Skip header and navigation

Revise Search

153 records – page 1 of 16.

An early letter by Thaddeus Stevens

https://collections.lancasterhistory.org/en/permalink/lhdo910
Author
Hensel, W. U.
Date of Publication
1906
customers. �file:///Volumes/LCHS%3BLCHSFS01/OCR%20Journal%20Project/PDF%20Biblio%20Info/Pwebrecon.cgi.txt Author: Hensel, W. U. (William Uhler), 1851-1915. Title: An early letter by Thaddeus Stevens / by Hon. W. U. Hensel. Primary Material: Book Subject(s): Stevens, Thaddeus, 1792-1868 --Correspondence
  1 document  
Responsibility
by Hon. W. U. Hensel.
Author
Hensel, W. U.
Place of Publication
Lancaster, Pa
Publisher
Lancaster County Historical Society,
Date of Publication
1906
Physical Description
396-401 p. ; 23 cm.
Series
Journal of the Lancaster County Historical Society ; v. 10, no. 10
Subjects
Stevens, Thaddeus, - 1792-1868 - Correspondence.
Merrill, James, - 1790-1841.
Merrill, Samuel.
Contained In
Lancaster History Library - Journal974.9 L245 v.10
Documents

vol10no10pp396_401_164345.pdf

Read PDF Download PDF
Less detail
Collection
John Wise and History of Ballooning Collection
Title
John Wise and History of Ballooning Collection
Object ID
MG0019
Date Range
1850-1993
correspondence, research notes, and drafts of “The John Wise Story,” by John H. Andrews. Series 2 contains material about the ballooning hobby, other early aircraft, and the history of air mail. Creators: Andrews, John H.; LancasterHistory (Organization) System of Arrangement: This collection is arranged into
  1 document  
Collection
John Wise and History of Ballooning Collection
Title
John Wise and History of Ballooning Collection
Description
The John Wise and History of Ballooning Collection contains material about John Wise, a pioneering balloonist from Lancaster County, Pennsylvania, and the history of ballooning. Articles written by and about John Wise provide information about the man and his career. The bulk of Series 1 is correspondence, research notes, and drafts of "The John Wise Story," by John H. Andrews. Series 2 contains material about the ballooning hobby, other early aircraft, and the history of air mail.
Admin/Biographical History
As an adventurous and inquisitive young boy, John Wise was drawn to the skies above his native Lancaster County. He was fascinated by aerial pursuits and began to conduct experiments. He tied his cat to his homemade parachute and observed the cat's safe descent from a local church steeple.
A keen interest in ballooning developed and Wise became a famous aeronaut. Although balloon ascensions were common at county fairs and carnivals he had never observed an ascension before he made his first one in Philadelphia in 1835. John Wise completed 462 balloon ascensions including Lancaster ascensions from Penn Square and the prison yard.
In the nineteenth century many ascensions were made just for the novelty of the event, but John Wise's approach was from a scientific perspective. Each ascension gave him a chance to conduct scientific investigations of the atmosphere, pneumatics and hydrostatics.
It also gave him the opportunity to develop a more advanced flying machine. Wise was the first to observe the "great river of air which always blows from west to east" in the higher regions of the atmosphere. Today we call this phenomenon the jet stream. He also developed the ripcord safety mechanism.
John Wise promoted the advantages of balloon transportation. In 1843 he conceived a project for crossing the Atlantic Ocean and asked Congress to appropriate $15,000 for the project. Congress rejected the appropriation. Wise suggested a plan to bomb the Castle at Vera Cruz during the Mexican War and during the Civil War the Bureau of Topographical Engineers requested his services as a balloonist. He is credited with the first airmail transportation in 1859.
Detailed descriptions of his ascensions and experiments are found in his book, Through the Air, published in 1873. The last ascent of John Wise took place on September 29, 1879 from St. Louis, Missouri. This flight ended disastrously in Lake Michigan where his balloon fell and his remains lie.
Prepared by the Lancaster County Historical Society, ca. 1995.
System of Arrangement
This collection is arranged into two series.
Series 1 John Wise
Series 2 History of Ballooning
Date Range
1850-1993
Creation Date
1850-1993
Year Range From
1850
Year Range To
1993
Date of Accumulation
1850-1993
Creator
Andrews, John H.
Storage Location
LancasterHistory, Lancaster, PA
Storage Room
Archives South
Storage Wall
Side 01
People
Albertson, Catherine
Andrews, John Henry
Atkinson, S. C.
Bache, Hartman
Ball, Charles I.
Bartlett, Mrs. R. A.
Batchelder, Robert C.
Beckwith, A.
Beller, William
Black, J. W.
Blanchard, Jean Pierre
Blitzstein, Madelin
Bradbury, Ray
Brown, Elizabeth B.
Bruce, George
Burlingame, Roger
Burr, George
Byars, W. W.
Casey, Louis
Cessna, Clyde
Coffman, Ramon
Cornish, Joseph Jenkins, III
Cox, Palmer
Douty, Esther
Douty, Esther M.
Drepperd, Carl W.
Edwards, Vincent
Elvin, Thomas
Evans, William
Field, Francis J.
Fischer, Hans
Fleck, Glen
French, Melvin
Galzer, Emmett J.
Gambetta, Francis Leon
Greeley, A. W.
Grimm, Janet
Gryzewski, Tad
Halmi, Robert
Harrell, D. Tudor
Hautrive, M.
Hayden, F. Stansbury
Hopkins, Philip S.
Hunt, E. F.
Ingle, Harold E.
Kehr, Ernest A.
Keith, Barbara
Kessler, F. W.
Klein, Frederic S.
Kouwenhoven, John A.
Kreider, Ira
Kriebel, Robert C.
Kriebel, Robert G.
Lamorisse, Albert
LaPaz, Lincoln
Lindbergh, Charles
Lindquist, H. L.
Long, Elmer R.
Lundgren, Laura May Gross
Madsen, Peter
Maier, Alfred D.
Maxwell, George T.
McCloskey, Lores
McDevitt, William
Mills, James
Myers, Wilfred
Naves, Glen W.
Nicklin, John
Pasquarella, Gus
Peers, W.
Prevost, John W.
Roland, John
Rosenfeld, Albert
Sanabria, Nicolas
Schatvet, H. C.
Serviss, Garrett P.
Smith, Philip R., Jr.
Stehling, Kurt R
Steinmetz, Rollin
Stilphen, George F.
Taylor, Florence
Thompson, Howard
Topping, A.D.
Waitt, Robert
Warner, B. H.
Watson, Marion A.
Wetherill, Richard B.
Whipple, A. W.
Wilbur, W. H.
Wise, John
Wiseman, Frederick J.
Wolcott, Charles
Wolf, Constance
Woodruff, J. C.
Wright, Wilbur
Young, Pearl
Other Creators
Lancaster County Historical Society (Pa.)
Subjects
Hot air balloons
Hot air balloons--Launching
Airships
Aeronautics
Letters
Air mail service
Hindenburg (Airship)
Reconnaissance aircraft
Clippings (Books, newspapers, etc.)
Search Terms
Aeronautics
Air mail service
Airships
Aviation
Clippings (Books, newspapers, etc.)
Correspondence
Finding aids
Hindenburg (Airship)
Hot air balloons
Letters
Manuscript groups
Newspaper clippings
Obituaries
Reconnaissance aircraft
Extent
3 boxes, 40 folders, 1 scrapbook, 1 cubic ft.
Object Name
Archive
Language
English
Object ID
MG0019
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-19
Classification
MG0019
Description Level
Fonds
Custodial History
This collection was cataloged prior to 1997; added to database on 28 February 2018.
Documents
Less detail
Collection
Grand Army of the Republic Collection
Title
Grand Army of the Republic Collection
Object ID
MG0017
  1 document  
Collection
Grand Army of the Republic Collection
Title
Grand Army of the Republic Collection
Description
Collection consists of records of the Grand Army of the Republic and allied organizations. Most papers are from G.A.R. Post 478 (Mount Joy) and Post 84 (Lancaster). Included are minute books, burial records, membership applications, correspondence, national and state G.A.R. orders, encampment information, and Post correspondence. Many records are in book form.
Soldiers and sailors honorably discharged from the Army, Navy or Marine Corps of the U.S. who fought in the cause of the Union from Apr. 12, 1861 to Apr. 9, 1865 were eligible to become members of the Grand Army of the Republic. Allied Orders include: Ladies of the Grand Army of the Republic, Woman's Relief Corps, Sons of Veterans U.S.A. (later Sons of Union Veterans of the Civil War) and their Auxiliary, as well as the Daughters of Veterans (later Daughters of Union Veterans of the Civil War).
Creation Date
1861-1931
Year Range From
1861
Year Range To
1931
Date of Accumulation
1861-1931
Creator
Grand Army of the Republic Post 478
Storage Location
LancasterHistory, Lancaster, PA
Storage Room
Archives South
Storage Wall
Side 01
People
Cruikshank, William
Furgeson, Elizabeth
Leach, David
Long, George
Nissley, D. H.
Nissley, David H.
Stephenson, Benjamin F.
Thomas, George H.
Thumb, Tom
Veil, Chas. H.
Wimer, John
Wolf, Joseph
Other Creators
Grand Army of the Republic Post 84; Grand Army of the Republic Post 524.
Subjects
Business records
Grand Army of the Republic
Grand Army of the Republic. Department of Pennsylvania
Ladies of the Grand Army of the Republic
Ladies of the Grand Army of the Republic. Department of Pennsylvania
Sons of Veterans, U.S.A
United States--History--Civil War, 1861-1865
Woman's Relief Corp (U.S.). Department of Pennsylvania
Search Terms
Burial records
Business records
Civil War
Correspondence
Finding aids
Grand Army of the Republic
Iroquois Band
Stork's Orchestra
Ladies of the Grand Army of the Republic
Letters
Lincoln Cemetery
Manuscript groups
Mount Joy Cemetery
Sons of Union Veterans of the Civil War
Woman's Relief Corp (U.S.)
Extent
6 boxes, 56 folders, 24 volumes, 3 cubic ft.
Object Name
Archive
Language
English
Object ID
MG0017
Location of Originals
LancasterHistory (Organization)
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-17
Classification
MG0017
Description Level
Fonds
Custodial History
This collection was cataloged prior to 1997; added to database on 6 March 2018.
Documents
Less detail
Collection
Edward Hand Reunion and Genealogy Collection
Title
Edward Hand Reunion and Genealogy Collection
Object ID
MG0116
Date Range
1805-1984
  1 document  
Collection
Edward Hand Reunion and Genealogy Collection
Title
Edward Hand Reunion and Genealogy Collection
Description
Collection consists largely of information on the descendants of Edward Hand and on the Hand Family Reunion. Contains correspondence, genealogical materials, family charts, photographs, and commemorative booklet 1912, on Lancaster County in the Revolutionary War. Also, three documents concerning the settling of the Hand estate.
Date Range
1805-1984
Year Range From
1805
Year Range To
1984
Date of Accumulation
1805-1984
Creator
Hand family
Storage Location
LancasterHistory, Lancaster, PA
Storage Room
Archives South
Storage Wall
Side 03
People
Hand, Edward
Lear, Robert H.
Brien, Edward
Brien, Dorothy Hand
Hand, Jasper
Subjects
Genealogy
Family records
Letters
Search Terms
Genealogy
Family records
Family reunions
Rock Ford
Correspondence
Letters
Manuscript groups
Finding aids
Extent
1 box, 27 folders, .5 cubic ft.
Object Name
Archive
Language
English
Object ID
MG0116
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
Edward Hand Reunion and Genealogy Collection (MG-116), Folder #, LancasterHistory, Lancaster, Pa.
Other Numbers
MG-116
Classification
MG0116
Description Level
Fonds
Custodial History
Added to database 1 May 2019.
Documents
Less detail
Collection
Frederick S. Brown Collection
Title
Frederick S. Brown Collection
Object ID
MG0085
Date Range
1856-1913
Subject Headings: Bonds Letters Real property Receipts (Acknowledgments) Taxation Search Terms: Bonds Correspondence Finding aids Letters Manuscript groups Real estate Receipts Susquehanna River Taxes Processing History: This collection has been documented, preserved and managed according to professional
  1 document  
Collection
Frederick S. Brown Collection
Title
Frederick S. Brown Collection
Description
The Frederick S. Brown Collection contains tax receipts, bonds, and letters belonging to Mr. Brown. Also, an agreement for the sale of land along the Susquehanna River.
Date Range
1856-1913
Year Range From
1856
Year Range To
1913
Date of Accumulation
1856-1913
Creator
Brown, Frederick Street, 1875-1936
Storage Location
LancasterHistory, Lancaster, PA
Storage Room
Archives South
Storage Wall
Side 03
People
Brown, Frederick Street
Subjects
Bonds
Letters
Real property
Receipts (Acknowledgments)
Taxation
Search Terms
Bonds
Correspondence
Finding aids
Letters
Manuscript groups
Real estate
Receipts
Susquehanna River
Taxes
Extent
1 box, 1 folder, .1 cubic ft.
Object Name
Archive
Language
English
Object ID
MG0085
Location of Originals
LancasterHistory, Lancaster, Pennsylvania
Notes
Preferred Citation: Title or description of item, date (day, month, year), Frederick S. Brown Collection (MG0085), 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-85
Classification
MG0085
Description Level
Fonds
Custodial History
Added to database 13 November 2018.
Documents
Less detail
Collection
F. W. Woolworth Collection
Title
F. W. Woolworth Collection
Object ID
MG0105
Date Range
1904-1979
  1 document  
Collection
F. W. Woolworth Collection
Title
F. W. Woolworth Collection
Description
The F. W. Woolworth Collection contains materials related to the F. W. Woolworth Store, including anniversary booklets, dinner menu, event program, and annual reports.
Admin/Biographical History
The first successful F. W. Woolworth Store opened in Lancaster, PA in July 1879.
Date Range
1904-1979
Year Range From
1904
Year Range To
1979
Date of Accumulation
1904-1979
Creator
LancasterHistory (Organization)
Storage Location
LancasterHistory, Lancaster, PA
Storage Room
Archives South
Storage Wall
Side 03
People
Landis, James D.
Woolworth, Frank Winfield
Subjects
Annual reports
Clippings (Books, newspapers, etc.)
Ephemera
F.W. Woolworth Company
Letters
Menus
Programs (Publications)
Sales catalogs
Variety stores
Search Terms
Annual reports
Catalogs
Clippings (Books, newspapers, etc.)
Correspondence
Ephemera
F. W. Woolworth Company
Finding aids
Letters
Manuscript groups
Menus
Newspaper clippings
Programs
Stores
Extent
1 box, 4 folders, .2 cubic ft.
Object Name
Archive
Language
English
Object ID
MG0105
Location of Originals
LancasterHistory
Access Conditions / Restrictions
Original documents may be used by appointment. Please contact research@lancasterhistory.org at least two weeks prior to visit.
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-105
Other Number
MG-105
Classification
MG0105
Description Level
Fonds
Custodial History
Cataloged prior to 1997; added to database 19 February 2019.
Documents
Less detail
Collection
Military Records of Charles A. Meisenberger
Title
The Military Records for Charles A. Meisenberger
Object ID
MG0782
Date Range
1894-1942
  1 document  
Collection
Military Records of Charles A. Meisenberger
Title
The Military Records for Charles A. Meisenberger
Description
The Military Records for Charles A. Meisenberger contain the military materials and paperwork, documenting the career Charles A. Meisenberger had in the Army, from 1898 to 1938, when he was last discharged. Meisenberger served in the Spanish American War, the China Insurrection, the Mexican War, and World War I. This collection contains, letters from the War Department, photographs of Meisenberger and his gravestone, Honorable Discharge certificates, obituaries, and other military information.
Admin/Biographical History
Charles A. Meisenberger was born on December 18, 1874. He served in the military for 40 years, and served during the Spanish American War, the China Insurrection, the Mexican War, and World War I. Meisenberger was married to Mary E. Buch before they eventually divorced. Together they had three children: Charles A. Jr., Vintage, Paul A. and Catherine Mary. He passed away on October 5, 1941 at the age of 66.
Date Range
1894-1942
Creation Date
1894-1942
Year Range From
1894
Year Range To
1942
Date of Accumulation
1894-1942
Creator
Meisenberger, Charles A., 1874-1941
Storage Location
LancasterHistory, Lancaster, PA
Storage Room
Archives South
Storage Wall
Side 15
People
Buch, Mary E.
Meisenberger, Charles A.
Strickler, Daniel Bursk
Subjects
Letters
Military discharge
Photographs
United States. Army
World War, 1914-1918
Search Terms
Correspondence
Finding aids
Letters
Manuscript groups
Military discharge
Photographs
United States Army
World War I
WWI
Extent
1 box, 1 folder, 21 items, 32 pages, .5 cubic feet
Object Name
Archive
Language
English
Condition
Good
Condition Date
2019-03-05
Object ID
MG0782
Related Item Notes
World War I Collection, 1916-1972, MG-45
World War I Papers for Frank Schober, MG-797
World War I Papers of Thomas, James, and Victor Kegel, MG-798
Charles E. Schuler Papers, MG-780
William Barlow Papers, MG-781
William Raymond Elbert Papers, MG-784
Diary Collection, 1836-1978, MG-247
William J. Buch Papers, 1917-1958, MG-658
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
Military Records of Charles A. Meisenberger (MG-782), Folder #, Insert #, LancasterHistory, Lancaster, Pa.
Other Numbers
MG-782
Classification
MG0782
Description Level
Fonds
Custodial History
Processed and finding aid prepared by EM, February 2019.
Documents
Less detail
Collection
William Raymond Elbert Papers
Title
The William Raymond Elbert Papers
Object ID
MG0784
Date Range
1888-1919
  1 document  
Collection
William Raymond Elbert Papers
Title
The William Raymond Elbert Papers
Description
The William Raymond Elbert Papers collection contains the military materials belonging to William R. Elbert. This includes postcards, military booklets and manuals, certificates and identification. This collection also includes the naturalization paperwork for William R. Elbert's father, Leopold Elbert.
Admin/Biographical History
William Raymond Elbert was born around 1896 to Leopold Elbert and Annie M. Seifert Elbert. He had three siblings, Leopold, John, and Clara. William R. Elbert fought in World War I and survived the war, before coming home in 1919. When he returned, he married Mary Driendl Elbert (1900-1974). Together they had two children, William and Rose. William R. Elbert passed away at the age of 78 years in 1974.
Date Range
1888-1919
Creation Date
1888-1919
Year Range From
1888
Year Range To
1919
Date of Accumulation
1888-1919
Creator
Elbert, William Raymond, 1896-1974
Storage Location
LancasterHistory, Lancaster, PA
Storage Room
Archives South
Storage Wall
Side 15
People
Elbert, Leopold, Jr.
Elbert, Leopold, Sr.
Elbert, Mary Driendl
Elbert, William Raymond
Subjects
Letters
Photographs
Postcards
Real photo postcards
United States. Army
United States. Army. American Expeditionary Forces
World War, 1914-1918
Search Terms
Correspondence
Finding aids
Letters
Manuscript groups
Photographs
Postcards
Real photo postcards
United States Army
United States Army, American Expeditionary Forces
World War I
WWI
Extent
1 box 5 folders, 13 items, 221 pages .5 cubic feet
Object Name
Archive
Language
English
Condition
Good
Condition Date
2019-03-05
Condition Notes
Items in folders 1, 2, 3, and 4 are fragile and need staff supervision.
Object ID
MG0784
Related Item Notes
Medal, Victory banner, insignia, and VFW member cap are in the Curatorial Collection.
World War I Collection, 1916-1972, MG-45
World War I Papers for Frank Schober, MG-797
World War I Papers of Thomas, James, and Victor Kegel, MG-798
Charles E. Schuler Papers, MG-780
William Barlow Papers, MG-781
Military Records for Charles A. Meisenberger, MG-782
Diary Collection, 1836-1978, MG-247
William J. Buch Papers, 1917-1958, MG-658
Additional Notes
Items in folders 1, 2, 3, and 4 need staff supervision.
Access Conditions / Restrictions
Items in folders 1, 2, 3, and 4 need staff supervision. Restrictions noted at the item level. Items in Folders 1, 2, 3, and 4 require staff supervision. Please contact research@lancasterhistory.org at least two weeks prior to visit.
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-784
Classification
MG0784
Description Level
Fonds
Custodial History
Processed and finding aid prepared by EM, February 2019.
Documents
Less detail
Collection
Captain John M. Groff Collection
Title
Captain John M. Groff Collection (MG-44)
Object ID
MG0044
Date Range
1905-1940
  1 document  
Collection
Captain John M. Groff Collection
Title
Captain John M. Groff Collection (MG-44)
Description
Collection contains photographs, many labeled and dated, and two scrapbooks. One scrapbook contains newspaper articles concerning the military and professional life of Captain Groff. The other scrapbook contains military records including special orders, certificates, passes, correspondence, and government requirements. There are also newspaper articles, maps, and other memorabilia.
Date Range
1905-1940
Year Range From
1905
Year Range To
1940
Creator
Groff, John M.
Storage Location
LancasterHistory, Lancaster, PA
Storage Room
Archives South
Storage Wall
Side 02
People
Davis, R.
Groff, John M.
Klein, Henry Martin John
Malone, John
Pershing, John Joseph
Subjects
World War, 1914-1918
Scrapbooks
Letters
United States. Army. American Expeditionary Forces
Search Terms
American Defense Society
American Expeditionary Forces
American Expeditionary Forces, Supply Division, Postal Express Service
American Red Cross
Clippings (Books, newspapers, etc.)
Correspondence
Finding aids
Letters
Manuscript groups
Maps
Newspaper clippings
Photographs
Postal Express Service
Scrapbooks
World War I
WWI
Extent
1 box, 9 folders, .5 cubic ft.
Object Name
Archive
Language
English
Object ID
MG0044
Related Item Notes
See the Photograph Collection.
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-44
Classification
MG0044
Description Level
Fonds
Custodial History
Cataloged prior to 1997. Added to database 17 May 2018.
Documents
Less detail
Collection
Archive of Alice P. Fordney
Title
Archive of Alice P. Fordney
Object ID
HC0001
Date Range
1905-1974
: Archives North, Side 27 Scope and Content Note: This collection contains ephemera related to Alice Potter Fordney, antiques dealer and rugmaker. Items in the collection include business correspondence with Armstrong, F. Schumacher & Co., and the Montclair art museum; personal correspondence with friends
  1 document  
Collection
Archive of Alice P. Fordney
Title
Archive of Alice P. Fordney
Description
This collection contains ephemera related to Alice Potter Fordney, antiques dealer and rugmaker. Items in the collection include business correspondence with Armstrong, F. Schumacher & Co., and the Montclair art museum; personal correspondence with friends and family; hooked rug patterns; and antiques sale flyers from the early 20th century. Also included in the collection are newspaper clippings, including the obituary of Fordney's sister Ellen Franklin; reference material for rug making and interior design (informational sheets, books and patterns); several items related to the Yeates School, which Fordney's brother William Bush Fordney attended; several photographs of unidentified persons; and a statement related to the will of William J. Fordney, her uncle.
Admin/Biographical History
Alice Potter Fordney was born June 21, 1887 in Lancaster, the daughter of Ida Cox and Thomas Potter Fordney. A prominent antique dealer from the late 1920s to her retirement in 1965, Fordney also made and sold hooked rugs.
Fordney's family features prominently in Lancaster County history. Her maternal great-grandfather was John Michael, who owned the historic Grape Hotel from 1805-1839. Fordney's paternal great-grandfather William Jenkins built Wheatland in 1828 and later sold the property to President James Buchanan. Colonel William Bush Fordney, her paternal grandfather, was a prominent lawyer in Lancaster. He served as district attorney from 1839-1845 and negotiated for the loan that enabled Lancaster city to build the "water works" in the 1830s. Sarah Cox, her maternal grandmother, was a known philanthropist and for years helped to manage the Home for Friendless Children in Lancaster. Her sister, Ellen Fordney Franklin, was a "pioneer" in the industry of women's knit suits, opening her first shop in 1929 in Philadelphia.
Fordney never married. She kept in contact with her nieces and nephews, as evidenced by letters in the collection. According to notes provided by Wendell Zercher, Sarah Ellmaker McIlvaine Muench, her niece and the donor of the collection, recalled her as "warm and artistic," and "a character." She died April 17, 1973, at the age of 85.
Works Cited:
"Mrs. Franklin, pioneer of women's knit suits, dies." Daily Intelligencer Journal [Lancaster, PA], 10 May 1963, p. 2.
"Accident Fatal to Mrs. Sarah A. Cox." Daily Intelligencer Journal [Lancaster, PA], no date, page unknown.
"Miss Fordney, Antique Dealer, 85, Succumbs." Daily Intelligencer Journal [Lancaster, PA], 18 April 1973, p. 2.
"One of Lancaster's Most Prominent and Venerable Citizens Passes Away." Daily Intelligencer Journal [Lancaster, PA], 29 July 1889, p. 1.
Date Range
1905-1974
Year Range From
1905
Year Range To
1974
Date of Accumulation
1905-1974
Creator
Fordney, Alice Potter, 1887-1973
Storage Location
LancasterHistory, Lancaster, PA
Storage Room
Archives North
Storage Wall
Side 28
People
Appel, Charles Rengier
Bohlen, Sidney Franklin
Bowman, Mrs. Edward J.
Boyer, R. J.
Brenneman, Mary Rue Bard
Brown, Hazel Dell
Chiarell, Fred P.
Clark, George W.
Daugherty, Harvey P.
Demuth, Charles
Dodge, Arthur B.
Embsweiler, Ruth
Erb, Edna
Fordney, Alice Potter
Fordney, William Bush Jr.
Fordney, William Jenkins
Franklin, Ellen Julia Fordney
Gibbons, Alice McIlvaine
Gilbert, L. J.
Gingrich, Milton E.
Graybill, John M.
Griest, Charles J.
Higby, Everett
Hostetter, A. K.
Howe, John
Irvine, Blanche
Kent, William Winthrop
Knodle, Edward
Krone, Herbert B.
Lindenmuth, J. D.
Long, Yvonne
Maclay, Helen Hurley
Malone, Clarence
Morris, Charles R.
Morris, Grace M.
Nauman, Gertrude Colson
Orr, Barclay
Pennypacker, Charles A.
Pennypacker, James G.
Randall, Meda
Rannels, Paul
Stokes, Agnes M.
Strickler, Belle
Wolf, Emily
Other Creators
Muench, Sarah Ellmaker McIlvaine, d. 2006
Subjects
American newspapers--Sections, columns, etc.--Women
Antique dealers
Armstrong Cork Company
Armstrong World Industries
F. Schumacher & Co.
Farm Journal Media
House & Garden
Interior decoration
Letters
Montclair Art Museum
Patterns for crafts
Rugs
Rugs, Hooked
Student newspapers and periodicals
Woman's world magazine
Search Terms
Albert Steiger Company
Antique dealers
Antique sales
Armstrong Cork Company
Armstrong World Industries, Inc.
Berlinwork patterns
Blue and Brown (Yeates School)
Cheney Silks
Cheney Weaves
Christmas
Correspondence
Cricket Club
Dickinson Presbyterian Church
Estate sales
F. Schumacher and Company
Farm Journal Media
Fiber arts
Finding aids
Gilbert's store
Griest Homestead
Guernsey Sales Pavilion
Hager's Department Store
Hershey Fire Hall
Hooked rugs
House & Garden
Interior decoration
Kleinfelter's auction rooms
Letters
Manuscript groups
Montclair Art Museum
Odd Fellows Hall
Olson Rugs
Patterns for crafts
Rossmere Hotel
Rug patterns
Rugs
State Armory Hall
V-mail
Woman's World Magazine
Yeates School
Extent
3 boxes, 37 folders, 333 items, 1,015 pages to scan, 4.5 cubic ft.
Object Name
Archive
Language
English
Object ID
HC0001
Location of Originals
LancasterHistory, Lancaster, Pennsylvania
Associated Material
Sarah McIlvaine Muench Family Papers, MS 44 at Archives and Special Collections, Shadek-Fackenthal Library, Franklin and Marshall College, Lancaster, PA.
Related Item Notes
See photograph collection.
See curatorial collection for examples of rugs.
Fordney Family Diaries (MG0539)
Notes
Preferred Citation: Title or description of item, date (day, month, year), Archive of Alice P. Fordney (HC0001), Box #, Folder #, LancasterHistory, Lancaster, Pennsylvania.
Access Conditions / Restrictions
The kraft paper patterns in Folders 33-37 are restricted. Please make an appointment with the Director of Archival Services to view these items.
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.
Accession Number
G.04.23.52
Classification
HC0001
Description Level
Fonds
Custodial History
From the Heritage Center of Lancaster County collection, G04.23.52.
Processed and finding aid prepared by MJ, June 2018.
Documents
Less detail

153 records – page 1 of 16.