Journal of the Historical Society of the Cocalico Valley ;
Notes
Includes index.
Summary
This issue contains the transcription of the 1869 diary of Clay Township resident Samuel R. Hess, and provides a day-to-day look at the life of a typical Mennonite farmer and businessman. The diary has been indexed by name and provides a list of local residents with whom Hess had contact with.
An alphabetical listing of burials and gravestone transcriptions of Groffdale Mennonite Church Cemetery, West Earl Township, Lancaster County, Pennsylvania
Includes bibliographical references (p. 52-63) and indexes.
Summary
Joseph Shirk (1820-1902) was an Old Order Mennonite of Lancaster County. He was a farmer, carpenter,surveyor,printer,and manufacturer of agricultural and domestic tools.
"His mechanical and inventive skills applied to agricultural and domestic life were exceptional, as was his knowledge of stronomy, surveying, and botany...Was he 'one of the great American inventors of the nineteenth century'? Was he truly the first person to invent these various items?...Or was he a 'minor genius' whose accomplishments have been greatly exaggerated by admiring friends and relatives?" [Introduction]
Chapters: I. Biography: Documented by primary sources/ II. Existing objects: Made by or associated with Joseph Shirk/ III. Objects: Made by or associated with Joseph Shirk in primary sources/ IV. Oral traditions: Expressed or written after the death of Joseph Shirk/ V. Conclusion.
