Open Mon – Sat, 9:30am – 5pm | Wheatland Tours 10am – 3pm
Lancaster Woman Suffrage Association In November 1920, following ratification of the 19th Amendment in August of that year, women in Pennsylvania voted for the first time. Many from Lancaster participated in the effort through membership in the Lancaster Woman Suffrage Association. Recognizing the role of the Republican Party in supporting suffrage, nearly 1000 women met […]
Read MoreThe Great Commoner As a champion of racial and social equality in America as well as the free public school system in Pennsylvania, it should come as no surprise that Thaddeus Stevens (1792-1868) was also vehemently opposed to exclusionary organizations and secret societies. He regarded such groups as elitist and a peril to democracy. Stevens […]
Read MoreThis summer, LancasterHistory welcomed six students from colleges and universities across Pennsylvania into our NEH Summer Internship Program. Starting in early June, the interns worked on various individual projects as well as participating in workshops and traveling to other museums throughout the region. In this post, you’ll get to meet each intern and learn about […]
Read MoreLancasterHistory recently acquired an 1856 James Buchanan presidential campaign medal. While some of the images and symbols on the medal are straightforward, others are not. Especially intriguing is the appearance of 32 stars on the back of the medal—at a time when there were only 31 states in the Union. Why 32 stars? The answer, […]
Read MoreCommemorative Medals Three-inch bronze medals produced to commemorate important events, people, or places have been produced by the U.S. Mint as well as various private coin dealers and firms since the early nineteenth century. The 1850s ushered in an age of increased interest in collecting commemorative medals as mass production techniques allowed these items to […]
Read MoreWhen people talk about Harriet Lane Johnston, they tend to focus on all the outstanding elements in her life. Behind these exceptional stories is a reoccurring story of loss. Like many Victorians, Harriet knew death well. Today’s post explores the grief that coexisted with the timeline of Harriet’s public and political accomplishments. Rife with Tuberculosis […]
Read MoreTen year old Charles Jacob Swarr had quite the vivid imagination. Or so it would seem from his colorful and creative self-published picture book. It’s truly – and literally – one of a kind. The book was hand drawn and has stitched binding, though it’s no bigger than a matchbook. Created by Swarr in […]
Read MoreThe Slant-Front Desk For those of you familiar with the National Treasure movie franchise, this story of a secret (but empty) compartment in a Chippendale style walnut slant-front (or slant-top) desk might seem rather ordinary. Even so, the discovery of such a compartment in an eighteenth century desk of local manufacture speaks not only to […]
Read MoreContinuing from our previous post, we know that Peter Hilliard escaped arrest in April 1867. There is a small period where his whereabouts remain unknown until Buchanan’s Chemical Bank Book lists Peter Hilliard back at Wheatland as early as June 1867. In this book, Buchanan records wages of $12.00 per month given to Peter Hilliard […]
Read MoreFrom 1848-1868, Buchanan employed domestic staff at Wheatland. Some worked briefly and others worked for many years. The majority were people of Irish, African American, and German descent. Their age range during employment was as young as 13 and as old as early 60s. The domestic staff at Wheatland also had a variety of family […]
Read MoreThe nickname for the long cigars, “stogies,” came from the Conestoga Wagons which originated in Lancaster County.