Beechdale Duck Farm Records
Please go to the Collections Database to view the finding aid. https://collections.lancasterhistory.org/en/permalink/d1a98d04-47a9-4417-8111-769587013062
Object ID: MG0756
1 box 4 folders, 13 items, 25 pages .15 cubic feet
Repository: LancasterHistory (Organization)
Shelving Location: Archives South, Side 15
Scope and Content Note: This collection contains documents pertaining to the Gibbons and Brubaker families. The folders contain history of the Beechdale Duck Farm, and a pamphlet on the chicken mating at the Bird-in-Hand hatchery. There are newspaper articles commending and displaying the political content that the Gibbons’ women spoke about and a note from them inviting their friends to a Christmas day dinner party There is another political article defending Thaddeus Stevens and an article praising Everett E. Brubaker’s 22nd year of overseeing the county home.
Creator: Gibbons family; Brubaker family.
Conditions for Access: No restrictions.
Conditions Governing Reproductions: Collection may not be photocopied. Please contact Research Staff or Archives Staff with questions.
Language: English
Biographical and Historical Note: The house on Beechdale farm was built by Quakers Daniel and Hannah Gibbons in 1815 and was a part of the underground railroad. Their son Joseph, a doctor, and his wife Phebe, a writer, continued aiding runaway slaves until the civil war. The house was passed down to their granddaughter Marianna and her husband, Oram D. Brubaker. Marianna was journalist, very interested in anti-slavery, and Oram was a farmer. In order to make his sons grow up with a skill in a specialized trade, he traveled to California in 1903 with Marianna, brought back 35 Pekin ducks, and created the very successful Beechdale Duck Farm. Due to the prosperous farm, Marianna and Oram built a large stone house near the old brick house in 1909. The duck farm was sold in the 1960s.
Source of Acquisition: Folders 1-3 gift of Anne B. Tennis, given in memory of Everett E. Brubaker, 9 November 2015.
Folder 4 gift of Anne B. Tennis, given in memory of Everett E. Brubaker, 31 July 2015.
Custodial History (Provenance): Papers are from family scrapbooks.
Accruals: No further accruals are expected.
Preferred Citation: Beechdale Duck Farm Records (MG-756), Folder #, LancasterHistory, Lancaster, Pa.
Subject Headings:
Brubaker family (LHo-LOC sh 85017283)
Gibbons family (LHo-LOC sh 85054856)
Family records (LHo-LOC sh 85047062)
Poultry—Hatcheries (LHo-LOC sh 85105900)
Search Terms:
Family records
Poultry
Hatcheries
Related Materials: Trophies awarded to the hatchery are in the Curatorial Collection. The original photographs are in the Photograph Collection.
Processing History: Processed and finding aid prepared by JK, November 2016. Finding aid was created following DACS conventions.
Folder 1 Invitations and Newspaper articles
Insert 1 Mrs. Caroline Gibbons’ obituary, detailing her life. 1900.
A letter from Marianna and Caroline Gibbons to Frank and Annie Muller inviting them to their house on Christmas day. 18 December 1860. (2 item, 2 pages)
Insert 2 Newspaper advertisement for meetings. Miss Gibbons will speak on “How We are Governed.” Beginning Monday September 27th at the Reich’s meeting house, Pleasant Hill, Washington School house, and at the U.B. Church, Florin. No date. (1 item, 1 page)
Insert 3 Newspaper article stating the success of Mrs. Marianna Brubaker’s speech on “Civic Righteousness” at the U.E. Church. The article states the next meeting will be held in a month. 1 May 1914
Newspaper political rebuttal defending the late Thaddeus Stevens. The article is slandering a particular man, Mr. Jerome, and the whole of the democrat party. 5 July 1880 (2 items, 2 pages)
Folder 2 Brubaker background information and pictures. The original photographs are in the Photograph Collection. (5 items, 6 pages)
Insert 1 Information provided by Anne Tennis about her great-grandfather, Everett E. Brubaker who owned the Beechdale Duck farm, which dates back to 1901.
Photocopies of two pictures, the first being Bush mansion, the second being the house built on the same land after tearing down the mansion. It stands today as a gift shop at the Bird-in-Hand Farmers’ Market.
Photocopy of two photographs, O.D. Brubaker on the right, Anne Tennis’ great-grandfather, who owned the duck farm. On the left, her grandfather, who owned the chicken hatchery.
Folder 3 Map and Newspaper article
Drawn map of Lancaster County from an original owned by Hon. Jasper Yeates in 1753
Newspaper article noting Everett E. Brubaker’s 22nd year of overseeing the county home. The article points out his accomplishments in the job thus far and the history of how he ended up in the position. 16 January 1958. (2 items, 2 pages)
Folder 4 Chicken Mating Pamphlet
Informational booklet pertaining to the mating of the chickens at the Bird-in-Hand Hatchery. 1914 (1 item, 12 pages)