William Denning (ca. 1736-1830)
William Denning made a significant contribution to the American cause during the Revolutionary War, by creating desperately needed artillery using an unusual welding process.
Browse Encyclopedia
The Cumberland County Historical Encyclopedia is an expanding publication on the history of the Cumberland County. Covering a wide range of topics and the entire Cumberland County geographic region, the Encyclopedia seeks to be an initial entry point to those interested in the County's history. Entries seek to provide a list of resources available as well as showcasing some of the Cumberland County Historical Society's own collections.
Letter: Nancy Denny to her nephew Joseph A. Murray in Pittsburgh, 1834
Letter: Aunt Nancy Denny to her nephew Joseph A. Murray in Pittsburgh, 1834. “We had a splendid dinner at three o'clock. Rachel Baker was my chief cook and bottle washer and everything was in [style].”
Nellie Robertson Denny – Carlisle Indian School Educator
Nellie Robertson Denny, born in 1871 on the Sisseton Wahpeton Sioux reservation in South Dakota, came to the Carlisle Indian Industrial School (CIIS) in 1880 as a nine-year-old child. After 10 years of schooling, she became a member of the second graduating class in 1890, where she was then hire
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.
Distillery: Old Landmark Collapses in Carlisle
On the afternoon of Friday July 31, 1908, residents on East South Street in Carlisle heard a loud noise when a portion of the historic Cloyd house collapsed and practically demolished his neighbor’s summer kitchen.
Doubling Gap
Doubling Gap is the name given to the geographical formation in which Blue Mountain curves back on itself creating double gaps in the mountain range.
Richard Dougherty: Schoolmaster
Forty-seven-year-old Irishman, Richard Dougherty, arrived in Carlisle in 1800 with his family.[1] He placed an advertisement in Kline’s Carlisle Gazette announcing his plan to open an English school.[2] He would run that school successfully for more than 20 years.
Dr. George Dawson’s Shop Vandalized in 1806
The following notice was published in the March 7, 1806 issue of the Carlisle Herald. “125 Dollars REWARD.
Daniel Drawbaugh
Daniel Drawbaugh, born July 14th, 1827 in the town of Eberly’s Mills, Cumberland County, Pennsylvania, is perhaps equally known for his brilliance and his greatest defeat.
Robbery and Fire at Inventor Daniel Drawbaugh's House
"Daring Robbers Visit Daniel Drawbaugh's Residence at Eberly's Mills" ran the headline in the newspaper. Daniel Drawbaugh, known as "The Edison of Cumberland County," for his invention of the electrical telephone in the 1860s, was 76 years-old at the time of this incident.