Power Library - Pennsylvania's Electronic Library Pennsylvania's Electronic Library PA's
Electronic
Library

A representative sampling of valuable items on Abraham Lincoln in the State Library's collection that have been digitized to commemorate the Lincoln Bicentennial in 2009. Items more include the address of Honorable Edward Everett at the consecration of the National Cemetery at Gettysburg on November 19, 1893 with the dedicatory speech of President Lincoln; and the hanging of the Lincoln conspirators in Washington DC in 1865. less

American Marketplace chronicles the development of the industrial expansion of the United States following the Civil War, and the parallel emergence of the consumer products reflecting more the prosperity that came with 19th and 20th Century manufacturing.  The 669 titles reflect many well-known companies in industries such as agriculture,shipping, the railroads, and the early automotive and aviation trades.  Along with the manufacturer’s catalogs are period consumer products as illustrated in mail-order, retail and merchandise catalogs. less

This collection contains primary resources about Carnegie's bequests along with supporting explanatory text, that teachers will be able to use a part of their curriculum.

Materials by and about Benjamin Franklin from the State Library collection digitized in commemoration of his 300th birthday.

This collection provides access to two rare dispensatories and receptures that illuminate the therapeutic practices and medical orientation of two dispensing physicians in the multilingual colonial more medical market of rural Pennsylvania. The overall objective is the preserve in their entirety and to make accessible to scholarly and lay audiences a body of writings that offer insight into some of the medical resources available to the North American colonial population: A bilingual (German and English) formulary, the Medicina Pennsylvania of George de Benneville, a French Huguenot physician and the record of the practice and of the receptures - entitled Remediorum Specimina aliquot ex praxi A. W[agner] - of a Schwenckfelder practitioner from Silesia. These manuscripts can be dated roughly to the period 1740 to 1780. Both drew on numerous 18th century continental European and English sources, explicitly in the case of the Wagner manuscript and unacknowledged but obvious in the Medicina Pennsylvania. Both offer copious highly technical receptures for the armentarium of chemiatric and botanical substances that were in general use at the end of the early modern period. Similar to other physician manuals of the period, they lay out medicinals and related procedures for treatment of major diseases and conditions, including female complaints and pre- and perinatal advise. A strong but eclectic orientation to chemiatric preparations is evident, matched by reliance on the traditional botanical and animal reservoir. less

A selection of documents on the battles of Fort Necessity and Braddock's Campaign, along with background on French and English relations as well as their interactions more with the Native American tribes of the northeastern colonies in the 18th and early 19th centuries. Originally digitized to celebrate the 250th anniversary of the Battle of Fort Necessity. less

The Whitehall Township Public Library Historic Books Collection contains local history and books of historical nature from around the Lehigh Valley. This collection also more contains unpublished family history research records of private researchers, which are often lost with time. The Historic Books Collection preserves these vital sources of genealogical information. less

This collection contains historical photographs of the Lehigh Valley.

Over two thousand (2,000) local historical photographs, drawings and images of old Lycoming County, PA. can be found here. Images are shown in a small version more for browsing or as a full size image for detail. less

This collection consists of Lancaster City and County residential and commercial directories, 1843-1900. These directories provide valuable information regarding the population of Lancaster City and County, more as well as the growth and development of the community and the evolution of Lancaster commerce and industry. less

Welcome to the Lancasterhistory.org's Lancaster County City Directories 1901 - 1914 Collection, a part of the POWER Library: PA Photos and Documents. This collection consists of more Lancaster City and County residential and commercial directories, 1901-1914. These directories provide valuable information regarding the population of Lancaster City and County, as well as the growth and development of the community and the evolution of Lancaster commerce and industry. less

Welcome to the Lancasterhistory.org's Lancaster County City Directories 1901 - 1914 Collection, a part of the POWER Library: PA Photos and Documents. This collection is the more third and final piece of our project to digitize Lancaster City and County directories. The first two pieces are already on AccessPA. These nine directories include directories from the small towns of Lititz and Columbia. These directories are useful to those researching family history and the development of communities over time. Advertisements in these directories are also valuable. less

Welcome to the Keystone College Local History Collection, a part of the POWER Library: PA Photos and Documents. This collection a large number of photos and more documents from and about the local communities and personalities present in Factoryville, PA; Nicholson, PA; Dalton, PA; and other smaller communities dating from 1868 to the present. less

Williamsport Women: Voices, Images, Actions Source material related to the history of women in Lycoming County from Lycoming College, the Lycoming County Historical Society, and the J.V. more Brown Library.  Documents selected highlight the history of local women in volunteer and reform organizations, education, the arts, the workplace, and private lives. The first part of the collection will cover the time period 1875-1925. "This material will have national, perhaps international, significance as it relates to women's history and studies during a time period when there is a scarcity of materials about women's contributions to local communities. All three cooperating facilities are very limited in staffing and available hours, so the materials will reach users who either cannot physically come to the collections or did not previously know of their existence. This collaborative project is funded through an LSTA grant. less

The Meadville Local History Collection is a condensed sketch of the early history of Meadville, Pennsylvania which covers the city's natural resources and a portrayal of more leading industries educational, financial, and commercial interests. less

Hershey News, published from 1953 until 1964, reported news and events throughout the Township of Derry, Pennsylvania (informally known as Hershey). A small town newspaper, there more were many local citizens featured in not only news stories, but also in recognition of special occasions. When a request is made for information about the events and activities of The Hershey Company, Hershey Entertainment and Resorts Company, Hersheypark, Hershey Trust Company, Milton Hershey School, Derry Township School District highlights and events, and the reactions of local citizens to community events during this period, Hershey News is the first resource consulted. No other resource fully documents the spirit and atmosphere of this community. In addition, this business and recreational community, established by Milton S. Hershey, is of specific interest to sociological, business, and political science researchers, as well as residents and their descendants. less

Minutes of the Town Council of the Borough of Conshohocken, Volume 1, July 1850 - March 1874 Collection.

Items include a report on the 1907 Dar Mine Disaster relief efforts; the Twin Shaft mining disaster investigation, 1986, Early Indian history along the Susquehanna River, more Problem of the Irish in America speech, 1886, American Freeman, 1867. less

This collection contains a selection of various directories from 1872-1899 (not exhaustive), covering the Mahoning, Shenango, and Beaver valleys, as well as Lawrence County and the more City of New Castle. less

This collection contains City of New Castle directories covering all years, 1900-1910.

This collection contains City of New Castle directories covering all years, 1911-1918 (not exhaustive).

This collection contains City of New Castle directories covering all years, 1921-1928.

A selection of photographs and video clips from the New Castle Public Library's 100th Anniversary celebration, October 21, 2010.

Gettysburg College - Nineteenth Century Notables is a digital collection of Cartes de Visite and cabinet cards of notable personalities from the Nineteenth Century. Individuals depicted more include: Sarah Bernhardt, Ellen Terry, William S. Gilbert, Charles George Gordon, Bret Hark, Lucretia Mott and Sojourner Truth. This collection offers the chance to see the faces of some of the individuals who shaped the history of the 19th Century. less

The Harmonists, a Christian Communal society, founded Old Economy Village in 1824. They were known for their piety, as well as for their economic successes in more textile manufacturing, including silk production, and later in the oil and railroad industries. Old Economy Village in Ambridge, PA is the home of a great deal of information about the Harmony Society and life in general in the nineteenth century. Major topics covered by the archives and library include music, architecture, religion, business, photographs, and more. Since Old Economy Village is a National Historic Landmark with fragile and irreplaceable collections, the archives and library are only open to researchers by appointment. Establishing an online repository of digitized photos, documents, books, maps, newspapers, and music will allow people all over the world to access the collections. less

Pennsylvania Capitol Centennial Collection Historic descriptions, explanations, and illustrated visitors' guidebooks to the State Capitol Complex in Harrisburg, Pennsylvania, in recognition of the 100th anniversary of more the dedication of the Pennsylvania Capitol Building. less

Contains reports of Pennsylvania State Agencies such as the Annual Reports of the Eastern and Western State Penitentiaries from the 1800's - early 1900's; Reports of more the State Quarantine Board 1896, 1899; Reports from the Bureau of Mines, Reports of the Committee on Lunacy, late 1800's; Proceedings of the Pennsylvania History Society annual meetings, 1906-1908; and more. less

This collection includes photographs from the Pennsylvania Geological Survey Historical Photographs Collection.

United States Indian School, Carlisle Pennsylvania Newspapers contains copies of the Red Man and the Indian craftsman, published by the United States Indian School in Carlisle, more Pennsylvania. Also individual issues of the Catholic Herald, the Episcopal Record, and more. Pennsylvania newspapers will continue to be added. less

This collection contains periodicals, both newspaper and magazine in format, from the United States Indian School in Carlisle, Pennsylvania, as well as Pennsylvania State documents and more other digital versions of works on the Native American populations of Pennsylvania. less

Selected Pennsylvania Regimental Histories in the Civil War, with histories of Pennsylvania units from other wars to be added.

Pennsylvania State House of Representative Journal contains an address to the Pennsylvania State House of Representatives on 2/22/1861 which includes a speech given by then President-Elect more Lincoln. Will contain digitized and searchable copies of the House Journal. less

This collection consists of documentation related to the Philadelphia Flower Show from 1829 to the present including tickets, advertisements, posters and high-quality photographs to exhibits and more promotional events. Some of the images include buildings that no longer exist, such as Philadelphia's Commercial Museum and Civic Center. less

Pittsburgh’s heritage is strongly rooted in iron, steel, mining and related industries. The Pittsburgh Iron & Steel Heritage Collection is a digital compilation of books, journals, more photographs, trade catalogs, and related literature. Through this collection, we strive to preserve the culture, heritage and knowledge of our region's industrial past, while enhancing the public's understanding of what made Pittsburgh the "Workshop of the World." less

The Samuel and Rosa Kern Letter Collection spans a time frame from 1879 - 1887. These letters cover a broad range of topics spanning sports, social more activities, illness, education, weather and other areas of discussion. The letters cover a geographic area of: Lehigh, Northampton Lancaster, Chester, Northumberland, and Philadelphia Counties in Pennsylvania. Other locations from across the United States are also included. 0ver 60 area surnames are represented in this collection's content. less

The Builder is an architectural publication that was published in Pittsburgh from 1901 to 1919. Its subtitle is: "Devoted to Architecture". The Builder is a highly more unique resource that provides an in-depth look at the design and construction of residential and commercial spaces in Pittsburgh during the era that Pittsburgh's industrial, commercial and civic life thrived. The contents in the Builder includes both the artistic & architectural overview of individual buildings and neighborhood developments, as well as the artisan and skilled trade resources used by designers, architects and builders during this period. ​Carnegie Library of Pittsburgh gratefully acknowledges the loan of several volumes of The Builder for this project by the University of Notre Dame. less

On May 31, 1889, the breaking of the South Fork Dam caused the single greatest natural disaster in the history of the United States: the Great more Johnstown Flood. It is the personal accounts and rare photographs of the survivors which are the focus of this project. Published in 1889, many of the selected texts are no longer in print or available for public access. less

A wide variety of Civil War literature, including a report on the battle of Gettysburg, preparations for the internment of the remains of the dead at more Gettysburg, testimony of deplorable conditions in Confederate prisons, speeches for and against Reconstruction, and more. less

An archive of papers examining historical flood control and new proposals under construction during the 1930's and 40's.

An archive of over 300 digital images from the library's Historic Warren Photograph Collection.

Provides a detailed navigational study of the river during the era of early rafting and lumbering.

Welcome to the State Library of Pennsylvania's World War I Collection, a part of the POWER Library: PA Photos and Documents. A collection of Materials about more World War I (1914-1918) from the State Library collection digitized in commemoration of the centennial of the Great War. less

This collection is of World War I era posters of varying size, color and medium pertaining to the U.S. and Pennsylvania. The posters are manufactured for more many different businesses, institutions, and government agencies, and the artwork is by famous, obscure and unknown commercial illustrators. Those printed by various federal agencies were intended to generate patriotic fervor in Americans. less