Historical and biographical annals of Berks County, Pennsylvania, embracing a concise history of the county and a genealogical and biographical record of representative families, Volume I, Part 20

Author: Montgomery, Morton L. (Morton Luther), b. 1846; J.H. Beers & Co
Publication date: 1909
Publisher: Chicago : J. H. Beers & Co.
Number of Pages: 1018

USA > Pennsylvania > Berks County > Historical and biographical annals of Berks County, Pennsylvania, embracing a concise history of the county and a genealogical and biographical record of representative families, Volume I > Part 20

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erywhere years ago; and they were carried on suc- cessfully at the inn. The "fiddler" was an impor- tant person upon such occasions. And "Battalion Day" brought much profit to the inn that was near

Military affairs were active throughout the coun- ty from the close of the Revolution until the be- ginning of the Civil war, a period covering nearly eighty years. Companies of men were formed in every section, and battalions were drilled annually at the prominent towns, mostly at Reading, Kutz- town, Hamburg, Rehrersburg, Womelsdorf, Boyer- town and Morgantown. These exercises occasioned

The almanac is a common guide to indicate by the changes of the moon the proper time for plant- ing. The practice of consulting the moon's phases is regarded by many persons as a superstitious no- tion; but it still prevails. So fences are erected the day to be called "Battalion Day." They afford- when the points of the moon are up; shingle roofs ed the men much pleasure and a great change in are nailed in position when the points are down; their daily employment in the field, barn and work-

HISTORY OF BERKS COUNTY, PENNSYLVANIA

shop. Many sons of early families became quite thought and energy in cities absorb the greater pro- prominent as military men.

The old "Conestoga wagon" is no longer seen passing over our highways. Seventy years ago it was in prominent use everywhere. Many were seen

FLAX-BRAKE

moving together in transporting great loads of wheat, and other products such as manufactured articles, whiskey, etc., to distant markets, especially to Philadelphia. Each one was drawn by four horses, sometimes by five and six; which attracted much attention, with jingling sweet-toned bells on the lead-horse of the team to indicate its movement on the way. Its capacity was from two thousand to three thousand pounds. It was covered with a strong canvas top. In returning, store goods of various kinds were brought along. After the open- ing of the railroad in 1838, this business of hauling in Conestoga wagons gradually ceased. Since then, the only considerable hauling by farmers is in con- veying their grain, hay, etc., to the market at Read- ing; and this is done almost entirely in one wagon at a time.

In a "moving" by a farmer about April 1st, many teams are used to convey the whole stock, furniture, etc., in a day. The long train affords to a certain degree an idea how the Conestoga teams appeared.

portion of the profits. If his daily habits were not simple and his expenses small, he could not keep what he has, much less accumulate more. His net income from actual labor is limited. Compared with the incomes of business men, agents, officers of corporations and clerks in cities, it is insignificant. His manners are the same in this respect as in others. If we examine them closely and compare them with the condition of things one hundred years ago, we find little progress. His household furniture, bedding, clothing, tableware, social habits and general customs are generally the same. His walls are not decorated with costly paintings; his floors are not covered with fine, soft carpets; his beds are not composed of easy springs and hair or wire mattresses; his table does not glisten with pol- ished silver or sparkle with cut glass; his dwelling is not after the modern style, with arrangements for health and convenience; and he himself is not a patron of art, literature or amusements. In towns and cities, however, we find all these things, not only in the dwellings of bankers, lawyers and mer- chants, but also of industrious mechanics, agents and clerks; and art, literature and various amuse- ments are largely patronized and encouraged.

This great difference is caused by the spirit of progress, which obtains more in populous places where the people are led in numerous ways to inter- mingle daily with one another. Association creates the laudable ambition to develop improvements in the various departments of domestic and social life ; and it relieves the monotony of daily labor by lit- erary, musical and dramatic amusements. In car- rying on its amusements successfully, it is convert- ing night more and more into day and devising new methods for social pleasure and excitement. Im- proved light facilitates and encourages it in the night-time.

Traveling is a great agency in stimulating it. Indeed, in certain respects, it is like steam on the one hand and electricity on the other-active and energetic in moving about from place to place, and brilliant and powerful in providing the necessary light to accommodate its conceptions. Horse- power, and locomotion afforded by this means, may suffice for the people in the country districts, but steam and railroads afford locomotion which is not too rapid for the people in the towns and cities.

The life of the farmer is comparatively little be- yond hard, earnest labor and rigid economy through- out each succeeding year. His daily reflection is upon his stock and crops. All the improved imple- ments and labor-saving machinery are devised and Restless energy is introducing wonderful changes in the manners and customs of the people. In the mountainous and farming districts, where distance still separates many inhabitants and the means for rapid intermingling are impracticable, the changes are imperceptible. Their situation does not warrant changes, especially such as are constantly going on in the cities, for it could not support them. The profits of labor and investment in them are too slow and too small. Hence their manners and cus- toms, their dwellings and churches, their roads and movements, their speech and actions, their dress introduced by others for his benefit. He would have continued in the same manner of conducting his farming operations practised from 1700 to 1800, and even till 1850, if inventive genius had not created new methods for him. The farmer of our own county has not produced anything to im- prove his situation in respect to labor. He adopts what is brought to him. This singular inactivity keeps him back of the advancing times. Through it, the products of his labor are permitted to be drained to populous places. One of the chief con- sequences is little remuneration. The men of and associations, are the same or nearly the same as

GOVERNMENT AND OFFICIALS

they were a hundred years ago. Their energy is open fireplace for the production of light in a simple inseparable from the plow and the hoe and muscu- lar exertion. But the cities produce and support these changes, and in them energy partakes more of the mind than of the body. And these changes, and this mental energy, are more active amongst their inhabitants.

In comparing the situation of the people of Al- bany and Caernarvon townships, districts located at the extreme northern and southern ends of the county, thirty miles apart; also of Hereford and Bethel townships, districts located at the extreme eastern and western ends, forty miles apart, with the situation of the people of Reading, the county- seat, the difference is apparent at a glance. One hundred years ago they were alike, or nearly so. But just as Reading is in advance of the districts mentioned, so is New York, the great metropolis of our vast country, in advance of Reading.

and inexpensive way ; in the other, these have long passed away, especially for public purposes, and the people have light from electricity. In the one, thousands of inhabitants are scattered over miles of territory, but in the other thousands are concen- trated upon a few acres, if not in a few very large buildings. In the one, a few hundred dollars suffice to make the inhabitants contented and happy; but in the other, millions of dollars are invested and expended to carry out successfully the manners and customs of its inhabitants and such changes as am- bition, competition and rivalry produce.

Contentment would seem to be the companion of slowness, if not of stillness ; but discontentment, of energy and activity. In the one, the expense of a few extra dollars in travel or amusement is looked upon as luxury, if not extravagance; but in the other, thousands of dollars are expended as a mat- ter of necessity for the same purpose. These strong contrasts enable us to see our own manners and customs as they are or were or as they will be, more especially in the more populous places, the

By contrasting the two extremes, our mountain- ous districts with the great metropolis, the differ- ence in the manners and customs of the respective inhabitants is truly wonderful. And yet the fore- fathers of each, as immigrants, started alike. In nearer that steam and electricity come to be con- the one, oil and tallow are still used, and even the nected with us in our material progress.

CHAPTER IV-GOVERNMENT AND OFFICIALS

ELECTION DISTRICTS

Provision was made for free and voluntary elec- tions by William Penn in the laws agreed upon in England in 1682, for the government of Pennsyl- vania and the right of election was given to every freeman of the province. A freeman was defined to be "every inhabitant that is or shall be a pur- chaser of one hundred acres of land or upward; and Reading Bern Alsace every person who shall have paid his passage and taken up one hundred acres of land at one penny Brecknock an acre, and have cultivated ten acres thereof; and Caernarvon every person that hath been a servant or bondsman and is free by his service, that shall have taken up fifty acres of land and cultivated twenty thereof ; and every inhabitant, artificer, or other resident that pays scot or lot to the government."

At that time, the territory comprising Berks county was occupied by Indians. Not a single white man had yet settled upon it. There was no need for election laws then, nor for districts to facilitate Bern, Upper elections. But in one hundred years afterward, many permanent settlers had entered the territory, and the necessity for government in all its form's had become apparent. Townships had been organ- Bethel Pine-Grove ized and the county had become erected with all its offices in that interval of time. Independence had been declared; government established; and elec- tions of various local officers held.

The elections for county officials were held at Reading from the beginning of the county in 1752 5

till 1789. During this time the county comprised one election district ; and all elections were directed to be held at the Court-House, in the county-town. Then the county was divided into five election dis- tricts, and the electors of the several townships were required to vote at the places named:

Reading, 1st District, at the Court-House

Exeter

Heidelberg

Maiden-creek

Oley

Robeson

Cumru Ruscombmanor

Kutztown, 2d District, at public house of Philip Gehr

Greenwich Maxatawny

Hereford Richmond

Longswamp Rockland

Hamburg; 3d District, at public house of John Moyer

Albany Brunswick Windsor

Tulpehocken, 4th District, at public house of Godfrey Roehrer

Tulpehocken

Amity, 5th District, at public house of Wm. Witman- called "White Horse "

Amity Colebrookdale Douglass

Earl

Union

HISTORY OF BERKS COUNTY, PENNSYLVANIA

There were then twenty-nine townships and one borough, Reading. In the performance of this poli- tical duty many electors traveled a distance of fif- teen miles. But this was an improvement on what had been required four years before-those living in the townships farthest removed from Reading having been required to travel from twenty-five to thirty miles.

Subsequently, until now, additional districts have been established to facilitate elections. As a matter of historical interest they are presented in the order of priority; in the subdivisions of the county (as made in Chapter I).

Manatazeny Section

Muthart's, 1794-comprising Colebrookdale, District

Earl and Hereford.

Hereford, 1811.

Keely's, 1812-comprising Douglass, Amity, Colebrook- dale and Earl.

Oley, 1814. Ruscombmanor, 1815.

Rockland, 1816.

Pike, 1816.

Earl, 1817.

Reading, two wards, 1817. District, 1818.

Amity, 1822. Douglass, 1824. Colebrookdale, 1827. Exeter, 1839. Alsace, 1840.

Washington, 1840.

Reading, 1840, four wards; 1844, fifth ward. Muhlenberg, 1850.

Boyertown, 1866.

Reading, 1864, nine wards; 1875, eleven .wards; 1885, thirteen wards; 1892, fifteen wards; 1894, sixteen wards. Alsace, Lower, 1888.

Mt. Penn, 1904.

Ontelaunee Section

Croll's 1799-comprising Albany and Greenwich.

Maiden-creek, 1817.

Longswamp, 1817. Albany, 1819. Perry, 1821. Richmond, 1823. Greenwich, 1827. Windsor, 1830 (at Hamburg).

Hamburg, 1837.

Maxatawny and Kutztown, 1841. Ontelaunee, 1850. Fleetwood, 1873.

Topton, 1877.

Lenhartsville, 1887.

Tulpehocken Section

Womelsdorf. 1797-comprising Bethel, Tulphocken and Heidelberg.

Bethel, 1803. Tulpehocken, 1809.

Shartle's, 1812-comprising Upper Bern and Upper Tul- pehocken. Bern, Upper, 1822. Tulpehocken, Upper, 1829. Bernville, 1829. Heidelberg, Lower, 1834. Heidelberg, 1839. Bern, 1840. Penn, 1842.

Centre, 1843. Marion, 1843. Heidelberg, North, 1845. Jefferson, 1851. Centreport, 1884. Tilden, 1887. West Leesport, 1901.

Schuylkill Section

Forest, 1791-comprising then Caernarvon, Robeson and Union.

Marquart's, 1798-comprising same townships with Breck- nock added.

Caernarvon, 1818.

Union, 1829.

Robeson, 1829. Brecknock, 1829. .

Cumru, 1840 (at Reading).

Spring, 1850.

Birdsboro, 1872.

Wyomissing, 1906. West Reading, 1907.

Mohnton, 1907.

Shillington, 1908.

Section beyond the Mountain

Pine-Grove, 1797-comprising all north of the Blue Mountain.

Orwigsburg, 1798-comprising Brunswick and Man- heim.

Mahantango, 1802-comprising that township.

The election districts in the county now (1909) comprise 16 wards of Reading, 2 wards of Birds- boro and 2 of Hamburg ; 15 boroughs, and 43 town- ships, altogether 78.

PROMINENT REPRESENTATIVE MEN

Before 1820, it would seem that the major part of the voters of the county did not show so strong a partisan spirit in reference to the election of their representatives to Congress as they did afterward. Joseph Hiester was a very popular man with his' constituents, and he maintained their confidence and political support through a period embracing thirty years, notwithstanding his identification with the Federal party and the publication of certain letters in local newspapers reflecting against his political character. He succeeded in accomplishing what no other man in the history of the county has been able to do: for, besides securing his repeated election to Congress on the ticket of the minority party, he even influenced the suffrage of the Dem- ocrats in the county in his own behalf against their own regular nominee for Governor to such an ex- tent as to be elevated to the highest executive office of the State.

During the period from 1829 to 1844, Rev. Hen- ry A. Muhlenberg (the son-in-law of Hiester) was the most prominent political representative. By a reelection to Congress for five consecutive terms he evinced much popularity. In 1835, he received the nomination of the Democratic party for Gover- nor ; but he was not elected, owing to the action of an independent element in the party which was led by Governor Wolf, the incumbent then in the executive office and concluding his second term.

GOVERNMENT AND OFFICIALS

At that time, the Anti-Mason party was strong represented the national government at Vienna for in the State, and, through the division of the Dem- two years with great distinction. ocratic party, it was enabled to elect its candidate, Joseph Ritner. Muhlenberg polled the largest vote of the three candidates in the county.

Several years afterward, President Van Buren appointed Muhlenberg to be the first minister to Austria, and, upon accepting this distinguished ap- pointment, he resigned his seat in Congress. This was the first honor conferred by a President of the United States upon the county of Berks, and the people appreciated it highly. In 1844, Muhlen- berg again became the regular nominee for Gov- ernor on the Democratic ticket, but he died before for the Democratic candidate, and Keim was elect- the election.

There was a great difference between Hiester and Muhlenberg; the former was a Federalist in a Dem- ocratic county, successful in winning . and holding a strong political support for himself, and a stanchi advocate of a protective tariff, of the free school system, and of the United States Bank (of which it is probable that he was one of the original sub- scribers of stock) ; but the latter was a Democrat, and opposed to the measures mentioned.

Twenty years after Muhlenberg's time in Con- gress, the first considerable dissatisfaction arose in the Democratic party in the county, which resulted in the defeat of Hon. J. Glancy Jones, the regular nominee. He had been the representative from this district since 1851, and while serving his fourth term announced his candidacy for re-election. But a great political change was then working its way amongst the people throughout Pennsylvania, and to a certain extent this change was manifesting itself also in Berks county. It was created princi- pally by the action of Buchanan's administration on the Kansas question, and Jones-one of Buchan- an's ablest supporters-having been intimately asso- ciated with it, the leaders of the opposition naturally took advantage of the situation to extend their feel- ing into the county so as to operate against him.

Though Jones had made the nomination before the County Convention almost by acclamation, im- mediately afterward certain influential Democrats of the county developed sufficient strength against him to be able to call another convention and ex- press opposition to his re-election-the principal ground being his course on the subject of the tariff. The Independent Democrats therefore nominated John Schwartz-a prominent ironmaster of large ability and experience, and a highly respected sur- vivor of the war of 1812-15.

The Republicans united in supporting Schwartz, and this co-operation caused the defeat of Jones by a small majority-the first real defeat which the Democrats had met with in the history of the party in the county.

But the political activity in the campaign of 1858 was not permitted to subside with the defeat of Jones. His resignation having caused a vacancy which the electors were obliged to fill the Democrats nominated Joel B. Wanner, Esq. (who had, two years before, served a term as mayor of Reading), and the Republicans nominated General William H. Keim, a man highly respected for his business qual- ifications and very popular throughout the county in military affairs. A special election was held in November, 1858, but the vote was small, especially

ed.

Previously, on two occasions, in respect to coun- ty offices, a similar result had occurred. In 1846, David Yoder, a prominent and influential farmer of Oley and a descendant of one of the first families in that township, was elected, as a Whig, to the office of county commissioner, because the nominee on the Democratic ticket was alleged to have been an Irishman, the Irish as a class not being par- ticularly appreciated by the German element in the county. And in 1853, Charles Van Reed, also a prominent farmer and paper manufacturer of Lower Heidelberg township, was elected as a Whig to the office of county treasurer. The nominee on the Dem- ocratic ticket was Adam Leize, who had held the office from 1849 to 1851. The incumbent during the election was William Ermentrout, whose son was married to Leize's daughter. Many Democrats thought that one family was obtaining too much political preferment and therefore they opposed the election of Leize.

Between 1789 and 1820, Daniel Messersmith and John K. Messersmith had continued to hold the office of treasurer alternately for a period of thirty years; David Bright from 1823 to 1835; and Peter Nagle from 1835 to 1843. The office was filled by appointment until 1841, when it became elective.

In 1841, the Hon. John Banks (then the president judge of the county) was the nominee of the Whig party for Governor. The Democratic party was at that time under thorough organization and Gov- ernor Porter was elected by a largely increased ma- jority, in the county as well as in the State. Sub- sequently, in 1847, while the Whigs were in the majority in the State Legislature, Judge Banks was elected to the office of State treasurer for one year by the united support of all the Whigs.

Between 1850 and 1860, there were two promi- nent representatives from the county in the State Legislature-William M. Hiester, in the Senate from 1853 to 1855, serving as speaker during the latter year; and J. Lawrence Getz, in the House for 1856 and 1857, also serving as speaker during the latter year. Mr. Getz subsequently served three terms in Congress from this district, 1867 to 1873.

The defeat of Jones was both a surprise and a disappointment to President Buchanan. and immed- iately after hearing it he appointed Jones to the Hiester Clymer occupied great political promi- Austrian Mission. Jones accepted this appointment nence in the county for twenty years, from 1861 to and thereupon resigned his seat in Congress. He 1881. He was in the State Senate from 1861 to

HISTORY OF BERKS COUNTY. PENNSYLVANIA

1866. In 1866, he received the nomination for they have continued to be till now. A singular Governor on the Democratic ticket, but he was not change-if not a transformation-in respect to elected. Reading was then Republican in political sentiment by a small majority and the nominee 011 the Republican ticket received the full party vote, notwithstanding Reading was the home of Mr. Clymer. He was the representative in Congress from 1873 to 1881.

party names, arose afterward. As early as 1793, the Anti-Federal party was called the Democratic -. Republican party ; but the word "Republican" was dropped in 1805, and the name Democratic alone used. Thence the Federals, or Whigs, or Republi- cans, have been on the one side and the Democrats- Daniel Ermentrout succeeded Clymer in political on the other, the latter party keeping its identity prominence, having been State senator from 1874 here for over a century. For twenty-five years, to 1880, and the representative in Congress from from 1830 to 1855, the Anti-Mason party for ten 1881 to 1889, and from 1897 to 1899, dying before the end of his last term.

POLITICAL SENTIMENT

POLITICAL PARTIES .- From the beginning of the county, there have been two parties in political af- fairs. Before the Revolution, agitation of political questions was not general or continuous. The elec- tive franchise was a recognized privilege, but it was not particularly encouraged by the creation of con- venient or numerous polls to enable electors to ex- press political preferences. Local offices for the townships and the town were filled by election, but county officials were appointed, and this feature continued in respect to the major part of them until 1841, when an Act of Assembly was passed which provided for a general change to election. For over thirty-five years Berks county comprised one gen- eral election district, with the court-house at Read- ing as the polls. In 1789, the districts began to increase; and they have increased gradually, to sat- isfy the demands and encourage the facilities for election, till they now number seventy-eight.

During the Revolution, the people formed them- selves into two parties, especially those who mani- fested any concern in the government ; the one class, favoring a continuance of the royal government, called "Tories"; and the other, favoring a free, rep- resentative government, called "Federals," or "Whigs." The distinction was marked, and fortui- nately for the people of the county, as of the State and the great confederation of States, the latter party won a decisive victory. Upon the establish- ment of freedom, new parties arose. These pro- ceeded from Whigs, and were recognized either as

Berks county was not alone in honoring him, for of the eleven counties in the southeastern section the Government Whigs, or Federals, who desired of the State, he had eight in 1817. This important a Republican form of government, with checks section of the State gave him a majority of 2,191,

upon the impulses or passions of the people, and with liberty regulated, strengthened and confirmed by central authority ; or as the Particularist Whigs, or Anti-Federals, who desired the same form of government, but Democratic in spirit, with. the rights of local self-government, and of States ever uppermost.

years, and the Whig for fifteen, were substituted in the place of the Republican party.

The Declaration of Independence was published on the 4th day of July, 1776. Since the Revolution,. that day has been regarded as the nation's birthday, and it has been made a holiday by the several State. governments. Annually for about eighty years, the- parties of each community celebrated this great holiday by assembling at popular places and drink- ing toasts, making addresses and enjoying them- selves generally. At Reading, the parties celebrated the day regularly in this manner. The Federalists and the Whigs assembled on the island in the Schuylkill river, several hundred feet above the ferry, at the foot of Bingaman street ; and the Dem- ocrats at Mineral Spring, east of the limits of Read- ing. When the Civil war broke out, this custom was discontinued, and it has not been revived.

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Historical and biographical annals of Berks County, Pennsylvania, embracing a concise history of the county and a genealogical and biographical record of representative families, Volume I, Part 20

Author: Montgomery, Morton L. (Morton Luther), b. 1846; J.H. Beers & Co Publication date: 1909 Publisher: Chicago : J. H. Beers & Co. Number of Pages: 1018

Author: Montgomery, Morton L. (Morton Luther), b. 1846; J.H. Beers & Co
Publication date: 1909
Publisher: Chicago : J. H. Beers & Co.
Number of Pages: 1018