Specifications for repairs to bridges in Repair Zone F
Description
Document type: Specifications for repairs to bridges in Repair Zone F.
1. Octoraro No. 1
[Sadsbury Twp. and West Fallowfield Twp., Chester County]
Location: At Steeleville, Sadsbury Twp.
2. Octoraro No. 1.5
Location: At Ross' Fording.
3. Andrew's Bridge
[Colerain Twp. and Upper Oxford Twp., Chester County]
4. Newcomer's Bridge, also known as Octoraro No. 5 [?]
5. Octoraro No. 3
Location: Over Octoraro Creek at Bell Bank, Colerain Twp.
6. Worth's Bridge, also known as Octoraro No. 5 [?]
[Colerain Twp. and Lower Oxford Twp., Chester County]
Admin/Biographical History
Papers filed for construction and repair of bridges. The types of petitions presented to the Court of Quarter Sessions include: petitions for bridge construction and repair, petitions for inspections, and petitions for bridge funds. Other types of items include: specifications, proposals, and contracts for bridge construction and repair; bridge blueprints and plans; correspondence; bills for materials; and bridge condition reports. Many papers show date; court term and case number; names of petitioners, viewers, inspectors, and contractors; costs and fees; location of bridge; and name or number of bridge. The order and report of viewers documents are of particular interest as they usually include a copy of the original petition; the order and names of viewers to inspect the site; the public announcement for the viewers meeting; the report and recommendation of viewers, often with a drawing of the site and surrounding area; and the court decision.
System of Arrangement
Records are arranged by township, then chronologically within each township.
Papers filed for construction and repair of bridges. The types of petitions presented to the Court of Quarter Sessions include: petitions for bridge construction and repair, petitions for inspections, and petitions for bridge funds. Other types of items include: specifications, proposals, and contracts for bridge construction and repair; bridge blueprints and plans; correspondence; bills for materials; and bridge condition reports. Many papers show date; court term and case number; names of petitioners, viewers, inspectors, and contractors; costs and fees; location of bridge; and name or number of bridge. The order and report of viewers documents are of particular interest as they usually include a copy of the original petition; the order and names of viewers to inspect the site; the public announcement for the viewers meeting; the report and recommendation of viewers, often with a drawing of the site and surrounding area; and the court decision.
System of Arrangement
Records are arranged by township, then chronologically within each township.
Papers filed for construction and repair of bridges. The types of petitions presented to the Court of Quarter Sessions include: petitions for bridge construction and repair, petitions for inspections, and petitions for bridge funds. Other types of items include: specifications, proposals, and contracts for bridge construction and repair; bridge blueprints and plans; correspondence; bills for materials; and bridge condition reports. Many papers show date; court term and case number; names of petitioners, viewers, inspectors, and contractors; costs and fees; location of bridge; and name or number of bridge. The order and report of viewers documents are of particular interest as they usually include a copy of the original petition; the order and names of viewers to inspect the site; the public announcement for the viewers meeting; the report and recommendation of viewers, often with a drawing of the site and surrounding area; and the court decision.
System of Arrangement
Records are arranged by township, then chronologically within each township.
This record group contains canceled orders that were issued by the county commissioners for payment to be made by the county treasurer. The orders show date, order number, amount, name of payee, purpose, and signatures of the county commissioners. In the case of "poor children," teachers were reimbursed by the county for tuition and/or the supplies purchased for students whose parents were unable to pay. Orders include: Poor Children, Almshouse, Bridges, Coroners' Inquests, Prisons, Roads, Court House, and Tax Exonerations.
System of Arrangement
The record group is organized chronologically, then arranged by order number within each year.
This collection contains Thomas Baker's three surveying books which document land and property ownership in southern Lancaster County, primarily Colerain Township from 1856-1902. Octorara Creek, Kirkwood, Christiana and Upper Oxford Twp. are among the place names.
Admin/Biographical History
Thomas Baker traces his ancestry back to Sir Richard Baker (1568), born in the county of Kent, England. In 1685, seven generations before Thomas Baker was born, Joseph Baker immigrated to Delaware County, Pennsylvania. Born in Chatham, Chester County to Lewis and Diana Baker, Thomas was well-educated; a teacher until 1840, when he commenced the study of surveying. Land surveying is the location of points on, above and below the surface of the earth and the relation of those points to a common reference system. Employed at Jonathon Goss, at Unionville Academy in Chester, he surveyed over 650 farms in Lancaster County's Colerain Township. He married in 1855; his family adhering to his Quaker faith. The Biographical Annals in Lancaster, published in 1903, describes Baker as "…a man esteemed by his neighbors for his many good qualities and excellent character, and in disposition he is a man of warm heart and kindly feeling."
The Coulter and Hepler Land Records contain property records for land in southeastern Lancaster County that once belonged to the Reids, Coulters, and Heplers. The records include deeds, land drafts, and articles of agreement. There is also a desk blotter for I. P. Hepler.
Admin/Biographical History
Walter R. and Esther E. Hepler (parents of donor) purchased a farm from R. M. Coulter in 1929. The farm was located in Bart Twp. and Colerain Twp. with an address of 113 Rosedale Road, Quarryville. In the early 1930s, Walter was injured in a farm accident and the family had to sell the farm in a sheriff's sale. They subsequently lived with Esther's parents and helped on their farm, earning 50¢ per week plus meals and shelter. Somehow, Walter was able to keep the family's truck through these difficult times.
He later was employed as manager at the Capital Theatre in Lancaster where he earned $14.75 per week. He moved the family into a three-story house in Lancaster with indoor plumbing and electricity, which was an exciting change for the children-James and his sister, Dorothy. As the U.S. emerged from the Depression and entered World War II, Walter used his carpentry skills to obtain a position in the shipyards and earned $2.37½ per day. James Hepler retired from Trojan Yachts as a boat-builder.
Preferred Citation: Title or description of item, date (day, month, year), Coulter and Hepler Land Records (MG0426), 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.