The Civil War Letters of James and Ann Colwell
When the Civil War erupted in 1861, James Colwell and his wife Ann were living in Carlisle, Pa.
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.
Craighead Father and Son Die Within Hours of Each Other
On Saturday, March 30, 1822, Gilson Craighead, a prosperous South Middleton Township farmer and mill owner, went to Carlisle for the day with his son Major James. They would both be dead within a week.
Venus, slave of Thomas Craighead, was Sister of the first published American Negro poet, Phillis Wheatley
Thomas Craighead’s slave Venus: Sister of the first published American Negro poet Phillis Wheatley. T.C. was Thomas Craighead (1789-1865) the son of John Craighead and his wife Jane Lamb. The “old Thomas Craighead” he refers to in his letter was his grandfather who died in 1807. In 1845, T.C. also contributed a history of incidents relating to his family that was published in I.D. Rupp’s History of Dauphin, Cumberland, Perry Counties…. p. 440-444.
The Creation of Cumberland County, Pennsylvania
On January 27, 1749/1750, the General Assembly of Pennsylvania created Cumberland County from Lancaster County in an Act titled “An Act for erecting part of the province of Pennsylvania, westward of Susquehanna, and northward and westward of York, into a county.”1 Theories differ as to
Patrick Culp: Carlisle Cabinetmaker
Patrick Culp, a "mulatto," and the only documented African American cabinetmaker in Cumberland County, was born in Pennsylvania in 1790. A member of Allison United Methodist Church1 and later St.
Cumberland County Horse Thief Detecting and Protection Societies
Horses were vital for transportation and farming, and horse stealing was a chronic problem. In the nineteenth century, horse thief detection and protection societies were formed in many states.
Cumberland County Place Names
Cumberland County place names under the following lists: named after the founder or an early settler, geographical/geological features, and miscellaneous.
Cumberland County Register of Historic Places
The Cumberland County Register of Historic Places was organized by the Cumberland County Historical Society (CCHS) to recognize places of local historic significance that may not qualify for placement on the National Register of Historic Places.
Cumberland County Servicemen Who Died in Vietnam
The following list of Cumberland County, Pennsylvania servicemen who died in Vietnam appears in alphabetical order and was compiled from official and non-official sources.
Cumberland County Servicemen Who Died in World War I
This is a list of the seventy-four Cumberland County, Pennsylvania servicemen who sacrificed their lives in service to their country during World War I. The list is compiled from the book Service records: Cumberland County in the World War 1917-1918 printed in 1935 by the Cumberland Cou