History of Montgomery County, Pennsylvania, Part 223

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 223

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).

The Philadelphia and Reading Railroad passes through the whole length of the township, a distance of five miles, with a station at Sanatoga; the Cole- brookdale has a course of more than two miles, with a station at Glasgow, and connects with the main line at Pottstown.

The villages are Crooked Hill, Glasgow, Grosstown and Half-Way.

Glasgow is a small manufacturing village about one and a half miles north from Pottstown, and is the site of the Glasgow Iron-Works and Rolling-Mills. George McCall, by his will, dated September 21, 1739, bequeathed five hundred acres of what was known as McCall's Manor to his son, Alexander McCall, and which subsequently became known as the Forge

Tract. Alexander McCall sold the Forge property to Joseph and John Potts and James Hackley. In 1789 it was sold at sheriff's sale to David Rutter and Joseph Potts, Jr. Rutter, in the same year, sold his share to Samnel Potts, who, by will, in 1793, author- ized his sons to sell his interest, and February 13, 1797, it was conveyed to Joseph Potts, Jr., who was the owner of the other half. It was continued by Joseph Potts, Jr., and his family until March 12, 1832, when it was sold to Jacoh Weaver, Jr. In 1820 there were at the place a small sheet-iron mill, two bloom- eries, a grist-mill, a saw-mill, two mansion-houses, ten log tenant-houses and two stone tenant-houses. After the purchase by Weaver ten stone tenant-bonses in one row were erected and the other houses were aban- doned. Weaver assigned the property September 2, 1846, and on April 5, 1847, the assignee conveyed it to James Rittenhouse, David and William Schall. About this time a stone school-house was erected, which is still used. Jacob Weaver also built a fur- nace, which was, however, not successful. The Forge property passed, in 1864, to James Hilton, and in 1873 to Joseph L. Bailey and Comley B. Shoemaker. About 1874 a brick school-house was erected, which is nsed by the Methodists, who are supplied with preaching mostly by the Methodist pastors of Potts- town. Glasgow at present contains the iron-works of the Glasgow Iron Company, several fine resi- dences of the proprietors and about eighteen other dwellings.

Grosstown is a small settlement about two miles west of Pottstown, on the Philadelphia, Reading and Perkiomen turnpike. It contains at present a half- dozen houses, school-house and blacksmith-shop. It derived its name from a family by the name of Gross, who lived there seventy or eighty years ago, and who dis- appeared from that neighborhood over fifty years since.

Crooked Hill is a hamlet containing fifteen or twenty houses, a post-office, hotel, store, school-house and grist-mill. It is situated on Crooked Hill Run, northerly from Sanatoga Station, on the Philadelphia and Reading Railroad, and three miles east from Pottstown on the old Philadelphia, Reading and Perkiomen turnpike. Sixty years ago the tavern was kept by Levi Windermuth. The grist-mill, and, later the post-office, were kept by one of the family. It was a favorite stopping-place for teamsters on the turnpike, which was one of the great routes of travel. It derived its name from the peculiar formation of hills in the vicinity.

There are eighteen public schools in the township, with nine hundred and twenty pupils. Twenty teachers (ten males and ten females) are employed, at a salary of thirty-two dollars per month. The school term is six months. For the school year ending with June 1, 1857, the schools were open only four months and attended by four hundred and eighty-five pupils. The sum of fourteen hundred and fifty dollars was levied to defray the expenses of the same.

POTTSGROVE TOWNSHIP.

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BIOGRAPHICAL SKETCH.

WILLIAM BROOKE.

Thomas Brooke, the father of the subject of this biographical sketch, resided on the Brooke home- stead, in Pottsgrove township, still in possession of the family, where he was both a successful farmer and an iron-master. He was married to Miss Anna Grant, whose youngest son, William, was born at the homestead on the 8th of January, 1792. After secur- ing such rudimentary education as was obtainable at

laurels and the rank of major-general during the war of the Rebellion, and subsequently entered the regular army and was made commandant of Fort Shaw, Mont .; Caroline (Mrs. Samuel S. Campbell) ; and Mary (Mrs. William Hopkins). Major Brooke affiliated with the Old-Line Whig party during its existence, and was subsequently a stanch supporter of the Republican party, its platform and principles. Though public-spirited and well-informed in all questions of the day, he was averse to the excitements and indifferent to the honors attending a political career. Ilis sympathies during the late war were

WILLIAM BROOKE.

that early day, he was attracted to the congenial life of the agriculturist, first as assistant to his father and later as general superintendent of his farming inter- ests. On the death of the latter he became the owner, by inheritance, of the estate, where the whole of his life was spent in the cultivation of its productive land. He in early life entered the service during the war of 1812, though his command did not participate in any important engagements. Major Brooke was, in 1837, married to Miss Martha, daughter of David Rutter, of Pine Forge Works, in Berks County. Their children are John R., who won distinguished

manifested not only in expressions of loyalty to the Union eause, but in more practical form when snb- stantial aid was needed. He was educated in the faith of the Society of Friends, to which he adhered through life, worshiping with the Friends' Meeting at Pottstown. Major Brooke bore a reputation for scrupulous honor and the most unquestionable integ- rity in both his social and business relations, having been in his character and bearing a fine example of the old-school gentleman. His death occurred at Pottstown on the 7th of October, 1872, in his eighty- first year.

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HISTORY OF MONTGOMERY COUNTY.

CHAPTER LXX.

PROVIDENCE TOWNSHIP.1

WHEN William Penn, as the true and absolute proprietary of the province, sold the lands of the com- monwealth, he reserved for himself a large tract of the land on the east side of the Schuylkill River. It embraced the whole of the present townships of Upper Providence and Lower Providence and parts of the townships of Perkiomen and Worcester. The tract was named by him " The Manor of Gilberts," and was so known for many years. The name was in honor of Penn's mother, who was of the family of Gilberts. One of the early purchasers of land in this manor was Jacob Fellner, one of the founders of German- town, who owned a large tract along the Skippack Creek, which now constitutes the northwest corner of the present township of Lower Providence. For many years, from about the year 1700, the land lying along the Skippack Creek was known as Tellner town- ship, while that between the Skippack and Perkiomen, was called "l'erkoming," the present township of Perkiomen being then known as " Van Bebber's town- ship." At the March term of court, 1725, the petition of divers inhabitants along the Perquomin Creek was presented, praying the court to establish a township of the territory upon which they resided. This petition was signed by William Line, Samuel Lane, James Lane, Peter Rambo, John Morris, James Shatlick, Richard Jones, Thomas Diemer, Casselberry. Thomas Loch, John Bull, Richard Adams, Thomas Potts, Daniel Philips and Lewis Rees. At that time nothing was done. At the March Sessions, 1729, a new petition of the same persons was presented, accom- panied by a draft of the proposed township, and setting forth the bounds and limits thereof as follows :

' Beginning at a hickory, marked for a corner, standing in the line of Isaac Norris's land ; thence extending by the same southwest twelve hundred perches to a Gum tree standing by Schuylkill side ; thence up the same the several courses twenty-two hundred and ninety-one perches to a Hickory at a corner of Limerick Township; thence by the same northeast thirteen hundred perches to a Hickory, a corner of Bebber's land ; tbence by the line of said Bebber's land on Skippack southwest and New Bristol township (so called) twenty-two hundred and ninety perches, to the place of beginning. Containing by computation, 17,892 acres and 30 perches."

On the 2d of March, 1729, the court decreed that the territory just specified be erected into a township, and the same be called by the name of "Providence township."

The origin of the name of "Providence" is not certainly known. Tradition says it was settled by some of the followers of Roger Williams, of Rhode Island. Nearly a century before this time the settle- ment in Rhode Island had been named " Providence." Hence his followers coming here called this region " New Providence." In most of the old documents it

is called New Providence. Another more plausible theory is that it received its name from one of the West Indies Islands, viz., "New Providence." Craig, an early settler, came from that place, while the Lanes and Richardsons, two of the foremost families of the township, came from the neighboring Island of Jamaica. After a time the township lost the "New " and retained as its name simply " Providence."

This township, or, as it is now, townships of Upper Providence and Lower Providence, face the Sebuyl- kill River, and constitute the central townships of the county. They are bounded on the west by Limerick, on the north by Perkiomen and Worcester, on the east by Norriton and on the south by the Schuylkill River. The surface of both townships is rolling, the soil is mostly red shale and very productive, especially along the rivers Schuylkill and Perkiomen. There is very little waste land. The Perkiomen Creek, which forms the natural division line between the two town- ships, is the largest stream in Montgomery County. It is about thirty miles in length, following its mean- derings. The name Perkiomen is of Indian origin, and means " the place where grow the cranberries." The spelling of this name has undergone many changes. In Penn's deed of purchase it is called " Pah-he-homa." In Nicholas Scull's map it is spelled " Perquamink." Afterwards we find it known as " Perquoming," "Perkioming," "Perkoming," " Per- kionan," "Perquoning," "l'erquonum," "Perquo- min," and later as " Perkiomen."

The Mingo Creek rises in Limerick township and runs through the western part of Upper Providence, where it empties itself into the Schuylkill. Its stream is weak. Another small stream, known as Zimmer- man's Run, rises near Trappe and empties into the Perkiomen, near Yerkes. In Lower Providence there are two streams of water,-the Skippack and Mine Run. The Skippack is about seventeen miles in length and empties into the Perkiomen, at Arcola. Its name, which is of Indian origin, and means "a stagnant stream" or "pool of water," symbolized its nature. Mine Run rises in the township and is about three miles in length, and it empties into the Perkio- men, at Oaks.

It would be impossible to give the history of the roads of the township. The Great road from Philadelphia to the Perkiomen is a very ancient one. In 1709 this road was extended towards Reading. The petition therefor is signed by John Henry Spro- gell, Morris Jones, John Newman, Matthew Brooks, Robert Belling and Henry Paukor, and recites that they have "plantations lying very remote in the county, and on the edge or outskirts of any inhabit- ants of the county, and no public road ; they therefore pray for a road from the late house of Edward Lane deceased, being in the Queen's highway, unto Mauni- tauna, etc."

In 1734 a jury consisting of Richard Jones, Christo- pher Zimmerman, John Umstat, Joseph Armstrong,

1 Ry F. G. Hobson.

PROVIDENCE TOWNSHIP.

1045

John Bull and Samuel Evans, laid out a road from Henry Pawling's plantation to the road or cartway lead- ing to Norriton Mills, and thence, by or near the mill formly belonging to Edward Lane, to St. James' Church on Manatawny road in Providence.

In 1736 a publie road was laid out which now con- stitutes the Ridge turnpike road.

In publie improvements Providence has its full share. The Perkiomen and Reading turnpike road was completed in 1815. It runs from the Perkiomen Bridge to Reading. It passes three aud one-half miles through the township. The Perkiomen and Sumney- town turnpike road was incorporated in 1845. This !

Perkiomen Railroad, running from Perkiomen to Allentown, Lehigh Co., passes through the whole length of the township along the Perkiomen Creek. There are four stations in the township, viz. : Oaks, Arcola, Yerkes and Collegeville, the last being the most important. The road was opened to travel as far as Collegeville on May 8, 1868, and was gradually ex- tended to Allentown. The Pennsylvania Schuylkill Valley Railroad passes along the east side of the Schuylkill the entire length of both townships. It was completed in 1884, and has four stations,-Port Kennedy, Perkiomen, Port Providence and Mont Clare. There are four bridges spanning the Perkiomen,

PERKIOMEN BRIDGE, BUILT 1798.

road is eleven miles in length, one mile of which is in the township, where it terminates at Perkiomen Bridge. In Lower Providence there are two turn- pike roads, both beginning at the eastern end of Perkiomen Bridge at Collegeville. Both the German- town and Perkiomen road and the Ridge Turnpike road have been neglected for many years, and no tolls are collected for travel thereon. The burden of keeping them in repair has thus fallen on the town- ships.

connecting Upper Providence with Lower Providence, viz .: at Collegeville, Yerkes, Arcola, and Oaks. The latter three are wooden superstructures erected upon stone piers and abutments, while the one at College- ville is a fine stone structure, and known as "The Perkiomen Bridge." In addition, there is a county bridge over the Mingo, and one near the almshouse over a small stream. In Lower Providence there are two county bridges over the Skippaek, one on each of the turnpikes. In addition, there are two pay bridges over the Schuylkill, one at Port Kennedy and the other at Pawling. In Upper Providence there

There are three railroads. The Philadelphia and Reading Railroad runs about two miles through Up- per Providence, with one station, " Mingo." The | are also two pay bridges across the Schuylkill. The

1046

HISTORY OF MONTGOMERY COUNTY.

bridge at Quincyville was incorporated in 1844, and built shortly thereafter. The one at Black Rock was built in 1860, and cost nineteen thousand dollars. There are also four fine railroad bridges in the town- ship,-an iron one over the Perkiomen, on the line of the Pennsylvania Schuylkill Valley Railroad ; a frame one over the Schuylkill, on the Perkiomen Railroad ; a stone bridge over the same river on the Philadelphia and Reading Railroad; and an iron structure over the Schuylkill at Mount Clare, on the Pennsylvania Schuylkill Valley Railroad, erected in 1884. The present bridge structure at Collegeville is the oldest in the township. The place where the bridge now stands was known before this time as "Philip's Ford." It was a very dangerous one, Henry Buckwalter having drowned there, April 14, 1737, by reason of his horse stumbling. Many un- successful attempts were made to procure a bridge at this place. In the year 1794 the Legislature appropriated money to this object on condition that the county would furnish the balance. A petition was presented to the Montgomery County court, at May Sessions, 1795, asking for two thousand pounds towards building this bridge, which was allowed. This sum was seen to be so insufficient that the commis- sioners refused to proceed. Another petition was therefore presented at the May term, 1796, asking for an additional appropriation of a sum sufficient to war- rant the completion of the work. The grand jury unanimously recommended an additional two thou- sand pounds. On August 10, 1796, the court (Robert Loller judge) refused to concur. The people then again had recourse to the General Assembly of the State.

On the 21st of February, 1797, the Legislature passed " An Act for raising, by way of lottery, the sum of twenty thousand dollars, to be applied to the erec- tion of a stone-arched bridge over the Perkioming Creek, in Montgomery County, on the road leading from Philadelphia to the borough of Reading."

The following persons were named as commissioners to superintend the drawings of this lottery, viz., Peter Muhlenberg, John Richards, Samuel Baird, Francis Swaine, Moses Hobson, Frederick Conrad, Samuel Markley, Francis Nicholas, William Smith, Philip Boyer, Elisha Evans, James Bean, John Markley, Robert Kennedy and Jolin Elliot, nearly all of whom lived in this vicinity.

There were two drawings of ten thousand tickets each. The first was commenced July 17, 1797, and continued twenty-one days. The capital prize of $3000 was drawn by No. 8252. No. 1268 drew $1000; No. 6785, $500. The second-class was drawn November 1, 1798, and continued twenty-five days. The $1000 prize was drawn by No. 2376. No. 9823 drew $500. On July 24, 1797, the county commissioners,-Freder- ick Conrad, Moses Hobson, Samuel Maulsby,-together with the judges of the court,-Messrs. Loller, Ritten- house and Markley, met at the public-house of Elisha

Evans. They there decided that the bridge should consist of arches,-three of fifty feet, two of forty- five feet, two of thirty-five feet, two of thirty feet, and two of twenty feet. This was afterwards changed, and the bridge was built with but six arches. The contracts for the various works at the mill were given out March 23, 1798. At the end of the year the county had expended the sum of $34,683.12, and the bridge was only one-half completed.

On March 28, 1799, an act was passed in the Gen- eral Assembly which gave the commissioners power to complete the bridge and charge toll for persons passing over the same. This was to be charged until the tolls so received were sufficient to pay the whole cost of building the same, together with the costs for collecting the toll. As soon as this was accom- plished the court was to declare the same a free bridge. The bridge was finished in 1799 in the style it now stands. It cost the county about sixty thousand dollars. The formal dedication took place on the 4th of November. Samuel Bard was toll-gatherer. It was declared free by the court some five years later, and became a county bridge. The Legislature in char- tering the Perkiomen and Reading Turnpike Road Company, March 20, 1819, gave the custody of this bridge into the hands of the company, in whose hands it has been ever since. A toll-house was erected at the west end of the bridge in July, 1867. Before its completion the house was burned by incendiaries, and the gate removed and thrown into the Perkiomen Creek. In October, 1872, the Turnpike Company again erected a toll-house at the east end. This led to litigation, and the Supreme Court of Pennsylvania decided that the company, under their charter, could not maintain a gate within one mile of said bridge. January 30, 1873, the decision of the court of last resort was announced. That same evening the old toll-house shared the fate of its predecessor, being burned down. The bridge stands to-day as it was built, an everlasting monument to the memory of the men who built the same, and a splendid model for bridge-builders of the present time to take pattern of.

The bridge over the Skippack, below the village of Evansburg, is on the site of the first bridge built in the township. The predecessor of the one now stand- ing was built by lottery, as was the bridge over the Perkiomen, but we have very little data as to the circumstances. The Legislature, by act of September 20, 1765, created certain commissioners, who were empowered to receive such sums of money as were due by the managers of a lottery, and to receive vol- untary subscriptions and donations towards the better perfecting of a bridge over the Skippack Creek, in the county of Philadelphia. This old bridge has long since been destroyed and the present structure erected in its place.

Near the village of Shannonville is Pawling's bridge, over the Schuylkill. There was a bridge here in 1778, as Colonel John Bull made a report to the Executive

1047

PROVIDENCE TOWNSHIP.

Committee, on August 31, 1778, as to the condition of "the Bridge over Schuilkil at ye Fattlandford, near the Valey Forge;" in consequence of which report the same was then repaired. This bridge was, no doubt, built for military purposes, and was subsequently washed away. Near its site was a bridge ereeted about the year 1809, as on April 3d of that year the com- pany was chartered. The bridge was destroyed in 1820 by ice, in a high freshet, but was shortly after- wards rebuilt.

Of the early settlers in Providence township quite a number are worthy of special mention.

Edward Lane, au Englishman, came from Jamaica in 1684. On the 9th of Twelfth Month, 1698-9, he pur- chased two thousand five hundred acres of land from Thomas Fairman, which was confirmed to him by patent, in 1701, by William Penn. This traet was situ- ated on both sides of the Perkiomen, upon which now stand the villages of Collegeville and Evansburg. He erected a grist-mill on the Skippack in 1708. He married Ann Richardson, and left seven children, viz. : James, Elizabeth, William, Samuel, Christiana, Ellinor and Ann. He died in March, 1710. He kept the first hotel, where now stands the Perkiomen Bridge Hotel. At his death Samuel Lane became owner of that part of his plantation lying west of the Perkiomen, and William Lane of that to the east of the same stream. Samuel Lane kept the hotel, and was elected assessor of Philadelphia County from 1737 to 1740. ITis son, Edward Lane, was constable in 1767, and cried sales. He was in Braddock's expedition against Fort Duquesne, in 1755. At his death, in 1798, he left seven children,-Mary Kendel, Abigail Couch. Jane Davis, Ann Church, Eleanor Evans, Ann Bean and William Lane. Many of his descendants are still living in the county of Montgomery, among whom are the Davises, Beans, Evans, Crawfords, Chains and Shannons. Among his distinguished descendants may be mentioned Joseph E. Lane, a candidate for Vice- President of the United States in 1860.

The Lanes were Episcopalians, and were chiefly in- strumental in the establishment of St. James' Episcopal Church, Lower Providence.

(Joseph Richardson was one of the early settlers of Providence. In 1696 be married Elizabeth Bevan. In 1710 he purchased of his brother-in-law, Abraham Bickley, one thousand acres of land situated on the west side of the Perkiomen, upon the Schuylkill. Here he lived for many years and his children after him. He left eight children,-Samuel, John, Edward, Aubrey, Richard, Ellinor, Barbara and Elizabeth, of whom Samuel, John and Edward were educated at the Pastorius school, in Germantown. His grandson, Captain Joseph Richardson, was a man of fine at- tainments and wonderful physical strength. Just before the Revolution he was accused of counterfeit- ing, but escaped arrest. A price was put upon his head. For many years he eluded capture and be- came the terror of the country as the leader of a

gang of outlaws. He was finally captured, tried and acquitted of the crime charged.

An early settler was John Jacob Schrack, who, with his wife, Eva Rosina, and four children, came from Germany in 1717. He purchased two hundred and fifty acres of land lying in the lower end of the present village of Trappe. Ile was a man of influ- ence and an elder of the Lutheran congregation of Providence, in which he took a deep interest. He was one of the most active in writing at different times to London and Halle for a preacher. It was in answer to these repeated requests that Muhlenberg was sent. But Schraek did not live to see the pastor he had been instrumental in securing. He died 1742, a few months before the arrival of Muhlenberg. He was buried in the Lutheran Churchyard, his tomb- stone being the oldest there bearing an inscription. His widow died in 1756. Ilis sons John, and Chris- tian, lived on the homestead for many years, keeping a public-house called "The Trap." Many of the descendants of John Jacob Schrack still live in the neighborhood.

The Pawling family was a large and influential one. "Pawling's Ford " was named after them. Henry Pawling, of Padsbury, England, purchased of Wil- liam Penn, in England, one thousand acres in 1681. On his arrival in Pennsylvania he located his land in Providence. One tract of five hundred acres lay opposite Valley Forge, on which he resided. Ilis son Henry owned at the same time twelve hundred acres in Perkiomen township. The latter was captain of a company of Associates in 1747, and a member of the Assembly in 1754. By the act establishing the county in 1784, Ilenry Pawling, Jr., was appointed one of the commissioners to lay out the county-seat. He was appointed associate judge in 1789. Isaac Pawling was a warden of St. James' Church, Evansburg, and Levi and Lewis Pawling were the first vestrymen of the Episcopal Church of Norristown, and Levi Pawl- ing was Congressman from the district for one term (1817-19), and for a time was president of the Montgomery National Bank, of Norristown.

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History of Montgomery County, Pennsylvania, Part 223

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