Open Mon – Sat, 9:30am – 5pm | Wheatland Tours 10am – 3pm
When gold was discovered at Sutter’s Mill just west of Sacramento in 1848, thousands of people flocked to California to get in on the action. The following is a selection of brave, adventurous (and maybe a bit foolhardy) men from Lancaster County who ventured west in search of gold, silver and whatever riches they could […]
Read MoreOn May 4, 1852, the Lancaster Intelligencer announced… “Messrs. Hager and Eberman, the purchasers of the Old Prison Property, at the corner of West King and Prince Streets, it is said, intend to erect a large and commodious hall on that site during the present building season, a portion of which is to be used […]
Read MoreWritten by Marianne Heckles, Archives Assistant Long before the Birdman of Alcatraz there was the Buzzard Gang. Notorious in the Welsh Mountains and throughout Lancaster County for their extensive crime sprees, the gang – comprised of the six Buzzard brothers – spent an inordinate amount of time in jail. On October 10, 1883, three of […]
Read MoreIn the Sitting Room at Wheatland, a pretty impressive desk quickly catches the eyes of visitors. The desk is made of hand-carved teakwood, including the inside well at the center. A set of faux drawers add detail to the front of the desk, whereas real drawers provide function at the back. Though this desk resides […]
Read MoreThe Armstrong Archive of Armstrong World Industries contains a vast array of documents, photographs, and objects that document the history of the company from its founding in 1860 to the present. Following the end of World War I and again after World War II, the company erected plaques at various locations honoring those who served […]
Read MoreThe Armstrong Archive of Armstrong World Industries contains a vast array of documents, photographs, and objects that document the history of the company from its founding in 1860 to the present. Following the end of World War I and again after World War II, the company erected plaques at various locations honoring those who served […]
Read MoreIn times of company, Buchanan often joked that Wheatland stretches. As people came to visit, the rooms morphed and changed to accompany their needs. If the bedchambers on the second floor were filled, then rooms in the attic turned into guest rooms. Guests would then settle into bedchambers, shifting people about in the spaces upstairs. […]
Read MoreLocated in the Sitting Room, framed lithograph prints of Queen Victoria and Prince Albert watch over space with regal authority. The lithographs were made by J.A. Vinter (engraver) and Day & Son (lithographer) and signed by Queen Victoria and Prince Albert. Grouped together with lithographs of the Royal children, they sailed across the ocean with […]
Read MoreIn December 2019, LancasterHistory received the General Thomas Welsh Family Papers collection from Richard C. Wiggin, a direct descendent of the General. Thomas Welsh (1824-1863) was born in Columbia, Lancaster County and served with distinction in both the Mexican War and the Civil War. The bulk of the collection consists of original papers and official […]
Read MoreOn 23 April 1791, James Buchanan was born to James and Elizabeth Speer Buchanan. Though Buchanan didn’t celebrate with balloons and streamers, he did have a few known favorites that he may have enjoyed on his birthday. Favorite Way to Spend the Day A publication from the Daily Democrat and News on 20 December 1859 […]
Read MoreThe great train wreck of 1919 earned the nickname “The Kidney Wreck” because its cargo of meat products were strewn throughout nearby fields as a result of the crash.