J. Hall Rohrman travel journal

Collection

Identifier: MSS 0097-Item 0106

Staff Only

Scope and Content Note

The travel journal of Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, tinsmith J. Hall Rohrman describes in very detailed language an 1860 trip to Missouri and travels within eastern Pennsylvania from 1871 to 1872. Three religious writings, presumably authored by Rohrman, have been inserted into the journal.

This autograph travel journal consists of five titled sections in which Joseph Hall Rohrman described in detail what he had seen and individuals he had met on several trips taken within the United States. The titled sections fill less than a seventh of the journal, leaving the remaining pages blank. The pages at the beginning of the volume have been labeled with the alphabet as if for an address book, but they also have been left blank.

In "Journey to Iberia. Miller Co Missouri" (p. 1-17), Rohrman described a two-week trip taken in May 1860. He traveled to Iberia, Missouri, by way of Pittsburgh, Cincinnati, St. Louis, and Jefferson City. Rohrman was accompanied by two brothers-in-law and a nephew. In "Belmont. (Fairmount Park)" (p. 18-21), Rohrman described a visit his family paid to Belmont Mansion in Philadelphia’s Fairmount Park on June 19, 1871. In "The Old Rock House" (p. 22-30), Rohrman reflected on an October 1870 visit to his mother’s childhood home in Lower Providence, Pennsylvania. He also described a stop at the Springfield Friends Meeting House in Springfield, Pennsylvania. In "The Old Rock House revisited" (p. 30-38), Rohrman described another trip to his mother’s home taken with his family on June 29, 1871. The final section, "Sombo Falls" (p. 39-45), dated July 13 and July 17, 1872, contains a description of the natural beauty Rohrman saw on a vacation near Stroudsburg, Pennsylvania.

The journal also features three inserted autograph writings related to religion. They include a three-page letter or speech from a congregation to a pastor thanking him and presenting gifts, a six-page history of the Moravians, and a nine-page essay entitled "Notes on the Propagation of Christianity in the East Indies by the Baptists" with minor revisions marked on it.

Dates

Creation: 1872 February 8-July 17

Creator

Rohrman, Joseph Hall, 1820-1874 (Person)

Language of Materials

Materials entirely in English.

Restrictions on Access

The collection is open for research.

Terms Governing Use and Reproduction

Use of materials from this collection beyond the exceptions provided for in the Fair Use and Educational Use clauses of the U.S. Copyright Law may violate federal law. Permission to publish or reproduce is required from the copyright holder. Please contact Special Collections, University of Delaware Library, http://library.udel.edu/spec/askspec/

Biographical Note

Joseph Hall Rohrman was a tinsmith who lived in Philadelphia during the nineteenth century. He married Harriet Barnhurst and they had several children. His business, J. Hall Rohrman & Son, was located at 606 Chestnut Street in Philadelphia, where it produced tin canisters. During the Civil War, the company, which became well-known, produced canteens under a government contract. Rohrman held at least one patent for improvements to tin lanterns.

"Harriet Barnhurst - I248 - Individual Information," Adair Family, http://history.teampeterson.org/individual.php?pid=I3099&ged=adair.ged (accessed September 24, 2007).Kise Straw and Kolodner, "Toward a Redefinition of Philadelphia’s Historical Perspective: Identification and Analysis of Civil War Sites and Related Programs," The Octavius V. Catto memorial Fund, http://www.cattomemorial.org/ksk_report/AppendixC1.pdf (accessed September 24, 2007).Additional information derived from the collection.