PR EFACE

W he n I was a boy , my attention was drawn to the

e arl of. y history this community by my parents , my

- - d narrat grand p arents , and my great gran father in

ing to me occurrences , incidents and reminiscences which related to local affairs on both sides of the L e ’ - d high River . My mother s great gran parents (the Mickleys ) located in Whitehall township near Egypt

1733 - along Coplay Creek in , and her grand parents (the Swartzes ) in the Irish Settlement along Dry 1 Run in 787 . My father migrated from Mauch ’ Chunk to Bi e ry s -Port in 1830 ; I was born on the

Christian Swartz plantation in 1839 ; and my parents

established their residence at Catasauqua in 184 5 ; and I u here have been ntil now , excepting my absence from home while serving in the Civil War from 1861 1 4 to 86 . 1868 I was admitted to the Bar of Lehigh County in ,

and of an , during a long practice my profession as

n - at- attor ey law at Catasauqua since that time , my business related almost wholly to the settlement o f estates and the transmission of title to property in the borough and the surrounding townships ; ff and , besides being thus identified with local a airs as I a legal adviser , was practically concerned for a time in the administration o f the local government as a

Justice of the Peace and Chief Burgess . It was in this manner that I became thoroughly familiar with all the of important matters and things the community , not only of a financial and political nature , but of an historical nature as well .

With this knowledge of the early local affairs , quite naturally , therefore , when the people of Catasauqua “ determined to celebrate the Seventy - fifth A nni ver ” sary of the founding of the town , I united with other interested citizens to make the necessary preparations for the extraordinary occasion ; and now , as the Chair

of i man the H storical Committee , I submit this com “ ” i l ati on p , limited to the E arly History , as my con tri bu ti on towards its proper observance . It will be noticed that I confined the compilation to the times anterior to the Civil War , excepting several prominent matters which I could not well present only partly described .

L L A W I I M H . GLA CE . 12 1 14 9 . February , CONTE NTS

O rig ina l Titl e I ri sh S e ttl e m e nt I ndia n Re lic s We i s e r L e tte r E a rly R e s id e nts

' Cra ne I ron W o rks Tho m a s a nd C o nte m p o ra r i e s Thom a s L e tte r Cha ra cte r of E mpl oy e e s Lo ca l I mp rove m e nt s Old e s t B u ilding s Firs t Occup a ti o ns Fi rs t Ro cke r Fir s t C a r r ia g e Firs t S ulphu r M a tche s Chu r ch e s F a i rvi e w C e m e te ry ’ S o l di e rs M o num e nt Fir s t Fune ra l E a rly Scho o l s Public Lib ra ri e s B ra s s B a nd T e mp e ra nc e S o ci e ti e s Po litic a l A nim o s ity M e xica n W a r I nco rp o ra ti o n of B o ro ugh B a nks Jus tic e s of the P e a ce B urg e s s e s C e nsu s

E arl y H i sto ry and R e mi ni sc e nc e s

OF TH E

BOR OUG H OF CATASAUQUA

ORIGINAL T ITL E — The Borough of C atasauqua is situated on a part of acres which William

Penn , the Proprietary of Pennsylvania , devised to his A u daughter Letitia , who afterward married William 1731 brey , of London , England , and in they granted and conveyed this land to John Page . Some months afterward , Page secured a warrant , dated at London , 10 1731 Oct . , , to take up acres of the acres , and in pursuance of this warrant , Nicholas 10 1736 Scull , on Oct . , , surveyed and set apart the same for him . The patent from the Proprietaries to

Page erected the tract of acres into a Manor , “ by the name of Chawton , in the following words

And we do further by these presents and by virtue o f the power and P authorities granted by the Royal Charter to our Father William enn ,

. C Esq , by his majesty , harles the Second , erect said tract i nto a manor ‘ ’ and to call it Chawton and so from henceforth we will have it called , and reposing trust and confidence in the prudence and abi l i ty and integri ty of the said Page and his loyalty to our sovereign , Lord George the Second , do give and grant unto the said John Page , his heirs and assigns , full power and authority to erect and constitute with the said manor 3 Court Baron with all things whatsoever which to a Court

Baron do belong , and to have and to hold view of Frank Pledges , for the ' consideration of the peace and better gover nment of the i nhabitants i within the said Manor by the said John Page , his he rs a nd assigns , or his or their stewards lawfully deputed and generally to do and to P use all things which to the view of Frank ledges do belong , or may or : ought to belong To be holden of us , our successors , proprietors of ‘ ’ Pennsylvania , as of the signory of Windsor i n free and common socage by fealty or i n lieu of all other services , yielding and paying 8 EARLY H I STORY

o n th e therefor yearly unto us , ourselves and successors , one red rose

2 4 th day of June in every yea r. from hereafter in the City of P hila delphia to such person or persons as shall from time to time be ap

pointed to receive the same .

6 r f John Page died aged 0 years . He was by p o es

sion an attorney , and as such acted for William ’ f Penn s heirs . He also owned another tract o

acres , adjoining the acre tract . He acted as agent for William Penn from 1707 until his decease 1 in 7 18 . The acre tract was given for services rendered but was not invested with the right of a

- Court Baron . 18 174 1 John Page by his will , bearing date July , , devised all his land and estate in Pennsylvania to

E van Patterson , of Old Broad Street , in London , who , of 7 17 50 by Letter Attorney , dated July , , appointed William Allen of the city of Philadelphia and William of Webb the county of Chester , his true and lawful

attorneys , to bargain , sell and convey any lands in his

name . There has been some controversy as to whether the “ ” h r i n Manor was called Chawton or C a ot . It is true that in some of the older deeds at Easton R e ’ “ ” corder s office the word is written Charoti n ; but

local antiquarians , who have paid some attention to

this matter , agree that it was written wrongly by some or scrivener written illegibly , so that the clerks in the ’ Recorder s Office wrote Charoti n for what was or meant to be Chawton for it can be seen that if the letter w ” were not written plainly it could easily be ” f h roti n or ro C a . meant , thus making it Among the names of the early settlers and pur chasers o f this tract are the following : Thomas Arm Cl en d e nni n strong , Robert Gibson , Robert , Joseph

Wright , John Elliott , Andrew Mann , George Taylor and Nathaniel Taylor , all Irish names , showing that the town is situated within the bounds of the original

Irish Settlement , IRI SH SETTLEMENT 9

Nathaniel Taylor resided on the Lehigh River , “ - f . north o the town , at Dry Run In his will at

E aston , he mentions the spring on the Lehigh , south

- 1 8 f . 7 7 o Dry Run _ This tract was purchased in by t o f Chris ian Swartz Longswamp township , in Berks county . The writer was born here and is a great ’

son . grand of said settler , Swartz s Dam takes its name from him . It was long supposed that Nathaniel Taylor was of the father George Taylor , but later investigations go to show that his father never left Ireland .

The Armstrong tract contained about 330 acres . The greater part of this is now owned by the de sce nd ants of Jacob Deily . It was previously pur chased in 1767 by George T aylor . The Robert Gibson tract contained acres and included the Paul Faust farm . Part of this land is now owned by the Lackawanna Land Co .

That portion o f. the original tract in which the greater part o f the town was first built appears to have passed into the possession of Andrew Hower and

Marks John Biddle , of Philadelphia , who secured ’ 1 5 possession of 190 acres at a Sheriff s sale in 79 . Frederick Biery made his purchase from Biddle in 1 7 95 . Biddle also sold some portions of his land to

Z . iegler , who sold to Biery and Kurtz Hower retained a small amount of the land situated 3rd 1823 at and Walnut streets until , when he sold it to John Peter

— IRISH SE TTL EMENT Rev . Leslie Irwin stated in a letter to David Thomas (in which he requested the privilege of preaching in the Old Church of the

Irish Settlement ) , that , according to the original ’ grant to the Irish settlers , it extended from Siegfried s . ’ to Koehler s at the locks , one mile below Catasauqua , v and this was confirmed b Rev . Mr . Clyde in his 10 EARLY HI STORY

of history this settlement , and extended in the form of

a trapezoid beyond Bath . A peculiarity of these people was an innate disposi tion to argue , for some of them were educated , and , while the Pennsylvania Germans delved and dug , they themselves would not toil hard , but would discuss the possibilities of the French and English War in

Canada , and the prospect of a war with the mother country . They established a small academy on the Monocacy creek which was the fore - runner of the

Lafayette College at E aston . When the Revolution came , they responded patriotically , and their pastor , R h . osbur Rev John g , organized a company and fell at the Battle o f Trenton . Their disinclination to manual labor caused them to sell their farms when good prices could be obtained , and in almost every case , a Pennsylvania German was the purchaser , so that by the year 1800 not an Irish owner o f land was left along the Lehigh river , nor within two or three

miles of it ,

for This disposition asserted itself years afterward , and now there are only a few descendants living in the settlement . As they sold their farms they went to

Central Pennsylvania and the West , where land was cheaper .

Another important factor was their inter - marriage amongst themselves (very few marrying out of the Colony ) and the sterility of the families was a natural consequence . IND IAN REL I CS— Very few relics of the past have been found in the vicinity of C atasauqua . When was the Lehigh Valley R . R . constructed an Indian was ff skull found on the blu below the station , sur l rounded by boards , pipe and other re ics .

Opposite the mouth of Coplay creek , when the a - o f C nal was dug , many arrow heads flint were found , showing that the Indians had made these WEI SER LETTER 11 arrow - heads where the spring flowed into the Lehigh i r ver . Joseph Miller (who lived in the old stone house on the road to Hokendauqua , above the cemetery gates ) , told me shortly before his death in 1866 that he heard his grand - father say that there was an Indian bury ing ground on the lowlands and while standing on the hills on the opposite side of the river and peering

- through the heavy under brush and evergreens , he saw at different times parties of Indians bury their dead at that place .

WE IS ER LE T T ER—I found the following re markable letter amongst my papers relating to local history which I have had in my possession since 185 8 . 1757 The predicted incursion occurred in , and again 1 3 in 76 . Some of the barbarous cruelties of the Indians during the latter were inflicted upon the inhabitants of Whitehall township in the vicinity of o f E gypt , several miles northwest the Irish Settle d ec e ment . This malicious attack resulted from the p tion practiced upon the Indians in the “ Walking P ” urchase , conducted by the Provincial Government 1737 in , when their land was taken under an agree ment , lying between the Delaware and Lehigh rivers , and extending from the “ fork ” at E aston to the Blue

Mountains . It included the Irish settlement .

- — Gentl e m e n z I am from good authority i nformed that the enemy Indians have attacked the Frontiers in Northampton county and that intelligence has been given to an officer of credit by a Frien d Indian that a considerable body of French and their Indians design again to invade th e Province and a number are on their way to fall afresh on i n n nk the M i s i s or parts adjacent . The particular view of the Ohio

Indians at this time , as it is reasonably supposed , is to obstruct the Susquehanna Indians in their treaty with the English and to prevent

- thereby a well established peace between them .

‘ How the forces , withi n the battalion I have the honour to com mand , may be disposed of , upon the expected incursion of the savages and the French who prompt them with a cruelty equal to that th e i of barbar ans , I cannot say ; but you may depend on it that I 12 EARLY HI STO RY s h r l l ever endeavor to serve the co u ntry by doing all in my power to succour every distressed part as soon as possible .

But , gentlemen , you must know that the number of forts which are on the east side of the Susquehanna will require a very large part of the Fi rst Battalion to garrison them and to allow of scouting parties to w a tch the motions of the barbarians . It will therefore be necessary that the i nhabitants should do all in their power to defend themselves and neighbors against a n enemy whom we know by experien ce to strike great terror wherever they commit their ravages . I recommend it to you to persuade your neighbors to associate them selves immedi ately i nto compani es under discreet o fficers of their own a n d choi ce , that we may be able to preserve our own the l ives of our tender wives and children . Great must be the advantage we shall give the enemy i f w e are unprepared upon their sudden invasi on .

n e e d s not fl 1 6 It _ much re ection upon what happened about months ago to bring to your minds the amazement and con fus i on with which the spirits of our people were affected upon a sudden i ncurs i on of

Indians of whose numbers we were never well i nformed . It would appear a s i f I had an ill opini on of th e d isposition of my countrymen to suggest any special motives upon this occasion . I only pray that Div i ne Providence may direct you to proper measures and then you can not fail of success in an endeavor to serve Y our country . In which service you may depend on my promise that you will be ever j oi ned by

Your most humble servant , C CO NRAD WEISER , L . ol .

ATTE ST : WM . PARSONS . 7 th 1 7 2 7 5 . Reading , April ,

E ARLY RE S ID ENT S — Prior to the establish of - ment the iron works , this locality , which was known ’ as Bi e r s y Port , was settled in about the same degree as the surrounding country , the few residents having been farmers with one or two exceptions . There were only four families owning the ground on which Bi e r s the town was originally incorporated , the y , B re i schs Fausts , Peters and , and of these , one family ,

Fausts , resided beyond the present borough limits . D e i l s o l d The y lived in the stone house , south of the

1767 . s creek , which was built in ; and Mr Kurtz , ea t o f on town , a farm . The B i e ry s (Frederick and Henry ) had come to the l 1800 ocality soon after , and bought the stone mill , EARLY RE SIDENTS 13

1897 afterward owned by William Younger , and since by Mauser Cressman , who then rebuilt it and have r since carried on the business . Henry Biery soon e moved to New York ; but Frederick remained and exerted his energy in making many improvements in the neighborhood . He carried on what was known as ’ Bi r s 1824 e y Ferry , and in built a chain bridge , which f 184 1 was swept away by the high water o . It was rebuilt the same year , and in the progress of the work T m l Daniel o b er received injuries from which he died . This chain bridge of 184 1 was taken down and a 1852 wooden bridge erected in its place in , which was 1862 destroyed by the flood of , when the second wooden bridge was erected . He built a stone tavern (still standing and occupied as a private house ) in 1826 , and a stone building of the same material (also 1835 1830 standing ) in ; also a stone house in , now occupied by Frank Mauser . Thus a little cluster o f ’ buildings was in existence at the east end of Bi e ry s n Bridge . His sons were , Jonas , Solomo , D avid D_ aniel and William ; and his daughters were the wives of

. a N Sny der , S muel Koehler and Jacob Buehler . Solo ’ mon inherited his father s energy , and was during his

whole life an active character . He carried on a tavern

for many years . Jonas was engaged in the lumber

trade . John Peter lived at what is now the corner of s Bridge and Front street , and this spot is still marked

by his old stone barn . He moved to this location in 1823 from Heidelberg (where he was born in

and bought his small farm of Andrew Hower , at first occupying a house which had been built by John Zound t , and afterwards erected a stone dwelling . He

followed weaving for nine years , and was one of. the first lock -tenders for the Lehigh Coal and Navigation

. 185 1 Co In he moved away and died at Allentown . The Faust family had been long settled just north

of the borough boundary . The first representative 14 EARLY HI STO RY

f was o . the family here John Philip Faust Jonas , his son 1831 , after his death , about , received his lands ,

and , dying two years later , the farm was accepted at its appraised value of fifty dollars per acre by his m son Paul , who lived upon it until his death , in Nove 1 883. ber , A portion of his land was divided and sold in town lots . 30 1809 Paul Faust was born Sept . , , and died at the homestead in Allen township , immediately outside of of of 12 the limits the borough Catasauqua , on Nov . , 1883 4 1 12 7 . , aged years , month and days At the time of his birth and early manhood the surrounding country was but thinly settled , his near est neighbors on the south being John Peter and on Frederick Biery , while those the north were Michael Fenstermacher and John S wartz ; on the east Ku rtzes on of the , and the opposite side the river the

Miller , Mickley , Butz and Biery families . His great grandfather , Henry Faust , purchased the farm (orig i n al l of - y acres ) Robert Gibson , a Scotch Irish settler , who owned acres in Allen township , em bracing all the land from a point near B ridge street m n Ste to . to , west of the Howertown road

to li e re ab ou ts on Prior the Revolution , the lands the e ast side of the west branch of the Delaware (as then called ) were all owned by Scotch - Irish settlers ; south ’ of Bridge street to Taylor s land was owned by Jos .

Wright ; that east of Howertown Road , in Hanover Cl e nd enni n township , by Robert , while that north of ’ Gibson s large tract being owned by Andrew Mann . The immense immigration from the Palatinate at the invitation of Penn and his agents in the early part of 18th as of the Century , as well the large number Hessians who settled lower down the river after the of battle Trenton , began to crowd out the Irish settlers now even at that early day , until there remains but few of the broad acres o f Northampton county in the

’ possession o f their descendants .

16 EARLY HI STORY

24 of Paul F aust was at this time years age , and

took upon himself a burden few , at that time of scarcity of money and poor markets , would undertake , and a less sturdy man would have desp aired of retaining the land ; for , in addition to the recog ni z ance s entered into to secure his brothers and sisters , there were those of his father who had died soon after his acceptance of the land , and three dowers , viz

- his great grandmother , Catharine , widow of Henry on Faust , who lived long the place in a small house , afterwards occupied by Jesse Brown , at the lower ’ spring , now the site of F . W . Wint Co . s planing mill , and afterwards married a farmer named Huth , who died at an advanced age in Moore township , near the Blue Mountain ; the dower of his grand ~ 4 184 2 mother , B arbara , who died Oct . , , at the resi dence of her daughter , at the stone mansion still stand ing near the entrance of the bridge across the Lehigh Stemton from to Coplay ; the dower of his mother , re who subsequently married Henry Breisch , and is the membered by the earlier residents , who occupied farm of 11 acres and the ol d stone house at the corner of Third and Bridge streets , which was built at an early day and owned by a farmer named Gross . D avid Thomas came here in 1839 and he started

- the town of Catasauqua , but it was a half mile across ’ the fields from his farm to the works , with the Peter s w as farm between . There no road where Front street now is ; the road led from the dam along the canal f west o the house , crossed present Front street where

Chapel street intersects , and was laid out at an early day in a direction due east , passing where the chapel of the First Presbyterian Church stands , and along north side of the Breisch farm - house to the Hower town Road where it intersects with the road to Beth

- o . lehem , which passed the farm house f Henry Kurtz 1860 Prior to , Paul Faust had sold a lot to the a Catholic Church , and a few others south of Ch pel EARLY RESI DENTS 1 7

on street , Front and Second streets , which helped him to pay off some of his liabilities . Lots , however , 1865 was were cheap , and it was not until that he fair Th was off 187 0 l y out of debt . e last dower p aid in upon the death of his mother at Allentown , where she had removed with her second husband at the time of 184 the sale of their land to David Thomas about 7 .

By the rapid extension of the town northward , at 4 5 the close of the Civil War , Paul F aust sold about s acres , be ides the new canal tract , to the Lehigh Coal Co for 0 1 ti on and Navigation town lots , the greater p lying in Northampton county , and by the time of his death , he accumulated considerable wealth , his land , 1873 prior to the panic of , being valued by good judges at of He was the oldest seven children , the others being Joseph (South Whitehall ) ; Reuben (Catasau qu a) D avid (president Union N ational B ank of Philadelphia ) William (Allentown ) Elizabeth Laub

' Mari a Koch e H (Kreidersville ) ; and (All ntown ) . e 1 6 . 835 was married Jan . , , to Amelia Breinig , born 18 16 . 7 Sept , , in Longswamp township , Berks of county , one twelve children (having had eight wa sisters and three brothers ) . She s the daughter of

a George Breinig and Polly Wetzell . He had five chil : dren Amy Borger (Peru , Ill ) , Walter , Jane Koehle r

(E aston ) M . Alice and Clara B . r His form was familiar to all the esidents . H e possessed strong physical and mental characteristics , which , if fortune had smiled more kindly upon hi m in his earlier years , would have made him a success ful man in any sphere of life . Of more than average size , a positive man of strong likes and dislikes his f , con idence was slow to obtain , but when once gained it could not easily be shaken . His nature was too kind for and easy , however , a successful financier , and he was therefore often imposed upon in monetary mat ters by designing , unscrupulous men . He had strong 18 EARLY HI STORY

was domestic tastes , retiring in his habits , and his life was a singularly pure one . None can say that he was ever heard to speak disparagingly of or to his fellow men . Henry B reisch was a stone - mason and lived where now 10 o f Dr . Daniel Yoder lives , and owned acres land surrounding his home . At the time the town was out laid , a road extended up the hill from the ’ - Bre i sch s Faust farm house , past home , and onward n to the Howertown Road . The land o the gentle of G slope , where are now the best residences atasan a qua , was in part tilled and in p rt rough pasture land , in many places overgrown with brush and trees . Among the first settlers after the establishment o f

- the iron works were the Williams family , the Fullers ,

James Lackey , Joshua Hunt , Joseph Laubach , Peter

Laux , Charles G . Schneller and Nathan Fegley . $See Thomas and Contemporaries $ of who was D avid Williams , father Thomas ( killed on the railroad in David (superintendent o f o f the Union Foundry ) , John (cashier the Crane Iron and Oliver (president o f the Catasauqua 184 . 0 Manufacturing Co ) came here in from Wales , and took a contract for moulding with the Crane Iron

184 5 . Co . His death occurred in

a a ; N th n Fegley came here soon after Mr Lackey , n a d opened a store . Afterwards he kept a temperance l i to hote , and n addition his mercantile business

- opened the first lumber and coal yard in Catasauqua . 1854 He left in , and his store passed into the posses f w a o Co . s sion Weaver , Mickley , a firm which com h o f . posed V Weaver , Edwin Mickley , Samuel T omas and John Thomas . 184 7 In , Joseph Laubach came here from Allen d o a township , a j ining Hanover , and opened a store ne r ’ Bi r v e s . 185 0 Bridge In he bought the property , two ve ars the where . later he started Eagle House , which was the next h otel a fter th at c arried on by the CRANE I RO N WOR KS 19

s Bi e ry s . The C ata auqua House was built by Jesse Knauss about the same time ; the American House by Solomon Biery in 185 6 ; and the Pennsylvania House 8 about 1 5 7 .

Charles G . Schneller started in business in a small way on Second street and Mulberry alley in 184 8 . 1 4 In 85 he moved to Front street , where he sold stoves r 3 and hardware fo 0 years . He was a native of Beth lehem , and came to Catasauqua from Bucks county .

Other early merchants were Getz Gilbert , who 185 4 established themselves in ; Peter Laubach , who opened a store shortly afterwards ; and Joseph and J . 1 who 85 6 . W . Swartz , began in a Morgan Emanuel , native of Wales , was another a who e rly resident , did much towards the development 1884 of the town . He died April , aged nearly

80 years . CRANE IRON WORKS— The Lehigh Coal and w 1818 . as o Navigation Co organized in , and after p e rati n g their coal beds and canal for twenty years , in which time they had increased their production and transportation of tons in 1821 to tons i n1837 , they quite naturally considered the propriety

’ of encouraging the establishment of industries along for the Lehigh river the consumpti o n of their coal . 1838 They , therefore , in , offered the valuable water privileges of the river from the Hokendauqu a Dam to the Allentown Dam to any persons who would expend in the erection o f a furnace and run it suc c ess ful l y for three months by the exclusive use of

anthracite coal . This offer led to the organization o f the Lehigh

Co . Crane Iron , which included members of the Coal G o 1838 and Navigation , and , in the Fall of , Erskine Hazard (one o f the leading spirits of the Iron Com a to f r p ny ) , went Wales o the purpose o f securing a competent person to come to the United States in their

interest and superintend the erection of furnaces . 20 EARLY HI STO RY

He there met George Crane (proprietor of the Crane Iron Works at Y ni sc e d wi n ) who recommended David o 20 a Thomas , an expert empl yee for ye rs , and they called to see him .

— A t a was re T HOMAS AGREEMENT first , Thom s l u ctant a a to leave his native l nd , but , influenced by ff liberal o er , besides the consideration that his sons would have better opportunities in America than they for s could hope in Wale or Great Britain , he con sented and on the night of the last day in the year

1838 . , he entered into an agreement with Mr Hazard , which was as follows (including a supplement made afterwards at Philadelphia )

E M ORA NDU M o r G RE E M E NT —first M A made the thirty day of December , 1 8 38 , between Erskine Hazard for the Lehigh Crane Iron Company t of the one part and David Thomas of Castle Dhu of the other par .

1 . The sai d Thomas agrees to remove with his family to the works to be established by the said company on or near the river Lehigh and there to undertake the erection of a blast furnace for the smelting of iron with anthracite coal and the working of the said furnace as fur nace manager , also to give his assistance in finding mines of i ron ore ,

fire clay , and other materials suitable for carryi ng on iron works , and generally to give his best knowledge and services to the said company i n the prosecution of the iron business i n such m a nner as w ill best pro mote their interests for the term of five years from the time of his ar i h e rival America , provided the exp riment of smelting i ron with anthra cite coal should be successful there . 2 . The said Hazard for the sai d company agrees to pay the expenses of the said Thomas and his family from his present residence to the works above mentioned on the Lehigh and there to furnish h im with a house and coal for fuel— also to pay him a salary at the rate of Two hundred pou n ds sterling a year from the time of his st ipend ceasing in his present employment until the first furnace on the Lehigh is got i nto blast with anthrac i te coal and making good iron and after that at the rate of two hundred and fifty pounds sterli ng a ye ar unt il a second fur nace is put into operation successfully when fifty pounds sterling shall be added to his annual salary and so fifty pounds sterling per a nnum additional for each add itional furnace which may be put i nto operation under his management .

3. th It is mutually agreed between the part ies that , should e said Thomas fail of putting a furnace into successful o per a tion with anthra i n th e a a cite coal then , that case , present greement sh ll be void and the said company shall then pay the said Thomas a sum equivalent to the CRANE I RON WORKS 2 1 expense of removing himself and family from the Lehigh to their pres ent residence . 4 . In settling the salary four shillings and six pence sterling are to be estimated as equal to one dollar . ' I n witness whereof the said parties have interchangeably set their hands and seals the date above written . E R S K I NE HA ZAR D $S EAL $ for Lehigh Crane Iron Company W i tness : DAV I D T H OM A S $S EAL $ LE $ A ND ER AZAR D A H . It is further mutually agreed between th e Lehigh Crane Iron Com pany and David Thomas , the parties to the above written agreement , that the amount of the said Thomas salary per annum sh all be ascertained by taking the United States M i nt price or value of the English Sovereign as the value of the pound sterling , instead of estimating it by the value of the dollar as mentioned i n the 4 th article and that the other remaining articles in the above written memorandum of agreement executed by Erski ne Hazard for the Lehigh Crane Iron Comp any and D avid Thomas be hereby ratified and confirmed as they now stand written . In witness whereof the President and Secretary of the Lehigh Crane Iron Company by order of the B oard of Managers and the sa i d David Thomas have hereunto set thei r hands and seals at Philadelphia

1 8 39 . the second day of July , D AV I D T H O M A S $S EAL $ In presence of

TI M OT H Y AB B OTT . It should be mentioned in this connection that Solo ff 1 . 836 mon W Roberts went to Cardi , Wales , in , as an inspector of rails which were ordered by the Phila delphia and Reading R , R . Co . and other railroad companies . He visited the Crane Iron Works in May , 1837 and then informed his uncle , Josiah White , of the successful use of anthracite coal in the m anu fac f o . ture iron there He returned in November , bring ’ ing the details of Crane s plans and specifications i l a lustrative of the process . He w s asked to take up the manufacture , but declined and recommended that ’ one of Crane s associates be employed . In accordance L e with his recommendation , Erskine Hazard , of the

o . high Coal and Navigation C , went to Wales in 1838 November , , and Hazard secured the services of

David Thomas . 2 2 EARLY HI STORY

1839 In the Spring of , Samuel Glace , while inspect ’ Bi e r s - of ing the canal along y Port , noticed a number on men standing the east Side of the canal , which led him to think that there might be a leak in its bed ,

- and so he asked the lock tender , Jonathan Snyder , who they were . He then recognized Owen Rice and

Frederick Biery , and they introduced him to the strangers as gentlemen from Philadelphi a . Shortly afterwards , he received orders from Mauch Chunk , to ascertain if there were any quick - sands along the ’ B - who canal at i e ry s Port . And these were the men selected the site for the furnace where the first iron o f was made in America with the use anthracite coal , which proved a commercial success .

o f Co . The organization the Lehigh Crane Iron , ’ prior to Mr . Hazard s going abroad , had been only l 0th o f 1839 an informal one , and on the January , , it was perfected at the first meeting of the board of f . o directors The board consisted Robert E arp ,

Josiah White , E rskine Hazard , Thomas E arp , George l l i McA ste r J r . E arp , John , and Nathan Trotter , and organized by electing Earp as president and treasurer , M A l l i and c ste r as secretary .

of In April they entered into articles association , o f which are here appended , as affording some idea the foundation on which this gre at company arose and flouris hed :

RT LE S OF S S O AT O N A IC A CI I of the Lehigh Crane Iron Company , made and entered into under and pursuant to an Act of the Legislature of Pennsylvania entitled an act to encourage the manufacture of

Iron , with Coke , or Mineral Coal , and for other purposes passed

- June the sixteenth , One thousand eight hundred and thirty six .

Witness , that the subscribers , citizens of Pennsylvania , whose names f a n d th are hereto af ixed have associated themselves , under pursuant to e act aforesaid for the purpose of making and manufacturing Iron , from a the raw material with Coke or miner l Coal , and do certify and declare the articles and conditions of their association to be as follows : — RT LE 1 . A IC The name , style or title of the Company , shall be

Lehigh Crane Iron Company .

2 4 EARLY HI STORY

a enl rging their works , which they were unwilling to

d o . Mr . Thomas then went to Philadelphia to the

S outhwark Foundry of S . V . Merrick and J . H .

Towne , who enlarged their boring machinery and

fi - made the ve foot cylinders required .

- Fire brick were imported from Wales , there then

being none manufactured in this country , and in 1839 Cranevi l l e August , , ground was broken at (now

C atasauqua ) for the first furnace . F I RST FURNAC E STARTED— After m any diffi culties

and discouragements , the furnace was finally blown in ’ 3 184 - 0 . at five o clock July , The ore was two thirds

t - hematite o one third New Jersey magnetic . It was

- - a - - blown with two and half inch nozzles , and the blast

heat was six hundred degrees . 4 th The first run of iron was made the of July ,

and proved a great success . From this time on , the manufacture of iron by anthracite was successfully

conducted at the Crane Works , and continuously ex cept for the slight cessations common to all manu fac

turing establishments .

N 1 o f o . Furnace , in which the success the new dis

“ c ove r y was first fully demonstrated in this country ,

- was forty two feet in height , with twelve feet bosh . It was op e rae d by a breast - wheel twelve feet in di a m e te r - and twenty four feet long , geared by segments on its circumference to a spur - wheel on a double

crank , driving two blowing cylinders , five feet in di

am e te r - on , with a six foot stroke , worked by beams a

- gallows frame . The motive power was the water of ff the canal , the di erence between the upper and 3 6 . lower levels o f lock No . The furnace remained in blast until its fires were quenched by the rising o f 184 1 o f waters the flood of January , , a period six o m nths , during which time tons of pig iron were fo r one produced . The largest output week was 5 2 tons . CRANE I RO N WORKS 25

The furnace was blown in again after the freshet , 18 184 1 6 May , , and continued in blast until Aug . ,

184 2 - , producing in this time tons of pig iron .

Mr . Thomas had been looked upon as a visionary and the remark was made by a leading charcoal

- iron master that he would eat all the iron Mr . Thomas ’ made with anthracite coal ; but he didn t accept an invitation from Mr . Thomas to take a hearty dinner on merchantable pig - iron which was cooked in the ’ Company s first furnace , and ready for him whenever he was prepared to eat it .

OTHER FURNAC ES E RE CTED— This successful opera tion of their first furnace led the Company to increase an their facilities , and they put up one furnace after r other to supply the increasing demands of thei trade , : until they had six in operation , as follows

1 8 4 2 4 5 1 4 . 2 . . Furnace No . , ft high ; ft bosh 1 8 4 6 3 5 1 0 . 8 . . Furnace No . , ft high ; ft bosh 1 8 4 9 4 1 5 0 . 8 . . Furnace No . , ft high ; ft bosh 1 8 4 0 1 9 . 5 5 8 . Furnace No , ft . high ; ft . bosh 1 8 6 8 6 6 0 . 1 7 . . Furnace No . , ft high ; ft bosh

The first load of iron - ore was brought to the Works 30 184 0 on April , , by Henry Hoch ; and this was hematite from the mine of Jacob Rice in Hanover township , Lehigh county . One was also brought dur of a ing the first year from the mine Nath n Whitely , Bre i ni n svi l l e near g , in Upper Macungie township ; and from the mine of John Kratzer , in South White 184 2 was hall township . In , the celebrated Goetz bed opened in Hanover township , Northampton county , and the first o re was taken to the Crane furnace . The first magnetic ore was brought in 184 0 from the Mount Hope mine in Morris county , N . J . In the erection of the furnaces no machinery was used . Trees were cut down and set up as poles to which ropes and chains were fastened and these held scantling in place at intervals ; planks were laid as a 2 6 EARLY HI STORY

floor on this scantling and on this floor heavy stones were carried or pulled up to the masons on small two

wheeled carts with long handles .

- b A large blowing engine was afterward erected , e cause the water - wheels were not powerful enough to a furnish bl st for all the furnaces , even though a small

engine had been erected at an earlier date . This ne c essi tate d more room , and Bridge street (which ran in a direct line to the Canal ) had to be vacated and located as at present .

CANAL BRIDGE MOVED — The next question was how to remove the canal bridge to the new location , and

Samuel Glace , an experienced superintendent on the canal , solved it . He waited until the boating season was over ; then he placed two empty boats under the the a bridge and drew water from the can l , which put the bo ats on the ground ; then he placed long blocks on the boats and covered them with planks ; then the water was let into the canal , which raised

$ the boats and put the bridge up in the air ; and then the bridge was easily drawn to its new position .

PUBLI C INTEREST— The manufacture of iron was a quite a curiosity and down to the Civil War , for per of 20 ks iod years , the Wor were visited by many peo f o . ple prominence I remember Sir Morton Peto ,

Simon Cameron , Horace Greeley and Dom Pedro f (Emperor o Brazil ) . The bridge house was at times crowded with people , and it became a custom of the villagers to come to the evening cast . The girls at the Female Seminary of Bethlehem came here during the Summer in relays and some boys were detailed to escort them who took special

- care to lead them by the water house , past the hori zontal or cylinders , which had two enormous doors of flaps , and these upon every revolution the ponder ous cog - wheels (driven by the water wheels ) opened CRANE I RON WORKS 2 7

h a 0 1 wit a fe rful n se , which caused the maidens to s shriek and jump away , to the great amu ement of their escorts . The teams which brought iron ore from the mines were sometimes more than two miles in length , reach ’ ou t s ing from the Crane Iron Co . scales to Eberhard

Quarry on the Mickley Road . The roads in the county were m ade frequently impas sable to the far mers and this reconciled them to the proposed C .

F . R . R . The magnetic ore was brought from New Jersey in loads and hoisted on an inclined plane by horse - power and then piled up in front of the furnaces

60 feet high . w of The coal as piled up on the site the new canal , x Shoe opposite the Bryden Horse Works , in immense b t e quantities . It was brought y boa s , and in the Wint r season placed on b arrows which were then taken on huge scows to the furnaces , ready for use . This was done night and day during the entire Winter . On one of the midnight trips , Hugh Dougherty (a

- i n - brother law of the late Johnston Kelly ) was missing , and found drowned . This was the first Catholic '

i nt rme n w as . funeral in town . The e t made at E aston Immense quantities of coal were also hoisted by 6 buckets and piled in great heaps on the site of No . a Furnace (which was torn down in Febru ry ,

The opening of the L . V . R . R . and of the C . F . R . R . changed this and many costly improvements had to be made to meet these new conditions . The six furnaces operated by the company for many years have been reduced to two . The men employed 0 vary from 300 to 5 0 . The company erected numerous small two - story brick and frame dwellings in the First Ward of the borough for the convenience of its workmen , number 95 at ing altogether , put up the same time as the fur 5 2nd 3 nace . It has also dwellings in the Ward , in

3rd 1 4 th 104 . the , and in the ; total assessed , 2 8 EARLY HI STO RY

The company made an assignment in 1893 ; a re organization was effected under the name o f the Crane

Iron Works , and passed under the control of the E m

pire Steel and Iron Co . The main office of this enterprise was at Phi l ad el 1839 18 95 wa phia from to , then it s transferred to the Front street office at Catasauqua where it con 1908 tinned until , when it was removed to the Empire

Steel and Iron Co . building on Bridge street . IRO N CU R IOSITIE s— A t the laboratory of the Crane

Iron Co . there are two interesting curiosities on the side of the building which look like the mouths of

two proj ecting cannon . They were placed there as 1 r 907 . a mementos in They e abandoned tuyeres ,

which had been in the furnaces , through which the

- hot blast was forced . The one next to the p avement 1 4 8 0 . was in the first furnace , erected in TH OMAS AND H IS C ONT EMP ORARIE S— The following biographical sketches have been included in this narrative to show the character of the founder of

Catasauqua and his contemporaries . 3 1 94 I . 7 DAV D T HOMAS was born Nov , , in the coun

t of . y Glamorgan , South Wales He was an only son and his parents gave him the best education which s was their mean would allow , but this confined to the

rudimentary elements . He was very studious by nature and took much delight in the acquisition o f N n . ot o knowledge satisfied with working a farm , he secured employment in iron works when 17 years of 5 age and continued there years , in which time he

showed great aptitude for business . His progress was so great and his accomplishments as an iron - worker were so highly appreciated that he w as selected in 18 17 as the general superintendent o f the blas t fur naces connected with the Y ni sce d wy n Iron Works in

o f - the Swansea Valley , and also its iron ore and coal mines ; and he filled this position for upwards of 20 TH OMAS AND CONTEMPORARI E S 2 9

years . During this time , he experimented success fully with the use of anthracite coal as a smelting fuel , and ultimately produced anthracite iron by the introduction of a hot blast into the furnace . While he was developing hi s experience in the suc ce ssful manufacture of anthracite iron at this estab l i hm n s e t in Wales , enterprising capitalists connected with the Lehigh Coal and Navigation Company in Pennsylvania were considering means to develop their business in the Lehigh Valley , and in this behalf they offered valuable water privileges along the river to any persons who should lay out in erecting a furnace and run it successfully for three months by the exclusive use of anthracite coal for fuel . Sel ecte d Manager— This great inducement led these capitalists to organize an iron company , which they named after the active proprietor of the works in

Wales where Thomas was employed , and they dele on r gated e of thei associates , Erskine Hazard , to visit that establishment and secure a competent m an to superintend the erection of such a furnace as w as

contemplated ; and this resulted in employing Mr . ’ Bi e r s - Thomas . The Company selected y Port along n the Canal , three miles above Allentow (afterwards named Catasauqua) as the locality for their great un ki n d rta a . e g , and in one ye r after his arrival , Mr Thomas demonstrated the practicability o f producing iron successfully as a commercial commodity by the

sole use of anthracite coal , has Since then Mr . Thomas become recognized as the pioneer in this particular line of business in A m - a erica , which directed much long continued public t

~ tention to this locality . Quite naturally his aecom pl i shme nt and its bene fici ent results to the community will be made a significant feature in the celebration of

the 75 th Anniversary of Catasauqua in the year 1 9 14 . o f Therefore , the manner his first arrival is worthy f o emphasis in this sketch . 30 EARLY HI STORY

’ Vi si ts Bi ery s -Por t— In pursuance of his agreement

Co . . as with the Lehigh Crane Iron , Mr Thom came to Pennsylvania , reaching Allentown with his family 9 1839 on July , . Two days afterward , accompanied by his son Samuel (then a lad twelve years of age ) he ’ walked to Bi e ry s - Port to see where it was proposed

' to erect the new furnace . When he reached the top ’ ’ of Frederick s Hill (now called Packer s Hill ) , he “ ’ ” stopped to view the landscape o er . In the dis tance he saw the Blue Mountains whose blue outline extended along the horizon with its great ridge broken by prominent gaps in several places . The residence of George Frederick was at the foot of the hill where he lived with a number of stalwart

- s 175 7 sons in a two story tone house , erected in and a few hundred feet north of it , near the entrance to ’ Bi e ry s Bridge (which crossed the Lehigh river ) were the house and red barn o f William Miller ; while just ’ across the river from Frederick s - was the residence of Jacob Deily , formerly the home of George Taylor , a signer o f the Declaration of Independence ; and at ’ the far end of the bridge was the hamlet o f Bi e ry s P on ort , where two farm houses a large plain seemed

“ e to be the only habitations dir ctly north , and woods extended as far as the eye could reach to the right . Star tl i ng Noi s e— While the prospecting Welshman and his son stood there , a loud noise from the vicinity of the hamlet startled them . Little S amuel , while in the great city of London , on the way to their new home beyond the sea , with the foresight which was charac te ri sti c o f fo r him in later years , had provided such a a supposed emergency by purchasing a gun , but , las , o f at that moment apparent peril , he recalled that it was among the family effects somewhere in a canal on boat the Morris Canal , slowly moving towards this point and not just then available . After discovering o f the cause this explosion , they decided to venture forward and so on reached the bridge which they

32 EARLY HI STORY

i i nd fi e rent . The hour brought the man as heretofore , ’ and Neilson s great idea o f hot - blast having already been successfully applied to the smelting of iron ore a with a similar coal in South W les , it was at once de cided by the Lehigh Company that they would make a market for their coal by adopting the process to smelt the abundant iron ores not far from the line of their canal . To accomplish this they organized the f Crane Iron Co . with a capital o (a sum more difficult to raise then than twenty times that amount would be to - day ) ; and under the superi n tendency of Thomas they came to erect their first anthracite furnace at C atasauqua . One can hardly appreciate the difficulties that daily beset the manager ; ores and fuels of unknown and varying constituents ; no experienced help ; no foun dries or machine shop s worthy of the name within reach ; and weakly constructed blowing - engines which

- f were continually breaking down . Hot blast ovens o 5 00 600 the crudest type , capable of heating only to ’ degrees , were but a small part of this manufacturer s

f - di ficulties . After their pig iron had reached market , it met customers who had no faith in it and often it could only be sold with a guarantee of faultless casting .

With the opening of the L ehigh Valley R . R . in 18 55 . , a new impetus was given to the iron industry

Prior to that time , the furnaces were obliged to de pend upon the canal for coal and for shipments of iron ; and it was about this time that Thomas built the first of those minimum hot - pressure blowing - engines which afterward became the common type and al lowed the use of the New Jersey rich magnetic ores . F n — ou d er of Tow n Mr . Thomas was prominently identified with the management and success of the a Crane Iron Works for many ye rs . He became the f a promoter o the large iron works at Hokendauqu , THOMAS AND CONTEMPORARIE S 33

which were named after him . He was interested in other enterprises here and elsewhere . He took much interest in the political , financial , religious and char i bl and ta e affairs of the town , therefore he came to be co mmonly recognized as i ts founder . He was par ti cul arl y concerned in the establishment and success

; of the First Presbyterian Church of Catasauqua , and encouraged temperance and thrift amongst the nu me rous workingmen under him .

Mr . Thomas was married to Elizabeth Hopkins , o f daughter of John H opkins , Wales , and they had

: five children Jane , Gwenny (married to Joshua 20 Hunt ) , Samuel , John and David . He died June , H i 1882 88th . s , in the year of his age remains were deposited in the large Thomas Vault in Fairview

Cemetery .

L anc a SAMUEL GLA CE was born at Reamstown , in s 12 180 Pa . on . 5 . ter county , , Oct , He went from c Conyngham , in Luzerne county , to Mau h Chunk , in 1826 the Lehigh Valley , in , where he entered the f employ o the Lehigh Coal and N avigation Co . In ’ 1830 he took up his residence in B i e ry s - Port upon receiving the appointment o f division superintendent of the canal from the “ Slate Dam ” at Laury ’ s to ” the Allentown Dam , and he filled this position for

10 years . Then he became the mining agent of the

Co . Crane Iron , which he served for many years .

Mr . Glace was the first person to produce hy d rau son lic cement in the Lehigh Valley at Lehigh Gap , his having prepared a paper on the subj ect for the His tori cal H e Society of Pennsylvania at Philadelphia . w was married to Isabella Swartz , of Allen to nship , A and they had two children , William H . Glace ( t -at- torney law ) , and Amanda E . (married to Dr .

Daniel Yoder ) , both of whom reside at Catasauqua . 3 1892 He died January , , at the remarkable age of 86 2 21 s . years , months and day 34 EARLY HI STO RY

I C BI — I - FREDER K ERY heard my grand father , John

S wartz , farmer of Allen township , state that Fred erick Biery first introduced the custom o f entertaining f w at funerals in this section o the country . It as at f f n the time o the burial o a member of his ow family . The interment w as made at the church in Shoe ne rs was ville , and there the announcement first publicly made from the pulpit by the minister that the mourn ers and friends were invited to return to the home of

f r f . Mr . Biery o the refreshment o man and beast There the guests were arranged in rows in the yard

and servants appeared , some with bottles of whiskey o f and glasses , and others with lunch consisting bread , ff meat , pie , cake and co ee ; and hostlers provided fod f r der o the horses . T hus was a custom introduced which prevailed hereabouts for many years . It be came a necessity because the country was sparsely o f populated , and some the relatives and friends were obliged to start early and travel far if they wished to attend a funeral . w f Mr . Biery o ned a large tract o land here and the site for the Crane Iron Co . furnace was purchased

. ad from him He h five sons , Daniel , Jonas , Solomon ,

' n r a d th e . D avid and William , e daughters , Mrs Nich olas Snyder , Mrs . Samuel Koehler and Mrs . Jacob

Buehler . Three fine and attractive cut stone two n 1826 1830 1835 story dwelli g houses erected in , and along the m ain road in the village near the bridge a which c rried his name for nearly seventy years , are still standing in a remarkable state of preserva 1 4 8 5 . tion . He died in His son Solomon carried on the tavern (erected in 1826 ) for m any years ; and he served as post - master f 1 18 61 o the C atasauqua o ffice from 85 5 to . In later years he was interested in the car -bu i l i ng firm of

Co . at . Frederick , Fullerton

now Jonas lived in the farm house , the residence THOMAS AND CONTEMPORARI E S 35 of on August Hohl Race street and Railroad alley , was and engaged as a farmer . He owned and sold all the land upon which E ast Catasauqua came to be 3rd established , now included in the Ward . The a qu rry along the Catasauqua creek , where the Crane

- f r Iron Co . obtained all their lime stone o the furnaces for n . years , netted him more than o a royalty of three cents a ton . A large part of the land along 2nd street , . and also along Wood street , was sold by him into lots for buildings , though quite a number had previously been sold by his father . on Daniel resided his farm near Weaversville , now owned by Peter Laubach , and there he died ; ’ David resided on his farm near Mickley s , and there son he died ; and William , the youngest , died at home at a comparatively early age .

JAM ES W . FULLER figures very prominently as a f o s . contemporary David Thoma His father , Chaun ’ Bi er s - cey Dorrance Fuller , came to y Port from the “ ” - Plains , above Wilkes Barre , soon after the con o f struction the Lehigh Canal was started , upon the invitation of Abiel Abbott , one of the earliest super i ntend e nts of the canal , and was employed by the company for a number of years . Subsequently he served as one of the Justices of the Peace of the for 185 5 1865 . borough ten years , from to ’ Bi e r - The son , in his early years at y s Port , ran boats on the canal , and afterward conducted the canal at store the bridge . From 1852 to 185 6 he was specially employed by f or Co . David Thomas , the Crane Iron , to secure from the Legislature of Pennsylvania a charter for a rail road to extend from Catasauqua to Fogelsville and n Red Lion (near Mertztown in Berks cou ty ) , for the purpose of en abling the Co mpany and also the l Co . Thomas Iron , to bring iron ore from the wester y and southerly portions of the county to their large works at a reduced expense , and also to discontinue 36 EARLY HI STORY damaging the public roads with their numerous heavy teams which had come to be a source of co m

- plaint by the tax p ayers . But his efforts developed intense opposition which resulted in public meetings at Allentown to denounce the attem pts of the “ Black ” be Republicans towards securing such a charter , cause , as alleged , it would finally destroy the fine farms o f the yeomanry in the beautiful and produc tive valley of the Jordan . His skill and perseverance fo r brought success , first obtaining a charter a plank road , and afterward another charter for a railroad . I of 185 6 m n the Spring , the railroad was co menced , and within a year the ore teams were no longer seen a s on the public ro d , tearing up the roadway and mak ing it well - nigh impassable as had theretofore been the s ca e . Of course , the loud complaints subsided .

During the Civil War , Mr . Fuller became promi uently identified with the political and military affairs o f hi s Pennsylvania , and influence with the Republican a l dministration then was general y recognized .

He was married to Clarissa Miller and his children ,

to s W . who lived mature year , were Orange , James , H r . . a to n J , Abbott , Clinton , and Clar (married Ogde f wh . . o o E Frederick ) Two them survive , Abbott , resides at Philadelphia , and Mrs . Frederick , at Cata u s a qu a . He established the Fairview Cemetery in 1 8 18 2 85 . 7 He died in .

Z - o f JO HN GEORGE KURT , the grand father the late H n enry Kurtz at Catasauqua , settled in Hanover tow 1760 e s ship along the C atasauqua creek , in , and tabl i she d a homestead here when the surrounding country was a wilderness and the land extending “ thence to Shoe nersvi l l e was generally known as Dry ” i m lands , because no water was obtainable in this mediate vicinity during the Summer months and the farmers ’ cattle had to be driven to the Lehigh river where the creek had its outlet . It is said that after

' Kurtz had erected a cabin he went to Europe to THOMAS AND CONTEMPO RARIE S 37

m r he fetch his fa ily , but upon his eturn with them found the cabin in ruins , having been destroyed by the Indians . 1839 In , the Kurtz plantation came to be divided

- between two of his grand children , Henry , who took the western portion , and George , who took the eastern .

Their descendants here have become numerous . For many years these grand - sons refused to sell for e their land building lots , and this caus d the town to develop towards Bethlehem , and the improved sec

- tion came to be called E ast Catasauqua .

E Shoen e rsvi l l e JO NAT HAN S N YD R was a native of , w and had a fair education with a fine hand riting . In 1839 he became the lock tender at the locks opposite the furnace of the Crane Iron Co . Afterwards he

- occupied the toll house at the Biery Bridge . He col l e cte d all the tolls in this section of the canal . When the town was erected into a borough he served as as r se sso for some years .

Of his immediate family , the only survivors are his

- grand children , the Williams family , who reside at 2n d and Bridge streets . C JAMES LA K EY was a native of Reading . He came here at an early day in the - history of the town and

- carried on the canal store (where George B . F . Deily occu resides ) when David Thomas came here . He pied this store several years , then he leased an acre of g round north of the furnace between the canal and river and erected a store and dwelling which he

on 1850 . carried until about By this time , the busi ness of the Crane Iron Co . had increased so much that they were obliged to extend their plant to the north ; so they purchased the property and Lackey located on Front street , south of Mulberry , where he erected another store and dwelling . He conducted a general 185 7 store business there until , when he was elected to the office of prothonotary of Lehigh county and he 38 EARLY HI STO RY

n removed to Allentown . This locality o Front street then became the site of the National Bank of Cata sau u a q , and is now occupied by the Imperial Hotel .

Mr . L ackey served as prothonotary from 185 7 to 1863 r . , and as deputy for many years afterwa d He died in Allentown at an advanced age . He was a

highly respected man ,

’ ” JOH N LEIBERT lived near Rohn s , which has 3r come to be included in the d Ward . He was a boss f r carpenter o the Lehigh Coal and Navigation Co . for a time ; then , upon receiving a similar appointment ’ Bi r - Co . e s from the Crane Iron , he located at y Port , which he served for several years . He died about 184 5 . His widow survived him for upwards of 5 0 years . His son Owen became prominent as the super i ntend e nt o f the great industrial establishment of the

Bethlehem Steel Co . The only descendants still living

- here are a daughter Jane , and a grand daughter

E mma (wife of James Morrow , Esq . ) ’ The day Leibert moved to Bi e ry s - Port (then Crane ville ) , my father asked him where he was going . He “ — to Cranevi l l e answered rather ironically Oh , , and n o w I suppose my daughters will marry Irishmen .

Th n - i n - e late James Nevins was his so law . JOHN PETER was born in 17 99 in H eidelberg town o f ship , Lehigh county , and lived at the corner Bridge t ’ and Front stree s , at a point between Schneller s block and the Lehigh Canal . He moved to this locality 182 in 3 and bought his farm from Andrew Hower ,

f n . heirs o J o . Philip Faust and others His first home Y n was built by John ou d t . He afterward erected a

l n f . stone dwel ing which is ow the stable o F . W Wint

e . Co . He followed weaving for nin years Upon the completion o f the Lehigh Coal and Navigation Co . a - c nal he became a lock tender . 185 1 l a In , he so d the rem inder of his farm (not heretofore sold into lots ) to David Thomas . and moved to o f Bethlehem . After the death his wife , he made

4 0 EARLY HI STO RY i ve s on t . He also purchased the farm the road to

B ethlehem , now owned by the Oberly Estate . He w n o ned real estate in tow , including the properties now known as the E agle Hotel and the L e high

N ational B ank . He built several sections of the Cata

sau u a . . q and Fogelsville R R His principal work , hi m wa c on however , which gave much fame , s the struction of the Aqueduct through which the water was c onveyed from the Upper Potomac river to W as h n n 1864 hi i to . . s g , D C In he sold property here and removed to his farm near Quincy , Ill . , where he died at an advanced age . T H OMAS LE T T E R — The following interesting letter was sent by David Thomas to a friend in Wales six m onths after he had settled here

1 8 39 1 1 th . Crane Iron Works , Dec . ,

'

. W . Mr Davi d B owen , Aberdare , South ales , England My Dear Friend — I have taken my pen in hand to write you a few a m lines from this wide western hemisphere . I in perfect health and good spirits and all my family are the s a me who joi n me i n hoping this brief letter will find you and your family also enj oyi ng ff th e good health and h a ppiness . I su ered much on voyage and after I came here from sickness , which you no doubt have heard ; but my a nd t health s rength have now recovered amazingly , and I am now fl attered by those who knew me before that I look better than I did some years ago . \V e have been treated here with much kindness . My employers have done e vr yth i ng i n their power for my comfort ; they have built me a very good house , with garden and every convenience that i one could wish , and I have reason to bel eve they are satisfied with 1 0 me . I have u nder my care about 0 men with proper foremen to look a fter every department ; I give the orders and pay them . 7 \\ e ve e live in a very fert ile country where every sort of grain , g table and fruit is very abundantly grown . The climate is very healthy w a nd the eather h a s been hitherto very good . The people are hos i tabl e fl . p and kind , ch ie y from German origi n There is much of that language spoken here , which I am learning very fast . The ch ildren can talk it better th a n I can . n Places of worship a d schools are numerous . Many denominations are supported by voluntary contributions ; the schools by a tax , every

a St te appropriating so many thous a nd doll a rs for the use of schools . here is one built in my nei ghborhood where every one can e 'l u c ate h i s a t . children for lmos nothing , to any branch of science or literature TH OMAS LETTER 4 1

fl The government is Democratic , and chie y i n the hands of the most numerable part of the community , whi ch in my o p i nion is the worst a i p rt of their pol cy , and the most likely to injure the permanent pro gress of America . Your radicals , with riotous chartists , I think would have enough of universal suffrage only for them to wi tness the abuse f l of that suf rage as app ied here . I have seen with regret the riotous f i af a r of the chartists at Newport , and I am afraid from the appear ance of the English newspapers that you are going to have more of it .

. The population of this district is not very thi n . It is peopled as thickly as Carmarthensh ire . The towns are six to ten miles from one another and some of them have from to people . Phila

5 4 . 9 3 delphia is miles and New York is miles , to either of which places we can go from here in one day . Traveling here is very expeditious , i as there are canals and ra lroads in every direction . The town nearest to us is Allentown which is three miles from our works .

Th e natural resources of thi s country are numerous . All sorts of a e mi ner ls are very abundant ; provisions are very cheap , i n fact , very thing for the use of man is very moderate except woolen cloths , which are about double of those bought in E ngland . Calico and cotton prints are as cheap here as you can get them there , and cotton goods of every sort are very cheap . I do not think the cattle i n this country are as good as in the old

a r e . country ; but horses equally as good , i f not better generally Pigs are

. l very cheap and abundant Pork is very cheap , sel ing in the market 1 at 9 shillings pence per cwt . and the best bacon fed upon Indian 1 corn (which is very plentiful here ) for 2 shillings 6 pence per cwt . of your currency ; best fl our is per barrel or 5 5 0 half pence of your r 1 9 6 cu rency , weigh ing pounds . I had a barrel last week which makes bread pretty nearly as white as this sheet of paper I am writing upon ; good black tea 1 shilli ng 6 pence to 7 shillings 6 pence per 1 ff 1 5 $ 4 i pound ; co ee , best , shillings , A, pence , but very good for sh llings 7 6 $43 pence per pound ; loaf sugar is pence , i f good season , V2 pence ; burnt sugar for pence to 5 pence per pound of your currency ; and i ndeed everything in that way is very cheap . The people here only eat three meals a day ; breakfast at 6 in the 1 2 6 . morn ing , dinner at , and supper or tea at in the evening They have plenty of meat on the table for each meal whatever house you go into . All classes eat very much alike and about the same times .

Poverty is rarely known here except among the i ntemperate or idle .

Old people , widows and orphans are very well taken care of . The law of the land is very lenient to the actual poor , but very much other wise to imposters . I have only seen three people beggi ng , two of them

Irish and one a German . $ Since the time I left , is there any fresh duty They do not know

~ i y . s . i n what duty here , onl on goods imported The farmers this coun

- try are usually free holders . There is not one farmer out of a hundred o w n but what lives on his land , a nd they are generally very wealthy . 4 2 EARLY HI STORY

M a nufacturers are increasing very fast here ; they are short of hands

a . and c pital , both increasing very fast We have had some very bad a times this utumn i n the money market , but it is improving agai n very fast .

In about three weeks from this time our furnace will have fire in it .

We are going to build another in the sp ring .

John Thomas is here and he is a good boy , very strong and indus trions . He sends his best regards to his mother . d I \V0 rks Please a dress your letter to Davi d Thomas , Crane ron , near

C . o . Allentown , Lehigh , Pa a m d I , my ear old friend ,

Your sincere old friend ,

DAVID THOMAS .

CHARACT ER OF EMPL OYE E S— The men em ployed at the furnaces were mostly Irishmen . There as were some Welshmen and Germans , but a rule they

- were employed round about the furnaces . Catholics and Protes tants were employed in equal numbers so far as possible . This prevented any combinations and strikes among them and preserved the peace of the o f hamlet . The government the village in its early days was fraternal , that is , that part connected with the furnaces . w The temperance movement as strong . There was a division called the “ George Crane Division ” for “ ” adults and the Crystal Fount Section for boys . The meeting place w as in a h all where the Crane Iron n w n Co . o . o e stables are _ Every was expected to j oin not the movement and if , he had to give a reason

n . why . T he result was o e of great influence The adults were led to save their money so that many of them , upon leaving with their families , purchased farms in the vicinity of Quincy , Ill . , and their de scen d ants are among the substantial citizens o f that o section . Of all the young men who grew t manhood of one who under this influence , I never heard filled ’ a drunkard s grave .

A peculiarity of this growing hamlet before 185 3 was its seclusiveness from the neighboring towns and LOCAL I MPROVEMENTS 4 3

l vi lages . It was mostly inhabited by foreigners who naturally brought the habits and customs of their own country with them , and had a rather quiet , contented life without newspapers to excite or distract their minds or locomotives and he avy trains of cars to break f was the stillness o the country air . The Sabbath day honored by them and the Old Church ” in the woods on Church street was generally filled by attentive lis n r te e s . The community was made up of young and middle aged men , and possessed many promising boys and girls who had time and opportunities to develop as knowledge , as well health and strength , in this region by the side of the Lehigh river . E mployment in the growing iron works was steady and the men remained the same from year to year . L O CAL IMPROVEMENT S— The first work done in the village in 1839 was the building of a frame house opposite the site of the furnaces (now occupied by Hungarians ) , which within six months after com s a and ing to thi country , was occupied by Mr . Thom s was his family . After he fairly settled , my father visited him and was invited to p artake of shell barks (a dish being on the table ) which he and his wife were cracking between their teeth like squirrels . “ There was built at the same time a row of shan ties from Second street to Limestone alley ; als o frame houses from Limestone alley to near Hower town Road , which were surrounded by a front yard , with fences neatly whitewashed and the occupants were the clerks and bosses at the works . This was the “ ” boulevard of the village . A brick row was built on Wood street from Lime stone alley to Howertown Road , and each house was generally occupied by four families . Some of their de sce nd ants now living in large houses were born here . 1839 an In there were few , if y , coal burning stoves . o f Every thrifty tenant had his cord wood sawed , chopped and piled in the cellar . 4 4 EARLY HI STORY

- one W Bake ovens were erected ; on ood Street , the other on Church ; and their fires were burning from

Monday morning till Saturday night , for the neigh bors took their turn . The dough was prepared and

“ s placed in straw ba kets ; then , by a dexterous move on ment , upturned a wooden tray or shovel , and c pushed into the ovens , on the burning embers . O c asi onal l - y , some belated house wife would come and beg the privilege of putting only a small pie into the oven if there were still room . s After the water was introduced , several spigot on were Wood and Church streets , the only streets in the village where the mains were laid . The water was taken from the Lehigh river , but then it was free from impurities and adulterations . STREETS— The first streets were op ened on the land o f Frederick Biery , from Race street to Wood , as far w as his land extended . As the village gre in the cen was tre , Second street opened to Church and made crooked so as not to interfere with buildings already

' was e xte nd e d to erected . When it Middle alley , a ’ stop was made at the line of Henry Bre i sch s land and ofi the street was fenced . Prior to this time , Second street had been opened by John Peter from Bridge d street north , and when Second street was extende northward another crook was necessary to make the w as connection . Meanwhile , Bridge street opened , and , in order to make it correspond with Church w as street , it also made crooked , otherwise the lines would have overlapped and the lots would have be ee come too long . Strange to say , the alleys betw n Church and Bridge streets were run as if these streets were at right angles . T he consequence was that the lots on Bridge street at alleys were sliced off at the f point o intersection . While this was not considered when the lots were cheap , in after years , when p arties began to measure up and find themselves short from 8 12 l aw a w as to inches , suits rose , bitter feeling devel LOCAL I MPROVEMENT S

oped and expensive litigation naturally followed . Such was the situation on both sides o f the street but it would not have occurred if the points of intersection had been a right angle . 1839 l In , there were four pub ic roads which lay within the present boundary of Catasauqua

On e extended from the dam along the canal west of the Faust farm house , crossing Front street where it is intersected by Chapel street , and proceeding due east along the north s i d e of the Breisch farm house ’ (near the site of Dr . Daniel Yoder s residence ) to the Howertown Road . The s e co nd from the B iery grist mill due east over the Deily hill by the farm house to a point w here the road forks in the 3rd Ward toward

Bethlehem . hi The t rd from the mill race over the county bridge in the 3r d Ward . th u th And e fo r , the Howertown Road which originally extended due north on the west side of the Bi ery farm house to a poi nt at Union street where it joi ned the road as it is at present , the last portion having been v a cated long ago .

184 1 out In , Front street was laid by the Court of Quarter Sessions , but it was known for some time as Cinder street because the slag from the furnaces on a was hauled it to make it p ssable in wet weather . was 185 3 It graded in by Elias Mertz , surveyor , right

after the incorporation of the borough , which lowered the surface several feet between Union street and s School alley , and required high stoop before the

residences , as they are now seen . 184 8 In , Second street was laid out from Race to

bv . Church , direction of the Court BUILDING LOTS— During the period from 184 5 to 18 6 0 w . , this town gre in population T he Biery lots were sold on Front and Second streets to Wood and John Peter sold his lots on those streets from Bridge

to the borough line . The balance of the Peter farm

was sold to David Thomas , and Henry Breisch also

sold his farm , lying between Second and Third

streets , from Church to Pine , to David Thomas ; but

Thomas for years sold very few lots , which eventually a a proved to be good feature , because it p ved the way 4 6 EARLY HI STORY for many fine residences between Second street and a Howertown Road and from Bridge street to W lnut . 1870 Third street was only opened in , twelve years prior to his death ; and Fourth and Fifth streets were opened some years after his death in the settle

ment o f his estate . The population at this time was

War was in the air during the close of this period . “ ” a The Wide Awakes , a Republican Association , p radcd the streets with torches and uniforms and many fears were entertained what another year might bring forth . BRIDGES— There were two bridges across the river in the early history of the town ; and a third was erected 1 6 in 90 . Bi er B ri d e —On a 5 1824 o f y g M rch , , an Act Assem bly w as passed by the Legislature of Pennsylvania to establish and maintain a toll bridge across the Lehigh ’ river at Bi e ry s - Port and in this behalf the following Commissioners were appointed to carry its provisions into effect by securing subscriptions o f stock at $25

: a share , viz .

Owen Rice , of Bethlehem .

o f . Jacob Blumer , Northampton Borough

o f . George Yundt , South Whitehall

Peter Ruch , of North Whitehall .

Frederick Biery and John Sterner , of Hanover . The response in subscriptions was sufficient to e n b e courage this necessary improvement , and in this an w a on 24 1824 half election s held July , , for a pres n ide t , four managers and treasurer of the Company , which resulted as follows :

P e s i d e n — w - r t O en R ice of Bethlehem . Ne h e i ah — D a nd m Frederick B iery , Philip Faust , Charles . Bishop

fr i G eorge H e l d g e . Tre a s u r e — r Joseph Biery . o n 26th a a And the of July , J cob Blumer was p pointed secretary of the Board . Peter Mil ler agreed to grant as much land on the

4 8 EARLY HI STO RY

The chains were anchored in stone foundations on o f both sides the river ; the ends , and the middle where

the chains rested , were topped with a frame cover to protect them from the weather ; and these tops at a

distance looked like a fortress . The sides of the bridge re were open . In the Lehigh Water Gap , there still mains a chain bridge which resembles the construction

of the old Biery Bridge . 1850 b e About , this bridge was regarded as unsafe

cause it swung to and fro while a team passed over it .

Therefore , steps were taken to erect another bridge in its place and the following Notice was advertised in the newspapers and posted in the vicinity for the purpose of securing subscriptions of stock

Notice is hereby given that i n accordance with an Act of Assembly , incorporating a company to bu ild a bridge over the river Leh igh under “ th e name of The President , Managers and Company of the Lehigh ’ County Bridge at or near B i e r y s Mills ; books for subscripti on of 2 6 th stock for sa id purpose will be opened on Monday , the day of July , ’ B i e r s - t at the public house of Nathan Frederi ck i n y Por , to be kept open 6 : for three successive days , for hours each d ay Joseph Laubach Peter Troxell George Breinig Joshua Miller Daniel Newhard Davi d Troxell

n r Henry Kurtz . James G a g e w e e

David Eberhard Charles S . Bush 2 4 1 8 5 2 June , . Commissioners . The bridge was removed in 185 2 and a covered wooden bridge was erected in its place with trusses

f r - o . in the centre support , and a double drive way The total cost was It was destroyed by the 1862 great flood of , but immediately rebuilt in the

same style . The trusses however were at the ends ,

w - and there as only one drive way . The total cost ‘ was 12 7c The dividends were about per annum . This bridge was maintained by the Company until

189 2 ~ , when it was purchased by the County author ities ; then a new iron bridge w as substituted at the of h joint cost the County , the Le igh Valley R . R . Co .

o . and the A . B . Rapid Transit C , amounting to L OCA L IMPR OVE ME NTS

z— which was p aid as follows County ,

. . Co . Co . 5 00 . L . V . R R , Rapid Transit , $ The trolley line from Allentown to the west end of e w as the bridge , and from the east end to Si gfried , 18 9 1 built in , and for thirteen months the passengers traveling to and fro walked across a temporary strue ture . I B ri d e— 184 5 Cran row. 0 0 . e g About , the Crane Iron

Co . felt the necessity of a separate bridge for its use , because iron ore beds were discovered at different and s places in Whitehall South Whitehall township , and the hauling of the ore around by way of the o a Biery Bridge came to be c nsidered as serious item , and they therefore determined to erect a public bridge up the river half a mi l e j above the Biery a Bridge . But they found a statute of Pennsylvani b e in the way which interfered with their proj ect ,

cause it was too near the bridge mentioned and the .

Legislature would not grant another charter which .

s . would disturb vested right To avoid this obj ection ,

they purchas ed land on both sides of the river where . the bridge was desired , and erected a private bridge

for themselves . But the traveling public soon dis covered that this bridge could be used free from any ' charges of toll and it came to be used therefore as a s so general highway ; indeed , at times the team became numerous that they extended in a continuous row from the entrance of the Fairview Cemetery across the ’ ffi bridge to the Company s o ce .

A statute provided that as soon as the Crane Iron . f Co . acquired the majority o the stock of the Biery

o . Bridge C , they could then charge toll for passing

over their private bridge . was When the C atas auqu a Fogelsville R . R . 185 7 *' e constructed in , this bridge was strengthen d

so that the company could lay a railroad track on it ,

and haul cars loaded with iron ore over it , drawn by

a small locomotive , to their works . This engine was 5 0 EARLY HI STORY

named Hercules . The bridge was swept away by o f 1862 w the flood , and a covered wooden bridge as n immediately erected in its place . Later an iro bridge was substituted by the company . — Pi n t B i d In 1 6 - e S . r e 90 07 g , the county authorities erected a superior iron bridge across the river , a ab Co . short distance ove the Crane Iron Bridge , at

- n Pine street , to facilitate inter communication betwee a Catas uqua and West Catasauqua . This bridge had been agitated for many years , but it was realized at last . It is now much appreciated for its great utility . The abutment at the eastern end was constructed at o f of the cost the borough Catasauqua , and that at the

' western end by the township of Whitehall . FLOO D OF 1862— Catasauqua was the scene of great

o f 4 - 5 18 62 excitement during the flood June , when the water ro se above its usual level from 24 to 27 of feet , and was about feet higher than the flood 184 1 m f . o All the bridges , with a nu ber small build o f ings , great quantities lumber and fencing materials , Th n a . e e and m ny wagons , etc , were carried away . i n r f g e e o the Crane Iron Co . remained in the engine room and was instrumental in rescuing several per n f so s from drowning . Many o the boats which were o a o re N w here , l ded with from e Jersey , were lost including the p ossessions o f the boatsmen . A German family from Newark (man , wife and two children ) were on their boat at Parryville when the flood tore it loose ; they reached Catasauqua but the boat was wrecked below the town . and all they had was their n clothing o their backs . Another family from Stan hope , N . J also lost their boat and all their clothing ; ff they were knocked o the boat and rescued , excepting

‘

a ol d w as . an inf nt , fourteen months , which drowned d on When morning dawned , two men were iscovered c i nd e rb ank of an a , in the midst the river ; and at o w n ther point a man and boy ere o a tree . A father on and was a tree near by , his screaming daughter LOCAL I MPROVEMENTS 5 1 on another ; and a little girl was seen holding o n to a at ledge at an arch o f the Biery Bridge . Fruitless tempts were made to save these people by a raft at h too tac e d to a rope , but the current was strong ;

finally the superintendent of the Crane Iron Co . of flat- rescued them by means a bottom boat , made by his carpenters , after struggling heroically for more than an hour . a on The scene was awful to behold . While st nding i the river bank , the roar ng torrent could be distinct l y heard , and also the agonizing cries of men , women who and children , were carried along on logs , boats , etc . Below the town a house was swept from its foun ’ dations and carried down the valley ; and at Wheeler s locks several houses and barns with household goods , animals and other contents were swept away . Words cannot describe the loss and suffering . o f 184 1 be Relating to the flood , mentioned in the o f ginning the foregoing article , the following entry

s Co . was made in the book of the Crane Iron , to show how it affected the works :

7 th ’ O n Thursday , January , at nine o clock i n the eveni ng , the river rose so that the back water prevented the wheel from turni ng , at - 3 half a fter ten covering the tow path of the level above lock 6 . At w t elve it was two feet over the banks , and was one foot over the i t bottom of the he arth of the furnace . At the water was at s

34 u . w a s height , and inches i n the f rnace It at its height until ’ o clock when the river began to fall . The water wheel was muddied

all over and the water w as nine i nches over its top . The dam and c a n a l bank was broken so that when the water fell i n the river it was f w as too low to turn the wheel , though every ef ort made to fill up th e bank , but they could not succeed and were obliged to throw the a a 1 1 th furn ce out on Mond y , the of January . DAV I D T H O M A S M A T H O U NG . s S . YO a 1 8 $The furnace was blown i n ga in on May , CANAL — The navigation o f the Lehigh river was as 177 1 agitated for many years , beginning early as , and legislation was enacted relating to it from that 1820 time till and afterward . The Lehigh Navigation 5 2 EARLY HI STORY

1 Co . 18 8 r was incorporated in March , , and in Octobe 182 Co . 0 following , the Lehigh Coal , and in the two were consolidated into the Lehigh Coal an d Naviga

tion Co . Then it was that active operations were be gun in the construction of a canal which was to extend along the river from White Haven to E aston and they

were carried on with determination . The great enterprise was completed from E aston to Mauch Chunk in 1828 and a favorable report of spe c i al commissioners to the Governor of Pennsylvania 3 1829 was made July , . Three men were particularly

prominent in its advocacy , construction and comple

tion , Josiah White , Erskine H azard and Mr . Hauto . the o f In course its construction , a lock was placed at a point which came to be in front of the furnace at Catasauqua ; dimensions of 22 feet wide by 95 feet f 8 n o o e . long , with a drop feet from level to the other 36 The number in the system is . The next lock to the north is about a mile distant ; and the next to the

south also a mile . Grain and coal were floated down the river to the P on flat Delaware river , and thence to hiladelphia , “ ” bottomed boats called arks , and these arks were sold there because they could not be taken back ’ Bi r s - against the current . In passing e y Port these

boats attracted much attention . When the canal came to be opened fo r transportation in 1828 the movement of the boats through the locks excited as much public interest for a time as the c asting of iron in the 184 0 furnace in . ’ The first excursion to Bi e ry s-Port on the canal was “ ” made by a party from Allentown and an ark was used to carry the excu rsionists . The boat was hand somel y decorated with American flags for the occasion . 82 26 1 9 . . This occurred on Friday , June , Ogden E -i n - Frederick recalls how his mother law , Mrs . James F W . uller , with much spirit narrated the trip many ao years ago . She was amongst the party , having LOCA L I MPROVE MENTS 5 3

c ompanied her parents , then a girl (Clarissa Miller m 11 years old . She reme bers distinctly the crowded condition of the boat and the great pleasure the ex traor d i n ary trip afforded . Two horses pulled the m on boat , and though the ovement the water was slow , the sensation was pleasing and the passing scenery truly picturesque and inspiring , much beyond what she had yet experienced .

of Another occurrence , worthy mention , was several years afterwards when many of this community went by boat to Eas ton to witness the hanging o f a m an on named Getter , a small island in the Delaware river . My mother accompanied her parents (Mr . and

Mrs . John Swartz ) who j oined other parents (Owen

Frederick , Frederick Biery , Jacob Deily and John Peter ) ; and I recall the spirit she displayed in de o f ro scribing the incidents the novel trip to and f , the great crow-d on the hill - side at Easton (now the site of Lafayette College ) which overlooked the awful scene of the public execution of a condemned mur of derer , the terrifying screams the multitude that broke the awful stillness when the rope snapped as the criminal dropped , the startling movement of the f a c o fici l witnesses about the s affold , and the rapid horseback ride of the sheriff to the nearest store for a new rope and back to the scaffold to resume the per form ance of his legal duty and complete the e xecu atasau tion . The reader of these reminiscences of C qua can well imagine my intense interest as a boy ’ in a mother s tale of such an event in its early history .

B o t-Y rd s— a 184 5 1865 a a Along the can l , from to , two boat - yards - were carried on for the building and one repair of boats ; of them by Bogh B rothers , situa ted oh the site of the Fire Brick Works between Wal nut and Chapel streets , and the other by Ginder Rehrig on the site of the lowlands opposite the Cata sau u a q Hotel . 5 4 EARLY HI STORY

RAILROAD— It was in the fall o f 185 5 that the first “ ” locomotive , the General Wall , borrowed from the

Central R . R . of N . J with a p assenger car attached , to w as came C atasauqua , which as far as rails had been laid . It was a gala day for the new borough , only two years ol d . On this train were citizens from E aston including Thomas McKe an (then 90 ye ars old ) and an army office on recruiting service . A dinner was had at the E agle Hotel , while flags were flying and bands playing . After dinner a procession was formed which marched to Hokendauqua , to View the furnace j ust erected there . l On the way from Allentown , the train ran slow y , stopping now and then to cut down proj ecting limbs f o trees which hung over the track . a D avid Kline , a p inter by trade , was the first agent and the first freight he brought over the bridge

n - o a wheel barrow . WATER WORKS— When Catasauqua was founded in 1839 by offi cials o f the Lehigh Coal and Navigation d w f Co . an o , the water rights land est the canal , from the Hokendauqua D am to the Allentown Dam were ceded to the Lehigh Crane Iron Co . as a substantial inducement to those capitalists to erect furnaces here and develop an increased market for coal and as a feeder to the canal proj ect . At that time , the towns along the Lehigh river north to the coal mines were o f i n few , and it never entered into the minds the vestors that the stream would become the sewer system o f numerous populous boroughs and hund red s o f coal mines . N 1 w a o . s When furnace erected , the blast power was secured from the canal , the original canal having been turned over to the Iron Company for power and landing ores and coal , and a new canal having been n an d as . excavated . used thereafter the main li e The pump to furnish water fo r furnace use was attached i n N 3 to a o . the bl s t wheel , which remained use until

5 6 EARLY HI STO RY

to 1 - Bridge , from Front Second ; and 0 inch main on to Walnut Fourth , where connections were made with a 12 - inch main leading to a new stone and concrete o reserv ir on Currant alley , above Walnut , the highest point in the town . A new pumping station was built 6 23 2 . 5 below No furnace , by feet in dimensions , with water and steam pumps having a capacity o f forcing f A gallons o water per day . nearby stand to pipe , equalize the pressure upon the pipes , was also built . The use o f the canal water for household purposes s became objectionable , and some year since an artesian well was drilled adjo ining the pumping station and alternating filters erected to overcome to some degree c o m the frequent filthiness o f the river water . The for 36 pany requiring more room storage purposes , a inch main was extended on the canal bed , from a point facing the canal below the bridge , which carried water to the forebay at the machine shop , and pumping sta of tion , while another similar size ran from the fore i 5 bay h front of No . furnace and extended to the tur N 1 n bines opposite o . ; the feeder canal was then aba d on e d and filled in , giving the company large storage f space in front o the furnaces . All the town gutters and refuse from m anu fac turing places north of Bridge street drained into the the of m s canal , surface which frequently presented y i te r ou s compositions . Fo r many years the revenues of the water system not were given close attention , and reverses coming

to Co . the Crane Iron , the receiver made overtures to l the original owners , and the water and and rights , o f with some reservations , passed from control the company back to the Navigation Company and also to

Co . the Clear Springs Water , which had secured char o ters for all the surrounding c untry . Council then reduced the number o f fire hydrants to - of new twenty three , owing to the demands the LOCAL I MPROVE MENT S 5 7

1908 regulations and when in January , , the rates to consumers were announced , many discontinued the use o f the water . The Fire and Water Committee hav ing been directed to make an investigation and report m cost of establishing a unicipal plant , a public meet 23 ing was called in the Town Hall , Thursday , July , when it w as proposed to ask the tax - p ayers for a loan of to sink wells , and proceed with the erection f o a new municipal system . By unanimous direction of Council it was submitted to the tax - payers at the 77 6 November election , which resulted in polling votes 4 in favor to 7 against . of Two artesian wells were sunk upon a tract land , designated by a geologist sent by the State Board of s Health , at Walnut and St . John street , just east a o f of the Catas uqua creek . The success the first well demonstrated the wisdom o f the designated spot a nd the second well was equ ally satisfactory . The wells 200 are about feet deep , steel cased that depth , and are 10 inches in diameter . They were both tested by air lifts for seven days and nights and the supply of o f water was pronounced inexhaustible , the strata sandstone having been pierced the entire depth . The State Board certified that it was perfectly pure ; and by practical tests at the boilers o f the plant it m was found free fro lime sediments . The Water Committee investigated other plants and asked experienced engineers to come to Catasauqua , view the location and prepare plans for a municipal plant . Dr . C . J . Keim was then serving as burgess , with Councilmen Henry W . Stolz , Alfred J . Leh and

Martin Graver from the First Ward , and Thomas Mc and l e ss Jones , Wm . C and Oscar Shugar from the

Second Ward , all favorable to new municipal water works . Detailed plans and specifications were formal l y adopted , and the sale of the water bonds for 4 % at was advertised . George H . Hardner , the well known successful contractor of Allentown , became the 5 8 EARLY HI STORY

- f contractor , and the sale was made , three fourths o the issue having been taken by residents o f the borough . was 19 10 Work started in March , , and completed the

following October . Two equity suits were instituted by the Clear ro Springs Water Co . to restrain the Borough from p c e e d i n g to establish the water works , but the Court

dismissed both bills , deciding that their vested rights were not injured . P umpi ng Sta ti on— The pumping station is a brick fire - proof building , with concrete foundations and t r o floors . structural , steel and sla e roof , with ample p

’ portions for duplicating the present plant . The engine and compressor room is 5 0 feet wide by 60 feet 5 0 5 0 long , and boiler room , by feet , with fuel space f o r 100 . more than tons These rooms are well lighted , provided with fir e—proof partitions and furnished n throughout in a neat and substa tial manner . The chimney is constructed o f brick lining 5 feet square

100 on . inside and feet high , concrete foundation In the boiler room there is a battery of two high s o f 100 125 w pressure tubular boiler , to horse po er each , set in masonry in the most substantial manner and with connections made to pumping machinery . In the engine room there are two air compressors of

- to the Ingersoll Rand most improved type , made oper or ai r ate condensing , either both together , through

- s receiver to air lift sy tem , with discharge from wells into storage reservoir ; al so the two large Platt cross compound horizontal crank and fly - wheel pumping o d o f of engine , with c n enser , combined daily capacity two a to or million gallons , m de operate , either both a together , with suction from stor ge reservoir and de livery to system of water mains . The storage reservoir is 72 feet in diameter and 14 6 d o f feet inches eep , having a cap acity gal lons ; made of brick concrete and steel construction , W o o f ith ro f cement tiling , and ventilator screened and LOCAL I MPROVEMENTS 5 9

p rotected from all impurities , which makes it a most re c e ti c al fitting p for storage of water , direct from the wells . The large pumping engines , with suction from this reservoir , deliver the water through the system of water mains and tower to the people . W a ter Tower— The water tower is located on the a hill , near Sixth street and Howertown Ro d , North

. s C atasauqua It is of fine proportions , with teel 15 80 standpipe , feet in diameter and feet high , rest

on - ing brick sub structure with stone trimmings , rein forced at the top with heavy eye beams . This sub on a of 30 structure is oct gonal foundation concrete , feet in diameter . The standpipe is connected through the sub - structure with main and drain pipes and valves placed so that the tower may be used with the f o r . a system not , as may be desired The reservoir fords the city a storage of about one - half - million gal lons of water for use in an emergency and as a re o f serve , additional to the capacity the plant , should nfl ra i n there be a serious co ag t o . The weight of the standpipe and its contents on sub and 7 00 structure foundation. when filled is about M D rmo c e tt Co . tons . It was erected by the , Allen

town . W a t r M(ti ns— s of e The sy tem water mains , ranging 16 6 from inches to inches in diameter , with but few 4 al l laterals of inch pipe , in about seven miles , laid in

the principal streets of the borough . There have been located at the street corners thirty fiv 6 - e Matthews type hydrants , with inch base con necti ons and two inch nozzles for hose and one 4

inch nozzle for steamer to each hydrant . This system 63 is divided into districts , any and all of which may

fi s . s be shut o as de ired In ca e of rep airs , but one square of patrons will be inconvenienced for a short

time . From the pumping station on Walnut street to

16 - Fifth , a inch artery carries the water ; on Currant 6 0 EARLY HI STO RY

12 - alley , from Walnut a inch main supplies the stand pipe 12 - inch main from Fifth to Front on Wal nut ; 8

on 6 - inch pipe Front to Union , then inch to Race

8 - W ahne tah 4 - then inch to , inch across the canal and

Central R . R . to the Castings Co . Works , where four plugs secure lower rate of insurance ; 6 - inch main en tire length o f Second ; 10 - inch main on Fifth ; 8 - inch on Howertown Road to Union ; 10 - inch on Union to

6 - o Mu l Front ; inch mains n Third , Fourth , Bridge ,

4 - on berry , Race and American streets ; inch Pine ,

Kurtz , Church , Peach , Wood ; in all about seven miles

in length . In case a fire occurs in the lower portion o f on n a the town , mains American street , Howertow Ro d , flow Second and Front streets furnish a constant . Thomas Jones is worthy o f special mention in the establishment o f this necessary improvement for the 1853 public welfare . He came to C atasauqua in and 8 assisted in laying the water pipe in 1 54 . For many years he was employed as a machinist at the Crane Iron Works ; then he became master mechanic of the

Catasauqu a Fogelsville R . R . under its superintend as ent , John Thom , which position he held until the

w . road as acquired by the P . R . R . Co He served in town council from 18 84 to 1889 ; officiated as Burgess from 1889 to 1891 and again served in the town coun 19 08 e s cil since , while this improvement was being tabl i s he d of a tasau ua E dmund Randall , the publisher the C q D i s t h a o f p a c , is equ lly worthy mention for his con ti nu ou s and persistent advocacy o f this necessary i m

provement and its ownership by the borough . POST O FFIC E— Fo r twelve years after this settle “ w as a was Cranevi l l e ment st rted , the hamlet called , after George Crane of Wales who was the owner of Iron Works where D avid Thomas was employed before f coming to this country . A post o fice was established in 184 4 at the lower part of town which for many “ ’ ” years was called Bi e ry s - Port ; and upon the ap LOCAL I MPROVE MENTS 6 1

of - 184 6 pointment Nathan Fegley as post master in , it was moved up to the corner of Front and Church streets . Mail came three times a week from Allentown to

Mauch Chunk by stage , and several times a week from

Bethlehem to Cherryville by one horse conveyance . But letters for this place were frequently sent to r n i l 20 Ne w C a e v l e . , N J a small town miles from

York City on this E aston stage route , which caused a delay of some days in the delivery of letters . The

Crane Iron Co . received their mail from Allentown by private carrier which helped somewhat . A change 184 5 was agitated as early as , but owing to the domi nant party represented by the old inhabitants at the lower end of town , they prevented the P . O . Depart ment from adopting various names proposed . Owen Rice was at that time chief clerk at this iron works e (who , for many years , had been the scriv ner of deeds for the country hereabouts ) and learning from ol d drafts made in 1735 and later that the creek flowing “ through the east end of the village was nam e d Cata ” sau qu a (Cattosoque ) he suggested the name and it 184 was adopted by the department in 6 .

The following persons filled the position of post master : PO ST MASTE RS C 1 8 4 4 -4 6 Samuel olver ,

4 - ff 1 6 5 - 1 Nathan Fegley 1 8 6 5 0 Isabella D . Du 8 7 Joseph Laubach 1 8 5 0 -5 3 Adaline Creveling 1 8 7 1 -7 7 - 1 7 -8 9 Nathan Frederick 1 8 5 3 5 4 Wm . H . Bartholomew 8 7 i 1 8 5 4 -5 1 - Augustus H . G lbert 5 Edmund Randall 8 8 9 9 4 - 1 8 4 - Solomon B iery 1 8 5 5 6 1 Jon a s F . Moyer 9 9 8 0 - 1 8 6 1 1 8 9 8 - 1 9 0 0 Arnold . Lewis March Nov . Henry Davi s 1 8 6 1 -6 2 G r a ffin 1 9 0 0 -0 8 Frank B . Martin Charles - ffin 1 0 . . 1 G r a 9 8 Chas D Fuller 8 6 2 6 5 Samuel S . The department at the borough comprises a post s a ma ter and assistant ; three clerks , auxili ry clerk , a and speci l delivery messenger ; four carriers , sub carrier , and mail mess enger . 6 2 EARLY HI STORY

Three daily deliveries are made excepting Sundays ; and four collections from 35 boxes located in different o f parts the borough . The following statement shows the character and extent o f the postal business at Catasauqua : Daily ma il handled : Outgoing (pieces ) Incomi ng (pieces ) Registered mail during 1 9 1 3 : Outgoing (pieces ) Incoming (pieces ) Stamped paper sold during 1 9 1 3 Domestic orders paid issued International orders pa id duri ng 1 9 1 3 issued

P B ui i n — - ffi 0 . l d o ce . g The post has been located at 19 0 B ridge and Railroad streets since 7 . The superior and attractive three - story brick building was erected by capitalists identified with the National Bank o f Catasauqua at a cost o f The first floo r is occupied by the Post - Offic e ; the sec o nd by the Tele n a d Co . phone Exchanges , the Clear Springs Water ; “ ” b v Charoti n and the third the Club , a social organ i z ti n f 8 a o o 0 members .

I CO— a a HU MANE F RE D vid Thomas , the man ger of w o . to the Crane Iron C , encouraged the orkmen form a fire company for the protection o f the community as o well as the iron w rks against fire , and in pursuance of his suggestion , a preliminary meeting was held in 8 bv h on Nov 4 1 4 5 a t e the village . , , which was ttended following persons : Owen Rice George Jenkins John Kane Arthur M c Qu a d e Edward Clark Boyle

Henry E . Kildare John Lees Isaac Miller Noah Phillips Thomas D empsey Coc l i r a ne M c L a u ghl i n Alex a nder Miller Charles Dempsey ' Robert Campbell W illi a m Nel i gl i R ichard Davis -Vi l l i a i n Pollock

6 4 EARLY HI STORY water was pumped into them from the water - house in the furnace where a powerful pump was operated by a f low of water from the canal . The pressure through f o . the mains was great , with such a force back it A hose - carriage with sufficient hose was secured at e the same time , the hose b ing used to lead the water

fire - from the plug into the engine tank , and from the force pump to the immediate vicinity of the fire “ ” whence it was played upon the burning building . W a te r Fi ght— A favorite sport on S aturday after noons for the members of the fire company was to pit one party with a section of hose directly from a fire -plug against a similar party with a section from “ ” - fi - re . the hand engine Oh , how they did play water ou into each other , to the great amusement of many lookers , who applauded the strenuous performance with upro arious laughter ; and they would keep up the wet but friendly fight until either one , drenched “ ” and nearly drowned , cried enough .

- Of course , the great steam engine in the furnace was too powerful , with inexhaustible staying qualities , for

- the heart engines in twenty plucky firemen . It was , e n indeed , a dramatic performance , and the skilful gi ne e r in the furnace displayed much judgment in manipulating the throttle at his end of the line to keep the human energy of the respective contestants swaying to and fro until either party became ex hauste d . — Steam Fi r e - engi ne This hand - engine continued in use until 1865 ; then a large fire occurred (the destruo

- tion of the machine shop of the Crane Iron Co . ) which f B substi demonstrated its ine ficiency . The orough tu ted an improved steam fire -engine which was pur P a chased from the Phoenix Fire Co . of hiladelphi , and this was used for 30 years ; then it too had to make way for a stronger engine bec ause it had failed to cope with the great and costly fire at the Unicorn Silk

Mill , beyond the northern end of the borough . OLDEST BUI LDING S 6 5

The ol d hand - engine was stripped of its brass mountings and taken to the . shadow of an old tree near

- the C . F . R . R . round house , and there the two passed away together in the natural process of decay . It would seem to me that the pride of this Fire Comp any should have been stirred up to such a pitch as to have kept it as a great relic of the sport , if not ff of the protection , which it had a orded them for twenty years , during the early development of the “ town , and in our celebration it would have been an honored curiosity .

n - 1868 Before the erectio of the Town Hall in , the apparatus w as housed in a frame building specially put up by the borough for the purpose , on Front i street , south of Church , which is now occup ed as a $ - 1868 barber shop ; since , it has been kept in the Town

Hall . OLD E S T BUILD INGS— There are eight old build ings in the borough which are still standing and worthy of special mention . I DE LY STONE BARN , near Catasauqua creek , east of the new concrete county bridge , supposed to have been 1 60 7 . erected about ; now owned by the F . J Deily estate .

E R E C G O G TAYLOR RESIDEN E, on the Deily Hill , south

- w of Catasauqua creek , two story stone Colonial d ell 17 68 ing , plaste red , supposed to have been erected in , n and ow owned by the Frank J . Deily estate . There were three cast - iron plates at the back of open fire places here which were cast at the Durham Furnace 1 68 7 o . in Bucks county , with G T n them The large plate in the kitchen was removed and presented by the Deily Estate to the Historical Society of Lehigh Coun t 1 1 was hi y in 9 0 . Taylor employed as a clerk at t s furnace and after its proprietor died he married the

widow , and carried on the furnace before and during

the Revolution . While there he became a member of 06 E A RLY HI STORY

Congress a nd a signer Of the Declaration Of Inde n n In 1 13 o f 9 . d c e . p e e , when the School Directors the Borough erected a new school building in the 3rd Ward fo r the accommodation o f the increasing number

d . Of chil ren , they named the building after him

I - 2nd two B ERY FARM HOUSE at and Race streets , m o f story stone , plastered and marked in i itation brick ; supposed to have been erected about 1800 ; no w

owned by August Hohl .

I on o f B ERY HOTEL , Race street , at rear American

two - stone use d for Hotel ; fine story cut , , many years as a tavern ; erected in 1826 ; now owned by George

B . F . Deily . I M B ERY HO E at Race and Canal streets , Opposite the large grist mill of Mauser Cressman ; fine two 1830 now r story cut stone , erected in ; owned by F ank

as . B . Mauser and occupied by him a residence

- on BIERY STONE HOUSE , Race street at the canal ;

two - fo r fine story cut stone , used many years as a

store and residence by James Lackey , Joseph Lau bach and George Deily to accommodate the boatmen ; 183 n w erected in 5 ; o owned by George B . F . Deily

and occupied by him as a residence . T HOMAS HO M E— The first home o f D avid Thomas w as on t Front s reet , opposite the Crane Iron Works ; two - story frame building erected for Thomas during the Summer and Fall Of 1839 by the company while he and his family soj ourned at Allentown till it was

- f finished . A stone ice house w as erected or his use at l ot the same time on the along the street , now used as

a small store ; owned by the c o mpany . There were two prominent an d useful institutions in connection with a r f this home which e also worthy o special mention . A sun - dial was established in 184 0 by the Crane

Iron CO . along Front street near the gate leading to this home which was highly appreciated in the village f r 3 th o 0 . e years Whenever sun shone , it indicated OLDE ST BUI LDI NG S 6 7 the correct time to all the inhabitants and visitors who passed the place . Watches and clocks were expensive then and not in general use .

on A well was sunk by the Crane Iron CO . this premises at the same time that the dwelling house f r - was erected o Mr . Thomas and a pump stock was

placed there with a long , iron handle to raise the

‘ w - ater , and a long handled iron cup attached to a a re chain from which to drink it . This was also pp c i at d for the e , the quality of water was superior and e s many persons refreshed themselves there , more e ci al l p y the working people at the furnace ; indeed , al l the families in that vicinity got their drinking water at this pump . It was continued in active use until the town came to be generally supplied from

- the water works .

Z - 3rd KURT FARM HOUSE , in the Ward on the Kurtz Lane leading from the Howertown Road two - story 1800 stone , erected about ; now owned by John

Yeager .

— FREDERI C K HO M E The Old two - story stone house on the “ public road on the west side of the Lehigh river near the Biery Bridge was razed in 18 92 to utilize the stone for filling in the approaches to the iron county bridge erected on the site of the Biery Bridge . It wa on o f s e the early houses in the Lehigh Valley , hav ing been built in 175 7 It was familiarly known as the Frederick Mansion , named after George Fred who was erick , the owner Of the farm on which it stood to the time o f the construction o f the Lehigh

1855 . Valley R . R , in , when he sold it to Asa Packer o f One the early owners was Jacob Yundt , who settled along the Lehigh river after taking up 2 78 acres in two i n 175 0 warrants , which extended from the Biery ’ Bridge down to Stephen Snyder s farm ; and he 1 5 erected the stone house in 7 7 . It was known for “ ” years as The Fort , because it is supposed to have 6 8 EARLY HI STO RY

been used as a place Of refuge during the Indian

incursions . On account Of their prominence in the early his of th tory e town , I should mention also the Biery

- Grist mill , the Breisch Home , and the Peter Home . — B IERY GRI ST - M IL h Opposite the Biery T avern were

- - the Biery grist mill , together with a saw mill and

- - now fulling mill , and the fine two story stone house (

- the residence of Frank B . Mauser ) . The mill dam (abandoned ) lay several hundred feet to the north

- east , and the mill race extended under what is now

- the northerly end Of the Dery silk mill , and the yard

- Of the Mauser residence . At the fulling mill , the bags o f carded wool were fastened together with strong pins cut from the hawthorn hedges. which grew along the

- road sides in the township .

- at 2nd w as The farm house along Race street , , the Of who residence of Jonas Biery , a son Frederick ,

was - conducted the farm . There a small rough coated house where the Mauser barn is now located . BREISC H HO M E— The Breisch home was on a farm Of b . a a out 7 acres It occupied the site Of Dr . D niel Y ’ 3rd . oder s residence , at and Bridge streets — P PETER HOM E The eter farm lay along the river . It exte nded northward from Church street to a point 100 fe e t beyond Spring street, and eastward to the w Howertown Road , excepting the Breisch farm , hich “ was sandwiched in between . The farm house and barn were situated Opposite the Schneller Block ; the f former was built o stone and stood near the canal . A primeval forest extended along Front street from Wood street to Church and eastward to the Hower town Road . F IRST O C CUPAT I ONS — I mention the following names Of persons who were the first here to pursue their several avocations in professional , industrial and commercial life FI RST OCCUPA TI ON S 6 9

— DO CTORS The first doctor was William J . Romig who Of Of Allentown , resided in the lower part Front street and practiced his profession as a homoeopathic physician for eight or ten years when he returned to

was . . . Allentown . He succeeded by Dr F B Martin who o , for many years , was the nly physician here , and i n 185 8 formed a partnership with Dr . Daniel Yoder . a 1868 M rtin died in , and Yoder continued to practice until a few years ago when he retired . Dr . Hornbeck who 1866 was a nephew of Dr . Martin came here in ’ and was associated with his uncle until the latter s de ath . He also continued practice until his death a few years ago .

‘ m 1 D E NTISTS The I e were no dentists here in 839 .

- f . P . . . o Dr J B arnes , late Allentown , was the first He came over from B ath where he was a student with a Dr . Scholl . He would visit the vill ge on Church and

a. Wood streets with his instruments in a satchel , and patient requiring his services would attend to them . At that time it was the cust o m to file or cut away the to o th and insert an artificial tooth on a woo den pivot Of in the centre the roots , the tooth having been cut

w . a ay even with the gum Imagine the pain , for no

Opiates were used . to Of Prior the settlement the village , Thomas Butz , who owned the farm now the site o f the Thomas Iron f Co . O , was the only extractor teeth apart from the fo r doctors . People would come miles around and have him extract their teeth which pained them . If he were in the field plowing , they would take along from the farm house the instrument , a long hook ; on then he would sit them a stump in the field , insert the hook back of the tooth (after having wrapped the handle with his handkerchief ) , and give a tremendous res to pull , when p , out would come the troublesome tooth . — Ki nsev C HEMIST The first chemist was Alonzo W . an o CO. Englishman , empl yed by the Crane Iron 70 EARLY HI STORY

He Occasionally gave free lectures and showed great

ability in chemical experiments . His most astonish s ing feat was , after having wa hed his hands with o to some liquid , he would g the foundry and dip his o f hands in a ladle molten iron , and splash it around H af o . e On the flo r , then show his hands uninjured te rward s removed to the Carnegie Works at the re f quest O Capt . Bill Jones ; there he married a second of o f now time , the mother the wife Charles Schwab , a of the Bethlehem Iron CO. He died a few ye rs ago at an advanced age . MAC HIN IST— The first machinist w as George Jen kins who was foreman o f the small machine shop at ta he d be c d to the Crane Iron Works . He afterwar s came superintendent o f the Boonton Iron Works at m J . w d Boonton , N . , here so e Of his escendants are still living . D RUGGI ST— Uriah Brunner w as the first druggist “ and Th R i si n also published the first newspaper , e g ” ta r o a t s u ua t S C a a . o f q He removed West Point ,

Nebraska , where he became a State Senator Of that

State . HOTELS— Besides the Biery Hotel (now the Amer ’ was Fe l e s ~ ican Hotel ) , there Nathan g y Temper ance Hotel at the corner of Church and Front w streets , now kno n as Fullers block . In connection

. on Mr Fegley also c arried a general store , lumber and coal business . D I G U E R R E OTY PE s— The first artist for t aking pic

Of . tures was John Swartz , a brother B Frank Swartz , on deceased . Pictures then were only taken glass at known as daguerreotypes . He died an early age 18 2 in 5 . STOVE s A ND TI N W ARE This business was carried On by the late Charles W . Schneller , at Second and Mul berry streets ; afterwards he removed to Front street , w n n here his so Charles carries o the same business .

72 EARLY HI STORY

fo r ried On the business many years , but upon their removal west , it was abandoned .

- R E A M I‘l n I C E C f Cha eS Andreas carried o the first — confectionery and ice cream saloon on Front street , ’ f r On the site of Schneller s block . He was o many years in charge o f the large blowing engines at the s Crane Iron Work . FOUNDRY— John Fritz and his brother came here 185 2 on prior to , and carried the Union Foundry on f -i n the corner o Front and Pine streets . His brother

l aw a - n , Is ac Chandler , had a blacksmith shop o the ’ site o f the Crane Iron Co s l ocomoti ve ~ hou se at l . al Bridge and Front streets After a few years , they

a . left for Johnstown , Cambri county , Pa FIRST RO CKER— I remember the first rocking ’ Bi r - wa chair brought to e y s Port . It s purchased at Bethlehem and it w as so important a purchase that two men brought it up on a boat . When it arrived at of Of the end the week , the greater part the villagers 1 4 8 7 . went to see it as a great curiosity . This was in ’ F IRST CARRIAGE — The first carriage at Bi e ry s o f Port was brought by John Boyer , father Eugene 184 9 . J . Boyer , when he moved here from Bath about w This as also regarded as a curiosity . F IRST SULPHUR MATCH— It is said that the first match w as made at Paris in 1805 ; and the first pocket match by John Walker , an English druggist , who sold 84 o f them for a shilling . who Frederick Eberhart , came to Catasauqua from

New Jersey , made the first sulphur matches by taking a block Of pine wood and so splitting it in small sticks

with a knife as to leave the block at the bottom intact ,

and this was dipped in a solution of sulphur . He sold these blocks in the winter season when he had no other

on Off . work . In using a match e was pulled at a time

— CHURCHE S ~ I mention in this c o mpilation the two Presbyterian churches because they are so promi CH URCHE S 73

l o f nent y identified with the early history Catasauqua . FIRST PRESBYTERIAN C HUR C H — The First Presby terian Church at C atasauqua was established when the Crane Iron CO. started its great work here in

1839 . , and David Thomas is regarded as its founder The first building of the congregation was erected in a woods on the south end of a small triangular piece Of . ground at the extreme limits of the land purchased by m Co . c o the Crane Iron , which was donated by the pany for religious purposes . It adjoined the public road that led from Allen township on the north to

- the Old town Of Bethlehem On the south east . The of was 164 base or front this land feet in length , and 1 the other two sides each 5 8 feet . d of The buil ing was constructed boards set upright , and covered by a shingle roof ; and once a year it was

- white washed , inside as well as outside , for which purpose a hogshead of lime was always on hand in a

shed at the rear Of the building . Three long iron rods were placed across the auditorium near the ceil a on ing at equal dist nces , and these were fastened the outside by nuts so as to keep the building firmly to

gether . Camphene was used in lamps for lighting the

room . The lamps were suspended from the ceiling an d these could be lowered o r elevated at will by sim ply pressing against a slender rod which extended through a little hole in the ceiling ; and that slender rod disappearing through that little hole excited the

curiosity of inquiring children .

By the suggestion of Mr . Thomas (who was the manager Of the company ) this small piece o f ground at the rear Of the Ol d reservoir on Church street was enlarged to a rectangular figure 200 feet in width and 8 50 feet in depth . The history Of this congregation was concisely given

in an address by Samuel Thomas , son of the founder , 2 1 4 a f . 3 90 upon the occ sion o celebrating On Sept , , the “ ” Semi - Centennial Jubilee o f laying the corner - stone 74 EARLY HI STORY

Of the present church on the north - east corner o f 2 nd

and Pine streets , and its completeness being recognized , it has been substituted here in place Of a previously “ published narrative . It was entitled by him , E arly Reminiscences of the First Presbyterian Church

a o Just fifty years g , i n the peace and calm of the early twilight of a a beauti ful September evening , a group of Christi n worshippers as sembled to witness the ceremony of laying the corner stone of the First s Presbyterian Church i n whose shadow we are now standing , fir t i n name only , but not in point of erection . d 2 5 35 The first church was a little frame buil ing by feet , built e by David Mi nni ch , in the woods b tween the reservoir and what is now ’ Mrs . Joh n Williams garden , at the upper end of Church street , on land donated by the Crane Iron Co . The time was the last Sunday of 1 8 39 y -h December , . cold and storm when the ground was covered wit u s e snow , and brother John and I had nailed planks together to as a plough to open paths through the heavy fall of snow . The storm was so severe that. after the corner stone had been laid by Rev . Landis , pastor of the Allentown Presbyteri a n Church (the first. E nglish church i n Lehigh county ) , the little congregation were obliged to continue

i s 0 ~ the services in the home of Father Thomas , which still standing p p os i te the Crane Iron Works .

h . c a n Of t at little band of Presbyterian pioneers , I find only three

: . survivors besides myself Mrs Bender (nee Peter ) , and Mrs . Owen

Mr s . al l Swartz , her sister , and Rehrig (nee Lackey ) , the others w a w e having passed on to the beyond to rds which also are hastening .

As near as my memory serves me , those present on this interesti n g — ‘ ’ ‘ ’ occasion were the fol l o w i n g z Father and Mother Thomas with their

five children (Jane , Gwenny , Samuel , John and David ) , Mrs . James

Lackey and daughter Maggie , John Samuels and daughter Rachel ,

Mrs . John Leibert , John Peter and family , Aaron Bast , Charles

Breisch , Lawrence Landis , Mrs . Jon athan Landis and Andrew Archer . t There were doubtless others , but hese stand out clearest against the pas t The little building has been demolished and the venerable black oak

a s tree has been removed , in whose forked branches I , a boy , hun g the bell whi ch called the faithful to prayers . This bell passed into the hands of the Crane Iron CO by whom it was used once a month on y - m n p a days to call the e together . It st ill hangs on a branch of the O f tree , close to the f ice , where the curious may each find it . The tr e e and bell were natur a l means to a spiritual end and though

th e . y have passed out of use , the spirit abides for this church whose - r -d a a nd e semi centennial we celeb ate to y , its great developm nt into

a s H oke n other churches , such the B ridge Street Church , the church at

' ‘ d a u u a -W a q , the B ethel elsh Congregation l Church (known as Mother

' at d Thomas s Church ) , the churches Lockridge , Ferndale and Richar s CHURCHE S

i n Off Mine New Jersey , and the Presbyterian Church at Thomas i n far

Alabama . All these churches are living branches of the tree w hich was planted i n faith and h Op e fifty years ago on that inclement Winter Sunday by a band of earnest Presbyterian men and women . The women are worthy of special mention for they too carried their share Of the bu rden cheerfully and nobly . Well do I remember my sister Gwenny , Rachel

Samuel , Maggie Lackey and Susanna Peter , brave and helpful young girls , who carried water in pails all the way from the canal to scrub

- and clean the church , and as the building was used for a day school during the week , every Saturday morning it required their earnest attention .

In a recent interview with Mrs . Owen Swartz and Mrs . Rehrig , whose personal recollect i ons of the early times i n the history of this i church are very clear , I was reminded that church serv ces were held ’ 2 2 in my father s house until the completion of the buildi ng on March , 1 8 4 0 . This little white -washed church was used for worship until the 6 present building was ready to be occupied i n 1 8 5 . Two years after a the l ying of the corner stone , the church was dedicated , free of debts . u -off My thoughts dwell with especial pleasure pon those far days , and the building of those early Walls o f Z ion in our adopted home .

As I review those early years , I see the earnest figures of my father and mother , who were strangers i n a strange land , zealous from the beginning to see a house of worship planted here . When the church i was organized , it numbered only three , father , mother and s ster Jane ; and father was then ordained as first elder . A h i s bout two years later , David Williams , Sr . , located with family at Catasauqua and he became a member of this church ; and h soon afterwards e was inducted into the eldership . He was a most i n excellent man , and though poor health he was strenuous i n all good works . It was he who took up the collection and acted as treasurer of 1 4 1 4 . 8 5 the church He died August , , and his remains were laid to rest in the church yard after services i n the little white church whi ch he had served so well . As t he population i ncreased the church in the wo ods became too small . A special meeting of the congregation was therefore held to u “ discuss ways and means for securing a new b ilding . A committee was appointed consisting of the pastor , Rev . Cornelius Earle , D avid M l c Cl el a n d . Thomas , Morgan Emanuel , William and Joshua Hunt By an arrangement with David Thomas (who had donated some adj oi ning land to enlarge the church property on Church street ) , an exchange was made of that land w h i c a secured to the congregation the 1 8 0 1 8 0 site of by feet at the corner of Second and P ine streets , upon a which today st nds the present church , the parsonage and the chapel . f Plans having been made and adopted , su ficient funds were raised to warrant the new enterprise . 7 6 EARLY HI S TORY

The corner stone of the old church was brought here and deposited just previous to the ceremony of layi ng the new corner stone . It is a gr ay sand stone from near Kreidersville . It was fashioned by Charles r i m i i o n 1 8 39 e xc nat . Breisch and bears the date of , whi ch can be seen on i In the new stone a copper box was laid wh ch , according to custom , w contained a B ible , some coins , local papers , and hatever the copper th h d w a box of e old corner stone a contai ned . An address s del ivered by Rev . Richard Walker of Allentown , and Rev . Leslie Irwi n of Bath a ssisted in the services . th 1 1 th 1 8 5 6 w a s O n Sunday , e day of May , , the church solemnly

f D . G od . . . . dedicated to the worship of Rev Geo Duf ield , D , preached the dedicatory sermon , Rev . C . Earle and Rev . R . Walker taking part i n the services . Rev . Jacob Becker preached German in the afternoon . Only a few rem a in who were then from 2 0 to 30 years of age :

Mrs . Thomas Bear William Kildare r ffi n Charles G a Chas . W . Schneller

Daniel Milson Mrs . Quigg James Nev i ns

those who were from ten to twenty years still among us are : i Mrs . John Thomas Owen F . Le bert James Thomas Joseph M c Fe tr i d g e Mc Fe tr i d e Mrs . James Thomas John g

Mrs . Emma C . Williams Mrs . John Knauss i l Te r r nc Rebecca S e g e y Mrs . James e e

Mrs . Kate Stewart Martha Wilson W illiam H . Glace Thomas Jones

Joseph Matchette Mrs . Wm . T . Snyder y Mrs . Herbert James Mrs . Edwi n Mickle

Samuel Davis Mrs . James W . Fuller Dan iel Davis Archibald Courtney David Davis

- c . The edifi e is built Of brick , semi Gothic in style 4 0 63 The main building is by feet , exclusive of tower and pulpit recess ; and it has a transept on the south 20 30 o f side by feet , which forms part the audience on room , and also an organ transept the north side , 1 2 0 by 0 feet . The organ was the gift Of D avid

150 fine - Thomas . The spire is feet high , a toned bell w o being in the to er . The congregati n had been reg u l arl 1 y incorporated in 853. As commemorative Of the re —union o f the Old School and New School Assemblies Of the Presbyterian Church a memori al chapel was built o n Pine street at CH URCHE S 7 7

187 1 - the rear of the edifice in , the corner stone having

‘ l i Ma 13th been a d y , and the dedication having taken 1 h place on December 0t . This building is also of

- 2 35 8 . brick , semi Gothic in style , by feet It contains rooms for all church purposes ; and it is used for mid

- week services and by the Sabbath school . chu rch 2nd Forty feet north of the , front on street , there is an attractive and conveniently planned manse , built of brick , in style corresponding with the church . as Rev . Cornelius Earle served the pastor in a most 14 1852 1898 efficient manner from Oct . , to , when he resigned , after a continuous and most successful ser 4 6 vice covering a period of years . During the year 189 9 the regular services were con n ducted by other licensed Presbyteria ministe rs . was Rev . Charles H . Miller elected as the successor

“ of . has Rev Earle , and he served the congregation in f 1 a most e ficient manner since February 900 . A sunday - school has been conducted in connection with the church from the beginning , and the super i ntend e nts have been prominently identified with the church as elders :

1 8 39 1 8 4 7 1 3 1 2 8 9 8 8 . David Thomas , to ; elder from to 1 8 4 7 1 8 8 2 1 8 4 1 8 6 7 8 . Joshua Hunt , to ; elder from to 1 8 2 1 8 2 1 8 9 8 7 4 1 8 9 2 . John Willi ams , to ; elder from to 1 8 2 1 1 4 1 4 9 9 1 8 9 2 9 1 . Joseph Matchette , to ; elder from to 19 13 The membership of the church in December , ,

234 - o 3 00 . was ; of the sunday scho l , I C — at BR DGE STREET C HUR H Rev . Leslie Irwin the time of building the little frame church w as the pastor “ ” of was the Irish Settlement . He a graduate Of the

o - R yal Belfast College , and having been licensed to

preach by the Synod of Ulster , he emigrated to Amer 1834 ica in . He was received as a licentiate by the of on 22 Presbyterians Philadelphia Dec . , and s there ordained as an evangeli t , with orders to locate “ ” in the Irish Settlement . Upon his arrival he found 7 8 EARLY HI STO RY

two on e churches , at Weaversville and the other near w Bath , both Of hich are still standing . The erection o f a church o f the same faith within the boundaries o f his parish without authority Of the o f fami l es Presbytery , and the removal influential like y H u d d e rs to the Nagles , Depews , Loders , L les and , the n to o . new village , caused him be the alert He there fore visited the people who had come from his own Of l country in the north Ireland , and finding himse f

in touch with them , he requested permission to preach

to . them in this new church , which was given At great person al inconvenience and in spite Of i h

clement weather , he visited the families from house to

house , and once every Sabbath preached the gospel to 185 0 . re them Finally , in in compliance with their ou t o f quest , set in a petition , the Presbytery Newton organized another congregation with 32 members and l l l n ordained James Mc C e a d as its first ruling elder . a * Rev . Irwin continued his ministrations in most for 1865 w faithful manner fifteen years until , hen he

w a . m 18 2 s succeeded by Rev Ja es Lewars . In 5 he suc c e e d e d in securing the erection o f a church on Bridge street , a short distance west Of the Howertown Road , o o f 2 on the additi nal lot ground , containing acres n 184 9 7 6 ps . which had been granted a d conveyed in o to a Mc I nt re by J hn Peter David Thom s , Robert y , w O en Rice , Samuel Thomas , William Taylor , David

Williams and John Peter , as trustees Of the Presby to teri an congregation . Before this time a memorial 170 as the Presbytery was signed by individuals , Cranevi l l e residents Of , and a report was forwarded in 185 0 62 i n c om , stating that there were members muni o n with the Church .

After the purchase of. this small additional tract Of “ ” ol d o land , the sch ol members desired to withdraw ” o f from the Union Church , and effect a division

a Co . the ssets , having , in a petition to the Crane Iron , styled themselves as the “ Presbyterian Church Of

80 EARLY HI STORY

The pastors have been Leslie Irwi n 1 8 39 - 6 5 David Harbison 1 8 7 6 - 1 9 0 1 1 6 5 - 6 8 8 . James Lewis Benj . F Hammond

' W 1 8 6 8 -7 5 W 1 9 0 9 -1 4 illiam Fulton Harry . E wig

Four young men of this church became candidates for the ministry , and , after a thorough prep aration , were regularly installed as ministers Of the Gospel according to the Presbyterian faith . Their names M F tri c e d e . are Nathaniel g , John Irwin , Albert J W i l W i l e s e . e s ey and Joseph L . y “ The Semi - Centennial Jubilee o f the church was appropriately celebrated by the congregation “ 6 - 11 1900 Mav , ; and as a souvenir of this historic w as occasion , a neat little volume compiled , embracing a concise history Of the church , and distributed among the members . A sunday - school was organized by the first pastor about the time he began his pastorate here and it has ri n been conducted until the present time . The sup e tend e nts McMul l i n H u d d e rs have been Joseph , John , m W ei sl e a 14 and Willia y , the l st named since July , 2 18 . 19 13 1 0 7 7 . The membership in December , , was VISITI N G MINISTERS— Numerous visiting ministers preached in the Old church . Thomas P . Hunt , an

a - itinerant preacher , an rdent anti slavery man and a “ Washingtonian ” (as the temperance men were then

o . called ) , w uld come periodically without notice H e was a small hump - backed man ; but his tongue was n straight and lively . On o e occasion he came unan n ounce d , and he was in the pulpit as the congregation assembled . The pulpit was high and suitable for tall men . On this occasion , after the choir had finished

~ singing , he suddenly popped up (only his head Show ing above the pulpit ) and announced his text by the “ ” startling words , It is I , be not afraid . f . s a O Rev Charles H . Rus ell was a gr duate Yale College and came here as a teacher in the Bridge —street “ - school house . He preached as a supply and gener FAI RVI EW CEMETERY 8 1

ally had notes o f his sermon . On one occasion a gust of wind blew the loose notes of his sermon in every Mc Cl i ntoc k o c direction , whereupon Old John , who o to c pied the first pew , jumped up and began gather them together when Russel called out in a loud twang , “ o Never mind , John , let them fly , and pr ceeded with the discourse to the end without his notes . A CADEMY— A n ac ademy was erected in 184 8 - 4 9 on Catte more ah the Presbyterian lot by Alfred _ ( English “ ” carpenter who had strayed here ) , by securing sub i scri pt ons from the members ; and the Crane Iron CO . for advanced towards the cost of it , which they o took a mortgage . This was regarded as a model sch ol

at that time . It had ventilators in the ceiling , and each pupil had his own desk with an ink - well set in s on top and screwed fa t , and shelves were arranged

- i underneath for his books . It was continued h use as a private - school u ntil 185 6 when it w as sold to the

Catasauqua School District for and the pro ~ c e e d s , after satisfying the mortgage , were distributed to in equal proportions the two congregations . The trustees of this school were David Thomas William Taylor Robert Mc I nty r e Davi d Williams Samuel Thomas Owen Rice John Peter The School District held and occupied this school 4 0 house and lot for years , until the erection of the Lincoln school building ; then it was abandoned for

school purposes . Subsequently it was sold to James

W . Fuller for and he erected thereon a com m od i ous mansion for himself , which is still standing , n and occupied by his so . H u d d e rs The teachers were John and his wife , H u d d e rs Esther , Joseph Leonard , Rebecca Leonard ,

. Samuel P Bliss , Alonzo W . Kinsey , Charles H . Rus

sell , and others . FAIRVIEW CEME TERY was founded by James

. as 1858 W Fuller of Cat auqua in , having purchased 8 2 EARLY HI STORY

from Robert Mc Inty re and Peter Miller 6 acres 110 perches o f land in South Whitehall (no w Whitehall ) s township , acros the Lehigh river from Catasauqua , for burial purposes , because the conveniences Of inter e th e . m nt in borough were limited Before that time , the dead bodies of the town had been buried in the grave - yards adjoining the Presbyterian Church at

Church street and Church alley , and that adjoining ’ n . o the St Paul s Lutheran Church Howertown Road , and also that adjoining the Old Evangelical Church at

Mulberry street and Howertown Road . Fuller laid Off 10 20 the land into burial lots , by feet , and named

“ “ the place Fairview Cemetery on account of its ele vate d situation ; and he provided in each deed , exe cu te d an d fo r delivered by him , lots in the cemetery , “ that when one - half o f the lots in the original plot were sold , the purchasers were empowered to form an association for the care and management of its ff for a airs , make rules and regulations its government , elect officers and have complete control Of the ground . 187 1 In , an organization was formed by the lot

who : holders , elected the following managers

Melchior H . Horn , president .

R . A . Boyer (sec . and treas . ) Samuel L . Nevins m l T b r . D a vid A . o e James W Sw a rtz

‘ R . Clay Hamersly William H . Laubach

John Thomas Orange M . Fuller

A petition was presented to Court for the incor ” orati on o f p The Fairview Cemetery Association , 2 13 18 7 . and the decree was made on Sept . , The dead interred in the grave - var d s o f the borough were then removed to the cemetery . Many fine monuments have been set up in this ceme “ ’ ” te ry . It includes a superb Soldiers Monument which is rec og nized as the first erected in P ennsyl vania , and this was accomplished largely through the instrumentality o f Samuel Thomas in response to an SOLDIERS ’ MONUMENT 8 3

earnest request of his brother David , made shortly 18 62 before his death in .

. w as A superior and attractive , enclosed p avilion ’ placed in the circle , next to the Soldiers Monument , by the Association in 1895 ; and another prominent feature is the large vault Of David Thomas . Soon after the cemetery had become t h e property f 1872 o the Association in , two bequests were made to it by James W . Fuller and Samuel Glace with the condition that the income should be expended towards the perpetual care and preservation o f their i l l l ot- l b u r a ots . Since then numerous other ho ders have followed their example . The total lots laid o f number The graves to 19 14 January , , number John Kane w as the first soldier Of the Civil War 27 18 62 buried in this cemetery , April , , and the ex i n traord nary event attracted ma y people .

’ S OLD IERS MONUMENT— At the cl Ose of the

Civil War , the patriotic impulses of this community gave a practical appreciation o f the costly services of the volunteer soldiers from Cat as auqua and the vicin ~ ity , by the erection Of a costly marble monument on the circular plot , reserved for it in the cemetery , and on the four sides of the shaft there are inscribed the Of names , rank and regiment each soldier who boldly went forth to battle that the Uni on might and should 15 7 be preserved , numbering altogether , and also the a of n mes the battles in which they were engaged , and twenty - six of these soldiers were killed or died in service . And across the top of the shaft hangs the r American flag in g aceful folds , surmounted by the striking figure of an American eagle with outspread wings , as if standing guard over the heroes sleeping quietly there till the resurrection morn . Around the monument a space was at first reserved for the burial Of veteran soldiers but this idea w as afterward 8 4 EARLY HI STORY abandoned in order to set apart the monument more ff e ectually . 3 The monument was solemnly dedicated on Oct . , 18 66 o , with appropriate cerem nies , pursuant to ar R ev rangements by the Monument Association , and . o f C . E arle , pastor the First Presbyterian Church , delivered an historical address . In the course o f his

a . remarks , the p stor emphasized the statement that neither his name nor the name Of any other civilian member of the committee appeared anywhere on the shaft in pursuance of a provision by the Monument ’ Association at the time of its inception that no man s name shall be inscribed on the monu ment unless he was sworn into the service Of the United States and ’ ” was under the enemy s fi re ; so that it is j ust what it “ ’ ”

to . purports be , A Soldiers Monument

Maj . A . R . C alhoun was the orator and he delivered an i mpressive oration to a large concourse of people who had assembled from all the towns and places o f who the Lehigh Valley , including many men had been in actual service and faced the enemies o f their country . f n 187 1 . o Co In , Gen Charles Albright , member to gress , introduced a special act Of Congress donate four siege guns and 24 cannon balls o f unused artil R NO . 74 . . . to . lery the George W Fuller Post , , G A , “ ’ fo r o the ad rnment of this , the first soldiers monu ” ment in Pennsylvania ; and in 18 84 upon the re

378 . R . NO . organization Of Fuller Post , G . A , the Secretary of War ordered the Commandant o f the Y . . to Watervliet Arsenal at West Troy , N , issue to

64 - two o f said Post four pounder cannons , the Eng lish model of 18 12 weighing respectively and of 18 19 pounds , and two U . S . guns the and 1829 models , weighing respectively and pounds ; and these were placed at the four corners of the monument as an appropriate and expressive orna mentation . S OLDI ERS ’ M ONUMENT 8 5

ROLL OF HO N OR— The names of the enlisted men i n on - scribed the shaft , with their rank and organization “ ” as a Roll of H onor, are as follows : ’ P I$ 4 6 th i . c , .

O e s ffic r .

Major Arnold C . Lewis Serg . Morgan Richards

Capt . Joseph Matchette Serg . John J . Davis ' Lieut . Wm . R . Thomas Corp . Robt . E . Williams

u . M M n l . c o e a Lie t Robert Wilson Corp Wm . g

Lieut . Edward Cramsie . Corp . Hugh Lyons M i l l . c u e n i Lieut James Q Corp . John Patr ck

o r d . . Serg Isaac Davies Corp . John Moore

. i Serg Daniel Davis Corp . John H . Pr ce Musici an Andrew Si nl e y Pri va t es Wallace Brown James Mc Cr a e ke n John Blair James M c L a ughl i n David Bachman D avid M c Ca nd l e s s John Brown John Mc Qu i l l e n John Cannon John Mc Fa d d e n Daniel Dwy er John Reed

Daniel Desmond Solomon J . Rowe A D o n h R lex . e g u e Michael o hfr i tz H u gh Dougherty John R i ch a r ds Philip Hill Patrick Reilly

G e o . Hasson John Son Jeremiah Keefe Patrick Sullivan W m $ John Kilpatrick . Thompson John Leo Franklin Ward Thomas Mooney S a muel Z ellner John M cM u r tr i e ’ t' 4 7 th R e t . g , P . e rs Ofii c .

L o n nh a n a . . . . e e C pt Henry S Harte Serg W . F g g

Capt . Edwi n Gilbert Serg . John L . Jones

Lieut . James W . Fuller Corp . Joseph H . Schwab L o n e n ha e n . C . . Lieut Geo . W . Fuller orp G H . g g ’ -i n O B r i n . w . e Lieut Wm . H . Bartholome Corp Mart

Lieut . Augustus Eagle Corp . Josiah H . Walk J a m s . . e . Lieut . Henry H Bush Corp E Patterson i Lieut . Thos . F . Lambert Corp . Robt . Cunn ngham h a Ord . Serg . James Tait Corp . Augustus F . Eber rt

Ord . Serg . Wm . H . Glace Corp . Chas . L . Nolf , Jr . T tt rm e r . . e e Serg John W . Heberling Corp Spencer

Serg . Richmond H . Sch wab Corp . Jas . Ritter

Serg . Jos . J . Lilly Corp . W . H . Van Dyke m l r T b . M H . . o e . . c os e Serg Albert H Mus David A , Jr 8 G E A RLY HI STORY

Pri va t e s

David Andrews Chas . H . Michel Abram B auder Daniel Newhart ’ Godfrey Betz John O B r i e n ’ Stephen Beers Michael O B r i e n i t m n \Vm Offl i B l . o u s e Hiram A . e e a f a Wm . Christ G rif Reinh rt

Ambrose Dietrich Robt . M . Sheats \Vm . Ehrich Nicholas Smith Orlando Fuller G o tl i e b Schrum

Fred . Fisher F . H . Wilson

Rainey Grader John P . Weaver

Addison R . Geho John Worley Joseph Geiger John Weiss A ss n h i m r Joseph Gross G . e e e k Josep h Hunsi c er Wm . Henry Willi am Herman Emanuel Le ffler Is aac Jacoby Aaron Laub L ffl r . e e Wm . Jordan Chas John Kane Fr a nk Leff ler Mi ss i m e r Geo . Kerchner Benj .

N icholas Kuhn Wm . Mensch

Wm . Kuntz William Myers

Reuben H . Keim Ed . Mathew Phil ip King Jenkin Richards Charles King Alfred Lynn \ L n nh n V . . o e a e . J . K g g H Moll

Joel Laudenslager Geo . Moll John Lucky r i s D i fi e e n t Org an i z a t o n . 6 1 . Milton J . Hooker , Pa . Res . Samuel Roberts Pa . Cav

1 8 . . Joseph Shelly , Pa . Res . William B erlin , Pa Cav

h i r r 1 8 . S e . . . e J . Stephen , Pa Res ames R Henry , Pa Cav

3 . 8 P a . l . John Schol e , Pa Res . Peter Mack , Cav ’

K ffe r 1 6 . . . 5 8 . . e e Joe Davies , Pa Vols John , Pa Cav

6 . 5 3 . . . . James Hutchison , Pa Vols Samuel Kiefer , N J Cav

l l l . Mc C e a nd 5 3 6 . . John , Pa . Vols . Abram Miller , N J Cav

6 . 5 4 a . George Henry , Pa . Vols . Robert Newh rd , N . J Cav

1 2 . . . 5 8 . John Case , Pa . Vols Herbert James , U S Inf

r w i 1 4 . . Sa n 5 8 P . u e a . . John , Vols John Bigley , U S Inf

1 4 . 1 8 8 . . William Paul , Pa . Vols . Charles Miller , U S Inf 1 4 2 . . 0 2 . i . Thomas Smith , Pa . Vols W lliam Newhard , U S Inf

6 a . Charles Boyle , Pa . Cav . John Grah m , U . S Navy . 4 6 th i me n B a ttl es of th e R e g t . 2 3 1 8 6 2 V a . . Winchester , , March ,

2 5 1 8 6 2 . V a . Middletown , , May ,

2 6 1 8 6 2 . e V a . Winchest r , , May ,

88 EARLY HI STORY

Almost every inhabitant o f the hamlet followed

on - the solemn procession foot to the grave yard , “ ” amongst them being Mother Thomas (as she was ff afterward a ectionately called ) , and Mrs . James

Lackey . After the completion o f the substantial fam o f ily vault D avid Thomas in Fairview Cemetery , the

to . remains were removed it Soon after this funeral , ’ - a. burial ground was provided in Bi e ry s Port on the l ot a dj oining the frame Presbyterian Church on

Church street . At that time it was customary in the surrounding o w as to ff c untry , when there a funeral , place the co in on a large farm - w agon on a bed of straw and chairs were arranged around the coffin for the chief mourn

f - . a o o ers On cc unt the thinly settled country , rela ti ve s and friend s came a considerable dist ance to at d ten a funeral , and after the burial all were invited to return to the house fo r refreshments . The guests stood in a ro w and waiters served them with a cold who o f lunch , followed by helpers carried bottles whiskey and gl asses on trays and offered l i q ui d r e freshment to al l such as wished to indulge . f 1 4 w The cholera o 85 as fatal . It was brought here w in a boat from Philadelphia . Some days there ere several funerals ; and it w as indeed a gruesome sight to see them marching up Church street , the coffin ’ l high in the air upon the carriers shou ders , swaying t o and fro , followed by relatives whose lamentations i l l l n a r . Mc e a d filled the Of the C family , an adult v brother and sister were buried the same d a . Quite a number o f bo atmen were dro wned here by o f a the rapid rush the water in the c nal . which was caused by the fo rcing process to suppl v a strong blast fo r c a nd o w on the furna e . their b dies ere buried the b n l P re s vt e ri a ot .

n has a a a Si ce that time , there risen gre t change in the o d o f a o f m es buri l , and in the construction the

f o f a . co fins . all in the line an dvanced enlightenment EARLY S CH O OL S 8 9

Then there were no means of embalming o r preserv

to . ing the bodies , the only way being lay them on sod

Burials were necessarily made soon after death . ’ - A grave yard was attached to the St . Paul s Luth eran Church ; and one to the Evangelical Church at the corner o f Howertown Road and Mulberry street .

Two were a ttached to the Presbyterian Churches . These grave - yards in the town have been discon tinned and the bodies buried there removed to the

Fairview Cemetery . It has been estimated that about 100 bodies were buried in the grave - yards of the two

Presbyterian Churches . EARLY S CHO OLS — The first school w as held in w 15 the Old Church , and started ith pupils . A

Mr . Landis was the teacher, and he was soon after ward followed by a young man named Evans , when it was transferred to the Hanover township school ’ 0 11 D e i l s house y Hill , which overlooked the dam 2 w 185 3 o f u d . as opposite the foot street This before , when the Village w as a part o f the township . The Th new school law had previously been accepted . e n n o e o e . building was story , with room The firs t school building established within the limit of the borough was a frame shanty put up by of the Crane Iron Co . at the corner Church street and Limestone alley . The s eco nd w as erected by Hanover township at the corner of Union street and Railroad alley which the borough received upon its incorporation .

The thi rd was the Bridge street school in 184 9 . - ou r th on 2nd w The f was situated lower street , hich n is ow owned by the Lenox Manufacturing Co . The fifth was the 2nd street High - school building in 18 5 9 .

si xth was on now The situated lower Front street , owned by the Temperance Association . The s eve nth was the Lincoln building on the How r ow e t n Road . 9 0 EARLY HI STORY

ei hth - The g was the High school building , adjoining

the Lincoln building .

to - In addition the schools mentioned , a three story on building , situated Front street near Union , was n w rented and used for school purposes . This is o

owned by Frank Hunsicker , Esq . H r Mrs . Esther u d d e s conducted a private school for years in the basement o f the Bridge street Presby a terian Church . She and her husb nd were the first

teachers in the Bridge street school , and they taught

there three years . C — a TEA H ERS The e rly teachers , as I recall them ,

of : were the following , with the time service 1 8 4 5 A Margaret Meeker ; from llentown . 1 8 4 6 D . F . Davis ; from Easton .

1 8 4 7 Co . P a . Edward Clarke from Wyom ing ,

H d r 1 4 o 1 8 5 2 John u d e s 8 8 t ; from Irish Settlement . r 4 1 2 Esther H u d d e s 1 8 8 to 8 5 ; from Irish Settlement . 3 Joseph Leonard 1 8 5 ; from Connecticut . i 1 8 5 4 Rebecca Leonard (s ster of Joseph ) ; from Connecti cut .

1 4 - 8 5 5 5 . . . Annie E . Butchers ; from N Y State 1 8 5 5 - 5 6 Charles L . Russell ; from Bridgeport , Conn . 1 5 6 8 . Samuel P . Bliss ; from Connecti cut 1 7 8 5 . . Charles H . Kitchell ; from N Y State .

1 8 5 . Alonso W . Kinsey 7 ; from Catasauqua 185 8 : . In the year , the teachers were Charles L

Russell , grammar school ; Alonzo W . Kinsey and Wil McK e . e liam H Barton , secondary ; Eliza and Anna

Phillips , primary . b . . e Mr Russell having resigned , R Clay Hamersly came his successor ; then his school w as regraded and classified ; the advanced pupils were formed into a

- High school which was assigned to Prof . Hamersly . ‘ The High - school came to be regularly established as a 18 of 63 . part the system in , with Prof Hamersly as the teacher . PUPILS— The attendance o f the pupils was regis te re d as follows 1 8 5 8 1 8 5 9 1 8 6 0 EARLY S CH O OLS 9 1

SESSIO N S— The early custom was to continue the sessions of school from four to six months , but the founder of the town did not think it was right to allow the sons of his workingmen to run around the streets ; so he erected a long frame building at the corner o f Church street and Limestone alley and di re c te d school to be held during the whole year without any vacation .

C L — A o f DEILY S HOO teacher , by the name Toby , ’ taught for some time in the school - house on D ei l y s Hill and his ability and success were highly app re ci ate d for , but like other good teachers , he quit want f - H e w as b o proper compensation . followed y a teacher who had the remarkable name of William

Henry Harrison Barton , but he also quit because the salary was too small . Besides leaving his great name , he left an incident which is worth preserving in c on n i n e ct o with our schools . too Barton , finding his salary small , resorted to writing stories for the newspapers , among them the Al l entown D em oc rat , whose enterprising and sympa thetic publisher engaged him to write a certain story and promised to pay him $5 for it after the first chap ter was published . The first chapter appeared and n 5 ot . proved interesting , but the $ did appear Not discouraged , the hopeful author supplied the second t not chap er , but the money then appearing , he hesitated . This led the publisher to urge him to finish the ’ story , which showed the publisher s interest . The was third chapter supplied , but the author left the f i hero o h s story in an awkward position . It seems that the hero was about to be married and on his w ay to the church was intercepted by a swollen stream . A large tree fortunately stood o n the edge of the bank and one of its lower branches reached to the other side ; and the emergency being great , the hero climbed the t ree and cautiously worked his way out on this 9 2 EARLY HI STORY

branch , which trembled under his weight and swayed n to a d fro . Suddenly , his foot slipped , and in falling

he was caught by the seat of his trousers , where the

wary author left his trembling hero , and sent word to his anxious publisher that he proposed to let him

there until he received his $5 .

The money was promptly p aid , the concluding chapter of the story rescued its hero from his perilous

situation over a raging torrent , and a happy marriage

ensued , which delivered both reader and publisher

from further suspense . INDI CATOR— I recall a large square board which stands out prominently in my mind in connection with I t on . the Deily School . hung a nail near the door On on a e side was painted in pl in letters the word IN , and

on . on e the other , the word OUT This constituted of h the rules of the sc ool ; quiet , easily understood , but

very expressive .

of One day , a little fellow in the centre the room raised his ri ght hand to make use of his privilege to o how w as retire , without first looking t see the board “ ou turned . The teacher said sternly , Did y look at ” $ b o the board Undaunted , the y , with a tremor in “ ” : m us t o $ his voice , replied But , teacher , please , I g ’ : The teacher yelled Go , but don t you dare to sneak ” o ff for cand y $

bo The y retired and slammed the door after him ,

which caused the board to drop to the floor . This ex wi t f b o cited the quick o an older y , who raised his l eft hand with a loud snap o f hi s finger to attract ’ the teacher s attention , and the teacher responded “ ” : now $ bo curtly Well , what The y said meekly , with w “ a t inkle in his eye , The board dropped and the sig ’ ” “ ’ ” n $ al s gone . The what s gone said the teacher ; “ ’ ” when the boy answered The light s ou t . This put a w l ’ t ink e in the teacher s eye , and he said , Well , boy , ’ you re bright ; put up the light . EARLY SCH O OLS 9 3

N — In READI G CLASS reading , a class stood up and s or read in con ecutive order from the head to the foot , vi c e - verse ; and so the English reader was read

- through and commenced over again and re read . It was considered the proper thing when the end of the w as for book reached at the Latin word F INIS , the o f last pupil in the course reading to call out loudly , “ ” t r Five Irish Niggers in Spain , and the next o e “ verse the order of the letters and call out Six Irish

Niggers in France , and this performance generally ended in a trouncing . CLASS LEADERS— It was customary to choose two leaders of a spelling - class who were selected by the pupils to fill up their respective sides , and whenever - a a word was mis spelled by a pupil in the cl ss , he quit o e who and this was continued until only n was left , n represented the winni g side . PE Ns— Quills were used as pens and a part of the ’

teacher s duties was to make them after school hours ,

ready for the next session . I remember the day the

first steel pens were introduced . They were imported o i l l os . G otte fr m England and called J Pens , l for which were so d to the pupils two three cents . o r All scho l supplies then , even the ink , we e sold to

the pupils .

’ ’ C — te ach er s TEA HERS PAY The y pay , was brought by the pupils every three months and this

was generally paid in Mexican money . Spanish “ ” shillings were called levys ; and sixpences or half ” fi s 6 1 shillings were called p ( 4 cents . ) PUN ISH MENT— Corporal punishment in the schools ’ “ was almost universal . Solomon s admonition spare the rod and spoil the child ” was considered the proper

. cu t s doctrine Long whips , from the tumps o f trees

after the woods had been removed , were the proper

caper . It was considered good practice to send a pupil out into the yard to cut them and bring them into the 9 4 EARLY HI STORY

o - hi m sch ol room , then give a good whipping to break his spirits and so develop obedience .

for Rulers were thrown at scholars whispering , who were directed to bring them to the teacher , then hold ou t their little hands to the teacher who slapped them until the offenders wriggled with pain . Pupils who failed to understand their sums in Men su rati on were compelled to stand on a desk and hold a brick in one hand and count the corners of the

Bridge street Presbyterian Church . This was before the parsonage was erected . Some of the teachers in those days were barbarous f in their treatment o the pupils . They would sneak behind the pupil who had made a mistake i n his sums and yank him from his seat by pulling him by the ear , f or take a book and bang him on the side o the head . I remember one teacher who called up hi s pupils and slapped them on their hands with a black ruler (which was supposed to be more painful than a white one ) , meanwhile chewing tobacco vigorously and e xp e ctor ~ ff ating into a large spittoon five feet o .

Another cruel feature of those days was this : When to o r a class was called up recite spell , the pupil who o f missed had to go to the foot the class , and , at the close of the lesson , tell the teacher how many mistakes were made , and so many times would the teacher slap the p alm o f the hand hard with a black ruler .

how $ t Oh , those slaps would sting The burning sen sation would continue for hours .

TOW N - BALL— Among the games for the boys was

n - - o e called town ball . Self appointed leaders divided the boys into two contesting parties or sides by select ing one at a time alternately until the number present was exhausted ; and that leader started the selection “ “ ” s by winning the tos of the bat , wet or dry , either having spat on o ne side and tossed it into the to air , then the other would have guess , and if the lat

9 6 EARLY HI S TORY

1878 About , Oliver Williams , another prominent man here in the industri al affairs of the Lehigh Val ley , took an active part with other persons in estab f ro l i shi ng a library . Several hundred volumes o p mi sc uous books were collected and a successful read ing - circle amongst the young people w as kept up until 189 1 May , when the books were presented to the High school and added to its collection . The room was in a

on - building Church street , west of the Town Hall , where a cigar store is now conducted .

— 184 5 o f w as B RAS S BAND About , a band music organized in the village with John Thomas as leader n and the last survivor was Samuel Thomas . It conti 1854 a ued until , when Samuel Thom s and other prin i l i nstru c p a players removed to Hokendauqua . The o f of ments were made brass , some which were very large and attracted much attention not only on ao ~ count of their size but of the great volume of tone p ro

- d u ce d by the strong wind ed players . The slide trombonists were placed in the front rank , and in their sliding movements reached out so far at times who that the little boys , walked along in a listless , wondering manner , would be shocked with a bump ’ - head foremost if they didn t keep their distance. T EMPERANC E S O C I E T I ES— David Thomas was p articularly solicitous of establishing the practice o f temperance in the growing community and en cou r aged hi s workmen to sustain his efforts in this behalf . on e Two lodges were organized , for adults called the r r n Di vi si o n G eo g e C a e , and the other for boys , called t F u ti N 2 u r s al o n t e o n o . . the C y S c , The members p held the movement i h an active manner for twelve 18 years until 5 7 . It may be remarked that the young men who became identified with this b e ne fic ent cause kept clear of the baneful influence of liquor in their later years . — P OL IT I CAL ANIMOS ITY As elsewhere , polit ical animosity manifested itself in this vicinity in var POLITI CAL ANI MOSITY 9 7

i n ious ways on different occasions . I submit three stances of the many that might be given .

— A nt D m o ra t S PIKED CANNON The l l e ow n e c , in No ve mbe r 184 4 , , contained the following item relating what the Whigs had done to the Democrats righ t after the State election which resulted in their defeat “ at the polls - The Democrats found their cannon spiked when about to fire it off on Saturday afternoon in honor of their late victory . This shows to what ‘ ’ means the coons will descend to get revenge . We

- would caution our friends to be on the look out , for ” - we would not trust them in our hen coop . SALT RIVER PARADE— But the Democrats could also 18 show feeling against the Whigs in 58 . The fight dur

ing the campaign and at the polls was bitter , and

being successful as a matter of course , they had to “ ” ridicule the foe by taking them up Salt River . Those at Catasauqua therefore got up a badge and distributed it throughout the community for the amusement of the particip ants in the political jol l i fi c ai on ; which made the anou nc e m ent of the proposed n excursion in the following interesting manner , eve if it was sarcastic :

B O UND FOR LECOMPTON RETRE AT at the head of

FREE TRADE RIVER .

The slow southern steamer Old Buck will leave for Lecompton B e ’ treat at the head of Free Trade River from B i e ry s -Port on Monday 2 5 th : morning next , October , at sunrise Commander and Dictator Bill B iery

First Mate . Old Sol Second Mate Wash Bogh Steward Charley Beck Clerk Al Woolever

O O O O Engi neer O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O Jake Bogh

. Fireman o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o Jack Heinle) Cook Jake Kester

- Bar keeper o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o Ike Miller Purser Joe Laubach EARLY HI STORY

Pilot J . Gross Barber Lew Bogh

Physician . Josh Siegfried

General Ticket Agent . . Jim Schall

- Boot black and watchman . Joe Lazarus

A colony i s to be established at the head of Free Trade River where the worshippers of Old Buck can worsh ip him at their heart ’ s content and where all who are willing to bow the knee and submit to his Lecomp ton Test are invited to settle— w ith the understanding however that no settlers will be allowed to advocate Home Protection or be 1 0 unwilling to labor for cents a day .

i h It is understood that the small great men of the Old Keystone , cluding the Joneses , the Biglers , the Dewarts , the Landys , the Phillipses , L e i s and the d y have already gone i n advance . The steerage will be reserved for the small -fry politicians in Allentown who subscribe to Lecompton .

For further in formation i nquire of A . S . S . Bri dges , Allentown , and ' fi B i r - e s . at the post of ce at y Port , just below Catasauqua 2 0 1 8 5 8 Doylestown , Oct . , . C — a FEDERALIST DENOU N ED Thom s Barr , a resident o f Allen township , represented Northampton county

185 2 - 5 3 in the State Legislature in the year , and h e r was elected as a Federalist o Whig . His actions at Harrisburg excited the ire of the A l l e ntown D emo cra t to , which was led criticise him in the following manner

The cit izens of the county (Lehigh ) are now witnessing , if they have t h e not been made to feel , evil consequences resulting from the election of Federalists t o the Legislature by our sister Northampton ; and the Democracy of the latter county h a ve the very questionable gratification of knowing that her representatives are laboring zealously to prostrate t he best interests of a neighboring constituency .

With true Federal instinct , her representatives cling to and support ” “ - monopolies , j ust as naturally as a nigger takes to a banjo vide ’

h . Mr . Barr s course in t e matter of the Catasauqua Fogelsville R R .

He seizes every opportunity to bring it up in the House . Scarcely a bill is read but he spri ngs up with a n amendment to strike out all after th e enacting clauses and insert a bil l to authorize the Lehigh n o-r e Cra e Iron Co . to build a railroad to their mine , lease quarries , etc . A more i ni qu itous proposition , we venture to say , has rarely

a been introduced into our Legislature . Without regard to priv te

a nd i . a rights , for the benef t only of a mammoth iron comp ny , the Legislature is asked to cut up the farms of a rich agricultur al region that this comp a ny may enjoy a still great er monopoly of the iron business .

100 EARLY HI STO RY

- there joined their company ; then to Wilkes Barre , and a by c nal to Harrisburg , thence to Pittsburg , thence f by river steamer to New Orleans . Both o these lived to come back , wearing their peculiar uniforms of the

army at that time , with caps like a coal skuttle ,

decorated with metal chains . Kraft afterwards served 1— 4 186 6 4 th . three years ( ) in the 7 P V . Reg . and died ’ ’ a few years ago at Dayton s Soldiers Home . Good went overland to California and was killed by the

Indians . Several enlisted men from Allentown returned one from Mexico at the same time ; but , John Kuhn ,

was missing . A year afterward , he returned but the

cruelties of a Mexican prison had made him insane . His home thereafter was in the Lehigh county poor 25 house . Every year for years , in his Summer vaca ol d tions , he visited C atasauqua in his uniform , hat bedecked with flowers and a cavalry sword hung at his

side , clanking on the p avement ; and to the time of his death he was known only as “ Mexico John No one would think of molesting him in any way ; the people for showed respect him , and encouraged him in his

innocent amusement .

INC ORP ORAT I ON — Application was mad e to the Court o f Quarter Sessions of Lehigh County on April 3 185 1 f s , , for the incorporation o Cata auqua into a 1 f . . o Borough The decree the Court was made Feb , 185 3 , which provided as follows : th e That the village of Catasauqua , and the territory i n and around : same as comprised within the following boundaries , to wit Beginning

at a point in the River Leh igh at low water mark , thence through land th e d of Paul Faust , on line divi ing the said county of Lehigh from the th e county of Northampton , to publ ic road leading from bridge to w th Howerto n , thence down e sai d road in the middle thereof , to a

stone corner between lands of George Breinig and Henry Kurtz , thence on the l i ne between the said lands of the said Breinig and Kurtz to

Catasauqua creek , thence down said creek the several courses and distances thereof to its j unction with the River Lehigh , thence up the

sai d River Lehigh , the several courses and distances thereof at low water mark to the place of beginning , be and the same is hereby de INCORPORATI ON 10 1

c l a r d e a body corporate i n law , under and subject to the provisions , i “ requ irements and enactments of the Act of Assembly , ent tled , An 3 1 8 5 1 Act regulating boroughs , approved April , , to be known and designated in law and otherwise as the borough of Catasauqua , and a i shall constitute a sep rate Election and School D strict , subj ect to all th e la w s now i n force regulating such distri cts . The election for bor ough o fficers is hereby directed to be held on the th i rd Friday of a March annually , at the publi c house now in the occup ncy of Charles

i . Nolf , unt l removed therefrom according to law While the town was being incorporated there were many signs of activity and immediately afterward the Town - Council proceeded energetically with grading the streets and smoothing off the rough places prepara tory to paving . New buildings were going up , among

- o f them the three story brick hotel Solomon Biery , fronting on two streets near the old stand ; the hotel , store and dwelling of William Gross on the opposite corner , he having secured a license at the last Court ; and a bridge over the Lehigh river on the site of the l o d chain bridge . The Crane Iron Works were in full blast with five furnace stacks in constant operation . FIRST OFFICIALS— Election officers were appointed “ who were directed to conduct the election which shall be opened onl y to citizens legally entitled to vote who reside within the territory mentioned in the decree . The first officials elected were the following :

Chi e B u es s— f rg David Thomas . T w n C u n i l — i r J . o o c Jesse Knauss , William B ery , Joshua Hunt , , h Josep Laubach , John Clark . e e C mmi ssi n s— S e . tr t o o r Morgan Emanuel , Jonas Biery H i h o ns ta bl e— i l g C Charles S e g ey . A u d i — tor John Williams . Ju d e— g Isaac E . Chandler .

I ns e t s— p c or David G . Jones , Augustus H . Gilbert . A s s e s s — or Levi Haas . — S h l D i e s a c oo r ctor James Gi nder , Owen Ri ce , Charles Nolf , Ch rles W G . Schneller , George . Klotz , James Wilson . Ju s ti o th e P — r ce f e a c e John H u d d e s .

Co n s ta bl e m o s h J e p Lazarus . NAME— Catasauqua is a compound word meaning ” dry - ground in the dialect of the L enni -L enap e 102 EARLY HI STORY tribe of Indians who first inhabited this section of country . “ Ca tasauq ua means the earth is thirsty ; a nd ” G a ttoshaci , wants rain , which indicated in their language that the vegetation hereabouts suffered for f L o . e want rain The creek , which empties into the of was high river at the south end the borough , there o f fore called by this name . On some the earliest maps of the land hereabouts it was called Ca tasa uq ua ;

Mi l l - c re e k and on others , , because a mill had been erected along its head - waters by Thomas Wilson in 1 35 7 . The Irish settlers recognized this parched condi tion o f the ground and absence of vegetation between Shoene rsvi l l e and the river and , therefore avoided the locality . This peculiarity still prevails . HAN OVER TOWN SHIP— Hanover township was e s l i 15 1 98 u f f tab she d . 7 o t o o Aug , , the southern section

. o f Allen township , and was a part Northampton coun t of 1812 y until the erection Lehigh county in , and the m county line , as then established , extended fro a point

“ a of ou t on the e st bank the Lehigh river , opposite the of let Coplay creek , almost at right angles with the o f river , along the northerly line Hanover township , and included the western half of the township ; and ’ the site of the village o f Bi ery s - Port occupied the f N . W . corner o it . Doubtless its location led the active persons , interested in the erection of the new so to county , to establish the line as include the vil lage , in order to give its inhabitants and property hold ers c onvenient communication with the cou ntV ~ seat at Allentown . FIRST TA$ ABLES — The population incre ased rapidly o f 18 5 8 w from the founding the town , and in the follo ing persons owned property here Daniel Davis d George An rew , tailor Reuben Dilgard John Albright George Deily

104 EARLY HI STORY

John Laubach Peter Sheckler

L a c i a r Co . , merchants George Snyder

Jonas Lilly Joseph Troxell , shoemaker M I nt r T m b l r c e . o e Robert y , contractor D av id A Widow M c Al l i ste r D avid Thomas M I n r c t e . John y David Thomas , Jr Peter Morey John Thom a s Jacob Miller Samuel Thom a s William Mc L el l an d Maria Troxell d VV m a n Willi am Miller , merchant Wi ow y William Minnick David Will iams IV i n . . e s s Joh Machette E P , merchant William Mc L e l l a n d (3d ) E nos Weaver

’ W Ne i hl e VVi l s mi illiam g y , carpenter John James Nevens Henry Y o u nd t David Ne i ghl e y Enoch Y o u nd t

A l Among the tenants at this time were Moses E . W bright and illiam Steckel , merchants ; Henry Bush o and Charles N lf , innkeepers Benj amin Bush , miller ;

William Tice , carpenter ; Cornelius Earle , minister ;

and Franklin Martin , physician . In consequence o f necessary grading and at heavy

and o f - u excavations in streets , the building a lock p , the debt o f the borough at the end of the first fiscal year amounted to and in consequence o f pay

ing land damages for the opening of streets , interest , on l st o f and further grading , the debt the April , 185 5 1st o 18 63 , amounted to On the f. April , , it w as and from that time forward for a num ber o f years the receipts were not suffi cient to p ay the d o interest and current expenses , leaving an annual

fi i f ~ c t . The expense o building the town hall and pur f a . chasing ire appar tus , etc , amounted to and o f 700 there being an average annual deficit $ , the debt w as 1874 to found in April , , be The tax levy had never amounted to more th an prior to 1874 h , but in that year the triennial assessment s owed a valuati on of more than double the previo us assess

- a. ments , and thus met long felt want , increasing the

- tax levy s o as to p ay current expenses . I NCORPORATI ON 105

w 1868 The to n hall was built in , by Fuller Graf

fin r was ‘ , whose proposal therefo but the ulti mate cost was a number of changes from the o riginal plan being made . The lower floor is occupied by the Phoenix Fire Co . The second floor has been o f altered for a Council Chamber , and office the tax and water departments . BOROUGH E $ TE NDED— The borough was extended in 1895 by annexing a p art of Hanover township c whi h lay to the north and east , and was described in the proceedings as follows : B eginning at a poi nt i n the center of the Catasauqua creek which is i n the present boundary line of the borough ; thence along sai d line 8 8 4 2 1 9 2 north degrees and minutes west feet , more or less , to a 5 9 2 8 1 0 8 4 6 stone , and south degrees and minutes west feet and i nches to an iron pipe , i n the center of Howertown Road ; thence along said line and the center of said Howertown Road north 5 0 degrees 1 3 4 6 4 4 i and minutes west , feet and i nches to an iron p pe in the i a i n centre of said Howertown Road , said iron p pe being lso the line dividing Lehigh county and Northampton county ; thence along sa i d 7 0 1 2 1 4 1 2 county line north degrees and minutes east feet , more or u - e less , to a point i n the said Catasauq a creek ; and th nce down said th a nd b e creek , e several courses distances thereof to the place of i i g nn ng .

WARDS ESTABLISHED— The petition o f 4 9 citizens of was to on 11 the borough presented the Court April . 1876 for two , praying a division of the borough into wards for the purpose of facilitating elections and of securing a fair representation for each section in the

Council and School Board . The Court appointed Eli

J . Saeger , J . F . Newhard and W . B . Powell as com who missioners , viewed and considered the premises , and recommended a division of the borough into two f r wards as prayed o . The Court confirmed their re n 1 18 o . 9 77 port , and Jan , , filed a decree , dividing

the borough into two wards , named respectively First

Ward and Second Ward , and giving the boundaries of

each . 1909 In , an application was made to extend the

borough limits on the east , so as to embrace what was 106 EARLY HI STORY

as 4 5 commonly known E ast Catasauqua , containing 3 acres ; and af ter due proceedings the decree of annex 3 19 09 ation was made Oct . , , and the territory was constituted the 3rd Ward . The commissioners were i W l . e s e . . William y , John R Tait and James T Davis 19 11 2n d W two In , the ard was divided into parts , 4 th and the eastern part was constituted the Ward . ke H an e . The commissioners were H . W . , Harvey H

’

Knerr and Samuel Heilman .

LINE ADJ USTED— The northerly line of the borough was fixed on the northerly line of Hanover town i n l ship Lehigh county , which was also the souther y line o f Allen township in Northampton county ; and this borough line also became the southerly line o f the f borough o North Catasauqua .

This line was in dispute for many years , and as a consequence many taxpayers and voters were in doubt as to where they lived . Therefore commissioners were appointed by the Court of Quarter Sessions o f L e w as high county , and they filed their report but it set n 6 1889 o . aside January ,

a Subsequently , another set of commissioners was p p om te d by the Jom t act i on of L e hl gh and North amp i 1v1n ton count es , and after g g the matter a thorough i nvest i gat i on they e sabl i she d the line according to the evi dence secured and submitted the i r report to both

i was so - Courts , wh ch confirmed and this long stand w was ing controversy as settled . Their report as follows

w Maj . Samuel D . Lehr of Allento n , B irge Pearson of Easton and M Nai r of a n Thomas S . c H zleton were appoi ted as commissioners to loc ate the correct boundary l i ne between Lehigh and North ampton counties north and east of Catasauqua over whi ch there has been a dispute for many years . They set about. their difficult task in a proper w a y , exami ning old records , maps and reports , hearing testimony and a a n d t king measurements i n t his behalf , then located the li ne ; and t hey reported their proceedings in this behalf, accompanied by three a charts wh ich show the line long the east end of Hanover township , a nd the li ne on the north side of Hanover township Catasauqua , and

10 8 EARLY HI STORY

Charles A . Luckenbach Jonas B iery W Ja cob P . Scholl James . Fuller To mbl r David A . e Robert Oberly Joshua Hunt Samuel Laubach

Jacob Fatzinger , Sr .

Melchoir H . Horn , cashier .

L i h nw n r . . c te a l l e John O , teller

James W . Mickley , clerk .

Its first place of business was in the residence of Thomas Frederick on lower Front street in a room

which is now used as a barber shop . The Lackey two

- N 13 on o . 9 story brick building Front street , , was and fo r then secured , remodeled made suitable bank 185 8 was ing purposes , and in the bank removed to it ; and in that locality it continued in active Operation 1903 186 . 7 with increasing success until In , a sub stanti al three - story brick building embracing a bank ’ and cashier s residence was erected on the Ol d found a to tion , with superior improvements meet the demands o f its business . 18 65 . In , it was converted into a National bank The charter was extended in 1885 for 20 years ; and

- re extended in 1905 for 20 years mo re . 1903 In , the bank was removed to its present local 2nd ity at Bridge and streets , in a substantial and stately stone building with a modern equip ment fo r

security against fire and burglary . It may be men ti on e d that the site was offered in 185 8 free o f cost to

the bank by D avid Thomas , which was declined ; but 1903 a in , when purch sed , the price was

5 185 8 w as o f . The first statement the bank , Jan , , as follows :

i i i R e s u es L a bi l es . o rc . t Capi tal Stock Surplus Circulation Deposits BANKS 109

18 65 finan In , when it became a National bank , its ci al situation was as follows :

R es ou rc es L i a bi l i ti e s Notes Capital Stock

Bonds Surplus , etc Cash State B ank Notes still out Due from Banks standing Bank Deposits Due to Banks

The annual dividends since its organization have

been something over seven per cent . 1913 In November , , its situation was as follows :

L i a bi l i ti s s u es . R e o rc e . Stock

Surplus , etc . Circulation Deposits

D i e t s O i c e rs 1 9 1 4 r c or fi ,

Rowland T . D avies George B . Mauser

. . . Mc H o s G B F Deily Lucius H . e ki D . George Dery Leonard P e c tt

J . S . Elverson Dr . H . H . Riegel

Charles C . Kaiser Harry J . Seaman

Charles E . Lawall Edwin Thomas

Charles N . Ulrich

Edwin Thomas , president Frank M . Horn , cashier ’ Dr . H . H . Riegel , vice president H . V . Swartz , ass t . cashier

FFI R O CE S.

i n t i P re s d e s Ca s h e rs .

- E i . 1 8 5 7 l J . Saeger Melchior H Horn 8 8 1 8 - 0 1 8 8 8 - 0 8 8 9 . 9 Melchior H . Horn Frank M Horn

- - 1 . 1 8 0 9 Frank M . Horn 8 9 0 9 9 Charles R Horn 9 9

- - i 1 8 9 9 1 9 0 4 . 1 8 9 9 1 9 1 4 Owen F . Fatz nger Frank M Horn Edwin Thomas 1 9 0 4 -1 4 LEH IGH NATIONAL BAN K— The second banking in sti tu ti on 1906 at Catasauqua , was organized in July , , 1 10 EARLY HI STORY

with a capital of and the first Board of Di rectors was constituted as follows :

James C . Bei tel James W . Peters k w Dr . A . J . Becker B . Fran S artz

H . A . B enner James J . Seyfried

George H . D ilcher Charles W . Schneller

. J . Wm F . Fenstermacher Oscar Stine \V l i m i l a . . H . Glace A H Snyder K t Herman oste nb ad e r Ru fus M . Wi n

P . J . Laubach Thomas Schadt

Frank B . Mauser Dr . Daniel Yoder

- at— Mr . Glace , a resident attorney law , of large

$ practice and business experience , was selected as

d . . . p resi ent ; Mr Beitel , as vice president , and J F Me r y e as cashier . All the stock was taken by resi Of dents Catasauqua and the vicinity . n Of The property o the S . E . corner Front and 4 5 B ridge streets (which extended to Railroad alley , 198 by feet ) , was purchased from the estate of James

. to W Swartz , deceased , and steps were taken erect a proper bank building for business . Temporary quarters were established on the prem i ses o f 4 23 Mr . Glace at Front street , and actual busi l ness was started on Aug . st ; and the first financial 4 h statement on Sept . t was as follows

i i l i i s R es u es L a b t e . o rc . Loans Capit a l Stock

d . Bon s Surplus , etc

Cash , etc . Circulation

Bank , etc . Deposits

During the year 19 07 - 08 an attractive bank build ing was erected with the most approved equipment o f for banking purposes , with assurance protection l two tor o r . s against oss from fire burglary It is y , built of terra cotta ; the first floor commodious and of convenient access , is occupied by the bank , and f the sec ond floor is s et apart for o fices . The management of its affairs during the first a n o f ye r showed a large i crease deposits , evidencing

EARLY HI STORY

o f i n u m regardless the number of wards . The extra c bents were

James Courtney 1 8 7 8 -8 3 Edwin Gilbert 1 8 7 8 -7 9 i l 1 8 8 3-1 9 1 0 1 8 7 9 - 8 4 braham N . U rich William J . Craig 1 8 8 4 -8 9 Edward D . Boyer Jacob Van B uskirk 1 8 8 9 - 9 1 1 - . 8 9 1 9 6 James Tait , Jr Thomas Jones 1 8 9 6 - 1 9 0 6

BURGE S S E S— The following list comprises the names Of the burgesses since the incorporation of the borough , and the terms of service

David Thomas 1 8 5 3 Henry Davis 1 8 7 8 -8 0 John Boyer 1 8 5 4 Philip Storm 1 8 8 1 - 8 4 1 1 8 8 5 -8 7 Uriah Brunner 8 5 5 Robert E . Williams 1 8 5 6 -5 7 W 1 8 8 8 -8 9 David Thomas John . Hopkins William G oetz 1 8 5 8 - 5 9 Thomas Jones 1 8 9 0 -9 1

- 1 8 6 0 . 1 2 . 8 9 9 3 A C . Lewis W . A Borger 1 8 6 1 - 1 8 9 4 -9 6 John Williams 6 9 Charles R . Horn - 1 8 - 1 8 7 0 7 1 . . 7 C . 9 9 9 James C . Beitel D W Bower 1 8 7 2 - 3 1 9 0 0 - 0 2 John Williams 7 Rufus M . Wint 1 4 1 3-0 8 7 . 9 0 5 M . H . Horn Henry W Stolz 1 1 9 0 6 - 0 8 4 George Bower 8 7 5 Dr . Charles J . Keim ; 1 9 1 1 0 -1 3 1 8 7 6 . . 9 9 William H . Glace Dr Henry H Riegel 1 W . 8 7 7 F . Wint

— o f C ENSUS The population the borough , accord ing to the U . S . enumeration , since its incorporation , has been as follows

1 8 6 0 1 8 7 0 1 8 8 0