County Uncovers Valuable Civil War Induction Records
1 min readSignificant historical discovery
During a recent renovation at the Potter County Courthouse, workers uncovered a pile of old documents that were well-preserved and intriguing. Upon review of the records, the Potter County Commissioners realized that the crew had unearthed a historic gold mine.
The dust-covered papers are induction documents for Potter County men and boys who volunteered to serve with the Union Army in the Civil War. They’re separated by borough and township and include names of many soldiers who have descendants living in the county.
After discussions with David Castano of the Potter County Historical Society, the commissioners agreed to donate the documents to that organization and the records are now in safe storage at the museum in Coudersport. Castano said the timing of receiving the records could not be better, since there’s a research project underway to document Potter County’s involvement in the Civil War.
