USA > Pennsylvania > Montgomery County > Montgomery County, Pennsylvania, a history, Volume I > Part 40
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Mrs. Annie H. Wilson, a sister of Mrs. Wood, died at her home, Fifth avenue and Hallowell street, June 21, 1919, and bequeathed $25,000 to the park trust fund, the income to be used for the maintenance and upkeep of the park.
The park is located in the heart of the residential section of the town. There is a large mansion house, a small dwelling house, stone garage, set in beautiful grounds planted with trees of many species and shrubbery.
The Children's Playgrounds Association was organized in 1914 by Francis Lubbe Ross and Dorothea Bean Jones, for the purpose of giv- ing the children of the place, who are not able to get outside for a sum- mer vacation, the advantage of trained supervision of play during the heated term, July and August. It has proven a signal success from the first. The expense is so far met by public contributions, but a memorial endowment is now being planned. The attendance has been as high as 490, and the average for one season was 260 children.
The Conshohocken Free Library was organized May 1, 1907. Upon the death of Lewis A. Lukens, his heirs gave to the Library Association the dwelling house at Third avenue and Fayette street, where the library is now located. The library is maintained by private subscription, with $500 from each the school district and the borough. The new organiza- tion of the business factors of the sprightly, up-to-date borough, dates
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from January 30, 1920, and has ever since been doing much good for the place and its numerous membership.
East Greenville-This borough was taken from out the territory of Upper Hanover township, and is situated in the northwestern part of Montgomery county. It is on the line of the Perkiomen railroad ; it was incorporated in 1875, contains a goodly amount of improvements, and is to-day a well built, orderly kept and enterprising borough, with numerous small but profitable factories. In 1880 it had a population of only 331, but in 1910 it was 1,235, and to-day has about 1,720. From an early time it had the advantage of having an excellent seminary for both sexes, which still exists. The land on which the place stands formerly belonged to George Urffer, and upon his death it descended to Daniel Y. Urffer, who in April, 1849, sold forty-three acres to Captain Henry H. Dotts; it was timber land at the date of this sale, although no one to-day would ever imagine it had once been within a native forest land. The wood-leaf was sold, the land cleared up, and that portion fronting on the highway divided into building lots. In 1851-52 Mr. Dotts sold a number of town lots at an advance. On a four-acre lot at the corner of Church road he erected a two-story brick dwelling, later selling the same at $1,200. He subsequently erected a good sized hotel. Stores and mechanical industries soon came in, and it was not long before it was a lively rival of Pennsburg, about a mile to the east. Mr. Philip Super, a local historian of that part of the county, remarked many years ago in speaking of growth and advanced prices in this borough: "To show the gradual rise in the price of land from the original price of seventy-five dollars an acre in 1851-52, we give the prices for later years. The first of the original half acre lots sold in January, 1853 for forty dollars; and resold in May the same year, at seventy-five dollars; in June, Mr. Dotts bought a half-acre lot for ninety dollars; March, 1855, he again bought a half-acre for $125; in March, 1856, an acre lot was sold for $165; in September, 1857, a quarter acre lot was sold at $135; and in 1859 a half- acre lot was sold for $200." This village received its name in 1852, sug- gested by a tall pine tree with an evergreen top, and which was observ- able from all parts of the surrounding country. Then when the post office was established, it naturally took the same name. So the old pine tree now belongs to the ages !
Among the pioneer industries should be named the cigar business in which cigars were manufactured by Amos K. Stauffer, commencing in 1860. In 1885 there were carrying on cigar making in the place, Amos K. Stauffer, Thomas K. Gerhard, William M. Jacobs, H. A. Dimmig and smaller firms. All told these factories were then turning out to the cigar smokers of the world, about nine million cigars yearly, and yet were only employing about one hundred and twenty men. Along in the early eighties, the chief business factors of the borough were: Henry Bobb,
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drugs; Fluck & Bernhard, live-stock; Nicholas Kase, boots and shoes; William Kehl, general merchandise; A. E. Kurtz, stoves; Keeley & Brother, coal, lumber, flour and feed; Levi Meschler, general stock; Edwin E. Steltz, furniture, and E. M. Stauffer, jeweler. To-day the merchants are numerous and their stocks well selected. With the pass- ing of the years, other manufacturing plants located here, and among those now operating on a good-sized scale are the Columbia silk mills, makers of ribbon of silk; four cigar factories; and a knitting mill where underwear is made in large quantities. The Boyer Casket Company operates a branch of their main burial casket works at this place, and the Sanitary Foundry Company does a large business in their line of work. The banking business is mentioned in the chapter on Banks, elsewhere in this work.
The public schools are excellent. Two buildings are used ; the pres- ent high school building was erected in 1920 and cost $22,000. Five teachers are employed there, and eight more in the graded schools. The religious side of life is not forgotten in the rush for wealth here, for we find a Roman Catholic and two large Evangelical churches, with the old pioneer Reformed church standing just outside the borough, where the membership is more than one thousand. The Masons, Knights of Pythias, Eagles and Red Men all have flourishing lodges in this borough. The present officers of the borough incorporation are: Dr. A. O. Gery, bur- gess ; E. E. Erb, secretary ; Adam Dimmig, treasurer. The councilmen are: F. S. Shelly, Frank Merkley, Frank Gerhard, Clement Roeder, W. K. Schott, Calvin Albitz and Herbert Barr. The borough is free from debts, save its bonds issued for water works system, costing $15,000, which run at four per cent. interest.
Hatboro-The borough under consideration now is one incorporated August 26, 1871, when it contained about six hundred acres carved out of Moreland township. The main part of the town is situated along the York road, now known as York avenue. The name of this borough is believed to have been given from one of the first stone houses built here, in 1705, and in which building John Dawson commenced making men's hats and continued many years. The building likewise became an inn. The earliest record on a map of this county of the place, was published in 1749 by map-maker Lewis Evans, of Philadelphia, and there it appears as "Hatboro." However, it was at one period known commonly as "The Billet," from a hotel there named "Crooked Billet." General Washing- ton in his letter to Congress from this vicinity, dated August 10, 1777, mentions therein the "Billet tavern." Again, in Franklin's "Gazette," of October, 1752, is mentioned "Crooked Billet," but in 1755 it was styled "Hatborough." The recent generations have always accepted the simple word "Hatboro" as being sufficient. The records show that John Daw- son was still counted a hatter in the vicinity in 1734. Doubtless the name
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"Billet" referred to the hotel, and Hatboro to the hamlet itself. A high- way was laid out through the place in 1720. Hereabouts were enacted many of the earliest historic scenes within Montgomery county. The coming, camping and going of Revolutionary soldiers, the opening up of roads and building of pioneer mills, each and all made local, State and national history. The first newspaper outside Norristown in Lower Montgomery county, was the "Hatboro Literary Chronicle." An issue in 1841 gives those in business there then as being Lukens Wakefield and David Titus, coach and house painters; Abraham Haslett, smith; Hiram Reading, store; Charles Wakefield, tailor; G. W. Gilbert, wheel- wright; H. N. Smith, boot and shoemaker; and O. I. Search, job print- ing. In 1812 Loller Academy was built from funds bequeathed by Robert Loller. It continued many years to be a strong educational center, and only went down when the high schools of the more advanced means of education had come to obtain. Concerning the present of this borough, it can be said that while it has not grown to a place of great import- ance financially, it has been felt throughout the commonwealth and world by reason of its interest in a higher education. It now has a good banking house (see Banking chapter), and the usual number of retail stores and small repair shops. Its public school and church life bespeak of devotion and refinement. Its present population is about 1,100. In all that is good, here is of the best.
The Union Library is one of the first nine libraries established in the original thirteen Colonies. It dates back to 1755, and has been conducted ever since. Each succeeding generation has added to its historic inter- est. At that date the village of Hatboro could not have had to exceed a dozen houses all told. There were enough in the community who saw the usefulness of a library, and when counted up on the list of charter membership it was seen there were thirty-five who had signed and agreed to support such an enterprise. It was styled the "Instrument of Part- nership." The first regular meeting was held at David Rees', at "Ye Crooked Billet." The circumstances under which the library was founded are thus set forth in its proceedings :
Whereas dark ignorance, with all the concomitants that flow from it, did about this time prevail in these parts, and no general scheme on foot for the promotion of knowledge and virtue, this, by some of the thinking part of the people, was looked upon with concern, and some proposals were made for executing a public library of select books as the most likely way to expel those gloomy clouds of ignorance and open profaneness so much abounding, and give the gentle reader an agreeable taste for learning.
The library was not incorporated by act of the assembly until 1787. It then had six hundred and twenty volumes. By 1880 this library had on its shelves books to the number of more than ten thousand. At that date there were about one hundred and fifty members who paid a certain
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sum quarterly. Among rare books to be found there may be named forty-one volumes in a set, printed between 1593 and 1730. They also have a collection of curios of rare beauty and value. By all odds it is the most aged library in this county, and with one exception it is still the largest. These things bespeak refined intelligence in any community where such accomplishments can be had and maintained throughout one hundred and sixty years.
Hatfield-Carved out of the central part of Hatfield township, this borough now having a population of about 800, is up-to-date with energy and business tact equal to the spirit of the age in small towns. There appears to have been a settlement here as early as 1832. Soon there- after a dozen or more houses were reported, and a post office was estab- lished. In 1883 it contained fifty residences, several general stores, and a number of shops and the usual mechanical industries. Once the com- munity had its Upper and Lower Hatfield, but now all is described as Hatfield borough. Lower Hatfield, however, is much the older of the two villages. This is a station point on the North Pennsylvania rail- road line. Being surrounded by an excellent agricultural district, the place has always enjoyed a liberal trade from the farming community, and while never becoming a large place, it has served well the object for which its proprietors established it. To-day the schools, churches, stores of all kinds, shipping interests and some small manufacturing plants including a hosiery mill and flouring mills, with other necessary places of business, make up the sum total of the place. Its borough officers have ever been conservative, but progressive in their adminis- tration of public affairs. There is a question yet unsolved as to how its name originated, but usually it is believed to have been in honor of the Hatfield family of pioneers in the nearby section of country.
Greenlane-This borough is taken out of Marlborough township, and was chartered a borough in 1875. It is situated on the Sumneytown and Springhouse road, and covers about one hundred and fifty acres. It is historic from the fact of its being on the nearby site of the old-time Schall's forge, once famous for its production of iron. It is now an important station on the Perkiomen railroad, opened up for travel in 1849. In 1884 it contained upwards of fifty buildings. A large ice house and custom grist mill were among the early industries. The platting was all made on the old Mayberry tract, taken about 1730. It was named on this wise: The Old Forge was styled "Greenlane Iron Works," noted on the oldest maps, and is believed to have been given to the works named from the prevailing foliage covering the rocky hills to the north and west of the stream, it being largely of evergreen, with occasional pine, and from the winding road or lane that led from the main highway to the forge. As late as 1855 this neighborhood was noted for its game, including rabbits, pheasants, partridges, etc., found in great
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numbers, and was visited by the city sportsmen with dogs and paid guides. It was the fine water power and abundance of wood for the production of charcoal that first led the iron forgers to the spot. There were no rolled iron bars, but by hand and hammer were the iron bars wrought out for sale to the blacksmiths and mechanics generally. But with the introduction of cast iron in its various forms, the demand for bar iron has been greatly reduced. Thus the forge has long since gone to decay ; the old waterwheel, the huge bellows, the ore crusher, and cone-like charcoal kilns have all vanished, only here and there a trace of their existence among a pile of ruins found by the roadside.
With the flight of a third of a century and more, vast has been the change here. Many are dead, and many far removed to other parts of the world. There is a stone-crushing plant, numerous stores and shops ; the Valley National Bank; a Board of Trade and a Reformed church, as part of the borough's interests. Its population is rated at about 400 In 1884 the assessor gave the firms in business as J. R. Allebach, mer- chandise; Frank Frederick, livestock; H. N. Scholl, lumber ; number of taxables, fifty-four ; value lands, $5,685. It is one of the many small towns of Montgomery county and has a history and record not to be ashamed of, for in all that has been asked of true American citizens, these people have filled the bill to the greatest extent possible, whether in war or times of peace.
Schwenksville-This enterprising borough is situated on the west side of Perkiomen creek, in the northwest portion of old original Per- kiomen township, was incorporated in 1903. The census in 1880 gave it a population of 303 souls ; in 1910 it had 381, and in 1920 it is given as 371, so it appears to have never reached the 400 mark. For forty years it has had hotels, creameries, printing offices, clothing factories, rail- road station, lumber, coal, marble yard and school and churches, with all the general stores that are found in so small a place. Prior to 1815 there was not a house in the entire neighborhood. Most of the lands thereabouts were left in 1770 by Peter Pennypacker to his son Wil- liam. George Schwenk, a blacksmith, is reported to have run a black- smith's shop there in 1756, and from him doubtless came the name. Other special chapters will mention its banking, newspapers and other features. Of later years the ice houses have been important here. There is a shirt factory in the borough now and the newspaper is the "Item."
Jenkintown-This borough was incorporated December 8, 1874, when all its territory, comprising an area of two hundred and forty- eight acres taken from Abington township, was made into a borough. The main business of the place is or was originally, along York ave- nue, opened up as a highway from Philadelphia to the Delaware river.
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in the autumn of 1711, and turnpiked to Willow Grove from Rising Sun in 1804. The North Pennsylvania railroad station is at the extreme southwestern corner of the platting. This railway was opened for busi- ness in 1856, and the New York branch completed in May, 1876. As long ago as 1885 there were forty-four passenger trains stopping at Jen- kintown each way daily. The borough proper is more than a half mile to the east of the station. The entire country round about is charming in its native landscape scenery. The United States census for 1880 gave the number of inhabitants as 810. In 1900 it was 2,091 ; in 1910, 2,968, and in 1920, 4,000. As a municipality it is now without debts. The place has a free public library and churches as below : Episcopal, Presbyterian, Baptist, Methodist Episcopal, Colored Bap- tist, and Roman Catholic. All have good church buildings and pros- perous congregations. The civic societies include the Masonic, Odd Fellows, Knights of Pythias and Protective Order of Sons of America. There are two school buildings in the borough and a new $175,000 high school being constructed at this time. This is also the seat of Beech- wood Seminary for young ladies. Just over the line but in the same township is found an extensive pressed steel works plant. The "Times- Chronicle" is the borough's newspaper (see Press chapter). Concern- ing the financial interests of Jenkintown, see chapter on Banks and Banking. The present borough officials are : A. J. Miller, Jr., president ; A. C. J. Schabacker, secretary ; A. A. Keiser, treasurer; William M. Lukens, street commissioner; Edwin H. Bellis, burgess. The council is as follows: Messrs. George Jones, Frank S. Gentry, J. Howard Hay, James B. Colladay, A. J. Miller, Jr., Sumner H. Cross, M. D., Nathan Silberman, Charles S. Redding, and Edward J. Fitzgerald.
The principal inhabitants in and around the village of Jenkintown as early as February 19, 1803, assembled for the purpose of establish- ing a library there, and appointed John Morrison, Ebenezer Hickling and William Johnson a committee for the purpose of preparing a code of by-laws and reporting the same at a meeting to be held at the public house of William McCalla on the 3rd of March following. As adopted the board of officers was to consist of five directors, a treasurer and librarian, to be chosen annually. Payments of seventy-five cents were to be made by each member every six months. There were thirty-three signers to the original membership of this subscription library. It was established in 1803; charter granted in September, 1805. It was written on a parchment two and one-half feet square, and handsomely executed. This charter contains the autograph of every member who signed on that autumn day near a century and a quarter ago. It was signed by Governor Thomas McKeen, who was also one of the signers of the Declaration of Independence. This library is still well cared for, and is an honor to the borough.
CHAPTER XXIX. BOROUGHS: LANSDALE-NORTH WALES-NARBERTH.
Lansdale received its name in memory of the chief surveyor of the North Penn Railroad Company, his full name being Philip Lansdale Fox. The record book of Time has a few unique entries concerning Lansdale- these for example: "Born August 24, 1872; father's name North Penn Railroad ; mother's name Heebner Agricultural Machinery Plant."
About one hundred and forty years ago this part of Montgomery county was one dense dark forest, with only here and there a clearing upon which the settlers had erected their rude cabin homes. Here had dwelt the native American Indian, and at that date a few still lingered thereabouts spending their time in hunting the abundance of wild game and peddling baskets of their own make. In 1853 work was commenced on the North Penn railroad, and in June, 1857, this highway reached Gwynedd, and by October, Doylestown. The first trains entered Beth- lehem in January, 1857. As soon as the railroad was constructed through Lansdale, a feed store was opened by Henry Dirstine, his buildings being the first of the hamlet or station. A. G. Freed opened the first hotel, and in a part of the building the first store was opened by John S. Jenkins. A post office was established there in 1860, and within a year or two Mr. Shupe established a printing office.
Lansdale was incorporated as a borough in 1872, and it then included 269 acres, 145 of which was taken from Gwynedd township, and 124 acres from Hatfield township. Two years later the Stony Creek railroad was opened through to Norristown. The population of the territory incorporated was "about one thousand souls" the record says. A busi- ness directory gotten out at about that date gives these facts: M. H. Snyder, editor of "Lansdale Reporter;" H. F. Bond, medical doctor ; A. C. Goodshall, wholesale and retail dealer in all kinds of lumber, coal and lime; A. B. Hackman, wholesale and retail dealer in grain, flour, feed, hay, etc .; E. K. Freed, president First National Bank; Charles S. Jenkins, cashier of First National Bank ; Joseph Rodgers, house and sign painter and paperhanger; L. G. Stauffer, Lansdale Hotel; Isaac A. Kratz, Junction House ; George F. Phillips, general agent for the Howe Sewing Machine, at 217 Main street, Norristown. The exact date of incorporation of the borough was August 24, 1872. The charter was signed by forty-four citizens, and in 1922 only two were living-William D. Heebner and Dr. John N. Jacobs. In May, 1876, the borough con- tained 187 taxables, with a real estate valuation of $166,000 ; three public schools, with 159 scholars; two hotels, two printing offices, eight stores, and a lumber yard.
One incident in the history of Lansdale in which all take a just pride
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was the one occurring in 1887, when a citizen, William D. Heebner, saved historic Valley Forge as a sacred memorial for the whole country. A bill fostered by the Patriotic Order Sons of America to take over Valley Forge and save it from destruction at private hands, had been smoth- ered in committee on the plea of lack of funds. Mr. Heebner, then a member of the House, had been asked to read Washington's Farewell Address at the patriotic exercises in the House, February 22, 1887. When the time came to read the address, Mr. Heebner, contrary to all precedents, substituted for the address a resolution appropriating five thousand dollars toward the purchase of the historic site, and asked unanimous consent for its immediate consideration. Both House and Senate voted an approval quickly, and thus it came about that one man's quick wits saved Valley Forge as a national shrine, and since then all know of the beautiful improvements which have been made there.
The present borough contains 875 acres, or more than one and one- half square miles. The office of burgess has been held by the following, from the date of incorporation in 1872 to the present time: 1872, Abra- ham B. Hackman; 1873, David S. Heebner; 1875, John Kindig; 1876, David S. Heebner; 1880, Oliver M. Evans; 1882, William D. Heebner; 1885, William H. Fuhr; 1888, Jacob S. Geller; 1892, Wellington H. Rosenberry ; 1893, William D. Heebner ; 1894, Aaron H. Tyson; 1897, J. C. Reaver ; 1900, John J. White; 1903, Henry M. Fretz; 1906, George F. Frederick ; 1909, J. Wilmot Harvey ; 1911, Hiram B. Weachter ; 1914, Abram H. Landis ; 1918, Albert R. Place; 1919 to date, David Orr.
The Federal census reports show the population of Lansdale by decades to have been : 1880, 799; 1890, 1,858; 1900, 2,754; 1910, 3,551 ; 1920, 4,728. Other chapters will speak at length of the banking inter- ests of this borough ; also of the professions and work of the women of the borough in times of war as well as now. The postmasters' list is as follows : J. S. Geller, 1876-84; H. E. Jenkins, 1884-90; D. S. Heebner, 1890-96; William L. Diehl, 1896-1900; H. D. Ruth, 1900-08; W. H. D. Goodshall, 1908-15; Joseph Rodgers, Jr., 1915-23.
Primarily Lansdale has always been a manufacturing borough. Dur- ing its early days it was a "one plant" town, the Heebner industry being the mainstay of the place. To-day there is a diversified industry of great local importance. Some of the more important plants are as fol- lows: Heebner & Sons, makers of numerous agricultural implements, of world-wide fame; Souder Concrete Company, established in 1904, in North Lansdale, but in 1914 constructed their present plant where they produce large quantities of concrete blocks, road culverts and kindred concrete goods; over one full car load of raw material is used daily in these works. Another factory of note is the patented Safeguard Check Writer Company's industry founded in North Wales, Pennsylvania, in 1913, but which moved to Lansdale in 1917. John Whitaker is presi- dent, and Joseph F. Collins secretary and general manager. This plant
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