USA > Pennsylvania > Montgomery County > Historical sketches : a collection of papers prepared for the Historical Society of Montgomery County, Pennsylvania, Volume I > Part 5
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Mr. Morris, in addition to the ground, donated £530, Pennsylvania currency, in trust, the interest only to be used for school purposes, building and keeping the house in repair. At some time afterward, a certain Mr. Ulrich living in the vi- cinity donated $33.33 in addition to that of Mr. Morris.
In compliance with the unsigned will of Samuel Morris, his brother conveyed the property and donation by deed dated January 13, 1773, to John Cleaver, of Upper Dublin, Thomas Lancaster, Joseph McClain, Jacob Edge, Joseph Lukens and Henry Scheetz, Esq. (father of General Henry Scheetz), of Whitemarsh, in trust. The trustees were annually elected down to the present time. In pursuance of an Act of the General Assembly, the school was incorporated May 12, 1797. Upon an examination of the first minute of the trustees, I find the first portion torn out, and thus when the school was opened 7
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cannot be ascertained. The first entry in the old minute book is dated the 11th of Fourth-month, 1791, but it evidently was opened some years before. The first master (as he is called) was Ezekiel Hill, who taught a number of years; Thomas Livezey, Esq., who was a justice of the peace of Whitemarsh, and Francis Murphy, an Irish refugee of 1798, taught about the time of the war of 1812, and at Williams' as late as 1845 and '46. Some years after him came Robert Kerr, likewise an Irishman, distinguished for his strict discipline; and his brother William Kerr, John M. Jones, Daniel Sellers, Samuel Davis, Thomas Bitting and others. Samuel Morris lived where Thomas J. Wentz now resides. Farmar's mill, heretofore no- ticed, belonged to the Morris' at the time of the Revolution. The road known as the Morris road, leading northwestwardly from Fort Washington, derives its name from the Morris' of Whitemarsh and Whitpain.
Samuel Morris, of Whitemarsh, so called to distinguish him from others of the prominent family, whose name he bore, belonged to the society of Friends. He was a leading member of Plymouth meeting, in which he was overseer. I find by the minutes of said meeting that he took quite an active part. From 1745 until 1753 he was justice of the peace, as appears from Pennsylvania Archives, Vol. IX, second series.
The Morris family, in the quite early days of the colony, were active in the affairs of the government, and ever since, many of them having become prominent as legislators, lawyers, and officers in the service of the state and nation. Joshua Morris, his brother, served many years in the General Assem- bly, from Abington. Anthony Morris, who came over with, or shortly after Penn's arrival, became a large land owner of Whitemarsh and Whitpain townships. He originally built the seat called the " Highlands," lately the estate of George Sheaff, now owned by the heirs.
I have frequently heard in my earlier days from the old residents of the township, that a public road at one time, say previous to the Revolution, or at that time, was in use, start- ing from the turnpike, immediately above the residence of S.
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W. and Franklin A. Comly, and followed a nearly west course through the farms of the Messrs. Comly, across the Wissa- hickon and the Valley Green farm, now owned by P. F. Siltzer, and thence through the timber lands on the south side of Mi- litia hill, and thence through the lands belonging to the heirs of the late Joseph Williams, and terminating at Lancasterville. Traces of this road are nowhere visible, except through the woods just named, where it appears to be readily traced. It is not supposed that it was a legally established road, but one that the public generally made use of in the early days of the colony, and before more convenient roads were established by law.
Within that part of Whitemarsh township lying between Barren Hill and the Old Bethlehem road, the public roads have been considerably changed since its early settlement; evidence of this occurs quite frequently. The road leading from Norristown in the direction of Flourtown, through the property of James M. Coulston, from the earliest time down to within this century, passed on and across the road leading from the Lancasterville road in the direction of Chas. Wil- liams'. After crossing, said road passed on the west side of the Williams school lot, and continued in a southerly direction through the farm lately owned by Lewis A. Lukens, and passed the old grave-yard, heretofore described, on its west side, in the same direction, and crossed the Wissahickon at a ford opposite the late residence of Aristides Welch, known as Erdenheim. The road passed on and in front of this house and intersected the road leading to Chestnut Hill and German- town immediately below. The track of this old road is quite visible at this day, and while a school director in 1866 I had the banks of the old abandoned road levelled through the school lot for the purpose of enlarging the play-ground.
Traces of the old ford at the Wissahickon are quite visible to this day. When this road was abandoned, another one was opened from the school house in an easterly course through the farm of Daniel Williams, in the direction of Cleaver's mill, near where it intersected the Lancasterville
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road, north of the bridge over the Wissahickon. About 1852 this road was vacated by a jury, and another one laid out immediately in front of the buildings of Daniel Williams, and terminating at said Lancasterville road. Tradition, which is sometimes at fault, and may be in this, has it that an old road at one time branched off, from the first named old road, near the ford, in a southerly direction, between the house and barn on the farm lately Mr. Lukens', and continued through the farm of Charles Williams, and terminated at the old Ger- mantown road, north of the St. Joseph's Catholic school, on the lot of the late Mrs. Scheetz. It is traditional likewise that a road at one time passed from about Williams' station in a southerly direction diagonally across the farm of Daniel Wil- liams, and intersected the first old road north of the school house. About 1820, or a few years before, the commissioners of Montgomery county built the stone bridge over the Wissa- hickon, a short distance below the mill of Silas Cleaver. Quite an accident occurred before its erection. Thomas Coar, Sr., a lime-burner of Lancasterville, lost a team of four horses in attempting to cross the creek, at this point, during a time of high water. There is no doubt that owing to the erection of this bridge that so much change was made in the roads in this vicinity, so that the inhabitants and travelling public could have better approaches to this point, and less danger in cross- ing the creek, and which led to the abandonment of the others.
In 1878, the road leading from Cleaver's mill, through John Cleaver's (late Peter Phipps), the property of Samuel Yeakle, and past the mill of Chalkley Ambler to the turnpike opposite Samuel Van Winkle's, was laid out by a jury. All these properties were hemmed in by rights of way and private lanes before this time.
. The Williams school, just noticed, was established in the last century, probably about the time of the Revolution, under the auspices of the Plymouth Preparative Meeting, and cared for by trustees appointed by said meeting. It is believed that the lot of ground upon which the house is erected was given by Joseph Williams, a large real estate owner of this township,
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and whose name appears upon the list of taxables of 1734. He was a leading member of Plymouth meeting, and the ancestor of those of that name in Whitemarsh and neighbor- ing townships.
When the common school system went in force in 1836-7, this school was taken in charge by the school directors of the township, and has continued under their management and con- trol ever since. The first building was of the class of a cen- tury ago, and which have all, or nearly so, passed away to give room for better accommodations and in accordance with the advancement of the present age. The old school house which was an octagonal one, was torn down and the present one erected at a cost of about $1900, in the summer of 1866. The writer of this was a director at the time, and had super- vision of this school and building; the contractor was Isaac Brooks, a resident of the township, and still living; the well was dug by Daniel Staley, of Marble Hall, its depth being about 53 feet; Charles Tees, of Horsham, made the pump and put it in the well. While the new building was under contem- plation, Plymouth Meeting appointed a committee to confer with the directors as to occupying this lot, but the board being composed in part of Friends no arrangement could be made, as it was understood that the weight of the meeting was with the directors. Thus the control of the school passed perma- nently to the directors without any disturbance. Among the teachers of this place, the only ones I can mention are of recent times, namely: Samuel Davis, Smith, Sappington, George A. Piper, Francis Murphy, a distinguished mathema- tician and an Irish refugee of 1798, Joseph and Charles Wilson, and others.
The dwelling or mansion house, late the residence of Aristides Welch, is quite an old building, ante-dating the Rev- olution some years. It is said to have been a tavern in the olden time, and the seat of one of the finest farms in White- marsh. Erdenheim, the name of this estate, is from two Ger- man words; "Erden," earth or earthly, and " heim," home, or home on earth. Sometime before the Revolution, it became
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the property of Johan George Hocker, a native of Wurtem- berg, who arrived at Philadelphia September 16, 1751, and settled in Lebanon, then Lancaster county, where he married, and shortly afterwards purchased this place and removed to it. He was naturalized as from Lancaster, July 6, 1760, thus showing that he had not then lived in Whitemarsh. By a certificate of an oath made before Zebulon Potts, Esq., dated May 27, 1778, to bear true allegiance to the state of Pennsylva- nia, is evidence of his residence here at that time. He accumu- lated quite an estate, and died about 1820, at this place, and was buried at the Lutheran church in the upper part of Ger- mantown. In 1786 he was made one of the trustees of the Lukens grave-yard property, as previously noticed. He was a worthy citizen, and held many positions of trust and reli- ability among his friends and neighbors.
This house was the scene of a very atrocious attempt at burglary and murder shortly after 1800. Mr. Hocker had just sold some property, and it was known that he had a large sum of money in the house at the time, and it was known to the burglars. About midnight he was called out of bed (the family had all retired) by them for the purpose of warming themselves. This, on account of the unusual hour of the night, was denied them. Owing to their persistency, he called up his hired man, who came at once to his assistance; but by this time the burglars had broken open the door and effected an entrance, and demanded his money, which he at once denied them. Mr. Hocker, wife, and hired man, the only ones at home, except a small daughter, attempted to drive them from the house. The ruffians, believing themselves strong enough, resisted them, and a bloody fight at once commenced. There being two burglars, the hired man attacked one of them and Mr. Hocker and his wife the other. After fighting some time, Hocker, being an old man, and nearly exhausted, made a desperate stroke at the burglar, who had temporarily left him in pursuit of. his wife with a drawn knife, and felled the villain to the floor. In the affair, Mr. Hocker received but a slight wound. The old man, thus relieved of his antagonist, went
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to assist the hired man, who was getting the worst of it, and their united efforts soon placed him hors du combat. They at once secured him with ropes, etc., and then treated the other in the same manner. No life was lost, but blood flowed quite freely, as the walls, entry, furniture, floors, etc., bore evidence of this.
I have the history of this narrative from the daughter Margaret, noticed above, who married William Cress. She died some twenty-five years ago. When all was over, and the burglars secured, an apple butter boiling party held at Streep- er's, the next place below, had broken up, and were going to their respective homes. They were called in, and assisted in getting the burglars into a wagon to take them to Norristown . for commitment. After being lodged in jail, they broke out, and after a good hunt were captured along the Wissahickon. They were tried, convicted, and sentenced for a long time to hard labor. Thus ended one of the most outrageous affairs that ever occurred in the township.
The descendants of George Hocker are among the most respectable families in our county and state: Scheetz, Henk, Hitner, Acuff, Cress, Wentz, etc., etc.
After the death of George Hocker, Erdenheim became the property of his son-in law, William Cress, who owned it but a short period when General Scheetz, likewise a son in- law, bought the property for his son, Jacob Scheetz, who owned it some length of time, when he sold it to William W. Longstreth, a brother of the late Judge Longstreth, who held it some years. Becoming tired of farming, the latter sold it to Dr. Jas. A. McCrea, of Philadelphia. He, after a time, sold it to George Blight, of the same city, from whom it passed to Aristides Welch about 1861.
From this time on, the place, already known as Erden- heim, became known throughout the United States as one of the most successfully managed stock farms in the country, and especially for running horses, to which Mr. Welch gave his undivided attention. His thorough knowledge of breeding the best blood in America, joined with his industry and judg-
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ment, made him one of the best authorities on the rearing of fine stock, in which he was very successful.
During his ownership he increased this estate from about 150 to 250 acres, comprising some of the best land in White- marsh and Springfield.
Dr. McMonagle, in the report of the Ontario Agricultural Commission of 1881, part 5, says that "Mr. Welch is prob- ably the most astute breeder of blooded stock in the United States, except Mr. Alexander, of Kentucky."
Among some of the most noted horses owned and bred at Erdenheim may be mentioned Rysdick, Strathmore, Lex- ington, Susquehanna, Leamington, who probably never had his superior in America, and died in May, 1878; Lady Duke, Alarm, Reform, Iroquois, who was the winner of the Prince of Wales' stakes at the Ascot races a few years ago, and the first American racer that ever won the prize in England; Harrold, and a number of others. He likewise became the owner of Flora Temple, the great trotter of twenty-five years ago. Both Leamington and Flora Temple were buried in his lawn in front of his residence, and imposing slabs of granite placed over their graves.
In May, 1882, Mr. Welch sold Erdenheim to Commodore Norman W. Kittson, of St. Paul, Minnesota, for $125,000, who made extensive improvements with a view of very much en- larging stock raising, having purchased the farm of Lewis A. Lukens, on the opposite side of the Wissahickon creek, thus making this estate contain about four hundred acres of very fine land.
Three tracks for training and exercising horses and colts have been laid out on this place by Commodore Kittson since his ownership, one a mile track, one a half-mile and an eighth- mile track under cover for the purpose of exercising colts in bad weather.
This place has for the last hundred years been constantly managed by the owners themselves, and consequently retains the reputation of being a first-class farm.
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Jonathan Robeson, Jr., heretofore mentioned, was a large real estate owner in the township. He married, February 17, 1745-5, Catharine, daughter of Edward Farmar. He left eleven children, whose descendants are quite numerous in Montgomery county and elsewhere. The Hon. George M. Robeson, for some years member of Congress from New Jer- sey, and formerly Secretary of the Navy, is a descendant of his youngest son Morris. His son Jonathan became a Lieutenant in the First City Troop, Captain Dunlay, and was ordered on duty during the Whisky Insurrection. He inherited the mill property and tract of land of his father, in Whitemarsh, now owned by Silas Cleaver, and the farms of John Cleaver and Thomas S. Phipps. Both the father and son were millers and farmers. The younger Jonathan married a Wharton, but left no children, and at his death he bequeathed all his property to his brother Andrew, who is said to have settled in South Caro- lina, where a county is named after him. Peter Robeson, another son, married Martha Livezey and lived at what is known as Robeson's mill, at the mouth of the Wissahickon, where the Philadelphia, Germantown and Norristown Railroad crosses the same, and was a miller likewise. Edward Farmar, by his will, appointed Peter Robeson, his son Joseph Farmar and Jonathan Robeson executors to settle his large estate. This Peter Robeson was likewise a son-in law of Edward Farmar and an uncle of the above named Jonathan Robeson, Jr., and married Sarah, an elder daughter. He was a tanner by occu- pation, and is described in deeds as "gentleman," at one time Coroner of Philadelphia, and died in 1769. I have seen many deeds which are extant at this day executed by these executors. The name of Robeson frequently occurs on the minutes of Plymouth Meeting.
When the common school system was adopted by the township and went into operation in 1836 and 1837, the direc- tors contracted for the building of three school houses at a cost of $1000, or at about $350 apiece. One of the houses was lo- cated at Lancasterville, another at Marble Hall, and the third at Springmill. The contract for their erection was given to 8
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George N. and Charles Heydrick of Springfield, but as the population increased they were replaced by other buildings more commodious and in accordance with the modern idea of what a school room should be. The one at Lancasterville was built some five or six years ago, and is quite creditable to the taste of the directors.
Immediately above the gap in Militia Hill, and on the right of what, in old deeds, is called the Welch road, stands a build- ing which was originally built for a Methodist Episcopal Church, in the year 1846. But the congregation being weak in numbers, in course of time it was abandoned, and the building, through neglect, quite dilapidated, was sold and con- verted into tenant houses, and so remains to this day.
I made an error in saying that the old eight-square school house was built about the time of the Revolution. It was erected in the summer of 1816, by a committee of Plymouth Preparative Meeting. The first who taught in this house was Thomas Paxon, who was yet living in Bucks county in the year 1881. He was followed by his sister, Goal Paxon, and then David Lukens, John H. Callender, Hughes Bell, Jacob Paxon and others. This information I have from Mahlon R. Ambler, of Norristown, who was born at the old building on the farm of Daniel Williams.
The origin of the Barren Hill Lutheran Church is given in an old manuscript still retained among the minutes of the church. By this I find that "The ground on which the afore- said school house and St. Peter's Church are erected and the burying-ground is situated is together with all the buildings set apart for the use of a congregation of the German Protest- ant inhabitants of Whitemarsh, their heirs and descendants who may adhere to the German Protestant Evangelical doctrine according to the foundation of the Apostles and Prophets in the Old and New Testaments, profess the principles of the un- altered Augsburg Confession and submit themselves to the re- quirements of this discipline.
"This, our German Evangelical congregation of the afore- said St. Peter's Church, school house and appurtenances, shall
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remain in connection with the German Protestant Evangelical congregations in Philadelphia, New Hanover, Providence and Germantown, and shall not separate from the United Ministers and Trustees of the same without their consent, for a threefold cord is more durable than a single cord.
"The following persons and inhabitants of Whitemarsh commenced the building of the school house and church and their appurtenances, viz: Messrs. Christopher Roben, Philip Cressman, Valentine Miller, Philip Hersch and Adam Snider, as it is written in the deed of the school house of the 15th of March, 1758.
"The aforesaid originators have, by a majority of their votes, transferred their Trusteeship and rights to the following persons, and constituted them Trustees in their stead, viz : Rev. Richard Peters (the father of Judge Peters, of Philadel- phia), at that time first minister of the English church in Phil- adelphia; Charles Magnus Wrangel, D. D. and Provost of the Swedish Lutheran church in Pennsylvania and New Jersey; Henry Muhlenberg, first minister of the United German Evan- gelical congregations in Pennsylvania; Henry Keppele, Sr., of Philadelphia; John Koplin, J. P., of Providence; Valentine Miller, Ludewig Kolb and Matthias Sommer, inhabitants and members of the church in Whitemarsh township.
"The reason why some of the members of the vestry of St. Michael's Church and congregation in Philadelphia were elected and constituted joint Trustees among others was this: In order that a Christian and brotherly union and profitable harmony may be preserved between the congregation in Phil- adelphia and at Barren Hill, and in order that the congregation of St. Peter's Church may be supplied with the means of grace by the minister and his fellow laborers as much as possible, and more particularly since their first preacher, the aforesaid Henry Muhlenberg, has manifested the greatest zeal for and in behalf of the erection of the church and school house at Bar- ren Hill, our collectors having in his name and with his letters of recommendation raised contributions to defray the expenses of the school house, and having after these were paid also, by means of his written petitions, collected money in Philadelphia and in the provinces of New Jersey and New York, for the building of St. Peter's Church; he himself having at the same time, as far as it was possible for himself and his fellow labor- ers, served us in the preaching of the gospel and in the celo bration of the Holy Sacrament."
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From the above manuscript we find that the old parochial school was built in 1758, and in it church services were held before the erection of the church itself; the first master was Michael Seely, who in his after years became blind. The church was founded about 1761, and completed not later than 1765. This was a substantial two-storied stone edifice, with three galleries in it, surmounted by a steeple, and remain- ed standing until 1849, when it was taken down and replaced by the present elegant structure, during the pastorate of the Rev. Frederick R. Anspach. The last communion held in the old church was on the 8th of April, 1849. The ground em- bracing the school lot, the church and the old grave-yard was purchased at the time the school house was built, and paid for by the congregation, being German residents of Whitemarsh, whose names were given previously. The first building was of logs. Three other school houses have been built on this place since, in succession, two after the directors assumed con- trol under the present system of public instruction. In the year 1768 Johann Georg Kuhn had succeeded Seely as master in the school, as I find in one of the minute books which he prefaced in a most elegant manner with the pen.
Among the subscribers to the erection of this school house and church we find such names as Cressman, Miller, Kolb now Kulp, Lehr now Lare, Katz, Fisher, Rickert, Wampole, Hilt- ner, Hense, Lysinger, Keely, Ferringer, Kitler, Hocker, Lentz, Feit now Fite, Heist, Mitchele, &c., &c. These names are taken from an old subscription paper of 1765, thus show- ing in many instances how numerous their descendants have become in the vicinity of Barren Hill and in fact the whole surrounding country.
Upon the completion of the church, the congregation be- came involved in its finances, as the funds subscribed for the purpose were in many cases not forthcoming, and the people not being able to sufficiently contribute for the payment of the debts incurred gave the committee great anxiety and annoy- ance, growing out of the importunities of its creditors. This arose to such a height that even one of the building commit-
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