Collection includes the United Church Women of Lancaster's organizational minutes, reports, financial records, and records pertaining to the Crispus Attucks Project.
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).
Contains pamphlets, booklets, and annual reports from various water and power companies on the Susquehanna River. They include information about dams, hydroelectric projects, and how electricity is generated; maps and history of the region; and pictures of the river and hydroelectric stations.
Collection contains personal and business papers of John H. Hook. His 1906 diary is a record of his family and social life, business meetings, local baseball games, weather and Lancaster businesses, such as Long's Park, the Stevens Industrial School, Ann Street School and Federal Cigar Co. The billhead is an example of purchases made by his customers.
Admin/Biographical History
Copied from Biographical Annals of Lancaster County, Pa., 1903 by J. H. Beers & Co., page 746-747:
JOHN H. HOOK, who is a prominent citizen of Lancaster, Pa., and one who has long been identified with the material improvement and growth of the city, was born April 5, 1858, in Lancaster, a son of John and Catherine (Klaus) Hook, natives of Greiss, Gross-Gerau, Hessen Darmstadt, Germany, although they met and were married in Lancaster, Pa. John Hook emigrated to America in 1831, while the date of his wife's emigration was one year later. They have their pleasant home in Lancaster, where he is employed as a stone-mason and stonecutter. He was born in October, 1823, a son of Jacob and Christiana Hook, natives of Hessen Darmstadt, Germany, the former of whom was born on April 14, 1804, came to America in 1831, and died March 2, 1871. Mrs. Christiana Hook died in Germany, in 1850, aged fifty-six years, four months and twenty days. Mrs. Catherine (Klaus) Hook was a daughter of Ernest and Margaret Klaus, of Dreiburg, Hessen Darmstadt, Germany, who came to Lancaster county, in 1834, where he died, and was buried at Strasburg, Pa. John and Catherine (Klaus) Hook are members of the German Lutheran Church. In politics he is a supporter of the Democratic party. They had born to them these children: John H.; Elizabeth, who married Frank Witmer, of Lancaster; Henry, who resides at home, unmarried; Adam P., who died of yellow fever in Havana; Catherine, who married William Zercher, a tobacco merchant of Lancaster; Frederick, who is a barber; and William F., unmarried, who lives at home.
John H. Hook was reared in a home where he was early taught the value of industry. Until he was thirteen years of age, he attended school and then became water boy on the railroad, retaining his connection with railroad work, from 1871, when he made this humble beginning, until 1898, when he quit the road. From 1884 to 1889 he was master stone-mason for the Frederick Division of the Pennsylvania Railroad Co. In October, 1889, he made his beginning in contracting with J. F. Kellar and until his health failed, in June, 1898, he continued at that work. During that time Mr. Hook was engaged in building and contracting on a large scale, in Lancaster City, and in 1898, in association with Dr. M. L. Davis, began the building of garbage crematories, and in 1898 built a 100-ton crematory for the United States Government at Havana. Cuba. It would be a task to name all the work which has been completed by Mr. Hook in the building line, but a few of the notable constructions are: No. 13 bridge over the Juniata River, near Altoona, Pa., containing 10,700 cubic yards of masonry, built at a cost of $107,000, on the Middle Division of the Pennsylvania Railroad, and for the same, a bridge over Stone Creek, at Huntingdon, Pa., containing 4,000 cubic yards of masonry; also a bridge for the same over Shaver's Creek, at Petersburg, Huntingdon Co., Pa., containing 3,500 yards of masonry. It was at this point that Mr. Hook was stricken with paralysis, the heavy demands made upon his physical strength being more that he could endure. His present business includes contracting and grading, and probably there is no more competent man in his line in Lancaster county.
In September, 1884, Mr. Hook was united in marriage with Mary E. Boud, who was born at Barren Hill, Montgomery Co., Pa., a daughter of James and Sarah ( Fisher) Boud, natives of that county. The former was a son of James and Elizabeth Boud, natives of New Jersey. Mrs. Hook's father was a contractor and builder, and he died in 1879, at the age of sixty-seven years. Her grandfather was a cooper. The maternal grandparents of Mrs. Hook were George and Elizabeth Fisher, farming people of Montgomery county. Mrs. Hook's mother was born in January, 1821, and now resides at Audubon, Pa. The children of Mr. and Mrs. Boud were: William H., who keeps a hotel at Audubon; Kate F., who married Clinton Caster, and lives at Audubon, where he is engaged in brick manufacturing; Mary E., who became Mrs. Hook; and Margaret, who died unmarried. The children born to Mr. Hook and wife were: Adam, deceased; Henry B.; Irene M.; Josephine; Mary F. L.; John F.; and Paul R.
Mr. Hook has led too busy a life to have taken a very active part in politics, although no citizen of this locality is better qualified. For six years he consented to be judge of elections, but finally resigned the office. Until the silver question agitated the Democratic party, he had always adhered to its principles, but since that time, has been identified with the Republican party. For the past twenty-three years he has been an Odd Fellow, and also be longs to the order of Seven Wise Men. Mr. Hook was reared in the Lutheran Church, and is a most liberal contributor to its support, his family being regular attendants on its services and active in its work.
Although somewhat hampered by ill-health, Mr. Hook has retained in a very remarkable degree his energy, and still is the active and intelligent head of his business. It is to Mr. Hook that the city is indebted for the very satisfactory electric plant, erected at Slack Water, which supplies Lancaster with its light. He is also president of the South Mountain Kaolin Co., capitalized at $250,000, and president of the Cline Stock Car Co., capitalized at $100,000. Mr. Hook is one of the reliable, energetic and progressive citizens, who leave worthy monuments behind them, when called from life, and who can be but illy spared. He enjoys the esteem and confidence of his fellow citizens, and also has a large circle of personal friends.
Collection consists of records by Cassius Emlen Urban, a Lancaster architect. He supervised the construction of the Lancaster Post Office at 120 N. Duke St., Lancaster. Many letters from James H. Windrim, supervising architect of the Treasury Department, Washington, D. C. Book of correspondence contains details of the construction. Also includes letters he wrote to his son, Rathfon, dated February 14-29, 1939, while on the Italian liner, Roma.
Admin/Biographical History
C. Emlen Urban
Throughout Downtown Lancaster numerous iconic buildings make up the city's landscape giving it its unique and ornate character. Landmark buildings such as the Greist Building, the Watt and Shand Department Store, Hager Building, Southern Market, along with many more churches, residential units including the facade of the Fulton Opera House were the design of Cassius Emlen Urban. Urban was Lancaster's first architect and one of the most significant influences on the city. 1 Urban modernized the city's landscape as he designed buildings in a new era where technologies never before available to architects made it possible for himself to leave such a grand impression.
Urban was born on February 20, 1863 in Conestoga Township to a Civil War veteran Amos Urban, a distinguished citizen known for his modesty and community service. Urban finished high school in 1880 and would get his architectural training through an apprenticeship with Scanton, PA architect E.L. Walter. Later in 1884 Urban would move to Philadelphia where he served as a draftsman to Willis G. Hale. Upon returning to Lancaster roughly a year later Urban would open his own practice in Lancaster.2
Only a few years after Urban opened his practice through a family connection he would receive a commission to design Lancaster's Southern Market. Urban's career would take off leading him to design many more iconic buildings in Lancaster and Hershey as well. Urban, through his membership at the Hamilton Club made acquaintance with Milton Hershey who hired him to design such buildings as Hershey Chocolates original company offices and even his own mansion.3
Urban spent the majority of his life in Lancaster with the exception of his time studying as a young man. Urban is remembered for his buildings designed in Queen Anne and Beaux style architecture.4 Shenk in his A History of Lancaster County wrote of Urban, "Few men of Lancaster county can point to a finer array of useful and beautiful work than can Cassius Emlen Urban."
Nicole O. Sturla, "Cassius Emlen Urban: Lancaster's First Native Architect," Susquehanna Monthly Magazine, September 1980.
2 History of Lancaster County, ed. E.M.J. Klein (New York: Lewis Historical Publishing Company Inc., 1924), 443.
3 "Urban, C. Emlen; 1863-1939," Hershey Community Archives, accessed September 30, 2014. http://www.hersheyarchives.org/essay/details.aspx?EssayId=34&Rurl=%2Fresources%2Fsearch-results.aspx%3FType%3DBrowseEssay.
4 "Introduction," To Build Strong and Substantial: The Career of Architect C. Emlen Urban, (2009): 2-3.
This collection of Steinman Family Business Records contains ledger and account books for George M. Steinman, J. P. Hale, Hale Lumber Company and the Steinman Hardware Store. There are also stock certificate and ledger books from Lancaster Broadcasting Service, Inc. and Kirk Johnson and Company.
Preferred Citation: Title or description of item, date (day, month, year), Steinman Family Business Records (MG0563), Folder/Book #, LancasterHistory, Lancaster, Pennsylvania.
Access Conditions / Restrictions
Restricted access for Books 19-23. 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-563
Classification
MG0563
Description Level
Fonds
Custodial History
Cataloged by HST, 4 February 2010. Added to database 31 August 2017.
Society of the 28th Division, American Expeditionary Forces (MG-0028)
Description
Records of the Society which was formed to continue the traditions of the 28th Division, American Expeditionary Forces, which began in World War I. Includes membership lists, post minutes, correspondence, financial reports, convention programs, scrapbooks, and Divisional histories.
Red Cross, Lancaster County Chapter Collection (MG-0035)
Description
Contains information on the Lancaster Chapter of the American Red Cross. Includes histories, committee manual, chapter by-laws, meeting minutes, lists of directors and officers, policies, reports, and a memo on the influenza epidemic of 1918.
Records of an organization founded by business and church leaders to overthrow commercialized vice in Lancaster by sending agents into the community to check for prostitution, obscenity, drinking, and gambling. Collection includes by-laws, minutes, annual reports, treasurers' reports, agents' expenses, reports on findings, correspondence, newspaper clippings, 25 books of agents' on-duty reports, and investigative reports. The Rev. Clifford G. Twombly was identified with this movement, as was the late William H. Hager, department store merchant.
In September 1854, a devastating cholera epidemic struck Columbia. This collection contains correspondence with and records of actions taken by Sanitary Committee, including minutes, accounts, donations, and bills.
