Skip header and navigation

Revise Search

10 records – page 1 of 1.

Collection
Willie Siple Collection
Title
The Willie Siple Collection
Object ID
MG0006
Date Range
1935-1962
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
  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
General Collection
Object ID
2-19-01-10
Date Range
circa 1960
  1 image  
Object Name
Print, Photographic
Collection
General Collection
Description
Various County officials lined up to shake hands with a man and woman. Ben Weaver, Commissioner, Brenda Swingler, Clerk of Quarter Sessions, Paul Paes, Register of Wills are the only identifiable officials.
Date Range
circa 1960
Storage Location
LancasterHistory, Lancaster, PA
People
Weaver, Ben
Swingler, Brenda
Paes, Paul
Subcategory
Documentary Artifact
Search Terms
Register of Wills (Lancaster County)
Commissioners
Clerk of Quarter Sessions
Quarter Sessions
Wills
Object Name
Print, Photographic
Print Size
8 x 10 inches
Condition
Good
Object ID
2-19-01-10
Images
Less detail

Seeing America and its great men; the journal and letters of Count Francesco dal Verme, 1783-1784

https://collections.lancasterhistory.org/en/permalink/lhdo12417
Author
Dal Verme, Francesco,
Date of Publication
[1969]
Call Number
917 D313
Responsibility
Translated and edited by Elizabeth Cometti.
ISBN
081390255X
Author
Dal Verme, Francesco,
Place of Publication
Charlottesville
Publisher
University Press of Virginia
Date of Publication
[1969]
Physical Description
xxxiii, 147 p. illus., maps, ports. 25 cm.
Notes
Library has photocopy of p. 32-35; 118-123: The Middle States and New England.
Mention is made of his visits to Ephrata, Lititz, Manheim and Lancaster.
Bibliographical references included in "Notes" (p. [95]-136)
Subjects
United States - Description and travel - Early works to 1800.
West Indies - Description and travel - Early works to 1800.
Additional Author
Cometti, Elizabeth,
Location
Lancaster History Library - Book
Call Number
917 D313
Less detail

Colonial craftsmen and the beginnings of American industry

https://collections.lancasterhistory.org/en/permalink/lhdo6421
Author
Tunis, Edwin,
Edition
[1st ed.]
Date of Publication
[1965]
Call Number
609.73 T926 Oversize
Responsibility
written and illustrated by Edwin Tunis.
Author
Tunis, Edwin,
Edition
[1st ed.]
Place of Publication
Cleveland
Publisher
World Pub. Co.
Date of Publication
[1965]
Physical Description
159 p. illus. 31 cm.
Summary
Describes and illustrates the work of craftsmen and artisans in Colonial America. Shows types of work done in town shops and manufacturies, as well as, in homes, village shops, and country forges.
Subjects
Technology - United States
Industries - United States
Decorative arts, Early American.
United States - Social life and customs - To 1775.
Location
Lancaster History Library - Book
Call Number
609.73 T926 Oversize
Less detail

Letters from an American farmer ; and Sketches of eighteenth-century America : more letters from an American farmer

https://collections.lancasterhistory.org/en/permalink/lhdo9183
Author
St. John de Crèvecoeur, J. Hector,
Date of Publication
c1963.
Call Number
818.103 C926
Responsibility
by Hector St. John de Crèvecoeur ; with a foreword by Albert E. Stone, Jr.
Author
St. John de Crèvecoeur, J. Hector,
Uniform Title
Letters from an American farmer
Place of Publication
New York
Publisher
New American Library,
Date of Publication
c1963.
Physical Description
477, [3] p. ; 18 cm.
Series
A Signet classic ; CQ136
Notes
Includes index.
"Landscapes", dramatic sketches: p. 398-463.
Subjects
St. John de Crèvecoeur, J. Hector, - 1735-1813.
Farm life - United States.
United States - Social life and customs - 1775-1783.
United States - Description and travel - To 1783.
Nantucket (Mass.) - Social life and customs.
Additional Author
Stone, Albert E.
Location
Lancaster History Library - Book
Call Number
818.103 C926
Less detail

Travels in North America in the years 1780, 1781, and 1782

https://collections.lancasterhistory.org/en/permalink/lhdo925
Author
Chastellux, Francʹois Jean,
Date of Publication
c1963.
Call Number
917.3 C489
  1 website  
Responsibility
by the Marquis de Chastellux ; a revised translation, with introduction and notes, by Howard C. Rice, Jr.
Author
Chastellux, Francʹois Jean,
Uniform Title
Voyages dans l'Amerique septentrionale.
Place of Publication
Chapel HIll, N.C
Publisher
University of North Carolina Press,
Date of Publication
c1963.
Physical Description
2 v. : ill., ports. ; maps ; 23 cm.
Notes
"Published for the Institute of Early American History and Culture at Williamsburg, Virginia."
Includes index.
Summary
"The definitive edition of an American classic of great literary and historical value. Chastellux, one of three major generals who accompanied Rochambeau and the French Expeditionary Forces to America, was a man of letters and a member of the French Academy. His absorbing journal is a deeply and clearly etched portrait of a country and its people. This is the second of two volumes." [Worldcat.org]
"Francois Jean De Beauvoir, Marquis De Chastellux was born in Paris, France in 1734. He joined the French Army as a Second Lieutenant at the age of 13 and rose through the ranks during the Seven Years' War. Chastellux came to be as famous for his literary work, with his publication of a book on philosophy in 1772, as he was for his military exploits. When the French expeditionary forces assigned to the Revolutionary Continental Army set sail for America in 1779, he was one of the three major generals sent with General Rochambeau. They arrived in America and took part in the victorious Yorktown campaign. Invaluable to the Continental Army commanders for his command of the English language, Chastellux remained in America until returning to France in early 1783. Travels in North America is an account of Chastellux's travels between campaigns." [from the Preface]
Subjects
Manners and customs.
United States - Description and travel - Early works to 1800.
United States - Social life and customs - 1775-1783.
Additional Author
Rice, Howard C.
Location
Lancaster History Library - Book
Call Number
917.3 C489
Websites
Less detail

Cities in the wilderness : the first century of urban life in America, 1625-1742

https://collections.lancasterhistory.org/en/permalink/lhdo18655
Author
Bridenbaugh, Carl.
Date of Publication
1964.
Call Number
307.76 B851
Responsibility
by Carl Bridenbaugh.
Author
Bridenbaugh, Carl.
Place of Publication
New York
Publisher
Capricorn Books,
Date of Publication
1964.
Physical Description
500 p. ; 21 cm.
Series
Capricorn giant ; 242
Notes
Includes index.
Reprint. Originally published: New York : Ronald Press, 1938.
Bibliography: p. 483-486.
Subjects
Cities and towns - United States.
United States - History - Colonial period, ca. 1600-1775.
United States - Social life and customs - To 1775.
Location
Lancaster History Library - Book
Call Number
307.76 B851
Less detail

Cities in revolt : urban life in America, 1743-1776

https://collections.lancasterhistory.org/en/permalink/lhdo18861
Author
Bridenbaugh, Carl.
Date of Publication
1964.
Call Number
307.76 B851r
Responsibility
Carl Bridenbaugh.
Author
Bridenbaugh, Carl.
Place of Publication
New York
Publisher
Capricorn Books,
Date of Publication
1964.
Physical Description
xi, 433, xxi p. ; 21 cm.
Series
Capricorn giant ; 243
Notes
Includes index.
"Bibliographical note": p. 427-[434].
Subjects
Cities and towns - United States.
United States - Social life and customs - To 1775.
Location
Lancaster History Library - Book
Call Number
307.76 B851r
Less detail
Collection
Pinkerton & Slaymaker Collection
Title
Pinkerton & Slaymaker Collection
Object ID
MG0308
Date Range
1815-1853
Content Note: This collection contains receipts and invoices from the Pinkerton & Slaymaker business. The receipts date primarily from May 1851, with one receipt from May 1853, and are for a wide variety of items. The collection also contains letters from the Philadelphia & Lancaster Turnpike Company and
  1 document  
Collection
Pinkerton & Slaymaker Collection
Title
Pinkerton & Slaymaker Collection
Description
This collection contains receipts and invoices from the Pinkerton & Slaymaker business. The receipts date primarily from May 1851, with one receipt from May 1853, and are for a wide variety of items. The collection also contains letters from the Philadelphia & Lancaster Turnpike Company and an undated check from the National Bank of Pottstown.
Admin/Biographical History
Henry Edwin Slaymaker and William C. Pinkerton went into the hardware business as Pinkerton & Slaymaker ca. 1850. The store was located on North Queen Street in Lancaster. The business was closed out in 1857.
Biographical Annals of Lancaster County, p. 94.
Date Range
1815-1853
Year Range From
1914
Year Range To
1978
Date of Accumulation
1815-1853
Creator
Pinkerton & Slaymaker
Storage Location
LancasterHistory, Lancaster, PA
Storage Room
Archives South
Storage Wall
Side 08
People
Bickford, Bacon
Boon, Philip T.
Brady, William
Dale, W. P.
Eberley, Jacob
Govett, William
Hansson, Joseph
Harrison, John
Hayes, Jacob
Hovey, Roswell
Jones, J.
Jones, J. C.
Keller, John
Lewis, Edward
Martin, George
McNeely, William T.
Miller, Samuel
Morris, William
Mullins, Edward
Pinkerton, William C.
Reigart, Adam
Slaymaker, Henry Edwin
Steinman, George Michael
Strenge, George
Thompson, T. S.
Trollezlov, N.
Tucker, Samuel
Wilstach, William P.
Wilt, Peter
Wolf, W. W.
Wyman, Isaac
Subjects
Letters
Receipts (Acknowledgments)
Invoices
Business records
Hardware
Hardware stores
Search Terms
Bowlby and Brenner
Business records
Colemanville Works
Correspondence
Cuscaden and Company
E. Van Antwerp and Company
Eagles and Lockwood
F. Curtis and Company
Finding aids
Hanline and Ostheimer
Hardware
Hardware stores
Harrison Brothers and Company
Heaton and Denckla
Invoices
Justice, Steinmetz, and Justice
Letters
M. and J. M. Rowe
Manuscript groups
Meade and Long
National Bank of Pottstown
Philadelphia and Lancaster Turnpike Company
Pinkerton and Slaymaker
Pinkerton and Smeltz
Potter and Carmichael
Receipts
Russell and Erwin Manufacturing Company
William H. Horstmann and Sons
Extent
1 box, 3 folders, .25 cubic ft.
Object Name
Archive
Language
English
Object ID
MG0308
Location of Originals
LancasterHistory, Lancaster, Pennsylvania
Notes
Preferred Citation: Title or description of item, date (day, month, year), Pinkerton & Slaymaker Collection (MG0308), Folder #, (or Object ID), LancasterHistory, Lancaster, Pennsylvania. URL if applicable. Date accessed (day, month, year).
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-308
Other Number
MG-308
Classification
MG0308
Description Level
Fonds
Custodial History
This collection was cataloged and the finding aid was prepared by MEB, Spring 2006. Added to database 1 October 2021.
Documents
Less detail
Collection
Adam Reigart Jr., John S. Murphy Collection
Title
Adam Reigart Jr., John S. Murphy Collection
Object ID
MG0331
Date Range
1762-2003
Wager to children with words of condolence and comfort for the family after the death of Susan, who had been ill. George Wager was asked to bring his sister home to Philadelphia for a few days to rest and grieve. No date. Letter from Philip Wager to Adam Reigart, Jr. informing him of the impending death
  1 document  
Collection
Adam Reigart Jr., John S. Murphy Collection
Title
Adam Reigart Jr., John S. Murphy Collection
Description
The Adam Reigart Jr., John S. Murphy Collection contains correspondence between Adam Reigart, Jr. in Lancaster and Philip Wager in Philadelphia and their families. The letters are primarily from the early nineteenth century and provide information about family illness, travel, visits, business, and family chatter. The receipts and invoices show purchases made in Lancaster and Philadelphia, especially clothing, fabric, dry goods, and meat. The remainder of the collection is made up of newspaper articles, books, and an album of poetry and drawings. The items were housed in a gig trunk which is now in the museum collection.
Admin/Biographical History
Adam Reigart, Jr. (1765-1844) was born in Lancaster. He was the eldest son of Col. Adam Reigart, owner of the Grape Tavern which served as general headquarters during the Revolutionary War. Adam Jr. founded the Reigart Wine Store in 1785 and was in business with Philip Wager in Philadelphia and Philip's son Peter throughout his career. He was the first president of the Lancaster branch of the Bank of Pennsylvania, and was involved with the Conestoga Navigation Company and the Union Fire Company.
Adam Jr. married Mary Magdalena Wager (1772-1806) in 1791. Mary was the daughter of Philip Wager, a Philadelphia wine merchant. They had eight daughters and a son. Susan married Stephen C. Slaymaker and Margaretta married Henry Y. Slaymaker.
Date Range
1762-2003
Year Range From
1762
Year Range To
2003
Date of Accumulation
1762-2003
Creator
Murphy, John Slaughter, 1921-2011
Storage Location
LancasterHistory, Lancaster, PA
Storage Room
Archives South
Storage Wall
Side 08
People
Arnold, Benedict
Baker, W.
Bare, Jacob
Blight, Peter
Boughter, Charles
Breidenhart, George
Brien, Edward
Brown, Luke
Butter, Charles
Cassidy, Edward
Clarke, John
Clendenin, Samuel
Coleman, Edward
Coleman, William
Edwards, Susanna
Ehler, John
Fisher, Sammy
Fox, Sam M.
Frey, John
Gaskill, Edmund
Gay, Edward F.
Getz, John
Givens, John
Graeff, George
Greland, D.
Hahn, B. Christian
Harrison, George
Haverstick, William
Hopkins, A. R.
Hopkins, Ann
Houston, James
Hubley, Frederick
Hubley, Joseph
Hultzheimer, N.
Hyde, Charles
Irving, Robert
Jack, Joshua
Kauffman, Jacob
King, George
Kirkpatrick, William
Kline, Jacob
Lane, John
Leiper, George G.
Lowry, Robert
Lowry, Robert K.
Mayer, George Louis
Metzger, Emanuel
Metzger, George
Metzger, Jacob
Miller, Barbara
Miller, Henry
Miller, Martin
Miller, Philip
Montgomery, William
Morris, John
Mosher, Joseph
Murphy, John Slaughter
Myer, John
Myers, John
Newlin, Nathaniel
Nice, Levi
Nimrod, Maxwell
Ogilby, Joseph
Otto, Jacob S.
Otto, John C.
Pennington, Edward
Peters, Abraham
Phinney, Zina
Price, Joseph
Price, Richard
Reigart, Adam
Reigart, Adam, Jr.
Reigart, Ann
Reigart, Emanuel
Reigart, Henrietta
Reigart, Maria Wager
Reigart, Mary
Reigart, Mary C.
Reigart, Philip Wager
Reigart, Susan
Rimfast, John
Sample, Joseph
Schaubel, Johannis
Sener, Samuel Miller
Sewell, Charles S.
Shaeffer, Jacob
Shenk, Abraham
Shenk, Christian
Shippen, Peggy
Singer, A.
Slaymaker, Henry Edwin
Slaymaker, Mary Steele
Slaymaker, Stephen Cochran
Smith, Ann
Smith, Anthony
Smith, Ralph
Stein, Philip
Steinman, George
Stewart, William
Sullivan, Susannah
Wager, George
Wager, Hannah
Wager, James
Wager, Mary
Wager, Peter
Wager, Philip H.
Wager, Sally
Wager, Sophia
Wager, William
Walsh, Christopher
Wentz, Thomas
Wertz, Christian
Wharton, Charles
Whitaker, George
Whitaker, John
Wimer, Michael
Winroth, Margaret
Witmer, David
Woodmund, William
Yeiser, Philip
Other Creators
Reigart family
Subjects
Clippings (Books, newspapers, etc.)
Invoices
Letters
Obituaries
Receipts (Acknowledgments)
Search Terms
Adam Reigart and Son
Albums
Bethlehem, Pennsylvania
Boston, Massachusetts
Brenner and Reed
Cambridge, Massachusetts
Cape May, New Jersey
Charles C. and J. Watson
Christ Church Burial Ground
Cincinnati, Ohio
Clippings (Books, newspapers, etc.)
Correspondence
Delaware
Dixon Walker and Company
Earp and Brothers
Finding aids
Grape Hotel
Greene County, New York
H. Behlen and Company
Illnesses
Invoices
J. Walker and Company
John Warden and Sons
Kentucky
Lancaster
Lancaster County Almshouse
Lancaster Bar Association
Lancaster Intelligencer
Lancaster Journal
Lancaster New Era
Lancaster Sunday News
Lane Slaymaker and Company
Letters
London, England
Lower Windsor Twp., York County, Pennsylvania
Lowry and Myers
Luzerne County, Pennsylvania
Manuscript groups
Margaretta Furnace
Marietta Bank
Morning News
Mount Auburn Cemetery
New York, New York
Newspaper clippings
Obituaries
Ohio
Pennsylvania German Society
Pensacola, Florida
Peter Wager and Company
Philadelphia Inquirer
Pratt and Kintzing
Race Street
Receipts
Reeve's Tavern
South Carolina
Southwark, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania
Spain
St. James Episcopal Church
Union Fire Company
Vintners
Wager and Company
Washington Fire Company
West Point Military Academy
William Noyes and Company
Wine merchants
York Springs Boarding House
York Springs, York County, Pennsylvania
York, York County, Pennsylvania
Extent
2 boxes, 35 folders, 1.5 cubic ft.
Object Name
Archive
Language
English
Object ID
MG0331
Location of Originals
LancasterHistory, Lancaster, Pennsylvania
Related Item Notes
Gig trunk (2003.078)
Adam Reigart Collection (MG0122)
Notes
Preferred Citation: Title or description of item, date (day, month, year), Adam Reigart Jr., John S. Murphy Collection (MG0331), Folder #, LancasterHistory, Lancaster, Pennsylvania.
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.
Accession Number
2003.078
Other Numbers
MG-331
Classification
MG0331
Description Level
Fonds
Custodial History
Processed and finding aid created by KR. Added to database 8 March 2022.
Documents
Less detail

10 records – page 1 of 1.