About the Collections
The Trentoniana Local History Department contains collections that are in various stages of organization. Some of these collections have finding aids to help researchers.
For large collections, use the finding aids below to find information on:
- who created the materials;
- what kinds of items are included in the collections;
- the time periods they cover;
- and how the collections are organized, so you can find the specific information you need for your research.
For small collections, please see the Master List of Trentoniana’s manuscript collections, linked below.
Manuscript Collections Master List
For physical objects, search Trentoniana’s online catalog, linked below.
Physical Object Collection Search
For newspaper clippings of obituaries and general interest stories about individuals, please see the Index to Trenton Biographies, linked below.
Index to Scrapbook of Trenton Bios
Finding Aids to Collections
Processed and Available for Research
These collections have been fully processed and have complete finding aids. Click on the accordian sections below to access PDF versions of the finding aids.
The African-American Experience Collection is created from material that had been spread throughout the various files. It is a work in progress, far from complete, and will be added to whenever items are located that pertain to African-Americans and their experience throughout history. Material could be created by African-Americans themselves, or by others about them.
The collection includes material which documents Daniel Aubrey’s involvement with the Original
Trenton Coffeehouse, the Trenton Theater Guild, Passage Theater, and the Trenton Artists
Workshop Association (TAWA).
This collection consists of 4 boxes of materials from 1993 through 2012, donated to the
Trentoniana Department by former Guild President, Mary N. Ferri. The collection primarily
houses a breadth of internal documentation, ranging from correspondence, mailouts, newsletters, financial records/reports, minutes, invitations and scrapbooks.
This collection consists of programs from annual NAACP conventions, letters concerning the
conventions and publications that were given out during the conventions, NAACP reports,
newspaper clippings, and printed matter from different Black activist groups, dating from the 1950s to the 1980s.
This collection consists of material ranging from newspaper articles highlighting the opening of the Broad Street Bank’s new building in 1962, to founding documents that played a pivotal role in its beginnings in 1887. It contains documents ranging from corporate tax return and shareholder information from 1903 through 1908. Also included in this collection are folders of memorabilia, information about openings of new additions and branches, material about the overall operation of the bank, annual reports, and some correspondence.
This collection contains various advertising and promotional materials from Trenton businesses. Physical items include promotional fans, advertisments, and business cards.
The collection consists of the records of the Business and Professional Women’s Club of Trenton, New Jersey from 1921 through 1983. The bulk of the records are from the years 1961-1978.
Materials include Trenton BPW Club bulletins, minutes, meeting agendas, membership rosters,
bylaws, budgets, photographs, newspaper clippings, promotional materials, press releases, file cards containing member information, annual reports, awards, citations, ephemera from dinner meetings and a number of scrapbooks.
This collection primarily holds material spanning from 1998 to 2004, that has been donated to the Trentoniana Department from Anne LaBate, a prolific realtor, former board chair of the Trenton Parking Authority, and major figure within the Trenton non-profit community. The majority of the collection consists of internal documents, such as correspondence, administrative reports, minutes of meetings, timesheets, and miscellaneous forms/applications. It also includes occasional printouts of articles, guidelines, and promotional material.
This collection consists of newspaper clippings, yearbooks, journals, writings/drafts, programs,
personal letters, memorabilia, company flyers, letterheads, advertisements, organizational
magazines, financial statements, and other similar documents or writings all pertaining to
Whitfield B. Case, Trenton Box Lunch Company, and W.B. Case Lunch Company.
This collection spans the years between 1984 and 1989 and provides information about the formation of CTI including minutes, copies of pertinent state legislative information, the creating city ordinance and by-laws. The collection provides especially comprehensive information about CTI’s Security Committee’s efforts to increase a stronger police presence including supplementing state and city patrols with CTI-funded off-duty police officers and a campaign to have a Trenton City Mounted Police division.
This collection consists of papers, publications, reports, photographs, scrapbooks, and some
artifacts of The Contemporary from its founding in 1897 until club year 2017/2018.
This collection contains photographs, brochures, notecards, ephemera, and records relating to the Council of Civic Associations of Trenton.
This collection consists of letters, membership rosters, meeting minutes, scrapbooks, and other documents relating to the Daughters of the American Revolution Club in Trenton. Items in the collection range from 1910 to 1980.
This collection consists of materials relating to the Delaware River Joint Toll Bridge Commission. Items include annual reports, pamphlets, letters, and toll bridge tokens.
The papers of Trenton Mayor Frederick W. Donnelly mostly comprise newspaper clippings, pasted into scrapbooks by the mayor or his staff, that detail events from several years before and during his time in office (1911–1932).
The collection of the First National Bank of Trenton consists of documents ranging from bank receipts, envelopes, promotional items, and shareholder record sheets. The information is valuable to understanding the operation of the bank as well as how it evolved throughout its years of operation to conform to the changing economy around the city and country. The largest part of this collection contains folders containing shareholder records and corporate tax return documents from people who had holds in the First National Bank of Trenton.
This collection consists of documents pertaining to church history, financial reports, reports of church activities and committees, sermons, and cemetery records.
This collection consists of notes, papers, magazines, catalogs, newspaper clippings, and letters related to business transactions and everyday activities of both Edwin Fisher and his predecessors in the Trenton Fire Department.
This collection contains mostly newspaper clippings that detail numerous governors’ tenure and significant impacts they made in office either for the state or the country. Also collected are a number of documents ranging from event programs to inaugural addresses.
This collection contains papers and business records related to Franz Hill and the Brewery, mostly in the form of agreements and receipts with businesses that were responsible for building the brewery itself, to installing equipment, to providing the materials needed for brewing. The collection also contains documents related to other property owned by Franz Hill, as well as some personal items of Mrs. Franz Hill.
The Mayor Arthur J. Holland Papers are significant in documenting the actions of a city politician during a significant period of civil, racial, and economic unrest in a large urban community and state capital. Subjects of interest to researchers include community and civic organizations in Trenton, civil rights activism in the 1960s, housing, and urban redevelopment and renewal.
The papers of Mayor Arthur J. Holland are significant in documenting the actions of a city politician during a significant period of civil, racial, and economic unrest in a large urban community and state capital. Subjects of interest to researchers include community and civic organizations in Trenton, civil rights activism in the 1960s, housing, and urban redevelopment and renewal.
This collection contains documents relating to the activities of the Trenton Committee on Unity.
This collection contains documents relating to the activities of the Trenton Council on Human Relations.
This collection contains documents relating to New Jersey state anti-discrimination and civil rights legislation
This collection contains personal papers of Mayor Holland, including correspondence, reports, a photograph album, a newspaper scrapbook, and loose newspaper clippings. Also included are several pieces of memorabilia including business cards, campaign flyers, name tags and badges. In addition, there are guest registers and other keepsakes from his memorial and funeral services held in November 1989.
The collection consists of commemorative books and a yearbook, as well as a small amount of ephemera related to the Church of the Holy Cross and it’s Catholic school.
This collection consists of correspondence, handwritten poems, publications, and newspaper articles by and related to Ellen “Clementine” Howarth from the years 1860-1894.
This collection of papers relate to labor unions, including newsletters, flyers, and handwritten labor surveys.
This collection consists of the administrative records of the Jewish Historical Society of Trenton, research or subject files of information gathered by their members as well as records of Jewish organizations and individuals.
An inventory of all records relating to John A. Roebling’s Sons’ buisness.
A list of employees at John A. Roebling’s Sons. The list includes names, nationalities, ages, addresses, next of kin, employment dates, and reason for leaving.
This collection includes material from Albert B. Kahn’s law practice from 1930 to 1945 including correspondence, invoices, and receipts.
This collection contains documents and resources from Lt. James D. Kendall’s time at the Trenton Police Department. The majority of this collection regards official police business, including arrest reports, witness statements, and interdepartmental communications.
The original materials in this collection include correspondence, documents, photographs, memorabilia, books, videos, and films that were, for the most part, collected by Thomas and Mabel Kovacs.
This collection contains information on various Trenton-based labor unions.
The bulk of this collection contains minutes which document the creation and operation of the Leisure Hour School. Also included are course catalogs and suggested reading lists.
This collection contains only a small sampling of items about Monty Lewis, mostly exhibition programs.
This collection consists Trenton Lions monthly membership and activity reports, newsletters, copies of the charter, anniversary programs, various correspondence on donations and fundraising events, district pennants, a welcome banner, and other ephemera and memorabilia.
The bulk of this collection contains a series of typewritten essays, mostly about the Italian community in Chambersburg, which were written for the Trentonian newspaper.
This collection consists of papers, letters, personal possessions, and diplomas belonging to Dr. Harold Sinclair Magee. The collection also includes three scrapbooks compiled by Dr. Magee’s wife, Mary.
This collection of papers and photographs was received from the estate in 2022 and 2023. The bulk of the collection contains family photographs, many that are identified, but there is no family tree to accompany the images although many of the people are identified.
This collection contains minutes, by-laws, correspondence, financial records, and newspaper clippings which document the work of the Mercer County Soldiers’ and Sailors’ Monument Association from its inception in 1891 to the transfer of the monument to the City of Trenton in May of 1912.
This collection consists of reports, papers, and records relevant to the history of the Mercer Hospital, and its subsequent renaming to the Mercer Medical Center.
This collection features materials that document Rebecca Mitchell’s undergraduate education at Livingston College and graduate studies at Rider University. Researchers will also find writings and research materials related to her professional career.
This collection contains annual reports, letters, maps, and other documents pertaining to New Jersey State Hospital from the years 1898-1986.
Zines are do-it-yourself, self-published, and usually made on paper and reproduced with a photocopier or printer. Zine makers are often motivated to share knowledge or experience on whatever topics interest them, such as music, art, politics, poetry, comics, personal thoughts, and reviews. The titles in this collection originate from New Jersey or have New Jersey as a topic.
This collection includes Annual Reports of the Board of Trustees, published histories, student publications, brochures, events programs, The Seal yearbook, maps, records of the Thencanic Society, commencement programs, scrapbooks, event programs, and scattered issues of Accent/Alumni Review.
This collection contains pamphlets, brochures, promotional materials, society meeting minutes, historical information on the neighborhood, and information regarding the residents of the Mill Hill neighborhood.
This collection contains the records and materials that are associated with the People-to-People organization and its committees, functions, and other information.
This collection contains supplier files, a few plumbing catalogs, project orders, employee work cards, tax documents, insurance policies, a few photographs, porcelain color samples, sample bathroom fixtures and 3 business signs.
This collection consists of mostly photograph covers and envelopes that contain the imprint of the studio.
This collection contains mostly receipts from local companies with whom the Pine Grove Farm conducted business. Also included are other business records such as cancelled checks, land surveys, and tax records.
This collection consists of the research notes on the history of Trenton and its surrounding area gathered by Harry J. Podmore until at least the late 1950s; correspondence sent to him from locals with recollections of the past, 1926-1959; and two of his published pamphlets and compiled copies of his newspaper column.
This collection consists of various items related to elected positions on city, county, state and national levels. Most of these items were found in a box marked “politics” and in random order. It is assumed that these items were gathered from other sources such as various persons’ papers or family collections sometime prior to 2015.
This collection documents the events and activities of the Pride in Trenton organization and how it went about various monthly activities and meetings. It contains meeting minutes, organizational records, member contact lists, correspondence, newsletters, and ephemera.
A list of the menus of Trenton restaurants in the collection.
This collection contains newspapers and clippings, yearbooks, event programs, curricula, memorabilia, student work, maps, correspondence, and other circulated material produced by and for the college from the years 1917-2009.
This collection provides useful information on membership, attendance records and minutes from club meetings as well as details of charitable programs related to Trenton Rotary. The collection offers various sources from different media formats including audio tapes, as well as video interviews and accompanying transcripts from presidents, notable members and the first five female members of the Trenton Rotary Club.
This collection is a range of newspaper clippings, photographs and memorabilia of Bus Saidt’s involvement in baseball and other sports from 1940 to 1993.
This collection is made up of sheet music that has some sort of Trenton connection. There are songs written about George Washington or other notables related to the City, the Battle of Trenton and the American Revolution, events that occurred in the City, and just in celebration of the City. Some of the sheet music was published in the City, or composed by a City resident.
Use this link to view a spreadsheet of song titles in the collection.
This collection consists of minutes, agendas, meeting notes, emails, faxes, correspondence, organizational records, news clippings, and crime statistics.
The collection includes some examples of Dr. Starr’s writings, grant applications to projects he was affiliated with, and material documenting his teaching career including correspondence, course syllabi, two student papers and his application for promotion at Rider College.
This collection consists of church bulletins, which give Mass times, church news, and Christian advice and inspiration.
This collection consists of commemorative publications on special anniversaries of the church and school. There are also two publications covering church renovations and the church’s debt cancellation campaign.
This collection consists of items that belonged to Stokes, including personal papers, documents relating to his time in political office, photographs, and newspaper clippings.
This collection includes concert programs, newsletters, and recordings of concerts on reel-to-reel tapes and transcription discs.
The collection is comprised of correspondence, newspapers, meeting minutes, certificates and commemorations, publications, photographs, and artifacts.
This collection consists of letters, newspaper articles, database files, memoranda, press releases, and other documents pertaining to the Trenton Artists’ Workshop Association.
This collection consists of programs, newspaper clippings and advertisments, and ephemera.
This collection consists of meeting minutes from annual reunions, event planning materials, lists of graduates, and lists of deceased alumnae.
This collection contains administrative records of the Trenton Commission including minutes, financial records, and internal correspondence.
This collection consists of journals, letters, business documents, land holdings, photographs, genealogical records, biographical histories, and newspaper clippings pertaining to the Thomas Maddock and Sons pottery company or the Maddock Family.
This collection consists mostly of material related to Traver’s Book Store including business records, publications, and personal papers.
This collection is comprised of genealogical documents related to the numerous owners of The Trent House.
This collection consists of material related to Trenton Academy, including school records, publications, items relating to the Trenton Academy Association, scrapbooks, and textbooks.
This collection primarily spans the organizational history of Trenton Arts Connection from the 2000 to 2003. Materials include a wealth of internal documentation: board correspondence, institutional applications, board minutes, plans, project inspirations, miscellaneous forms, and financial documentation.
A list of Trenton authors and their works.
This collection includes a variety of different banking documents from the Trenton Banking Company, including checks, receipts, memorabilia, and tax returns.
This collection contains minutes, by-laws, written histories, correspondence, photographs, some audio-visual material, financial records, and a few artifacts which document the creation and operation of the Trenton Club.
This collection consists of records pertaining to the activities and functions of the Trenton College Club, also known as the Trenton branch of the American Association of University Women.
This collection consists of items relating to the Trenton Community Foundation. Items include receipts and records of payments, correspondence, and a ledger book.
This collection consists of archival and non-active administrative records of the Trenton Historical Society including organizational records, minutes, financial records, membership information, and publications, as well as documentation of the Society’s projects and events it has sponsored.
This collection consists primarily of administrative documentation, records, and internal correspondence, this collection contains materials spanning from the 1890s to the late 1950s.
This collection consists of papers, signage, and memorabilia related to the Trenton Million Man March Coalition and the May 6th March to Trenton, from the years 1995 through 1997.
This is a collective series of material documenting public charitable organizations active in Trenton from about the 1880s until 2013. Items include brochures, newsletters, invitations, and reports.
This collection consists of documents, papers, onion skins, write-ups and promotional goods outlining the history of the Trenton Savings Fund Society.
This collection consists of records relating to the Trenton Tricentennial Committee. Items include letters, pamphlets, advertisements, and flyers.
This collection contains promotional items in the form of printed material and advertisements related to the Trenton Trust and Safe Deposit Company.
This collection contains correspondence relating to the Urban League of Metropolitan Trenton.
This collection includes reports, publicity kits, brochures, newsletters, documents, and objects from the United Service Organization from the years 1914 to 1973.
This small collection comprises materials related to the various ships named after Trenton, New Jersey.
This collection contains newspaper clippings, newsletters, pamphlets, memorial programs, reports, publications, sheet music and other items related to wartime activities.
This collection consists of flyers, minutes, letters, correspondence, posters, newspaper clippings, official documents, handwritten notes, agendas, and other items pertaining to the West End Neighborhood Association, its members and events, and the location outlined as their community.
This collection consists of paper, signage, and pamphlets relating to the history of the William McKinley Memorial Hospital.
The Yardley-Beers Family collection covers the years 1888 to 1946 and contains books, newspaper and magazine clippings, ephemera, correspondence, personal and organizational notes, photographs, and miscellaneous items primarily related to the Beers family in Trenton.
This collection consists of records pertaining to the activities and functions of the Young Men’s Christian Association of Trenton
This collection consists of records pertaining to the activities and functions of the Young Women’s Christian Association of Trenton.
The bulk of these materials comprises copies of the club’s publication, the “Zontagram” from 1954-1976. Other materials include meeting and event programs, membership and committee rosters, bylaws, a bound “Factual Outline History” of the club from 1931-1969, and assorted ephemera such as miscellaneous programs and souvenirs from various events.
The materials span Trenton’s entire history, from its charter in 1792 to the present day, although most items date from the second half of the twentieth century. They include the city’s various charters and items related to government reform, dockets, minutes, and ordinances of Trenton’s Common Council, annual reports and general histories and annual addresses of the city’s mayors and managers. Also included are newspaper clippings, correspondence, and personal items of various mayors.
This collection contains the surviving papers of Trenton’s Alcoholic Beverages Commission, established at the end of Prohibition in 1933. Items include license applications, receipts for fees, and reports of investigations by Trenton police.
The collection documents the history of the Trenton Bicentennial Committee and the various subcommittees that were responsible for helping Trenton celebrate the 200th anniversary of the American Revolution. Items include organizational records, memoranda and meeting minutes, committee notes, committee programs, memorabilia, newsletters, and correspondence.
This collection contains documents related to the Trenton Board of Education It includes annual reports, faculty and staff directories, curricula and course manuals, some financial and administrative documents from the Board, reports and studies, and a small amount of items relating to student activities and services.
This collection includes much of the work of Trenton’s city clerks. Items include reports, financial documents, forms, and fees, as well as miscellaneous correspondence and documents.
This collection contains items related to the history of the Trenton City Museum at Ellarslie Mansion. Documents include newsletters, exhibit ephemera, meeting minutes, correspondence, financial documents, and items concerning plans to restore the house.
This collection contains materials relating to the City of Trenton’s municipal elections and politics. It includes documents from the management and administration of such elections, including voter rolls, election districts, ballots, and returns.
This collection includes items from the last iteration of Trenton’s municipal-run farmers’ market. Documents include materials for administering the site itself as well as correspondence, lists of vendors, and a few items from the Trenton Market Growers’ Cooperative Association.
This collection includes the budgets, bonds, and other financial instruments created by the City of Trenton from the mid-to-late 19th century to nearly the present.
This collection contains reports, plans, minutes, correspondence, ephemera, and other documents related to the City of Trenton’s infrastructure and public works.
This collection comprises materials from city-run and sponsored parks, recreational activities, and cultural events. Items include meeting minutes, event-planning materials, publications, and scrapbooks.
This collection contains reports, plans, minutes, correspondence, ephemera, and other documents related to the City of Trenton’s planning and development initiatives. Items include comprehensive city plans as well as documents related to housing and neighborhood development.
This collection documents the history of Trenton’s fire and police departments as well as its Electrical Bureau and Civil Defense initiatives. Items include police blotters, correspondence, fire alarm reports, and surveys.
This collection contains demographic surveys of Trenton, mostly census records at the city, state, and federal level. It also includes a few miscellaneous statistical reports that did not fit in any other collections in the City Records.
This collection comprises the materials of Trenton’s tax assessment office. Documents include meeting minutes, correspondence, and publicity materials.
Not Processed But Available for Research
These collections have not been fully processed, but they are available for research in the Trentoniana Local History Department. Click on the accordian sections below to view the names of the collections.
American Steel & Wire Company / Trenton Iron Works
Artworks Trenton (partially available)
Backes, William J. – Papers
Barbour Brothers Steel
Bethany Presbyterian Church
City of Trenton Records (in progress, partially available, see below)
Conservatory of Music
Delta Kappa Gamma
Engineers Club of Trenton
Exton (Adam) Cracker Company
Green, Evelyn Hudson – Papers (in progress, partially available)
Hill (C.V.) Manufacturing
Soyka, Edwin – Papers
Star Porcelain
St. John’s Cemetery Project
Trenton College Club / American Association of University Women (in progress, partially available)
Trenton High / Central High School (in progress, partially available)
“The Trentonian” Newspaper Archive (in progress, partially available)
Trenton Roebling Community Development Corporation / Invention Factory
Wenczel Tile Company
Y.M.C.A. / Young Men’s Christian Association of Trenton
