Philadelphia Area Archives

Start Over Form Correspondence Form Financial records Year 1860 to 1864

Francis B. Gallagher collection of Fenian Brotherhood records, 1866-1870 (bulk) 1862-1870 (inclusive)

Extent:: 0.4 linear feet (; 1 box)
Abstract:: The Fenian Brotherhood, the American branch of the Irish Revolutionary Brotherhood, was established in 1858 with the goal of establishing an independent Ireland. As well as raising money and gathering arms to send back to Ireland, the Fenians also engaged in military activity against the British, leading two failed invasions of Canada. Factionalism within the organization led to the Brotherhood's decline by the 1880s. This collection primarily contains the correspondence of Francis B. Gallagher, a Fenian Senator and district treasurer from Buffalo, NY with other senior Fenian officials. Also included are some administrative records, including circular letters, finance reports, and meeting minutes. The papers document the Brotherhood's activities, including its failed invasion of Canada, as well as the internal divisions that led to the organization's demise.

Held at: Philadelphia Archdiocesan Historical Research Center [Contact Us]

German Society of Pennsylvania institutional records, 1764-1968 (bulk) 1764-1998 (inclusive)

Extent:: 27.4 linear feet
Abstract:: The German Society of Pennsylvania, founded in Philadelphia in 1764, directed its early efforts to assisting new German immigrants, especially those forced into indentured servitude when they were unable to pay their sea fare. Throughout the late 18th and 19th centuries, the Society was very visible in the thriving German-American community in Philadelphia, boasting just over one thousand members at the peak of its growth, in the late 1870s. In the 20th century, the Society’s scope and prominence was affected by the two World Wars, which created suspicion and criticism of Germanic culture. That suspicion and government scrutiny played a role in the dwindling membership of the Society. In the post-World War II era the Society channeled its overseas relief activities through a Quaker-based aid society. In the second half of the century, the neighborhood was also changing, as it became predominantly African-American, rather than German, and more impoverished. But the Society pressed...(see more)

Held at: German Society of Pennsylvania: Joseph P. Horner Memorial Library [Contact Us]

Satterthwaite family papers, 1735-1924 (inclusive)

Extent:: .25 linear ft. (7 folders)
Abstract:: Satterthwaite family materials are primarily letters of family members in the 18th century to William Satterthwaite, as well as genealogical information (deaths, marriages, children, mostly 19th century) on the Satterthwaite, Mitchell, Stackhouse, Palmer, Simpson, Tomlinson, Wood, Croasdale, and other families.

Held at: Haverford College Quaker & Special Collections [Contact Us]

Southwell family papers on Ireland, 1662-1977 (inclusive) 1685-1715 (bulk)

Extent:: 1 box
Abstract:: This collection consists primarily of documents concerning government administration in Ireland during the tenures of Sir Robert Southwell (1635-1702) and his son Edward Southwell (1671-1730) as Secretaries of State for Ireland. The documents here are largely miscellaneous in nature but are clustered around a few themes. Highlights include lists of rents and financial transactions from the period after Cromwell's invasion and before the Williamite war in Ireland, a 1689 eyewitness letter recounting the battle of Derry, a series of documents related to admiralty, smuggling, and collecting maritime revenue in the first decade of the eighteenth century, an inventory of maps of Ireland, and a substantive series of petitions relating to Richard Blake of Ardfry.

Held at: University of Pennsylvania: Kislak Center for Special Collections, Rare Books and Manuscripts [Contact Us]

Wistar and Horner Museum records, 1822-1865 (inclusive) 1845-1855 (bulk)

Extent:: 0.4 linear feet (1 box)
Abstract:: The Wistar and Horner Museum was originally founded as the Wistar Museum in the early 19th century by Caspar Wistar, chair of the Department of Anatomy at the University of Pennsylvania School Of Medicine. In 1818, shortly before his death, Wistar appointed William Edmonds Horner, Dean of the Medical Faculty and professor of Anatomy at the University of Pennsylvania, as curator of the Wistar Museum. At that time, the combined collections of Wistar and Horner became known as the Wistar and Horner Museum. Dr. Joseph Leidy succeeded Horner as curator of the museum in 1847, and contributed hundreds of anatomical, botanical, and animal specimens to the museum collections. The Wistar and Horner Museum records date from 1822 to 1865, and consist of materials relating to museum collections, finances, funding, and curatorial activities; as well as Horner's human anatomy and dissecting class at the University of Pennsylvania. The collection documents the evolution, management, finances, and...(see more)

Held at: University of Pennsylvania: Kislak Center for Special Collections, Rare Books and Manuscripts [Contact Us]

Cunnington and Lee family papers, 1813-1866 (inclusive)

Extent:: 0.2 linear_foot (1 box)
Abstract:: The Cunnington and Lee family papers, dating from 1813 to 1866, contain the correspondence of antiquarian William H. Cunnington (1754-1810) of Heytesbury, Wiltshire, England and his daughters Anne, Elizabeth, and Mary. The collection also contains the correspondence of William P. Cunnington (1804-1871) and his wife Jane Cook (1808-1872). William P. Cunnington was born in England and immigrated to the United States sometime after 1829. He was leader of the orchestra at the Walnut Street Theatre in Philadelphia. The familial connection between William H. Cunnington and William P. Cunnington is not clear from the contents of the collection. In addition to the families' letters--which are concerned with family issues such as health, the settling of estates, and travel--the collection contains poems written by, and apparently copied by, the families and a small number of financial documents including estate documents, business ledgers, and receipts for rentals and purchases.

Held at: University of Pennsylvania: Kislak Center for Special Collections, Rare Books and Manuscripts [Contact Us]

John Haviland papers, 1806-1868 (inclusive)

Extent:: 4 linear feet (26 volumes)
Abstract:: John Haviland (1792-1852) was an architect who lived and worked in Philadelphia. He is known for his design of prisons, especially the Eastern State Penitentiary, as well as churches and other public buildings. This collection consists of 26 bound volumes which document the architectural career of John Haviland and includes estimates for projects and supplies, articles of agreement, financial records, correspondence, and biographical and family-related material.

Held at: University of Pennsylvania: Kislak Center for Special Collections, Rare Books and Manuscripts [Contact Us]

Philadelphia Society for Promoting Agriculture records, 1785-1982 (inclusive)

Extent:: 103 boxes
Abstract:: The collection is divided into three major series: I. 18th and 19th century records, II. 20th century records, and III. John M. Okie papers. The first comprises correspondence, administrative records, and ephemera; the second, correspondence, committee records, financial records, proceedings, memorabilia, and collected agricultural material; the third consists of the papers of Okie, who served as assistant secretary of the Society from 1922 to 1928: he was responsible for the publication of Memoirs VI, a history of the P.S.P.A.

Held at: University of Pennsylvania: Kislak Center for Special Collections, Rare Books and Manuscripts [Contact Us]

Hopkinson and Dale family collection, 1779-1870 (inclusive)

Extent:: .2 linear_foot (1 box)
Abstract:: The Hopkinson and Dale families are tied to the colonial and early American history of the Mid-Atlantic, to the medical field, and to the University of Pennsylvania for at least four generations. The families joined when Edward Hopkinson (1850-1935) and Abigail Dale (1859-1887) married, probably in the early 1880s. This collection provides small glimpses into the lives of four generations of the families. Each individual is represented by only a few documents; however, this scant group of documents addresses important issues in early American politics, including George Clinton and Aaron Burr as vice presidential candidates and the Burr conspiracy; life as a sailor in the United States Navy in the 1820s; the Siege of Paris in 1870; and the importance of family.

Held at: University of Pennsylvania: Kislak Center for Special Collections, Rare Books and Manuscripts [Contact Us]

Abraham L. Freedman papers, 1938-1971 (bulk) 1850-2011 (inclusive)

Extent:: 45.0 linear feet
Abstract:: The Honorable Abraham L. Freedman, a long-time attorney and later judge, was an influential civic leader in Philadelphia’s movements towards political and civic reform in the 1940s and 1950s. As a staunch Democrat, Freedman’s career highlights include helping draft a new charter for the city of Philadelphia (and later serving as city solicitor under the newly instated charter), extensive work as an anti-discrimination advocate for racial and ethnic minorities, and federal judicial appointments with the United States District Court and the United States Court of Appeals. This collection, which dates from 1850 to 2011, with bulk dates of 1938 to 1971, consists of correspondence, case files, logs, research, memoranda, writings, speeches, reports, manuscripts, and clippings evidencing the workings of city and state government, especially during the period of the City-County Consolidation. Additionally, the records document social turmoil regarding race relations in Philadelphia, and the...(see more)

Held at: Temple University Libraries Special Collections Research Center [Contact Us]