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This collection contains photos documenting the history of Central Pennsylvania and the surrounding region.

The Hopedale Moravian Church letters are the only known first-person accounts of life in the early settlement of Newfoundland in northeast Pennsylvania. When a small group more of German immigrants arrived in the Wallenpaupack Valley in the 1820s, the region was a pristine wilderness, as yet undiscovered by the tanners, mill owners and lumber manufacturers that would arrive a decade or two later. The letters shed light on a period in our rural history about which little is known and for which little documentation exists. The letters not only document the challenges of establishing a mission church along Pennsylvania’s northern frontier, they also give insight into the struggles of the families to survive in the face of so many hardships—poverty, language barrier, illness, lack of agricultural skills, seasonal floods, harsh winters, unreliable harvests, internal conflicts, absence of schools for their children—and create a thriving community. The pastors were a lifeline for the early settlers. In many ways they instrumental in guiding the settlers through those early perilous years, and these efforts are described in their correspondence. In addition, the letters include membership lists, annual reports and annual budgets which are helpful in documenting family histories and genealogy, as well as other details that may open up new possibilities for further research. As the first and only church in the Wallenpaupack Valley, the Hopedale Moravian Church pastors ministered to all who settled there, regardless of their religious affiliation. The letters also reveal connections between the German-speaking Moravian settlers and the surrounding English-speaking community. less

Johnstown, Pennsylvania, was originally formed as a town in 1800. The city has experienced three major floods throughout its history and later became the site of more the Cambria Iron Company. In the 1860s, the Cambria Iron Company was the leading steel and iron producer in the United States outproducing larger steel and iron companies in bigger cities like Pittsburgh and Cleveland. This collection contains a corpus of books that highlight the historical significance of Johnstown. less

Bellefonte has been home to seven governors, five of whom were Governors of Pennsylvania. This collection features correspondence, documents, and manuscripts of their authorship as well more as other artifacts connected to their respective terms of office. The collection is held by Centre County Library & Historical Museum. less

History of the Miles-Potter-Humes House in Bellefonte, PA from 1815 to the present and of its owners through photographs, other images, and documents.

The digitized papers of Charles J. Pennock consist of a small number of letters, most by or addressed to Charles J. Pennock; two bird log books; more a manuscript copy of a bird book by Charles L. Bonaparte; and a notebook of geology notes. Materials date from 1791 to 1927, with the bulk of the collection dating from 1860 to 1927. Charles John Pennock was an ornithologist who lived most of his life in Kennett Square, Chester County, Pennsylvania. Pennock was born to a Quaker family in 1857, the son of Deborah Yerkes and Samuel Pennock. He was married twice, and had two sons and two daughters. He was a tax collector, magistrate, and businessman in Kennett Square, but his chief love was for birds. Pennock collected specimens and took notes on the birds he spotted around Chester County. He was a member of the Delaware Valley Ornithological Club, serving as president 1901-1903; the American Ornithologists’ Union (A.O.U.); and the West Chester Bird Club. He also studied birds in Delaware and was named its state ornithologist. He amassed a significant collection of books about North American birds, and his collection of birds and eggs was given to the Philadelphia Academy of Natural Sciences. After attending an ornithological meeting in Philadelphia on May 15, 1913, Pennock did not return home. Police were alerted and a search for him was instigated, but he was not located. However, in 1919, Dr. Witmer Stone, curator of the Philadelphia Academy of Natural Sciences, believed that notes various ornithologists were receiving from a John Williams in St. Marks, Florida were similar to notes Pennock had written. Stone’s suspicions were enough aroused that he alerted one of Pennock’s relatives, Dr. Richard J. Phillips. Phillips journeyed to St. Marks to investigate and discovered that John Williams was indeed Pennock. With his identity discovered, Pennock returned to his wife in Kennett Square and died there in 1935. less

This selection of digitized diaries by David Evans dates from 1835 to 1879. In these diaries, Evans notes his early studies in school; his experiences as more a teacher, farmer, and surveyor; his interests in geology, botany, and history; his attendance at Quaker and Anti-Slavery Society meetings; and the daily lives of his family and friends. From the late 1830s to the early 1850s, many of Evans’ entries provide names and details of aid he provided as a member of the Underground Railroad. There is also one volume by David’s brother, Josiah Evans, dating from March to December 1838, which documents Josiah’s time in Ohio. Early entries describe the passing environs en route to Ohio, and, once there, focus on daily life, visits with family and friends, and his attendance at Quaker and Anti-Slavery Society meetings. David Evans was born in 1818, the son of Nathan and Zillah Maule Evans of Willistown Township, Pennsylvania and died, age 80, on July 4, 1898. He had one brother and four sisters: Josiah, Catharine, Anne, Elizabeth, and Mary. Evans married Eliza W. House on March 21, 1861. Eliza died, most likely of breast cancer, in 1875, age 45; David did not remarry. Although young family members resided with David and Eliza, the couple was childless. In addition to living in Willistown, Evans resided in Malvern, Pennsylvania, a town he helped develop from the 1860s into the 1890s. Primarily an off-and-on school teacher and a farmer, Evans followed many interests, including his Quaker faith, the abolition of slavery, reading, farming, surveying, temperance, architecture, traveling, and rock formations. He was a member of the Willistown Library and the Willistown Literary Society. In March 1853, Evans was elected to a three year term as a Willistown Township school director. Six years later he was appointed township auditor. As a businessman, Evans operated a lumber yard. He wrote in his diary that he had “commenced business in the line of lumber coal feed flour etc. at the W. Chester Intersection R.R. January 1, 1866.” In Willistown, David Evans, with his father, Nathan, was part of a network of sympathizers who organized stations in the Underground Railroad. Additionally, he was involved in the Pennsylvania Anti-Slavery Society, serving as a delegate after the organization had been re-established in 1837. Even though Evans was a staunch abolitionist, he refused to serve in the Union army, instead registering as a conscientious objector. less

This collection contains 11 volumes of writings and additional manuscripts, ca. 1793-1818, composed or transcribed by Halliday Jackson. These manuscripts primarily relate to his observations on more Seneca Native American life, some of which were later published in Civilization of the Indian Natives or, a Brief View of the Friendly Conduct of William Penn Towards Them in the Early Settlement of Pennsylvania (Philadelphia: Marcus T. C. Gould; New York: Isaac T. Hopper, 1830). Of Irish heritage, Halliday Jackson (August 31, 1771 - February 9, 1835) was a member of the Society of Friends who lived in New Garden, Pennsylvania and later moved to Darby, Pennsylvania. As a missionary, Jackson instructed on various pursuits. From 1798 to 1800 and at other times, he took part in Quaker missions to the Seneca Native Americans, which were organized by the Indian Committee of the Philadelphia Yearly Meeting. More specifically, between September 1 and October 4, 1806, Jackson traveled to Seneca settlements in western New York to inspect farms, fields, and mills that he and his fellow Quakers had earlier helped the Native Americans establish. In addition, while residing in Darby the 1820s, Jackson, a temperance advocate, served as secretary of the Darby Association for Discouraging the Unnecessary Use of Ardent Spirits. On March 18, 1801, Jackson married Jane Hough (May 23, 1775 - December 28, 1830) and together they had 12 children, including a son also named Halliday, who was a published author and poet. Following Jane’s death on June 13, 1833, Jackson married Ann P. Paschall (1792 - 1874), a Quaker minister born to Samuel and Mary Price Gibson of Darby. Halliday Jackson and his first wife are buried at Darby Friends Cemetery. The Chester County History Center also has two volumes of diaries kept by Halliday Jackson, 1793-1794 and 1810-1834. Other Halliday Jackson papers are at Friends Historical Library of Swarthmore College (See: https://archives.tricolib.brynmawr.edu/resources/5182haja) and Haverford College Quaker and Special Collections (See: https://archives.tricolib.brynmawr.edu/resources/hcmc-950-101). less

The digitized reminiscences recorded by John Hill Brinton consist of five volumes (three original and two typed transcripts) and date from 1856 to 1868. Found within more the collection are descriptions of early Chester County people, places, and historical events dating back to the late 1600s. John Hill Brinton (1811-1893) was born in Thornbury, Pennsylvania on June 2, 1811, the son of Thomas Hill and Catharine Odenheimer Brinton. He attended Strode’s Academy, West Chester, Pennsylvania and Germantown Academy in Philadelphia. Brinton then studied law for three years with William H. Dillingham and was admitted to the Chester County bar on October 6, 1832. He practiced law in West Chester, and was the oldest member of the county bar at the time of his death. Active in politics and a self-identified Jacksonian Democrat, Brinton was a compelling speaker. Though he was never elected to office, he was appointed Deputy Attorney General—the equivalent of District Attorney—for Chester County, serving from April 1847 until July 1848. Brinton was also a local historian interested in his family genealogy, as well as early Chester County history. In 1873, he traveled to Europe in part to learn about his family’s origins. Additionally, beginning in the 1840s, he interviewed Chester County residents about their families and recorded their memories about the county’s past. Brinton died, aged 81, unmarried and childless, after a brief illness on February 5, 1893. The collection consists of three handwritten volumes and two volumes of transcriptions that document the history of Chester County, Pennsylvania from the late 1600s to the mid-1800s through the reminiscences of residents interviewed by Brinton. After Brinton’s death, the original manuscript was held by the Ogier family for many years before being returned to the Brinton family at which point handwritten indexes were added. In 1915, Francis D. Brinton underwrote the manuscript’s typed transcription and the two volumes of transcripts were bound by Fahr and Johnson of Philadelphia in 1950. The only typed index is in the first transcribed volume, leaving readers to refer to the original manuscript volumes for handwritten indexes to Book 2 and Book 3. Book 1 is described by Brinton as “Conversations held with old people respecting former times—some of them relatives, some of them friends, some acquaintances—and residing generally in Chester and Delaware Counties and Birmingham and Thornbury Township.” The volume begins with a 23 page index followed by 240 pages of Brinton’s handwritten synopses. These recollections include many members of the Carr, Darlington, Dilworth, Downing, Hickman, Hoopes, Mendenhall, Sharpless, and Taylor families. Brinton notes that these conversations were recorded as soon as they took place, though in cases of multiple conversations with single individuals, manuscript notations were consolidated into a single record. Topics discussed include the Revolutionary War and the Battle of Brandywine, the growth and development of Chester County, the changing appearance of the county’s land and trees, house and road construction, Quaker meetings, family genealogies, local mills, property ownership, politics, legal precedents, and etc. In addition, Brinton family members and the building, renovation, and general appearance of the 1704 Brinton House are discussed at length. Book 2 begins with a 32 page index followed by 231 pages of handwritten recollections, which cover topics similar to those in Book 1. In addition, Brinton records his visit to Europe, which he undertook in part to trace his family’s history and origins. Book 3 begins with a 14 page index followed by 174 pages of notes. The first section, “Notes of Conversations held by me with old inhabitants about the early settlement in Penn’s Colony,” covers events relating to Chester County’s earliest European inhabitants. The second section, “Some account of William Brinton one of the early settlers in Penn’s Colony of Pennsylvania and of His Descendants,” is an essay on the life of William Brinton, who settled in America in the 1600s. less

The three diaries kept by Phebe Ann Sharpless (now digitized) span 1849 to 1855, a time when Sharpless was in her twenties. Phebe Sharpless was born more August 16, 1829, the daughter of Samuel Sharpless (1804-1872), a farmer, and his wife, Abigail Garrett Ashbridge Sharpless (1808-1857). Phebe Sharpless had two younger brothers: Thomas Ashbridge Sharpless (1831-1875) who married Margaretta Tucker Evans; and Theodore Sharpless (1835-January 18, 1870). The family resided in East Goshen township and later in West Chester. They attended Goshen Friends Meeting. Phebe Sharpless died in the home of her nephew, Clarence D. Sharpless, in Germantown, Pennsylvania. In the diaries, Sharpless records family news, plus thoughts on her Quaker faith and practice as well as issues of the time including temperance, abolitionism, women’s rights, and the death penalty. She wrote about a talk by William Lloyd Garrison and her support of the African colonization movement in August 1851. As she approached her 25th birthday, Sharpless wrote about her thoughts on marriage for herself and whether other marriages were happy. Domestic activities such as cleaning, sewing (including quilting with her mother and some embroidery work), baking, and other food preparation are discussed. Much of this was Sharpless’s responsibility because her mother was in poor health, and she notes that girls (some immigrant, primarily Irish, and some African American) were employed at times in the household. Sharpless also planted and tended vegetable and flower gardens. She wrote about her appreciation of nature, opining that cutting down forests seemed to lead to milder winters and that native wildflowers were dying out. She attended lectures on a variety of subjects including a series on physiology which she found informative and useful. Leisure time was spent reading (Jane Eyre and Uncle Tom’s Cabin are mentioned), drawing (a small pencil sketch of a flower is in volume 3), attending concerts and picnics, visiting art exhibits, and shopping in West Chester and Philadelphia. Visits to family in Philadelphia and Wilmington are noted, along with travel to New York City, Maryland, and Cape May, New Jersey. The earliest diary is a small paper-bound volume, “Lipman’s Diary” with pre-printed dates. Regular entries ended in 1850, but the following family deaths were noted at the end of the volume: Sharpless’s aunt Hannah G. Ashbridge in 1860, her grandmother Phebe Garrett Ashbridge in 1870 and her brother, Theodore, also in 1870. The second and third diaries were blank volumes. The second volume includes poems written by Sharpless between 1856 and 1876. The third volume includes a partial index in the front of the volume, referencing entries in that diary. less

The digitized copybook of William Darlington consists of 170 scanned pages and dates from 1845 to 1851. Found within the bound volume are handwritten ink-on-paper transcriptions more of Darlington’s outbound correspondence to family, friends, acquaintances, institutions, and businesses. William Darlington (1782-1863) was born to a Quaker family near Dilworthtown, Chester County and spent his childhood on his family’s farm. After graduating from the University of Pennsylvania with a medical degree, Darlington served as a surgeon on a merchant ship for several years before returning to Chester County to practice medicine. A prominent member of the community, Darlington served as a major in the War of 1812, was the president of the Bank of West Chester for thirty-three years, and served as a member of the U.S. House of Representatives for two terms (1815-1817 and 1819-1823). After studying medical botany under Professor Benjamin Smith Barton at the University of Pennsylvania, Darlington continued to nurture a lifelong interest in botanical studies. In 1826, he published Florula Cestrica, a catalog of the plants native to West Chester, and that same year, was one of ten original members to establish the Chester County Cabinet of Natural Sciences. In 1837, he published an expanded volume of his catalog, Flora Cestrica, which contained a complete classification for every known plant in Chester County. Other works of note include Agricultural Botany (1847) and Memorials to John Bartram and Humphry Marshall (1849). The copybook covers Darlington’s outbound correspondence from 1845 to 1851. Correspondents include his sister, Jane Hough, and friends in the community, including the Batchelder and Jeffrey families. With these correspondents, Darlington shares thoughts on his family, women’s interest in science, and appreciation for condolence letters received upon the death of his son. A significant portion of correspondence relates to Darlington’s interest in botany, including detailed descriptions of plant specimens and their classification, and the exchange of printed publications with other botanists, plant collectors, and naturalists. Frequent correspondents include Dr. F. Boott, Anna Maria Collinson, Asa Gray, and H.W. Richardson. Additional correspondence to institutions and businesses relate to personal accounts, invitations to speak, society memberships, and other academic topics. The William Darlington Letterpress Copybook is housed and available for research use at the Chester County History Center. less

The Women’s Suffrage and Civil Rights Collection measures 0.3 linear feet and dates from 1852 to 1933, with the bulk of the materials dating from 1893 more to 1917. Found within the collection are published materials, letters, manuscripts, and ephemera related to women’s suffrage. Materials document the Pennsylvania Woman Suffrage Association (PWSA) at the state and chapter levels, as well as the larger National Woman Suffrage Association. The Chester County Equal Suffrage Association is also represented. Some organizational materials for men, sympathetic temperance materials, and anti-suffrage materials are also included. When Elizabeth Cady Stanton introduced a suffrage resolution at the 1848 Seneca Falls Convention in New York, equal suffrage became a central part of the national woman suffrage platform. Just a few years later, West Chester’s Horticultural Hall became the host location for the Pennsylvania Woman’s Rights Convention in June 1852. In the first afternoon session, voting rights was the first resolution debated and adopted in West Chester. In 1869, the National Woman Suffrage Association was founded in response to the 15th amendment. By the early 20th century, auxiliary chapters of the National American Woman Suffrage Association, as well as similarly focused organizations for men, existed in Chester County. The collection includes correspondence regarding the planning of the 1894 PWSA Convention in West Chester, including letters between Lucy Anthony and her aunt Susan B. Anthony. A notebook by Mary Heald Way details women’s suffrage events, club activities, and quotes from publications related to women’s rights. Printed materials include flyers, tracts, and publications promoting suffrage activity dating from 1893 to 1917. In some cases, only the cover, title page, and individual relevant pages have been scanned from published materials. The entirety of the Women’s Suffrage and Civil Rights Collection is housed and available for research use at the Chester County History Center. less

Minutes of the Town Council of the Borough of Conshohocken, Volume 1, July 1850 - March 1874 Collection.

One of the Erie area's earliest, substantial newspapers, The Erie Gazette was printed and published by Joseph M. Sterrett. It was printed weekly and had a more republican slant. less

The Agentur Records Collection consists of 72 volumes of handwritten ledgers, indexes, logs, reports, and letter books spanning the years 1847 to 1947, recording the efforts more of the German Society of Pennsylvania’s Agency to help needy German immigrants and Philadelphia residents of German origin. The collection contains valuable biographical information for local history, social history, labor history, immigration research, and genealogy. less

This collection consists of the daily German language newspaper "Der Demokrat". Variant titles are: Philadelphia Demokrat, Philadelphia Demokrat und Anzeiger der Deutschen, and Philadelphier Demokrat. It more merged with the Morgen Gazette to form the Gazette-Demokrat. This collection includes issues for 1838-1876 with some missing years and issues. The years 1877-1907 were digitized separately and can be viewed at: https://catalog.hathitrust.org/Record/102409452/Home less

This newspaper was edited & published by Hermann Burckhardt & Georg Rottenstein, May 1838-?, then by Georg Rottenstein alone. Not to be confused with Der Demokrat, more 1839-1918. less

Welcome to the Indiana University of Pennsylvania - Indiana Pennsylvania in the Civil War Collection, a part of the POWER Library: PA Photos and Documents. The Indiana more Pennsylvania in the Civil War Era project involves the digitization of primary sources including letters, diaries, and modern and historical photographs that document the experience of men and women of Indiana County, PA during the Civil War era which are now held in the collections of Indiana University of Pennsylvania's Special Collections or the Historical and Genealogical Society of Indiana County. Central to the collection will be the papers of the White family, including a diary kept by Pennsylvania State Senator Harry White, who fought for the North during the Civil War and was imprisoned in Libby Prison and a number of other prisons across the South, the letters of his father Thomas White, a prominent judge who was involved in the organization of the Republican Party in Pittsburgh, Richard White, a brother who also served in the Union Army during the Civil War, and letters to them from the Pennsylvania governor and high ranking representatives of the federal government. Also included will be other diaries of Civil War soldiers from the Indiana County area. Together these primary sources will provide a glimpse into the experience of Civil War soldiers and their families at home and political life during the war and hopefully making it easier for researchers to form a better understanding of the Civil War in Indiana County. Currently, access to the original resources is very limited. The HGSIC is open from 9 am to 4pm Tuesday through Friday and Saturday from 10am to 3 pm. and the hours of the Special Collections section of IUP Library are similarly restrictive. This project will make these materials available 24/7 to researchers with access to the lnternet. less

This digital collection contains the archive of the Huntingdon Gazette and the Huntingdon Journal. The Huntingdon Gazette is the first successful newspaper on the town of more Huntingdon and covers late 1806 through early 1839. The Huntingdon Journal continues the coverage beginning in the mid 1830s and running through the middle of the nineteenth century. less

Welcome to the Keystone College Local History Collection, a part of the POWER Library: PA Photos and Documents. This collection a large number of photos and more documents from and about the local communities and personalities present in Factoryville, PA; Nicholson, PA; Dalton, PA; and other smaller communities dating from 1868 to the present. less

This collection consists of Lancaster City and County residential and commercial directories, 1843-1900. These directories provide valuable information regarding the population of Lancaster City and County, more as well as the growth and development of the community and the evolution of Lancaster commerce and industry. less

Lancaster's Examiner and Herald was published weekly in Lancaster, Pa., during the middle years of the nineteenth century. By digitizing the years 1834 - 1872, patrons more are provided with a view of politics and events of this tumultuous period from a liberal political slant, providing balance to the more conservative perspective of the Intelligencer-Journal, which was recently digitized by Penn State. less

Lancaster's Examiner and Herald was published weekly in Lancaster, Pa., during the middle years of the nineteenth century. By digitizing the years 1834 - 1872, patrons more are provided with a view of politics and events of this tumultuous period from a liberal political slant, providing balance to the more conservative perspective of the Intelligencer-Journal, which was recently digitized by Penn State. less

Our Historical Documents Collection features a monograph of the college's history from its beginnings to 1955 and manuscripts of importance to the colleges almost two-hundred year more history. less

This digitized collection of eighteen student publication spans the life of the College from its inception as the Dickinson Seminary, through its years as a junior more college, to its present standing as a four-year undergraduate institution. It provides a graphic picture of campus life from the mid-1850's to 2004. The most current issues will be added shortly. These publications vary widely in their content and presentation styles. Student efforts at publishing works to be distributed to the campus began in the form of a literary magazine, and changed to simple mimeographed newsletters, an "underground" newspaper, and finally to our present conception of student coverage of campus events with editorial comments on issues affecting their lives. less

Millgrove School District operated out of a schoolhouse in Bushkill Township, Pennsylvania from about 1860 to 1956. The house was torn down in 1967. It was more part of a collection of schoolhouses that served the different villages of Bushkill Township, until the township joined Nazareth School District in 1950. Millgrove was named after the nearby Aluta Mill, and was built on land donated by Paul Siegfried, Adam Heckman, and Daniel Schlabach. These documents, including recordings of district trustees meetings, daybooks of expenses from those who worked in relation to Millgrove, and some photographs and ephemera, covers the years 1848 to the last recorded reunion of Millgrove students and teachers in 1985. less

This collection contains scanned images of scrapbooks from individuals and organizations related to New Cumberland. Themes vary from book to book. One scrapbook more contains statistics and news articles about the New Cumberland baseball team that participated in the Twilight League during the 1940s. Another is a series of photographs from the Disciplinary Barracks at the New Cumberland Army Depot from the mid 1950s. Future additions will include scrapbooks from the Women's Civic and Junior Civic clubs, among others.

The Harmonists, a Christian Communal society, founded Old Economy Village in 1824. They were known for their piety, as well as for their economic successes in more textile manufacturing, including silk production, and later in the oil and railroad industries. Old Economy Village in Ambridge, PA is the home of a great deal of information about the Harmony Society and life in general in the nineteenth century. Major topics covered by the archives and library include music, architecture, religion, business, photographs, and more. less

This collection includes scans of immigration declarations registered in Cambria County from 1835-1991. Information includes name, place of departure, country of origin, and age.

This collection features items collected from the public that focus on the immigrant and ethnic heritage of Cambria County.

This ongoing collection consists of finding aids created for the archival holdings of the Pennsylvania Horticultural Society (1827- ). Included are guides to historical materials such more as the PHS minute books, administrative records, and PHS initiatives and programs for events including the Philadelphia Flower Show and Philadelphia Green. Finding aids also cover the extensive image file collections, glass slides, and ephemera connected with the activities of the Society. less

The Garden Club of Philadelphia was established in 1904 by Mrs. J. Willis Martin and Miss Ernestine Goodman to promote an interest in gardens, their design, more and management. The garden club held meetings, conducted horticultural research, attended lectures, and participated in civic endeavors. In 1913, several members of the Garden Club of Philadelphia joined with several women from other local gardening associations to form the larger Garden Club of America. This collection, comprised of more than 300 views on glass, most hand-tinted, focuses on individual private gardens in and around Philadelphia, eastern Pennsylvania, and New Jersey. The images provide unique documentation of gardens that are either “lost” or have been significantly altered during the last half of the 20th-century and include multiple views of the estate gardens of Andalusia, Stenton, Highlands, and Ludington among many others. This digital project is supported by a grant from the Pennsylvania Historical and Museum Commission. less

The Schuylkill Navigation Company was incorporated in 1815 for the purpose of making the Schuylkill River navigable. In the State Archives of Pennsylvania Manuscript Group 110 more there are copies of the legislative acts, minute books, correspondence, reports, and other documents of the company from 1815 until 1947 when the property was contributed to the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania. In the 1947 report Appraisal Schuylkill Navigation Company Canal for Commonwealth of Pennsylvania a "Brief History Of The Property To Be Appraised" is included. The "canal" or navigation system was constructed between Port Carbon and Philadelphia and covered a distance of 108 miles. Harry L. Rinker in his book, The Schuylkill Navigation: a Photographic History, points out that this "canal" was more properly a "navigation system" because it consisted of 18 dams, 23 canals which covered 57.73 miles, 120 locks, 17 stone aqueducts, one 450 foot long tunnel, 50.50 miles of slack water pools, 23 canals covering 57.73 miles, and 31 houses for toll and lock keepers when it was completed in May 1825. After 1825 efforts to improve the navigation system were ongoing, so the above number of structures changed over the years. There are photographs of some of the dwellings still in existence in 1947 in the Appraisal Schuylkill Navigation Company Canal for Commonwealth of Pennsylvania. The Schuylkill Navigation Company collection at Reading Area Community College also includes drawings of reach profiles, canal boats, bowstring bridges, mechanical parts and scows. less

An extensive midwifery manuscript (Hebamme Büchlein) in the archive of the Schwenkfelder Library and Heritage Center, penned between the years 1770-1819, is attributed to Rosina Heydrich, more a midwife and member of the Schwenkfelder community in the Upper Perkiomen Valley. This unique manuscript served as both a birth register and a compendium of specific remedies, treatments, and recommendations for women’s health. The largest and most significant portion of the text is devoted to listing the dates and names associated with 1,739 births to which she dutifully attended, detailing the breadth of five decades of service to the community as an experienced lay practitioner of obstetric medicine. less

A collection of very early photographs of the library from 1893. There are also documents of the history of one of our buildings, the Silkman House. more less

Funded by a grant from the Willary Foundation, this collection contains letters, books, paintings, photographs, and other artifacts from the era when the Lackawanna Valley emerged more from its agrarian beginnings to become an industrial center that powered the torn nation's war effort. Contributing agencies include the Scranton Public Library, the Lackawanna Historical Society, the Steamtown National Historic Site, and the Anthracite Heritage Museum. This collection relates to Scranton's early history and its importance in politics and history of the United States. less

A representative sampling of valuable items on Abraham Lincoln in the State Library's collection that have been digitized to commemorate the Lincoln Bicentennial in 2009. Items more include the address of Honorable Edward Everett at the consecration of the National Cemetery at Gettysburg on November 19, 1893 with the dedicatory speech of President Lincoln; and the hanging of the Lincoln conspirators in Washington DC in 1865. less

A selection of documents on the battles of Fort Necessity and Braddock's Campaign, along with background on French and English relations as well as their interactions more with the Native American tribes of the northeastern colonies in the 18th and early 19th centuries. Originally digitized to celebrate the 250th anniversary of the Battle of Fort Necessity. less

A Whig newspaper from Harrisburg, which merged with the Telegraph in 1853, temporarily forming the Pennsylvania telegraph and Whig State journal.

The major Lancaster paper of the time period.  After merger with the Lancaster Journal, it was known as the Intelligencer and Journal from October 08, 1839-December more 21, 1847, before resuming its original title.  Scattered issues from 1833-1852. less

The major Lewistown, Mifflin County paper of the time period. In 1843 it changes to this name from the Lewistown Republican, and Mifflin County workingmens' advocate, more then to the Republican. Issues from 1840-1844, though not all issues are present. less

A paper from the small community of Marietta, Pa., which was famous for religious tolerance and abolition advocacy. Issues from September, 1833-January 22, 1835, though not more all issues are present. Running title is the Marietta advocate, though some issues are also headed Advocate. less

A paper from the small community of Marietta, Pa., which was famous for religious tolerance and abolition advocacy.  Issues from Feb. 27, 1827-Jan. 08, 1830.  Paper more was known as the Pioneer and Country Advertiser from 1826 to Sept. 22, 1827(?), as the Marietta Pioneer from Sept. 29, 1827-Sept.26, 1828, and as the Pioneer from Oct. 3, 1828 to its apparent cease in 1834.  Run may have issues missing. less

A paper from the small community of Marietta, Pa., which was famous for religious tolerance and abolition advocacy. Issues from May 15, 1858-May 05, 1860. Run more may have a few issues missing. less

Items include a report on the 1907 Dar Mine Disaster relief efforts; the Twin Shaft mining disaster investigation, 1986, Early Indian history along the Susquehanna River, more Problem of the Irish in America speech, 1886, American Freeman, 1867. less

Pennsylvania Capitol Centennial Collection Historic descriptions, explanations, and illustrated visitors' guidebooks to the State Capitol Complex in Harrisburg, Pennsylvania, in recognition of the 100th anniversary of more the dedication of the Pennsylvania Capitol Building. less

Welcome to the State Library of Pennsylvania's Pennsylvania Genealogy Collection, a part of the POWER Library: PA Photos and Documents. Includes the Harrisburg Newspaper Index containing marriages more and deaths from four newspapers from 1799 to 1827; the Necrology Scrapbook with obituaries clipped from Pennsylvania newspapers from October 1891 to March 1904, including many Civil War veterans; and Courts & Lawyers of Pennsylvania, a History, 1623-1923, as well as a number of other family history related books and pamphlets. less

Selected Pennsylvania Regimental Histories in the Civil War, with histories of Pennsylvania units from other wars to be added.

The Christian Observer was a Presbyterian paper from Philadelphia, Pa., which was both anti-Catholic and against Tractarianism, also known as Puseyism, a movement started in Oxford more which attempted to bring the Presbyterian faith closer to the Roman Catholic. Issues from May 14, 1840- Dec.28, 1850, though not all issues are present. less

The Daily Chronicle newspaper from Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, reported on a mix of political, criminal and religious proceedings, as well as local news.  The title began in more 1841, continuing the Daily chronicle and general advertiser, and is thought to have ceased in 1847, according to American newspapers, 1821-1936 : a union list of files available in the United States and Canada, edited by Winifred Gregory. less

A Philadelphia paper from the 1840s. Also known as the Philadelphia Sun or the Daily Sun. Some issues from around the time of the Nativist Riots. more Thought to have ceased in 1857. less

A paper from the Northumberland County town of Milton. Covers political events, local, state, national and foreign, along with local news. The State Library of Pennsylvania more holds March 02, 1826-Feb.12, 1829 and Sept.08, 1831. less

A newspaper of the Pennsylvania and New York Colonization societies, covering immigrant issues, African American affairs, religious tracts and tract societies, and various other issues, such more as the Apprentices’ Library company of Philadelphia.  Contains advice and informational columns on household affairs and farming.  Also reports on the Back to Africa movement and African affairs in other countries, such as Haiti.  Published fortnightly at first, then weekly, in 1838, then published monthly in at least January-June 1839, beginning with the New Series, which restarted numbering.  Issues from March 14, 1838 to December 26, 1838. less

A wide variety of Civil War literature, including a report on the battle of Gettysburg, preparations for the internment of the remains of the dead at more Gettysburg, testimony of deplorable conditions in Confederate prisons, speeches for and against Reconstruction, and more. less

This handwritten historic collection contains over 2,800 pages of entries documenting the operations necessary to produce iron and iron products. It holds seven Isaac Meason Union more Furnace Ledgers covering the years 1801-1822, with the years 1803-1808, and 1818-1820 missing. In addition, there is a Union Forge Time and Team Ledger for 1809-1811, an original index book, and ledgers for the Union Grist Mill and the Mount Vernon, Centre, Mount Braddock, Dunbar, Warren, and Pallofax Durance operations. These records are unique, unpublished primary documents of the iron furnace industry. Isaac Meason built Union Furnace, the first successful iron furnace west of the Alleghenies in 1791, also operating a foundry and grist mill in connection with the furnace. The associated forge provided iron sugar and salt kettles, Dutch ovens, and other wares that were shipped by local keelboats for Lousiana. These ware were purchased by both western Pennsylvania businesses and families, and by settlers traveling west down the Ohio River. The furnace and forge passed through several hands until the company failed in 1922. Meason also sponsored the first suspension bridge in Pennsylvania, and financed and collaborated with Thomas Lewis on the rolling mill producing bar iron in 1817. At his death, Isaac Meason owned interests in the Mount Vernon Forge, Maria Forge, Union Forge, Union Furnace, Grist Mill, and the Middletown Iron Works. The Meason ledges provide a broad history of the iron industry in Western Pennsylvania. This collection is dedicated to the memory of Joan Peake a long-time genealogist and volunteer at the Uniontown Public Library. Her dedication to this project, along with Linda Jennings and Mary Patterson, helped make it possible. less

A collection of handwritten lectures on Conchology, consisting of an Introductory lecture followed by 15 topical lectures. They were written and delivered by William Wagner, founder more of the Wagner Free Institute of Science, between 1852 and 1884. Conchology was one of Wagner's favorite topics and this was the first lecture series he wrote. He delivered it for the first time in 1852, prior to opening the Institute in 1855. The lectures' inconsistent paginations and paper sizes, along with many notations throughout, are signs of the many alterations he made to his lectures throughout the years. less

Provides a detailed navigational study of the river during the era of early rafting and lumbering.

Welcome to the West Pittston Library's Pittston Gazette Collection, a part of the POWER Library: PA Photos and Documents. The Pittston Gazette Collection includes more the first 58 years of publication from 1850 through 1908. The Gazette's circulation covered the Greater Pittston area of Northeastern Pennsylvania. The news was focused on personal interests and the everyday life of residents in the area. Spanning 115 years, the Pittston Gazette newspaper gives the reader a view into how national and world events affected small town America. Through the pages of the Gazette, one can understand how events such as the Civil War, Spanish Influenza and the Depression influenced local residents on a personal level. The reader is transported back in time and is left with a sense of being there. The collection will be an invaluable resource to both historians and genealogists. less