The Paul A. Mueller, Jr. Collection contains a deed for property in Lancaster Borough, an early collection of recipes, a receipt book for the Hamilton Lots, a valentine, stock certificate books for the New Process Steel Corporation, and Civil War letters. The Honorable Paul A. Mueller, Jr. is a descendant of the Zahm, Shreiner, and Cochran families on his mother's side. The items in this collection were passed down through the family for several generations.
Admin/Biographical History
Klein, Huffnagle, and Mussertown
The deed shows the sale of property in Mussertown by innkeepers Leonard and Rosina Klein to Peter Huffnagle. Leonard (1725-1793) married Amalia Rosina Waidlin (1732-1795) at Warwick, Lancaster County in December 1749. At that time he was a saddler in Lancaster. Although they did not have children, they were sponsors at several baptisms at the Moravian Church and Trinity Lutheran Church, both in Lancaster. Peter Huffnagle (1746-1806) and his wife, Charlotte, had their children baptized at the First Reformed Church in Lancaster. They were also buried in that churchyard. Mussertown was laid out in 1760 by John Musser, and was later added onto by Henry Musser. Its original boundaries were the streets now called Church, Strawberry, Locust, and Rockland.
Hamilton Lots
In 1730, Andrew Hamilton, a skilled lawyer, purchased a tract of land in the newly incorporated Lancaster County and convinced the commissioners to place the county seat within his holdings. Queen Street and King Street run through that tract. James Hamilton (1710-1783) acquired 500 acres of land from his father in 1734, and started selling lots by 1735. Although Hamilton sold the lots, he imposed ground-rents so tenants had to pay for the right to occupy and improve the land that they owned. Tenants were also required to build dwellings on their property within two years and to meet certain building specifications. He continued to acquire and sell lots until 1773. Ground-rents were still being collected on the Hamilton Lots after World War II.
Zahm and Shreiner
Godfried Zahm was a brushmaker in Lancaster. His son, Michael (d.1883), learned the brushmaking business from his father and then learned the watchmaking and jewelry business from his brother-in-law, Martin Shreiner, Jr. (1767-1866). Godfried's daughter, Maria, married Martin Shreiner who is best remembered as a Lancaster clockmaker. Maria kept a trimming shop on North Queen Street in Lancaster.
Cochran and New Process Steel Corporation
Harry B. Cochran, great-grandfather of Paul A. Mueller, Jr., was the president of New Process Steel Corporation in 1916. New Process Steel Co. began as New Process Steel Wire Manufacturing Co. and was renamed in 1907. This manufacturer of drill rods and special steel shapes became a subsidiary of General Motors Corporation in 1919. It is significant that Alfred P. Sloan, Jr. owned stock in the New Process Steel Corporation in 1916. Sloan was president of Hyatt Roller Bearing Company when it merged with the United Motors Corporation in 1916. He then became president of United Motors which merged with General Motors Corporation in 1918. Sloan was president and CEO of General Motors from 1923-1946.
Shand, William and Dean Keller. 1965. "Twentieth Century Industrial Development of Lancaster." Journal of the Lancaster County Historical Society 69: 151-162.
Wood, Stacy B. C. 1994. "Martin Shreiner: from Clocks to Fire Engines." Journal of the Lancaster County Historical Society 96: 114-137.
Notes
Preferred Citation: Title or description of item, date (day, month, year), Paul A. Mueller, Jr. Collection (MG0360), 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-360
Other Number
MG-360
Classification
MG0360
Description Level
Fonds
Custodial History
Folders 1-9 cataloged in 2005. Folder 10 cataloged in 2009. Added to database 7 September 2017.
Daybook of Benjamin B. Eshleman Bart Twp., Colerain Twp., Leacock Twp.
Description
Daybook of Benjamin B. Eshleman Bart Twp., Colerain Twp., Leacock Twp.
Contains 87 leaves, unpaginated, unruled but most with vertical accounting lines. There are 2 front leaves; the 1st page has "Wheat Book; August the 20th 1824" written at the top and references to memorandum on the rest of the page. The 2nd, 3rd and 4th front leaves are blank. There are 2 end leaves with accounting notes on the 2nd, 3rd and 4th last pages.
Front cover has "Day Book" faintly written on the outside.
Book references rum, molasses, Liverpool plates, powder, blue broad cloth, silk twist & thread, whiskey, tobacco, fine ivory comb, salico, snuff, pair of shoes, lace, pepper, mackerel, etc.
Insert 1 - Blue donor card
NOTE: Death year "1851" on donor card is incorrect. It should be "1854".
Source: Benjamin B. Eshleman, vital record; digital image by subscription, "Ancestry.com", Lancaster, Pennsylvania, U.S., Mennonite Vital Records, 1750-2014 (https://www.ancestrylibrary.com : accessed 3 April 2024).
Front cover is heavily worn. The inside glued page is only attached at the upper right 6".
Back cover outside finish is completely worn off and inside glued page has been removed.
All leaves are loose and have signs of water damage. Front two leaves are missing ~1" x 1" pieces from bottom right sides.
Object ID
MG0963_F020
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).
NOTE: Index is by first name. Also, indexed name may appear on multiple pages.
Access Conditions / Restrictions
Original documents may be used by appointment--contact Research@LancasterHistory.org prior to visit.
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.
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.
Signers of petition: John Cauller, Charles Ryrear, William Hollis, Samuel Good, Henry Keylor, Charles Biles, John Keylor, James McCord, James Brown, William McCord, John McClure, Jacob Oatman.
1 item, 1 piece
Access Conditions / Restrictions
Request at Reference Desk; photocopy made by staff member.
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.
Renunciations are papers filed in the Orphans' Court by executors of an estate who do not wish to administer that estate. They show the name of the decedent, the decedent's place of residence, the name of the person renouncing administration, the name of the replacement administrator to be appointed, and date. The relationship between the decedent, the executor, and the administrator is usually shown. Arranged chronologically and then alphabetically within each year.
System of Arrangement
Arranged chronologically and then alphabetically within each year.
Renunciations are papers filed in the Orphans' Court by executors of an estate who do not wish to administer that estate. They show the name of the decedent, the decedent's place of residence, the name of the person renouncing administration, the name of the replacement administrator to be appointed, and date. The relationship between the decedent, the executor, and the administrator is usually shown. Arranged chronologically and then alphabetically within each year.
System of Arrangement
Arranged chronologically and then alphabetically within each year.
Renunciations are papers filed in the Orphans' Court by executors of an estate who do not wish to administer that estate. They show the name of the decedent, the decedent's place of residence, the name of the person renouncing administration, the name of the replacement administrator to be appointed, and date. The relationship between the decedent, the executor, and the administrator is usually shown. Arranged chronologically and then alphabetically within each year.
System of Arrangement
Arranged chronologically and then alphabetically within each year.
