Call Number:

3679

Repository:

Historical Society of Pennsylvania

Extent:

0.2 linear feet (; 1 box)

Language:

English

Preferred Citation:

[Indicate cited item or series here], Nathan Mantz papers (Collection 3679), The Historical Society of Pennsylvania.

Date:

1767-1925 (inclusive)

Creator:

Mantz, Nathan, 1814-1894

Form:

Deeds. and Family papers.

Abstract:

Papers of Nathan Mantz, of West Penn, Schuykill County, Pennsylvania. There are a number of items in the collection of other Mantz family members. Some items are written in English with a Pennsylvania German dialect. A few pieces of correspondence are in German.

Nathan Mantz (1814 – 1894), a farmer, was born in West Penn, Schuylkill County, Pennsylvania to Jacob and Elizabeth Mantz (1794 - 1873). His siblings Thomas D. (n.d. – 1915) and Edward D. Mantz (1847 – 1923) were involved in many business and family affairs with Nathan. He married Maria “Polly” Dreisbach (1817 – 1874) and had nine children including Thomas, Mary, Louis (or Lewis), Nathan, David, Samuel, Elizabeth, Edward, and Polly.

This collection documents the affairs of several members of the Mantz family through several personal documents including correspondence, deeds, wills, and other legal and financial records.

Included are estate records and wills, courtship letters between Nathan Mantz and Kale Haldeman, an “Article of Agreement” between David and Nathan Mantz to determine the distribution of payments of persons listed in a will, Schuykill County government documents, deeds, and Orphans Court records. Primarily these records established which person would act as executor of a deceased relative’s estate and be responsible for carrying out the directives in the will.

The Mantzes are listed as farmers and farm laborers in the census. The volumes contained here indicate that they were also involved in related industries. Volume I is a record book of the sawmill which contains receipts and other financial records (1839 – 1859); Volume II is an arithmatic book with inscriptions on the front page indicating that it belonged to Nathan Mantz when he studied at the Westpenn Township School. It includes various types of completed mathematical compositions. Volume III is another cash/receipt records book (1860 – 1876).