Skip header and navigation

Revise Search

10 records – page 1 of 1.

Collection
Lancaster County Court House Collection
Title
Lancaster County Court House Collection
Object ID
MG0080
Date Range
1784-1976
Collection
Lancaster County Court House Collection
Title
Lancaster County Court House Collection
Description
Documents relating to the county courthouse in Lancaster. Consists mostly of proposals and bids for the construction in 1852. Also included are booklets, newspaper clippings from additional construction in the 1970s, court calendars and original affidavits of witness testimony in the investigation of the burning of the courthouse in 1784.
Date Range
1784-1976
Year Range From
1784
Year Range To
1976
Date of Accumulation
1784-1976
Storage Location
LancasterHistory, Lancaster, PA
Storage Room
Archives South
Storage Wall
Side 03
People
Eckman, D. Richard
Lynch, David
Subjects
Courthouses
Letting of contracts
Search Terms
Bids
Courthouses
Finding aids
Manuscript groups
Petitions
Proposals
Extent
1 box, 20 folders, .125 cubic ft.
Object Name
Archive
Language
English
Object ID
MG0080
Location of Originals
LancasterHistory, Lancaster, Pennsylvania (Lancaster, Pa.)
Notes
Preferred Citation: Title or description of item, date (day, month, year), Collection Title (MG#), Series #, Box #, Folder #, (or Object ID), LancasterHistory, Lancaster, Pennsylvania. URL if applicable. Date accessed (day, month, year).
Access Conditions / Restrictions
No restrictions. Please request at the Reference Desk or by contacting 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
Lancaster County Court House Collection (MG-80), Folder #, LancasterHistory.org
Classification
MG0080
Description Level
Fonds
Less detail
Collection
Ephrata Cloister Collection
Title
Ephrata Cloister Collection
Object ID
MG0081
Date Range
1753-2007
standards. The finding aid was updated using DACS conventions. �230 North President Avenue • Lancaster, Pennsylvania 17603-3125 717.392.4633 • www.LancasterHistory.org Folder 1 Photograph of Ephrata Cloister. No date. Photograph transferred to the Photograph Collection, 13 October 2017. Folder 2 History of
  1 document  
Collection
Ephrata Cloister Collection
Title
Ephrata Cloister Collection
Description
Collection of items relating to the Society of Seventh Day Baptists and Ephrata Cloister. Legal papers deal with a dispute concerning the election of trustees and mismanagement of the estate. There are brief histories of the Cloister, poems, publications, programs, tourist brochures, and a booklet describing treatments for various ailments.
Date Range
1753-2007
Year Range From
1753
Year Range To
2007
Date of Accumulation
1753-2007
Creator
Ephrata Cloister
Storage Location
LancasterHistory, Lancaster, PA
Storage Room
Archives South
Storage Wall
Side 03
People
Aurand, A. Monroe, Jr.
Baer, Johann
Bar, Johann
Bowman, John
Daniel, N. J.
Doll, Eugene E.
Downes, J. A.
Dunkelberger, Ralph D.
Elsen, John
Franck, Ira S.
Hagen, F. F.
Heatwole, Daniel R.
Hocker, Ludwig
Hollinger, J. Daryl
Keller, James
Kimmel, Jacob
Leber, A. P.
Lollich, P. M.
Loose, John W. W.
Miller, Henry
Mitton, Juliet
Nevin, [ ]
Plessinger, F. P.
Pyle, Howard
Raber, [ ]
Senseman, John
Stubsky, Georg
Subjects
Pamphlets
Watermarks
Search Terms
Aurand Press
Brochures
Ephrata Cloister
Ephrata Cloister Associates, Inc.
Ephrata Cloister Chorus
Harper's New Monthly Magazine
Hocking Printing Company, Inc.
Legal papers
Mennonite Publishing House
Pamphlets
Pennsylvania Historical and Museum Commission
Pow wow
Review Book Store
Seventh Day Baptists
Society of the Seventh Day Baptists of Ephrata
Watermarks
Ye Village Inne
Extent
2 boxes, 22 folders, 1 volume, .75 cubic ft.
Object Name
Archive
Language
English and German
Object ID
MG0081
Location of Originals
LancasterHistory, Lancaster, Pennsylvania
Related Item Notes
See also the Photograph and Library collections
Notes
Preferred Citation: Title or description of item, date (day, month, year), Collection Title (MG#), Series #, Box #, Folder #, (or Object ID), LancasterHistory, Lancaster, Pennsylvania. URL if applicable. Date accessed (day, month, year).
Access Conditions / Restrictions
Restrictions are noted at the item level. Original documents may be used--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 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
MG0081
Description Level
Fonds
Custodial History
Originally cataloged prior to 1997. Added to database 01 November 2018.
Documents
Less detail
Collection
John Wilson and Samuel Houston Collection
Title
John Wilson and Samuel Houston Collection
Object ID
MG0093
Collection
John Wilson and Samuel Houston Collection
Title
John Wilson and Samuel Houston Collection
Description
Family and legal papers of the Wilson and Houston families. Includes wills, deeds, legal papers, estate papers, and correspondence. The collection covers the Earl, Salisbury, and Leacock Township area.
Year Range From
1756
Year Range To
1849
Date of Accumulation
1756-1849
Creator
Wilson family
Storage Location
LancasterHistory, Lancaster, PA
Storage Room
Archives South
Storage Wall
Side 03
People
Andress, George
Burkman, J. John
Douglas, John
Douglass, Thomas
Henderson, Thomas
Hopkins, James
Houston, Benjamin F.
Houston, Samuel
Job, Jeremiah
Owen, Archibald
Searle, James
Taylor, Isaac
Weidman, Christopher
Wilson, John
Wilson, John, Sr.
Yoner, Jacob
Other Creators
Houston family
Subjects
Deeds
Family records
Philadelphia and Lancaster Turnpike (Pa.)
Postal service
Promissory notes
Wills
Search Terms
Correspondence
Deeds
Family records
Pequea Meetinghouse
Philadelphia Turnpike
United States Postal Service
Promissory notes
Subpoenas
Wills
Extent
1 box, 28 folder, .5 cubic ft.
Object Name
Archive
Language
English
Object ID
MG0093
Location of Originals
LancasterHistory, Lancaster, Pennsylvania
Access Conditions / Restrictions
No restrictions.
Copyright
Collection may not be photocopied. Please contact Research Staff or Archives Staff with questions.
Credit
John Wilson and Samuel Houston Collection (MG-93), Folder #, LancasterHistory.org
Classification
MG0093
Description Level
Fonds
Less detail
Collection
Political Campaigns and Elections Collection
Title
Political Campaigns and Elections Collection
Object ID
MG0094
Date Range
1847 - present
Collection
Political Campaigns and Elections Collection
Title
Political Campaigns and Elections Collection
Description
Collection contains material related to political parties, campaigns, and elections in Lancaster County, including programs, ephemera, election certificates, election returns, campaign brochures, and posters.
Date Range
1847 - present
Date of Accumulation
1847-
Creator
LancasterHistory (Organization)
Storage Location
LancasterHistory, Lancaster, PA
Storage Room
Archives South
Storage Wall
Side 03
People
Achey, Charles A.
Aikens, James W.
Aleci, Eugene
Allen, Tony
Angermier, Kay
Armstrong, Gib
Arnold, Marlene
Bentsen, Lloyd Millard, Jr.
Betan, Daniel
Bowman, Isaac
Bowman, Tobias
Brubaker, H. Clay
Bush, George W.
Clinton, Bill
Cody, Heidi Kraft
Coe, George
Cummings, Homer
DeBord, Bruce
Draper, Betty
Duff, James H.
Dukakis, Michael Stanley
Eshleman, H. Frank
Ford, Ron
Franklin, George M.
Franklin, Walter M.
Giberson, Robert
Hartman, Lewis S.
Heinz, John
Higbee, E. E.
Kenderdine, Henry S., Jr.
Kennedy, John F.
Landis, Bertha C.
Landis, C. R.
Landis, D. B.
Landis, James L.
Lincoln and Johnson
Livengood, William S., Jr.
Livingston, J. B.
Martin, Edward
McMellen, E.
Musser, F. G.
Paulson, Greg
Peck, Kathy
Pugh, Russell
Quayle, James Danforth "Dan"
Reinaker, Dennis E.
Roland, John
Ruoff, Ed
Rutt, Ken
Schuler, Jere
Smith, A. Herr
Smithgall, Charlie
Starr, Phil
Stengel, Lawrence F.
Strickler, Daniel B.
Sweeton, J. Frank
Urdaneta, Jose
Walker, Bob
Walker, Tom
Wiley, Jane
Witmer, Dick
Zartman, Kevin
Other Creators
Lancaster County Historical Society
Subjects
Advertising, Political
Campaign literature
Political campaigns
Search Terms
Advertising, Political
Brochures
Campaign literature
Campaign posters
Correspondence
Democratic Party
Directories
Election returns
Ephemera
Finding aids
Letters
Manuscript groups
Political advertising
Political campaigns
Republican Party
Salt River
Songbooks
Speeches
Extent
2 boxes, 21 folders, 5 oversized folders, .75 cubic ft.
Object Name
Archive
Language
English
Object ID
MG0094
Location of Originals
LancasterHistory, Lancaster, Pennsylvania (Lancaster, Pa.)
Access Conditions / Restrictions
No restrictions.
Copyright
Collection may not be photocopied. Please contact Research Staff or Archives Staff with questions.
Credit
Political Campaigns and Elections Collection (MG-94), Folder #, LancasterHistory.org
Classification
MG0094
Description Level
Fonds
Custodial History
Reprocessed 23 December 2005, HST; Updated January 2008, February and March 2010 HST
Less detail
Collection
John Erisman Collection
Title
John Erisman Collection
Object ID
MG0101
Date Range
1796-1847
  1 document  
Collection
John Erisman Collection
Title
John Erisman Collection
Description
This collection consists of papers generated by John Erisman in his position as Justice of the Peace. These papers are largely receipts, contracts, promissory notes, and judgments. There are many names listed on the documents.
Date Range
1796-1847
Year Range From
1796
Year Range To
1847
Date of Accumulation
1796-1847
Creator
Erisman, John
Storage Location
LancasterHistory, Lancaster, PA
Storage Room
Archives South
Storage Wall
Side 03
People
Erisman, John
Subjects
Contracts
Judicial bonds
Justices of the peace
Promissory notes
Receipts (Acknowledgments)
Summons
Search Terms
Contracts
Judgment bonds
Justices of the peace
Promissory notes
Receipts
Summons
Manuscript groups
Finding aids
Extent
1 box, 3 folders, .1 cubic ft.
Object Name
Archive
Language
English, German
Object ID
MG0101
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-101
Other Number
MG-101
Classification
MG0101
Description Level
Fonds
Custodial History
Added to database 5 February 2019.
Documents
Less detail
Collection
Hager Store Collection
Title
Hager Store Collection
Object ID
MG0104
Date Range
1774-1953
UGI Corporation Wills Wondertown Related Materials: Processing History: Recataloged, processed, and finding aid prepared by MM, Summer 2011. This collection has been documented, preserved and managed according to professional museum and archives standards. The collection was cataloged using DACS
  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
General Thomas Welsh Family Papers
Title
General Thomas Welsh Family Papers, Series B Mexican War, 1846-1848
Object ID
MG0828_SeriesB
Date Range
1846-1848
Collection
General Thomas Welsh Family Papers
Title
General Thomas Welsh Family Papers, Series B Mexican War, 1846-1848
Description
The General Thomas Welsh Family Papers, Series B contains fourteen documents, which cover the period 1846 through 1848 and chronicles Welsh's military service during the Mexican War. The series consists of letters written by Thomas Welsh to various family members, friends and government officials (including James Buchanan) describing his experiences as a volunteer soldier, the wounds he received at the Battle of Buena Vista in 1847 and his efforts to secure a pension for the injuries he received in battle. The series also includes documents related to his subsequent appointment as a second lieutenant, his ongoing support for the war despite the injuries he received and his desire to continue to serve in the peacetime army.
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
1846-1848
Creation Date
1846-1848
Year Range From
1846
Year Range To
1848
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
Mexican War, 1846-1848
Search Terms
Mexican War
Extent
14 items
Object Name
Archive
Language
English
Condition
Fair to good
Parent Object ID
MG0828
Object ID
MG0828_SeriesB
Notes
Added to PP 12/19/2020 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.
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
Cataloged by Richard C. Wiggin prior to donation.
Less detail
Collection
General Thomas Welsh Family Papers
Title
General Thomas Welsh Family Papers, Series C Between the Mexican War and Civil War, 1848-1860
Object ID
MG0828_SeriesC
Date Range
1848-1860
Collection
General Thomas Welsh Family Papers
Title
General Thomas Welsh Family Papers, Series C Between the Mexican War and Civil War, 1848-1860
Description
The General Thomas Welsh Family Papers, Series C contains thirteen documents, which cover the period between the end of the Mexican War and the outbreak of the Civil War. The series consists of letters written by Thomas Welsh to his wife Annie, invitations to a number of social events in Columbia, and observations related to various political issues of the era. A successful businessman and community leader, a business card in the series also identifies Welsh as a Justice of the Peace and as agent for the Commonwealth Fire Insurance Company and the Penn Mutual Life Insurance Company.
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
1848-1860
Creation Date
1848-1860
Year Range From
1848
Year Range To
1860
Creator
Wiggin, Richard C.
Storage Location
LancasterHistory, Lancaster, PA
Storage Room
Archives South
Storage Wall
Side 19
Storage Container
Box 0001
People
Welsh, Thomas
Extent
13 items
Object Name
Archive
Language
English
Condition
Fair to excellent
Parent Object ID
MG0828
Object ID
MG0828_SeriesC
Notes
Added to PP 12/21/2020 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.
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
Cataloged 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
George and Rhonda Andreadis Collection of Lancaster City Records, Series 1
Title
George and Rhonda Andreadis Collection of Lancaster City Records, Series 1 Market Houses
Object ID
MG0545_Series01
Date Range
1827-1926, 1999
  1 document  
Collection
George and Rhonda Andreadis Collection of Lancaster City Records, Series 1
Title
George and Rhonda Andreadis Collection of Lancaster City Records, Series 1 Market Houses
Description
The documents in MG0545, Series 1 represent the business of the City of Lancaster related to the market houses, primarily in the nineteenth century. Payments to Market Masters and for gas lighting, advertising and maintenance show some of the costs associated with running the market houses in the nineteenth century. Market license certificates provide the names of stand holders and their products for 1925-1926.
System of Arrangement
This collection is organized into series:
Series 1 Market Houses
Series 2 Fire Department
Series 3 Bridges
Series 4 Railroads
Series 5 Lamps and Lighting
Series 6 Relief Fund
Series 7 Administrative Records
Date Range
1827-1926, 1999
Creation Date
1827-1926, 1999
Year Range From
1827
Year Range To
1999
Creator
Lancaster (Pa.)
Storage Location
LancasterHistory, Lancaster, PA
Storage Room
Archives South
Storage Wall
Side 11
People
Snyder, John
Wilhelm, John
Bostick, John
Donley, Henry
Wilhelm, Henry
Book, John
Subjects
Business records
Lancaster (Pa.)
Markets--Pennsylvania--Lancaster
Search Terms
Business records
Finding aids
Invoices
Lancaster Gas Light and Fuel Company
Licenses
Manuscript groups
Market houses
Markets
Mellert Foundry and Machine Company
Extent
1 box, 40 folders, .5 cubic ft.
Object Name
Archive
Language
English
Object ID
MG0545_Series01
Location of Originals
LancasterHistory
Related Item Notes
Lancaster City Archives
George and Rhonda Andreadis Collection of Lancaster City Records, MG0545
Access Conditions / Restrictions
No restrictions. Original documents may be used. Please contact research@lancasterhistory.org 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-545, Series 1
Other Number
MG-545, Series 1
Classification
MG0545
Description Level
Series
Custodial History
Note: These documents are mostly administrative records, not permanent records, and were likely purged by the city offices when they were no longer needed. We are fortunate that they survived as they contain details about Lancaster's past.
Organized and preserved by MM, Summer 2011. Added to database 10 May 2021.
Documents
Less detail

10 records – page 1 of 1.