BULLETIN jo/'fAe. HISTORICAL 50CIETY MONTGOMERY COUNTY PENNSYLVANIA J\rONmSTOWJ^ PUBLISHED BY THE SOCIETY AT ITS BUILDING 165^ DEKALB STREET NORRISTOWN.PA. SPRING, 1961 VOLUME XII NUMBEiR 4 PRICE $1.50 The Historical Society of Montgomery County OFFICERS Hon. David E. Groshens, President George K, Brecht, Esq., Vice-President Hon. Alfred L. Taxis, Jr., Vice-President Dr. Edward F. Corson, Vice-president Eva G. Recording Secretary Mrs. EArl W. Johnson, Corresponding Secretary Mrs. LeRoy Burris, Financial Secretary and Librarian Lyman a. Kratz, Treasurer TRUSTEES Kirke Bryan, Esq. Robert C. Bucher Harry L. Christman Mrs. H. H. Prancine Donald H. Gallager, Esq. Herbert H. Ganser Hon. David E. Groshens Kenneth H. Hallman Nancy P. Highley Arthur H. Jenkins Hon. Harold G. Knight Lyman A. Kratz William S. Pettit Robert R. Titus Mrs. F. B. Wildman, Jr. ^rotlatnation iHontgomerp Countp Bap Cliurfiibap, September 10, 1959 abnt^ampry CHamily t^aa rffbrtp^i Iiynamic obDottrfmrutB in itbuQtry, gonprnntfitl. Ijpalllf, romnwrre. trotiBpnrtaliim ani commmiicatiotiB imrlity tijc Depplopmritl of our Station, onft ^itlgomfri{ (Sounly ijaa ropr rncouroyffi oplf-rrltaorp atiti foBtrrrli fmdotn of opportunity for its mrn aib momrn. onb l^fl^rcaSS our ritiEpna tan tohr pribr in liontooinpry County 0 uoBt rrBourcra. i;rr orraotility anb manifolb attainmrnta in inbustry, {;ralll; anb Ijrr omaziny biorrsity of proburtB, anb ^fjercaSi it tuoo on tlbntyomrry County anil tl;at tt;? forrra of Crnrrol Croryr ffiaaljinyton aiitljatoob tljfir moat arorrr trat in tijr SJation'a aucrraaful fiyljl for frrrbom, anb iSontyomrry County muat look to tljr futurr, focr ararrljiny for nrni rnbraoors ntl;trk totU ntron continurb gronitl; anb proaprrtty. anb IgPljereagtiip orraaion ariara to oppropriotrly obarror our kfnlayr anb itnprraa upontljemorib Iliatit rail! lit prratrorb in tinrirlftb form for gentrationa to romr. J^OtD '^\^tXtUstt, S9t, 9. Molttr ^ottttnonba. Slarrtn iB. Corntll. 3Ir. anb ^Torrrat 21. ^tnry. tlft Commiaaiontra of iKonlgomtry County, bo ijtrffay btaiguatt otb prorlatm Clptrabay. ^tpftmbtr 10.1959 aa fflontgomtry County Say to rommmoratt tl;t irstt; Anniorraary of tl;t founbtng of IQontgomrry County. ®t tall upon our ritiztna to atizt upon tlfia opportunity to aryuaint tijtataclora mort fully tnitif tljt rraourrta. btorlopment. Ijiatory anbpoltntidiltra oftbtir County, anb oak ^at tijt ottaaion bt tnorktb by appropriatt txtrriata in ^t arboola anb by buaintaa. rioir. religioua, potriolir anb frottrnal organizotiona mitbin Montgomtry Comity. Ciotn unbtr our Ijani' tljf gttal atal of ^ntgomtry County, ^tmiayloania. at tljt Sorougb of SJorriatomn. tlfia imtnty-fiftlf bay of Auguat in tlft ytor of our Diorb ont tlfouaanb nint ifmtbrtb anb fifty-ninr. OJnmmlBfltattKfl of . -f fSanl^oinrrg (Doun^ Proclamation of Montgomery County Day by the Montgomery County Commissioners, September 10, 1959. THE BULLETIN of the Historical Society of Montgomery County PUBLISHED SEMI-ANNUALLY — SPRING AND FALL Volume XII SPRING, 1961 Number 4 CONTENTS Montgomery County History, Edward W. Hocker, continued Chapter XXVII —Popular Diversions, continued 220 XXVIII—Funeral of General Hancock 223 XXIX —The Gwynedd Ghost 225 XXX —Convention System in Politics 227 XXXI —The Trolley Car Era 231 XXXII —^War and Disasters 287 XXXIII—New Ideas in Welfare Work 239 XXXIV—The Twentieth Century 241 XXXV —The County's Seventh Quarter Century 257 Organization of Townships and Boroughs 270 Bibliography 272 In Memoriam, Charles R. Barker 274 Reports 275 PUBLICATION COMMITTEE Mrs. LeRoy Burris Mrs. Earl W. Johnson Charles R. Barker, Chmrman^ *Decea8ed 217 Montgomery County History Edwaed W. Hooker (Continued from, page 209) Growth of Interest in Sports burse members for losses if the stolen horse was not recovered. Popular Interest in sports, The Mount Joy Horse Company, which attained such an amazing organized In Upper Merlon town scope In the present century, be ship in 1774; the Unloii Society, came evident in the later decades a similar organization in lower of the nineteenth century, princi Montgomery county, begun in pally the medium of baseball. 1812: the Montgomery Union Prior to that time horse-racing Horse Company, founded in Gwy- was almost the only sport that nedd In 1827' the Farmers' Union attracted much attention. Par Horse Company, of Pairvlew VU- back In 1753 Christopher Sower's large, dating from 1830: the Cen German newspaper reported that, ter Square Association, establish although the government had for ed in 1819, and numerous others bidden the racing of horses for were active for many years, some money, yet such racing was con of them for a century, continu tinued on "Manatawny street, ing as social organizations In the near the Widow L<ette - above irotor car age. Trappe." At one of these races, so the paper told, a German spec In the first half of the nine tator, named Veltan Heiszer. In teenth century there were race trying to avoid the horses racing courses at Pairvlew Village and on the road, was knocked down Broad Axe, and In the later years by one of them and fatally in of the century such tracks existed jured. The name of the horse's for horse races at Sklppack, Penn rider was given as "Dschlmi Square, on the farm of Charles Leen," which was the editor's Nolan, near Center Square; at the German orthography of "Jimmy fair grounds In Norris^own, Lane," suggesting that member of Sprlngtown and Ambler; at A. H. the Lane family, who were early Moore's Cloverdell Stock Farm, settlers near where Collegeville Colmar, and at Erdenhelm Stock now Is, were addicted to horse Farm, In Whltemarsh. while the racing. most famous of all race tracks in the county was the Belmont The horse was one of the most course, near Narberth. valuable possessions of the first settlers. The theft of a horse The Erdenhelm Farm, owned meant a serious loss. Owners of by Aristldes Welch from 1861 horses formed associations to until 1882, and by Commodore himt thieves who stole horses be Norman W. Kittson from 1182 longing to members and to reim until 1888, was widely known for 219 220 BULLETIN OP HISTORICAL SOCIETY OF MONTGOMERY COUNTY the noted horses bred there. Flora volved being void. The offer of a Temple, "queen of the trotting purse, said Judge Ross, constituted track." and Leamington twice the gambling. Therefore there could winner of the Chestei cup in be no recovery of what was vir England, were at Erdenheim for tually a gambling debt. many years, and their graves are A baseball club was organized L*arked there with large stone in Norristown in 1859. Games s abs. Other famous horses of were played on Wednesdays and that time that had their home Saturdays. John Roberts was at Erdenheim were Lady Thorn, president of the club; William S. sold by Welch in 1870 for $31,000, Potts, vice president; B. P. Van then a record-breaking price for court secretary, and Jacob Brooks, a horse: Maggie B. 8. Iroquois, treasurer. A large assemblage of Rysdyk stratmore. Sants Claus, spectators witnessed a game be PHnce James. Omar and Kasim. tween the Norristown Club and Many noted men were Mr. the University Club, of Philadel Welch's guests at Erdenheim, phia, on Thanksgiving Day. 1860, among them ' President Grant, when Norristown won, 18 to 6. August Belmont, William Astor The Norristown players were: J. and Pierre Lorrllard. P. Brooks, second base; E. M. The Belmont track was con Snyder, center field: David structed at the time of the Cen Beaver, left field; J. B. Beaver, tennial of 1876. Bud Ooble was right field; P. Molony, first base; a famous trainer there. Nearly Israel Hart, shortstop; B. Molony, all the great trotters of the later third base; George Schall, pitch nineteenth century '•an in Bel er. and Daniel Jacobus, catcher. mont races—Maud S Maxey Norristown's first professional Cobb. Joe Patchen, John R. baseball club came into existence Gentry. Nancy Hanks. Sweet in 1888. It was supported by a Marie and many others. group of the town's business men In a case in the Montgomery who adopted the name of Norris County courts in 1879, Judge town Baseball and Athletic Asso Henry P. Ross declared horse ciation, the officers being: Presi racing to be illegal The Mont dent. J. Roberts Rambo; vice gomery County Agricultural So presidents, J Morton Brown, Wil ciety. whose annual fairs were liam P. Dannehower and Louis held in AmblPi sued J W. Hille- Well; treasurer, Eugene D. Egbert, gass. because his check which he and secretary John A. Brown- gave to the society went to pro back. A ball park was fitted up test, Hillegass had entered a horse at Powell and Pornance streets, 1] one of the races at the society's and the nine was entered in the fair, paying an entrance fee of Inter-State League. Games were ter per cent of the amount of played for two seasons, but lack the pmse offered in the race Pay of financial success caused the ment was made by check, and project to be abandoned. when the amount coul'^ not be Before the time of the Civil collected the society brought suit. War Norristown had two barge In his opinion Judge Ross said clubs — the Atlantis and the horse racing was lawful by com Ariadne. Both had houses on the mon law. but a state law of 1820 banks of the Schuylkill, above classed it as a common ni.isance, Swede street. The barges were horses taking part in races being handsome boats thirty-two feet forfeited and wage claims in long, each equipped with six oars MONTGOMERY COUNTY HISTORY by EDWARD W. HOOKER 221 and seating twenty persons. In Of course, ice skating was a these barges the members would winter sport from earliest times. take their friends of both sexes Immediately after the Civil War on river outings in the evening, skating parks were established in climaxing the voyage with a visit many towns.