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The 200th Anniversary - Swamp Reformed Church (Evangelical and Reformed) Blainsport, Lancaster County, Pennsylvania

https://collections.lancasterhistory.org/en/permalink/lhdo15896
Corporate Author
Swamp Reformed Church (Blainsport, Pa.)
Date of Publication
1949]
Call Number
285.8 T974
More detail
Corporate Author
Swamp Reformed Church (Blainsport, Pa.)
Place of Publication
[S.l
Publisher
s.n.,
Date of Publication
1949]
Physical Description
[24] p. : ill., ports. ; 24 cm.
Subjects
Swamp Reformed Church (Blainsport, Pa.) - Anniversaries, etc.
Blainsport (Pa.) - Church history.
Location
Lancaster History Library - Lancaster County
Call Number
285.8 T974
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Abstracts of Snyder county probate and Orphans court records (1772-1855)

https://collections.lancasterhistory.org/en/permalink/lhdo7362
Author
Fisher, Charles Adam,
Date of Publication
1940]
Call Number
974.849 F533
More detail
Responsibility
by Dr. Charles A. Fisher...
Author
Fisher, Charles Adam,
Place of Publication
[Selinsgrove? Pa
Date of Publication
1940]
Physical Description
1 p.l., 77 numb. l., 9 l. 28 x 22 cm.
Notes
Mimeographed.
Subjects
Wills - Pennsylvania - Snyder County.
Court records - Pennsylvania - Snyder County.
Additional Corporate Author
Pennsylvania. Orphans' Court (Snyder County)
Location
Lancaster History Library - Book
Call Number
974.849 F533
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Alexander James Dallas, lawyer, politician, financier, 1759-1817

https://collections.lancasterhistory.org/en/permalink/lhdo3904
Author
Walters, Ray,
Date of Publication
1943.
Call Number
923.4 D145
More detail
Responsibility
by Raymond Walters, Jr.
Author
Walters, Ray,
Place of Publication
Philadelphia
Publisher
University of Pennsylvania Press,
Date of Publication
1943.
Physical Description
vi p., 1 β., 251 p. front. (port.) 21 cm.
Series
Pennsylvania lives
Notes
Without thesis note.
"Bibliographical note": p. 239-243.
Subjects
Dallas, Alexander James, - 1759-1817.
Pennsylvania - Politics and government - 1775-1865.
United States - Politics and government - 1789-1809.
United States - Politics and government - 1809-1817.
Location
Lancaster History Library - Book
Call Number
923.4 D145
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American Revolutionary soldiers of Franklin County, Pennsylvania

https://collections.lancasterhistory.org/en/permalink/lhdo2182
Author
Fendrick, Virginia Shannon.
Date of Publication
1944
Call Number
974.844 F331
More detail
Responsibility
compiled by Virginia Shannon Fendrick for the Franklin County, chapter Daughters of the American Revolution, Chambersburg, Penna.
Author
Fendrick, Virginia Shannon.
Place of Publication
Chambersburg, Pa
Publisher
Historical Works Committee of the Franklin County Chapter,
Date of Publication
1944
Physical Description
295 p. : ill. ; 26 cm.
Subjects
Franklin County (Pa.) - Biography.
United States - History - Revolution, 1775-1783 - Registers, lists, etc.
Pennsylvania - History - Revolution, 1775-1783 - Registers, lists, etc.
Additional Corporate Author
Daughters of the American Revolution. Pennsylvania. Franklin County Chapter, Chambersburg.
Location
Lancaster History Library - Book
Call Number
974.844 F331
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Archive

https://collections.lancasterhistory.org/en/permalink/927416c2-3529-4005-b0d1-373765594842
Collection
Archive of Alice P. Fordney
Title
Archive of Alice P. Fordney
Object ID
HC0001
Date Range
1905-1974
and family; hooked rug patterns; and antiques sale flyers from the early 20th century. Also included in the collection are newspaper clippings, including the obituary of Fordney's sister Ellen Franklin; reference material for rug making and interior design (informational sheets, books and patterns
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Collection
Archive of Alice P. Fordney
Title
Archive of Alice P. Fordney
Description
This collection contains ephemera related to Alice Potter Fordney, antiques dealer and rugmaker. Items in the collection include business correspondence with Armstrong, F. Schumacher & Co., and the Montclair art museum; personal correspondence with friends and family; hooked rug patterns; and antiques sale flyers from the early 20th century. Also included in the collection are newspaper clippings, including the obituary of Fordney's sister Ellen Franklin; reference material for rug making and interior design (informational sheets, books and patterns); several items related to the Yeates School, which Fordney's brother William Bush Fordney attended; several photographs of unidentified persons; and a statement related to the will of William J. Fordney, her uncle.
Admin/Biographical History
Alice Potter Fordney was born June 21, 1887 in Lancaster, the daughter of Ida Cox and Thomas Potter Fordney. A prominent antique dealer from the late 1920s to her retirement in 1965, Fordney also made and sold hooked rugs.
Fordney's family features prominently in Lancaster County history. Her maternal great-grandfather was John Michael, who owned the historic Grape Hotel from 1805-1839. Fordney's paternal great-grandfather William Jenkins built Wheatland in 1828 and later sold the property to President James Buchanan. Colonel William Bush Fordney, her paternal grandfather, was a prominent lawyer in Lancaster. He served as district attorney from 1839-1845 and negotiated for the loan that enabled Lancaster city to build the "water works" in the 1830s. Sarah Cox, her maternal grandmother, was a known philanthropist and for years helped to manage the Home for Friendless Children in Lancaster. Her sister, Ellen Fordney Franklin, was a "pioneer" in the industry of women's knit suits, opening her first shop in 1929 in Philadelphia.
Fordney never married. She kept in contact with her nieces and nephews, as evidenced by letters in the collection. According to notes provided by Wendell Zercher, Sarah Ellmaker McIlvaine Muench, her niece and the donor of the collection, recalled her as "warm and artistic," and "a character." She died April 17, 1973, at the age of 85.
Works Cited:
"Mrs. Franklin, pioneer of women's knit suits, dies." Daily Intelligencer Journal [Lancaster, PA], 10 May 1963, p. 2.
"Accident Fatal to Mrs. Sarah A. Cox." Daily Intelligencer Journal [Lancaster, PA], no date, page unknown.
"Miss Fordney, Antique Dealer, 85, Succumbs." Daily Intelligencer Journal [Lancaster, PA], 18 April 1973, p. 2.
"One of Lancaster's Most Prominent and Venerable Citizens Passes Away." Daily Intelligencer Journal [Lancaster, PA], 29 July 1889, p. 1.
Date Range
1905-1974
Year Range From
1905
Year Range To
1974
Date of Accumulation
1905-1974
Creator
Fordney, Alice Potter, 1887-1973
Storage Location
LancasterHistory, Lancaster, PA
Storage Room
Archives North
Storage Wall
Side 28
People
Appel, Charles Rengier
Bohlen, Sidney Franklin
Bowman, Mrs. Edward J.
Boyer, R. J.
Brenneman, Mary Rue Bard
Brown, Hazel Dell
Chiarell, Fred P.
Clark, George W.
Daugherty, Harvey P.
Demuth, Charles
Dodge, Arthur B.
Embsweiler, Ruth
Erb, Edna
Fordney, Alice Potter
Fordney, William Bush Jr.
Fordney, William Jenkins
Franklin, Ellen Julia Fordney
Gibbons, Alice McIlvaine
Gilbert, L. J.
Gingrich, Milton E.
Graybill, John M.
Griest, Charles J.
Higby, Everett
Hostetter, A. K.
Howe, John
Irvine, Blanche
Kent, William Winthrop
Knodle, Edward
Krone, Herbert B.
Lindenmuth, J. D.
Long, Yvonne
Maclay, Helen Hurley
Malone, Clarence
Morris, Charles R.
Morris, Grace M.
Nauman, Gertrude Colson
Orr, Barclay
Pennypacker, Charles A.
Pennypacker, James G.
Randall, Meda
Rannels, Paul
Stokes, Agnes M.
Strickler, Belle
Wolf, Emily
Other Creators
Muench, Sarah Ellmaker McIlvaine, d. 2006
Subjects
American newspapers--Sections, columns, etc.--Women
Antique dealers
Armstrong Cork Company
Armstrong World Industries
F. Schumacher & Co.
Farm Journal Media
House & Garden
Interior decoration
Letters
Montclair Art Museum
Patterns for crafts
Rugs
Rugs, Hooked
Student newspapers and periodicals
Woman's world magazine
Search Terms
Albert Steiger Company
Antique dealers
Antique sales
Armstrong Cork Company
Armstrong World Industries, Inc.
Berlinwork patterns
Blue and Brown (Yeates School)
Cheney Silks
Cheney Weaves
Christmas
Correspondence
Cricket Club
Dickinson Presbyterian Church
Estate sales
F. Schumacher and Company
Farm Journal Media
Fiber arts
Finding aids
Gilbert's store
Griest Homestead
Guernsey Sales Pavilion
Hager's Department Store
Hershey Fire Hall
Hooked rugs
House & Garden
Interior decoration
Kleinfelter's auction rooms
Letters
Manuscript groups
Montclair Art Museum
Odd Fellows Hall
Olson Rugs
Patterns for crafts
Rossmere Hotel
Rug patterns
Rugs
State Armory Hall
V-mail
Woman's World Magazine
Yeates School
Extent
3 boxes, 37 folders, 333 items, 1,015 pages to scan, 4.5 cubic ft.
Object Name
Archive
Language
English
Object ID
HC0001
Location of Originals
LancasterHistory, Lancaster, Pennsylvania
Associated Material
Sarah McIlvaine Muench Family Papers, MS 44 at Archives and Special Collections, Shadek-Fackenthal Library, Franklin and Marshall College, Lancaster, PA.
Related Item Notes
See photograph collection.
See curatorial collection for examples of rugs.
Fordney Family Diaries (MG0539)
Notes
Preferred Citation: Title or description of item, date (day, month, year), Archive of Alice P. Fordney (HC0001), Box #, Folder #, LancasterHistory, Lancaster, Pennsylvania.
Access Conditions / Restrictions
The kraft paper patterns in Folders 33-37 are restricted. Please make an appointment with the Director of Archival Services to view these items.
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
G.04.23.52
Classification
HC0001
Description Level
Fonds
Custodial History
From the Heritage Center of Lancaster County collection, G04.23.52.
Processed and finding aid prepared by MJ, June 2018.
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https://collections.lancasterhistory.org/en/permalink/f91b95d5-85cf-482d-a6e8-871332904644
Collection
Daniel Reiber Collection
Title
Daniel Reiber Collection
Object ID
MG0210
Date Range
1805-1981
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 Related Materials at LancasterHistory: McCaa
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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.
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https://collections.lancasterhistory.org/en/permalink/3de208ab-4834-4e9d-b2f0-795881303255
Collection
Women's Democratic Club of Lancaster Collection
Title
Women's Democratic Club of Lancaster Collection
Object ID
MG0212
Date Range
1947-1961
continue to add items to this collection. Preferred Citation: Title or description of item, date (day, month, year), Women's Democratic Club of Lancaster Collection (MG0212), Folder #, LancasterHistory, Lancaster, Pennsylvania. Subject Headings: Associations, institutions, etc. Business records Minutes
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Collection
Women's Democratic Club of Lancaster Collection
Title
Women's Democratic Club of Lancaster Collection
Description
The Women's Democratic Club of Lancaster Collection contains the minutes of the organization, which record the officers and activities of the club.
Date Range
1947-1961
Year Range From
1947
Year Range To
1961
Date of Accumulation
1947-1961
Creator
LancasterHistory (Organization)
Storage Location
LancasterHistory, Lancaster, PA
Storage Room
Archives South
Storage Wall
Side 05
Subjects
Associations, institutions, etc.
Business records
Minutes (Records)
Search Terms
Associations, institutions, etc.
Business records
Finding aids
Manuscript groups
Minutes
Women's Democratic Club of Lancaster
Extent
1 box, 7 folders, .25 cubic ft.
Object Name
Archive
Language
English
Object ID
MG0212
Location of Originals
LancasterHistory, Lancaster, Pennsylvania
Notes
Preferred Citation: Title or description of item, date (day, month, year), Women's Democratic Club of Lancaster Collection (MG0212), 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-212
Classification
MG0212
Description Level
Fonds
Custodial History
Added to database 20 February 2022.
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https://collections.lancasterhistory.org/en/permalink/709272c1-78d8-40f3-8c7b-402856106994
Collection
Mary Kilhefner Papers
Title
Mary Kilhefner Papers
Object ID
MG0416
Date Range
1916-1958
Company Ambulance Service Receipts Reynolds and Company Stockholders Stocks Taxes Wills Related Materials: Processing History: This collection has been documented, preserved and managed according to professional museum and archives standards. The finding aid was updated using DACS conventions. �230 North
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Collection
Mary Kilhefner Papers
Title
Mary Kilhefner Papers
Description
This collection contains documents related to Mary Kilhefner, a resident of East Cocalico Township. The majority of these documents are financial in nature. A passbook records transactions in an early savings account. A decade of school tax receipts track tax rates in East Cocalico Township. As a stockholder in Lancaster Iron Works, Kilhefner received numerous items of correspondence regarding that company's operations, including its Depression-era bankruptcy and 1948 name change to Posey Iron Works. Other stock-related materials include an alleged case of fraud by an agent of National Capital Company and National Capital Memorial Park, Inc. Other materials include Ms. Kilhefner's will and invoices for coal, medical care, and Kilhefner's funeral.
Date Range
1916-1958
Year Range From
1916
Year Range To
1958
Date of Accumulation
1916-1958
Creator
Kilhefner, Mary, 1869-1957
Storage Location
LancasterHistory, Lancaster, PA
Storage Room
Archives South
Storage Wall
Side 10
People
Adams, Harvey
Brubaker, A. R.
Burrows, C. H.
Gausch, J. W.
Heisey, Amos
Heisey, Richard B.
Kilhefner, John C.
Kilhefner, Mary Garman
Kissinger, Mabel
Leid, Henry H.
Lynch, Anna M. Martin
Lynch, Ross Barton
Martin, Joseph Weaver
Martin, Levi B.
Mitchell, L. A.
Musser, M. E.
Neidhart, Paul Wolfgang
Oberholtzer, Harry B.
Oberholtzer, Richard E.
Schlock, Adam G.
Smith, W. J. B.
Sweet, William H.
Wolf, S.
Subjects
Letters
Receipts (Acknowledgments)
Stockholders
Stocks
Search Terms
Annual reports
Bonds
Checks
Correspondence
DeWalt, Inc.
East Cocalico Twp.
Ephrata Hospital
Ephrata National Bank
Ernst and Ernst
Finding aids
Fire insurance
George Birkins Company
H. Good and Son
Hahnstown United Zion Church
Investments
Invoices
Keystone Mill
Lancaster Iron Works
Letters
Lutheran and Reformed Church Cemetery
Manuscript groups
National Capital Company
National Capital Memorial Park, Inc.
Nazarene Church
Pamphlets
Philadelphia National Bank
Posey Iron Works
Probate records
Real estate
Reamstown Fire Company Ambulance Service
Receipts
Reynolds and Company
Stockholders
Stocks
Taxes
Wills
Extent
1 box, 3 folders
Object Name
Archive
Language
English
Object ID
MG0416
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 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
2007.MG0416
Other Numbers
MG-416
Classification
MG0416
Description Level
Fonds
Custodial History
Added to database 22 February 2022.
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https://collections.lancasterhistory.org/en/permalink/fcebc4ce-c00a-489e-9a26-844531355222
Collection
Revolutionary War Collection
Title
Revolutionary War Collection
Object ID
MG0098
Date Range
1776-1976
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Collection
Revolutionary War Collection
Title
Revolutionary War Collection
Description
The Revolutionary War Collection contains a variety of materials from and about the Revolutionary War in Lancaster County and Pennsylvania. The original records include correspondence, military pay certificates, court records, and an orderly book kept by Lt. Col. Adam Hubley, Jr. during the Sullivan Campaign of 1779. There are also research notes and secondary sources, including a list of prisoners of war, a list of males in Lancaster County in 1776, Continental Hospital Returns 1777-1780, articles, information on soldiers buried in Lancaster County, and an article about John Paul Jones.
Date Range
1776-1976
Creation Date
1776-1976
Year Range From
1776
Year Range To
1976
Creator
LancasterHistory (Organization)
Storage Location
LancasterHistory, Lancaster, PA
Storage Room
Archives South
Storage Wall
Side 03
People
Beddulph, Robert
Boyd, John
Burd, James Edward
Chambers, Stephen
Coedans, James
Cooke, William
Ferree, John
Getty, Christian
Gurney, Francis
Hubley, Adam
Jolly, James A. "Jim"
Joy, Daniel
Kieffer, Henry Martyn
Moore, William
Neal, James
Patterson, Alex
Porter, Thomas
Ramsay, David
Rapp, Brandon
Reid, George W.
Worner, William Frederic
Zellty, John A.
Subjects
Cemeteries
Letters
Military history
Military regulations
Newtown, Battle of, Newtown, N.Y., 1779
Prisoners of war
Soldiers
Stony Point, Battle of, Stony Point, N.Y., 1779
Sullivan's Indian Campaign, 1779
United States--History--Revolution, 1775-1783
United States--History--Revolution, 1775-1783--Campaigns
United States--History--Revolution, 1775-1783--Prisoners and prisons
Search Terms
Battle of Newtown
Battle of Stony Point
Cemeteries
Clippings (Books, newspapers, etc.)
Correspondence
Finding aids
Haudenosaunee Confederacy
Letters
Manuscript groups
Military history
Military records
Military regulations
Prisoners of war
Receipts
Revolutionary War
Soldiers
Sullivan Campaign, 1779
Extent
3 boxes, 40 folders, 1.25 cubic ft.
Object Name
Archive
Language
English
Object ID
MG0098
Notes
Harmful Language Warning: LancasterHistory is committed to preserving and providing access to materials chronicling Lancaster County's heritage. As a historical resource, this orderly book reflects the racial prejudices of the era and the violence perpetrated against the Haudenosaunee Confederacy during the American War of Independence. 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. This volume contains language that is offensive, oppressive, graphic, and may cause distress. LancasterHistory does not condone the use of this language.
Access Conditions / Restrictions
No restrictions. Please use digital images and transcriptions when available.
Copyright
Collection may not be photocopied. Please direct questions to Research Center Staff at research@lancasterhistory.org.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
Revolutionary War Collection (MG-98), Box #, Folder #, LancasterHistory, Lancaster, Pa.
Other Numbers
MG-98
Other Number
MG-98
Classification
MG0098
Description Level
Fonds
Custodial History
Cataloged prior to 1997. Items have been added and the finding aid has been updated since 1997.
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https://collections.lancasterhistory.org/en/permalink/e4f4e8c5-3494-49ec-9562-210099148520
Collection
Willie Siple Collection
Title
The Willie Siple Collection
Object ID
MG0006
Date Range
1935-1962
Note: The Willie Siple Collection includes photographs, postcards, correspondence, and newspaper clippings about Siple and related to his business and boxing career. Creator: Hauck, Johnny. Conditions for Access: No restrictions. Conditions Governing Reproductions: Collection may not be photocopied
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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
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