This collection contains information and materials relating to Milton Thomas Garvin, his department store and the Garvin Lecture Series. The scrapbooks were complied by him through the years of 1899-1936. Other items in this collection include letters to family and business partners, several pamphlets from the Garvin Lecture Series, M. T. Garvin & Co. store information, receipts, invoices, banquet programs, and a sampling of financial records from the store.
Admin/Biographical History
Milton Thomas Garvin was born in Fulton Township around 1860. In 1874, at the age of fourteen, Garvin quit school and moved to Lancaster City. He worked various odd jobs before he was hired to work as an errand boy for R. E. Fahnestock's dry goods store in December of 1874.
At the age of sixteen, Fahnestock promoted Garvin to a salesman for the store. He continued to work there through his adolescent years and was promoted to manager at the age of twenty-one, when Fahnestock was in failing health. Garvin assumed that responsibility for twelve years and then bought the store when Fahnestock was ready to retire. Garvin renamed the store M. T. Garvin & Co.
Over the next ten years, Garvin bought the rest of the building and several surrounding buildings to expand his store to a four story and three lot property. He prospered in business and was a philanthropist throughout Lancaster County.
Other than a prominent businessman, Garvin served as a board member, trustee, director or president of the following organizations: The Shippen School for Girls, Lancaster General Hospital, Lancaster Chamber of Commerce, Meadville Theological Seminary, A. Herr Smith and Mechanics' Libraries, Lancaster Charity Society, Joseph Priestly Conference, and People's Octoraro Meeting House.
Samuel E. Dyke was a noted authority on the Pennsylvania rifle and wrote on this subject. Collection consists of articles, correspondence, photographs, research notes, and working papers on firearms. Also included is information on gunsmiths, the Rockford Foundation, the Heritage Center, cabinetmakers, grandfather clocks, and the Armstrong Cork Company. 1670-1985
American Legion Section Riverview Burial Park, Lancaster's Original Garden of Memories (Established 1908). This beautiful memorial section, officially dedicated by Post No. 34, is but one of the many outstadning feattures of Riverview, including the Sun Dial Garden, Star Garden, Sunken Garden and Babyland. Age-old trees of unusual beauty and shrubbery and flowers in aboundance have created an exquisite spot dedicated to sacred memories. Delightfule music heard throughout the Cemetery adds to the inspiration.
Provenance
Transferred from Document Collection, Box 19, Folder 5, Item 1
Family Long's Park was the scene of the McLane family reunion. From left: Harvey McLane, Kathleen McLane Sheppard, Pauline McLane Brendle, James McLane (rear); John McLane, Sr., Emma McLane, John McLane, Jr., Evelyn McLane Funk, Virginia McLane Snyder, Dorothy McLane Musser
