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Tri-County Heritage Library 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 Library 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 Library [Contact Us]

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Estelle Cremers papers, circa 1982-2008

Extent:

13.0 linear feet

Abstract:

Estelle Harrop Cremers (1925-2010) was active in historic preservation, especially in Chester County, Pennsylvania, from the 1970s to the 2000s. Cremers served on boards and commissions of local historical organizations, helped develop the French and Pickering Creek Trust, worked as the coordinator for the Chester County Comprehensive Historic Sites Survey, researched and wrote nominations for inclusion on the National Register of Historic Places, free-lanced as a historic property and land researcher, and wrote five books on local townships. Estelle Cremers papers, circa 1982-2008, consist primarily of research materials accumulated or created by Cremers that relate to Chester County locations, properties, businesses, people, and other history related topics. Some of the research in the collection relates to locations in Montgomery, Berks, Lancaster, and other Pennsylvania counties. There is also some correspondence and other non-research related materials in the collection.

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

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Grace Mine records, 1935-1978 (inclusive)

Extent:

2.0 linear feet

Abstract:

Grace Mine was an iron ore mine located in Morgantown, Pennsylvania, part of Caernarvon Township in Berks County. The mine was owned by Bethlehem Steel and opened in 1958. Operations continued until the mine was shut down in 1977. Grace Mine records, 1935-1978, include property files, time-keeping ledgers, drilling maps, a weather diary, and other materials. There are also monthly reports from Grace Mine's parent company, Bethlehem Steel.

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

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Wanner family papers, circa late 19th century-circa 1980

Extent:

1.0 linear feet

Abstract:

John Reuben Wanner (1864-1932) was born in 1864 in Caernarvon Township, Lancaster County, Pennsylvania. In 1886, he married Fannie Grube (1865-1947) in Morgantown, PA (Berks County). They had ten children: Matilda K., Edna May, Elizabeth H., Emma Valeria, Florence G., Jacob Grube, John Reuben Jr., David Stanley, Estella Viola, and Ethelbert H. The Wanner children and their descendants married into various families in the Tri-County area (Berks, Chester, and Lancaster counties in Pennsylvania), including the Bixler, Brower, Finger, Goodman, Guy, Hayes, Peiffer, Rettew, and Sternberger families. Wanner family papers, circa late 19th century-circa 1980s, consist of photographs, personal papers, postcards, memorial and funeral cards, newspaper clippings, and other materials. Other families represented in the collection include the Brower and Finger families, members of who married or were closely associated with members of the Wanner family.

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

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Twin Valley Senior Citizens Club records, 1970-2006 (inclusive)

Extent:

2.5 linear feet

Abstract:

The Twin Valley Senior Citizens Club is a group of older activists based in Morgantown, Berks County, Pennsylvania. Established in 1970, the purpose of the club is to promote the welfare, concerns, and happiness of its members and friends. Membership is limited to those who are fifty-five years old or older. Twin Valley Senior Citizens Club records, 1970-2006, consist of scrapbooks and photograph albums, minute books, financial records, and membership records of the Twin Valley Senior Citizens Club.

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

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Morgan Corporation records, circa 1970s-1990s

Extent:

1.75 linear feet

Abstract:

Morgan Corporation was established in 1952 by Elton E. Mountz as Mountz Welding, a small welding shop in Morgantown, Berks County, Pennsylvania that specialized in residential and farm implements repairs. The shop became Morgan Trailer Manufacturing Co. in 1960 and expanded to include repairs and refurbishing of trailers and truck equipment, as well as the assembly, mounting, and finishing of prefabricated van body "kits." Morgan introduced its own non-kit body in 1970, and in 1981 changed its name to Morgan Corporation. As of 2016, Morgan Corporation is the largest manufacturer of Class 3 to 7 dry freight van bodies and refrigerated truck bodies in the United States. Morgan Corporation records, circa 1970s-1990s, consist of very small amounts administrative and financial records from Morgan Corporation, as well as some objects.

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

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Tinicum Township Historical Society local history collection, 1900-2000 (bulk) 1791-2013 (inclusive)

Extent:

25.0 linear feet

Abstract:

Tinicum Township is located along the Delaware River in Delaware County, Pennsylvania. Credited as the first recorded European settlement in Pennsylvania, it became capital of the New Sweden Colony in 1643 under Governor Johan Printz. Later, its prominent features became the Lazaretto, a quarantine station erected along the Delaware River in 1801; Westinghouse Electric Company; and Lester Piano Works. The Tinicum Township Historical Society local history collection, 1791-2013 (bulk 1900-2000), includes a wide variety of materials on the local history of Tinicum. It is largely made up of secondary-source materials and ephemera, although it also contains a significant amount of photographs, architectural drawings, and maps.

Held at: Tinicum Township Historical Society [Contact Us]

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Bill Wasch township commission papers, 1997-2007 (bulk) 1982-2007 (inclusive)

Extent:

21.0 linear feet

Abstract:

A resident of Tinicum, Delaware County, Pennsylvania for most of his life, William R. "Bill" Wasch served as a Tinicum Township Commissioner for about a decade (1997-2007). He was a member of the Republican Party whose priorities included preventing the expansion of the Philadelphia International Airport into Tinicum, maintaining low real estate taxes, and generally working for the improvement of the township. The Bill Wasch township commission papers, 1982-2007 (bulk 1997-2007), consist of various materials directly related to the activities and functions of the Tinicum Township Commissioners, as well as materials from other township boards and departments and items pertaining to other topics of special interest to Wasch. The collection includes: correspondence and memos, committee meeting minutes, financial records, reports, proposals, architectural drawings and plans, and resolutions; materials from the Zoning Board, Police Department, and other bodies relevant to the Township...(see more)

Held at: Tinicum Township Historical Society [Contact Us]

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Dr. J. B. Carrell scrapbooks, circa 1920-1960s

Extent:

1.25 linear feet

Abstract:

John Beans Carrell, M.D., was a resident of Hatboro, Pennsylvania. The J.B. Carrell scrapbooks, circa 1920-1960s, are comprised of newspaper clipping scrapbooks compiled by Carrell relating to Hatboro.

Held at: Union Library of Hatboro [Contact Us]

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Eastern Pennsylvania Conference of the United Methodist Church records, 1773-2012 (inclusive)

Extent:

25.0 linear feet

Abstract:

The first conference of Methodist preachers in the colonies was held in Philadelphia in 1773. The Philadelphia Conference of the Methodist Episcopal Church, organized in 1796, was one of the six original regional annual conferences after the Methodist Episcopal Church in America was incorporated. As of 2014, the Eastern Pennsylvania Conference of the United Methodist Church covers 16 counties, ranging roughly from Philadelphia to Harrisburg. About half of the Eastern Pennsylvania Conference of the United Methodist Church records, 1773-2012, are printed proceedings. Other document types, including reports to the conference, correspondence, and audiovisual materials, are also included in the collection.

Held at: Historical Society of the Eastern Pennsylvania Conference of the United Methodist Church [Contact Us]