USA > Pennsylvania > Bucks County > History of Bucks County, Pennsylvania: From the Discovery of the Delaware to the Present Time (Volume 1 and 2) > Part 47
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The first society, in the county, for promoting agriculture and manu- factures, was organized in Buckingham township, and probably died a natural death, but the date of its demise is not known. It was organized about 1809, and the constitution adopted December 30th, the officers being, a president, vice- president, secretary and treasurer, to be elected annually by ballot. The follow- ing were the members: Samuel Johnson, Moses Eastburn, Joseph Eastburn, John Ely, Samuel D. Ingham, Samuel Gillingham, John Ruckman, Stephen Wilson, John Parker, William Gillingham, Joseph Watson, Charles D. Fell, Joseph Thompson, John Hughes, Amos Eastburn, John Watson, Jr., Hezekiah B. Ingham, Jonathan Gillingham, Jonathan Smith, Jonathan W. Ingham and Oliver Hampton. The meetings were generally held in school houses. In 1819 a society was organized, under the name of the "Bucks County Agricultural Society," to promote agriculture. The earliest exhibition we have note of was held in November, 1824, under the care of Enos Morris, Thomas Yardley, John Linton, Doctor Phineas Jenks, and J. W. Wynkoop. The display was small and select but creditable, including a plowing match. The six committees were on plowing, implements of husbandry, horses and cattle, hogs, sheep and vege- tables.16 Exhibitions were held annually for several years, the name, mean- while, being changed to "The Agricultural Society of Bucks County," with a change of management, in which women had no part. It promoted the discus- sion in the newspapers of many subjects of interest to farmers. At the annual exhibition, 1826, Jeremiah Bailey exhibited a model of his machine for mowing grass and grain, which had been in successful operation, in Philadelphia county, and was well endorsed by Edward Duffield and Samuel Newbold. James Worth, Newtown, had also used it the last season, and said it did better work than any- thing he had yet seen. Garret Brown is said to have made a mowing machine at his shop on James Worth's farm, seventy-five years ago. A few ladies took interest in the society, and, 1827, Mr. Ingham delivered an address before it in the old court house.17 . At the exhibition November 10, 1828. premiums were offered on horses, cattle, sheep, hogs, miscellaneous articles and plowing. Some
16 A leading feature of the society appears to have been to improve the breed of horses and cattle by introducing pure, new blood.
17 The court-house was purchased by James Phillips, who attempted to dig a cellar under it, but the walls began to give way, and soon after 1827 it was taken down.
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of the fine stock of John Hare Powell was brought to this last exhibition. Among other leading men, who encouraged the pioneer society, were Dr. John H. Gordon, Thomas G. Kennedy, Michael H. Jenks and James Worth. At the May meeting, 1829, Dr. Jenks introduced a strong temperance resolution, which was adopted. The minutes are silent as to what was said on the subject, but, instead of preparing for the November exhibition at the next meeting, the so- ciety was adjourned until September, 1832. At the adjourned meeting arrange- ments were made to wind it up, which was done in October. The society was probably assisted to its untimely end by jealousy and rivalry among the members.
It was at this period that the ingenious, first turned their attention to the want of machinery for cutting and gathering the hay and grain crops. About this time a skillful mechanic of this county named Reading, announced the in- vention of a threshing machine, first exhibited and tried on the farm of Robert and William Mearns, in Warwick township. It was worked by four horses and had ample power, but its structure was defective and objectionable. This machine was not successful, and years of improvement were necessary to bring this useful implement to its present perfection.
Efforts were made, prior to this, to invent agricultural machinery and imple- ments to make easier the gathering of the summer crops, and a patent horse rake was used in this county as early as 1812 by Joseph Longstreth, Warminster. An account of this is given in the Longstreth papers, as follows: "The original horse rake, one sided with teeth, was invented by a colored man who lived on Hempstead Plains, Long Island, and died there, 1821. It was introduced into Pennsylvania by Michael Newbold, Oxford township, Philadelphia county, who was induced to try it by a Yankee peddler, who lodged at his house, and had witnessed its expeditious way of gathering hay on the plains. Newbold's first rake was made by F. Altemus, a carpenter. It worked more to the admiration of its owner than to the satisfaction of his neighboring hay-makers, one of whom placed it in the road one night where it was run over and every tooth broken out. This did not discourage Newbold, who had it repaired and con- tinued its use. Joseph Longstreth saw this rake while on a visit there, and had one made, 1812-13, and used it on his farm. It met with the jeers of the hay- makers. This was the first horse rake used in Bucks county."
Several years now elapsed before another effort was made to organize a society in the county to promote and encourage the husbandman in his labors. The next attempt was more successful in practical results. The Bucks County Agricultural Society had its origin in a "highly respectable meeting of farmers," as the record has it, held at Hough's hotel, Newtown, December 4, 1843, Dr. Phineas Jenks in the chair, and Edward M. Paxson secretary. A constitution was submitted and signed by seventy-one persons. At the election of the first permanent officers, February, 1844, Samuel D. Ingham was chosen president. The society devoted itself to the diffusion of agricultural knowledge by care- fully prepared addresses and otherwise. The first exhibition was held at New- town, October 25, same year, but no money premiums were offered, nor charge for admittance. The display was made in one of the enclosures attached to the Brick hotel, and four committees did all the work, on plowing, stock, agricult- ural implements, and products. Mr. Ingham delivered an address. The dis- play was good, and at least a thousand persons were present. Subsequently a tract of several acres was purchased on the Yardleyville road, where the exhibi- tion was held for about twenty years.
Mr. Ingham continued to serve as president until he moved out of the
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county, when he was succeeded by James C. Cornell, Northampton township, and he by William Stavely, 1855. In 1857 the term of office was limited to three consecutive years, and after that was filled by Hector C. Ivins, Falls; Adrian Cornell, Northampton ; William Stavely, Solebury, and Oliver H. Holcomb, Newtown. The society was incorporated, 1857, and, 1865, the grounds on the Yardleyville turnpike were sold, and thirty acres purchased southeast of the town fronting the Bridgeton turnpike, whither the large building was removed, and the exhibitions held until the fall of 1872, when the last one took place. The grounds were sold in the spring, 1873. In 1871 they began holding quarterly meetings for the discussion of agricultural and domestic subjects. The society never offered large premiums for trotting horses, but sought rather to encour- age the practical branches of agriculture. Besides the annual exhibitions, on numerous occasions there were held public trials of mowing, reaping, plowing and threshing, with complimentary premiums. The money premiums given at the public exhibitions in different years were : In 1852, $303 ; 1856, $594 ; 1863, $726.85 ; 1872, the last held, $732.08, and $149.74 in plated ware.
In 1855 William Beek, Doylestown, purchased a tract of twenty-five acres at the southwest edge of the borough, which he enclosed with a board fence and erected a handsome building for exhibition purposes. He also built ex- tensive stabling for cattle and other stock. In August, of that year, a successful exhibition was held under his patronage, including a fine display of stock, agricultural implements and products, domestic handiwork, a baby show and a competition of female equestrians. Horace Greeley delivered the address. The attendance was large and the exhibition a success in every sense, but that autumn a heavy gale of wind blew down the exhibition building, that was never rebuilt, and ruined the enterprising proprietor. In the next ten years the agri- cultural exhibition spirit was revived, and, in 1865, a chartered company, under the name of the "Doylestown Agricultural and Mechanics' Institute," bought the Beek tract, and that fall held a successful exhibition under canvas. The follow- ing year a convenient brick building, in the shape of a cross, each arm ninety- six feet long, and other improvements were made, including a half-mile trotting track, one of the best in the country. The society grew to be one of the most prosperous in the State, and for several years the display was extensive and valuable at the exhibition. The stock paid a dividend, and several thousand dollars were awarded in premiums. Like its predecessors, it came to an end.18
As an agricultural county, Bucks always ranked high, as the census of 1870 bears witness : Acres under cultivation, 315,833 ; value of her farms, $40,289,- 213 ; her products of various kinds, $6,571,626; yield of wheat, 525,740 bushels ; Indian corn, 1,325,626; oats, 1,208,717 ; hay, 118,014 tons, and 2,861,557 pounds of butter. The value of her manufactures, $4,732,118. Since then there has been an increase in agricultural wealth, and the census of 1890 returns Bucks as the fifth richest county in the United States. A few additional figures will be in place : The taxable inhabitants are 26,685 ; cleared land, 336,263 acres ; timber land, 18,896 acres ; value of real estate, $36,717,918, and the value of real estate subject to taxation for county purposes, $38,311,439. At the same time Bucks county had 14,679 horses, and 23,572 milk cows.
The passage of Lafayette through Bucks county, in September, 1824, caused no little excitement. His arrival at New York, as the nation's guest, was hailed with delight and his progress through New England and return were
18 The society wound up its affairs about 1890; the property was sold, and, after paying the debts, the remainder was divided among the stockholders.
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watched with deep interest. His visit to this county on his way to Philadelphia and the South was awaited with great interest, and the people made arrange- ments to give him a fitting reception. A meeting of the inhabitants of the neigh- boring townships was held at Bristol the 3d of September to make the needful preparations and a similar meeting was held at Tullytown. On the 4th the offi- cers of Colonel Davis's regiment of volunteers, and a number of militia officers and citizens, met at Ann Hinkle's tavern, Newtown, and resolved to have a general turnout to welcome Lafayette to the county. This action was strength- ened by General Dungan ordering the militia to turn out on the occasion. Colonel Davis's regiment was to meet Lafayette at the Pennsylvania end of the Trenton bridge, and the Centre Rifle battalion, Major Stephen Brock, at Frankford, and there join the escort to Philadelphia.
General Lafayette reached Trenton Saturday afternoon, September 25th, and stayed there over Sunday, and that afternoon the Governor of Pennsylvania passed through Bristol on his way to Morrisville to receive the distinguished stranger. On Monday morning an immense concourse gathered at Morrisville, together with Colonel Davis's regiment, mounted, six hundred strong, and several independent companies, to act as escort. Here a difficulty presented itself. Philadelphia not knowing that Bucks had made arrangements to receive Lafayette, sent up a cavalry force to escort him down to the city. Both claimed the right to receive him at the bridge as he entered the State, but it was conceded to Bucks in the reception ceremony and in the escort through the county. As the procession entered Bristol the honored guest was received by the inhabitants of the town and their families, drawn up on the turnpike, and he passed under a triumphal arch19 erected over the bridge. Here he dined, and was introduced to many persons, including Mrs. Bessonett, his nurse when he stopped there over night, wounded, in 1777. When Colonel Davis was presented to Lafayette, the Colonel said to the General that his father, a soldier of the Pennsylvania line, assisted to carry him to a place of safety when wounded at Brandywine. Lafayette replied he remembered it, that the two handled him like a child, and, in remembrance of the event, the General gave the Colonel a French hug. After dinner the escort moved on, in the same order, to the Philadelphia line, when Lafayette was delivered to the committee from the city. The Bucks county escort now fell to the rear, many of them continuing to the city and taking part in the festivities that followed.20
No local event in this county, of the past century, caused greater excite- ment than the murder of Dr. William Chapman, by poison, in 1831. He lived at Andalusia, in Bensalem township, where he kept a school to cure stammering, which had become quite famous. On the evening of May 9, 1831, a Spaniard and total stranger, representing himself as the son of the Governor of Cali- fornia, called at the house and asked to stay over night, and was received. He did not leave in the morning, but remained, and, in some mysterious way, wormed himself into the affection and confidence of Mrs. Chapman. It re-
19 The frame of this arch is still in existence, in possession of some one in Bristol. 20 A Philadelphia newspaper, of the date of August 29, 1900, in noticing the death of a Mrs. Blunden, at an advanced age, said she was introduced to Lafayette, while on her bridal tour, in 1824, while the General was dining at Bessonett's tavern, Bristol. As Lafayette is known to have dined at Bessonett's tavern, on but one occasion, Mrs. Blun- den was doubtless presented to him when on his way from New York to Philadelphia, September 27, 1824. Mrs. Blunden was the daughter of James Lott, a Revolutionary sol- dier, and born near Bristol, April 28, 1802.
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sulted in the death of Dr. Chapman, and in a short time their marriage. They were both arrested, lodged in jail at Doylestown, indicted and tried for murder separately, Mrs. Chapman being acquitted, and Mina convicted and sentenced to be hanged. The trial was a long and tedious one and attracted wide attention. Down to that time it was the most celebrated murder case in our courts, by poison. While waiting for execution, Mina made three attempts at suicide, twice by opening a vein in his arm, and once by swallowing glass. He broke jail once and came near escaping, but was arrested at the store of John O. James, in Hilltown township, by Mr. James and the late Dr. William S. Hendrie, of Doylestown.
Mina was hanged on the alms house farm, near the banks of the Neshaminy creek, the 26th of June, 1832, in the presence of ten thousand persons, including fourteen companies of volunteer infantry, and six of cavalry, of this and adjoin- ing counties. The culprit was brought from the jail at half-past nine o'clock, a. m., and with a priest and attendants, conveyed to the place of execution in a Dearborn wagon under the escort of the military. The troops formed around the gallows, when Mina, calm and collected, with Sheriff Morris and the priest ascended the platform. Having bidden adieu to his friends and thanked the sheriff for his kindness, the cap was drawn over his face, the fatal noose ad- justed and a little before twelve he was launched into eternity. His body was buried in the timber near by, but was taken up by the physicians and resuscita- tion tried in vain. It is only within a few years the identity of Mina was estab- lished. His true name was Entrealgo, son of Manuel Entrealgo,21 and was born at Carthagena, South America, about 1809. The father, with three sons and two daughters, removed to Trinidad, Cuba, about 1821-22, where he held the office of city surveyor. He was an upright citizen, but the family was poor. Mina, the youngest son, was appointed constable of his district, but, taking advantage of his office to rob the country people on their way to market, was obliged to leave Cuba, and made his escape to the United States about . 1824-25. He committed several offenses in this country, and was sent to the penitentiary, but pardoned May 9, 1831, and, the same evening, reached the residence of Dr. Chapman,22 at Andalusia.
The county has little mineral wealth. Iron ore was found early at Durham, where a furnace was erected, 1727, and, in recent years, it has been developed to some extent in Buckingham valley, where there are valuable deposits of lime- stone. Lime burning, in former years, was a great industry there. In 1760 there was some excitement from a rumor of the discovery of coal in Penn's Manor, and in 1776 two citizens offered to advance fioo to the Committee of Safety to pay the expense of searching for coal in the county. An inferior
21 William Glasgow, of Warminster township, was acquainted with the family in Trinidad.
22 While her husband cured, or tried to cure, the stuttering proclivity of boys and young men, Mrs. Chapman was proprietor of the Andalusia Boarding School for "Young Ladies," at the Stone House, situated at the union of the Milford road with the Bristol turnpike, between twelve and thirteen miles from Philadelphia and one mile from the River Delaware, Bucks county, Pennsylvania. Among her references are The Right Rev'd. Bishop White, Philadelphia ; Rev'd. Alexander Boyd, Newtown, Pennsylvania, and John Philips, M. D., of Bristol, Pennsylvania.
A son of Mrs.' Chapman was a student at Lafayette College, in 1847, but did not graduate; afterward learned dentistry and practiced in Philadelphia. His whereabouts, if living, is unknown.
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article of coal, and in small quantities, is to be found along Neshaminy in War- wick township. From the first appearance of white men on the Delaware we have a tradition of minerals along its banks. The Indians were supposed to know of the deposits of gold and silver, but there is no evidence these precious metals have ever been found in the county.
One of the most valuable products of the county is milk, including the articles of food manufactured from it. The creamery industry has grown to be a very heavy one of late years. Brief mention of it is made elsewhere, but its increase has been so marked a further reference seems necessary in connection with the agricultural wealth of the county. Prior to 1879 Bucks county had little knowledge of creamery methods, butter making being still in the hands of farmers' wives, the gravity system of raising cream being the only process then known. The first creamery company was organized at Quakertown, 1878, a charter obtained, buildings erected the following fall and spring, and the first milk received July 5. Eli W. Strawn was president of the company and J. F. Clymer, treasurer. So radical and sudden a change, in the process of butter making, invited opposition and adverse criticism. The following year a similar plant was erected at Blooming Glen, Hilltown, and then at Pine Run and other places. From this beginning the number of creameries increased to fifty-five in the county. Improvements in butter making soon followed the first, being the Marquis cooling process, later Benner's, and then the Roberts' vat was introduced. Milk was allowed to stand fifteen or eighteen hours, then drawn off and made into' skim cheese, the cream into butter. During the industry's infancy it was conducted almost wholly on the co-operative plan,-neighboring farmers owning and running the plant, but owing to bad management and loose methods many of them became more or less involved, dissatisfaction arose, the plants were sold and fell into the hands of individuals. The creamery industry now began to degenerate, and in a few years only seven in the county, out of fifty-five, were run on the co-operative plan. While the farmers had charge of butter making there were almost as many grades of butter as makers. They were good, practical farmers but did not understand the new business they had engaged in.
The next improvement in butter making was the introduction of the centri- fugal process of cream separation, which gradually came into use. This required a change in methods and products. The cream, as before, was converted into butter, skim milk into hard skim cheese, and, later, the skim milk was sold back to the farmer to feed their stock on. About this time a market was created for curd and smearcase for converting into Dutch cheese. Later there was a demand for these articles in Philadelphia and New York, large quantities being bought for smearcase and shipped in barrels : many hucksters and farmers hav- ing it put up in pound packages for city trade. Lafer several firms began making a new curd into a sizing used in the manufacture of a certain kind of paper. Previous to the introduction of the creamery system in eastern Pennsylvania there was no skim cheese made, nor market for it, yet, in a short time, the agents of the Philadelphia and New York commission houses made frequent trips through this section in the fall and winter to buy, solicit and contract for the different makes of cheese, for there were many grades. This section soon became the dumping-off place of many novices in cheese making, consequently New York cheese and butter makers, out of employment, came here and found steady employment at remunerative wages, some having little or no knowledge of the business. It is estimated that each of the fifty-five creameries in Bucks county, when that number were running, consumed 5,000 pounds of milk daily,
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being a daily consumption for the whole number of creameries of 275,000 pounds for each day they were running, or 100,375,000 pounds of milk in a year. Allowing that 100 pounds of milk are required to make five pounds of butter, the product of a year reached 5,000,000 pounds, a tremendous yield and great development from our dairies.
Among the societies, entitled to notice, none are more deserving than the Bucks County Medical Society and the Bucks County Historical Society, both unselfish in their work. The former was organized at Doylestown June 1, 1848, and its membership confined to "legally authorized physicians who do now, or hereafter may reside in Bucks County." They compose the active members, and others not in practice the honorary ones. Meanwhile a want of interest was felt in the society, but in 1885 there was a reorganization, and since then more life has been exhibited. The annual meeting takes place the first Wednes- day in November, and the semi-annual in May ; these, with a meeting the first Wednesday in February in the upper end, and the first Wednesday in August in the lower end of the county, makes up the gatherings of the society. The officers are a president, two vice-presidents, secretary, treasurer, three medical examiners, and three censors, all elected by ballot, at the annual meeting, and hold office for one year. In 1886-89 there were thirty-two members. The meetings are held regularly. The fiftieth anniversary of the society's organiza- tion was celebrated at Doylestown Wednesday, November 2, 1898, with a large attendance of members, and a number of guests were present. They indulged in a good meal, and there were a number of short speeches, but no skeletons were exhibited.
The Bucks County Historical Society was organized thirty-two years later, the preliminary steps being taken January 21. 1880. That afternoon a meeting was held in the room of the Doylestown Library Company, Lenape building, the following persons being present : W. W. H. Davis, Josiah B. Smith, Henry C. Mercer, Alfred Paschall, Richard M. Lyman, John S. Bailey, Thomas C. Otter, George S. McDowell, Mahlon Carver, Dr. A. M. Dickie and Dr. Joseph B. Walter. The society was incorporated in 1885. For a few years meetings were held quarterly ; then changed to semi-annual, and at present three times in the year, January, May and October. The mid-winter meeting, in January, is held in the beautiful court room, and the other two meetings at such places as may be agreed upon. For the present our home is in a room in the court house where we have our museum of curios. We have a membership of six hundred. In 1905 was completed the handsome and convenient building of the Society, which is represented by the accompanying engraving. The cost of erection was $18,000.
NEW HOME OF 'BUCKS COUNTY HISTORICAL SOCIETY.
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