Letter to Dr. L. W. Pownall, Christiana, from W. U. Hensel, Lancaster, regarding a 60th anniversary celebration of the
Christiana Riot. 30 January 1911.
Admin/Biographical History
The Christiana Resistance, commonly referred to as the "Christiana Riot" occurred in September of 1851 in Christiana, Pennsylvania, a borough in Lancaster County. The events known as the Christiana Resistance include an attack from slaveholders in Maryland on the inhabitants and home of William Parker a free black man living in Christiana, Pennsylvania. The slaveholders crossed the state border, and attempted claim and return the freedom seekers as their property, under the Fugitive Slave Act of 1850.
The violent confrontation resulted in the death of Edward Gorsuch, a slaveholder, and the escape of William Parker to freedom in Canada. Edward's son, Dickinson Gorsuch, was wounded and taken to the farm of Levi Pownall, where the Pownall family nursed him back to health. Historically, this event challenged the Fugitive Slave Act of 1850 and is considered a precursor to the Civil War.
System of Arrangement
Series 1 Manuscript and Printed Material, 1803-1955
The digital images of the manuscript and printed material are 300 dpi JPGs; the photographs are 600 dpi JPGs.
Object Name
Letter
Container
Moores Memorial Library Series 1 Container 10 Letter Letter to Dr. L. W. Pownall, Christiana, from W. U. Hensel, Lancaster, regarding a 60th anniversary celebration of the Christiana Riot. 30 January 1911.
30 January 1911.
Language
English
Object ID
Christiana S01 F10
Location of Originals
Moores Memorial Library
9 West Slokom Avenue
Christiana, PA 17509
chrlib@christianalibrary.org
610-593-6683 or 610-593-6687
Related Item Notes
Christiana Resistance Collection (CHRISTIANA RESISTANCE) https://collections.lancasterhistory.org/en/permalink/1287a022-e430-4f3f-bc97-330571018105
Access Conditions / Restrictions
The attached images have been provided for research. The original items are restricted for preservation purposes.
Copyright
The attached images may be used for research purposes only.
Please contact Moores Memorial Library for a high resolution image and permission to publish:
Moores Memorial Library
9 West Slokom Avenue
Christiana, PA 17509
chrlib@christianalibrary.org
610-593-6683 or 610-593-6687
Credit
Christiana Resistance Collection, Series 1, Folder 10, Moores Memorial Library
Classification
CHRISTIANA RESISTANCE
Christiana S01 F10
Description Level
Folder
Custodial History
Moores Memorial Library (Christiana, Pa.) owns some of the most significant manuscript material relating to the Christiana Resistance. The staff of Moores Memorial Library, part of the Library System of Lancaster County, and the Lancaster County Historical Society worked together to arrange and preserve the collection and create a finding aid to make the materials accessible to the public.
The collection contains correspondence to and from the Pownall family regarding the incident, notes regarding kidnappings in the area from 1850-1851, photocopied pages of Dickinson Gorsuch's diary, and published accounts. An 1896 photograph shows Peter Woods and Samuel Hopkins, survivors of the riot. There are also photographs of the Christiana Riot House, the Pownall farm, and key figures in the riot and at the Treason Trials of 1851.
The staff of Moores Memorial Library, part of the Library System of Lancaster County, and the Lancaster County Historical Society worked together to arrange and preserve the collection and create a finding aid to make the materials accessible to the public. Funds for this project were provided by the Library Services and Technology Act (LSTA) in 2001.
George Steinman Papers, Series 1 (MG0184_S01) https://collections.lancasterhistory.org/en/permalink/786b3ffc-7908-40de-9362-817467455650
George Steinman Papers, Series 2 (MG0184_S02) https://collections.lancasterhistory.org/en/permalink/6c7e11c6-f3ca-469c-891a-145832196710
Notes
Preferred Citation: Title or description of item, date (day, month, year), George Steinman Papers (MG0184), Series 2, 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
Images have been provided for research purposes only. Please contact Research@LancasterHistory.org for a high-resolution image and permission to publish.
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. 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-184, Series 2
Other Number
MG-184, Series 2, Folder 112, Insert 1, Item 2
Classification
MG0184
Description Level
Item
Custodial History
Added to database 21 November 2023.
Digitization of this document was funded by the Pennsylvania Historical and Museum Commission, PHMC Appl ID # 202010016624, 2020-2023.
The Bicentennial of the First Settlement in Lancaster County, 1710-1910
Description
The scrapbook is composed of William Uhler Hensel's correspondence from 1910. These letters are responses to Hensel's invitation to the celebration of the 200th birthday of the first settlement in Lancaster County, near present-day Willow Street. The majority of the letters are handwritten. The book also contains programs describing the events of the celebration and an historical description of the first settlement in 1710.
Admin/Biographical History
William Uhler Hensel
William Uhler Hensel was born in Quarryville, Lancaster County, Pennsylvania on 3 December 1851. Hensel attended the local public school and a series of private academies before entering Franklin and Marshall College in 1866. Hensel was very active in the school including fraternities and clubs. He graduated from Franklin and Marshall College in 1870.
After graduation, Hensel pursued a career in law and studied under Judge Isaac Hiester and David G. Eshleman. In 1873, Hensel was admitted to the Lancaster Bar and established his own practice in Lancaster. While studying law, he became interest in journalism and later maintained a dual career in journalism and law. After opening his law firm, Hensel became the co-owner of the Lancaster Intelligencer and also became editor of the newspaper.
Hensel was active in politics and helped in the efforts of the Democratic Party in Lancaster County. He compiled many writings that aided campaigns such as biographies of the Democratic candidates. In 1891, he became the attorney general of Pennsylvania.
As one of the founding members of the Lancaster County Historical Society, he wrote many articles for the historical society's journal that depict the county's history. Hensel was active in the community by giving lectures and presenting information to societies and clubs throughout Lancaster County. He was also president of the Pennsylvania-German Society.
Hensel married Emily Flinn; they had one daughter named Elizabeth. He practiced law throughout his life and received honorary doctorates from Dickinson College in 1909 and Franklin and Marshall in 1912. Hensel died on 27 February 1915 from cirrhosis of the liver while on vacation in Georgia.
First Settlement in Lancaster County
Lancaster County was officially established in 1729 out of Chester County. The first settlement began in 1709 and was established by Swiss Mennonites in 1710 around the area of present-day Willow Street. Hans Herr was the bishop of the founding group. The Hans Herr House is now the oldest building in Lancaster County dating back to 1719. The original inhabitants of the area included the Susquehannocks (also known as the Conestogas), Shawnee, Gawanese, Delaware, and Nanticoke. Huguenots, Scots-Irish, English, Welsh, and Rhineland Germans settled in Lancaster County after the Swiss Mennonites.
Ferree, Barr. William Uhler Hensel: An Appreciation. New York, New York: The Society, 1915.
Hensel, William Uhler. The Christiana Riot and the Treason Trials of 1851: An Historical Sketch. Lancaster, Pennsylvania: The New Era Printing Company, 1911.
The William Uhler Hensel Collection, 1870- 1915 (MG0076)
Musser, Wilma I. Village of West Willow, 1710- 1974, Lancaster County Pennsylvania: A History. Lancaster, Pennsylvania: Schaff Library, Lancaster Theological Seminary, 1974.
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
No restrictions. Please request this item by contacting Research@LancasterHistory.org prior to your visit.
Copyright
This item 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.
Credit
Courtesy of LancasterHistory, Lancaster, Pennsylvania.
Other Numbers
MG-434
Other Number
MG-434, Box 26
Classification
MG0434
Description Level
Item
Custodial History
Cataloged by CRB, October 2007. Added to database, 26 September 2023.
Previously housed in the Scrapbook Collection, Book 175.
This project was funded by the Pennsylvania Historical and Museum Commission, ME60112, 2007-2008.
