USA > Pennsylvania > Lehigh County > Bethlehem > A history of Bethlehem, Pennsylvania, 1741-1892, with some account of its founders and their early activity in America > Part 72
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As regards the fire department, the several years after the free- school epoch were a time of revived interest in improving its equipment. Three companies figure in a somewhat confused group. The "Perseverance" was domiciled in the little frame house built in 1819, on Main Street at the opening of the alley named after Administrator Cunow; for it ran along the rear of his official premises. The "Diligence" had its quarters, after 1820, on Main Street, just north of the old stone "Economy House" in the narrow frame structure in which a long-familiar stove and tin-ware store is kept-the second building above the Moravian Publication House.
But now emerges, in 1838, the new "Reliance" company on Broad Street. The old Perseverance, the original company of 1762, with its famous old engine, seems to have grown effete and to have actually
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A HISTORY OF BETHLEHEM, PENNSYLVANIA.
become defunct about 1838; but it took a new lease of life ten years later, with the historic engine, whose claim to be the oldest in the United States has never been disproven, repaired and again made serviceable. The Diligence was the survival of the company formed in 1792, by married men, with the smaller hand-engine-"das Butter- fass"-of that time-for some years its quarters were a shed, near the mortuary chamber in front of the Old Chapel-while the single men with the original engine had perpetuated the Perseverance.
Fortunately, in consequence of the strict discipline and intelligent observance of good order always maintained, Bethlehem had, up to this time, seldom suffered from serious fires.
Some further steps were also taken during those several years in extricating the congregation diacony from burdensome entangle- ments with business concerns ; disposing of properties to reduce its heavy indebtedness to private creditors and to the Administrator, as agent of the Unity's Wardens, and, in general, getting the finances into a shape better prepared for the pending changes. Some fortunate sales of valuable property outside of Bethlehem, which affected the general situation, were made by Administrator Goepp, in pursuance of a policy which his predecessor, de Schweinitz, had in view, opposite to that of Cunow twenty years before-the policy of gradually converting much of the real estate into cash in order to pay off heavy debts and stop drains for interest which, in some instances, more than equaled the income from the corresponding properties, and, at the same time, bring the holdings of real estate within the limits that would be required to secure legal incorporation when the time should come for this step. One of these sales which deserves mention on account of its prominence and historic associations, was that of Gnad- enthal, after long consideration and protracted negotiations, to the Northampton County Commissioners of the Poor in June, 1837, as the location of the County Poor House. The financial advantage appears in the statement on record that the interest on the money derived from the sale of a little more than 235 acres of that property at $90 per acre-only ten acres more than half of the original farm, would be more than the rent received for the whole, leased to George Schlabach four years before. Some, even in official circles, were strongly in favor, in 1837, of not only embracing opportunities to sell large tracts immediately around Bethlehem, especially on the south side of the river, but also of abolishing the lease-system in the town without further ado; making ground rents redeemable, as well as putting an end to the necessity of buying more houses in
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CALYPSO ISLAND, 1850
1826-1845. 669
order to keep control of the properties, and thus relieving the Con- gregation of the heavy burden it was bearing. The indebtedness to the General Wardens of the Unity had grown enormously since 1830, and that owing individual creditors was almost as great. But the very relations this state of things created between Bethlehem and the general board in Europe hindered steps towards bringing the Bethlehem property under the control of a legal corporation ; and as the abolition of the lease system, involving so much, could not be ventured until the right point of understanding between them was reached from which the processes preparatory to incorporation could be instituted, a further conservative and cautious course was pursued and yet more time was taken for getting ready.
Meanwhile the strain was relieved somewhat by sundry sales of smaller parcels, here and there, and by disposing of several more establishments. The earlier sale of the grist-mill and tannery, already referred to, was followed by the transfer of the saw-mill, in 1835, to Lewis Doster who, in 1826, had leased the dyeing and fulling- mill which, before that, had been conducted by Matthew Eggert, and which the new possessor then transferred to the saw-mill site. Out of this combination, when a few years later he purchased the property, he built up a flourishing business, developing the manufacture of woolen goods to an extent that led to the erection of the additional larger building on the north side of the canal at the lock, in 1850, -destroyed by fire but quickly rebuilt in 1862-where for a number of years the products of the Monocacy Woolen Mills, later the Moravian Woolen Mills, that won public reputation, were turned out. Thus were perpetuated industrial associations of the Sand Island and the Monocacy banks at the foot of the hill, in a connection of activities which had existed already in the days of the General Economy, when the proximity of bleachery, soap-boiling factory and laundry to the saw-mill, near which the flax-house of the linen-weavers was built and the first sheep of Bethlehem, growing wool for the carders and spinners, grazed, brought about a relation between timber and textile products there manipulated. Furthermore, even before the modern revival of those associations by Lewis Doster, buildings and machin- ery for turning out products from the mineral kingdom in addition to those from the vegetable and animal kingdoms, had also been erected on the Sand Island when, after the completion of the canal in 1829, Charles F. Beckel who since 1825, had-though first a watch- maker by trade-been operating the little iron foundry on Main Street started by Joseph Miksch, moved the establishment to a site on
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A HISTORY OF BETHLEHEM, PENNSYLVANIA.
that island near the lock, where for many years the Beckel foundry flourished as the pioneer of all iron industries along the Lehigh at Bethlehem. Even in their features of deterioration those precincts are historic, in a down-grade continuity, from the time, in the first decade of the nineteenth century, when, on Independence Day, the hilarious patriotism of certain young and old men led them to respond to a few toasts too many with a potion somewhat lusty, to the time when the old laundry was made to do duty in honor of Gambrinus and was dubbed "Noah's Ark;" and then on to the time when the woolen-mill had long disappeared, and the flames belched forth no more from the cupola of Beckel's foundry and, even at the older and yet existing establishment where the combination of wood and cloth has changed to that of wood and paint, the sound of the saw was heard only at irregular intervals, and at the canal a greatly debased repro- duction of the "Ark," under other names like the "Little Item," shed bad odor about the vicinity. It is well that a present-day owner of so much of that historic ground, with sentiments that respect its better days treasured in the recollections of youth, has not only restored an inviting appearance to the neglected parts of the old island, but has revived also the associations of a far earlier and higher civilization than that spread about them by the more recent successors of the "Ark" under license from the County Court-the civilization that dwelt among the Christian Indians of Friedenshuetten along the Monocacy in 1746-by substituting for Sand Island, as names for its two sections, the tribal designations of those exiled Moravian Indians of New York, Wampanoag and Mohican.
With the exception of the hotels-and these, as previously stated, were now leased, Caleb Yohe taking possession, in 1844, of the Eagle, which he finally purchased and for many years conducted-none ยท of the few surviving old concerns that had been managed for the congregation diacony in former times remained its property when Bethlehem became a hundred years old. Without attempting to refer to all the business operations, large and small, mostly new, of that period-the mercantile establishments that issued from the old village store, and the old tinsmith-shop taken by Christian Lucken- bach and built up into a business which is still carried on by his descendants, having already been alluded to-three may yet be specially mentioned because they not only were then among the old establishments of the town, but are existing at the present time amid the many modern industries with which they are surrounded. One was that which supplied the people of Bethlehem with meat. This
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MOUNTAIN PATH ALONG THE LEHIGH THE SPRING
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1826-1845.
was one of the old industries along the Monocacy which, after 1753, when Henry Krause became the head butcher, remained in the hands of the family and is at present in possession of the fifth gener- ation, in the old "Weinland house" near the stone bridge, mentioned in the preceding chapter, which John Krause, the meat-purveyor of the time now under review, took possession of and enlarged as a slaughter-house. Another was the book-bindery of Joseph Oerter, which he, as the successor of older Bethlehem members of the craft, became master of in 1785. He died in 1841, but the business was continued by his son, John Oerter, and then by others, and yet exists. The third was the historic pharmacy made famous in colo- nial times by Dr. Otto. This was the first Bethlehem establishment which was sold outright, long before the modern period opened. It was purchased of Dr. Eberhard Freitag in 1839 by a young man who had been learning under him for a number of years, Simon Rau, who is yet living, has his name at the head of the firm that owns it, and enjoys the solitary distinction of being the one sur- viving business-man of the days before the village celebrated its centennial anniversary and passed through the third epoch-making experience around which leading events of this chapter center, and out of which it finally emerged with a modern borough organization.
The Bethlehem epoch now approached was one of striking con- trasts, during the space of five years, between depressing adversities and jubilant celebrations; desire for change and progress, on the one hand, and revived reverence for old-time associations on the other ; perturbed conditions amid which business establishments were wrecked and accumulations scattered, while, at the same time, the foundations of new enterprises and fortunes were laid. These contrasting features stand closely grouped in the picture. The financial panic, depression of business, general suspension of specie payments, contraction of the currency, collapse of speculations throughout the country, felt in full force in Pennsylvania-fruit of the play of party politics, in their jealousies and bickerings, with the national finances, following the expiration of the charter of the second Bank of the United States in 1836, constitute the most prom- inent elements of the country's history from 1837 to 1844. Just when the effects of this crisis were beginning to be seriously felt at Bethlehem, as they crept into all lines of business and found their way into the affairs of every store and shop in all corners of the country, great local reverses were suddenly caused by one of the most disastrous floods that have visited the Lehigh Valley since its
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first settlement. The records refer to the one almost as ruinous in 1786 and that of 1739, which swept away the unfinished first cabin of Isaac Martens Ysselstein, the nearest neighbor of the Bethlehem pioneers, as the only ones known in the history of the valley that could be compared with it.
This great freshet occurred early in January, 1841, and may be described by following somewhat closely the record of the Bethle- hem church diary. On January 4th and 5th, the degree of cold reached eight below zero, Fahrenheit. Then, on the 6th, came a. sudden rise of temperature, with heavy rain on top of a deep snow which melted rapidly and, added to the rain, poured great floods of water down over the frozen ground into the Lehigh as well as into the Monocacy and other tributaries. The sudden breaking of the thick ice up the river caused gorges at many places, which increased the overflow. The night from the 7th to the 8th was one of much anxiety. Besides the packs of ice, great masses of debris -houses, sheds, thousands of logs and fence-rails, canal-boats, loaded with coal, torn from their moorings-came down with the raging torrent. The entire lowland along the Monocacy and south of the river was one wild stream. Boats were brought into requisi- tion, along Water Street and in Old South Bethlehem, to convey persons out of the upper stories and garrets of houses to places of safety, and to rescue such things of most value as could be taken out. While engaged in this work, some men came into great peril on account of the depth and swiftness of the water and the quantities of debris encountered. Among the people rescued from the dwell- ings on Water Street was the venerable John Jungmann-son of the well-known missionary, John George Jungmann-ninety-two years of age, who was taken out of an up-stairs window into a boat. The water reached its highest point at four o'clock in the morning, "fully twenty feet above low-water mark." In the course of the night the rain ceased, the clouds scattered, and the light of the moon falling upon the scene, revealed an appalling chaos of ruins. A mass of shattered buildings and parts of bridges piled up against the Bethlehem bridge subjected it to such a strain that, shortly after two o'clock, the structure gave way and was carried, with the accumulation of ruins, down the stream, and only the four piers, considerably damaged, were left in place. When day broke the scene of desolation was first fully realized. The drifting masses were piled up in places fifteen feet high and, surging on with the rapid current, carried every obstacle before them. The fact is
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recorded that, while up the country many persons perished, at Beth- lehem no lives were lost, but deplorable damage was suffered by all in the inundated area. Apart from the destruction of the bridge, the greatest pecuniary loss for Bethlehem people was caused at the grist-mill, the tannery, the foundry, the lumber-yard and the saw- mill; the sufferers being, in the order named, Charles Augustus Luckenbach, Joseph and James Leibert, father and son, Charles F. Beckel, Timothy Weiss and Lewis Doster. This extraordinary visitation was the uppermost theme at the services of Sunday, Janu- ary 10, and again on the 17th, when the work of repairing damage and clearing away deposits of drift and wreckage was yet in pro- gress. The keen sense of the hard blow to material interests at a time when none were in a condition to bear it well, was mingled with thanksgiving for the preservation of life at Bethlehem amid all dangers.
During the year 1841, affairs dragged heavily. There was an appearance of partial recovery from the effects of this local disaster, but a feeling of uncertainty pervaded many circles, for the general conditions in Pennsylvania were not improving, and at Bethlehem, as at many another place, the financial stringency was putting a severe strain upon some who were involved beyond their ability to secure ready money to keep their operations afloat. While this pre- carious state of affairs, more serious because more extensive than that of ten years before, was not apparent to many, there were some who knew that unless a great general improvement set in suddenly, a local crisis ere long was inevitable. The first five months of 1842 passed without any striking developments and then, for a while, the attention of the village was diverted, in a very different direction, to preparations for enthusiastic festivity.
The time drew near for the centennial anniversary of the organi- zation of the settlement. The anticipation of this had been awakened already at Christmas, 1841, when the memorable occasion of a hun- dred years before, that led to the naming of the place, was called to mind. Nearly the entire month of June, 1842, was devoted to preparations of great range and variety, from the compilation of a historical review and suitable offices for the principal services, the rehearsal of vocal and instrumental music, the construction of elaborate decorations, transparencies and illuminations, down to the minutest domestic details of cleaning and garnishing for the recep- tion of holiday guests. During the two weeks preceding the great
44
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A HISTORY OF BETHLEHEM, PENNSYLVANIA.
festival, the evening services were omitted on account of the exten- sive adornments being made in the church. These were all finished before the 24th-two thousand feet of festooning and scores of gar- lands gracefully swung and looped between chandeliers, twined around pillars and run along the paneled fronts of galleries; floral pyramids erected, right and left, on their edges, great masses of flowers placed in the windows between flanking green, and various inscriptions partly so constructed as to be transparent when the lamps and candles burned in the evening. Two columns eighteen feet high enwreathed with evergreen, on the right and left of the pulpit at the edge of the raised floor on which the table stood, supported an arch with the figures 100 ornamentally set in the center, while on graceful drapery hanging under the arch, one of the inscriptions was arranged with gilded letters. These inscriptions- others in the front of the large table of that time and of the galleries -were all Scripture texts. They are enumerated in the diary. Naturally, the preparations for the music of the occasion were corre- spondingly elaborate and thorough. The selections rendered by the choir are all to be found in the printed services arranged by the Rev. John G. Herman and the Rev. Charles F. Seidel. The historical sketch was compiled by the Rev. Philip H. Goepp. The celebration opened with a festal eve service on the evening of Friday, June 24. A large body of trombonists ushered in the chief festival day with chorales from the belfry of the church. At nine o'clock the people assembled to morning prayer. The historical review was read at the next service at half past ten. At the lovefeast hour, three o'clock, the crowd was so great that the customary meal of fellowship had to be dispensed with, the servitors not being able to pass through the church, and the service was held without it. At eight o'clock in the evening a service was held on the historic "God's acre" of Bethlehem ; the liturgical arrangement being an alternation of hymns by the choir and the congregation of over two thousand persons gathered under the mellow light of more than a thousand colored lanterns. In the center stood a pyramid thirty feet high on which were placed a hundred lights, while transparencies with appropriate Scripture texts were displayed on the four sides of the base. The head pastor, Herman and the associate minister, Seidel, officiated at these various services, in which both the English and German languages were used. On Sunday, the 26th, a service especially for the children was held at nine o'clock by the Rev. Peter Wolle, of Lititz. At the service at half past ten the Rev. George F. Bahnson, of Lancaster, preached
MATTHEW KRAUSE
JOHN GOTTHOLD HERMAN
PHILIP HENRY GOEPP
LEWIS FRANCIS KAMPMANN
EUGENE ALEXANDER FRUEAUFF
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1826-1845.
in German. At three o'clock there was English preaching by the Rev. David Bigler, of Philadelphia. At half past seven on Sunday evening the festival was closed with an ordination. Four ministers who were yet deacons were ordained presbyters. Bishop Benade officiated. The men ordained were George F. Bahnson, David Bigler, Charles A. Bleck and Philip H. Goepp.
Earnest efforts were made by the pastors to render this notable occasion impressive and edifying in the best sense, and that many hearts were stirred by reflection on the noble ideals of church and town and of individual life called up by considering the days of old and the duties of the days to come, as they were fervently presented, cannot be doubted. The lessons of a hundred years of such history could hardly remain quite fruitless and the records lead to the con- clusion that they did not.
In connection with this event, the changes in the ministerial personnel at Bethlehem, from the last mentioned to the close of the period covered by this chapter, may be given. The next, after the arrival of the Rev. Philip H. Goepp, in 1834, as Administrator of the estates, was the entrance of John Gottlob Kummer upon his duties as Principal of the Young Ladies' Seminary, in March, 1836. He was formerly connected with the institution as accountant and was not an ordained man. He took charge temporarily in place of the Rev. C. F. Seidel, while the latter was in Europe attending a General Synod, but then remained Principal until his transfer to Lititz, in 1843. The successor of Bishop Anders as President of the Provincial Board, in 1836, was Bishop Andrew Benade, who had formerly been connected with the pastorate and principalship at Bethlehem and had been a bishop since 1822. He returned to the place after many and great changes and with ideas of discipline and control greatly modified since the days when he supported the regime represented by Cunow. Indeed, as is often the case with one who abandons an extreme position, he finally, in his old age, went farther in his dissent from what yet remained of the ideas of those days, than many who had always been considered dissenters. He became Presiding Bishop temporarily, but then remained at the head of the Executive Board until his final retirement in 1848. For a while after his return to Bethlehem he also filled the position of head pastor until the arrival of the next incumbent, the Rev. John Gottlieb Herman, January, 1837. The latter, as regular successor of the Rev. Lewis David de Schweinitz in the head pastorate-the service of Bishops Anders and Benade, in this capacity, 1834-1837, was an emergency arrangement
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-continued in office until September, 1844, when he went to Europe as the American member of the Unity's Elders' Conference. He became a bishop in 1846, was President of the General Synod in 1848, returned to America in 1849, and died in a log cabin in the wilds of Missouri, July 20, 1854, on his return to Salem, N. C., from a visit to the Indian missions. His remains were eventually conveyed to Salem. While head pastor at Bethlehem, he also served as Principal of the Seminary, from the departure of Kummer until the arrival of his successor, the Rev. Henry Augustus Shultz, of Phila- delphia, in June, 1844. Former Principal Seidel, who retired in 1836, removed, in August, 1837, to Newport, R. I., and took temporary charge of the Moravian work there. In October, 1839, he again became associate minister and preacher at Bethlehem, first with Herman and then with his successor the Rev. Samuel Reinke, from October, 1843, head pastor. In January, 1837, the Rev. John Christopher Brickenstein became warden at Bethlehem, as the successor of the Rev. John Frederick Stadiger, who had retired after filling this important office during twenty-nine laborious and troublesome years, and who then lived at Bethlehem in retirement until he departed this life, November 16, 1849. Prior to Seidel's return, the position of associate minister had been filled, May, 1838, to October, 1839, by the Rev. George Frederick Bahnson, professor in the Theological Seminary. His colleague in the professorship, the Rev. Charles Christlieb Dober, died at Bethlehem, January 21, 1841. Other professors of this period, at Bethlehem, were the Rev. Charles A. Van Vleck, October, 1839, to March, 1845, the Rev. Emil A. de Schweinitz from August, 1841, until he became warden at Nazareth in 1842, and Dr. Edward Rice, 1839 to 1849.
The centennial celebration was soon followed by a period of busi- ness turmoil and demoralization. The financial crash which Beth- lehem, like so many other places in those years, had to experience, came in October, 1842, when Owen Rice, whose business operations had been more extensive and varied than those of any of his towns- men, and who had become most deeply involved, succumbed to the strain and failed. While some were fearing such a crisis for the town and were partially prepared for it, the announcement was startling to the most of the people and produced a panic that affected business beyond the limits of Bethlehem. Money to a large amount for those days, held on loan for individuals and in charge for organizations, had been jeopardized beyond warrant in specula- tive ventures and was carried down with the wreck, the most serious
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