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Collected Publications and Documents
Almanacs and Books Publications collected, or written, by members of the McCormick family Documents Poems, Elegies, Ledgers, IOUs, and more...
A crate full of almanacs was saved by James McCormick. We have scanned reppresentative pages and covers here, to offer a feel for the times in which the McCormick family lived, and the materials which they read, and cherished enough to save.
- Cover, 1832
- Cover, 1860 - held together by
ribbon
- Cover, 1862
- Almanac cover, 1873. Page
2 describes the business on Queen Street, Lancaster, PA, where it was
printed, which also produced German almanacs.
- Calendar of civil divisions of
the year, times of various astronomical phenomena, and other useful
or entertaining information. Statistical, chronological, political agricultural
tables and articles. (From almanac printed and sold by John Bear of
Lancaster, PA)
- Typical almanac page listing moon's
phases, times of year, and so on.
- Conventional clip art from an
almanac, and Anatomy clip art
- Article describing "How to make good bread".
- Article about Co Odd Fellows' Building (Pittsburgh PA) : lists names
of lodges, meetings, rates of postage in foreign countries, names of
postmasters. (first edition in 1860)
- Infomative article about Witchcraft,
from 1830
- Article explaining
mode of adjusting lightning rods, by professor Olmstead of Yale
College. This is followed by a short article suggesting that a patient suffering a case of a sore throat should wrap
a scarf around his throat, and pouring oil down that same throat. Written in 1832.
- Tattooing advice by a Mr. Mardsen, given to natives of New Zealand ("don't tattoo your son; he is too handsome.") 1832.
- Elegy for Wm McCormick
"As he fell from his wagon, while at work in the filed, one of the wheels passed over his head, and he soon expired…O save the muse from such a painful theme, let me awake, and find it but a dream.
He left twin children, 1801. Margaret, who died in Harrisburg unmarried and James who died in Harrisburg..."
At its conclusion, the elegy says: "Poem copied from 'Poems on various subjects' by Isabella Oliver of Cumberland County, PA, Printed by A. Loudon, Carlisle, 1805. At that time, Isabella Oliver lived on the next farm North on the Canadaguinet Creek, now owned by W. Houston Eckels."
- Ledger showing articles
purchased by Margery McCormick, administrator of the William McCormick
financial estate. It includes enigmatic items, such as a sword, for
$6, as well as more common items, such as 6 yards of woolen cloth ($6),
"lot of books." 5.65. You will also see large quantities of
grains and a lot of whiskey, as they they had a still. The total on
this page is $413.1/2, On the final page, it is $1600.22
- An IOU from Wm. Jameson, David Bell to James McCormick, from 1809, with handwritten seal.
This site is sponsored by the Center for Pennsylvania Cultural Studies at the Pennsylvania State University at Harrisburg, in cooperation with the Historical Society of Dauphin County, Harrisburg, Pennsylvania. Director of the McCormick Family Papers Project at the Center is Professor Michael Barton.
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