Survivors’ Club, 1867-1921
Call number: MG-316
1 box 4 folders
Repository: LancasterHistory.org (Lancaster, Pa.)
Shelving Location: Archives South, Side8
Description: The Survivors’ Club collection contains dinner banquet programs for the Survivors’ Club annual dinner held in February of each year between 1871 and 1914. While the club met between 1868 and 1921, this collection only includes banquet programs from 1871 and 1914, with years missing. Each program includes the living and deceased members and the dinner menu, unless otherwise noted below. The minute book begins in 1867 and ends with an entry from the last surviving member in 1921.
Creator: Survivors’ Club (Lancaster, Pa.)
Conditions for Access: No restrictions.
Conditions Governing Reproductions: Collection may not be photocopied.Please contact Research Staff or Archives Staff with questions.
Language: English
Source of Acquisition: Source unknown.
Biographical/Administrative History:
The Survivors’ Club, which consisted of 20+ prominent Lancaster Civil War veterans from the 79th Pennsylvania Volunteers, was organized on 29 September 1867 at the Leopard Hotel in Lancaster. The first annual dinner banquet was held on 22 February 1868 and the members met annually on George Washington’s birthday through 1921. Over the years, the plate of each deceased member would be draped in mourning, until only one member remained. P. L. Sprecher, the last member of the Survivors’ Club, wrote the last entry in the minute book on 22 February 1921. After his death, each member’s dinner plate and the punch bowl were donated to the Lancaster County Historical Society. The historical society later acquired the Survivors’ Club minute book and the dinner banquet programs.
The Survivors’ Club included the following members: Charles D. Rupley; John Johns; John K. Rutter; Edgar C. Reed; Samuel E. Leaman; Jonathan Sprecher; Eli Landis; Dr. William M. Whiteside; Charles H. Sprecher; Edward A. Sener; John James McGrann; George F. Sprenger; A. S. Landis; John Copland; Jacob K. Barr; John D. Skiles; William S. Shirk; W. D. Stauffer; Isaac W. Slokom; J. C. Muhlenberg; P. L. Sprecher; Milton Weidler
Folder 1 1871-1898
3rd Survivors’ Banquet Program at the Leopard Hotel, Lancaster. The banquet agenda includes a roll call, an introduction, a eulogy, and a historical sketch. The program lists the toasts given, and it does not list living or deceased members or the dinner menu. Handwritten notes in pencil on the front cover. 22 February 1871.
24th Survivors’ Banquet at the Hotel Copland, Lancaster. This program includes club officers, and it does not list the living members. “24” handwritten in pencil on the back cover. 22 February 1892.
26th Survivors’ Banquet at the Ashland House, Lancaster. “26” and other notes handwritten in pencil on the front and back cover. 22 February 1894.
27th Survivors’ Banquet at the Ashland House, Lancaster. “27” handwritten in pencil on the front cover. 22 February 1895.
28th Survivors’ Banquet at Hotel Lancaster. “28” handwritten in pencil on the front cover. 22 February 1896.
29th Survivors’ Banquet at Hotel Lancaster. “29th 1897” handwritten in pencil on the front cover. 22 February 1897.
30th Survivors’ Banquet at Hotel Lancaster. 22 February 1898.
Folder 2 1903-1909
34th Survivors’ Banquet at Hotel Lancaster. “35th” handwritten in pencil and “34th” crossed out on the front cover. 22 February 1903.
36th Survivors’ Banquet at Hotel Lancaster. 22 February 1904.
37th Survivors’ Banquet at Hotel Lancaster. 22 February 1905.
38th Survivors’ Banquet at Hotel Lancaster. 22 February 1906.
39th Survivors’ Banquet at Hotel Lancaster. 22 February 1907.
40th Survivors’ Banquet at Hotel Lancaster. 22 February 1908.
41st Survivors’ Banquet at Hotel Lancaster. 22 February 1909.
Folder 3 1910-1914
42nd Survivors’ Banquet at Hotel Lancaster. 22 February 1910.
43rd Survivors’ Banquet at Hotel Lancaster. 22 February 1911.
44th Survivors’ Banquet. 22 February 1912.
44th Survivors’ Banquet. “44th crossed out and “50” written over it in pencil on the front cover; “Banquet” crossed out on the front cover; “1912” crossed out and “1917” written over it on the front cover; members crossed out on the front cover; the menu crossed out on the back cover.
45th Survivors’ Banquet at Hotel Lancaster. 22 February 1913.
46th Survivors’ Banquet at Hotel Lancaster. 22 February 1914.
Folder 4 Survivors Club Minutes. 1867-1921.