History of Lehigh county, Pennsylvania and a genealogical and biographical record of its families, Vol. I, Part 112

Author: Roberts, Charles Rhoads; Stoudt, John Baer, 1878- joint comp; Krick, Thomas H., 1868- joint comp; Dietrich, William Joseph, 1875- joint comp; Lehigh County Historical Society
Publication date: 1914
Publisher: Allentown, Pa. : Lehigh Valley Publishing Co.
Number of Pages: 1158

USA > Pennsylvania > Lehigh County > History of Lehigh county, Pennsylvania and a genealogical and biographical record of its families, Vol. I > Part 112

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some pulpit, litany, and prayer desks have been added to the furniture of the church.

A Sunday-school was held at various times un- til July, 1900; since then it has been maintained with regular sessions and an increasing attend- ance. The present lay-superintendent is Walter E. Smith

ST. MARY'S ROMAN CATHOLIC CHURCH is situated on the northwest corner of Second and Union streets. The first efforts towards estab- lishing a congregation at Catasauqua were made in 1847, by the following families :

Peter Freund and wife Nicholas Schmidt and

John Blum and wife wife

Jacob Geiss and wife George Schneider and

Martin Englebert and wife

wife Thomas Lindner and

Ludwig Englebert and wife

wife

Conrad Schaeffer

Adam Freund and wife Frank Roth

At that time a lot of ground was bought where the church is now located, in dimensions 67 feet front on Second street, and 105 feet deep. Oc- casional services were held at the home of Mr. Schneider during the next ten years, first at 330 Church street, and then in the dwelling adjoin- ing the lot on the north, to which he had re- moved; and the priests who conducted the serv- ices were Revs. Charles Duboly, John Kosten- snick, and John Albert, all resident fathers at Easton.

In the beginning of February, 1857, a start was made to erect a small, one-story frame church on the lot mentioned, at the corner, 19 by 30 feet, the builder having been Conrad Schaeffer (one of the organizing members men- tioned ), which included a diminutive steeple with a bell; and this was dedicated with the usual religious ceremonies on Sept. 9, 1857. The regular services then began to be held once a month on Sundays, by assistant priests from Al- lentown, and these were continued until 1874, the names being Joseph Winter, William Her- nen, and Joseph Schroeder ; then Rev. J. Henry Badde, from Bethlehem, came and preached every second Sunday, and continued to do so until 1887.

By 1878 the membership had increased to 65 active, zealous families, and they were encour- aged to provide better quarters for their religious meetings. A one-story brick edifice, 30 by 70 feet, was erected on the lot facing Second street, some distance north of the corner; and the same builder who had put up the first church, super- intended its erection. A brick central tower and steeple with bell were placed at the front.

Rev. Frederick Schlebbe served from 1887 to April 21, 1889; when Rev. John Seimetz ( assist-

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BOROUGH OF CATASAUQUA.

ant to Father F. W. Longinus at Pottsville) was appointed priest of this promising congregation, and he has served in a most successful manner until the present time. He not only largely in- creased the membership, but the possessions of the congregation in the enlargement of the edi- fice, and in the erection of a fine, commodious parsonage at the rear of the church; and a su- perior three-story, ten-roomed parochial school, and a Sister's home, two-story brick, on the op- posite corner lot.

The first movement towards a parochial school was made in 1884 by the erection of a small one- story brick building with two rooms, and the classes numbered 64 children. It was placed on the lot along Union street, opposite the church, west of the corner. This was occupied ten years, then the large increase of the pupils required a new building and this was supplied, consisting of a large three-story brick building, with ten class-rooms, and an auditorium, 50 by 70 feet, capable of accommodating an audience of 500, on the site of the small school-house; which reflects much credit upon Father Seimetz.

A Sunday-school was started early in the history of the church and it has been maintained until the present time.

In 1874 the congregation established a ceme- tery for its members in South Catasauqua, by purchasing two acres of land and laying it off into lots; then the interment of the deceased members began to be made there. Previously the interments had been made in the Fairview Cemetery. In January, 1914, it was enlarged by the purchase of three and one-fifth acres of ad- joining land. The burials here by Father Sei- metz since April, 1889, number 649 by his record. No previous record was kept.

The membership of the church and Sunday- school in January, 1914, was large.

FAIRVIEW CEMETERY was founded by James W. Fuller of Catasauqua in 1858, having pur- chased from Robert McIntyre and Peter Miller 6 acres, IIO perches of land in South Whitehall (now Whitehall) township, across the Lehigh river from Catasauqua, because the conveniences of interment in the borough were limited. Be- fore that time, the dead bodies of the town had been buried in the graveyards there. Fuller laid off the land into lots, ten by twenty feet, and named the place "Fairview Cemetery" on ac- count of its elevated situation and fair view; and he provided in each deed, delivered by him for lots in the cemetery, that when one-half of the lots in the original plat were sold, the pur- chasers were empowered to form an association for the care and management of its affairs, make

rules and regulations for its government, elect officers and have complete control of the ground.

In 1871, an organization was formed by the lot-holders, who elected the following managers: Melchoir H. Horn, president.

R. A. Boyer (sec. and Samuel L. Nevins

treas.) James W. Swartz

David A. Tombler

William H. Laubach

R. Clay Hamersly Orange M. Fuller

John Thomas

A petition was presented to Court for the in- corporation of "The Fairview Cemetery Associa- tion," and the decree was made on Sept. 13, 1872. The dead interred in the grave yards of the borough were then removed to the cemetery.

Many fine monuments have been set up in this cemetery. It includes a superb "Soldiers' Mon- ument" which is recognized as the first erected in Pennsylvania, and this was accomplished largely through the instrumentality of Samuel Thomas in response to an earnest request of his brother David, made shortly before his death in 1862.

In 1895, a superior and attractive, enclosed pavilion was placed in the circle, next to the Soldiers' Monument, by the Association; and another prominent feature is the large vault of David Thomas.

Soon after the cemetery had become the prop- erty of the Association in 1872, two bequests were made to it by James W. Fuller and Samuel Glace with the condition that the income should be expended towards the perpetual care and pres- ervation of their burial lots. Since then num- erous other lot-holders have followed their ex- ample.

The total lots laid off number 2,317. The graves to January, 1914, numbered 4,800. The total area covers about fifteen acres.

John Kane was the first soldier of the Civil War buried in this cemetery, April 27, 1862, and the extraordinary event attracted many peo- ple.

FIRST FUNERAL .- After the completion of the first furnace, a young man named John Thomas (a relative of the manager) fell from its top and was killed. Samuel Thomas, the son of the manager, saw the young man drop. The body was buried in the grave yard at the rear of the Presbyterian church on Fifth street, in Allen- town. It was carried on a bier, on the shoulders of relays of fellow-employees, who wore high hats, from which hung long streamers of black crepe, after the custom at that time prevalent in Wales.

Almost every inhabitant of the hamlet follow- ed the solemn procession on foot to the grave yard, amongst them being "Mother" Thomas (as

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HISTORY OF LEHIGH COUNTY, PENNSYLVANIA.

she was afterward affectionately called), and Mrs. James Lackey. After the completion of the substantial family vault by David Thomas in Fairview Cemetery, the remains were removed to it. Soon after this funeral, a burial ground was provided in Biery's Port on the lot adjoin- ing the Presbyterian church.

At that time it was customary in the surround- ing country, when there was a funeral, to place the coffin on a large farm-wagon on a bed of straw, and chairs were arranged around the cof- fin for the chief mourners. On account of the thinly-settled country, relatives and friends came a considerable distance to attend a funeral, and after the burial all were invited to return to the house for refreshments. The guests stood in a

here by the rapid rush of the water in the canal, which was caused by the forcing process to sup- ply a strong blast for the furnace; and they were buried in the first church graveyard.

Since that time, there has arisen a great change in the modes of burial, and in the construction of the coffins. Then there were no means of em- balming or preserving the bodies, the only way being to lay them on sod. Burials were there- fore necessarily made soon after death.

A grave yard was attached to the St. Paul's Lutheran church; one to the Evangelical church at the corner of Howertown Road and Mulberry street, and one to each of the Presbyterian churches.

These grave yards in the town were discon-

SOLDIERS' MONUMENT.

row and waiters served them with a cold lunch, followed by helpers who carried bottles of whis- key and glasses on trays and offered liquid re- freshment to all such as wished to indulge.

The cholera of 1854 was fatal. It was brought here in a boat from Philadelphia. Some days there were several funerals; and it was indeed a gruesome sight to see them marching up Church street, the coffin high in the air upon the carriers' shoulders, swaying to and fro, followed by rel- atives whose lamentations filled the air. Of the McClelland family, an adult brother and sister were buried the same day.

Quite a number of boatmen were drowned

tinued and the bodies buried there removed to the Fairview Cemetery. It has been estimated that about 100 bodies were buried in the grave yards of the Presbyterian churches.

SOLDIERS' MONUMENT .- At the close of the Civil War, the patriotic impulses of this com- munity showed a practical appreciation of the costly services of the volunteer soldiers from Cat- asauqua and vicinity, by the erection of a costly marble monument on the circular plot, reserved for it in the cemetery. On the four sides of the shaft, there are inscribed the names, rank and regiment of each soldier who boldly went forth to battle that the Union might and should

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BOROUGH OF CATASAUQUA.

be preserved, numbering altogether 157; and also the names of the battles in which they were engaged. Twenty-six of these soldiers were killed or died in service. Across the top of the shaft hangs the American flag in graceful folds, surmounted by the striking figure of an American eagle with outspread wings, as if standing guard over the heroes sleeping quietly there till the resurrection morn. Around the monument a space was at first reserved for the burial of vet- eran soldiers, but this idea was afterward aban- doned in order to set apart the monument more effectually.

The monument was solemnly dedicated on Oct. 3, 1866, with appropriate ceremonies, pur- suant to arrangements by the Monument As- sociation, and Rev. C. Earle, pastor of the First Presbyterian church, delivered an historical ad- dress. In the course of his remarks he empha- sized the statement that neither his name nor the name of any other civilian member of the committee appeared on the shaft in pursuance of a provision by the Monument Association at the time of its inception "that no man's name shall be inscribed on the monument unless he was sworn into the service of the United States and was under the enemy's fire"; so that it is just what it purports to be, "A Soldiers' Monument."

Maj. A. R. Calhoun was the orator and he delivered an impressive oration to a large con- course of people who had assembled from all the towns and places of the Lehigh Valley, including many men who had been in actual service.

In 1871, Gen. Charles Albright, member of Congress, introduced a special Act of Congress to donate 4 siege guns and 24 cannon balls of unused artillery to the George W. Fuller Post, No. 74, G. A. R., for the adornment of this, "the first soldiers' monument in Pennsylvania"; and in 1884, upon the reorganization of Fuller Post No. 378, G. A. R., the Secretary of War ordered the Commandant of the Watervliet Ar- senal at West Troy, N. Y., to issue to said Post four 64-pounder cannons, two of the English model of 1812 weighing respectively 5,514 and 5,498 pounds, and two United States guns of the 1819 and 1829 models, weighing respectively 5,014 and 5,000 pounds ; and these were placed at the four corners of the monument as an ap- propriate and expressive ornamentation.

SCHOOLS.

The first school was held in the "Old Church," and started with 15 pupils. A Mr. Landis was the teacher, and he was soon afterward followed by a young man named Evans, when it was trans- ferred to the Hanover township school-house on Deily's Hill, which overlooked the dam opposite

the foot of Second street. This was before 1853. The new school law had previously been accepted. The building was one story, with one room.

The first school building established within the limits of the borough was a frame shanty put up by the Crane Iron Co. at the corner of Church street and Limestone alley.

The second was erected by Hanover township at the corner of Union street and Railroad alley.

The third was the Bridge Street School in 1849.

The fourth was situated on lower Second street now owned by the Lenox Manufacturing Co.

The fifth was the Second street High School building in 1859.

The sixth was on lower Front street, now owned by the Temperance Association.

The seventh was the Lincoln Building on the Howertown Road.

The eighth was the High School building, ad- joining the Lincoln Building.

In addition to the schools mentioned, a three- story building, situated on Front street near Union, was rented and used for school purposes. This is now owned by Frank Hunsicker, Esq.

The attendance of the pupils was registered as follows :

1858 300 I861 408

1859 325 I862 450

1860 365 1863 474

Mrs. Esther Hudders conducted a private school for years in the basement of the Bridge street Presbyterian church. She and her hus- band were the first teachers there and they taught three years.

TEACHERS .- The early teachers were the fol- lowing, with the time of service:

Margaret Meeker, 1845; from Allentown.

D. F. Davis, 1846; from Easton.

Edward Clarke, 1847, from Wyoming county, Pa.

John Hudders, 1848 to 1852; from Irish Settle- ment.

Esther Hudders, 1848 to 1852; from Irish Set- tlement.

Joseph Leonard 1853; from Connecticut .

Rebecca Leonard (sister of Joseph) 1854; from Connecticut.

Annie E. Butchers 1854-55; from N. Y. State. Charles L. Russell 1855-56; from Bridgeport, Conn.

Samuel P. Bliss 1856; from Connecticut.

Charles H. Kitchell 1857; from N. Y. State.

Alonso W. Kinsey, 1857; from Catasauqua.

In the year 1858, the teachers were: Charles L. Russell, grammar school; Alonzo W. Kin- sey, and William H. Barton, secondary; Eliza McKee and Anna Phillips, primary.

Mr. Russell having resigned, R. Clay Ham- ersly became his successor; then his school was regraded and classified; the advanced pupils

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HISTORY OF LEHIGH COUNTY, PENNSYLVANIA.

were formed into a High School which was es- tablished in 1863 and assigned to Prof. Ham- ersly.

ACADEMY .- An academy was erected in 1848- 49 on the Presbyterian lot by Alfred Cattemore (an English carpenter who had "strayed" here), by securing subscriptions from the members of the church; and the Crane Iron Co. advanced $1,200 towards the cost of it, for which they took a mortgage. This was regarded as a model school at that time. It had ventilators in the ceiling, and each pupil had his own desk with an ink-well set in on top and screwed fast, and shelves were arranged underneath for his books. It was continued in use as a private school until 1856 when it was sold to the Catasauqua School District for $2,530, and the proceeds, after sat- isfying the mortgage, were distributed in equal proportions to the two Presbyterian congrega- tions. The trustees of this school were:

David Thomas David Williams Owen Rice

Robert McIntyre

Samuel Thomas

John Peter

William Taylor

The School District held and occupied this school house and lot for 40 years, until the erec- tion of the Lincoln school building; then it was abandoned for school purposes. Subsequently it was sold to James W. Fuller for $5,000, and he erected thereon a commodious mansion for himself, which is still standing.

The teachers were John Hudders, and his wife, Esther Hudders, Joseph Leonard, Rebecca Leonard, Samuel P. Bliss, Alonzo W. Kinsey, Charles H. Russell, and others.

READING CLASS .- In reading, a class stood up and read in consecutive order from the head to the foot, or vice-versa; and so the English reader was read through and commenced over again and re-read. It was considered the proper thing when the end of the book was reached at the Latin word FINIS, for the last pupil in the course of reading to call out loudly, "Five Irish Niggers in Spain," and the next to reverse the order of the letters and call out "Six Irish Nig- gers in France," and this performance generally ended in a trouncing.

CLASS LEADERS .- It was customary to choose two leaders of a spelling class who were selected by the pupils to fill up their respective sides, and whenever a word was mis-spelled by a pupil in the class, he quit and this was continued until only one was left, who represented the winning side.

PENS .- Quills were used as pens and a part of the teacher's duties was to prepare them after school hours, ready for the next session. I re- member the day the first steel pens were intro-

duced. They were imported from England and called "Jos. Gillotte Pens," which were sold to the pupils two for three cents. All school sup- plies then, even the ink, were sold to the pupils.

TEACHERS' PAY .- The teacher's pay, $1.061/4, was brought by the pupils every three months and this was generally paid in Mexican money. Span- ish shillings were called "levys"; and sixpences or half-shillings were called "fips" (614 cents).

PUNISHMENT .- Corporal punishment in the schools was almost universal. Solomon's ad- monition "spare the rod and spoil the child" was considered the proper doctrine. Long whips, cut from the stumps of trees after the woods had been removed, were the proper caper. It was considered good practice to send a pupil out into the yard to cut them and bring them into the school-room, then give him a good whipping to break his spirit and so develop obedience.

Rulers were thrown at scholars for whisper- ing, who were directed to bring them to the teacher, then hold their little hands to the teach- er who slapped them until the offenders wrig- gled with pain.

Pupils who failed to understand their sums in mensuration were compelled to stand on a desk, hold a brick in one hand and count the corners of the Bridge street Presbyterian church. This was before the parsonage was erected.

Some of the teachers in those days were bar- barous in their treatment of the pupils. They would sneak behind the pupil who had made a mistake in his sums and yank him from his seat by pulling him by the ear, or take a book and bang him on the side of the head. I remember one teacher who called up his pupils and slapped them on their hands with a black ruler (which was supposed to be more painful than a white one), meanwhile chewing tobacco vigorously and expectorating into a large spittoon five feet off.

Another cruel feature of those days was this: When a class was called up to recite or spell, the pupil who missed had to go to the foot of the class, and, at the close of the lesson, tell the teacher how many mistakes were made, and so many times would the teacher slap the palm of the hand hard with a black ruler. Oh, how those slaps would sting! The burning sensation would continue for hours.

TOWN-BALL .- Among the games for the boys was one called town-ball. Self-appointed lead- ers divided the boys into two contesting parties or sides by selecting one at a time alternately until the number present was exhausted; and that leader started the selection by winning the toss of the bat, "wet" or "dry," either having spat on one side and tossed it into the air, then the other would have to guess, and if the latter

621

BOROUGH OF CATASAUQUA.

got his guess he would take his side to the bat, and the other his side to the field.

The bat was a heavy paddle, not a round stick as now. The ball was not a purchased article ; it was generally made by some boy out of his woolen socks which were unravelled and the yarn was wound around some rubber strips cut from an old gum-shoe, or around a small piece of cork, and sewed in a leather cover.

There were four corners, like the points of a square figure; sometimes five corners, an extra one between the second, and third, making the points of a pentagon. If the batter struck at the ball and missed it and the catcher caught it he was out; but if he hit it he had to run and make his base. If the ball was caught on the

the sessions of school from four to six months, but the founder of the town did not think it was right to allow the sons of his workingmen to run around the streets; so he erected a long frame building. at the corner of Church street and Limestone alley and directed school to be held during the whole year without any vacation.

STATUS IN 1913 .- The Board of Directors and the teachers of Catasauqua in December, 1913, together with the buildings in which the schools were carried on, were as follows:

Directors.

James S. Stillman, Pres. Roland D. Thomas Clifford H. Riegel, Sec. Joseph S. Elverson Edwin Chapman, Treas. John J. Williams Harry B. Weaver

LINCOLN SCHOOL BUILDING.

fly or even one bound he was out. All the players had to be made out; then the side would select its best batter to bat and if he succeeded in making three "home runs," his side could start anew; otherwise the fielders would take their turn at the bat.

The score of runs was frequently very high in the game. It was kept by cutting notches on a stick, or by tallies of five.

If the ball should be lost in the grass, the fielders would cry "lost-ball," and the play was suspended until the ball was found.

A runner at or around the bases, hit by a thrown or batted ball, was regarded as out. The ball was not hard; frequently, it was a hollow, flexible "Goodyear" ball, which was preferred.

SESSIONS .- The early custom was to continue

Teachers.

Henry J. Reinhard, supervisor since 1900.

High-school.

Gustavus E. Oswald, C. D. Hummel

principal. D. F. Gould

Alfred C. Lewis

Lincoln Building.

Sarah J. McIntyre Mabel Weisley

Hannah Davis Mildred T. Lawall

Sarah J. McHenry Mildred Heilman

Estella Mckeever Mary Leickel

Ella Fait Elizabeth Scott

Second-Ward Building.

Francis H. Sheckler Helen Buck

Mame Torrence

Mary McCandless

Sophie Matchette

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HISTORY OF LEHIGH COUNTY, PENNSYLVANIA.

Third-Ward Building.

Margaret Tolan Jennie Helman

Amanda J. Funk

M. Adeline Davies, Supervisor of Music.

Total pupils, December, 1913, 770. Equipment.

High School, First ward, erected in 1911; 3-story brick, costing $60,000; 7 rooms; 115 pupils; audi- torium capacity, 700; "library, 1,000 volumes; chemical laboratory; gymnasium; complete modern appointments.

The Board of Public Instruction then was con- stituted as follows, the names appearing on a bronze inscription plate which is set in the wall, in the hall on the first floor:

Joseph Matchette, President David Davis, Secretary

David K. Caldwell, Treasurer

William Weisley

David R. Griffith

Chester E. Frantz

Geo. C. D. Goldsmith

Wilson J. Smith Harry E. Graffin

Building Committee.

Harry E. Graffin, chairman

David R. Griffith

Chester E. Frantz Builders. Franklin Goldsmit hand Son.

Lincoln Building, First ward, 2-story, costing $40,000; 10 rooms ; 357 pupils ; modern appointments. Second street Building, Second ward, erected in 1859; 3-story brick, costing $20,000; 6 rooms; 185 pupils ; modern appointments.

George Taylor Building, Third ward, erected in 1913; one story brick, costing $12,000; 4 rooms ; 113 pupils; modern appointments.

(When East Catasauqua was taken from Han- over township in 1909 and annexed to Catasauqua, it included two small one-story brick school-houses for which settlement was made by process of law. The one at the rear of the planing mill was aban- doned for school purposes and will be sold; the other was remodeled and enlarged, and named George Taylor Building.)

PUBLIC LIBRARIES .- In 1846, the Crane Iron Co. started a library of 250 books for the use and improvement of their employees. A room was set apart on the second floor of the two-story brick office building on Front street opposite the furnaces for this purpose and it was kept up for nine years. This is another evidence of Mr. Thomas' desire to develop and maintain a high standard in the community.

About 1878, Oliver Williams, another prom- inent man here in the industrial affairs of the Lehigh Valley, took an active part with other persons in establishing a library. Several hun- dred volumes of promiscuous books were col- lected and a successful reading circle amongst the young people was kept up until May, 1891, when the books were presented to the High school and added to its collection. The room was in a building on Church street, west of the Town Hall, where a cigar store is now con- ducted.

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History of Lehigh county, Pennsylvania and a genealogical and biographical record of its families, Vol. I, Part 112

Author: Roberts, Charles Rhoads; Stoudt, John Baer, 1878- joint comp; Krick, Thomas H., 1868- joint comp; Dietrich, William Joseph, 1875- joint comp; Lehigh County Historical Society Publication date: 1914 Publisher: Allentown, Pa. : Lehigh Valley Publishing Co. Number of Pages: 1158

Author: Roberts, Charles Rhoads; Stoudt, John Baer, 1878- joint comp; Krick, Thomas H., 1868- joint comp; Dietrich, William Joseph, 1875- joint comp; Lehigh County Historical Society
Publication date: 1914
Publisher: Allentown, Pa. : Lehigh Valley Publishing Co.
Number of Pages: 1158