Joseph Saulkill potter
1853 philadelphia City directory - john potter
DOCUMENT A
This is the 1853 Philadelphia City Directory. In this document, Joseph’s father, John I. Potter, is listed. He is recorded as working as a wheelwright and living at N. 38th Powelton St. The job John Potter held at Joseph’s birth would be one he would keep for his whole life. This document was used to confirm what home Joseph was living in when he was born. As well as the household and neighborhood he would spend his young childhood in. It also helps to establish the trend in the family's moves, which occurred often. This document provides more information on Joseph’s family life and location at the time of his birth.
1860 UNITED STATES FEDERAL CENSUS - JOSEPHINE FITLER
DOCUMENT B
This 1860 U.S. federal census gave information on the childhood of Joseph’s first wife, Josephine Wonderly Gordon Fitler. In 1860, she was seven years old living with her parents, brother, and sister, in Philadelphia Ward 16. Her father, Joseph P. Fitler (43), was a physician, while her sister, Ellen (30), kept the house. Her brother Charles (16), was a conveyancer. Josephine and her sister Emily (10), attended school. The family’s estate value was recorded as $7,000 and due to her father’s occupation as a physician, they were presumably wealthy. At the time, they also had two other people living with them, Mary Hamelton (50), and Goteleb Fischer (20), domestics from Ireland and Germany respectively. Yet another attestation to the fact they were wealthy. We used this census information to gain insight into how Josephine grew up. She most likely grew up financially stable and was awarded schooling opportunities that others were not. They had enough money to hire servants as extra help in the house with the kids, who didn’t have a mother in the house. We used this information in the biography for more background on Josephine’s life prior to Joseph. To establish a narrative about Josephine before she met Joseph.
DEATH CERTIFICATE OF ROBERT YOUNG POTTER
1866
DOCUMENT C
This document states that Robert Y. Potter, Joseph’s younger brother, was buried on April 17, 1866. This was two days after he died. Unfortunately, Robert only lived to the age of three and died of an unknown cause. It was found in The Woodlands Cemetery list of internments for 1866. We used the document to prove when Joseph’s younger brother was buried, and to describe the devastation that the family must have went through after such an early death. However this document does not provide a cause of death, or any specifics. There are very little documents on his cause of death due to how young he was.
1867, Feb 13 - Central High School acceptees, The Philadelphia Inquirer
DOCUMENT D
In February of 1867, Joseph S. Potter was accepted into Central High School. He had a standardized test score of 70.8 out of 100 and fell in the middle of his class. The acceptances were released in the newspaper, The Philadelphia Inquirer, a week after the test was administered. The article also states the middle school where each Central High School acceptee was coming from. Joseph was coming from the Newton Grammar School, but West Philadelphia was listed next to his name. We confirmed that he came from the Newton Grammar School after contacting the Central archives. We used this document to determine Joseph’s test scores when entering Central High School. We can infer that Joseph was quite an average student, but he improved by the end of high school, earning a score of 90.9. We also used this document to confirm when Joseph was accepted into Central High School, February of 1867.
1870 united states federal census
bessie lincoln carpenter
DOCUMENT E
In 1870, when Bessie was just one year old, she was living in Allegheny County, Pennsylvania. The Census records that she was also living with her father, Casper Carpenter (33), a freight agent, her mother, Mary (31), who kept house, and her brother Edwin (8), who attended school. Her family was very wealthy and had a real estate value of $20,000. This allowed the family to hire a domestic, Lizzie Nuhn (25), and a laborer from England, Charles Stevens (52), who also lived in the house with them. We used this census to gain background on Joseph’s second wife, Bessie Lincoln Carpenter Potter. We discovered that she had a stable childhood and grew up with a considerable amount of money. We can infer that she most likely brought some of this money with her into marriage with Joseph.
1870 Federal census - joseph potter
DOCUMENT F
This 1870 federal census shows that at sixteen years old, Potter was living with with parents, brother, sister, and maternal grandmother on 3841 Baring Street. He was unemployed and attending school. At the time, his father, John (45), was a wheelwright, his mother, Rebecca (42), kept the house, and his sister, Sidney (18), was a schoolteacher. His brother William (15) was also attending school and his grandmother Sydney H. Wilkinson (66) stayed at home. Everyone in the house was educated. The estate was valued at $600. We used this information to help us visualize what their family life was like and how they lived. His family was obviously not wealthy as his sister worked to add an extra source of income. We also inferred that they were a close knit family as Rebecca’s mother lived with them. Although they were not wealthy, they put education at the forefront and Sidney carried that with her as she became a school teacher as a profession.
1870, Feb - bessie baptism
DOCUMENT G
This register of infant baptists from the Presbyterian Church that Bessie’s family attended as a child allowed us to delve deeper into the life of Joseph’s second wife. Bessie Lincoln Carpenter was baptised before the age of one on February 5, 1870. Seeing as she was baptised so shortly after birth, it is safe to assume that religion was an integral part of her life. We can infer that she was raised in the church and it remained a pillar in her life following her departure from her parent’s house, as she and Joseph married in Presbyterian Church in Germantown in June of 1910.
central high school yearbook - joseph potter
DOCUMENT H
This is the 1871 Central High School yearbook. From these few pages we were able to find out more about the details of Joseph Potter’s educational background following his time at Newton Grammar School. In the yearbook it Joseph’s records his GPA at Central. It was listed as a 90.9 out of 100. We can infer from this document that Joseph Potter grew up in a relatively financially stable family since he was able to attend school, unlike many children at the time who were required to work from home to support their families. We can also assume that he was an above average student considering his GPA.
1872 - Last will and testament of joseph pfeiffer fitler
DOCUMENT I
This is the will of Joseph Pfeiffer Fitler. Joseph Pfeiffer was a prominent physician in Philadelphia in the late 1800s. Above all he was the father of Josephine Wonderly Gordon Fitler Potter, Joseph’s first wife. As a physician, Dr. Fitler was a fairly prosperous man. As well as coming from a long line of other physicians, their family’s money in contribution to his own wages made him quite wealthy. Thus he was able to leave a lot of money to his children and their families. We see he split his fortune equally amongst his children, including Josephine Fitler. However, he gave more to his first born son, a common practice. From this it is also assumed that since Dr. Fitler passed while Josephine was alive, much of his fortune also benefited Joseph.
1873 city directory - joseph potter
DOCUMENT J
Joseph S. Potter was working as a clerk for Folwell Brothers and Company at 229 Market Street in 1872. He lived on 24 N. 39th Street in between West Powelton and Drexel University. Joseph was a clerk at the company for just two years before being promoted to salesman. We used this document to describe Potter’s living situation and occupation in 1873. From this, we can infer that Joseph was a hard worker and stood out. He was also making a large enough salary to move out of his family home and live independently.
1874 City directory - joseph potter
DOCUMENT K
In 1874, Joseph S. Potter was promoted from clerk to salesman for Folwell Brothers and Company. His office was on 819 Market Street. He continued to live on 24 N. 39th Street. Joseph only held this role in the company for a year before being promoted to bookkeeper. We used this city directory to prove Potter’s success at Folwell Brothers and Company, as he was quickly promoted to a higher position in the company. Again, this document proves that Joseph’s hard work did not go unrecognized at Folwell Brothers and Company. He continued to rise through the ranks because of his work ethic and continued to live independently.
1875 city directory - joseph potter
DOCUMENT L
Joseph S. Potter was working as a bookkeeper for Folwell Brothers and Company in 1875. Potter would hold this position for thirteen years before being promoted to secretary and treasurer of the company. He also moved to 3819 Powelton Avenue in the West Powelton neighborhood that same year. This house was just a few blocks away from his previous home on 39th street. We used this document to determine when Potter began working as a bookkeeper for Folwell Brothers and Company and where he was living during that time. From this information, we can assume that Joseph was very loyal to his job, determined to make his way up in the Folwell company. This persistent quality likely served him well, seeing as he made enough money to move his residence yet another time.
1879 city directory - joseph potter
DOCUMENT M
In 1879, Joseph S. Potter was still working as a bookkeeper for Folwell Brothers and Company. He held the job of bookkeeper for thirteen years until he was promoted to the position of secretary and treasurer of the company. The document also shows that he moved back to his childhood home, on 3841 Barring Street, which was only a short walk away from his previous home. This directory also has information on Joseph’s father, John I. Potter, who was also living at 3841 Barring St at the time and working as wheelwright. We can infer that he may have moved to be closer to the rest of his family, and possibly to be near his sister who had recently been widowed, and left to raise a child on her own. We used this document to determine when Potter was working as a bookkeeper for Folwell Brothers and Company and where he was living during that time.
1880 federal census - joseph potter
DOCUMENT N
This official 1880 Federal Census shows that at 27 years old, Joseph S. Potter was living with his parents at his childhood home, 3841 Baring Street, and working as a bookkeeper. According to the census, he was single, meaning that he was not in a legal marriage. It cannot be determined from the census whether or not he was in a relationship, but considering that he married his first wife, Josephine, in 1881, they were most likely courting each other at this point, considering the social etiquette of the time. The other people living in the house with him at the time were his father, John (54), who was working as a wheelwright and his mother, Rebecca (52), who kept the house, and his grandmother Sydney H. Wilkinson (77), who also stayed at home. Also living there at the time was his sister, Sidney, now Piersoll, (28), who was a schoolteacher, recently widowed and left to care for her son, William H. Piersoll (6). We used this census to envision Joseph’s home life. We can infer that his family was close considering that most of his immediate family lived under the same roof. We may also infer that living with one’s family into adulthood was not uncommon, even for people with stable jobs. It may also have been rare for widowed women to live alone and possibly a reason Sidney moved back in with her parents.
February 2nd 1881 - joseph potter and josephine fitler marriage certificate
DOCUMENT O
This marriage certificate provided by the Orphans Court of Philadelphia legalizes the marriage between Joseph Potter and Josephine Wonderly Gordon Fitler Potter. The couples names are surrounded by other couples married around the same time. The couple was married on February 2nd 1881 at an unspecified location. The limitations on this document are endless, the location of the wedding is unspecified, and it simply just mentions the name of the couple and the date of their marriage. Given the month the ceremony was most likely indoors. The main purpose of this document serves to legalize the marriage of Joseph and Josephine Potter.
1882 philadelphia city directory - joseph potter
DOCUMENT P
Joseph S. Potter lived on 2218 Spruce Street in 1882. This house was in the Rittenhouse Square neighborhood. At the time, Joseph had recently moved out of 3841 Baring Street, his parents’ home, to live with his new wife Josephine. He continued to work as a bookkeeper at Folwell Brothers and Company. We can infer from this document that Joseph and Josephine wanted to move out of Joseph’s childhood home quite quickly after their marriage. We can also imagine that Joseph must have been making a reasonable amount of money from his bookkeeping job at Folwell Brothers and Company, as we was able to move into the costly Rittenhouse area.
1884 philadelphia city directory - joseph potter
DOCUMENT Q
Joseph S. Potter lived on 4802 Hancock Street in Germantown in 1884. This significant move across the city would begin Joseph’s life and involvement in the Germantown area and community, as it was the first of his many houses in the neighborhood. Potter continued working as a bookkeeper for Folwell Brothers and Company despite the move. We used this document to signify this important move for Joseph, as he would live in Germantown for the remainder of his life. We can also infer that Joseph was comfortable enough at his job at Folwell Brothers and Company that his move to a different part of the city did not affect his work there.
Charles henry potter gravestone
DOCUMENT R
This source is the headstone of Joseph Potter’s first son, Charles Henry Potter. His gravestone was also found at the Woodland’s Cemetery in the same plot as the rest of the Potter family. We can infer that his gravestone is smaller than all the others because he only lived from November 7, 1882 to January 15, 1884, dying at the age of one. With this source we found out that he had a son, a piece of information that did not appear in many records due to the fact that he died at such a young age. We also used this for his birth and death date. We can also infer that he died from unknown reasons or very suddenly, because there are no records about it.
1887 philadelphia city directory - joseph potter
DOCUMENT S
In 1887, Joseph S. Potter was still working as a bookkeeper for Folwell and Brothers and Company. Considering that he held the job for thirteen years before being promoted, he was most likely reliable, hardworking and loyal. Joseph is listed as living at School Lane and Morris Street. This directory also lists his first wife Josephine Wonderly Gordon Filter, whom he wed in early 1881. In this directory it is recorded that she was working as a clerk. Interestingly, Josephine is not listed as living in the same house as Joseph, but instead at 161 N. 15th St. From this we learned his position at Folwell Brother and about his living situation at the time.
1887, may 9 - kirk and nice funeral home - josephine fitler potter
DOCUMENT T
Following Josephine’s death in 1887, her post-mortem affairs were taken care of by Kirk and Nice Undertakers. The company had consistently dealt with the services following the passing of her other family members. This identification form not only aided the funeral service company and Board of Health in organization and recordkeeping, but also gifted us valuable information regarding the date and location of her passing. Based on the timing of her death, we were able to infer that this would have seriously impacted Joseph’s life. In addition to his wife dying so suddenly and so young, Joseph was left to raise Clarence who was only about four years old. Joseph, at the time was a bookkeeper, but we can infer he had great ambitions which he may have felt were no longer an option because of his wife’s sudden death. We now know that this sad loss in Joseph’s life did not stop him from achieving greatness or raising a successful son and becoming successful himself.
1887 - funeral arrangements - josephine fitler
DOCOUMENT U
In May of 1887, Joseph S. Potter took on the responsibility of planning a funeral for his late wife Josephine. Joseph ordered a walnut casket for Josephine with detailings including silk cloth and yellow satin lining. The total cost of the casket was $244, which is about $6,295 in today’s money. We used the funeral arrangements to describe Josephine’s funeral. It is obvious that Joseph spent a significant amount of money for his wife’s funeral. Perhaps he felt guilty of his wife’s sudden death or he was simply distraught. We can infer that he was financially stable and willing to spend large amounts of money on the people he loved.
1887 - ad for girard insurance company - the philadelphia inquirer
DOCUMENT V
The offices of the Girard Life Insurance Company were located on 2020 Chestnut Street in 1887. When Joseph was working there, the offices were located on the Drexel campus. The life insurance company did business such as insuring lives, granting annuities, allowing interest on money deposits, providing vaults for customers to rent, keeping wills without charge, and storing valuables, along with other types of business. All types of this business were monetary related and typical of an insurance company. We used this Newspaper article from The Philadelphia Inquirer to gain an idea of what kind of business the Girard Life Insurance Company was involved in. As well as their type of work and the people they hired. As well as to gain a better idea of company as a whole. We can assume that as treasurer of a finance oriented company there was quite a lot he had to do. We can also see that he was working alongside big names such as John Wanamaker.
1888 philadelphia city directory - joseph potter
DOCUMENT W
In 1888, Joseph S. Potter was promoted to secretary and treasurer at Folwell Brothers and Company. Subsequently, he was moved to the main office of the company at 625 Chestnut Street in Center City. As an integral part of the operation and management of the company, Joseph’s new workplace, in the heart of the city, was a symbol of his growth and success. He also lived on 56 West Tulpehocken Street in Germantown with his son Clarence, not a far move from their previous home. We used this city directory to show Joseph’s final promotion to secretary and treasurer of Folwell Brothers and Company after his previous sixteen years of work there, with thirteen of them as bookkeeper. This shows Joseph's large role in this influential company in Philadelphia, as well as his progress through the rankings of Folwell Bro & Co. We also used this document to show Joseph’s moves through Germantown, this being his second home in the neighborhood.
1890, may 4 - beauty and fashion - germantown glee club
DOCUMENT X
This is a newspaper clipping from The Philadelphia Inquirer. It is under the section in the newspaper that summarizes the socials events of the previous week. On May 4, 1890, the paper recaps the event of the previous night, the Concert of the Germantown Glee Club and gives a synopsis of the performances. According to the newspaper it was an important social event in Germantown. The clipping also gives a list of members in the club and a list of the attendees of night. On that list of concert attendees, was Joseph Potter. From this document we can infer that Joseph was part of the community and a lover of the arts.
1890, may 14 - united states passport application - joseph potter
DOCUMENT Y
This is the application form for a United States Passport. From this government document we are given a physical description of Joseph Potter, which is the best visual aid we have since we could not find an actual photograph. He is described as a being 5’8, having a high forehead, rather prominent forehead, small mouth, narrow and bearded chin, with brown hair and a long face. While this does not a give a clear picture of what Joseph Potter looked like, we do get an idea. Not only do we get a physical description, but the application implies that he was wealthy enough to be able to travel in the first place. As Fred Barton, a distant relative of Joseph Potters, mentioned, Folwell Brother’s and Company often traveled to Europe to find textiles. So we can possibly deduce that the passport was business related.
1891 philadelphia city directory - joseph potter
DOCUMENT Z
In this 1891 Philadelphia city directory Joseph Potter moves again. Joseph S. Potter continued working as secretary and treasurer for Folwell Brothers and Company in 1891. He was now living on 110 West Tulpehocken Street in Germantown. This is the second house that Joseph Potter lived at on W. Tulpehocken Street. He would go on to live at this residence for five years before moving to another Tulpehocken residence. We used this document to show that Joseph continuously moved around the Germantown neighborhood, all while maintaining his job at Folwell Brothers and Company.
1891 - collingwood mills folwell borther & co.
DOCUMENT AA
This map of Folwell Brothers and Company shows its factory occupying the entirety of 3rd and Cambria Streets. There are two images on the page, a three dimensional model of the building and a floor plan. Each section of the floor plan is labeled with a number and a description of the area’s purpose in the factory. These maps allowed us to determine the large size of the Folwell Brothers and Company factory, also known as the Collingwood Mills. We were also able to deduce the notability of the company from this image, as the factory was rather large. We are able to put into perspective the enormity of Joseph Potter’s line of work and gain an idea of what he might have seen on a day to day basis. This image of the factory gave us an idea of the magnitude of the company and its success as well as the level of importance of Joseph Potter’s job. While he took on a plethora of jobs in his lifetime, we can infer from this photo that in order to obtain the relatively high position in a company that employed around 1,000 people, he had to have worked himself very hard.
1893 - cornelius Co. misfortune - the times (philadelphia pennsylvania)
DOCUMENT AB
In 1893, the Cornelius & Rowland Company was sued for manufacturing faulty gas fixtures. Their dues to the companies and individuals affected by these malfunctions added up to $37,460.41. They were forced to pay the judgements immediately. The attorney representing the Cornelius & Rowland Company believed that they had solely fallen under hard times. This Newspaper article also shows that the Cornelius & Rowland Company had been around for a long time under many different names, but in 1893, was owned by John C. Cornelius and George L. Rowland. We used this document to describe the Cornelius & Rowland Company before Joseph began working there. This gives us evidence as to why Joseph may have decided to become a creditor for the company. It also helps us contextualize how much debt the company was in prior to Joseph’s work there.
1896 - 225 west tulpehocken map (wm. weightman)
DOCUMENT AC
This map of the 22nd Ward of Philadelphia, in Germantown, shows all of the houses in the area and their owners. Joseph S. Potter lived on 225 West Tulpehocken Street, a home that he rented. The house was owned by William Weightman, another influential businessman in Philadelphia. The house on Tulpehocken was significantly smaller than the others on the street, but still quite large. This map of Philadelphia's 22nd ward shows us that Joseph nor any of his family members or friends owned the house that they lived in. We also used this document to identify Joseph’s living situation as a renter and determine the size of his house and what it looked like.
1896 philadelphia city directory - joseph potter
DOCUMENT AD
In 1896, Joseph S. Potter continued to work as secretary and treasurer for Folwell Brothers and Company. He was living on 225 West Tulpehocken Street in Germantown. Joseph would remain living in this house until his death in 1919, with many other residents moving in and out throughout the years as boarders. We used this city directory to document the first year that Joseph lived on 225 West Tulpehocken Street. We also can infer that Potter continued to thrive as secretary and treasurer for Folwell Brothers and Company. Continuing to steadily work there despite his many hectic moves around the Germantown neighborhood.
1896, feb 22 - central high school reunion
DOCUMENT AE
This Newspaper article from February 22, 1896 gives us valuable details on the morals of Joseph S. Potter during this busy time in his life. The article titled “Caught on The Fly” gave us information about the location of the reunion banquet, names of the attendants, and speakers. It also states that Joseph, along with a few other alumni, were invited back to the high school that afternoon by a man known as Professor Thompson and other members of the faculty. The fact that the article singles out this invitation, calling it “special” leads us to believe he was a man of honor and respect in his community. Seeing as he was one of the few named in the article in addition to being invited back to the school, it can be concluded that Joseph made a memorable impact on those in his community. We can deduce that he had a big personality during his high school days to be recognized in this context and that he was was seen as successful.
1896 - west philly boat club - the philadelphia inquirer
DOCUMENT AF
Joseph S. Potter was invited to and attended the 25th anniversary of the West Philadelphia Boat Club in April of 1896. The event was informal, with musical performances by Glee Clubs and symphonies from the area. Speeches were made by the president of the club and other influential members. This newspaper article from The Philadelphia Inquirer shows that Joseph Potter had enough money and importance in Philadelphia to be a member of the Boat Club. He presumably spent the warmer months of the year on the Schuylkill River chatting and exchanging ideas, and possibly making business deals, with other affluent businessmen in Philadelphia. We used this document to describe Joseph’s social life in Philadelphia, and to presume his importance in the neighborhood.
1897 - wolf-American bicycles - the philadelphia inquirer
DOCUMENT AG
This article describes how Wolff-American High-Art Cycles are manufactured by the Cornelius & Rowland Company, located on 1612 Chestnut Street. Wolff-American bikes are described as having excellent quality, and the company had twenty-five years of experience. We used this newspaper article from The Philadelphia Inquirer to describe the type of business that the Cornelius & Rowland Company was involved in. That who they sold to as well as the type of business they did. We can infer that the company produced high-quality materials because Wolff-American Company produced first-rate bicycles with said materials.
1897 - receiver for a big firm - the times
DOCUMENT AH
Joseph Potter is a stockholder of the Cornelius and Rowland Company, a company owned by his brother-in-law John C. Cornelius. He was a creditor for $2,820, but when the company was failing, he filed a bill ordering it to shut down and hire a receiver to handle its finances. The article states that the company had around $20,000 in assets but was over $20,000 in debt. This newspaper article in The Times shows that Joseph was wealthy, as he was able to credit a large sum of money to the Cornelius and Rowland Company, and he was a family man willing to help John when his company was at risk of going under. Unfortunately, after the bill was filed, the company was forced to shut down. We used this document to explain Joseph’s business with the Cornelius and Rowland Company and describe its credentials. As well as making connections as to why Joseph Potter is in the Creditors Association. Also we find out more about the Cornelius and Rowland company, such as where their offices are located at 1612 Chestnut Street and factories located in Camden, New Jersey.
1897 - joseph s potter sues cornelius & rowland company - the philadelphia inquirer
DOCUMENT AI
This newspaper clipping from The Philadelphia Inquirer is an article about The Cornelius and Rowland Company being sued by Joseph Potter. Joseph was a creditor for $2,820 as well as a stockholder in the company. The article proceeds by writing that the company had only $20,000 in assets and that it had been non lucrative for a long time. We can assume Joseph filed this lawsuit due to his large stake in the company and he most likely believed this was the last chance to save his money. We can also assume this was a bold risk for Joseph and something he probably pondered for a long time as John C. Cornelius, the treasurer of the company, was also a boarder at 225 West Tulpehocken Street. John Cornelius was also his brother in law.
1899 - genealogy of dr. francis joseph pfeiffer
DOCUMENT AJ
This book on Dr. Filters genealogy provided us with the knowledge that Josephine Wonderly Potter was a descendant of Dr. Francis Joseph Pfeiffer, a well-known Philadelphian doctor. Josephine was written into a book about him under the “And His Descendants” section. Her portion of the book states that she was born on May 14, 1847 and married Joseph Potter. It also states that she later died on May 5, 1887. Clarence Wonderly, Joseph and Josephine’s son, was also a descendant of Dr. Pfeiffer. We used this book to signify a long line of wealth in Josephine’s family, as Josephine was included in his long line of descendants of most which were prominent physicians. As well as a long line of important doctors in her family suggesting her family was of importance and most likely well known.
1900 united states federal census - joseph potter
DOCUMENT AK
The 1900 Federal Census gave us in depth information about the people Joseph and Clarence’s living situation. At this time, the two were living at 225 West Tulpehocken Street as boarders. The head of the house, and only other person listed living there, was John C. Cornelius. John was Joseph’s brother in law and almost most twenty years older than Joseph. We also know that John Cornelius married into Josephine's family by cross referencing Josephine's 1860 census, and seeing that her sister was named Emily C. Filter. As well as Joseph is labeled as brother in law in relation to the head of the house, John C. Cornelius.pass The census lists many details of each of the three men including their marital status including the age when married, occupation and literacy. All three men could read and write. From this document, we can infer that Joseph was friends and mingled with those of an educated background, like John. We are also able to say that John possibly gave Joseph a fair price to live there as he was Joseph’s relative.
1902 - clarence germantown academy statistics
DOCUMENT AL
In 1902, Clarence W. Potter was mentioned in the gag statistics section of his high school yearbook at the Germantown Academy. This confirms that Clarence was living on 225 West Tulpehocken Street during his high school life. That year, Joseph was eighteen years old and measured at five feet and eleven inches. He weighed 155 pounds. Clarence’s nickname at the Germantown Academy was Sleepy, and his occupation for the following year is listed as “U. of P.”, or University of Pennsylvania. Clarence’s hobby was Latin. His “principal illness” was “‘gravy’ on the knee” and his favorite exclamation was “You’re right but still—.” We used this document to describe Clarence’s high school life and contextualize him as a person. We can infer that he was quite a smart-alec with his favorite exclamation, but also a good student and athlete.
1902 - clarence w. potter graduating class
DOCUMENT AM
Clarence Potter, Joseph’s son, graduated from The Germantown Academy in 1902. His yearbook contained a lot of information about his high school life such as what sports and activities he participated in, and how his friends perceived him in high school. His yearbook displays a photo of him and the rest of his all male graduating class. Clarence Potter is seated in the second row from the bottom sitting in the chair on the second to left. Around him many boys who he would have seen every day for eight years and mostly likely around his neighborhood as well. While this does not provide much information but the size of his class and the year he graduated, it provides a picture of him. The picture of someone who died more than 100 years ago. The photo of him presents many similarities between him and his father’s passport description.
1902 - clarence the germantown academy - activities
DOCUMENT AN
In 1902, Clarence W. Potter time at Germantown Academy was summarized in this section of his high school yearbook. Clarence is listed as being the Treasurer of the Class, Chairman of Program Committee, part of Philo, the Recess Committee, Sigma, Debating Committee (‘01), the Football Team (‘01), the Second Football Team (‘99-’00), the Class Baseball Team (‘01), and the Athletic Association. Of all of these accomplishments, perhaps most notable is his involvement in the student government as the treasurer. From this we assume he looked up to his father and wanted to follow in his footsteps. We can also infer since he was on the Second Football Team he did not play much in his first two years on the team, rather began to play more as a junior. We can infer from this that Clarence was very involved in his high school community and from his positions was well known throughout the school. We can also infer that her cared a lot about academics and athletics.
1904, jan 8 - rebecca wilkinson potter obituary - the philadelphia inquirer
DOCUMENT AO
This newspaper clipping of Joseph’s mother’s obituary from The Philadelphia Inquirer was published on January 10, 1904. This was published following Rebecca’s death, which, according to the paper, happened on January 8, 1904. It also gives information about the time, place, and date of her funeral. Because we know that Rebecca was also in the same plot of Woodland’s Cemetery as Joseph, we can infer that that is also where her internment took place. We used this document to determine the death date of Rebecca Wilkinson Potter. We can also infer that since her death took place while Clarence Potter and John Albert Potter were at college, that it interrupted their studies and was an important event in their lives. As well as an important event in the lives of Joseph Potter and his siblings who were all fairly successful in their fields. This being their first parent to die most likely was quite difficult.
1906, march 2 - credit men in washington - the philadelphia inquirer
DOCUMENT AP
This newspaper article in The Philadelphia Inquirer details the creditors of different Philadelphia companies, going to Washington DC to listen in on bankruptcy hearings. These bankruptcy hearings were in accordance with the Bankruptcy Law. The Bankruptcy Law was put in place to protect business’ from creditors and conserve the rights of the companies. The congress that went to these hearings, went with prerogative to repeal this Law. The congress consisted of influential businessmen, including Joseph Potter, who were also the creditors of other businesses. Since Joseph Potter was a creditor, he most likely was to repeal the law that was trying to limit his power of The Cornelius & Rowland company.
From this document we can gather that Joseph Potter followed up on the affairs that he was invested in. That and he was an important enough figure in the business world to go to Washington and represent the association on these matters. Also he was invested in keeping his power and regulating his involvement in the company, he wanted to protect his rights and power within the company.
From this document we can gather that Joseph Potter followed up on the affairs that he was invested in. That and he was an important enough figure in the business world to go to Washington and represent the association on these matters. Also he was invested in keeping his power and regulating his involvement in the company, he wanted to protect his rights and power within the company.
1907 - potter's cornelius' - philadelphia blue book
DOCUMENT AQ
The Philadelphia Blue Book of 1907 listed all of the residents of 225 West Tulpehocken Street. More boarders had moved in at this time. Residents include “Mr. & Mrs. John C. Cornelius, John C. Cornelius, jr, Joseph S. Potter and The Misses Carpenter.” The Blue Books listed more influential people in the city that belonged to more prestigious clubs, such as the Germantown Cricket Club. From this document we can infer that “The Misses Carpenter” is Bessie, the woman Joseph married in 1910. We may also say that the house was quite large due to the fact that two families and an individual were able to live. We can assume that they were not living in too close quarters as John C. Cornelius and Joseph were both pretty successful businessmen and were likely to have been able to afford a nicer spacious home. They chose to live with one another for convenience and comfort rather than necessity.
1909 - clarence potter upenn yearbook - information of the diseased
DOCUMENT AR
This portion of the UPenn Yearbook was requested by a committee in order to properly document Clarence’s short life and time at school in their alumni catalogue. From these short question-and-answers we were able to catch a birds eye view of Clarence’s collegiate life which we can gather from this document spanned from around Fall of 1902 to June 1906. By the end of his Ivy League experience Clarence had earned a Bachelor’s degree in Arts Science and did not participate in any societies, clubs, and fraternities nor did he enter competitions or embark on any large research and publication projects. This document also allowed us to accumulate deeper details on the Potter family educational background, along with Joseph’s brother and nephew, John C. Cornelius and Doctor J. Albert Potter also hold the title of UPenn alumni. It is evident in this questionnaire of sorts that Clarence W. Potter did not partake in many extra activities or passions outside of the classroom other than working under Joseph at Folwell Brothers and Company. It is possible to infer that, relative to his father, he was not very involved in his community during this time. However he was still looked upon fondly by the community as he was given the friendly nickname of “Potts.”
1909 - kirk & nice undertakers - clarence w. potter
DOCUMENT AS
Clarence Wonderly Potter’s death certificate was signed by Kirk and Nice Undertakers, and he died on December 12, 1909. He was buried on December 14, 1909 at the Woodlands Cemetery. The document states his parents as Joseph Potter and Josephine Fitler. His primary cause of death was heart disease. It also states that he died at the age of 96 and it does not give his birth date. The document was signed by an illegible signature with no given address, presumably the signer worked at the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania, under the Bureau of Vital Statistics. The purpose of the document is to give facts about how he died, and give information to the burial company and cemetery. It also is to keep records of people and organize data efficiently. It can be inferred from this document that heart disease was possibly hereditary, as it is not normal for a recent college graduate to die so suddenly. Besides the fact he was quite young, doctors believed he would recover in the days leading up to his death, so we can assume he could have possibly had health issues throughout his life. We can also infer the sanitation was not perfect in these times and could have possibly contributed to his health failure.
december 1909 - clarence potter obituary
DOCUMENT AT
This page in the University of Pennsylvania alumni records displays the obituary of Clarence Wonderly Potter. Who was Joseph’s first son. The obituary was published a day after his death on December 13, 1909. The document informed us that Clarence’s death was not forthcoming, but rather due to sudden heart failure. While he had been feeling slightly sick a few days prior, it was unforeseen that the illness was fatal. The document also mentions his recently gained job working under his father at Folwell and provided details on the date and location of his funeral services. Also provided in Clarence’s alumni record is a letter from his uncle, William J. Potter, notifying the school of his nephew’s passing. Although the university was notified thirteen years later, we can infer that his uncle felt it was necessary to update Clarence’s legacy.
1910 united states federal census - joseph potter
DOCUMENT AU
In 1910, Joseph S. Potter lived on 225 West Tulpehocken Street. He lived alongside brother-in-law John C. Cornelius and his wife and son, along with five boarders and two servants. One of the boarders was Joseph’s future wife, Bessie Lincoln Carpenter. Bessie was from Ohio and was working as a teacher. Joseph continued working at Folwell Brothers and Company as the secretary and treasurer. We used this 1910 United States Federal Census to confirm that Bessie and Joseph were both living in 225 West Tulpehocken Street before they were married. We can infer that they were in a brief relationship before their marriage, as the census was written in April of that year. That and the two most likely met as Bessie was boarder in the house. Bessie was a school teacher.
1910 united states federal census - william potter
DOCUMENT AV
In the year 1910, William John Potter was living with six other people in his home: his wife of fifteen years, Catharine D. Potter, his two adult sons Joseph Albert and William Jr, his father John Ivestor Potter, and two white servants named Bessie McKinney and Catharine Bannan. All of the residents in his household spoke English, could read and write, and, excluding the two servants, were born in Pennsylvania. At this age of 54, William held a job working as a dentist and had even owned his own office.This census provided us with valuable information on William’s profession and aspects of his familial life. We can infer that William’s prestigious/well paying job as a dentist enabled him to afford two servants and other commodities to support his family.
1910 - bessie and joseph marriage license
DOCUMENT AW
Joseph S. Potter and Bessie Lincoln Carpenter were married in Germantown on June 18, 1910. They lived together on 225 West Tulpehocken Street at the time of their marriage. We used this document to determine when Joseph and Bessie got married. Because they were both living in Germantown—and in the same house—at the time, they were married in Germantown at the First Presbyterian Church. Seeing as though Joseph had no religious affiliations, we deduce it was Bessie’s idea to get married in the church. The document also contains many other couples that got married on the surrounding dates.
1913 philadelphia city directory - joseph potter
DOCUMENT AX
In 1913, Joseph was working with his brother-in-law John C. Cornelius and boss at Folwell Brothers and Company’s son, Nathan Folwell, at the Girard Life Insurance Company. He was the treasurer. Joseph continued to work as the secretary and treasurer for Folwell Brothers and Company at this time. He also continued living on 225 West Tulpehocken Street in Germantown. We used this city directory to determine Joseph’s role at the Girard Life Insurance Company. We can infer that Joseph was a family man, because even after closing Cornelius’ first company, he helped administrate his second one. We can also see stability in Joseph’s life, as he was able to handle two executive jobs with large companies.
1913 - girard life ins co. nathan folwell
DOCUMENT AY
The Girard Life Insurance Company offices were located at 501 Drexel Building while Joseph was working there. Joseph was the treasurer of the company. Nathan T. Folwell, the son of William Folwell (founder of Folwell Brothers and Company), was the president of the insurance company.We can infer from this document that Joseph S. Potter was working at the Girard Life Insurance Company due to friend and family connections, as he was working alongside Nathan T. Folwell, as well as brother-in-law John C. Cornelius. We used this document to state where the Girard Life Insurance Company offices were located, as well as who Joseph was working with at the company.
1913 - in a social way - the philadelphia inquirer
DOCUMENT AZ
In June of 1913 Joseph S. Potter and wife Bessie Carpenter Potter held a small dance at their large home on 225 West Tulpehocken Street. This social gathering proves that the Potters were social members of their Germantown community and wealthy enough to host a party for their neighbors. The couple even made it in The Philadelphia Inquirer with this event. Usually, only people of great stature in their neighborhood are able to hold a place in the newspaper by solely hosting a dance. We used this document to describe what Joseph and Bessie did in their spare time as a couple and draw attention to the social events that would occur in their neighborhood at the time.
1914 - bessie death certificate
DOCUMENT BA
Bessie’s certificate of death was written and filed on the 22nd of August, 1914 for and by the Department of Health Bureau of Vital Statistics of the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania. The document gave us valuable details about her death from the date of her death to the causes behind it - myocarditis and (illegible thing) - to the funeral company that performed her services. Given the relatively young age that she passed away, only 44 years old, it can be deduced that her health was most likely overall very poor and she may have had a family history of (fill in with the other cause of death if we ever decipher it and turns out it can be passed down because i’m not sure) We can also infer that sanitation was poorer than current day, which could have possibly propelled Bessie’s poor health or prior conditions. The early death of his first wife Josephine, the short life of his first son Charles and then the sudden death of his son Clarence was probably very very difficult for Joseph to live through, until he met Bessie, which he made his new family. We can infer that Bessie’s sudden death, just after four years of marriage, was another devastation for Joseph. This most likely left him very sad and lonely.
1914, aug 24 - bessie obituary
DOCUMENT BB
This newspaper clipping of Bessie’s obituary from The Philadelphia Inquirer was published on August 24, 1914 following Bessie’s death, which, according to the paper, happened on August 22, 1914. From this document we were able to accumulate further/deeper details on the individuals that have passed through Joseph’s life, such as the names of Josephine’s parents, where they are from, and the time, location, and attendees of her funeral. Given the fact that she grew up in Allegheny with both of her parents, it can be inferred that she did not have much time to accumulate many friends having only been in the area for four years since she married Joseph. This hypothesis is supported by the fact that the location of her funeral was held in their home, indicating that it was likely a small gathering for the few that knew her well.
1917 philadelphia city directory - joseph potter
DOCUMENT BC
According to the 1917 Philadelphia City Directory, Joseph had stopped working as the treasurer of Girard Life Insurance Company in 1917. But continued working as secretary and treasurer for Folwell Brothers and Company. He remained living on 225 West Tulpehocken Street in Germantown. We used this document to determine when Joseph ended his job at the Girard Life Insurance Company. This most likely corresponds to John C. Cornelius’ death in 1917. Cornelius was Joseph’s brother-in-law, housemate, and the secretary of the Girard Life Insurance Company. Most likely, Joseph believed that he did not need to work there after Cornelius passed away.
1919, jan 15 - joseph s potter death certificate
DOCUMENT BD
Joseph Potter’s Death Certificate was signed by Ms. Davis and Edward S. Rhoads, presumably someone who worked at the Department of Health in Philadelphia on January 16, 1919. The document gives facts about his life, medical history, family, and where he was buried. Joseph Potter died at the age of 65 on January 15, 1919, because of two medical illnesses. The primary reason for his death was Diabetes Mellitus, which he had for two years, and a contributory disease was Diabetic Gangrene of the Foot, which he had for fifty days. The certificate shows that he was a white male widower and it states the names of his parents, John Ivester Potter and Rebecca S. Wilkinson. His current job was a dry goods merchant. He was buried in Woodlands Cemetery on January 18, 1919. The purpose of the document is to inform doctors, family, and people who worked at the cemetery, about Joseph Potter
1919, jan 16 - joseph s potter obituary
DOCUMENT BE
Joseph Potter’s obituary was published in the Evening Public Ledger on the 16th of January 1919. The obituary not only gave an overview of Joseph’s life but also further clarified Josephs progression through Folwell Bro & Co as well as giving us an accurate starting year for his occupation. While the text gave us a brief overview of his life, it was not his full story. His obituary also mentions him passing after a “brief illness” which we have interpreted as Joseph not knowing, in accordance with his death certificate, that he had diabetes. Given the research done on this disease it is probable. His death, titled “Death of the Day” also implies that he was a fairly important man. As well in contrast with the other obituaries gathered in the duration of this project, Joseph’s obituary was considerably longer than the others. People of higher stature typically receive longer obituaries as well in papers.
1919 - kirk and nice undertakers: joseph
DOCUMENT BF
Joseph S. Potter’s identification paper, from the Kirk and Nice Undertakers funeral home that performed his service, gave us detailed information about Joseph’s life prior to his death. It reiterated basic information we had already found such as his parents’ names, his birth and death date, where he resided leading up to his passing, and his age of death. It also gave us information we did not have, such as his specific cause of death. According to the document, Joseph died due to diabetes mellitus and gangrene of the foot. Although diabetes is a common and easily treated disease in present times, it was not when Joseph was alive. The information also provided us with more of an in depth background of Joseph’s life in his older age. We were able to use the information about his health condition and family conditions to create fuller picture of his life. We inferred that not only was Joseph’s health poor possibly because of his stressful and lonely life, but also due to atrocious sanitary conditions of the time. One of his causes of death, gangrene foot, is a bacteria infection, which currently, if treated properly in a timely manner, is not fatal. We can assume Joseph continued practicing or at least stayed in the church, as a reverend performed the service at his funeral.
1919, jan 19 - joseph s. potter - register of burial
DOCUMENT BG
The document pertains to Joseph Potters burial register from the Woodland Cemetery, where he was laid to rest. We received this document directly from the cemetery itself, when we decided that were going to continue on with the research of Joseph. The register includes his age at death, what plot he is located in, who took care of his funeral and his residence as well as other information pertaining to his death and burial. The register also confirms where Joseph was living at the time of his death. Since he was buried in the well known Woodland’s Cemetery, it can be assumed that Joseph and the rest of the Potter family were relatively well off.
1919, feb 1 - joseph disposing property will
DOCUMENT BH
Soon after Joseph’s death, the Evening Public Ledger published a tiny article about the disposing of estates of the recently deceased of Philadelphia. Joseph is featured. It mentions that “in private bequests, disposes of property valued of $40,000.” We can infer that due to all of Joseph’s hard work throughout the years and loyalty to each of his jobs he made quite a decent living. He was also able to save more due to the fact that he did not live in or own his own house. We can assume from his way of living that Joseph was a simple man and was not very materialistic, but believed education was very important, as he sent his son Clarence to some of the best institutions available in Philadelphia.
2018 - email from fred barton
DOCUMENT BI
Fred Barton is the great-great-great-nephew of George Hunter Piersoll, Joseph Potter’s brother-in-law. After connecting on Ancestry.com he was able to provide many insights about his family's history, especially regarding their involvement with William Folwell. This letter yields a connection and family story in the Potter family that could not have been made with formal documents. Joseph Potters, biological sister Sidney was married to man named George Piersoll. George Piersoll had a sister named Mary Roberts Piersoll. Mary Roberts Piersoll and William Folwell got married after meeting once. From the family story, we found out that Joseph Potter was technically the brother-in-law of William Folwell, the owner of Folwell Brothers and Company. From this it is presumed that he acquired his job through personal connections. We can also assume that William Folwell and Joseph Potter met on at least a few occasions unrelated from work due to their family ties. We used this document to explain how Joseph Potter got his job and how close the family was.
2019 - email from david kahn
DOCUMENT BJ
This is an email we received from the Central High School archivist after inquiring about Joseph’s time there. This email confirms his enrollment and graduation date and his graduation class number. It also contains the fact that he attended Newton Grammar school, before going to school at Central. We used this document to find out more about Joseph’s time at Central High School. We also found out where he attended grammar school before enrolling in Central. The email also confirms out previous finding that he had a 90.9 GPA and received a bachelor of arts degree.
2019 - email from mark rabuck
DOCUMENT BK
This is an email received from the head archivist of Germantown Academy. From the email we learned that Joseph’s son Clarence, his cousin, Sheldon, and his second cousin, Sheldon Jr., all attended Germantown Academy. These were records of school rolls that were handwritten by the headmaster of the time, William Kershaw. There was others included in the email, but there was no known connection to Joseph. We used this to show that the Potter family sent many kids to the school. The Potter family was wealthy and put emphasis on education, due to the prestige and the reputation of Germantown Academy.