From the Executive Director

When people think of Pennsylvania, its coastline is usually not the first thing that comes to mind — but Pennsylvania has a rich maritime history. The commonwealth is home to six ports: Philadelphia, Chester, Eddystone, Marcus Hook, Pittsburgh and Erie. During most of the 18th century and early 19th century, the Port of Philadelphia on the Delaware River was the largest port in the United...
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Celebrities Discover Who They Are at the Pennsylvania State Archives

Archivist Aaron McWilliams smiles and shifts his gaze toward the floor when asked about his brush with TV stardom. Every so often, a patron visiting the Pennsylvania State Archives in Harrisburg, Dauphin County, where he works, will ask him what it was like to appear alongside veteran Hollywood actor Steve Buscemi on a 2011 episode of Who Do You Think You Are? a reality series in which...
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John Frederick Hartranft Papers

Although little recognized today, John Frederick Hartranft (1830-1889) did make his mark in the history of the Commonwealth and the nation as governor and as general. Born near Norristown, Montgomery County, he attended college, practiced law, and in 1861 entered the Union army at the outbreak of the Civil War. His dedication to the military was unswerving. He was commissioned colonel of the...
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Bookshelf

Guide to Genealogical Sources at the Pennsylvania State Archives by Robert M. Dructor Pennsylvania Historical and Museum Commission, 1998 (374 pages, paper, $12.95) The Pennsylvania State Archives acquires, preserves, and makes available for study the valuable public records of the Commonwealth, with particular attention given to the official records of state government. In fulfilling its...
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Lost and Found

Lost To minister to merchant sea­farers, the Churchmen’s Missionary Association for Seamen of the Port of Philadelphia dedicated the Floating Church of the Redeemer in 1849. Fabricated on two hulls, each weighing one hundred tons, by Clement L. Den­nington at Bordentown, New Jersey, the Gothic Revival-style church, seating five hundred worshipers, was easily recognizable on the...
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