Home | Elizabeth V. and George F. Gardner Library

Image: Dam on Mountain Creek by Jim Bradley
An initiative of the Cumberland County Historical Society the Elizabeth V. and George F. Gardner Digital Library seeks to fulfill the Society's mission of collecting, engaging, and sharing the stories of Cumberland County.

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      Sylvia A. WatersInterview of Sylvia A. Waters for the Elizabeth V. and George F. Gardner Digital Library Memory Bank. Waters discusses the history of her families connection to Cumberland County, PA including her father's family in Newville. Waters then talks about growing up on B Street in Carlisle and attending the old Wilson and Lamberton Schools.
The following is a machine generated transcript:

      Nicole Witmer
      
Interview of Nicole Witmer by Alan Schultze on March 25, 2015. Witmer discusses growing up on a farm outside of Carlisle, Pennsylvania and the physical changes to the landscape as farms are replaced by warehouses in the area. She further talks about her school experiences including being home schooled, attending Pennsylvania Cyber Charter School, and Shippensburg University.

      Highlighted Entries    
    
      Phebe Paine: Educator (1802-1872)
      
In recollections of her life in Carlisle, Mary C. Dillon, author of the novel “In Old Bellaire,” wrote about the faculty circle of Dickinson College. She said that it included “the brilliant spinsters, Miss Sarah and Miss Phoebe Paine, who had a finishing school for young ladies on West Street

      Helen H. Stevens (1902-1994)
      
Born in Chicago on September 18, 1902, Helen Stevens was a long-time and very active member of the Carlisle community, whose life work was associated with finding assistance for individuals needing mental health services.

    Recently Published
  
      Dean VaughnInterview of Dean Vaughn for the Elizabeth V. and George F. Gardner Digital Library Memory Bank of the Cumberland County Historical Society. Vaughn discusses growing up in Boiling Springs in the post-WWII era before volunteering for the United States Army. He then discusses how he developed  his memory techniques while working for RCA in Thule, Greenland and what led him to establish his own company.
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      “A Sleighing Party’s Bad Luck”Sleighing parties to Cumberland County hotels and private houses were managed by livery stable owners who provided  sleighs, horses, drivers, blankets, robes, and foot warmers to keep the sleigh’s occupants warm as the horses carried them along wintry roads. 
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      Gas Light Comes to Carlisle
      
“Introduction of Gas!” proclaimed the Carlisle Herald in its June 4, 1856, edition,  while a headline in the June 5, 1856, edition of the American Volunteer reported:
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    Railroads
  
Jim E. Largent Sr.Largent discusses his experiences growing up and his time working for a railroad company. Watch Story...
Dillsburg and Mechanicsburg Railroad“The Dillsburg and Mechanicsburg Railroad was built with the backing of the Cumberland Valley Railroad primarily to haul iron ore from the vast reserves around Dillsburg to furnaces in the Harrisburg region. Read Article...
Hey Ollie, Let's Go RailroadingReproduced below are a number of the photographs which were displayed at the Cumberland County Historical Society as an exhibit "Hey Ollie, Let's Go Railroading." Over 250 photographs were put on display as a tribute to all the railroaders, both here and gone, who worked in the Cumberland Valley. Read Story...