Family files are created for Lancaster County families. They may contain correspondence about a family, short genealogies and charts, photocopies of inventories and accounts, letters, etc. The size of any particular family file varies greatly.
In this final decade of the twentieth century, a life-and-death struggle is being played out in Lancaster County: between land speculation and land stewardship, between material wealth and moral worth, between unrestrained growth and "the ties that bind." The Amish are at the center of the conflict, trying to maintain their unique community in the face of increasing encroachment from the outside. Randy Testa stands as a witness to their struggle, telling "the story of a people on the verge of conflagration". [from the publisher]
Fire alarm box with light for mounting--flat back with openings for wires. Rectangular with peaked roof with a metal-bar-encased red light. Painted red overall with red "FIRE" painted on white background on both sides. On front, "425" in gold on black background, below white handled-door with clear 2.5-inch x 1.25-inch portion. "Open" in raised letters on handle. "Then Pull Down Hook" below window. Off lower left of hinged door is a covered lock with a key inserted into it. In raised white letters above door: "For Fire." At top, beneath roof peak: "GAMEWELL" in raised red letters.
Heat sensitive fire alarm invented by Anthony Iske (1831-1920). Patented by Iske on Aug. 19,1890.
Inside the wooden case, on alarm mechanism/movement, printed in black ink: "J.A. Neiss, Sr." There is also the key to wind the alarm, loose on the floor of the holder.
Anthony Iske was born in France and immigrated to the U.S. in 1847. He moved to Lancaster in 1853 and became an American citizen in 1858. Along with his son, Albert, he held over 200 patents. Most notable of his inventions was the first meat-slicing machine, a model of which is in the collections of the Smithsonian Institution.
The Heat Motor was designed to turn the energy held by heated water into rotational movement. Heating the water in the trough would cause the air in the submerged cylinders to rise. As the engine began to turn, the cylinders would rise above the water, the air inside would cool, and the cylinders would fall on the opposing side, adding to the circular motion of the engine.
