It was an ordinary day. Reading, once again, the weekly column known as "The Scribbler" which is written by local historian Jack Brubaker. His story today was titled "He carried it every day of his life next to his heart." Being that I read Jack's column every week in the local LNP morning newspaper, I knew exactly whom he was talking about. Guy's name is Thaddeus Stevens, a Lancaster lawyer and U.S. Congressional Representative. Remember him from a few other stories I have written in the past? Well, Mr. Stevens carried an oversized leather wallet in his coat pocket every day of his life. He also owned a small Bible and loved to quote from it at times. Well, these two items recently became the property of LancasterHistory and will be displayed in the Thaddeus Stevens and Lydia Hamilton Smith Center for History and Democracy when it eventually opens in another year or two in downtown Lancaster, Pennsylvania. The President of LancasterHistory is impressed by the wallet, being that Mr. Stevens carried it every day of his life. It was a deeply personal item and he carried it next to his heart. The wallet along with a signed 1844 Bible and 1860 law book came to LancassterHistory from the Historic Preservation Trust of Lancaster County. LancasterHistory is currently digitizing their archives and will digitize the wallet, Bible and 1860 law book which came to LancasterHistory from the Historic Preservation Trust of Lancaster County. The Trust's executive director, Danielle Keperling, recently found the items wrapped in a towel and decided to donate them to LancasterHistory. Lancaster County Convention Center recently built their center in center-city Lancaster, but made sure to save Mr. Stevens home and law office which is directly next to the Convention Center. The home and law office were restored when the Convention Center was built. The wallet, which is now empty, the signed 1844 Bible and the 1860 law book were donated to be placed in the newly restored buildings. LancasterHistory took control of the project in 2010 when it began and will make sure all things "Stevens" go to the restored law office. LancasterHistory has owned Mr. Steven's wig, cane, a boot for his club foot, several law books, a suitcase and various pieces of furniture for many years. Thaddeus Stevens Trade School, known as Thaddeus Stevens College of Technology, will loan the newly restored downtown building a tall-case clock made by Martin Shreiner and a photograph of Mr. Stevens' shoemaker on long-term loan. The Thaddeus Stevens Society of Gettysburg will place on long-term loan a stove made at Stevens' Caledonia Furnace in Franklin County to be placed at the new Lancaster downtown location. Also, LancasterHistory would like to reassemble Stevens' collection of law books and any other items associated with the Republican representative who led the fight for Black and Civil Rights! I, for one, am excited to make a visit to the new location in downtown Lancaster to see the assembled items that relate to one of Lancaster's most famous residents. It was another extraordinary day in the life of an ordinary guy.
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