Genealogical Gems

Celebrate the USO this Saturday, 21 May at the Lancaster Historical Society. Celebrate the USO at LHO  invites you to relive the magic of USO shows. Those often historic shows brought great entertainers like Bob Hope, Bing Crosby, and the Andrews Sisters to our troops around the globe. A cash bar will be provided by Tellus 360. The bar opens at 7 p.m. and accepts cash only. You are also invited to come early and enjoy a picnic on the lawn before the show. Burgers, hot dogs, and ice cream vendors will be onsite. The show starts at 8 p.m. Tickets are $10 per person. Children 10 and under are free. Tickets are available on the Society’s website and will also be available at door for cash or credit. The Society is located at 230 North President Avenue , Lancaster . Parking is available on site. Today’s piece was taken from a press release from the Lancaster County Historical Society. © Jeanne Ruczhak-Eckman, 2016

The annual meeting to elect directors of LancasterHistory.org is scheduled to take place at 5 p.m. on Wednesday, 20 May. The meeting will be held at LancasterHistory.org, 230 N. President Avenue , Lancaster .  Margot L. Brubaker, Kate Carlisle, Craig G. Coleman, and D. Robert Fenninger have been nominated for three year terms by the Board Resources Committee of LancasterHistory.org. Their terms would end in 2018. Brubaker currently serves on the Board. Members may also nominate candidates. Those nominations however must be made at least five days prior to the date of the meeting. The nominee must provide written consent that he or she would be willing to serve if elected. In other news, the Library and the Archives will be closed on 25 May in honor of Memorial Day.   Society Saturday is a genealogical prompt of GeneaBloggers.   © Jeanne Ruczhak-Eckman, 2015

The Historic Preservation Trust of Lancaster County recently released the 2015 Watch List of the most threatened historic properties in Lancaster County. One place on the list is the Eagle Tavern. Built in 1815, this two and one-half story, federal style stone building was one of the best taverns built in a small town in Lancaster County . Originally, it was built first as a house for Samuel Miller and his wife, Anna, in 1815. There is an 1815 date stone centered on the western gable end.    Back in November, the Lancaster County Historical Society opened its doors as part of National Archives Month. I took one of the tours … and it was so worth it! One of the items on display for use that day was the record book of the Eagle Hotel in Lampeter. The book showed a page from 1914.   It is located at 901 Village Road , Lampeter.   Sources: PHMC Cultural Resources Databases http://www.philadelphiabuildings.org/pab/app/phmc_display.cfm?KeyNo=028572 ...

The Lancaster County Historical Society has announced that it will be closed to the public from 31 December through 10 January. The staff will use this time to prepare for the coming year. The Society will reopen on Monday, 12 January. The Regional History Colloquiums will begin again on 22 January. Richard Hertzler will present My Lancaster County through Photographs at 4 p.m. that Thursday. The following Thursday, the 29 th , Bill Rothermal will present The Shutte Car Company: Custom Cars in Lancaster . All Colloquiums are free to the public. The Historical Society, known also as LancasterHistory.org, is located at 230 N. President Avenue. Society Saturday is a genealogical prompt of the GeneaBloggers.

Today is Lancaster County's Extra Ordinary Give. This is a day on which area non-profits participate in a 24 hours online marathon giving marathon sponsored by the Lancaster County Community Foundation. Many historical societies and venues are included today! The Lancaster Historical Society (which now goes by LancasterHistory.org) focuses on the history of the entire county and maintains Wheatland, home of President James Buchanan. Buchanan is the only president from Pennsylvania and the only bachelor president. The Lititz Historical Foundation is also participating today. The Foundation focuses on the history of the Lititz area. The Foundation also maintains the Lititz Museum and the Johannes Mueller House. The Lititz area received her first settlers - the Moravians - as early as the 1740s.  The Lancaster Mennonite Historical Society preserves the culture of Anabaptist communities connected to Lancaster County. The Conestoga Area Historical Society aims t...

Yesterday I had the pleasure of touring the Archives at Lancaster County Historical Society , President Avenue, Lancaster. The tour was part of the American Archives Month. The Archives are normally not open to the members and the public. The tour group was small - just me and a retired couple who had never been there before. Our guide was Heather Tennies, who is the Director of Archival Services. She is from New York but her love and appreciation of history is clearly evident. The tour began in the Library where a new photo exhibit was in the process of being hung. The exhibit was panoramic views. Various images were on the right as we walked in but the left side was several photos, which easily could have been connected, of the "new" bridge over the Susquehanna River which connects Columbia to the York County side in Wrightsville. The bridge was appropriately named the Columbia-Wrightsville Bridge and the photos were dated (date on last photo) 1930 when the Bridge was ...

Charles Eckman has been found! Years ago shortly after we married, I attended a genealogy fair and saw a book titled "Genealogical Record of Rev. Hans Herr and His Direct Lineal Descendants" by Theodore Herr. I glanced through it and saw several names I recognized as being in my husband's family. I found my husband's grandfather, John C Eckman (b. 25 April 1883). John was listed as #10577. He was the son of Charles Eckman (6867) and Rosa T Kerchner. That entry led me to Charles and a mystery I have been searching for the last 20 years. His entry showed he is the son of Catherine K Cresswell (2949) and John Eckman. The numbers, by the way, were assigned to the descendants, with the first of course being the Rev. Hans Herr. Charles entry read: 6867. Charles, Lancaster, Pa., b. Feb. 1, 1860; d. Aug. 26, 1888; m. Aug. 24, 1881, Rosa T. Kerchner, b. Sept. 4, 1859; dau. John Kerchner and Barbara Kuhn. Since then I have been trying to find out where he was buried....

Thursday, I had the day off from the Nursery so instead of housework or other work, I naturally headed to the Lancaster County Historical Society. First I looked up an obituary for Sue Fuller Graham for someone else. Piece of cake! Facebook is really great for making connections in places one has no access to and this was just that case. A guy mentioned in a group that he was looking for this particular obituary from 1991. It is old enough that the local paper here would only give access if you have a paid subscription. I mentioned I was heading over to the Historical Society this week and could look it up on their microfilm. He knew the exact date that the obit was published so that made the search quick and easy. My next project was admittedly a brick wall. I was asked to find out information about a Laura Manley Seats. The person making the request knows little about the woman except that she passed away sometime around 1961 due to complications after an operation. Needle in ...

Each Thursday in August, the Lancaster County Historical Society presents a "Back to Basics" session covering a once basic tradition that most of us have gotten away from. Next Thursday, 14 August, Sarah Preston of Herbs from the Labyrinth will lead the session on Herbal Folk Medicine. Preston will discuss some relatively simple home remedies used by our ancestors as well as some that we can still use today. The cost of the session is just $5. To register visit the Historical Society online or call 717-392-4633. Photo: Dreamstime