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.
Watercolor aerial-angled view picturing the lower right corner of the bed. Green fabric curtains are tied to the slender fluted wooden column beneath the top decorative gray wooden edging. A square wood portion of the column supports the cross piece at the foot of the bed. A white covering on the bed has pink stripes along its edge and a green flounce matching the curtains above hangs between the mattress and the floor. Printed in lower left corner: "BEDSTEAD/ YEATES' HOUSE/1879."
Watercolor of "Mirror/ Yeates Mansion/ Lancaster/Pa:-" In lower right corner is a letter embellishment "m?n:" and beneath it, "-1879-" Oval-shaped mirror hanging on the wall is edged ornately with gold-colored curved leafy branches. On the top at the center is a gold lamppost/ torch.
There is a brown mark on the bottom edge, about 1.5 inches from the left corner. There are the remains of a previous backing on the corners and sides of the reverse which have partially bled through to the fronts, especially at the lower left corner. (by Scott Sagar, 12/06/2000)
The piece is currently float-mounted in hinged window matting.
Object ID
P.77.31.42
Place of Origin
Lancaster
Role
Artist
Credit
Acquired through the generosity of the James Hale Steinman Foundation, Heritage Center Collection
Ink drawing on paper. "Tomb of the /Hon. Jasper Yeates./ Episcopal Grave Yard/ Lancaster Pa./ Oct. 1882." Lower portion of marker with inscription facing viewer. "Sacred/ to the Memory/ of the/ Hon. Jasper Yeates" is readable. The top of the monument, with an orb, is drawn on the top left. Written below the marker is the complete transcription: Sacred/ to the Memory/ of the Honorable Jasper Yeates/ one of the Judges/ of the Supreme Court/ of Pennsylvania/ who was/ born/ April 9 1745/ and died/ March 14 1817/ He fulfilled the various Duties of Life/ with Fidelity his integrity was inflexible/ As a Judge he was most learned & Eminent, and in the Exercise of his public/ functions he deservedly obtained the/ Confidence of his Fellow Citizens & has left behind him a name which will/ only perish with the Judicial Records of his Country."
Words below drawing have been inked over penciled writing. Some horizontal buckling along the top and bottom, browned edges. There are the remains of a previous backing on the corners of the reverse. (Scott Sagar, 12-08-2000)
The piece is currently float-mounted in hinged window matting.
Object ID
P.77.31.47
Place of Origin
Lancaster
Role
Artist
Credit
Acquired through the generosity of the James Hale Steinman Foundation, Heritage Center Collection
Miniature watercolor portrait on oval paper-board of The "Honorable Jasper Yeates/ Judge of the Supreme Court/ of Penna." from chest up. He is shown facing forward, looking to his right, with white hair, white shirt collar, brown vest and dark coat.
Some small areas of paint are missing around the edge of the portrait. Some portions may have been in-painted, most obviously a 1/4" portion slightly above center right. (by Scott Sagar, 12/08/2000)
The piece is currently float-mounted in hinged window matting.
Object ID
P.77.31.48
Place of Origin
Lancaster
Role
Artist
Credit
Acquired through the generosity of the James Hale Steinman Foundation, Heritage Center Collection
