History of Montgomery County, Pennsylvania, Part 167

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 167

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From a County-Seat to a Borough .- At that time, where is now the large and populous borongh of Norristown, the land chiefly belonged to the trustees of the University of Pennsylvania, to whom it had been transferred by the Rev. Dr. Smith, who had , in 1785. The deed thus describes the boundaries ; been the provost of the same. Ilis son, William Moore Smith, became agent for the trustees of this institution, and under certain reservations, final owner, and thus had it laid out as the town of " Norris" into streets and lots. The latter were divided into a width of fifty feet front, but of different depths. Those most advantageously situ- ated brought as high as four dollars per foot, while others less desirable were sold as low as $1.40. There were in all at this time (1785) sixty-four lots, bounded on the north by Airy Street, east by Green Alley, south by Lafayette and west by Cherry Street. This may be considered the original size of the town. In the deeds to the several lot-holders mention is made that they are conveyed by the "trustees of the Uni- versity of Pennsylvania," and are situated "in the town of Norris." A lot on Egypt Street was sold to Henry Roosen, February 28, 1785, for seventy-seven pounds and the singular feudal reservation of "an acorn annually to be paid to them and their suc. cessors." Abraham Landis purchased a lot in that year for eight pounds, on De Kalb Street, and David Lloyd one for twenty-five pounds, fronting on De Kalb and Swede Streets, in which this tribute is als) a

condition. A copy of the original town draft may be seen in Deed Book No. 2, page 465, at the recorder's office, in which the " Mansion House" is described as being on the north side of Main or Egypt Street, near the present Barbadoes. Egypt Street is mentioned therein as eighty feet wide, De Kalb sixty-six, Swede sixty-six, and Penn Street extending eastwards from the court-house lot. The latter is mentioned as being three hundred and forty-four by one hundred and forty feet in extent, and that "the Public Square to remain open for ever" towards Egypt or Main Street.

As the court-house and jail were not built for several years after the formation of the county, the courts had to be bekl wherever they could get the most suitable accommodations. The first court was held at the public-house of John Shannon, December 28, 1784. Frederick A. Muhlenberg, James Morris, Henry Scheetz and William Dean were the justices, the first being president. To show the spirit of the times, we learn from the records of the court that one person, for committing two larcenies, was sentenced, September 28, 1785, to receive on his bare back fifteen lashes, well laid on, and on the following October 8th the same number to be repeated for the second offense. ", Negro William" was sentenced, at the same time, to receive nineteen lashes.

The ground upon which the court-house stands, with much the greater portion of the present public square, was virtually presented to the county by the trustees of the University, expressly for the public buildings. It was conveyed through the com- missioners in accordance with the provisions men- tioned in the act of Assembly. The consideration therefor, was five shillings, and the transfer was made

" Beginning at the northwest corner of Airy and Swede Streets, thenre along the west side of Swede, south 28 degrees, wert 344 feet to a corner, theuce along the open square, south 62 degrees, cast 110 feet to n corner lot marked No. 1; thence by a 40 feet court and lot No. 30, north 28 degrees, cast 344 feet to Airy Street, thener along sail street north 62 de- grees west to the place of beginning."

It will be observed no mention is made of the present Penn Street ; probably the court referred to was a portion of the same that may at this time have been only partly opened.

The court-house an I jail were both commenced in 1787, and were built of stone. The dimensions of the former were seventy by forty feet, two stories high, and surmounted by a cupola and bell. It stood upon the south side of Penn Street, near the corner of Swede, with its front towards Main Street. The stairs were placed on the outside to reach the second story, similar to those of the old court-house in Phila- delphia, which was common at this period, even with churches and private houses when two stories high. The prison stood upon the site of the present court-house and was a two-story rough-cast building. In 1801 four hundred and twenty-one dollars were paid for fuel used in it, which the auditors said would have to be in the future considerably reduced or the amount

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would not be allowed, while the expenses for board- ing the prisoners was one hundred and ninety-seven dollars. The following year the fuel charge was one hundred and sixty-four dollars. The cost to the county for erecting these buildings was £4774 Fls. 9d. Of this amount, £1828 198. was received from Phila- delphia County, as the share coming to Montgomery from the proceeds of the sale of the old prison there, according to the act of Assembly in establishing the county. The building containing the county offices was not erected till 1791. Several years after it was enlarged to fifty by thirty-six feet. Colonel Thomas Craig, an officer of the Revolution, was appointed in 1784 associate judge, prothonotary, clerk of the courts, and the following year recorder, all of which offices he actually held until 1799.

General Francis Swayne, a resident of the Trappe and son-in-law of the Rev. H. M. Muhlenberg, while sheriff of the county, on the 12th of April, 1788, exe- ented Johu Brown, who had been sentenced to death for burglary, and who, it appears, was an old offender. He was hanged in the rear of the jail on Airy Street. This affair for some time after was the occasion of considerable controversy, if not excitement, between the sheriff' and several citizens of the town. It origin- ated chiefly through the execution having been per- formed on the highway, and in the most public manner. The sheriff, on the other hand, defended himself on the ground that he could not get the per- mission of any land-owners in or near the place to permit him, as an officer, to fulfil the due performance of that which was required of him by law.

Norristown, in 1790, contained a court-house, jail, three or four inns, eight or nine houses, a mill and a school-house, -- in allabout eighteen building -. Anin- telligent lady of nearly eighty years, some time since de- ceased, who was raised in the place, furnished the writer with the following reminiscences in 1858: That the town in 1793 contained three or four taverns,-one was the " General Washington," kept by Alexander Moore; the "Rising Sun," kept by Jesse Roberts ; the " Eagle," by a person by the name of Rudolph ; that there were two stores, one kept by John Young, and not a house within the present borough limits south and south- east of Main and De Kalb Streets. She remembered when shad, herring and rockfish were caught here in abundance and canoes and flats navigated the river. " That the outrage committed by the British ship-of-war 'Leopard' on the American frigate 'Chesapeake,' and the murder of our seamen, whether it be considered as an art of the British government, or of indi- viduals who committed it, requires rigid retribution or honorable repara- tion. That we will, at the hazard of our lives and properties, support the proclamation of the President of the United States, and any other mea- sures that may be adopted by the constituted authorities to obtain redress from the British government for the reparation of our national honor and insulted sovereignty. At this crisis it is the duty of every citizen who is not conscientiously scrupulous against bearing arms to arm in defense of his injured country, and to prepare for the event of a war." On one occasion she went with her father to Phila- delphia in a canoe and was considerably frightened in going through the falls above Manayunk. Scott, in his " United States Gazetteer of 1795," speaks of Norristown as then containing about twenty houses, besides the county buildings. An aged gentleman, now for some time deceased, furnished the writer in 1854 with his recollections of the place in 1803. He says it then contained about fifty houses and that most As a result, notice was given by John Richards, bri- gade inspector of New Hanover township, to the en- rolled persons between the ages of eighteen and forty- of them were but one story high and built of frame or logs. Besides these were a court-house, jail, three taverns, one store and and a small school-house, two | five years, and not exempted from military duty, that

or three lawyers and one doctor. Back of Airy Street, in the vicinity of the present prison, was the old Jail Lane, which was a favorite place for horse-racing and playing long bullets. In the spring and fall, when the condition of the roads became impassable, the people hauled tan from the old tan-yard carried on by Philip Markley before 1790, and made walks of it before their doors. Swede Street at this time was the ouly road that extended to the river, and there was then a fine road along its banks from the mouth of Stony Creek to Swedes' Ford, well shaded by button- wood and beech-trees.

John Markley, an enterprising citizen of the place, in the fall of 1798, was elected sheriff of the county, to which position he was elected for three consecutive years. Having purchased all the real estate here that had formerly belonged to the university, he was in- duced to offer it for sale in an advertisement of December, 1801 :

" All the estate called Norristown Mill and Farm, lately the property of Wm. Moore Smith, Esq., adjoining the town of Norris, and bounding on the river Schuylkill, containing 540 acres, including Barbadoes Island. It is the intention of the subscriber to divide this estate into lots and small farms. To the farm-lots will be added a sufficiency of wood- lands and commodious dwelling-houses. Also the merchant mill, saw- mill, with tenacres of land. The mills are pleasantly situated on and worked by the river Schuylkill, within a few poles of the road leading from Philadelphia to Reading, and are in complete repair. There are on the premises two other mill-seats on streams of water sufficiently strong for any kind of power, which will be sold separate, with a suffi- cient security of the water-right. The richness of the soil, the pleasant- ness of the situation and the present flourishing prospects of the village renders the purchase of this property an object worthy the attention of the farmer, the mechanic or the gentleman of leisure."

An attack on a national vessel, in our own waters in time of peace, made an unusual excitement through- out the country which even extended to Norristown, where a call was issued against " British tyranny and oppression," and a public meeting held at the court- house, July 22, 1807, "for the purpose of expressing their sense of the late unwarrantable aud dastardly outrage committed by one of the British ships of war on the American frigate, "Chesapeake." General Francis Swaine was appointed president and Samuel Patterson secretary. Levi Pawling, William Hender- son, Israel Bringhurst, George Weaver, Mathias Hol- stein, John Markley and James Winnard reported seven resolutions, wherein they state

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an election of the First Brigade, Second Division of Pennsylvania Militia, would be held, July 31, 1807, for one brigadier-general, one brigade inspector, one lieu- tenant-colonel for each regiment and one major for each battalion in the county; for the Thirty-sixth Regiment, commanded by Colonel Samuel Henderson, at the house of Frederick Dull, Hickorytown ; for the Fifty-first Regiment, commanded by Lieutenant- Colonel John Wentz, at Frederick Conrad's, Esq., in Worcester; for the Fifty-sixth Regiment, commanded by Lieutenant-Colonel Christian Snyder, at Jesse Kirk's, in Horsham; for the Eighty-sixth Regiment, commanded by Lieutenant-Colonel Isaac Davis, at Henry Krebs', in New Hanover; the commanding officers to appoint suitable persons to conduct the electiou and make returns thereof according to law ; the company officers to appoint the day and place of meeting for the election of the officers of companies.

A draft of upwards of six hundred men having been ordered as Montgomery County's quota, who were required to report at Norristown and to there en- ter the service, at eleven o'clock on December 16th, of that year, the line was formed in a field adjacent to the town to carry out the aforesaid object. The right was flanked by Captain Pawliog's dragoons, Captain Shives' artillery, Captain Bucher's rifle company and Captain Gross' infantry ; the left hy Captain Weber's, dragoons, and Captains Holgate's, Weist's Mintzner's and Barn's infantry; the sixteen com- panies of drafted militia being placed in the centre. The whole was placed under the command of Colonel Reed, to whom was allotted the command of the de- tachment. The cavalry who were all uniformed and mounted, had considerably exceeded the quota, and all the volunteer corps were neatly equipped, and the militia generally armed. Major-General Swaine and Brigadier-General Scheetz, attended by their aids, and Major Norny, the brigade inspector, reviewed the line and received a general salute. The whole marched in regular order through the town, and then returned to the former ground, where the volunteers were dismissed. On this occasion several of the com- panies had come a distance of twenty-five miles.

Among the early and enterprising improvers of Norristown, can be mentioned Michael Broadt, a name we believe, that has since been changed to Broades. Concerning his history at this writing we possess little As laid out at this time, the borough was wholly taken from Norriton township, and contained an area of about five hundred and twenty acres, being nearly a mile square. It extended on the river from the mouth of Stony Creek to the Plymouth line, some- what over a mile. The population probably did not exceed five hundred, as by the census of 1820 we know it only contained eight hundred and twenty- seven inhabitants, showing an unusually slow growth, after having been laid out as a town and a county-seat twenty-seven years, and withal possessing such unusual advantages to help to promote its prosperity. It was beyond what is fragmentary. He constructed a dry- ing-house and powder-mill in Norristown about 1799, and while conducting a series of experiments with his newly-made powder, nine hundred pounds of it be- came ignited and blew up one of the buildings, injur- ing one of his employés, while he fortunately escaped injury. He was a well-educated German and took an interest in educational matters, being one of the founders of the academy, and was elected in 1803 one of its first trustees. This same year he secured the ser- vices of Charles Fortman, a graduate of one of the German universities, to give instruction in the Eng- ' the first borough incorporated in the county, and at

lish, German, French and Latin languages, and also on the piano-forte, on the latter, no doubt, the first teacher in the conuty. At this date he also advertises building lots for sale. It is probable, that in addition to carrying on several manufactories he also kept a public-house, for on December 6, 1806, he advertises "all that noted old Tavern Stand, known by the sign of the 'New Moon' and thirty acres of land, with stabling for twenty-horses, oil-mill, plaster-of-Paris- mill, powder-mill and carding-machine." On Septem- ber 20th of this year his daughter Sarah was married to William Chain, also of Norristown. In June, 1807, lie informs the public " that his machinery for picking and rolling wool is in complete order. Persons living at a distance are required to bring iu their own wool soon in order that they may have it done while they wait for it to take back with them." Whether he died about this time we are uuable to state, but know that he was succeeded in the spring of 1810 by his son, Daniel Broadt, who, in the summer of 1811, advertises that after several years experience and instruction under his father, he was pre- pared to pick and card either cotton or wool in unantities of from twenty or thirty pounds in two or three hours.

AApplication was made by a number of the citizens of Norristown to have it incorporated with the rights and privileges of a borough. The act was passed March 31, 1812, and its bounds set forth :-

Beginning at the river Schuylkill, at the corner of Levi Pawling and Mathew Chain's land ; thence along the line of Mathew ( hain and Miles Abhet's land, on the one side, and the land of Levi Pawling, Philip Ilahn, Jr., Robert Hamel, George Righter and John Miller, on the other side, to a corner of said Miller and Joseph Crawford's lands; thence on the line of the said Crawford and William Deal's land, and on the one side, and John Miller, Thomas Ross, John Markley, Thomas Stroud, William Boyd and simon Kesey's on the other side, to the Plymouth township line ; thence along the said line to the river Schuylkill ; thence up the several courses thereof to the place of beginning."

The act of incorporation required that the burgess, Town Couneil and high constable be elected annually. Section Fourth stated "That if any persons duly elected as burgess or a member of the Town Councilor constable, and having received notice thereof as afore- said, shall refuse or neglect to take upon himself the execution of the office to which he shall have been elected, every person so refusing or neglecting shall forfeit and pay a sum not exceeding twenty dollars."

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HISTORY OF MONTGOMERY COUNTY.

this time Saw-Mill Run divided it into nearly two equal portions. The first election under its charter was held on Friday, May 1, 1812, when Francis Swaine was elected burgess; Mathias Holstein, John Coates, David Thomas, Robert Hamill, James Winnard, Lewis Shrack, Philip Hahn, Jr., Town Council ; and Wendle Fisher, high constable.

Early Roads and Streets .- The road from North Wales or Gwynedd Meeting-house to Swedes' Ford was confirmed in March. 1738, and at September Sessions, 1756, was ordered to be opened thirty-two feet wide, most probably the earliest highway within the present limits of the borough. We know by William Scull's map of 1770 that the Egypt or Ridge road had then been laid out for several years, for it is denoted thereon as leading to Friends' Meeting-house in Providence. A petition was sent to the Court of Quarter Sessions "for a public road from the New Reading or Egypt road to John Bull's mill, and from thence across the river Schuylkill at or near the lower end of Barbadoes Island, and from thence to the most convenient public road to the Swedes' Ford." This road was laid out April 25, 1774, by Benjamin | Jacobs, Thomas Rees, John Howell, John Murray, Benjamin Rittenhouse and Henry Pawling. The court confirmed the same in June, 1774, and it was ordered to be thirty-three feet wide. Weascertain from the aforesaid that the " new Reading or Egypt road" could not have been so long opened, or it would not have borne that name, and that "Crawford's Meadows" were then within the present limits of the borough, most probably a short distance above the mouth of the present Saw-Mill Run.

Egypt road is said to have received this singular name from its going to the " Fatlands," a fertile sec- tion of country lying on the Schuylkill, below or south of the Perkiomen. Of the eleven commissioners appointed to sell stock for making this road a turn- pike in May, 1811, Francis Swaine, John Markley and Levi Pawling resided in the borough; the former was elected president of the company January 6, 1812. The bed of the road was to be laid with stone, twenty- four feet wide, twelve inches deep, and to have good summer roads wherever practicable. It was finished in 1816 and cost seven thousand dollars per mile. This was a great improvement in its day, and afforded a good road to the city the whole year round. In the laying-out of the town, in 1785, the Egypt road formed the basis by which all the other streets were to be reg- ulated,-namely, by being either parallel with or at right angles to the same. Mention is made in 1830 that " the streets of the town have lately been leveled and graded and some of them paved with bricks and flags."

An act of Assembly was passed March 8, 1834, ap- pointing Alan W. Corson, Evan Jones, Henry Scheetz and George Richards commissioners, "with full power to alter, vacate, widen and extend the streets, and lay out such additionial streets as may be

necessary." They met on the 20th of May and ap- pointed Mr. Gill as their surveyor and engineer. Owing to the ungraded condition of the streets and their irregular widths, this was a delicate duty to per- form with the several holders of the lands and tene- ments, but when properly carried out must have greatly tended to beautify and improve the place, of which the benefit conferred thereby has since become so apparent. In 1803 Swede Street was the only high- way, excepting the Swedes' Ford road, over half a mile below, that also led to the Schuylkill. Thomas B. Hahn. in recollections of Norristown in 1816, mentions "the big teams and great wagons that made the fire fly coming down Chain's Hill, " west of Stony Creek. In 1867 Swede Street was turnpiked beyond the borough limits on to Centre Square.

Early Inns .- It is very probable that among the first houses erected within the present limits of the borough may have been public-houses for the accommo- dation of travelers. In 1758, Nicholas Scull mentions the Norrington House on his map as being on the east side of Stony Creek, where Main Street now crosses that stream. Archibald Thompson, Matthew IIender- son and John Elliot, in 1766, were recommended to the court as proper persons for license, in Norriton town- ship. In 1776 we find the former called an inn-holder and assessed for eighty acres of land. It is probable that he was the husband of Hannah Thompson, who kept the inn here in 1784, which was at or near thesite of the Norrington House. Mr. Thompson was a colonel in the Revolutionary army, and died November 1, 1779, at the early age of thirty-nine years, and was buried in Norriton churchyard. For his patriotism his property here also was destroyed in the general con- flagration by the British in September, 1777, for which Hannah Thompson was allowed by the State eight hundred and seven pounds damages.

Six inns licensed in the township in 1786, were kept by Hannah Thompson, John Shannon, John Wentz, George Gilbert, Josiah Wood and Abraham Woolford. In 1790 three inns were kept here, whose signs were " Generał Washington," "Eagle " and " Ris- ing Sun." In 1801, George Pflieger kept the "Golden Swan" then owned by Andrew Swenk, and the " Plough," lately kept by Jeremiah Wills deceased, that had stabling for forty horses. Lewis Shrack kept an inn nearest to the court-house, in 1803, which was owned by Seth Chapman. Michael Broadt kept the " New Moon " in 1804, to which stabling was attached sufficient for fifty horses, the house being built of stone, forty-five by thirty-two feet, with four roomson each floor. This was the present " Pennsylvania Farmer" stand, on Main Street, below Stony Creek. Elisha Evans kept a public-house in 1802, where a traveling showman the following year announced to exhibit " a male bison from Louisiana, that resembles the ox, the bear and the jackass." Benjamin Rambo advertised, in 1810, that, 'noted tavern-stand, sign of the 'Buck,' the nearest inn to the court-house, on the

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road to Correll's Ferry, a large two-story stone house," which was then kept by him. This stand may have been the present Rambo House.

The " Rising Sun" tavern in 1812 is mentioned as containing stabling and sheds one Imndred feet in length. Morris Jones gives notice, in July, 1813, that he kept the " Norristown Hotel, corner of Egypt or Main and De Kalb Streets," and that " a constant supply of newspapers will be kept for the use of the house." This is interesting for giving an early men- tion of "hotel," which it would appear was now abont being introduced as more pretentious than inn or tavern. It was a two-story stone house, forty by thirty-seven feet, with an adjoining kitchen. The stable was also of stone, fifty by twenty-seven feet, with sheds and outbuildings. This property was built by General Isaiah Wells about 1800, and kept by him until his election as sheriff, when he moved to the jail. It was long known as the most noted stage- house in Norristown. Mrs. Webb advertised, in the summer of 1816, that she had taken the Washington House. At this date, according to David Sower, Jr's. enumeration, the place contained five public-houses. Mrs. E. Rudd announced in 1834 keeping the White Horse Hotel, with a livery stable attached, where are "constantly on hand for hire, horses, sulkeys, dearborn waggons and close body carriages." Isaac Pritner at at that date kept "the Rising Sun Tavern, on Egypt Street, opposite the Court-House." The Norristown Hotel was then kept by Levi Roberts, and was offered at public sale by the assignees of Isaiah Wells.

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History of Montgomery County, Pennsylvania, Part 167

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