Earlier this year, Sharry Theal of Manheim was at home sorting books to donate to the library when she stumbled upon an unusual find.

Tucked into the pages of "The Illustrious Life of William McKinley - Our Martyred President" was a folded piece of paper. Theal opened the paper to reveal a broadsheet advertisement detailing why people in Lancaster should not vote for Thaddeus Stevens, a Republican candidate for Congress.

While the book Theal found the broadsheet in was published in the beginning of the 20th century, the document itself dates to 1862. It was written by Henry Clay, a Senator representing the Whig Party, and it's addressed "To the people of Lancaster."

"It has a few facts about the history of Thaddeus Stevens and some sort of nasty words about him," Theal said, noting that Clay refers to the abolitionist candidate as an "imbecile."

Wondering if she could find out more about the broadsheet, Theal took it to a recent antique appraisal event at the Manheim Historical Society, where she learned its value and other details.

"This was something someone might have hung up in a window," she said of the poster, which is printed on one side. "They think it might have been printed in Philly."

Theal remembered reading about a new Thaddeus Stevens museum coming to Lancaster, and she reached out to offer the piece for its collection.

She met with Stephanie Townrow, the museum's director of interpretation and exhibitions, earlier this month to donate the piece. The Thaddeus Stevens & Lydia Hamilton Smith Center for History and Democracy will be located at the site of Stevens' home and law offices at Vine and Queen streets in downtown Lancaster. It is named for the congressman and his confidante, a senior member of Stevens' household. The museum is a project of LancasterHistory and is tentatively set to open in October of 2025.

Theal has always been interested in history, she said, noting that her passion for the past began when she was a child after her mother completed extensive genealogy work. At 16, Theal gave the Gettysburg Address to an audience in Gettysburg as part of a Daughters of the American Revolution program.

As an adult, she continued to love history, and she currently serves as secretary of the Manheim Historical Commission, an organization dedicated to restoring and preserving the history of Manheim.

"I give tours for the Manheim Historical Society on 1st Thursdays at the log homes," she said, referencing the society's Fasig and Keath houses on East High Street. "I do a half-hour tour around the area. I call it my 'two-block tour.'"

She also collects antique books and thinks she picked up the McKinley book at an auction in East Petersburg.

"The book is a first edition from 1900," she said, noting that she has read some of it but not all of it. "It's a little on the fragile side."

She's looking forward to seeing the broadsheet on display at the Thaddeus Stevens museum, and she hopes her discovery will inspire others to donate historical items.

"If you have a local historical society, you can donate family items or things that pertain to the town," she said. "They are always looking for donations."