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Start Over Record Source Other PACSCL Partners Place Chester County (Pa.) Year 1855 to 1859

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New London Area Historical Society local history collection, 1970-2000 (bulk) 1711-2000 (inclusive)

Extent:
12.0 linear feet
Abstract:
New London Township, Chester County, Pennsylvania was chartered in 1723 and originally included the areas that now comprise adjacent Franklin Township and nearby London Britain Township. The New London Academy opened in 1743 and was responsible for educating a number of prominent colonial, revolutionary, and early American-era politicians, historians, clergy, and educators, including three signers of the Declaration of Independence. The New London Area Historical Society local history collection, 1711-2000 (bulk 1970-2000), consists of a mix of primary and secondary-source material relating to the history and residents of New London Township and nearby areas. Materials include manuscripts, property files, photographs, slides, newspaper clippings, subject files, and a small amount of records from various New London historical organizations.

Held at: New London Area Historical Society [Contact Us]

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West Nantmeal Township Historical Commission local history collection, 1759-2015 (inclusive)

Extent:
4.0 linear feet
Abstract:
In the first decades of the 18th century, emigrants from Radnorshire, Wales settled in the area that would become Nantmeal Township, Chester County, Pennsylvania. Nantmeal Township was divided into East and West Nantmeal townships in 1739, and Honey Brook Township and Wallace Township later separated from West Nantmeal Township in 1789 and 1852, respectively. In the 18th and early 19th centuries, West Nantmeal was home to farms, mills and forges, including the Isabella Furnace. As of 2015, West Nantmeal remains a largely rural community. The West Nantmeal Township Historical Commission local history collection, 1759-2015, consists of a mix of primary and secondary source materials relating to the history, residents, businesses, and other topics related to West Nantmeal Township. The materials include manuscripts, subject files, oral histories, CDs and DVDs, maps, and other materials.

Held at: West Nantmeal Township Historical Commission [Contact Us]

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Henry Howson family papers, 1849-1952 (inclusive)

Extent:
2.5 cubic feet
Abstract:
Henry Howson, Sr. (1823-1885), trained as an engineer in his native England before establishing a patent law firm in Philadelphia in 1853. Henry Howson, Jr. (1859-1937) joined the family practice in 1875. He maintained residences in Philadelphia, but also enjoyed the family's country home, "Brae Head Farm," in Glenmoore (Wallace Township, Chester County, Pennsylvania). The Henry Howson family papers, 1849-1952, mostly pertain to Henry Howson, Jr., with some documents from his father, and a sizeable quantity of papers from his daughter, Margaret, relative to Henry Howson, Jr.'s estate. Most materials relate to properties owned by the family in Philadelphia and in Chester County, Pennsylvania (Brae Head Farm) or the Howson patent law firm; there are a few items about Henry Howson, Sr.'s engineering work, Henry Howson, Jr.'s involvement with the Fairview Presbyterian Church's annual flower, fruit, and vegetable exhibition, and other topics.

Held at: Wallace Township Archives [Contact Us]

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Abraham R. McIlvaine correspondence, 1836-1857 (inclusive)

Extent:
0.5 linear feet
Abstract:
Abraham Robinson McIlvaine (1804-1863) was a farmer and United States Congressman from Pennsylvania. In office from 1843-1849, he befriended future president Abraham Lincoln during Lincoln's only term in Congress. The Abraham R. McIlvaine correspondence, 1836-1857, consists entirely of incoming and outgoing letters between Abraham McIlvaine and various family members. There are 556 letters, spanning the time period during Abraham McIlvaine's career as a member of the Pennsylvania House of Representatives, a U.S. Congressman and chairman of the Committee on Expenditures in the Department of War, and his post-political life. At least some of McIlvaine's letters from 1843-1849 discuss his activities in Congress.

Held at: Wallace Township Archives [Contact Us]

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William F. Wickersham family papers, circa 1813-1982 (bulk 1877-1925)

Extent:
2.0 linear feet
Abstract:
William F. Wickersham (1864-1927) served as the principal of Westtown School, a prominent Quaker boarding school in Chester County, Pennsylvania, from 1896 to 1913. Wickersham was a graduate of the school and also worked as a teacher there for many years. He also served as the school's bookkeeper and was president of the Alumni Association. The William F. Wickersham family papers, circa 1813-1982 (bulk, 1877-1925), primarily consist of correspondence, student exercise books and notebooks, essays and addresses, school administrative and financial records, ephemera, and other materials that document Wickersham's time at Westtown School as a student, teacher, and administrator. Also included in the collection are various materials relating to William F. Wickersham's son, Wilfred H. Wickersham, and other Wickersham and related family members during their time as students at Westtown School.

Held at: Westtown School Archives [Contact Us]

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Tredyffrin Easttown Historical Society manuscripts collection, 1732-2010 (inclusive)

Extent:
11.0 linear feet
Abstract:
Both Tredyffrin and Easttown townships in the Upper Main Line area and eastern Chester County, Pennsylvania were settled by Welsh Quakers in 1682; they were incorporated in 1707 and 1704, respectively. Predominantly farming communities for most of their histories, commercial and residential development in both townships accelerated with the construction of the "Main Line" Pennsylvania Railroad Line in the 1830s and burgeoned after World War II. The Tredyffrin Easttown Historical Society manuscripts collection, 1732-2010, includes various small accumulations of materials from local individuals, businesses, and organizations in the area of Tredyffrin and Easttown townships. Minute books, financial records, genealogy and local history research materials, school records, correspondence, and other family papers and organizational records are represented.

Held at: Tredyffrin Easttown Historical Society [Contact Us]

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Joseph W. Sharp family diaries, 1818-1838, 1859-1910

Extent:
3.0 linear feet
Abstract:
The Sharp family was one of the more prominent in Berwyn (Chester County, Pennsylvania) during the period of its greatest growth. Joseph W. Sharp (1828-1908) purchased a farm of several hundred acres in Easttown Township, became active in local public affairs--he was a founder of Berwyn National Bank--and is considered the first regular commuter from Berwyn to Philadelphia on the Pennsylvania Railroad. The Joseph W. Sharp family diaries, 1818-1838 and 1859-1910, consists of several dozen volumes. Most are his diaries from 1859 to 1910; the collection also includes some farm financial information, loose correspondence, an account ledger, a farm ledger (1818-1838), and scattered other materials.

Held at: Tredyffrin Easttown Historical Society [Contact Us]

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Tri-County Heritage Society local history collection, 1735-1990s

Extent:
75.0 linear feet
Abstract:
The region of southeastern Pennsylvania where southern Berks, northern Chester, and eastern Lancaster counties meet is known locally as the "Tri-County" area. The Tri-County area was first settled by Welsh immigrants, and later by German, Irish, and Scottish immigrants. While the area was largely agricultural, it also developed into an important early industrial corridor. In the early twenty-first century, the Tri-County area is a mix of farmland, industry, and suburban real estate development. Tri-County Heritage Society local history collection, 1735-1990s, consists of manuscripts and other original materials, photographs and audiovisual materials, secondary-source materials, printed matter and ephemera, and other documents relating to the history, residents, organizations, and businesses of Berks, Chester, and Lancaster counties. There is also some material relating to Delaware, Montgomery, and other nearby counties in Pennsylvania.

Held at: Tri-County Heritage Society [Contact Us]

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Historical Society of the Phoenixville Area subject files, circa 1850-2013

Extent:
53.0 linear feet
Abstract:
Phoenixville, which was incorporated as a borough in 1849 in Chester County, Pennsylvania, evolved from an early 18th century village. The history of the town largely mirrored the history of the Phoenix Iron Company which became hugely successful in the mid-19th century with the advent of the railroad. The Historical Society of the Phoenixville Area subject files, circa 1850-2013, consist primarily of photocopied primary-source documents, newspaper clippings, and research articles that relate to numerous aspects of Phoenixville's history. It also contains a fair amount of original documents, principally pamphlets, small printed works, and ephemera, as well as some photographs, deeds, and manuscript pages. The collection is organized into series and subseries by subject; the largest series are Genealogy and Phoenix Iron Company / Phoenix Steel Company.

Held at: Historical Society of the Phoenixville Area [Contact Us]

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Independent Order of Odd Fellows, Phoenixville lodges records, 1847-1974 (inclusive)

Extent:
5.75 linear feet
Abstract:
An altruistic and benevolent fraternal organization, the Independent Order of Odd Fellows (I.O.O.F.) was originally organized in England in the 18th century. Established in the United States in 1819, it was the first national fraternity to include both men and women (beginning in 1851). Branches of the I.O.O.F. were started in Phoenixville, Chester County, Pennsylvania in 1847. The Independent Order of Odd Fellows, Phoenixville lodges records, 1847-1974, document the Phoenixville iterations of the I.O.O.F. over a 125-year period. The collection includes records of Phoenix Lodge No. 212, Phoenix Encampment No. 79, Adelaide Rebekah Lodge No. 42 (women's auxiliary), and the local Three Link Club (junior division). Minutes form the largest portion of the collection, but there are also membership records, financial records, ephemera, and other related materials.

Held at: Historical Society of the Phoenixville Area [Contact Us]

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