George Wolf papers


Collection 0731

1817-1852, undated (bulk 1830-1835)
(2.0 Linear feet ; 5 boxes)
© The Historical Society of Pennsylvania1300 Locust Street
Philadelphia, PA, 19107
215-732-6200

Summary Information

Repository
The Historical Society of Pennsylvania
Creator
Wolf, George, 1777-1840.
Title
George Wolf papers
ID
0731
Date
1817-1852, undated (bulk 1830-1835)
Extent
2.0 Linear feet ; 5 boxes
Author
Finding aid prepared by Cary Majewicz
Sponsor
Processing made possible by a generous donation from Lori Cohen.
Language
English
Language of Materials note
There are a few German letters in the collection, but the vast majority of the material is in English.
Mixed materials [Box]
1-5
Abstract
George Wolf (1777-1840) served as Pennsylvania governor from 1829 to 1835. He worked as a lawyer and was elected America's first comptroller of the United States Treasury. This collection contains mostly his incoming correspondence and generally spans Wolf's time in office in Pennsylvania. There are letters and petitions concerning his administration and state and national politics, as well as related miscellaneous documents.

Preferred Citation note

Cite as: [Indicate cited series or item], George Wolf papers (Collection 731), The Historical Society of Pennsylvania.

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Biographical/Historical note

George Wolf (1777-1840) was Pennsylvania's seventh governor under the 1790 Constitution. Wolf was born in Northampton County to George and Maria Wolf. He attended Allen Township Classical Academy, worked in several county offices, and formed a private law practice in Easton, Pennsylvania. With his election to the U. S. House of Representatives in 1824, he broke into national politics and later joined the Jacksonian Democratic Party. He won the Pennsylvania governor's race in 1829. Among his most notable achievements was the establishment of a statewide school system that ensured a proper education to all children regardless of financial or social status. In 1836, after losing the 1835 governor's race to Anti-Mason candidate Joseph Ritner, Wolf was appointed the nation's first comptroller of the U. S. Treasury by President Andrew Jackson.

Wolf married Mary Erb in 1798 and the couple had at least eight sons and one daughter. Wolf died in Philadelphia in 1840.

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Scope and Contents note

The George Wolf papers, in five boxes, primarily span Wolf's tenure as governor of Pennsylvania from 1829 to 1835; however, there are a few documents that fall outside this date range. The collection consists almost entirely of incoming letters addressed to Wolf, and everything is arranged alphabetically by author, item, or organization. The predominant correspondents include state and national politicians, judges, lawyers, and businessmen and the overarching discussions in the letters concern politics and Wolf's administration. At least some letters directly discuss the Democratic or Republican parties in Pennsylvania. There is little that sheds light on Wolf's personal life, his family, or his career before or after the Pennsylvania governorship.

Scattered among the correspondence are other papers such as petitions, essays, recommendations, and invitations. Virtually all items are addressed to Wolf; however some letters are addressed to other people, such as President Andrew Jackson and Pennsylvania politician Henry Beuhler. For the most part, there exists only one or a few letters from each correspondent listed. But there are larger groups of letters from some individuals including Pennsylvania senators George Mifflin Dallas (Box 1, Folder 55) and Isaac D. Barnard (Box 1, Folder 18), Judge Charles B. Penrose (Box 3, Folder 51), and Pennsylvania representative Joel Barlow Sutherland (Box 4, Folder 56). There are also several folders (Box 5, folders 4-7) of letters from abolitionist and educator Roberts Vaux, many of which deal with Wolf's politics as they affected the Philadelphia region. Some of Vaux's letters also discuss Wolf's creation of a statewide public school system. There is one file of Wolf's outgoing correspondence in Box 5, Folder 26, as well as resolutions, petitions, and other official documents and drafts in Box 5, Folders 27 to 29.

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Administrative Information

Publication Information

 The Historical Society of Pennsylvania ; 2011

1300 Locust Street
Philadelphia, PA, 19107
215-732-6200

Conditions Governing Access note

The collection is open for research.

Immediate Source of Acquisition note

Provenance unknown.

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Controlled Access Headings

Geographic Name(s)

  • Pennsylvania--Politics and government.
  • United States--Politics and Government--19th century.

Occupation(s)

  • Politicians--Pennsylvania--Philadelphia

Personal Name(s)

  • Barnard, Isaac Dutton, 1791-1834.
  • Dallas, George Mifflin, 1792-1864.
  • Penrose, Charles Bingham, 1798-1857.
  • Sutherland, Joel Barlow, 1792-1861.
  • Vaux, Roberts, 1786-1836.

Subject(s)

  • Education--Pennsylvania--History.
  • Pennsylvania--History--1775-1865
  • Republican Party (Pa. : 1792-1828).

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Collection Inventory

Box

Papers, A-F 

 1
Box Folder

John B. Alexander (23 October 1830) 

 1 1

William and Joseph Amies (10 October 1835) 

 1 2

John Albright (4 January 1832) 

 1 3

Samuel Anderson (21 January 1834) 

 1 4

Joseph Ankrim (25 December 1832) 

 1 5

Anonymous (1831, 1832, 1834, undated) 

 1 6

John W. Ashmead (31 December 1833, 24 October 1834, undated) 

 1 7

Joseph B. Anthony (13 March 1834) 

 1 8

John M. Atwood (17 February 1834) 

 1 9

A. D. Bache (18 July 1835) 

 1 10

Christian Bachman (29 January 1835) 

 1 11

Samuel Badger (27 October 1830) 

 1 12

James Baird (6 November 1835) 

 1 13

George Baker (21, 22 October 1834) 

 1 14

Stephen Ballict (22 February 1834) 

 1 15

Ephraim Banks (1 January 1834) 

 1 16

James Bard (12 November 1835, 1 December 1835) 

 1 17

Isaac D. Barnard to Henry Buehler (1829-1833) 

 1 18

Fred Beates (5 March 1832) 

 1 19

Lewis D. Belair (11 March 1834) 

 1 20

Robert Bethell (25 November 1835) 

 1 21

Marks John Biddle (25 January 1830) 

 1 22

William M. Biddle (14 October 1830) 

 1 23

John Binns (11 November 1829) 

 1 24

Benjamin Bonsall (21 March 1834) 

 1 25

John Branch (5 December 1829) 

 1 26

Samuel Breck (30 October 1835) 

 1 27

F. E. Brewster (18, 25 September 1835) 

 1 28

William Carll Brewster (12 November 1835) 

 1 29

Daniel M. Brodhead (1832, 1835) 

 1 30

Peter A. Browne [recommendations of] (1827) 

 1 31

John C. Bueher (25 December 1832, 2 February 1833) 

 1 32

Henry Buehler (December 1834) 

 1 33

J. R. Burden (14 October 1830) 

 1 34

Charles Callaghan (29 May 1834, 1 June 1834) 

 1 35

James Callan (25 January 1833) 

 1 36

Robert A. Campbell (undated) 

 1 37

E. L. Carey and Abraham Hart (15 May 1834) 

 1 38

Andrew Carothers (12 October 1830) 

 1 39

Benjamin F. Carter (6, 14, 20 November 1834) 

 1 40

David Cash (22 May 1834) 

 1 41

Benjamin Champneys (14 March 1832) 

 1 42

Charles Chauncey (20 October 1829, 14 January 1830, 16 October 1830) 

 1 43

Benjamin Chew (31 March 1830) 

 1 44

D. Conner (21 August ____) 

 1 45

Charles Cope - American Convention for Promoting the Abolition of Slavery (17 December 1831) 

 1 46

Cornplanter (complaint by) (10 December 1832) 

 1 47

Lewis S. Coryell (17 September 1835, 16 October 1835) 

 1 48

Robert Cottingham (16 January 1830) 

 1 49

Charles S. Coxe (2 January 1830, 30 March 1832) 

 1 50

James S. Craft (18 January 1834) 

 1 51

H. Craig (28 September 1833) 

 1 52

John W. Cunningham (11 December 1833) 

 1 53

J. B. Dallas, Travanion Barlow Dallas (17 January 1834) 

 1 54

George Mifflin Dallas (1830-1835) 

 1 55

Adam Daniel (24 May 1834) 

 1 56

John Davis (15 January 1835) 

 1 57

Samuel Davis (2 January 1832) 

 1 58

Charles DeHass (2 November 1829) 

 1 59

Charles Ludwig Denbart (8 February 1834) 

 1 60

A. T. Dick (10 February 1835) 

 1 61

Henry D. Dietrich (16 October 1833) 

 1 62

Adam Diller (14 March 1832) 

 1 63

Asa Dimock (3 March 1834) 

 1 64

William J. Duane (27 January 1830, 4 May 1833) 

 1 65

William Duncan (27 October 1830) 

 1 66

Thomas Dunlap (14 April 1833) 

 1 67

T. W. Dyott (4 November 1834; 20, 25 November 1834) 

 1 68

Eastern State Penitentiary (19 May 1829) 

 1 69

N. B. Eldred (11 November 1835) 

 1 70

William Folwell (17 February 1834) 

 1 71

John Fox (29 January 1834, 12 May 1834) 

 1 72

Samuel R. Franklin (26 March 1834) 

 1 73

Henry G. Freeman (22 October 1830, 1 November 1830) 

 1 74

Joseph Fry (26 March 1835) 

 1 75

John L. Fuller (11 December 1833) 

 1 76

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Papers, G-L 

 2
Box Folder

Hugh Gaullagher (October 1830) 

 2 1

Jacob Gearhart (20 November 1833) 

 2 2

John B. Gibson (7 January 1834) 

 2 3

H. D. Gilpin (19 October 1833, 4 November 1834) 

 2 4

John W. Gloninger (19 October 1830) 

 2 5

Alexander Gordon (1835?) 

 2 6

James Gowan (1830-1832) 

 2 7

William Gracie (9 February 1830) 

 2 8

W. Graham (15 October 1830) 

 2 9

R. G. Greene (10 November 1832) 

 2 10

Nancy Grier (21 April 1829) 

 2 11

Arnold Halbach (22 May 1834) 

 2 12

Frederick John Haller (11 December 1832) 

 2 13

John Hallowell (30 January 1833; 30, 31 January 1834) 

 2 14

John Harper (14 October 1830, 9 March 1833) 

 2 15

Theophilus Harris (4 December 1835) 

 2 16

David Hassinger (1830, 1831, 1835) 

 2 17

Jos. K. Hassinger (23 November 1832) 

 2 18

Jesse Hawley (25 January 1834) 

 2 19

Peter Hay (20 December 1830, 10 December 1833) 

 2 20

William J. Hay (4 December 1829) 

 2 21

Alexander L. Hayes (9 November 1829) 

 2 22

William Hays (11 November 1829) 

 2 23

Charles E. Heath (24 October 1835) 

 2 24

George M. Heckman (6 February 1838) 

 2 25

Samuel Heistzelman (17 November 1834) 

 2 26

Isaac Heister (21 November 1829) 

 2 27

John P. Helfenstein (7 March 1834) 

 2 28

Jacob Hentz (14 January 1832) 

 2 29

George Hess Jr. (9 November 1835) 

 2 30

J. Heyberger (4 November 1834) 

 2 31

W. W. Hodges (14 February 1834) 

 2 32

Robert Hodgson (3 February 1833) 

 2 33

Henry Horn (27 October 1830, 8 February 1834) 

 2 34

Caroline Horton (9 March 1839) 

 2 35

A. M. Howell (13 November 1834) 

 2 36

William Hummel (30 January 1833) 

 2 37

Charles J. Ingersoll (19 March 1834) 

 2 38

Edward Ingersoll (26 October 1830) 

 2 39

John R. Ingersoll (13 January 1830) 

 2 40

Samuel D. Ingham (1829-1831, undated) 

 2 41

Robert Innes (14 January 1831) 

 2 42

Invitations [arranged chronologically] (1826-1835, 1846, undated) 

 2 43

C. J. Jack (3 December 1830) 

 2 44

J. C. Johnson (18 April 1833, 9 July 1834) 

 2 45

William F. Johnson (24 October 1835) 

 2 46

Phineas Jenks (20 November 1832) 

 2 47

Joel Jones (1829-1835) 

 2 48

Jesse Kersey (1 February 1833) 

 2 48

Adam King (24 January 1833) 

 2 49

Edward King (1829-1830, 1834-1835) 

 2 50

Henry King (1830, 1832) 

 2 51

John J. Krider (24 November 1834) 

 2 52

J. Clark Lawry (24 August? 1834) 

 2 53

William Lawson (3 March 1834) 

 2 54

Abner Leacock (30 December 1833) 

 2 55

Robert Leaman (10, 11 March 1834) 

 2 56

William J. Leiper (8 December 1833, 24 November 1834) 

 2 57

Henry Leech (13 November 1834) 

 2 58

J. M. G. Lescure (20 December 1834) 

 2 59

Ellis Lewis (9 February 1835) 

 2 60

C. Lombaert (24 November 1829) 

 2 61

Eliakim Littell (9 January 1832, 6 November 1833, 15 February 1834) 

 2 62

Martin Lowrie (6 February 1834) 

 2 63

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Papers, M-P 

 3
Box Folder

C. MacAlester (1 December 1834) 

 3 1

Job Mann (10 December 1833) 

 3 2

Nicholas Marselis (14 February 1834) 

 3 3

Jacob Marshall (18 February 1834, 30 December 1834) 

 3 4

Charles H. Matthews (21 January 1835, 22 April 1835) 

 3 5

George Lewis Mayer (25 February 1834) 

 3 6

Robert B. McAfee (25 November 1830) 

 3 7

Alex McCaraher (2 May 1834, 3 May 1835) 

 3 8

David McClure (12 February 1834) 

 3 9

James McCormick (3 November 1834) 

 3 10

Samuel A. McCoskry (14 October 1830) 

 3 11

William McCreery (15 December 1829) 

 3 12

Anthony A. McDonough (5 May 1835) 

 5 13

Charles McDowell (31 October 1833) 

 3 14

James McKean (1 February 1833) 

 3 15

Samuel McKean (1829, 1833-1835) 

 3 16

Thomas McKean (22 June 1830) 

 3 17

William McKie (31 March 1832) 

 3 18

Daniel McLaughlin (31 March 1830) 

 3 19

J. B. Mitchell (29 November 1833, 23 December 1833) 

 3 20

James Mease (11 February 1830) 

 3 21

James Merrill (10 May 1833) 

 3 22

Benjamin Mifflin (26 November 1834) 

 3 23

D. H. Miller (1829-1830) 

 3 24

Isaac Miller (7 December 1835) 

 3 25

Jacob S. Miller (18 January 1834) 

 3 26

John Mitchell (1 April 1835) 

 3 27

William B. Mitchell (24 June 1833, 26 March 1853, 29 January 1835) 

 3 28

Theodore M. Montgomery (14 September 1835, undated) 

 3 29

Peter Moser (21 September 1835) 

 3 30

J. Moss (18 March 1834) 

 3 31

Henry Myers (2 March 1835, 16 April 1835) 

 3 32

John Naglee (2 September 1835) 

 3 33

Charles Nes (4 February 1833) 

 3 34

Charles Nesin (1 July 1834, 25 August 1834) 

 3 35

H. Niemeyer (21 April 1834) 

 3 36

Michael Nisbet (8 September 1835) 

 3 37

Henry Nixon (11 July? 1834) 

 3 38

Joseph B. Norberry (30 March 1832) 

 3 39

Thomas Officer (17 January 1834) 

 3 40

Joseph Osborn (28 April 1835) 

 3 41

James Page (7 October 1830) 

 3 42

Richard Palmer (25 May 1833) 

 3 43

T. F. Parker (16 October 1835) 

 3 44

Robert Patterson (2 January 1834, undated) 

 3 45

Benjamin Patton (11 March 1834) 

 3 46

William Patton [includes "Slave Question" essay] (28 April 1835, undated) 

 3 47

Stephen Paysan (24 November 1835) 

 3 48

H. Pfeiffer (25 July 1835) 

 3 49

Caleb Peirce (11 June 1834) 

 3 50

Charles B. Penrose (1830, 1833-1834) 

 3 51

Henry Pettebone (20 March 1835) 

 3 52

Charles Pettit (23 April 1830) 

 3 53

Thomas M. Pettit (1826, 1833, 1835) 

 3 54

W. Pfaff (1834) 

 3 55

Benjamin Phillips (9 January 1834) 

 3 56

Edward Poole (11 March 1835) 

 3 57

James M. Porter (25 October 1835) 

 3 58

Samuel Potts (6 February 1834) 

 3 59

John Hare Powel (20 February 1832) 

 3 60

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Papers, R-U 

 4
Box Folder

Mary Ralston (1 December 1833) 

 4 1

William Ramsey (1829-1831) 

 4 2

Archibald Randall (27 January 1834) 

 4 3

Josiah Randall (30 October 1830) 

 4 4

Matthew Randall (1829, undated) 

 4 5

John Rankin (18 March 1834) 

 4 6

Mr. Rapp (31 January 1831, 5 February 1831) 

 4 7

Frederick A. Rauch (undated) 

 4 8

Almon H. Read (22 May 1833, 28 April 1835, 23 October 1835) 

 4 9

John Read (12 November 1833) 

 4 10

John M. Read (16 October 1834) 

 4 11

A. H. Reader (24 February 1833) 

 4 12

Levi Reynolds (1833, 1835) 

 4 13

John Rheiner (5 November 1834) 

 4 14

Owen Rice (21 January 1833) 

 4 15

Benjamin W. Richards (9 October 1830, 11 March 1834) 

 4 16

Samuel Ringwalt (20 April 1830) 

 4 17

William Robison (3 May 1833) 

 4 18

W. T. Rogers (5 January 1834) 

 4 19

James Ronaldson (6 February 1832) 

 4 20

John Ross (9 February 1830) 

 4 21

A. L. Roumfort (22 November 1834) 

 4 22

William Ruff (24 November 1834) 

 4 23

H. Russell (28 February 1836) 

 4 24

Maria C. Russell (25 January 1836) 

 4 25

Jacob Sallade (17 September 1834) 

 4 26

Wilhem Schmöle (9 May 1834) 

 4 27

James Schott (8, 9 January 1830) 

 4 28

Rev. Edmond de Schweinitz (29 April 1852; 12, 15 May 1852) 

 4 29

Edwin T. Scott (28 February 1832) 

 4 30

John M. Scott (1829, 1830, 1832, 1834) 

 4 31

William Sebring (10 October 1832) 

 4 32

Capt. Samuel Seely (27 June 1833) 

 4 33

John Sergeant (13 January 1830, 16 December 1830, 24 March 1832) 

 4 34

Thomas Sergeant (4 February 1834) 

 4 35

John Shaw (4 December 1829) 

 4 36

Daniel Sheffer (5 November 1832) 

 4 37

C. Shunk (12 November 1832) 

 4 38

Thomas H. Sill (28 January 1834) 

 4 39

Henry Simpson (1829, 1830, 1834) 

 4 40

James K. Simpson (8 December 1835) 

 4 41

James Sinton (10 January 1830) 

 4 42

Adam Slemmer (27 April 1833, 10 May 1833, 21 December 1834) 

 4 43

Francis A. Smith (13 February 1832) 

 4 44

John M. Snowden (28 April 1835) 

 4 45

Joseph Solms (2 January 1832) 

 4 46

Jacob Souder (15 November 1830) 

 4 47

Stewart Steel (5 March 1834) 

 4 48

John B. Sterigere (11 January 1830) 

 4 49

Cornelius Stevenson (27 January 1830) 

 4 50

William Stewart (24 April 1833) 

 4 51

Nimrod Strickland (26 December 1834) 

 4 52

David Stroud (30 April 1830) 

 4 53

George M. Stroud (18 February 1834) 

 4 54

John F. Stump (26 November 1834) 

 4 55

Joel Barlow Sutherland (1829-1834) 

 4 56

William H. Sumner (7 February 1834) 

 4 57

William Swetland (8 January 1833) 

 4 58

Col. John M. Taylor [includes letters to Andrew Jackson] (1829, 1830, 1833) 

 4 59

John Thaw (16 December 1829) 

 4 60

George Thomas (15 February 1834) 

 4 61

Henry Toland (25 November 1834) 

 4 62

Col. Simpson Torbert (4 February 1833) 

 4 63

Jacob Urban (7 December 1835) 

 4 64

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Papers, V-Z and unidentified 

 5
Box Folder

H. H. Van Amringe (1829, 1832, 1833, 1934) 

 5 1

W. F. Van Amringe (22 April 1833, 4 January 1834) 

 5 2

John Vaughan (28 December 1833) 

 5 3

Roberts Vaux (1829-1835) 

 5 4-7

David D. Wagener (1830, 1834-1835) 

 5 8

Jacob Wagener (1832, 1834) 

 5 9

Peter Wager (4, 21 November 1834) 

 5 10

Mrs. J. Walter (30 March 1846) 

 5 11

John Wanner (20 April 1830) 

 5 12

Christopher L. Ward (9 January 1835, 9 February 1835, 28 April 1835) 

 5 13

John G. Watmough (30 March 1832) 

 5 14

George Watterston (30 December 1833) 

 5 15

H. A. Weir (undated) 

 5 16

Dilworth Wentz (4 February 1833) 

 5 17

Ross Wilkins (20 November 1833) 

 5 18

A. Williams (21 July 1835) 

 5 19

John Williamson (14 October 1830) 

 5 20

John A. Willink (1 May 1834) 

 5 21

J. A. Wilson (17 September 1835) 

 5 22

John Wilson (29 April 1835) 

 5 23

Thomas I. Wharton (27 October 1830) 

 5 24

William White (12 February 1834) 

 5 25

George Wolf [letters from] (1826-1835) 

 5 26

George Wolf [resolutions, petitions, proceedings of meetings, subscribers, committees, etc.] (1817-1835) 

 5 27-29

Samuel Wonderly (3 December 1833) 

 5 30

Samuel R. Wood (3 February 1833, 11 December 1833, 4 January 1834) 

 5 31

Apollos Woodward (3 January 1834) 

 5 32

Jacob Ziegler (26 June 1835) 

 5 33

Unidentified, unsigned, unknown (1838, undated) 

 5 34

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