James Buchanan Family Papers, Part 2 Papers of Harriet Lane Johnston, Series 1 Correspondence
Description
James Buchanan Family Papers, Part 2 Papers of Harriet Lane Johnston, Series 1 contains the correspondence of Harriet Lane Johnston.
Subseries 1 contains letters written by Harriet to James Buchanan, Lily Macalester and Charles Macalester, Lois Buchanan, Hiram B. Swarr, Mary Speer, and others from 1848-1902.
Subseries 2 contains letters written to Harriet from Captain W. R. Palmer, Alfred Pleasanton, Laura Pleasanton, Isaac E. Hiester and others from 1854 to 1897, including several describing Washington, D.C. in 1861.
Admin/Biographical History
Born on May 9, 1830, Harriet Lane was the youngest surviving child of Elliot Toll Lane and Jane Buchanan Lane. When both of her parents died of consumption, now known as tuberculosis, Harriet went on to be her Uncle James Buchanan's ward in 1841. A well-educated lady, Harriet attended several boarding schools before graduating from the Georgetown Academy of Visitation Convent at the age of 18. When James Buchanan served as the U.S. Minister to Great Britain, Harriet Lane joined him for a time and served as a hostess. During her time in England, which she noted as "the realization of a beautiful dream," she befriended none other than Queen Victoria. When her Uncle assumed the presidency, Harriet Lane assumed her role as hostess. She is considered the first First Lady, as the title had initially been given to the president's hostess during Harriet's time in Washington.
After Buchanan's presidency, Harriet Lane married Henry Elliot Johnston, a banker from Baltimore, on January 11, 1866. She was 35 years old. The couple went on to have two sons, both of whom would pass away from rheumatic fever in their early teenage years. Two years after losing her youngest son, Harriet lost her husband to pneumonia. By 1884, Harriet was a childless widow. She would go on to leave a legacy for generations to come, including establishing a children's hospital in Baltimore called The Harriet Lane Home for Invalid Children (today the Harriet Lane Clinic at the John's Hopkins Children's Hospital), preserving her Uncle's letters and manuscripts, bestowing her art collection to the Corcoran Gallery and the Smithsonian American Art Museum in Washington, D.C., and constructing the St. Alban's School, a school for choir boys. She died on July 3, 1903. [ https://www.lancasterhistory.org/about-wheatland/, accessed 10/24/2019]
James Buchanan Papers, Dickinson College Archives & Special Collections http://archives.dickinson.edu/collection-descriptions/james-buchanan-papers
James Buchanan and Harriet Lane Johnston Papers, Library of Congress https://www.loc.gov/collections/james-buchanan-and-harriet-lane-johnston-papers/
James Buchanan Papers, Historical Society of Pennsylvania, http://www2.hsp.org/collections/manuscripts/b/Buchanan0091.html
James Buchanan Papers, Penn State University Libraries, https://libraries.psu.edu/findingaids/1458.htm
Related Item Notes
James Buchanan Family Papers
James Buchanan Collection, MG0096
Historical Society of Pennsylvania microfilm
Photograph collections
Curatorial collections
Wheatland Mansion
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
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Credit
Courtesy of LancasterHistory, Lancaster, Pennsylvania
Description Level
Series
Custodial History
The James Buchanan Family Papers were collected by the James Buchanan Foundation for the Preservation of Wheatland. This collection was relocated from the Wheatland mansion to the LancasterHistory archives in the Spring of 2009. Digitization of the James Buchanan Family Papers was funded by the Pennsylvania Historical and Museum Commission, PHMC Appl ID # 201808013051, 2019-2020.
Located on the road leading from Lancaster to Reading.
Lately occupied by [ ] Stibgen and formerly by John Michael Sr.
Petition granted.
April term.
Signers of Petition: Allan [Capent], Henry Fritz, Jacob Harter, [unknown signature], Martin Fry, Richard Flickinger, Samuel Stoher, Frederick Ream, [signature in German], Michael Stober, David Bauman, Jacob Eby, J. B. Amweg, John Bollinger, Jacob Angus, Jacob Souder, Martin Gross, John Gross, [signature in German], Daniel Shissler, R. R. Heitler, John Keller, George Long, [signature in German], [signature in German], Jesse Bitzer, [signature in German], John Shaffer, Daniel Feather, Cyrus Killian, Philip Sherk, George Wise, William Lewis, Amos Johnson, Jacob Souer, David Albright, John Souer, [J. B. Kirk], [unknown signature], Jesse Keefer, Jacob Zercher, John L. Sharp, Samuel Grube, Jacob Evans, Christian Young, Andrew Ream, Michael Gish, Jacob Workman, Samuel Ruth, [signature in German], John Reidenbach, John Garber, Jacob Frank, Andrew Bixler, Jacob Minnich, Abraham Musselman, Daniel Dietrich, Isaac Hostetter, John [Bush], Henry Lehn, Isaac Baker, Jacob K. Landis, William Myer, Henry H. Kurtz, David S. Binkley, George Shreiner, Henry Shenk, [signature in German], Joseph Shenk, David Fellenbaum, Isaac Fellanbaum, [signature in German], Casper Grub, Jacob Brubaker, Francis Ruth, Christian Bassler, Jacob Metzger, Jacob Tanger, [signature in German], Philip Sprecher, Martrin Groff, Peter Grube, [signature in German], [signature in German], Isaac Leib, Jacob Reidenbach, Daniel Royer, Daniel Royer Jr., John Huhn, [signature in German], [signature in German], H. B. Bowman, J. H. Kurtz, [signature in German], John Zook, [signature in German], Michael Kuhn, George Kuhn, Isaac Ressler, [signature in German], Henry Shreiner, Peter Forney, Gabriel Leib, Henry Hottenstein, Samuel Bear, Henry Zercher, Elias Erb, John Bucher, Jacob Frantz, [signature in German], Joseph Adams.
1 item, 1 piece
Access Conditions / Restrictions
Request at Reference Desk; photocopy made by staff member.
Located on the Lancaster & Manheim road five miles from Lancaster.
Formerly occupied by Frederick Zimmerman and later by Mr. Sponehauer.
Petition granted.
January term.
Signers of Petition: Peter Maurer, Jacob Stibgen, John Sharp, Christian Brubaker, John Brubaker, [signature in German], John Frank, [signature in German], Daniel Balmer, Jacob Metzger, Henry Sponhauer, William [Warner], Jacob Rohrer, Lightner Sharp, Abraham Stibgen, Martin Mayers, David Mayer, John Capp, Benjamin Johnsen, John Johnsen.
1 Item, 1 Piece
Access Conditions / Restrictions
Request at Reference Desk; photocopy made by staff member.
Papers filed for construction and repair of bridges. The types of petitions presented to the Court of Quarter Sessions include: petitions for bridge construction and repair, petitions for inspections, and petitions for bridge funds. Other types of items include: specifications, proposals, and contracts for bridge construction and repair; bridge blueprints and plans; correspondence; bills for materials; and bridge condition reports. Many papers show date; court term and case number; names of petitioners, viewers, inspectors, and contractors; costs and fees; location of bridge; and name or number of bridge. The order and report of viewers documents are of particular interest as they usually include a copy of the original petition; the order and names of viewers to inspect the site; the public announcement for the viewers meeting; the report and recommendation of viewers, often with a drawing of the site and surrounding area; and the court decision.
System of Arrangement
Records are arranged by township, then chronologically within each township.
Papers filed for construction and repair of bridges. The types of petitions presented to the Court of Quarter Sessions include: petitions for bridge construction and repair, petitions for inspections, and petitions for bridge funds. Other types of items include: specifications, proposals, and contracts for bridge construction and repair; bridge blueprints and plans; correspondence; bills for materials; and bridge condition reports. Many papers show date; court term and case number; names of petitioners, viewers, inspectors, and contractors; costs and fees; location of bridge; and name or number of bridge. The order and report of viewers documents are of particular interest as they usually include a copy of the original petition; the order and names of viewers to inspect the site; the public announcement for the viewers meeting; the report and recommendation of viewers, often with a drawing of the site and surrounding area; and the court decision.
System of Arrangement
Records are arranged by township, then chronologically within each township.
Papers filed for construction and repair of bridges. The types of petitions presented to the Court of Quarter Sessions include: petitions for bridge construction and repair, petitions for inspections, and petitions for bridge funds. Other types of items include: specifications, proposals, and contracts for bridge construction and repair; bridge blueprints and plans; correspondence; bills for materials; and bridge condition reports. Many papers show date; court term and case number; names of petitioners, viewers, inspectors, and contractors; costs and fees; location of bridge; and name or number of bridge. The order and report of viewers documents are of particular interest as they usually include a copy of the original petition; the order and names of viewers to inspect the site; the public announcement for the viewers meeting; the report and recommendation of viewers, often with a drawing of the site and surrounding area; and the court decision.
System of Arrangement
Records are arranged by township, then chronologically within each township.
Papers filed for construction and repair of bridges. The types of petitions presented to the Court of Quarter Sessions include: petitions for bridge construction and repair, petitions for inspections, and petitions for bridge funds. Other types of items include: specifications, proposals, and contracts for bridge construction and repair; bridge blueprints and plans; correspondence; bills for materials; and bridge condition reports. Many papers show date; court term and case number; names of petitioners, viewers, inspectors, and contractors; costs and fees; location of bridge; and name or number of bridge. The order and report of viewers documents are of particular interest as they usually include a copy of the original petition; the order and names of viewers to inspect the site; the public announcement for the viewers meeting; the report and recommendation of viewers, often with a drawing of the site and surrounding area; and the court decision.
System of Arrangement
Records are arranged by township, then chronologically within each township.
