Pennsylvania State Archives Collection

Images of a record of the appointments arranged in meetings, recorded in the minutes of the Supreme Executive Council. This record includes appointments of men to various positions in the state and local governments. Listings mention the person's name and date of appointment underneath the general title of office. Office appointments are listed for trustees, pilots, surveyors, commissions, trustees, inspectors, surgeon generals, justices of the peace, coroners, sheriffs, clerks, prothonotaries, justices, judges, paymasters, officers, physicians, notaries public. Also included are appointments made for the following state organizations, Supreme Executive Council, Pennsylvania Militia, Board of War, Navy Board, Court of Admiralty of the State, Land Office of Pennsylvania, Board of Property and for the dispute between Pennsylvania and Connecticut. Appointments are organized by individual county. Listings of appointments are mentioned for Philadelphia City and County, Bucks County, Lancaster County, York County, Cumberland County, Bedford County, Northumberland County, Westmoreland County, Washington County, Fayette County, Franklin County, Montgomery County, Dauphin County, Luzerne County, Huntingdon County, Allegheny County, Mifflin County, and Delaware. Empty ledger pages exist for the counties of Lycoming, Somerset and Greene. Also included in this record is a directory of Supreme Executive Council members, arranged alphabetically by appointees surname, Commissioners appointed to appropriate land from the Indians, lists of members of the Supreme Executive Council and a list of the names of counties in Pennsylvania.

Images of gubernatorial appointments and commissions. Information usually provided is name of appointee, name of Governor or Commission making the appointment, the title of the position to which applicant was appointed, the date of appointment, term of the appointment, Gubernatorial certificate signed by the Governor and Secretary of the Commonwealth, and Senate confirmation letter. Correspondence was generally sent on behalf of applicants and may sometimes provide more detailed information about an applicant. The microfilm covers the period through 1808. For names of applicants who applied for positions during the period 1775-1790 see "Guide to the Microfilm of the Records of Pennsylvania's Revolutionary Governments, 1775-1790," by Roland M. Baumann. Related records are in the following series of Records Group 27, Records of Pennsylvania's Revolutionary Governments: Appointment Book, 1777-1790 series 27.19; Appointments File, Military, 1775-1790 series 27.20; and Appointments File, Political, 1775-1790 series 27.21. Also see, MG-001, Appointments and Commissions Collection. Disclaimer: Not all records in this collection are digitized. Visit the PA State Archives to see the rest of the collection.

Images of a record of petitions filed by persons seeking a military commission. Among the data which may be found are the petitioners name, residence, rank, and the position sought. Information concerning the individuals experience or past military service is also frequently included.

Images of a record of political appointments and documents pertaining to the process of appointing individuals to political positions. It contains letters addressed to the Council stating a position has been created or vacated and needs to be filled, letters suggesting qualified candidates, and letters of recommendation and character by references supporting a candidate. Letters state the date of the petition, the petitioner and senders name (if it was sent as a reference), place of origin of the letter, the petitioners experience, and vouchers for the petitioners character. Also found are signed, sealed contracts signed by members of council spelling out to the people appointed the exact nature of the position. Provided is information concerning the position filled, a description of what the position will entail, mention of salary, date of appointment and signatures of Council members.

Images of a record that contains bonds and petitions filed with the President of the Supreme Executive Council by debtors, creditors, and the Commissions of the Bankrupt. Data found on the documents differ with each case, but usually the bankrupt persons name, occupation, and amount of debt appears. Specifics concerning the claims of creditors are occasionally noted and the amount of bond submitted is recorded.

Images of the earliest surviving records of the Commonwealth including William Penn's charter from King Charles II, the earliest frames of government for the province, the deeds by which Pennsylvania lands were purchased from the American Indian tribes, copies of all of the state constitutions and Pennsylvania's copy of the federal constitution. Disclaimer: The Pennsylvania State Archives provides digital access to a wide variety of historical documents, some of which may be considered offensive by current standards. The Archives does not endorse views expressed in these historical collections, but presents these collections to aid in scholarly research.

Bertillon books for inmates incarcerated at the Western State Penitentiary. Information provided is inmate number, name of inmate, length and width of head, length of left middle finger, length of left foot, length of left forearm, height, width of trunk, length of outstretched arms, length of right ear, and length of left little finger. (While working with offenders detained in Paris’s Palais de Justice in 1882, Alphonse Bertillon (1853-1914) used statistical methods to devise a system of bodily measurement intended to identify criminal characteristics. Bertillon’s methods involved photographing each subject looking directly at the camera and in profile with the camera centered on the right ear. The subject’s height, length of one foot, arm, and index finger were also recorded. By the 1890s, Bertillon also recognized that fingerprints provided a means for unique identification of individuals. Though many scientists, including Francis Galton, criticized on statistical grounds Bertillon’s system of measuring the hands, head, torso, face and limbs as a method of identifying criminal characteristics, the records generated nonetheless proved useful for identifying and keeping track of specific individuals convicted of crimes.) Images are arranged chronologically by inmate number. This collection is part of the Department of Justice which administers the state correctional institutions for the Commonwealth.

Images of certification registers for the Assistant First and Second Grade Foremen. Information provided about each foreman includes name, place of birth, place of residence, age, inspection district, date and number of certificate, name of mine and mine operator, length and nature of service, the mine district number, and the report number and date. Second Grade Foreman registers begin in 1923, and First Grade Foreman registers begin in 1938. First and Second Grade registers are found within the same volumes for 1938-1951 and 1962-1963. Disclaimer: Not all records in this series are digitized. Please visit the PA State Archives to see the rest of the collection.

Minutes of the Board of Trustees generally provide the date of the board meeting, names of those in attendance, and a description of the business transacted. These records are arranged chronologically by meeting date. Bloomsburg University is one of 14 publicly owned state universities which make up the Pennsylvania State System of Higher Education (SSHE) was created by Act 188 of 1982. Disclaimer: Not all records in this collection are digitized. Visit the PA State Archives to see the rest of the collection.

University catalogs providing information such as a description of class offerings each semester, the name of the instructor, and the dates and times scheduled. These records are arranged chronologically by date of catalog. Bloomsburg University is one of 14 publicly owned state universities which make up the Pennsylvania State System of Higher Education (SSHE) was created by Act 188 of 1982.

Minutes of the University Faculty Government generally provide the date of the meeting, names of those in attendance, and a description of the business transacted. These records are arranged chronologically by meeting date. Bloomsburg University is one of 14 publicly owned state universities which make up the Pennsylvania State System of Higher Education (SSHE) was created by Act 188 of 1982.