Anthropology Commons^™

Notes From The Reading Times And Dispatch, November 26 To December 30, 1873, Alfred L. Shoemaker

Alfred L. Shoemaker Folk Cultural Documents

A set of handwritten, copied notes from the Reading Times and Dispatch of 1873 transcribed by Alfred L. Shoemaker, circa 1950. Within, Shoemaker details a story regarding Blue Mountain Tea and how it got its alternative name, "Pater Behney’s Kraut".

Ua37/44 Tidbits Of Kentucky Folklore, Gordon Wilson

Faculty/Staff Personal Papers

Tidbits of Kentucky Folklore nos. 750-799, 803-804, 807-831, 833-857, 859-899:

• A Changing World – 167
• A Cycle of Folk Culture – 215
• A Few Lines – 257
• Across the Creek – 241
• Adults & Children – 3
• All Mixed Up – 65
• And Thee Is a Little Queer – 69
• Anecdotal Wisdom – 15
• Another Barrier Removed – 83
• Beauty & Prejudice – 163
• Beauty & Religion – 139
• Being Typical – 23
• Better But Sadder – 51
• Blue Monday – 111
• Boogers – 177
• Brave Men, Living & Dead – 77
• Candy Kisses – 37
• Canopus – 149
• Changing …

Translated Verse About The Pee-Wee Bird (Da Bivvi), H. Wayne Gruber

Alfred L. Shoemaker Folk Cultural Documents

In this typed document, H. Wayne Gruber provides an English translation of a verse about the pee-wee, or phoebe, songbird. He notes that the Pennsylvania Dutch term for the bird is "Da Bivvi."

A Tall Fish Story, H. Wayne Gruber

Alfred L. Shoemaker Folk Cultural Documents

In this typed document, H. Wayne Gruber relates a "fish story" of a man sleeping by the banks of the Tulpehocken Creek in Berks County, Pennsylvania. The man is awakened by nuts falling on his head due to a large carp scratching its back on the exposed roots of a hickory tree. Gruber provides the tale in the form of a Pennsylvania Dutch rhyme.

Verse Poem (I Wish I Was A Farmer), H. Wayne Gruber

Alfred L. Shoemaker Folk Cultural Documents

In this typed document, H. Wayne Gruber provides Alfred Shoemaker with a copy of a Pennsylvania German poem, "I Wish I Was a Farmer."  Gruber gives an English translation of the verses.

Mei Mutter Ihra Garta (My Mother's Garden) With Notes, H. Wayne Gruber, Michael Alvin Gruber

Alfred L. Shoemaker Folk Cultural Documents

In this typed document, H. Wayne Gruber provides a copy of a Pennsylvania German poem originally written by Michael Gruber about his mother's garden in Heidelberg Township. Gruber notes that the spelling has been copied exactly and gives translations for various herbs such as saffron, rosemary, sage and thyme.

Sounds Of Letters In Pennsylvania Dutch Spelling, H. Wayne Gruber

Alfred L. Shoemaker Folk Cultural Documents

In this typed document, H. Wayne Gruber of Reading, Pennsylvania outlines his simplified method for the pronunciation of vowel sounds in the Pennsylvania Dutch dialect. He provides examples to illustrate each combination of vowels.

Letter From Raymond E. Hollenbach To Alfred L. Shoemaker, Raymond E. Hollenbach

Alfred L. Shoemaker Folk Cultural Documents

A handwritten letter from Raymond E. Hollenbach addressed to Alfred L. Shoemaker, dating from circa 1950. Within, Hollenbach discusses the plant lore of a tree known as Ailanthus. Hollenbach speculates that Ailanthus might also be what the Pennsylvania-Dutch call the Himmelsbaum.

Letter From Mrs. Charles Binkley To Alfred L. Shoemaker, Mrs. Charles Binkley

Alfred L. Shoemaker Folk Cultural Documents

A typed and handwritten letter from Mrs. Charles Binkley addressed to Alfred L. Shoemaker, dating from circa 1950. Within, Binkley provides a superstition about eggs, a Pennsylvania Dutch poem, and an alphabet rhyme. She also asks Shoemaker to consider writing a column on butchering and soap-making practices.

Excerpt From A Broadside Dated June 17, 1833, Alfred L. Shoemaker

Alfred L. Shoemaker Folk Cultural Documents

Notes on a broadside excerpt concerning a man named Johannes Henner by Alfred L. Shoemaker dating from circa 1950. The broadside originates from the Unger collection and may date from June 17, 1833. The excerpt is written in the German language. Shoemaker notes variant spellings of the name Johannes contained therein.

Notes From The Journal Of Samuel Maclay And The Planting Of Civilization In Western Pennsylvania, Alfred L. Shoemaker

Alfred L. Shoemaker Folk Cultural Documents

A set of handwritten notes copied from the Journal of Samuel Maclay and a book entitled The Planting of Civilization in Western Pennsylvania, transcribed by Alfred L. Shoemaker. Within, a detailed account of a tradition known as "apple butter bees" is documented, where young people would join together to make the apple butter and play games. The notes also describe the process of using tar when planting corn.

Notes From The New Holland Clarion, 1874-1878, Alfred L. Shoemaker

Alfred L. Shoemaker Folk Cultural Documents

Handwritten notes copying excerpts from the New Holland Clarion newspaper, originally dated from 1874 to 1878, transcribed by Alfred L. Shoemaker. The notes concern topics such as Christmas trees, apple seeds, and Pennsylvania Dutch dialect humor.

Tales Of An Eccentric Character Of Old Dover Township, York County, Pennsylvania, David M. Quickel

Alfred L. Shoemaker Folk Cultural Documents

A typed submission to Alfred L. Shoemaker entitled, "Tales of an Eccentric Character of Old Dover Township, York County, Pa.", by David M. Quickel, dating from circa 1950. Within, Quickel recounts humorous sayings and tales surrounding the eccentric character he calls "Mr. Bull".

Notes From The Marietta Scrapbook At The Lancaster County Historical Society, Alfred L. Shoemaker

Alfred L. Shoemaker Folk Cultural Documents

A short, handwritten set of notes from a scrapbook at the Lancaster County Historical Society, compiled by Alfred L. Shoemaker, circa 1950. Within, a reference is made to various candies available for sale at a local confectionery.

Letter From Ben Fisher To Alfred L. Shoemaker, Ben Fisher

Alfred L. Shoemaker Folk Cultural Documents

A handwritten letter from Ben Fisher addressed to Alfred L. Shoemaker, dating from circa 1950. Within, Fisher writes to describe a peculiar birthmark his daughter possesses that he believes is correlated to bruise salve her mother used on her throat.

Folklore Term Paper: Folk Cures For The Common Cold, Robert E. Ackerman

Alfred L. Shoemaker Folk Cultural Documents

A handwritten term paper completed at Franklin and Marshall College by Robert Ackerman, dating from circa 1950. Within, Ackerman describes several interviews conducted across Berks, Lancaster, and Somerset counties relating to folk cures for the common cold.

Notes On New Year's Customs From The Berks & Schuylkill Journal, January 5, 1828, Alfred L. Shoemaker

Alfred L. Shoemaker Folk Cultural Documents

A set of typed notes from the Berks and Schuylkill Journal dating from January 5, 1828, written by Alfred L. Shoemaker. The notes record the story of a wound sustained from a pistol being used in the tradition of "shooting in the New Year."

Dialect Stories Of William Bickel, 1877-1879, H. Wayne Gruber

Alfred L. Shoemaker Folk Cultural Documents

Typed stories by H. Wayne Gruber, mainly in Pennsylvania German dialect, dating from circa 1950. Gruber describes stories he heard as a young boy as related by a neighbor named William Bickel.

Notes From The Chronicle Of The Times, July 29, 1828, Alfred L. Shoemaker

Alfred L. Shoemaker Folk Cultural Documents

A typed set of notes compiled by Alfred L. Shoemaker from the Reading Chronicle of the Times, originally dating from July 29, 1828. The notes refer to Democrats being snared in a trap similar to the way stool pigeons were used as decoys to lure other pigeons into a trap.

Notes From The York Daily, January 24, 1894, Alfred L. Shoemaker

Alfred L. Shoemaker Folk Cultural Documents

A set of handwritten notes from the York Daily newspaper from January 24, 1894, compiled by Alfred L. Shoemaker circa 1950. The notes describe the story of how the tomato plant, or love apple, was introduced to York, planted in a prison yard by an inmate from Bermuda.

Notes On Apples And Churches From The Berks & Schuylkill Journal, 1872-1874, Alfred L. Shoemaker

Alfred L. Shoemaker Folk Cultural Documents

A set of notes copied from the Berks and Schuylkill Journal dating from 1872 to 1874, written by Alfred L. Shoemaker. Within, excerpts detail information on subjects ranging from church bells and organs to the origins of certain varieties of apples.

Notes From Danville, Montour County, Pennsylvania: A Collection Of Historical And Biographical Sketches, Alfred L. Shoemaker

Alfred L. Shoemaker Folk Cultural Documents

A set of handwritten, copied notes from Danville, Montour County, Pennsylvania: A Collection of Historical and Biographical Sketches transcribed by Alfred L. Shoemaker. The notes describe the process of making apple butter and include a humorous interview with a local resident.

Term Paper: Customs Of The Year, John U. Baker Jr.

Alfred L. Shoemaker Folk Cultural Documents

A typed folklore term paper completed at Franklin and Marshall College and entitled, "Customs of the Year", by John U. Baker Jr., dating from circa 1950. Within, Baker details the various customs and practices of the Pennsylvania Dutch, including Easter egg hunts and the refusal to work on Ascension Day.

Babies And Superstitions, Ida Hollenbach

Alfred L. Shoemaker Folk Cultural Documents

A handwritten set of notes entitled, "Babies and Superstitions", compiled by Ida Hollenbach, dating from circa 1950. Within, various beliefs surrounding newborn babies are documented including hair cutting, baptism and a birthday ritual to determine the life path a baby will follow.

Undated Letter From Elsie M. Smith To Alfred L. Shoemaker, Elsie M. Smith

Alfred L. Shoemaker Folk Cultural Documents

A handwritten letter from Elsie M. Smith addressed to Alfred L. Shoemaker, dating from circa 1950. Within, Smith provides Shoemaker with a list of weather prediction beliefs and other superstitions involving animals and luck.

Notes From The York Gazette: June 2, 1894 To July 25, 1894, Alfred L. Shoemaker

Alfred L. Shoemaker Folk Cultural Documents

Handwritten notes from the York Gazette of 1894 copied by Alfred L. Shoemaker circa 1950. The articles cover topics including indentured servitude for immigrants, enlisting in the Revolutionary War and funeral practices.

Notes From The Carlisle Herald, November 1854 To October 1856, Alfred L. Shoemaker

Alfred L. Shoemaker Folk Cultural Documents

Handwritten notes copied from the Carlisle Herald by Alfred L. Shoemaker, circa 1950. The notes cover various topics such as cider making, barn raising, a recipe for buckwheat cakes and a humorous story about a near-sighted clergyman.

Notes From The York Daily, 1874, Alfred L. Shoemaker

Alfred L. Shoemaker Folk Cultural Documents

A set of handwritten notes from the York Daily newspaper covering the period of January 29 to June 15, 1874, compiled by Alfred L. Shoemaker circa 1950. Topics include wedding anniversaries, speck and a tale of a woman being accidentally buried alive.

Undated Note From Florence Baver To Alfred L. Shoemaker, Florence Baver

Alfred L. Shoemaker Folk Cultural Documents

A typed and handwritten note from Florence Baver to Alfred L. Shoemaker, dating from circa 1950. Within, a recipe is provided, along with information about names in a guest book.

Notes From History Of The Counties Of Lehigh And Carbon In The Commonwealth Of Pennsylvania, Alfred L. Shoemaker

Alfred L. Shoemaker Folk Cultural Documents

A handwritten transcription of an excerpt from History of the Counties of Lehigh and Carbon in the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania, transcribed by Alfred L. Shoemaker. The notes detail a typical Pennsylvania German "apple-butter party" including the steps involved in producing the butter as well as the unique method of eating it on bread with cream cheese.