"By following the story of my great-grandmother Isabella Ford's life, and adding to it with information from available sources, I have been able to get a better understanding of the circumstances of Lancaster's free blacks. Her story provides a sense of life in mid-nineteenth century Lancaster County and shows how free black families held their own, despite an environment that was often unfriendly and that restricted their opportunities by both law and custom."
A good, honest, hard working man : William Christian Paulsen and his family - German immigrants who settled in Lancaster in the mid- to late-nineteenth century
"William Paulsen's story, although unique in its details, is generally typical of the stories of many other middle-class German immigrants in Lancaster. Together, these stories comprise an important part of Lancaster's history that may not be very well known because immigrants in the middle class, although in the great majority, did not leave as many traces in the historical records as did more affluent, well-known immigrants. As a result, the stories of middle-class immigrants are more difficult to piece together. However, in the case of William Paulsen and his family, we are fortunate to have extensive family sources of information to draw on, as well as a substantial number of historical records."
"On of the most memorable episodes recorded at the 1744 Treaty of Lancaster was the appearance of the venerable Madame Montour as a distinguished guest. Though the name of Madame Montour is widely known to be associated with the history of central Pennsylvania, the facts of her life have long remained few and conflicting...Our search is rendered particularly difficult because Madame Montour's own words sometimes contributed to the confusion and mythology that has grown up around her name."
The following mills are discussed: Martic Forge Mill; Horse Hollow Mill/Pequea Roller Mill/Sickman's Mill; Burnt Mill; Millvale Mill/Baumgardener's Mill; and Goods Mill. "Although the Goods were primarily farmers, they were also involved in milling, lime burning, distilling, and taverns, and were involved in local and county government. John J. Good, known as Squire Good, was a Justice of the Peace. His courtroom was in a tavern he owned."
