Montgomery County PA Archives History.....Trappe, Recollections of Col. Thomas Swenk, 1812- after 1900 ************************************************ Copyright. All rights reserved. http://www.usgwarchives.net/copyright.htm http://www.usgwarchives.net/pa/pafiles.htm ************************************************ File contributed for use in USGenWeb Archives by: Thera tsh@harborside.com ************************************************ The Trappe Seventy-Five Years Ago Recollections of Colonel Thomas Swenk, Sr, Octogenarian Published in The Perkiomen Region, Past and Present Volumes I, II, and III September 1894-April 1901 Henry S. Dotterer, Editor (Thomas Swenk, son of Jacob Swenk and Elizabeth Tyson, his wife, was born at the village of Trappe, February 3, 1812. In the year 1824, his father removed with his family to Milton, Pa. Upon reaching manhood, Thomas Swenk entered in the business of general merchandising, in connection with which he did a heavy grain business. Since 1877 he has not been engaged in active trade. He has held various public trusts. He was County Auditor from 1883 to 1889. He has filled most of the borough offices of Milton; was director of the Milton Bridge company nearly twenty years, most of the time its president; was one of the founders of the two cemeteries of the town; an incorporator of the Milton Gas company; and an incorporator of the Milton Safety bank, which was afterwards converted into a National bank. James Pollock, a citizen of Milton, when elected governor of Pennsylvania, honored Mr. Swenk with appointment on his military staff, with the rank of Colonel. Although in his eighty-eighth year, Colonel Swenk enjoys reasonably good health, and he writes a clear, firm, legible hand. The reminiscences which follow were written by him the latter part of 1896.-Editor.) Page 159 I was about twelve years of age when I left Trappe, in the latter part of April, 1824, and moved with my father's family to Milton, where I have lived ever since, save five years, from 1827 to 1832, when we moved immediately across the river Susquehanna to the west side, and in the spring of the latter year returned to Milton. I will now say something about the men I remember who resided at and in the vicinity of Trappe within the years named above: Joseph Tyson, an uncle of mine, was born in Berks County; when an infant was brought to Trappe, and there raised to manhood. In meanwhile he served an apprenticeship to learn the hatting trade with my father. He was a large, robust, fine-looking man. When my father and family left Trappe and moved to Milton, in 1824, Uncle Jo, as we invariable called him, determined to accompany us to our new home. He was the driver of one of the teams loaded with our household goods. After arriving at Milton, on the evening of May 1st, he remained with us about one month, and then took passage as a working hand on an ark loaded with wheat to be run down the Susquehanna river to tide-water, or Port Deposit. This was his first experience as a waterman. On his arrival at Columbia, Lancaster county, he stopped off and made that place his permanent home. This experience on the water from Milton to Columbia, a distance of about one hundred miles, gave him a taste for following the water as a business, which eventually culminated in his becoming an expert pilot in running rafts and arks from Columbia to Port Deposit, thereby accumulating a nice little fortune. He was married twice, and raised quite a large family of children. He died at Columbia about January 1, 1892, in his 93d year. Pages 169-171 Cornelius Tyson, a younger brother of Joseph, then a resident of Trappe, also after a time-influenced no doubt by his elder brother Joseph-made his way to Columbia, married there and settled down to hotel keeping. He died at his adopted home over thirty years ago. Benjamin Tyson, a still younger brother, a native of Trappe, and a millwright by trade, moved with his widowed mother to New Jerusalem, in Rockland township, Berks county, some fifty years ago, where they kept hotel. He married there, and soon thereafter moved to Reading, where he died in June 1865. He became quite prominent after taking up his residence in Reading; was made Prothonotary of the courts, and afterwards elected a member of the State legislature. Cornelius Tyson, Sr., father of the three boys named above, was a resident of Trappe and was proprietor of what is now the Lamb tavern, nearly opposite the old, historic church building. He died somewhere about the year 1815; was a Quaker by profession. This I have from hearsay. Being only some three years old at his death, I of course know little of his history. He lies buried in the old Trappe graveyard. Samuel Gross, one of the old men of Trappe in my young days, was a prominent man, at one time away back in the twenties a member of the lower House of Congress. He was a fine-looking old gentleman and very highly respected. He was the father-in-law of honest Jacob Fry, Jr., the latter having married his daughter. He had two sons that I well remember, John Evans and Thomas Jefferson. John E. was a tall, fine-looking man and at one time represented his district in the lower House of the State legislature. Thomas Jefferson was a medium-sized man, good-looking, and back in the twenties was assistant clerk of the House of Representatives under Governor Shunk, who was at that time the chief clerk, and also a native of Trappe. John Winters was a native of Trappe. He kept a tavern at the extreme upper end of this village; cannot remember much about him only that he was quite tall and slim. John Shantz was a farmer in my time; lived a short distance out the lane that takes off to the left a short distance above the Lamb tavern. Samuel Daniels was an old resident of Trappe. He lived in a very old stone house which on my last visit to Trappe, in July last, was still standing and looked just as it did eighty years ago. The house I think is the next one above the old brick Fry mansion, that was the home of honest Jacob, as he was familiarly called. Mr. Daniels had a son Parker who taught school at Trappe for some time. Michael Ruff, a shoemaker by trade, a very old man, lived at that time in an old one-story log house with the chimney on the outside at one of the gable ends, on the same site exactly where the brown stone Judge Royer homestead now stands. He plied his vocation up to the time of death, which occurred about 1818. Jacob Heebner was one of the active men of Trappe. My very early remembrance of him was as early as 1816 or 1817, when he lived with his family in a one-story log house in the lower end of Trappe, nearly opposite the old Bringhurst homestead, (an old landmark of Trappe). The chimney of the Heebner house was built up on the outside at the gable end, an exact twin of the Michael Ruff house described more fully above. There were but two of these houses in the village at that time, but many more throughout the County of Montgomery. They went a great ways to show how our early forefathers used to live. I remember very well when a quite small boy, my father took several of us children to visit my great-grandfather John Reimer, of Frederick township, who lived in just such a log house as here described. George S. Nyce, (poor fellow, now dead and gone), when I was at his place over two years ago, took me to the old Reimer homestead, but the old log house had a long time before been demolished to give place to a more modern brick structure. But, to fall back to the Heebner family, after leaving the log house, the family moved farther up the village to a large two-story stone house near the old historic church and a little below the present Lamb tavern, but on the opposite side of the road. Here they kept hotel for a number of years, and the old gentleman followed stage driving. He became noted as an expert in drawing the reins over his coach and four. When on duty he invariably wore a corduroy suit, short coat, in those days called a roundabout. His route I think extended from Pottstown via Trappe to Norristown, and I am not so sure but it extended at least a part of the time clean through to Philadelphia. He had quite a large family. Charles, the oldest son, became noted as a business man and accumulated quite a fortune. He was at one time proprietor of the Conshohocken Marble Mill and later on became a large dealer in marble in Vermont and Massachusetts, and owned a vessel in which he shipped a portion of his products to foreign countries. There were two other sons, Nicholas and William, both of whom died before arriving at manhood. Charles, after becoming wealthy, conceived the idea of purchasing the old historic Muhlenberg farm, which he did, remodeling to a certain extent the old house and placing on it the present observatory. On my many visits to Trappe of late years, I always go out to the old homestead where I used to be roaming about when a small lad. The farm was at that time, away back in the twenties, owned by my grandfather, Jacob Swenk, Sr., whose children, eleven in number, including of course my father, Jacob Swenk, Jr., were born in the old house. The farm is now owned by a Mr. Bower.-It is more than likely that the two sons of the elder Muhlenberg, namely, General Peter Gabriel and Frederick Augustus, both active in Revolutionary war time, were born in this house. Also a sister [ed. name Mary], who later on became the wife of General Francis Swaine. The farm was owned by the elder Muhlenberg for many years after coming to Trappe, and as history tells us both these boys were born at Trappe, it is only reasonable to suppose both were born in this house. They both lie buried, side by side, also the sister, alongside their father, in the old Trappe graveyard, and more than likely within a little more than a stone throw from where they were born. Judge Joseph Royer in my day was one of the leading men, not only of Trappe, but was known throughout Montgomery County. In his younger days he was a school teacher, later on he was an associate Judge of the Courts of Montgomery County, and kept a general merchandise store for many years. His store and also his dwelling, I think, if my recollection serves me right, were under the same roof. The house, a frame one, painted blue, about one and a half or it may have been two stories in height, was situated exactly on the opposite corner of the road leading out to Royersford, and immediately opposite the three story brown stone house now known as the Judge Royer homestead. This house was built long after I left Trappe, and the old blue building on the opposite corner demolished about the same time. The present homestead I think was built by the Judge somewhere in the early forties. The judge at that early day was considered the most wealthy man of the village and was highly respected by all who knew him. Jacob Fry, Jr., or more commonly called Honest Jacob Fry, was in early life a school teacher. I attended his school as early as 1822 and continued under his tuition from time to time for about two years. What little education I have was taught me by him. Mr. Fry in after life became quite prominent both as a man and a politician. His first office I think was Prothonotary of his county and afterward he was elected to Congress away back in the early thirties, and later on he was elected Auditor General of the State. In all these offices he served with ability and made a record for himself that was quite creditable. At one time I think, it was away back in the forties, he came very near getting the democratic nomination for Governor of Pennsylvania. His rival was Morris Longstreth, from the same county, who was defeated by William F. Johnston by only some 300 votes. Johnston was the first Whig Governor ever elected in Pennsylvania. Had the nominee been Honest Jacob Fry, Jr., the outcome would have undoubtedly been different, as he would have more than overcome the difference in majority in his own county throughout which he was uncommonly popular. He had two sons, Dr. Jacob Fry 3d, a noted Lutheran minister now of Reading, and Samuel Gross Fry, who died some years ago in Philadelphia. He was a fine looking Christian gentleman and a leader in the Lutheran Church of Trappe. Page 179 John Smith, also of Trappe, a shoemaker by trade, lived a short distance out the Royersford road; he was an old man at that time, stout and heavy set; otherwise I know but little about him Henry Garber was a wealthy farmer living near Trappe. He was fond of nice horses and usually drove into the village in winter season with sleigh and his horses almost literally covered with round bells, in those days something new; the common use of sleigh bells at that time being a small open sheep bell, one hung to each ear of the horse. Mathias Haldeman at that day was an old citizen of Trappe, I can remember him very distinctly, when I don't think I could have been more than three or four years of age. He lived near to my home; and seeing him nearly every day, makes the impression the greater. He was small in stature, but good-looking and a very sociable man. He was a saddle and harness maker, and followed the business while I knew him. I remember very well of him having once made a side-saddle for my mother, on which she on more than one occasion rode to Philadelphia, visiting friends and doing her shopping. The saddle is still in existence among some of the friends. Mr. Haldeman was also the village postmaster at that time, when to receive a letter you had to pay an Òeleven pennybit,Ó or 12 _ cents, for any distance. Very different now, when it only costs two cents and that paid by the sender! He lived in a lengthy, one-story stone house, dashed on the outside. His shop and post office were in lower, and dwelling in upper, end. David Poley was a citizen of Trappe when I left there. He was a pretty old man at that time. He lived a short distance above the old Bringhurst house; otherwise I have but little knowledge of him. Jonathan Dehaven lived at Trappe at that time. I can only remember that he was an old man as early as 1817. Page 190 Joseph Goodwin was a citizen of Trappe but not a native. He came about 1820 from Barren Hill and took what was then as well as now the Fountain tavern, which he kept for a number of years. This was directly opposite the house now owned and occupied by a Mr. Brownback, and in which I was born now nearly eighty-five years ago. He was a fine-looking old gentleman and well liked as a landlord. He was well patronized in those days, he having a large yard and stabling for the accommodation of the four and six horse teams of which there were at that time many, with bells upon their horses; as many sometimes as twenty in one squad, with the driver seated on his saddle horse and cracking his long leather cartwhip over his horses' heads, while the bells were ringing at the same time, presenting upon the whole a beautiful appearance. This was of course before we had either canals or railroads, when all goods were conveyed by the old style Conestoga teams between Philadelphia and Pittsburg (sic) and intermediate points. How very different now since we have railroads. I guess it would be no exaggeration to say that at this time one single train of cars running through from Philadelphia to Pittsburg (sic) in twelve hours will carry more freight than all the teams on the road at that time would be capable to carry in a year, and require 15 days at least for the trip. Jacob Shantz at that time lived in Trappe. Of late years he had been a farmer. He owned a fine farm a short distance above Trappe, upon which he made his home for many years until within the last five years he moved in a small one-story brick house immediately in rear of the large brick mansion of honest Jacob Fry, and directly opposite the Lamb tavern. On my visit to Trappe two years ago I called on him merely to pay my respects and found him in a very feeble condition. He died during the latter part of that year or not more than one year since his ninety-second year. On my last visit to him among other things he told me he was a nephew of John Shantz, referred to on page 169. David Dewees, I see in one of the numbers of the Perkikomen Region, applied to the courts of Montgomery county to be granted a license to open a tavern at Trappe as early as 1808. This was four years before I was born, but as early as 1817 I knew him, and often when I was a small boy was at this hotel, my home being near to his. He was a very fine-looking old-style gentleman, universally respected by his friends and neighbors. In his latter days his mind was somewhat impaired. He had a large family; among them were five sons, Jacob, the oldest, was a physician, quite tall and good looking. He finally left Trappe and went to Schuylkill county, and made Pottsville his permanent residence until his death, which occurred some twenty years ago. Seltzer, I think, was the next oldest; I think he was a millwright by trade, though I am not certain. When I came to this town in May, 1824, Seltzer Dewees was here in Milton. He remained here only about a month and then returned to Trappe; remained there with his parents for some time and then went down South and settled down permanently at New Orleans, where he lived until the day of his death, which occurred some fifteen years ago. It was said he became quite wealthy, but during the rebellion his property was all confiscated. David, I think, was the third oldest, and I think taught school at one time at Trappe. He was tall and slim, and as straight as an arrow. Frederick, I think, was the fourth son, and Percival I know was the youngest of them all. With Percival and one or two of the older boys (can't remember which) I went to school to honest Jacob Fry, Jr. Percival further on left Trappe and made his way to Huntingdon county, and settled down at Orbisonia, where he finally became a man of some note, and I think at one time represented his county in the lower house of the State legislature. I never had the pleasure of meeting him since I left Trappe, which is now over seventy-two years. He only died some three years ago at Orbisonia, and his remains were taken to his old home for interment. On one of my late visits to Trappe, in wandering through the old graveyard, I happened to come to a row of graves of a number of the Dewees family, one of which was Percival's. The Dewees family were all highly respectable. Philip Surrick lived at Trappe in my time, he was a tall, slim, rather good looking man, a ropemaker by trade, and worked at the business for my father who carried on rope making in connection with manufacturing hats, up to the time he left Trappe in 1824. Pages 204-205 Wright A. Bringhurst I knew well when I was a boy at Trappe. He stood high among the people at that early day and afterward became quite wealthy, I think by inheritance. If my memory serves me right, he was at one time, many years ago, elected as a Whig to the lower house of the State Legislature, another evidence of his personal popularity, as the county at that early day was largely Democratic. There were four of those Bringhurst boys, if I remember right-Wright A., William, Enos and Lewis. William was eccentric when I knew him, and I well remember one peculiarity of his-he would always go about, in both winter and summer, wearing a broad-brimmed straw hat, and felt as proud as though it was a ten-dollar beaver. Enos I can only remember, and know little or nothing about him. Lewis was the youngest, and with him I think I went to school. I think he studied medicine at Trappe and soon after went down South and settled at New Orleans. I never saw him afterwards. He died, I was told by his friends, many years ago. They were all highly respectable people. Conrad Sailor, more commonly called Crun Sailor, was a blacksmith at that time and was said to be an expert at shoeing horses. His shop was nearly opposite the old Bringhurst homestead. Many of his distant relations are still scattered throughout the county. Joseph Kendall also lived at Trappe at that time. He was a saddler and harness maker, and carried on his vocation at a place nearly opposite the German Reformed church. Later on he moved to Reading where he died many years ago. Henry Kline was one of my early acquaintances at Trappe and a schoolmate. On one of my visits to Montgomery county, about three years ago, coming down from Schwenksville, I stopped off at Collegeville. On leaving the cars, I observed a very old gentleman on the platform with the mail bag thrown over his shoulder. I was curious to know who he was. He said his name was Kline, that he was born at Trappe, and lived in the neighborhood all his life. I then told him my name, that I was born at Trappe over eighty years before that. The old gentleman was perfectly dumbfounded at this announcement. We had not seen each other for a period of almost seventy years. Soon after my return to my home in Milton, in looking over the Schwenksville Item, in the sick list was the name among others of Henry Kline, and in the next number of the Item was announced his death. William Johnson, of Trappe, was a noted physician of that day, and quite a popular man. He had a very extended practice, not only at Trappe, but throughout the county as well. John Todd was an old resident of Trappe. At that time he kept the toll-gate between Trappe and the present Collegeville. He was quite a fine-looking, large man. No doubt a number of his descendants are still about, as the name throughout the county is very common. John Peterman lived near to Trappe at that early day. He was then quite an old man, and a drummer. He was an expert at the business; while beating a tune to the fife with one drumstick he would throw the other in the air, catch it as it came down, then whirl it upon his fingers, then beat with both sticks around the rim of the drum, in the most astonishing manner. I frequently saw him go through these various maneuvers. He usually came to Trappe to drum for militia trainings, so common at that day, when the soldiers would march in procession, four abreast, carrying cornstalks, bean-poles, and old muskets, many without locks, drum and fife in front, and the captain usually carrying a wooden sword. Such were the military trainings of that early day. The old drummer always made his appearance in a red coat. Page 221 John Peterman, referred to in the last number of The Perkiomen Region, enjoyed a wide popularity. The red coat he wore when serving as drummer at military drills was said to be the identical coat he wore at the battle of Germantown, as well as in many other battles of the Revolution. He was said to have been a drum major throughout the Revolutionary War. Captain George Schwenk, who spelled his name different from our people, although the name is the same, our people being responsible for the change, was not in direct line with my folks, but a different branch of the Swenk people, and of course somewhat related. He was a tall fine-looking man; I may say a very handsome man. He was a tanner by trade and followed the business at his tan-yard at Trappe, which was on the right side of the road, in the hollow a short distance from the Jacob Fry, Jr., homestead. I can very well remember him when I was a small boy. He was a captain in the War of 1812. Soon after the close of the war he became afflicted with cancer of the stomach. He went to Philadelphia and had an operation performed, but died under it. He was a very popular man, and universally esteemed by all who had the pleasure of his acquaintance. Pages 228-229 Jacob Swenk, Sr., my grandfather, was born, if I have not been misinformed, somewhere in Frederick township, Montgomery county, Pa. Soon after growing up to manhood he married the daughter and only child (Elizabeth) of John Reimer, of the same township, and soon after his marriage he settled at Trappe, only a few miles distant from where he was born and married. He then took possession of the old Muhlenberg farm, which I think he purchased and owned for many years. Here he followed farming and carried on tanning. He was a tanner by trade. He was the father of eleven children, six sons and five daughters. John, the oldest, married quite young, left Trappe with his little family, a wife and two children, somewhere about 1817, in a covered two-horse wagon, and said he was going West to Pittsburg (sic), which at that time was by many called the Far West. At all events neither he nor any of his family was ever heard of afterward, now nearly eighty years ago. I have a very faint recollection of seeing him start upon his journey. Jacob, Jr., my father, was the second son. He followed hatting and rope-making at Trappe from the time he was married, about 1808, to 1824. At the latter date he left Trappe and moved to Milton, where he lived up to the time of his death in 1864, save five years that he lived in Kelly township, Union county. David, the third son, was also a hatter by trade, and served his apprenticeship with my father at Trappe. Soon after he had served his time he married and settled down at what is now the town of Limerick, in upper Montgomery county, where he followed his trade and kept a boarding house, boarding a portion of the men that were then digging the Schuylkill canal, about 1827. He afterwards pulled up stakes and moved his family to New Berlin, Union county, where he followed his trade for several years, and then moved to Swinefordstown, now called Middleburg, and the county seat of Snyder county. Here he followed his trade for a number of years and was made a justice of the peace and held the office to the day of his death, which was somewhere about 1860. He was more than an ordinary man, and frequently made himself very useful in settling disputes among his friends and neighbors, and in writing agreements and deeds. He was s thorough master of both the German and English languages. Henry was the fourth son. He was also a hatter, but never followed his trade for any length of time. He was never married. He left Trappe soon after arriving at manhood, and made his home for many years with Mr. Slifer, a hotel keeper in Flourtown, Whitemarsh township, Montgomery county, where he died somewhere back in the fifties. Edward, the fifth son, lived his lifetime at Trappe and died there a long while ago. He raised a large family; a number of them are scattered through Montgomery county. Samuel was the sixth and youngest son. He was a millwright by trade and followed the business for some time while living at Trappe; afterwards he found his way to Conshohocken, where he kept store for a number of years and then turned his attention to getting up building associations. At one time he was the secretary of nine different associations. My grandfather, Jacob Swenk, Sr., after breaking up housekeeping at Trappe, lived with his son Samuel for several years, then came to Milton early in 1828, and died about a year afterwards. His remains lie in Harmony cemetery here. Samuel, the son, died at Norristown about sixteen years ago, and his wife at the same place, only some five months ago, in her 92d year. Both lie buried in Montgomery cemetery. William Bean was living at Trappe at that time. All I know about him is that he was usually called Billy Bean in those days. No doubt many of his descendants are scattered over the county. Francis Murphy was an old Irish schoolmaster at Trappe. He was said to have been an excellent mathematician, and he was very popular as a teacher. He resided at that time nearly opposite the old Fountain tavern. He lies buried in the old Trappe graveyard. Ollie Pennepacker lived at Trappe in my early days. His home was in the upper end of the village, on the left-hand side of the road, in a low one-and-a half-story house. He was a very tall, slender man, somewhat stoop-shouldered. I know I am speaking within bounds when I say he was fully six-and-half feet in height, and when stretched straight would not have come much short of the seven-foot mark. The Pennepacker men of that day throughout Montgomery and Chester counties were all tall, handsome men. Joshua Keely was a prominent figure in that day, though I being then quite young, remember little about him. John Jacobs was also a moving spirit of that day, and pretty well advanced in age at that time. Hugh Cousty was an old Irish tavern-keeper in my early days, not in Trappe proper, but at Perkiomen bridge, where he kept the old Perkiomen bridge hotel for years. He was largely patronized by the many teamsters travelling the turnpike at that early day, he having a large yard and ample stabling for their accommodation. It was a very old building as early as 1818, of late years it has undergone great improvement and is now a fashionable hotel and well patronized by many of the best people of Norristown, Philadelphia and surrounding towns, particularly so in the summer season. Moses Hopkins at that time lived near Trappe and was an aged man. He belonged to the Society of Friends, commonly called Quakers. He was a tall, nice-looking old gentleman, and was said to be highly educated. Pages 241-243 Philip Schroeder was a citizen of Trappe as early as 1817. He was an old man at that time, a rope maker by trade, and worked at that time for my father. John Yarager (Yerger) lived in the suburbs of Trappe at that early day. He was a travelling showman by occupation. He had what was called a puppet show-Punch and Judy the star characters. He would frequently come to Trappe to show off his performances. He usually commenced his performance by swallowing two metal swords, each not less than eighteen inches in length and fully an inch or more in width. He would open his shirt and make bare his breast, then put the points of both swords between his teeth, take a handle in each hand, and gradually force them down his throat up to the hilt. He would then, with both swords down his throat, dance a jig to a tune of the violin. He would on all occasions invite one of the audience to come on the platform and examine him, in order to satisfy the audience that there was no deception, and that it was a genuine performance. Next in order came a puppet show, Punch and Judy the characters. With his powers of ventriloquism he would apparently throw his voice into them and make it appear as though they were saying all sorts of queer things. A funny little incident that I well remember at one of his performances was this: The front curtain facing the main audience was painted in exact imitation of a brick wall, there was a somewhat silly individual in the audience, named Weller, who inquired of his friend beside him whether that wall (meaning of course the curtain) was really made of bakeoven stones. He evidently knew what kind of material bakeovens were made. Ex-Governor Francis Rahn Shunk was a native of Trappe, but this was before my time. My father and he were schoolmates, and for some time lived under the same roof. While at school, and on other occasions, they usually spoke the German language, and like most school boys indulged in sports of various kinds, calling each other nicknames. My father was 'Dippel.' Soon after their school days, or at least early in life, Mr. Shunk made his way to Harrisburg and was employed in some minor capacity, but advanced rapidly and soon became chief clerk of the House of Representatives, and after a time Governor of the State. In the meanwhile my father moved to Milton, and went into the boating business. He and his friend the Governor had not met each other for a period of over forty years. My father then determined to once more have the pleasure of seeing his old schoolmate, then the Governor of the State. So on arriving at Harrisburg on one of his boating trips, he fixed himself up, had his little daughter with him. She was then a half-grown miss, some ten or maybe eleven years old, and she must also see the Governor. So they soon made their way to the State house, and after inquiring for the Governor, were shown to his room. He happened to be unengaged at the time. He politely asked him to be seated, and after gazing at each other a moment, my father said to him in German: ÒKenscht du mich net?Ó ÒOh, yaw, du bischt der 'Dippel'.Ó This of course created a laugh, in which both took part, after which they indulged in a half hour's conversation, talking over their schoolboy days, as well as the many sports they had enjoyed in their early days. After the Governor insisting on his remaining and going with him to his home, my father excused himself, saying he would call again; but he never saw him after that. He died very soon after, having resigned his office on account of severe illness. The Governor was very much thought of, particularly so at his old home, Trappe. It is said that on his frequent visits there, even while Governor, he would go out among his early acquaintances, widows, and old maiden ladies that he knew to be poor, and always before leaving would slip a few dollars to them. His remains were brought to Trappe for burial and a handsome marble monument has been erected to his memory not over thirty feet from the old historic church building. Reverend Frederick Geissenhainer was a citizen of Trappe as early as 1815, and about that time the stated minister of the old church. My parents are my informants that he performed the ceremony at my baptism. His remains lie buried in the old graveyard in line with the Muhlenbergs. The Koons family was at Trappe at that time. There were four boys. Michael was the oldest of the four. He, soon after arriving at manhood, found his way to Philadelphia, settled down and went into the grocery business on Third street, near Callowhill. He followed the business some years and retired with a fortune. Charles also went to Philadelphia, commenced the dry goods business, which he followed for a number of years, and finally retired with a fortune. Frederick in an early day was a distiller at Trappe for a short time, and when I last saw him in Philadelphia, many years ago, he was an assistant clerk in the forwarding and commission house of Charles Humphreys & Co., at Chestnut street wharf, on the Schuylkill front. Philip Koons, also of Trappe, was a tall, slim man, rather good-looking. He left there many years ago, and moved with his family up the State to Columbia county, somewhere in the neighborhood of Bloomsburg. The last two, namely Frederick and Philip were not so fortunate financially as the two first named, Michael and Charles. They were all highly respected people. John Fry was a brother of honest Jacob, Jr. He was born at Trappe and lived there his lifetime. He was a cabinet maker by trade and followed the business for many years, up to the time of his death. He was rather above medium size, good-looking and very companionable. On one of my visits to Trappe some five or six years ago, at his earnest solicitation I made my home with him, where I remained several days, when we had a grand time talking over our early days. He was about the only person living that had any knowledge of me when I lived at Trappe. Knowing him to have been always very domesticated in his habits, I asked him if he ever had been outside the State, and his answer was that once on a visit to Philadelphia, many years before, he had crossed the Delaware to Camden. He was then over eighty years of age, and that was the only time he was ever out of Pennsylvania. That was the last time I ever saw him-he died very soon after. Samuel Fry, a brother, I also knew well in my early days at Trappe. He was a carpenter by trade and was following the business at the time I left Trappe. He died many years ago. Daniel was the youngest of the four brothers and about my age. We were social chums, schoolmates, and almost always in each other's company when opportunity would allow it. I will mention a funny little incident that once occurred. We at the time could not have been over seven or eight years old. As it happened, we met at the old milestone, which says on one side 27 miles to Reading and on the other 25 miles to Philadelphia. We got to disputing about some trifling matter and finally got to fighting, and as we were pretty equally matched we fought like little devils, and I must say he was if anything too much for me. After a few days along comes my little friend Danny and stopped outside the fence where I was turning the wheel for spinning ropes. I was a short distance off, and while he was looking quite pleasantly at me between the rails of the fence, evidently with a view of making friends, I approached him seemingly with the same intent, but, I must say, hypocritically. Thinks I, this is my chance to get even with him, I blazed away between the rails of the fence, struck him on the nose, the blood spattering in every direction. He went to his home crying at the top of his voice. I then felt like being the victor in the end, or at least even with him. It was not many days until all was forgotten and we became closer friends than ever. Soon after growing to manhood he established a weekly newspaper at Norristown, called the Watchman, which he published for some years, and afterward returned to Trappe. I never saw him after I left Trappe in 1824 until 1864, when I had occasion to stop off at Harrisburg on my way home from Philadelphia, and in going into the quartermaster's department who should I run against but my old friend Daniel Fry. He was filling a subordinate position in the quartermaster's department at that time. I had not seen him for forty years. In talking over our early days at Trappe, among other things I asked him if he still remembered the fight we had at the milestone. He said he well remembered giving me a pretty good thrashing. I said, yes, but I got even with you on our second encounter. On my frequent visits to Trappe of late years about the first thing I do is to visit the identical old milestone. Jacob Fry, Sr., the father of the four Fry boys, I can well remember. He lived at Trappe, where all his boys were born. He was a tall, lean man, and a carpenter by trade. He lived only a few doors above the old Bringhurst homestead. John Hunsicker lived at Trappe and I think for a short time at least kept the tavern afterward kept by the Heebner family. The house was torn down some ten years ago, to give place to a handsome frame structure. I can just remember him. He was a large, fleshy man and quite good-looking. David Jeffries was one of my old chums at Trappe. We attended school together and our teacher was Jacob Fry, Jr. On one of my first visits to Trappe about thirty years ago, after an absence of some forty years, I met him, and, I tell you, it was a happy meeting of two old friends. I have never seen him since. On one of my late visits, some three years ago, I was told by a friend who knew him well, that years ago he had left Trappe and gone to a friend in Chester county, and thought that at that time he was still living. He may have died since, as when I knew him he was several years my senior. He was a rather good-looking old fellow when I last saw him, only that he was very nearsighted. Sambo Coggins lived at Trappe most of his lifetime. He was an old negro slave and owned by my grandfather, Jacob Swenk, Sr. At that early day there was still remaining, here and there, an old slave, throughout Pennsylvania. My grandfather owned him up to the time he broke up housekeeping, when he gave him his freedom, after which he wandered about doing small jobs as he could catch them, until he became so old and helpless that he had to be taken to the Montgomery county almshouse, at that time called the poorhouse, where he lived the remainder of his lifetime, and died somewhere away back in the thirties. His remains lie buried in the old paupers' graveyard connected with the asylum. The old man was very black. He was entirely harmless, so that we boys always had our own fun with him. He was the only negro I ever knew to talk the German language. This he evidently learned while living in Grandfather Swenk's family, where only the German was spoken at that time.