This collection contains documents and record books from the Elizabethtown Insurance Company. Items include records of new policies issued, policies cancelled, reinsurance policies, and books documenting taxes owed to the Elizabethtown Insurance Company. The collection also contains receipt books, personal agent books, and various notes and documents inserted into the lager record books. All documents are handwritten by multiple individuals and some books have missing, or broken spines. Many items are fragile, and caution should be used when turning pages to avoid further tearing and damage.
Admin/Biographical History
The Elizabethtown Insurance Company was formally chartered on December 23, 1843 as Farmers' Mutual Insurance Company. They started doing business January 31, 1844 and by June 1844 had applications from prospective policy holders for enough insurance to issue their first policy. The company was originally developed to insure against loss or damage by fire, but eventually began insuring other types of property damage. Farmers' Mutual Insurance Company moved multiple times; finding homes in Lampeter and Conestoga Townships, as well as Lancaster City. The company moved to Elizabethtown in 1925, and in July of 2009, Farmers' Mutual changed their name to Elizabethtown Insurance Company. In 2011 Elizabethtown Insurance Company stopped accepting new applications, and in 2012, the company relocated to Delaware.
Jacquard coverlet made by Samuel Hippert. Weft yarns are red, green and blue wool and warp is natural white cotton. Two loom widths sewn together in center.
Center field has circles of foliate motifs. Border includes a double row of 8-petal flowers. At foot end and sides is an inner borders of roosters.
Weaver's blocks in corners at foot: "S+ H+ ELI/ ZABETH/ TOWN/ PA 1858/ SARAH/ ANN/ FLURY". Band with "H PATENT" repeated along runs across coverlet between weaver's blocks.
Sides are self-fringes; foot edge finished with applied fringe. Top/head edge has red cotton tape handsewn over the raw edge.
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Corner blocks have "S.H. ELIZABETHTOWN PA 1838 SARAH ANN FLURY". Hippert worked in Mount Joy ca. 1833-1838 and in Elizabethtown ca. 1835-1841.
Information files are created for specific subjects that are associated with Lancaster County, e.g. "Rebman's scrap pile", "Ten-hour house". The files contain newspaper and magazine articles about the subject.
Information files are created for specific subjects that are associated with Lancaster County, e.g. "Rebman's scrap pile", "Ten-hour house". The files contain newspaper and magazine articles about the subject.
Masonic Order Activities and the Anniversary Celebration of James Buchanan Scrapbook
Description
Masonic Order Activities and the Anniversary Celebration of James Buchanan Scrapbook, No date. This scrapbook contains a considerable amount of information about Freemasons and James Buchanan's involvement as a Freemason. Commemorating James Buchanan's 100th year as a Freemason, the book shows the events surrounding that celebration through newspaper clippings and handwritten notations. An item of special interest is the facsimile of a handwritten letter by James Buchanan from 1816. The volume conveys information about the bicentennial of Templarism in Lancaster County. Bylaws and historic member lists are available for Lancaster and Elizabethtown. Some names mentioned are Marquis de Lafayette, Commodore Thomas MacDonaugh (head of a local Freemason chapter), and Andrew Jackson.
Admin/Biographical History
James Buchanan was born on April 23, 1791 to James Buchanan and Elizabeth Speer. He was the second child born out of ten children, and he would go on to outlive all but one of his siblings. Most popularly remembered as Pennsylvania's only President and as a lifelong bachelor, Buchanan committed a lifetime to politics. In 1821, he left his law practice and embarked on his political career after having been voted into the U.S. House of Representatives. He would remain in the House for five consecutive terms before serving as the U.S. Minister to Russia, a Senator in the U.S. Senate, the U.S. Secretary of State, the U.S. Minister to Great Britain, and finally, the 15th President of the United States. He died in his bedchamber at Wheatland at 8:30 AM on June 1, 1868. He was 77 years old.
James Buchanan Papers, Dickinson College Archives & Special Collections http://archives.dickinson.edu/collection-descriptions/james-buchanan-papers
James Buchanan and Harriet Lane Johnston Papers, Library of Congress https://www.loc.gov/collections/james-buchanan-and-harriet-lane-johnston-papers/
James Buchanan Papers, Historical Society of Pennsylvania, http://www2.hsp.org/collections/manuscripts/b/Buchanan0091.html
James Buchanan Papers, Penn State University Libraries, https://libraries.psu.edu/findingaids/1458.htm
Related Item Notes
James Buchanan Family Papers (JBFP)
Historical Society of Pennsylvania microfilm in the LancasterHistory Research Library
LancasterHistory Library collection
Photograph collection
Curatorial collection
Wheatland Mansion
Access Conditions / Restrictions
Please use digital images.
Original scrapbook may only be used by appointment. Please contact archives@lancasterhistory.org at least two weeks prior to visit.
Copyright
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Permission for reproduction and/or publication must be obtained in writing from LancasterHistory. Some items are photocopies from other collections--researchers must obtain permission for reproduction and publication from the owner of the original material. 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.
To make a request, please contact archives@lancasterhistory.org for a high-resolution image and permission to publish.
Credit
Courtesy of LancasterHistory, Lancaster, Pa.
Other Numbers
MG-0434, Box 075
Other Number
MG-0434, Box 075
Classification
MG0434
Description Level
Item
Custodial History
Digitization of the James Buchanan Collection was funded by the Pennsylvania Historical and Museum Commission, PHMC Appl ID # 201808013051, 2019-2020.
This scrapbook was cataloged as part of a project funded by the Pennsylvania Historical and Museum Commission, ME60112, 2007-2008.
