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Archives Center, National Museum of American History
Guide to the Swatara Railroad Papers
Summary
- Collection ID:
- NMAH.AC.0272
- Creators:
-
Swatara Railroad CompanyNational Museum of American History (U.S.). Division of AgricultureDonaldson, WilliamSwatara and Good Spring Railroad
- Dates:
-
1805-1894.
- Languages:
-
English.
- Physical Description:
-
1 Cubic foot3 vertical boxes
- Repository:
Scope and Contents
Scope and Contents
Documents relating to the business of the Swatara Railroad Company of Danville, Pennsylvania and particularly of its president, "Judge" William Donaldson. Includes receipts, bills, contracts, operating statistics, financial statements and correspondence, filed chronologically by year.
Biographical / Historical
Biographical / Historical
The Swatara and Good Spring Railroad was incorporated in 1831 with Judge William Donaldson as president. Renamed the Swatara Railroad in 1841, it was one of several lines connecting the First Pennsylvania anthracite coal field via waterways to the East Coast. Until 1848 it was powered by horses and was extended and rebuilt periodically. In 1863, Donaldson sold his interest in the Swatara to the Philadelphia & Reading Co., which renamed it the Good Spring Railroad.
Administration
Author
Don Darroch
Custodial History
This collection was transferred to the Archives Center from the Division of Agriculture (now Division of Work and Industry), October 17, 1987.
Processing Information
Collection processed by Don Darroch, 1988
Immediate Source of Acquisition
Immediate source of acquisition unknown.
Using the Collection
Preferred Citation
Swatara Railroad Papers, dates, Archives Center, National Museum of American History
Conditions Governing Access
The collection is open for research use.
Conditions Governing Use
Collection items available for reproduction, but the Archives Center makes no guarantees concerning copyright restrictions. Other intellectual property rights may apply. Archives Center cost-recovery and use fees may apply when requesting reproductions.
Keywords
| Keyword Terms | Keyword Types | ||
|---|---|---|---|
| Coal mines and mining -- 19th century -- Pennsylvania | Topical | Search Smithsonian Collections | Search ArchiveGrid |
| Railroads -- 19th century -- Pennsylvania | Topical | Search Smithsonian Collections | Search ArchiveGrid |
| Financial statements -- 19th century | Genre Form | Search Smithsonian Collections | Search ArchiveGrid |
| Receipts -- 19th century | Genre Form | Search Smithsonian Collections | Search ArchiveGrid |
| Correspondence -- 19th century | Genre Form | Search Smithsonian Collections | Search ArchiveGrid |
| Anthracite coal industry -- 19th century -- Pennsylvania | Topical | Search Smithsonian Collections | Search ArchiveGrid |
| Pennsylvania -- 19th century | Geographic | Search Smithsonian Collections | Search ArchiveGrid |
| Good Spring Railroad | Corporate Name | Search Smithsonian Collections | Search ArchiveGrid |
Archives Center, National Museum of American History
P.O. Box 37012
Suite 1100, MRC 601
Washington, D.C. 20013-7012
archivescenter@si.edu
