How to start researching York/Adams history, artifacts
Andrew Deems of Lancaster, Ohio, is seeking information on a marriage certificate from 1883.
His edited e-mail queries: “Framed behind glass, very well preserved. The couple were from here in Fairfield Co., Ohio, and married in the same. The certificate was produced in York by the aforementioned. I would just like to find some information regarding Crider and Bros. Publishers.”
In researching this question, these are the first five things I would do:
1. Query the York County Heritage Trust www.yorkheritage.org, particularly archivist Lila Fourhman-Shaull. If she knows, and she often does, she’ll get you started. I queried her and this is what she replied:
“Crider Brothers were quite prolific. We have a manuscript file on Crider & Brother Publishers as well as one just on David Crider. We also have over a dozen examples of his marriage certificates that had been given to us. I think he either patented or was at least recognized as creating the marriage certificate that had holes provided for placement of photographs of the husband and wife.”
2. I’d go to the York County Heritage Trust and query their database on “Crider.” That will show you all the nooks in the Heritage Trust’s massive archives where Crider information might be hiding.
3. That search might suggest I look at the Crider family file, or perhaps its archives would have a manuscript file on Crider and Bros., Publishers. (As Lila indicated, such files exist.)
4. I’d go through various standard books. Georg Sheets’ “Made in York” and George Prowell’s “History of York County” would be my first two picks.
5. I’d check the York City Directory at the archives to identify where Crider’s was located. This might give me other trails to check. For example, if it was next to a well-known landmark, information on that site might shed light on Crider’s.
If you, like Andrew, live elsewhere, some of these queries could be done with the Trust by phone or e-mail.
