History of Montgomery County, Pennsylvania, Part 168

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 168

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The tavern property of John Brauch in 1829 was advertised as being a three-story stone building, with five rooms on a floor, with ice-house, stabling and twenty acres of land attached. In 1831 the place was mentioned as containing eight public-houses ; the most noted as stage-houses were kept by .Jesse Roberts, Mr. Paxson and Mrs. Ann Webb. The latter we know was in the business in 1824. What is now known as the Farmers' and Mechanics' Hotel, on the north side of Main Street, east of Stony Creek, was formerly long kept by Abraham Eschbach. About 1828, Richard Richison kept it, when a number of cannon-balls were discovered in the back yard, that no doubt had been left there in the Revolution. It was at this place that the mansion-house of Colonel Bull stood, which he occupied from 1772 until near the close of 1776. There is a tradition that the Washington Ilouse kept by David Heebner in 1858 received its name in consequence of Washington having stayed over night there in October, 1794, while on his journey to Carlisle during the Whiskey Insurrection, and that it was then also used as the headquarters of Governor Mifflin.

In 1837 the public-houses had increased to nine .. The " Washington " was kept by Abraham Markley, the " Rising Sun " by Samuel Sharpless, the " Eagle " by Henry Kerr, the Norristown Hotel by Jacob Spang. and the "Pennsylvania Farmer" by Daniel Emery.

As indicative of the changes going on, we may men- tion that as public-houses the Washington House, the Rising Sun and Norristown Hotel have for some time ceased to exist. The "Eagle " is the present Rambo House, since greatly enlarged.

Early Stage Lines .- In close connection with the history of inns comes the subject of travel in public stage lines. No doubt the first passing through the place was established by William Coleman in 1788, and on which he drove for twenty-seven consecutive years. It started from the " White Swan," in Race Street, every Wednesday morning at seven o'clock, and passed through Pottsgrove to Reading, making weekly trips. In 1804, having received the contract for carrying the mail, he made two trips weekly. A stage also passed through Norristown in 1802 for Potts- grove, starting from " Hay's Inn," Philadelphia, every Wednesday at sunrise, and must have been an addi- tional line. We possess no earlier knowledge of a stage terminating its journey at Norristown until in August, 1808, when Hezekiah Jeffries established one, starting from Jesse Roberts' inn, sign of the "Rising Sun," every Monday, Wednesday and Friday morn- ings at six o'clock, returning on the intervening days at two o'clock P.M., from the " White Horse," kept by John Haines, on Fourth Street, below Race. The fare through was one dollar.

In the beginning of 1812, Daniel Woodruff became the proprietor of the "Norristown Coachee," and changed it the following year into a daily line. Lewis Shrack became the owner in 1824, starting from John Brauch's tavern, and returning from Robert Evans' inn, Race Street. Ilenry Styer and Levi Roberts, in the fall of 1827, established a daily line to the city, making the distance through in three and a half hours. This in 1829 became the daily mail line, and was then owned by John Crawford & Co., with the fare reduced to seventy- five cents. The packet-boat, " Comet. of Norristown," in the spring of 1829, com- menced five trips weekly to the city with passengers, but was originally started from Reading on the com- pletion of the canal and navigation in 1825. In 1830 the travel had increased so that there was thirteen stages passing through the place, carrying daily from fifty to one hundred passengers. From the Ist to the 30th of April, inclusive, the number of stage passen- gers who stopped at Mr. Robert's hotel was 1194, at Mrs. Webb's, 946, and at Mr. Paxson's, 636, making a total of 2776 for the month. This travel must have added considerably to the business of the inns.

Thomas B. Hahn, in his " Reminiscences of Norris- town about 1816," thus humorously describes one of its stages,-

" There were few such public conveyances, but among the few was a line of stages between Norristown and Philadelphia, and I remember well how they looked. On the side of the vehicle, which resembled a Mississippi flat-boat, was inscribed in large letters the name of the pro- prietor. It left every morning for the city at 7 o'clock, and its departure and arrival were great events. It was open in front and drawn by four horses, and that important character, the driver, was furnished with a

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long tin 'horn, and also sometimes with another kind of a horn, that would occasion him to blow an extra and sufficient blast that it might be known that the great mail stage was abont to leave 'for town.' "

Of course, with the introduction of railroads the business commenced to decline, and, in consequence, no longer assume the importance of the past ; yet, as an adjunct to travel, it deserves honorable notice from what was thus accomplished when no readier or better facilities for more expeditious conveyance existed.

Early Manufactories .- From its very beginning, through the favorable circumstances of its situation, Norristown became a manufacturing place, which has developed and kept pace with its growth. Charles Norris had built a grist-mill here, several years before 1771, propelled by the Schuylkill, by means of a dam erected from the northern shore to Barbadoes Island. In the latter year it came into the possession of Colonel Bull, who made additional improvements, so that, on the sale thereof to Rev. William Smith, in October, 1776, it was stated to embrace a grist-mill, pow- der-mill and other buildings, which were all burned by the British. This property came in possession of John Markley, in 1801, who mentions it as possess- ing a merchant flour-mill and saw-mill, besides two excellent mill-seats. James Shannon was assessed in 1776 on a saw-mill in Norriton township; and in 1785, two grist-mills, four saw-mills and a tan- nery are mentioned. The latter stood on the river's bank, opposite Swedes Ford, and in 1804 was owned by John Markley, who had inherited it, with forty- seven acres of land, from his father in 1800.

Michael Broadt had a powder-mill in operation in 1800, and in 1805 an oil-mill twenty-five by thirty feet, plaster-mill and a carding-machine. The latter came into the possession of his son, Daniel Broadt, in 1810, who had additional machinery erected to pick and roll wool and cotton. A writer of the Herald stated in 1853 " that fifty years previously almost every house in Norristown contained a large and small spinning- wheel, and that the ladies dressed in linsey-woolsey and the boys ran about barefooted." At that time, Henry Freedly carried on quite successfully, in the rear of the present Montgomery House, a pottery and the manufacture of earthenware, in which he was snc- ceeded by Enos Jacoby. Jonathan Taylor advertised, in March, 1807, at private sale his mills on Stony Creek, the grist-mill being four stories high, twen- ty-one by thirty-five feet in dimensions, a saw-mill and a plaster-mill built in 1801. This property, in the fall of that year, was purchased by David Shoemaker, of Whitemarsh.

Mathias Koplin, from Providence township, carried on the grist and saw-mill on the Schuylkill that had ormerly belonged to John Markley, afterwards con - ducted by James Bolton and Levi Pawling. Mathias Holstein became the proprietor of the merchant four- mill at the foot of Mill Street about 1812, and had here in operation in 1814 a machine to grind corn on the cob. In 1829 he stated his mill able to manu-

facture three hundred barrels of flour per week. David Sower, Jr., in his enumeration of Norristown in 1816, stated that there was then in operation two merchant mills, one woolen-factory, one pottery, one tannery and two hat-factories. Philip Hahn, Sr., in the spring of 1818, had in operation a fulling-mill on Stony Creek. In 1826, Samuel R. Wood carried on the manufacture of white lead, making from five to six tons per week. In that year he also erected an extensive mill for sawing marble.

The manufacturing establishments of Norristown for 1830 were reported to comprise two saw-mills, fonr merchant grist-mills, one oil-mill, one brick-yard, one lime-kiln, one hatter and one tanner. A marble saw- mill with one hundred and seventy-four saws, had the capacity of sawing one thousand superficial feet per week. The cotton-mill of Bernard McCredy, the building of which was commenced in the spring of 1826, at the foot of Swede Street, one hundred and fifty by forty-eight feet, and five stories high, contain- ing near seven thousand spindles. Mr. Freedley's cot- ton-mill also of stone, forty-seven by thirty-eight feet, two stories high, having one hundred and forty- three looms in operation, making thirty thousand yards of cotton goods weekly. According to the cen- sus of 1840, Norristown then possessed three cotton manufactories, with nineteen thousand one hundred and sixty-four spindles, and one dye and print-works ; value of products, $454,958, and giving employment to five hundred hands. This brief sketch of early manufacturing industries is here offered as introduc- tory to the greatly increased business of this day, for which it laid the foundation and opened the way for what may still lead to greater success.

Early Schools .- Although Norristown in 1790 did not contain over eighteen houses, yet mention is made of a school-house. It is probable that in the laying out of the town in 1785 for a county-seat, a lot of ground had either been reserved or some time previously granted for this purpose. A writer, in giv- ing reminiscences of the place in 1853, mentions in the beginning of the century here "a small school- house." This statement does not appear correct, for on the completion of the academy a committee sold the school-building at public sale, January 11, 1805, and in the advertisement thereof it is de- scribed as standing on lot No. 3, " being on the main street, near the centre of the town, built of stone, two stories high, one room and entry on the lower floor and two on the second." We certainly perceive here a fair-sized building, particularly for a village that then did not contain over fifty-five houses, and proba- bly when first built did not comprise one-third this number; but it is possible that it may have been en- larged.

The earliest teacher whose name we have been en- abled to ascertain was the Rev. John Jones, a Presby- terian clergyman, who taught in the aforesaid school- house in September, 1803, if not somewhat earlier.

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BOROUGH OF NORRISTOWN.

He kept an assistant teacher and gave instructions Sower, Jr., stated that at this time there were four schools taught in the borough. "Two daily primary schools " were mentioned in 1830. William M. Hough, who was principal of Loller Academy in 1835, subse- quently removed to Norristown, where he opened a select school for boys on the present site of Oakland Seminary, in which he was succeeded by Rev. in English grammar and the Latin and Greek lan- guages. It was about this time or a little later that John J. Audubon, of Lower Providence, after- wards the celebrated naturalist, was engaged to give pupils instruction in drawing, partly in exchange for lessons in English, and who, it appears, was then re- tained at intervals for several years thereafter. lle |Samuel Aaron in April, 1841. This was the only pri- was at this time about thirty-two or thirty-three years vate school in the place.' In December, 1844, he opened Trecmount Seminary, for young men and boys which he continued to conduct with considerable suc- cess until his financial embarrassment, when, in September, 1859, he removed to Mount Holly, where he died in 1865. of age and unmarried. In the spring of 1803, Charles Fortman, a graduate of one of the German universi- ties, came to Norristown, boarding with Michael Broadt, of the " New Moon " tavern, and advertised to give instructions in the English, German and French languages and vocal and instrumental music, espe- cially on the piano-forte and organ. Among his pupils was the wife of General Francis Swaine, who was, prob- ably, one of the first owners of a piano in Norristown. The instruction books of Mr. Fortman were all in manuscript, written by him in three languages, and are models of penmanship. The writer's father was one of his pupils and possesses several of these, which are now highly valued.

Besides the academy was the opening of a boarding- school for young ladies and day scholars by Amelia Stokes, in September, 1811. She announced to teach among the branches "English grammar, elements of geography and history, together with plain sewing, marking and embroidery." This year the teachers in and around Norristown organized a "Franklinian Society, for the purpose of disseminating knowledge in the most simple, expeditious and rational method, and for the better maintaining of brotherly affection among teachers of every denomination." The first quarterly meeting was held at the house of Samuel Patterson, in Norristown, the first Saturday in November, 1811, at three o'clock P.M. Francis Murphy, a noted teacher at this time, was the secre- tary. Nathan Smith, from the Gulf, in Upper Merion announces the opening of a boarding-school "for young gentlemen and ladies," January 20, 1814, in which he proposed to teach besides, the ordinary branches, book keeping, elocution, English grammar, composition, geography, mathematics, astronomy and the Latin and Greek languages. Charge for tuition and boarding per annum, one hundred and sixty dol- lars; for day scholars per quarter, seven dollars; pupils limited to fifty. What success attended this effort we are unable to state.

A meeting of the teachers of the county was called at Norristown May 21, 1814, when Hugh Dickson was called to the chair and Joseph Foulke appointed secretary. It was agreed by the meeting that pupils be chargeable from the time of entry until notice be given to leave the school ; the charge to pupils ad- vanced no farther than spelling and reading to be two dollars per quarter; from commencing in writing and arithmetic, two dollars and fifty cents; and in geome- try, three dollars. In the summer of 1816, David

The Rev. James Grier Ralston opened a seminary for young ladies in October, 1845, with only four pupils, but it was attended with such success that before 1858 he had in use the most extensive school build- ings that had heretofore been erected in the county, being four stories high and two hundred and twenty- five by forty-two feet in dimensions, known as the Oakland Female Institute. Mr. Ralston stated in 1876 that up to that date two thousand five hundred young ladies, had received instruction within its walls. Ile died November 10, 1880, and a short time before this relinquished the business, since which it has not been used for educational purposes. In 1857 the Misses Bush established the Adelphian Institute for young ladies, which was continued for several years. At the present time the only private seminary in the place is Treemount, for young men and boys, of which John W. Loch became principal in 1861, and has since successfully conducted the school.

THE ACADEMY .- In taking a glimpse of the educa- tional establishments of the past, the old academy should not be forgotten, for within its time-honored walls many now on the stage of action received their education. The school-house previously used in Nor- ristown being deemed inadequate for the size of the place, and with a view of having higher branches taught therein, a meeting was held at the house of Elisha Evans, January 29, 1803, at four o'clock P.M., "for the purpose of establishing an Acad- emy at Norristown." On this occasion General Andrew Porter was chosen chairman, and it was agreed to hold an adjourned meeting at the same place on the following Saturday. General Francis Swaine, Seth Chapman and Levi Pawling were ap- pointed a committee to prepare a plan to be laid before the next meeting. Their report was approved, which suggested " that it is practicable to build an Academy in Norristown sufficiently large to accom- modate those who may select it for the education of youth, and that the establishment of a seminary of learning will be advantageous to the citizens of Mont- gomery County generally, and that this meeting will use every reasonable endeavor to obtain so desirable an object."

Thirty-five persons were authorized to prepare

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subscription papers and distribute them for the pur- pose of securing the requisite aid. The persons selected for this purpose were William Tennant, John Richards, Francis Nichols, Philip Boyer, Archibald Darrah, Francis Swaine, Seth Chapman, Robert Hammill, Isaiah Wells, John Jones, Robert Loller, Samuel Malsby, Samuel Henderson, Thomas Potts, Frederick Conrad, Ezekiel Rhoads, Joseph Potts, Michael Broadt, Slater Clay, Peter Richards, Benja- min Markley, Israel Bringhurst, Andrew Porter, John Markley, Morris Jones, Levi Pawling, William Henderson, Samuel Miles, Henry Scheetz, Cadwal- lader Evans, Jr., David Lukens, John Elliott, Joseph Tyson, John Wentz and Benjamin Brooks. They were certainly a judicious selection, there being in- cluded in this list some of the most intelligent, pub- lie-spirited and influential citizens residing in the county. They were also instructed to prepare a plan for the building and to make an estimate of its cost for the consideration of the next meeting, in February of said year. An act was passed March 29, 1804, investing its thirteen trustees with the usual corporate powers, and authorizing them to sell the lot of ground and school-house thereon for the benefit of the acad- emy. It is probable that the building of the acad- emy was commenced in the spring of 1803, but not wholly finished until the summer of the following year. The Rev. John Jones was selected its first principal, and must have taught school therein at least in the beginning of 1804, for he held "a public examination of the students of Norristown Academy" in the court-house, April 14th of that year, "in reading and pronunciation, English grammar and Latin and Greek classics."

As a committee on behalf of the trustees, Francis Swaine, Levi Pawling and Isaac Huddleson soll the former school-building at public sale, January 11, 1805, and the proceeds were applied to the academy. An additional act was passed February 11, 1805, by which the State appropriated five thousand dollars for its completion. In the order of time it was the tenth institution of the kind incorporated in Pennsyl- vania. It was built of brick, two stories high and forty by thirty fect in dimensions. The first floor contained one large room that could seat one hundred and twenty-five pupils, desks being provided for about half that number. The second story was divided into two rooms, reached by separate stair- ways at either end of the building. It was surmounted by a cupola which contained a bell of fine tone and considerable power. Its location was at the lower end of the present market-house and on the north side of the intersection of Airy and De Kalb, partly extending into the latter street, which did not extend any farther, its front facing the Schuylkill.

How long Mr. Jones was principal we are unable to state, but it must have been for several years. He is said to have formed the congregation of the First Presbyterian Church here in 1814, which held worship

in the academy until the erection, of the church building in 1817, when the Rev. Joseph Barr sue- ceeded him as principal of the school and pastor of the church. The Episcopalians also held their first meetings for worship in it in 1811, and continued there until the completion of their church, in 1814. The Baptists, Methodists and Catholics also wor- shiped there until the erection of their churches. Thomas B. Hahn, in his "Reminiscences of Norris- town about 1816-17," states: "I remember the Aca- demy on the hill,-pretty good reason to remember it, for old Joseph Barr, and another Barr, a son of his, used to lay on the 'sprouts' in a manner that would be a caution to school-boys nowadays. Judge Loller, of Hatboro', who was one of its first trustees, had the kindness to remember it in his will, dated June 4, 1808, by donating to its use the sum of fifty pounds. It is possible, that through this posi- tion, he had his mind first directed to the subject which led, fiye years later, to the foundation of Loller Academy."

Mr. Barr, in the fall of 1813, was installed pastor of the Providence and Norriton Churches, and as his salary was inadequate to his support, was induced to assume the charge of the academy. The Rev. Rob- ert H. McClenachan, also pastor of the Norristowu Presbyterian Church, became principal of the acad- emy, and likely succeeded Mr. Barr. In 1825, and for several years afterwards, Eliphalet Roberts was principal and had charge of the English, and Mr. llowe of the classical department. About 1842, Rev. Samuel Aaron became principal, and retained the position until about the close of 1844, when he started the Treemount Seminary. About 1845 De Kalb Street was graded and extended northwards, leaving the academy standing some ten or twelve feet above the present grade. In order to carry out the contemplated improvements it was deemed necessary that it should be removed, and so in 1849 its walls were finally razed to the ground, and thus passed away forever this institution after an existence of nearly half a century, the nursery of tuition to many youths and young men under able instructors. Not a trace now remains of either the oldl academy or its famous play- ground of an acre in extent, for even the surface of the latter, too, has been removed, a sacrifice to modern improvements. But the reminiscences associated with both will long linger in tradition among the deseen- dants of its pupils.

Within this building the Montgomery County Bible Society, of which the Rev. Bird Wilson was president, held its first meetings in 1819. When the Cabinet of Natural Science was started, about 1830, it was here that they held their meetings and kept their collections, which such- men as Peter A. Browne and Alan W. Corson felt an interest to pro- mote, and whose proceedings were maintained for some twelve years. As the property was held in trust for the benefit of the public, it became necessary to

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have an act of the Legislature passed to have it sold, and the proceeds of the sale were placed to the credit of the borough school-fund. A small drawing of the academy was made in 1842, and is, perhaps, the only remaining memorial to convey some idea of its ap- pearance.

Lumber and Coal .- About the beginning of the century John Markley had established a lumber-yard in Norristown, where he advertised sixty thousand feet of one and one-half inch pine boards for sale in June, 1804. Thomas & Holstein, in connection with their store, announced, in May, 1808, having on hand and for sale one hundred thousand feet of boards. George & J. Righter established this year a lumber- yard, " having a lot of well-seasoned boards of almost every description." At this period the principal car- penters and builders were Samuel Crawford and Thomas Stroud. The former erected the court- house and Presbyterian Church, the latter the Epis- copal Church and MeCredy's cotton-factory. David Sowers, Jr., in his enumeration in 1816, states that the borough then contained one lumber-yard, one briek-yard and four master-carpenters.

Benjamin Davies, in his " Account of Philadelphia," published in 1794, makes the following remarks respecting the increasing scarcity of fuel :

"The price of firewood, which advances year after year with the in- creased demand for it, would be an alarming circumstance to those who wish well the prosperity of the city were it not well known that there are many rich bodies of pit-coal near the banks of the Susquehanna, Schuylkill and Delawaro Rivers, the most distant not above one hundred and fifty miles from the city, which will, when opened, afford an inex- haustible source of fuel. In the interim, to lessen the expense of this item in house-keeping, many of the inhabitants.have introduced the use of stoves, a custom borrowed from the Germans, a frugal and industrious people, who compose a numerous class of citizens of l'hiladelphia."

Joseph Pastorius announced having received in the fall of 1824, at his lumber-yard, in the borough of Norristown, "several arks of Schuylkill coal. Fami- lies and smiths can be supplied with any quantity on reasonable terms." The Herald of October 26, 1825, states that " we are pleased to find that a number of our enterprising citizens have commenced the burn- ing of stone-coal. Grates and stoves are now fixed up in several of the offices, bar-rooms and private dwellings in this borough. It is generally admitted that coal at seven dollars per ton is cheaper than hickory wood at five dollars per cord." In October of this year Joseph Pastorius advertised having on hand " a regular supply of Schuylkill coal of the first quality at seven dollars per ton."

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History of Montgomery County, Pennsylvania, Part 168

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