Historical Society of Montgomery County

Transcription

E
BULLETIN
HISTORICAL SOCIETY
MONTGOMERY COUNTY
PENNSYLVANIA
JVONR/STOWN
PUBLISHED BY THE SOCIETY
AT IT5 ROOM5 18 EAST PENN STREET
NORRISTOWN.PA.
APRIL, 1949
VOLUME VI
NUMBER 4
PRICE ONE DOLLAR
Historical Society of Montsomery County
OFFICERS
Kirke Bryan, Esq., President
George K. Brecht, Esq., First Vice-President
Foster C. Hillegass, Second Vice-President
David E. Groshens, Esq., Third Vice-President
Eva G. Davis, Recording Secretary
Helen E. Richards, Corresponding Secretary
Mrs. LeRoy Burris, Financial Secretary
Lyman a. "Kbatz,"Treasurer
Mrs. LeRoy Burris, Acting Librarian
TRUSTEES
Kirke Bryan, Esq.
Mrs. H. H. Francine
Donald A. Gallager, Esq.
H. H. Ganser
Nancy P. Highley
Foster C. Hillegass
Mrs. a. Conrad Jones
Hon. Harold G. Knight
Lyman A. Kratz ,
o
Douglas Macparlan, M.D.
Katharine Preston
Franklin A. Stickler
Mrs. James I. Wendell
Mrs. Franklin B. Wildman, Jr.
Norris D. Wright
Dale Furnace
THE BULLETIN
of the
• '
Historical Society of Montgomery County
Published Semi-Annually — October and Avril
Volume VI
April, 1949
Number 4
CONTENTS
/
The Charcoal Iron Industry in the Perkiomen Valley,
Alfred Gemmell 281
I
Neighborhood News and Notices
A Genealogical Nugget
Reports
(Compiled) 335
Charles R. Barker 354
'
359
Publication Committee
Mrs. LeRoy Burris
Jean Gottshall
Donald A. Gallager, Esq.
Charles R. Barker, Chairman
279
ERRATA
occurring in the October, 1948, number:
Page
183 For "Charcoal Industry," read "Charcoal Iron Industry."
189 line 6.
For "1688," read "1638."
U3 line 22. For "is," read "it."
214
Transfer first three lines, and insert them between last two lines on
page 213.
264 line 85.
Invert line.
275 line 2 from foot.
For "Jane Keplinger," read "Jane Keplinger
Burris."
280
The Charcoal Iron Industry in the Perkiomen Valley
By Alfred Gemmell
(continued from, page 258)
CHAPTER III
The Iron Workers
No story of the early iron industry would be complete if
it omitted the social aspects of its plantation life. A descrip
tion has already been made of the nature of the iron plantation,
with the workers' tenant houses grouped about the ironmas
ter's mansion, with its remote self-sufficiency, and with the
necessary combination of iron-making and agriculture. To
this outline must now be added the social picture of the work
ers, without whom the plantation could not have lived, pro
duced, or thrived.
To meet the need for commodities which could not be
produced in the home and garden, the larger Perkiomen Valley
iron plantations included a store operated by a clerk directly
responsible to the ironmaster. Some of the store's stock was
produced on the plantation, but much was of such import
nature that it had to be purchased in Philadelphia. A typical
entry referring to such a purchase is as follows: "Dec. 13, 1738
—Barnabas Rhodes Cr. By Hauling 1 Hoggs, Rum, 2 bushels
salt, 1 Barrell Tobacco, 1 cask Powder, and 1 Box hatts—From
Philadelphia—1/6/9."^ The merchandise was hauled from
the city in return for shipments of iron, which furnished the
wagons with a pay-load during the entire trip. Then, too, it
allowed a system of barter to operate, which was most con*Mount Pleasant MSS., Day Book, (1738-40), Historical Society of
Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania.
281
282 BULLETIN OF HISTORICAL SOCIETY OF MONTGOMERY COUNTY
venient in the days when hard money was scarce and the iron
master's risks made it difficult for him to obtain long credit
from the city merchants.
It is in the account books kept by the store clerks that a
wealth of information is revealed concerning the little every
day transactions so helpful in picturing life on the plantations.
Unfortunately, most of the records are lost for the Perkiomen
area, and those that have been located are fragmentary, cover
ing only brief periods of an establishment's history. Incom
plete as these accounts are, they furnish local facts on three
distinct periods: 1737 to 1750; 1799 to 1801; and 1827 to 1870.
Each of these will be considered separately.
The four manuscript volumes extant covering the "activi
ties of Mount Pleasant Furnace during the earlier (1737 to
1760) years of the Furnace's history shed light on social con
ditions at a very early time in Pennsylvania's iron-making
history.
A condition which seriously hampered the iron industry
throughout the eighteenth century was the acute shortage of
labor, especially skilled labor.^ Of the several classifications
of labor available to the Potts family, at least three were em
ployed at Mount Pleasant—free labor, indentured servants,
and Negroes. Free labor constituted the largest portion of the
workers, particularly those who were entrusted with respon
sibilities such as clerks, furnace keepers, potters, and founders.
The wages paid these men were commensurate with their free
status as well as their dependability and skill. The presence
of at least one redemptioner at Mount Pleasant is revealed in
the following ledger item: "April 7, 1741—Anthony Branaberger is Dr. for 10/3/10 paid Peter Robinson, mercht., for the
passage of you and your wife."®
While Negroes seldom held positions of responsibility at
a furnace, the shortage of labor compelled their employment
"Arthur C. Biningr, Pennsylvania Iron Manufacture in the Eighteenth
Century, pp. 108-109.
'Mount Pleasant MSS., Ledger A, p. 269, Historical Society of Penn
sylvania, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania.
THE CHARCOAL IRON INDUSTRY IN THE PERKIOMEN VALLEY
283
at many of the more menial tasks. Many were employed" as
forgemen and teamsters. A "Mulatto Joe" worked at Mount
Pleasant, being credited with having delivered stoves to
Thomas Potts, Sr., in 1739.* The acquisition of a colored boy
is recorded: "Thomas Mayberry—Cr. By a negro boy I Bought
of you for two tons Piggs. 11/—/—This item is also inter
esting in its revelation of bartering practices found in all early
account books dealing with the iron plantations. The Negroes
were generally well-treated in Pennsylvania. This may have
been due to the investment they represented, as much as "fifty
pounds being paid for a Negro in 1750." Both the Quakers and
the newly-arrived German immigrants, especially the latter,
were opposed to the use of slaves in Pennsylvania. This atti
tude undoubtedly prevented more widespread use of Negro
labor in the Perkiomen region.
In an area populated heavily by German immigrants.
Mount Pleasant Furnace records contain remarkably few
names of German extraction during the period under discus
sion. The following names, picked at random from the account
books, reveal a rather cosmopolitan group at Mount Pleasant:
Andrew Jack, Barnabas Rhodes, George Custard, Henry Letchaw, Robert Hogg, Anthony Branaberger, Thomas Yorke,
Joseph "Walker, John Patrick, David Buchard, Andrew Lind
say, William Dunn, and Benjamin Boone. Some of these were
workers at the furnace, but many were independent farmers
and patrons in the vicinity.
Business at the plantation store was carried on with the
use of very little actual money. Goods purchased were charged
against the worker's salary and noted in the day book. Bal
ances were sometimes transferred to ledgers as a better book
keeping practice, although often the day book contained the
only record of a customer's standing at the store. The workers
received little of their salary in specie or currency unless they
Day Book, p. 197.
Hbid., Ledger A, p. 58.
®A. G. Bining, op. ext., p. 115.
284 bulletin of hktorical society of Montgomery county
had a balance due them when they left the employ of the iron
master. This did not represent a severe hardship, for there
was little opportunity to spend money on the isolated plan
tation.
A vast quantity of food was consumed by the hard-work
ing population of the plantation, which often numbered several
hundreds. Most of the food, including meat, eggs, dairy prod
ucts, fruit, and grain, was produced on the farm associated
with the plantation. The ironmaster sold much of this produce
through the store, although the workers often worked small
patches or gardens near their tenant houses. This made them
more independent. Often the workers' wives would exchange
butter, poultry, eggs, or garden produce at the store in return
for such "city goods" as cloth, dyes, buttons, or that new "fine
hatt" for which there will ever be a feminine demand. The
larder was further supplemented by supplies of game and fish
which abounded in the forests and streams.
Something of the eating habits and food prices can be
learned from the following purchases made at the Mount
Pleasant store
Shillings
1 quart salt
1 Bushel wheat
.
2
3
1 quart molasses
1 bushel buckwheat
Pence
6
9
3
1 pound butter
8
6
1 quart milk
1
1
1
1
pound cheese
pound sugar
bushel potatoes
dozen eggs
2
5
6
6
^
It will be noted that import items such as molasses and
sugar were relatively prohibitive in price and must have repre
sented luxurious touches in the pioneer's diet.
The same source reveals that the workers' diet further
included parsnips, beans, onions, cucumbers, and cabbage. A
'Mount Pleasant MSS., Day-Book (1738 to 40), Historical Society of
Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania.
THE CHARCOAL IRON INDUSTRY IN THE PERKIOUEN VALLEY
285
meal cost four pence in 1738. While the above prices seem low
by present-day standards, a just comparison cannot be made
unless interpreted in tetms of the worker's income. A miner
who received two shillings (24 pence) a day would have been
able to purchase four pounds of sugar or butter at the plan
tation store with his daily wage. Even if his living were in
cluded, this wage would appear trifling to an industrial worker
of today.
The rigors of hard labor and strenuous living were too
often forgotten by recourse to heavy drinking. Drunkenness
sometimes led to damage to the furnace through neglect by
intemperate operators.® However, most ironmasters had to
yield to the custom and serve the stimulants at the store,
where, perhaps, they could better govern its consumption than
if their employees wandered off to the roadside taverns.
At Mount Pleasant store rum sold for 1 shilling 4 pence
a quart, while the same quantity of wine cost 2 shillings. Some
of the workers were steady customers as indicated by the fol
lowing: "To 1 m. [month], 16 days Small Beer During the
last Blast @—3/9 [s.-p.]"® Rum was consumed in quantify
by the workers who could not afford the more expensive liquors.
The following account is typical
Dr. William Dunn
Jxme 22—To 1 Hatt
July
3—^To 1 Mugg Milk
July
6—^To Rum 3, To
Benjamin Boone, 3/2 .
7—To 1 Mugg rye 8 d,
Rum 3 d, tobacco 4 d
9—To rum 3 (10) Rum 3,
Pounds
Shillings
Pence
5
Punch 8 tobacco 4 ...
July
July
Clubb 4
10
In addition to food and drink the workers purchased many
items of clothing at the store. Flax was raised and processed
®A. C. Bining, op. dt., p. 120.
®Mount Pleasant MSS., Ledger A (1787 to 39), p. 214.
p. 52.
286 BULLETIN OF HISTORICAL SOCIETY OF MONTGOMERY COUNTY
into homespun by the hard-working colonial housewife, but
for woolen and cotton goods, as well as small manufactured
items, it was necessary to deal at the store. Some of these
necessities were quite prohibitive in price, as can be judged
from the following:^*
1 pair stockings
1 blanket
,
Pounds
Shillings
-
6
Pence
6
-
6
-
1 Worsted Capp
-
4
-
1
1
1
1
1
1
-
15
3
14
10
10
-
-
2
hatt
handkerchief
Great Coat
silk handkerchief ...
beaver hat
1 pair trousers
-
6
Another source furnishes some comparisons in the cost
of different types of footgeal*
Pounds
1
1
1
1
pair wooden shoes
pair steel cork shoes
pair women's shoes
pair leather shoes
Shillings
-
—
2
5
7
Pence
10
~
6
-
In addition to purchasing the above items of apparel it is
apparent that the housewives made clothes from cloth goods
bought at the store, for quantities of thread, muslin, gartering,
and thimbles were also sold. Miscellaneous articles of com
merce which crossed the store counter offer a glimpse of the
variety of goods that could be found on the shelves
Pounds
Shillings
Pence
1 knife
1 razor
-
6
4
—
-
1 pound tobacco
1 pound nails
-
1
1 pound powder
—
3
8
-
1 deer skin
1 saw
-
8
18
6
-
1 grind stone
1 pound shot
-
5
-
5
" Ibid., Day Book (1738 to 40), passim.
Ûbid., Ledger A, p. 285.
"^'Ibid., Day Book (1738 to 40), passim.
THE CHARCOAL IRON INDUSTRY IN THE PERKIOMEN VALLEY 287
1 lox skin
1 saddle and bridle
-
2
16
-
\
While these prices may seem high in terms of the wages
still to be discussed, necessities could be purchased much
cheaper on the plantation than in the towns or at Philadelphia.
There was little change in commodity prices throughout the
eighteenth century, with the exception of wheat and flour.^*
The ironmasters, anxious to keep their workers happy, did not
wish to profiteer.
Working conditions at Mount Pleasant Furnace, as at all
iron works in the eighteenth century, consisted of long hours
of toil with primitive tools. A twelve-hour day was necessary
when the furnace was in blast. Two shifts of workers had to
attend the furnace operation constantly, with no week-end
shut down. When the furnace was out of blast there was wotk
for all in making repairs, coaling the wood, raising ore, or
helping in the fields. The furnace was often shut down during
the winter months, since ice interfered with the water power.
It was then that charcoal was made and stored in the heavywalled charcoal house to await the next blast. One colorful
statement concerning off-season furnace work, replete with
the original spelling, is worth quoting: "Com: Dr to 1^ Days
Work makeing Troughs to Brink the Wator to the Bosh @ 3/p
Day
4/6.""
Wages at Mount Pleasant Furnace seem very low when
compared with average wage standards for the eighteenth
century.^® In most cases, however, board or "found" was pro
vided, which is not revealed in the account books from which
the following figures are taken.
Common labor was paid thiree shillings a day or forty
-shillings a month, while "working in mine hole" was compen
sated in one case with only thirty shillings a month. Furnace
**A. C. Billing, op. dt., pp. 125-126.
"Mount Pleasant MSS., Day Book (1788 to 40), p. 7.
*®A summary of these standards is found in A. C. Bining, op. ctt.
pp. 119-122.
288 bulletin op historical society of Montgomery county
fillers held more responsible positions; they were paid from 45
to 55 shillings a month. Wood cutters were paid at the rate
of two shillings per cord. Transportation represented a costly
factor; a teamster could collect two pounds for "hailing" a ton
of pig iron, worth only five pounds, to Philadelphia. A "ser
vant man" cost fifteen shillings a month, payable to his master,
while a practical nurse received only five shillings more, or
twenty shillings per month in 1739. Some employees were
credited on a piecework or work done basis:
Pounds
Shillings
Pence
"Steeling an ax"
2
"To laying a grubbing hoe both ends" ...
4 .
"Making a shirt and trousers"
2
"Wintering a mare"
2
The fact that most of the wages due the workers
3
-
6
were
paid in goods purchased at the plantation store was an ad
vantage to the worker since the real wages based on reason
able prices were higher than nominal wages elsewhere. Gen
erally speaking, life on the plantations was secure, and loyalty
to the ironmaster was well-rewarded by benevolent attention
to the problems and needs of the worker's family. The close
personal relationship between worker and employer found
on the iron plantations is a sharp contrast compared "with the
strife of present-day labor-management relations.
The store records occasionally contain entries revealing
the forms of amusement which furnished relief from the,
monotony of plantation life. Besides the quilting parties, husk
ing bees, and barn dances associated with early frontier life
another activity is seen in this entry: "David Buckard is Or.
By Cash won @ Shooting—-10 s."^®
To complete the social scene at Mount Pleasant, a rather
bizarre note on funeral expenses is quoted which sheds light
on interment proceedings in 1789:
"Andrew Lindsay, Dr.
To Making his cofiin
'^Mount Pleasant MSS., Day Book (1738 to 40), passim.
^"Ibid., p. 216.
289
To Digging his Grave
To 10 Qts., Rum 10/6
To 4 lb. Sugar to the Jukerments
—Total
12 pounds, 6 shillings.""
There appear to be no records available which shed light,
on local social conditions during most of the last half of the
eighteenth century. The Ledger for Salford Store^® cove'ring
the years 1766 to 1774 details the account of John Krider, first
Forgemaster at Salford Forge, and gives a few commodity
prices for the year 1768:
Founds
1
1
1
1
1
1
1
pound sugar
pound beef
quart molasses
quart wine
quart rum
pound soap
pound nails
1 hat
1 "fine" hat
•.
1
Shillings Pence
2
—
7
3
9
10
-
10
10
0
18
0
1 pound powder
6
To indicate the miscellaneous nature of consumers' items
the following list represents random sales at Salford Stolre
(original spelling retained): A B C Book, rice, oyl, paper, cut
ting knife, pepper, allum, tobacco, tea, ink powder, glew, log
wood, thread, shot, saffron, lead, cotton buckles, buttons, oxenbrigs [coarse linen cloth], and embossed fienal.
It appears that Salford.Store supplied John Krider with
transportation service as well as commodities since Michael
Croll, the manager, billed the forgemaster as follows: "Oct. 8,
1768—Carriage 1 Tun Barr Iron to town—1/5/—This
practice of transporting iron to the city gave the storekeeper
additional revenue on the many trips his wagon made to stock
the store. Often the iron he took to the city was his own,
since the records show that on more than one occasion John
Krider paid his store bill in bar iron. One such credit entry
"76zU, p. 286.
^'Salford Store MSS., Ledger (1766 to 1774), Historical Society of
Montgomery County, Norristown, Pennsylvania,
p. 80.
290 bulletin of HKTOKICAL society of MONTGOMERY COUNTY
reads: "Oct. 10 [1769] 500 lb. Bar Iron—6/10/—Affain,
John Krider helped meet his expenses: "By a prize won in the
Lottery—2/11/—."23
The training of young apprentices in the iron industry
was governed strictly by laws passed in the various states.
Written agreements outlining the terms of apprenticeship and
stating the obligations of both parties are reflective of the con
ditions of apprentice labor. One such agreement of the period
of Washington's first inauguration is as follows:
"April 9, 1789—William Rogers Bound to Edward Larkens
for 3 years and 2 months to give him apparrel, etc, and to Learn
him the Trade of Hammerman and Refinerry of Iron in the forges,
when free to Give him 30 Dollars in Cash and 8 months Boarding
free without making any charge.""
By the end of the eighteenth century most commodity
prices were considerably higher than those prevailing at Mount
Pleasant in the 1740's. The Dale Furnace records are extant
for the years 1799 to 1801, and furnish Interesting evidence
of price conditions faced by the ironworker and his family at
the turn of the century. In this period the following food prices
prevailed
Founds
1 pound Beef
1 pound Pork
1 pound bacon
Shillings
Pence
-
—
-
8
6
9
1 bushel buckwheat
-
8
8
1 bushel rye
1 bushel potatoes
-
6
9
-
4 shad
-
3
9
1 pound sugar
-
1
2/
1 gallon molasses
1 gallon vinegar
1 gallon whiskey
-
8
1
6
-
1 gallon "spirits"
-
11
3
"Ibid., p. 122.
"Ibid., p. 165.
"The Perkiomen Region "Past and Present," Vol. I, p. 41.
"Dale MSS., Day Book (1799 to 1801), Historical Society of Pennsyl
vania, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania.
THE CHARCOAL IRON INDUSTRY IN THE PERKIOMi»I VALLEY 291
Other household items were priced as follows:
1 tea kettle
-
1 coffee pot
-
5
1 blanket
1
-
-
1 .cutting knife
-
8
9
11
1 doz, small buttons
i
10
-
-
-
1 lb. tallow
-
1
-
1 pair shoes
1 ten-plate stove
5
10
-
-•
1 cow
2 beds and 3 bedsteads
5
-
-
12
15
-
^ Increases in prices were more than absorbed by increased
wages at the close of the eighteenth century. Dale Furnace
workmen received comparably high wages at a time when
brisk national and,world trade conditions had a salutary effect
on the local iron industries. Wages were still recorded in 1799
with the traditional pounds-shilling-pence denominations, al
though the present monetary system had been adopted in 1792.
Often the figures were transposed'in the day books as follows:
"Nov. 27,1799—Samuel Potts Dr. to Cash paid him by R. Hobart 70 Dols.—26 lb 5 s—."^® This would indicate that a Penn
sylvania pound was equivalent to $2.67.
Wages naturally varied with the responsibility of the task,
as well as the degree of skill and experience required. The
l-ates below are arranged in descending order and represent
the monthly wage:
Position
Pounds
Shillings
Pence
Manager of Dale Furnace
9
7
6 ($300 yr.)
Coaler
8
-
-
Furnace Keeper
7
-
-
Filler
Banksman
Banksman and found
Gutterman
6
6
3
5
10
-
-
Apprentice blacksmith boy
3
-
-
-
Wood cutters were paid two shillings six pence per cord;
miners could average ten pounds a month at the rate of two
shillings six pence per ton of ore raised; labor was paid five
"Jbid., p. 1.
shillings a day, and house workers received five shillings a week
and "found."^^ The other wages quoted above do not include
board or "found," which cost twelve shillings a week, or about
two pounds a month, in 1800.
The employment of boys at the ironworks was a common
practice in days when school claimed little or none of their
time. A willing youngster could earn a substantial sum, as
revealed here: "Jan. 16, 1801—John Houser's boy got 2/6
per ton for 79 tons of Mine raised by him at Colebrookdale."^®
A colorful touch to the labor picture at Dale Futnace is
contained in this entry: "Dec. 30, 1799—Furnace Dr. to Peter
Richards for 1 gal. rum and killing the hogs. 7 s 6d."^® It is
obvious that unpleasant tasks required special extra-monetary
inducements.
Information concerning living conditions on the Perkiomen iron plantations in the nineteenth century is much more
plentiful than that covering the earlier periods. The records
for Dale Forge under forty-five years of Schall management
are especially helpful in making a study of the pre-Civil War
years. The Hampton Furnace accounts furnish data on the
period from 1836 to 1841, when our faltering economy was
subject to severe trial as reflected in the Panic of 1837.
The nationality of the workers at Dale Forge appears to
have been predominantly German. This is indicated in the
following list of Dale employees: John Geismilt, Henry Bower,
Reuben Mile, Jacob Reppert, John Loder, John Burkert, Peter
Gehris, Elis Reichart, William Waggoner, Dan Romig, Isaac
Yost, Daniel Oyster, John Quin, Aaton Frey, Nathan Rorbach,
John De Temple, William Wingart, John Quigly, John Bouser,
Ann Markley, Philip Barringer, and Sally Ha'rbst.^®
Prices at the Hampton Furnace store during the years
1836 to 39 reflect conditions then prevailing throughout the
'"Ibid., vassim.
"Ubid., p. 86.
"Ibid., p. 10.
"Dale MSS. Picked at random from Schall Memorandum Book and
Bar Iron Records.
THE CHARCOAL IRON INDUSTRY IN THE PERKIOMEN VALLEY . £93
Perkiomen region.
Food costs were generally higher than
those quoted at Dale Furnace in 1799. A few commodities were
even higher than present-day levels, despite the decreased pur
chasing power of the current dollar. In 1836 food could be
obtained at the following rates
1 pound bacon
1 pound pork
1 pound beef
$ .13
08%
06
1 bushel com
95
1 bushel wheat, bran
28
1 bushel oats
45
1 barrel flour
6.25
1 barrel rye flour
4.50
1 cwt buckwheat meal
4.00
1 pound butter
12^
1 pound coffee
29
1 pound sugar
1 gallon molasses
1 bushel potatoes
1,dozen eggs
12%
56
31
06
1 meal
12%
Boarding
7.50 for 30 days.
Clothing and household items were available at the stoire
at the following prices:
1 wool hat
'...$ 1.25
1 straw bonnet
1 blanket
4.75
1.87%
1 leather apron
1 pair mittens
' 1 pair woolen hose
1.00
55
55
Bed and bedstead
12.00
1 pound candles
11
1 gallon "common oil"
64
1 pound chewing tobacco
1 pound cut tobacco
18
10
1 stove
'.
8.50
The standard of living on the plantations depended on the
ratio between prices and wages, as well as the variety of goods
"^Hampton Furnace MSS., Day Book (1836 to 39), paasim. Attention
is called to the fact that these prices were selected from Day Book ac
counts for both the New Hampton and Hampton Furnaces.
294 bulletin of histoeioal society of Montgomery county
obtainable. The building of canals and railroads, concomitant
with the improvement of existing roads, undoubtedly brought
more comforts to the iron workers as the nineteenth century
progressed. This is reflected in the nature of the workers'
purchases at the ironmaster's store.
The charcoal iron industry flourished in the first half of
the century, and this was felt in the ever-increasing wages paid
to the workers; although, compared to present-day standards,
the wages seem very low. The following notation from David
Schell's memo book is illustrative: "Agreed with Catherine
Hoffman for house work @ 62^2 cents per week for 6 months
to commence June 26, 1828." Evidently David Schall was a
stern employer, for with Catherine' agreement was also noted
her lost time and the reasons given:
July 9—Lost 1 day
Work (?) at Sam Lieser
July 12—Lost Vz day
Reifsnyder Funeral
July 28—Lost 1 da
Crush her flax
—^Lost 1 da
spread her flax®®
General farming labor in 1829 commanded but $7.50 per
month and "found"; this was further reduced to $6.00 per
month during the winter, when there was less to do. By 1836
such labor was being paid $12 to $14 a month and "found".®®
An agreement of 1839 reveals some of the strange but human
arrangements made between the ironmaster and his workers:
"Agreed with Henry Bower for to doc the Blacksmithing
work and such other work he may be told to do for $14.62%. Also
pasture offered for one cow, Hailing of firewood, one quarter of
an acre for Potatoes, and old wood in the summer for kitchen use
this 27 day January 1839.
$14.62% per month."®*
The Dale Forge records for 1827 to 29 reveal wages which
furnish an interesting background for later increases. A col-
liel* was paid $17 a month or 27 cents a cord; carpenter work
cost $14 a month; housework, 75 cents a week; farm work, 40
cents a day; a stone mason could receive 70 cents a day; and it
**0316 MSS., Schall Memo Book
"Z&id.
£95
cost $6.50 to have a ton of bar iron "hailed" to Philadelphia.^'
The furnace men at Hampton during the years 1836 to 40
were liberally ^rewarded in contrast to the wages paid at Dale
in the previous decade. Again it is evident that more respon
sible work carried a higher wage:
Manager
$500 per year
Clerk
Furnace Keeper
Furnace filler ,
$25
25
20
Per Month
Ore raiser
18.50 (or) 75 cents a ton
Gutterman
17.50
Coaler
17.50 to 18.00 (or) 30 cents a cord
Blacksmith
Ore-burner
Quarrying Limestone
Carpenters
14.00
22.50
Per Day
$
i.
Lime killers
Moulders
Mason work
Ore-burner
Ore-diggers
Dam work
General Hauling
.50
.95
40
1.25
.95
.60
66
66
2.00 Hauler furnished his own team.
Other wages were paid on a piece-work basis:
Pig iron casters (founders) ..
Wood cutters
Haulers
Moulders
Hammerman
1.00 a ton
30 a cord
1.26
10.00
6.00
50
per ton to haul ore to Allentown
a ton for castings
for sash weights
per set of wagon tires.
The workers were held responsible for damage or loss
sustained due to their neglect. That intemperance often inter
fered with the proper performance of a worker's duties is quite
evident. An incident of this kind is recorded in the Hampton
accounts:
*®Dale MSS., Day Book,, passim.
"'Hampton Furnace MSS., Day Book, passim. Wages and salaries
listed above refer to conditions existing at both the New Hampton and
Hampton Furnaces.
"Aug. 6—1838—James Betz is held responsible to damages
in detaining Two 5 Horse Coal Teams at Mattem's Tavern by
keeping the drivers there and making them drunk quite contrary
to Orders and Custom detainment being (as considered as half
a day as it was till midnight) and equal to one day for one team
and valued—4.00."®^
In the smith shop, too, there was opportunity to err. Be
cause iron was a precious commodity, the ironmaster was quick
to punish needless waste in a manner a smithy would not for
get: "June 11,1838—John Furry, made himself chargeable by
neglecting his Business and making a puzzle Iron—charge by
such neglect is valued to—.50."®®
Few of the jobs attendant to iron making required more
care and vigilance than that of the collier or "coaler." The
reader will note the high wages paid for watching the smolder
ing hearths on twelve-hour shifts. Occasionally the hearth
would break into open flame, causing the loss of much valuable
wood unless the collier was alert. The colliers were reminded
of their responsibilities by such charges as the.one imposed
here: "September 28, 1838—John Weidner is held chargeable
[sic] for Loss in Coaling as he burnt up sundry Cords of wood,
which Loss we consider as damages worth (at least) —
$4.15y2."'®
In the interest of completeness a discussion of social life
on the plantations should consider such factors as dwellings,
education, religionj and general culture. The account books do
not furnish us with much information on such matters. It is
known that-the mansion house of the ironmaster was the cen
ter of social activities, but it is doubtful if the background,
working conditions, or personal inclinations of the workers
qualified them as frequent guests at such affairs. They found
their relaxation in the old-fashioned square dance or an excur
sion to the nearest fair. The isolated nature of the plantations
resulted in itinerant teachers, who received most of the tuition
"Ihid., p. 23.
Îbid., p. 14.
p. 30.
THE CHARCOAL IRON INDUSTRY IN THE PERKIOMEN VALLEY £97
in food and lodging. Some of the children were taught by the
parents, some we're self-taught, but most remained illiterate.^®
The religious devotions of the ironworkers reflect the observ
ance of a freedom they or their predecessors had come far to
find. The presence of early-established churches of the Luth
eran, Reformed, Mennonlte, Schwenkfelder, and Catholic de
nominations testify to the opportunities of spiritual enlighten
ment for the ironworkers.
American history is essentially the story of many little
people working together to meet the problems of existing in
a challenging environment. Many of these problems concerned
the acquisition of the necessities; next, measures of comfort,
and finally, a few luxuries. The study of the manner in' which
the ironworkers solved the problems of practical living affords
a small but realistic view of the path by which we have
reached our present position.
"A. G. Bining, op. cit., p. 86.
298 bulletin of historical society of Montgomery county
CHAPTER IV
Problems op the Ironmasters
The problems of management will exist as long as man
continues to produce. Pioneer enterprises of a capitalistic
nature such as the charcoal iron making industries well illus
trate some of these problems. The early picture was clear com
pared to the present scene, for it was not obscured by the com
plexities resulting from the industrial revolution, the institu
tion of government regulation, and the rise of labor unions.
Two of the ironmaster's greatest problems, the shortage
of labor and the shortage of money, have already been men
tioned. The first of these shortages led to the employment of
Negroes and indentured servants who quite often proved un
reliable. The second problem forced the expediency of wide
spread bartering practices on the plantation, in the city, and
in world commerce. It also made it very difficult for an enter
prising ironmaster to accumulate money or credit to expand
his business.^ For this reason many of the early iron indus
tries were started by partnerships of two or more^ men who
could not only pool their resources and share the risks, but who
could also alternate in the responsibilities of management.
Often the members of a family shared the ironmaking inter
ests ; thus we have the Potts at Mount Pleasant, the Mayburrys
at Hereford and Green Lane, the Schalls at Dale Forge, and the
Sigmund Brothers at Hampton.
Many other problems plagued the ironmasters. During
the colonial period, restrictive laws passed by Britain added to
the existing difficulties of expansion. The Revolutionary War
made more acute the labor shortage, affecting at least one
Perkiomen iron works, Salford FoTge, in a manner already
described. Fortunately the valley's industries escaped the
C. Bining, Pennsylvania Iron Manufacture in the 18th Century,
p. 172.
299
ravages of actual combat, and did not suffer the fate of Valley
Forge, which was burned by the British.
The depletion of timber reserves in the lower and central
portions of the Perkiomen Valley created a new problem in the
post-Revolutionary period. Salford Forge ceased to operate in
1810, while Green Lane Forge was inactive from 1813 to 1833,
awaiting a new growth of timber.
The difficulties of transporting such a heavy commodity
as iron before the era of canals and railroads made the Phila
delphia market almost inaccessible to iron manufacturers in
the upper valley. It took five days for David Schall's teams to
make a round trip to the city in 1828, spending one day there
to do business.^ Often high streams and quagmire-like .roads
made the trip hazardous for even the high-wheeled broad-tired
Conestoga wagons. The completion of the" Schuylkill Canal in
1825 made it possible for David Schall at Dale Forge to ship
his bar iron via the Potts Grove (Pottstown) Landing. The
New Hampton Furnace in Northampton County, operated by
Hunter and Miller, shipped iron to Philadelphia via the Lehigh-Delaware Canal during the years 1836-37.
For this the operators figured a cost of $3.00 a ton trans
portation charges credited to their canal boat, Albany.^ The
earliest of the railroads in the valley, the Colebrookdale branch
of the Reading Company, was extended to Barto in 1869, too
late ,to be of any assistance in saving the last of the local
charcoal industries. Dale Forge and Hampton Furnace.
The necessity of locating the water-powered iron indus
tries on the streams created a hazard which must have caused
the ironmasters no little concern. The Perkiomen is known for
its rapid rises during periods of sustained rainfall. The Time
Books of Dale Forge make numelrous references to floods and
freshets. High water would often break the dams, destroy
the raceways, and sweep away bridges and equipment. So
thorough has been the destruction on some sites, such as that
TDale MSS, Time Book, number I.
'Hampton MSS, Day Book, February 17, 1837.
300 bulletin of historical society of MONTGOMERY COUNTY
of Lower Mount Pleasant Forge, that it is difficult to find any
evidence of iron making operations.
Even the climate was a consideration in an industry then
so dependent upon water power. A drought in 1733 resulted in
a scarcity of iron, since many iron works had to shut down."*
And climate often posed additional problems. An especially
cold winter would freeze the streams and stop the wheels.
The furnace blasts were scheduled to take advantage of natural
climatic conditions. That this was done at Mount Pleasant
Furnace is indicated in the following summaries:
Account, Pig metal and other castings made at Mount Pleas
ant Furnace During the Following Blasts, viz: First Blast, com
mencing October 12, 1738; hove off December 11.
t.
c. qtr. lb.
Made the said blast, Pigs
85
-
-
Country castings
Forge castings
6
—
1
7
2
3
2
6
91
9
1
8
Second blast, commencing March 14, 1739; hove off July 12,
1739.
Made the said blast, pigs
Forge castings
t.
c.
173
14
10
qtr. lb.
3
2
-
174
5
1
-"
A further examination of the records of this furnace
reveals that the blasts were generally of two months dura
tion, occurring twice a year. Six blasts totaling 470 days pro
duced 690 tons of iron, from October 12,1738, to July 20,1741.®
Although the furnaces of a later period could out-produce
Mount Pleasant, their operations, too, were governed by en
vironmental factors. Hampton Furnace found it convenient to
begin the blast in March or April, generally hoving off before
the hot days of July and August made the heat of the furnace
*Bezanson, Gray and Hussey, Prices in Colonial Pennsylvania, p. 160.
"T. Bean (,'Eid.), History of Montgomery County (1886), pp. 565 to 566.
"/bid., pp. 565 to 566.
301
unbearable.' Then, too, the supply of charcoal quite often
could not keep pace with the demands of the furnace. The
foregoing reasons, plus the necessity of periodic repairs, forced
the ironmasters to limit the blast to periods seldom exceeding
four months.
An ever-present danger which ironmasters had to face
in times of uncertain money values was that of the business
panic. Being caught with large investments and obligations
in a time, of depression has ruined many a businessman. It is
interesting to see how the Panic of 1837 was sustained by one
neighboring iron industry.
The New Hampton Works in Northampton County, which
had been taken over by the firm of Hunter and Miller in April,
1836, was a promising enterprise. Besides the furnace, it in
cluded a forge, a canal boat, three tracts of real estate, and the
usual circle of storage buildings and dwellings. During the
first summer of its operation the prices of pig and bar iron
manifested a steady upward trend:
1836
Pig Iron per ton
July 15
$40
Aug. 15
$42
Sept. 9
$47
Sept. 15
$45
Nov. 16
$50
Bar
May
June
June
Sept.
Dec.
Iron per ton
2
$ 9023
$100
29
$105
27
$110
29
$120®
This inflationary turn was induced by the widespread
speculation and cheapened currency growing out of Jack
son's refusal to re-charter the Second National Bank. A
thoughtful businessman could have foreseen the result
which followed in the wake of Jackson's "Specie Circular."
The ironmasters at New Hampton Furnace were wise; on
January 28, 1837," John V. R. Hunter and Paul Miller, the
partners, sold the whole movable stock to Thomas M. Smith
•and Thomas S. Richards, thus avoiding the consequences of
the panic year, 1837. In March, 1838, the same partnership
of Hunter and Miller commenced operations at the Hamp^Hampton MSS, Day Book, 'passim.
®/6id., passim.
"Ibid., p. 38.
ton Furnace, Upper Milford Township, Lehigh County,
where, as soon will be seen, they slowly went bankrupt.
The problems involving the actual iron-making process
were many, probably more so than today, when technical
devices automatically govern every stage of the procedure.
The New Hampton Furnace blast of 1836 is described in de
tails which clearly show the costs of essential materials.
Details on Blast op 1886—New Hampton Furnace
February 17, 1837~Day Book:
Real Estate No. 1 produced 1418 cords of coal wood which we
valued at 16 cts per cord
$ 226.88
Coal delivered to furnace during blast was 486% loads which we
value (delivered on the bank) at 7 dollars per load—
amt. to
8,055.50
Ore delivered during blast—^from Weikly's 168 tons at 4.50
(del. at bank)
756.00
2,204.00
Other sundry ore—551 tons—@ 4.00
Hauling—719 tons of ore hauled from the wharf at Weissport
to furn @ 70 cts. a ton
Hauling of Coal—524 loads @ 1.50 per load
Boat Albany—for carrying 719 tons of ore from various places
to Weissport is allowed 80 cts. per ton
503.30
786.00
575.20
Limestone
Boat Albany—carried 100 tons for fum (g) 50 cents per ton
Hauling limestone @ 75 cents per ton
50.00
75.00
8,230.88"
The same source gives the production figures for the
blast of 1836 as follows:
Pig metal and castings—331% tons
@ 42 per ton
Pig metal del. to forge 82 tons 18 -cwt.
$13,934.50
@42
Bar iron prod, at forge 58 tons 4 cwt.
@ 100
Transporting—Teams—
124 tons pig @ 1.50
Bar iron
3,481.80
5,820.00
'.
186.00
60.00
23,482.30"
p. 32.
p. 32.
gQS
Rising costs and falling prices can discourage any enter
prising business manager. The,years following 1837 proved
sad ones for the firm of Hunter and Miller, now that they
had located at Hampton Furnace on the Perkiomen. The
production figures available up to 1841 paint a vivid picture
of a sick industry:
Materials
Year
Ore
(tons)
New Hampton
1836 719 @4.00
1838 420 @3.37
1839 600 @3.20
1840 248 @3.35
(Blast-53 day)
1841 220
(78 day)
Production
Coal
(loads)
@ 7.00
339 @10.50%
496 @ 9.00
213%® 9.00
204% @ 9.00
Limestone Pig Prod. Per
(tons)
(tons) ton
100
58 @ 1.10
96 @ 1.10
30 @ 1.10
25 @ 1.10
331%
226
303 .
110
•93
Value
$42
29
30
30
13,934.50
6,577.56
9,090.00
3,328.44
28
2,619.50
"
Some interesting facts may be seen in these figures. Dur'ing the period from 1836 to 1841 the two furnaces operated
by Hunter and Miller produced 1063% tons of pig iron,
using 2207 tons of ore, 1689% loads of charcoal,and
309 tons of lime. On the basis of these figures we can reach
a fairly accurate conclusion concerning the cost of materials
to make a ton of pig iron during this period:
r
Quantities of Materials
Cost of Materials
2.07 ton of ore @ 3.31
6.85
(271 bushels) or—1.59 loads of charcoal @ 8.90 .
14.15
.29 ton of limestone @ 1.10
32
Total cost of materials to produce 1 ton of pig iron
$21.82
This cost of materials had risen to 21.56 per ton in
1841, while the market price had fallen from the high of
$42 in 1836 to $28. It will be noted that the increasing cost
of charcoal was the chief cause of the rising cost of mater
ials. Indeed, the cost of charcoal was a vital factor in the
"Hampton MSS, Day Book, passim.
"In the hack of his Time Book No. 3 David Schall of Dale Forge re
corded the dimensions of coal wagon as follows: 18'8" long, 3'11" high,
and 3'8" widej capacity, 170% bushels of charcoal.
304 BUI'LETIN of historical society op MONTGOMERY COUNTY
ultimate decline of the charcoal iron industry and the utili
zation of "stone coal" and coke as blast furnace fuels.
It is small wonder that the Hampton business proved un
profitable when it is realized that the costs outlined do not
include labor, overhead, or capital depreciation. The even
tual failure of the Hampton works is seen in these figures:
Furnace Account 1836 to 1844.
April to April Debit
Credit
1836-37-38 7,415.50
1838-39
7,139.94%
1839-40
11,188.64%
14,643.72
6,630.04
10,767.87%
1840-41
4,147.03%
1841-42-43
3,948.39
Totals on Aug. 28,
4,369.85
1844 (including 1841-42-43)."
3,626.70
3,113.62
3,355.66
Loss
Profit
7,228.22
509.90%
420.77%
520.33%
834.77
1,014.19
Not only the cost of materials necessary to make iron,
but the plantation equipment and livestock was a major fac
tor in the iron-master's economy. The items below represent
purchases recorded at the two Hampton Furnaces during
the period from 1836 to 1841:
1 plough
10.00
1 Smith Anvil
1 wagon
45.00
1 Cart Whip
28.96
1.12%
1 shovel
60.25
75
Pot and kettle patterns
2 forge hammers and anvil 96.00
1 ton "stone coal"
Cradle and Scythe
4-horse sled
1 pr. tub bellows
1 yoke Oxen
20.00
50.00
4.50
11.00
7.10%
1 saddle
7.25
1 horse
65.00
1 jack screw
7.00
1 Studd horse
90.00
1 axe
1.87%
1 cow
14.00
1 coal basket
.62%
1 dog
1 ore basket
.25
3.50"
The problem of determining what to produce was usu
ally settled on the basis of local demand. The furnace
could produce almost any item which could be cast, pro
vided it had the molds and skilled potters equal to the task.
Pig iron constituted the chief product; it supplied a steady
demand at the forges and could be cast cheaply without
"Hampton MSS, Ledger, pp. 11, 268, 311.
"Hampton MSS, Day Book, passim.
3Q5
slowing down the furnace. The early furnaces — Mount
Pleasant, Hereford, and Dale—^found a good local market
for "country castings", since there was as yet little competi
tion from the foundries. The records reveal that stoves were
cast at Mount Pleasant as early as 1738. One item concerns
a.Franklin Stove being cast: "Nov. 9, 1742—Joseph Scull,
to cash to your son 4 shillings, and a fire-place for Pascall's,
3 pounds, 14 shillings."^® Many stove plates cast at Here
ford Furnace are extant. A small furnace, such as Hereford,
was more adaptable to the slow pace of casting hollow ware
and stove plates.
Dale Furnace produced many stoves, mainly of the ten-
plate type, during the period from 1799 to 1801, the only
years for which there are detailed records. One entry merits
<luotation: "Nov. 26, 1800—Gabriel Kline Dr. to Furnace
for 5 Ten plate stoves in pay for a Horse—25/-/-."" The
same source reveals that very little pig was cast in 1800.
In addition to stove plates the Dale furnace produced mis
cellaneous castings, selling at the prices given here:
shillings
pence
fiat skillet
pounds
-
4
6
bake plate
socket wedge
splitting ax
pot
kettle (17 gal.)
1 pr. flat irons
1 set waffel [sic] irons
1
-
7
5
10
7
10
3
2
6
-
1 small Dutch oven
-
7
6
6
6"
As the nineteenth century progressed the cupolas or
xe-smelting furnaces at the foundries absorbed most of the
"country casting" trade which had formerly gone to the
furnaces. These successors to the early "air furnaces" pro
duced better grade castings than did the furnaces.^® Hamp
ton Furnace added a cupola in 1888, which, depending on
"Mt. Pleasant MSS, Ledger, p. 195
'^TDale MSS, Day Book, p. 77.
"Ibid., passim.
"A. C. Bining, op. cit., p. 99
stone coal for fuel and re-smelting pig iron produced by the
furnace, was a profitable addition to that ill-fated enter
prise. Some of the cupola's castings, in addition to the commonware already mentioned, included the following: sash
weights, cake plates, pans, smoothing iron, grates, ploughs,
fire scruge, harrow teeth, mill gudgeons, and wafer irons.^®
To receive a broader view of the variety of castings supplied
by a foundry in the 1830's the following advertisement is
worth noting:
Browers' Foundery
(at Browerstown, Union T^vn.)
Castings
Consisting of Hollow ware of all descriptions. Forge Ham
mers, Wing Gudgeons of all sizes, Wagon Boxes, (superior quality)
Mould Boards and Land sides. Sadirons, Summer Furnaces of dif
ferent sizes, Winnowing-mill Wheels, Wheel-barrow Wheels, Rope
Tackle Wheels, Railway Car Wheels, Grates .for cellar windows.
Waffle irons, and in general all kinds of castings in their line of
business. Orders directed to us at Douglassville post-office, Berks
County, will be executed with punctuality and despatch.
A. Brower, Templin, & Co."
In addition to the cupola at Hampton the only other
foundry thus far located on the Perkiomen was Eltz's
Foundry, erected in the 1840's, on the site of the Upper
Mount Pleasant Forge.
The forgemaster, too, had his problems; not only did he
share the environmental hazards already referred to, but he
had to meet the competition of the rolling mills as the nine
teenth century progressed. The prohibitive cost of charcoal
affected the forges as well as the furnaces; and the decli
ning cost of pig iron benefited him little, since bar iron prices
fell correspondingly.
Faced with such conditions, the busy forges of the first
half of the century were gradually abandoned. The Civil
War created unusual demands which put new life into
Mount Pleasant and Dale Forges, but the stimulus was only
temporary. When Dale Forge came to a halt in 1869 it
^Hampton MSS, Day Book, passim.
^Berlcs and Schuylkill Journal, Reading, Pennsylvania, .May 28, 1831.
marked the last of the seven or more forges once usingPerklomen water power.
From the extensive manuscript material available .on
Dale Forge some of the forgemaster's problems can be visual
ized.
Mention has beien made in a previous chapter of the
large circle of local furnaces from which Dale Forge
secured its pig iron. To. limit the cost of hauling it was cus
tomary to purchase the pig iron 'at the nearest furnace, pro
vided iron of sufficient quantity and acceptable quality
could be obtained there. Records show that numerous trips
were made to the nearest furnace, Hampton, only five miles
away.22 To make these trips more profitable' the forge
wagons hauled "oar" to,the furnace; this amounted to 169
tons in the one short period from June, 1847, to February,
1848.23 But Hampton was able-to furnish only a part of the
pig iron used by Dale Forge. The numerous, furnaces
patronized by Dale can be seen in the following chart: (Fig
ures are given to the nearest ton).
Year (April to
April)
Mary Hopewell
Sally
Ann
Ann
Oley Hampton Misc. Total
1827-28
86
19
7
3
50
1828-29
64
11
50
15
18
1829-30
75
21
1830-31
42
28
72
1831-32
87
17
1833
56
—
1834
74
—
1835
38
.—.
1836
100
1837
1838
—
119
1839
236
1840
151
1841
215
1842
—
—
—
—
35
—
—
—
Green
Lane
10
93
—
—
—
—
—
—
—
—
—
—
158
124
16
134
55
27
186
17
—
46
—
120
174
26
238
115
21
236
4
—
26
—
53
—
—
55
78
—
17
—
—
—
—
75
73
36
212
344 ,
356
215
—
Totals 1343
—
165
—
182
—
234
—
78
—
39
—
488
30
263
^Dale MSS, Time Books, passim.
®Dale MSS, Time Book No. 2, Information on fly leaf.
"Dale MSS, Pig Iron Purchase Records, passim.
30
2627"
308
bulletin of historical society of MONTGOMERY COUNTY
During the fifteen years of operation represented by
these figures it would appear that Mary Ann Furnace, about
seven miles distant, was the chief source of Dale Forge pig
iron, contributing roughly half of the total. The depressing
effect of the panic year, 1837, is also clearly evident.
The average annual consumption of pig iron by Dale
Forge during this period from 1827 to 1842 approximated
175 tons. From this it can be gathered that the annual forge
production totaled about 131 tons, if a waste of 500 pounds
be allowed for each ton of bar iron produced.^^ Some of
Dale's production consisted of rough "blooms" or anconies,
from which there would have been less waste and conse
quently higher production for each ton of pig iron forged.
Even in the later period from 1842 until its abandon
ment in 1869 Dale Forge continued to purchase pig iron
from neighboring furnaces. Although the tonnage figures
are missing, the haulers' records reveal that trips were most
often made to Hampton (called Sigmund after 1859), Joanna,
Mary Ann, and Hopewell, with a few trips to such furnaces
as Warwick, Shamrock, and Coventry.^®
A not inconsiderable amount of charcoal was used by the
forges, although it did not approach the quantities of this
fuel consumed by the furnaces. Dale Forge purchased cord
wood as follows:
April to April
Year
Cords
1827-28
1206
1831
1314
1835
1830
1837
979
1838
1404
1839
1142
Although the figures for the years omitted are not avail
able, it can be presumed that cord wood purchases during
®A. C. Billing, op. cit., pp. 122-123.
^Dale MSS, Time Books No. 2 and No. 3, passim.
®^Dale MSS, Cord Wood Eecords, passim.
300
those years were about the same as for the years given. This
represents an average annual forge consumption of 1313 cords
of wood, which, if we allow 25 cords as the timber growth of an
acre every 25 years, would indicate that each year Dale Forge
used the growth of 53 acres of woodland. To secure sufficient
wood it was often necessary to make agreements for cutting
rights on neighboring wood tracts. The 1206 cords of wood
purchased by David Schall for Dale Forge in 1827 cost him
98 cents a cord. He had the wood cut on John Berkey's land
at a "wood lease" of 70 cents a cord, paying cutters 20 cents
a cord, as well as an additional eight cents a cord to get the
wood to the "pits."^® Occasionally the forgemaster bought the
wood already corded, as revealed in the agreement below:
Agreed with John Abraham and Henry Bechtel and Gerey—
vendue for their cord wood they intend to cut next winter which
will be about 500 cords in the whole @ $1.10 per cord delivered
in the pits payable against 2 day of May 1830 or if any of our
Ironmasters pay more than the above price in such a distance
from their works I am to pay the same.
April 20th, 1829
Day Schall®
The cost of coaling the wood was 27 cents a cord in 1829,®®
which must be added to the cost of the wood in determining
the cost of the charcoal. If $1.37 is regarded as the cost of the
charcoal made from 1 cord of wood, then it must have cost
Dale Forge about $1800 for its fuel in 1831. The bar iron
production that year was roughly 126 tons.®^ This permits the
observation that the cost of the charcoal necessary to forge
a ton of bar iron was $14.29. It is noteworthy that this cost
of charcoal is approximately the same as that needed to smelt
a ton of pig iron at Hampton Furnace in the late 1830's. If
the cost of charcoal per ton of bar iron produced is added to
the then current cost of pig iron, $28.00 per ton, plus the 25^
waste lost in forging, it appears that the combined cost of the
Îhid., pmsim.
®Dale MSS, Schall Memo Book.
"Dale MSS, Day Book.
^'Dale MSS, Bar Iron Book.
310 BULLETIN OF HISTOMOAL SOCIETY OF MONTGOMERY COUNTY
pig iron and charcoal necessary to forge a ton of bar iron
would be $49.29, or roughly, $50.00. Bar iron at this time
(1831) was worth $100 a ton,®^ which allowed the forgemaster
a margin of $50.00 to provide for labor, overhead, depreciation,
and if fortunate, a small margin of profit. If it were necessary
to sell his product in Philadelphia, it cost an additional $6.50
a ton for hauling charges.®®
Since it took 5i^ cords of wood to make a ton of char
coal,®^ the 1314 cords of wood purchased in 1831 would have
coaled 250 tons. Dividing this figure by that year's bar iron
production, 126 tons, it appears that roughly two tons of char
coal were required to forge a ton of bah iron.
The hazards of "coaling" were ever-present and caused
David Schall to record on April 1, 1832: "Fire broke out in
the wood from the Hearth and lost about 160 cords of wood."®®
Bar iron production records for Dale Forge are not com
plete by years and only general conclusions can be made. For
the years 1827 to 1831 the Schalls kept more accurate accounts
than for those following. Production figures for the four-year
period total 425 tons of bar iron.®® If this total is divided by the
581 tons of pig iron purchased in'that period (see preceding
chart), the result is an over-all loss in forging of 27% of
weight. This loss was a factor which the forgemaster had to
consider both in purchasing pig iron and in determining his
margin of profit.
In addition to bars of various sizes the forge produced a
variety of products which satisfied local demand or the whole
sale market in such cities as Philadelphia, Reading, Trenton,
and Allentown. Some of the items appearing in the Bill of Iron
Book are as follows: (original spelling retained) chissels,
hinges, wedges, sledges, hammers, axels, railroad car axel trees,
®®Dale MSS, -Day Book, passim.
®Dale MSS, Day Book, 1828.
**Dale MSS, Cord Wood Records.
"Dale MSS, Time Book No. 1, p. 62.
"Dale MSS, Bar Iron Book.
THE CHARCOAL IRCN INDUSTRY IN THE PERKIOMEN VALLEY
gH
tires, horse shoe iron, scallops, coulters, plough shears, bolts,
crow bars, post diggers, and shear molds with landsides.^^
A typical "bill of iron" from the Dale Forge accounts il
lustrates the carefully-gauged work done at the forge:
"Bill of Iron for Mr. David Gehman—Upper Milford
1 sett tire % by 2 in—^Plantation Waggon
1 sett tire % by 1%—^Plantation Waggon
2 sett tire % by 1%—^Plantation Waggon
6 Shear Moulds
6
3
3
4
Coulter Leg Iron
Ax Bars 3% in by five-eighth—3 feet long
Bar Mason Hammers 2% in by 1% in
Bar—1 in square"**
The radius of the Dale Forge market during the years from
1835 to 1847 is revealed in the billing records which furnish
the names and addresses of the customers.
Deliveries were
frequently made to the following townships or villages scat
tered throughout several adjacent counties: Bedminister, Skip-
pack, Douglasville, Chappel, Franconia, Upper Milford, New
Britain, Hartsville, Hellertown, Quakertown, New Phoenixville, Plymouth, and Doylestown.^®
The problem of keeping trained help at the forge must have
been a perennial one for David Schall; the time books kept by
him indicate a steady turnover in personnel. At least seven
men were needed to fully man the forge: two forgemen, one
smithy, one coal stocker, one forge carpenter, and two carters^
Often there would be four forgemen available, working in pairs
as the heavy nature of their work required. In addition, at
least two men worked the large farm with as many as ten to
fifteen extra hands helping out during the harvest season.^"
Much of the labor was on a part time basis, tempered to the
seasonal demands as well as to the variety of tasks common on
the old charcoal iron plantations.
The burden of taxation was inordinately heavy on the
•Dale MSS, Bill of Iron Book, passim.
•» Ibid., 1836.
Îhid,, passim.
*°Dale MSS, Time Book, passim.
312 bulletin op historical society of MONTGOMERY COUNTY
pioneer industrialists. This can be seen in the taxes sustained
by David Schall on his Dale Forge property and other holdings
during the period from 1852 to 1865. The effect of the Civil
War is reflected in these figures:
Year
Tax
1852
146.58
1853
1854
.•
119.91
122.07
1855
130.10
1856
125.82
1857
135.29
1858
121.54
1859
132.59
1860
118.70
1861
127.47
1862
129.78
1863
179.92
1864
865.64
1865
1162.23
.
(including income tax of 172.95)"
The Civil War siphoned off available labor both through
the call for volunteers and the unprecedented military draft.
Only two men were credited with drawing iron at Dale Forge
in 1862.^2 Members of the Schall family were fighting in the
Union Army, while David Schall was busy in Reading with
duties as Associate Judge of Berks County.
The war-time demands for iron must have put the under
manned forge to a severe test during the years 1861 to 1865.
The prices offered to induce the production of iron reflect the
same condition that led to the rise in taxes—^war-time infla
tion. In November, 1863, David Schall sold 25 tons of charcoal
blooms at $112.00 per ton of 2464 pounds.^^ These same blooms
would have sold for $65.00 per ton in 1835. There evidently
was a good market for the crude blooms at the large iron
plants, for Dale Forge sent them directly to the Trenton Iron
"Dale MSS, Time Book No. 3, fly leaf.
"Dale, MSS, Time Book No. 3.
"Dale MSS, Schall Memo Book.
THE CHARCOAL IRON INDUSTRY IN THE PERKIOMEN VALLEY 3^3
Co., Trenton, New Jersey, in 1864, in undetermined quan
tities.^^
An all-time high was recorded by David Schall for a pur
chase he made on May 27, 1865; he bought 50 tons of pig iron
from H. M. Sigmund & Bro. (Hampton Furnace) @ $72 per
ton. The same source reveals that in December, 1867, the
forgemaster bought 80 tons of pig iron from the same furnace
at $49 per ton.^® This indicates a rapid post-war decline in
the price of iron.
The death of the charcoal iron industry followed closely on
the heels of the Civil War. The factors which led to its down
fall have already been discussed in the preceding pages. It was
simply the disappearance of a mode of iron manufacture which
was unable to meet the competition—either in quantity or
cost—of the more modern techniques already being adopted,
in the middle nineteenth century.
A chapter devoted to the problems of the early ironmasters
would be incomplete without a salute to those men who, by
their enterprise, fortitude, and resourcefulness, laid the foun
dations for the American iron and steel industry—^probably
the most important single factor in our present claim to great
ness.
**Dale MSS, Bar Iron Book.
"Dale MSS, Schall Memo Book.
CHAPTER V
Conclusions
In concluding a study of the history of a local industry cov
ering a period of approximately 140 years a few general ob
servations may be made.
It must be remembered that the preceding detailed des
cription of the iron industry in the Perkiomen Valley merely
focuses attention on a local phase; but it is a scene that was
typical elsewhere throughout the Schuylkill region. Conditions
governing iron manufacture, life on the plantations, and econ
omic influences in general were felt in like manner throughout
the area. Local problems, then, reflected the problems of pio
neering industries as found thf-oughout eastern Pennsylvania,
and indeed, with few exceptions, throughout, first, the Colonies,
and later, the United States.
The contributions of the charcoal iron industry as repre
sented in this study should first be noted in their effect on the
contemporary scene. A most pressing need of the early pio
neers, other than food and clothing, was iron. With this scarce
commodity they could clear their fields, cultivate their farms,
prepare their food, and build sturdier homes; not to mention
the forging of weapons of defense. A further measure of com
fort and convenience was obtained through the Franklin stoves
and six-plate and ten-plate stoves cast at the furnaces. In
making possible this quick exploitation of a virgin, but often
hostile environment, the infant iron industry rendered its first
great service.
In a political sense probably the greatest contribution of the
colonial iron industry was made during the Revolution. The
Perkiomen iron works played a small, but significant, role in
this, our first great endeavor as a nation. As a part of the vital
Pennsylvania arsenal of iron works along the Schuylkill it as
sisted the Continental Army not only by supplying iron, but
also by furnishing men of leadership and influence. Attention
THE CHARCOAL IRON INDUSTRY IN-THE PERKIOMBN VALLEY
3^5
has already been directed to Perkiomen ironmasters who
served as officers under General Washington.
Not only did the iron industry figure heavily in the win
ning of the Revolution, but the knowledge of the presence of
such facilities for supplying iron inspired the colonists with
the confidence necessary to make the break with the mother
country. A certain measure of economic independence was
essential to the successful establishment of political independ
ence. In this case the development of out iron industry justi
fied the attempt and furthermore, made possible our successful
bid for liberty.^ Modesty should caution us against forgetting
the aid furnished by other countries, notably France.
The close relationship between iron making and agricul
ture evident throughout the early charcoal period makes pos
sible further observations rela,ting to the association of ironmake'rs and farmers. The economy of the farmer benefited in
many ways from the local iron industry. The stripping of tim
ber tracts to provide charcoal aided the pioneer settler in the
arduous task of clearing fields, while the many roads that were
built by the ironmasters to get the ore, limestone, and charcoal
to the plantations, as well as to transport the iron to the mar
ket, were also of use to the farmer. Not only did the iron works
furnish the agriculturist with off-season employment but they
also provided him with a profitable local market for his food
products. The forgemaster and the smithy, located eithet* on
the plantation or working independently, supplied the farmer
with horseshoes, ploughs, wagon tires, and other secondary
miscellaneous ironwa're so essential on the farm.
Leases for
ore and wood reserves produced additional income for the far
mer ; in addition, his tax burden was eased as a result of the
taxes paid by the comparatively wealthy ironmasters on their
heavily assessed properties.
But there was another side. Not always were the farmers
benefited by the iron works. The heavily-loaded wagons cut
the roads into impassable mof'asses while the excavations in
Â. C. Bining, Pennsylvania Iron Manufacture in the Eighteenth
Century, pp. 179-180.
search of ore often ruined good farming land. Timber tracts
were sometimes depleted beyond regrowth, leading to ,erosion
and too rapid run-oif in the drainage areas. We can well im
agine that the charcoal hearths were smoky nuisances to those
living in the neighborhood. Despite these disadvantages, how
ever, the farmer and the ironworker were generally compat
ible at a time when ninety per cent of our population lived on
farms.
Local merchants'and tavern keepers welcomed the iron
works for the labor that was attracted to the community and
the business that was directed their way.
The more general and ultimately more important contribu
tion of the charcoal water-powered iron industry typified in
this study is its place in the evolution of iron manufacture. It
was a necessary link in a series of developments whose final
result is the modern iron and steel industry of today. The ex
periments which led to the discovery of new methods and
techniques in the treatment of iron were first performed in
the truncated stone furnaces of the charcoal era.
The factors which led to the ultimate decline of the char
coal iron industry in the middle nineteenth century have been
given scattered mention. It is sufficient to give them only brief
summary here.
The old-fashioned processes became increasingly expensive
as compared to newer methods developing iii the Lehigh and
Pittsburgh areas. Depletion of forests and oire deposits in the
East, plus improved means of transportation, made it possible
to tap the mid-western resources as the cheapest method of
supplying eastern consumption. Again it must be remembered
that such developments as the hot blast, use of mineral fuel
(coal and coke), and steam power were generally not applicable
to the early furnaces. The forges disappeared as there was an
increased preference being shown for irolled iron over the ear
lier hammered iron. Finally, the westward movement itself
contributed by discovery of materials and establishment of
markets that made it necessary to abandon the older industries
in the East. Altogether, it represents a rather simple lesson
THE CHARCOAL IRON INDUSTRY IN THE PERKIOMEN VALLEY 317
of the survival of the most efficient method of production in
an environment of free enterprise.
AUTHOR'S NOTE
For further authoritative information on the old charcoal iron in
dustry, the reader is referred to an unusual article, "Antique Iron Works
and Machines of the Water Power Age," by George W. Schultz, in the
April, 1947, issue of this publication.
I freely acknowledge the incomplete character of much of this fore
going study. The paucity of information has caused gaps and omissions,
as well as speculation, where the firm path of well-documented fact would
have been more desirable. As tWs is the feeble beginning, and not the end,
of the study of the charcoal iron industry in the Perldomen Valley, I am
hopeful that more information will be uncovered which may throw new
light on the subject. Anyone who has, or can locate, data which would be
useful in this study, can be of great help to the author. Please address
communications as follows:
•
.
•1
ALFRED GEMMELL, 214 N. St. George St., Allentown, Pa.
(This completes Mr. GemmelVs paper. The Appendices and
Bibliography follow. Mr. Gemmell asks ns to make the fol
lowing notations in connection with that portion of his paper
printed in the October, 194^8, BULLETIN:)
p. 225, lines 14-16. A recent examination (by the author) of the Mary
Ann Furnace records, now at the Historical Society of Pennsylvania,
Philadelphia, confirmed the fact that 10-plate stoves (first plate stove
specifically designed for cooking) were cast at Mary Ann Furnace as
early as Nov. 5, 1765, being referred to in the records as "new-fashioned
stoves." This definitely destroys the claim that the Mayburry stove (1767)
was the first cook stove cast in America. However, the Mayburry stove
is the earliest such stove extant which is complete and intact.
p. 247. The John Bauer tilt hammer was located in what is now the
little village of Hereford. The original forge building still (1949) stands
and is still owned by the Bauer family,
p. 249, line 15. Delete "later District."
p. 250. It has recently been discovered that the Hampton Day Book,
1836-1944, includes the businesses of two furnaces, successively operated
by the same firm of Hunter and Miller. The entries in the Day Book for
the years 1886 through March, 1837, refer to the "New Hampton Furnace"
and forge, located in Towamensing Township, Carbon County,. while
the bulk of the account, covering the years 1838-1844, refers to the Perk-
io'men Hampton Furnace, Upper Milford Township, Lehigh County. In
light of this new information the references to a Hampton Forge (map.
318
BULLETIN OF HISTORICAL SOCIETY OF MONTGOMERY COUNTY
opposite page 186; graph, page 198) are misleading, since the forge was
associated with the New Hampton Furnace. Similarly, the references to
the Canal Boat Albany and the inventory of movable stock found on this
page (p. 250) do not pertain to the older Hampton Furnace, located on
the Perkiomen, and operated by Hunter and Miller from March, 1838, on.
The cupola and stamping mill, however, were active in conjunction vrith
the latter furnace, and may be considered as Perkiomen ironworks.
p. 251. A "cupola" is a small resmelting furnace, usually associated
with a foundry, in which pig iron or scrap is melted down to be re-cast
into any desired foundry product.
Foot-note 9: date should read Feb. 5, 1839.
p. 253. Foot-note 18: correct spelling is "H. A. Schuler."
p. 256. Most recent findings indicate that Dubs Forge had ceased
operating by 1874.
p. 257. Aaron K. Dubs died about 1874 and the forge ceased at the
same time. The structure was dismantled by Henry Hillegas, now living at
Zidhsville, Pa., in the years 1909-1910.
Appendices
819
APPENDIX A
The History of Green Lane Forge and Green Lane Furnace
As Revealed Through the Assessment Records
Year
Party Assessed
1769
Thomas Maybury
1774
Thomas Mayburry
Wm. Mayburry's Est.
Thomas Maybury
Wm. Maybury
Thomas Mayburry, Jr.
Thomas Mayburry
Thomas Mayburry
Thomas Mayburry
Thomas Mayburry
1774
1780
1780
1782
1783
1785
1786
1791
1792
1793
1795
Cows
Horses
Acres
1000
12
3
100
16
7
Forge
Misc. Works
Forge Asses.
1797
1798
1799
1800
1801
1802
1803
1804
Year
£
1805
1806
Tax
8,300
11,200
2,613
.
400
7
2
453
6
1
800
443
14
12
5
1
800
800
14
8
1
400
8
4
1
400
12
5
1
800
400
12
5
1
800
d
Thomas Maybury
William Maybury
William Maybury
William Maybury
William Maybury
William Maybury
William & Willoughby Maybury
400
12
6
1
400
8
4
1
1100
320
8
4
1
1100
320
8
4
1
1100
320
8
4
1
1100
4
1
1100
Acres
320
348
320
1,965
1,979
1,842
1100
1500
320
9-
4
1
320
9
5
1
Saw mill
1500
320
9
6
1
Saw mill
1500
Horses
10
9
Cows
6
6
Forge
1
1
Turn.
112/17/6
294/0/0
14/1/0
Forge
Furn.
Misc. Works
Asses.
Asses.
Sawmill
Sawmill
$1300
1300
1,873
1,890 (Dollars)
3,783
3,633.
3,287
3,364
3,344
3,244
4,764
4,775
4,786
(Dollars)
Total Asses.
ts
d
£
1000
400
Wm. & Willoughby Maybury
"Wm,& Willoughby Maybury
ToCal Asses.
Grist mill
William Mayburry
Thomas Maybury
Thomas Maybury
Party Assessed
M
o
£
(Dollars)
1796
CO
8.34
8.63
"8.71
10.58
10.59
14.28
Tax
$4846
$12.91
5001
12,12
A
1867
Wm. & Willoughby Maybury 348
10
5
1300
4975
1808
348
10
6
1300
6806
1809
Wm. Maybury
Wm. Maybury
Wm. Maybury
Wm. & Thomas Mayburry
348
9
6
1300
6676
21.03
348
8
6
1300
6726
22.52
1810
1811
1812
1813
1814
21.41
6
6
1000
11018
20.84
340
6
6
500
10458
19.82
340
6
6
500
10428
19.77
340
5
4
340
'
12.32
•
Property transferred to Walker, George & Co.
Forge inoperative for twenty years.
1
/
1834
Wm. Schall
302
8
7
Saw mill
800
4078
1835
Wm. Schall
275
10
9
Saw mill
BOO
4095
1836
Wm. Schall
275
10
8
Saw mill
800
4085
20.42
1837
Wm. Schall
273
10
8
Saw mill
800
4067
20.34
1838
Wm. Schall
259
12
7
1
Saw mill
1000
$1000
5251
26.27
.
20.47
(Spring)
1839
Wm. Schall
259
8
6
1
Grist Mill
1000
1000
6311
31.06
1840
Wm. Schall
.259
10
5
1
Saw mill
800
800
6541
32.70
1841
Wm. Schall
259
11
5
1
Saw mill
800
800
5960
29.80
1
Saw mill
2500
1200
14293
-
(Spring)
1841
Wm. Schall
-
259
13
5
(Fall)
1842
Wm. Schall
259
12
4
1
Saw mill
2500
1200
14004
25.20
1843
Wm. Schall
283
9
6-
1
Saw mill
2000
900
10048
22.11
Wm. Schall
293
8 •
5
1
Saw mill
1600
600
7510
Wm. Schall
Wm. Schall
293
8
7
1845
280
16
5
1846
Wm. Schall
280
16
5
(Spring)
1843
(Fall)
1844
(Spring)
—
—
.
—
Saw mill
1600
Saw mill
1600
Saw mill
1600
—
—
—
7220
-
19.49
7799
15.60
7594
11.39
to
APPENDIX A (continued)
Year
Party Assessed
1846
Horses & Mules
Acres
Wm. Schall
300
15
800
13
295
295
12
Forge
Cows
Misc. Works
5
Forge Asses.
Total Asses.
Ta*
$9000
—
u
(Fall)
1847
1848
Wm. Schall
Wm. Schall
1849
Wm. Schall
4
•
—
—
4
10
CO
CO
—
—
—
—
—
—
—
—
—
—
9000
$13.57
8300
12.65
n
8800
10.25
s
o
(Spring)
1849 Wm.'Schall
(Fall)
274
—
Saw mill
$1500
7372
n
s
H
o
Property listed in 1850 under name of Henry Shetz.
Forge may have been operated for a brief period later on.
2
0
N.B. The above figures were taken from the Montgomery County Assessment Records (see Bibliography) for Marlborough Town
ship, found in the Pennsylvania Archives and at the Court House, Norristown, Pennsylvania.
>
01
o
APPENDIX B
Q
IH
The History of the Mount Pleasant Forges as Revealed Through the Assessment Records
The Upper Forge
Year
Party Assessed
Horses
Acres
Cows
H
H
h!
O
Forge
Forge Asses.
Total Asses.
Tax
S
o
£
800
1779
Chnstian Butz
132
7
5
1
1780
Christian Butz
320
5
7
1
1781
Christian Butz
400
5
5
1
60
1781
Christian Butz
370
6
8
1
50
•
—
1785
Joseph Walker
1786
Joseph Walker
90
9
1788
Thomas Walker
John and Peter Richards
84
4
3
270
12
—
400
12
—
2
1200
310
12
—
2
—
—
Lower
1791
1792
1793
—
1
1
1
—
£
—
1305/10/—
—
506/—/—
—
£
138/17/8
208/6/6
13/4/6
6/6/6
—
200
388/—/—
3/—/—
2
500
2
1000
586/—/—
1680/—/—
2400/—/—
1800/—/—
3/12/—
1/15/—
2/10/—
3/15/—
and Upper Forges
—
1794
John and Peter Richards .
1795
Jolm and Peter Richards
1796
295
295
190
12
1
2
900
16
2
2
900
• 1440/—/—
1440/—/—
500
690/—/—
Dollars
Dollars
—
1799
300
8
1802
Jacob Foeht
Jacob Focht
84
10
100
9
1805
2
—
8/—/—
8/—/—
4/6/—
Dollars
2
$ 600
$1475
$ 2.21
2
2
1000
1464
12.10
8
2
1200
2038
6.11
1
600
5028
1235
1
1500
3125
6.26
1
2500
4600
10.00
1
2500
4060
8.79
—
The Lower Forge Only
1837
John Rush
173
10
75
6
75
7
55
6
4
1843
John Fisher Est.
John Fisher Est.
John Fisher Est.
N.B.
The preceding figures were taken from the Berks County Assessment Kecords (see ijibliograpny) lor nereiord ana wasn-
1840
1841
—
—
—
ington Townships, as found in the Pennsylvania Archives, the Berks County Historical Society, and the Court House,
Reading, Pennsylvania.
APPENDIX C
The History of Salford Forge as Revealed Through the Assessment Records
Forge
Person
Year
Assessed
Acres
Forge
Dwell.
Horses
Cows
Negroes
Servants
Asses.
100
JohnKreider
JohnKreider
Robert Coleman
Robert Coleman
John Kreider's Est.
Robert Coleman
1779 JohnKryder
1780 Sam Moore
—
—
—
—
—
—
—
—
—
—
—
—
—
—
—
—
—
—
1
—
—
2
10
—
1
70
420
•
8
4
1
—
2
—
80
—
—
—
—
—
—•
—
—
—
—
14
—
—
—
—
120
10
- 4
4
4
4
4
1
—
—
—
—
—
—
£
17/11/4
—
—
Tax
£
£
1769
1778
1774
1775
1775
1776
Total Asses.
-
—
200
—^
6000
11,600
—
—/7/6
7/6/8
—/8/6
1/10/—
129/4/—
,
32/5/—
348
CO
to
CO
APPENDIX C (continued)
Person
Year
1781
1783
1785
1786
Assessed
Col. Tho. Edwards
Richard Patton
John Patton
John Patton
Forge
\cre3
Dwell.
Forge
375
Horses
1
420
420
1
1
Cows
Negroes
Servants
400
2
8
Asses.
10
4
2 *
1
500
13
3
2
1
500
420
1
1
12
2
2
420
1
1
12
3
2
—
450
1788 John Patton Est.
1789 John Patton
1791 James Olde
420
1
1
4
1
—
450
953
420
1
1
12
3
2
—
500
1,100
78
1
1
4
1
450
619
1793 Richards & Jolly
73
1
1
13
2
500
1,011
73
1
1
12
3
1
73
1
1
12
3
—
1797 John Richards
73
1
1
12
3
—
1798 Mathias Richards
1799 Mathias Richards
1800 John Richards
73
1
1
8
3
1
1
8
2
83
1
1
9
3
—
—
83
—
—
—
—
—
—
350
Dollars
$900
$1,668
1,668
1,568
1,616
2,150
—
900
—
900
—
900
900
N)
—
—
u
—
I
—
—
—
o
—
—
w
—
M
m
H
—
O
689
Dollars
CO
Tax
1,545
1,557
1,300
1,250
1,142
1787 John Patton
2
500
Total Asses.
»
—
Dollars
—
—
$6.33
6.65
7.74
("Grismill" built)
1801 John Richards
83
1
1
8
2
1802 J. Richards &Weaver 73
1803 J. Richards &Weaver 73
1
1
8
4
1
1
8
1804
1805
1806
1807
1808
1810
1811
73
1
1
8
83
1
1
8
83
1
1
9
—
8
—
John Richards
JohnRichart
John Richards
John Richards
John Richards Est.
John Richards Est.
John Richards Est.
83
1
1
83
1
i
83
1
83
1
1
_
900
1,588
4.66
900
1,688
1,684
1,694
1,738
1,597
1,772
2,824
5.23
—
—
—
—
700
700
.
—
700
700
7
—
700
—
6.91
900
—
—
'
900
—
—
1
—
—
1,918
1,828
—
1
—
—
This marks the end of Salford Forge.
—
—
5.52
—
4.57
4.70
6.71
7.90
5.90
•
N. B. The above figures were taken from the Montgomery County Assessment Records (see Bibliography) for Upper Salford
Township, as found in the Pennsylvania Archives, The Historical Society of Pennsylvania and the Court House, Norristown,
Pennsylvania.
APPENDIX D
The History op Peter Skull's Tilt Hammer as Revealed Through the Assessment Records
Year
Acres
Hammer
Horses
Cows
Hammer Assea.
1820
157
1
3
3
$100
1821
157
1
2
2
100
1822
157
1
2
3
100
1823
157
1
2
3
100
1824
157
1
3
4
100
1825
157
1
3
3
100
1826
157
1
3
3
100
1827
157
1
2
8
100
1828
167
1
2
3
100
1829
157
1
2
. 8
100
1830
157
1
1
3
100
1831
157
1
1
100
Total Asses.
Tax
$3,046
, 3,006
3,016
2,702
2,742
2,732
2,732
2,702
2,702
2,702
2,672
2,652
$6.18
6.10
6.13
6.56
6.66
-
5.70
5.76
6.56
6.56
—
8.42
8.86
This tilt hammer is not listed after 1831.
N.B. The above figures were taken from the Montgomery County Assessment Records (see Bibliography) for Frederick Town
ship, Court House, Norristown, Pennsylvania.
CO
t>s
ox
APPENDIX E
CO
to
Oi
The History op Dale Furnace as Revealed Through the Assessment Records (Incomplete)
w
Year
Party Assessed
Horses
Acres
Saw Mill
Cows
Furnace
Furnace Asses.
Total Asses.
Tax
£
£
£
a
g
1
1791
Smith, Potts & Co.
250
9
3
1792
Smith,
Smith,
Smith,
Smith,
250
17
3
250
20
4
1793
1794
1795
1799
Potts
Potts
Potts
Potts
&
&
&
&
Co.
Co.'
Co.
Co.
—
,
1
1
1
250
20
2
250
18
3
1
1192
1
1
1
2
736
—
1
2400
1920
—
1000
1000
-
1440
1440
Dollars
Dollars
$2,200
2,348
3,348
1
1
$500
1
1
1000
1
1
1200
—/16/4
2/10/—
41—f—
31—f—
3/—/—
Dollars
$3.30
335
12
1802
Miles & Hoharts Est.
Jacob Focht & Co. for Dale Purn.
318
18
1805
John Thompson Co., Ironmasters
318
5
N.B.
The above figures were taken from the Berks County Assessment Records (see Bibliography) for Hereford Township,
Berks County Historical Society, Reading, Pennsylvania.
—
4
19.88
10.04
APPENDIX F
The History op Dale Forge as Revealed Through the Assessment Records
Year
Party Assessed
1837
442
182
272
10
4
16
4
1
1842
David Schall
David Schall
David Schall
15
5
1
1843
David Schall
252
11
4
1
1841
Acres
Horses
Cows
Saw Mill
1846
David Schall
280
9
5
—
1849
David Schall
296
11
4
—
Forge
Forge Asses.
Total AsseSi
7
1
$ 900
7
1
900
8
1
1,000
8
1
800
$ 9,452
8,072
10,560
10,854
16,020
Houses
—
—
_
14,523
Tax
$20.40
17.50
23.23
21.71
—
Washington Township Assessments
1840
David Schall
162
1841
David Schall
162
1843
David Schall
1855
David Schall
370
10
4
1858
David Schall
375
11
4
1862
David Schall
375
6
2
1864
David Schall
340
9
3
1867
David Schall
346
9
3
1870
David Schall
315
2
4
•
—
—
—
—
—
6
1
—
6
1
6
1
149
•
-
—
—
—
—
—
—
—
—
—
—
—'
—
—
—
—
1,500
2,500
2,500
(all
buildings)
8,000
7,975
—
7,250
6,090
6,468
4,693
6,270
5,098.
15,345
12,345
11,910
10,915
9,578
—
9.39
13.80
11.05
86.80
—•
37.13
—
—
—
N. B. The above figures were taken from the Berks County Assessment Records (see Bibliography), Court House, Reading,
Pennsylvania.
The reader is reminded that-Dale Forge did exist after 1843, the last year in which it receives separate mention above;
following that year it was merged with the total assessment for all of the buildings.
CO
CO
-q
Bibliography
I. Manuscript Sources.
A. Dale Forge MSS.—The following manuscripts are
in the possession of Dr. D. Horace Schall, Forge
Dale, Pennsylvania.
Bar Iron Book No. 1,1828-1838.
Bar Iron Book No. 2, 1853-1864.
Bill of Iron Book, 1835-1847.
Day Book, 1827-1843.
Day Book, 1844-1850.
Ledger and Day Book, 1848-1855.
Ledger, 1865-1866.
Memorandum Book, 1825-1870.
Wood and Pig Iron Records, 1827-1845.
Dale Forge Time Books, Schwenkfelder Historical
Library, Pennsburg, Pennsylvania.
Time Book, No. 1-1827-1841.
Time Book, No. 2-1841-1852.
Time Book, No. 3-1852-1871.
B. Dale Furnace MSS.—Historical Society of Pennsyl
vania, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania.
Dale Furnace Day Book, 1799-1801.
Dale Furnace Ledger, 1799-1801.
'
C. Durham MSS., Bucks County Historical Society,
Doylestown, Pennsylvania.
Day Book.
Correspondence, Ledger Folio No. 83.
D. Hampton MSS., Schwenkfelder Historical Library,
Pennsburg, Pennsylvania.
Day Book, 1836-1844.
Ledger, 1836-1844,
328
BIBLIOGRAPHY
329.
The entries in the'Day Book and Ledger for the
years 1836-1837 refer to the New Hampton Furnace
and Forge which were located in Towamensing
Township, Carbon County.
Hampton Furnace Property Deeds, 1834-1859.
These deeds are in the possession of Peter J. Faust,
Emmaus, Pennsylvania.
E. James, Mrs. T. P., Manuscript Collections, Histori
cal Society of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, Pennsyl
vania.
F. Mount Pleasant Furnace MSS., Historical Society
of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania.
,
Ledger, 1737-1739.
Day Book, 1738-1740.
Ledger, 1740-1750.
Day Book, 1746-1747.
Ledger, 1790-1796.
G. Salford Store Ledger, 1766-1774, Historical Society
of Montgomery County, Norristown, Pennsylvania.
H. Green Lane Forge MSS. (Donated to the Historical
Society of Montgomery County by Mr. William
Mayburry, Glenside, Pa., direct descendant of the
original Thomas Mayburry, first ironmaster on the
Perkiomen.)
Day Book, 1796-1799.
Journal, A, 1795-1802.
Journal, B, 1802-1816.
II. Public Records: Manuscript and Printed.
A. Montgomery County Assessment Records.
Records for years 1769, 1774, 1779, 1780, 1781,
1782, and 1783 are printed in The Pennsylvania
Archives, Third Series, Vols. 14, 15, and 16.
Records for years 1773, 1775,1779, 1780, 1781, and
1783 are in manuscript form at the Historical So
ciety of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania.
Records for years beginning in 1785 (with a few
330 BUI-LETIN op historical society of MONTGOMERY COUNTY
exceptions) are at the Montgomery County Court
House, Norristown, Pennsylvania.
B. Berks County Assessment Records.
Records for years 1779-1781 and 1786-1805 (with
a few exceptions) are at the Berks County His
torical Society, Reading, Pennsylvania.
Records for the years following 1837 are at the
Berks County Court House, Reading, Pennsylvania.
Records for the year 1785 are in The Pennsylvania,
Archives, Series Three, Vol. 18, p. 758.
C. Berks County Tax Lists. From 1800 on these lists
are found at the Berks County Historical Society,
♦
III. Newspapers and Periodicals.
A. Newspapers.
Berks and Schuylkill Journal, 1816-1910, Reading,
Pennsylvania.
Chronicle of The Times, Berks and Schuylkill Ad
vertiser, 1822-1834, Reading, Pennsylvania.
Reading Adler, 1796-1800.
Reading Times, Fegley, H. Winslow, "Charcoal
Furnaces of Lower Berks County*' (June 15, 1905),
B. Periodicals.
Bining, A. C., "The Iron Plantations of Early Penn
sylvania," Pennsylvania Magazine of History and
Biography, v. 57, p. 117.
Dannehower, Wm. F., "The Green Lane Forge,"
The Perkiomen Region (Dec. 1, 1924), published
by the Natural Science Society of the Perkiomen
Region.
Delafield, J. L., "Notes on Life and Works of Robert
Coleman," Pennsylvania Magazine of History and
Biography, v. 36, p. 226.
Durfee, Wm. F., "The Development of American
Industries Since Columbus, Early Steps in Iron-
BIBLIOGRAPHY
331
Making," The Popular Science Monthly (Dec. 1890).
Schoepf, Dr. J. D., "Travels Through Berks County
in 1783," Pennsylvania Magazine of History and
Biogra/phy, v. 5, pp. 74-81.
Schuler, H. A., "The Hampton Furnace," The
Pennsylvania German (September, 1906).
- Weig, M. J., "Hopewell Village and the Colonial
Iron Industry," The Regiotial Review, published by
the United States Department of Interior, (April,
1939).
IV. General Secondary Works.
A. By Individuals.
Bining, A. C., The Iron Plantations of Early Penn
sylvania, Philadelphia, 1933.
Bining, A. C., British Regulation of the Colonial
Iron Industry, Philadelphia, 1933.
Bining, A. C., Pennsylvania Iron Manufacture in
the Eighteenth Century, Harrisburg, 1938.
Boucher, J. N., William Kelley: A True History of
the So-Called Bessemer Process, Greensburg, Penn
sylvania, 1924.
•French, B. F., History of the Rise and Progress of
the Iron Trade of the United States: 1621-1857.
Hermelin, S. G., Report About the Mines in the
United States of America, translated from the
Swedish by Amandus Johnson, Philadelphia, 1931.
- James, Mrs. T. P., Memorial of Thomas Potts, Jr.,
Cambridge, Massachusetts, 1874.
Lesley, J. P., The Iron Manufacturers' Guide to the
Furnaces, Forges and Rolling Mills of the United
States, New York City, 1859.
Mercery H. C., The Bible in Iron, Second Edition,
Doylestown, Pennsylvania, 1941.
Miller, B. L., Lehigh County Pennsylvania, Geology^
and Geography, Harrisburg, 1941.
Pearse, J. B., A Concise History of the Iron Manu-
facture of the American Colonies Up to the Revolu
tion and of Pennsylvania until the Present Time,
Philadelphia, 1876.
Peters,
Jr., Two Centuries of Iron Smelting in
Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, 1921.
Schultz, G. W., Antique Iron Works and Machines
of the Water Power Age, Bowers, Pennsylvania,
1927.
Swank, J. M., Introduction to a History of Ironmak-
ing and Coal Mining in Pennsylvania, Philadelphia,
1878.
Swank, J. M., History of the Manufacture of Iron
in All Ages and Particularly in the United States
from Colonial Times to 1891, Philadelphia, 1892.
B. By Societies.
American Iron and Steel Association, Directory to
the Iron and Steel Works of the United States, 1888.
Convention of Ironmasters Publication, Statistics of
Iron Manufacture in Pennsylvania, Philadelphia,
1849.
Convention of Ironmasters Publication, Documents
Relating to the Manufacture of Iron in Pennsyl
vania, Philadelphia, 1849.
Pennsylvania Society of The Colonial Dames of
America, Forges and Furnaces in the Province of
Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, 1914.
V. General History.
Auge, M., Lives of the Eminent Dead and Bio
graphical Notices of Prominent Living Citizens of
Montgomery County, Pennsylvania, Norristown,
Pennsylvania, 1879.
Bean, T. W., Editor, History of Montgomery
County, Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, 1884.
Bezanson, A.; Gray, R. D.; Hussey, M.; Prices in
Colonial Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, 1935.
BIBLIOGRAPHY
333
Montgomery, M. L., History of Berks County in
Pennsylvania,, Philadelphia, 1886.
Montgomery, M. L., Historical and Biographical
Annals of Berks County, Pennsylvania, (2 Vols.),
Chicago, 1909.
Roberts,' R.; Stoudt, J. B.; Krick, T. H.; Dietrich,
W. J.; History of Lehigh County (2 Vols.), Allentown, 1914.
Rupp, I. D., History of the Counties of Berks and
Lebanon, Lancaster, 1844.
Thomas, G., History of Pennsylvania, London, 1698.
Edited by A. Monroe Aurand, Jr., Aurand Press,
Harrisburg, 1935.
VI. Maps.
Davis, F. A., (Supr.), Historical Atlas of Berks
County, Reading Publishing House, Reading, Penn
sylvania, 1876. Schwenkfelder Historical Library,
Fagan, L., (Surveyor), Bridgen's Township Map of
Berks County, Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, 1862.
Schwenkfelder Historical Library, Pennsburg,
Pennsylvania.
Howell, Reading, Map of the State of Pennsylvania,
1792.
Private Collection.
Richards, Henry M., Map of Berks County, Con
structed by Act of the Pennsylvania Legislature,
1816. Schwenkfelder Historical Library, Penns
burg, Pennsylvania.
Schultz, Daniel, (Surveyor and Drafter), Map of
Mount
.(proposed town), June 15 and 16,
1865. In possession of Dr. D. Horace Schall, Forge
Dale, Pennsylvania.
Schultz, David, Draught of Berks County, 1809.
Schwenkfelder Historical Library, Pennsburg,
Pennsylvania.
Schultze, "Dsiyi^f Draught of Hereford Township,
1753. (This is the oldest draft of Hereford To\raship on record.) Schwenkfelder Historical Library,
Schultze, David, Road Draught of a proposed road
along West Branch of Perkiomen, 1779. Schwenkfelder Historical Library, Pennsburg, Pennsylvania.
Scull, William, Map of Pennsylvania, 1770.
Schwenkfelder
Pennsylvania.
Historical
Library,
Pennsburg,
Neighborhood News and Notices
From the Southern Tier op Townships*
(Continued from-Volume V page SSk)
FOR .SALE
BY THE SUBSCRIBERS
A FEW SHARES in the Middellup Mine, situate on the banks
of Perqueomin creek, about 23 miles from Philadelphia. The
present situation of this mine is as follows: there has been
2 shafts sunk, the one is about 70 feet deep, the other about
40, a water lavel is drove upwards of 400 feet, which has
laid the vein dry to the depth of upwards ofv 100 feet. It is
expected there are two veins in the premises now offered for
sale, and search is now making for another vein, in doing
of which two shafts have been sunk about 25 each in depth
and a drift drove about 90 feet; there has been a quantity
of ore got, supposed to be from 20 to 80 tons and is principally
the ore of ZING which is worth several thousand dollars, and
will be sold with the shares in the Mine, so that nothing is
wanted but a furnace to smelt the ore to make this Mine give
immediate profit. Another advantage is that the metal may
be brought to the city by water, or the ore, if it is found more
convenient to smelt it in the city. The ore stands in this vein
about one foot thick, some places a little less and some places
about 16 or 18 inches thick.
Specimens of this ore may be seen at the Mint, in the
possession of Mr. Cloud. Mr. Cloud has also taken Zinc out of
the ore which may be seen in the hands of Mr. Seybert.
Any person wishing to purchase a share or shares in this
Mine, may receive further information by applying to JOHN
JACKSON, at Pratt & Kintzing's stores, or by viewing the
^Compiled from "Poulson's American Daily Advertiser."
335
336 buI'Letin op historical society of Montgomery county
premises, where they may see the ore that is got and the ore as
it now stands in the vein, with the works that have been
erected in opening the Mine &c.
There are upwards of 18 years unexpired on the lease.
Edward Jackson
Joseph Jackson
(June 14, 1808)
William Glenell.
THE WILLOW GROVE
Mineral Spring
(On the Old York Road —14 miles from Philadelphia)
Having chemically examined the water of Willow Grove, we
find that it possesses considerable strength. It contains iron
carbonic air; and Muriate of soda. From the healthy situation,
and the well known tonic, properties of the above substance,
we have no hesitation in recommending it as a valuable
remedy in relaxed and debilitated habits.
JOHN RUAN
CHARLES LUKENS
)
JOHN MOORE
HUGH SERVICE
)
GOVE MITCHELL
^
Physicians
)
Any person disposed to make use,of the Willow Grove
Mineral Waters, may expect to find good accommodations.
Baths will be shortly erected and every exertion made by the
Subscriber (who is the proprietor) to render the situation
agreeable and useful^
George Rex.
(August 15,1808)
®®The Middellup Mine seems to have escaped the notice of his
torians. Mention of the Perkiomen copper mines is not wanting, but this
zinc mine appears to have been much earlier. From the extensive bor
ings made, one would suppose that some trace of it could still be found.
Can any reader throw light on this matter?
The "Mr. Cloud" referred to was Joseph Cloud, who was head of
the melting and refining department of the United States Mint, Phil
adelphia, from 1797 to 1836. He was commissioned by President
Washington.
See Bean's History of Montgomery County, Pennsylvania; p. 974.
NEIGHBORHOOD NEWS AND NOTICES
337
[At the house of Jesse Roberts, in Norristown, on August
16, 1808, Col. Samuel Henderson, Mathew Pearce, John Rob
erts, Esq., and Mathias Holstein were appointed conferees of
the county for the Constitutional Republicans, to report at a
meeting to be held at the house of Cornelius Tyson, in Wor
cester township. Cadwallader Evans, Chairman; Israel Bringhurst, Secretary.]
(September 8, 1808)
Just Published
The Second Volume of
The
HOLY
BIBLE
containing
The Old and New Covenant
Commonly called
The Old and New Testament
Translated from the Greek
by
CHARLES THOMSON
Late Secretary to the Congress of the United States
• SUBSCRIBERS will receive their Books agreeably to the
terms of subscription, and purchasers may be supplied at $2.50
for each volume (payable on delivery) on application to
Thomas Dobson, Joseph and James Crukshank, William W.
Woodward, Hopkins & Earle, James P. Parke, Jane Aitken,
no. 71 north Third street, and Benjamin and Thomas Kite, no.
20 north Third street.®^
(December 21, 1808)
NOTICE
The Legislature of Pennsylvania having passed an act
authorising the building of a Bridge over the River Schuylkill,
See The Life of Charles Thomson, by Lewis R. Harley, Ph.D.; pp.
160, et seq.
338
bulletin op historical society of Montgomery county
at the Flat Rock, about three miles above the Fallsthe Sub
scribers appointed Commissioners under the said act, do
hereby give notice that they vdll open books to receive sub
scriptions for shares to build said bridge, between the hours
of 12 and 6 o'clock at the following places and times, viz.
At the house of Jonathan Miller, sign of the Buck, Lan
caster turnpike road, on the 1st, 2d and 3d days of May.
At the house of Stephen Davis, Roxborough township, on
the first of May.
At the house of Anthony Hergesheimer, .Gefmantown, on
the 2d and 3d of May.
And at the Merchants' Coffee house in the city of Phila
delphia on the 1st, 2d and 3d days of May between the hours
of 9 and 3 o'clock. .
Lewis Rush
Joseph Starne
Conrad Kriegbaum
)
)
)
Commissioners.®®
(April 1, 1809)
{Note: the issue of April 22d reprints the foregoing advertise
ment, but with the addition of three Commissioners: Chris
topher Heydrich, George Grow and Benjamin Smich.)
[David Barnum & Co. advertise establishment of a.new
line of stages "from Lancaster to Philadelphia, through the
pleasant and thriving villages of Strausburg and West
Chester." Stage will start from^ John Bausman's "Golden
Swan," Lancaster, 5 A.M., arriving same afternoon at David
Barnum's "Shakespeare Hotel," 6th and Chesnut sts., Phila
delphia. "Fare throughout," $3.50, including' 14 lbs. of bag
gage; fare to West Chester, $1.25; way passengers, 6 cents
per mile.
Signed by David Barnum, Joseph Vogdes, Cadwr. Evans,
Wm. Beaumonts, Dennis Whelen, Joseph Worthington, Jacob
For names of subscribers, see Pa. Archives, 9th Ser.; IV, 2693, et
eeq. The Act of incorporation of the Flat Rock Bridge Company is dated
March 22, 1809. See, also, Bean's Hist, of Montg. Co., Pa.; p. 926.
339
Humphrey, Michael Rine, John Bausman, Jesse John, John
NafF.]
(May 5, 1809)
[The Commissioners appointed "to build a Permanent
Bridge over the river Schuylkill at or near Pawling's ford,"
advertise that they will receive subscriptions at house of
James Irwin, inn-keeper, Gharlestown township; at house of
James Brooke, inn-keeper, Vincent township; house of James
Bones, inn-keeper, Yellow Springs; all in Chester county;
at house of John Brower, inn-keeper. Union township, Berks
county; at house of Isaiah Wells, inn-keeper, Norristown, at
house of George Bisbing, Whitemarsh township, inn-keeper,
in Montgomery county; and at Merchants' Coffee House,
Philadelphia, on 27th, 28th and 29th of July. Signed by John
Ralston, James Brooke, Enoch Walker, Michael Lynch, Archi
bald Darrah, John M'Farland, John M. Pawling, Alexander
Crawford, George Bishbing.]
• (May 29, 1809)
[Information wanted of "John Trump, son of Michael
Trump, late of Montgomery county, state of Pennsylvania,
aged about 60 years," by Thomas W. Pryor, city of Phila
delphia, merchant. "Printers in the western parts of the state
of Pennsylvania, Ohio, Maryland and Virginia" are requested
to insert the advertisement in their papers.]
(June 3,1809)
VINE COMPANY
OF PENNSYLVANIA
The Managers of the Vineyard, at Spring Mills, conceive it
a duty that they owe to the lovers of the Vintage in the
United States, to inform that they have a large number of fine
plants and cuttings of various kinds, for sale at very reason
able prices for the Autumn and next Spring's planting. Orders
addressed to Mr. Bernard McMahon, seedsman and Flowrist in
Philadelphia, or to Peter Leagoux, at the Vineyard,, post paid,
will be carefully attended to.
N. B. Printers in this and the neighboring States friendly
to the cultivation of this delicious Fruit will confer a favour
" See Bean's Hkt. of Montg. Co., Pa.; p. 1046.
340
bulletin of historical society of MONTGOMERY COUNTY
by inserting the above once or twice in their Useful Papers."^*
(November 13, 1809)
At a meeting of the Limeburners of Montgomery county,
at Philip Sellers's Inn, Whitemarsh, January 9, 1810: ALEX
ANDER CRAWFORD was appointed Chairman, and JOHN
FITZWATER, Secretary. The purport of the meeting being to
consider of the price of Lime for the ensuing season in conse
quence of the advanced price of wood and wages, and also to
have a uniform price in selling the same.
(Prices agreed on vary from 26 to 30 cents per bushel,
delivered, according to localities specified, and are minimum
prices.)
(January 15,1810)
On Wednesday the 7th inst. RICHARD B. JONES, Es
quire, son of Judge Jones, was admitted to practice as an
Attorney in the Court of Common Pleas of Philadelphia
county.2^
(March 8, 1810)
Dissolution of Partnership
The Co-partnership of HENRY & CLEMENT LAWRENCE,
of Philadelphia, and Dr. JESSE PENNELL, of Bridgeport,
Pennsylvania, conducting business under the firm of JESSE
PENNELL & CO. was dissolved on the 15th inst. by the
mutual consent of the subscribers. Clement Lawrence being
authorised to act on behalf of Henry Lawrence, deceased.
Clement Lawrence
Jesse Pennell
'
(February 22,1811)
See Sketches, Hist. Soc. Montg. Co.; II, 92. The botanical garden
of Bernard McMahon was located at Germantown road and Township line,
Philadelphia — now the site of Potterall Square, 11th and Cumberland
streets. For a sketch of Bernard McMahon, see The Botanists of Phila
delphia and Their Work, by John W. Harshberger, Ph.D.; p. 117 /.
Richard Blackledge Jones was appointed by the Governor of Penn
sylvania, August 30, 1822, to be an Associate Judge of the Court of Com
mon Pleas of Montgomery County. (See Pa. Archives, 9th Ser.; VIII,
5761) He was the son of another judge of the same court— John Jones,
whose Lower Merion farm in later years became the estate of Hon. Wayne
McVeagh. (See Merion in the Welsh Tract, by Thomas Allen Glenn;
p.357)
341
ROBERT FRAZER
Attorney and Counsellor at law
Informs his friends that he has returned from Norristown
"to the City of Philadelphia, and has opened an Office at No. 34
50uth Sixth street, third door below Chestnut street.
(April 11, 1811)
(The "Commissioners appointed by an Act of Assembly
... to incorporate a company for-making an artificial road
beginning at the intersection of Vine and Tenth streets, Phila
delphia, and thence to Perkiomen Bridge in the county of
Montgomery," give notice that books will be open for sub
scriptions on June 3d, at Merchants' -Coffee House, Phila
delphia ; house of Samuel Patterson, Norristown, and house
of Nathan Levering, .Roxborough. Signed: Francis Swaine,
James Sharswood, Henry Nixon, Joseph Starne, Matthias Har
rison, Francis, Deal, John K. Duy, John Markley, Alexander
Cra-v\ôrd, Nathan Levering, jun., Levi Pauling, .Commis
sioners.
(May 4,1811)
(George Breneizer, Peter Leineweber, Conrad Stauch &
Co., advertise that they "have extended their LINE OF
•STAGES from Harrlsburg to Philadelphia (through Potts-
town, Trap and Norristown)Stopping places are named in
Harrisburg, Reading and Philadelphia, but not elsewhere.)
(August 16,1811)
(Potts Town Academy advertises for a tutor "who can
•teach the Languages and the different branches of English
Education.")
(August 16,1811)
A School-Master Wanted.
A person well-qualified in the different branches of Educa
tion suitable for a Country School in the neighborhood of
Philadelphia. Such a person, if well recommended, will meet
-with good encouragement by applying to JOHN KUGLER,
Tavern-keeper, near the seven mile stone, on the Lancaster
Turnpike road.®®
(December 19, 1811)
TEACHERS
\
Wanted, in the LOLLER ACADEMY, just erected in the
village of Hatborough, Montgomery county, on the Old York
road, 16 miles from Philadelphia. A gentleman capable of
teaching the Learned Languages and Mathematics, and
another qualified to teach Reading, Writing, Arithmetic and
English Grammar, may find their account in applying to the
Board of Trustees when met at Marple's Tavern, in said vil
lage, on Saturday, the 14th March next, at 1 o'clock P.M. at
which time it is proposed to contract with masters. It is
hoped that the candidates will apply personally.
By order of the Board of Trustees
Nathaniel Irwin, President
Hiram M'Neill, Secretary
N.B. It is expected that gentlemen not known to the Board,
will produce satisfactory recommendations.
(February 28,1812)
Turnpike Lots for Sale
The Proprietor offers for sale, previous to the first of April,
a number of Lots, situate on the Philadelphia and Lancaster
Turnpike road, between the 8 and 9 mile stones, oh each
side of the road, which will suit citizens for a retreat, and
mechanics for dwellings. For terms apply to JOHN ELIjIOTT,
or REUBEN MORGAN, on the premises, or
Jonathan Miller,
Buck Inn. '
(March 11, 1812)
*•This is an example of the sporadic attempts at providing instruc
tion where no school had been fully established. In 1787, a school was
built on the grounds of the "Dutch" (St. Paul's) Church, in Lower Merion. It was probably here that the teacher was wanted, the Kugler family
being prominent in that church. (See The Perkiomen Region (new ser
ies;,-VIII, 38)
343
French Burrs
I have just received a cargo of first quality FRENCH
BURRS; and I have good workmen to enable me to execute
any order that I mayhave for Burr Mill Stones at short notice,
and of good quality. For particulars, enquire of SMITH and
HELMUTH, Merchants of Philadelphia, or of the subscriber
of Baltimore.
Isaac M'Pherson.
(June 5, 1812)
[Notice of opening of stock subscription. Spring House,
Northampton town and Bethlehem Turnpike Co., at Merchants
Coffee House, Phila., at house of John Weaver, in Montgomery
Square, at the house of Samuel Sellers, in Bucks co., at the
house of Joseph Fry, in Lehigh co., at the house of George Savitz. In the Borough of Northampton, and at the house of
Joseph Rice, Bethlehem, March 1st next. Commissioners:
William Tilghman, Peter Knepley, John Roberts, Evan Jones,
Silas Hough, John Weaver, Samuel Sellers, Andrew Slichter,
William Green, James Greenleaf, Abraham Rinker, Jacob
Hartzell, Philip Wint, George Huber, OwenRice.]
(Februal-y 1, 1813)
[Norristown Hotel—Morris Jones announces "that he has
removed from the house he has for several years kept in Nor
ristown, to the one nearer to the City of Philadelphia, at the
corner of Egypt or the Main street and DeKalb street, in
said! Norristown."]
(April 15, 1813)
[Notice of election of ofiicers of the Spring House, Northamptown and Bethlehem Turnpike road, to be held at house
of Philip Schillenberger, "in Montgomery County," 24th inst.]
(May 6, 1813)
RIDGE TURNPIKE
[Sealed proposals asked for turnpiking the unfinished five
miles of the road, and constructing bridges and culverts, "in" See THE BULLETIN, Oct., 1946; p. 224 / 16.
eluding- a Bridge over Skippack creek," by the superintendent,
Matthias Holstein, Nbrristown.
Commencing two miles beyond Norristown, and ending at
Perkiomin Bridge; to be 24 ft. wide, 12. in. deep, with 10 ft.
summer roads on each side, wherever practicable. Signed by
Thos. H. White, Sec'y.]
(February 23, 1814)
"On Thursday last, JONATHAN ROBERTS, of the county
of Montgomery, was chosen a Senator of the United States, by
the Members of the Senate and House of Representatives of
this state, in the place of Dr. LEIB, resigned."
(February 28,1814)
[Subscription books of Egsrpt Turnpike Road Company
will be opened April 18th, at Merchants Coffee House, Phila
delphia; Isaac Markley's tavern, Norriton township, 2 miles
above Norristown; and the Bull tavern, Charleston township,
Chester county. (Signed) Samuel Wetherill, jun., Levi Paw
ling, Isaac Markley, John Shannon, Joseph Crawford, John
Francis, Henry Highly, Commissioners.]
(March 18,1814)
"A man named JOHN BAKER, left his place of residence,
in Cheltenham township, near Germantown, about ten weeks
ago, and has not since been heard of. He is about forty years
old, had on a blue cloth coat, with velvet collar, and brown
velvet pantaloons, with narrow cord.
Any information respecting the above person, will be thank
fully received by his wife and family, at DANIEL RUSH'S,
Kensington, near the Black Horse, Frankford road.
Mary Baker."
(May 25, 1814)
Merion Boarding School
"About six miles from Philadelphia
Is open for the reception of Boys, who will be instructed in
Reading, Writing, Arithmetic, English Grammar, and the
practical branches of the Mathematics.
NEIGHBOBHOOD NEWS AND NOTICES
345
The neighbourhood is so wellknownfor its high and salubri
ous situation, that it is needless to say anything to recommend
it to the attention of parents.
Apply at Kimber and Richardson's store, No. 277 Market
street, or at the School to
Joshua Hoopes."
(June 6, 1814)
[George Weaver, Treasurer of the Spring House, North
ampton and Bethlehem Turnpike Co., calls on the stockholders
for payments on stock. Dated at Montgomery Square,
June 23d.]
(June 29, 1814)
"CO-PARTNERSHIP
MATTHEW L. BEVAN, having taken WILLIAM POR
TER into Copartnership, their Business will be conducted
under the firm of
Bevan and Ponter.'
(August 17, 1814)
[Edward Siter &Co. announce that they "have commenced
running a line of Stages from Philadelphia to Downingtown
called the ACCOMODATION." Runs three times a week,
leaving the Black Bear, Market st., cor. 5th, Tues., Thurs.,
and Sat.; arriving Downingtown same afternoon; leaving Mr.
Evans' sign of the Swan, Downingtown, Mon. Wed., and Fri,
arriving Philadelphia same day. "Owners have provided them
selves with good Stages and Horses and a careful driver."]
(August 23, 1814)
"NOTICE
THE Subscribers wishing to close the business transacted
under the firm of E. Price, likewise that of Edward Price, give
notice to all to whom are indebted to either, to come forward
and pay oft their accounts without delay to either of the Sub
scribers only, as no other person or persons are authorised to
settle or to receive the same without a special order from
either of us.
Edward Price, or Enoch Price.
West side of Schuylkill, near the Permanent Bridge, Bloekley."
(September 27,1814)
346
BUIiLETIN OF HISTORICAL SOCIETY OF MONTGOMERY COUNTY
"Flat Kock Bridge.
THE Stockholders of the Flat Rock Bridge Company, are
hereby informed that an election will be held at the house of
John Cochrin,®® near said Bridge, on the first Monday in
January next, 1815, for one President, six Managers, and one
Treasurer, for ensuing year.
William Hagy, Treasurer."
(November 23,1814)
,
"PHILADELPHIA AND LANCASTER
Turnpike Road Company
WANTED
A Superintendant, whose duty it shall be to devote his
whole time and personal service to the Superintendance of
said Road. Daniel Thomas, the late Superintendant, having
found it inconvenient to remain in office. For particulars,
enquire at the Office, No. 251 High street.
Wm. Govett, Sec'ry."
(January 17, 1815)
"ROBBERY
On Sunday evening, at about a quarter past 8 o'clock, two
gentlemen returning to the city by the Lancaster Turnpike,
were robbed of a Watch and Pocket Book by two armed FOOT
PADS between Pugh's Tavern and the first Toll Gate. One of
the robbers had on a dark round-a-bout and light loose trousers ;
the other apparently a drab coatee, and dirty white trousers.
The Watch was a fiat gold one, opening at the back, the hands
of blue steel, and the dial cracked across, with a twisted gold
chain, and engraved cornelian seal with arms fretted and crest
a unicorn's head; the key is cornelian set in gold, with the
initials J. C.
The Pocket Book or Note Case of Red Morocco, about two
inches square, lined with parchment, on which was written the
"John Coehran held a license for the Flat Rock Bridge Hotel, in
Lower Merlon, 1811-14.
NEIGHBOKHOOD'NEWS AND NOTICES
347
owner's name, and contained two 10 dollar, four 5 dollar, and
one 1 dollar Notes, on the Schuylkill Bank, and some other
Notes not recollected; one of the Schuylkill Notes was payable
to 'C. Biddle or beared/
Information left with the Mayor of the city will be grate
fully attended to,"
(July 11„ 1815)
"EDUCATION
Merion Boarding School
In a pleasant and healthy neighborhood, about 6 miles from
Philadelphia, is open for the reception of Pupils.
In this Seminary, the following branches are taught,
namely—Reading, Grammar, Arithmetic, Geography, with the
use of the Globes, Algebra, Geometry, Mensuration, Surveying
in theory and practice, Navigation, Mechanics, Spherics, As
tronomy, Optics, &c.
Apply for admission to the Subscriber, at said School or
to JOHN RICHARDSON, No. 237, Market street, Philadelphia.
JOSHUA HOOPES."39
(July 17, 1815)
"At a Meeting of the Stockholders of the Ridge Turnpike
Company on Monday, the 1st inst., the following officers were
elected for one year:
President—^William Rawle.
Managers—John Jones, (Norristown), James Sharswood,
Philip Hagner, Jos. Sims, Alexander Crawford, Levi Pawling,
Matthias Harrison, Henry Nixon, John Clifford, Jeremiah
Warder, jun., Jeremiah Parker, Peter Robeson.
Treasurer—Thos. H. White."
(January 5,1816)
[Norris-Town Academy,—Jehu Curtis Clay announces his
appointment to the charge of this Institution, to succeed Rev.
®Joshua Hoopes, a noted Friend, was the first teacher employed
by this school, and served four years. The institution was afterwards
known as Lower Merion Academy.
Mr. Jones. He will pay particular attention to the improve
ment of his pupils in Greek and Latin, science, etc.j as well as
"to the exercise of such discipline as shall secure their morals
uncontaminated."
Subscriber will take only five boarders; board for others
can be obtained in respectable private families.
The Academy will open Monday 13th of May next.]
(Aptil 8, 1816)
[Rudolph Barley offers $20 reward for an apprentice "to
the Tanning business, named MATTHIAS DEHAVEN, aged
between 18 and 19 years;", (etc.) Deliver him to subscriber,
"living at the Stone Bridge, leading to Kensington, or Mr.
Brooks, Tan Yard."]
(
1816)
WILLIAM J. HORN
Respectfully acquaints his friends and the public in general
that he has re-commenced the GROCERY BUSINESS at No.
45 South Fourth street, between Chesnut and Walnut streets,
where his former customers can be furnished in the above line
as usual, either wholesale or retail."
(July 3,1816)
[Thos. Harper, Secretary of the Schuylkill Navigation Co.,
announces "that the said Company will receive proposals from
persons desirous of obtaining water power, for the erection of
any dam or dams on the said river, between the great falls
thereof in the county of Philadelphia, and John Potts Mill in
the county of Schuylkill."
Apply at Company's office, No. 308 Market st., Phila.]
(October 1, 1816)
"Mammoth Pig.
Was killed the 7th instant, by Jacob Barr, steward of the
Montgomery county poor-house, a pig raised by him, sixteen
months old, the circumference of the body was six feet four
inches, length of same, eight feet four inches, and weighed
(January 17,1817)
five hundred and twenty pounds*'
349
Norristown Academy
"The Trustees of the Norristown Academy respectfully in-
forra the public, that the Revd. JOSEPH BARR, has been
unanimously elected Principal of this Institution . . .
A number of boys from abroad may be accomodated in Mr.
Barr's family, where they will receive every attention.—Per
sons desiring information respecting said institution, will
please apply to the Revd. Doctor James P. Wilson, No. 24
Sansom street, Philadelphia.
By order of the Trustee.
Levi Pawling, Secretary."
(February 19, 1817)
"Riot.
Norristown, (Penn.) March 5.
On Monday evening last, 14 prisoners were conducted by a
strong guard to the prison in this town. We understand they
committed a most outrageous Riot in Lower Merion township,
about twelve or one o'clock on Sunday morning "last. Several
of them remain yet to be taken.*'
(March 7, 1817)
"Norristown, (Penn.) March 12.
The fourteen prisoners, under a strong escort, who were
lodged in jail on Monday evening the 3d inst. for a daring,
violent and unprovoked riot, in Lower-Merrion, were sever
ally examined on Tuesday the 4th, before Nathan Potts, Esq.,"
when eleven of them were committed for trial at our next court.
—Âlthough exertions have been made for the detection of the
principal leaders, they have not yet been apprehended'.'^^
(March 14, 1817)
" This disorder took place at the "William Penn" tavern, on the
Lancaster Turnpike—^what was known in our younger days as the
Shortridge place, Wynnewood—and the contestants were some carters,
and some Irish from the powder mills on Cobb's creek. The affair lasted
two days, and left the tavern a wreck. However, the ringleader after
wards paid the damages. Joseph Price, the owner, has left a full account
of what happened. See his Diary, MSS Div.,.Hist. Soc. of Pa.
"Charles L. West
Having formed a connection with Joseph S. Coates & Richard
Tunis, for the transaction of Commission Business in Charles-'
ton, S. C. under the firm of
Coates, West and Tunis
Respectfully offers his friends the services of that firm."
(May 14, 1817)
HARRISBURG
Lancaster & Philadelphia
Accomodation Coaches
"A COACHEE will leave Mr. William Cooper's sign of the
Red Lion, West King street, Lancaster, at 7 o'clock in the
morning, for Philadelphia, and from Mr. Newlin's sign of the
Red Lion, Market street, Philadelphia, at the same time for
Lancaster—dine at Mr. Evans's, Downingtown, and arrive at
an early hour in the evening at each place, and continue to run
daily. The subscribers have provided themselves with good
horses and careful drivers, by which they hope to receive a
share of public patronage.
Fare between Lancaster and Philadelphia, 4 dollars, with
an allowance of 14 lbs. weight of baggage.
Wm. C. Hull & Co."
,
(July 28, 1817)
"DIED, at Charleston, (S. C.) on the 20th inst., after an
illness of five days, of the prevailing fever, in the 23d year of
his age, Mr. RICHARD TUNIS, a native of Philadelphia, and
partner in the house of Coates, West & Tunis, of Charleston."
(etc.)î
(October 2, 1817)
[Llewn. Young, president of the Vine Co. of Pennsylvania,
calls a meeting of the Company at the house of John L. Young,
sign of General Washington, Roxborough.]
(January 8, 1818)
Richard Tunis was the son of Abraham and Hannah (Hum
phreys) Tunis, of Lower Marion, and a great-grandson of Abraham
Tunis, an early settler at Chestnut Hill, Philadelphia.
351
[James Elliott announces that he has "established a line of
Coachees on the Gulf Road. The Stage "wlll leave the Shakes
peare Hotel, in Chesnut near Sixth street, every Tuesday,
Thursday and Saturday mornings, at 11 o'clock, run by •way
of Merion, Gulf Mills, King of Prussia, Valley Forge and
Phoenix Iron Works, and arrive at French Creek Boarding
School at 5 o'clock in the evening. Returning will leave Joseph
Conrad's on the Boarding School Farm, every Monday, Wed
nesday and Friday morning, at 8 o'clock, and arrive in Phila
delphia at 1 o'clock." . . . Fare, $1.75; way passengers at 6e
per mile.]
'
(May 2, 1818)
[Palmer & Iredell, near Horsham Meeting, advertise the
robbery of their store, in Horsham, of gloves, cloth, hats, etc.
One hat has J. R. Jenkins -written on the lining. Supposed to
have been done by two mulattoes—^who are described.]
(May 18, 1818)
[Address of the President and Managers of the Schuylkill
Navigation Co. Covers 1^ columns. Reviews address of May
29, 1817, explaining contemplated improvement in navigation
from head of tidewater to mouth of Mill creek in Schuylkill
county, including contract -with Ariel Cooley for improvements
near Flat Rock bridge; etc. Refers to dam, canal and locks built
at the great falls.
"The dam and works near the Flat Rock bridge will slacken
the current of the river about one mile above spring mill, being
8 or 9 miles above the tide water, and comprehend a fall of
about 26 feet. The dam across the river is more than half com
pleted. . . . The guard wall and guard lock at the entrance
of the canal are in considerable forwardness; the canal about
two miles in length is nearly all dug out (etc.) . . . When fin
ished there will be a complete slack water navigation from
Spring Mill to the tide water, over what has heretofore been
by far the most rocky and dangerous part of the river."
Remainder of report has to do chiefly with improvements
made and to be made, elsewhere on the river, and goes on to
say, "From Green Tree ford to Spring Mill, a distance of about
thirty-five miles, the river has a very gentle current, with a fall
of only about 28 feet in the whole," and suggests wing dams
as an improvement." The Board have it in contemplation to
erect two dams this season, on the west side of the Island op
posite to Norristown."]
(May 21,1818)
["A Travelled'" writes to the editor in praise of the scenery
along the banks of the Schuylkill, "up as high as to Madson's
Ford." He mentions "The new and great Canal, now in opera
tion, one mile above the Falls."—"the great Dam and its cas
cade"—"But the finest scenery of all, is caused by the elevation
and increase of water made by the dam, and extending like a
great Lake for 3 miles higher up the country. The traveller
to behold this, should cross the river at the Flat Rock Bridge,
and thence follow the margin of this River-Lake up to Madson's Ford, where he may re-cross the river in perfect safety
at knee deep. . . . They who have crossed at Madson's to the
eastern side, can return down the Schuylkill, by the Spring
Mill and the Vineyard and again by the Canal home."
Mentions "the new and elegant bridge at the Falls."]
(October 21, 1818)
[Thomas Harper, treasurer and secretary of the Schuylkill
Navigation Co., Decatur st., advertises for "two sober steady
men to attend the Locks at the Flat Rock Improvements. As
there will be but little to do until the Boating Season com
mences, next Spring, it is desirable that the applicants should
be tradesmen, who could earn the greater part of their liveli
hood by working at their trades, without departing from the
premises."]
(October 22, 1818)
["A Citizen" contributes li/^ columns "On the Flat Rock
Improvements In the Navigation of the River Schuylkill."
Gives full description of dam, "above fiat rock bridge on the
very spot where Rumhill falls formerly endangered the lives
of the boatmen." Gives dimensions of canal, over which "are
erected two bridges where the public road passes along the
river." Describes upper and lower locks. Points out that the
ground betweeen canal and river could accomodate various
NEIGHBOBHOOD NEWS AND NOTICES
353
mills. Estimates value of water power, tolls, etc., and probable
quantity of shipments of lime,limestone, marble, etc., hitherto
hauled in wagons. Gives directions for reaching these works.]
(October 31, 1818)
Norristown in 1794
John Hugg Clunn, quartermaster for the Jersey troops, on
their way to Pittsburgh to quell the Whiskey Insurrection of
1794, kept a diary, short and snappy, but he has a good word
to say for Norristown:
"Arrived at Norristown, being 19 miles (from Newtown,
Bucks County) and encamped in a fine piece of ground. Had
great difficulty in procuring Straw. No Lodgings to be had in
Town, therefore tooktheTent and caught a severecold. Norris
town is a Handsome little place, a few of the few, very good
buildings, a fine Court-house & Joal."
A Genealogical- Nugget
By Charles R. Barker
From Glasgow, Scotland, where he had been born about
1752, John Stevenson made his way to America, where Fate or
circumstance decreed that he should settle on the "Main Line!"
To be sure, there was, as yet, no main line—rof railroad—nor
even a Lancaster Turnpike. But there was the Conestoga great
road, over which travel rolled westward in ever increasing
volume, and fronting on it stood, just where it stands today,
in a corner of Haverford township, the noted Buck Tavern.
Between John Stevenson and mine host of the Buck—the
genial Jonathan Miller—one may suppose that an understand
ing and friendship quickly sprang up. For, about the year
1782, Stevenson began what was to become a lifelong residence
in the Miller family, during which he plied his trade as hostler
of the busy inn.
In that bee-hive of activity, he was destined to witness many
events—^the opening, in 1793, of the Lancaster Turnpike, which
passed the very back door of the Buck; the marching westward
of the troops sent by President Washington to put down the
Whiskey Rebellion, in 1794, when Taylor's Rifles wore on their
caps the motto, "Let the Laws Govern Republicansthe arrival
of the Philadelphia Troop of horse, to celebrate, with its din
ner, the Fourth of July; the continual coming and going of
stages and Conestoga wagons; the "muster days" of the local
militia; and finally, the crying of "vandues" that drew crowds
from far and near.
Truly, hostler John was a busy man; short, indeed, must
have been the intervals of quiet between the clattering of hoofs
on the pebbled tavern yard.
And was it not at the Buck itself, that 19 men met, on a
January afternoon in 1818, and subscribed ,18 cents each to
wards forming a company for apprehending horse thieves ?
854
A GENEALOGICAL NUGGET
355
Time went on. John Stevenson had been frugal, and had
made careful investment of his savings. And in 1811, he also
purchased a house, with almost six acres of land—a part of the
former Michael Cline estate—on the Lancaster Turnpike; at
what was to become known, first, as Humphreysville; then, as
Bryn Mawr.
However, he continues to dwell at the Buck; for on May 20,
1820, Joseph Price writes down in his informing Diary the
tragic news of the death of a man "killed in a well above the
Buck He sinking it for John at the Buck."
But Hostler John himself was now nearing man's allotted
three score years and ten. And the will which, like a prudent
man, he had carefully executed, had lain in his strong box just
ten years when, on February 25, 1822, there appeared in Phil
adelphia's daily newspaper, "Poulson's American Daily Ad
vertiser," this notice:
"DIED, on Sunday morning last, Mr. JOHN STEVEN
SON, a native of Glasgow, Scotland, aged about 70 years, and
for nearly 40 years a resident in the family of Mr. Jonathan
Miller, Buck Tavern, on the Lancaster Turnpike."
He was probably buried at Lower Merion Baptist Church.
On an old plot of the churchyard, lot number 31 is marked
"J. Stevenson." But there is no stone in the lot itself to inform
us further.
WILL OP JOHN STEVENSON
I, John Stevenson of the township of Haverford in the County of
Delaware and State of Pennsylvania being in perfect health of body
and of sound mind and memory and understanding blessed be God for
the same but considering the uncertainty of this transitory life do make
this my last Will and Testament in manner and form following to wit
Principally and first of all I commend my immortal soul into the
hands of God who gave it, and my body to the earth to be buried in a
decent and Christian like manner at the descrition of my Executors
hereinafter named, and as to such wordly Estate wherewith it hath
pleased God to bless me with in this life, I give and dispose of the
same in the following manner to wit—It is my Will and I do order
that all my just debts and funeral expenses be duly paid and satisfied
as soon as conveniently can be after my decease. Item I give and be
queath unto Frances Whitaker the sum of one hundred Dollars if she
be living at the time of my decease and if not to be considered as part
of the residue of my estate—And as touching all the rest residue and
remainder of my estate real and personal of what kind or nature soever
the same may be, I give devise and bequeath the same unto the Children
of my Brothers and Sisters namely, William, James, Allen, Barbara,
Jane and Maria and Jane Thompson the daughter of Jane Stevenson,
to be equally divided between my said Brothers and Sisters Children
and said Jane Thompson share and share alike—And lastly I nominate
constitute and appoint my friends John Elliott of Lower Merion sur
veyor, and Peter Gaskill of Radnor to be the Executors of this my
Will with full power to sell and transfer all my Bank stock for the best
price can be had for the same, hereby revoking all other Wills, legacies
and bequests by me heretofore made, and declaring this and' no other
to be my last Will-and Testament-În witness whereof I have hereunto
set my hand and seal this twenty-second day of February in the year
of our Lord one thousand eight hundred and twelve 1812."
John Stevenson
Witnesses:
Benjn. Rittenhouse
Jos. C. Morgan.
Proved March 8, 1822. Same day, letters testamentary to John
'
[Delaware County Will Book C, p. 4.]
Elliott and Peter Gaskell, execrs.
"For Sale at Public Vendue, a Lot &c. on the Lancaster Turnpike.
At the house of Jonathan Miller, Esq., Buck Tavern, Lancaster
Turnpike, on Tuesday, the 28th February, instant, at 2 p.m. will
positively be sold, a very desirable lot of land, part in wood, containing
5 acres, 3 qr. and 10 perches, with a messuage, &c. late" the property
of John Stevenson, deceased, formerly Hostler at the Buck Tavern.
Said lot is situated with its greatest front, direct on the Lancaster
and Philadelphia Turnpike. On the north side, near the nine mile stone,
about half a mile beyond the Buck Tavern, bounded by lands of Ben
jamin Humphrey, Wm. Thomas and John Elliott. For further particulars
apply to Peter Gaskell and John Elliott, Esqrs. near the premises, or to
James Arrott, Walnut, above Eleventh-street, Philadelphia.
JAMES ARROTT."
[Poulson's Am. Daily Adv., February 15, 1826.]
On the day of the sale, Joseph Price entered in his Diary:
"at the Buck they sold old Horsier John's Lot 5 acres for
7.50 drs.* Kelley Bought it." However this may be, the pros
pective purchaser must have -withdrawn his bid. Perhaps he
•probably intended for $750.
A GENEALOGICAL NUGGET
357
became apprehensive of the difficulty of obtaining title—as
well he might! At any rate, it was not until three years later
that the property was actually sold, when it was conveyed by
James Arrott, of Philiadelphia, whom the heirs, in 1827, had
constituted their attorney-in-fact, to Joseph W. Thomas,
Lower Merion, gentleman, the price paid being $651.
And these are the names of the heirs:
Andrew Ogg, Dublin, Ireland, baker, and wife Bridget; Thomas
Stevenson, Edinburgh, Scotland, broker, and wife Margaret (the said
Bridget Ogg and Thomas Stevenson being the only surviving children
of William Stevenson, deed., who was a brother of John Stevenson, late
of Lower Merion, deed.);
Marion Wilson, Grizel Wilson, William Wilson, James Wilson,
James Johnston and wife Elizabeth (the said Marion, Grizel, William,
James and Elizabeth being all the children of John Wilson, of Skirling,
CO. Peebles, Scotland, and wife Barbara, who is a sister of above-named
John Stevenson, deed.);
Agnes Stevenson, John Stevenson, Matthew Stevenson and wife
Elizabeth, and Thomas Stevenson (the said Agnes, John, Elizabeth and
Thomas being children of James Stevenson, of Nielston, co. Renfrew,
Scotland, who is a brother of above-named John Stevenson, deed.);
John Stevenson and wife Helen, Alexander McDuff and wife Eliz
abeth, Samuel Wilson and wife Isobel, Thomas Stevenson, James
Stevenson, Alexander Stevenson and wife Marion, William Stevenson
and wife Jean, Robert Stevenson, Allan Stevenson and wife Janet (the
said John, Elizabeth McDuff, Isobel Wilson, Thomas, James, Alexander,
William, Robert and Allan being children of Allan Stevenson, residing
at Johnston, co. Renfrew, who is also a brother of the aforesaid John
Stevenson, deed.);
David Templeton, Glasgow, Scotland, comb maker, and wife Jean
(said Jean being only surviving child of William Thomson, late of
Ayrshire, Scotland, now deed., and wife Jane, deed., who was a sister
•of above-named John Stevenson, deed.);
John Love, Mary Love, Robert Hutton and wife Elizabeth,
Matthew Pairservice and wife Marion (the said John, Mary, Elizabeth
Hutton and Marion Pairservice being children of Archibald Love, late
of Glasgow, deed., and wife Marion, who is also a sister of aforesaid
John Stevenson, deed.)
{Montgomery County Deed Book 44, p. 492.]
358
BULLETIN OP HISTORICAL SOCIETY OP MONTGOMERY COUNTY
Should any descendant of a brother or a sister of John
Stevenson of Glasgow, living in America, find his line of Scot
tish ancestry obscured by time and tradition, may his eye be
drawn to this unique record of his relationship, preserved in
the Court House of Montgomery County!
Acquisitions
The list following is the accessions by gift, received since January
1948, for which acknowledgment to the donors is hereby gratefully
tendered:
Mrs. Clara Summers Murray: Sampler made by Rachel Whitby in 1827.
Mrs. Anna F. Clark: Water color sketch, marked "Episcopal Church,
Norristown, 1829."
Fred C. Peters: Typescript "An Incomplete History of Lorimer Park in
Montgomery County, Pennsylvania, 4th month 14th 1683 to March
10th 1948" by Edward Morrow.
Herbert Harley: "The Styer Family," manuscript compiled by the donor.
Mrs. F. Spencer Roach: Transcript of Burials at Rockhill Mennonite
Cemetery, Rockhill Township, Bucks County, Pennsylvania, 17721930. Compiled by John D. and Harvey A. Souder.
Mr. and Mrs. Thomas W. Bigoney: Spectacles and small knife once
belonging to Phebe Evans Wood, Quaker Minister, Plymouth Meet
ing, Montgomery County, Pa.
Chester County Historical Society: Badge of Republican Invincibles of
Norristown. Organized April 7, 1880; Student Record Book of
Ursinus College, 1908.
Norria D. Wright: Photograph of an 1851 lithograph. View of the Perkiomen Consolidated Mines; David Rittenhouse Medal, Series of the
U. S. Mint.
William T. Hilles: "Memorials of the Hilles Family," by Samuel E.
Hilles. 1928.
Fred Bowman: Genealogy, "Reuben Bowman, His Family," published,
1948, by the donor.
Robert D. Werley: "Genealogical Record and History of the BitnerWerley Families." Written by Jacob Webster Bittner, Kutztown, 1930.
H. H. Ganser: Material pertaining to Thaddeus S. C. Lowe; U. G. I.
Circle; Norristown Gas Works; Barbadoes Island Electric Plant;
West Conshohocken Gas Works; An 1875 bond of The People's Gas
Light and Fuel Company; The Bell Telephone Almanac of 1939;
and a paper, "Schuylkill District of The Counties Gas and Electric
Company," written by the donor.
359
360
bulletin of historical society of MONTGOMERY COTOTY
J. Henry Specht: "History of Towamencin To-wnship." A Study Unit,
prepared by the donor.
William F. Lukens: Two old guns, one hammer and one muzzle loader.
Mrs. Walter M. Sharpies; An American Flag, twenty-six stars in the
field.
George W. Schultz: Book, "Alexander Hamilton, First American Busi
ness Man," by Robert Irving Warshow, 1931.
Reading Company: "When the Railroad Came to Reading," by W. W.
Rhoads, 1948.
Miss Minerva Weinberger: Daguerreotype of Emma Kratz Weinberger,
as a bride in 1861, when she went to live at Freeland Seminary,
Collegeville, Pa.
Leon H. Schirmer: Broadside of 1832. Proclamation of General Jackson
to the free colored inhabitants of Louisiana; two cancelled checks
drawn by Sarah Ann Gibbs on the First National Bank of Norristown, 1871; also a receipt.
Malcolm H. Ganser: "The Evangelical Lutheran Church of the Trinity,
1848-1948." Historical Recordings by the donor.
Miss Idora A. Supplee: Pour deeds to property in Upper Merion Town
ship, 1842-1865.
Joseph Knox Fornance, Esq.: Scrap Book of local newspaper cuttings
dating from 1876.
Mrs. Jessie Royer Greaves: Photograph of Treemount Seminary Associ
ation Reunion, Norristown, 1914.
Miss Jane M. Supplee: Letter concerning a slave woman of Thomas
Davis from "Columbia (?) November 25, 1843" and signed "Elen."
It is addressed to "Mrs. Ann Abrams, Narrowis Town, Pennsylvaney."
Elizabeth C. Homer Estate: By bequest, "A Brown Hand Made Tea Pot"
which belonged to Margaret Kirk Marple and was brought from her
home in Upper Dublin in 1803 wben she was married.
George K. Brecht, Esq.: A kneehole desk owned successively by Joseph
Allebaugh; Aaron Swartz; Louis Childs, Senior and his law partner
Montgomery Evans. In 1898, Louis Childs, Senior, gave it to
George K. Brecht upon his admission to the Bar. It was in the office
of Mr. Brecht up to June 21, 1948 on which date it was presented
to the society.
LeRoy R.Hilyard; Framed Lithograph and original woodblock of Thomas
Saurman's Eagle Iron Works. By courtesy of H. H. Ganser.
Mrs. Frederic Poole: Photograph of birthplace of General H. H. Arnold.
ACQUISITIONS
-
361
J. L. Michel: Minute Books, two, of East Norriton School District, 18921902 and 1909-1920.
Charles V. Finley: "History of S. K. Zook Post No. 11, Department of
Pennsylvania, Grand Army of the Eepublic," 1903.
Miss Knight: Three charming pencil sketches by Charles Wetherill in
1874, scenes at Mill Grove, on the Perkiomen and Valley Forge. By
courtesy of Edward W. Hocker.
Charles F. Jenkins: Invitation addressed to donor of the First Grand
Reception of the L. A. C. Sociable in Buchanan's Hall, Ambler, 1889.
Septimus C. Kriebel: Letters written to the donor from Howard M.
Jenkins, Edward Mathews, Dr. H. P. Slifer and Dr. Mathias
Sheeleigh in 1898.
Howard G. Kurtz: Eight numbers of The Christian Advocate and Jour
nal, earliest date 1833;^ Historical data and photograph of The
Whitehall Hotel at Bryn Mawr; Copy of a Time Table of the Phila
delphia and Columbia Railroad.
JANE KEPLINGER BURRIS,
Acting Librarian
November Meeting
The regular meeting of the Historical Society of Montgomery County
,was convened at 2 p.m. on November 20, 1948, at the building of the
Society, with President Bryan presiding. The minutes of the April
meeting were read and approved.
The Society was pleased to accept from Mr. J. L. Michel, of Abington,
the gift of the minute books of the School Directors of Norriton Town
ship, dating from 1892, to become part of our archives.
Garrett A. Brownback, Esquire, of Linfleld, a member of our Society,
spoke on THE INFLUENCE OF THE LONDON COMPANY IN.
THE DEVELOPMENT OF LIMERICK TOWNSHIP. Mrs. Harold G.
Knight, of Ambler, also a member of our Society, spoke with interest on
her collection of shaving mugs, and her varied experiences in following
this hobby. Part of this collection made a most colorful display, and
supplemented the talk.
At the close of the meeting the Hospitality Committee served tea.
EVA G. DAVIS,
Recording Secretary
Annual Meeting
The Annual Meeting of the Society was convened at 2 p.m. on
February 22, 1949, at the building of the Society, with President Bryan
presiding. The minutes of the November meeting were read and
approved.
Lyman A. Kratz, treasurer, read his report for the year 1948. The
report showed an annual income of $4,925.81, and annual expenditures
of $4,921.44, making a balance for the current year of $4.37. This had
been audited by Messrs. R. Ronald Dettre, Kenneth Hallman, and H. H.
Ganser, and on motion, duly seconded and passed, it was ordered received
and filed.
Mr. George W. Shearer, chairman of the Nominating Committee,
presented his report with the following nominations:
President
Trustees
Kirke Bryan, Esquire
Kirke Bryan, Esquire
Vice-Presidents
Mrs. H. H. Francine
H. H. Ganser
George K. Brecht, Esquire
Foster C. Hillegass
David E. Groshens, Esquire
Recording Secretary
Donald A. Gallager, Esquire
Nancy P. Highley
Foster C. Hillegass
Eva G. Davis
Mrs. A. Conrad Jones
Corresponding Secretary
Hon. Harold G. Knight
Lyman A. Kratz
Douglas Macfarlan, M.D.
Helen E. Richards
Financial Secretary
Mrs. LeRoy Burris
Katherine Preston
Franklin A. Stickler
Treasurer
Lyman A. Kratz
Mrs. James I. Wendell
Mrs. Franklin B. Wildman, Jr.
Norris D. Wright
There being no further nominations from the floor, the nominations
were declared closed, and on motion, duly seconded, the secretary was
directed to cast a collective ballot for the nominees. This being done
the nominees were thereupon declared duly elected for the ensuing year.
Henry Mercur, of Germantown, read a paper VANISHED RAILS,
an account of the origin and extension of the numerous trolley lines
which once existed in Montgomery County and the several adjoining
counties. This talk was supplemented by an exhibition of timetables
and picture post cards from the speaker's extensive collection. Miss
362
REPORTS
363
Helen Atkinson, of Norristown, presented two plays which she had
written for radio presentation by the students of the Norristown Senior
High School, and the Rittenhouse Junior High School. The first, entitled
THE WHISKEY REBELLION, was given by a group of students as
a mock broadcast, the second, THE MOLLY MAGUIRES, was a record
ing of an earlier broadcast.
In observance of George Washington's Birthday anniversary one
of the Washington items from the collection of the Society was on
'exhibition.
At the close of the meeting the Hospitality Committee served tea.
EVA G. DAVIS,
Recording Secretary
Report on Membership
There has been an increase of 46 in our membership since the ap
pearance of the October, 1948, BULLETIN. The total membership of
568 at this •writing is an all time high in the history of the Society. Our
pleasure, however, in the growth of our following is tempered with
sorrow in the announcement during the same period of the death of 13
of our good friends.
NEW MEMBERS (Elected November 20, 1948)
F. Stuart Bre Miller
William Bro'wnback
William L. Hires
Mrs. William Marriott Canby
William Davis, Jr.
Allen R. Keely
George Albright Foreman
Mrs. Frederic Poole
Miss Jean Eleanor Gottshall
Miss Sara E. Shupert
Milton C. Keeler
Mrs. Leon W. Mdcher
Miss Constance M. Syford
Miss Edna Erause Ziegler
Miss L. Annette Gottshall
NEW MEMBERS (Elected February 22, 1949)
Mrs. J. Aubrey Anderson
Ira Kreider
Edwin G. Kurtz
Horace C. Coleman, Jr.
Mrs. Horace C. Coleman, Jr.
Oliver C. Conger
Dr. E. S. Myers
Norris D. Davis
Henry N. Paul
Mrs. John Harvey Rex
Mrs. Anthony Rinkers
LeRoy R. Schultz
Mrs. Norris D. Davis
William Elliott
Mrs. Malcolm A.- Schweiker
Benjamin P. Evans
I. Harold Shoemaker
Miss Sara A. Farrell
Mrs. Herbert H. Smith
Dr. Ellwood A. Geiges
Douglas W. Gould
Mrs. Mary Moore Taubel
P. Franklin Taylor
John Halford
Carroll R. Wetzel
Mrs. Bertha Cra-wford
E. Lane Crawford
Mrs. John Halford
Malcolm A. Schweiker
Millard N. Wilfong
Miss Dorothy M. Wright
DEATHS
Gertrude Atkinson
Prof. John R. Moore
Edward T. poggs
Mrs. Howard Boyd
Howard C. Roberts
Joseph H. Smith
864
REPORT ON MEMBERSHIP
Miss Lillian Childs
Warren F. Cressman
Mrs. Linda W. Dettre
Abram T. Eastwick
Hannah Gerhard
Anna Y. Hallowell
365
Mrs. Heston R. Tyson
Rev. James H. Lamb, Jr.
' Mrs. Mark Guilbert
Dr. Herman T. Lukens
Harold E. Schofield
Edward 0. Scott
The status of membership at the conclusion of the annual meeting
of February 22, 1949 was as follows;
Honorary Members .... ^
Life Members
Annual Members
Total Membership
5
30
533
568
HELEN E. RICHARDS,
Corresponding Secretary
The Historical Society of Montgomery County has for its
object the preservation of the civil, political and religious
history of the county, as well as the promotion of the study
of history. The building up of a library for historical research
has been materially aided in the past by donations of family,
church and graveyard records; letters, diaries and other
manuscript material. Valuable files of newspapers have also
been contributed. This public-spirited support has been highly
appreciated and is earnestly desired for the future.
Membership in the Society is open to all interested persons,
whether residents of the county or not, and all such persons
are invited to have their names proposed at any meeting. The
annual dues are $2,00; life membership, $50.00. Every mem
ber is entitled to a copy of each issue of The Bulletin, free.
Additional Copies, One Dollar Each.
Historical Hall,, 18 East Penn Street, Norristown, with its
library and museum, is open for visitors each week day from
10 A.M. to 12 M. and 1 to 4 P.M., except Saturday afternoon.
The material in the library may be. freely consulted during
these hours, but no book may be taken from the building.
To Our Friends
Our Society needs funds for the furthering of its work, its expansion,
its growth and development. This can very nicely be done through
bequests from members and friends in the disposition of their estates.
The Society needs more funds in investments placed at interest; the
income arising therefrom would give the Society an annual return to
meet its needs. Following is a form that could be used in the making
of wills:
I
HEREBY GIVE AND BEQUEATH TO THE
HISTORICAL SOCIETY OP MONTGOMERY COUNTY,
PENNSYLVANIA, THE SUM OF
DOLLARS ($
)

Historical Society of Montgomery County

Transcription

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