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Collection

Curtze family correspondence, 1834-1894 (majority within 1880-1894)

119 items

This collection contains personal letters addressed to Friedrich (later Frederick) Curtze, an immigrant from Corbach, Germany, who settled in Erie, Pennsylvania, in the mid-19th century, as well as business letters addressed to his son Hermann. The majority of the correspondence reflects Hermann's legal career in Erie during the 1880s and early 1890s.

This collection (119 items) contains personal letters addressed to Friedrich (later Frederick) Curtze, an immigrant from Corbach, Germany, who settled in Erie, Pennsylvania in 1840, as well as business letters addressed to his son Hermann, an attorney. The first 9 items (1834-1835), written in German, are letters to Friedrich Curtze from German acquaintances and a prospective employer in Boston. Most of the remaining correspondence is made up of incoming business letters that Hermann Curtze received in the 1880s and 1890s. Many items from correspondents in western Pennsylvania and Ohio pertain to particular cases and clients, often regarding estate administration and property ownership. Several business acquaintances sent brief postcards, such as a lawyer from Lancaster, Pennsylvania, who discussed women's property rights (November 2, 1881). Two printed letters relate to the Knights of Honor, a fraternal organization devoted to assisting in the care of the sick, including a key to one of its semi-annual passwords (June 18, 1884). Other items include a letter from Mary Curtze to Hermann Curtze, her brother (1871); personal letters and postcards to Hermann Curtze, often in German; and postcards to other members of the Curtze family.

Collection

Frederick Mehl Estate collection, 1787-1794 (majority within 1787)

3 items

This collection is made up of 3 documents related to the estate of Frederick Mehl of Germantown, Pennsylvania, who died in early 1787.

This collection is made up of 3 documents related to the estate of Frederick Mehl of Germantown, Pennsylvania, who died in early 1787. The first item is a copy of Frederick Mehl's will, originally composed and signed on January 14, 1787. In anticipation of his imminent death, Mehl established legacy payments for his children and grandchildren, appointed Samuel Mechlin and his son Martin as estate executors, and offered his wife and daughter the use of his home and household goods. On February 19, 1787, two appraisers compiled a list of Mehl's belongings, which included household furniture, books, farm implements, and other items; this copy of the inventory is dated February 20, 1787. The final item is a notice posted by Martin Mehl regarding an upcoming sale of Frederick Mehl's estate. Along with the estate's remaining household items, Martin Mehl planned to sell his father's land, auctioned as five separate lots of three acres each (March 1, 1794).

Collection

Samuel Harvey papers, 1784-1888 (majority within 1800-1849)

1.75 linear feet

This collection is made up of correspondence, financial records, legal documents, and other materials related to Philadelphia merchant and banker Samuel Harvey. The materials pertain to Harvey's personal finances, business matters, his firm Harvey & Worth, the Bank of Germantown, administration of decedents' estates, and real property in Pennsylvania.

This collection is made up of correspondence, financial records, legal documents, and other materials related to Samuel Harvey, a merchant from Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. The materials pertain to Harvey's personal finances, his business affairs, the firm Harvey & Worth, the Bank of Germantown, administration of decedents' estates, and real property in Pennsylvania.

The Samuel Harvey papers include Harvey's incoming correspondence, but are primarily comprised of legal and financial documents related to:

  • Decedents' estates (approximately 140 items, 1775-1836)
  • Real estate (45 items, 1784-1883)
  • Mercantile and personal matters (approximately 560 items, 1796-1888)
  • The Bank of Germantown (approximately 570 items, 1813-1865)

The collection includes around 80 incoming letters to Samuel Harvey, largely concerning his business affairs, finances, and management of estates. The remaining items, written and received by a variety of individuals, include letters about religion, family news, and real property, among other subjects.

The materials pertaining to estate administration regard the estates of Mark Freeman (23 items, 1775-1806), George Roberts (26 items, 1800-1803), John Thompson (65 items, 1813-1836), Isaiah Bell (22 items, 1819-1833), and Benjamin Rowland (9 items, 1824-1828). The documents include accounts, indentures, and correspondence regarding the men's finances during their lifetimes and finances connected with their respective estates. The Mark Freeman records contain items related to the firm Forbes & Paton and to William Sitgreaves. The George Roberts records contain items pertaining to William Roberts and to Samuel Harvey, who was at one time an administrator of the estate. The John Thompson materials largely pertain to Samuel Harvey's guardianship over Thompson's minor children, including Mary, Robert, Elizabeth, Matthew, William, and Isabella. Several items are signed by John Thompson's widow, Ann E. Thompson, and reflect payments that she received from Harvey.

Items related to real estate include surveyors' records, deeds, indentures, agreements, accounts, and maps related to land in Philadelphia. Most items dated prior to 1847 pertain directly or indirectly to Samuel Harvey.

The mercantile and personal papers of Samuel Harvey largely consist of accounts and receipts related to Harvey's finances and purchases, the firm Harvey & Worth, the management of estates, the Pennsylvania Seamen's Friend Society, and lawsuits..

The Bank of Germantown papers include reports on the bank's vaults, the destruction of banknotes, and the bank's relationships with customers. Many items in the series are personal accounts and receipts concerning Samuel Harvey's purchases of goods and labor.

The collection includes one book: A Century of the National Bank of Germantown (Philadelphia: Innes & Sons, [1914]).