Collection consists of records by Cassius Emlen Urban, a Lancaster architect. He supervised the construction of the Lancaster Post Office at 120 N. Duke St., Lancaster. Many letters from James H. Windrim, supervising architect of the Treasury Department, Washington, D. C. Book of correspondence contains details of the construction. Also includes letters he wrote to his son, Rathfon, dated February 14-29, 1939, while on the Italian liner, Roma.
Admin/Biographical History
C. Emlen Urban
Throughout Downtown Lancaster numerous iconic buildings make up the city's landscape giving it its unique and ornate character. Landmark buildings such as the Greist Building, the Watt and Shand Department Store, Hager Building, Southern Market, along with many more churches, residential units including the facade of the Fulton Opera House were the design of Cassius Emlen Urban. Urban was Lancaster's first architect and one of the most significant influences on the city. 1 Urban modernized the city's landscape as he designed buildings in a new era where technologies never before available to architects made it possible for himself to leave such a grand impression.
Urban was born on February 20, 1863 in Conestoga Township to a Civil War veteran Amos Urban, a distinguished citizen known for his modesty and community service. Urban finished high school in 1880 and would get his architectural training through an apprenticeship with Scanton, PA architect E.L. Walter. Later in 1884 Urban would move to Philadelphia where he served as a draftsman to Willis G. Hale. Upon returning to Lancaster roughly a year later Urban would open his own practice in Lancaster.2
Only a few years after Urban opened his practice through a family connection he would receive a commission to design Lancaster's Southern Market. Urban's career would take off leading him to design many more iconic buildings in Lancaster and Hershey as well. Urban, through his membership at the Hamilton Club made acquaintance with Milton Hershey who hired him to design such buildings as Hershey Chocolates original company offices and even his own mansion.3
Urban spent the majority of his life in Lancaster with the exception of his time studying as a young man. Urban is remembered for his buildings designed in Queen Anne and Beaux style architecture.4 Shenk in his A History of Lancaster County wrote of Urban, "Few men of Lancaster county can point to a finer array of useful and beautiful work than can Cassius Emlen Urban."
Nicole O. Sturla, "Cassius Emlen Urban: Lancaster's First Native Architect," Susquehanna Monthly Magazine, September 1980.
2 History of Lancaster County, ed. E.M.J. Klein (New York: Lewis Historical Publishing Company Inc., 1924), 443.
3 "Urban, C. Emlen; 1863-1939," Hershey Community Archives, accessed September 30, 2014. http://www.hersheyarchives.org/essay/details.aspx?EssayId=34&Rurl=%2Fresources%2Fsearch-results.aspx%3FType%3DBrowseEssay.
4 "Introduction," To Build Strong and Substantial: The Career of Architect C. Emlen Urban, (2009): 2-3.
The S. S. Haldeman Papers are an overview of Haldeman's career. The collection contains biographical information about and published works of Samuel Steman Haldeman on the freshwater univalve mollusca, language, and agriculture. There is also a handwritten biography on Ben Keywood.
Admin/Biographical History
Samuel Steman Haldeman was born in Locust Grove, Lancaster County circa 1812. He was the eldest of seven children of Henry Haldeman and Frances Steman. (Haldeman genealogy chart) Samuel was raised in the family mansion in Bainbridge and developed an interest in science and nature by wading in the Susquehanna River. There he collected shells, eels, Indian relics, minerals and insects. (Barber, 53) He was educated in public schools and attended Dickinson College for two years before withdrawing. Samuel left Dickinson because he found college to be irksome and that he could learn more on his own. After college Samuel educated himself by going to lectures, analyzing specimens, and studying books.
Also after college he moved into the mansion near Chickies Creek, which he designed. In 1835 S. S. Haldeman married Mary Hough of Bainbridge and they had four children. (Haldeman genealogy) Haldeman was not a religious man and was born protestant, but when he was in his thirties he converted to Roman Catholic and was a member of St. Mary's Church in Lancaster City.
During his life, Samuel was the author of scientific works, as well as many works on the study of language. One of his more famous works was A Monograph of the Limniades and other Fresh-Water Univalve Mollusca of United States. Samuel published these volumes during the 1840s. These volumes on mollusca were viewed as authoritative by most of the scientific world including Charles Darwin. (Sunday News, Lancaster, Pa.) Haldeman was considered an expert of many of the subjects he wrote about because of his attention to detail. He worked 16-hour days going over different specimens and spent time practicing the correct way to pronounce words and letters in different languages. (Croll)
Haldeman was the author of over 150 articles on natural science, zoology, ethnology, language, natural history, and archaeology. His publications include several newspaper articles for Lancaster County newspapers, the Marietta Times and the Intelligencer Journal. Additionally, he was the editor of the Pennsylvania Farm Journal for three years. Haldeman's articles were also published in Silliman's Journal, better known as The American Journal of Science, and Popular Science Monthly. (Croll)
However, Haldeman's career was not limited to publishing. His interest in the sciences led to careers in teaching and geology. In 1836 he began working for the State Geological Survey in New Jersey as an assistant and later held the same position in Pennsylvania. He received his first professorship to teach zoology at the Franklin Institute of Philadelphia in 1841. Haldeman was elected professor of natural history at the University of Pennsylvania in 1851, and then in 1855 he became a professor of natural history at the University of Delaware. He returned to the University of Pennsylvania as a professor in 1876 and retained that position until his death in 1888. (Barber)
Haldeman did not limit his career solely to science. He managed the First National Bank of Marietta. He was also a partner with his brothers in the iron business that his father had built. The original name of the furnace was Chiqusalungo. It operated under the name E. Haldeman and Co. The brothers later built another blast furnace, and called the two furnaces Chickies 1 and Chickies 2. These furnaces were located along the Susquehanna south of Marietta. Haldeman perfected the practice of smelting iron with anthracite coal. Some of his articles on the use of anthracite coal in blast furnaces were published in Silliman's Journal during the 1840s. (Gramm)
Samuel Steman Haldeman brought the forefront of science to Lancaster County. He worked on issues relevant to his home and community. He was never involved in any business that did not affect his home or family and worked hard to the end of his life. He returned home, tired and exhausted, from a convention in Boston in 1888. Samuel Steman Haldeman died six days later of a heart attack at age 68. "Thus peacefully ended a useful life, full of years and honors." (Barber)
Works Cited:
Barber, Edwin A. "The Late Professor S.S. Haldeman" The Museum; 1885. MG-344 S. S. Haldeman Papers, Lancaster County Historical Society.
Croll, P. C. "Famous Pennsylvania Germans; Professor Samuel S. Haldeman, LL.D." The Pennsylvania German, v.6 1905.
Gramm, Bertha Sue, The Ironmasters of Marietta and vicinity during the period 1848-1878, Lancaster County Historical Society: Lancaster, Pa. 1948.
Haldeman genealogy chart prepared by Horace L. Haldeman, 1893. Haldeman Family file, Lancaster County Historical Society.
Haldeman Mansion Preservation Society https://haldeman-mansion.org/
Related Item Notes
Haldeman Family Papers and Business Records (MG0736)
Curatorial Collection
Notes
Preferred Citation: Title or description of item, date (day, month, year), S. S. Haldeman Papers (MG0344), Folder #, LancasterHistory, Lancaster, Pennsylvania.
See the attached finding aid for a list of S. S. Haldeman's publications.
Access Conditions / Restrictions
Please use photocopies of newspaper articles.
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-344
Classification
MG0344
Description Level
Fonds
Custodial History
Cataloged and finding aid prepared by AV, Fall semester 2006. Added to database 22 August 2017.
This collection of Steinman Family Business Records contains ledger and account books for George M. Steinman, J. P. Hale, Hale Lumber Company and the Steinman Hardware Store. There are also stock certificate and ledger books from Lancaster Broadcasting Service, Inc. and Kirk Johnson and Company.
Preferred Citation: Title or description of item, date (day, month, year), Steinman Family Business Records (MG0563), Folder/Book #, LancasterHistory, Lancaster, Pennsylvania.
Access Conditions / Restrictions
Restricted access for Books 19-23. 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-563
Classification
MG0563
Description Level
Fonds
Custodial History
Cataloged by HST, 4 February 2010. Added to database 31 August 2017.
Records of an organization founded by business and church leaders to overthrow commercialized vice in Lancaster by sending agents into the community to check for prostitution, obscenity, drinking, and gambling. Collection includes by-laws, minutes, annual reports, treasurers' reports, agents' expenses, reports on findings, correspondence, newspaper clippings, 25 books of agents' on-duty reports, and investigative reports. The Rev. Clifford G. Twombly was identified with this movement, as was the late William H. Hager, department store merchant.
Collection consists of personal, legal, and business-related letters and documents concerning the life and affairs of J. Houston Mifflin. Also, similar documents to, from, and about other members of the extended Houston and Mifflin families. Contains typed copies of two letters from J. Houston Mifflin to his son, Lloyd Mifflin, containing an eye-witness account of the June 1863 Confederate advance into Wrightsville. Also, a legal document signed by John Passmore.
This collection contains a history of the tobacco industry in Lancaster County during the first half of the twentieth century, as compiled by Milton H. Ranck, based on his experience and that of his father, Jacob L. Ranck.
In September 1854, a devastating cholera epidemic struck Columbia. This collection contains correspondence with and records of actions taken by Sanitary Committee, including minutes, accounts, donations, and bills.
The Mechanics' Society Collection contains the constitution and by-laws for the organization, a minute book, lists of the society's library books, and a library subscription book.
Admin/Biographical History
The Mechanics' Society of the City and County of Lancaster was formed "for the purpose of promoting the improvement of the Mechanic Arts, elevating the character of those concerned in them to their just standard, and advancing their general interest and welfare."
Preferred Citation: Title or description of item, date (day, month, year), Mechanics' Society Collection (MG0285), 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.
The McCaa Collection contains the papers of and collected by the family of James McCaa in northeastern Lancaster County. Among the items are account and ledger books, a physician's visiting book, legal papers, deeds, certificates for commissions, receipts, letters, and estate papers.
This collection contains materials of Johnny Hauck, a boxing historian and brother of Leo Houck (1888-1950), a championship boxer. Consists of personal papers, newspaper clippings, correspondence, drawings, and material on boxing matches and associations.
