1831 - 1875 Collection of Manuscript Day-Books of Johnstown Pennsylvania
Johnstown, Pennsylvania: 1831. Manuscript Day-Books. Soft Cover. Good. Item #030198
[5] separate volumes, beginning with July of 1831 - December 1833; Jan. 1834 - Dec. 1836; Sept. 1839 - Aug. 1842; March 1869 - Aug. 1872; and May 1874 - Dec. 1875. Kept column format, with day, date, calculation columns to the right, month and year at top of pages. Internal evidence gives the Johnstown, Pennsylvania, Cambria and Somerset counties area for most of the recorded activity. Many of the family names were of prominence among the Amish-Mennonite settlers, early German-American settlers, agricultural landowners and the original developers of the Johnstown community and surrounds. A hint to the identity of the family of note-keepers is that they are frequent attenders at court in Somerset, are land and property surveyors and often are traveling for the purpose of preaching, in addition to being related in some way to many of the early residents. Information recorded includes daily weather updates; raising of buildings, homes; marriages, people coming and going, sales, notice of traveling to preach (several mentions, to various locations in the area). Also, the locations of Lewistown; Stoystown; Schellsburg; the Somerset court; settlement of the suite of Mayer & Huckman; a "Township Settlement" noted on March 24 1832; the Yoder horse race; a militia muster at Winkler's; "Bridge meeting at Millers" - we note that the Skew Arch bridge was of this time. And a Lint & Selders arbitration; Kellerman & Hockstetter arbitration; parade at Johnstown; taking boarders, with their names and relevant finances; shooting matches; attendance at the Turnpike Commission; noting on Sept. 1833 "Counterfitters taken"; a schoolhouse raised; auction "vendue" sales of property; 1834 mention of railroad; auditors meeting; Wister property appraisal; the John sale, D.V. Bremen sale; Methodist preaching in schoolhouse. In May 1835, "An English Prespeterian to preach at Lewistown"; monthly gathering, pasturing of cattle & sheep; "First antimasonic meeting at Somerset"; the sales at Lehmans, Thomas', McConnels, Joseph Schell; many visitors passing through, with the names recorded. Noting also the Camp meeting at Hopewell; a special election for congress; ; Jephton Miller sale; Widow Herkman buried; Jacob Fike moved west; Umbern's sale; settlement of various estates noted. In Sept. 1869 "Surveyed for Hammer at Shade"; 1870 May "Lutheran Conference met here"; sale at Harshberger; March 1871 Peter Levy's birthday 76 years old; 1871 "R. Primary election & R.R. meeting"; survey at Hooverstown; Doctor Giltner married; Feb. 1872 Borders mill burned; David Blough buried; "Old Keiser" buried; Mrs. T. Yoder buried; 1874 J. Edgar Thompson died 67; survey at Brethren Church; July 1874 "Water destruction at Pittsburgh the 26th July"; preaching at Bethlehem. In addition Musselman preaching at Bethlehem A.M.; the Schells of Kansas visited; 1875 Democratic convention at Somerset; Custer family sale; exhibition at Johnstown; Erie convention; Erving burned out; and more daily news tidbits in this vein. Family names (as written here) mentioned include Hite; John Schell; Joseph Schell and other Schell family members; P. Hauffman; Miller; Blough; G. Hockstetter; Yoder; Stoy; H. Fish; Joseph Levy; G. Snider; Fisher & Dingler; Stutzman; Daniel Bruckhauser; Guiser; John Goon; Hillegass, McNuldy & Hinely; Berkey; Jo. Waters; John Livingston; J. Reed; Marent & Charlotte (Zeigh); Barnhart; Kaufman; Kepler; Peter Lohs (Loos?); Blymer family members; Doctor Porch (one of the tenants); and dozens more names. Notebooks of various sizes, averaging about. 6" x 8" size; also, a couple of loose leaves are laid-in, undated. All without covers excepting the 1834 -1836 volume, which has detached paper covers, the top with a pasted-on illustration of two military figures, perhaps French soldiers, hand colored. All with wear and age-dustiness and soiling; generally legible overall, with the occasional spelling anomalies or hurried writing; in good condition.
Price: $275.00