This collection contains Thomas Baker's three surveying books which document land and property ownership in southern Lancaster County, primarily Colerain Township from 1856-1902. Octorara Creek, Kirkwood, Christiana and Upper Oxford Twp. are among the place names.
Admin/Biographical History
Thomas Baker traces his ancestry back to Sir Richard Baker (1568), born in the county of Kent, England. In 1685, seven generations before Thomas Baker was born, Joseph Baker immigrated to Delaware County, Pennsylvania. Born in Chatham, Chester County to Lewis and Diana Baker, Thomas was well-educated; a teacher until 1840, when he commenced the study of surveying. Land surveying is the location of points on, above and below the surface of the earth and the relation of those points to a common reference system. Employed at Jonathon Goss, at Unionville Academy in Chester, he surveyed over 650 farms in Lancaster County's Colerain Township. He married in 1855; his family adhering to his Quaker faith. The Biographical Annals in Lancaster, published in 1903, describes Baker as "…a man esteemed by his neighbors for his many good qualities and excellent character, and in disposition he is a man of warm heart and kindly feeling."
This record group contains canceled orders that were issued by the county commissioners for payment to be made by the county treasurer. The orders show date, order number, amount, name of payee, purpose, and signatures of the county commissioners. In the case of "poor children," teachers were reimbursed by the county for tuition and/or the supplies purchased for students whose parents were unable to pay. Orders include: Poor Children, Almshouse, Bridges, Coroners' Inquests, Prisons, Roads, Court House, and Tax Exonerations.
System of Arrangement
The record group is organized chronologically, then arranged by order number within each year.
This record group contains canceled orders that were issued by the county commissioners for payment to be made by the county treasurer. The orders show date, order number, amount, name of payee, purpose, and signatures of the county commissioners. In the case of "poor children," teachers were reimbursed by the county for tuition and/or the supplies purchased for students whose parents were unable to pay. Orders include: Poor Children, Almshouse, Bridges, Coroners' Inquests, Prisons, Roads, Court House, and Tax Exonerations.
System of Arrangement
The record group is organized chronologically, then arranged by order number within each year.
This record group contains canceled orders that were issued by the county commissioners for payment to be made by the county treasurer. The orders show date, order number, amount, name of payee, purpose, and signatures of the county commissioners. In the case of "poor children," teachers were reimbursed by the county for tuition and/or the supplies purchased for students whose parents were unable to pay. Orders include: Poor Children, Almshouse, Bridges, Coroners' Inquests, Prisons, Roads, Court House, and Tax Exonerations.
System of Arrangement
The record group is organized chronologically, then arranged by order number within each year.
Letter with biographical information about Miles Rock
Description
This letter from Capt. W. S. Crosley, Hydrographer, U.S. Navy, to Rep. Griest is a response to a letter from Griest to the Director, Geological Survey, Department of the Interior, in which he requested information about astronomer Miles Rock for Pierce Lesher in Lancaster. Crosley's letter provides biographical information about Mr. Rock.
Admin/Biographical History
Miles Rock (1840-1901) was "the son of Peter and Mary Graver Rock and stepson of Samuel Reemsnyder. In 1860 he was a student at Franklin & Marshall College in Lancaster, Lancaster County, Pennsylvania.
A Civil War veteran, he enlisted in West Chester, Chester County, June 4, 1861, and mustered into federal service at Camp Carroll, Baltimore, Maryland, July 26 as a private with Co. B, 1st Pennsylvania Reserves (30th Pennsylvania). On August 14, 1863, he transferred to the regular army with the U.S. Signal Corps, and honorably discharged on a date yet to be found, although typically the transferees int the U.S. Signal Corps left service ca. August 1865.
After the war, he graduated from Lehigh University with a degree in civil engineering and then taught mathematics and mineralogy. He married Susan Clarkson May 26, 1870, in Philadelphia and fathered Amy Cordoba (b. 04/25/1872 - married Frederick Leslie Ransome) and Alfred Mayer (b. 09/26/1877). He worked as an astronomer at the U.S. Naval Observatory and later became astronomical engineer for Guatemala, South America, making his home there. He died allegedly from "acute enterogastritis" following a heart attack. Source: Dennis Brandt.
Miles Rock was one of the founders of the Anthropological Society of Washington."
https://www.findagrave.com/memorial/39416848/miles-rock (Accessed 29 December 2023.)
Preferred Citation: Title or description of item, date (day, month, year), William Walton Griest Collection (MG0065), Series #, 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
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Credit
Courtesy of LancasterHistory, Lancaster, Pennsylvania.
Accession Number
Unknown.MG0065
Other Numbers
MG-65, Series 25
Other Number
MG-65, Series 25, Folder 62, Insert 7, Item 7
Classification
MG0065
Description Level
Item
Custodial History
Originally cataloged by KC, 2002-2003. The project was funded by the Pennsylvania Historical and Museum Commission’s Archives and Records Management Grant, ME 230340, 2002-2003.
