Pennsylvania State Archives Collection

The Office of the Secretary of Internal Affairs was created by the Constitution of 1874. Under the Constitution and subsequent legislation, this agency was assigned all the duties of the Surveyor General, as well as duties involving the supervision of the activities of business organizations and charitable institutions, and responsibility for establishing a Bureau of Industrial Statistics, which later became part of the Department of Commerce. Digital records are available for two of the five major bureaus including the Bureau of Statistics and the Bureau of Topographic and Geologic Survey. The Bureau of Topographical and Geologic Survey records include collections related to the Second Geological Survey headed by J. Peter Lesley commenced in 1874 and resulted in a series of published reports issued through 1889. For additional information on the Department of Internal Affairs or the Bureau of Topographical and Geologic Survey please consult the finding aid of the Pennsylvania State Archives. This collection contains alphabetical by county arranged published geological color-coded maps of each county prepared by the Second Geological Survey in 1884. The front of the volume contains a skeleton geological map for the entire state. Information provided includes the names of towns and townships, railroad lines, rivers and streams, and contours of geological formations.

The Office of the Secretary of Internal Affairs was created by the Constitution of 1874. Under the Constitution and subsequent legislation, this agency was assigned all the duties of the Surveyor General, as well as duties involving the supervision of the activities of business organizations and charitable institutions, and responsibility for establishing a Bureau of Industrial Statistics, which later became part of the Department of Commerce. Digital records are available for two of the five major bureaus including the Bureau of Statistics and the Bureau of Topographic and Geologic Survey. The Bureau of Topographical and Geologic Survey records include collections related to the Second Geological Survey headed by J. Peter Lesley commenced in 1874 and resulted in a series of published reports issued through 1889. For additional information on the Department of Internal Affairs or the Bureau of Topographical and Geologic Survey please consult the finding aid of the Pennsylvania State Archives. Collection contains chronologically arranged correspondence of the Board of Commissioners of the Second Geological Survey. Information provided is date of correspondence, name of correspondent, and subject of correspondence.

The Office of the Secretary of Internal Affairs was created by the Constitution of 1874. Under the Constitution and subsequent legislation, this agency was assigned all the duties of the Surveyor General, as well as duties involving the supervision of the activities of business organizations and charitable institutions, and responsibility for establishing a Bureau of Industrial Statistics, which later became part of the Department of Commerce. Digital records are available for two of the five major bureaus including the Bureau of Statistics and the Bureau of Topographic and Geologic Survey. The Bureau of Topographical and Geologic Survey records include collections related to the Second Geological Survey headed by J. Peter Lesley commenced in 1874 and resulted in a series of published reports issued through 1889. For additional information on the Department of Internal Affairs or the Bureau of Topographical and Geologic Survey please consult the finding aid of the Pennsylvania State Archives. This collection contains chronologically arranged correspondence of the Board of Commissioners of the Second Geological Survey. Information provided is date of correspondence, name of correspondent, and subject of correspondence.

A record of money paid by Pennsylvania to various men in the Commonwealth's military units for their service to the state, or purchases they made on behalf of their respective military units. The purpose of these records was to provide the US government with a detailed account of the money which was owed to the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania for the services of its militia. These records also provide the names of the payees, and the date which Pennsylvania reimbursed them for their services and/or purchases. Images are unarranged. This collection is part of the Office of the Comptroller General which was created in 1782.

Images of a collection of the receipts of the Council of Safety from July 20, 1776 - April 16, 1777. The loose receipts in this collection contain specific information which includes the date of transaction, persons involved, the reason for the transaction and the amount of money or specific description of items exchanged. Information contained in these receipts include orders from officers for men, supplies, rations or meals, guns and ammunition, money paid to soldiers or private citizens for goods or services, inventory lists of stores and Stewards stores aboard the ship Montgomery, lists of settled accounts, reimbursement for women in private homes that gave soldiers meals, money paid to clean, mend, appraise, buy and sell guns, a gunlock factory account, money given to provide for families of militiamen, and reports by citizens of damages done to their homes when enemy military troops were quartered in their private homes during their absence. In cases where the military is mentioned, the receipt lists the purpose of the transaction as well as the name of the company, commanding officer and occasionally where that particular group of men were marching.

Images of a record of the receipts of the Board of War from March 14, 1777, through September 24, 1777. The receipts document money given out. Each receipt lists the name, date, amount and reason for the transaction. Also included is the location of the Board of War, in the Pennsylvania War office in Philadelphia, and a signature of a member of the board, sometimes even stating the persons position. Also included is correspondence of a private citizen requesting a settlement of accounts with the War Board.

Accounts, 1781, A record of orders given to State Treasurer, David Rittenhouse, to pay a given amount to a person named. Listed are the amounts to be paid, reason for payment, payees name and place of residence. Each order is signed and dated by the person giving the order (usually President Joseph Reed or Vice President William Moore.) Also included are receipts, signed by the person receiving the amount, attesting that they were paid, and specifying the date, sum of money handed out and who it was paid by. Accounts of Public Buildings and Grounds, A record of payment, ordered by the President or Vice President of the Supreme Executive Council, to various craftsmen and tradesmen for their supplies, labor, or skills used to build, repair or renovate state buildings or grounds. These projects included work on buildings, laying floors, bridge repair, building a library and courthouse, collecting wood for firewood, repairs made to clocks and ringing town bells. A ledger of accounts paid to carpenters for their work, materials, help in demolition, etc., is also present. Noted are the persons name, date of work, amount paid and a general description of the job accomplished. Accounts of the Commissioners Appointed to Settle the Connecticut-Pennsylvania Claims, A record of payment by the Supreme Executive Council to the Commissioners who worked to settle the Connecticut-Pennsylvania dispute. Payment was made to compensate agents and solicitors (lawyers) for expenses incurred traveling between states, temporary residency, daily expenses, and the procurement of documents to help with the case. Also noted are receipts given in payment for the above mentioned services. Receipts are dated, signed by payee (David Rittenhouse), list amount received and contain the recipients signature verifying that payment was made. Depreciation Pay Interest Reports of the Comptroller General, A record of orders identifying persons entitled to interest due on depreciation certificates of pay. Each order names the recipient, date interest was due, the soldiers rank and company, the principle amount of the certificate and the amount of interest. Also included are lists of men who qualified for depreciation pay, amount of principle and lists of men who actually applied for it. These lists also record the name of office issuing the qualifiers, the date and the signature of parties involved. Report of the Auditors of Accounts of the Depreciation Pay of the Pennsylvania Line, A record of M. Nicholsons audit of the depreciation pay given citizens and soldiers in keeping with the General Assemblys Act of 1781. Included is an explanation of who received payment, what was paid, where payment was received and why it was given. Nicholsons report also includes a list of persons overpaid in this distribution, place of residence and amount paid.

Published and unpublished reports submitted to the Governor by the Pennsylvania Historical Commission concerning the activities of the Commission, funds appropriated by the legislature for the various Commission programs, and historical markers erected by the Commission. These include the First Report of the Historical Commission of Pennsylvania (Lancaster: 1915), the Fiftieth Anniversary Reprint of the First Report of the Pennsylvania Historical Commission (Lancaster: 1964), the Second Report of the Pennsylvania Historical Commission (1918), the Third Report of the Pennsylvania Historical Commission (1922), The Marking of Historical Sites of Early Pennsylvania (Fourth Report of the Pennsylvania Historical Commission) (Harrisburg: 1926), and the Fifth Report of the Pennsylvania Historical Commission (1931). The second, third and fourth reports contain the texts of numerous historical markers and the fifth report contains updates on archaeological excavations at Clemson's Island in the Susquehanna River near Halifax in Dauphin County, the Book Mound near Academia in Juniata County, and at Safe Harbor in Lancaster County. The Sixth Report of the Pennsylvania Historical Commission, 1931-1937 (Harrisburg: 1937) is represented only by a set of photocopies and the reports for 1938 and 1944 are typescript drafts. Also included are biennial reports, bulletins, activities reports, and special reports to the Governor of the accomplishments of the Pennsylvania Historical Commission. Images are arranged chronologically by date of report. This collection is part of the Pennsylvania Historical and Museum Commission which was created in 1945. Disclaimer: Not all records in this collection are digitized. Visit the PA State Archives to see the rest of the collection. 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.

Admission and discharge books for Western State Penitentiary. Information provided in admission books is name of inmate, date of admission, admission number, race, age, gender, physical and mental health, habits, marital status, vaccinations, hereditary diseases in the family, number of convictions, length of sentence, time in county, state where born, and occupation. Information provided discharge books is name of inmate, date admitted, discharge number, race, age, gender, physical health at time of admission, mental health at time of admission, health during imprisonment, length of incarceration, whether paroled and type of discharge. Images are arranged numerically by admission or discharge number. This collection is part of the Department of Justice which administers the state correctional institutions for the Commonwealth.

Images of lists of attorneys granted permission to practice in the Supreme Court of Pennsylvania. In order to practice at this level, attorneys were required to have a sponsor. Information given includes names of attorney and sponsor, and date of admission. From 1903 on, either the county of residence or the place of admission of the attorney are also noted. At the end of the first volume (1742-1902) is a "List of attorneys of the Supreme Court of the Province of Pennsylvania admitted at various times previous to the Revolution," which is noted as having been copied from "Sheriff's Deed Book B," and which shows the names of the attorneys, and their dates of admission. For related records, see link below. Disclaimer: Not all records in this collection are digitized. Please visit the PA State Archives to see the rest of the collection.