RESOURCES AT THE LANCASTER ARCHIVES

Source: Archives website

Lancaster County, PA has a wealth of documents for someone doing genealogy.  The indexes are on line at ( https://www.co.lancaster.pa.us/193/Genealogy-Research-Historical-Indexes ).  I am in Indiana now and cannot just run to Lancaster anytime I find documents in the index I would like to have so I email the info I would like a copy of. 

Per the website, the Archives were established in 1975. The records can go back to the start of Lancaster County in 1729. If you have any ancestors in Lancaster County there is a good chance you will find something here.

Source: Bing clip art

It is helpful to the staff  at the archives if you tell them what you want (example: delayed birth certificate), and whatever info is listed in the index for page, volume, or book. I have found the staff to be very helpful and prompt.  How fast you will actually get the documents has to do with how busy they are. In my experience it is usually within a few days to two weeks.

The charge is very reasonable - I believe 25 cents a page plus postage, or 25 cents a page and it will be emailed to you if that is your request.

Source: Bing clip art

There can be a bit of a learning curve as each document type seems to have a bit different set up for the index, but basic research skills and some old fashioned patience will go a long way toward finding what you wish.

The hours are: Mon. - Fri. 8:30 - 5.

Address: 150 N. Queen Street, Suite 10, Lancaster, PA 17603

Phone: 717-299-8319

If you are in Lancaster or planning a trip there, the staff suggests that you come with a good idea of what you are looking for.  At the archives, you will have access to micro film and/or micro fiche for printing your documents. They are not set up for saving documents to thumb drives - they make their money from the copy charges. Please be understanding about this. 

Source: Bing clip art

They also offer free classes periodically - check the website for schedule:

• Discovering Your Roots: Genealogy Sources at the Lancaster County Archives

• Homemade History:  

  Researching Your Historic Home at the Lancaster County Archives

This is a fantastic resource, please utilize it if you have roots in Lancaster County, PA

PLEASE NOTE: 
ALL PHOTOS AND WRITTEN CONTENT ARE MY OWN UNLESS OTHERWISE NOTED.

MARY IDA (WOLF) STOVER'S ESTATE SETTLEMENT

My paternal gr-grandmother was Mary Ida (WOLF) STOVER.  She was born in Lancaster County, PA on Feb. 22, 1864 to Lazarus and Elizabeth (NEWPHER/NEWFER) WOLF. Her first husband was Jacob Hahn - they had one son Irvin. Her second husband (my gr-grandfather) was John J. STOVER - they had 6 known children (one daughter died before her).

By family accounts, John and Mary did not have a happy marriage and it is thought by the current living members of my family that they may have spent the last 10 - 15 years of their marriage living separately.  My grandma (Jennie) told her own children that she was in her teens before she remembered meeting her father.

Above is Mary's death certificate - she is listed as married, and her youngest daughter filled out the info on the death certificate.

Mary STOVER died on Dec. 17, 1924.  Here is her obit in the Lancaster newspaper. She was survived by 6 children and 10 siblings. No husband is listed in the obit, even though he was still living.

Her estate was settled in Jan. 1925 (#25 January 1925).  I obtained this from the Lancaster Archives. The person who signed for the intestate papers for the estate to be settled was Ray Grube - the husband of her daughter Elasta. In fact, John STOVER is not mentioned in the papers at all.

Page 1

Page 2

Notice that on page 2, listed are her children and where they live is listed - I already knew who the children were, but I did not know where all of them lived so this helped me locate some other information.

Page 3

On page 3 the children had to sign all signed to renounce their right to be the administrator of the estate, so I now can see their signatures.

Page 4

Page 4 shows that Mary (WOLF) STOVER had no property and nothing else of value either.

I have not found any photos of Mary, and no family members admit to ever having seen one.

Below is the photo of her gravestone in Terre Hill Cemetery, Terre Hill, PA

Photo Source: Find A Grave
Memorial # 103007174

RUNNING WATER

I was recently reading an article titled "Running Water" in A Simple Life (Summer 2019, pages 66-72) The article talks about running water and indoor plumbing in rural America, and some basic facts of when it came about. It reminded me of a couple things to do with my Grandma Reba (RESSLER) GARNER.

The first thing was her occasional response to the question of "Did you have running water when you were growing up?" Her response was always, "Yes, it just depended on how fast you ran from the pump with it."

The second thing was the indoor bathroom my grandparents had at 1747 Temple Ave. in Lancaster, PA.  When Pappy and Grandma (Ralph & Reba GARNER) bought this house in 1937, I believe the sale price was $4000 because Pappy told me once that with interest it ended up being $6000, which he found shocking for a house.  Anyway, my mom was the oldest kid and she well remembered the inside bathroom being built - she was 14.  It was summer and hot.  The kitchen was at the
back of the house and a single story (the living room and dining room each had a bedroom above them). Anyway grandma and mom were pressure canning green beans.  The workers had stopped for lunch, but the roof was open to the sky as the roof was being changed to a flat frame of rafters to build another room (actually a small bedroom and the bathroom).  The canner malfunctioned and blew up sending glass and green beans everywhere. My mom still could vividly describe the beans all over the kitchen, especially hanging from the new rafters. She was equally amazed that no one was hurt.

Despite the canner malfunction, the workers were able to complete the project and so came to be a small bedroom and a small bathroom.  I remember the claw foot bathtub.  I also remember that a person could not wait too long to use the bathroom because steep steps had to be climbed to the upstairs bathroom.  Years later a hand held shower would be installed as well.

Pappy kept the outdoor privy in the garage working and usable up until he died.  I have no idea if it was still a working privy when the house was sold by Grandma in 1996.