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Collection
James Buchanan Family Papers
Title
James Buchanan Family Papers, Part 2 Papers of Harriet Lane Johnston, Series 4 Henry Elliott Johnston
Object ID
JBFP Part 2 Series 4
  1 document  
Collection
James Buchanan Family Papers
Title
James Buchanan Family Papers, Part 2 Papers of Harriet Lane Johnston, Series 4 Henry Elliott Johnston
Description
The James Buchanan Family Papers Part 2, Harriet Lane Johnston, Series 4 contains the papers of her husband, Henry Elliot Johnston. The series is divided into four subseries, including correspondence, financial documents, legal documents, and ephemera. The correspondence includes letters sent by Henry Elliot Johnston to H. B. Swarr from 1867-1873 regarding the distribution from President Buchanan's estate and letters from Isaac Hiester and George Ticknor Curtis. The financial and legal documents include the sale of land, cemetery arrangements, the disposition of presidential papers including those held by E. Y. Buchanan, the choice of President Buchanan's biographer, and legal papers regarding bequests to Mary C. Speer and Louise Speer.
System of Arrangement
JBFP Part 2 Series 4 Papers of Henry Elliot Johnston
Subseries 1 Correspondence
Subseries 2 Financial documents
Subseries 3 Legal documents
Subseries 4 Ephemera
Creator
Johnston, Henry Elliot, 1831-1884
Storage Location
LancasterHistory, Lancaster, PA
Storage Room
Archives South
People
Buchanan, James
Johnston, Harriet Lane
Johnston, Henry Elliot
Other Creators
Johnston, Harriet Lane, 1830-1903
James Buchanan Foundation for the Preservation of Wheatland (Lancaster, Pa.)
Subjects
Biographies
Decedents' estates
Estates (Law)
Legal documents
Letters
Probate records
Search Terms
Biographies
Buchanan Collections
Correspondence
Harriet Lane Johnston
James Buchanan
Letters
Probate records
Finding aids
Manuscript groups
Legal documents
Estate settlement
Decedents' estates
James Buchanan Presidential Library
Extent
1 box, 47 folders, .25 cubic ft.
Object Name
Correspondence
Language
English
Object ID
JBFP Part 2 Series 4
Associated Material
James Buchanan Papers, Dickinson College Archives & Special Collections http://archives.dickinson.edu/collection-descriptions/james-buchanan-papers
James Buchanan and Harriet Lane Johnston Papers, Library of Congress https://www.loc.gov/collections/james-buchanan-and-harriet-lane-johnston-papers/
James Buchanan Papers, Historical Society of Pennsylvania, http://www2.hsp.org/collections/manuscripts/b/Buchanan0091.html
James Buchanan Papers, Penn State University Libraries, https://libraries.psu.edu/findingaids/1458.htm
Related Item Notes
James Buchanan Family Papers
James Buchanan Collection, MG0096
Historical Society of Pennsylvania microfilm
Photograph collections
Curatorial collections
Wheatland Mansion
Access Conditions / Restrictions
Please use digital images and transcriptions when available.
Original documents may be used by appointment. Please contact archives@lancasterhistory.org at least two weeks prior to visit.
Copyright
Images have been provided for research purposes only.
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.
Please contact archives@lancasterhistory.org for a high-resolution image and permission to publish.
Credit
Courtesy of LancasterHistory, Lancaster, Pennsylvania
Description Level
Series
Custodial History
The James Buchanan Family Papers were collected by the James Buchanan Foundation for the Preservation of Wheatland. This collection was relocated from the Wheatland mansion to the LancasterHistory archives in the Spring of 2009. Digitization of the James Buchanan Family Papers was funded by the Pennsylvania Historical and Museum Commission, PHMC Appl ID # 201808013051, 2019-2020.
Documents
Less detail
Collection
James Buchanan Family Papers
Title
James Buchanan Family Papers, Part 4 Papers of Edward Young Buchanan, Series 1 Correspondence
Object ID
JBFP Part 4 Series 1
  1 document  
Collection
James Buchanan Family Papers
Title
James Buchanan Family Papers, Part 4 Papers of Edward Young Buchanan, Series 1 Correspondence
Description
James Buchanan Family Papers Part 4, Papers of Edward Young Buchanan, Series 1 contains the correspondence of Edward Young Buchanan from 1865 to 1883 and is divided into two subseries.
Edward, James Buchanan's brother, was co-executor of his brother's estate. The letters in this collection pertain mostly to the settlement of James Buchanan's estate, including the President's papers, biography, and memorial site. There are references to many nieces and nephews, especially Harriet Lane Johnston. Many of the letters from Edward are to James Buchanan's co-executor, Hiram B. Swarr. The letters to Edward are from William B. Reed, Charles M. Howell, and John Cadwalader.
Admin/Biographical History
Reverend Edward Young Buchanan (1811-1895) was born on May 30, 1811 in Mercersburg in Franklin County, Pennsylvania. He was the child of James Buchanan (1761-1821) and Elizabeth Speer Buchanan (1767-1833). He was the younger brother of President James Buchanan (1791-1868). He went to college at Dickinson College. He later became a reverend.
In 1833, he married Anne Eliza Foster Buchanan (1812-1891), and together they had six children: Ann Elizabeth (1838-1927), Harriet (1841-1912), Henrietta Jane (1844-1906), Marie Lois (1847-1920), William Foster (1849-1875), and Alice Conyngham (1852-1931).
Rev. Edward Young Buchanan died on January 25, 1895.
Source: https://www.findagrave.com/memorial/84177259/edward-young-buchanan#source
System of Arrangement
JBFP Part 4, Series 1 Correspondence
Subseries 1 Letters from Edward Young Buchanan
Subseries 2 Letters to Edward Young Buchanan
Year Range From
1865
Year Range To
1883
Creator
Buchanan, Edward Y. (Edward Young), 1811-1895
Storage Location
LancasterHistory, Lancaster, PA
Storage Room
Archives South
People
Buchanan, James
Johnston, Harriet Lane
Swarr, Hiram Behm
Buchanan, Edward Young
Other Creators
James Buchanan Foundation for the Preservation of Wheatland (Lancaster, Pa.)
Subjects
Letters
Search Terms
James Buchanan
Harriet Lane Johnston
Buchanan Collections
Letters
Correspondence
Finding aids
Manuscript groups
James Buchanan Presidential Library
Extent
1 box, 93 folders, .5 cubic ft.
Object Name
Correspondence
Language
English
Object ID
JBFP Part 4 Series 1
Associated Material
James Buchanan Papers, Dickinson College Archives & Special Collections http://archives.dickinson.edu/collection-descriptions/james-buchanan-papers
James Buchanan and Harriet Lane Johnston Papers, Library of Congress https://www.loc.gov/collections/james-buchanan-and-harriet-lane-johnston-papers/
James Buchanan Papers, Historical Society of Pennsylvania, http://www2.hsp.org/collections/manuscripts/b/Buchanan0091.html
James Buchanan Papers, Penn State University Libraries, https://libraries.psu.edu/findingaids/1458.htm
Related Item Notes
James Buchanan Family Papers
James Buchanan Collection, MG0096
Historical Society of Pennsylvania microfilm
Photograph collections
Curatorial collections
Wheatland Mansion
Access Conditions / Restrictions
Please use digital images and transcriptions when available.
Original documents may be used by appointment. Please contact archives@lancasterhistory.org at least two weeks prior to visit.
Copyright
Images have been provided for research purposes only.
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.
Please contact archives@lancasterhistory.org for a high-resolution image and permission to publish.
Credit
Courtesy of LancasterHistory, Lancaster, Pennsylvania
Description Level
Series
Custodial History
The James Buchanan Family Papers were collected by the James Buchanan Foundation for the Preservation of Wheatland. This collection was relocated from the Wheatland mansion to the LancasterHistory archives in the Spring of 2009. Digitization of the James Buchanan Family Papers was funded by the Pennsylvania Historical and Museum Commission, PHMC Appl ID # 201808013051, 2019-2020.
Documents
Less detail
Collection
James Buchanan Family Papers
Title
James Buchanan Family Papers, Part 6 Papers of Hiram B. Swarr, Series 1 Correspondence
Object ID
JBFP Part 6 Series 1
  1 document  
Collection
James Buchanan Family Papers
Title
James Buchanan Family Papers, Part 6 Papers of Hiram B. Swarr, Series 1 Correspondence
Description
James Buchanan Family Papers, Part 6 Papers of Hiram B. Swarr, Series 1 contains correspondence of Hiram Behm Swarr. The many letters to Harriet Lane Johnston and Henry E. Johnston primarily pertain to the settlement of James Buchanan's estate and work on Buchanan's biography. The dates in this collection range from 1841 to 1887.
Subseries 1 has letters from Hiram B. Swarr to Aristides Welch, Augustus Schell, Harriet Lane Johnston, Henry Elliot Johnston, and William B. Reed.
Subseries 2 has letters to Hiram B. Swarr from A. J. Glossbrenner, Edmund Jennings Lee, John R. Blake, William B. Reed, Samuel Magaw, Chambers McKibbin, John M.Cooper, Isaac E. Hiester, John Cadwalader, Benjamin Bausman, and his nephew, Simeon Toby.
Admin/Biographical History
Hiram Behm Swarr (1821-1896) was born in Londonderry Township in Lebanon County, Pennsylvania. His father was Jacob Swarr, a prominent manufacturer of Lebanon County at the time. His mother was from the prominent Behm family. He became a lawyer instead of following in his father's footsteps. In December 1847, H.B. Swarr married Fanny T. Swarr. Together they had three children: Charles, Sallie, and Mary.
Swarr was admitted to the bar in 1847, and worked in Lancaster County for nearly fifty years. He was a member of the Democratic Party, and was also appointed the Chairman of the Democratic County Committee. He was a Democratic delegate for congress from his district in 1868 and was appointed Postmaster General from 1857 to 1861. Additionally, he belonged to the Lancaster School Board, the Board of Censors, the Law Library Association, and was one of the founders of the Lancaster Bar Association.
Swarr was also a close friend of President James Buchanan, handled many of Buchanan's financial affairs and investments, and was appointed co-executor of James Buchanan's estate in 1868.
System of Arrangement
JBFP Part 6 Series 1 Correspondence
Subseries 1 Letters from Hiram B. Swarr
Subseries 2 Letters to Hiram B. Swarr
Year Range From
1841
Year Range To
1887
Creator
Swarr, Hiram Behm, 1821-1896
Storage Location
LancasterHistory, Lancaster, PA
Storage Room
Archives South
People
Buchanan, James
Johnston, Harriet Lane
Johnston, Henry Elliot
Swarr, Hiram Behm
Other Creators
James Buchanan Foundation for the Preservation of Wheatland (Lancaster, Pa.)
Subjects
Letters
Personal correspondence
Search Terms
Correspondence
Correspondence, Personal
Letters
Finding aids
Manuscript groups
Buchanan Collections
James Buchanan
Harriet Lane Johnston
James Buchanan Presidential Library
Extent
1 box, 81 folders, .5 cubic feet
Object Name
Correspondence
Language
English
Object ID
JBFP Part 6 Series 1
Associated Material
James Buchanan Papers, Dickinson College Archives & Special Collections http://archives.dickinson.edu/collection-descriptions/james-buchanan-papers
James Buchanan and Harriet Lane Johnston Papers, Library of Congress https://www.loc.gov/collections/james-buchanan-and-harriet-lane-johnston-papers/
James Buchanan Papers, Historical Society of Pennsylvania, http://www2.hsp.org/collections/manuscripts/b/Buchanan0091.html
James Buchanan Papers, Penn State University Libraries, https://libraries.psu.edu/findingaids/1458.htm
Related Item Notes
James Buchanan Family Papers
James Buchanan Collection, MG0096
Historical Society of Pennsylvania microfilm
Photograph collections
Curatorial collections
Wheatland Mansion
Access Conditions / Restrictions
Please use digital images and transcriptions when available.
Original documents may be used by appointment. Please contact archives@lancasterhistory.org at least two weeks prior to visit.
Copyright
Images have been provided for research purposes only.
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.
Please contact archives@lancasterhistory.org for a high-resolution image and permission to publish.
Credit
Courtesy of LancasterHistory, Lancaster, Pennsylvania
Description Level
Series
Custodial History
The James Buchanan Family Papers were collected by the James Buchanan Foundation for the Preservation of Wheatland. This collection was relocated from the Wheatland mansion to the LancasterHistory archives in the Spring of 2009. Digitization of the James Buchanan Family Papers was funded by the Pennsylvania Historical and Museum Commission, PHMC Appl ID # 201808013051, 2019-2020.
Documents
Less detail
Collection
James Buchanan Family Papers
Title
James Buchanan Family Papers, Part 1 Papers of James Buchanan, Series 1 Correspondence
Object ID
JBFP Part 1 Series 1
  1 document  
Collection
James Buchanan Family Papers
Title
James Buchanan Family Papers, Part 1 Papers of James Buchanan, Series 1 Correspondence
Description
The James Buchanan Family Papers, Part 1, Papers of James Buchanan, Series 1 Correspondence, Subseries 1 contains letters to James Buchanan and Subseries 2 contains letters from James Buchanan. Within these subseries, the letters are arranged chronologically, dating from 1819-1868.
This collection contains letters, both to and from James Buchanan. The letters from Buchanan range from the different periods of his life-as a private citizen and lawyer, senator, and ambassador to Russia and Britain; his Presidential term from 1857 to 1861; and his later years until his death in 1868. The earlier letters include details of his travels, political matters and the military, social engagements and responsibilities, his responsibilities as a political figure, and accounts of family chatter and gossip. He also discusses at length, in his letters to and about Harriet Lane, his opinions of whom she should marry, his opinions about her social encounters and interactions, her living situations, and her livelihood. Buchanan also often wrote about his Christian beliefs, especially during the later years of his life. Letters from his later years detail the day-to-day life at home in Wheatland, including some of his guests, his servants, and his illnesses as the end of his life neared.
The letters that are addressed to James Buchanan range in different topics, concerning military affairs, political and legal information, and family chatter. Other letters include details of Buchanan's financial matters that are in reference to loans, Buchanan's investments and purchases, deeds and bonds. There are also a number of thank-you letters and notes of recommendation.
Many of the letters are to his niece, Harriet Lane and nephew, James Buchanan Henry. Other correspondents are H. B. Swarr, Henry A. Muhlenberg, family members, Francis Scott Key, Riggs & Co., James L. Reynolds, and many political colleagues.
Admin/Biographical History
James Buchanan was born on April 23, 1791 to James Buchanan and Elizabeth Speer. He was the second child born out of ten children, and he would go on to outlive all but one of his siblings. Most popularly remembered as Pennsylvania's only President and as a lifelong bachelor, Buchanan committed a lifetime to politics. In 1821, he left his law practice and embarked on his political career after having been voted into the U.S. House of Representatives. He would remain in the House for five consecutive terms before serving as the U.S. Minister to Russia, a Senator in the U.S. Senate, the U.S. Secretary of State, the U.S. Minister to Great Britain, and finally, the 15th President of the United States. He died in his bedchamber at Wheatland at 8:30 AM on June 1, 1868. He was 77 years old. [https://www.lancasterhistory.org/about-wheatland, accessed 10/24/2019]
System of Arrangement
JBFP Part 1 Series 1 Correspondence
Subseries 1 Letters from James Buchanan
Subseries 2 Letters to James Buchanan
Year Range From
1819
Year Range To
1868
Creator
Buchanan, James, 1791-1868
Storage Location
LancasterHistory, Lancaster, PA
Storage Room
Archives South
People
Buchanan, James
Johnston, Harriet Lane
Henry, James Buchanan
Swarr, Hiram Behm
Other Creators
James Buchanan Foundation for the Preservation of Wheatland (Lancaster, Pa.)
Subjects
Letters
Personal correspondence
Search Terms
Letters
Correspondence, Personal
James Buchanan
Harriet Lane Johnston
Buchanan Collections
James Buchanan Presidential Library
Extent
4 boxes, 365 folders, 2 cubic ft.
Object Name
Correspondence
Language
English, French
Object ID
JBFP Part 1 Series 1
Associated Material
James Buchanan Papers, Dickinson College Archives & Special Collections http://archives.dickinson.edu/collection-descriptions/james-buchanan-papers
James Buchanan and Harriet Lane Johnston Papers, Library of Congress https://www.loc.gov/collections/james-buchanan-and-harriet-lane-johnston-papers/
James Buchanan Papers, Historical Society of Pennsylvania, http://www2.hsp.org/collections/manuscripts/b/Buchanan0091.html
James Buchanan Papers, Penn State University Libraries, https://libraries.psu.edu/findingaids/1458.htm
Related Item Notes
James Buchanan Family Papers
James Buchanan Collection, MG0096
Historical Society of Pennsylvania microfilm in the LancasterHistory Research Library
Photograph collections
Curatorial collections
Wheatland Mansion
Access Conditions / Restrictions
Please use digital images and transcriptions when available.
Original documents may be used by appointment. Please contact archives@lancasterhistory.org at least two weeks prior to visit.
Copyright
Images have been provided for research purposes only.
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.
Please contact archives@lancasterhistory.org for a high-resolution image and permission to publish.
Credit
Courtesy of LancasterHistory, Lancaster, Pennsylvania
Description Level
Series
Custodial History
The James Buchanan Family Papers were collected by the James Buchanan Foundation for the Preservation of Wheatland. This collection was relocated from the Wheatland mansion to the LancasterHistory archives in the Spring of 2009. Digitization of the James Buchanan Family Papers was funded by the Pennsylvania Historical and Museum Commission, PHMC Appl ID # 201808013051, 2019-2020.
Documents
Less detail
Collection
James Buchanan Family Papers
Title
James Buchanan Family Papers, Part 3 Papers of James Buchanan Henry, Series 1 Correspondence
Object ID
JBFP Part 3 Series 1
  1 document  
Collection
James Buchanan Family Papers
Title
James Buchanan Family Papers, Part 3 Papers of James Buchanan Henry, Series 1 Correspondence
Description
James Buchanan Family Papers, Part 3 Papers of James Buchanan Henry, Series 1 contains the correspondence of James Buchanan Henry. Subseries 1 is letters written by James Buchanan Henry and Subseries 2 is letters received by James Buchanan Henry. The letters are primarily to and from family members and friends with family news, details of his travels, political and business matters, social engagements and responsibilities, and information about friends. Correspondents include Mary Hagner Nicholson Henry, Louisa Anderson Henry, his children, extended family members, William Uhler Hensel, Hiram B. Swarr, classmates, and friends. The dates range from 1850 to 1909.
Admin/Biographical History
James Buchanan Henry, also known as Buck, was born on March 1, 1833. Just like his cousin, Harriet, Buck lost both of his parents and was taken in as James Buchanan's ward in 1840. During his early years, he attended several boarding schools and eventually graduated from the College of New Jersey. Though his interests remained with the arts, Buck went on to read law under an attorney named John Cadwalader. When James Buchanan assumed the presidency, he called for Buck to join him as his private secretary, a position known today as the Chief of Staff. While Buck worked at Washington, he found himself in frequent conflict with his Uncle. This conflict came to a head in 1858 when Buck proposed to his sweetheart, Mary Nicholson. Upset that Buck hadn't consulted him on the proposal, James Buchanan disapproved of the match. Buck left his position as private secretary and went on to marry Miss Nicholson. The couple would have two children, one of whom would survive into adulthood.
Soon after the birth of their second child, Mary Nicholson died of consumption, leaving Buck a widower. Later on, he married Louisa Anderson, and the two had six sons. After fourteen years of marriage, Louisa died. Buck would marry for a third time much later in his life to a woman named Margaret Grote Elliman. Buck was 71 and Margaret was 24. The two had no children and enjoyed 11 years of marriage before Buck died on February 17, 1915. [https://www.lancasterhistory.org/about-wheatland/, accessed 10/24/2019]
System of Arrangement
JBFP Part 3, Series 1 Correspondence
Subseries 1 Letters from James Buchanan Henry
Subseries 2 Letters to James Buchanan Henry
Year Range From
1850
Year Range To
1909
Creator
Henry, James Buchanan, 1833-1915
Storage Location
LancasterHistory, Lancaster, PA
Storage Room
Archives South
People
Buchanan, James
Henry, James Buchanan
Henry, Mary Hagner Nicholson
Henry, Louisa Anderson
Other Creators
James Buchanan Foundation for the Preservation of Wheatland (Lancaster, Pa.)
Subjects
Letters
Personal correspondence
Search Terms
James Buchanan
Harriet Lane Johnston
Buchanan Collections
Letters
Correspondence, Personal
Manuscript groups
Finding aids
James Buchanan Presidential Library
Extent
4 boxes, 331 folders, 667 items, 1.5 cubic ft.
Object Name
Correspondence
Language
English, French, Spanish, Italian
Object ID
JBFP Part 3 Series 1
Associated Material
James Buchanan Papers, Dickinson College Archives & Special Collections http://archives.dickinson.edu/collection-descriptions/james-buchanan-papers
James Buchanan and Harriet Lane Johnston Papers, Library of Congress https://www.loc.gov/collections/james-buchanan-and-harriet-lane-johnston-papers/
James Buchanan Papers, Historical Society of Pennsylvania, http://www2.hsp.org/collections/manuscripts/b/Buchanan0091.html
James Buchanan Papers, Penn State University Libraries, https://libraries.psu.edu/findingaids/1458.htm
Related Item Notes
James Buchanan Family Papers
James Buchanan Collection, MG0096
Historical Society of Pennsylvania microfilm
Photograph collections
Curatorial collections
Wheatland Mansion
Access Conditions / Restrictions
Please use digital images and transcriptions when available.
Original documents may be used by appointment. Please contact archives@lancasterhistory.org at least two weeks prior to visit.
Copyright
Images have been provided for research purposes only.
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.
Please contact archives@lancasterhistory.org for a high-resolution image and permission to publish.
Credit
Courtesy of LancasterHistory, Lancaster, Pennsylvania
Description Level
Series
Custodial History
The James Buchanan Family Papers were collected by the James Buchanan Foundation for the Preservation of Wheatland. This collection was relocated from the Wheatland mansion to the LancasterHistory archives in the Spring of 2009. Digitization of the James Buchanan Family Papers was funded by the Pennsylvania Historical and Museum Commission, PHMC Appl ID # 201808013051, 2019-2020.
Documents
Less detail
Collection
James Buchanan Family Papers
Title
James Buchanan Family Papers, Part 2 Papers of Harriet Lane Johnston, Series 1 Correspondence
Object ID
JBFP Part 2 Series 1
  1 document  
Collection
James Buchanan Family Papers
Title
James Buchanan Family Papers, Part 2 Papers of Harriet Lane Johnston, Series 1 Correspondence
Description
James Buchanan Family Papers, Part 2 Papers of Harriet Lane Johnston, Series 1 contains the correspondence of Harriet Lane Johnston.
Subseries 1 contains letters written by Harriet to James Buchanan, Lily Macalester and Charles Macalester, Lois Buchanan, Hiram B. Swarr, Mary Speer, and others from 1848-1902.
Subseries 2 contains letters written to Harriet from Captain W. R. Palmer, Alfred Pleasanton, Laura Pleasanton, Isaac E. Hiester and others from 1854 to 1897, including several describing Washington, D.C. in 1861.
Admin/Biographical History
Born on May 9, 1830, Harriet Lane was the youngest surviving child of Elliot Toll Lane and Jane Buchanan Lane. When both of her parents died of consumption, now known as tuberculosis, Harriet went on to be her Uncle James Buchanan's ward in 1841. A well-educated lady, Harriet attended several boarding schools before graduating from the Georgetown Academy of Visitation Convent at the age of 18. When James Buchanan served as the U.S. Minister to Great Britain, Harriet Lane joined him for a time and served as a hostess. During her time in England, which she noted as "the realization of a beautiful dream," she befriended none other than Queen Victoria. When her Uncle assumed the presidency, Harriet Lane assumed her role as hostess. She is considered the first First Lady, as the title had initially been given to the president's hostess during Harriet's time in Washington.
After Buchanan's presidency, Harriet Lane married Henry Elliot Johnston, a banker from Baltimore, on January 11, 1866. She was 35 years old. The couple went on to have two sons, both of whom would pass away from rheumatic fever in their early teenage years. Two years after losing her youngest son, Harriet lost her husband to pneumonia. By 1884, Harriet was a childless widow. She would go on to leave a legacy for generations to come, including establishing a children's hospital in Baltimore called The Harriet Lane Home for Invalid Children (today the Harriet Lane Clinic at the John's Hopkins Children's Hospital), preserving her Uncle's letters and manuscripts, bestowing her art collection to the Corcoran Gallery and the Smithsonian American Art Museum in Washington, D.C., and constructing the St. Alban's School, a school for choir boys. She died on July 3, 1903. [ https://www.lancasterhistory.org/about-wheatland/, accessed 10/24/2019]
System of Arrangement
JBFP Part 2 Series 1 Correspondence
Subseries 1 Letters from Harriet Lane Johnston
Subseries 2 Letters to Harriet Lane Johnston
Year Range From
1848
Year Range To
1902
Creator
Johnston, Harriet Lane, 1830-1903
Storage Location
LancasterHistory, Lancaster, PA
Storage Room
Archives South
People
Buchanan, James
Johnston, Harriet Lane
Other Creators
James Buchanan Foundation for the Preservation of Wheatland (Lancaster, Pa.)
Subjects
Baltimore (Md.)
Lancaster (Pa.)
Letters
Personal correspondence
Washington (D.C.)
Wheatland (Lancaster, Pa.)
Search Terms
Baltimore, Maryland
Buchanan Collections
Correspondence
Correspondence, Personal
Harriet Lane Johnston
James Buchanan
Lancaster
Letters
Washington, DC
Finding aids
Manuscript groups
James Buchanan Presidential Library
Extent
1 box, 71 folders, .20 cubic ft.
Object Name
Correspondence
Language
English
Object ID
JBFP Part 2 Series 1
Associated Material
James Buchanan Papers, Dickinson College Archives & Special Collections http://archives.dickinson.edu/collection-descriptions/james-buchanan-papers
James Buchanan and Harriet Lane Johnston Papers, Library of Congress https://www.loc.gov/collections/james-buchanan-and-harriet-lane-johnston-papers/
James Buchanan Papers, Historical Society of Pennsylvania, http://www2.hsp.org/collections/manuscripts/b/Buchanan0091.html
James Buchanan Papers, Penn State University Libraries, https://libraries.psu.edu/findingaids/1458.htm
Related Item Notes
James Buchanan Family Papers
James Buchanan Collection, MG0096
Historical Society of Pennsylvania microfilm
Photograph collections
Curatorial collections
Wheatland Mansion
Access Conditions / Restrictions
Please use digital images and transcriptions when available.
Original documents may be used by appointment. Please contact archives@lancasterhistory.org at least two weeks prior to visit.
Copyright
Images have been provided for research purposes only.
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.
Please contact archives@lancasterhistory.org for a high-resolution image and permission to publish.
Credit
Courtesy of LancasterHistory, Lancaster, Pennsylvania
Description Level
Series
Custodial History
The James Buchanan Family Papers were collected by the James Buchanan Foundation for the Preservation of Wheatland. This collection was relocated from the Wheatland mansion to the LancasterHistory archives in the Spring of 2009. Digitization of the James Buchanan Family Papers was funded by the Pennsylvania Historical and Museum Commission, PHMC Appl ID # 201808013051, 2019-2020.
Documents
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6 records – page 1 of 1.