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Collection
Marriott Brosius Papers
Title
Marriott Brosius Papers
Object ID
MG0952
Date Range
1837-2000s
Collection
Marriott Brosius Papers
Title
Marriott Brosius Papers
Description
Marriott Brosius Papers:
Letter to Deborah T. Simmons Coates from [a sibling], 1837
Letter to Elizabeth Coates from Alice, 1862 (Elizabeth Jackson Coates, future wife of Marriott Brosius)
Civil War diary of Marriott Brosius, 1863-1865, with damage from bullet that shattered his arm (original, digital copy of images of each page and transcription)
Note from Gertrude (donor's g-g-grandmother) to her daughters Gertrude and Helen regarding the diary
Framed certificate: Commission to 2nd Lt., 97th Infantry
Pass for leave, Marriott Brosius, 1863
Digital and hardcopy of "Marriott Brosius story"
Digital and hardcopy of "Marriott Brosius military regiment history"
Date Range
1837-2000s
Date of Accumulation
1837-2000s
Creator
Reinhardsen, Jeffrey L.
Storage Location
LancasterHistory, Lancaster, PA
Storage Room
Archives North
Storage Wall
Side 12
People
Brosius, Marriott Henry
Coates, Deborah T. Simmons
Brosius, Elizabeth Jackson Coates
Coho, Gertrude Coates Brosius
Reinhardsen, Gertrude Brosius Coho
Vestey, Helen Elizabeth Coho
Subjects
Biographies
Diaries
Letters
Military promotions
United States--History--Civil War, 1861-1865
United States. Army
United States. Army--Officers
Search Terms
Biographies
Civil War
Correspondence
Diaries
Finding aids
Letters
Manuscript groups
Military promotions
United States Army
Extent
7 items
Object Name
Archive
Language
English
Object ID
MG0952
Location of Originals
LancasterHistory, Lancaster, Pennsylvania
Access Conditions / Restrictions
This collection has not been cataloged, but may be used by appointment. Please contact Research@LancasterHistory.org at least two weeks prior to visit.
Credit
Courtesy of LancasterHistory, Lancaster, Pennsylvania.
Accession Number
2022.013
Other Numbers
MG-952
Classification
MG0952
Description Level
Fonds
Custodial History
Added to database 19 August 2022.
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
Civil War Collection
Title
Civil War Collection
Object ID
MG0018
Date Range
1859-1990
  1 document  
Collection
Civil War Collection
Title
Civil War Collection
Description
The Civil War Collection consists of material acquired over many years from different sources. Coverage is of Lancaster County soldiers and of daily life in the county during the Civil War. The collection contains records of various military units, family correspondence, "Home Front" papers, Civil War era diaries, the Captain John R. Bricker/Dept. of Commissary papers, celebration and reunion materials, images, newspaper clippings, and general orders.
System of Arrangement
The collection is organized by category into ten series.
The oversized documents of Series A, C, F, and H are oversized and filed flat in Box 4.
Series A Military Units: Series A contains documents of military units, including muster rolls, enlistment papers, discharge certificates, assignment and promotion records, and papers of individual soldiers and officers.
Pennsylvania Volunteers
Pennsylvania Militia
Certificate of State Regiments
U.S. Regiments
Series B Civil War Families
Benjamin Reed Family
Soldier's Letters
Series C The Lancaster Home Front
The Bounty Funds
Pension Claims
Articles
Letters
Series D Lancaster Notables
Series E Civil War Era Diaries
Series F The Captain John R. Bricker/Dept. of PA Commissary Papers
Series G Celebrations & Reunions
Series H Appendix
Articles, Photographic Prints, Blank Forms
Series I Printed General Orders
Series J Books
Date Range
1859-1990
Year Range From
1859
Year Range To
1990
Date of Accumulation
1859-1990
Creator
LancasterHistory (Organization)
Storage Location
LancasterHistory, Lancaster, PA
Storage Room
Archives South
Storage Wall
Side 01
People
Clark, James
Fass, John
Flick, Henry
Harris, Samuel
Hess, Martin D., Mrs.
Watson, George W.
Subjects
Letters
Soldiers
Soldiers, Black
United States--History--Civil War, 1861-1865
United States. Army
United States. Army--Recruiting, enlistment, etc.
Search Terms
Autobiographies
Civil War
Discharge papers
Finding aids
Manuscript groups
Memoirs
Muster rolls
Persons of color
Soldiers
Soldiers, Black
United States Army
Extent
15 boxes, 212 folders, 11 books, 9 cubic ft.
Object Name
Archive
Language
English
Object ID
MG0018
Location of Originals
LancasterHistory, Lancaster, Pennsylvania
Related Item Notes
Abraham H. Good Family Papers (MG0542)
Henry Seiger's Civil War Letters (MG0570)
Lewis Jones Family Papers (MG0541)
Robert Clark Morrison Family Papers (MG0543)
Springer Family Letters (MG0540)
William M. McClure Family Papers (MG0544)
William McCaskey Civil War Letters (MG0355)
Notes
Preferred Citation: Title or description of item, date (day, month, year), Civil War Collection (MG0018), Series #, Folder #, (or Object ID), LancasterHistory, Lancaster, Pennsylvania. URL if applicable. Date accessed (day, month, year).
Access Conditions / Restrictions
Restrictions are noted at the item level.
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-18
Classification
MG0018
Description Level
Fonds
Custodial History
Much of the collection was cataloged prior to 1997. Added to database 23 March 2022.
Documents
Less detail
Collection
Civil War Collection
Title
Certification of military service for George W. Watson
Object ID
MG0018_SerA_F123
Date Range
1959
  2 documents  
Collection
Civil War Collection
Title
Certification of military service for George W. Watson
Description
Certification of military service for George W. Watson as private in the 22nd Regiment, U.S. Colored Infantry, Co. H, 1864-1865. Issued by the Department of Military Affairs, Commonwealth of Pennsylvania, 1959.
Date Range
1959
Creation Date
1959
Creator
Pennsylvania. Adjutant-General’s Office
Storage Location
LancasterHistory, Lancaster, PA
Storage Room
Archives South
Storage Wall
Side 01
Storage Container
Box 0003
People
Biddle, Anthony Joseph Drexel, Jr.
Watson, George W.
Subjects
Soldiers
Soldiers, Black
United States--History--Civil War, 1861-1865
United States. Army
Search Terms
Civil War
Persons of color
Soldiers
Soldiers, Black
United States Army
Extent
1 item, 2 pages to scan
Object Name
Certificate
Language
English
Object ID
MG0018_SerA_F123
Location of Originals
LancasterHistory, Lancaster, Pennsylvania
Notes
Preferred Citation: Title or description of item, date (day, month, year), Civil War Collection (MG0018), Object ID, LancasterHistory, Lancaster, Pennsylvania. URL. Date accessed (day, month, year).
LancasterHistory is committed to preserving and providing access to materials chronicling Lancaster County's heritage. As a historical resource, this document reflects the racial prejudices and actions of the era. In order to maintain the historical integrity and context of collection items, LancasterHistory does not censor historical documents or edit language, titles, or organization names when transcribing original content.
Access Conditions / Restrictions
Please use digital images and transcriptions when available. Original documents may be used by appointment--contact Research@LancasterHistory.org prior to visit.
Copyright
Images have been provided for research purposes. Please contact Research@LancasterHistory.org for a high-resolution image and permission to publish. There is no fee for publication.
Credit
Courtesy of LancasterHistory, Lancaster, Pennsylvania.
Other Numbers
MG-18
Other Number
MG-18, Series A, Folder 123
Classification
MG0018
Description Level
Item
Custodial History
Added to database 23 March 2022.
Digitization of this document was funded by the Pennsylvania Historical and Museum Commission, PHMC Appl ID # 202010016624, 2020-2023.
Documents
Less detail
Collection
Heritage of Christiana Collection
Title
Heritage of Christiana Collection
Object ID
MG0906
Date Range
1861, 1878, 1951
  1 document  
Collection
Heritage of Christiana Collection
Title
Heritage of Christiana Collection
Description
This collection contains items relating to the history and heritage of the borough of Christiana.
Admin/Biographical History
Once known as Nobleville, Christiana is located on the eastern border of Lancaster County. It was incorporated as a borough in 1894.
Date Range
1861, 1878, 1951
Creator
LancasterHistory (Organization)
Storage Location
LancasterHistory, Lancaster, PA
Storage Room
Archives South
Storage Wall
Side 19
People
Griest, Elwood
Subjects
Christiana (Pa.)
Local history
Riots--Pennsylvania--Christiana
United States--History--Civil War, 1861-1865
Search Terms
Christiana Lyceum
Christiana Machine Company
Christiana Resistance
Civil War
Finding aids
Manuscript groups
Secession
Extent
3 folders
Object Name
Archive
Language
English
Object ID
MG0906
Location of Originals
LancasterHistory, Lancaster, Pennsylvania
Notes
Preferred Citation: Title or description of item, date (day, month, year), Heritage of Christiana Collection (MG0906), Box #, Folder #, (or Object ID), LancasterHistory, Lancaster, Pennsylvania. URL if applicable. Date accessed (day, month, year).
Access Conditions / Restrictions
No restrictions. Original documents may be used by appointment--contact Research@LancasterHistory.org prior to visit.
Copyright
Collection 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
Accession Number
2022.MG0906
Other Numbers
MG-906
Classification
MG0906
Description Level
Item
Custodial History
Noted at item level
Documents
Less detail
Collection
Diary Collection
Title
Diary Collection
Object ID
MG0247
Date Range
1836-1978
  1 document  
Collection
Diary Collection
Title
Diary Collection
Description
The Diary Collection contains diaries and journals of individuals from Lancaster County. The diarists recorded daily events such as social activities, household chores, farm life, and business activities. Some writers copied published works and newspaper articles or recorded national events. Subjects that are mentioned include the Stock Market crash of 1929, "The Volstead Blues," travel, World Wars I and II, weather, genealogy, and items of local interest.
System of Arrangement
By name of individual or family.
John R. Bitzer
John J. Bowman, Sr.
Lizzie H. Gottshall
Anna M. Haverstick
Alexander Hays
Maria C. Heinitsh
Elsie Kreider
Lightner family
William Shand, Jr.
George W. Silvey
Abraham Herr Smith
Harry Smith
Unknown
Date Range
1836-1978
Year Range From
1836
Year Range To
1978
Date of Accumulation
1836-1978
Creator
LancasterHistory (Organization)
Storage Location
LancasterHistory, Lancaster, PA
Storage Room
Archives South
Storage Wall
Side 06
People
Bitzer, John R.
Bowman, John Jacob
Gottshall, Lizzie H.
Haverstick, Anna M.
Hays, Alexander L.
Heinitsh, Maria C. Reed
Kreider, Elsie May Harman
Shand, William
Silvey, George W.
Smith, Abraham Herr
Smith, Harry
Subjects
Diaries
Search Terms
Manuscript groups
Finding aids
Diaries
Extent
8 boxes 4.5 cubic ft.
Object Name
Archive
Language
English
Object ID
MG0247
Notes
Preferred citation: Diary Collection (MG-247), Name of diary set, Box #, Folder #, LancasterHistory, Lancaster, Pa.
Access Conditions / Restrictions
No restrictions, unless noted within the finding aid.
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-247
Other Number
MG-247
Classification
MG0247
Description Level
Fonds
Documents
Less detail
Collection
Daniel Reiber Collection
Title
Daniel Reiber Collection
Object ID
MG0210
Date Range
1805-1981
Collection (MG0281) Related Materials at Other Repositories: See collections related to Martin Bickham at the Historical Society of Pennsylvania. See collections related to Martin Bickham and Stephen Girard at Girard College. Processing History: Processed and finding aid prepared by CF, Summer 2011. This
  1 document  
Collection
Daniel Reiber Collection
Title
Daniel Reiber Collection
Description
The Daniel Reiber Collection contains the personal papers of Martin Bickham, who married Mme. Emilie Raymonde Adeline Eugenie Rivalz de St. Antoine in 1805. Many of the documents and letters are in French, some have been translated into English. There is genealogy tracing lines of the McCamant, Jenkins, McCaa, and Andes families from 1722-1942. Obituaries, correspondence with the McCaa family, and deeds for the Caernarvon Cemetery are among other items in the collection.
Date Range
1805-1981
Year Range From
1805
Year Range To
1981
Date of Accumulation
1805-1981
Creator
Reiber, Daniel Grube, 1910-1990
Storage Location
LancasterHistory, Lancaster, PA
Storage Room
Archives South
Storage Wall
Side 05
People
Rivalz de St. Antoine, Emilie Raymonde Adeline Eugenie
Andes, John B.
Bickham, Alfred
Bickham, Stephen Girard
Bickman, Martin
Buchanan, James
Carpenter, William
Collins, Lavina Bickham
Curwen, Joseph
Diffenbaugh, Peter
Diller, Edwin Carpenter
Diller, John Vagan
Frailey, Charles R.
Girard, Stephen
Grube, Daniel Houder
Hull, Isaac
Hull, Louisa
Larramendi, Joseph Jean
Line, Gabriel
Marks, Elizabeth
McCaa, David G.
McCaa, David Jenkins
McCaa, James
McCaa, William J.
McCamant, Alexander
McCamant, James B.
McCamant, Thomas J.
McCamant, Wallace
McMichaels, William
Reed, George
Rivalz, Martin Stephen
Roland, George Oliver
Subjects
Clippings (Books, newspapers, etc.)
Diaries
Genealogy
Letters
Obituaries
Search Terms
Bangor Episcopal Church
Caernarvon Cemetery
Caernarvon Cemetery Association
Clippings (Books, newspapers, etc.)
Correspondence
Delaware River
Diaries
Finding aids
Genealogy
Leacock Twp.
Letters
Manuscript groups
Marriage certificates
Newspaper clippings
Obituaries
Port Louis, Mauritius
Raccoon Island, Gloucester County, New Jersey
Extent
1 box, 14 folders, .25 cubic ft.
Object Name
Archive
Language
English, French
Object ID
MG0210
Location of Originals
LancasterHistory, Lancaster, Pennsylvania
Associated Material
See collections related to Martin Bickham at the Historical Society of Pennsylvania.
See collections related to Martin Bickham and Stephen Girard at Girard College.
Related Item Notes
McCaa Collection (MG0281)
Notes
Preferred Citation: Title or description of item, date (day, month, year), Daniel Reiber Collection (MG0210), 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.
Other Numbers
MG-210
Classification
MG0210
Description Level
Fonds
Custodial History
Processed and finding aid prepared by CF, Summer 2011. Added to database 20 February 2022.
Documents
Less detail
Collection
Frank E. Witmer's 1879 Diary
Title
Transcription of the diary of Frank E. Witmer
Object ID
MG0847_F002
Date Range
2020/11
  2 documents  
Collection
Frank E. Witmer's 1879 Diary
Title
Transcription of the diary of Frank E. Witmer
Description
Transcription of the diary of Frank E. Witmer, 1879.
Admin/Biographical History
In 1879, Franklin E. Witmer (1855-1931), at age 23, was the eldest son of Aaron L. Witmer, farmer of West Lampeter Township, Lancaster County, Pennsylvania, and his wife Mary Ann (Herr) Witmer. The household also included his younger brothers Abraham (Abram), 21, and Jacob Elam (Elem), 19; two school-age girls Sarah Dunlap, 13, an apprentice servant, and Hettie Fritz, 8, a ward of Mr. and Mrs. Witmer; and for part of the year a teen-age boarder-farm hand , Thaddeus (Thad) Brackbill. In Frank's diary, each person's activity was recorded daily, almost as if he had set himself a deliberate project to do so.
Mr. Witmer's truck farm embraced fields of grain (wheat, oats and rye), several acres of tobacco, a varied fruit orchard, a large truck garden, and a greenhouse for vegetables and flowering plants, a small herd of dairy cattle, some hogs and chickens; enough variety to make year-round weekly visits to market in Lancaster. During the year the family moved into a new house, raised a new barn, stables, hog-pen and chicken-house, and rented the old house and barn to a tenant farmer, Jacob Dieter.
The Witmers were Mennonites, regularly attending church in Lampeter Twp. and Strasburg, and occasionally in New Providence and Lancaster. Sarah and Hettie and briefly Elam, attended the Lampeter School. Their chief source of entertainment seems to have been visiting among their extended Witmer and Herr families and neighbors, although Abram and Elam sometimes attended "singing school" and the Lampeter Lyceum and did some "driving about" of an evening. Only Abram seems to have had a special girlfriend.
Although all the men of the family did everything in the way of farm chores, each of the boys also had a specialty. Frank, the oldest, had his own corn and tobacco patches to tend and market, Abram tended to concentrate on the greenhouse and truck-garden, and Elam helped his father provide veterinary services to other farmers in the area.
Frank Witmer married Mary Ann Herr on November 30, 1881; he continued general farming in West Lampeter Township, died there on December 10, 1931, and was buried in the Mennonite cemetery in nearby Willow Street, Pennsylvania.
This history was prepared by Dr. David H. Wallace.
Date Range
2020/11
Creation Date
2020/11
Creator
Wallace, David H.
Storage Location
LancasterHistory, Lancaster, PA
Storage Room
Archives South
Storage Wall
Side 19
People
Wallace, David Harold
Witmer, Franklin Elmer
Witmer, Aaron L.
Witmer, Mary Ann Herr
Witmer, Abraham Herr
Witmer, Jacob Elam
Dunlap, Sarah
Fritz, Hettie
Brackbill, Thaddeus
Subjects
Truck farming
Diaries
Agriculture
Search Terms
Truck farming
Diaries
Farming
Agriculture
Transcriptions
Finding aids
Manuscript groups
Extent
1 item, 60 pages
Object Name
Transcript
Object ID
MG0847_F002
Location of Originals
Original diary at LancasterHistory, Lancaster, Pennsylvania, MG0847_F001
Related Item Notes
Index: MG0847_F003
Access Conditions / Restrictions
Please use the PDF.
Copyright
A PDF has been provided for research purposes only.
Credit
Courtesy of LancasterHistory, Lancaster, Pennsylvania.
Accession Number
2021.011
Other Numbers
MG-847, Folder 2
Other Number
MG-847, Folder 2
Classification
MG0847
Description Level
Item
Custodial History
Transcribed in November 2020.
Documents
Less detail
Collection
Frank E. Witmer's 1879 Diary
Title
Diary of Frank E. Witmer
Object ID
MG0847
Date Range
1879, 2020
  1 document  
Collection
Frank E. Witmer's 1879 Diary
Title
Diary of Frank E. Witmer
Description
This collection contains Frank E. Witmer's original 1879 diary, as well as a transcription and index prepared by Dr. David H. Wallace. The diary provides a detailed record of the daily activities of all members of the family. He primarily records the work involved in running a truck farm--planting, maintaining, and harvesting crops, and preparing for market. Other entries of interest include helping a neighbor move a carriage house; building a hog pen; canning; attendance at several Mennonite churches in the area; the process of moving from one house and barn to a new house and barn on the property; frequent visits between relatives and neighbors; and a few mentions of school and the leisure activities of the young men.
Admin/Biographical History
In 1879, Franklin E. Witmer (1855-1931), at age 23, was the eldest son of Aaron L. Witmer, farmer of West Lampeter Township, Lancaster County, Pennsylvania, and his wife Mary Ann (Herr) Witmer. The household also included his younger brothers Abraham (Abram), 21, and Jacob Elam (Elem), 19; two school-age girls Sarah Dunlap, 13, an apprentice servant, and Hettie Fritz, 8, a ward of Mr. and Mrs. Witmer; and for part of the year a teen-age boarder-farm hand , Thaddeus (Thad) Brackbill. In Frank's diary, each person's activity was recorded daily, almost as if he had set himself a deliberate project to do so.
Mr. Witmer's truck farm embraced fields of grain (wheat, oats and rye), several acres of tobacco, a varied fruit orchard, a large truck garden, and a greenhouse for vegetables and flowering plants, a small herd of dairy cattle, some hogs and chickens; enough variety to make year-round weekly visits to market in Lancaster. During the year the family moved into a new house, raised a new barn, stables, hog-pen and chicken-house, and rented the old house and barn to a tenant farmer, Jacob Dieter.
The Witmers were Mennonites, regularly attending church in Lampeter Twp. and Strasburg, and occasionally in New Providence and Lancaster. Sarah and Hettie and briefly Elam, attended the Lampeter School. Their chief source of entertainment seems to have been visiting among their extended Witmer and Herr families and neighbors, although Abram and Elam sometimes attended "singing school" and the Lampeter Lyceum and did some "driving about" of an evening. Only Abram seems to have had a special girlfriend.
Although all the men of the family did everything in the way of farm chores, each of the boys also had a specialty. Frank, the oldest, had his own corn and tobacco patches to tend and market, Abram tended to concentrate on the greenhouse and truck-garden, and Elam helped his father provide veterinary services to other farmers in the area.
Frank Witmer married Mary Ann Herr on November 30, 1881; he continued general farming in West Lampeter Township, died there on December 10, 1931, and was buried in the Mennonite cemetery in nearby Willow Street, Pennsylvania.
This history was prepared by Dr. David H. Wallace.
Date Range
1879, 2020
Creation Date
1879, 2020
Creator
Wallace, David H.
Storage Location
LancasterHistory, Lancaster, PA
Storage Room
Archives South
Storage Wall
Side 19
People
Brackbill, Thaddeus
Dunlap, Sarah
Fritz, Hettie
Wallace, David Harold
Witmer, Aaron L.
Witmer, Abraham Herr
Witmer, Franklin Elmer
Witmer, Jacob Elam
Witmer, Mary Ann Herr
Other Creators
Witmer, Franklin Elmer, 1855-1931
Subjects
Truck farming
Diaries
Agriculture
Indexes
Search Terms
Truck farming
Diaries
Farming
Agriculture
Transcriptions
Indexes
Finding aids
Manuscript groups
Extent
3 items, 146 pages to scan
Object Name
Archive
Language
English
Object ID
MG0847
Location of Originals
LancasterHistory, Lancaster, Pennsylvania
Access Conditions / Restrictions
Please use transcription and index, MG0847_F002 and MG0847_F003.
Original diary may be used by appointment--contact research@lancasterhistory.org at least two weeks prior to visit.
Copyright
Images have been provided for research purposes only. Please contact research@lancasterhistory.org for a high-resolution image and permission to publish.
LancasterHistory retains the rights to the digital images and content presented. The doctrine of fair use allows limited use of copyrighted material without permission from the copyright holder. Fair use includes comment, criticism, teaching, and private scholarship. Any images and data downloaded, printed or photocopied for these purposes should provide a citation. All other uses beyond those allowed by fair use require written permission.
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.
Accession Number
2021.011
Other Numbers
MG-847
Other Number
MG-847, Folder 1
Classification
MG0847
Description Level
Item
Custodial History
PDFs of the transcription and index are attached to the correlating records.
Documents
Less detail
Collection
Frank E. Witmer's 1879 Diary
Title
Index to the diary of Frank E. Witmer
Object ID
MG0847_F003
Date Range
2020/11
  2 documents  
Collection
Frank E. Witmer's 1879 Diary
Title
Index to the diary of Frank E. Witmer
Description
Index to the diary of Frank E. Witmer, 1879.
Admin/Biographical History
In 1879, Franklin E. Witmer (1855-1931), at age 23, was the eldest son of Aaron L. Witmer, farmer of West Lampeter Township, Lancaster County, Pennsylvania, and his wife Mary Ann (Herr) Witmer. The household also included his younger brothers Abraham (Abram), 21, and Jacob Elam (Elem), 19; two school-age girls Sarah Dunlap, 13, an apprentice servant, and Hettie Fritz, 8, a ward of Mr. and Mrs. Witmer; and for part of the year a teen-age boarder-farm hand , Thaddeus (Thad) Brackbill. In Frank's diary, each person's activity was recorded daily, almost as if he had set himself a deliberate project to do so.
Mr. Witmer's truck farm embraced fields of grain (wheat, oats and rye), several acres of tobacco, a varied fruit orchard, a large truck garden, and a greenhouse for vegetables and flowering plants, a small herd of dairy cattle, some hogs and chickens; enough variety to make year-round weekly visits to market in Lancaster. During the year the family moved into a new house, raised a new barn, stables, hog-pen and chicken-house, and rented the old house and barn to a tenant farmer, Jacob Dieter.
The Witmers were Mennonites, regularly attending church in Lampeter Twp. and Strasburg, and occasionally in New Providence and Lancaster. Sarah and Hettie and briefly Elam, attended the Lampeter School. Their chief source of entertainment seems to have been visiting among their extended Witmer and Herr families and neighbors, although Abram and Elam sometimes attended "singing school" and the Lampeter Lyceum and did some "driving about" of an evening. Only Abram seems to have had a special girlfriend.
Although all the men of the family did everything in the way of farm chores, each of the boys also had a specialty. Frank, the oldest, had his own corn and tobacco patches to tend and market, Abram tended to concentrate on the greenhouse and truck-garden, and Elam helped his father provide veterinary services to other farmers in the area.
Frank Witmer married Mary Ann Herr on November 30, 1881; he continued general farming in West Lampeter Township, died there on December 10, 1931, and was buried in the Mennonite cemetery in nearby Willow Street, Pennsylvania.
This history was prepared by Dr. David H. Wallace.
Date Range
2020/11
Creation Date
2021
Creator
Wallace, David H.
Storage Location
LancasterHistory, Lancaster, PA
Storage Room
Archives South
Storage Wall
Side 19
People
Wallace, David Harold
Witmer, Franklin Elmer
Witmer, Aaron L.
Witmer, Mary Ann Herr
Witmer, Abraham Herr
Witmer, Jacob Elam
Dunlap, Sarah
Fritz, Hettie
Brackbill, Thaddeus
Subjects
Truck farming
Diaries
Agriculture
Indexes
Search Terms
Truck farming
Diaries
Farming
Agriculture
Indexes
Finding aids
Manuscript groups
Extent
1 item, 10 pages
Object Name
Index
Language
English
Object ID
MG0847_F003
Location of Originals
LancasterHistory, Lancaster, Pennsylvania
Related Item Notes
Original diary: MG0847_F001
Index: MG0847_F003
Access Conditions / Restrictions
A PDF has been provided for research purposes.
Copyright
A PDF has been provided for research purposes only.
Credit
Courtesy of LancasterHistory, Lancaster, Pennsylvania.
Accession Number
2021.011
Other Numbers
MG-847, Folder 3
Other Number
MG-847, Folder 3
Classification
MG0847
Description Level
Item
Custodial History
Index prepared in November 2020.
Documents
Less detail

10 records – page 1 of 1.