History of Montgomery County, Pennsylvania, Part 218

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 218

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For many years he participated actively in the labor of the farm, but has more recently given it to other hands, though retaining the homestead as his

CHAPTER LXVII.

PERKIOMEN TOWNSHIP.1

ONE of the central townships of the county, and bounded north by Upper and Lower Salford, east by Towamencin, south by Lower Providence, southeast by Worcester, west by Upper Providence and north- west by Frederick and Limerick. Its greatest length is six miles, greatest breadth three and a quarter miles, with an area of eleven thousand four hundred

1 By Wm. J. Buck.

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HISTORY OF MONTGOMERY COUNTY.

and forty acres, it being the seventh in territorial extent. The general surface is rolling, and in some portions might be denominated hilly, with a red shale soil, well cultivated and productive in wheat and grass, but containing few springs of unfailing water ; consequently the spring-house, so common in some of the lower districts, is not often seen. The Perkiomen Creek flows in a southerly course through the town- ship npwards of four miles, and propels two grist- mills and a saw-mill. Skippack Creek crosses the full breadth of the southeastern section, and furnishes power to two grist-mills and a saw-mill. The North- east Branch, Landis and Lodle Runs empty into the Perkiomen in this township.

The name Perkiomen is of Indian origin, and the earliest mention yet found of it is in a deed of June 3, 1684, for the purchase of lands on this stream, wherein it is called Pahkehoma. The next mention is on the Holme's map of about 1704 as Perquamink; in 1734, Parkiomen ; and on Lewis Evans' map of 1749, Perkiomy, by which latter name it is called to this day by the Germans. Oldmixon, in the second edition of his "British Empire in America," pub- lished in 1741, says that the Perkiomen Creek is also called Perkasie, thus proving that the latter is a deri- vation or corruption of the former. So the township and Thomas Penn's manor, in Bucks County, owe their names to this large and interesting stream. The Rev. David Zeisberger, the Indian missionary, says that in the Delaware or Lenape language the name signifies the place " where the cranberries grow." Skippack is also an Indian name, and, according to Heckewelder signifies a stagnant stream or pool of water. In a map published at London in 1698 the Perkiomen and its several branches are represented thereon with toler- able correctness, thius showing that this section of country was explored earlier than has generally heen supposed. It is much the largest stream in the county, being nearly thirty miles in length and, with its tributaries, watering half its area.

The Perkiomen and Sumneytown turnpike, com- pleted in 1849, follows the west side of the stream throngh the township for fonr miles. Parallel and close to the same for this distance is also the Perkio- men Railroad, with stations at Iron Bridge, Grater's Ford and Schwenksville, the latter place being thirty- six miles by railroad from Philadelphia. The villages are Skippack, Schwenksville, Grater's Ford, Iron Bridge, Amityville and Harmony Square, the first four having post-offices. According to the census of 1800, the population of the township was 781; in 1840, 1485; and in 1880, 2515. The real estate for taxable purposes was valued in 1882 at $1,716,195, and including the personal, $1,890,300, making the average per taxable $2851, as high as the townships of Norriton, Plymouth, Whitemarsh . and Upper Providence. In May, 1883, twenty-three stores re- ceived licenses, including one hardware, one furniture, one confectioner, one clothing, two boot and shoes

two stove, two tobacco and segar, besides six hotels, one lumber and two coal-yards and four dealers in flour and feed. In 1858 the township contained only three stores, and in 1876, seventeen. The public schools are twelve in number, open six months and averaging four hundred and ninety-one pupils for the school year ending June 1, 1882. In 1856 the schools were open five months. The houses of worship now number eight,-two Mennonite, two Dunkard, one each Lutheran and Reformed, one Evangelical, one Union and one Trinity Christian. The assessment for 1883 mentions 669 taxables. The census of 1850 returned 263 honses, 298 families and 189 farms in the township.

There is every reason to believe that at this distance from Philadelphia no township within the limits of the present county was settled so early. This was owing to the remarkable enterprise exhibited by Ma- thias Van Bebber, formerly a merchant, who arrived in this country and settled for a brief period at Ger- mantown, but afterwards removed to Cecil County, Md. A patent was granted him from William Penn, dated February 22, 1702, for a tract of six thousand one hundred and sixty-six acres, recorded in book A, vol. ii. p. 463, and which comprised the entire south- eastern half of the township. He soon after invited settlement here by selling it off at small profit in reason- ably-sized lots. His purchasers were generally Menno- nites. Among the first who settled here may be men- tioned John Umstat, Claus Janson, John Kuster and John Jacobs, who, it is supposed, came before the close of 1704; Edward Beer, Gerhard Indchoffen, Herman In- dehoffen, Deriek Rosenberg, William Rosenberg, John Newberry and Thomas Wiseman before 1707; and with- in two years, Herman Kuster, Henry Pannebecker, Cor- nelius Dewces, William Dewees, John Scholl, Daniel Dismant and Christopher Zimmerman. In 1709 came John, Jacob and Martin Kolb, followed by Solomon Dubois in 1716, Valentine Hunsicker in 1720, Panl Fried in 1727 and Valentine Keely in 1728. John Kolb's purchase was made December 15, 1709, and contained one hundred and fifty acres. Peter Beller made a purchase in 1712, and Peter Cleaver, of Bristol township, in 1717. In a petition for a road from here to Farmar's Mill, in 1713, we find among the names Derick Rosenberg, Henry Frey, Gerhard Indehoffen, v Claus Janson, Gerhard Clements, Henry Pennypacker, John Umstat, John Kolb, Jacob Gotschalk, Mathias Tyson, Jacob Kolb, William Rosenberg, Herman Kuster, Martin Kolb, John Scholl, Henry Kolb, Jacob/ Opdegraff, Peter Sellen, Herman Indehoffen, John Newberry and Daniel Dismant, probably all residents in the township before said date.

In the list of 1734 this township is called " Parki- omen and Skippake," and by which it is generally called to this day, from its location on both sides of those streams. The land-holders were forty-two in number, who then respectively held the following number of acres: John Umstead, 150; Herman Um-

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PERKIOMEN TOWNSHIP.

stead, 100; Henry Pennebaker, 150; Henry Umstead, 100; Peter Bunn, 100; Herman Kuster, 150; Claus Johnson, 150; Mathias Tyson, 200; Anthony Hall- man, 100; John Newberry, 500 ; Hupert Cassel, 60; Yillus Cassel, 90; George Merkle, 150; Garret Inde- hoffen, 200; Abraham Swartz, 100; Jacob Updegraff, 100; Jacob Shimer, 100; Paul Fried, 100; Peter Janson, 150; Michael Ziegler, 100; Jacob Kolb, 150; Peter Kolb, 100; Martin Kolb, 200; John Fried, 100; Henry Dentlinger, 100; Jacob Merkle, 200; Benja- min Fry, 100; Henry Pawling, Jr., 1200 ; Panl Fried, Jr., 100; Hans Detwiler, 100; Mathias Janson, 50; Dubois estate, 400; Richard Jacobs, 400; Nicholas Hicks, 100; Valentine Hunsicker, 100; William Wier- man, 125; Johannes Vanfussen, 50; Leonard Van- fnssen, 25 ; Peter Pennebaker, 100; Arnold Vanfussen, 50 ; Hans Hyzer, 100; John Zibbers, 150.

Henry Pennypacker is stated to bave made a pur- chase on Skippack Creek, December 25, 1702, npon which he settled, and in 1708 purchased two hundred and four acres more in the vicinity. About 1705 he married Eve, the sister of his neighbor, John Umstead, and the daughter of John Peter Um- stead, of Germantown. He was naturalized in 1731, and prior to 1746 resided for a while in Limerick, where his wife died. He shortly afterward returned to this township, when he divided the greater portion of his estate among his children. He died April 4, 1754, aged upwards of eighty years. He had eight children, among whom were Martha, born about 1706; Adolph, 1708, and died in May, 1789 ; l'eter, 1710, died 1770; John, 1713, died 1784; Jacob, 1715, died 1752; Henry, 1717, died 1792. l'eter married Elizabeth Keyser, and Martha became the wife of Anthony Vanderslice. The Pennypackers have now become a numerous family in Montgomery and Ches- ter Counties, and, as will be observed in the lists of Perkiomen for 1734, 1756 and 1776, became substan- tial land-holders.

Herman Kuster settled as a farmer at Germantown before 1703, and removed to this township probably in 1708. He was made one of the first trustees of the Mennonite meeting-house in 1725. He was naturalized in 1731 and died about February, 1760. His wife, Isabella, and children-Peter, Panl, Gertrude, Mar- garet, Magdalena and Rebecca-survived him. Ma- thias Tyson was naturalized in 1709, and was married to Barbara Sellen ; and died about July, 1766. He had eight children,-Cornelius, Henry, Margaret, Peter, " Beginning at a Hickory, being on a corner of the tract of land commonly called Bebber's township ; thence northwest 1672 perches to Limerick township ; thence by that and other lands northeast 1000 perches ; thence soutbeast hy divers tracts of land 752 perches to a post in a line of the said Bebher's Tract, thence by the same northeast 40 perches ; thence by the same 1000 perches to a White Oak, a corner of said Bebber's Tract ; thence by the same southwest 1040 perches to the place of beginning." William, John, Benjamin and Joseph. John New- berry, who settled here on a purchase of five hundred acres, in 1706, died August 30, 1759, aged eighty- two years, and was buried at the Episcopal Church at Evansburg. Conrad Janson, Peter Janson and Claus Janson, and his sons, John and William, were naturalized in 1709. Peter, John and William Jan- Mr. Taylor states that he has compared said return with a draft of the upper part of Philadelphia County, and that it is agreeable to the same. It would be in- son had settled at Germantown prior to 1700. Claus Janson probably settled here in 1703, was tax col- lector of the township in 1718, andl in 1725 was one | teresting if the draft here mentioned could be found

of the first trustees of the Mennonite Meeting. De- scendants of the family still reside in the township, and the name has become changed to Johnson. Martin, Jacob and John Kolb came from Wolfsheim | in the Palatinate, in 1707. Valentine Hunsicker, Michael Zeigler, Anthony Hallman and George Markle were naturalized in 1731. Valentine Hun- sicker came from Switzerland in 1717, and about 1720 settled in this township as a farmer and weaver. He is probably the ancestor of this family, now nu- merous in the county. In 1776 we find here Henry and Isaac Hunsicker, both extensive land-holders and probably sons of Valentine. Solomon Dubois came from Ulster County, N. Y., in 1716, and died some time before 1734, leaving an estate here of four hundred acres. The Markleys are another influential family in the county that originated from George and Jacob Merkle, or Merckley, who settled here some- time prior to 1734. In 1756 there resided as taxables in Perkiomen, Jacob, George, Isaac, Philip and Abra- ham Markley. The Kolbs, Jansons, Sellens, Zeiglers and Kusters were early and prominent members of the old Mennonite Meeting, founded in 1725.

In the records of the Court of Quarter Sessions, in Philadelphia, in 1712, we find it variously called Per- kiomen, Skippack and Bebber's township. In the petition of June 2, 1713, mention is made of its being from " the inhabitants of Skippack and several adjacent plantations in said county. That in the aforesaid township and neighborhood thereof many families are already settled, and probably not a few more to settle in and about the same. And as yet no road being laid ont and established to accommodate your petitioners, both for the public good and their convenience, humbly desire an order for the laying out and establishing a road or cartway from the upper end of the said township down to the wide marsh, or Farmer's Mill, which will greatly tend to the satisfaction of your petitioners, who shall thankfully acknowledge the favor." Although in this petition it is also called a township, no evidence exists that it had been thus legally organized. From the sparseness of its population the time had probably not arrived for township organization. It was not until September Sessions, 1725, that "Skippack and Perkioming" was erected, and Jacob Taylor ordered to make a return of the boundaries of the township, which was entered on record and thus given,-

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HISTORY OF MONTGOMERY COUNTY.

and examined, which has certainly heretofore escaped antiquarian research. According to present maps of Perkiomen, a part of the northwest boundary, adjacent to Frederick and Upper Salford has become changed, the line proceeding northwest from the corner of Limerick and Upper Providence, in a direct or straight course, the whole distance according to Taylor's sur- vey. This would deprive the township of nearly the whole of Schwenksville. The change may have pos- sibly been made through the erection of Frederick township in 1730.

Henry Pawling, the ancestor of the family, came from Padsbury, Buckinghamshire, and settled in Lower Providence township on a tract of five hundred acres, which lay on the Sehnylkill, below the mouthi of the Perkiomen. Henry Pawling, Jr., son of the above, purchased twelve hundred acres in Perkio- men township some time before 1734, on which he settled He was elected a captain of a company of Associators in 1747 and a member of the Assembly in 1754. In the census of Perkiomen, taken in 1756, we find the names of Joseph Pawling, having 4 children, owning 400 acres of land and 1 negro; John Pawling, 5 children, 400 acres and 2 negroes. In the assess- ment of 1776, John Pawling is returned for 475 acres, 4 negroes, 4 horses and 4 cows; Joseph Pawling, 300 acres, 2 negroes, 4 horses and 6 cows; Benjamin Pawl- ing, 100 acres, 2 horses and 2 cows. The latter died in 1800, aged forty-nine years. John Pawling resided on the Skippack road, near the present Amityville, and died in the beginning of this century. There is a family burying-ground situated in quite a retired place adjoining the farm of Enos Schwenk, abont a mile and a quarter northeast of Grater's Ford, only a few stones of which contain inscriptions. A portion of the same was also used as a place of interment for their negroes. On the consecration of the Trappe Church October 6, 1745, the Rev. H. M. Muhlenberg baptized three negroes belonging to a Mr. Pawling which it is probable, belonged here, as the distance does not exceed four miles, about half as far as Pawling's Ford, on the Schuylkill.

On the northeast side of Skippack road, and about half a mile northwest of Amityville, is a private grave- yard, inclosed by a stone wall; its dimensions are twenty-two by thirty feet. It appears to be filled with graves, but only a few stones bear inscriptions. The earliest date observed is that of 1776, but no doubt it existed much earlier. This was the burying-ground of the Kemper family and their relatives, the Mark- leys. The wall has now become greatly dilapidated, and long neglect is apparent. John Kemper, who is mentioned as holding one hundred acres in Salford, in 1734, was a deacon in the Dunkard Church. John and Jacob Kemper are mentioned in 1756 as residing in Perkiomen, the former owning eighty and the latter fifty acres and having one child. The name of the former is mentioned in the assessment of 1776 as holding eighty-five acres, two horses and three cows.

The child mentioned was probably Gertrude Kemper, who died at a very advanced age about 1830, and who was said to have been the last of the family. Through the existence of this graveyard attention was directed to this brief mention of the Kempers.

The earliest highway opened up into this section was undoubtedly what has been so long known as the Skippaek road, on which Washington and his army had occasion to march several times upon very important occasions. This road was petitioned for by the inhabitants June 2, 1713, surveyed in Au- gust, confirmed the following March by the court, and the supervisors directed to have it speedily opened. It commenced at a stake on the upper line of Van Bebber's purchase, about half a mile above the present Amityville, and meeting the road from Gwynedd at Edward Farmar's mill on, the Wissahiekon, at White- marsh, from whence there was a continuous road through Chestnut IIill and Germantown to the city. This road was extended an din use through New Hanover into the present Berks County before 1742, and has, therefore, since been known as the Swamp road. The road from Skippack, through Lederachs- ville and Salfordville, to Sumneytown was opened in June, 1728. Along the northeastern side of the Skip- pack road in this township may still be seen the ancient milestones, with the distances thereon to the city. In 1845 a company was incorporated by an act of Assembly to construct a turnpike from Whitemarsh to Skippack, but, after several fruitless efforts, the project was abandoned. In March, 1853, a second charter was granted and the turnpike completed to near the Worcester line, which was finished in Sep- tember, 1855, approaching the township within a dis- tance of four and a half miles.

What was known as Penny packer's Mill during the Revolution, in the vicinity of which Washington's army encamped, is now owned by John Z. Hunsber- ger, and situated on the east bank of the Perkiomen Creek, opposite the lower end of Schwenksville. In 1717 six hundred acres were conveyed to Hans Yost Heijt, who sold it, January 9, 1730, to John Pawling for five hundred and forty pounds, at which time the grist-mill is mentioned. His heirs sold it in 1747 to Peter Pennypacker, who built to it a fulling-mill in 1755. He was for several years assessor of the town- ship, and died in 1770, devising the property to his son Samuel, in whose possession it remaincd for some time. The latter was rated as holding here, in 1776, one hundred and eighty-five acres, three horses and seven cows. This was a noted business-stand, being situated on a main road leading from the upper coun- try to Philadelphia, from which it was distant twenty- nine miles. It has passed out of the Pennypacker family for some time, as has also much the greater portion of their other real estate in Perkiomen.

The Revolutionary history of this vicinity is very interesting, and to it a brief reference will be made. The battle of Brandywine was fought Septem-

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PERKIOMEN TOWNSHIP.

ber 11, 1777, and resulted disastrously to the Ameri- cans. On the 23d, Washington arrived near the present Pottstown, while the day before the British crossed below Valley Forge to this side of the Schuylkill, proceeding leisurely on their march to Philadelphia. The American army came from near Pottsgrove into this township on the afternoon of September 26th, and encamped on the hills of both sides of the Per- kiomen. Washington made his headquarters at the house of Henry Keely, about three-quarters of a mile southwest of Pennypacker's Mill, using, however, "Camp Perkiomiug," as well as the latter name, in his orders to designate the vicinity. On the 28th he con- gratulates the army on the news of the defeat of General Burgoyne at Stillwater, on the 19th, and, in honor of the event, at four o'clock in the afternoon had all the troops paraded and a salute fired from thirteen pieces of artillery, which the Rev. H. M. Muhlenberg, in his journal, says he heard distinctly at the Trappe. The next day, in a letter from here to Congress, Washington thus expresses himself in sanguine spirits-

" I shall move the army four or five miles lower down to-day, from whence we may reconnoitre and fix upon a proper situation, at such a distance from the enemy as will enable us to make an attack, should we see a proper opening, or stand upon the defensive till we obtain further reinforcements. This was the opinion of a majority of a council of the general officers, which I called yesterday. I congratulate you upon the success of our arms to the northward, and if some accident does not put them out of their present train, I think we may count upon the total ruin of Burgoyne."

The army at this time was in a wretched condition, particularly as respects clothing, and over one thou- sand men were actually barefooted, and performed their marches in this condition. After receiving rein- forcements, on the morning of October 4th, Washing- ton made an attack on the British at Germantown, and the result was disastrous. On the next day he again brought the entire army, according to the jour- nal of Adjutant-General Timothy Pickering, on the west side of the Perkiomen, crossing at Pennypacker's Mill, and here they remained encamped till the 8th. Thomas Paine, who was in the retreat, also states, in his letter to Dr. Franklin, dated May 16, 1778, that the orders were given at Germantown that all connected with the army should "assemble that night on the back of Perkiomen Creek, about seveu miles above camp, which had orders to move. The army had marched the preceding night fourteen miles, and having full twenty to march back, were exceedingly fatigued." The object being then to rest, refresh and recruit the men after the severe and ex- hausting campaign of the past four weeks. It will thus be seen that the first encampment here lasted from September 26th to the 29th, and the second from October 5th to the 8th, making in all six days, a shorter time than has been generally allowed. It is a popular tradition in the vicinity that the property of suspected persons only was taken by the soldiers.

Valentine Keely, the founder of the family, arrived

from Germany Angnst 24, 1728, and was accompanied in the voyage by John Baer, one of the early settlers of Upper Salford. On his death his son, Henry Keely, became the owner of the property, containing one hundred and fifty acres. The house thereon, used by Washington for his headquarters, had been built some time previously by his father. It was a sub- stantial two-story stone house, torn down in 1834. The site is still discernible, and is surrounded by ven- erable pear and walnut trees. It is on an elevated situation and presents a fine view of many miles of the surrounding country and of the valley of the Per- kiomen. The place is still in the possession of the family, the present owner being John S. Keely, whose residence is about fifty yards from the former site. Keely's church is distant about a quarter of a mile in a northeasterly direction, and derives its name from having been built on a portion of the original tract, which had been used for a burying- ground before 1760.

Not a mile in a direct line from Schwenksville, on the North East Branch is a secluded valley, bonuded on the southeast side of the stream by a bluff of high and steep rocks rising directly from the stream, on which the hemlock spruce is still found growing. Near the upper part of this hill, and about eighty feet above the stream, a hole was discovered in the rock, nearly four feet square, by Solomon Grimly, Sr., and his son, about 1795, which, on examination, was found to be filled with a considerable number of deer-horns, that had evidently been placed there for security by the Indians. Solomon K. Grimly, Esq., the present owner of the land, has lately recovered one of those horus, which possesses now the unusual interest of having belonged to one of our native deer; the rest have disappeared long ago, either being sold or con- verted into knife handles. At this place, in 1815 and the following year, Isaac Grimly, now in his eighty- seventh year, caught eight foxes in a trap, and his father succeeded in shooting several more. They still abound here, as well as minks, raccoons and opossums. Probably the last otter captured in Montgomery County was in the stream at this place abont the year 1858, by William, Henry and Jacob Ellinger, aided by two dogs. It was a large animal for its kind, and made a desperate resistance, but was finally dispatched with clubs. Isaac Grimly, who is still vigorous and possesses a good memory for one of luis age, relates seeing numbers of shad in the stream here in 1806, the property being then owned by his father.

At the intersection of a eross-roads in the southern part of the township is a meeting-house belonging to the Dunkards or German Baptists. It is built of stone, thirty-three by fifty-two feet, with a kitchen basement containing a fire-place. The congregation had existed some time previously, worshiping in the commodious dwelling near by, owned by John Detweiler. The present preachers are Abraham

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HISTORY OF MONTGOMERY COUNTY.

Cassel and Isaac Kulp. It was long a branch of the Indian Creek congregation, but since the erection of the present meeting-house they have been placed on an equality with the rest in the denomination. Al- though it is a little over a mile northwest of the Skippack Creek, yet their baptisms are performed there. They have also a house of worship at Grater's Ford, two miles distant.

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History of Montgomery County, Pennsylvania, Part 218

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