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Alfred L. Shoemaker Folk Cultural Documents

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Letter from Colsin R. Shelly to Alfred L. Shoemaker, February 3, 1949

Colsin R. Shelly

A handwritten letter from Colsin R. Shelly, Principal of Lafayette School, to Alfred L. Shoemaker, dated February 3, 1949. In the letter Shelly details stories of barring out the schoolmaster on Shrove Tuesday and traditions associated with Ash Wednesday.
Letter From Mr. and Mrs. Harvey Rothenberger to Alfred L. Shoemaker, February 1, 1949

Harvey Rothenberger

A handwritten letter from Mr. and Mrs. Harvey Rothenberger addressed to Alfred L. Shoemaker, dated February 1, 1949. Within, the Rothenbergers detail a number of old sayings and rhymes associated with different herbs and teas, along with some of their uses in folk remedies.
Letter From H. Wayne Gruber to Alfred L. Shoemaker, January 11, 1949

H. Wayne Gruber

A typed letter from H. Wayne Gruber addressed to Alfred L. Shoemaker, dated January 11, 1949. Within, Gruber provides information on the variety of garden vegetables he remembers being grown in his mother's garden.
Sports and Pastimes of the Amish

Frank Diaco and William Di George

A typed term paper completed at Franklin and Marshall College by Frank Diaco and William Di George, dating from circa 1949. Within, Diaco and Di George write on the pastimes, games and sports practiced within the Amish community as learned from Aaron Glicks of West Lampeter Township, Pennsylvania.
Berks County Home Made Soap

H. Wayne Gruber

A typed document entitled, "Berks County Home Made Soap", by H. Wayne Gruber, dated 1949. Within, Gruber details the way his mother made soap on the farm and its various uses.
Dialect Poem: Da Gruuver un di Bulfragge, January, 1949

H. Wayne Gruber

A typed document entitled, "Da Gruuver un di bulfragge", composed by H. Wayne Gruber, dated January, 1949. Within, Gruber details a bull frog hunting trip in the form of a Pennsylvania Dutch dialect poem.
Letter From H. Wayne Gruber to Alfred L. Shoemaker, 1949

H. Wayne Gruber

A typed letter from H. Wayne Gruber addressed to Alfred L. Shoemaker, dated 1949. Within, Gruber writes on a variety of topics including a cure for horse colic, uses for leftover pie dough, and quarreling between town folk and country folk.
The Ancient Tallow Candle

H. Wayne Gruber

In this typed document, H. Wayne Gruber recalls the use of tallow candles in his home in Berks County, Pennsylvania. He describes the process of obtaining and storing the tallow, pouring it in molds with wick yarn, and setting the candles in sticks of various designs. He also notes the use of candle drippings for healing purposes and recalls the use of candles throughout the home and school house.
Term Report on Folklore

Darrell M. Nixdorf

A handwritten, untitled term paper completed at Franklin and Marshall College by Darrell M. Nixdorf, dating from circa 1949. Within, Nixdorf details a number of subjects relayed to him by locals from Lancaster County ranging from humorous jests to local folk beliefs and stories of witchcraft, "Negro" folktales, and Chinese folktales.
Letter From Mr. and Mrs. Harvey Rothenberger to Alfred L. Shoemaker

Harvey Rothenberger

A handwritten letter to Alfred L. Shoemaker consisting of a list of old sayings and superstitions from Berks County, Pennsylvania, compiled by Mr. and Mrs. Harvey Rothenberger, dating from circa 1949. Within, the Rothenbergers detail a number of beliefs on various subjects including rain, days of the week, falling objects, spilled salt, sewing, ironing, animal behavior and children.
Letter From Earl L. Ruppert to Alfred L. Shoemaker, January 1, 1949

Earl L. Ruppert

A handwritten letter from Earl L. Ruppert to Alfred L. Shoemaker, dated January 1st, 1949. It describes the Native American origins of the name "Neversink." Ruppert also discusses lore surrounding bake ovens and marriage.
Notes From The Acorn and Germ

Alfred L. Shoemaker

Handwritten notes by Alfred L. Shoemaker regarding the newspaper, "The Acorn and Germ", dating from circa 1949. The notes detail items from various issues of the newspaper, including German, English, and Pennsylvania Dutch words for various tree types as well as Bible verses and dialect columns.
Letter From Herbert Hummel to Alfred L. Shoemaker, December 29, 1948

Herbert Hummel

A handwritten letter from Herbert Hummel addressed to Alfred L. Shoemaker, dated December 29, 1948. Within, Hummel writes to provide Shoemaker with a few old folk beliefs he learned from his grandfather in Bernville, Pennsylvania. Topics range from witches and sewing to beliefs surrounding Christmas and whistling on Sundays.
Letter From H. Wayne Gruber to Alfred L. Shoemaker, December 18, 1948

H. Wayne Gruber

A typed letter from H. Wayne Gruber addressed to Alfred L. Shoemaker, dated December 18, 1948. Within, Gruber lists various beliefs and superstitions that can be found within Berks County, Pennsylvania, ranging from signs of good luck to omens of death and misfortune. Gruber also inquires about a verse called "Die Schnitzel Bunk" and hopes that Shoemaker will be able to visit and view his diary and scrapbooks.
Letter From Anna W. Frey to Alfred L. Shoemaker, December 16, 1948

Anna W. Frey

A handwritten letter from Anna W. Frey addressed to Alfred L. Shoemaker, dated December 16, 1948. Within, Frey writes about her Pennsylvania Dutch upbringing, detailing various aspects she remembers including a custom surrounding Ascension Day where you cannot work.
Letter From A. Miriam Herr to Alfred L. Shoemaker, November 20, 1948

A. Miriam Herr

A handwritten letter from Mrs. Leslie H. Shannon (A. Miriam Herr) addressed to Alfred L. Shoemaker, dated November 20, 1948. Within, Herr writes to respond to Shoemaker's question on a favorite "all" story. Herr details her encounter with an Amish man while buying blackberries at a market stall in Lancaster, Pennsylvania.
Letter From Helen D. Witmer to Alfred L. Shoemaker, November 17, 1948

Helen D. Witmer

A typed letter from Helen D. Witmer addressed to Alfred L. Shoemaker, dated November 17, 1948. Within, Witmer details her favorite "all" story about asking for directions in Columbia, Pennsylvania. She also details her family's experiences growing up with Pennsylvania Dutch expressions and suggests Shoemaker look into the use of the word "wonderful" by people in Lancaster County.
Lancaster County "Sayings"

Unknown Author

A typed set of Lancaster County sayings and folk beliefs by an unknown author, dated November 16, 1948. Within, beliefs pertaining to luck and folk cures for various ailments are detailed.
Letter From Charles Ezra Bowman to Alfred L. Shoemaker, November 12, 1948

Charles E. Bowman

A handwritten letter from Charles Ezra Bowman addressed to Alfred L. Shoemaker, dated November 12, 1948. Within, Bowman provides his contribution to Shoemaker's request about favorite Pennsylvania Dutch "all" stories.
Letter From Mrs. E. H. Mull to Alfred L. Shoemaker, November 11, 1948

Mrs. E. H. Mull

A typed letter from Mrs. E. H. Mull addressed to Alfred L. Shoemaker, dated November 11, 1948. Within, Mull recalls her favorite Pennsylvania Dutch "all" story, detailing the exasperated words from a neighbor towards her sons at meal time.
Letter From O. S. Sprout to Alfred L. Shoemaker, November 11, 1948

O. S. Sprout

A typed letter from O. S. Sprout addressed to Alfred L. Shoemaker, dated November 11, 1948. Within, Sprout details two separate Pennsylvania Dutch "all" stories, one occurring between an Amish son and father and the other regarding an off-duty train operator. Sprout also seeks information on the value of a book printed in German.
Letter From H. A. Shawalter to Alfred L. Shoemaker, November 9, 1948

H. A. Shawalter

A typed letter from H. A. Shawalter addressed to Alfred L. Shoemaker, dated November 9, 1948. Within, Shawalter details a practice called "bull fiddling" or serenading, in which a newly married couple must offer compensation or endure raucous noise made outside the home by local community members.
Letter From Violet Rothenberger to Alfred L. Shoemaker, May 18, 1948

Violet Rothenberger

A handwritten letter from Violet and Harvey Rothenberger addressed to Alfred L. Shoemaker, dated May 18, 1948. Within, Rothenberger expresses her enjoyment of Shoemaker's radio program and newspaper column and provides folklore about planting crops and other folk sayings.
WHUM Folklore Script on Dr. Jonathan Pounder

Alfred L. Shoemaker

This typed document is a script used by Alfred L. Shoemaker for his folklore broadcast on WHUM radio station in Berks County, Pennsylvania. Shoemaker relates the story of Dr. Jonathan Pounder (1785-1871), who journeyed from England to South America, surviving a shipwreck and spending a year learning about medicinal herbs from the local tribes. After studying medicine in Philadelphia, he moved to Berks County, Pennsylvania where he became an eccentric doctor who also prepared skeletons for medical study.
Letter From Norman A. Smith to Alfred L. Shoemaker, April 9, 1948

Norman A. Smith

A handwritten letter from Norman A. Smith addressed to Alfred L. Shoemaker, dated April 9 and April 20, 1948. Within, Smith provides Shoemaker with stories of funeral customs and feasts as well as other information on topics such as ashes and tongue twisters.