History: Local: CHAPTERS LXXIII - LXXIV: Springfield & Towamencin Townships: Bean's 1884 History of Montgomery Co, PA Contributed for use in USGenWeb Archives by Susan Walters USGENWEB NOTICE: Printing this file by non-commercial individuals and libraries is encouraged, as long as all notices and submitter information is included. Any other use, including copying files to other sites requires permission from the submitters PRIOR to uploading to any other sites. We encourage links to the state and county table of contents. http://www.usgwarchives.net/pa/montgomery/beantoc.htm URL of html Table of Contents and illustrations. 技技技技技技技技技技技技技技技技技技技技技技技技技技技技技技技技技技技技技技技 BEAN'S HISTORY OF MONTGOMERY COUNTY, PENNSYLVANIA 技技技技技技技技技技技技技技技技技技技技技技技技技技技技技技技技技技技技技技技 1071 (cont.) CHAPTER LXXIII. SPRINGFIELD TOWNSHIP. By Wm. J. Buck. SPRINGFIELD may be regarded as one of the southeastern townships of the county, and is bounded on the north by Upper Dublin, west by Cheltenham, south by Philadelphia and west by Whitemarsh. Its central distance from Norristown is about seven miles, greatest length reduced now to five and a half, and breadth two and a half miles, with area of four thousand and thirteen acres. While it is the smallest township in the county, there is probably none in the State so remarkably irregular in form. Its outline on the map justly excites the wonder of a stranger, a portion being a narrow belt, of only one-third of a mile in width and three and one-fourth miles in length, which, until eight years ago, extended to the Schuylkill. By a decree of the court, confirmed November 11, 1876, the extreme end of that narrow strip, containing about one hundred and sixty acres and nearly three-fourths of a mile in length, was annexed to Whitemarsh; hence this township no longer extends to the Schuylkill. This change was made for the residents, with reference to the advantages of nearer school and road facilities. The surface of Springfield is agreeably diversified with hill and dale, and the soil is naturally fertile, containing excellent limestone. Edge Hill is the most considerable elevation, and extends nearly through the centre of the township for the distance of about two miles, in a northeast and southwest course, crossing the Bethlehem turnpike south of Heydricksdale. Where this elevation intersects the Church road a fine prospect is afforded in a western and northern direction. Church Hill begins in the north corner of the township, near the Upper Dublin line, and after a distance of about three-fourths of a mile extends into Whitemarsh. The Wissahickon Creek flows nearly through the centre of Springfield, but only for half a mile, in which distance it propels a grist-mill. The next considerable stream is Sandy Run, near its northern corner, which also propels a mill. Two small streams flow nearly through the centre of the township, and, like Sandy Run, are tributaries of the Wissahickon. These are all steady, constant streams. Nearly every farm possesses a spring- house, with excellent and unfailing water. 1072 Springfield is a thickly-settled township, particularly in the neighborhood of Chestnut Hill and Spring House turnpike. In the vicinity of Chestnut Hill are several fine country-seats and residences, built within the last thirty years, owned chiefly by Philadelphians, and occupied during the summer. The population in 1790 was 446 in 1840, 695 in 1880, 1535. Owing in part to its proximity to the city, its population has been steadily increasing. In 1882 the number of taxables was 352, the real estate was valued at $1,522,605 and the aggregate taxable property at $1,600,830. It is decidedly the wealthiest district in the county, the average per taxable being $4,547, almost double that of the highest rated borough in the county. Licenses were granted in May, 1883, to five hotels, five stores, one maker of agricultural implements and a coal-yard. The public schools are four in number, open ten months, with an average attendance of 103 pupils. Springfield now contains 245 inhabitants to the square mile. In 1850 the return was 114 houses, 124 families and 65 farms. There are several public improvement in Springfield. The Chestnut Hill and Spring House turnpike, completed in 1805, traverses it nearly two miles. The Germantown and Perkiomen and the Ridge pikes pass only a short distance through the narrow belt. The Wissahickon turnpike begins at Flourtown and runs direct to the Ridge road, a distance of two and a half miles, and for the greater portion of this distance is on the Philadelphia line. It was finished in 1855, and crosses the Wissahickon by a covered frame bridge one hundred and thirty-three feet long. The North Pennsylvania road crosses its entire width, a distance of nearly two miles, in a northwest direction, close to the Upper Dublin line. The stations on it are Edge Hill, Oreland and Sandy Run. The Plymouth Railroad extends from Conshohocken to Oreland, where it forms a junction with the North Pennsylvania road, a distance of two miles, with stations at Flourtown and Oreland. It was extended to the latter place in 1868, and cost, with the additional equipment, about two hundred and fifty thousand dollars. Both these railroads are operated by the Reading Railroad Company, who have leased them. On Holme's map of original surveys this township is marked "Gulielma Maria Penn's Mannor of Springfield," and according to the Penn manuscripts contained four thousand and ten acres. At this day it has nearly the same singular outline as given on that map. It is a tradition that Maria Penn requested that when it was laid out a strip should be attached to it leading to the Schuylkill, so that forever afterwards she or her successors should have the privilege, whenever they desired, to reach the river by their own land. We also learn, from the Penn-Physick papers, that the survey was made by Thomas Fairman, who mentioned in a bill of charges that previously he and the proprietary, William Penn, had made a journey "to look at some land," that was "afterwards named Springfield." This must have been done before Penn's return to England, in August, 1684. Maria Penn was the daughter of Sir William Springett, of Darlington, in Sussex, and was married to William Penn when iu his twenty-eighth year. Mrs. Penn died in 1694, and, a few years later, he married Hannah Callowhill. Owing to the whole of Springfield having been early taken up and held by the Penn family, it has been difficult to secure the names of the earliest settlers within its limits. Mention is made that one hundred and sixty acres of land were surveyed in the "Manor of Springfield", in 1690, to Thomas Fitzwater, but whether he resided on said tract is not known the road from Philadelphia through this township to the lime-kilns at Sandy Run was ordered to be opened in 1703, and the following year extended up to Gwynedd. The earliest settlement under the circumstances could not have been made much before that date. In 1734 there were sixteen land-holders residing in the township: Harman Greathouse, 260 acres John Greathouse, 100 Samuel Adams, 50 John Harmer, 100 William Nice, 75 Thomas Silance Job Howel, 75 Thomas Hicks, 100 Christopher Ottinger, 85 George Gantz, 40 Allen Forster, 100 Henry Snyder, 50 Adam Read, 50 Hugh Boyd, 30 Michael Cline, 12 and George Donat, 80 acres. Nearly one-half of those names indicate a German origin, which at this day is decidedly the strongest element in its native population. Thomas Penn, son of the founder, in 1738, owned sixteen hundred acres here, being the balance still unsold of the original tract. Herman Greathouse's tract in 1705 comprised five hundred acres. It is ascertained from the assessors list for 1776 that Springfield contained at that time 72 taxables and 37 land-holders/ Of the latter, John Nice owned 200 acres Wm. Hicks, 100 Christopher Rex, 100 Christian Donat, 110 Andrew Redheffer, 160 John Ottinger, 100 Christopher Ottinger, 286 Michael Slatter, minister, 133 Henry Bisbing, 200 Henry Dewees, 120 acres. Henry Friend had a grist-mill, paper-mill and ninety-three acres. The following occupations are mentioned: Ulrich Wagoner and Felix Detwiler, shoemakers Jacob Haricher and Jacob Leslie, tailors David Mack, smith; Jacob Miller and John Lynn, coopers John Server and Wm. Boler, weavers Jacob Neff, tanner Abraham Hiderich, carpenter Christopher Lance, mason. Allen Foster was collector of taxes in 1720 and Herman Greathouse in 1723. In 1767, Henry Scheetz was constable and Jacob Miller supervisor; Henry Dewees assessor, and Jacob Neff collector in 1776, and Bernard Bisbing supervisor in 1785. The supervisors book of this township commences in 1775, and has been used continuously for this purpose down to the present time. 1073 From the "Genealogical Record of the Schwenkfelders" we learn that Abraham Heydrick, son of Balthasar, married Susanna, daughter of Christopher Yeakle, in 1767. Their children were Sarah Christopher Susanna Abraham Maria. He died in 1826, aged nearly eighty-four, and his wife in 1834 aged ninety years. Shortly after his marriage he kept a store at the present Wheel-Pump Hotel. Abraham Heydrick, the son mentioned, married Susan, daughter of Jacob Neff, in 1803, and had children,- Mary Ann Caleb George N. Edward Levi Charles Susanna. He died in 1866 and was the owner of a farm, hotel and other property at the foot of Chestnut Hill, so long known as Heydrick's Hollow, since changed to Heydricksdale, but better known as the Wheel-Pump. Balthazar Heydrick, born in 1750, had children,- George Mary Catharine Abraham Isaac Samuel Elizabeth Ann Susan. He was a captain in the army of the Revolution. He died in 1831, aged eighty-one years. His one-story house is still standing on the east side of the turnpike, in the central part of Flourtown, and the only log building remaining anywhere in this section of country. Dr. Christopher Heydrick was born in Springfield in 1770, and in his youth studied medicine in Philadelphia with the celebrated Benjamin Say, and graduated at the University of Pennsylvania in 1792, and for some time after was a physician at the hospital and also a member of the Academy of Natural Sciences. He removed in 1819 to Mercer County, Pa., where he died in 1856, aged nearly eighty-six years. Several members of this family still hold real estate in the township. Balthasar Heydrick, and his wife, Rosina, the ancestors, arrived from Silesia in 1734. George Heydrick is the present proprietor of the steam saw-mill and extensive machine-works near the Wheel-Pump. The Yeakle family, now numerous here and the holders of considerable real estate, are the descendants of Christopher Yeakle, who arrived here in September, 1734, with his widowed mother, and settled in Cresheim, below Chestnut Hill, where he successfully followed the occupation of cedar cooper. The log house he built in 1743 and resided in, is still standing, and now owned by Charles Streeper. He married Maria Schultz in 1743, and died after the Revolution at Chestnut Hill, at an advanced age. Abraham Yeakle, his son, was born in 1752, and married Sarah, daughter of Christopher Wagner, in 1776. Their children were Isaac Samuel Jacob Susanna Maria Christopher Sarah. He died in 1841 on his farm in Springfield, now owned by Daniel Yeakle, his grandson, at Heydricksdale. What is known as the Yeakle burying-ground is located about a quarter of a mile from the Philadelphia line, immediately on the north side of Chestnut Hill. It was purchased in 1802 by Christopher Yeakle and his two sons, Abraham and Christopher, and his son-in-law, Abraham Heydrick for one hundred dollars. It contains about one-eighth of an acre and has been recently inclosed with a new stone wall. PICTURE OF RESIDENCE OF CHRISTOPHER YEAKLE, BUILT 1743, APPEARS HERE. It originally belonged to the Mack family, of Germantown, and was used as a place of interment some time before 1753. Here are buried members of the Mack Yeakle Heydrick Schultz Dowers Oberholtzer Krieble and Shuman families of the surrounding section. Tradition states that several soldiers who had died from wounds received at Germantown and from the attack made on the Americans under General Irvine, near by, were also consigned to burial here. Christopher Ottinger, mentioned in the list of 1734 as holding in this township eighty-five acres of land, can be named among its early settlers, originally purchased by him from Herman Greathouse, in 1706. He resided in the lower end of Flourtown, in a substantial two story stone house still standing on the east side of the turnpike, and now owned by Samuel Raney. A stone on the centre of its front bears the inscription "C. 0. M. 0., 1743," meaning Christopher and Mary Ottinger. On the list of 1776 we find the names of Christopher, John and William Ottinger, evidently of the same family. The name still exists here, borne by persons who hold real estate in the vicinity of the Wheel-Pump. Flourtown is the largest village in Springfield, situated on the Spring House turnpike, or better known as the Bethlehem road, twelve miles from Philadelphia. The Plymouth Railroad has a station here, and a turnpike leads to the Ridge road. It contains about sixty houses, four hotels, three stores, a large Odd-Fellows' Hall, built in 1878, two stories high, containing a room for lectures and concerts and also a Presbyterian Church. This village is an old settlement, and tradition states that the early settlers of Salford and Franconia came hither with their grain to mill, from whence originated the name. A post-office was established here before 1810, when Nicholas Kline was postmaster, and previous to 1827 was moved father up, to Whitemarsh, where it remained until about 1875, when it was restored to its former place. We know by the Pennsylvania Archives that it was called Flourtown in 1781, and Scott, in his "Gazetteer" of 1795, mentions it was "a village containing sixteen or seventeen dwellings." Gordon in his "Gazetteer" of 1832, states it to contain twenty houses five taverns two stores. The elections of the township previous to 1847 were held in Whitemarsh, and since in this village. 1074 Owing to its distance from the city, before the introduction of railroads the inns of Flourtown became noted stopping-places for travelers, and deserve some mention here. Michael Spiegel kept a licensed house here in 1766 John Kenner, 1767 John Streeper and Philip Miller in 1773 Joseph Campbell, John Kenner, Jacob Neff, Frederick Kehlhoffer and Christopher Mason in 1779. Jacob Neff, who was a collector of taxes in 1776, kept the Wheel-Pump inn, at least at that date; consequently this is an old-established stand. Tradition states that the name was derived from a wheel-pump in use here during the Revolution and for some time thereafter. John Kenner was still in business here in 1785. Ottinger's tavern is mentioned here in 1772, and was on the present Bisbing property, near the railroad. Mason's stand was on the property of the late George Seebler Nicholas Kline, who was postmaster here in 1810, kept the sign of the "Wagon and Horses" until his death, about 1826. This was a noted stopping place for farmers. He was an extensive owner of real estate in Springfield and Whitemarsh, and rebuilt the mill on the Wissahickon, now owned by Silas Cleaver. He was buried in the ancient Lukens graveyard, of which he was made one of the five trustees in 1786. The Presbyterian Church is situated on the east side of the turnpike and near the railroad, in Flourtown. It is a two-story stone edifice, fifty by thirty-six feet in dimensions, built in 1857, and the only house of worship in the township. The church and graveyard comprise about three acres of ground. On the tombstones are found the names of Sliver Lower Thatcher Gilbert Lukens Dungan Yeakle Sorber Bitting Bunting Cressman Katz Garner Murphy Kline Soladay Robeson Freed Thornton Graeff Gordon Leidig Layer Van Winkle Dewees Miller Willis Watson Shaffer White McNeill. There has recently been no-regular pastor of this congregation. To show the amount of travel, which formerly passed through Flourtown, a list is given of the various stages that stopped here in 1820. A line left the Cross Keys tavern, 18 North Fourth Street, Philadelphia, daily at eight A.M. and three P.M.; one started from the Old Rotterdam daily at three P.M.; another from the White Swan, 106 Race Street, daily at the hours of nine, ten and eleven A.M., and at three, five and six P.M. These several lines had their termination here. The Bethlehem stage left for the White Swan, Sundays, Tuesdays and Thursdays, at four A.M. The mail-stage for Bethlehem left Yohe's Hotel, North Fourth Street, on the same days and at the same hours. It will thus be observed that to this place there were at that time nine daily arrivals from the city, besides the two tri-weekly lines for Bethlehem. Allowing the capacity of each coach to be twelve, this shows an accommodation by these several lines in going and returning daily of two hundred and forty passengers. We may well judge what a revenue was derived from this source by inn-keepers, toll-collectors and the village smith. The Edge Hill Furnace is located in the extreme east corner of Springfield, adjoining the Cheltenham and Abington line. It, was commenced in 1868, but not fully completed until 1872. It went into operation in January of that year, conducted by the Edge Hill Iron Company, who also erected here for the use of the workmen seventeen three-story stone dwelling-houses. The land attached is one hundred and twenty-three acres, abounding in extensive deposits of iron-ore, and having a farm buildings upon it. It is now conducted by Joseph E. Thropp and Charles Richardson, and when visited, in September, 1883, had in employ fifty-five hands at the furnace, and about one hundred and fifty engaged in procuring and preparing the several materials requisite to carry it on, as ore, coal, limestone and marble. About one-third of the ore used is procured on the adjoining lands, the rest from elsewhere, which is so combined as to produce the best quality of iron. The average product had formerly been about two hundred and twenty-five tons per week, but the present energetic proprietors have attained to as high as three hundred and forty tons. Iron has been produced here that showed, on analysis ninety-seven per cent. of pure metal. The engine used has a capacity of five hundred horse-power, and two fly-wheels, each of which weigh fifty tons. These works are situated beside the North Pennsylvania, Railroad, and at the northern end of Edge Hill village. From its elevated situation the two lofty stacks serve as conspicuous landmarks to the surrounding country. In the vicinity of Sandy Run Station a considerable quantity of time is annually produced and sent off by railroad to other sections, especially to Philadelphia, for building purposes. The limestone and iron-ore surface of Springfield takes up about two-thirds of its entire area. As to the latter, immense quantities have been dug during the last forty years, particularly in the vicinity of Flourtown, Edge Hill village and Five Points. Near the latter place also a considerable quantity of fire-clay has been procured for the interior linings of furnaces, which is well adapted to resist heat. 1075 ASSESSMENT OF SPRINGFIELD, 1776. Henry Dewees, assessor, and Jacob Neff, collector. William Nice, 200 acres, 3 horses, 2 cattle, 1 servant William Ottinger, 2 h., 5 c. Jacob Nice, 5 a Conrad Redheffer, 75 a. 2 h. 3 c William Hicks, 100 a. 2 h. 4 c Leonard Redlion, 1h. 1 c Christopher Rex, 100 a. 4 h. 2 c Christian Donet, 110 a. 6 h. 2 c Christian Friend, 93 a., paper-mill, grist-mill, 3 h., 3 c Andrew Redheffer, Jr., 160 a. 4 h. 3 c Andrew Redheffer, 2 h. 4 c Philip Miller, innkeeper, 30 a 2 h. 3 c Henry Marcer, 1h. 1 c John Ottinger, 100 a. 3 h. 5 c. 75 acres in Upper Dublin Jacob Haricher, 5 a Jost Art, 2a 1 c Conrad Mason, 1 a. 1 c John Fry, 1 c John Hammel, 1 c John Kenner, innkeeper, 16 a. 1h. 2 c Ulrich Wagoner, shoemaker, 4 a. 1 c Andrew Hiberger, 2 c David Mack, smith, 3 a. 1 servant 1c Abraham Waggerly, 2 a. 1c Jacob Miller, cooper, 10 a. 1h. 1 c Adam Deem, 1h. 1 c Susanna Koons, widow, 12 h. 2 c Balser Hiderich, 10 a. 1 h. 1 c John Server, weaver, 4 a. 1 c Jacob Leslie, tailor Barnabus Francis, 4 a Christopher Ottinger. 286 a. 1 servant 4 h. 4 c Jacob Neff, innkeeper, 35 a and tan-yard 1 servant 1h. 1 c George Nice, 1h., 1 c Frederick Kelhooper, 1 c George Fulkemer, 1 c Jacob Kerbach, 19 a. 1 c Adam Snyder, 70 a. 2 h. 2 c William Levering. 30 a. 1h. 2 c Henry Koons, 5 a. 1 c Felix Detwiler, shoemaker, 10 a. 2 C Adam Shisler, 4 a. 2 c Jacob Norker, laborer, 2 h 3 c William Burk, 1 c Henry Bisbing, 200 a. 4 h. 5 c Andrew Fie, 11 a. 1h. 2 c Rudoldh Ebright, 2 h. 3 c Philip Peterman, 1 a. 1 c Abrahant Hiderich, carpenter, 1h. 2 c Michael Slatter, minister, 130 a. 2 h. 5 c Christopher Lance, mason Jacob Fisher, 50 a. 2 c William Boler, weaver Henry Overlander, 20 a. I h. 2 c Christopher Hisler, laborer, 24 a. 1h. 2 c George Sneering, 15 a. 1 c Peter Niswander, 1a. 2 c Jacob Staley, 1 h. 2 c John Streeper, innkeeper, 60 a. 2 h. I c John Linn, cooper, 1 c Henry Dewees, 120 a. 1 servant. 4 h., 5 c John Thomas Morris Jacob Hempfer John Shisler Baltus Wolf Jacob Rister John Hayberger Adam Snyder William Dewees Jr. THE BETHESDA HOME is situated in Springfield township, on the public road dividing Montgomery County from the northwestern limits of the city of Philadelphia. The premises contain about eight acres of land and are valued in the assessment books of the township at twenty-two thousand dollars, but are not taxed. The locality is healthful, and the region abounds in highly improved farms and elegant suburban residences. It is near Wyndmoor Station, on the Philadelphia and Chestnut Hill Railroad, and is convenient of access by well-kept public highways in all directions. The Bethesda Home is one among the comparatively few Christian charities sustained by voluntary offerings, without personal solicitation from those who have undertaken its management, and who have, in a spirit of broad humanity and an unquestioning faith in God, devoted themselves to the relief of the poor and helpless unfortunates found in all crowded communities. The citizens of the commonwealth point with a sense of pride to the splendid public charities sustained by appropriations made annually by legislative authority, but perhaps at no point from the Delaware to the Ohio will be found an institution so universal in its efforts to benefit those most in need, or so tender fit its offices of mercy and philanthropy, and at no place, have a Christian people been more appreciative and responsive than those living in humble homes and abodes of affluence within the circle of influence of this home. In the year 1851 a lady of Quaker parentage, but who had somewhat departed from the simplicity and plainness of her ancestors, united herself with the Methodist Episcopal Church, and through the earnest endeavors of this woman the work carried on by the Bethesda Home has been accomplished. A few years after her connection with the church, Annie Clements was appointed to take charge of a class connected with a missionary church, on Eleventh Street, in the southern part of Philadelphia. The subject of founding an institution or home by which these objects could be accomplished was constantly borne in mind by Miss Clements and prayerfully considered by her. The business in which she was engaged was of such a nature that she was unable to give her personal attention to the direction of an institution such as she had in her mind, and she therefore wrote to a friend in Trenton, a devoted Christian lady, who, being free from domestic cares, was consecrating all her time and talents to doing well as she found opportunity. After much prayer and deliberation, this friend consented to Miss Clements proposition to become a co-laborer in this good work. About this time art acquaintance wished to open a store at the corner of Eleventh and Ellsworth Streets, and let out the upper part of the building. In some respects this house was well adapted for Miss Clements purposes, and thou It not able to carry out both objects in view, she felt that here was an opening by which she might accomplish one. The place had some inconveniences. Being a corner house, there was a great deal of front; the yard was small; there was no bath and only one small room on the first floor to be used by the occupants of the house. It was a four-storied building with three rooms on a floor, well arranged and ventilated, with high ceilings and many windows. Thus, in 1859, the house was taken, trusting in God to send both inmates and support. At first all the rooms were not appropriated to the institution; some were let out for a time to poor, respectable women; but as the family increased and rooms were vacated they were gradually occupied. Just at this time another Christian friend called on Miss Clement who seemed to be fitted for carrying out a work of faith; and being disengaged, Miss Clement told her of the proposed work, and asked if she was willing to assist the lady previously mentioned, in conducting the house, as her own business would not let permit her to engage in the work personally. This sister also consented, and on the 3d of November they took up their abode at the home. During, the first year donations were very few, publicity had not entered into any of their calculations, and the Bethesda Home was not known beyond the circle of the personal acquaintances of its originators. Much of the expense of the establishment was borne by Miss Clement herself; but there was enough received from other sources to assure those who were laboring that the work was acceptable to God, and that He was pleased to have them go to Him with all their wants, instead of soliciting donations through human agency. 1076 In the early part of May, while on a visit of a few days to a friend at Chestnut Hill, a large and commodious house was offered to Miss Clement for rent. The rent, six hundred, dollars a year, seemed very high; but the location was desirable. In a situation celebrated for its salubrity, a garden already planted with vegetables for the ensuing summer, an orchard and several acres of ground attached, rendered it a very suitable place for such a family. In a few days arrangements were completed, and the inmates of Bethesda Home prepared to move on the 1st of June. At that time, Miss Clement, having freed her from all business engagements, took up her residence at the house. During the next ten years the good work went on, still supported by voluntary subscriptions. Within this time the home, a peaceful retreat for the aged and a shelter for the destitute and friendless orphans, cared for twenty old women, blessing God for a quiet Christian home in which to end their days. Also three hundred and fifty found here a refuge from poverty and neglect, and were brought under careful Christian training. In 1872, Mr. Henry J. Williams, of Chestnut Hill, besides much previous kindness, built a large and commodious house for this home, at the location previously described. It is a large, comfortable looking stone house, with a fine portico in front and a carriage drive to the door. The parlor is a beautiful room, neatly and appropriately furnished. The school-room, on the other side of the hall, is also pleasant, light and cheerful in all its appointments. The whole second floor is so nicely heated by the furnace that the children are not confined to one room, but have the range of bedrooms, hall and playroom, which conduces to their health. The floors are laid in hard wood, and the chambers are all furnished with single iron bedsteads. The third floor is furnished much like the second. Two communicating rooms are here set apart for sick nurseries, so that in contagious diseases the patient can immediately be separated from the rest of the family. The beautiful views of the surrounding landscape, which are visible from the large and airy windows of this lovely home, make the neat lodging-rooms doubly attractive. At the close of the year 1872 it was found that the donations, including all moneys received for children's board, amounted to $1789.35 for current expenses, besides which the sum of one thousand dollars was given for furnishing the new house. In 1873 the children were moved into their new home, and many and liberal were the offerings of friends, which greatly added to the comfort of the little ones. During this year the donations for current expenses and money paid for childrens board amounted to $1888.40, which covered all expenses of clothing, provisions, wages, etc. All bills had been paid monthly during this year, as was the original intention of the founder of the home. But in times of great need she allowed herself to be drawn into debt, and this is not a matter of surprise when it is remembered that she had a family of thirty or forty to supply daily with food and clothes, and many additional expenses. Through the kindness of friends they were enabled to commence the year 1874 free from all debt. The year 1875 opened with a balance on hand of $13.95, and closed with forty-five children in the institution and a balance on hand of $4.96. The expenditures for that year were $3241.26, and the receipts resulting from the two fairs held at Mrs. F's and Mr. A. C's, children's board and other cash receipts amounted to $3246.22. The number of children had increased to ninety-one when the year 1879 began. Sixty-eight were received during the year, seven were adopted, one was placed in Girard College, thirteen placed in good homes, two died, thirty-one were taken by their parents, three left with their mothers who were here at service. Fifty-seven being thus disposed of, it left the number one hundred and two at the close of 1879. The receipts this year were $5189.41, and expenditures $5169.74, leaving a balance of $19.67. From the report of Bethesda Home for the year 1883 it is found that the number of children had increased to one hundred and forty-one. The receipts of the Home for 1883 were $9695.22, and expenditures $9114.75, leaving a balance in hand of $580.47 The work is distinctively a "faith" work. The feature which distinguishes it from other of like object is direct dependence upon God. It is that practical and entire reliance upon the promises and providence of God in Jesus Christ which casts off and aims to continue free from all earthly dependence, and which while fully recognizing and heartily responding to the human agencies in Divine beneficence, makes its requests known directly and only to God, the great giver of every good and perfect gift, with full assurance that "the Lord will provide." The property belonging to this Home consists of eight acres of ground and the buildings thereon erected, which, together with the interest of an invested sum of thirty thousand dollars, was bequeathed to trustees for the use of the home by the late Henry J. Williams. His will directs the incorporation of the Home, indites the charter and names the corporators; but directs that "The Trustees, to whom the lot of ground and appurtences above mentioned and devised in trust to procure an act of incorporation, shall hold the same without applying for any such act so long as the present manager of the 'Home,' Miss A. W. Clement, is able and willing to continue the manager thereof, and they shall permit her to have the full, force and absolute control of the internal affairs of the same so long as she is willing to remain; but upon her death, resignation or departure, then to apply for an act of incorporation, according to the provisions of the foregoing Codicil to my will." 1077 Mr. Williams, in his endowment, only perpetuates his customary annual contribution to the Home. Owing to the decrease in the rate of interest and the growth of the work (continually increasing the cost of its maintenance), the endowment is now less than twenty per cent of the actual cost of carrying on the institution. HENRY J. WILLIAMS, to whose memory the Bethesda Home of Chestnut Hill is only one of many monuments in this immediate region, and whose character is held in reverent love, not only by the people of this locality, but by those of a far wider circle, because of his many benefactions and the constant exercise of his kindly qualities throughout a long lifetime, was a native of Philadelphia, and was born upon Christmas day, 1791. His descent was through a line of distinguished ancestors, nearly all of who were possessed of those elements of Christian piety which attained so rich and perfect a fruition in the subject of the present biography. His paternal grandfather was a Puritan, a native of Boston, Mass., a man of wealth, of integrity, of extensive influence, a member of the honored hand of patriots who struggled successfully against the tyranny of Great Britain, and the chairman of that memorable assemblage at Faneuil Hall which resolved to prohibit the landing of the cargo of tea sent from the mother country, which was afterwards thrown into the waters of the harbor. He suffered a penalty for his patriotism, for when the British invested Boston all of his property was either confiscated or destroyed. The wife of this Boston patriot was also of Puritan stuck and a relative of Benjamin Franklin. Their son, and the father of our subject, was General J. Williams, a man of most excellent character and the first superintendent of West Point Military Academy. Mr. Williams' mother was the daughter of William Alexander, Esq., of Edinburgh, Scotland, a near relative of Lord Stirling. Thus in his youth Mr. Williams enjoyed the advantages of high social rank. He had naturally fine qualities of mind, and they were developed by a careful military and collegiate education. In due time he chose the profession of law, studied under that eminent jurist, Horace Binney, Esq., began practice under favorable conditions, secured a lucrative practice and attained great distinction in his profession. Mr. Williams, early in his professional life, was united in marriage with Julia, daughter of the celebrated Dr. Benjamin Rush, of Philadelphia, who, abandoning, in a great measure, the gayeties and pleasures of fashionable society, for which her high position and great personal attractions fitted her, became the efficient helpmate of her husband in all of his earnest work for the improvement of those around him and the advancement of the Christian religion. The greatest works of Mr. Williams for the betterment of his fellowman, and those which most endeared him to the people of this community, were performed during the latter part of his life. Indeed, his riper years were almost entirely devoted to charity and the church. The writer of an appreciative sketch says, "Though in the judgment of others Mr. Williams had been for years an exemplary Christian, yet he did not unite himself to the church until the year 1850, when he was received into full membership in the First Presbyterian Church of Philadelphia. . . . "When the Calvary Presbyterian Church organized Mr. Williams was one of its early members, and continued one of its liberal supporters for several years". It was in 1857 that Mr. Williams, having accumulated considerable wealth and retired from active professional life, purchased a beautiful country seat at Chestnut Hill, where he spent the last years of his life. Soon after his removal here be identified himself with the local church of the Presbyterian denomination, to which he transferred his membership from Calvary Church in 1866, being elected ruling elder on August 15. At this time, when in his seventy-sixth year, he seemed to receive a new impetus of spiritual energy, and his activity from then until very shortly before his death suffered little abatement. The first of his organized and extensive liberalities was the building of an attractive and commodious edifice for a public library, which he fitted and furnished and supplied with several thousand volumes, These were made free to all classes in the community especially the workingmen. This institution was named the Christian Hall Library. All of the current expenses of this establishment were defrayed by Mr. Williams during his life, and he left a large endowment for its use. Another monument of his liberality is the building occupied by the Orphan Home, known as the Bethesda Home of Chestnut Hill, of which a sketch has been given. This institution was also left a liberal bequest. A second building was erected by Mr. Williams a short time prior to his death. Private benefactions, after all, engrossed the greater part of Mr. Williams' attention. They were most carefully and yet most generously bestowed, and there is no means of knowing their extent, for he distributed his alms most quietly and unostentatiously. He was actuated by the highest Christian principles, and gave not merely for the pleasure which it afforded him. Labor for the advancement of the religion which be held sacred was the only form of activity which equalled or exceeded his practical charity. In this he was most zealous and untiring. He organized Bible-classes for youths and adults, and even at fourscore years of age was active in conducting them, giving instructions in the form of expository lectures. Of these lectures he left notes, some of which, after his death, were deemed of such value that, edited by Dr. R. Owen, they were published, -"Studies on the Epistle to the Hebrews," Philadelphia, Grant, Faires & Rodgers. The little work gives a fair insight into Mr. Williams' mind and heart. "The author was not a mere copyist, . . . The whole is pervaded with an humble, devout and reverent spirit. 1078 Mr. Williams' long life, crowded with good, unselfish, faithful, pious and pure deeds, had a happy close, the last scenes being in harmony with his whole career. "He died full of riches, full of honors, full of years". BIOGRAPHICAL SKETCHES. DANIEL YEAKEL. Daniel Yeakel, the grandson of Abraham Yeakel and his wife, Sarah Wagner, and the son of Isaac and Regina Schultz Yeakel, was born March 27, 1816, on the ancestral land purchased by Christopher Yeakel the progenitor of the family, prior to the war of the Revolution, and bequeathed to his son Abraham, above mentioned. Here the youth of the subject of this biographical sketch was spent in attendance at the neighboring school and later at schools in Cheltenham and at Chestnut Hill. He returned to the farm and assisted his father in its cultivation until his marriage, which occurred in June, 1845, to Amanda, daughter of Adam Heilig. Her death occurred in August, 1849, and he was a second time married, in 1868, to B. Amanda, daughter of John Bush, of Lansdale, Montgomery Co., Pa. The children of the latter union are Emma B. Daniel Dawson. PICTURE OF DANIEL YEAKLE, APPEARS HERE. On the occasion of his first marriage Mr. Yeakel rented the homestead farm for a period of two years. On the death of his father be became possessor by inheritance of a portion of the property and purchased the remaining interest. His pursuits from that time until the present have not varied greatly from the accustomed routine of the agriculturalist. Mr. Yeakel has manifested, during his active life, a deep interest in public matters connected with the township, and by his sympathy and personal efforts aided greatly in its growth and development. 1079 These efforts have not been confined to the township, but have extended to the county. His political affiliations are with the Republican party, though he has never aspired to official position, and filled minor offices in the township only when urgently solicited and from a public-spirited motive. Mr. Yeakel is an active member of the Masonic fraternity and the oldest representative of Hiram Lodge, No. 81, of Chestnut Hill. He is also a member of St. John's Chapter, No. 232, and of St. John's Commandery, No. 4, both of Philadelphia. His religious associations are with St. Peter's Evangelical Lutheran Church, at Lafayette Hill, of which he is a member and with which he has held official relations. PICTURE OF JACOB YEAKLE, APPEARS HERE. JACOB YEAKLE. The great progenitor of the Yeakle (Jaeckel) family was Christopher, who died in Silesia, Germany. His son, Christopher, when eighteen years of age, came with his widowed mother, Regina, to America, in 1734, and settled in Pennsylvania. He was apprenticed to a cooper, and continued during his lifetime to follow his trade. He built, in 1743, the log house still standing at Cresheim, Germantown township, Philadelphia Co., which was his dwelling until prior to the Revolution, when he purchased the property on the summit of Chestnut Hill, and died there in 1810, in his ninety-second years, leaving a considerable estate. Christopher Yeakle married, August 9, 1743, Maria, daughter of Balthaser and Susanna Schultz, whose children were Susanna, born 1744 Maria, in 1747 Regina, in 1749 Abraham, in 1752 Anna, in 1755 Christopher, in 1757. Abraham of this number, married Sarah, daughter of Christopher Wagner, on the 10th of October 1776, and had children, - Isaac, born in 1777 Samuel, in 1779 Jacob, in 1780 Susannah, in 1782 Maria, in 1784. The death of Abraham Yeakle occurred on the 17th of June 1841, and that of his wife, Sarah, May 28th, 1833. Their son, Jacob, the subject of this sketch, was born on the 29th of September 1780, in Springfield township, Montgomery Co., where his whole life was spent. Very few opportunities of instruction were offered to the youth of that early day, a sufficient knowledge of the mother tongue and of arithmetic to transact ordinary business alone being deemed important. Mr. Yeakle was employed at the work of the farm owned by his father until 1806, when he purchased the property, in Springfield township, now owned by his son, William, where he resided until his death, May 29, 1863. 1080 He married Gertrude, daughter of George Urffer, on the 1st of November 1808, and had children, - Susan, born in 1809 Joseph, 1811 Leah, 1814 Charles, in 1817 George, 1820 William, in 1821. George married Amanda, daughter of Peter Streeper, and has three children. Leah married Thomas L. Bates, and has had seven children. Jacob Yeakle was a successful farmer, devoting his attention principally to dairying and marketing in Philadelphia. He was a Whig in politics, and although interested in all that pertained to the good of the township of his residence, did not accept office, having always business matters of importance to occupy his attention. He was a man of marked integrity, of whom it might be said with truth that "his word was as good as his bond." His opinion was much respected in questions of weight, his services often being desired in the settlement of estates and in the capacity of executor. In religion he adhered to the Schwenkfelder faith, which was that of his ancestors, and worshiped with the meeting in Towamencin township. PICTURE OF JOSEPH YEAKLE, APPEARS HERE. JOSEPH YEAKLE. The oldest son of Jacob and Gertrude Yeakle, was born on the 11th of April, 1811, in Springfield township on the homestead, where his life has been spent. The winter months were devoted to school, and the remainder of the year, during boyhood, to labor on the farm of his father, where was found an abundance of work for willing hands to execute. He ultimately rented the farm lying adjacent to the homestead, which belonged to his father, and in 1848 purchased the property. He was, in 1836, married to Miss Elizabeth, daughter of John Huston, whose birth occurred April 1, 1813. Their children were Huston, born in 1835 James, in 1837 Emily (Mrs. James Nash) 1839 Elenora (deceased), 1842 Daniel W. (deceased), 1844 Jacob, 1847 Elvie (Mrs. Cleaver Supplee), 1850. Mrs. Yeakle died in 1852, and Mr. Yeakle was a second time married, in 1854, to Miss Mary Huston, whose death occurred in 1877. Their children are John H., born in 1853 (deceased), and Thomas C., whose birth occurred in 1855. Mr. Yeakle continued farming until 1870, when, desiring to be relieved from the hard labor which had been his portion from youth, he retired and made Flourtown, Montgomery Co., his home. He has been a firm adherent of the Republican party since its organization, and although not an office-seeker, holds the appointment of postmaster in the village. 1081 He has been since 1881, associated with his daughter-in-law, Mrs. Daniel W. Yeakle, in the management of a store at Flourtown. In religion he is a supporter of the Presbyterian Church, of the latter place, though not identified as one of its members. PICTURE OF CHARLES YEAKLE, APPEARS HERE. CHARLES YEAKLE. The second son of Jacob and Gertrude Yeakle was born July 7, 1817, on the homestead, now owned by his brother, William. Here his youth, passed with his parents, was varied by the enjoyment of advantages of education, in some slight degree superior to those ordinarily obtained, at Flourtown, Whitemarsh, and at the Hicks school, at Springfield. After a period devoted to labor on the home-farm he, in connection with his brother, William cultivated the land on shares, from 1843 until 1849, when he removed to his present home, then owned by his father. This he occupied as a tenant until 1863, when it became his by inheritance. Mr. Yeakle was married, on the 10th of March 1843, to Sarah, daughter of Michael and Barbara Urffer Neuss, of Upper Hanover Township, Montgomery Co., whose only child, Levi, died in February 1861. Charles Yeakle has devoted his life to the employments of a farmer and the extensive mining of iron-ore. While successful in these branches of industry, he has found neither time nor inclination for other pursuits. He is a Republican in politics, having been formally allied to the Old Line Whig party. Though formerly the incumbent of one or more minor offices, he is not ambitious for political honors. His services have been sought on frequent occasions in the capacity of guardian and trustee, which appointments have been, with rare exceptions, declined. Mr. Yeakle now worships with the Presbyterian Church, though reared in the faith of the Schwenkfelders. WILLIAM YEAKLE. The youngest son of Jacob and Gertrude Yeakle, was born on the 7th of November, 1821, in Springfield township, where he has since remained, and is now one of its most influential citizens. His educational opportunities were not superior to those of his brothers, being confined to a few months of instruction, chiefly during the winter. He was reared from youth to habits of industry, and at an early age became useful to his father in his farm employments. He later rented the homestead until the death of the latter, when a portion came to him as his patrimony, the remainder being secured by purchase. 1082 On this place he still resides, and is, as formerly, actively engaged in the various avocations pertaining to a farmer's life. Mr. Yeakle was married, on the 27th of December 1849, to Mary, daughter of Jacob Wentz, whose birth occurred September 24, 1826. Their children are Atwood, born 1850 Gertrude, 1852 Ambrose, 1854 John, 1857. PICTURE OF WILLIAM YEAKLE. APPEARS HERE. Mr. Yeakle is a member of the board of directors of the Montgomery National Bank, of Norristown. A Republican in his political views, is not active in the field of politics, and finds little leisure for pursuits aside from his life as an agriculturalist. Mr. Yeakle is an attendant upon the services of the Lutheran Church, of which Mrs. Yeakle in a member. GEORGE LOWER. George Lower was born January 30, 1823, on a twenty-acre farm in Springfield Township, Montgomery Co., Pa. His father, Joseph, died at the age of ninety, and his mother, Ann, at seventy-six years of age. At the age of nineteen, with other young men of the neighborhood, George Lower raised a military company, of which he was made one of the lieutenants; they became so perfect in drill that they would go through the manual by the tap of the drum. In 1844 they received orders to go to the city to help suppress the riots, and in four hours were marching with forty-seven men and their big six-pound cannon. They marched direct to the Girard Bank, and from thence to the Arsenal, where now stands John Wanamaker's stores. In 1846 the Mexican war broke out, and George Lower, with his brother Henry, went to Philadelphia and joined Captain R. K. Scott's company of Cadwalader Grays, which, when the First Regiment was formed, became H Company, went to Mexico and participated in the taking of the city of Vera Cruz and the Castle of San Juan Del Ulloa, which capitulated on the 29th of March, 1847. The First Regiment of Pennsylvania Volunteers, Company H being one of the companies, was commanded by Colonel Francis M. Wynkoop. Mr. Lower participated in all the important engagements of the war, including Cerro Gordo. After peace had been concluded he returned to Philadelphia, where he arrived in July 1848, and was mustered out and discharged. He then returned to Springfield township, and in the fall of that year was elected county auditor, and in 1854 was elected recorder of deeds, and whilst in office removed from the old buildings to the new offices in the new court-house, and recorded the first deed. After going out of office he went to Flourtown, in Springfield Township. In the spring of 1858 he was elected a justice of the peace and has served almost continually since. 1083 ENOCH SHOEMAKER. Enoch Shoemaker, who for more than a half-century has been a resident of Springfield township, is a descendant of George Shoemaker, who (with one or two others) came from Wales to Pennsylvania - on special invitation from William Penn, landing in 1685 at Chester, where he afterwards married Sarah, a daughter of Richard Waylen, who was a preacher of the Society of Friends. Nothing of the subsequent life of George Shoemaker has been ascertained. A son, or grandson, of his was Jacob Shoemaker, who, with his wife, Margaret, were residents of Whitemarsh township, and parents of the following-named children: Matthias and Jonathan (twins), born 14th of Twelfth Month, 1736 Barbary, born 30th of Sixth Month, 1738 Jonathan (second of the name), born 16th of Twelfth Month, 1739 Isaac, born 16th of Eleventh Month, 1741; Hannah, born 10th of Ninth Month, 1743 Elisabeth, born 30th of Eleventh Month, 1745 Sarah, born 3d of Second Month, 1748 David, born 30th of First Month, 1753. PICTURE OF ENOCH SHOEMAKER, APPEARS HERE. The first-named of these children, Matthias Shoemaker, was grandfather of Enoch, the immediate subject of this biographical notice. He lived in Whitpain township on it farm which He purchased in 1777, and which is now owned by his grandson, Charles K. Shoemaker. On that farm he died January 17, 1816. His wife was Hannah Kenderdine, of Horsham. Their children were Agnes, born September 23, 1765 Margaret, born September 8, 1767 Dorothy, born July 25, 1769 Thomas, born August 6, 1771 Rachel, born December 18, 1773 Mary, born July 19, 1775. The daughters all lived unmarried, three of them reaching an age exceeding eighty years. The only son, Thomas, became owner of his father's farm in Whitpain. His wife was Jane, daughter of David Supplee, who lived in Norriton township, on the farm now owned by Andrew F. Hiltner, of Norristown. The children of Thomas and Jane (Supplee) Shoemaker, were Enoch (the subject of this memoir) born September 25, 1804 Job, born in 1805, and died in his twenty-second year David, born in 1806 (father of John K. Shoemaker, of Philadelphia) Allen, born in 1808, and now living in Lewisburg, Pa. Matthias, born February 17, 1810 (now of Philadelphia) Hannah (died in infancy) Jesse (died in Canada) Charles K., now living on the Shoemaker homestead in Whitpain township. Enoch, eldest son of Thomas and Jane Shoemaker was married, March 8, 1832, to Rachel Mitchel, daughter of Jacob and Sarah (Hallowell) Mitchel, whose home was in Springfield township, on the homestead farm, now owned and occupied by Enoch Shoemaker. Sarah, the wife of Jacob Mitchel, was a descendant of Edward Farmer, the first settler in Whitemarsh. 1084 Jacob Mitchell was born in Whitemarsh, of parents who came there from Germany. His father was a leading man in that township and a prominent member of St. Peter's Lutheran Church, at Barren Hill. The children of Jacob and Sarah Mitchel were Elizabeth, born in 1791, married James Pierce, of Plymouth township, and died in 1873 Mary, born in 1793, married Andrew Fisher, of Chestnut Hill, and died in 1873 Sarah, born in 1795, married Frederick Klair, of Gwynedd, and died in 1866 Abigail, born in 1798, married William Cowden, of Plymouth, and died in August, 1861 John, born in 1801, lived in Springfield, and died in 1853 Ann, born in 1804, now widow of Valentine Keely, of Roxborough Rachel, born September 19, 1806, now wife of Enoch Shoemaker Hannah, born in 1809, married Phineas Michener, of Plymouth township, and died in 1867. Enoch and Rachel (Mitchel) Shoemaker have been the parents of the following-named children: Samuel, born August 8,1833, died in infancy Charles, born July 8, 1836, now living in Whitpain township Hannah, born May 3, 1839, now Mrs. John H. Mann, of Horsham Sallie J., born July 25, 1843, attended a select school taught by Enoch H. Supplee, of Philadelphia Mary Amanda, born March 26, 1846, died in the fifth year of her age. Charles, second son of Enoch Shoemaker, attended the common school, also the school of G. D. Wolfe, at Norristown, in the fall and winter of 1856. He was married to Mary S., daughter of Joseph P. Conard, of Whitpain township. December 24, 1863. They have been the parents of children as follows: Joseph Conard Enoch (died in infancy) Ella Rebecca J. Rachel Annie C. Mary K. Charles Frank. Hannah Shoemaker, daughter of Enoch and Rachel, attended the Adelphia Institute, at Norristown, during the winter and spring of 1857. She was married, March 13, 1862, to John H. Mann, of Horsham. Mr. Mann is a descendent of an ancestor who came to America in 1733, and settled in Bucks County. In 1748 he moved to a farm of one hundred and sixty-four acres, which he had taken up in Horsham township. Samuel Mann, grandfather of John H., was married, in 1777, to Margaret Keith, daughter of William Keith, of Makefield, Bucks Co., at whose house General Washington had his headquarters when he marched against the Hessians at Trenton, on the night of December 25, 1776. The children of John H. and Hannah (Shoemaker) Mann have been Charles S., now a student in the State Normal School, at West Chester W. Henry Albert H. Rachel, deceased Enoch, died in infancy Sallie L. Walter Ann Cornelia. Mrs. Mann is a member of Puff's Lutheran Church, in Upper Dublin. Mr. Shoemaker, the subject of this memoir, received in his youth only such education as was afforded by the common country schools of that time. He was apprenticed to Morgan Morgan, in Gwynedd township, to learn the blacksmiths trade at which he afterwards worked about one year with Andrew Fisher, at Chestnut Hill, soon after which he left the business and returned to his father's farm in Whitpain, where he remained until his marriage. He then settled in Springfield township on his father-in-law's farm, which he rented from year to year for sixteen years, and then purchased. He has now lived on the place for fifty-three years. For the first thirty-two years after his marriage he lived in the old farm-house, then removed to the new house, which has now been his residence for twenty- one years. Mr. Shoemaker was by birthright a Friend. Mrs. Shoemaker is a member of St. Peter's Lutheran Church at Barren Hill. Their daughter, Sallie J., is a member of the Manatawny Baptist Church. On the 8th of March 1882, the "golden wedding" festival of Enoch and Rachel Shoemaker was celebrated at their house by eighty-four persons, nearly all of whom were members of the family. The Rev. William Smith, of the Cold Point Baptist Church, and the Rev. Charles T. Pritchard, of St. Peter's Lutheran Church, were present and conducted the religious exercises, which were preceded and followed by vocal and instrumental music. The presents were numerous and valuable. The family history was read by Charles S. Mann, grandson of the venerable couple. The ceremonies and festivities were continued during the entire day, and the occasion was one which will be long remembered by those who participated in it. CHAPTER LXXIV. TOWAMENCIN TOWNSHIP. By Wm. J. Buck. TOWAMENCIN [See NOTE] township is one of the central townships of the county, bounded on the northeast by Hatfield, south by Worcester, southeast by Gwynedd, southwest by Perkiomen and west by Lower Salford. Its greatest length is four and a half miles, breadth nearly three, with an area of about six thousand acres. The surface is slightly rolling, and the soil a red shale. It is watered by the Skippack and Towamencin Creeks. The former has a course of nearly three miles, but furnishes no valuable water-power. The latter is a branch of the Skippack, and lies almost wholly within the township, and in a course of six miles propels two grist-mills. These streams also receive several tributaries within this territory, all of which go to help the volume of the Skippack, a confluent of the Perkiomen. [NOTE: The name of this township is spelled both Towamencin and Towamensing. Though there is good reason for thinking that Towamensing was the original spelling, we have adopted Towamencin because it is spelled in official proceedings at Norristown, and has been for many years. End NOTE.] 1085 The only material public improvement is the Spring House and Sumneytown turnpike, finished in 1848, which crosses the township for a distance of three miles near its centre. According to the census of 1800, it contained 473 inhabitants in 1840, 763 in 1880, 1282. Although its progress has not been rapid, yet every decade has shown an increase. Th real estate in 1882 for taxable purposes was valued at $847,735, and including the personal, $929,235. The taxables were 313, and the aggregate per head is $2968, making it in point of wealth the tenth township in the county, and almost the equal of Gwynedd. In 1883 we find here two hotels one hardware one boot and shoe one general store three dealers in flour and feed. It contains six public schools, open six months, with an average attendance of 233 scholars in 1851; five schools were open four months, with an, average of 142 pupils. The census of 1830 gives 144 houses 175 families 132 farms. It contains five churches belonging, respectively, to the Mennonites Dunkards Lutheran, Reformed Schwenkfelders Methodists. Towamencin is a name of Indian origin, and no doubt was taken from the stream bearing it. In March, 1728, the territory was formed into a town ship, and at the request of the petitioners called Towamencin. A draft thereof in the records states its area to be "about five thousand five hundred acres." Although its boundaries have not since been changed, yet, like all other early surveys, its area is now made somewhat more, no doubt in part brought about by a closer or more exact measurement through the increased value of lands. A list of the land-holders and tenants of this township was prepared in 1734, which we now propose to give here in full, being thirty-two in number, which necessarily must contain some of its earliest settlers, of whom, to a limited extent, a further account will be given: Joseph Morgan, 200 acres James Wall, 100 John Morgan, 200 Daniel Morgan, 200 Daniel Williams, 200 John Edwards, 250 Joseph Lukens, 200 Jacob Hill, 100 Hugh Evans, 180 Cadwallader Evans, 100 Christian Weber, 50 Nicholas Lesher, 150 Paul Hendricks, 100 Jacob Fry, 200 Peter Weber, 150 Peter Tyson, 100 Christian Brinaman, 150 Lawrence Hendricks, 150 Garret Schrager, 100 Leonard Hendricks, 150 Henry Hendricks, 123 Herman Gotschalk, 100 John Gotschalk, 120 Gotschalk Gotschalk, 120 Abraham Lukens, 200 Francis Griffith, 100 William Nash, 50 Henry Fry, 50 Felty Consenhiser, 23 Peter Wentz William Tennis, 25 Jellis Jellis, 22 acres. It is apparent, in examining the above list that many of the early settlers came hither after a brief residence in or around Germantown. As their children grew up and the country became more improved they, moved to where cheaper lands abounded, though at the expense of greater toil. The first land probably taken up in Towamencin was a grant of one thousand acres from Penn's commissioners of property to Benjamin Furley, June 8, 1703. This was purchased nine days later from Furley's attorneys by Abraham Tennis and Jan Lucken, who, in 1709, divided it, each taking five hundred acres. This tract embraced the northern part of the township and extended to the present Skippack road, and perhaps as far down as Kulpsville. Here they settled and made the first improvements, and even to this day the descendants of John Lucken or Lukens retain a portion of the ancestral tract. Henry Fry purchased twelve hundred and fifty acres on the Towamencin Creek from Benjamin Fairman, December 10, 1724, on which he also was the first settler. The Tennis family, it appears, for awhile flourished here. On the list of 1734 we find only the name of William Tennis with 25 acres, but in 1776, Samuel Tennis was 192 acres, and William and Israel Tennis. They possessed an old burial-place in the southeast part of the township, though the name has now become extinct in this section. Christian Weber made his purchase in 1728, and very likely then made his residence here. Wilhelm, Heinrich, Lorentz and Gerhart Hendricks resided at Germantown before 1700. William Hendricks and his sons, Henry and Lawrence, were naturalized in 1709, to hold and enjoy lands. Among the descendants of those in the list of 1734, the Hendricks and the Gotschalks are still numerous, and the names of Lukens, Wentz, Fry and Edwards are still here. The last is the only surviving one of those of English or Welsh origin, who then constituted over one-third of the total number. William Nash, in May 1747, was a collector of taxes in Towamencin. Jan Lucken came from Holland in the fall of 1688 and shortly afterwards settled at Germantown. According to his Bible record, he had seven sons and four daughters Elias was born in 1686 William, 1687 John, 1691 Peter, 1696 Mathias, 1700 Abraham, 1703 Joseph, in 1705. Jan Lucken made his will October 9, 1741, leaving to his son Abraham three hundred acres, to be taken off the southeast side of his tract, and the balance he directed to be sold. Abraham made his will March 31, 1776, by which it appears he had nine children,- John Mathias William Abraham Joseph Job Margaret Jonathan Enos. His executors were Elizabeth, his second wife, and sons, John and Mathias. The homestead, of two hundred acres, situated near the present Union or Brick Church, was sold out of the family. In the assessment of Towamencin for 1776 we find Abraham Lukens taxed for 215 acres; Joseph Lukens, 98; John Lukens, son of Abraham, 115 acres; Peter Lukens, 87 acres; and John Lukens, 109 acres. John Lukens, son of Abraham, continued to reside on his homestead until his death, and his son George became its owner in 1805, and retained possession for about forty-four years. The Lukens family here, like their kindred in Horsham, appear to have been noted for longevity, as well as for being substantial land-holders. 1086 Heinrich Frey or Fry, a native of Altheim, in Alsace, it is stated, came to Pennsylvania before the arrival of William Penn and settled near Roxborough. In 1692 he was married, at Germantown, to Catharine, daughter of Wigart Levering. They had nine children, of whom six were sons. He purchased, as has been mentioned, twelve hundred and fifty acres on Towamencin Creek in 1724. It is a family tradition that two of his sons walked up from the Wissahickon, a distance of eighteen or twenty miles, on Monday mornings, bringing their provisions along with them for the week, for the purpose of making a clearing and erecting a house, which they completed by the following spring. A few Indians, who appeared friendly, were still lingering here, having a couple of wigwams on the banks of the stream. The chief, who visited the scene of their labors, observed them eating bread, when they gave him a piece, which he ate and pronounced good. On the following week they brought him an extra loaf, at which he was greatly delighted, and in return the following day brought them a saddle of venison. The eldest of these brothers was Jacob, who had two sons and two daughters, whereof Daniel Fry is still living on the homestead at the good old age of ninety-four years, and yet very active. The family possess an ancient burial-ground in the township, which is now in a dilapidated condition. In the assessment of 1776 we find, as in 1734, the name of Jacob Fry with two hundred acres. The late Jacob Fry, of the Trappe, member of Congress and auditor-general of Pennsylvania, is represented as a descendant of this family. Christian Weber and wife, Appolonia, arrived in Philadelphia in 1727, and the following year purchased a farm on the west side of the present turnpike, adjoining Gwynedd line. He built a stone house here in 1737, which is still standing. His death occurred in 1778, at the age of eighty- two years. He had sons, - Jacob Benjamin Nicholas Christian. Jacob Weber had three sons, - Abraham Benjamin Isaac. Christian Weber, Jr., was born in 1743 and married Elizabeth Wiedner in 1765, and kept an inn half a mile below Kulpsville, on the west side of the turnpike, now the residence of William H. Anders. His wife died in 1805, after which he married the widow of the Rev. Jacob Van Buskirk. He was a captain in the Revolution, and, it is said, recruited one hundred men for the service. Governor Mifflin appointed him a justice of the peace, and he also served in the beginning of this century as one of the county commissioners. He had two sons, - John and Jesse who both became prominent men. The former was born in 1768, became a miller, and in 1807 was elected to the Assembly, of which he served, twice as Speaker. He married Elizabeth, daughter of Jacob and Catharine Reiff, and had five children. His death and also his father's occurred in 1815. Jesse Weber was captain of the Montgomery Union Troop of Horse, to which post he was elected September 28, 1807, and afterwards, with his company, went into the service at Camp Dupont during the late war with England. He was also elected from this county to the Assembly in 1844 and the following year. We find rated in Towamencin for 1776, Christian Weber, Sr., for fifty-two acres; Christian Weber, Jr., one hundred; and Benjamin Weber, sixty-four acres. Caspar Kriebel and his wife, Susanna, arrived in Pennsylvania in 1734, and settled in the southern corner of the township, on the place now owned by his descendant, Abraham H. Kriebel. His children were George, Abraham and Susanna. He died February 16, 1771. His son, Abraham Kriebel, was born in 1736, and married, in 1762, a daughter of George Shultz. He died in 1801 and his widow in 1820. The farm on which he lived and died, at the Schwenkfelder Meeting-house, he inherited. Melchior Kriebel and his wife, Anna, the daughter of George Dresher, also came in 1734. He died February 14,1790, aged eighty years. His children were David, Susanna, Melchior and Rosina. In 1776 we find Abraham Kriebel rated one hundred and eighty-nine acres. Susanna Weigner, widow, whose maiden-name was Seipt, arrived at the same time with her children, -Abraham, George and Rosina. Abraham Weigner married Susan, daughter of Abraham Yeakel, May 31, 1750. Their children were Maria Sarah Rosina Susanna Abraham John. He died March 13, 1781, aged sixty-two years. Abraham Yeakle and wife, Maria, arrived in 1734 and died January 12, 1762. His children were Balthasar (born in 1736) Hans Susanna Rosina Elizabeth. Balthasar Yeakle married Rosina, widow of Christopher Reinwalt and daughter of David Heebner, October 7, 1760. His children were Esther Maria Catharine Abraham. He had in 1776 one hundred and fifty acres of land. He died April 18, 1789. Hans or John Yeakle, who resided in Towamencin, was also the son of Abraham; married Anna, daughter of Christopher Weigner, in 1762. Their children were Maria Regina Christopher Joseph Magdalena Jacob Christian Anna Abraham John. He died in 1801, aged sixty-two years, and his widow in 1822, nearly eighty. He was rated in 1776 with one hundred and fifteen acres. Balthasar Anders and his wife, Anna Hoffrichter, came in 1734 with the others. He had three children, - George Anna Abraham. He was a shoemaker by occupation and died in 1754, aged fifty-six years. His widow survived until 1784, having attained nearly eighty-four years. George Anders was rated in 1776 for one hundred and fifty acres and as having a family of seven children. Yellis Cassel, who, in the list of 1776, is rated for eighty-two acres, was the great-grand father of Abraham H. Cassel, the noted antiquarian of Lower Salford, who was born in this township September 21, 1820, as was also his father, Yellis, and grandfather, Hupert Cassel. Yellis and Hupert Cassel were landholders in Perkiomen township in 1734. The former arrived about 1715, and the latter in 1727. Johannes Cassel, who settled in Germantown in 1686, it is supposed, was uncle of the first Hupert. Frederick Wampole came from Germany in 1744, and purchased from Abraham Lukens one hundred and fifty acres, on which he resided, and was witness thereon to interesting scenes connected with the Revolution. Among the township officers of the past, we find Joseph Smith, constable, in 1767 Frederick Wampole, supervisor, 1773 John Luken, constable, 1774 Garret Gotshalk, assessor and Owen Hughes, collector, in 1776. 1087 The road from the present Spring House to Marlborough township was laid out and confirmed in June, 1735, and, in consequence, was for a long time afterwards called the North Wales road, and as it became extended further northwards, became known also as the Maxatawny road. In 1829 a charter was granted to turnpike this road up to Sumneytown, and though great efforts were used to secure sufficient stock along its route to complete it, they failed until 1848. This was a great improvement over the old route, not only in being much straighter, but in the reduction of grade. The Forty- Foot road, which extends through the whole length of the township was laid out several years before the Revolution. It was over this highway that the army marched front Skippack to their encampment. Through the success of continued researches, the writer has ascertained that the occurrences that transpired in this small township during the Revolution are unusually interesting, and for which here but a very brief space can be given. The battle of Germantown was fought on the morning of October 4, 1777, and resulted disastrously to the American cause, when Washington immediately returned with the main body of the army up the Skippack road, beyond the Perkiomen, in the vicinity of the present Schwenksville, where they remained until the afternoon of the 8th, when he arrived and established his camp nearly a mile northwest of Kulpsville, near the Lower Salford line. The officers wounded in the battle were brought to a farm-house on the Forty-Foot road, about a mile and a quarter southwest of the Mennonite Meeting-House. General Nash, who had been wounded in the thigh by a cannon-ball which had killed his horse, we know from an eye-witness, was carried up hither on a litter made of poles. Washington may have come here on purpose to attend the funeral on the following day, for which he issued his orders that he should be interred at ten o'clock, and that "all officers whose circumstances will admit of it will attend and pay this respect to a brave man, who died in defense of his country." Washington made his headquarters at the house of Frederick Wampole, whom we have mentioned as being supervisor, and who in 1773 was rated for two hundred and twenty acres of land, one servant and four horses. The house was about half a mile north of the meeting-house. It belonged to J. W. Wampole, Esq., as late as 1856 or the following year. The present owner is Jacob Detweiler, who took down the old house in 1881 and built a new one in its place. In his letter to Congress, dated at Peter Wentz's, in Worcester township, four miles distant on the Skippack road, Washington says: "We moved this morning from the encampment at which we had been for six or seven days past, and are just arrived at the grounds we occupied before the action of the 4th. Our motive in coming here is to direct the enemies attention from the fort." The Rev. Jacob Duche of Philadelphia, through the defeat at Germantown, was induced to write a letter, on the 8th, to Washington, desiring him now to abandon the cause and stop the further effusion of blood, and at the head of the army demand from Congress that they make peace. This letter was delivered to him here on the 15th by a female whom he had induced to deliver it, an undertaking which certainly no sane man of his own free will would have risked. While the camp was here a court of inquiry was ordered and held respecting the conduct of General Wayne at Paoli, of which Lord Stirling was president. John Farndon, a private of Colonel Hartley's regiment, was sentenced, September 25th, to suffer death for desertion to the enemy, and was executed here at noon of the 9th, immediately after the funeral, thus adding additional solemnity to the day, traditions respecting which are still extant in the old families of the neighborhood. The place of execution, it is said, was on the Lower Salford line, about a quarter of a mile northeast of where the turnpike crosses the Skippack Creek, the premises being now owned by J. Wampole. Major John White, a resident of Philadelphia and an aid of General Sullivan, was shot dead by a British soldier from a cellar-window in the attempt to fire Chew's house. Lieutenant Mathew Smith, a native of Middlesex County, Va., in the hazardous effort to carry a flag to demand a formal and immediate surrender was killed by a ball within musket-shot of the building. Concerning Colonel Boyd, we have so far failed to secure any other information than that he and the officers were buried beside each other in the Mennonite graveyard, opposite the called and their names even John F. Watson, the annalist, could not give, though on the monument committee. The chief authority that Washington made his headquarters at the house of Frederick Wampole rests in the letter of Colonel Henry Laurens to his father, president of Congress, dated at "Headquarters, Wampole's, October 15, 1777," who was aid-de-camp and private secretary to the commander-in-chief during the whole of this period. Kulpsville is the only village of this agricultural township, and outside of it there is little produced in the way of manufactures. It is situated on the Sumneytown and Spring House turnpike, near the centre of the district, ten miles from the former and seven from the latter place. Its situation is high and it can be seen for several miles in coming from either direction on the turnpike. It contains at present about fifty houses, two hotels, one store, and several carriage manufactories, besides various mechanic shops. A three-story brick hall, built in 1856, and surmounted with a steeple and clock, is a conspicuous mark to the surrounding country. The first story is occupied by a manufacturing establishment, and several of its upper rooms are used as lodges by the Odd-Fellows and the Order of American Mechanics, and the hall is used for worship, lectures, exhibitions and literary exercises. The Methodist Episcopal Church, a one-story brick building, was erected in 1862. In the fall of 1883 the public school-house here was enlarged, and the books of the Literary and Library Association removed to the second story. The village also possesses a brass band, which has been organized for several years. A house of worship was erected here in 1879 by the German Evangelical denomination. 1088 The name of the place is derived from the Kulp family, of which Jacob Kulp, in 1776, was rated for one hundred and six acres, which lay in the eastern part of the village and extended on the turnpike to the corner of the present Kulpsville Hotel. Opposite, at this date, to the northward, but also on the same side of the pike, lay Henry Smith's (the weavers) tract, containing eighty-seven acres, which will go to show how insignificant this place was in the Revolution. Jacob Kulp was the son of Peter, who had come from Germany and who also had two other sons, Henry and Dilman. Jacob died here in 1818, at the age of seventy-seven, leaving a son, David C. Kulp, who started the first store here in 1812, was a justice of the peace for forty years and died about 1840. His son, Charles C. Kulp, received the first appointment of postmaster here in 1829, and thus its name became established. The place at this date contained seven houses, a tavern (kept by Mordecai Davis) and a blacksmith-shop. In 1858 it contained two hotels, two stores and twenty-three houses, chiefly brick, and several mechanic shops. A licensed inn was kept here by Hugh Hughs in 1773, by Israel Tennis in 1779 and by Jacob Wampole and Elizabeth Weber in 1790. At this time these were the only public-houses in the township. By an act of Assembly, passed in 1797 the townships of the Fourth District comprising Gwynedd Montgomery Towamencin Hatfield Franconia Lower Salford Upper Salford Perkiomen, were required to hold their elections at the inn of Christian Weber. This act remained in force until 1802, when Upper Salford and the western part of Perkiomen were attached to other districts. In 1824 the entire county was divided into fourteen districts, whereof several townships still continued to vote here. EARLY CHURCHES IN TOWAMENCIN - MENNONITE. -Not half a mile above Kulpsville, on the west side of the Sumneytown turnpike, stands the Mennonite meeting-house, a plain, one-story stone building, about twenty-four by twenty-eight feet in size, erected in 1805. It is situated on a knoll, at the foot of which flows a small stream, which in a short distance loses itself in the Skippack Creek; near by stand several gnarled and venerable oaks, the whole presenting an olden-time appearance. There is reason to believe, from the early dates on the tombstones, that the first house of worship here may have been erected before 1750, and not likely much later. This building stood until near the building of the present meeting-house, having been destroyed by fire. The society having been remiss in keeping or preserving records, a difficulty exists to supply authentic data. An aged man of the vicinity related to a friend, in 1858, that he remembered well the old stone meeting-house, to which he had gone to worship with his father about the year 1788; that it had the appearance of being very old then and stood near the site of the present building. A log school-house was adjacent, which has been for sometime substituted by a more substantial one, of stone. To the antiquarian the graveyard attached to this meeting-house in several respects, is an interesting one to visit. In extent it may cover two acres, and it has undoubtedly been used for burial purposes for at least a century and a half. A stone was discovered here bearing the date 1733, and another of 1741. One without a date bears the inscription, "Yellis Cassel, a. 85 y." Many of the inscriptions are in German and several of the earliest have become illegible. In our recent visit the following surnames were taken down from its numerous tablets: Overholtzer Eisenhart Boorse Delp Stauffer Drake Ebert Cassel Ruth Frey Kulp Vanfussen Hughes Keaton Stover Detweiler Mitchell Rinewalt Hendricks Blackburn Hechler Metz Neisz Rosenberger Godshalk Allebach Frederick Gehman Keeler Moyer Bernt Schlosson Bookhamer Boyer Hallman Kratz Swartz Kepler Zeigler Keyser Clemmer Nice Klein Snare Hunsicker Eaton Freed Nuss Funk Roop. Families bearing about one-third of those names are still pretty numerous in the surrounding section. Mitchel Hughs Blackburn and Eaton appear in curious contrast, not being German. Here there repose the remains of General Nash, Colonel Boyd, Major White and Lieutenant Smith, of the Continental army, either slain or mortally wounded in the attack at Germantown. Over the body of General Nash has been placed a white marble monument about ten feet high, erected in 1844 by the citizens of Germantown and Norristown. The other officers lie adjoining the monument, with simple head and foot-stones of marble a foot in height. 1089 SCHWENKFELDER. -The meeting-house of this denomination is located about two miles from Kulpsville, near the south corner of the township. About the date of its origin here there is a difference of opinion. One authority states that a schoolhouse and dwelling combined was erected here in 1765 and another that the date was 1790. A death on one of the tombstones is dated 1745, and inclines us to the former view. As the members of this denomination arrived first in this country in September 1734, and that one of them had settled around here at least in 1735, is confirmed by an early marriage record. Before the erection of their first log school and dwelling-house they were in the practice of worshiping at each other's houses. If they did not constitute themselves a regular congregation earlier than 1782, then the date of 1790 might be correct. Their first elder or minister in Pennsylvania was George Weiss, who was ordained an elder in 1735 and served until his death, in 1740. He was succeed in the ministry by Balthasar Hoffman, of Lower Salford, who died in 1775. In 1783, Christopher Kriebel was chosen for the district, followed, in 1802, by Melchior Kriebel, Melchior Schultz and Balthasar Heebner. The present ministers are George Meschter and Reuben Kriebel, who have officiated since May 26, 1849. The first marriage celebrated was that of Balthasar Kraus, to Susanna Hoffman, January 16, 1736, and probably the first death was that of Maria, wife of Christopher Kriebel, April 11, 1738. Early in April, Bishop Spangenberg, of the Moravian Church came among them, making a brief stay at the house of Christopher Weigner, now the residence and farm of George Anders, nearby. The present plain, one story stone meeting-house was built in 1854, and is situated on the edge of a forest that extends towards the south. The lot on which it stands does not quite contain an acre, the cost of which and the house was about thirteen hundred dollars. Everything here bears the appearance of neatness and seclusion, which, it seems are carried out in their other places of worship. The oldest stone in the graveyard that bears an inscription has that of "A. R. W., 1745." Another informs us of the death of Balzer Anders, who died in 1754, aged fifty-six years, and one of a death in 1770. The most frequent name is that of Kriebel, next that of Anders; than[sic] may follow: Schultz Schneider Heebner Weigner Seipt Drescher Gerhart Reinwalt Clemens Adams Sauter. Nearly all the inscriptions are in German, except a few of recent date. In this language the services are still exclusively conducted. Like the Society of Friends, they have no sacrament nor baptism. The ministers receive no remuneration, but about that the society does not appear to be unduly scrupulous. Like most other religious bodies, they are, relaxing from their former exclusiveness, and liberal or more enlarged ideas are securing place. Marriages are now allowed with the outside world, in which they have followed the Dunkards, and thus the cause of human fraternization is spread. This denomination has five houses of worship in the county, one of which is in the adjoining township of Worcester and the other in Lower Salford. In 1845 they were estimated to comprise in Pennsylvania about three hundred families or eight hundred members. DUNKARD. -Next in the order of time is the Dunkard, or German Baptist, meeting-house, situated near the western corner of the township, on the east bank of the Skippack Creek, and fronting on the Forty Foot road, and within a distance of one hundred yards of the Lower Salford line. It originated in the first schism of the old Skippack or Perkiomen Mennonite meeting. About the close of the Revolution, Christian Funk, one of its members, came out in advocacy of the doctrine of resistance to England, and the justice of supporting the same. A few joined him in these sentiments, among whom was Jacob Reiff, Jr., who built for them a meeting-house on his own grounds in 1814. On his death, about two years after, the property came in possession of his son, John, who had joined the Dunkards, and to that denomination he willed it with a lot of half an acre. The sect has ever since maintained here regular worship. The first building having become considerably out of repair, it was torn down, and a new one of frame erected in 1882, twenty-six by thirty-five feet with a slate roof. It has no settled minister, but is supplied is a branch by the Indian Creek and Skippack congregations. From the latter meeting-house it is about four miles distant. LUTHERAN AND REFORMED. -This is designated by those congregations as Christ Church, and is situated about a full half-mile above Kulpsville, on the cast side of the turnpike, close to the Lower Salford line. It is built thirty-five by forty-five feet in dimensions, two stories high, and cost originally two thousand two hundred dollars. The cornerstone was laid May 27, 1833, and dedicated for worship October 15th. On the first occasion addresses were delivered by the Rev. George Roeller, of the Lutheran Church, and Rev. Samuel Helfenstein, of the German Reformed. Owing to the material of structure, it is popularly denominated through this section as the "Brick Church." Its first Lutheran pastor was the Rev. John W. Richards, a grandson of the Rev. Henry M. Muhlenberg. He took charge June 1, 1834, and continued in the same until April 3, 1836, when he resigned and went to Germantown. Next was the Rev. Jacob Wampole, until his death, January 3, 1838, aged thirty-five years, greatly beloved and respected. Rev. Henry S. Miller succeeded from April, 1838, till May 9, 1852, -over fourteen years. He is now residing at Phoenixville aged upward, of eighty-two years. Rev. George A. Wentz was next elected, June 28th, and continued three years. Rev. A. S. Link remained in charge till March, 1859, when the Rev. George Sill was elected. All the aforesaid were also pastors of the Trappe congregation. The Rev. Mr. Baker, of Sellersville, is the present pastor. 1090 For the German Reformed the Rev. H. S. Bassler was the first pastor, who served until May, 1839. After a vacancy the charge was filled by the Rev. I. W. Hanger, who remained about two years, when the congregation was supplied by Rev. Henry Gerhart. In March, 1843, the Rev. A. Bentz was elected, who served nearly three years. He was succeeded, in the spring of 1846, by the Rev. T. W. Naille, who remained until 1857. The Rev. W. G. Hackman assumed the duties near the beginning of 1858, and remained for some time. The present pastor is the Rev. S. M. K. Huber. The late venerable Benjamin Reiff, of this denomination, it is said, was one of the most active, and successful in obtaining funds for the erection of the church, to which he was also a liberal contributor. The church is well shaded, among the trees being some handsome evergreens, which should be more common at such places. The graveyard contains about three-fourths of an acre, and in the half century of its existence a goodly number have been interred. In the southwest portion of the ground we find a stone with an inscription, "Sacred to the memory of Jacob Sower, who departed this life November 24, 1843, aged ninety years and five months. He was one of that patriotic band which achieved the independence of his Country." The following surnames were copied from the tombstones: Smith Krupp Godshalk Wile Johnson Snyder Reiff Baker Kreamer Wampole Boorse Yocum Titus Schneider Oberholtzer Schell Brown Delp Garges Macknet Fry Brey Huth Wagener Wilson Rush Hechler Cassel Weber Emery Zepp Kinsey Gaul Hoot Clemmer Mace Hendricks Bower Hagey Master Henning Drake Feable Will Schmidt Berger Geiger Reifinger Metzger Rudy Steyer Barnes Shoemaker Sult Kulp Detra Delp Fox Reese Belzer Rosenberger Underkoffler Stillwagon Koch Groth Alderfer Hoefer Lutz Shupp Hartzel Miller Moyer Funk Richard Becker Sorver. ASSESSMENT OF TOWAMENCIN, 1776. Garret Godshalk, assessor, and Owen Hughes, collector. John Yellis, 108 acres 2 horses 3 cattle Henry Yellis, 130 a. 2 h. 2c Samuel Tennis, 192 a. 2 h. 3 c William Hendricks, 60 a. 2 h. 3c Humphrey Hughes, 1 h. 1 c Baltzer Yeakle, 150 a. 2 h. 5 c. Michael Moyer, 2 h 3 c Abraham Lukens, 215 a. 2 h. 3 c Frederick Wampole, 220 a. 1 servant 4 h. 4 c John Lukens, son of Abraham, 115 a. 2 servants 3 h. 4 c Henry Smith, weaver, 87 a., 2 h., 3 c Evan Edwards, 91 a. 2 h. 2 c Nicholas Gotshalk, 1 h., 1 c John Yeakle, 115 a. 1 servant 4 h. 5 c Owen Hughs, 143 a. 3 h. 5 c Christian Weber, Sr., 52 a Christian Welker, Jr., 160 a. 2 h. 4 c Joseph Lukens, 98 a. 4 h. 4 c Peter Lukens, 87 a. 4 h. 6 c George Anders, 150 a. 250 a. in Gwynedd 7 children 3 h. 7 c Abraham Kreable, 189 a. 4 h. 10 c Abraham Weigner, 2 c George Meister, 34 a., 1 h., 2 c Rosina Seifert, 135 a. 3 h. 3 c Paul Hendricks, 90 a. 2 h. 2 c. Samuel Hendricks, 100 a 2 h., 2 c John Springer, 60a. 2 h. 3 c. saw-mill Leonard Hendricks, 125 a. 1h. 2 c., aged Adam Gotwaltz, 270 a. 3 h.7 c Jacob Fry, 200 a. 1h. 3 c Henry Lesh, 2 h. 3 c. William Godshalk, 160 a. 3 h. 4 c Peter Hendricks, 88 a. 2 h. 3 c. Benjamin Hedricks, 88 a., 2 h. 3 c Garret Godshalk, 60a. 2 h. 2c. Christopher Reinwalt, 58 a., 2h 2c Jacob Kolb, 106 a., 2 h., 4c Harman Boorse, 20 a. 2 c. 1 servant John Lukens, 109 a., 90 in Gwynedd 4 h. 4 c Baltus Reinwalt, 89 a. 2 h. 2 c Elizabeth Evans, 190 a., 3 h. 5 c John Boorse, 44 a., 1h., 1 c Daniel Springer, 1h. 3 c Catharine Goshalk, 13 a. 1 c Peter Godshalk, 113 a. 1 servant, 2 h. 3 c Baltus Miller, 1 c William Evans Arnold Boorse, 40 a. 1h. 3 c Leonard Hendricks, Jr., 89 a. I h. 2 c John Shott, 1h. 2 c Christopher Meister, 100a. 2 h. 4 c Jacob Updegrave, 200 a. 2 h. 5 c Jacob Pennebaker, 82 a. 2 h. 3 c William Tennis, 2 h. 2 c., 56 a. in Lower Salford Joseph Eaton, 1 h Israel Tennis, 1 h. 3 c John Edwards, 48 a. Abraham Dresher, 129 a. 3 h. 5 c William Hendricks, 1 c Rowland Ewans, 1 h 1 c Andrew Label, 2c Jacob Grab, 113 a 2 h., 5 c Yellis Cassel, 82 a., 2 h. 4 c Daniel Miller, 2 c Benjamin Weber, 64 a. 2 h. 1 c George Lutz, 1h. 2 c SINGLE MEN.- Frederick Wampole Abraham Wampole Peter Boorse Garret Godshalk Godshalk Godshalk Evan Evans Jehu Evans John Edwards David Spice George Pluck Frederick Fisher. BIOGRAPHICAL SKETCH. JOHN C. BOORSE, ESQ. The progenitor of the Boorse family in Montgomery County was Harman Boors, a native of Holland, who came to this country at an early period, probably about the middle of the last century, and settled in what is now Towamensing township, Montgomery Co., Pa., near what is now the village of Kulpsville. He was, no doubt, a man of considerable wealth and enterprise, and possessed also a liberal education. In his business transactions it became necessary for him to cross the ocean several times, and on his last voyage to America he died at sea. He was the father of five sons -viz: John and Henry, died without issue Peter, married, and died May 1, 1797 Arnold Harman, Jr. Harman, Jr., was the father of the following children: viz., John Margaret, born September 8, 1765, no issue Peter, born August 28, 1767, was married and left four children Henry, born December 25, 1769, died November 27, 1777 Anna, born September 22, 1772, married Abraham Hendricks October 22, 1793 Catharine, born March 28, 1775, married Samuel Metz November 10, 1796; Sybilla, born April 2, 1777, married Jacob Hendricks Susanna, born February 25, 1779, married Jesse Lewis February 19, 1799; and Elizabeth, born February 17, 1782, married Samuel Kriebel. John Boorse, grandfather of John C. Boorse, was born October 17, 1763, married Elizabeth Cassell June 8, 1797, and died January 26, 1847. His wife died July 26, 1830. They were the parents of Abraham Henry C. Magdalena Peter Daniel Joseph Harman Jacob Catharine Mary and Hubert Borse. Magdalena married Jacob Boyer, Catherine married James Lloyd Mary married Elias Cassel. Only four of these children are now living viz: Jacob Joseph Mary and Hubert. Henry C. Boorse, father of John C. Boorse, was born October 14, 1799, in Towamensing Township, on the farm now owned by Hubert Boorse. 1091 This farm has been in the Boorse family for over one hundred and thirty years. Henry C. was married, March 5, 1822, to Susanna Cassel, and died April 26, 1869. She died April 6, 1856. They were the parents of children, as follows. I. Barbara, born December 8, 1822, married Henry K. Zeigler, of Skippack, and died in March 1866. II. Ephraim, born January 24, 1825, married Miss Elizabeth Zeigler, of Skippack. III. John C., born June 27, 1831, married, January 21, 1855, to Miss Mary Rittenhouse, daughter of Samuel and Mary Rittenhouse, of Towamensing, and a lineal descendant of the celebrated David Rittenhouse. Their children are Alinda R., born May 29, 1856, died January 31, 1857 Mary Ann, born December 18, 1857, married Humphrey W. Edwards of Kulpsville Melinda, born January 3, 1860, died August 31, 1860 Ella, born March 21, 1862 Lizzie, born March 25, 1864 Henry R., born September 21, 1866, editor and publisher of the "Towamensing Item," established January 1885 Alma, born December 9, 1868 Nora, born June 7, 1871 Edith R., born October 21, 1879. IV. Catharine, born December 6, 1836, married William Bechtel, of Collegeville, Pa. She died May 7, 1877. V. Susan, born September 9, 1839, died December 18, 1856. PICTURE OF JOHN C. BOORSE, APPEARS HERE. John C. Boorse, Esq., commenced his business career as a farmer, and in 1855 purchased of his father the old homestead, and conducted the business pertaining to a large farm until 1866, when he retired from the dull routine of the farm and engaged in the more active duties of surveyor, conveyancer and justice of the peace, the duties of which he still performs to the entire satisfaction of all parties concerned. He has made five hundred and fifty-four surveys of different tracts of land, and has written seventeen hundred and sixty-four deeds and mortgages and taken acknowledgments of the same. He entered the political field in the early part of 1855, when he was elected township assessor, which position he filled for eight years. He was elected a justice of the peace at the spring election in 1862, and has held that office continuously until the present time. He has been one of the school directors of the township for six years, judge of election for two terms, member of the election board for twenty-seven years, a member of the Republican County Committee of which organization he is an enthusiastic member) for at least twelve years, and since the organization of the Republican party has been honored many times with a seat in the councils of its leaders, in the State and county, and has received the most flattering testimonials from the press of the county. 1092 In his official capacity he formulated the charter and made the original survey for the borough of Lansdale. He was one of the original directors of the Lansdale Water-Works Company, and is the present secretary of the same; a director and secretary of the Lansdale Cemetery Association; one of the original member, and secretary of the Towamensing Creamery Association; one of the originators of the Kulpsville Literary and Library Association, and one of its active members; a director in the Perkiomen Fire and Storm Insurance Company of Montgomery County. He was the official surveyor of the borough of Lansdale from 1872 to 1881. He was the originator and prime mover in getting the first telephone line from Norristown to Kulpsville via North Wales and Lansdale, with station at his office. He held the office of justice of the peace for twenty-three years, during which time only nineteen cases were returned to court; he always endeavored to settle cases before going to court. As the Hon. Judge Ross at one time remarked before court: "If all justices of the peace in the county would act like John C. Boorse, of Kulpsville, thousands of dollars would be annually saved to the county in costs." In 1870 he received the appointment to take the census of Towamensing and Lower Salford townships, which he filed with credit to himself and to the entire satisfaction of the department. In 1865 he received the unanimous nomination for county commissioner, and ran far ahead of the regular ticket; the Democratic Party being then in large majority, he was defeated. He was also several times strongly urged by the leaders and many others of the party to become a candidate for the Legislature, which honor he positively refused, saying "he was not competent." He was one of the delegates to the State convention held in 1875, in Lancaster, and voted for John F. Hartranft for Governor and William Rawle for treasurer. He was in active committeeman in the county's centennial, and is also a member of the Montgomery County Historical Society. He has been a member of Providence Lodge, No. 345, I. 0. 0. F., since 1867, trustee, treasurer and representative to Grand Lodge of the same for several years and one of the directors of the Odd-Fellows' Endowment Association of Pennsylvania. He became a member of Charity Lodge, No. 190, F. A. M., Norristown, October 10, 1872; is also a member of Norristown Chapter, No. 190, R. A. M., and was knighted in Hutchinson Commandery, No. 32, K. T., stationed at Norristown, January 25, 1875. Mr. Boorse has always been active in all progressive improvements of the age in which his business life has thus far been spent, especially anything tending to improve the morals and intellect of the young and rising generation by whom he is surrounded.