History of Montgomery County, Pennsylvania, Part 107

Author: Bean, Theodore Weber, 1833-1891, [from old catalog] ed; Buck, William J. (William Joseph), 1825-1901
Publication date: 1884
Publisher: Philadelphia, Everts & Peck
Number of Pages: 1534

USA > Pennsylvania > Montgomery County > History of Montgomery County, Pennsylvania > Part 107

Note: The text from this book was generated using artificial intelligence so there may be some errors. The full pages can be found on Archive.org (link on the Part 1 page).

A tongue-cart was the first general conveyance to market, and, as a protection against the weather, a coverlet would be stretched on hickory boughs. Gigs and chairs began to come into use just before the Revolution as vehicles for conveyance on business or pleasure. As these were taxable, we find, in 1785, but fifty-three "riding-chairs" returned in the whole county, the highest number being fourteen in More- land, seven in Upper Hanover, six in Upper Dublin, five in Horsham, four in Abington, four in Chelten- ham, three in Douglas, and two each in Nor- riton, Plymouth, Springfield and Whitemarsh, not

Hatfield, Limerick, Providence, Upper or Lower Sal- ford, Marlborough, Montgomery, New Hanover, Per- kiomen, Upper Merion, Whitpain and Worcester. It seems now surprising that such townships as Gwynedd, Providence, Perkiomen and Upper Merion should thus be without, clearly demonstrating how much, even a century ago, the people were addicted to going either on horseback or on foot. At this period it is stated that it was regarded as no unusual thing for women to go on horseback to Phila- delphia from Pottstown and its vicinity, a distance of thirty-seven miles, to do their shopping, and return the following day. It would certainly require a good physical constitution for the sex to endure this now. A writer in the Herald, in 1853, states that "fifty years ago our farmers brought their mar- keting into Norristown on horseback and carried it from house to house to dispose of at low prices. Now they bring it in carriages and wagons, and sell it out in a large, comfortable market-house, at fair prices."

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HISTORY OF MONTGOMERY COUNTY.

CHAPTER XXXI.

JOURNALISM.

THE press is a potential factor in the affairs of the country. Aided by the art of telegraphy and the use of the telephone, it has become a means of rapid and general communication, and exerts a controversial power during periods of great public excitement difficult to estimate. Local newspapers have always

FRANKLIN'S PRESS.

been received with favor, and at this date have a large circulation throughout the county. As a source of local and general information they are valuable, and they afford an excellent index to the current history of the people, whose habits, customs and man . ners are mirrored in them. Perfect files of local or county newspapers are among the most desirable works of reference, and should be found in all public libraries. There are nineteen newspaper establish- ments within the limits of the county, and these are located at fourteen different places, viz. : Norristown, Pottstown, Conshohocken, Pennsburg, Hatboro,' Skippaekville, North Wales, Lansdale, Collegeville, Schwenksville, Telford, Bryn Mawr, Ambler and Kulpsville. Job printing is carried on in connec- tion with every newspaper office in the county.

The number of newspapers which have existed in Montgomery County is very large, and we can scarcely hope to trace in detail the history of them all. For more than fifty years after the organization of the county there were but two local journals,-the Herald, which was Federal in poltics, and the Register, which supported the National Republican, subsequently the Democratic party. The first printing-office in the county was established in 1799 by David Sower, at Norristown, who, in June of that year, commenced the publication of a small paper which he called The

Norristown Gazette.1 It continued but one year, and was immediately succeeded by the Herald.2 The Reg- ister was established, in 1800, at Norristown, by a Mr. Wilson.

The conditions of journalism were widely different from those which exist at the present day; but an examination of the files of these early publications will satisfy the curious that they were in many re- spects equal and in some particulars superior to their successors. There was, of course, no general presen- tation of the news of the day, as now collected by telegraph, nor was there any systematic gathering of the news of the locality. "Reporting " was an art of later invention. A matter of more than common interest, a disastrous fire, a serious breach of the peace called forth a paragraph rather in the nature

1 The first number of The Norristown Gazette was issued on the 13th day of June, 1799. It was printed by David Sower, nearly opposite the court-house. The Gazette was a four-page weekly paper, and the size was ten by eight and one-half inches ; each page was divided into three | columns. The price of the paper was one dollar per annum. A number of this paper issued October II, 1799, contains only four advertisements . three of these were in reference to stray cattle, and the other as follows :

" Several tons of excellent sheet-iron, also hoop-iron and nail rods of all sizes, for sale at the Valley Works.

" Ort. 8, 1799. "REES BROOK. "

It also contains a " List of letters now in the Post-Office at Norristown Charles Polaski, Esq., Miss Ann Little, Messrs. George and Andrew Stewart (merchants), Maurice Stephens, Esq., Dortor Charles Moure, Montgomery township; William Orr, Chester County ; Nathaniel Boileau, Esq., near the Billet; William Baget, care of A. Crawford (3), Robert Morrison, James McIntire, Lower Merion township ; Cornelius Fornis- , ton, Andrew Todd, Trap; Mordecai Moore, Sen., Great Valley ; Cadwal- lader Robert Stephen, Love Mason, Horsham township, 2; David Ritten- house, Jacob Lungaker (to the care of A. Darragh), William McCray, Benjamin Shultz, Upper Hanover township; Daniel Jorden, near the Billet ; William Dill, Merion township ; Jacob Jeans, John Hoed, and Jacob Bittle.

" Norristown, Oct. 4, 199. "JOHN DAVIS, P. M."

The sune issne of the Gazette contains the report of the October elec- tion for the year 1799, the editor prefacing the statement as follows:

"The good order with which the election of the First District Was conducted, we are happy to observe, reflects no small degree of praise on its members. The following are the totals of the votes of this county for the different candidates; although the statement is net official, it is allowed to be accurate :

GOVERNOR.

Thomas Mckean 9.221

James Ross

1,795

Majority for MeKean 426

SENATOR.

John Richards 2,211

Zebulon Potts 1,775

Majority in this county for Richards . 436

ASSEMBLY.

Republican Candidates.

Nathaniel Boileau ... 2,223

Frederick Courod , . 2,220

Isaialı Davis 2,227

Jonathan Roberts , . 2,216

Federal Candidates.

Cadwallader Evans 1,757

Benjamin Brooke . 1,811

Henry l'awling . 1,750

Henry Sweitzer . . . . 1,779

COUNTY COMMISSIONERS.

Henry Sheetz (Rep. Can.) 2,213 John Roberts (Fed. Can.) 1,774

Majority for Sheetz . . . 439 "

The number of the Guzette referred to contains the following : "An Indian chief being asked his opinion of a vask of Madeira wine presented to him by an officer, said he thought it a juice extracted from women's tongues and lion's hearts, for after he had drank a bottle of it, he said, he could talk for ever and fight the devil."

2 The first umber of the Norristown Herald and Weekly Advertiser was issued October 13, 1800. It was a four-page paper, nineteen and a half inches by ten ; each page was divided into three columns. It was pub- lished by David Sower, and the price was two dollars per annum, payable half-yearly in advance. It was Federal in politics.

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JOURNALISM.

of editorial comment than a detailed narration of the facts. But the editor's columns teemed with reading- matter of another and not less interesting description. From private correspondence and from the columns of his exchanges he gathered a great amount of valu- able information, and those who catered to the taste of the reading public of Montgomery County made their selections with judicious care. A series of letters from Europe, published in the Herald during the early part of the present century, and written by an officer attached to the American squadron then cruising in the Mediterranean, would even now interest the his- torical student. The letter-writer of that day enjoyed an advantage which has been lost to his posterity. No correspondent, for example, would now dream of noting the bombardment of an important seaport, knowing that the fullest particulars of the event would be wired to the entire civilized world within twenty- four hours after its occurrence. But when such cor- respondence was the sole source of information, it may well be imagined that the unpretentious sheets in which it was published were sought for with eager- 'soil. In 1853 it was sold to a stock company, and ness and read with profound interest. Nor were the researches of the editor confined to the columns of his exchanges. His pages often contained extracts from works of the highest merit. le reproduced the essays of Addison and the speeulations of Locke. Public libraries were not easily accessible; books were dear, and the editor of the year 1800, it he had not the means of collecting news which have been so abundantly developed within the memory of the pre- sent generation, supplied other and equally important wants which are now filled through other channels.

It must not, however, be supposed that these early journals contained nothing of local interest. It reporters were not employed, their services were not so indispensable as they have since become. Full accounts of all political gatherings of importance appear in the respective organs over the signatures of their secretaries. Societies of various description were equally accommodating. While the editors did not feel called upon to give their own views on public questions at length in every edition, they opened their columns freely to correspondents of their own political faith, and the correspondents seldom failed to avail themselves of the privilege. Over assumed names they argued matters of public controversy, abused opposition parties and put awk- ward questions to candidates in a style upon which the modern writers of political leaders, it must in candor be said, have made little, if any, improvement.

The progress of the county journals, the increase in their size and number and the change in their character have been as gradual as the alteration in the condition under which their business was con- ducted. The Herald was published by David Sower | humorist of national reputation, who is one of its until 1809, when he transferred it to his oldest son, Charles Sower, Jr.

The latter opposed the war with England with such .

violence that his printing-office was mobbed by the supporters of the administration, probably the first and last instance of that species of public criticism that Montgomery County has afforded.

After some other changes of fortune the paper passed, in 1816, into the hands of another member of the same family, David Sower, Jr., who continued to publish it for eighteen years, and four times enlarged it. In 1834 it was sold to John Hodgson, of Chester County, who sold it, three years later, to Robert. Iredell. Mr. Iredell united with it the Free Press, which had been established in 1829 as the organ of the Anti-Masonic party, and the name of the publica- tion was changed to the Herald and Free Press, which it still retains. At a much later date the same estab- lishment absorbed still another office. Abont 1842, F. P. Sellers started the Olive Branch, at Doylestown, as an organ of Washingtonian temperance sentiment, and in 1850 he removed it to Norristown, where it became, under the auspices of the Rev. Samuel Aaron ; and others, the exponent of both temperance and free Dr. Joseph Moyer, of Hilltown, Bucks Co., assumed the management. Two years later he retired and was succeeded by Lewis H. Gause, who conducted it until the spring of 1857, when most of the stockholders sold their interests to M. Auge and James Hooven, who changed its name to the Norristown Republican. Mr. Auge became the editor and manager, and in his hands the publication continued until 1862. It was then sold to Howard M. Jenkins and Wilmer Atkinson. In 1864, Morgan R. Wills purchased of Robert Iredell one-half interest in the Weekly Herald, publishing it jointly thereafter with Robert Iredell, Jr. This arrangement continued until 1865, when the firm became Wills, Iredell & Jenkins, the Norristown Republican, owned by Atkinson & Jenkins, being consolidated with the Herald, Mr. Atkinson retiring. The Republican was continued for several years as a semi-weekly. Mr. Howard M. Jenkins retired from the firm in 1867, and the remaining members, Wills & Iredell, became possessed of the Lehigh Register, Allentown, Pa. In 1869, Robert Iredell, Jr., pur- chased Mr. Wills' interest in the Lehigh Register, and removed to Allentown, Mr. Wills purchasing Mr. Iredell's interest in the Herald and Semi- Weekly Republican, thus becoming sole proprietor of the Herald. On the 20th of December of that year Mr. Wills issued the initial number of the Norristown Daily Herald, and for three years issued it as a one- cent journal. It has been several times enlarged, and the price increased from one to two cents per copy. It is now universally regarded as one of the most readable publications in the United States, and owes much of its popularity to Mr. John H. Williams, a editors. The Daily Herald was the first daily news- paper successfully established in Montgomery County. ROBERT IREDELL .- Mr. Iredell is descended from

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HISTORY OF MONTGOMERY COUNTY.

a very old English family, whose genealogical record, dating back several hundred years, is in the possession of one of his sons. His great-grandfather, Thomas Iredell, was born in Cumberland, England, became much interested in the preaching of William Penn, and finally, leaving the Church of England, joined the Society of Friends, from whose Monthly Meeting, held at Pardsay Cragg, Cumberland, he received his certificate, June 27, 1700, when he sailed for Phila- delphia. He was married, March 9, 1705, at the old Friends' Meeting-house, corner of Second and Mar- ket Streets, Philadelphia, to Rebeckah Williams, and August 17, 1710, moved to Horsham, Montgomery Co., where he purchased a large tract of land,

died December 8, 1850. He married Hannah Kirk, daughter of Rynear and Elizabeth Bliss Kirk, on the 10th day of May, 1792. Their children were Charles, George B., Joseph L., James W., Thomas, Jonathan, Seth and Robert. The last named, the subject of this sketch, was born October 15, 1809, at the old homestead at Horsham, where his youth, until he was seventeen years of age, was spent. His ednca- tion was received at the school at Horsham Meeting, and later at Loller Academy, Hatboro', Montgomery Co., after which, having determined to learn the printer's art, he removed to Norristown and entered into an apprenticeship with David Sower, publisher of the Norristown Herald, remaining with his em-

Marga R. wilts

part of which he gave to the Friends and upon which was built the meeting-honse. Thomas and Rebeckah Iredell had seven children, one of whom, Robert (born January 4, 1721, and [died in 1799), married Han- nah Lukens.1 Their children were sixteen in num- ber. Jonathan was born October 10, 1765, and

1 It may not be uninteresting or inappropriate here to state that Han- nah Lukens was a sister of John Lukens, who, in 1743, erected a saw-mill on the head-waters of the Pennypack Creek, in lorsham township, per- haps the oldest in the'county in operation at the present time. Ile planted at the gate of the lane leading to his residence two pine-trees, which grew to be very large trees, Both were torn by storms, but the trunk of one of them, consisting of two logs twelve feet in length, was in April, 1880, taken to the saw-mill which been had erected nearly one hundred and forty years before, and sawed into hoards by his grand-

ployer four years. In August, 1831, he purchased the Norristown Free Press from Henry Bell, of Reading, who founded it as an anti-Masonic journal. In 1837 he became owner of the Norristown Herald, and united it with the Free Press, the paper being known as the

nephew, James W. Iredell, then, as now, proprietor of the mill. They produced nine hundred and thirty-four fect of boards,

John Lukens was surveyer-general of the province of Pennsylvania from 1761 to 1781, and of the State from 1781 to 1789. He had his office at the northwest corner of Seventh and Market Streets, Philadelphia. Ife was one of those appointed by the government to observe the transit of Vonns uver the sun's disc, and in the biographical sketch of Ritten- house in the " National Portrait Gallery " it is stated that carlier " he (Rit- tenhouse) became acquainted with an eminent mathematician, John Lukens. "

461

JOURNALISM.

Norristown Herald and Free Press, under which title it is still continued as one of the most prominent and influential weekly newspapers in the State. Mr. Iredell remained as editor and publisher of the Her- ald and Free Press until March, 1864, when it passed into the hands of Morgan R. Wills and Robert Ire- dell, Jr. Mr. Iredell was appointed recorder of deeds by Governor Ritner and served three years. In 1861 he was appointed postmaster at Norristown by President Lincoln, and, with the exception of an in- terval of two and a half years under President John- son's administration, whose policy he refused to in- dorse, he has held the position to the present time.

pertaining to the welfare and progress of the borough of Norristown Mr. Iredell was a leading spirit. Serv- ing four years in the Council, he labored for the ad- vancement of projects to which the present excellent condition of the town owes its origin. Robert Iredell was, on 22d day of October, 1832, married to Teressa, daughter of Charles Jones, of Norristown. Their children are Jonathan, Charles Jones, William C., James W., Robert and Phebe J. Of these, Jonathan and William died in infancy ; Charles .Jones was an associate editor of the Herald and Free Press, a man of high literary attainments and a brave soldier of the Fifty-first Pennsylvania Regiment, who lost his life

Noir Medica

He was in his political predilections early a Whig in the sinking of the " West Point," August 14, 1862; and an earnest advocate of the party's cause until its James W. occupies an important position in the Penn Mutual Life Insurance Company, and is located in Cincinnati ; Robert is the successful editor of the Lehigh Register and Daily Chronicle and News at Allentown; and Phebe J. resides with her father. Mr. Iredell is a member of the Society of Friends, the faith in which he was born, and continues his relation with the Gwyendd Monthly Meeting. dissolution. Having always been an anti-slavery man, he found the Republican party in 1856 very congenial, and although the divisions among his old and influ- ential Whig associates might have caused many a man to hesitate in his choice between the American and the Republican parties, he allowed no question of personal sacrifice to stand in the way of his prompt and courageous espousal of the cause of freedom. It The Register, which had been established by a Mr. Wilson, was purchased in 1801 by James Winnard, who continued it until about 1830, when he sold it to the firm of Powell & Patterson, whose members had learned the printing trade in the office. Mr. Samuel required courage in those days to even intimate that slavery was a wrong, but the advanced ground of Charles Sumner was his ground, and these principles he advocated with persistency and ability. In affairs

462

HISTORY OF MONTGOMERY COUNTY.

D. Patterson soon bought out his partner's interest, and in 1834 sold the establishment to Adam Stemmer, but repurchased it in 1846.

ADAM SLEMMER, son of Jacob Slemmer, whose father came to America from Switzerland about 1740, was born in Philadelphia, Pa., December 7, 1791, and was educated at private schools in Philadelphia. December 7, 1812, he was married to Margaret Craft, by whom he had six sons and two daughters, the late brevet brigadier-general United States army, Adam Jacoby Stemmer, being the youngest child.

He commenced business as a merchant in Philadel- phia, which he continued some time, when, on account of failing health, he was advised by his physician to change his residence to the country. He then (Sep- tember, 1819) removed to the upper end of Montgom- ery County, and followed the occupation of a teacher.

He was originator, editor and proprietor, with Enos Benner as partner, of the Bauern Freund, a German newspaper, published at Sumneytown, Montgomery Co., in 1827.

In the fall of 1827 he was nominated, against his will and consent (he not being present), for member of the Legislature, and received nearly an unanimous vote in the upper end of the county at the election, and was re-elected in 1828, 1829 and 1830, thus serving four successive terms, including one extra session.

In 1832 he was commissioned by Governor Wolf a justice of the peace, he then acting as conveyancer.

In 1833 he received a commission as prothonotary of the Court of Common Pleas of Montgomery County, tendered by Governor Wolf without solicitation, which was held under consideration for a time, and finally accepted, when, in May of that year (1833), he removed to Norristown, where he resided nearly fifty years, up to the time of his death, February 14, 1883, in the ninety-second year of his age.

In 1834 he bought the Norristown Register printing establishment, and edited the same from 1834 to 1852.

He was elected a member of the Town Council of Norristown, and, with John B. Sterigere, entered upon borough improvements, a law being passed authorizing the opening and widening of streets; commenced curbing and paving of sidewalks (Mr. Sterigere acting voluntarily as regulator) ; was chosen president of Council, but the length of time he served in that ca- pacity is not recollected.

He was chosen trustee of the Norristown Academy, and became by a vote of the board president, in which capacity he conveyed the property to the borough by deed, as per act of Assembly.

He joined the Norristown Fire Company, composed of the property-holders of the borough, and was elected president thereof.

Ile was elected school director ; assisted in organiz- ing the public schools; served in various capacities ; elected president of the board; superintended the building of the school-houses on Oak, Cherry and

Sandy Streets; composed the rules for the govern- ment of the Oak Street School.

He became a member of the Norristown Library Com- pany and took much interest therein ; superintended in part the building of the library-house; planned the interior ; had the books removed from the old building and placed them on the shelves; was chosen president of the library company.

He was appointed by the court an inspector of the Montgomery County Prison ; composed rules for the government thereot, adopted by the board; resigned this office after serving some time.

He originated the Montgomery Cemetery, laid it out, superintended the buikling of a chapel and dwelling, as also the reception vault, spent several years in its ar- rangement, and filled the offices of president, secretary and treasurer; wrote a petition praying for the aboli- tion of public executions, procured signatures and sent it to the Legislature, upon which was predicated the law of this commonwealth abolishing public executions ; wrote a charter for the Norristown In- surance Company, sent it to the Legislature, which became a law. The company was organized and some shares sold ; subsequently a change was made, and the act embraced the introduction of water into the borough, creating the present Insurance and Water Company ; was elected secretary and manager of the Montgomery County Bible Society in 1844, sinee which time he conducted the operations and wrote all the reports, also performed duty as depositary, and engaged in the distribution of Bibles up to 1867.

The remaining years of Mr. Slemmer's life were passed in retirement, and he died at the advanced age of ninety-one years.

In 1849 the paper was bought by John B. Sterigere, a prominent politician. At this time and previously the mechanical department was in charge of William Slemmer. Mr. Sterigere died in 1852, and the paper was sold by his administrators to Dr. E. L. Acker.

While Adam Slemmer was the owner he bought out the Montgomery Democrat, a rival Democratic paper, whose publication had been commenced during the contest between Wolf and Muhlenburg. Dr. Acker became the purchaser of another paper. Hon. Jacob Fry, being the political rival of Mr. Sterigere, had induced his brother Daniel to start the Montgomery Watchman in 1849. Two years later it passed into the hands of Daniel H. Neiman and E. B. Moore, and in 1853 the latter became the sole proprietor. In 1858, through the Hon. Owen Jones, it was purchased by Dr. Acker as a means of securing harmony in the party, and the publication was continued under the name of the Register and Montgomery County Democrat and Watchman. Dr. Acker continued publishing the journal until 1877. In 1875 he started the Daily Register, which he pub- lished for three years. In 1877 the establishment was sold by the sheriff, and purchased by Isaiah B. Houpt. The question whether the latter purchased

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History of Montgomery County, Pennsylvania, Part 107

Author: Bean, Theodore Weber, 1833-1891, [from old catalog] ed; Buck, William J. (William Joseph), 1825-1901 Publication date: 1884 Publisher: Philadelphia, Everts & Peck Number of Pages: 1534

Author: Bean, Theodore Weber, 1833-1891, [from old catalog] ed; Buck, William J. (William Joseph), 1825-1901
Publication date: 1884
Publisher: Philadelphia, Everts & Peck
Number of Pages: 1534