MG 421 - Dauphin County Government Collection
<< MG 420MG 422 >>Scope and Content
The collection contains early records of government in Dauphin County, materials on the construction of court house buildings, the centennial celebration, trial lists, broadsides of notices and proclamations, annual reports, and prison records from 1841 to 1980.
Early records (pre 1900) including "A List of the Freeholders of Dauphin County, 1794"; handwritten proposals to change the seat of government, 1805; handwritten tavern licenses, 1820-21; a transcription of a court case involving a land dispute, 1859; a handwritten resolution appointing G. W. Morgan to write a history of the county, 1876; and papers and diagrams concerning the widening of Front Street in 1882.
Materials concerning county buildings including programs for the dedication of the Dauphin County Court House in 1943; the court proceedings in the matter of the petition to sell the old court house, 1947; program for the presentation of the corner-stone from the old Court House, 1948; the program for the rededication of the Courthouse in 1983; pamphlets describing the courthouse of 1860 and 1948 with news clippings and the history of the buildings; a report (1935) and news clipping about the County Home (1974); a scrapbook of news clippings concerning the courthouse buildings; brochures about the Dauphin County Soldiers' Monument, 1877; and the registration form to list the Dauphin County Court House on the National Register of Historic Places, 1993.
Photos of the Court House have been transferred to the Photo Archives.
The centennial celebration programs of the county (1885) and city (1960); trial lists, 1930, 1936; court calendar, 1934; notice of schedule and awards regarding site for new court house, 1940; a listing of prison records; annual reports of the Dauphin County prison, 1874-1896; and the annual report of the Dauphin County Juvenile Court and Probation Office, 1984.
Oversize documents such as a broadside notifying public of election returns, 1836; notice from the Register's Office, 1860; the auditor's reports for 1860 & 1861; a proclamation from the sheriff's office, 1877; a certificate for the Dauphin County Centennial; and a notice concerning a site for the new court house, 1940.
Annual reports of the comptroller of Dauphin County, 1916, 1918, 1935-1956, 1958-59, 1955-56.
Minute Books of the Board of Inspectors of Prisons, 1841-1916 (2 volumes); the Prison Board Minute Book, 1917-1933.
The Justice Docket of John Houser, 1840-43.
The Appearance Docket, 1799-1800; Account Book of Supplies for Prison, 1934-42; the record of Federal prisoners, 1952-62, and Military Prisoners, 1955; records of prisoner photos, 1959-70.
The following bound volumes of prison records:
Prison Registers, 1872-1968
Records of persons tried, convicted, sentenced and committed to county jail, 1855-1980
Convict Description Book, 1841-1855
Trial Docket, 1841-1844
Record of items received from prisoners, 1842-67
Records of prisoners discharged, 1842-60 & 1860-67
Visitors Register, 1878-79
Inspectors' Order Book, 1882-1916
Inspectors' Account Book, 1882-1914
Goods received and distributed, 1886-1908
Account Book of Clothing, 1908-1911
Account Books of Expenses, 1916-1950
Docket of Cases Argued, 1942-47
Record of Special Letters (written by prisoners), 1957-67
Date(s): 1794-1993
Extent: 8 boxes, 56 bound volumes