Search

Start Over Repository Historical Society of Pennsylvania Year 1850 to 1899

Main content

Ritter family papers, circa 1840-2004, undated

Extent:
2.2 linear feet (; 6 boxes)
Abstract:
This family history collection documents the Ritter family and its ancestors beginning in the late 18th century. Diaries, autobiographies, memorandum books, family photos, and legal papers comprise the bulk of the material that spans almost 200 years (1773-1962). The collection focuses heavily on James Hansell Ritter (1859-1912) and his wife, Mary LeBaron Stoddard Ritter (1867-1949), both descendants of William Bradford, the governor of Plymouth Colony from 1622 until 1656. The couple’s lineage is documented in Series 1 which houses genealogical notes including a letter dated 25 December 1872 and an application for membership in the Pennsylvania Society of the Colonial Dames of America. Many of the ancestors appear in original or copied photographs in Series 2. Material related to ancestors and relatives of James Hansell Ritter - including his maternal great-great grandfather, Jacob Ehrenzeller, Sr. (1725-1798); his paternal grandfather, Jacob Ritter, Jr. (1784-1840); his father...(see more)

Held at: Historical Society of Pennsylvania [Contact Us]

Main content

Saunders House records, 1862-1940 (bulk) 1853-2011, undated (inclusive)

Extent:
3.6 linear feet (; 8 boxes, 7 volumes, 1 flat file)
Abstract:
The Old Man's Home of Philadelphia was chartered in 1860 and opened its doors in 1864 in West Philadelphia, as a residence for old men in indigent circumstances. The home evolved to be Saunders House and began admitting women in 1960. In 1973, it moved to its current location adjacent to Lankenau Hospital in Wynnewood, Pa. Today Saunders House provides long-term care and rehabilitation services to up to 180 older adult residents. The collection includes the original Old Man's Home minute book; admission records; record of inmates; annual reports; financial reports; deeds and other property-related documents; newsletters; court records from an inheritance dispute involving the Old Man's Home; a program from the organization's 125th anniversary celebration; a Christian Endeavor hymn book, typescripts, and clippings.

Held at: Historical Society of Pennsylvania [Contact Us]

Main content

Paul collection of Civil War papers and related ephemera, 1860-1894, undated

Extent:
0.2 linear feet (, 1 box)
Abstract:
The Paul collection of Civil War papers and related ephemera, housed in seven folders in one box, primarily consists of over 100 transcribed letters from and concerning Richard Henry Morris, who served with the 9th New York Infantry during the Civil War. Along with a few other items, additional materials in the collection include a biography and memorial of Ulric Dahlgren and a handwritten account from 1888 of the assassination of President Lincoln titled "A Story of a Great Crime."

Held at: Historical Society of Pennsylvania [Contact Us]

Main content

Price family papers, 1840-1990 (inclusive)

Extent:
8.0 linear feet (8 boxes; 2 volumes)
Abstract:
This collection contains the papers of various members of the Price family, as separated from the Woodlands Cemetery Company papers (collection 3661). The main family members documented in this collection are Eli Kirk Price (1797-1884), John Sergeant Price (1831-1897), Eli Kirk Price II (1860-1933), Philip Price (1898-1989), Eli Kirk Price III (April 25, 1904-1976), and Philip Price Jr. (1934- ). Most of the members of this family were lawyers, and all were very involved in Philadelphia civic, cultural, and charity organizations. The personal materials in this collection favor the civic and charity work of the Price family members, especially work done with the Fairmount Park Commission. Aside from the Fairmount Park materials, this collection is mostly estate information, documenting the administration of the Price family estates.

Held at: Historical Society of Pennsylvania [Contact Us]

Main content

Susan Parry volumes, 1849-1911 (inclusive)

Extent:
0.3 linear feet (; 1 box, 2 volume)
Abstract:
Dr. Susan Parry was born December 10, 1826, to Charles Parry (1785-1842) and Phebe Fell (1807-1872) in Buckingham Township, Bucks County, Pennsylvania. Susan Parry was raised as a Quaker member of the Society of Friends, and she taught in Lumberville, Pennsylvania, at the Lumberville School in the late 1840s. In 1858, she graduated from the Female Medical College of Pennsylvania (renamed the Woman’s Medical College of Pennsylvania around 1867), the first medical school in the world established to train women and offer them the M.D., which was founded in 1850. While finishing up medical school she wrote a thesis “A Disquisition on Hygiene.” She practiced medicine in Bucks County until she died in Doylestown, Pennsylvania on February 12, 1890, at the age of 63.

Held at: Historical Society of Pennsylvania [Contact Us]

Main content

DeForest Porter Willard diaries, 1884-1957, undated; bulk 1917-1919

Extent:
0.2 linear feet (; 1 box)
Abstract:
DeForest P. Willard (1884-1957) was an orthopedic surgeon from Philadelphia. He attended the University of Pennsylvania Medical School, and served in both London and France during the First World War treating casualties at several medical facilities and at the front. After his return to Philadelphia, Willard became a prominent physician in his field, married in 1926, and maintained a long and distinguished medical practice. The collection consists of four diaries: the first a collection of brief personal and professional entries that Willard maintained throughout his life, the other three (1917-1919) recording in much more detail his wartime service. A complete set of photocopies of the diaries is included with the original volumes. Researchers are encouraged to make use of these photocopies before consulting the original diaries.

Held at: Historical Society of Pennsylvania [Contact Us]

Main content

Archibald Hunter Graham papers, 1898, 1927-1929, undated

Extent:
0.75 linear feet (; 2 boxes)
Abstract:
Archibald Hunter Graham (1875-1943) was a physician and amateur sportsman in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. He studied medicine at the University of Pennsylvania and Jefferson Medical College, graduating in 1895 and 1898 respectively. He worked as a physician in West Philadelphia and married Grace Darling Watson in 1911. They had four children: Harry, John "Jack," Rhea, and Grace. Dr. Graham and several of his brothers were well-known cricket players in Philadelphia. Archibald toured the eastern part of the United States and Canada with a Philadelphia Cricket team and was associated with the Belmont Cricket Club. He also wrote articles about the history of cricket in Philadelphia and a book titled, "Cricket at the University of Pennsylvania" in 1930. Although some sources state that Graham wrote a book titled "The History of Cricket in Philadelphia" published by the Historical Society of Pennsylvania, it is unclear whether or not it was finished or if the Historical Society of...(see more)

Held at: Historical Society of Pennsylvania [Contact Us]

Main content

Francis Daniel Pastorius records, 1689-1910 (inclusive)

Extent:
1.6 linear feet (; 2 volumes)
Abstract:
This collection contains the Grund und Lager Buch begun by Francis Daniel Pastorius to document the founding of the Germantown area of Philadelphia and its settlement. This volume includes "Rules and regulations for settlers" (1689-1697) and a copy of the charter for Germantown granted to Pastorius. This collection also contains an English translation of the German and Latin entries in the Grund und Lager Buch made by Marion Dexter Learned for the Historical Society of Pennsylvania in 1910.

Held at: Historical Society of Pennsylvania [Contact Us]

Main content

Eugene S. Richardson, Jr., genealogical research materials, 1807-1980

Extent:
7.0 linear feet (7 linear feet, 10 boxes, )
Abstract:
Eugene S. Richardson, Jr., was the Curator of Invertebrate Paleontology at the Field Museum of Natural History in Chicago, Illinois. The collection consists of genealogical research files on the Richardson family and allied families. There is also a significant amount of research on the Netherlands Antilles and family members who settled there. Materials include: photocopies of newspapers articles, correspondence regarding the research (and some personal correspondence), printed materials, family charts, photocopies of 18th and 19th century documents, calling cards and invitations from the 19th century, photographs, and a very detailed card file of information on various family members. Two significant older items are "Richardson's journal, 1807," which has been photocopied and transcribed, and a notebook titled "Records" that describes family-related events in the 18th and 19th centuries. There is a separate card file documenting the chronology of the Netherlands Antilles, as well...(see more)

Held at: Historical Society of Pennsylvania [Contact Us]

Main content

E. D. Buckman genealogical collection on the Buckman and allied families, circa 1850-circa 1892, undated

Extent:
5.4 linear feet (; 47 volumes)
Abstract:
This collection, compiled mostly by Edwin D. Buckman of Philadelphia, contains genealogical records pertaining to the Buckman family of Bucks County, Pennsylvania, and many related families, such as the Blakers, Burgesses, and Hestons. The majority of the material consists of handwritten notes which trace the family from its roots in England and Edward Buckman (1623-1670), a Quaker of Sussex County. The Buckmans eventually settled near Newtown, Bucks County, Pennsylvania, approximately thirty miles north of Philadelphia. This collection consists of forty-seven volumes, all in modern library bindings. The volumes’ contents vary from histories of the Buckmans to papers on related families to abstracts of minutes from Friends' meetings. There are also notes and charts on the Buckman family by generation, newspaper clippings, and a few family papers such as deeds and correspondence. A few of the volumes contain indexes of other volumes.

Held at: Historical Society of Pennsylvania [Contact Us]

Main content

Cox-Parrish-Wharton papers, 1740-1870 (bulk) 1700-1900 (inclusive)

Extent:
9.3 linear feet (; 19 boxes, 40 volumes)
Abstract:
This collection of papers that originated mostly from the Cox family of Oxmead, Burlington County, New Jersey, and the Parrish family of Maryland and Philadelphia, contains information on the religious, humanitarian, social, and economic influence of the Quakers in American life. Spanning two centuries from 1700 to 1900, the collection contains family and some business correspondence, personal and financial volumes, petitions, deeds, publications, prints and photographs, and materials from the Friends Association of Philadelphia.

Held at: Historical Society of Pennsylvania [Contact Us]

Main content

Joshua Humphreys papers, 1660-1931, undated; bulk circa 1770 - 1931

Extent:
4.0 linear feet (; 19 volumes, 5 boxes)
Abstract:
In 1751, Joshua Humphreys was born in Haverford, Pennsylvania, and became the nation's most important naval architect in the post-Revolutionary era concerned with building and retrofitting military fleets. His most well-known ship is the Constitution, which is known as "Old Ironsides" and is the oldest commissioned U.S. naval vessel still afloat. In 1803, Humphreys retired, and his son Samuel continued the business. This collection consists of volumes, including daybooks and financial records; correspondence; family papers; and legal documents.

Held at: Historical Society of Pennsylvania [Contact Us]

Main content

Logan family papers, 1670-1872 (bulk) 1638-1964 (bulk 1670-1872) (inclusive)

Extent:
34.8 linear feet (65 boxes, 79 volumes, 12 flat files)
Abstract:
The Logan family was a prominent Philadelphia family dating back to 1699, when James Logan, the family patriarch, arrived in Philadelphia to serve as the first secretary of the Pennsylvania colony. Through work in agriculture and politics, Logan and his descendants were intimately involved in the development of the Pennsylvania colony and, later, the fledging United States. James Logan's prominence resulted in connections, both professional and familial, with other prominent colonial families, including the Norris and Dickinson families. The Logan family papers, 1638-1964 (bulk 1670-1872), documents James Logan’s personal and professional life, as well as that of several generations of his descendents. There are papers documenting the lives of his son William, his grandson George Logan, his great-grandsons Albanus Charles Logan and Algernon Sydney Logan, and the subsequent relationships with the Dickinson and Norris families. John Dickinson, who married one of James Logan's...(see more)

Held at: Historical Society of Pennsylvania [Contact Us]

Main content

Pennsylvania Abolition Society papers, 1751-1992, undated; bulk 1780-1930

Extent:
40.0 linear feet (; 81 boxes, 60 volumes, 6 flat files)
Abstract:
Growing out of egalitarian concerns of members of the Society of Friends, the Pennsylvania Abolition Society, as it is now known, was founded in 1775 as the Society for the Relief of Free Negroes Unlawfully Held in Bondage, but the Revolution caused its early Quaker members to suspend operations until 1784, when it reorganized with a broader base. From the beginning, the Abolition Society's programs were devoted not only to the abolition of slavery, but to the social and economic improvement of Black Americans as well. This collection of records documents the Pennsylvania Abolition Society's history and its work from mid 1700s to the 1990s, and particularly during the 1800s, through minutes and reports, manumissions and indentures, correspondence, financial papers, and a significant assortment of miscellaneous papers from other anti-slavery and humanitarian organzations.

Held at: Historical Society of Pennsylvania [Contact Us]

Main content

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]

Main content

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]

Main content

James Wilson papers, 1710-1877, undated; bulk 1775-1794

Extent:
6.4 linear feet (; 16 boxes, 4 volumes, 2 flat files)
Abstract:
James Wilson (1742-1789) was one of Pennsylvania's leading politicians during the nation's founding years. He signed the Declaration of Independence, assisted in drafting the United States Constitution, and was a member of the Continental Congress. Wilson was also one of six men apointment by George Washington to the first Supreme Court of the United States. This collection contains a variety of papers on the early federal government and on James Wilson's business and professional activities. There are copies of drafts of the Constitution and a corrected copy of the same, notes of debates and resolutions in the Constitutional Convention, items on the establishment of the national bank, Wilson's business and personal correspondence, letters of Mary Wilson Hollingsworth, and miscellaneous documents.

Held at: Historical Society of Pennsylvania [Contact Us]

Main content

George Wolf papers, 1817-1852, undated (bulk 1830-1835)

Extent:
2.0 linear feet (; 5 boxes)
Abstract:
George Wolf (1777-1840) served as Pennsylvania governor from 1829 to 1835. He worked as a lawyer and was elected America's first comptroller of the United States Treasury. This collection contains mostly his incoming correspondence and generally spans Wolf's time in office in Pennsylvania. There are letters and petitions concerning his administration and state and national politics, as well as related miscellaneous documents.

Held at: Historical Society of Pennsylvania [Contact Us]

Main content

Jasper Yeates papers, 1733-1876 (inclusive)

Extent:
19.2 linear feet (; 50 boxes)
Abstract:
Jasper Yeates (1745-1817) was a leading lawyer in Lancaster County and associate justice of the Supreme Court of Pennsylvania; the collection contains his notes on trials, evidence, arguments, depositions, and judicial opinions rendered in numerous legal cases. Making up a large portion of the papers is his personal correspondence with noted men such as Edward Burd, Thomas Hartley, Richard Peters, William Tilghman, and others, which deals with political events, public questions, and congressional and administrative affairs. There is also Yeates's personal correspondence with his wife Sarah Yeates. The collection also contains papers of John Yeates that relate chiefly to commerce and shipping between the Middle Atlantic colonies and Barbados, Antigua, and other islands in the West Indies. Other items include Redmond Conyngham letters and essays, Peter Grubb estate papers and accounts, Jasper Yeates Cunningham family papers, the work Chronology of the History of the...(see more)

Held at: Historical Society of Pennsylvania [Contact Us]

Main content

Mary Elizabeth Hallock Greenewalt papers, 1879-1950 (bulk) 1769-1950, undated (inclusive)

Extent:
18.2 linear feet (39 boxes, 29 volumes, 23 flat files)
Abstract:
Mary Elizabeth Hallock’s arrival in Philadelphia in 1882 at the age of eleven set into motion a forty-year career as a musician, inventor, lecturer, writer and political activist. Born in Beirut, September 8, 1871 to Sara (Tabet) Hallock, descendant of an aristocratic Syrian family, and Samuel Hallock, a U.S. consul, she was educated in Beirut and Philadelphia. A gifted musician, Hallock graduated from Philadelphia’s Musical Academy in 1893, and in 1897 studied piano in Vienna with Theodore Leschetizky. In 1898 in Johnstown, New York, Hallock married Dr. Frank L. Greenewalt, thirty-two years old and a physician-in-chief at Girard College. The Greenewalts had one son, Crawford, born in 1902. Greenewalt, a pianist noted for her interpretation of Chopin, began in the early 1900s to investigate how gradated colored lighting might enhance the emotional expression of music. By 1920 Greenewalt had obtained the first of many patents covering a color organ designed to project a sequence of...(see more)

Held at: Historical Society of Pennsylvania [Contact Us]

Main content

Merion Cricket Club (Haverford, Pa.) papers, 1865-1923

Extent:
3.0 linear feet (; 1 box, 10 volumes)
Abstract:
Merion Cricket Club was established in 1865 outside of Philadelphia, PA as a social and athletic club and is still in operation as of 2017. Early in its history Merion was known for cricket, tennis, football (soccer), and golf, before the Merion Golf Club became its own entity. Today, the club offers a variety of athletic activities including tennis, squash, and bowling. The Merion Cricket Club (Haverford, Pa.) papers date from 1865 to 1923 and consist of scrapbooks containing letters, announcements, photographs, menus, ephemera, clippings, and other items documenting the activities of the Merion Cricket Club and its members. There is also one box of additional (loose) printed matter relating to Merion.

Held at: Historical Society of Pennsylvania [Contact Us]

Main content

Philadelphia Bicycle Club records, 1879-1902

Extent:
1.375 linear feet (; 1 box, 10 volumes)
Abstract:
The Philadelphia Bicycle Club was organized in 1879 in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania to advance the interests of cycling and promote the riding of bicycles as a means of exercise, locomotion, and enjoyment. The Philadelphia Bicycle Club was dissolved in 1902 and its assets were distributed to the Philadelphia Cycle and Field Club in Ardmore, Pennsylvania. The Philadelphia Bicycle Club records, 1879-1902, consist of administrative materials such as minutes, charter and bylaws, correspondence meeting announcements, and membership materials, as well as financial and property records, including several materials related to the construction and maintenance of the club house at 26th and Perot streets.

Held at: Historical Society of Pennsylvania [Contact Us]

Main content

North American Land Company records, 1765-1904 (inclusive)

Extent:
14.0 linear feet (; 5 boxes, 92 volumes)
Abstract:
Robert Morris (1734-1806), James Greenleaf (1765-1843), and John Nicholson (1757-1800) founded the North American Land Company on February 20, 1795. The North American Land Company was one of the largest land trusts in American history. The land company had 30,000 shares of stock, each valued at $100, and a total of 6 million acres of land in the District of Columbia, Georgia, Kentucky, North Carolina, Pennsylvania, South Carolina, and Virginia. Some of those associated with the company include: James Greenleaf, Robert James, Tobias Lear, Robert Morris, John Nicholson, Benjamin Tilghman, and James Wilson. The North American Land Company was plagued by serious financial difficulties and all three of its founders were sent to debtors’ prison. The North American Land Company remained in existence until 1872. The North American Land Company records include financial and administrative records as well as correspondence, deeds, and shares of the company’s stock from 1793-1898. The...(see more)

Held at: Historical Society of Pennsylvania [Contact Us]

Main content

Nazareth Hall School for Boys account books, 1785-1840 (bulk) 1785-1870 (inclusive)

Extent:
7.0 linear feet (; 112 volumes, 5 boxes)
Abstract:
Nazareth Hall School for Boys was founded by the Moravian Church in Nazareth, Pennsylvania in 1759. At first, the school only accepted the sons of Moravian clergy, but they opened their enrollment to other boys in the community by 1762. The school was forced to close temoporarily due to financial difficulty in 1779. In 1785, Nazareth Hall re-opened as a boarding school with a revised curriculum that emphasized classical education as well as vocational training and religious instruction. In 1862, students were organized into a uniformed cadet company and military drill was introduced as part of a routine of physical education. Shortly thereafter, Nazareth Hall gained a reputation as a military academy which it mainted until the school's closure in 1929. This collection documents certain aspects of the school's finances, especially the personal billing accounts for certain students and accounts with local craftsmen and laborers who provided services to the school. Also included are...(see more)

Held at: Historical Society of Pennsylvania [Contact Us]

Main content

The Historical Society of Pennsylvania collection of Civil War papers, 1861-1865 (bulk) 1830-1923 (inclusive)

Extent:
4.1 linear feet (8 boxes, 15 volumes, 4 flat files)
Abstract:
The Civil War papers contain several different types of materials including muster rolls, daily reports, order books, official government documents, personal and official correspondence, and other Civil War ephemera. The bulk of this collection is contained within Series One, which contains documents generated by the military. These provide a glimpse into the logistical planning and book-keeping which the business of war required. Also represented are several civilian organizations and individual persons.

Held at: Historical Society of Pennsylvania [Contact Us]

Main content

Citizens' Bounty Fund Committee records, 1862-1863 (bulk) 1861-1887, undated (inclusive)

Extent:
9.8 linear feet (22 boxes, 13 volumes)
Abstract:
The Citizens' Bounty Fund Committee records relate to an effort in Philadelphia in 1862 to encourage Union enlistments through the payments of bounties and premiums. The records include the administrative papers of the committee, as well as the enlistment and bounty records of the men who qualified for bounties under the system. Administrative papers include resolutions, committee reports, minutes, and assorted financial papers. The bulk of the collection is volunteer enlistment forms, enlistment affidavits, bounty certificates, muster forms, muster rolls, and lists and statements of bounties and premiums paid.

Held at: Historical Society of Pennsylvania [Contact Us]

Main content

Simon Gratz papers, 1838-1943 (inclusive)

Extent:
9.0 linear feet (; 19 boxes, 36 volumes)
Abstract:
Correspondence of Simon Gratz, Philadelphia lawyer, autograph collector, and member of the Philadelphia Board of Education, including letters from most of the politically prominent Philadelphians of the period. There is considerable material on the public schools of Philadelphia.

Held at: Historical Society of Pennsylvania [Contact Us]

Main content

Plumsted family papers, 1702-1890, undated

Extent:
0.8 linear feet (; 2 boxes)
Abstract:
The Plumsted family was a distinguished and prolific Quaker family with connections to several prominent persons in early Philadelphia. The documents in this collection relate to Clement Plumsted, a wealthy Pennsylvania merchant and land owner, and his son William. Both father and son served as mayor of colonial Philadelphia. Last will and testaments, obituaries and financial papers give an outline of various family members and their offspring’s personal affairs and accomplishments. Deeds and land transfer documents describe land holdings on South Front Street, Philadelphia, Warren County, Pennsylvania, and Harrison County, Virginia. Correspondence with the Gore, Elliot and Cathcart families discuss financial, health and personal matters. The family name is spelled both as “Plumsted” and “Plumstead,” in these papers. Correspondence and documents use both spellings and no clear date can be drawn as to when one spelling is used henceforth. It is apparent, however, that the earlier...(see more)

Held at: Historical Society of Pennsylvania [Contact Us]

Main content

Claude W. Unger collection, 1790-1870 (bulk) 1647-1921 (inclusive)

Extent:
34.0 linear feet (; 40 boxes, 112 volumes)
Abstract:
Most of the Claude W. Unger collection at HSP once formed part of the extensive stock of Unger, a book and manuscript dealer in Pottsville, Pennsylvania, who was most active between 1925 and 1937. The collection contains letters and documents representing some 2,000 individuals connected to a wide range of subjects. People from the 19th century such as abolitionists, women’s suffragists, scientists, and politicians (particularly Pennsylvania politicians) are the most commonly represented individuals in the collection. In addition to the 40 document boxes, there are 112 volumes in the collection. The volumes consist of account books, court dockets, and school exercise books representing a variety of Pennsylvania Germans covering from the the late 18th to 19th centuries.

Held at: Historical Society of Pennsylvania [Contact Us]

Main content

Markoe family papers, (1773-1940, undated) (inclusive)

Extent:
2.6 linear feet (; 4 boxes, 6 volumes, 3 flat files)
Abstract:
Abraham Markoe of St. Croix was a wealthy planter and merchant who moved to Philadelphia circa 1770. He became an active revolutionary, and founded the Philadelphia Light Horse militia, later renamed the First Troop Philadelphia City Cavalry. The Markoe family papers are a highly miscellaneous assortment of correspondence, estate papers, deeds, photographs, and other papers from a variety of family members, including Abraham's children, Abraham Markoe, Jr., Mary Markoe Holsman, Sarah Markoe, and Peter Markoe. Also of special note in the collection are General John Markoe's Civil War correspondence and documents on his service in Virginia, his imprisonment at Richmond, 1861-1862, and his role at the battle of Fredericksburg.

Held at: Historical Society of Pennsylvania [Contact Us]

Main content

Contemporary Club (Philadelphia, Pa.) records, 1886-1952, undated (Bulk 1886-1932)

Extent:
3.0 linear feet (; 8 boxes)
Abstract:
The Contemporary Club was organized in 1886 to hold discussions on outstanding questions of the day and to present scholarly papers by public figures. Membership was open to men and women, most of whom were distinguished in the academic, artistic, and literary worlds of Philadelphia. Correspondence dating from 1886 to 1952 makes up the bulk of the papers. It includes outgoing correspondence of club presidents, incoming correspondence of individuals invited to speak, and miscellaneous correspondence to Thornton Oakley and other club officers. Among the other papers are executive committee minutes (1894-1919), photographs, year books, lists of members and historical sketches, and other miscellaneous items.

Held at: Historical Society of Pennsylvania [Contact Us]

Main content

Nellie Rathbone Bright family papers, 1885-1977

Extent:
1.0 linear feet (; 2 boxes, 1 volume, 2 flat files)
Abstract:
Nellie Rathbone Bright, born in Savannah, Georgia, in 1898, was the only child of the Rev. Richard Bright and his wife, Nellie (Jones) Bright. Despite segregation barriers, the African American Bright family attained educational levels surpassing those of the general population of their generation. Rev. Bright, assigned to the Episcopal diocese in Savannah, Georgia, in 1891, was appointed two decades later to a Philadelphia parish and moved his family to that city. A student of Philadelphia public schools, Nellie Rathbone Bright qualified as a grade school teacher with a special certificate for sewing in 1916. She then entered the University of Pennsylvania, graduating in 1923 with a B.A. in English. Single all her life, Bright spent her entire career as a teacher and then principal in the Philadelphia school system. Her efforts as an educator, spanning more than thirty years, focused not only on the schools but also on the housing and neighborhoods in which her students lived. In...(see more)

Held at: Historical Society of Pennsylvania [Contact Us]

Main content

Harrison family papers, (circa 1857-1961, undated; bulk 1869-1870)

Extent:
0.4 linear feet (; 1 box, 1 flat file)
Abstract:
Charles Custis Harrison (1844-1929) and Ellen Nixon (Waln) Harrison (1846-1922), members of two prominent Philadelphia families, were married in 1870. They lived for many years on Locust Street near Rittenhouse Square and kept a summer home, “Ellersleigh,” in Glenwood, Pennsylvania. They had seven children born between the years 1872 and 1886: Edward, George, Ellen, Charles Jr., Harry, Esther, and Dorothy. Charles served as provost of the University of Pennsylvania from 1894 to 1910. This collection chiefly consists of 136 pieces of family correspondence, most of which are between Charles and Ellen Harrison and date from 1869 to 1870. The collection also contains letters between Charles and his son Harry Waln Harrison, one of Charles’s notebooks from his time as a provost at the University of Pennsylvania, an 1866 partnership agreement, a photocopy of a journal, photographs, and genealogical essays and documents.

Held at: Historical Society of Pennsylvania [Contact Us]

Main content

Historical Society of Pennsylvania trade cards collection, 1800-1900 (bulk) circa 1800-2000 (inclusive)

Extent:
15.0 linear feet
Abstract:
The collection contains an extensive collection of 19th-century trade cards from Philadelphia and surrounding region, the majority of which are arranged alphabetically by name. This is an artificial collection that has been put together by the Historical Society of Pennsylvania over time and is still open for additional accruals.

Held at: Historical Society of Pennsylvania [Contact Us]

Main content

James Grier Ralston papers, 1833-1881 (inclusive)

Extent:
0.25 linear feet (; 1 box)
Abstract:
For a greater portion of his life, James Grier Ralston (1815-1880) was an educator and very much concerned with the religious/spiritual life of his pupils. His interests in religious affairs and education led to the founding of a seminary for women and missionary activities in Wisconsin. Privy to the needs of his community, he gave considerably of his time to community affairs in Norristown, for which he was most honored and respected. Ralston was also a mineralist and collector. This collection consists of four volumes that contain Ralston’s notes about religion, natural sciences, a trip to Europe, and his activities as a student and teacher, as well as news clippings related to his death.

Held at: Historical Society of Pennsylvania [Contact Us]

Main content

Shee family papers, 1775-2009, undated; bulk 1775-1785

Extent:
0.4 linear feet (; 1 box [5 folders])
Abstract:
Cecelia (circa 1750-1779) and John Parke (1755-1780) were the children of Thomas Parke of Kent County, Delaware. Around 1770, Cecelia married Bertles Shee. Cecelia lived in Philadelphia and Dover, Delaware. Both John Parke and Bertles Shee served in the Continental Army. This small collection of papers from the Shee family mostly consists of detailed letters Cecelia wrote to John in the army between July 1775 and February 1777. There are also genealogical notes, a copy of Bertles Shee's will, a letter concerning property in Ireland, a letter from John Chew concering Bertles Shee's debts, and a set of typed transciptions of most of the documents in the collection.

Held at: Historical Society of Pennsylvania [Contact Us]

Main content

Emergency Aid of Pennsylvania records, 1889-1984 (inclusive)

Extent:
70.8 linear feet (; 137 boxes, 34 volumes, 3 unboxed items)
Abstract:
Emergency Aid of Pennsylvania is a women’s volunteer organization that was founded by eight Philadelphia women in 1914. Its early efforts included foreign relief during World Wars I and II, combatting the 1918-1920 influenza pandemic, and providing help to people in the Philadelphia region experiencing poverty, unemployment, illness, or disability. The Emergency Aid of Pennsylvania records date from 1889 to 1984, with bulk dates of 1914 to 1978, and document the organization’s evolution from war-time relief efforts to philanthropic community service and grant-giving.

Held at: Historical Society of Pennsylvania [Contact Us]

Main content

Gibbon family correspondence, 1890-1930 (bulk) 1784-1987 (inclusive)

Extent:
9.2 linear feet (; 16 boxes)
Abstract:
The Gibbon family correspondence dates from 1808 to 1987 and contains the letters, postcards, and related material of the family of Dr. John Heysham Gibbon. Dr. Gibbon was a Philadelphia surgeon and professor at Jefferson Medical College, who also served as an Army surgeon in France during World War I. He was the son of Dr. Robert Gibbon of Charlotte, North Carolina and the grandson of John Heysham Gibbon and Catherine Lardner Gibbon, originally of Philadelphia. Through Catherine, the Gibbon family was related to the Biddle family of Philadelphia. Dr. John Gibbon was also the nephew of Civil War general John Gibbon and the son-in-law of another, Samuel Baldwin Marks Young. The majority of the collection consists of loose handwritten correspondence to and from members of the immediate Gibbon family as well as some of their extended relations. Included with these letters are a number of photographs, postcards, pencil drawings, and other assorted ephemera. This collection documents...(see more)

Held at: Historical Society of Pennsylvania [Contact Us]

Main content

Wannemacher family papers, 1880-1934 (bulk) 1879-1957 (inclusive)

Extent:
1.7 linear feet (; 1 box, 10 volumes)
Abstract:
This collection relates to the Wannemacher family of Philadelphia and consists of one box of papers and ten photo albums. In 1893, Edward H. Wannemacher married Mary A. Fairbairn at St. Mary's Church in Philadelphia. The couple had at least one son, Edward Hermany Wannemacher, baptised 7 July 1895. The papers in the collection briefly describe the history of the family. In the photo albums are records of the family's activies, from causual visits to local landmarks and travels throughout the Mid-Atlantic states, to their involvement with the Socialist Sunday School and the Young People's Socialist League.

Held at: Historical Society of Pennsylvania [Contact Us]

Main content

Frederick M. Yost collection on John Wanamaker's department store publicity, 1949-1980 (bulk) 1863-1984 (inclusive)

Extent:
22.0 linear feet (; 45 boxes, 11 volumes, 94 flat files)
Abstract:
This collection chronicles several decades of displays and promotions at John Wanamaker's department store, much of it under the supervision of Frederick M. Yost. Yost began working at Wanamaker's in 1948. From 1952 to 1965 he was in charge of sales promotions, and in 1965 became the corporate vice president. Yost's background included theater and lighting design. The collection includes papers and scrapbooks documenting public relations, advertising, special events, and store design and display. Also included are internal office memos, photographs of displays and their construction, architectural drawings and blue prints, news clippings, and many materials pertaining to the elaborate Christmas displays and light shows that were a tradition at Wanamaker's.

Held at: Historical Society of Pennsylvania [Contact Us]

Main content

A History of Philadelphia (scrapbooks) by Thompson Westcott, circa 1867-circa 1884

Extent:
1.0 linear feet (; 5 volumes)
Abstract:
Full title: A History of Philadelphia, From the Time of the First Settlements on the Delaware to the Consolidation of the City and Districts in 1854. A scarce and virtually unique presentation of the first appearance of Westcott's History of Philadelphia, pasted in its original newsprint form into five scrapbooks of approx. 250 pages each. Five scrapbooks, each containing in triple-column form the original text as published in the Philadelphia Sunday Dispatch between 1867 and 1884. Westcott completed the history to circa 1826.

Held at: Historical Society of Pennsylvania [Contact Us]

Main content

John Fryer papers, 1950-2000 (bulk) 1876-2004, undated (inclusive)

Extent:
76.0 linear feet (; 219 boxes; 36 volumes; 10 flat files)
Abstract:
John Fryer was a groundbreaking gay psychiatrist best-known for his appearance in full disguise at the 1972 American Psychiatric Association (APA) convention. His speech at the convention is credited with convincing the APA to remove homosexuality from the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders in 1973. As a psychiatrist Fryer worked largely with gay men, lesbians, people who abused drug and alcohol, and those who were coping with death. He was also a professor at Temple University School of Medicine, and organist and choirmaster at St. Peter’s Episcopal Church in Germantown. The John Fryer collection consists of his personal and professional papers from 1876 to 2003 and is divided into five series: General files, Patient records (restricted to researchers until 2078), Photographs and audio-visual materials, Printed matter, and Miscellaneous papers.

Held at: Historical Society of Pennsylvania [Contact Us]

Main content

Wuanda M. T. Walls family papers, c.1860-2007

Extent:
2.07 linear feet (4 boxes, 10 volumes, 3 flat file items)
Abstract:
Wuanda M. T. Walls is a writer who was born in Chester County, Pennsylvania, but raised in nearby Delaware County. She graduated from Chester High School in 1961 and Lincoln University in 1980. The Walls family was one of the core families of Hinsonville, Pennsylvania, a small African American community in Chester County that became the site of Lincoln University, the oldest black college in the United States. The collection documents the history of the Wallses and related families, Hinsonville, and Lincoln University Village. It includes family photos, correspondence, clippings, legal papers, diplomas and yearbooks, ephemera, an oral history audiocassette and transcript, a published essay (by Wuanda Walls) and two books on the history of Hinsonville, and other items. There is also some of Walls's own memorabilia, such as autographed photographs and programs, airplane tickets, and a program from the 1966 Newport Jazz festival.

Held at: Historical Society of Pennsylvania [Contact Us]

Limit your search

more »

more »

more »

more »

more »

more »

more »

Current results range from 1343 to 2021

View larger »