, he laid out the grounds with native specimens of trees and shrubs gathered from the surrounding woods, and some foreign varieties, all of which were planted with his own hands.
Not having a particular fondness for business, he continued his studies of nature, but did assist his father in a saw mill and later became a silent partner in the iron business with his brothers. He wrote articles on anthracite furnaces for Silliman's Journal, and contributed sound and practical suggestions for improvements to both the mill business and construction of the blast furnace.
At the age of twenty-three, Samuel contributed to the Lancaster Journal an article refuting Locke's "Moon Hoax". From then on, his life was devoted to science. For forty-five years he spent most of the time in his library, many times working sixteen hours a day. In 1836, Professor Haldeman became an assistant on the State geological survey of New Jersey, and was later transferred to a similar position in Pennsylvania. During extensive geological work, he discovered a new genus and species of fossil plant. Geology did not engross his whole attention, as he was now busy collecting and studying shells, and made substantial contributions in this field through an expertly illustrated massive work of copperplate engravings, drawn and colored from the original shells and living animals. This was finished in 1845.
One professional association of Samuel Haldeman during this period of 1840 to 1850 is particularly significant for his scientific development as well as for the development of American science. In 1844 he became a member of the American Association for the Advancement of Science, a fledgling organization just beginning to function. At the request of this organization, he prepared a paper entitled "Enumeration of the Recent Freshwater Mollusk Which are Common to North America and Europe, with Observations on Species and their Distribution." Fifteen years later, an obscure British scientist had the following to say about this paper, "In 1843-44 professor Haldeman (Boston Journal of Natural History, United States, Vol. IV, pg. 468) has ably given the arguments for and against the hypothesis of the development and modification of species: he seems to lean towards the side of change." This scientist was Charles Darwin and he was writing in the preface to his Origin of Species, one of the most influential and controversial science books ever published. Samuel was said to have been the only American Naturalist with whom Charles Darwin corresponded, and whose opinion Darwin regarded as authoritative."
Samuel continued to write important and prize-winning essays and articles in philology, phonography, ethnology, natural history, and archaeology. His writings in all fields of science are literally innumberable, with well over one hundred articles on such scientific subjects as conchology and crustacea (the study of mollusks and shells), entomology (the study of insects), arachnidae (the study of spiders), annelids (the study of earthworms, leeches and related animals ), geology, chemistry and archeology.
He became professor of zoology at Franklin Institute of Philadelphia in 1841; chemist and geologist of the Pennsylvania Agricultural Society in 1852; professor of natural history at the University of Pennsylvania from 1850-1853; and the same position at Delaware College at Newark, Delaware from 1855-1858; and professor of comparative philology at the University of Pennsylvania from 1876 until the time of his death. This university conferred upon him the degree of Doctor of Laws. Professor Haldeman was among the first to undertake the spelling reform of English words. He corresponded with Noah Webster, who credited him with many words and definitions in his dictionary, also contributing to Worchester's Dictionary, the National Dictionary, and Johnson's Cyclopedia. He studied the languages of our Indian tribes, and of various nations and tribes of other parts of the world. He considered his most outstanding accomplishments to have been his investigations in philology (the study of the evolution of speech sounds).
Dr. Haldeman was elected to twenty-eight honorary scientific societies, both in this country and abroad. With others, he formed the Entomological Society of Pennsylvania and was president of the American Philological Association. Letters of inquiry from all parts of the world came across his desk; publishers asking opinions of books; writers begging information; teachers with a pronunciation to be settled; naturalists forwarding packages of shells, insects, or minerals for identification; farmers and others sending clays to be analyzed; requests for lectures; requests for data from scientific newspaper articles; request for reviews from editors, and so on.
Samuel Steman Haldeman died on September 10, 1880 at the age of sixty-eight, at his study table, of heart paralysis. He left a wife, two sons, and two daughters. He is buried beside his wife in the Haldeman family plot in the Marietta Cemetery. At a meeting of scientists following his death, this remark was made of him, "He was no ordinary man whom you might compliment with a passing respectful obituary notice - in science and letters he was a great man." - HMPS Records www.haldeman-mansion.org/samuelstemanhaldeman.htm
The biographical information was provided by the Haldeman Mansion Preservation Society. www.haldeman-mansion.org
Haldeman Mansion Preservation Society https://www.haldeman-mansion.org/
Related Item Notes
Curatorial Collection
S. S. Haldeman Papers, MG0344
Notes
The following notes, including a partial Haldeman Family tree, document only those who authored and/or received the letters:
Henry Haldeman (18 Dec 1787 - 21 Mar 1849)
m. (1) Francis Steman (1 Mar 1794 - 15 Feb 1826) on 1811
Children: Samuel Steman Haldeman; Horace Haldeman
m. (2) Margaret Armstrong (15 Aug 1804 - 17 May 1867) on 1830
Children: Paris Haldeman
Samuel Steman Haldeman (12 Aug 1812 - 10 Sep 1880)
m. Mary Ann Hough (12 Dec 1812 - 6 Jul 1883) on 1835
Children: Carsten N. Haldeman (13 Oct 1837 - 14 Apr 1892); Eliza (Itty) Jacobean Haldeman (5 Nov 1843 - 10-Dec 1910); Frances H. Haldeman (9 May 1840 - 20 Oct 1904); Victor M. Haldeman (29 Jul 1854 - 12 Aug 1924)
Horace Haldeman (14 Aug 1820 - 10 Sep 1883)
m. Annie Breneman Haines (1823 - 16 Jan 1892)
Paris Haldeman (30 Jan 1831 - 13 Aug 1893)
Preston Elder Haldeman was Eliza Haldeman's cousin
Mira/Myra H. Black (1847-1895) and her brother Harry (Pep) Crawford Black (14 Mar 1846 - 22 Mar 1921) were second cousins to Eliza Haldeman.
Loyos Philip Haldeman Figyelmessy (2 Sep 1877 - 8 Apr 1889) was Eliza Haldeman's son. Eliza was married to Col. Philip Figyelmessy (1822-1907).
Mary S. Cassatt (May 22, 1844 - June 14, 1926) was an American painter and printmaker. She lived much of her adult life in France, where she first befriended Edgar Degas and later exhibited among the Impressionists. Cassatt often created images of the social and private lives of women, with particular emphasis on the intimate bonds between mothers and children. She was a close friend of Eliza Haldeman.
J. Solis-Cohen had a private medical practice in Philadelphia, where he concentrated on diseases of the throat and chest. www.collegeofphysicians.org
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.
Accession Number
2014.MG0736
Other Numbers
MG-736
Classification
MG0736
Description Level
Fonds
Custodial History
The letters and record book in this collection were kept by Eliza Haldeman and later sold by her son, S. Haldeman Figyelmessy, to his cousin and the donor's father, Guy K. Haldeman.
Processed and finding aid prepared by RR and SM in Summer and Fall 2015; and SW in Spring 2016. Added to database 23 May 2021.
This collection contains the papers of Robert C. Price. Examples of school assignments and teaching-related ephemera include geometry, poetry, and a preamble to a teachers' society constitution. He was involved with several arbitrations with the Court of Common Pleas of Lancaster County. The personal and business correspondence contains political and religious references.
Admin/Biographical History
Robert C. Price taught at Millersville Normal School.
The Brinton Family Collection contains genealogy, estate records, receipts, school workbooks, correspondence, farm records, tax records, bank records, wedding and funeral announcements, invitations, visiting cards, and postcards.
Admin/Biographical History
The Brintons were a prosperous family, owned farms and mills, and participated in other business ventures. They were of English heritage and members of the Quakers, or Society of Friends. In order to escape religious persecution in England, William Brinton purchased 200 acres in Birmingham Twp., Pennsylvania in 1684. His descendants eventually moved further west to eastern Lancaster County.1
Cyrus Brinton (1830-1917), the fourth of six children, was the son of Samuel and Lydia P. Jackson Brinton. In 1813, Samuel purchased 200 acres of land in Christiana (land that was later bounded by the Christiana Machine Shop on the south, Pine St. on the west, Sadsbury Ave. on the north, and Rte. 41 on the east). The land was not ideal for farming, but the property was picturesque and the farm was successful. Cyrus married Rebecca Whitson and they farmed on his father's property for about ten years. At that time they purchased a farm and mill on the road from Cooperville to the Noble Road. The original woolen mill was later turned into a grist mill, then a creamery. Cyrus and Rebecca had five children: Francis, Thomas Luther, William Haslam, Anne Haslam, and Martha Alice.2
Genealogy:3
Thomas Whitson m. Martha Hobson
b. 7 February 1796 b. 10 November 1800
d. 27 November 1864 d. 18 June 1889
(Sadsbury, Chester County) (Sadsbury)
They were married at New Salem Meeting, 17 May 1827. Rebecca was one of their eight children.
Cyrus Brinton m. Rebecca Whitson
b. 28 December 1830 b. 3 February 1832
d. 9 February 1917 d. 29 October 1903
(Sadsbury, Lancaster County) (Lancaster County)
They were married at Christiana, PA, 12 February 1857.
Thomas Whitson m. Hannah Starr
b. 27 September 1760 b. 3 February 1765
d. 1 June 1826 d. 20 April 1836
(Sadsbury)
The parents of Thomas Whitson, they were married 31 October 1787.
Francis Hobson m. Ann Johnson
b. 14 February 1768 b. 15 December 1775
d. 1835 (Lancaster County)
farmer and shoemaker d. 1852
(New Garden) (New Garden)
The parents of Martha Hobson, they were married 14 September 1797.
1 Garrett, Mary. 1979. "Brintons of Sadsbury Township, Lancaster County: Where they originated, what they accomplished, and where they have gone." Octorara Area Historical Society 1:13.
2 Ibid.
3 Whitson Family Chart, August 1951. The Albert Cook Myers Collection. Chester County Historical Society (Pa.)
The Chester County History Center (Pa.) also has information on the Brinton and Whitson families.
Notes
Preferred Citation: Title or description of item, date (day, month, year), Brinton Family Collection (MG0038), Folder #, LancasterHistory, Lancaster, Pennsylvania.
Folder 40 was a gift of Betsey Collins, 5 March 1993.
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-38
Classification
MG0038
Description Level
Fonds
Custodial History
Cataloged prior to 1997. Box 1 was recataloged by JB, Fall semester 2006. Added to database 16 June 2021.
This collection contains letters, family papers, deeds, diaries, and mill records from three generations of the Gibbons family. The collection starts with documents focused on James Gibbons, then contains papers central to Daniel Gibbons, and finally end with the third generation papers surrounding Joseph Gibbons. The letters in this collection span from 1783 until 1865. The contents within the letters describe the daily happenings within the family and on their property which was located in Lampeter Township, Lancaster County. The family deeds in the collection detail the exchanging of property to and from the Gibbons family mostly within Lampeter Township and Upper Leacock Township, Lancaster County. The deeds span from 1727 to 1879. Also included are some miscellaneous family papers that span from 1799 to 1871. The content of these family papers ranges from anonymous stories about the Gibbons family, an independent order of Good Templars of Joseph Gibbons, to a land draft of James Gibbons' Land. This collection also contains diaries from various members of the Gibbons family, spanning the three generations. These diaries detail the day to day lives of the Gibbons family and also include historical anniversaries of important events or detail the passing of members within the Gibbons family and the surrounding community. The Mill Records in the collection contain information about [ ]. Overall, the Gibbons Family collection includes the regular happenings over the family's three generations in both business and secular life.
The Groff Family Papers contain patents issued to Frederick F. Groff, deeds and related documents for the property of Fred F. Groff, Inc. Funeral Home, and a booklet about the history of cremation in Lancaster. Patents include drawings, petition and specifications, and signatures of Mr. Groff, his attorneys, and witnesses. The property records show the purchase of lots at 234, 236, 238, and 240 West Orange Street, Lancaster.
