Exhibit on Epidemics in Lancaster County Opens at LancasterHistory.org

Lancaster, PA, July 24, 2009  Death has come to Lancaster County in the form of tuberculosis, cholera, smallpox, typhoid fever, Spanish influenza, and polio throughout the years. A new exhibit, Outbreaks: Local History of Epidemic Proportions, explores some of the artifacts that were used to prevent or control these outbreaks. The exhibit, created by Ariel Kornhauser, features artifacts ranging from a box that was used for collecting the names of Columbia County's cholera victims in 1830 and a microscope that was used to help fight that infection, to a Family Radiation Kit that was used to keep the fear of radiation sickness under control during the Cold War. Other artifacts include the doctor's traveling bag of Rev. Charles E. Wonderley, used during the paratyphoid fever outbreak in the 1870's, and a mahogany medicine chest from the Heintish Apothecary, which was an important supplier of vaccines during the smallpox outbreak in the 1830's.
The exhibit is located in the library of LancasterHistory.org, Lancaster County's Historical Society and James Buchanan's Wheatland. The library is open Tuesdays and Thursdays from 9:30 am to 9:30 pm and Wednesdays, Fridays, and Saturdays from 9:30 am to 4:30 pm. Admission is free. For more information, contact LancasterHistory.org at (717) 392-4633.

The Gertrude Frantz Stauffer Papers are now cataloged and available for viewing in the LancasterHistory.org archives. The collection, bequeathed to LancasterHistory.org by Sarah Ann Stauffer in 1996,contains the papers of her parents, Gertrude Frantz Stauffer and Charles Stauffer, and her brother, Charles Jr.

Gertrude Stauffer was active in the Women's Republican Club of Pennsylvania, holding the positions of secretary, chair, and co-chair. She was also involved in numerous philanthropic activities throughout the community and was a close friend of Senator Joseph Grundy.

Early records for Gertrude include diaries, correspondence, and items from Fontgarth Hall girls' school. The bulk of this collection consists of Mrs. Stauffer's correspondence with friends, family, and political acquaintances, including Senator Joseph Grundy.

Anyone interested in genealogy, Republican Party history, or Lancaster County history is welcome to stop in to view the collection. More information on the collection is available in the Archives section of the LancasterHistory.org website.

Historic Taverns & Pubs of the Past: A Walking Tour offered by Lancasterhistory.org

Lancaster, PA, Explore the history of Lancaster's taverns and pubs with LancasterHistory.orgLancaster County's Historical Society & President James Buchanan's Wheatland on Friday, June 12, from 6:00 to 8:00 p.m., as you meander city streets to uncover pubs of the past. This Walking Tour led by historian Robert Weber, Director of Library Services, will focus on the 18th-century taverns of Lancaster and the role those taverns and their proprietors played in the early history of Lancaster City. We invite you to gather at the Lancaster Dispensing Company (33 N. Market St.) for a bit of refreshment prior to the tour. The tour itself will begin at 6:00 and end between 7:30 and 8:00 at Annie Bailey's (28 E. King St.) where you are also welcome to linger over a glass. (You are encouraged to make a reservation on your own if you would like to stay for dinner.) The cost of the tour is $25; $20 for Lancasterhistory.org members. Please call 717-392-4633 to reserve your spot!
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