Mueller: Paul A. Mueller, Jr. Collection, 1774-1916

Call Number: MG- 360

1 box     10 folders     .5 cubic ft.

Repository:  LancasterHistory (Organization); PV7

Shelving Location:  Archives South, Side 9

Scope and Content Note:  The collection contains a deed for property in Lancaster Borough, an early collection of recipes, a receipt book for the Hamilton Lots, a valentine, stock certificate books for the New Process Steel Corporation and Civil War letters. The Honorable Paul A. Mueller, Jr. is a descendant of the Zahm, Shreiner, and Cochran families on his mother’s side. The items in this collection were passed down through the family for several generations.

Creators: Shreiner family; Cochran 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, German

Biographical and Historical Note:

Klein, Huffnagle, Mussertown:  The deed shows the sale of property in Mussertown by innkeepers Leonard and Rosina Klein to Peter Huffnagle. Leonard (1725-1793) married Amalia Rosina Waidlin (1732-1795) at Warwick, Lancaster County in December 1749. At that time he was a saddler in Lancaster. Although they did not have children, they were sponsors at several baptisms at the Moravian Church and Trinity Lutheran Church, both in Lancaster. Peter Huffnagle (1746-1806) and his wife, Charlotte, had their children baptized at the First Reformed Church in Lancaster. They were also buried in that churchyard. Mussertown was laid out in 1760 by John Musser, and was later added onto by Henry Musser. Its original boundaries were the streets now called Church, Strawberry, Locust, and Rockland.

Hamilton Lots:  In 1730, Andrew Hamilton, a skilled lawyer, purchased a tract of land in the newly incorporated Lancaster County and convinced the commissioners to place the county seat within his holdings. Queen Street and King Street run through that tract. James Hamilton (1710-1783) acquired 500 acres of land from his father in 1734, and started selling lots by 1735. Although Hamilton sold the lots, he imposed ground-rents so tenants had to pay for the right to occupy and improve the land that they owned. Tenants were also required to build dwellings on their property within two years and to meet certain building specifications. He continued to acquire and sell lots until 1773. Ground-rents were still being collected on the Hamilton Lots after World War II.

Zahm, Shreiner:  Godfried Zahm was a brushmaker in Lancaster. His son, Michael (d.1883), learned the brushmaking business from his father and then learned the watchmaking and jewelry business from his brother-in-law, Martin Shreiner, Jr. (1767-1866). Godfried’s daughter, Maria, married Martin Shreiner who is best remembered as a Lancaster clockmaker. Maria kept a trimming shop on North Queen Street in Lancaster.

Cochran, New Process Steel Co.:  Harry B. Cochran, great-grandfather of Paul A. Mueller, Jr., was the president of New Process Steel Corporation in 1916. New Process Steel Co. began as New Process Steel Wire Manufacturing Co. and was renamed in 1907. This manufacturer of drill rods and special steel shapes became a subsidiary of General Motors Corporation in 1919. It is significant that Alfred P. Sloan, Jr. owned stock in the New Process Steel Corporation in 1916. Sloan was president of Hyatt Roller Bearing Company when it merged with the United Motors Corporation in 1916. He then became president of United Motors which merged with General Motors Corporation in 1918. Sloan was president and CEO of General Motors from 1923-1946.

Source of Acquisition:  Gift of The Honorable and Mrs. Paul A. Mueller, Jr.: Folders 1-9, October and November 2004; Folder 10, December 2008

Accruals:  Accruals are possible.

Preferred Citation:  Paul A. Mueller, Jr. Collection (MG-360), Folder #, LancasterHistory, Lancaster, Pa.

Related Materials:

Shand, William and Dean Keller. 1965. “Twentieth Century Industrial Development of Lancaster.” Journal of the Lancaster County Historical Society 69: 151-162.

Wood, Stacy B. C. 1994. “Martin Shreiner: from Clocks to Fire Engines.” Journal of the Lancaster County Historical Society 96: 114-137.

 

Folder 1  Deed on parchment. Leonard and Rosina Kline, innkeeper, Lancaster Twp. to Peter Hoofnagle, Lancaster Boro for tract of land on High Street and South Street in Lancaster Boro (Musser Town). This tract was previously owned by Henry and Ann Musser, granted to Mathias Bough in 1765, and then granted to Leonard Kline in 1769. Adjoiners: Philip Lenher and the lot of John Price, deceased. Signatures of Leonard and Rosina Kline and Peter Hoofnagle, all in German script. Witnessed by Andrew Balsbach and Samuel Turbett. 22 September 1774. Recorded in Lancaster County, Book R, Page 600. 5 March 1779.

Folder 2  Cookbook passed down through the Shreiner family. Includes recipes for Spanish Cream (custard), Sugar Cakes, Lemon Cake, and Cymbals (spongy cake or doughnut), and Shreiner Molasses Cake. Recipes use  isinglass, a pure gelatin prepared from the air bladders of fish and used as a clarifying agent; hartshorn, also known as ammonium carbonate or baker’s ammonia—this leavening agent is a byproduct of hartshorn, a substance extracted from deer antlers; and saleratus, also known as sodium bicarbonate or baking soda. Cookbook begins in the early 19^th century.

Folder 3  Receipt book. Used by Gerhart Bubach for the Hamilton Lot rents and also by Godfried Zahm.

Hamilton Lots: Rent received from Garret Buback and Caspar Michenfelder. These payments were all for out lots and pasture lots. In 1799 the monetary unit changed from pounds to dollars. Rents were collected by William Hamilton, Jasper Yeates, and John Moore. 1788-1811.

Transactions of Godfried Zahm: Purchases of tin, copper, flour, lumber, and lime; subscriptions to Atkinson’s Saturday Evening Post, Lancaster Union, Intelligencer & Journal; ground rent on lots in Lancaster; taxes; for painting doors; and money sent from Savanah, Georgia by the Company of the Traveling Musicians. Payments received by Jacob Goble, David Weidler, Carpenter McCleery, Boswell & McCleery, John Curtis, P. G. Eberman, John Hamilton, Jacob Zercher, William Lowry, Mr. Mesthauffer, John A. Messenkop, Benjamin Eshleman, Sarah A. McCoy, Philip Leonard, A. S. Keller, David Nauman, William Shrum, A. Fairer, Henry Wentz, F. S. Albright, and C. L. Stoner. 1836-1863.

Payment received by John Meaner & Co. from Gerhart Bubach for repairing the Lancaster, Elizabethtown, and Middletown Turnpike Road. 1807.

Payments received by William Reichenbach and Jacob Shertz from Gerhart Bubach. 1798, 1799, 1812.

Folder 4  Valentine. Handwritten verse with images pasted onto the pages. Tied together with ribbon. Not addressed or signed. Passed down through Mr. Mueller’s family. No date.

Folder 5  Capital stock certificate book for the New Process Steel Corporation, Lancaster. Shows certificate number, number of shares, date, date transferred, date received, to whom stock was transferred or sold, and signatures of stockholders, treasurer, and president. Stockholders: Samuel O. Martin, Aaron B. Harnish, George D. Lefever, Amos K. Witmer, Aaron Loucks, Fred R. Ingersoll, Samuel H. Burkhart, Henry A. Bugie, Jay G. Weiss, Henry Knell, Harry L. McClure (treasurer), Warren A. Sherwood (president), Amos Musselman, John S. Cochran, Charles Newman, Edward B. Hite, Harry B. Cochran. Two blank certificates at the end of book. 1911-1916.

Folder 6  Capital stock certificate book for the New Process Steel Corporation, Lancaster. Shows certificate number, number of shares, date, date transferred, date received, to whom stock was transferred or sold, and signatures of stockholders, treasurer, and president. Stockholders: Alfred P. Sloan Jr., J. G. Weiss, John S. Cochran (treasurer), Harry B. Cochran (president), and Harry W. Angeoine. Blank certificates at the end of the book. 1916.

Folder 7  Common stock certificate book for the New Process Steel Company, Lancaster. Shows certificate number, number of shares, date, date transferred, date received, to whom stock was transferred or sold, and signatures of stockholders, treasurer, and president. Stockholders: Richard L. Barrett, I. Dora Burkholder, John D. Burkholder, A. H. Hostetter, Henry M. Weaver, Warren A. Sherwood (treasurer), Fred R. Ingersoll (president), Carrie B. Frantz, Charles H. Ingersoll, Vaughn Ingersoll Parry, George A. Scott, Martin A. Moore, Henry Good, George D. Lefever, Elizabeth Kreider, Williston B. Stoddard, D. H. Wenger, John K. Hartman, Aaron Loucks, Samuel O. Martin, Earl M. Godshalk, Henry G. Hinerdeer, and H. L. McClure. Blank certificates at the end of the book. 1909-1911.

Folder 8  Preferred stock certificate book for the New Process Steel Company, Lancaster. Shows certificate number, number of shares, date, date transferred, date received, to whom stock was transferred or sold, and signatures of stockholders, treasurer, and president. Stockholders: John D. Burkholder, A. H. Hostetter, A. D. Wenger, D. M. Wenger, Aaron Loucks, George D. Lefever, and Aaron B. Harnish. Warren A. Sherwood, treasurer. Fred R. Ingersoll, president. Most of the certificates are blank. 1909-1911.

Folder 9  Photocopies

Copy of page from Sanborn Insurance Maps for 1912 showing New Process Steel Company.

Copy of obituary of Michael Zahm. Lancaster Daily Intelligencer, 25 June 1883.

Folder 10  Civil War letters from John F. Shreiner, who served with the 122nd Regt. of Pennsylvania Volunteers, Co. F

Insert 1  Letter from John F. Shreiner, camp on Miners Hill, to Thomas Cochran, [Lancaster] regarding their move from Georgetown and Washington, a rumor that the Confederate States are applying for terms of peace, and McClellan is farther south than civilians think he is. 28 September 1862.

Letter from John F. Shreiner, camp near Falmouth, to Thomas Cochran stating that they received news of the Battle of Perryville and the loss of Lancaster County volunteers, Aaron Kunkle was taken prisoner at Leesburg and Sgt. Hart at Waterloo, and that they have eaten mostly crackers for five days. November 25.

Insert 2  Letter from John F. Shreiner, camp near Falmouth, to Thomas Cochran regarding the death of Kate Zantmiller, their log house was erected at the new camp, change in rations by order of Gen. Hooker, and he received the box from his mother.  9 and 11 February 1863.

Letter from John F. Shreiner, camp near Falmouth, Virginia, to Thomas Cochran regarding military gossip, the 84th Regt. and their band has been placed with the 122nd. “Soldiering is a lazy life just now nothing to-do at all.” 27 February [1863].

Insert 3  Envelope, “Civil War letters Olla gave us.” No date.

Envelope addressed “Mr. Thos. R. Cochran, Union Office, Lancaster City, Penna.” Postmarked Alexandria, VA.