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Start Over Subject Local history Year 1950 to 1999

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Downingtown Area Historical Society General Archives collection, 1843-2012 (inclusive)

Extent:
20.0 linear feet
Abstract:
The Borough of Downingtown, Chester County, Pennsylvania is located halfway between Philadelphia and Lancaster. Known as Milltown in the 18th century since it was the location of the last mills on the edge of the unsettled western frontier, the village became known as Downingtown after the War of 1812; the borough was incorporated in 1859. Improved transportation, by stagecoach, railroad, and eventually highways, drew increasing population and investment to Downingtown over the 19th and 20th centuries. The Downingtown Area Historical Society General Archives collection, 1843-2012, consists of various small accumulations of records (less than one linear foot) from businesses, clubs, organizations, individuals, and families based in or near Downingtown.

Held at: Downingtown Area Historical Society [Contact Us]

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Chester F. Baker local history research and family papers, 1925-1960 (bulk) 1864-1960 (inclusive)

Extent:
28.5 linear feet
Abstract:
Chester F. Baker (1891-1963) was a municipal engineer and amateur historian from the city of Chester in Delaware County, Pennsylvania. Among his many affiliations with historical and genealogical organizations, Baker was president of the Chester Rural Cemetery Association and director of the Delaware County Historical Society. The Chester F. Baker local history research and family papers, 1864-1960 (bulk 1925-1960), consist of well over 100 binders with research materials on history topics, papers from organizations with which Baker was involved, and papers relating to his work as a surveyor. There are also a few personal and family photograph albums and scrapbooks.

Held at: Delaware County Historical Society [Contact Us]

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Delaware County Historical Society vertical files, circa 1850-2013

Extent:
85.0 linear feet
Abstract:
Delaware County was the first section of Pennsylvania to be settled by Europeans, specifically Swedes in 1643. It was in the city of Chester, the original county seat of Delaware County, that William Penn and the General Assembly of Pennsylvania adopted Penn's "Great Law of Pennsylvania," which granted the right to vote, citizenship, freedom of religion and trial by jury to all settlers. Located adjacent to Philadelphia, Delaware County's suburban population grew rapidly in the 19th and 20th centuries. The Delaware County Historical Society vertical files, circa 1850-2013, cover various local topics. Materials are mostly newspaper clippings, photocopies of newspaper articles, pamphlets and ephemera, research notes, narrative histories, transcripts, indexes, printed materials, copies of church and civil records, death and funeral records, and census and tax records, as well as some original documents and oral histories on audiocassette tapes and CDs.

Held at: Delaware County Historical Society [Contact Us]

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Delaware County Institute of Science manuscript collection, 1686-2014 (inclusive)

Extent:
20.0 linear feet
Abstract:
Delaware County was the first section of Pennsylvania to be settled by Europeans, specifically Swedes in 1643. The Borough of Media, located about 12 miles outside of Philadelphia, has been the county seat of Delaware County since 1850. A largely rural area prior to that point, the town grew rapidly in the second half of the 19th century and throughout the 20th century. The Delaware County Institute of Science manuscript collection, 1686-2014, consists of a variety of local history materials including organizational records, business records, personal papers, photographs, scrapbooks, blueprints, subject files, maps and atlases, and other materials. Most of the materials relate to Delaware County (Pennsylvania), but some items pertain to other locations in Pennsylvania and other states. Although the 19th century is the best represented among the materials, there is a significant amount of materials from the 18th century and a few items from the 17th century.

Held at: Delaware County Institute of Science [Contact Us]

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Doylestown Historical Society oral histories, 1995-2012 (inclusive)

Extent:
2.0 linear feet
Abstract:
The area now known as Doylestown (Bucks County, Pennsylvania) was given to Edward Doyle as a land grant from William Penn in 1692. Doylestown became the county seat of Bucks County in 1812, and the area flourished when a railroad line was completed between Doylestown and Philadelphia in 1856. Doylestown's historic downtown began to deteriorate in the early 1960s, but the town was revitalized in part due to an architectural preservation movement. The Doylestown Historical Society oral histories, 1995-2012, consist of several dozen oral history video interviews with prominent residents of Doylestown, Bucks County, Pennsylvania. Of special interest are an interview with author James Michener and an interview with a friend of James Michener about the author.

Held at: Doylestown Historical Society [Contact Us]

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Bruce Conner collection on Philadelphia history, circa 1840-2011

Extent:
7.0 linear feet
Abstract:
Bruce M. Conner (1951-2011) was a local historian and resident of Northeast Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. An avid supporter of preserving the history and historic buildings of the Northeast Philadelphia neighborhoods, he was actively involved in many Northeast history organizations and established the Friends of Lower Dublin Academy in 2008. The Bruce Conner collection on Philadelphia history, circa 1840-2011, consists of 19th and 20th century manuscripts collected by Conner as well as secondary-source research materials and papers by Conner on Northeast Philadelphia history.

Held at: Friends of Northeast Philadelphia History [Contact Us]

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Eleanor Birkman collection on Holmesburg (Philadelphia, Pa.) history, circa 1870-1995

Extent:
3.0 linear feet
Abstract:
Eleanor P. Birkman (1905-2003) was a local historian and resident of the Holmesburg neighborhood in Northeast Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. She often gave local history presentations about Northeast Philadelphia, focusing specifically on the history of Holmesburg. The Eleanor Birkman collection on Holmesburg (Philadelphia, Pa.) history, circa 1870-1995, consists mainly of secondary-source materials pertaining to Holmesburg and Northeast Philadelphia history, such as published books, research articles, clippings, and copies of historic documents and photographs. There is also a small amount of primary materials such as late 19th and early 20th century photographs, pamphlets, newspapers, and other documents. A large portion of the collection is notes and materials from local history presentations given by Birkman.

Held at: Friends of Northeast Philadelphia History [Contact Us]

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Goschenhoppen Historians scrapbook collection, circa 1881-1985

Extent:
1.0 linear feet
Abstract:
Goschenhoppen, one of the oldest continuously existing Pennsylvania German communities in America, is a geographic region in Montgomery County. The Goschenhoppen Historians scrapbook collection, circa 1881-1985, consists of scrapbooks by various creators. Most are clippings scrapbooks on local history, but several are of a more personal nature.

Held at: Goschenhoppen Historians, Inc. [Contact Us]

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Wilson H. Green clippings scrapbooks and photographs, circa 1860-1982

Extent:
2.0 linear feet
Abstract:
Wilson H. Green, 1890-1989, was a fireman in Green Lane, Montgomery County, Pennsylvania. The Wilson H. Green clippings scrapbooks and photographs, circa 1860-1982, contain scrapbooks created by Wilson H. Green and Green family photographs. The scrapbooks include newspaper clippings focused on local news events and society announcements, as well as some national and international items.

Held at: Goschenhoppen Historians, Inc. [Contact Us]

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