The Willie Siple Collection includes photographs, postcards, correspondence, and newspaper clippings about Siple and related to his business and boxing career.
Admin/Biographical History
Wilbur "Willie" Siple (1904-1966) was the operator of Siple's News Stand for many years. He was originally a professional boxer when he was younger, and he had a successful, but short, boxing career. During those six years, Willie fought in 131 exhibitions with 71 wins, 9 losses, 22 draws and 29 KO's. Willie was what was called a "flyweight," weighing only 102 pounds in his heyday. However, Willie's boxing career was cut short after a 1925 automobile accident. Although many people speculated that Willie's loss of his eyesight was because of his boxing career, Willie explained the accident to a local newspaper. According to a sports news article that can be found in the Willie Siple Collection here at LancasterHistory.org, Willie was attempting to fix a car when a car tire exploded in his face, damaging his eyesight beyond repair and blinding him.
However, despite this tragedy, Willie didn't let the accident and blindness take over his life. On September 28, 1935, during the Depression, Willie made a brave move and opened his news stand in the Lancaster City Post Office, and named it Siple's News Stand. Due to an act of Congress, the Rudolph-Sheppard Act of 1935, Willie became "one of the first blind operators to set up shop in Federal Buildings," according to an article in the Willie Siple collection. Willie's news stand featured free news and weather reports, and sold newspapers, magazines, and candy. Rare coins and stamps, a personal passion of Willie's, were also available for purchase. Willie would travel far and wide in order to acquire rare stamps to be sold to stamp collectors. Willie would travel to places like Washington, D.C. Princeton, New Jersey, and Philadelphia in order to buy what were then called "first day issues" of stamps. One newspaper article even calls him a "philatelist," or a stamp expert, much to Willie's surprise. Siple was also extremely passionate about coin collecting, and could identify and appraise coins without needing to see them. Willie also loved to travel, and had even traveled to Canada and all around Pennsylvania with the help of friends.
Willie then became a well-known public figure. He was known for his friendly, talkative personality, and his eye-catching and "loud" shirts. WDAC-FM radio, then a Christian radio station, featured an editorial on Willie, which was subtitled "the personification of good humor." In this editorial, Willie is said to have had a "flamboyant and winning personality," as well as a "belief in man's basic honesty." Despite the fact that Willie was often taken advantage of because of his blindness, and that he "was the victim of an average of $40 worth annually in pilfered stock or dishonest dealings," Willie held on to the belief in the goodness of mankind all his life. This is not to say that Willie was completely dependent on the honesty of his customers. He was able to read dollar bills with his hands, and could tell the difference between each, much to the wonder of skeptical customers, and probably to the dismay of the rare customer who would try and take advantage of him.
Willie became a well-loved figure in the community, and anyone looking through his collection will be able to see just that. Siple was a philanthropist who supported the Tuberculosis Society with the proceeds from sales of Christmas seals (or stamps) for their charity. Willie would also dress up like Santa Claus every year, and would visit infantile paralysis victims. There are also multiple thank-you notes from school classes and the local boys club for his generous gifts of candy.
Many of Willie's friends also willingly helped him with his business, helping him with bookkeeping, driving him to and from work, taking him to lunch, helping take over the stand during lunch, and much more. He called these people his "assistants," and most of them were local business men and women who would take time out of their days to help. These people were unpaid friends, just willing to give Willie a hand. Their kindness, as well as Willie's generosity, show the kinship and kindness in the community that surrounded him in Lancaster city.
This material was part of the Johnny Hauck Collection, MG-63. Because of the specific nature of the material, it was extracted to create a separate manuscript group.
Photographs transferred to the Photograph Collection, 3 November 2017.
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-6
Classification
MG0006
Description Level
Fonds
Custodial History
This material was part of the Johnny Hauck Collection, MG-63. Because of the specific nature of the material, it was extracted to create a separate manuscript group.
Cataloged prior to July 1997; added to database 8 February 2018.
Collection contains material pertaining to pageants, festivals, and celebrations in Lancaster County. The majority of the collection pertains to the "Pageant of Liberty," celebrating the 150th anniversary of the Declaration of Independence (1776-1926), and the "Pageant of Gratitude," commemorating the 200th anniversary of the formation of Lancaster County (1729-1929). Included are scripts, minutes, programs, invitations, correspondence, financial records, tickets, photographs, blueprints, and sheet music.
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 Hubley Collection contains legal documents, case papers, family and military papers, wills, deeds, bills and receipts, indentures for servants and enslaved persons, correspondence, petitions, and church-related information.
Admin/Biographical History
John Hubley and Joseph Hubley were Lancaster attorneys.
System of Arrangement
The legal papers are arranged chronologically. Case papers are arranged
alphabetically by surname of the plaintiff or defendant. Family papers are grouped by the family member's name and chronologically within that name. Box 6 is arranged chronologically.
Collection consists of records of the Grand Army of the Republic and allied organizations. Most papers are from G.A.R. Post 478 (Mount Joy) and Post 84 (Lancaster). Included are minute books, burial records, membership applications, correspondence, national and state G.A.R. orders, encampment information, and Post correspondence. Many records are in book form.
Soldiers and sailors honorably discharged from the Army, Navy or Marine Corps of the U.S. who fought in the cause of the Union from Apr. 12, 1861 to Apr. 9, 1865 were eligible to become members of the Grand Army of the Republic. Allied Orders include: Ladies of the Grand Army of the Republic, Woman's Relief Corps, Sons of Veterans U.S.A. (later Sons of Union Veterans of the Civil War) and their Auxiliary, as well as the Daughters of Veterans (later Daughters of Union Veterans of the Civil War).
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 consists largely of information on the descendants of Edward Hand and on the Hand Family Reunion. Contains correspondence, genealogical materials, family charts, photographs, and commemorative booklet 1912, on Lancaster County in the Revolutionary War. Also, three documents concerning the settling of the Hand estate.
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.
George Steinman Papers, Series 2 Documents, Images, Ephemera
Description
The George Steinman Papers, Series 2 is a collection of original correspondence, documents, photographs, and ephemera primarily compiled by George Steinman. The contents of Series 2 represent Lancaster city and county events, prominent citizens, buildings, monuments, churches, cemeteries, schools, and businesses. Most of what Steinman collected relates to 18th and 19th century Pennsylvania, highlighting Lancaster and Philadelphia. One of the key events highlighted is the Revolutionary war; with documents and images related to Philadelphia, George Washington, the Atlee family, and General Edward Hand. There are images relating to the Christiana Riot and to various buildings in early Lancaster; including but not limited to the Old Jail, the British Prison, and Postlethwaite's Tavern. Also included in the collection is currency printed by Benjamin Franklin in Philadelphia in 1764, and Confederate States currency and bonds.
4 boxes, 112 folders, 1029 items, 3125 pages to scan, 2 cubic ft.
Object Name
Archive
Language
English
Object ID
MG0184_S02
Location of Originals
LancasterHistory, Lancaster, Pennsylvania
Copies
LancasterHistory, Lancaster, Pennsylvania
Related Item Notes
George Steinman Papers, Series 1 (MG0184_S01) https://collections.lancasterhistory.org/en/permalink/786b3ffc-7908-40de-9362-817467455650
Please see the Photograph Collection for photographs referenced in this finding aid.
Notes
Preferred Citation: Title or description of item, date (day, month, year), George Steinman Papers (MG0184), Series 2, Folder #, LancasterHistory, Lancaster, Pennsylvania.
Access Conditions / Restrictions
Restricted access. Patrons wishing to view the Steinman Album or the contents of the boxes must make an appointment with the Archives Staff 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-184, Series 2
Classification
MG0184
Description Level
Fonds
Custodial History
Finding aid for Boxes 1-4 prepared by JE, 2018. Many of the documents, photographs, and ephemera from this collection were separated and placed in other collections in the mid to late twentieth century. In 2018, an intern was able to find most of those items and returned them to the folders within this collection.
Added to database 26 March 2022.
Digitization of this document was funded by the Pennsylvania Historical and Museum Commission, PHMC Appl ID # C980002119, 2021-2024.
Letter to Daniel Givens in Bird-in-Hand from Stephen Smith
Description
Letter to Daniel Givens in Bird-in-Hand from Stephen Smith in Columbia regarding the status and location of three enslaved persons who were reportedly captured south of Lancaster.
Black History Collection (MG0240) https://collections.lancasterhistory.org/en/permalink/2b3d42c6-a313-4ebc-966f-516114048136
Notes
Preferred Citation: Title or description of item, date (day, month, year), Black History Collection (MG0240), Series 2, Object ID, LancasterHistory, Lancaster, Pennsylvania. URL. Date accessed (day, month, year).
LancasterHistory is committed to preserving and providing access to materials chronicling Lancaster County's heritage. As a historical resource, this document reflects the racial prejudices and actions of the era. In order to maintain the historical integrity and context of collection items, LancasterHistory does not censor historical documents or edit language, titles, or organization names when transcribing original content.
Access Conditions / Restrictions
Please use digital images and transcriptions when available. Original documents may be used by appointment--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-240, Series 2
Other Number
MG-240, Series 2, Folder 13, Insert 2
Classification
MG0240
Description Level
Item
Custodial History
Transferred from Document Collection, 15 March 2012. Added to database on 28 March 2022.
Digitization of this document was funded by the Pennsylvania Historical and Museum Commission, PHMC Appl ID # 202010016624, 2020-2023.