Month: March 2022

Following our usual custom of telling our present day citizens about some of our former prominent residents, we give herewith a sketch of Jason Sexton, about whom we spoke last week.

Jason Sexton was born September 21, 1834, at Sharon, N. Y., coming to Montgomery county in the spring of 1876, when he took charge of the extensive farming operations of William M. Singerly, whose farms of over 600 acres [later the Ralph Beaver Strassburger farm, now Normandy Farms] were under Mr. Sexton’s management for a quarter of a century.

Before moving to North Wales he lived on the turnpike [Sumneytown Pike] near Spring House.  In addition to the work of managing the stock and dairy farms, Mr. Sexton took an active part in the affairs of the township and was instrumental in the establishment of a graded school system for Lower Gwynedd and also the Union Sunday School at Springhouse, of which he was Superintendent for many years.

As an Agriculturalist Sexton achieved an enviable reputation among farmers and stockmen. He was one of the first in this section to advocate the feeding of ensilage. With the consent of Mr. Singerly, the first silo in this county was built, and the method of feeding as carried on at the Singerly farms [today Normandy Farms] was adopted by dairymen in all parts of the country. The fattening of cattle was one of his specialties and it was on the home farm that he succeeded in raising a steer that weighed 2400 pounds and which was exhibited at a number of fairs.

In 1862 Mr. Sexton enlisted in as a Private in the 44th Regiment, New York Volunteers. In September 1864 he was commissioned a lieutenant in the 175th New York Volunteers. He served with General Phil Sheridan’s army in the Shenandoah Valley and in January 1865, his company became a part of General Sherman’s command at Savannah, Georgia, and participated in Sherman’s march to the sea. He remained with this command until the close of the war.

Mr. Sexton was one of the original members of Ellsworth’s Avengers, a company of New York State Volunteers recruited to avenge the death of Colonel Ellsworth who was shot early in the war. The company was afterwards called the Ellsworth Zouaves and when mustered into service became known as the 44th Regiment.

In politics Mr. Sexton was an ardent Republican, his first vote having been cast for John C. Fremont for President in 1856. He served several terms as School Director in Lower Gwynedd Township. In 1897 he was elected to the State Legislature, by the largest vote ever cast (up to that time) for any candidate in this district, receiving a majority of 6812 votes. He took his seat in the Assembly on the 5th Anniversary of the day his father took his seat in the New York Legislature. Sexton was reelected in 1899 by a nearly 2000 vote majority.

As a member of the State Board of Agriculture Mr. Sexton enjoyed a large acquaintance, among the farmers of this county and also in the state. For years he was in charge of the Farmers Institutes in Montgomery county and took great pleasure in this work. He was also connected with the Grangers. In religious life Mr. Sexton was a member of the Methodist Church, serving on the board of the trustees at the time of his death. For a number of years Mr. Sexton had been connected with the State Highway Department and was in charge of some important work for the state in various counties. The sudden death of Mr. Sexton on Memorial Day 1910 removed from North Wales one of its most respected and energetic citizens.

This post is sourced from a column entitled Early North Wales: Its History and Its People penned by long-time North Wales resident historian Leon T. Lewis. The article appeared in its original form in the June 2, 1959 issue of the North Penn Reporter.

Tragedy marred North Wales 1910 Memorial Day observances

Shortly after noon on Memorial Day, May 30, 1910, members of Colonel Edwin Selma Post, No. 290, Grand Army of the Republic, escorted by Camp No. 92, Sons of Veterans, and also members of the ladies’ auxiliary, arrived in North Wales from Lansdale to take part in the Memorial Day parade and exercises. After dinner had been served at Hotel Wunder [at 5th & Walnut St., later McKeever’s], the delegation was headed by the Citizens Band of Quakertown, the Veterans, and the Women of the War, occupying two large coaches, and proceeded to Elm avenue where they took their places in the parade.

The formation of the parade was as follows: mounted police, chief marshal, assistant marshal, clergymen in carriages, Quakertown Band, Post 290 of the G.A.R., ladies’ auxiliary and Women of the War, Sons of Veterans, North Wales Burgess James Billiard, members of council and school board in carriages, North Wales Lodge No. 610 International Order of Odd Fellows, Lanah Rebekah in coaches, Independent Americans, Gilt Edge Castle Knights of the Golden Eagle, Uniformed Guards of Foresters, Court Pride Foresters of America, Camp 547 P.O.S. of A., Baraca Class of the Baptist Church.

At the cemeteries the various societies placed flowers on the graves of deceased members and the Grand Army men held services over the graves of their departed comrades. A squad from the Sons of Veterans fired a salute at each cemetery. After the Lutheran Cemetery was visited the parade marched to the school yard on School street where it was dismissed.

The program at the school was to have included short addresses by several local ministers. The main speaker was to be Jason Sexton, well-known local citizen, and a former member of the State Legislature and State Board of Agriculture.

The stand from which the speaking was to take place was beautifully decorated with flags and bunting and at night was illuminated with electric light. There was to be a band concert following the address by the main speaker.

Jason Sexton, clad in the uniform of the Grand Army of the Republic, filled with the enthusiasm and patriotism that called himself and thousands of others to the defense of their country in 1861, died in the presence of hundreds of his comrades, neighbors and friends assembled in the school yard soon after he had begun to deliver his address.

Sexton’s sudden and tragic death cast a gloom over the audience, nearly all of whom had seen the speaker fall to the platform. Willing hands were quickly at his side and Dr. H. F. Slifer, who was present, gave prompt assistance to the stricken man, but life was extinct. A few minutes later the announcement was made that Mr. Sexton was dead. His body was wrapped in the Stars and Stripes and borne to his late residence on Main street [later the home of W. Palmer King] by a detachment of the Sons of Veterans, grief stricken comrades acting as a guard of honor.

Mr. Sexton took an active part in the arrangements for Memorial Day, having presided at the meeting in Lansdale that morning. In the afternoon he took part in the parade in our town, going with the Veterans in carriages to both cemeteries. On arriving at the school yard he took a seat on the platform and listened with close attention to the remarks of Rev. J. N. LeVan, pastor of the Reformed Church, who was first on the program. Mr. Sexton followed, and it was only a few minutes after he arose, that he was seen to suddenly grow very pale and then fell backward, his head striking the floor with a sound that was heard all over the grounds. Heart failure, due to over exertion and fatigue following the events of the day, wase given as the cause of death.

The tragic death of the speaker broke up the meeting and the remainder of the program.  The band concert which was to have been held in the evening was called off.

Carrying out the theme of these articles, to give our present residents a history of the town and its early residents, next week we will discuss the background of Mr. Sexton.

This post is sourced from a column entitled Early North Wales: Its History and Its People penned by long-time North Wales resident historian Leon T. Lewis. The article appeared in its original form in the May 26, 1959 issue of the North Penn Reporter.