The matter of keeping hogs occupied the attention of North Wales Borough Council at the meeting of August 5, 1889, when on motion it was duly seconded that it was unlawful to keep, raise, or breed any pigs, hogs, or swine within the limits of the borough after the first day of January, 1890, and any person found guilty of keeping any pigs, hogs or swine after that date would have the animals confiscated, and the constable seize and sell all such confiscated property. The proceeds, after paying the necessary expenses for the seizing and sale of the same, were to be deducted and paid into the school fund.
At the same meeting the high constable was authorized to deputize as many persons as he deemed necessary to break up street lounging, exercising all authority vested in him and the deputies to abate the nuisance.
On August 13, 1889 a section was added to the ordinance on street and corner lounging, to set the fine for congregation upon the streets, crossings and corners of the borough, not to exceed ten dollars, nor less than one dollar for each and every offense of refusing to move when ordered to do so, or for making any indecent, obscene or blasphemous remarks, or to profanely curse or swear in any of the streets of the borough. [Ten dollars in 1889 is roughly equivalent to $350 today.]
Also on August 5, 1889, Mahlon R. Swartley and his wife conveyed to the borough all the streets and alleyways laid out by the North Wales Land Association, as shown on a plan of 374 lots, for one dollar. The said streets and alleys were given and dedicated for public use. The deed was accepted and recorded by the borough. [This is today Elm Avenue, Shearer Street, W. Montgomery Avenue, Swartley Street, Center Street, West Street.]
On January 6, 1890, it was agreed to sell the lockup [borough jail] and lot for $300 to anyone willing to buy it at said figure. Evidently there were no buyers at the price of $300, because it was not until May 5, 1890 that the lockup and lot were sold to Mary Axer for $275.
On April 6, 1891, it was reported to council that “the well in Lumber street [between Main and 2nd Street] at J. F. Berger’s store needs a new floor. On motion it was agreed to have the said well covered with stone below the surface and then filled with ground to a level with the street from the stone covering up, and to remove pump from the well.” This was the end of the town well.
In October of 1891 the Hose Company offered to get a fire alarm bell if the borough would mount it on the hose house cupola. The offer was accepted by the borough and the following month, November, council appointed a committee of two to prepare a plan for the construction of a cupola on the hose house and to have it remodeled so as to be suitable to hold a fire bell.
The streets of the town, having been illuminated by kerosene lamps since the incorporation of the borough in 1869, and council desiring to improve the lighting conditions, January 7th, 1892 a committee of three was appointed to canvass the town to ascertain the number of electric lights that would be taken by consumers if an electric company would be organized.
One week later, on January 17, the committee on lights reported that about 300 lights had been promised to be taken, with only half the town canvassed. It was the feeling of the council that it would prefer to pay $500 per year for ten arc lights and 25 incandescent lights rather than erect a plant and conduct the business by the borough.
On January 6, 1893 council agreed to submit to the voters of the borough “the expression of their desire of having the borough streets lighted by electric lights or not,” to be voted on at the borough election of February 21.
We find no further mention of streets until about three years later, January 6, 1896, when we find that the president of council was instructed to look into the matter of acetylene gas for street lighting. On Februrary 3, the president reported that he was favorably impressed with the gas light, it being wonderful, white and brilliant. However the company would not be ready to furnish gas before March 1st.
January 4, 1897, we find a firm from Philadelphia appeared before council asking permission to establish an electric light plant, and to string wires and erect poles on the streets of the borough. The president was ordered to appoint a committee of three to draft an ordinance granting this permission. At the next meeting of council this ordinance was ordered laid on the table and local businessman E K. Freed appeared before council and asked for the right to string wires and erect poles and to build a light plant within the borough. Mr. Freed’s proposition was thoroughly discussed, and on April 19 council passed an ordinance granting this right to Mr. Freed.
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 November 10, 1959 issue of the North Penn Reporter