BULLETIN HISTORICAL 50CIETY MONTCOMEfor COUNTY PENNSYLVANIA J^O/?R/STOWJV S^ERY PUBLISHED BY THE SOCIETY AT IT5 ROOM5 IS EAST PENN STREET NORRI5TOWN.PA. OCTOBER, 1948 VOLUME VI NUMBER 3 PRICE ONE DOLLAR Historical Society oF Montgomery County OFFICERS Kirke Bryan, Esq., President •S. Cameron Coeson, First Vice-president George K. Bkecht, Esq., Second Vice-President Foster G. Hillegass, Third Vice-President Eva G. Davis, Recording Secretary Helen E. Richards, Corresponding Secretary Mrs. LeRoy Burris, Financial Secretary Lyman a. Kratz, Treasurer tRUDOLF P. Hommel, Librarian TRUSTEES Kirke Bryan, Esq. Mrs. H. H. Francinb H. H. Ganser David E. Groshens, Esq. Nancy P. Highley Foster C. Hillegass Mrs. a. Conrad Jones David Todd Jones Hon. Harold G. Knight Lyman A. Kratz Douglas Macfarlan, M.D. Katharine Preston Franklin A. Stickler Mrs. Franeun B. Wildman, Jr. Noreis D. Wright ♦ Died April 12, 1948. t Resigned May 1, 1948. S. CAMERON COESON 1863-1948 THE BULLETIN- of the Historical Society of Montgomery County Published Semi-Anrvually — October and April Volume VI October, 1948 Number 3 CONTENTS In Memoriara: Simon Cameron Corson, Franklin A. Stickler 184 The Charcoal Industry in the Perkiomen Valley, Alfred Gemmell 187 Side Lights on a Family Tree, Thomas Warnock Bigoney, Catherine Morris Bigoney 259 Reports 275 Publication Committee Anita L. Eyster David E. Groshens, Esq. Hannah Gerhard Charles R. Barker, Chairman 183 In Memoriam: Simon Cameron Corson By Franklin A. Stickler Every community owes much to those who have given of their best during the years of their active lives and have then quietly passed beyond our mortal ken into the "Land of Leal," leaving a good work and beneficent influence to live after them. Through many centuries men and women dreamed dreams of a better world and labored earnestly to make their dreams come true, and succeeding generations have enjoyed the fruit of their labors. On the Honor Roll of such men and women in our com munity it is a privilege to inscribe the name of our late fellow member and vice-president, Simon Cameron Corson, who departed this life on April 12, 1948, aged 85 years. Mr. Corson had been an active member of our Society for many years, and on November 19,1938, was elected an Honor ary Life Member in recognition of his valuable services rendered to the Society while serving as chairman of the Mar ker Committee since 1916, and having special reference to the designing and erection of the David Rittenhouse marker erected by this Sociely on the former Rittenhouse homestead (now the property of the Ballard family), on Germantown Pike near Fairview Village, and dedicated June 3, 1939. An ardent student of local history, Mr. Corson was con sidered the best informed historian of his home community of Norristown and Montgomery county, making a number of valuable contributions to our publications through the years. Outstanding among these was his paper, "Old Roads of Norris town," supplemented with a series of original road maps re produced by Mr. Corson, read before the Society's meeting, November 19, 1921, and published in volume VII, Historical Sketches, 192^ Mr. Corson not only recorded local history, but for half a century he helped to create it while Borough Engineer, 184 IN MEMORIAM: SIMON CAMERON CORSON of Norristown made available to him by virtue of his official position, and also through his own personal knowledge and the data secured from his father, George Norman Corson. A lifelong hobby was the locating and recording of histori cal data on big trees of Montgomery and adjoining counties, through the results of his researches among the official records on which subject he was considered as much an authority as on historical places and buildings. Mr. Corson was a graduate of Treemount Seminary, a na tionally known Norristown educational institution for boys from 1844 to 1887. Always a loyal son to his Alma Mater, he became the moving spirit and founder in organizing the Tree- mount Seminary Association, in 1913, served as its president for many years, and was possibly the last surviving member. Simon Cameron Corson was the son of George Norman Corson and Maria (Hurst) Corson. He was born in the family home. Main and Cherry streets, Norristown, Pa., February 12, 1863. He received his education in the public schools of Norris town and Treemount Seminary, Norristown, followed by an architectural course with a private instructor of Philadelphia. On July 1, 1883, he entered the employ of the Pennsyl vania Railroad in their Engineering Corps, continuing with them, excepting slight absences, until March 1, 1898, when he became Engineer to the Borough of Norristown, in whose ser vices he remained in various capacities until his death. During this half century of serving his native town, prac tically all modern improvements (superseding the so-called "horse and buggy days"), of which our Borough is justly proud, such as premanent street paving, installation of sani tary and storm sewer systems, and sewage disposal plant, the planning and creating of Elmwood Park, and the elimination of grade crossings of the two railroads, were all under his super vision in the Borough's interest, and a vast improvement was given the public. On July 19,1899, Mr. Corson married Anne Eliza Ramey, of Altoona, Pennsylvania, who survives him, together with their three sons, David Ramey Corson, S. Cameron Corson, Jr., and Lt. Col. Frederick Ramey Corson. He was a model husband 186 bulletin of historical society of MONTGOMERY COUNTY and father, who took a justifiable pride in his family's public service record in peace and war. It is interesting to note, in connection with the 1948 Presidential election campaign issues on the race question, that Mr. Corson's father was a member of the Pennsylvania Constitutional Convention of 1872,, and wrote the resolution to strike out the word "white," thereby making it possible for all men to vote in Pennsylvania, regard less of race or color. •TyA/W£L HILK HA/Apro VH£Ri-FOR9 VFFS CHURE'tt- H^REFtfR ./tfWELLBR DALE ¥ IRONW NIT PLEASAMT i forges' tl E^^GREErt-Vfl^E NIANTfC SCREEN tKONWOiRlQ boyertown SUMWE^WN •) KEY furnace • FORGE • SCALE • y jfkx • -•••' V • ROAD •A ^v" (iV .^^ . ^ K RAtLROAD e WtC aa.,soo •• '.AA.CEMMELL The Charcoal Iron Industry in the Perkiomen Valley By Alfred Gemmell* PREFACE The purpose of this study is to present as accurate a picture as possible of the charcoal iron industry as it once existed in the Perkiomen Valley. In attempting this task I have read the meager offerings of earlier writers, but I have referred whenever possible to primary sources. The Perkiomen Valley has received scant attention by writers of industrial history, although for approximately 140years—1730 to 1870— its iron works werefurnishing the local and Philadelphia trade with high grade pig and bar iron. Few manuscript records in the form of account books have been located thus far for the Perkiomen iron industry. This paucity of information necessitates many gaps and omis sions in this study and occasions much speculation where I would prefer more definite statements based on precise ma terial. However, this is intended only as a beginning and I am hopeful that the discovery of new material may clear up some of the questions raised by this study. To assist others I have given complete documentation in the text and have added factual appendices in additionto a comprehensive bibliography. The help of others has made this study possible and I gratefully acknowledge their assistance. Dr. Elmer E. S. John son, curator of the Schwenkfelder Historical Library, Penns- burg, Pennsylvania, was mostcooperative; not onlyin making accessible valuable manuscripts, but in the liberal sacrifice of *"A Thesis in American History Presented to the Faculty of the Graduate School of the University of Pennsylvania in partial fulfilment of the requirements for the degree of Master of Arts," 1947. (Read before the Society, November 15, 1947.) 187 Igg BULLETIN or HISTORICAL SOCIETY OF MONTGOMERY COUNTY his time and the sharing of his rich knowledge of local history. To his one time assistant and librarian, Miss Miriam Kriebel, go my thanks for cheerful fulfilment of numerous requests for library items. Valuable family records were made available through the courtesy of Dr. D. Horace Schall, of Forge Dale, Pennsylvania. Mr. Peter J. Faust, of Emmaus, Pennsylvania, provided me with an eye-witness account of the dismantling of Hampton Furnace. The assistance of county historians and their staffs is deeply appreciated. To Horace M. Mann, curator of the Bucks County Historical Society; Dr. Gurney Clemens, past curator of the Berks County Historical Society, and Rudolf P. Hom- mel, curator of the Historical Society of Montgomery County, I am especially indebted. They were most cooperative in plac ing their facilities at my disposal. The staff of the Manuscript's Division of the Historical Society of Pennsylvania, Philadel phia, Pennsylvania, graciously assisted me in my studies. The work of public servants often goes unrecognized. The hours spent in tracing land titles and examining assessment records in the court houses at Norristown and Reading would have been far less profitable, had it not been for the assistance of certain county officers. Finally, I wish to acknowledge the able guidance and warm encouragement given me by Dr. Arthur C. Bining, of the De partment of History, University of Pennsylvania. Alfred Gemmell, Instructor in History, Muhlenberg College, Allentown, Pa. THE CHARCOAL IRON INDUSTRY IN THE PERKIOMEN VALLEY CHAPTER I Introduction Pennsylvania was eighth among the thirteen original colo nies to establish ironworks. The Dutch had settled along the Delaware as early as 1623, preceding the Swedes who arrived in 1683 to establish Fort Christina, now Wilmington, Dela ware.