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Start Over Record Source Other PACSCL Partners Place Chester County (Pa.) Year 1940 to 1944

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Joseph B. Smith and Sons Funeral Home records, 1872-1975 (inclusive)

Extent:
4.0 linear feet
Abstract:
The Joseph B. Smith and Sons Funeral Home in West Chester, Pennsylvania was established in 1870, when Joseph B. Smith purchased the existing Hoffman Undertaking and Furniture Business. Smith’s firm, which was in business until 1994, was owned and operated by four successive generations of Smith men: Joseph B. Smith; his son, William B. Smith; his grandson, Ashton B.T. Smith; and his great-grandson, Ashton B.T. Smith, Jr. It ranked as one of the oldest funeral home businesses in Chester County. The Joseph B. Smith and Son Funeral Directors records houses the records produced by that funeral home from 1876 to 1946. In addition, there is a small cache of Smith family papers dating from 1883 to 1975. The bulk of the collection is made up of funeral home records. Included in the funeral home records are account books, funeral registries, bills, funeral home ephemera, and undertaker and coroner licenses. The Smith family papers section of the collection has very little to do with the...(see more)

Held at: Chester County Historical Society [Contact Us]

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Joseph W. Thomas and Sons nursery records, 1884-1990 (inclusive)

Extent:
5.0 linear feet
Abstract:
The Joseph W. Thomas and Sons Nursery in Chester County was one of the oldest and longest running horticultural enterprises in the state of Pennsylvania. It operated from 1853 to 1990, and was owned by three successive generations of the Thomas family. The Thomas nursery actually began in 1828 as a small farm and orchard called “Maple Farm,” which was owned by Charles and Ruth Thomas. It was their son, Joseph Williams Thomas, who formally established the nursery on a small portion of the farm around 1853. He named his burgeoning business, Chester Valley Nursery. Later, he changed the company’s name to Joseph W. Thomas and Company. Around 1888, Joseph’s sons, Edwin and Charles Lincoln, joined him in business and the name of the firm was changed once more to Joseph W. Thomas and Sons, reflecting the new partnership. The Joseph W. Thomas and Sons Nursery records contains documents created by that business from 1884 to 1993. Researchers will find financial records; general business...(see more)

Held at: Chester County Historical Society [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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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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Uwchlan Township Historical Commission subject files, 1979-2014 (bulk) 1928-2014 (inclusive)

Extent:
30.0 linear feet
Abstract:
Originally inhabited by Leni-Lenape (Delaware) and Iroquoian-speaking Susquehanuck peoples, Uwchlan Township in Chester County, Pennsylvania was settled by Welsh Quakers in the early 18th century. The township was founded in 1712. It remained a largely rural farming community until a post-World War II suburbanization boom. The Uwchlan Township Historical Commission subject files, 1928-2014 (bulk 1979-2014), consist largely of secondary-source materials with some primary-source documents. The collection is arranged into five series, each relating to the local history of the township: Subjects, People, Schools, Government records, and Binders.

Held at: Uwchlan Township Historical Commission [Contact Us]

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Frances D. Matthews family papers, circa 1900-1980

Extent:
5.0 linear feet
Abstract:
Frances Dinkel Matthews (1907-1999) spent her entire life in Uwchlan Township, Chester County, Pennsylvania. Very active in the Uwchlan community, she served at various times as a school director and as a tax collector. She was a member of the Women's Community Club of Uwchlan, Uwchlan Conservation Trust, and Uwchlan Township Historical Commission. Most of the materials in Frances D. Matthews family papers, circa 1900-1980, relate either to local tax collecting (1952-1979) or schools (1903-1958). While the majority of materials appear to have been created or collected by Frances Matthews, some intermixed documents seem to stem from other sources. There are only a few Frances Matthews items in the collection not related either to taxes or schools, such as a Women's Community Club scrapbook from the 1930s.

Held at: Uwchlan Township Historical Commission [Contact Us]

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Israel R. Berry family papers, 1890-1940 (bulk) 1864-1940 (inclusive)

Extent:
2.0 linear feet
Abstract:
Israel R. Berry (born 1862) was an influential citizen of West Caln Township, Chester County, Pennsylvania, known for his successful farm and involvement with the township school board. His father, Milton Berry (born in West Caln in 1825), was a carpenter who acquired a 47-acre farm, and was active in township government. The Israel R. Berry family papers, 1864-1940 (bulk 1890-1940), include a large amount of records of the West Caln Township School Board as well as assorted personal papers and family papers (principally from Israel Berry and his father, Milton Berry).

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

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Wharton Esherick family papers, 1920-1970 (bulk) 1895-1996 (inclusive)

Extent:
10.5 linear feet
Abstract:
Wharton Esherick (1887-1970) was a sculptor who worked primarily in wood, readily extending his unique forms to furniture, furnishings, utensils, interiors and buildings, creating sculptural environments. He has been called the link between the Arts and Crafts Movement and the resurgent interest in furniture making following World War II, the dean of American craftsmen, and the foundation of the current Studio Furniture Movement. The Wharton Esherick family papers, 1895-1996 (bulk 1920-1970), consist of correspondence, work documentation, financial papers, publicity clippings, photographs, and other materials that primarily document Esherick's work and to a lesser extent his personal life and the personal lives of his immediate family.

Held at: Wharton Esherick Museum [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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