USA > Pennsylvania > Berks County > School history of Berks County in Pennsylvania : by Morton L. Montgomery > Part 7
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Roads .- Paths extended through this section of country long before Reading was laid out. The "Ford " was a central point for the Indians. . Na- ture would seem to have selected the site for a town rather than the Penns. Accessible water may have induced the Penns to select it; but Nature-the great index to many things, which so strangely re- main hidden from our perception until revealed to us by time and experience-formned the ford that be- came the terminus of different roads, and this natu- rally directed the tendency to formulate a town. Roads anteceded railroads as a sure means towards the rapid development of a community. The sev- eral roads from Reading extended in seven direc- tions. They were laid out in the years named ; but they were traveled for some years before :
,
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SCHOOL HISTORY OF BERKS COUNTY.
Tulpehocken
1727
-
Oley . . 1727
Maiden-creek · 1745
Alsace Church · 1753
Neversink . . 1753
N
MAIDEN-CREEK.
CENTRE TURNPIKE.
ALSACE CHURCH.
W
E
SCHUYLKILL.
FORD
TOLPEHOCKEN.
FERRY
SCHUYLKILL.
FERRY.
NEVERSINK.
OLEY.
ALSACE
LANCASTER.
RIVER
Turnpikes .- The Berks and Dauphin Turnpike was constructed on the Tulpehocken road in 1816 and 1817; the Perkiomen Turnpike on the Oley road from 1811 to 1815, branching off to the south at the Black Bear Inn ; the Oley Turnpike in 1862, from the Black Bear Inn to Pleasantville, branch- ing off to the east at Jacksonwald ; the Centre Turnpike on the Maiden-creek road from 1805 to 1812, following the Schuylkill River above Berkley. The last named turnpike was abandoned in 1884.
Schuylkill 1750
Lancaster . 1762
LABOR AND INTERNAL IMPROVEMENTS. 107
Short turnpikes are maintained in Amnity and Hereford townships ; in the former, from Douglass- ville via *Amityville to Yellow House, five miles long; and in the latter, in three directions from Treichlerville, altogether five miles long. The total length of turnpikes in the county is about fifty-three miles.
Stages .- The public stage over these roads was introduced in 1789. It first traveled weekly between Reading and Philadelphia for the transportation of passengers and letters. Afterward stage lines were extended to the west and southwest, north and northeast; and they were continued until they had to be abandoned by reason of railroad competition, for the stage-coach could not compete with the rail- road train, or horse-power with steam-power. In this respect, as in others, the fittest and strongest survived. Stages continue to run in nine different directions from Reading to districts of the county not reached by railroad, and carry passengers, mer- chandise, and mail.
Railroads .- The railroads were established as fol- lows, all extending from Reading :
Southeast to Philadelphia 1838 Southwest to Lancaster . 1864
North to Pottsville , 1842 South to Wilmington . . 1874
West to Lebanon 1857 North to Slatington . . . 1874
Northeast to Allentown . 1859
The Colebrookdale Railroad from Barto via Boy- ertown to Pottstown was opened for travel in 1869 ; and the Kutztown Branch from Topton to Kutztown in 1870.
The Pennsylvania Schuylkill Valley road was
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SCHOOL HISTORY OF BERKS COUNTY.
constructed from Philadelphia to Reading in 1883- 84, and to Hamburg and Pottsville, in 1885-86.
The total length of railroads in the county is about 160 iniles.
Progress of Locomotion .- Reading had been an active inland town, and public roads had been laid out extending in all directions, for nearly forty years, before the inhabitants were afforded a means of transportation by public conveyance at regular intervals, to the surrounding settlements and towns both near and distant. We are naturally inclined to wonder what subjects occupied the attention of its enterprising men to such an extent as to hinder them from devising so important and yet apparently so simple a thing as a stage for the accommodation of the public in respect to travel, soon after a con- siderable population had settled in the town, say in 1770. People generally, and business men espe- cially, moved about from place to place to a greater or less extent. Some had their own conveyances ; but the majority had not. Progress was, therefore, necessarily slow without an accommodation of this kind, and considerable time had to pass away be- fore any perceptible improvement was realized. Elsewhere the stage-coach was then a useful insti- tution and in successful operation. At Philadel- phia, just 50 miles to the southeast, it had been in use 40 years before Reading was laid out.
The stage was first introduced on the great high- way between Reading and Philadelphia in 1789. Several years afterward, stage-lines were extended to the west through Lebanon Valley to Harrisburg,
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LABOR AND INTERNAL IMPROVEMENTS. 109
to the north over the Blue and Broad Mountains to Sunbury, and to the northeast through East Penn Valley to Easton. At first weekly trips were made ; afterward, as public demands required, they gradu- ally became semi-weekly, tri-weekly, and event- ually daily, the last having been reached in 1826- a period in the development of our local affairs about as long after the introduction of the stage as it was to obtain it after the settlement of the town in 1751. When the daily stages ran to and fro, trade and travel were lively. Their constant and increasing activity provoked competition. In order to "make time," "relays" for fresh horses were established at points along the lines every 6 miles, and the horses were urged onward over hills and dales under the twirling, cracking lash. How the coaches must have rocked on their leathern sup- ports ! how the horns, blasted by long-winded drivers, must have sounded on the way in announc- ing their approach ! The highest point of competi- tion was reached in 1830. The fares had been cut to half their reg- ular rates, and * stage-coaches had come to fly over the turn- pikes at a gallop -especially to the southeast and west-even racing side by side at times to reach prominent places first. Then the Court-House on Penn Square was the prominent point of observation in town to witness arrivals. Betting on first arrivals of competing
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SCHOOL HISTORY OF BERKS COUNTY.
stages was frequently practiced. It was common to see fifty and even a hundred persons assembled there, to receive the stages with a welcome of shouts and applause.
What times indeed ! Men now, who are beyond the middle age of life, inform us that the times were better then than now, because more real business life prevailed through individual enterprise, and be- cause men had equal chances in their efforts for traffic and success. But legislation was then devis- ing, if it had not already devised, a new and pow- erful competitor, and it was unwittingly creating a great inequality among the several agencies in this department of intercourse. And this competitor was the corporation. It did not take hold of the stage-coach as an institution worthy of its genius. But it had taken hold of the turnpike, and after- ward of the canal, and had struggled hard with them through many years till they were put into practical and successful operation. And these were hardly given an opportunity to display their utility before it developed the railroad, with steam as a pro- pelling power.
Hauling over steep hills and bad roads was slow and tedious, but it was not discouraging. The early settlers kept themselves and their strong teams at it in spite of hills and roads and weather. Nav- igation was recommended, but it was generally deemed impracticable. Efforts were made to intro- duce it, but progress was very slow, if not imper- ceptible. A discovery, however, beyond the moun- tains led to a change, and by it, physical energy
LABOR AND INTERNAL IMPROVEMENTS. 111
was to be somewhat relieved. One of the great elements of nature was to be substituted in the place of the common road and turnpike, in order to sat- isfy the demands of trade as developed by this dis- covery-water was to become a highway, and the boat a conveyance.
In the upper regions of the Schuylkill, coal had been discovered as early as 1770 ; but it was not mined successfully till the lapse of forty years later. After it began to be mined in large quantities, the ordinary wagon, capable of holding but a few tons, became impracticable for the purpose of carrying it many miles over mountains and through gorges. This process was laborious, slow, and costly. A way had to be found to make its transportation much less laborious and costly, and to hasten its delivery. This way was afforded soon afterward by the Schuylkill Navigation Com- pany. It came with the demand. It began to carry coal, lumber, merchandise, and produce in 1818; and every year, for several decades afterward, demonstrated its great utility. Its traffic increased from hundreds of tons to hundreds of thousands. The canal extended along the Schuylkill from Mount Carbon to Phila- delphia, a distance of 108 miles, and was finished for traffic from one end to the other in 1824. Its success stimulated a similar enterprise through the Lebanon Valley from the Schuylkill to the Susque-
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SCHOOL HISTORY OF BERKS COUNTY.
hanna. This latter scheme for a highway by navi- gation had been projected more than fifty years before, but it was not completed till shortly after- ward. It needed a great staple to hasten its devel- opment and construction. It found this in lumber, and it came to be equally successful for a period.
But the development of the country grew beyond navigation. The demands of the former exceeded the capacities of the latter. So a new agent had to be supplied to satisfy the one by taking the place of the other. This was found in steam. It would appear that this great motive-power camne to us just when it was a necessity. How frequently discov- eries succeed each other in a natural order to favor the development, the convenience, the enrichment, and the improve- ment of a country ! Steam required a railroad ; and the railroad was sup- plied. Its construc- tion began in the county in 1835, and it was finished from Philadelphia to Reading in 1838, and to Pottsville in 1842. What a step for- ward this was-a step to speed, to ease, to power ! What was the horse in a coach or boat by the side of steam on a firm railroad track, which the seasons could not render precarious or impassable-even four- in-hand, fresh every six miles, flying under a lash
-
LABOR AND INTERNAL IMPROVEMENTS. 113
and speeding before a horn! Naturally, the stage business passed away with the introduction of this new agent, a factor in our daily life which wind or weather, heat or cold, could not affect, and which was tireless and irresistible ; and in time the canal came to be similarly affected.
County Buildings .- The county buildings com- prise the Court-House, Prison, "State-House, " and Poor-House.
The first Court-House of the county was erected in 1762, at the intersection of Penn Square and Callowhill (now 5th) Street. It was built of stone, plastered, and marked off in imitation of cut stone ; and it was surrounded by a brick pavement. The first floor was arranged in one large room for the "courts," and the second floor in three rooms. The steeple on the building contained a bell and town-clock. The bell was cast in England in 1763 especially for the county. The town-clock was a thirty-hour clock, imported from London about 1755.
The floor of the court-room was laid with brick. Benches were arranged on inclined platforms along the southern and eastern walls, but the seating capacity was limited. The dimensions of the room were about 40 by 50 feet. The "Bench" was arranged along the northern wall ; the "Bar" was enclosed by a semi-circular railing, the ends of which extended to the wall on both sides of the "Bench ;" and the "jury-box " was situated in the northwest corner of the room. The "court- crier " was a prominent figure by reason of the elevation of his seat near the centre of the room ; 8
1
114 SCHOOL HISTORY OF BERKS COUNTY.
--
---
------
--
. P. det.
PREISS BROS
READING .PA
THE OLD COURT-HOUSE, 1762-1840.
LABOR AND INTERNAL IMPROVEMENTS. 115
and his hickory pole was an object of much attrac- tion during an exciting trial; for, he would not only cry out "Silence !" to restore order, but he would also raise his pole, as if fishing for the dis- turber of the peace, and drop the end of it on his pate, if within reach. This performance was known to cause disturbance at times instead of re- storing order.
Crier and the Boys .- Upon a certain occasion, several boys found their way into the crowded court-room, attracted by some unusual trial, and not being able to get a seat anywhere on the benches, they climbed to the top of a pile of sawed- wood, which was arranged on the western side of the room, behind a ten-plate stove. For a time they were quiet and looked on attentively ; but, boy-like, they soon lost interest in the trial and began to pass remarks about the gray-haired old man with the long hickory pole. Naturally, they proceeded from the serious to the ridiculous, and from quiet amuse- ment they crossed the line into snickering. The watchful crier, observing their levity, thrust his pole suddenly after their heads, when great confu- sion followed ; for the boys, in dodging the pole, caused the wood-pile to separate and they slid to the floor unceremoniously with the top pieces roll- ing after them. "Silence ! Silence !" the crier cried aloud, to stay the increasing laughter through- out the room ; and upon restoring order he glanced around with look profound, but the boys were non est, for during the excitement they had stealthily disappeared.
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SCHOOL HISTORY OF BERKS COUNTY.
The Town-Clock and " Yorrick."-The town- clock was remarkable for a peculiarity which gave it a local reputation, and that was persistently con- tinuing out of order, notwithstanding frequent re- pairs ; and the common talk, after it had lost the confidence of the community, was that it was " verhexed " [bewitched]. About the year 1820, the clock seemed to take a freak of striking irregu- larly, and "Yorrick," the janitor,* became much concerned; so much, indeed, that he expressed him- self in a manner more forcible than elegant. His profanity amused some of the wags of that day, and they determined to break him of this bad habit, if possible. So, after dusk on a certain Winter's night, one of them stole his way to the belfry of the Court-House, and, attaching one end of a ball of twine to the tongue or "clapper" of the bell, he threw the ball to an accomplice on the street below, who then stretched the twine to the lower gable end of the eastern market-house, where he fastened it ready for the proposed experiment, that they together might put "Yorrick " truly in a fix, and if not, then worse out of fix. At eight o'clock the bell struck as usual, but, instead of stopping at "eight," it continued until it had struck "eigh- teen." The news of this "hexerei" [witchery] was soon communicated from store to store and from dwelling to dwelling, and shortly afterward many of the towns-folk gathered about the Court- House, manifesting apparently much concern over * A tall, stout man, inclined to be humorous, whose name was George Fix. "Yorrick " is the German pronunciation for George.
LABOR AND INTERNAL IMPROVEMENTS. 117
the extraordinary occurrence. "Vorrick " was then at his post as watchman of the "Branch Bank " [now Union Bank] and hearing the com- motion in the "Square" before him, he could not remain in the building unconcerned.
Accordingly, he went over to the Court-House to see what was the matter, and, to his surprise, he found already gathered there many excited people, both old and young, who laughingly teased him about the " Hex im Thurm," [witch in the steeple] and said that he was afraid to make an examina- tion. In spite of doubts and fears, he took a lighted lantern and climbed the stairway to the bell; but nothing was seen and all was still; and this stillness continued until he had reached the main doorway below, when, to his amazement, the striking began again, the bystanders counting aloud from "one," "two," to "twenty-two." "Yorrick " could not master himself ; so, flying into a passion and uttering several profane exple- tives, he yelled,
"Zwei und zwanzig ? - Kann net sei ! Narrheit des, net hexerei !" *
After thus expressing himself, he turned to revisit the steeple, when the clock began to strike again ; not, however, as before, slow and regular, but in quick succession as if the bell had indeed become possessed of an unnatural spirit. Excited beyond measure, and burning with rage, he hurried aloft, there to find the " clapper " moving quickly before
* "Two and twenty ?- Cannot be ! Folly this, not witchery !"
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SCHOOL HISTORY OF BERKS COUNTY.
him and striking "Ding-dang-dong !"-"Ding- dang-dong ! ! "
A single glance and all was clear ; and perceiving the cause, he seized the twine and felt the wag pulling at the other end. "Yorrick" was not cured ; but the experiment added another incident to the many humors of that day. And now, though three-score years have passed, of all the amusing stories told about our "Olden Times," there's none with interest surpassing that of "The Town-clock and Yorrick."
Previous to 1762 for ten years, the county justices had held the sessions of court in a room at a town- inn. There were no rooms in the building for the county officials. Five offices of the county were vested in one individual for upward of twenty years. The public offices were opened in February, 1766; but in what building is not known. This Court- House was used for hearing and determining crimi- nal and civil matters until 1840. But its smallness and inconvenient arrangement had been felt seri- ously for many years. It was torn down in 1841.
The present Court-House was erected during the years 1838, 1839, and 1840, at a cost of $60,000; and extensions were added in 1869 and 1888. The steeple is 142 feet high.
The "State-house" was erected in 1793 to ac- commodate the county officials, and was occupied by them until 1840. It was a fine two-story brick building and stood on the northeast corner of 5th and Penn Streets. It was destroyed by fire in 1871.
The first County Prison was erected in 1770, on
LABOR AND INTERNAL IMPROVEMENTS. 119
the northeast corner of 5th and Washington Streets. It was a two-story stone, plastered building. The second floor was in four compartments, used for prisoners. It was sold in 1849 and converted into a store. The present prison was erected on the "Commons " in 1847 and 1848, at a cost of $17,000. The tower is 96 feet high. An addition was built to it in 1869. The whole number of cells is 94, arranged in two stories.
The Poor-house was founded by the county au- thorities in 1824. The "Main Building" was erected in 1825; the "Insane Asylum" in 1837; and the. "Hospital " in 1871. The property com- prises mostly farming land, in area over 400 acres.
Postal Service .- The first attempt to systematize and regulate postal communication in the American colonies was made by the British government in 1660. And this subject received the attention of William Penn shortly after his arrival in Pennsyl- vania, he having, in July, 1683, issued an order for the establishment of a post-office at Philadelphia. The postal facilities, however, in that early period, were only such as were afforded by personal accom- modation among the colonists. In 1692 the rate of postage to and from Philadelphia, within a radius of 80 miles, was four pence halfpenny.
British Service .- The office of Postmaster-Gen- eral for America was created by Parliament in 1704. Shortly afterward stage-coaches were introduced to run between Boston and Philadelphia. In 1737 Benjamin Franklin was appointed postmaster at Philadelphia, and in 1753 Deputy Postmaster-Gen-
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SCHOOL HISTORY OF BERKS COUNTY.
eral. The delivery of letters by the penny post be- gan in the latter year; and also the practice of ad- vertising letters which remained in the office at Philadelphia. In 1774 Franklin became obnoxious to the British government, and he was therefore dis- missed. This caused private arrangements to be made for carrying letters, and, as a consequence, the postal service did not contribute any revenue to the British treasury.
United States Service .-- In 1775 the colonies es- tablished their own postal department, and in that year Benjamin Franklin was unanimously chosen Postmaster-General. This was an important action in connection with the movement for independence. In 1792 rates of postage were established according to distance, which remained unchanged for over 50 years.
Reading Office Established .- Within a year after- ward, the first post-office in the county was estab- lished at Reading. This was on March 20, 1793. The department had been in practical existence for nearly 20 years. The population of the borough was large and business transactions were numerous ; but correspondence was limited. Letters had been carried for several years previously by a private stage-line to Philadelphia and Harrisburg, at the rate of three pence postage; and about the year 1800 they began to be carried to Sunbury once a week on horseback, and to Lancaster and Easton once a week in a private two-horse carriage. After the stage- coach had become a fixed mode of transportation for people and light articles of merchandise, at regular
LABOR AND INTERNAL IMPROVEMENTS. 121
intervals, postal matter began to be carried by them from place to place. The mails were carried by stages till the introduction of the railway ; then passenger trains were substituted.
Offices in County .- The first post-office in the county was established at Reading in 1793; the second at Hamburg in 1798 ; the third at Kutztown in 1805; the fourth at Morgantown in 1806; the fifth at Womelsdorf in 1807; and the sixth at Rehrersburg in 1818; these six having been intro- duced in the first 25 years. In the next 25 years there were 33 established; in the next, 58; and from 1868 till 1889, 41. The post-offices in the county now number 138 ; which are distributed as follows :
Eastern Division-88.
Western Division-50.
Manatawny section . 48
Ontelaunee section · 40 - Schuylkill section
Tulpehocken section . . . 32
Stamps .- No postage stamps were issued by the National government until August, 1847, when two denominations were issued-5-cent and Io-cent. The idea of using postage stamps was first suggested in 1841. Previously postage had been collected en- tirely in money ; and in all cases prepayment was optional. The two denominations mentioned con- tinued in use four years; then new denominations -I-cent and 3-cent appeared; and shortly after- ward others for 5, 10, 12, 24, 30, and 90 cents. In 1861 this series was called in and a new series issued. In 1863 the first 2-cent stamps appeared; which was to accommodate local postage. In 1869 another series was substituted. Designs of persons on stamps,
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SCHOOL HISTORY OF BERKS COUNTY.
in honor of distinguished representative men of our country, had been in use from their first introduc- tion, particularly of Franklin and Washington.
Telegraph .- In 1844 the telegraph was success- fully introduced for transmitting messages by elec- tricity. The first message was sent through a wire elevated on poles between Washington and Balti- more, May 27, 1844. Congress had in March pre- viously appropriated #30,000 to Prof. Morse for the purpose of enabling him to make experiments with his instrument to demonstrate the practicability of his invention.
A company was incorporated under the name of Philadelphia, Reading, and Pottsville Telegraph Company in 1847, for the purpose of maintaining telegraph lines between Philadelphia, Reading, and Pottsville ; and commissioners were appointed to effect an organization of the company. The com- pany was organized in April, 1847, and the tele- graph line was successfully established shortly after- ward. Communication was completed between Philadelphia and Reading on May 10, 1847, and the first message then forwarded to Reading related to the Mexican War. This line has been maintained since. Upon the construction and operation of the other railroads running from Reading, telegraph lines were extended to Harrisburg, Allentown, Col- umbia, Lancaster, Wilmington, and Slatington.
The American Telegraph Company introduced a line of telegraph here in 1863, and the Western Union Telegraph Company in 1865. These two then formed a union ; and the lines have been oper- ated since under the latter name.
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The Lehigh Telegraph Company opened an office at Reading in 1880. Its lines were transferred to the "Bankers' and Merchants' Telegraph Com- pany " in 1884.
Telephone .- The telephone was introduced in Reading in 1879. A system of communication in the city was carried on for a year, when a stock com- pany was formed for the purpose of maintaining telephone lines and exchanges in Berks, Montgom- ery, Schuylkill, and Lebanon Counties, under the name of East Pennsylvania Telephone Company. In 1883 the lines were transferred to the Pennsyl- vania Telephone Company, and this company has operated them since.
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