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Collection
John Wise and History of Ballooning Collection
Title
John Wise and History of Ballooning Collection
Object ID
MG0019
Date Range
1850-1993
) Letters (LHo-LOC sh 85076240) Search Terms: Aeronautics Air mail service Airships Aviation Clippings (Books, newspapers, etc.) Correspondence Finding aids Hindenburg (Airship) Hot air balloons Letters Manuscript groups Newspaper clippings Obituaries Reconnaissance aircraft �230 North President Avenue
  1 document  
Collection
John Wise and History of Ballooning Collection
Title
John Wise and History of Ballooning Collection
Description
The John Wise and History of Ballooning Collection contains material about John Wise, a pioneering balloonist from Lancaster County, Pennsylvania, and the history of ballooning. Articles written by and about John Wise provide information about the man and his career. The bulk of Series 1 is correspondence, research notes, and drafts of "The John Wise Story," by John H. Andrews. Series 2 contains material about the ballooning hobby, other early aircraft, and the history of air mail.
Admin/Biographical History
As an adventurous and inquisitive young boy, John Wise was drawn to the skies above his native Lancaster County. He was fascinated by aerial pursuits and began to conduct experiments. He tied his cat to his homemade parachute and observed the cat's safe descent from a local church steeple.
A keen interest in ballooning developed and Wise became a famous aeronaut. Although balloon ascensions were common at county fairs and carnivals he had never observed an ascension before he made his first one in Philadelphia in 1835. John Wise completed 462 balloon ascensions including Lancaster ascensions from Penn Square and the prison yard.
In the nineteenth century many ascensions were made just for the novelty of the event, but John Wise's approach was from a scientific perspective. Each ascension gave him a chance to conduct scientific investigations of the atmosphere, pneumatics and hydrostatics.
It also gave him the opportunity to develop a more advanced flying machine. Wise was the first to observe the "great river of air which always blows from west to east" in the higher regions of the atmosphere. Today we call this phenomenon the jet stream. He also developed the ripcord safety mechanism.
John Wise promoted the advantages of balloon transportation. In 1843 he conceived a project for crossing the Atlantic Ocean and asked Congress to appropriate $15,000 for the project. Congress rejected the appropriation. Wise suggested a plan to bomb the Castle at Vera Cruz during the Mexican War and during the Civil War the Bureau of Topographical Engineers requested his services as a balloonist. He is credited with the first airmail transportation in 1859.
Detailed descriptions of his ascensions and experiments are found in his book, Through the Air, published in 1873. The last ascent of John Wise took place on September 29, 1879 from St. Louis, Missouri. This flight ended disastrously in Lake Michigan where his balloon fell and his remains lie.
Prepared by the Lancaster County Historical Society, ca. 1995.
System of Arrangement
This collection is arranged into two series.
Series 1 John Wise
Series 2 History of Ballooning
Date Range
1850-1993
Creation Date
1850-1993
Year Range From
1850
Year Range To
1993
Date of Accumulation
1850-1993
Creator
Andrews, John H.
Storage Location
LancasterHistory, Lancaster, PA
Storage Room
Archives South
Storage Wall
Side 01
People
Albertson, Catherine
Andrews, John Henry
Atkinson, S. C.
Bache, Hartman
Ball, Charles I.
Bartlett, Mrs. R. A.
Batchelder, Robert C.
Beckwith, A.
Beller, William
Black, J. W.
Blanchard, Jean Pierre
Blitzstein, Madelin
Bradbury, Ray
Brown, Elizabeth B.
Bruce, George
Burlingame, Roger
Burr, George
Byars, W. W.
Casey, Louis
Cessna, Clyde
Coffman, Ramon
Cornish, Joseph Jenkins, III
Cox, Palmer
Douty, Esther
Douty, Esther M.
Drepperd, Carl W.
Edwards, Vincent
Elvin, Thomas
Evans, William
Field, Francis J.
Fischer, Hans
Fleck, Glen
French, Melvin
Galzer, Emmett J.
Gambetta, Francis Leon
Greeley, A. W.
Grimm, Janet
Gryzewski, Tad
Halmi, Robert
Harrell, D. Tudor
Hautrive, M.
Hayden, F. Stansbury
Hopkins, Philip S.
Hunt, E. F.
Ingle, Harold E.
Kehr, Ernest A.
Keith, Barbara
Kessler, F. W.
Klein, Frederic S.
Kouwenhoven, John A.
Kreider, Ira
Kriebel, Robert C.
Kriebel, Robert G.
Lamorisse, Albert
LaPaz, Lincoln
Lindbergh, Charles
Lindquist, H. L.
Long, Elmer R.
Lundgren, Laura May Gross
Madsen, Peter
Maier, Alfred D.
Maxwell, George T.
McCloskey, Lores
McDevitt, William
Mills, James
Myers, Wilfred
Naves, Glen W.
Nicklin, John
Pasquarella, Gus
Peers, W.
Prevost, John W.
Roland, John
Rosenfeld, Albert
Sanabria, Nicolas
Schatvet, H. C.
Serviss, Garrett P.
Smith, Philip R., Jr.
Stehling, Kurt R
Steinmetz, Rollin
Stilphen, George F.
Taylor, Florence
Thompson, Howard
Topping, A.D.
Waitt, Robert
Warner, B. H.
Watson, Marion A.
Wetherill, Richard B.
Whipple, A. W.
Wilbur, W. H.
Wise, John
Wiseman, Frederick J.
Wolcott, Charles
Wolf, Constance
Woodruff, J. C.
Wright, Wilbur
Young, Pearl
Other Creators
Lancaster County Historical Society (Pa.)
Subjects
Hot air balloons
Hot air balloons--Launching
Airships
Aeronautics
Letters
Air mail service
Hindenburg (Airship)
Reconnaissance aircraft
Clippings (Books, newspapers, etc.)
Search Terms
Aeronautics
Air mail service
Airships
Aviation
Clippings (Books, newspapers, etc.)
Correspondence
Finding aids
Hindenburg (Airship)
Hot air balloons
Letters
Manuscript groups
Newspaper clippings
Obituaries
Reconnaissance aircraft
Extent
3 boxes, 40 folders, 1 scrapbook, 1 cubic ft.
Object Name
Archive
Language
English
Object ID
MG0019
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-19
Classification
MG0019
Description Level
Fonds
Custodial History
This collection was cataloged prior to 1997; added to database on 28 February 2018.
Documents
Less detail
Collection
Grand Army of the Republic Collection
Title
Grand Army of the Republic Collection
Object ID
MG0017
  1 document  
Collection
Grand Army of the Republic Collection
Title
Grand Army of the Republic Collection
Description
Collection consists of records of the Grand Army of the Republic and allied organizations. Most papers are from G.A.R. Post 478 (Mount Joy) and Post 84 (Lancaster). Included are minute books, burial records, membership applications, correspondence, national and state G.A.R. orders, encampment information, and Post correspondence. Many records are in book form.
Soldiers and sailors honorably discharged from the Army, Navy or Marine Corps of the U.S. who fought in the cause of the Union from Apr. 12, 1861 to Apr. 9, 1865 were eligible to become members of the Grand Army of the Republic. Allied Orders include: Ladies of the Grand Army of the Republic, Woman's Relief Corps, Sons of Veterans U.S.A. (later Sons of Union Veterans of the Civil War) and their Auxiliary, as well as the Daughters of Veterans (later Daughters of Union Veterans of the Civil War).
Creation Date
1861-1931
Year Range From
1861
Year Range To
1931
Date of Accumulation
1861-1931
Creator
Grand Army of the Republic Post 478
Storage Location
LancasterHistory, Lancaster, PA
Storage Room
Archives South
Storage Wall
Side 01
People
Cruikshank, William
Furgeson, Elizabeth
Leach, David
Long, George
Nissley, D. H.
Nissley, David H.
Stephenson, Benjamin F.
Thomas, George H.
Thumb, Tom
Veil, Chas. H.
Wimer, John
Wolf, Joseph
Other Creators
Grand Army of the Republic Post 84; Grand Army of the Republic Post 524.
Subjects
Business records
Grand Army of the Republic
Grand Army of the Republic. Department of Pennsylvania
Ladies of the Grand Army of the Republic
Ladies of the Grand Army of the Republic. Department of Pennsylvania
Sons of Veterans, U.S.A
United States--History--Civil War, 1861-1865
Woman's Relief Corp (U.S.). Department of Pennsylvania
Search Terms
Burial records
Business records
Civil War
Correspondence
Finding aids
Grand Army of the Republic
Iroquois Band
Stork's Orchestra
Ladies of the Grand Army of the Republic
Letters
Lincoln Cemetery
Manuscript groups
Mount Joy Cemetery
Sons of Union Veterans of the Civil War
Woman's Relief Corp (U.S.)
Extent
6 boxes, 56 folders, 24 volumes, 3 cubic ft.
Object Name
Archive
Language
English
Object ID
MG0017
Location of Originals
LancasterHistory (Organization)
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-17
Classification
MG0017
Description Level
Fonds
Custodial History
This collection was cataloged prior to 1997; added to database on 6 March 2018.
Documents
Less detail
Collection
William Raymond Elbert Papers
Title
The William Raymond Elbert Papers
Object ID
MG0784
Date Range
1888-1919
  1 document  
Collection
William Raymond Elbert Papers
Title
The William Raymond Elbert Papers
Description
The William Raymond Elbert Papers collection contains the military materials belonging to William R. Elbert. This includes postcards, military booklets and manuals, certificates and identification. This collection also includes the naturalization paperwork for William R. Elbert's father, Leopold Elbert.
Admin/Biographical History
William Raymond Elbert was born around 1896 to Leopold Elbert and Annie M. Seifert Elbert. He had three siblings, Leopold, John, and Clara. William R. Elbert fought in World War I and survived the war, before coming home in 1919. When he returned, he married Mary Driendl Elbert (1900-1974). Together they had two children, William and Rose. William R. Elbert passed away at the age of 78 years in 1974.
Date Range
1888-1919
Creation Date
1888-1919
Year Range From
1888
Year Range To
1919
Date of Accumulation
1888-1919
Creator
Elbert, William Raymond, 1896-1974
Storage Location
LancasterHistory, Lancaster, PA
Storage Room
Archives South
Storage Wall
Side 15
People
Elbert, Leopold, Jr.
Elbert, Leopold, Sr.
Elbert, Mary Driendl
Elbert, William Raymond
Subjects
Letters
Photographs
Postcards
Real photo postcards
United States. Army
United States. Army. American Expeditionary Forces
World War, 1914-1918
Search Terms
Correspondence
Finding aids
Letters
Manuscript groups
Photographs
Postcards
Real photo postcards
United States Army
United States Army, American Expeditionary Forces
World War I
WWI
Extent
1 box 5 folders, 13 items, 221 pages .5 cubic feet
Object Name
Archive
Language
English
Condition
Good
Condition Date
2019-03-05
Condition Notes
Items in folders 1, 2, 3, and 4 are fragile and need staff supervision.
Object ID
MG0784
Related Item Notes
Medal, Victory banner, insignia, and VFW member cap are in the Curatorial Collection.
World War I Collection, 1916-1972, MG-45
World War I Papers for Frank Schober, MG-797
World War I Papers of Thomas, James, and Victor Kegel, MG-798
Charles E. Schuler Papers, MG-780
William Barlow Papers, MG-781
Military Records for Charles A. Meisenberger, MG-782
Diary Collection, 1836-1978, MG-247
William J. Buch Papers, 1917-1958, MG-658
Additional Notes
Items in folders 1, 2, 3, and 4 need staff supervision.
Access Conditions / Restrictions
Items in folders 1, 2, 3, and 4 need staff supervision. Restrictions noted at the item level. Items in Folders 1, 2, 3, and 4 require staff supervision. 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.
Other Numbers
MG-784
Classification
MG0784
Description Level
Fonds
Custodial History
Processed and finding aid prepared by EM, February 2019.
Documents
Less detail
Collection
Hager Store Collection
Title
Hager Store Collection
Object ID
MG0104
Date Range
1774-1953
Watch Company Invoices Lancaster Agricultural Fair Association Lancaster Free Press Weekly Lancaster New Era Letters Maps N. Trotter and Company Newsletters Newspaper clippings Pennsylvania Railroad Philadelphia Electric Company Postcards Quarter Century Club Receipts Stocks Stores Stores, Retail Taxes
  1 document  
Collection
Hager Store Collection
Title
Hager Store Collection
Description
The Hager Store Collection contains anniversary booklets, invoices, advertisements, family papers, and newsletter of the Hager Department Store which was founded in Lancaster. The collection includes a children's book that was distributed by the store and a Christmas catalog. Among the Hager family papers are deeds, land patents, and probate records.
Date Range
1774-1953
Year Range From
1774
Year Range To
1953
Date of Accumulation
1774-1953
Creator
LancasterHistory (Organization)
Storage Location
LancasterHistory, Lancaster, PA
Storage Room
Archives South
Storage Wall
Side 03
People
Arnold, Anna
Arnold, Frank W.
Cain, James M.
Cain, Kathryn
Conyngham, David H.
Dehaven, J. Harry
Demuth, Jacob
Diller, Isaac
Dowd, M. Jane
Dubbs, T. Wilson
Frey, Caroline
Frey, Jacob L.
Frosart, John
Gast, Emma L.
Gast, Henry
Graybill, Daniel
Hager, Anne Graham
Hager, Betty Rick
Hager, Charles F.
Hager, Christopher
Hager, Edward T.
Hager, Frances
Hager, Helen R.
Hager, John C.
Hager, John C., Jr.
Hager, John J.
Hager, Katherine
Hager, Margaret H.
Hager, Mary W.
Hager, Nathaniel E.
Hager, Redmond
Hager, Sarah Ellen
Hager, Susan B.
Hager, William H.
Hager, William H., Jr.
Hamilton, Margaret
Hartman, Annie M.
Hartman, George H.
Herr, Alice
Herr, C. S.
Herr, Magdalena
Herr, Rudolph
Hull, William
Keller, H.
Landis, Jacob
Lefevre, Mrs.
Miller, Charles
Randolph, Grace Lee
Randolph, John H.
Randolph, Margaret H.
Reigart, E. L.
Roy, Sue
Slaymaker, Henry
Stark, Martin N.
Steinman, George Michael
Stewart, Charles
Weber, George
Wentz, Jacob H.
Zimmerman, Mary Regina Malone
Zimmerman, Simon Ralph
Subjects
Catalogs
Deeds
Department stores
Probate records
Stores, Retail
Search Terms
Advertisements
Anniversaries
Business Historical Society Bulletin
Catalogs
Deeds
Department stores
Express (Lititz)
Financial records
Finding aids
Frank T. Riley Publishing Company
Fulton Theatre
Hager's Department Store
Hamilton Watch Company
Invoices
Lancaster Agricultural Fair Association
Lancaster Free Press Weekly
Lancaster New Era
Letters
Manuscript groups
Maps
N. Trotter and Company
Newsletters
Newspaper clippings
Pennsylvania Railroad
Philadelphia Electric Company
Postcards
Quarter Century Club
Receipts
Stocks
Stores
Stores, Retail
Taxes
UGI Corporation
Wills
Wondertown
Extent
2 boxes, 37 folders, 1 framed document, 1 cubic ft.
Object Name
Archive
Language
English
Object ID
MG0104
Location of Originals
LancasterHistory, Lancaster, Pennsylvania
Notes
Preferred Citation: Title or description of item, date (day, month, year), Collection Title (MG#), Box #, Folder #, (or Object ID), LancasterHistory, Lancaster, Pennsylvania. URL if applicable. Date accessed (day, month, year).
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
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.
Other Numbers
MG-104
Classification
MG0104
Description Level
Fonds
Custodial History
Recataloged by MM, Summer 2011. Added to database 7 February 2019.
Documents
Less detail
Collection
John Leonard Ellmaker Collection
Title
John Leonard Ellmaker Collection
Object ID
MG0071
Date Range
1726-1922
Margaretta Haverstick, H. B. Hoofgardner, Ferdinand Hornberger, Maria Hubbard, Elbert Huston, R. M. Koning, P. Mayor, Robert Moor, John Nicolaas, I. Pancoast, Dr. Schnierer, Jacob Snyder, Edwin L. Snyder, John A. Snyder, Mrs. Edwin L. Subjects: Clippings (Books, newspapers, etc.) Deeds Family records
  1 document  
Collection
John Leonard Ellmaker Collection
Title
John Leonard Ellmaker Collection
Description
Collection of Ellmaker family papers, including original papers of the first immigrant, John Leonard Ellmaker of Germany. Papers include correspondence, genealogy charts, deeds and legal papers. newspaper clippings, photographs, articles on Jacob Eichholtz, and a diploma and teachers' certificate. There is also a blank book with paper made at Ephrata Cloister in 1796.
Date Range
1726-1922
Year Range From
1726
Year Range To
1922
Date of Accumulation
1726-1922
Creator
Ellmaker family
Storage Location
LancasterHistory, Lancaster, PA
Storage Room
Archives South
Storage Wall
Side 02
People
Cochran, Thomas B.
Eichholtz, Jacob
Elder, Thomas
Ellmaker, Alfred
Ellmaker, Amos
Ellmaker, Ana Margareta
Ellmaker, Benjamin Ellmaker
Ellmaker, E. Ben
Ellmaker, Edgar O.
Ellmaker, Elizabeth
Ellmaker, Enos
Ellmaker, John Leonard
Ellmaker, John Watson
Ellmaker, Leonard
Ellmaker, Lucy H.
Ellmaker, Nathaniel
Ellmaker, Thomas
Graunnon, Christiana Margaretta
Haverstick, H. B.
Hoofgardner, Ferdinand
Hornberger, Maria
Hubbard, Elbert
Huston, R. M.
Koning, P.
Mayor, Robert
Moor, John
Nicolaas, I.
Pancoast, Dr.
Schnierer, Jacob
Snyder, Edwin L.
Snyder, John A.
Snyder, Mrs. Edwin L.
Other Creators
Ellmaker, John Leonard
Subjects
Clippings (Books, newspapers, etc.)
Deeds
Family records
Genealogy
Letters
Marriage records
Stocks
Wills
Search Terms
Aoelian Hall
Carnegie Hall
Clippings (Books, newspapers, etc.)
Correspondence
Deeds
Ephrata Cloister
Family records
Finding aids
Genealogy
Jefferson Medical College of Philadelphia
Letters
Manuscript groups
Marriage records
Metropolitan Opera House
Newspaper clippings
Obituaries
Philharmonic Society of New York
Roycroft
Stocks
Wills
Extent
2 boxes, 58 folders, 1 cubic ft.
Object Name
Archive
Language
English, German, Dutch
Object ID
MG0071
Location of Originals
LancasterHistory, Lancaster, Pennsylvania
Related Item Notes
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. URL if applicable. Date accessed (day, month, year).
Access Conditions / Restrictions
No restrictions. Please request at Reference Desk or 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.
Classification
MG0071
Description Level
Fonds
Custodial History
Cataloged prior to 1997. Added to database 23 October 2018.
Documents
Less detail
Collection
General Thomas Welsh Family Papers
Title
General Thomas Welsh Family Papers, Series E Post Civil War
Object ID
MG0828_SeriesE
Date Range
1866-1925
Collection
General Thomas Welsh Family Papers
Title
General Thomas Welsh Family Papers, Series E Post Civil War
Description
The General Thomas Welsh Family Papers, Series E is a collection of eight documents, which covers the years 1866 through 1925 and consists primarily of recollections by various family members of the life of Thomas Welsh. The series also includes a family history and poems written by Thomas Welsh and his daughter Effie Welsh.
Admin/Biographical History
Thomas Welsh (1824-1863) was a Lancaster County native (born and raised in Columbia), who rose from hardscrabble origins to local fame, first as a Mexican War hero, and then as a brigadier general during the Civil War. He was well known and well respected as a no nonsense officer, for his leadership and gallantry in battle, for his dedication to the service of his country, and for his concern for the welfare of his men.
Welsh lost his father at the age of 2, and went to work to support his family at age 8. He had very little formal schooling, and was largely self-educated. In 1843, at age 19, he left Lancaster County for Washington City, then went west as an itinerant carpenter/laborer to Cincinnati, Little Rock, and Fort Smith.
When the Mexican War broke out in 1846, he enlisted in a Kentucky regiment, and was severely wounded at the battle of Buena Vista (1847) from which he never fully recovered. Returning home to Columbia, he re-enlisted as a second lieutenant, assigned to the 11th U.S. infantry regiment in Mexico City. Within days of his arrival in Mexico City, he was declared unfit for service on account of his battle wound, and sent home again.
Back in Columbia as a civilian, he dabbled in politics, and received a patronage job in the Pennsylvania Main Line of Public Works (the rail and canal system connecting Philadelphia and Pittsburgh). After several years, he opened up a grocery and dry goods store in Columbia's canal basin. He also became an insurance agent. In 1857, he was elected Justice of the Peace, and his reputation grew as a community leader. By 1860, he was president of the Borough Council, a founding member of the Columbia Board of Trade, Vice President of the Columbia Cricket Club, and a canal boat operator, in addition to a dry goods merchant, insurance agent, and Justice of the Peace. He had a wife, 5 surviving children, and legal guardianship of his sister's 4 children.
When Confederate forces shelled Fort Sumter, marking the beginning of the Civil War, Thomas Welsh raised and organized the first company of volunteers from Lancaster County, and took them into the field as their Captain. Within days, he was promoted to Lieutenant Colonel of the regiment, which served out its 90-day enlistment in the Shenandoah Valley.
Returning to Harrisburg, he was appointed Commandant of Camp Curtin, the problem-plagued processing center for new recruits. In short order, Welsh cleaned up the camp's poor sanitary conditions, improved the health of the camp, and implemented soldierly discipline and training.
In October 1861, he resigned from his camp duties, and as Colonel of the 45th Pennsylvania, led his regiment into the field. After brief service outside of Washington, they were sent to South Carolina in December, where they were posted to Otter Island. After the battle of James Island, they were recalled to Newport News, in July 1862, then sent to guard Aquia Creek.
In September, now in brigade command in Burnsides' 9th Corps, Welsh chased Lee's Confederate army west into central Maryland. His brigade broke the enemy line in Fox's Gap, on Sept. 14, then 3 days later achieved the furthest Union advance at Antietam, reaching the edge of Sharpsburg, and nearly cutting off Lee's only avenue of escape. Welsh's gallantry earned him a field promotion to brigadier general, which Congress confirmed on March 13, 1863.
The 9th Corps (Welsh now in command of the 1st Division) was sent west in the spring of 1863, then dispatched south to support Grant's investment of Vicksburg. After Vicksburg fell, they turned east and defeated Confederate General Johnston at the Battle of Jackson. Welsh contracted malaria in the southern swamps, and died in Cincinnati upon their return north. One of his men later recalled, "Had he lived, Welsh would undoubtedly have attained a much higher command. 1
1. Beauge, Eugene, in Albert, Allen D., Ed., History of the Forty-Fifth Regiment Pennsylvania Veteran Volunteer Infantry 1861-1865, Williamsport, PA: Grit Publ. Co, 1912, p. 79.
System of Arrangement
The collection is arranged in series:
Series A Thomas Welsh before the Mexican War
Series B Mexican War, 1846-1848
Series C Between the Mexican War and the Civil War, 1848-1861
Series D Civil War
Series E Post-Civil War
Series F Miscellaneous Family Papers
Series G Papers from the families of Gen. Thomas Welsh and Blanton C. Welsh
Date Range
1866-1925
Creation Date
1866-1925
Year Range From
1866
Year Range To
1925
Creator
Wiggin, Richard C.
Storage Location
LancasterHistory, Lancaster, PA
Storage Room
Archives South
Storage Wall
Side 19
Storage Container
Box 0001
People
Welsh, Thomas
Subjects
Autobiographies
Letters
Mexican War, 1846-1848
Poetry
United States--History--Civil War, 1861-1865
Search Terms
Autobiographies
Civil War
Family history
Genealogy
Letters
Mexican War
Poetry
Extent
8 folders
Object Name
Archive
Language
English
Condition
Poor to excellent
Condition Date
2020-12-29
Parent Object ID
MG0828
Object ID
MG0828_SeriesE
Notes
Added to PP 12/29/2020 by HST
Provenance: Most items passed down through the family, Blanton Charles Welsh to Emilie Benson (Welsh) Wiggin to Nancy Jane (Wiggin) Townsend. Acquired from: Chuck Townsend, Knoxville, Tennessee, 2016/05/15.
Access Conditions / Restrictions
Please use digital images and transcriptions when available. Original documents may be used by appointment. Please 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. Some items are photocopies from other collections--researchers must obtain permission for reproduction and publication from the owner of the original material.
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.
Classification
MG0828
Description Level
Series
Custodial History
Organized by Richard C. Wiggin prior to donation.
Less detail
Collection
General Thomas Welsh Family Papers
Title
General Thomas Welsh Family Papers, Series F Miscellaneous Family Papers
Object ID
MG0828_SeriesF
Date Range
1815-1938
Collection
General Thomas Welsh Family Papers
Title
General Thomas Welsh Family Papers, Series F Miscellaneous Family Papers
Description
The General Thomas Welsh Family Papers, Series F is a collection of documents, newspapers, and newspaper clippings that covers the years 1815 through 1929, as well as genealogy and ephemera from the Welsh family Bible from 1850 through 1938. The series also includes two scrapbooks - the first contains articles from the late nineteenth century pertaining to Thomas Welsh and his family; the second contains newspaper articles and ephemera related to Thomas Welsh and his family from 1854 through 1936.
Admin/Biographical History
Thomas Welsh (1824-1863) was a Lancaster County native (born and raised in Columbia), who rose from hardscrabble origins to local fame, first as a Mexican War hero, and then as a brigadier general during the Civil War. He was well known and well respected as a no nonsense officer, for his leadership and gallantry in battle, for his dedication to the service of his country, and for his concern for the welfare of his men.
Welsh lost his father at the age of 2, and went to work to support his family at age 8. He had very little formal schooling, and was largely self-educated. In 1843, at age 19, he left Lancaster County for Washington City, then went west as an itinerant carpenter/laborer to Cincinnati, Little Rock, and Fort Smith.
When the Mexican War broke out in 1846, he enlisted in a Kentucky regiment, and was severely wounded at the battle of Buena Vista (1847) from which he never fully recovered. Returning home to Columbia, he re-enlisted as a second lieutenant, assigned to the 11th U.S. infantry regiment in Mexico City. Within days of his arrival in Mexico City, he was declared unfit for service on account of his battle wound, and sent home again.
Back in Columbia as a civilian, he dabbled in politics, and received a patronage job in the Pennsylvania Main Line of Public Works (the rail and canal system connecting Philadelphia and Pittsburgh). After several years, he opened up a grocery and dry goods store in Columbia's canal basin. He also became an insurance agent. In 1857, he was elected Justice of the Peace, and his reputation grew as a community leader. By 1860, he was president of the Borough Council, a founding member of the Columbia Board of Trade, Vice President of the Columbia Cricket Club, and a canal boat operator, in addition to a dry goods merchant, insurance agent, and Justice of the Peace. He had a wife, 5 surviving children, and legal guardianship of his sister's 4 children.
When Confederate forces shelled Fort Sumter, marking the beginning of the Civil War, Thomas Welsh raised and organized the first company of volunteers from Lancaster County, and took them into the field as their Captain. Within days, he was promoted to Lieutenant Colonel of the regiment, which served out its 90-day enlistment in the Shenandoah Valley.
Returning to Harrisburg, he was appointed Commandant of Camp Curtin, the problem-plagued processing center for new recruits. In short order, Welsh cleaned up the camp's poor sanitary conditions, improved the health of the camp, and implemented soldierly discipline and training.
In October 1861, he resigned from his camp duties, and as Colonel of the 45th Pennsylvania, led his regiment into the field. After brief service outside of Washington, they were sent to South Carolina in December, where they were posted to Otter Island. After the battle of James Island, they were recalled to Newport News, in July 1862, then sent to guard Aquia Creek.
In September, now in brigade command in Burnsides' 9th Corps, Welsh chased Lee's Confederate army west into central Maryland. His brigade broke the enemy line in Fox's Gap, on Sept. 14, then 3 days later achieved the furthest Union advance at Antietam, reaching the edge of Sharpsburg, and nearly cutting off Lee's only avenue of escape. Welsh's gallantry earned him a field promotion to brigadier general, which Congress confirmed on March 13, 1863.
The 9th Corps (Welsh now in command of the 1st Division) was sent west in the spring of 1863, then dispatched south to support Grant's investment of Vicksburg. After Vicksburg fell, they turned east and defeated Confederate General Johnston at the Battle of Jackson. Welsh contracted malaria in the southern swamps, and died in Cincinnati upon their return north. One of his men later recalled, "Had he lived, Welsh would undoubtedly have attained a much higher command. 1
1. Beauge, Eugene, in Albert, Allen D., Ed., History of the Forty-Fifth Regiment Pennsylvania Veteran Volunteer Infantry 1861-1865, Williamsport, PA: Grit Publ. Co, 1912, p. 79.
System of Arrangement
The collection is arranged in series:
Series A Thomas Welsh before the Mexican War
Series B Mexican War, 1846-1848
Series C Between the Mexican War and the Civil War, 1848-1861
Series D Civil War
Series E Post-Civil War
Series F Miscellaneous Family Papers
Series G Papers from the families of Gen. Thomas Welsh and Blanton C. Welsh
Date Range
1815-1938
Creation Date
1815-1938
Year Range From
1815
Year Range To
1938
Creator
Wiggin, Richard C.
Storage Location
LancasterHistory, Lancaster, PA
Storage Room
Archives South
Storage Wall
Side 19
Storage Container
Box 0001
People
Welsh, Thomas
Subjects
Condolence notes
Letters
Genealogy
United States--History--Civil War, 1861-1865
Mexican War, 1846-1848
Search Terms
Condolence notes
Letters
Correspondence
Mexican War
Genealogy
Civil War
Extent
35 folders
Object Name
Archive
Language
English
Condition
Poor to excellent
Condition Date
2020-12-29
Parent Object ID
MG0828
Object ID
MG0828_SeriesF
Notes
Added to PP 12/29/2020 by HST
Provenance: Passed down through the family, Blanton Charles Welsh to Emilie Benson (Welsh) Wiggin to Nancy Jane (Wiggin) Townsend.~~Acquired from: Chuck Townsend, Knoxville, Tennessee, 2016/05/15.
In Boxes 1 and 2
Access Conditions / Restrictions
Please use digital images and transcriptions when available. Original documents may be used by appointment. Please 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. Some items are photocopies from other collections--researchers must obtain permission for reproduction and publication from the owner of the original material.
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.
Classification
MG0828
Description Level
Series
Custodial History
Folders 1-35 organized by Richard C. Wiggin prior to donation.
Less detail
Collection
Brinton Family Collection
Title
Brinton Family Collection
Object ID
MG0038
Date Range
1808-1946
  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
Diffenderffer Family Papers
Title
Diffenderffer Family Papers
Object ID
MG0410
Date Range
1691-1963
, Pennsylvania 17603-3125 717.392.4633 • www.LancasterHistory.org Search Terms: Clippings (Books, newspapers, etc.) Conestoga River Correspondence Deeds Drowning Earl Twp. England Estate settlement Finding aids German Reformed Church of New Holland Haupt Elementary School Hutchings Printing House King Street
  1 document  
Collection
Diffenderffer Family Papers
Title
Diffenderffer Family Papers
Description
The Diffenderffer Family Papers collection contains items that have been passed down through generations of the Diffenderffer family. Deeds for tracts of land in New Holland date back to the creation of New Design, the village that preceded New Holland. Correspondence and some manuscripts pertain to J. P. McCaskey's life and accomplishments. F. R. Diffenderffer's manuscripts on Easter Day and Conrad Weiser are preserved with this collection, as well as poems, a program for the C. Elvin Haupt School, and a claim of F. R. Diffenderffer & Co. against the State of Texas.
Date Range
1691-1963
Year Range From
1691
Year Range To
1963
Date of Accumulation
1691-1963
Creator
Diffenderffer family
Storage Location
LancasterHistory, Lancaster, PA
Storage Room
Archives South
Storage Wall
Side 10
People
Brubaker, John
Brubaker, Margaret
Brubaker, Philip
Davis, Sarah
Diffenderfer, David
Diffenderfer, Elizabeth Shirk
Diffenderfer, John
Diffenderffer, Christina
Diffenderffer, David
Diffenderffer, David, Sr.
Diffenderffer, Fianna L. Lutz
Diffenderffer, Frank Ried
Diffenderffer, Harold F.
Diffenderffer, John, Jr.
Diffenderffer, John, Sr.
Diffenderffer, Margaretta Stein
Diffenderffer, Michael
Freymyer, Jacob
Grim, Henry
Haupt, Charles Elvin
Hoch, Herman E.
Holl, Wendel
Hubley, Bernard
Kennerly, John
Kinzer, John
Kinzer, Magdalena
Koch, Mary
Koch, Melchior
Law, James D.
Markley, Henry
McCaskey, Donald G.
McCaskey, John Piersol "Jack"
Nevin, Blanche
Painter, John
Penn, William
Rodman, John H.
Shirk, Henry
Smith, Oliver
Smith, William Evans
Sneider, Christian
Stone, David
Stone, George
Stone, Leonard
Stone, Mary
Sutton, Mary A. Diffenderffer
Thomson, Bill "Tommy"
Winter, John
Young, Matthias
Other Creators
Diffenderffer, Fianna L. Lutz, 1918-2009
Diffenderffer, David
Subjects
Deeds
Letters
Real property
Search Terms
Clippings (Books, newspapers, etc.)
Conestoga River
Correspondence
Deeds
Drowning
Earl Twp.
England
Estate settlement
Finding aids
German Reformed Church of New Holland
Haupt Elementary School
Hutchings Printing House
King Street
Lancaster
Land drafts
Lemon Street School
Letters
Manuscript groups
Mortgages
New Design, Earl Twp.
New Holland
Newspaper clippings
Programs
Real estate
Real property surveys
Reigart's Landing
Susquehanna River
Texas
Texas Frontier Forces
Windsor Forge
Extent
1 box, 23 folders, .5 cubic ft.
Object Name
Archive
Language
English
Object ID
MG0410
Location of Originals
LancasterHistory, Lancaster, Pennsylvania
Notes
Preferred Citation: Title or description of item, date (day, month, year), Collection Title (MG#), Folder #, (or Object ID), LancasterHistory, Lancaster, Pennsylvania. URL if applicable. Date accessed (day, month, year).
Deeds in folders 1-18 were a gift of Fianna Diffenderffer and the Diffenderffer family, 4 November 2006.
Items in folders 19-23 were a gift from her nephew, David Diffenderffer, 14 August 2006.
Access Conditions / Restrictions
Restrictions are noted at the item level--please use photocopies or transcriptions for those items. Other original documents may be used by researchers--contact Research@LancasterHistory.org prior to visit or request at 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 collection 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
2006.MG0410_NOV
Other Numbers
MG-410
Classification
MG0410
Description Level
Fonds
Custodial History
Cataloged by HST, November 2008. Added to database 28 July 2021.
Documents
Less detail
Collection
John Leaman Collection
Title
John Leaman Collection
Object ID
MG0274
Date Range
1865-1898
and Company Business records Columbia Correspondence Crops Envelopes Everts and Overdeer F. M. and H. Brooke Farm produce Finding aids First National Bank of Strasburg Friedenthal George Cookman and Company Grain trade Harbert and Raymond James C. Walker and Son Kennedy, Eckert and Company Lancaster
  1 document  
Collection
John Leaman Collection
Title
John Leaman Collection
Description
The John Leaman Collection consists primarily of letters between John Leaman of Leaman Place and businesses in Philadelphia regarding produce and grain markets and prices.
System of Arrangement
Arranged chronologically.
Date Range
1865-1898
Year Range From
1865
Year Range To
1898
Date of Accumulation
1865-1898
Creator
Leaman, John
Storage Location
LancasterHistory, Lancaster, PA
Storage Room
Archives South
Storage Wall
Side 08
People
Baumgardner, H.
Bruner, H. F.
Bushong, Viola
Eberman, E. M.
Ellmaker, Nathaniel
Herr, Calvin A.
Herr, J. F.
Leaman, A.
Leaman, Henry
Leaman, John
Leaman, Joseph H.
Leaman, Mary E.
Leaman, William
Lefevre, C. H.
Rakestraw, Charles J.
Seldomridge, J. F.
Shuey, D. B.
Thomas, W. B.
Thomas, William B.
Witmer, John S.
Woods, John N.
Subjects
Business records
Crops
Farm produce
Grain trade
Letters
Produce trade
Search Terms
Agriculture
Bitners and Company
Business records
Columbia
Correspondence
Crops
Envelopes
Everts and Overdeer
F. M. and H. Brooke
Farm produce
Finding aids
First National Bank of Strasburg
Friedenthal
George Cookman and Company
Grain trade
Harbert and Raymond
James C. Walker and Son
Kennedy, Eckert and Company
Lancaster County Mutual Insurance Company
Leaman Place, Paradise Twp.
Letters
Manuscript groups
McCallum and Sloan
Newberry Brothers
Prices
Princeton, New Jersey
Produce trade
Thomas, Mason and Company
Trout and Miller
Extent
1 box, 8 folders, .5 cubic ft.
Object Name
Archive
Language
English
Object ID
MG0274
Location of Originals
LancasterHistory, Lancaster, Pennsylvania
Notes
Preferred Citation: Title or description of item, date (day, month, year), Collection Title (MG#), Folder #, (or Object ID), LancasterHistory, Lancaster, Pennsylvania. URL if applicable. Date accessed (day, month, year).
Access Conditions / Restrictions
Original documents may be used by researchers--contact Research@LancasterHistory.org prior to visit or request at Reference Desk.
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.
Other Numbers
MG-274
Classification
MG0274
Description Level
Fonds
Custodial History
Added to database 9 September 2021.
Documents
Less detail

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