Collections : [University of Michigan William L. Clements Library]

The Denckla-Maison family papers contain business and family correspondence and financial documents primarily concerning various land holdings and other financial matters of the Denckla and Maison families, who owned substantial property in Pennsylvania throughout the mid-19th century.

The Denckla-Maison family papers consist primarily of intra-family correspondence, usually regarding monetary affairs and real estate. Several themes are common throughout the collection, with a number of letters comprising lengthy correspondence series between different members of the family. Throughout the late 1800s, William P. Denckla and his wife, Julia wrote to his sister, Mary, asking her for financial support. The collection also includes a significant amount of correspondence from William Maison to his parents, Peter and Augusta Maison, describing his life with the Pollock family in Como, Illinois, in the 1850s and, later, his intent to permanently settle there. Other main topics of correspondence are land transactions, insurance policies, and Mary Denckla's inheritance of C. Paul Denckla's estate. Several items relate to the property dispute between William Pollock and Peter Maison, and other legal cases and lawsuits are also well represented. Though the bulk of the collection consists of correspondence, the collection also holds documents and ephemera. Among these are several notarized powers of attorney, hand-drawn maps, financial calculations, and business cards. Particular examples include a series of invoices for seats at a local church, a poem entitled "Hard Times," a deed for a grave plot and use of a sepulcher, and a certified copy of Augustus Denckla's will.

1. Executrix of estate of C. Paul Denckla, by Mary Denckla, 6 January 1861-2 November 1885
2. Executrix of estate of C. Paul Denckla, by Mary Denckla, 19 November 1861-19 May 1888
3. C. Paul Denckla receipt book, 30 December 1823-26 October 1843
4. Kate M. Maison travel journal, 12 May 1869-30 July 1870
5. Peter and Augusta Maison letter book, 17 November 1858-8 March 1862
6. Augusta Maison letter book, 20 March 1862-14 July 1874
7. C. Paul Denckla receipt book, 18 November 1843-3 December 1853
8. C. Paul Denckla receipt book, 1852-1876
9. Peter and Augusta Maison receipt book, 8 August 1825-24 August 1885
10. Henry J. Denckla receipt book, 1 March 1845-19 August 1851
11. [Augusta Maison] account book, 15 November 1866-26 January 1876
12. Isaac Wampole receipt book, 7 August 1815-26 November 1826
13. C. Paul Denckla account book, 12 October 1842-14 December 1842
14. Mary Denckla account book, 12 September 1869-21 June 1872
15. [Augusta Maison] account book, 3 January 1874-4 January 1884
16. [Augusta Maison] account book, 6 January 1873-12 December 1884
17. [C. Paul Denckla] rent book, 7 May 1844-January 1853
18. [C. Paul Denckla] rent book, 11 October 1854-6 April 1872
19. [Mary Denckla] rent book, 1877-1889
20. Inventory of the estate of Paul Denckla, by Mary Denckla, 8 November 1861-9 May 1867

Written between 1831 and 1835, the Pennsylvania geography exercise book contains a series of school exercises about Pennsylvania, organized by county. Essays cover a diverse array of topics including the geography, architecture, and history of specific areas.

Written between 1831 and 1835, this volume contains a series of school exercises about the state of Pennsylvania, organized by county. Essays cover a diverse array of topics including the geography, architecture, and history of specific areas. Though the volume focuses on Pennsylvania at the county level, the cities of Germantown and Philadelphia are discussed at length. While writing about Germantown, the writer considers not only its history, but also the composition of its population, the religion of these settlers, relations with local Native Americans, natural geography, and its role in the American Revolution. The author treats Philadelphia in even more depth, devoting entire exercises to specific bridges and buildings (including the city's prisons, hospital, local British army barracks, poor houses, and the homes of notable residents such as William Penn and Robert Morris), "The Treaty Tree," foreign settlers, "The 'caves' of the first inhabitants," "Superstition and popular Credulity of the Early Inhabitants" (with a focus on the city's first Dutch and Swedish settlers), and its "Aborigines." Of particular interest is a lengthy discussion of William Penn and his history within the state. Together, the sections on Germantown and Philadelphia comprise roughly one-fourth of the volume.

The remainder of the book is devoted to exercises exploring Pennsylvania's various counties, as divided in the early 1830s (see below for a list of counties covered in the volume). The section on each county contains an initial introduction accompanied by a manuscript map (except in the case of Centre County) and at least one essay. These exercises are generally much shorter than those devoted to Philadelphia, and they focus primarily on geographic features such as rivers, hills or mountains, and soil. Other recurrent topics include roads or other improvements and (occasionally) larger towns or cities. Lancaster and Pittsburgh are among the settlements described in greater detail, though neither description matches the attention given to Germantown or Philadelphia. The exercise book provides a thorough, contemporary view of Pennsylvania in the early 19th century, from the established settlements on its Atlantic coast to the forests of its interior and its western boundaries.

A Philadelphia surveyor recorded methodological information, distances, and other measurements pertaining to the city's streets in this 176-page volume, dated 1795-1802.

A Philadelphia surveyor recorded methodological information, distances, and other measurements pertaining to the city's streets in this 176-page volume, dated 1795-1802.

The surveyor typically recorded distances from a specified starting point, usually an existing street. Many of the entries adhere to the following form: "From [street] along [street or direction] to [location or street] is [number] feet." The volume also includes tables of distances and several maps.

The surveyor sometimes noted the dates on which he took his measurements, and occasionally shared the names of his fellow surveyors. Entries often include lot and house owners' names, or identify commercial properties, such as the "Survey of the Brew House" (p. 38). Measurements related to waste disposal include "field notes of a Survey of the natural chanel of Peggs Run as it appears at the present time" (1798, pp. 59-61a) and a description of the "common sewer" (62a).

The author also occasionally wrote about his methodology; in one entry, he noted, "In order to set the two pair of sights to my surveying instruments at right angles to each other the Meridian of the Box or Card plate makes an angle to the right hand of the Meridian of the Index plate of 7½ minutes" (December 3, 1799, p. 13a). The notebook contains 1 personal entry; on September 24, 1795, the author "Paid to Mrs. Lehnyder 6 Dollars to give to my Wash woman for a Quarter's washing" (p. 1).

• Brooke, Robert, 1770-1821
• Forepaugh, [George?]
• Huston, [John?]
• Kessler, John
• Miller
• Sowder
• Story