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 25
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Maggie Winder's next start was at Columbus, Ohio, on September 22, when she won the Kentucky Stock Farm Futurity in 2.093/4, 2.081/2, defeating Capitola, a half sis- ter by Oratorio; Miss Eva Wilkes, by Glenco Wilkes, Dixie Parole, by Parole, who had shown 2.10 speed in her work and The Philistine by Direct Hal. who was credited with a trial in 2.071/4.
She concluded the season at Lexington on October 7, by winning the Kentucky Futurity, getting first and fourth money of the $2,000 purse and reducing her record of 2.061/2, made at Indianapolis, to 2.0614, in the third heat. The time for the three heats, 2.083/4, 2.091/2, 2.061/4, constitute a world's record for three-year-old pacing fil- lies. In her thirteen heats paced during the season, she averaged 2.10.30 10-13 and her winnings for the season were $5,120.
During the season 1910, Mr. Winder kept his horse out of all events, as it was a hard year for the filly, and he and Mr. Jones considered it best not to push her. As this history is going to press, Mr. Winder is staking the
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horse for the 1911 season of which nothing can as yet be said, except that greater things still are expected of Mag- gie Winder. (Contributed by Leo. Pollock, News Edi- tor, Bristol Daily Courier.)
Lincoln Centennial Anniversary .- What was perhaps the greatest patriotic gathering ever seen in Bristol, as- sembled in the Colonial Theatre on Friday evening, Feb- ruary 12, 1909, to witness the celebration of the one hundredth anniversary of the birth of Abraham Lincoln, by the pupils of the high school and grammar grades of our local public schools. On the stage were seated the board of school directors, teachers, members of town council, Alumni Association and the veterans of Henry Clay Beatty Post No. 73, G. A. R., the latter being the guests of the children. As the members of the Post marched down the aisle the children gave them a rousing reception, waving their flags and singing "Marching Through Georgia." The boys in the school contributed the program with one exception. George Smith, a pupil in the high school, made the address of welcome. Intro- ductory remarks by the chairman, Doron Green, followed, and Charles E. Scott, cashier of the Farmers' National Bank and a member of Henry Clay Beatty Post No. 73, delivered an address. Rev. S. W. Gehrett, D. D., the pas- tor of the Bristol M. E. Church, was the last speaker. During the day appropriate exercises were held in the primary grade departments, the entertainments being at- tended by the members of the school board and the G. A. R. The whole day's proceedings were marked with great enthusiasm.
Memorial Tablet Unveiled By Children .- One of the most impressive services ever participated in by the pub- lic school children of Bristol, was held in the auditorium of the Jefferson Avenue school building on Tuesday morning, March 15, 1910, in connection with the unveiling of the memorial tablet commemorating the memory of the late William H. Grundy. The tablet had been placed in the building by the school board as a mark of appreciation for the kindness of Mrs. Grundy in presenting to the
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board the sum of $4,200 in memory of her husband, which was the amount paid for the ground upon which the new school building has been erected. At the banquet held in the building the May previous, during the dedication exercises, Mr. Joseph R. Grundy, when making the pre- sentation, said the gift was made as a memorial to his father, because the ground upon which the building stands was the family's first home in Bristol.
The children of the seven departments assembled in the auditorium at 9 o'clock. On the platform were seated President of the Board William V. Leech ; directors Wil- liam Booz, Dr. W. C. LeCompte, Doron Green and the superintendent of the schools, Miss Louise D. Baggs. The exercises were entirely informal. The children sang Tennyson's beautiful composition "Crossing the Bar,' after which they recited in concert the Twenty-third Psalm and the Lord's Prayer. Another selection entitled "Lend a Helping Hand," was then sung and at the con- clusion Director Green was introduced.
He told the children that the meeting of that morning was under peculiar circumstances, that never before in the history of the schools had the children been invited to par- ticipate with the directors, in an occasion of like character. Telling the children that they had a right to know something about the man in whose honor the tablet was unveiled he reviewed briefly the life of the late William H. Grundy. He told of his coming here in 1876; the in- terest he manifested in the town's affairs; how he was twice elected burgess of Bristol; how he was once hon- ored by election as a Presidential elector, and told of his voyage to Russia to assist in the distribution of the sup- plies sent by the citizens of Philadelphia to the starving people of that country. In closing Mr. Green dwelt upon the gift to the board and explained how that body had decided to show their appreciation by placing the tablet in the building.
The children sang another selection, "The Golden Rule," and then marched in a body upstairs to the main corridor where the tablet had been placed. As the chil- dren sang, "My Country "Tis of Thee," Mr. Leech with- drew the tacks which held the covering in place, and as
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the closing words of the song were uttered dropped it to the floor, thus exposing the tablet to the gaze of all. The children stood in silence, as a mark of tribute to the dead, and then at a command from their teacher marched quiet- ly to their different rooms.
The tablet is of brass and occupies a place on the left side wall, on the main stairway leading up from the front entrance on Jefferson avenue. It bears the following in- scription :
This tablet commemorates the memory of the late WILLIAM H. GRUNDY
who occupied this site as his first residence in Bristol in 1877, and in honor of whose memory the ground upon which the school house has been erected was presented as a gift to the Bristol School Board
May 26, 1909. -(From Bristol Courier.)
The Pennsylvania Railroad Company's New Roadbed. -In the spring of 1910, the Pennsylvania Railroad Com- pany began work on its new elevated roadbed through the town. The object of the improvement is to straighten its tracks, as well as eliminate the dangerous grade crossings which now exist. The new elevated roadbed which begins at a point opposite the Bristol Cemetery, follows the extreme western boundary of the town until Bath Street is reached, when it skirts the residential por- tion of the Fourth Ward and parallels Garden Street, crossing the canal and joining the main line a short dis- tance above the Hollow Creek. The new station is to be placed on Prospect Street, between Jefferson Avenue and Beaver Stret. It is expected that cars will be running on the new road by August, 19II.
Railroad's New Concrete Bridges .- The new bridges which the Pennsylvania Railroad Company has erected on its elevated line through Bristol are departures in many ways in concrete bridge building. Three of the bridges are innovations in size and ornateness-those at Corson, Spruce and Pine Streets. All of the spans are of concrete construction, but the three last named are of
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concrete entire with steel used only in reinforcement rods.
The bridges at Corson, Spruce and Pine Streets are the largest concrete slab bridges probably ever erected. Not that they are the largest concrete spans ever erected, for the arched bridge at Walnut Lane over the Wissahickon, Philadelphia, holds the record. But the Walnut Lane bridge is arched and these Bristol bridges are straight across from abutment to abutment.
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OLD P. R. R. STATION, POND STREET.
Concrete slab bridges have been placed prior to this, but the slabs have never exceeded 20 feet, in fact most of them are I0 or II feet long. The new slabs are 31 feet, greater than ever before attempted. From abutment to abutment the bridges are 50 feet.
The advantages of concrete spans lie in their longevity and minimum cost of maintenance. Iron bridges do not last nearly so long as concrete, which is practically inde- structible ; iron also must be painted constantly in order to lengthen its life. Concrete spans need no attention after they are finished.
The Pennsylvania Railroad concluded to use concrete spans in view of the superiority of that material over iron
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for bridge work. Because of the narrowness of the dis- tances to span ordinary streets, arched concrete bridges would have had to be very long and erected at a consid- erable height. The elevated structure is not sufficiently high to permit arched bridges, so slab spans had to be utilized. The disadvantage then arose of laying slabs of over 20 feet.
The railroad engineers determined to construct slab bridges on this work of greater length than heretofore, and they have succeeded in their efforts.
Besides being a feat of engineering ingenuity the bridges are things of beauty. They are as gracefully out- lined as the temples of the departed Grecians and Romans, the designers having gone beyond the goal of planning utilitarian spans which would stand best the strain of heavy trains thundering across them, and they have placed in Bristol examples of high class architecture that are a credit to the town. The style used is an adap- tation of the Moorish.
The other bridges are of steel and concrete construc- tion. The manner of covering the steel floors so as to make them invulnerable to water is interesting. A layer of concrete is laid over the floor, over this is spread a coating of a patent waterproofing fluid, then comes a cushion of sand, then brick and "grout," or fluid cement. In this way the span is protected from rain, snow, frost and the action of the atmosphere. (Bristol Republican.
Halley's Comet .- After a disappearance of seventy-five years, Halley's comet returned and became visible to the naked eye, in the eastern sky, about May 1, 1910. Astronomers announced that on the night of May 18th the earth would pass through the tail of the comet at II P. M., and suggested the possibility of an electrical dis- play or meteoric showers, when the earth took the plunge. Hundreds of people remained up to see the spectacle, but the earth passed through the tail without a visible sign and many were disappointed. A few were frightened as the day approached, but the great majority regretted the absence of some display when the great event took place. For two weeks following its contact
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with the earth, the comet could be plainly seen above the western horizon. Astronomers claimed that the head of the comet measured 200,000 miles in diameter; its tail was 25,000,000 miles long and its distance from the earth 14,000,000 miles at the time of contact. The width of the tail at the point where the earth cut through it was 1,000,- 000 miles and it required about five hours to make the passage.
The First Airship to Pass Over Bristol .- Charles K. Hamilton, the daring aviator, passed over Bristol in his biplane, Monday morning, June 13, 1910, at 9.30 o'clock. This was the first airship to make the flight between New York and Philadelphia. On his return journey he passed Bristol at 11.33 A. M. A special train on the Pennsyl- vania Railroad acted as a guide to the aviator. Hamil- ton's speed was between fifty-five and sixty miles an hour. Considerable excitement prevailed in Bristol, the tracks of the Pennsylvania Railroad being lined with people eager to catch a glimpse of the biplane.
History of Radcliffe Street .- The following article was taken from the Bucks County Gazette. It was written during the summer of 1910, by our fellow townsman C. Wesley Milnor, one of Bristol's oldest and most respected citizens, and gives an interesting history of the eastern side of Radcliffe Street, away back in the fifties of the last century :
"Near the Hollow Bridge, so called, there stands just south of the antique structure an unpretentious little dwelling not very large in any degree. In this little dwell- ing lived one Alexander Condy, a good citizen of our town, who taught school in the winter season and when there was any work toiled in the ship yard just adjacent. Mr. Condy was a calker by trade and followed this occu- pation when there was any work in this yard. In the larger one of the row of brick houses lived one Charles Thompson, who owned this property and carried on the business for a time.
"There came, however, two people under the firm name of Risley & Wright, who built two vessels of good size named the William H. White and Nathan Tyler.
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"By the way, a number of our citizens were holders of vessel stock which proved to be a good investment on account of the coal trade to and from our town. The writer worked in this yard at the liberal pay of 50 cents per day and boarded himself, attempting to learn the trade. Just think of it, and compare it with the present, with beef at 28 to 30 cents a pound.
"Adjoining this property, what is now called the Wor- rell property, there lived General William Montgomery, a retired army officer, with his family, together with Thomas and William Wood. General Montgomery was a gentleman of the old school, showing his military training.
"Next adjoining there lived Francis Jacoby. He, too, was a type of the old school respected by his friends and faultless in his dress. I remember him when he kept a horse and buggy, and John Weaver was his driver and general utility man. This mansion of Mr. Jacoby's has been remodeled and the residence of Clifford L. Ander- son added to the lot owned by Mr. Jacoby.
"As we are walking southward on this street on the site of the Jonathan Wright estate, there stood, just back from the street, obscured almost with shrubbery and flowers, a quaint old house one and one-half stories high in which lived Samuel Bankson, the father of Mrs. Reuben Pedrick. Adjoining this is the Robert Beatty homestead, an old residence, where Robert Beatty reared a large family and was a man of noble character and at one time cashier of our bank.
"Well I remember Beatty's hill in winter when the coasting was good and also the bathing ground in the summer in the Delaware. A few of the boys were always welcome to enjoy the sports and pleasures at the Beatty home.
"We now have come to the property of the late John K. Wildman which at the time I am writing of was occupied by William M. Downing, the father of our townsman, William M. Downing, the flour merchant. Mr. Downing was an agent of one of the coal companies which were located in Bristol at that time.
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"Adjoining this property in the yellow mansion there lived Lucius H. Scott, a fine, noble gentleman, an hon- ored member of Bristol Lodge No. 25, also of St. James Church, a man whom if once seen you would always remember.
"We now have reached what has always been known as the 'haunted house,' the property then of a Miss Sarah Keene, who also owned a brick house corner Tenth and Chestnut Streets, Philadelphia, where the Mutual Life Building now stands. This sombre looking house with no visible sign of life or cheerfulness about it had stood unmolested nor inspected for many years, until recently, when I have been told one of our ladies took a party through it for inspection. One, William Whitley, with his family, lived in the basement at that time.
"We have now arrived at the palatial mansion now occupied by our fellow townsman, Joseph R. Grundy. This property was once owned and occupied by Captain Joseph B. Hutchinson, Sr., who lived there and was the father of Joseph B. Hutchinson, of the Pennsylvania Railroad. Mr. Hutchinson was a gentleman of the old . school and lived here before erecting the stone edifice on the Beaver Dam Road. This house was once occu- pied by Robert Tyler, a relative of ex-President Tyler. Mrs. Tyler was a descendant of Thomas Cooper, the tragedian, who figured in the theatrical world in the days of Edwin Forrest. Unfor- tunately, I might say, Mr. Tyler espoused the cause of the Southern Confederacy at the beginning of the rebellion. Although holding a good position, I think, in the Phila- delphia courts, he took up with a cause that was not worthy of the support of any man, and that finally ended in its overthrow and caused much distress and expense to our country. He had a fine family. Mrs. Tyler was a highly educated woman, of fine social qualities and well thought of in our community.
"On the site of the residence of John C. Stuckert and others, there stood an old brick dwelling which was called the 'old bake house.' It has been said it was used as a hospital during the Revolutionary War. It also has been said that Lafayette stopped there for a time, so you
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see our town has a more than passing record of figuring in the war of the revolution.
"At or about the river front of Dr. Lecompte's there was a fine beach at the river edge which was used by our Baptist people as a place to administer the rite of bap- tism by immersion. C. J. Page was the pastor in charge and frequently conducted these exercises. Mr. Page was here for some years and was a strong exponent of the Bible, as well as a staunch advocate of Temperance.
"There were no houses from this spot to Walnut Street, where we find a building now occupied by the Order of Elks, originally called the Beaver Meadow House, kept as a boarding house by a Mrs. Crooks.
"Let me say that from this point to the Laing property, outside the borough limits, there was a string of wharves upon which were stored thousands of tons of coal which came to Bristol via the canal and was unloaded from boats carrying from 75 to 90 tons and then reloaded on vessels for eastern points. This required a vast amount of manual labor and consequently gave employment to a large class, who kept up these boarding houses. This industry did much to build up a business for Bristol and added to the thriving prosperity of the town at that time. Other facilities having developed the coal industry in a wholesale sense is a thing of the past in the history of Bristol.
"Adjoining lots with the Elks' property is the residence of Ernest Lawrence, which is of a more recent origin.
"We come to a brick dwelling wherein Jesse W. · Knight now resides, formerly occupied by W. B. Baker, but at the time of my story was the residence of Captain Lloyd B. Newell. Mr. Newell was a retired navy officer and lived with us for a number of years. A Commodore Shaw also made his home with him. It was also occupied by William R. Dickinson, a prominent lawyer of his day. "Next we find on the site of the new house of the Johnson family, two or three dwellings owned by one Benjamin Brown, who was a respected resident of our town. William Tabram lived on this property and car- ried on a business of dealer in rags, iron and second hand articles in general and did a good business. In the small
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house standing back from the street there lived a Mr. Harlan and family.
"The large dwelling now occupied by Dr. Frank Leh- man, was built by a John Magoffin, who with his wife, lived there for a number of years. The house is probably the best built house of its kind in the town and it is said that Mr. Magoffin superintended the erection of his home and that any material that was not up to the standard he would not let it go in the construction. Mr. and Mrs. Magoffin were members of the Presbyterian Church and were well known for their deeds of charity and example of the true Christian life. Mr. Magoffin would frequently on Sundays in summer, wend his way to the canal basin and there gather a lot of boatmen together and expound to them the teaching of God's word from the Bible.
"There lived in a yellow house, where the beautiful home of G. M. Dorrance now stands, a Mrs. John Myers, a fine widow, a member of St. James' Church, at one time its organist in the old edifice, where I have seen her pre- side at the organ, during the pastorate of William S. Per- kins. Mrs. Myers was a noble specimen of a lady in its truest sense, kind, charitable and a devout Christian.
"On the opposite side of Mulberry Street hill there lived Captain George Breck, who had a military career but I cannot recall of what kind. He also was a member of St. James Church, a perfect gentleman, well known in our town for his many good qualities.
"We have now arrived at a point in our narrative covering the imposing structure of the Farmers' National Bank of Bucks County, a building of imposing architec- ture standing for years as sentinel guarding the peoples' money; an institution solid as a rock and managed by men of strict integrity until today it is second to none in the county, and would no doubt be on an equality with any in the State. Robert Beatty was its cashier, assisted by Charles Iredell, both good men. It is now managed by our genial townsman Charles E. Scott, and his son Thomas as assistant, both able financiers.
"An incident comes to my mind that will illustrate the faith our people have in this institution. There was an old Irishman in our town who had through economy
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saved quite a sum of money in the way of gold, there being a premium on the same during the war. It was his custom to consult a friend as to what it was selling for ; when one day he finally sold it and received in exchange greenbacks for the same; and it is said that he had such confidence in our bank that he exchanged the greenbacks for our bank's issue of notes, never dreaming that if the government went up, the bank notes would be no good.
"Where Tom Scott now lives there lived a family by the name of Vezin for quite a time and was afterward occupied by a Mrs. Fraily and also A. L. Packer.
"The two brick houses next adjoining were not built until quite recently as well as the building of the Bristol Trust Company, this being erected but a short time back, and as it is composed in its board of officers of some of our best citizens there is no reason why it should not succeed in its mission and thereby benefit its stockholders and the community in general. There stood on the site of this a large mansion where John Dorrance and family once resided for quite a season and was afterward used later on by William Fabian as a furniture and house furnishing store.
"John Dorrance was an old resident of our town and had large business interests, was a senior member of the firm of Dorrance & Knight also Dorrance & Doron who managed the old mill for many years. He was interested in the railroad and other enterprises, was respected by all who knew him and built the mansion now occupied by G. M. Dorrance. He was a member of St. James' Church and one of its regular communicants. He lived here and passed away at a good old age well liked and respected by his fellowmen.
"Where the post office now stands was a building occu- pied by a number of persons in different kinds of busi- ness, the upper story being used as a public hall. for various purposes.
"We now come to what was the terminus of the Phila- delphia & Trenton Railroad Company, where trains were run from Trenton and New York, and thence by boat to Philadelphia. This business was carried on prior to 1850 and I clearly recall the trains going and coming down
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Market Street when I was but a small boy. The boat would come to Bristol from Bordentown and there wait for the train and take the passengers to Philadelphia. When quite a boy I sold the Philadelphia newspapers to passengers from Bordentown and Trenton, and some mornings would sell from thirty to fifty papers whilst the passengers were being transferred. I think there was only one train a day from Trenton and only two from New York in the early part of its existence in our town. After a time this business was transferred to Tacony; then again to Kensington and finally to Broad Street. What a contrast between now and the beginning of 1850. The old depot was used during the war as a storehouse for hay and straw, wherein hundreds of tons were baled and shipped to the front for our army. The building was later on demolished.
"The two or three frame buildings adjoining were occu- pied by different persons during his time. The one that I can recall now was a carpenter named Harrison Brels- ford. He was also a ferryman in the winter time when the ferry boat was laid up. Christopher O'Reilly once had a newspaper agency in one of these houses. This brings us to that old hostelry, the Delaware House (be- fore the days of railroading it was Bessonett's Hotel). It has been a landmark for many years whilst not now hav- ing its original appearance, but being considerably changed by painting, etc., yet it has a history that belongs to our ancient town that is worth thinking over. As I have said it was originally called Bessonett's Hotel, being kept by a man of that name. It was here where passen- gers who were fatigued with the tedious journey from Philadelphia to New York-(for it took, sixty years ago, two days to get there in a lumbering old stage coach and you had to pay four dollars for the pleasure), stopped to rest over night and also to change horses. I recall an incident written by our townsman, William Kinsey, wherein he stated that there was a rivalry in regard to carrying the mail between this man Bessonett and a Mr. Reeside, which created an opposition line and handbills were posted throughout the town by the opposition :
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