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.
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
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
The Medical, Dental and Veterinary Collection contains records of doctors and a midwife who practiced in Lancaster County. Susanna Rohrer Müller's account book is a record of her work as a midwife from 1791 to 1815. The other volumes in this collection contain medical school notes, records of births, ephemera, and medicinal formulas.
This collection contains business and family records for members of the Heinitsh family. Account and ledger books contain records of the drug store and a dry goods store. Personal records show the estate settlement for Charles Heinitsh, including an inventory of his household and kitchen furniture in 1804. Records for Heinitsh's Furniture and Carpet Store include stock inventory books, carpet books and order books.
The Jacob Ream collection contains original documents pertaining to business conducted by Jacob Ream and his family of Donegal Township. Includes bonds, receipts, land agreement, mortgage, and fire insurance policy. The surname has various spellings, including Riem, Rihm, and Reeme.
This small Iron Industry Collection contains orders for pig iron and bar iron, a schematic plan, and historical information about the iron industry in Lancaster County. Mount Hope Furnace, Hopeland Forge, Martick Works, and Hershey Machine & Foundry are among the businesses represented.
Photograph of No. 1 furnace [Chickies] built 1845, rebuilt 1887. (2-27-04-13)
Photograph No. 2 furnace [Chickies] built 1854, rebuilt 1889. (2-27-04-12)
Notes
Preferred Citation: Iron Industry Collection (MG0155), Folder #, Insert #, 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. 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.
Credit
Courtesy of LancasterHistory, Lancaster, Pennsylvania.
Other Numbers
MG-155
Other Number
MG-155
Classification
MG0155
Description Level
Fonds
Custodial History
Processed and finding aid prepared by DT, 1998-1999. Added to database 9 September 2021.
The photographs in Folder 1 were transferred to the Photograph Collection on 27 October 2017.
The Frank R. Diffenderffer Collection contains documents collected by Mr. Diffenderffer. These documents are primarily from the eighteenth and nineteenth centuries and include letters, legal and court papers, indentures, receipts, property and probate records, and financial and military papers. The people and businesses represented include George Ross, Jasper Yeates, A. Herr Smith, Timothy Matlack, Mount Hope Furnace, and the Lancaster, Elizabethtown & Middletown Turnpike Road Company.
The Leman and Herr Family Papers contain personal papers of the family of Henry Leman, noted Lancaster gunsmith. The Leman, Herr and Bear families are represented by these documents, including marriage and baptismal certificates, dates of birth and death, broadsides for public sale of personal property, and flower show awards. Programs for local concerts and recitals show cultural events in Lancaster in the 1920s and 1947.
The Jacob Smith Collection consists of the daybooks and papers of Jacob and Abraham Smith. The daybooks contain notes on workers' attendance, assignments, pay, mill equipment, and names of people with whom Abraham boarded. There is also a court order appointing six men to study the feasibility of a road from Jacob Smith's mill to Manor's skating rink.
Admin/Biographical History
The original grist and sawmill was built by Jacob Smith in 1774 on Pequea Creek, about eight miles from Lancaster. The stone mill was built by Jacob Smith circa 1800. The mill remained the property of Mr. Smith and his heirs until 1846, when it was purchased by Abraham Mylin. Mylin built an addition and put in another water wheel. Subsequent owners were Benjamin Harnish in 1857, Jacob B. Good in 1868, and Thomas Baumgardner in 1870. Mr. Baumgardner repaired the mill and put in new machinery. Later owners were Jacob Herr, Henry Hess, Edwin Diffenderfer, Enos Harnish, Sumner Brown, Clayton Hilton, and H. F. Eshleman.
Ellis, Franklin and Samuel Evans. 1883. History of Lancaster County, Pennsylvania : With Biographical Sketches of Many of Its Pioneers and Prominent Men. Philadelphia: Everts & Peck. p. 1011.
This collection of the papers of Judge Charles I. Landis includes correspondence, a scrapbook, newspaper articles, and information on the Philadelphia & Lancaster Turnpike. The scrapbook, Paradise Records Book, contains photographs, records of the Paradise Mennonite Meeting House, ephemera, and various pamphlets.
Preferred Citation: Charles I. Landis Collection (MG0124), 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-124
Classification
MG0124
Description Level
Fonds
Custodial History
Processed and finding aid prepared by DT, 1998-1999. Added to database 11 November 2021.
The Steele Family Papers contain genealogical records, notes, and documents supporting the lineage between Mary Edna Cowell Murphy (DAR No. 297765) and Revolutionary War soldiers Robert Bailey, John Cowell, Adam Reigart, Henry Slaymaker, and John Steele, and architect Robert Smith.
Adam Reigart Jr., John S. Murphy Collection (MG0331)
Samuel R. Slaymaker II, White Chimneys Collection (MG0268)
See also the Photograph Collection
See also the Curatorial Collection
Notes
Preferred Citation: Title or description of item, date (day, month, year), Steele Family Papers (MG0591), 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.
Accession Number
2011.001
Other Numbers
MG-591
Classification
MG0591
Description Level
Fonds
Custodial History
Processed and finding aid prepared by MK, 2014. Added to database 26 December 2021.
The Alice E. Brown Family Papers contain genealogy and family records, deeds, land drafts, ads and ephemera for local businesses, bonds, estate papers, wills, and personal papers. Some of the deeds and maps are for property also owned by the Coates and Pownall families. Alice's father was a race horse breeder and the collection contains certificates from the American Trotting Register for some of his horses.
Admin/Biographical History
"Alice E. Brown, age 93, of Christiana, PA passed away on Monday, March 15, 2010 at Tel Hai Retirement Community. She was born in Salisbury Twp., daughter of the late John H. & Lizzie F. Brown. She was a member of Latta Memorial Presbyterian Church of Christiana. Alice graduated from the Millersville Normal School in 1934. She was a School Teacher for 7 years at the former Simmontown one-room schoolhouse. She also worked for Dr. Beacher of Gap. She was known as a wonderful artist. She was preceded in death by 4 siblings: Norris, Phares, Lela, and Leah Brown. She was the last of her immediate family. Funeral service will take place from the Shivery Funeral Home, 111 Elizabeth Street, Christiana, PA on Wednesday, March 17th, at 11 a.m. with Rev. Jane DeFord officiating. Interment will be in the Sadsbury Friends Burial Grounds, Gap, PA."
From the obituary of Alice E. Brown, Lancaster Intelligencer Journal, 16 March 2010.
Preferred Citation: Title or description of item, date (day, month, year), Alice E. Brown Family Papers (MG0583), 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.
Accession Number
2010.MG0583
Other Numbers
MG-583
Classification
MG0583
Description Level
Fonds
Custodial History
Processed by RW, February 2010; finding aid typed by SH, July 2013. Added to database 26 December 2021.
The Coulter and Hepler Land Records contain property records for land in southeastern Lancaster County that once belonged to the Reids, Coulters, and Heplers. The records include deeds, land drafts, and articles of agreement. There is also a desk blotter for I. P. Hepler.
Admin/Biographical History
Walter R. and Esther E. Hepler (parents of donor) purchased a farm from R. M. Coulter in 1929. The farm was located in Bart Twp. and Colerain Twp. with an address of 113 Rosedale Road, Quarryville. In the early 1930s, Walter was injured in a farm accident and the family had to sell the farm in a sheriff's sale. They subsequently lived with Esther's parents and helped on their farm, earning 50¢ per week plus meals and shelter. Somehow, Walter was able to keep the family's truck through these difficult times.
He later was employed as manager at the Capital Theatre in Lancaster where he earned $14.75 per week. He moved the family into a three-story house in Lancaster with indoor plumbing and electricity, which was an exciting change for the children-James and his sister, Dorothy. As the U.S. emerged from the Depression and entered World War II, Walter used his carpentry skills to obtain a position in the shipyards and earned $2.37½ per day. James Hepler retired from Trojan Yachts as a boat-builder.
Preferred Citation: Title or description of item, date (day, month, year), Coulter and Hepler Land Records (MG0426), 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.
The Andrew B. Rote Collection contains the business records of C. V. Rote & Co., which later became A. B. Rote & Co., and some family records. The Lancaster company specialized in awnings and ironwork. Deeds, mortgages, and other property records are for property owned by the Rotes and used for their business. The record books of the company, 1881-1942, show accounting, clients, cash flow, bids, and inventory. A catalog of architectural bronze and iron works illustrates their products. There are also stock certificates for a number of local and regional businesses such as Farmers Trust Company, Union Trust Company, and Meadia Heights Golf Club.
Admin/Biographical History
C. V. Rote & Company was founded by Charles V. Rote, Jacob F. Bender, and John W. Holman on 3 March 1881, specifically for the manufacture of awnings. Bender and Holman provided the financing, space for the shop, the time they could commit, and the use of their horse and buggy. Rote committed his labor and time in manufacturing the awnings. Their initial success continued when they added architectural bronze and iron work. Andrew B. Rote took over the business in 1894, which was then located at 111-117 E. Chestnut Street, Lancaster.
Preferred Citation: Title or description of item, date (day, month, year), Andrew B. Rote Collection (MG0363), 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.
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 site must assume all responsibility for identifying and satisfying any claimants of copyright or other use restrictions. Publication fees may apply.