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Lavington Quick Papers, 1861-1865 (bulk) 1847-1876, undated (inclusive)

Extent:

0.6 linear feet (; 2 boxes, 5 flat files)

Abstract:

Lavington Quick (1819-1876) served as a U.S. Army Brigadier surgeon during the Civil War. The Lavington Quick Papers contain various documents pertaining to his medical career, as well as medicine and hospitals during the Civil War. The collection contains records of Quick's medical schooling, reports of inspections of soldiers, records of medical discharges, invoices for medical supplies received by Dr. Quick, mainly at the Army hospital in Baltimore, Maryland, special Army orders regarding Quick and others. There are a number of newspapers articles by Quick, that touch on the state of the Army and the hospitals but speak mostly to the political events and currents of the early 1860s. Additionally, there are other newspaper clippings, photographs, currency, and stock certificates. From the collection, one can gather a fair bit about the inner workings of the surgeon general's office during the Civil War, and of the state of medicine in wartime.

Held at: Historical Society of Pennsylvania [Contact Us]

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Herbert Welsh collection, 1898-1925 (bulk) 1759-1935, undated (inclusive)

Extent:

59.4 linear feet (; 120 boxes, 14 flat files, 145 volumes)

Abstract:

This collection contains the papers of Herbert Welsh, noted political reformer and activist, founder of the Indian Rights Association, editor and publicist, and advocate for the conservation of the forests of Lake Sunapee. The collection also contain papers collected by Herbert Welsh, mostly by his father John Welsh, Philadelphia merchant, U.S. diplomat, and chairman of the International Centennial Exhibition of 1876. The collection spans from 1759 to 1935 with the bulk of the materials covering the years between 1898 and 1925 and includes correspondence, financial files, papers related to Welsh’s interests and activism, broadsides, pamphlets, serials, newspaper clippings, scrapbooks, and photographs.

Held at: Historical Society of Pennsylvania [Contact Us]

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Newbold, Griscom, and Wysong families papers, 1727-1983, undated

Extent:

6.2 linear feet (; 15 boxes, 1 flat file)

Abstract:

Held at: Historical Society of Pennsylvania [Contact Us]

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Frank Gordon Bradley World War II correspondence, 1942-1945 (inclusive)

Extent:

1.0 linear feet (; 3 boxes)

Abstract:

Frank Gordon Bradley was born in Branford, Connecticut, and served with the United States Army during World War II. He attended the University of Pennsylvania in the 1930s where he majored in journalism. In the 1950s he moved to Philadelphia, first to Germantown and then to Mount Airy. This collection consists of approximately three hundred letters written by Bradley to his family in Connecticut during World War II. His letters originated from various army bases throughout the country including Fort George Gordon Meade, Maryland; Fort Sam Houston, Texas; Camp Davis, North Carolina; Fort Riley, Kansas; and Camp Crowder, Missouri. In his letters, Bradley talked about family and friends, requested supplies, and discussed what he could about his daily life in the army. There are also a few scattered letters to Bradley from his family.

Held at: Historical Society of Pennsylvania [Contact Us]

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Edward James Baker letters, 1918-1925 (inclusive)

Extent:

0.2 linear feet (; 1 box)

Abstract:

Edward J. Baker was a soldier in the US Army during World War I (private, Company F, 145th Infantry, 37th Division, AEF). The bulk of the collection consists primarily of correspondence wherein Baker writes home to family during and shortly after the war. Baker was stationed at Camp Lee, Virginia, then in France and Belgium. He apparently saw combat, although he does not write about the fighting directly. The letters are mostly routine but include interesting tidbits about life in the army, his experiences in France, popular culture, and other related topics of the day. Also included are a photo of Baker in uniform, a few postcards and ephemera, and his discharge certificate.

Held at: Historical Society of Pennsylvania [Contact Us]

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Carpenter Family Papers, 1780-1870 (bulk) 1695-1915, undated (inclusive)

Extent:

5.3 linear feet (; 5 boxes, 18 volumes, 1 flat file)

Abstract:

The Carpenter family papers include Brigadier General Louis Henry Carpenter's military papers and Civil War-era correspondence, as well as more than 200 years of correspondence, genealogical material, and other papers related to the Carpenter family of New Jersey. The Carpenter family was among the first settlers of the Philadelphia area and established several towns in Salem and Gloucester counties, New Jersey. They also had ties to numerous prominent families in the Philadelphia and Mid-Atlantic region during the seventeenth, eighteenth, and nineteenth centuries. The collection offers insights into a variety of topics, including the Revolutionary War in the Philadelphia region; the early history of Haddon Township, N.J.; medicine in the late eighteenth and early nineteenth centuries; and life as a Union soldier during the Civil War.

Held at: Historical Society of Pennsylvania [Contact Us]

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Jay Cooke papers, 1858-1874 (bulk) 1831-1906, undated (inclusive)

Extent:

43.4 linear feet (; 102 boxes, 30 volumes, 12 flat files )

Abstract:

The Jay Cooke papers are a rich source of information about the finances of the Union war efforts during the Civil War, the politics of the Union during and after the Civil War, westward expansion and the construction of railroads across the country, and banking and finance during the mid-to-late nineteenth century. Cooke's correspondence documents the work of Jay Cooke & Company and contains communications with many of the era's most powerful politicians and businessmen. Cooke's connection with the Department of the Treasury provides a unique inside view of political decisions, and illustrates Cooke's influence with many leaders in positions of great authority. This collection also contains a small group of personal papers, offering a perspective on Jay Cooke's philanthropic, religious, and family orientation.

Held at: Historical Society of Pennsylvania [Contact Us]

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Ferdinand J. Dreer autograph collection, 1492-1925 (inclusive)

Extent:

105.0 linear feet (; 330 boxes, 133 volumes, 2 flat files)

Abstract:

Ferdinand Julian Dreer’s chief hobby was collecting autographs. He started with two documents and over time he was able to amass more than 15,000 items from some of the world’s most prominent and intriguing public figures. Owing to this interest, Dreer became acquainted with many people in the world of arts and letters, politics, education, clergy, business, and international affairs. As he was aware of such a collection’s potential impact on scholarship and society, Dreer donated all of his holdings to the Historical Society of Pennsylvania, with which he had been associated for many years as the institution’s vice president.

Held at: Historical Society of Pennsylvania [Contact Us]

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Alexander H. Stephens Papers, (1858-1882) (inclusive)

Extent:

0.8 linear feet (2 boxes)

Abstract:

Alexander H. Stephens (1812-1883) was a career politician who served as a United States senator and representative from Georgia, both before and after the Civil War. He also served as the vice president of the Confederate States of America. This collection contains correspondence between Stephens and William Hidell, Stephens's private secretary while he was vice president of the Confederacy. The letters provide insight into the daily business of the Confederacy, as well as information about the close of the war, attempts at peace, and Stephens's time in prison immediately after the war. The correspondence continues into Stephens's time as U.S. representative from Georgia during Reconstruction and contains entirely political commentary during that time.

Held at: Historical Society of Pennsylvania [Contact Us]

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John Welsh papers, 1840-1880 (bulk) 1806-1935, undated (inclusive)

Extent:

8.0 linear feet (; 9 boxes, 45 volumes, 2 flat files)

Abstract:

This collection contain the papers of John Welsh, president of the North Pennsylvania Railroad, financial manager for the 1876 Centennial Exhibition, Philadelphia merchant, and American diplomat to the British mission under President Hayes. The collection spans from 1806 to 1935 and consists of correspondence, financial files, his diaries, and documents created by both Herbert Welsh and Edward Lowber Stokes.

Held at: Historical Society of Pennsylvania [Contact Us]