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Collection
Brinton Family Collection
Title
Brinton Family Collection
Object ID
MG0038
Date Range
1808-1946
Invitation cards Letters New-England Anti-Slavery Society Pennsylvania Anti-Slavery Society Personal correspondence Receipts (Acknowledgments) School notebooks Social reformers Visiting cards Search Terms: Abolitionists Antislavery movements Correspondence Finding aids Letters Manuscript groups New-England
  1 document  
Collection
Brinton Family Collection
Title
Brinton Family Collection
Description
The Brinton Family Collection contains genealogy, estate records, receipts, school workbooks, correspondence, farm records, tax records, bank records, wedding and funeral announcements, invitations, visiting cards, and postcards.
Admin/Biographical History
The Brintons were a prosperous family, owned farms and mills, and participated in other business ventures. They were of English heritage and members of the Quakers, or Society of Friends. In order to escape religious persecution in England, William Brinton purchased 200 acres in Birmingham Twp., Pennsylvania in 1684. His descendants eventually moved further west to eastern Lancaster County.1
Cyrus Brinton (1830-1917), the fourth of six children, was the son of Samuel and Lydia P. Jackson Brinton. In 1813, Samuel purchased 200 acres of land in Christiana (land that was later bounded by the Christiana Machine Shop on the south, Pine St. on the west, Sadsbury Ave. on the north, and Rte. 41 on the east). The land was not ideal for farming, but the property was picturesque and the farm was successful. Cyrus married Rebecca Whitson and they farmed on his father's property for about ten years. At that time they purchased a farm and mill on the road from Cooperville to the Noble Road. The original woolen mill was later turned into a grist mill, then a creamery. Cyrus and Rebecca had five children: Francis, Thomas Luther, William Haslam, Anne Haslam, and Martha Alice.2
Genealogy:3
Thomas Whitson m. Martha Hobson
b. 7 February 1796 b. 10 November 1800
d. 27 November 1864 d. 18 June 1889
(Sadsbury, Chester County) (Sadsbury)
They were married at New Salem Meeting, 17 May 1827. Rebecca was one of their eight children.
Cyrus Brinton m. Rebecca Whitson
b. 28 December 1830 b. 3 February 1832
d. 9 February 1917 d. 29 October 1903
(Sadsbury, Lancaster County) (Lancaster County)
They were married at Christiana, PA, 12 February 1857.
Thomas Whitson m. Hannah Starr
b. 27 September 1760 b. 3 February 1765
d. 1 June 1826 d. 20 April 1836
(Sadsbury)
The parents of Thomas Whitson, they were married 31 October 1787.
Francis Hobson m. Ann Johnson
b. 14 February 1768 b. 15 December 1775
d. 1835 (Lancaster County)
farmer and shoemaker d. 1852
(New Garden) (New Garden)
The parents of Martha Hobson, they were married 14 September 1797.
1 Garrett, Mary. 1979. "Brintons of Sadsbury Township, Lancaster County: Where they originated, what they accomplished, and where they have gone." Octorara Area Historical Society 1:13.
2 Ibid.
3 Whitson Family Chart, August 1951. The Albert Cook Myers Collection. Chester County Historical Society (Pa.)
Date Range
1808-1946
Year Range From
1808
Year Range To
1946
Date of Accumulation
1808-1946
Creator
LancasterHistory (Organization)
Storage Location
LancasterHistory, Lancaster, PA
Storage Room
Archives South
Storage Wall
Side 01
People
Bacon, Benjamin C.
Brinton, Samuel
Garrison, William Lloyd
Whitson, Martha Hobson
Whitson, Thomas
Subjects
Abolitionists
Antislavery movements
Finance, Personal
Invitation cards
Letters
New-England Anti-Slavery Society
Pennsylvania Anti-Slavery Society
Personal correspondence
Receipts (Acknowledgments)
School notebooks
Social reformers
Visiting cards
Search Terms
Abolitionists
Antislavery movements
Calling cards
Correspondence
Finance, Personal
Finding aids
Invitations
Land records
Letters
Manuscript groups
New-England Anti-Slavery Society
Pennsylvania Anti-Slavery Society
Receipts
Sadsbury School District
Sadsbury Twp.
School books
Sharon Boarding School
Social reformers
Surveys
Visiting cards
Extent
4 boxes, 40 folders, 2 cubic ft.
Object Name
Archive
Language
English
Object ID
MG0038
Location of Originals
LancasterHistory, Lancaster, Pennsylvania
Associated Material
The Chester County History Center (Pa.) also has information on the Brinton and Whitson families.
Notes
Preferred Citation: Title or description of item, date (day, month, year), Brinton Family Collection (MG0038), Folder #, LancasterHistory, Lancaster, Pennsylvania.
Folder 40 was a gift of Betsey Collins, 5 March 1993.
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-38
Classification
MG0038
Description Level
Fonds
Custodial History
Cataloged prior to 1997. Box 1 was recataloged by JB, Fall semester 2006. Added to database 16 June 2021.
Documents
Less detail
Collection
Lebkicher Family Civil War Letters and Discharge Papers
Title
Lebkicher Family Civil War Letters and Discharge Papers
Object ID
MG0258
Date Range
1855-1865, 1972
Collection
Lebkicher Family Civil War Letters and Discharge Papers
Title
Lebkicher Family Civil War Letters and Discharge Papers
Description
Lebkicher Family Civil War Letters and Discharge Papers contain letters from Lebkicher family members before and during the Civil War. There are discharge papers for Jonah R. Duke and William H. Lebkicher who enlisted with Captain J. Miller Raub's Company D, 122nd Regiment of Pennsylvania Volunteers in August 1862. William (1846-1929) re-enlisted and his letters continue to 1865. Some of the letters concern transportation by train and subsequent wrecks and derailments, the rioting in Lancaster, the shortage of food and feed for animals, and the soldiers getting used to the shelling of their camp by the rebels. The majority of letters were written during the Civil War.
Admin/Biographical History
For more information about William H. Lebkicher, please see the Hershey Community Archives website. https://hersheyarchives.org/encyclopedia/lebkicher-william-henry-lebbie-1845-1929/
Date Range
1855-1865, 1972
Year Range From
1855
Year Range To
1972
Date of Accumulation
1855-1865, 1972
Creator
Lebkicher family
Storage Location
LancasterHistory, Lancaster, PA
Storage Room
Archives South
Storage Wall
Side 06
People
Lebkicher, William Henry "Lebbie"
Lebkicher, Edwin M.
Lebkicher, David McGran
Subjects
Letters
Military discharge
Personal correspondence
United States. Army--Military life
United States--History--Civil War, 1861-1865
Soldiers
Soldiers, Black
Search Terms
Civil War
Correspondence, Personal
Discharge papers
Finding aids
Letters
Manuscript groups
Military discharge
Military life
Persons of color
Soldiers
Soldiers, Black
Extent
1 box, 12 folders, .25 cubic ft.
Object Name
Archive
Language
English
Object ID
MG0258
Location of Originals
LancasterHistory, Lancaster, Pennsylvania
Related Item Notes
Lebkicher Family Civil War Letters and Discharge Papers (MG0258) https://collections.lancasterhistory.org/en/permalink/4b929d84-1c6a-4e1f-8bc2-523672636170
Notes
Preferred Citation: Title or description of item, date (day, month, year), Lebkicher Family Civil War Letters and Discharge Papers (MG0258), 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.
Accession Number
1998.MG0258
Other Numbers
MG-258
Other Number
MG-258
Classification
MG0258
Description Level
Fonds
Custodial History
Organized and finding aid prepared by JM. Finding aid typed by KS and SH, 2013. Added to database 10 January 2022.
Less detail
Collection
Elizabethtown Insurance Company Records
Title
Elizabethtown Insurance Company Records
Object ID
MG0684
Date Range
1872-1941
  1 document  
Collection
Elizabethtown Insurance Company Records
Title
Elizabethtown Insurance Company Records
Description
This collection contains documents and record books from the Elizabethtown Insurance Company. Items include records of new policies issued, policies cancelled, reinsurance policies, and books documenting taxes owed to the Elizabethtown Insurance Company. The collection also contains receipt books, personal agent books, and various notes and documents inserted into the lager record books. All documents are handwritten by multiple individuals and some books have missing, or broken spines. Many items are fragile, and caution should be used when turning pages to avoid further tearing and damage.
Admin/Biographical History
The Elizabethtown Insurance Company was formally chartered on December 23, 1843 as Farmers' Mutual Insurance Company. They started doing business January 31, 1844 and by June 1844 had applications from prospective policy holders for enough insurance to issue their first policy. The company was originally developed to insure against loss or damage by fire, but eventually began insuring other types of property damage. Farmers' Mutual Insurance Company moved multiple times; finding homes in Lampeter and Conestoga Townships, as well as Lancaster City. The company moved to Elizabethtown in 1925, and in July of 2009, Farmers' Mutual changed their name to Elizabethtown Insurance Company. In 2011 Elizabethtown Insurance Company stopped accepting new applications, and in 2012, the company relocated to Delaware.
Date Range
1872-1941
Creation Date
1872-1941
Year Range From
1872
Year Range To
1941
Creator
Elizabethtown Insurance Company
Storage Location
LancasterHistory, Lancaster, PA
Storage Room
Archives South
Storage Wall
Side 14
People
Beare, Harry W.
Brandt, J. N.
Dulebohn, G. Walter
Gantert, H. A.
Gibbel, H. R.
Gise, Henry L.
Haldeman, John
Herr, Isaac
Herr, Isaac R.
Landis, H. Reist
Leaman, B. E.
Martin, Christ
Miller, A. W.
Miller, C. H.
Miller, Susan E.
Oweiler, J. N
Shimp, H. G.
Snavely, B. H.
Trout, J. M.
Zartman, E. R.
Subjects
Elizabethtown (Pa.)
Farmers' Mutual Insurance Company (Lancaster, Pa.)
Fire insurance--Pennsylvania
Insurance companies--Pennsylvania
Insurance policies--Pennsylvania
Lancaster (Pa.)
Search Terms
Correspondence
Elizabethtown
Elizabethtown Insurance Men's Association
F & M Hat Company
Farmers' Mutual Insurance Company (Lancaster, Pa.)
Finding aids
Fire insurance
Insurance companies
Insurance policies
Lancaster
Letters
Lykens Valley Mutual Insurance Company
Manuscript groups
Penn Township Mutual Fire Insurance Company
Postcards
Receipts
Taxes
Extent
4 boxes, 38 folders, 2.5 cubic ft.
Object Name
Archive
Language
English
Object ID
MG0684
Related Item Notes
MG-0065 Griest: William Walton Griest Collection, Series 19 Taxes/Tariffs, 1909-1929
MG-0283 Long: Judge Henry G. Long Collection, 1752-1888
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-684
Classification
MG0684
Description Level
Fonds
Custodial History
Processed and finding aid prepared by RA, 24 March 2015.
Documents
Less detail
Collection
Andrew J. Steinman Collection
Title
Andrew J. Steinman Collection
Object ID
MG0066
Date Range
1833-1937
. Steinman, Andrew Jackson �230 North President Avenue • Lancaster, Pennsylvania 17603-3125 717.392.4633 • www.LancasterHistory.org Subjects: Invoices Lawyers Legal documents Letters Receipts (Acknowledgments) Search Terms: Correspondence Finding aids Letters Manuscript groups Related Materials at
  1 document  
Collection
Andrew J. Steinman Collection
Title
Andrew J. Steinman Collection
Description
The Andrew J. Steinman Collection contains the personal and business papers of Andrew J. Steinman, the Steinman family, and John M. Hale. Andrew was a lawyer; his wife was the daughter of John M. Hale, also a lawyer. This collection is comprised of correspondence, legal papers, and financial records.
Date Range
1833-1937
Year Range From
1833
Year Range To
1937
Date of Accumulation
1833-1937
Creator
Steinman family
Storage Location
LancasterHistory, Lancaster, PA
Storage Room
Archives South
Storage Wall
Side 02
People
Hale, John M.
Steinman, Andrew Jackson
Subjects
Invoices
Lawyers
Legal documents
Letters
Receipts (Acknowledgments)
Search Terms
Correspondence
Correspondence, Legal
Finding aids
Invoices
Lawyers
Legal correspondence
Legal documents
Legal papers
Letters
Manuscript groups
Receipts
Extent
4 boxes, 101 folders, 2 cubic ft.
Object Name
Archive
Language
English
Object ID
MG0066
Location of Originals
LancasterHistory, Lancaster, Pennsylvania
Related Item Notes
George Steinman Papers (MG0184)
Steinman Family Business Records (MG0563)
See the Curatorial Collection
See the Photograph Collection
Notes
Preferred Citation: Title or description of item, date (day, month, year), Collection Title (MG#), Box #, Folder #, (or Object ID), LancasterHistory, Lancaster, Pennsylvania.
This collection may have been a gift of Mrs. Buller, 21 October 1966.
Access Conditions / Restrictions
Original documents may be used--contact Research@LancasterHistory.org prior to visit or request at the Reference Desk.
Copyright
Collection items 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.
Other Numbers
MG-66
Classification
MG0066
Description Level
Fonds
Custodial History
Originally processed prior to 1997. Finding aid revised by PW; typed by KR, Winter 2012. Added to database 26 December 2023.
Documents
Less detail
Collection
United Steel Workers Union, Local 285, Records
Title
United Steel Workers Union, Local 285, Records
Object ID
MG0514
Date Range
1934-1990
) Newsletters United Steelworkers of America. Local 285 (Lancaster, Pa.) Search Terms: Armstrong Cork Company Business records Correspondence Finding aids Kerr Group, Inc. Labor unions Letters Manuscript groups Minutes Newsletters United Steel Workers Union, Local 285 Related Materials at LancasterHistory
  1 document  
Collection
United Steel Workers Union, Local 285, Records
Title
United Steel Workers Union, Local 285, Records
Description
The United Steel Workers Union, Local 285, Records contain minutes of union meetings, negotiations with Armstrong Cork Company and Kerr Group, Inc., publications of Local 285 and Armstrong, correspondence with national union representatives, union flyers and other documents related to labor issues and strikes at Armstrong.
Date Range
1934-1990
Year Range From
1934
Year Range To
1990
Date of Accumulation
1934-1990
Creator
United Steelworkers of America. Local 285 (Lancaster, Pa.)
Storage Location
LancasterHistory, Lancaster, PA
Storage Room
Archives South
Storage Wall
Side 11
Subjects
Business records
Labor unions
Labor unions--Records and correspondence
Letters
Minutes (Records)
Newsletters
United Steelworkers of America. Local 285 (Lancaster, Pa.)
Search Terms
Armstrong Cork Company
Business records
Correspondence
Finding aids
Kerr Group, Inc.
Labor unions
Letters
Manuscript groups
Minutes
Newsletters
United Steel Workers Union, Local 285
Extent
8 boxes, 206 folders, 6 cubic ft.
Object Name
Archive
Language
English
Object ID
MG0514
Location of Originals
LancasterHistory, Lancaster, Pennsylvania
Related Item Notes
Armstrong World Industries Collection (MG0032)
Kerr Group, Inc. and Armstrong Cork Company Architectural Drawings, 1916-1992 (MG0372)
Photograph Collection
Notes
This finding aid is a box list showing folder titles in order to make the collection available to researchers. The documents within the folders have not yet been cataloged at the item level. LancasterHistory replaced the folders with acid-free archival folders and retained the original folder titles. The newsletters, Local 285 Spotlight and Floor Plant Journal, were organized and placed in folders.
Preferred Citation: Title or description of item, date (day, month, year), United Steel Workers Union, Local 285, Records (MG0514), Folder #, LancasterHistory, Lancaster, Pennsylvania.
Access Conditions / Restrictions
This collection is not fully cataloged, but may be used by appointment. Please contact research@lancasterhistory.org 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.
Accession Number
2009.MG0514
Other Numbers
MG-514
Classification
MG0514
Description Level
Fonds
Custodial History
Box list prepared by FM, 2010. Added to database 12 March 2022.
Documents
Less detail
Collection
Ellsworth Edwards Collection
Title
Ellsworth Edwards Collection (MG-37)
Object ID
MG0037
Date Range
1827-1933
  1 document  
Collection
Ellsworth Edwards Collection
Title
Ellsworth Edwards Collection (MG-37)
Description
Contains Edwards family materials including correspondence and family photographs.
Date Range
1827-1933
Year Range From
1827
Year Range To
1933
Date of Accumulation
1827-1933
Creator
Edwards, Ellsworth
Storage Location
LancasterHistory, Lancaster, PA
Storage Room
Archives South
Storage Wall
Side 01
People
Bair, Maggie
Edwards, Bessie
Edwards, Ellsworth
Edwards, Maggie
Smoker, Katie
Subjects
Family records
Letters
Search Terms
Correspondence
Family records
Letters
Photographs
Wills
Manuscript groups
Finding aids
Extent
1 box, 8 folders, .25 cubic ft.
Object Name
Archive
Language
English
Object ID
MG0037
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-37
Classification
MG0037
Description Level
Fonds
Custodial History
Cataloged prior to 1997; added to database 10 May 2018.
Documents
Less detail
Collection
Blanche Nevin Collection
Title
Blanche Nevin Collection
Object ID
MG0039
Date Range
1905-1940
  1 document  
Collection
Blanche Nevin Collection
Title
Blanche Nevin Collection
Description
Collection contains correspondence, poetry, and newspaper articles.
Admin/Biographical History
Blanche Nevin (1841-1925), artist and poet, was born in Mercersburg, Franklin County, Pennsylvania. She was the daughter of John Williamson Nevin, a theologian, teacher, and minister, and Martha Jenkins, daughter of the politician and iron master at Windsor Forges, Robert Jenkins. When Dr. Nevin became the president of Franklin & Marshall College in 1855, he moved the family to Lancaster. They moved to Windsor Forges (or Windsor Place) from 1856 to 1858, while Dr. Nevin acted as executor of his mother-in-law's estate, and then moved permanently to Caernarvon Place on Columbia Avenue (the present site of Degel Israel Synagogue). The Nevin children were well-educated and cultivated for society, as their parents had been.
Blanche was the nation's first noteworthy sculptress. In 1889, she sculpted the statue of Revolutionary War General Peter Muhlenberg, which stands in the National Statuary Hall at the U.S. Capitol. She also sculpted the bust of President Woodrow Wilson. Lancastrians are most familiar with her Lion in the Park (1905) at Reservoir Park and her horse drinking fountain (1898) at the intersection of Columbia Avenue and West Orange Street. Blanche composed a number of poems and set several to music; many were inspired by Lancaster County, her travels, and family and friends. Her poems include: "Great-Grandma's Looking-Glass" (1895), "One Usual Day" (1916), and "To My Door" (1921).
She bought Windsor Place in Caernarvon Twp. in 1897, restored the mansion house and the name Windsor Forges, and added a studio. Furniture and other influences from her travels adorned the house and grounds. She also owned a house in Manasquan, New Jersey; spent time with friends in New York and Philadelphia; and traveled a great deal, especially during the winter.
Her obituary in a Lancaster County newspaper states, "The simple, unpretentious neighbors of Miss Nevin never questioned her foreign ideas and eccentricities, but accepted her for the true, human qualities which she so abundantly possessed."
Date Range
1905-1940
Year Range From
1905
Year Range To
1940
Date of Accumulation
1905-1940
Creator
Aungst, John
Storage Location
LancasterHistory, Lancaster, PA
Storage Room
Archives South
Storage Wall
Side 01
People
Appel, Roberts
Appell, John
Carmichael, Catharine
Dock, Mrs.
Forney, J. G.
Gable, S. Edw.
Jenkins, Catharine Carmichael
Jenkins, Robert
Magee, David F.
Nevin, Blanche
Shenk, H. H.
Shoemaker, Henry W.
Other Creators
LancasterHistory (Organization)
Subjects
Sculptors
Poets, American
Letters
Poetry
Clippings (Books, newspapers, etc.)
Search Terms
Clippings (Books, newspapers, etc.)
Correspondence
Lancaster Automobile Club
Letters
Newspaper clippings
Poetry
Poets
Sculptors
Windsor Forge
Manuscript groups
Finding aids
Extent
1 box, 3 folders, .15 cubic ft.
Object Name
Archive
Language
English
Object ID
MG0039
Related Item Notes
MG-730 Blanche Nevin Papers
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-39
Classification
MG0039
Description Level
Fonds
Custodial History
This collection was cataloged in 1998; added to database 15 May 2018.
Documents
Less detail
Collection
Captain John M. Groff Collection
Title
Captain John M. Groff Collection (MG-44)
Object ID
MG0044
Date Range
1905-1940
  1 document  
Collection
Captain John M. Groff Collection
Title
Captain John M. Groff Collection (MG-44)
Description
Collection contains photographs, many labeled and dated, and two scrapbooks. One scrapbook contains newspaper articles concerning the military and professional life of Captain Groff. The other scrapbook contains military records including special orders, certificates, passes, correspondence, and government requirements. There are also newspaper articles, maps, and other memorabilia.
Date Range
1905-1940
Year Range From
1905
Year Range To
1940
Creator
Groff, John M.
Storage Location
LancasterHistory, Lancaster, PA
Storage Room
Archives South
Storage Wall
Side 02
People
Davis, R.
Groff, John M.
Klein, Henry Martin John
Malone, John
Pershing, John Joseph
Subjects
World War, 1914-1918
Scrapbooks
Letters
United States. Army. American Expeditionary Forces
Search Terms
American Defense Society
American Expeditionary Forces
American Expeditionary Forces, Supply Division, Postal Express Service
American Red Cross
Clippings (Books, newspapers, etc.)
Correspondence
Finding aids
Letters
Manuscript groups
Maps
Newspaper clippings
Photographs
Postal Express Service
Scrapbooks
World War I
WWI
Extent
1 box, 9 folders, .5 cubic ft.
Object Name
Archive
Language
English
Object ID
MG0044
Related Item Notes
See the Photograph Collection.
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-44
Classification
MG0044
Description Level
Fonds
Custodial History
Cataloged prior to 1997. Added to database 17 May 2018.
Documents
Less detail
Collection
Willie Siple Collection
Title
The Willie Siple Collection
Object ID
MG0006
Date Range
1935-1962
: Boxers Correspondence Letters Newspaper vendors Blind People with visual disabilities Manuscript groups Finding aids Folder 1 Photographs: Most relate to Willy and his newsstand. One is of Archie Moore, and several of Willy in his boxing stance. Photographs transferred to the Photograph Collection, 3
  1 document  
Collection
Willie Siple Collection
Title
The Willie Siple Collection
Description
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.
written by Elizabeth McIlhenney, 2016
Date Range
1935-1962
Creation Date
1935-1962
Year Range From
1935
Year Range To
1962
Creator
Hauck, Johnny
Storage Location
LancasterHistory, Lancaster, PA
Storage Room
Archives South
Storage Wall
Side 01
People
Siple, Wilbur H. "Willie"
Moore, Archie
Subjects
Blind
Boxers (Sports)
Letters
Newspaper vendors
People with visual disabilities
Search Terms
Boxers (Sports)
Correspondence
Finding aids
Letters
Manuscript groups
Newspaper vendors
People with visual disabilities
Extent
1 box, 3 folders, 2 cubic ft.
Object Name
Archive
Language
English
Object ID
MG0006
Related Item Notes
Johnny Hauck Collection, MG0063
Photograph Collection
Notes
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.
Documents
Less detail
Collection
Pageant Collection
Title
Pageant Collection (MG-0014)
Object ID
MG0014
Date Range
1926-1977
from production department. Folder 12 Building and grounds committee correspondence, blueprints. Folder 13 Song "Fair Lancaster". Folder 14 Newspaper publicity. Folder 15 Publicity Scrapbook, T. Warren Metzger. Box 2 Pageant of Gratitude Some manuscript items for the Pageant of Gratitude were a gift of
  1 document  
Collection
Pageant Collection
Title
Pageant Collection (MG-0014)
Description
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.
System of Arrangement
Organized by pageant:
Box 1, Pageant of Liberty
Box 2, Pageant of Gratitude
Box 3, Other Pageants
Date Range
1926-1977
Year Range From
1926
Year Range To
1977
Date of Accumulation
1926-1977
Creator
LancasterHistory (Organization)
Storage Location
LancasterHistory, Lancaster, PA
Storage Room
Archives South
Storage Wall
Side 01
People
Bruder, Edward
Burrell, Percy J.
Groff, John M.
Kready, Laura F.
Metzger, T. Warren
Musser, Frank
Seltzer, Richard
Thorbach, H. Clifton
Subjects
Business records
Letters
Pageants
Search Terms
Correspondence
Finding aids
Letters
Manuscript groups
Minutes
Pageant of Gratitude
Pageant of Liberty
Pageants
Scripts
Sheet music
Extent
3 boxes, 32 folders, 1.5 cubic ft.
Object Name
Archive
Language
English
Object ID
MG0014
Location of Originals
LancasterHistory, Lancaster, Pennsylvania
Related Item Notes
Photograph Collection
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-14
Classification
MG0014
Description Level
Fonds
Custodial History
This collection was cataloged prior to 1997; added to database 8 February 2018.
Documents
Less detail

10 records – page 1 of 1.