USA > Pennsylvania > Montgomery County > Montgomery County, Pennsylvania, a history, Volume I > Part 41
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produces thousands upon thousands of the check writers which employ indelible ink under high pressure forced through the paper in such a manner the figures cannot be erased and "raised." These machines are ready sellers in this and all civilized countries of the earth. The Abram Cox Stove Corporation, chartered by the State, started in business in the spring of 1882, remained in Philadelphia until it needed more room, then located in Lansdale. Notwithstanding fires, this company has forged ahead until to-day it is a great concern. Other industries here include the Central Radiator Company, the Perkins Glue Company, Lansdale Foundry Company, Norristown Hosiery Mills, which latter concern makes annually 1,500,000 pair of silk hose; the Fynetone Manu- facturing Company, makers of chimes and candlesticks, and mahogany clocks, do a large business and employ many hands. The Krupp Foun- dry Company began business in 1896, the proprietor being originally, Eli C. Krupp, but now it is an incorporated concern doing an extensive business in the production of cast iron soil pipe and fittings which find a market from occan to ocean. Another industry of importance is the Lansdale Knitting Company's plant, John Whitaker, president, organ- ized in 1920; knitting hosiery is their specialty. Pool & Son's pantaloon factory, established in 1885 by William Pool, Sr., has grown to one of large proportions. They occupy a building fifty by one hundred and fifty-three feet and basement, operate one hundred and sixteen sewing machines, and give employment to one hundred and fifty persons, pro- ducing 12,000 pairs of pants per day. The Weaver Structural Iron Works commenced in 1914 in an old barn, but to-day the company has large works and produce much fine, fabricated structural steel work for use in building structures of all kinds. The Krupp-Myer Foundry, organized 1921, make sorted castings of all kinds. In the same plant porcelain enamel ware is made in great quantities. Another leading industry is the A. J. Brumbaugh Woolen Company, makers of men's and youth's clothing, mostly for Wanamaker and Brown. The Hunter Pressed Steel Company came from Philadelphia in 1918; their products are sold all over the Union.
Lansdale now has a high school, the East Ward grade school and the West Ward grade school. Thirty instructors are usually employed in these schools: The high school building was erected so as to be occupied in March, 1914; its cost was $50,150.44. Bonds had been voted for $60,000, but the lowest bidder took the contract for the amount above mentioned. In 1922 the total indebtedness of the district was $63,400; tax rate fifteen and one-half mills ; monthly payroll of teachers, $3.512.10, and janitors, $210 per month.
Almost every prominent religious denomination in America has active representation in this borough, except these four-the Presbyte- rian, Congregational, Christian Science and Jewish faiths; none of them
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are found here. Nearly all of the churches have fine comfortable homes of their own where they worship God according to the dictates of their own conscience, with none to molest or make them afraid.
The Methodist Episcopalians organized here in 1870, when the place only had four hundred population and no church building. In 1871 Dr. Jacobs donated a lot on which the first church was erected in 1872, Rev. H. U. Sebring being pastor. The present fine building was dedicated June 5, 1921. The congregation now has a membership of 500 souls, more than a hundred more than there was of population in the borough fifty years ago. St. John's Reformed Church, organized about 1875, cornerstone of first church was laid October 15, 1876; present member- ship is 601.
Trinity Lutheran Church was formed in a regular way in 1881, the first services being held in May of that year. Lansdale Hall was the place they met for a long period. They next bought the old school building in 1887 and used that until in March, 1891, when their newly built edifice was consecrated, the service being in both English and German. An addition was made to this building which still serves the congregation, the membership of which is now 552, and is among the higher class of churches of this faith in this section.
The First Baptist Church was first started away back in North Wales by the Welsh settlers of the Upper Gwynedd Valley, and a hand- ful of Welsh people organized this church in a "green glad solitude" in a strange land. The date of this organization was 1719, and known as the Montgomery Baptist Church. Worship continued at the former place until a chapel was dedicated at Lansdale in March, 1885. A year later this became an independent church, having been set off from North Wales. There are now about four hundred members in this church.
Bethany United Evangelical Church was formed in 1894, under the leadership of Rev. D. G. Reinhold. Schwenkfelder Church, which dates back to the days of the Reformation, is represented at Lansdale by an organization established in 1918 and now has a membership of about one hundred. Rev. L. S. Hoffman is present pastor. The Sunday school has a membership of four hundred. Grace Evangelical Church was organized in the early seventies. The present edifice was built in 1875. Bethany United Evangelical and Immanuel Church sprang from this the mother church. Church of the Nazarene was organized July 24, 1919; in 1920 they built a church of their own and the society still prospers. Holy Trinity Episcopal Church held first services in Lans- dale in 1880, but no church was formed until 1886; Rev. J. H. Burton became rector in November, 1887. At a cost of $5,000 a church was erected in 1890; the rectory was built in 1903, costing $3,900. St. Stan- islaus Roman Catholic Church was organized about 1875. The following year money was raised, and in October, 1876, the "Old Church" was built.
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If there is a lodge organized in the country not represented in this borough, the writer is not properly informed. They are both secret and semi-secret and beneficiary in character. The spirit of fraternity, if carried on from lodge room to workshop and industry, will tend to pro- duce fellow community spirit that takes away the sting of competition and gives true joy to the brotherhoods. Among the lodges best known to the outsider are: American Legion (military), Knights of Malta, instituted in May, 1922; Loyal Order of Moose, instituted April, 1913; International Molders' Union, organized 1898; Order of Eastern Star, of the Masonic fraternity, instituted 1907; Improved Order of Red Men, chartered January 6, 1873, has a membership of about 200; Order of Independent Americans, formed 1893; Sons of Veterans, with mem- bership of fifty, formed in 1905; Lansdale Royal Arch Chapter of Ma- sons, instituted December 20, 1915, with membership in 1922 of 171. Another fraternity is styled the North Penn Forest, Cedars of Lebanon, instituted in 1920. Sons and Daughters of Liberty organized 1904 with thirty members, and now has more than 150 members. The member- ship prides itself on being for America first, last, and all the time. An- other popular order is the Patriotic Order Sons of America, which was organized in the borough in July, 1869, by fourteen members ; it now has a membership of three hundred. The Fraternal Order of Reindeer, instituted in 1920, with fifty membership. Knights of the Golden Eagle, organized in February, 1888; now has four hundred members, and dur- ing the flu epidemic paid out benefits amounting to $3,559. They own a fine hall and also own several houses which are rented. It is counted among the strongest orders in the borough. The Independent Order of Odd Fellows was instituted March 17, 1881, with twenty-two charter members. This too, is among the borough's strong, worthy orders. Lansdale Order of Moose was organized with a membership of thirty- five, in May, 1917. The Boy Scouts was organized here in the Baptist church in 1909, and later became strong and non-sectarian. It cleared away the forest and built a log cabin which showed the real boy skill and strength. The only thing that hinders their success is the narrow- ness sometimes exhibited by various religious denominations, which oppose their work.
North Wales-North Wales is about two miles from Lansdale, and was chartered in 1869; was taken from Gwynedd township. It is on the Sumneytown and Spring House road or turnpike. It is on high land, and has for its steam railway line the North Pennsylvania. Its popu- lation in 1880 was 673; in 1910 it had 1,710; and now has 2,300. It supports "The Record," a good local weekly newspaper ; has a lodge of Odd Fellows, which owns its own hall. In its form this borough is almost square. It was laid out by David Moyer in 1867. The Sumney- town pike was constructed through this section in 1848. The railroad
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divides the place into almost two equal portions. North Wales is twenty miles from Philadelphia and thirty-five from Bethlehem. Its name is a translation from the Welsh name Gwineth, of which Gwynedd is a corruption. The settlement at the Friends' meeting house was laid out before 1735. The completion of the North Pennsylvania railroad in 1856 laid the foundation for the present enterprising borough. In 1884 the value of all improved lands was $300,000; of unimproved lands $9,185. In 1884 there were located here a carriage factory, one foundry, two general merchants, one artist, three hotels, one bell foundry, one restaurant, two doctors, a dentist, two undertakers, one planing mill, a lumber yard, two harness shops, a shutter-bolt factory, three florists, a carpet weaver, a hardware store, a marble yard, two barbers, and a printing office in which was printed the "North Wales Record." There was also an "Academy of Business," conducted by Professor H. U. Brunner (see Educational chapter).
The present borough officers are: Adam Schmehl, burgess; Charles Anderman, clerk; Harley Swartley, treasurer. The present bonded indebtedness is $40,000, all of which is for sewer placed in position recently. The churches here represented by good membership are the Reformed, Lutheran, Baptist, Methodist Episcopal, Episcopal, and Roman Catholic. (See Church chapter for details of some of these denominations.) The leading hotels are the North Wales, by the pres- ent burgess, Adam Schmehl, and another on Main street. The manu- facturing plants include these: The Asbestos Packing Company, North Wales Machine and Foundry Company (King Brothers), the Asbestos Spinning Company ; Acorn Web Works, Gilmore Company, automobile accessories, the E. Sutro & Sons Hosiery Company, two planing mills, the North Wales Florist Company, working fifty men and said to be one of the largest in America under one glass skylight.
Narberth-This borough, in the extreme southeastern portion of the county, was incorporated January 21, 1895, and has doubled its popula- tion within a few years, it now having 3,705, according to late returns for school purposes. It is chiefly a handsome residential district, a suburb of the nearby city of Philadelphia. It is situated on the Pennsyl- vania railroad, with a rapid electric car means of transportation to and from the surrounding boroughs and the city proper. Its bonded indebt- edness in January, 1922, was $77,500. A large, modern high school building was erected in 1918, and on account of this, bonds to the amount of $55,000 were floated. The local newspaper is the one styled "Our Town," a weekly, and conducted in the interest of a good commu- nity that appreciates its weekly visitations. The churches are: Baptist, Methodist Episcopal, Roman Catholic, Presbyterian, and Evangelical Lutheran. All have good edifices except the last named, and they are to build a good edifice the coming season. The present borough officers
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are as follows: Carl B. Metzger, chief burgess; Edwin P. Dold, treas- urer; Fletcher W. Stites, solicitor; Raymond C. Jones, tax-collector ; George B. Suplee, street commissioner ; J. Taylor Darlington, building inspector. The president of the Council is W. R. D. Hall; secretary is Charles V. Noel; and other members of council are Hugh Brown, E. C. Griswold, Daniel Leitch, A. P. Redifer, Walton M. Wentz. Municipal affairs have always been well administered.
POTTSTOWN-NEW Y. M. C. A. BUILDING-HIGH STREET EAST FROM HANOVER-INDUSTRIAL PLANTS
CHAPTER XXX.
BOROUGHS: POTTSTOWN-PENNSBURG-ROYERSFORD- RED HILL-ROCKLEDGE-SOUDERTON-WEST TELFORD-TRAPPE-WEST CONSHOHOCKEN.
Pottstown-This borough stands on the north side of that majestic river, the Schuylkill, just below the mouth of the Manatawny creek, twenty miles from Norristown and thirty-seven from Philadelphia. Two hundred and sixty acres were taken from Pottsgrove township to form the borough with. The date of its organization was 1815, and it was first after Norristown to become an incorporated borough. It has a frontage of three-fourths of a mile on the river. It stands surrounded by many highly improved farms. The scenery is beautiful. The streets are laid out at right angles and are highly improved by all that is mod- ern. As to the population at various periods, in 1830 it contained only 676 inhabitants; in 1840 it was 721; in 1850 it was 1,664; in 1860 had reached 2,380; in 1880 it was placed at 5,305 ; while to-day it is in excess of 19,000.
Before the Revolution, the vicinity supported two good flouring mills, and had twenty residences. In 1858 there were fifty-eight stores and other places of business, two rolling mills, and the gas plant. The earliest public improvement was the construction of the old stone bridge over Manatawny creek, over which the turnpike goes. This was com- pleted in 1806. For a number of years this bridge was a toll bridge. The Hanover street bridge was erected in 1820-21, total cost only $14,000. It served until the great freshet of 1850, when it was washed away. Two years later it was rebuilt at a cost of $12,000, and was five feet higher than the former structure. The bridge in the lower part of the borough was constructed by a company in 1867 at a cost of thirty thousand dollars. The Perkiomen & Reading Turnpike Company was chartered in 1810, commenced in 1811 and was fully completed in 1815. It is twenty-nine miles long, and cost $7,000 per mile. The canal was completed by a private corporation in 1824, and runs on the opposite side of the Schuylkill river from Pottstown. The Reading & Philadel- phia railroad was completed between these two cities in 1839. It was not finished to Pottsville until 1842.
This borough was legalized by an act of the Legislature dated Feb- ruary 6, 1815. The first officers elected were: Robert Mcclintock, burgess ; John Hester, Jacob Lesher, William Lesher, Jesse Ives, Henry Boyer, William Mintzer and Thomas P. May were elected councilmen. The borough has usually been governed by prudent, careful but pro- gressive citizens who knew how to provide for the future wants of what was destined to become a large city. The borough has an area of five
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square miles ; a population of 19,000; property valuation of $12,000,000; three steam railroads-the Philadelphia & Reading, the Pennsylvania, and a branch of the Philadelphia & Reading-the "Colebrookdale." There are three newspapers, for which see Press chapter in this work. The water supply of Pottstown is inexhaustible, coming as it does from the Schuylkill river a mile above the borough borders and conveyed in pipes to modern filtering basins. It is of excellent quality. The bor- ough is thoroughly illuminated with both electric and gas plants, both not only give light but power as well, and are much utilized as fuel for domestic and other heating purposes. There are twenty-two modern school buildings, comprising sixty-six schools, with an attendance of 2,800 pupils presided over by eighty-six professors and teachers. The banks are treated in a special chapter. The bonded indebtedness of Pottstown is not far from $144,000. There are many fraternal and benevolent organizations for the Christian relief of poor and destitute citizens. Of the charitable institutions of the borough it may be said that the Associated Charities, the King's Daughters, the Pottstown Hos- pital, and the Homeopathic Hospital, two of the finest equipped institu- tions of their kind in Eastern Pennsylvania, ably managed by a band of noble women and boards of trustees, assisted by first class medical staffs, together with more than a score of trained nurses. The various churches include these: Saint Aloysius, Roman Catholic; Saint John the Baptist, Greek Catholic; Polish Catholic, St. Paul's Reformed, St. Peter's Evangelical Lutheran ; Methodist Episcopal, Searles Memorial Method- ist Episcopal, Trinity United Evangelical, Trinity Reformed, United Brethren in Christ, and Zion Reformed Church; First Baptist, Episco- pal, Presbyterian, Friends, Holiness Christian Church, Mercy and Truth Synagogue, Church of Brethren, African Methodist Episcopal, and others, making about twenty-five in all. The civic fraternal societies include the various Masonic lodges, the Odd Fellows, Knights of Colum- bus, Railway Brotherhood of Trainmen, Grand Army of the Republic, and American Legion, with Spanish-American War Veterans' Associ- ation.
The present borough officers are inclusive of these: Chief burgess, John K. Klink; president of council, Henry D. Reed; clerk of council, M. L. Seasholtz; treasurer, Jonathan Y. Keck; surveyor, Ralph E. Shaner ; collector of taxes, Daniel W. Reigner; high constable, William Dechant. During the present year it is designed to erect a city hall costing between $65,000 and $75,000. It will stand where now stands the old red brick structure, so long out of date for a modern city.
Industries here are found in large numbers and immense is the annual output from the various manufacturing plants, some of which date away back far into the past. These factories include boiler manu- facturers, brewing plant, brick manufacturers, bridge-builders, fire- brick kilns, foundry and machine shops, Keystone Foundry Company,
POTTSTOWN CHURCHES-ST. ALOYSIUS R. C., FIRST BAPTIST, AND SEARLES MEMORIAL M. E.
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Light Manufacturing and Foundry Company, the Pottstown Brass Works, harness factories, hosiery factories, iron fencing factory, two iron and steel makers, steel plate plants, Warnick Iron & Steel Com- pany, Pottstown Machine Company, the Standard Foundry and Machine Company, malleable iron castings, granite ironware works, extensive paint manufacturing concerns, large paper box factory, two planing mills, rubber tire makers-the Hydro United Tire Company, and the National Rubber Company; six shirt factories, three silk factories, two large stove-making plants, and two underwear manufacturing plants, all doing a thriving business, with large payrolls and a rapidly increasing business.
That the reader may know something of the immense amount of products and their output value, the following is taken from returns to the Department of Internal Affairs: The 1921 valuation on all indus- trial products of the borough was $20,508,400; total number of plants, seventy-five ; persons employed, 4,308; wages paid, $3,502,900; capital invested, $14,862,600. The metal products amounted that year to more than one-half of all, $12,968,300. The amounts in value of classified productions were as follows: Textile, $3,105,300; leather and rubber goods, $2,390,000; building and contracting, $351,240; chemicals, $136,- 000; clay, glass and stone, $10,600; beverages, $64,700; lumber, $85,700; paper and printing, $183,900 ; tobacco products, $149,100; sundries, $47,- 900 ; food and kindred articles, $1,014,600. Some of the quantities pro- duced of various articles were as follows: 27,300 pounds of confection- ery ; 312,000 gallons of ice cream ; 9,033 tons of ice ; 327,787 rubber tires and tubes; 598,939 dozens of shirts; 1,914 tons of iron and steel bars; 115,000 tons of pig iron ; 17,318 tons of steel and iron plate.
About the close of the Revolution, General Arthur St. Clair having purchased one of the confiscated properties of John Potts, Jr., one of the justices of the courts, he removed hither and made it his residence about 1783, when he held office of member of the State council of censors. While here he was elected to Congress, November 2, 1785, and made president of that body February 2, 1787, which position he held until the expiration of his term, the following 28th of November. In 1786 he became a member of the American Philosophical Society, in Philadel- phia. He was appointed Governor of the Northwestern Territory Feb- ruary I, 1788, to which he shortly after removed.
In accordance with the recommendation of the President of the United States, the citizens of Pottstown and vicinity assembled January 13, 1800, to pay their tribute of respect to the memory of General Wash- ington, who had died in the previous month. A bier, with a coffin, was carried in the procession, followed by Captain Mcclintock's company of infantry and several other military and civil organizations, who pro- ceeded to the old Brick Church, where a funeral sermon was preached in English by the Rev. John Armstrong, of the Episcopal church, and in
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German by Rev. L. F. Herman, of the Reformed congregation. The pallbearers on this occasion were David Potts, William Mayberry, Wil- liam Potts, Robert E. Hobart and Robert May.
A century and more ago in Pottstown runs thus : Post office was estab- lished near the end of 1793 and Jacob Barr was appointed postmaster. This was the first post office established in Montgomery county. It was at first known as Pottsgrove post office, but in 1829 changed to Potts- town. It became a presidential office March II, 1865.
Pennsburg-This borough is one mile to the east from the borough of East Greenville, a station on the old Perkiomen railroad and the Green Lane and Goshenhoppen turnpike. It is twenty-three miles from Read- ing Junction and forty-eight from Philadelphia. The history of how it obtained its name is far too long and intricate to go into in this connec- tion, but suffice to say that at first it was known as Heiligsville, after a large family living in the community before the platting was made. Several brothers named Heilig had settled here and erected for them- selves houses. Several meetings were held, at which the matter of naming a village was discussed. Finally, the proceedings of one of these meetings was ordered published in the "Bauern Freund," then pub- lished at Sumneytown. The name Pennsburg was finally settled on by a majority of the residents. At the time, which was in 1843, there were a dozen houses, including a small country store; these were scattered along the road. There was a blacksmith and carpenter shop, but as yet no tavern. In 1847 a large two story hotel was erected by George Graber and forever after known as the Pennsburg hotel. Many years before this there had been a post office established at a private house owned by Aaron Griesemer, known as Upper Hanover Post Office. The name was changed to Pennsburg in 1850.
Coming down to more recent times, it may be said that this bor- ough has been well administered by a wise and thoughtful council. Its present (1923) borough officers are as follows: Dr. W. H. Hunsberger, burgess ; John E. Christman, president of the council; Elmer B. Staudt, secretary of council ; M. K. Gilbert, treasurer. The names of the coun- cilmen are: Messrs. Osborne Young, H. Young, Horace K. Kulp, Fos- ter C. Hillegass, Charles A. Hamman, Charles Nase. The borough owns its own electric lighting plant, which was installed a few years ago at an expense of $16,000, raised by floating bonds. The plant was a suc- cess from the first and is now valued at $100,000. The borough has its own municipal hall and fire department buildings. There is now an eight-room public schoolhouse which well cares for the children of the place. The churches found here now are the Reformed and St. Mark's Lutheran. The name of the spicy local newspaper is "Town and Coun- try," established in 1899 (see Press chapter for its history). In con- nection with the public school is the Carnegie Public Library, in which
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all citizens take a just pride and make good use of the books on its shelves.
It is estimated the present population is not far from 1,400. The chief industries here are manufacturing plants as follows: The Eureka Silk Ribbon Mills, Perkiomen Trunk and Traveling Bag Factory ; Penns- burg Wooden Novelty Works; Pennsburg Moulding and Flooring Mills; the Perkiomen Paper Mills; a factory for making men's trousers for the wholesale trade; and a shirt factory. These with three cigar factories and a cigar-box factory, with the Lohr Broom factory, employ a considerable number of workmen. The borough has a theatre and offices of the Pennsburg Mutual Fire Insurance Company.
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