USA > Pennsylvania > Berks County > History of Berks county in Pennsylvania > Part 14
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" Sec. 11. Collector to give bond for performance of duties.
" Sec. 12. Sheriff and Coroner of Philadelphia to officiate till the same officers be chosen in Berks County.
" Sec. 13. Boundary lines of county to berun with- in six months by Edward Scull, of Philadelphia County ; Benjamin Lightfoot, of Chester County ; and Thomas Cookson, of Lancaster County, commis- sioners specially appointed, etc."
The surveying commissioners surveyed the boundary lines of the county, and extended the easterly and westerly lines to the Susquehanna River, which was then the limit of settle- ments. The settlers having ascertained that the lines of the new county had been run extended their settlements rapidly. But com- plaints arose. The adjoining counties claimed
I Dallas' " Laws of Penna.," vol. i. pages 347 to 351. Sections 2, 3, 4, 5, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12 and 13 are abbre- viated.
79
ERECTION OF COUNTY.
the right of levying taxes on the inhabitants and their property along these lines, and this caused dissatisfaction. An Act was therefore passed on the 18th of February, 1769, which authorized commissioners (William McClay, William Scull and John Biddle) to run the lines between Lancaster, Cumberland and Berks Counties, and also between Berks and North- ampton Counties, by actual survey, and extend them in a northwestwardly course as far as the lands extended, which were purchased by the proprietaries from the Indians in 1768.
The most extended limits of the county in- cluded about one-tenth part of the province, or five times the present area. As the State is at present subdivided, the vast tract of land cut away from Berks County constitutes the follow- ing twelve counties, either in whole or in part, as now bounded : All of Montour and North- umberland,1 the greater part of Schuylkill,2 Union, Lycoming, Clinton and Potter, and part of Columbia, Snyder, Tioga, Cameron and McKean.
The population of the county at the time of its erection cannot be approximately estimated. The records at Philadelphia and Lancaster were thoroughly examined for the assessments of the years 1750 and 1751 without success. It may have been about twelve thousand.
The territory which comprised the county upon its erection was taken from Philadelphia County to the east of the river Schuylkill, and from Lancaster and Chester Counties to the west. The estimated area of land contributed by the several counties named to the county, as it is at present enclosed by boundary lines, is as fol- lows :
Acres.
Philadelphia County. 280,000
Lancaster County
238,500
Chester County. 7,500
Total area of county. 526,000
DISTRICTS .- At the erection of the county, in 1752, there were twenty districts or town- ships. Taking the river Schuylkill as the di- viding line which separates the county into two great divisions, they were as follows :
Eustern Division (twelve).
Amity. Maiden-creek.
Oleý.
Maxatawny.
Colebrookdale.
Albany.
Douglass.
Richmond.
Exeter.
Ruscomb-manor.1
Alsace.
Longswamp.1
Western. Division (eight).
Caernarvon.
Bern.
Robeson.
Cumru.
Tulpehocken.
Bethel.
Heidelberg. Brecknock.
Immediately after the erection of the county townships were formed ; and the formation con- tinued for a period of one hundred years. They were as follows :
Eastern Division (eleven).
Hereford. Pike.
Greenwich.
Washington.
Windsor.
Perry.
Rockland.
Ontelaunee.
District.
Muhlenberg.
Earl.
Western Division (ten).
Union. Heidelberg, Lower.
Bern, Upper. Heidelberg, North.
Tulpehocken, Upper. Marion.
Penn. Spring.
Centre. Jefferson.
The following districts were erected from the townships as named :
Eastern Divisi m.
Western Division.
Reading from Alsace.
Birdsboro' from Robeson and Union.
Boyertown from Colebrook- dale.
Bernville from Penn.
Fleetwood from Richmond.
Centreport from Centre.
Hamburg from Windsor.
Womelsdorf from Heid-
Kutztown from Maxatawny. Topton from Longswamp.
elberg.
The total number of territorial districts in the county is fifty-one.
NAMES OF TOWNSHIPS .- The great majority of the early settlers in the county were Germans. From this fact it might be supposed that the majority of the names given to the townships erected upon application to court would be German. But this was not the case ; for there was only one township to the east of the Schuyl- kill named by the German influence, and this was Alsace, and only two to the west, and these
Erected partly from Berks County in 1772.
2 Erected mostly from Berks County in 1811.
1 So known before 1752.
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HISTORY OF BERKS COUNTY, PENNSYLVANIA.
were Heidelberg and Bern. The English were more successful in this respect to the east of the river, they having named the following nine townships :
Colebrookdale.
Richmond.
Exeter.
Greenwich.
Hereford.
Windsor.
Ruscomb-manor.
Albany.
Maiden-creek.
And the Welsh to the west, they having named three, --
Caernarvon.
Cumru.
Brecknock.
The other townships were named after their several localities or prominent individuals.
LOCALITY.
East of River.
West of River.
Oley.
Tulpehocken.
Amity.1
Union.
Pike.
Spring.
District.
Centre.
Rockland.
Bethel.
Maxatawny.
Longswamp.
Ontelaunee.
INDIVIDUALS.
East of River.
West of River.
Douglass.
Robeson.
Washington.
Penn.
Earl.
Jefferson.
Muhlenberg.
Marion,
Perry.
NAMES OF TOWNS .- In the county there are one hundred and twenty towns. 2 The greater number of them are named after indi- viduals. They are well distributed throughont the county. For convenience I have arranged them in two classes in the two divisions and four sections of the county according to my his- torical narrative3 The names of the one class were given to the towns after the individuals who laid out the town-plans or owned the land in the vicinity, and sold off lots or first began local improvements, and are called " personal ;" +
1 From friendship with Indians.
2 Including all classes-city, boroughs and villages.
3 See narrative of townships.
4 Several have been named after prominent railroad men
-Tuckerton, Fleetwood and Lyons.
and the other class after localities or some feature of the neighborhood, and are called " local."
PERSONAL NAMES (78). East of Schuylkill.
Munatawny Section (27). Ontelaunee Section (24).
Barto. Blandon. .
Baumstown.
Bowers.
Boyertown.
Coxtown (now Fleet-
Bechtelsville.
wood.)
Claytonville.
Evansville.
Douglassville.
Fetherolfsville.
Engelsville.
Grimsville.
Eschbach.
Hancock.
Fredericksville.
Jeffersonville.
Gabelsville.
Kearnsville.
Griesemerville.
Kempton.
Greshville.
Kirby ville.
Hillegassville
(now
Klinesville.
Herefordville).
Kutztown.
Jacksonwald.
Leesport.
Lobachsville.
Lenhartsville.
Marysville.
Lyons.
Pricetown.
Mertztown.
Schultzville.
Mohrsville.
Seisholtzville.
Molltown.
Shanesville.
Rothrocksville.
Snyderville.
Shoemakersville.
Spangsville.
Smithsville.
Stonersville.
Trexlertown.
Stoneville. Wessnersville.
Treichlersville.
Tuckerton.
Weavertown.
West of Schuylkill.
Tulpehocken Section (14). Schuylkill Section (13).
Brownsville.
Beckersville.
Frystown. Birdsboro'.
Hetrichstown (now
Fritztown.
Mt. Pleasant).
Geigertown.
Millersburg.
Gickersville.
Rehrersburg.
Gouglersville.
Robesonia.
Joanna.
Schaefferstown.
Mohnsville.
Schartelsville.
Morgantown.
Stouchsburg.
Naomi.
Strausstown.
Seyfert.
Wernersville.
Shillington.
Wintersville.
Weitzelville.
Wohlebertstown (now
Mt. Aetna).
Womelsdorf.
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ERECTION OF COUNTY.
· LOCAL NAMES (41). East of Schuylkill.
Manatawny Section (16).
Ontelaunee Section (13).
Amityville.
Berkeley.
Buena Vista.
Antietam (now Stony Creek Mills).
Eagle Point.
Churchville.
Farmington.
Earlville.
Hamburg.
Friedensburg.
Monterey.
Monocacy.
Moselem.
New Berlin.
Shamrock.
New Jerusalem.
Temple.
Pleasantville.
Topton.
Reading.
Virginsville.
St. Lawrence.
Walnuttown.
Stonetown.
Windsor Castle.
Stony Point (now
Dryville).
Suckertown.
Woodville.
Yellow House.
West of Schuylkill.
Tulpehocken Section (5).
Schuylkill Section (7).
Bernville.
Gibraltar.
Centreport.
Mt. Airy.
Centreville.
Mt. Pleasant.
Mechanicsville.
Sinking Spring.
West Leesport.
Port Union.
Springville.
Unionville.
REDUCTIONS OF TERRITORY.
NORTHUMBERLAND COUNTY, 1772 .- As near as it was possible to do so, the provincial government kept the settlers from going beyond the limits of the purchases from the Indians. After the purchase of 1749, the settlers extended the settlements beyond the Blue Mountain. Within the next score of years, numerous set- tlements were made in that territory, especially in the district which lies between the Blue Mountain and "Schneid Berg," or Sharp Mountain,-named so from the sharpness of its apex. Many persons located beyond the pur- chase, in the vicinity of the great fork in the Susquehanna ; and this induced the additional purchase of 1768. Within the next four years, the Governor was persuaded to feel the necessity of erecting another county, even in that remote locality, notwithstanding a much larger popu- lation existed within the limits of the purchase of 1749. Its distance-averaging seventy-five miles-from the county-seat, Reading, was the
principal cause of complaint, and the prime reason to the Assembly in granting the prayer of the petitioners for a new county. Northum- berland was erected on March 21, 1772. It comprised about one-third of the whole State, including the entire northwestern section. Over three-fifths part of Berks County was cut to it. No townships had been formed in that section. Immediately after the erection of the new county, townships were formed, and a county- seat was established and laid out at Shamokin.1 The place was named Sunbury. Names, statis- tics, etc., were not obtainable to show who were the first settlers, what was their number and wealth, and what amount of taxes they contrib- uted to Berks County in 1771. Fort Augusta, at the fork of the river, was a conspicuous place during the French and Indian War. It was erected in 1756.
In the first efforts towards erecting the county of Dauphin, in 1782 a proposition was made to cut off a portion of the western sec- tion of Berks County. But the citizens of the county generally remonstrated, and their oppo- sition was successful. It caused the political movement in behalf of the new county to con- fine itself within the limits of Lancaster County ; and it was erected several years afterward, in 1785.
SCHUYLKILL COUNTY, 1811 .- A score of years had passed by when Berks County was first reduced in area by contributing territory to- wards the erection of a new county. After two- score of years more elapsed there was a second reduction. In these sixty years many surpris- ing developments were made, not only in settle- ments and population, but more especially in internal resources. The condition of affairs in Berks County was equal to that of any sec- tion of the State. Coal was discovered as early as 1775, along the head-waters of the Schuyl- kill. Its need had come to be felt. It quick- ened enterprise in developing new means of transportation. Agriculture had enriched the land wonderfully. Numerous furnaces and forges were carried on successfully, not only in
I Not present Shamokin, but near Great Fork in the Sus- quehanna River.
11
82
HISTORY OF BERKS COUNTY, PENNSYLVANIA.
the more populous parts of the county south of the Blue Mountain, but north of it, even in the vicinity of the coal region. The population and improvements in the county beyond the purchase of 1749, when Northumberland was erected in 1772, were comparatively trifling.
But within this purchase they had grown to a surprising proportion when the second county was taken from it, for the population numbered about six thousand, and the several townships together contributed over eight hundred dollars in taxes.
(For the erection of townships in the terri- tory beyond the Blue Mountain till 1811, the first taxable inhabitants in the several townships erected, etc., see Appendix).
NEW COUNTIES PROPOSED .- Before a score of years more had elapsed, movements began to further reduce Berks County. They were con- tinued with marked determination for thirty years ; but, fortunately for her territory and people, fortunately for her wealth and influence and fortunately for her greatness in the family of counties which comprise our grand common- wealth of Pennsylvania, they all failed.
In 1824 three different movements were made to cut off parts of Berks County :
One, for the formation of a new county, which was to have been called Penn, out of the follow- ing territory : Albany, Greenwich, Windsor (part), Maiden-creek (part), Richmond, Max- atawny, Longswamp, Rockland, Rnscomb- manor (part) and Oley (part), with Kutztown as the county-seat. This met with great oppo- sition, representations having been made that it would be impolitic and very expensive, that Reading, the county-seat, was in the central position of the county, and that the project was the result of a few ambitious, designing and speculating individuals who wanted profit in increased value of property, and who doubtless wanted place also for political power.
A second, for the erection of part of Berks, Montgomery, Chester and Lancaster into a new county. And a third for the annexation of part of Berks to Lehigh County.
In 1825 the spirit continued, and it advanced so far as to have bills presented to the Legisla- ture :
1. To erect part of Berks into a new county, with Kutztown as the county-seat.
2. To erect part of Berks and Montgomery into a new county, with Pottstown as the county-seat.
3. To erect part of Berks, Chester and Lancaster into a new county, with Churchtown as the county- seat.
And petitions were circulated for the annexa- tion of part of Berks to Lebanon, and thus was there " a disposition to clip old Berks in every direction." But these hills having been earn- estly opposed, they were dropped.
In January, 1838, after slumbering thirteen years, the feeling manifested itself again. Peti- tions and remonstrances from Berks County for and against a division of the county were pre- sented almost daily to the Legislature. And besides the new counties named, a fourth ap- peared, which was to be erected out of part of Berks and Schuylkill, and to be called " Wind- sor." If the prayers of all the petitions had been granted, Berks would have only comprised Reading and several adjoining townships. Bills were reported for all the projects, and many persons were at Harrisburg urging their pas- sage.
In March following, the Kutztown party came very near accomplishing their scheme. Mr. Samuel Fegely, a resident of that borough, and then one of the Assemblymen, opposed the matter. His pleasing personal appearance and acknowledged good character carried great weight before the Legislature. Ou the 2d of March, 1838, the bill for "Penn County " was submitted to a vote; thirty-nine voted aye and thirty-nine voted nay. Fegely received much denunciation from his neighbors for his action. He was somewhat like the property-holders of Rehrersburg. But his conduct won the favor of politicians at and surrounding Reading. Soon afterward he was promoted from the Assembly to the Senate, and he was kept in this office for two terms,-1841 to 1846.
In February, 1841, another bill was reported by Mr. Daniel B. Kutz (of Kutztown), then in the Assembly, for the erection of a new county out of part of Berks and Lehigh, with Kutz- town as the county-seat. By this scheme four- teen townships were to have been cut from Berks. But it was tabled.
83
ERECTION OF COUNTY.
On November 15, 1845, there was a grand meeting at Pottstown to encourage a new county which was to have been formed out of part of Berks, Chester and Montgomery, and named "Jackson." The townships to have been taken from Berks were Amity, Douglass, Earl and Colebrookdale. William Johnson, from Berks, was president of the meeting, and on this occa- sion Dr. Andrew Bush, of Chester County, " made an eloquent address favorable to the new county." Resolutions were adopted with great unanimity and enthusiasm, in which there were expressed "the grievances and inconveniences which the people suffered from their remoteness from the seat of justice, county records, etc., and their indisputable claims to a new county by reason of their business resources, locality and population," the population of those three parts having then been estimated at thirty thousand, and capital in business upwards of three mil- lions of dollars. This aroused great feeling and caused meetings in opposition to be held at different places for four successive weeks : in Amity, November 22d ; in Earl, November 29th ; in Douglass, December 6th ; and in Caernarvon, December 13th. The bill for this new county of " Jackson " passed through the committee, but " it was killed on the second reading," the vote by the Assembly having been,-yeas, twenty- one; nays, sixty-one.
In December of that year there was also an application for a new county out of part of Berks, Chester and Lancaster, to be called " Conestoga," with Churchtown as the county- seat, but it was not encouraged.
In 1847 the leaders for the new county of " Jackson " were again at work before the Leg- islature. Their efforts stirred up opposition in all parts of the county. On the 4th of January, 1847, a large and enthusiastic meeting was held in the court-house at Reading, and resolutions were passed in which determined opposition to this movement was expressed. Citizens from all parts of the county attended the meeting. At that session also, on the 15th of January, 1847, Mr. Jacob Graeff, then in the Assembly, presented a bill for the new county of " Penn," to be erected out of a part of Berks, but it was referred to a select committee of three. A third
new county was applied for, to have been formed out of parts of Berks, Chester and Montgomery, and named " Madison," with the connty-seat at Pottstown. The part to have been taken from Berks comprised all of Union, Douglass, Colebrookdale, Washington, Here- ford, District and Earl, half of Amity, two- thirds of Pike and half of Longswamp. The efforts for the new counties of " Madison " and " Penn " were so great and persistent at that session that fears were entertained that the bills would pass. The opponents accordingly de- veloped a feeling against them by public meet- ings which they caused to be held in Windsor on the 16th of January, in Pike on the 19th of January, and in Maiden-creek on the 23d of January. The bill for " Penn County" was voted for on the 1st of March and defeated by a vote of nineteen ayes to forty-four nays ; and the bill for " Madison " was voted for on the 3d of March and defeated by a vote of forty- two ayes to thirty-six 'nays. The leaders for " Madison " had apparently worked very hard, and, securing such a strong vote-nearly two- thirds-they must have been greatly disap- pointed.
In 1849, the subject of new counties was agitated with renewed vigor ; but earnestly and sincerely as the one party worked for them the other party worked against them. During the winter and spring of that year, numerous oppo- sition meetings were held at different places. The most conspicuous and enthusiastic mceting favorable to a new county was one held at Kutztown on the 16th of February, 1849. It was for the "County of Penn." Very appro- priate resolutions were reported and adopted. The proposed division was to have cut off fif- teen townships. But their enthusiasm passed away with general satisfaction to the county.
In November, 1849, the people of Hamburg were also seized with this ambitious feeling. They, too, wanted their borough to become a county-seat, and accordingly prepared a petition for the erection of a part of Berks and Schuyl- kill into a new county, to be called " Windsor," which they circulated for subscribers, in antici- pation of the next meeting of the Legislature.
In February, 1850, bills were reported to the
84
HISTORY OF BERKS COUNTY, PENNSYLVANIA.
Legislature for the new counties "Madison," " Penn " and " Windsor."
And besides "Windsor," a petition for another county in the same region of territory- to have included part of Berks and Schuylkill, and to have been named "Fulton "-was pre- sented to the Legislature; but on the 1st of May, 1850, Henry A. Muhlenberg (the State Senator from Berks County) reported adversely.
And still another new county was to have been formed. It would seem that the circle about Reading had to be completed in the numerous efforts to cut off the surrounding territory. The citizens in and about Bernville caught the spirit at last, and they, too, had a bill presented, in March, 1852, for the erection of a new county out of part of Berks, which was to have been called " Lee," with Bernville as the county-seat. No particular excitement followed this applica- tion. The intelligence from Harrisburg, com- municating to the people of Reading that " there were no hopes of the passage of the bill," must have had a cheering, if not a soothing, effect upon their agitated minds.
At the session of 1854, and also of 1855, re- newed applications were made for the county of " Madison," but without any progress. Sud- denly, however, all these movements collapsed, as a bellows would have done from a break. What struck the wind out of them? From the adoption of the Constitution of 1790, for a period of three score-years, the spirit for new coun- ties had passed through the whole State like fire through a woods. The year 1800 was especially prolific. In these sixty years forty-three new counties had beeu erected. The politicians and men of public spirit at Kutztown, Hamburg and Bernville had apparently started too late. The growth of the number of counties and the consequent increase in representation, in offices and in local taxation had been gradually formu- lating legislation against this evil, and finally the bold genius of Charles R. Buckalew broke the storm by a constitutional amendment, which thus set the minds of ambitious, designing men at rest. The citizens of the county are to be congratulated in having had preserved for them such a magnificent natural arrangement of ter- ritory for their political existence.
CHAPTER VI.
AGRICULTURE.
General Condition and Progress-County Society and Ex- hibitions-Farms, Productions, etc., of County, 1870 and 1880.
GENERAL CONDITION AND PROGRESS .- When the first settlers entered this territory they found it entirely without cultivation or improvement of any kind. The land along the Schuylkill and its tributaries was in a primitive state in every respect. But it was in a good condition for farming purposes. Its location was fine, its irrigation was superior. Alto- gether it was very inviting to them. Labor stood out prominently before them as the one thing necessary to cause it to become fruitful. Fortunately for them, they possessed this per- sonal quality in the highest degree; and with this quality they also possessed other qualities equally important in taking hold of an unculti- vated country,-economy, perseverance and patience. They were in every way adapted to their situation. Their preparation was of the best order ; and driven from home by religious persecution or intolerance, they must have re- joiced in finding such a pleasing situation, such inviting conditions. After the beginning had been made, can we wonder that immigrants came by the thousand ? They knew their sufferings, their uncertain condition at home. Their sense of well-being induced them to leave. But in leaving the valleys and hills so dear to them, they came to possess and enjoy a country equal- ly favored for beauty, for health and for profit ; but more highly favored in respect to a con- dition which was to them more important than all the others combined-freedom. It is sur- prising to find in the course of time and govern- ment the development of a condition for man- kind so unfortunate, so objectionable, so dis- couraging ; but it is equally surprising to find in the same course of time and government, though in a country far removed, over a thou- sand miles across a dreaded sea, a condition ex- actly opposite, fortunate, acceptable and encour- ing.
The condition of the settlers was encouraging, not only in respect to an acceptable country,
85
AGRICULTURE.
but also in respect to their own constitution, physically, mentally and morally. They were strong and enduring in physical development ; they were sensible and practical in thought and feeling; they were sound, hopeful and trustful in religious convictions. These fitted them ad- mirably for their vocation.
.The land was cultivated then as it is now- by manuring and enriching the soil, by turn- ing the sod, by sowing and planting seeds, by rotating crops ; but the manner was infinitely more laborious. Every act was performed by muscular exertion and endurance, with the assist- ance of horse-power. The plow, the harrow, the scythe, the sickle and the rake were important then. By comparison of the past with the pres- ent, we can readily appreciate the vast difference. The farming implements were rude and simple in construction and continued so for many years. The whole of the eighteenth century passed away without any improvement. The farmer labored on earnestly and faithfully year after year, and decade after decade, with the same muscular exertion. These rude implements re- quired him to be at his place all the time, if he wished to be in season. His devotion was equal to the task. He was up with the sun in the morning, and he was up with the moon in sea- son. He was never behind ; he could not be, without great loss and inconvenience. His im- plements were satisfactory to him, because he gave them no thought beyond the assistance which they afforded ; and sons followed in the footsteps of their fathers-by imitation. Half of the nineteenth century passed away without any material advancement in this vicinity be- yond the days of 1700, of 1750 and of 1800. Labor-saving machinery had begun to be intro- duced within a score of years before 1850, and this naturally led to an improvement in farming implements. The mower came to be substituted for the scythe, the reaper for the sickle and the drill for the hand. Improved plows of various patterns were introduced. And now we have the combined reaper and binder-a machine truly ingenious.
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