USA > Pennsylvania > Bucks County > Bristol > A history of Bristol borough in the county of Bucks, state of Pennsylvania, anciently known as "Buckingham"; being the third oldest town and second chartered borough in Pennsylvania, from its earliest times to the present year 1911 > Part 22
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WASHINGTON STREET PUBLIC SCHOOL.
Ward, was appointed to make all necessary inquiry as to the cost of erecting a suitable building of brick or stone. This committee visited three school houses in Camden, N. J., and recommended that the board use as its model the Central school house, of that city. The plans were drawn and bids asked for. Twelve bids· were received, but all were rejected because the amounts were in excess of that which the board had decided to expend. At the
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A HISTORY OF BRISTOL BOROUGH.
next meeting the committee submitted a plan which they thought would lessen the cost of construction, but it was rejected. A new committee was appointed consisting of John S. Brelsford, John Ward and Joseph H. Foster, to confer with the architect and have his plans modified. The new plan provided for a two-story school house con- taining four rooms, which was adopted by the board. The contract was awarded to F. P. Crichton, at a cost of $6,529, the building to be of stone. The board appointed E. C. Brudon, J. W. Bailey and W. H. Hill as a building committee, to superintend the construction of the new school house. It was later decided to install an improved system of ventilation at a cost of $315. The building was completed in December and dedicated on Friday, Janu- ary 3rd, 1879, with appropriate ceremonies. It was opened for school purposes on Monday morning, January 6th, with the following corps of teachers: First Primary, Maggie Stewart; Second Primary, Ellie M. Turner ; Third Primary, Emily H. Stackhouse; Secondary, No. 2, Sarah J. Repsher.
(The author was in the procession of school children, which marched to the site of the new building and participated in the corner stone exercises, and later was selected as one of the boys to place crayon drawings upon the blackboards at the time of the dedication of the building.)
An Exciting Election; Ballot Box Stolen .- Bristol has been the scene of many political fights, but none have so inflamed the public mind or lingered longer in memory, than the one here related.
"As a result of the fight of the Young Democracy of Bristol to obliterate the 'Ring Combine,' a sensational episode took place on Saturday, September 21, 1878, at the delegate election which was held in the town hall, an occurrence which is frequently referred to even to this day. It was a battle of ballots and terminated in the theft of the ballot box.
"The Young Democracy and their opponents locked horns with a vengeance and from 4 o'clock in the after- noon until 8 o'clock in the evening, when the polls closed, the town hall was a centre of attraction to individuals" of
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A HISTORY OF BRISTOL BOROUGH.
all parties. The contest was for the election of delegates to the county convention, which was to meet at Doyles- town on the Monday following. There were two sets of delegates voted for-one the old and the other the young Democracy. The ring fought desperately and contested the ground inch by inch, the first attempt being to exclude from the room. two representatives of the Young Democracy, who were selected to act in the capacity of 'visiting statesmen,' to see that their party's interests were carefully looked after. But a letter was produced from the. County Chairman at Doylestown, saying that the Young Democracy would be allowed such representa- tion, so the ring scored their first defeat.
"When the polls closed it was apparent to everybody who had watched the progress of the fight, that the younger branch of the party was victorious. When the officers appointed by the County Committee to count the vote closed the doors, the two 'visiting statesmen' re- fused to leave the room although Constable Louderbough was called on by the ring to put them out.
"One of the ring representatives on the election board said he would not count the vote while these men re- mained in the room, but as they showed no disposition to depart he became uneasy, and pretending to take a philo- sophical view of the matter, went to the back window and suddenly seizing the ballot box, thrust it out of the win- dow to one of his colleagues who was waiting to receive it.
"As soon as the representatives of the Young Demo- cracy saw the game, they gave the alarm to their friends, who were gathered in force outside the building, them- selves jumping out the window.
"As soon as the alarm was given the crowd outside hurried around to the back of the hall and before the ballot box thief got very far he was headed off by one of the Young Democracy. Other parties quickly coming up, in an instant the ballot box was taken from the cul- prit, and he was knocked to the ground. When he attempted to rise, twice in succession he was laid out again, but finally was taken in charge by Policeman Sax-
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A HISTORY OF BRISTOL BOROUGH.
ton, who took him to the Cottage Hotel (Silbert House), in a rather damaged condition.
"The election officers, seeing the way the battle was raging, thought discretion the better part of valor and left the hall, in their haste blowing out the gas instead of turning it off. When the Young Democracy returned with the ballot box in their possession to count the vote, they could not find the ring representatives and pro- ceeded to count the votes themselves, which showed that, after allowing the ring (Old Democracy), to have the twenty-one votes which were missing (for careful tally had been kept, from which it was known that 304 votes had been polled), the Young Democracy had 172 votes and the ring only 132, thus giving the former forty majority.
"When the vote had been counted and the Young Democracy were announced the victors, a large delega- tion of them got together and with fife and drum made a 'royal progress' through the town, paying particular attention to stop before the residences of the ballot box thieves and others of the same party, and serenaded them with their fine instrumental music, accompanied by vocal strains of very significant sentiments.
"The excitement continued until after midnight, and all the next day groups of men were to be seen upon the streets, discussing the proceedings of the night before and upon all hands, the action of the 'ring' in stealing the ballot box was condemned in the strongest manner."
Although thirty-two years have passed since this occur- rence took place, yet the incidents of that night are fresh in memory today, and although many battles with the ballot have been fought since that time, yet the battle of that memorable day in September, 1878, stands out pre- eminently as the most exciting ever waged in the bor- ough. (Taken from the Bucks County Gazette.)
The Providence Knitting Mill .- The Providence Knit- ting Mill, erected in 1879, and owned and operated by Mrs. Clara Appleton, adjoined the property of the Bris- tol Woolen Mill Company, on Buckley Street, and was engaged in the same branch of industry. On the night
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A HISTORY OF BRISTOL BOROUGH.
of March 4, 1895, it was burned to the ground, being one of the most disastrous fires Bristol has ever witnessed. The weather was bitter cold and the wind blowing a gale. Pieces of the burning hosiery were carried by the wind over to the eastern section of the town, and at one time five or six houses were on fire. The carpet mill, however, acted as a bulwark of protection for the threatened sec- tion, and saved it from destruction.
Bath Street Public School .- During the month of June, 1880, the public school board purchased from Howell &
BATH STREET PUBLIC SCHOOL.
Harris, a lot with a frontage of 200 feet, on Bath Street, above Buckley, for the sum of $1,500.00. It was decided that the building to be erected thereon should be of stone, hammer-dressed broken range, similar to the front of the Washington Street building, and should have a frontage of 86 feet and a depth of 56 feet. It was to be two stories in height and divided into eight class rooms.
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A ' HISTORY OF BRISTOL BOROUGH.
The building committee consisted of Edward C. Brudon, William Randall, Chas. S. Wollard and W. H. P. Hall. Instead of employing an architect, the board de- cided to employ Chas. S. Wollard as superintendent, he to have general supervision over the building and to receive a salary of $3.00 per day. The plans for the building were drawn by Mr. Wollard. Permission from the court was obtained by the board to borrow $10,000, and bonds to that amount were sold.
The work on the new building began in August, 1880. In August, 1881, the building committe reported the building completed and five rooms ready for occupancy. The school house was dedicated with appropriate exer- cises, on Thursday afternoon, September 1, 1881, at 2 o'clock. The president of the board, W. H. P. Hall, called the meeting to order and William Kinsey, Esq., who was secretary of the first school board elected in Bristol Borough, was called to preside and Daniel Mun- cey was elected secretary. Mr. Kinsey read a portion of Scripture and Professor J. G. Krichbaum, principal of the high school, offered prayer. Jacob S. Young, secre- tary of the board, read a historical sketch of the local public schools and was followed by County Superintend- ent W. W. Woodruff, in an address, during which he complimented the citizens for having the best school house in the county. Hugh B. Eastburn, ex-county super- intendent; Professor J. G. Krichbaum, Charles S. Bailey and Wm. Kinsey, Esq., also delivered addresses. After the exercises were over, the building was thrown open for inspection.
The building was opened for school purposes on Sep- tember 5, 1881, five rooms being occupied. The teachers who first taught in the Bath Street building are as fol- lows : Secondary Department, Maggie Stewart; Primary A Department, Hannah Yonkers; Primary B Depart- ment, Lizzie G. Tomlinson; Primary C Department, Ella M. Turner; Ungraded Department, Ephraim Moss. The total cost of the building was $15,444.18.
A Republican Wigwam .- In the fall of 1880, during the Garfield-Hancock political campaign, the Republican
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A HISTORY OF BRISTOL BOROUGH.
party erected a large wigwam on the then vacant lot at the southeast corner of Mill and Wood Streets. Many prominent men spoke in the building and large crowds were attracted to the meetings. Hon. B. F. Gilkeson, William H. Grundy, Joshua Peirce and Charles E. Scheide, were the recognized leaders of the Republican party at that period of the town's history.
Memorable Freshet and Ice Gorge .- On Saturday eve- ning, February 12, 1881, the ice in the Delaware River broke up about 9.o'clock, and for two hours ran rapidly down the stream, filling the river from shore to shore. Later, when the ice above Trenton reached Bristol, it jammed up on the bar and flats between Bristol and Burlington, the gorge extending up the river some dis- tance above the Hollow Creek. On Sunday afternoon the ice above the Hollow Creek broke, and with such force that it cut a gully through the orchard of Hancock's farm on Burlington Island, and the imprisoned water, which had been backed up by the ice gorge, on the low lands of the Manor and into the roadway near Landreth's seed farm, found vent and rushed across Hancock's farm into the channel back of the island. The freshet which caused the ice to break up was the greatest since 1857. The water covered all the wharves and inundated the residences along the river front and canal basin, in many cases flooding the kitchens and doing considerable dam- age. The gorge held fast for one whole week, and on the next Saturday evening broke and disappeared, leaving the channel free of everything except small masses of floating ice.
The Pennsylvania Railroad Changes Its Course .- About the year 1882, the Pennsylvania Railroad Company changed the course of its roadbed through the town south of Mill Street, moving it eastward about fifty yards, and increasing the number of tracks from two to four. An island which stood in the marsh, known as Bunker Hill, was purchased by the company and the earth from the hill used in the construction of the embankment for the course of the new road. Subsequently, the water
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A HISTORY OF BRISTOL BOROUGH.
troughs were installed at South Bristol, which enabled the locomotives to take water while running.
Opening of the Streets .- The borough limits have been extended from time to time, as the increase of population required. Otter Street (the turnpike road), was an original highway, but was not regarded as a street. Bath Street, otherwise known as the terminus of the old New- town road and as part of the turnpike in its intersection with Otter, was opened and widened in 1809 by private individuals, but without the co-operation of the proper borough authorities, who finally accepted it in 1821. The Beaver Dam Road, otherwise known as Beaver Street, was surveyed in 1821. The borough limits had mean- while been extended eastward to Adams Hollow and westward to the mill pond in 1801. A further addition was made in 1852, and the boundaries then established are those of the present, embracing an area of about 450 acres. It is worthy of notice that the built up portion of the town was first extended west of the mill race, about the years 1811-25, as shown by the improvement of Bath Street in 1809, and of Otter a few years later. The con- struction of the turnpike probably influenced this. There was considerable building activity from 1833 to 1855, the period of prosperity incident to the canal trade. Property having a river front was in demand at this time; and hence the opening of Franklin and Penn Streets from Radcliffe to low water mark, in 1836. Wilson Street was opened in 1849. Pond Street was extended from the Wal- nut to Lafayette in 1855. Wood Street, which was con- tinued easterly from Walnut in 1766, upon land vacated by John Hutchinson, was further opened to Washington in 1851. Cedar Street was extended from Walnut to Franklin in 1849, and thence to Lafayette in 1851. Wood and Pond were further laid out in 1874. Franklin and Penn Streets were opened in 1855. Dorrance Street was opened from low water mark to Pond Street in 1855, and thence to Canal Street in 1881. Washington and Lafay- ette Streets were laid out from the river to Pond Street in 1855, and continued in 1874. Jefferson Avenue was opened in 1873. Buckley Street was laid out in 1847,
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A HISTORY OF BRISTOL BOROUGH.
Mifflin in 1853; Spruce, Race, Swain and Locust in 1874; Linden, Maple, Green and Pearl in 1880, by the borough authorities, although opened by private individuals in 1851. The survey for Garden, Mansion, Spring, Summer, and Corson Streets, and the extension of Jefferson Ave- nue, west of the canal, was made in 1884.
The Roller Skating Craze .- The roller skating craze struck Bristol during the winter of 1884-5. A new maple floor was laid in the lower story of Mohican Hall, on Otter Street, and a skating rink opened in charge of a man named Bull. In the spring of 1885, James Wright erected a large roller skating rink on Wood Street near Penn. For a short time it proved a popular pastime, but the excitement soon subsided and the building was re- modeled and opened as a theatre. Today the old build- ing is used as a moving picture show house.
A Memorable Blizzard .- In March, 1888, occurred one of the worst blizzards Bristol has ever known. Rain be- gan to fall on Sunday morning and continued throughout the day and evening. Sometime during the night the shifting of the wind brought on a fierce snow storm, which increased in severity, the wind blowing a perfect gale. When our citizens awoke on Monday morning, they found the town literally buried under an avalanche of snow. In many places the snow drifts reached a height of ten and fifteen feet. Traffic on the railroad was blocked; the telegraph and telephone wires were down, and for two or three days the town was completely cut off from all outside communication.
High School Building .- At a meeting of the public school board, held July 6, 1893, the supply committee which consisted of B. C. Foster, E. H. Foster, R. W. Holt, Neal J. McIlvaine and Geo. W. Louderbough, was ap- pointed to consider the expediency of increasing the school accommodations and to take the preliminary steps, if thought advisable, to erect a suitable building at the cor- ner of Wood and Mulberry Streets, for high school and grammar school purposes especially, and to report at a
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A HISTORY OF BRISTOL BOROUGH.
subsequent meeting the results of their deliberations with such recommendations as their judgment might approve.
At the meeting of December 7, 1893, the committee re- ported that, in their judgment the time had come to build a new school house for the accommodation of the high school and grammar grades especially, and that a build- ing be erected and made ready for occupancy by Septem- ber 1, 1894. By action of the board the committee was empowered to procure plans and estimates for the erec-
BRISTOL HIGH SCHOOL.
tion of the new building and report at the next meeting. The building, as originally decided upon, was to contain not less than eight class rooms, with a hall and lecture room on the third floor.
· February 1, 1894, the committee reported that there was not sufficient room on the lot at the corner of Wood. . and Mulberry Streets to erect an eight-room building
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A HISTORY OF BRISTOL BOROUGH.
and suggested the erection of a building containing six class rooms, a directors' room, superintendent's office and assembly room on the third floor, and presented plans for such a building together with estimated cost, for the con- sideration of the board. They also recommended that the board obtain the services of an experienced architect and suggested the name of S. A. Brouse, of Trenton.
The plans submitted by the committee were approved by the board and the committee instructed to go on with the work according to the plans. Mr. Brouse was em- ployed as architect to prepare the plans and specifications and supervise the work, his remuneration to be 3 per cent. of the cost of the building. The bids were opened on Tuesday, April 10, 1894, and were as follows :
Ernest Lawrence. $15,525
Chas. S. Wollard. 16,357
Wright & De Groot. 16,764
Angus C. York.
17,190
The contract was awarded to the lowest bidder. Ground was broken on Wednesday morning, April 18, 1894. Bonds to the amount of $15,000 were sold to cover the cost of erecting the building. The heating contract was awarded to Thomas Craig, his bid being $1,690. The building when completed cost $15,793.50, without the heating and furnishings. Saturday afternoon, November 10, 1894, at 2 o'clock, the dedicatory exercises were held in the assembly room of the new building. Dr. N. C. Schaffer, State Superintendent of Public Schools; W. H. Slotter, County Superintendent; W. W. Woodruff, ex- County Superintendent; Matilda S. Booz, Borough Superintendent; John K. Wildman, President of School Board and John C. Maule, a member of Borough Council, all made appropriate addresses. At the close of the meet- ing the chairman of the building committee, B. C. Foster, in a short speech, handed the building over to the school board, and it was accepted by the president in behalf of the board. The pupils of the high school and grammar grades were present and took part in the exercises. Music was furnished by the Bristol Orchestra. Nearly 500 per- sons were in attendance.
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A HISTORY OF BRISTOL BOROUGH.
Cost of the Building.
Architect's Fee. .
$524 50
E. Lawrence, Contractor.
15,793 50
Craig, Heater.
1,690 00
Desks, Blackboards, etc.
966 34
Outhouses. .
619 50
Gas Fixtures and Extra Plumbing
219 08
Iron Fencing.
457 10
Flag Pole
124 45
Grading.
103 03
Pavement and Material.
309 76
Roofing Outhouses.
II7 94
Graining Doors.
5 00
$20,930 20
On April 1, 1895, an additional bond issue of $4,000 was sold to meet the deficit in the total cost of the new build- ing. The building was occupied in November, 1894, by the removal of the high school and grammar grades from the Bath Street building. The primary grade rooms in the old building on Wood Street were also moved into. the new building and the secondary grade from the Friends' school building on Cedar Street to the old build- ing on Wood Street.
St. Paul's Protestant Episcopal Church .- In November, 1885, a disagreement in the Sunday School of St. James' Protestant Episcopal Church, led to the withdrawal of the superintendent, fourteen teachers and a large number of scholars. On Advent Sunday, November 29, a new Sun- day School was organized in Washington Hall, corner of Radcliffe and Walnut Streets. Forty communicants joined in an application to Bishop Stevens for permission to organize another Parish, but consent thereto was refused.
The Sunday School prospered from the beginning. On January 2, 1886, St. Paul's was adopted as a name for the mission, and on St. Paul's Day, January 25, 1886, the school was removed to Evans' (now Bell's) Hall, corner of Mill and Pond Streets. During the first winter the Mission enjoyed the services of a clergyman, until pro- hibited by the Diocesan authority.
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A HISTORY OF BRISTOL BOROUGH.
Owing to the steady growth of the school, a building became a necessity, and in 1891 a lot was purchased on Jefferson Avenue, costing $3,750. The financial depres- sion succeeding that year delayed the carrying out of plans to build until 1895, when a contract was signed for the erection of a building to cost $1,648. This, with extras, not including furniture, amounted to $1,940.50 upon the completion of the building. The building was formally opened on October 6, 1895. The estimated value of the property was about $7,000.
ST. PAUL'S P. E. CHURCH AND PARISH HOUSE.
In the winter of 1899-1900, another appeal for recogni- tion was made to the Convocation of Germantown, but it was found it was not Canonical to do so. The Convo- cation, however, favorably recommended the matter to the standing committee. A hearing was given by the Standing Committee and at the request of Bishop Whita- ker, the committee appeared before him for a conference, with the result that on May 9, 1900, official recognition was granted and the name of St. Paul's Mission was placed upon the list of recognized missions of the diocese.
Rev. Thomas J. Garland was appointed by the Bishop as Minister-in-charge, and the first regular service and
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A HISTORY OF BRISTOL BOROUGH.
administration of the Holy Communion was on Sunday, May 13. It was a most impressive service, being the culmination of fourteen years' hopes and prayers. Regu- lar services were instituted from June I. During the summer the church building was enlarged by the addition of a chancel and a room for the infant class.
The committee in charge of the mission, when the min- ister was appointed, was Wm. V. Leach (who had been acting as lay reader during all the previous years of its existence), B. F. Gilkeson, Thomas B. Harkins, Henry Lombaert, Arthur W. Doust, John Lawrence, Mrs. A. Weir Gilkeson. A Weir Gilkeson, who had been the superintendent of the Sunday School, from the time of its beginning in 1885. died in July, 1899, just one year before the mission received official recognition.
In April, 1903, Rev. Garland resigned, and in June of the same year, Rev. J. Kennedy Moorhouse was appointed deacon in charge from July I. In August, 1903, a plan was adopted to pay off a debt of $3,100 resting on the property. On Easter Day, 1904, the amount of $1,100 was raised and before the following Easter the whole indebtedness was paid off. The first steps were taken in February, 1905, to organize the Mission into a Parish. After several setbacks the charter was finally passed by the Standing Committee of the Diocese, and at 2.30 P. M., Wednesday, May 3, 1905, at the One Hundred and Twen- ty-first Annual Convention of the Diocese, the charter and proposed amendments were approved and the church admitted into union with the Convention.
In August, 1908, ground was broken for a Parish House. On Sunday, February 14, 1909, the new Parish House was opened by a Missionary Service of the Sunday School, the Rev. Thos. J. Garland making the address. The building cost $5,000. In August, 1910, the Rev. J. Kennedy Moorhouse resigned, since which time the church has been without a stationed clergyman.
Causes Which Led to the Organization of Fire Com- panies Nos. 3, 4 and 5 .- In the summer of 1893, a fire occurred at the residence of Thomas Brooks on Garden Street, in which four persons lost their lives. The rail-
19
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A HISTORY OF BRISTOL BOROUGH.
road crossings were blocked by a freight train and the fire companies, both of which were located in the First Ward, were greatly delayed in reaching the conflagration. The possibility of what might happen to that section of the town, on the west side of the railroad, should a serious fire occur, and the fire companies be prevented from responding promptly, on account of the crossings being blockaded, caused the citizens of that section much seri- ' ous thought. It remained, however, for John T. Smith, a citizen of the Fourth Ward, to devolve a plan whereby the unprotected sections of the town could have adequate protection. His proposition was to organize a company in the Fourth Ward for local fire protection only. He sought and obtained the co-operation of Messrs. Wm. H. Grundy, Geo. A. Shoemaker and Joseph R. Grundy, and upon the suggestion of these latter gentlemen the plan was made to embrace the other two unprotected wards. Through the combined efforts of these four gentlemen the citizens of the three wards became interested in the project, which finally culminated in the organization of a fire company in each of the three wards, known respect- ively as Second Ward Hose Company, Third Ward Hose Company and Fourth Ward Hose Company. The Sec- ond Ward Company erected its hose house in the alley back of the south side of Jefferson Avenue, between Pond and Wood Streets; the Third Ward Company built its house in the rear of Abraham Ettenger's yard, facing on Pearl Street; while the home of the Fourth Ward Com- pany was located on Garden Street. Borough Council presented 500 feet of hose to each of the companies. Sub- scriptions were taken in the different wards and the money thus raised used to purchase hose crabs, except in the Fourth Ward, where the company was presented with a crab by Wm. H. Grundy & Co.
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