History snippets

Main street was owned by the Spring House and Sumneytown Turnpike Company and maintained by the company. It is evident from reading the North Wales Borough Council minutes that the turnpike company was lax in keeping the street in a condition of repair that was satisfactory to the council.  On November 8, 1882, council passed the following resolution: “President Scott and B. K. Johnson were appointed a committee to secure by purchase, or lease, from the Spring House and Sumneytown Turnpike Road Company that portion of their road within the limits of the borough of North Wales, and the extension of the same when extended.”

On February 5, 1883, the committee reported that they had met the board of managers and stock-holders of the company at their annual meeting held at Mainland on the 8th of January 1883, and that the proposition to purchase or lease was rejected.  A committee was appointed on behalf of the turnpike company to meet the council committee and confer in reference to granting permission to the authorities of the borough to make sidewalks and pavements on their road.

Council apparently had troubles and disagreements as far back as 1883, as is shown by the following minute of the meeting of April 2 of that year which is quoted in full: “The burgess and members of town council of the Borough of North Wales elected February 20, 1883, for the ensuing term met this evening at the office of I. W. Wampole, being councils regular place of meeting, for the purpose of organizing the transacting such business as may require their attention. Hiram C. Potter, burgess-elect, announced that he was already sworn into office as burgess of the Borough of North Wales and produced a certificate of oath in due form, which however, was not filed among the records of the corporation as required by law, and that upon a former occasion when elected to the same office he was not legally sworn in and that his oath then was of no account.

“A. W. Dettra, a justice of the peace, having administered the same, as appears from the council’s records, informed the members-elect of the town council, all of whom were present, that they could now be sworn into office by him or by a justice of the peace.  They decided to be sworn in by the latter. Isaac Wampole, Jr., Elias K. Freed, Benjamin K. Johnson, William A. Smith, William Miller and Peter Lalley  were then duly affirmed according to law, to support the Constitution of the United States of America and that of the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania and perform the duties of their offices as members of the town council of the Borough of North Wales respectively with fidelity, by I. W. Wampole, a justice of the peace in and for the County of Montgomery, Pennsylvania.

“Hiram C. Potter was then appointed chairman of the meeting and I. W. Wampole secretary. B. K. Johnson, E K. Freed and H. C. Potter were then nominated for president of the council. B. K. Johnson withdrew his name as a candidate. A ballot was then had which resulted in a tie vote. William A. Smith insisted upon the right of the burgess to fill the office of president of council and give the casting vote in the case of a tie. Smith asked E. K. Freed to withdraw his name in favor of the burgess, which he declined doing. A second ballot was then had which resulted in H. C. Potter receiving three votes and E. K. Freed two, with one blank ballot being cast. H. C. Potter thereupon declared himself duly elected president of the council for the ensuing term.

“For clerk, I. W. Wampole and Charles Meredith were nominated, whereupon William A. Smith urged the claims of the latter saying that he would perform the duties of the office for twenty-five dollars.  The former nominee was asked if he would accept the office at the same sum.  He told the Council explicitly that he would not perform the duties of the office including office rent, light, fuel, stationery and the safe keeping of the records of the corporation for less than forty dollars. Considerable discussion was indulged in regarding the clerkship, and a ballot had which resulted in I. W. Wampole receiving a majority of votes polled.  He was declared duly elected clerk of the council for the ensuing term.”

The right of H. C. Potter to occupy the position of council president was carried over to the meeting of April 20, 1883, when, “At a meeting of the town council of the Borough of North Wales held agreeably to adjournment, all the members being present, but owing to the persistent determination of Hiram C. Potter to force himself upon the council and be recognized as its president, to which office it was well known he had not been elected, notwithstanding his declaration he was, no business was transacted, and after a suggestion made that the Council meet on Monday evening, April 23rd, 1883, for the purpose of effecting a legal organization, the members withdrew.”

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 September 29, 1959 issue of the North Penn Reporter

The following paragraph appeared in the first edition of the North Wales Record, August 8, 1874: “During the present summer the North Pennsylvania Railroad Company have increased their rolling stock by the addition of a number of handsome passenger coaches. The new cars are not only models of beauty, but also of com­fort. The interiors are handsomely frescoed and the paneling is of pol­ished walnut. They are also much larger than the old cars and are furnished with marble-top station­ery wash-stands at each end. We have also been informed that the company intends running this style of cars over the Stony Creek Railroad, and that they will be placed on the line in the fall.”

Sensing the noise that usually precedes a Fourth of July, North Wales Borough Council on June 3, 1878 passed the following resolu­tion: “‘that all persons be cautioned against firing any gun, or other fireworks within the Borough of North Wales at any time other than the 4th day of July as the same is a violation of a state law and all persons offending are liable to a prosecution, and if convicted, forfeit and pay five shillings for every such offense, and on refusing to pay the same to undergo an im­prisonment for the space of forty-eight hours in the county jail.”

The following is a report of the property taxable for borough pur­poses in 1878, at the rate of four and one-half mills:

Improved Real Estate	$175,956.00
Unimproved Real Estate	6,757.00
Yearly Income	17,155.00
Horses (48) valued at	2,370.00
Cows (6) valued at	170.00
Carriages (27) valued at	1,530,00
Total	$203,938.00

The clatter of the galloping feet of a run-away horse and the re­sounding crash when horse and buggy collided with a lamp post, resulted in the following motion on July 1, 1878: “On motion resolved that a bill of damages be presented and collected from John Markley for lamps broken on Shearer street by the running away of a horse in charge of W. Weber, an employee of said Markley.”

That council took excellent care of the lodgers in the lock-up [borough jail] is evi­denced by the following notation in the minutes: “Doctor W. E. Ely presented a bill of one dollar for medical attention and medicine for T. Boyd, an inmate of the lock-up on the 26th of February 1879, which, on motion, was paid.”

On December 6, 1880, council passed a resolution which was an attempt to correct a very danger­ous condition that existed at that time at the crossing of Main street by the railroad. The resolution reads: “Resolved that the Philadel­phia & Reading Railroad Company be notified to extend their culvert on Second street in the borough of North Wales to a length sufficient to make it safe from accidents in crossing over the same, and that the action of the Grand Inquest of the County of Montgomery recom­mending a flagman to be stationed at Main street where the North Penn Railroad crosses the same in said borough to avert the immi­nent danger which persons crossing said road at that point are daily subjected to, be complied with by said railroad company without fur­ther notice or unnecessary delay.”

On April 4, 1881, a petition was presented to council for the exten­sion of the borough limits, and a public meeting was called on Monday evening, April 11, 1881, in Kiles Hall, to take into consideration the propriety of such an extension. There is no record in the minutes of the action of this public meeting.

The town well pump again occupied the attentions of council, when September 5th, 1881, “a petition praying the town council to put new floor on and a good pump on the well between Kiles Hotel and Harley’s store [Lumber Street], and in case the well should not prove sufficient, then at the earliest date possible enlarge and deepen it until it will be suf­ficient for all public purposes at the expense of the taxpayers, was pre­sented, and on motion received and resolved that a new floor be put on and a new pump be put in said well, as prayed for by the petitioners and that no water be taken therefrom for any other than culinary pur­poses, except by those having per­mission to do so by deed, and in case of fire, and that the pump be so constructed as to take the water out to within eighteen inches from the bottom of the well.

Desirous of keeping pace with the progress of the times, Borough Council changed the construction of all pavements by the following ordinance adopted on April 3, 1882 “That all new pavements shall be of brick, slate or stone, with proper curbing, and no stone to be laid less than two feet square with a smooth surface, and that all board [wood] pavements in said borough upon becoming dilapidated and requiring new string pieces, shall be removed and replaced with brick, slate or stone.”

On August 7, 1882, a petition was presented to council for the enact­ing of an ordinance prohibiting fowls from running at large in the borough. This petition was laid over for action at the next meeting.

The result of tree limbs overhanging the streets was evidenced at the September 4, 1882 meeting of council when Hunter Van Leer presented a bill of two dollars due by him to Sylvester Bright for repairing a carriage which was injured in con­tact with a limb in the borough, and claimed that the borough should pay the same. This bill was paid by council on October 16, 1882.

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 September 22, 1959 issue of the North Penn Reporter

The results of the desire to quench ones thirst, with something other than water, aroused the ire of the Borough Council. At the meeting in April 1872 it was unanimously resolved, “That all persons hereafter found intoxicated, or under the influence of liquor within the Borough of North Wales, be arrested and fined in the sum of $2, to which the constable shall be entitled for his service in attending to the lockup in the lodging of stragglers and criminals, etc.”  [Two dollars in 1872 is roughly equivalent to $50 today.]

In October of 1872 the street commissioner was instructed to notify persons having trees near street lamps to keep the trees trimmed so as not to obstruct the ray of the light from such lamps on to the pavements.

Many years ago it was the custom for every community to have a local pump and well containing drinking water for both humans and animals. Such a pump and well was located on Lumber street, which runs between Main street and Second street along the Peoples Savings and Loan Association [in 2024 The Green Fork], and on May 7, 1873, it was resolved, “That the pump in the well on Lumber street, near Harley’s store, be repaired or replaced by a new one and the well covered with a good plank floor.”

At the December meeting in 1873, the meeting place of Council was changed from the office of I. W. Wampole to the office of the North Penn Fire Insurance Company, for which the council paid a rental of ten dollars per year.

Between the April and May meetings of 1874, an election was held at which the following were elected: Burgess, Samuel H. Shearer; Councilmen, Jacob H. Leister, Henry B. Mull, David Richards, David Baker (local undertaker and carpenter), Sylvester Bright and Evan B. Kepler. At the reorganization meeting of this newly elected council, I. W. Wampole was replaced as borough clerk by A. W. Dettra. It might be interesting to note that at this time the borough council was completely democratic.

December 2, 1874, on motion the President was ordered to inform the Court that the Borough of Lansdale had not provided a lockup, as is required by law, and that our lockup was over-crowded in consequence thereof.

March 3, 1875, on motion, the president was instructed to collect $8.50 of Samuel W. Hendricks for the destruction of a lamp on Main street in front of the estate of Jonas D. Moyer. This was paid at the May meeting.

As a result of numerous street lamps being broken, council, on May 6th, passed the following ordinance: “That hereafter any damage done to the public lamps, or other property belonging to the borough, by any boy or boys; the parents, guardians, trustees or whosoever may have such boy or boys in charge, will be held responsible for all costs that may arise in repairing said damage in addition to a fine of $1 for such offense.”

During June, July and August of 1875 the lighting of the street lamps was dispensed with. Evidently this was done because of the long summer evenings.

In April 1876, council again desired to change their meeting place and accepted an offer of Abel K. Shearer to meet in his office for a rental of $1 for each meeting night, light and fuel included.

In order to increase the borough revenue, council passed the following ordinance on May 1st, 1876: “That a tax of one dollar shall be levied on each and every dog, and a tax of two dollars on each and every bitch within the limits of this borough.” This ordinance also provided that the assessor should assess, and the tax collector collect, this tax the same as all other taxes are collected, and pay it into the Borough Treasury.

Following the general election of 1877, the new council met and organized on April 2, 1877, at which time I. W. Wampole was reappointed clerk. At this meeting Abel K. Shearer again offered the council the use of his office in which to hold their meetings at one dollar per night, which was not accepted, and Council decided to again meet at the office of the clerk.

After having considerable trouble with the street lamps, the following report was made to council on May 7th 1877:

“The committee on lamps reports several in good condition, one broken and others requiring too much oil. The lamp lighter being present, having experimented with the lamps, reports that several, when filled, burn out in two evenings, while others with the same amount of oil burn six evenings, upon which a lively discussion ensued, and a motion made and seconded to dispense with lights for four months, which was not agreed to. The committee was then instructed to examine new lamps and if they find them to answer a good purpose and save oil and time to light them, as is claimed by the lamp lighter, to get more of the same kind to take the place of the old ones now in use.”

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 September 15, 1959 issue of the North Penn Reporter

Referring again to the Borough Lockup, it is apparent from the borough council minutes that by this time the demand for lodging had become so great that council found it necessary to equip the lockup with benches. mattresses and blankets at a cost of $11.50.

High Constable Weikel, in charge of the lockup, reported at the meeting of March 1, 1871, that he accommodated 29 persons with lodging in the lockup since July 1870, to date, eleven of whom were from Ireland, eight from Germany, one from England, four from the state of New York, one from Maine and two from Pennsylvania. Among them were four females, all Irish.

The reputation of the accommodations at the lockup evidently spread far and wide, for on March 6, 1872 Constable Weikel reported that he had accommodated sixty-six persons from March 4, 1871, to March 1, 1872, one of whom was born in Connecticut, two in England, three in the state of New York, and three in New Jersey, five in Pennsylvania, sixteen in Germany and thirty-six in Ireland. Four of these were females: one American, one English, and two Irish.

There were also four prisoners confined in the lockup within said term.

The popularity of the lockup became so great that in February 1877 the lockup committee reported it in good condition, but too small to accommodate all the applicants for lodging. However, this lockup continued to house the traveling guests of the borough until May 5, 1890, when the building was sold to Mary Axer for $275.

On October 6, 1890, council instructed the lockup committee to proceed at once with the construction of a new lockup on the ground which council had purchased at the rear of the Hose House at Third street and Montgomery avenue.

On November 2, 1891, the lockup committee reported that the new building was completed with the exception that “it wants straw for the beds”, which was supplied on December 7, 1891, along with blankets. This lockup was in operation until recently [1959] when the cells were torn out and it was turned into a storage house for the borough equipment.

Another very important matter was discussed on December 7, 1870, when on motion, the name of Main street was changed to Wales street, Chestnut street to Church street, Washington avenue to Washington street, Broadway to School street and Depot street to Montgomery avenue.

A thorough search of the borough records fails to reveal when Wales street was changed back to Main street.

Fire protection for the town must have been seriously considered by the council at this time, for on May 3, 1871, a photographic show card and descriptive catalogue of the Silsby Engine for extinguishing fire was presented to council by Doctor Kennedy.

As we said at the beginning of these last few articles, we do not intend to quote verbatim every minute contained in the records of council and, therefore, we are only offering those things which we feel are interesting and historical. It must be remembered. however, that during all this time council was busy ordering the laying of sidewalks, all of which were constructed of boards, opening streets, paving streets and in general doing those things which were necessary for the creation of a thriving borough.

Every meeting of council found it necessary to borrow money in order to meet expenses. There was no bank in the borough at that time and it was impossible, therefore, to borrow on the contemplated taxes, so it was necessary at every meeting to appoint a committee, comprising one councilman, to contact a citizen who was public-spirited enough to loan council sufficient money to function. The records show that there were many such citizens.

In April 1872, spring was in the air and the itinerant merchant who went from door to door selling his wares, and the wandering doctor, who parked his show in front of the local livery stable and by the aid of a few smoking oil lamps proceeded to dispense medicine that he guaranteed would cure anything from a wart to a broken bone, arrived in town. The exhortations of the merchant and the echoes of the prognostications of the licorice water dispenser had hardly died down, before the wrath of council, in order to protect the local businessmen, descended on the heads of these nefarious vendors in the form of the following ordinance:

“That no theatrical exhibition or exhibitions of circus performances or menageries, stage plays, rope dancing or other shows or exhibitions of a like nature, or the sale of soap, medicine or other commodity put up in boxes, packages, or otherwise, containing a prize, shall hereafter be allowed within said borough without a license from the borough, which may be granted by the burgess upon the payment of a sum not exceeding ten dollars for the use of the borough, and if any person, or persons, shall attempt to violate the provisions of this ordinance, he or they, so offending, shall forfeit and pay the penalty of not less than five dollars or more than fifty dollars, to be recovered with costs as debts of like sums are now collected.”

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 September 8, 1959 issue of the North Penn Reporter

A General Election was held on October 11, 1870, at which time 81 electors voted.

The result of the election is contained in the certificate issued by the judge and inspectors of election, who certified there were fifty-seven ballots in favor of street lamps and twenty-four for “no lamps.” Abel Lukens was judge, and Elias K. Freed and A. K. Shearer were the inspectors of the election.

Seven days after the election, or October 18, 1870, council held a special meeting “for the purpose of making arrangements for procuring and putting up streets lamps in pursuance of the result of the election held on the question of lamps. On motion of Mr. Freed it was unanimously resolved that as the question was determined in favor of lamps, a committee of two be appointed whose duty it shall be to examine the kind of street lamps now offered to the public by different manufacturers, and the cost of the same, and ascertain the number required, and report at the next stated session of the council, and procure and put up such and at such points and in such manner as shall be determined upon by the council. Elias K. Freed and Henry F. Moyer were appointed said committee.”

Council further considered the matter of street lamps at the meeting held on November 2, 1870. when the committee on lamps made a report in which they designated the following as proper points at which to erect the requisite number of street lamps, to wit, at the southwest corner of Washington avenue on Main street, at the northwest corner of Jonas D. Moyer’s lot, at the northeast corner of Lumber and Main streets, at the southeast corner of Walnut and Main streets, and one opposite the Reformed Church on Main street. At the southeast corner of Second and Depot streets, one opposite Lumber in Second street, one at the southwest corner of Second and Walnut streets, and one opposite John Mann’s lot in Second street. One at the northwest corner of Third and Walnut streets, one at the northwest corner of Third, Fourth, Fifth and Sixth streets on Montgomery avenue; and that they have examined different kinds of street lamps and recommend the Danforth’s Non-Explosive Petroleum Fluid[i] lamp which are offered at $96 per dozen. The report was accepted and the committee instructed to purchase the lamps as recommended and to have them erected on “good wooden lamp posts, unless others equally good can be procured at less expense.”

Street lamps again occupied the attention of council, when, at the meeting held on December 7, 1870, it was resolved that the names of the streets be painted on the four sides of the lamps and that the time to light the lamps be at candle light, or dusk, and that they be extinguished at 10 o’clock p. m.

It was further resolved at this meeting that sealed proposals be received by the committee on lamps until Wednesday evening, December 15, 1870, at 5 o’clock, for lighting, extinguishing, keeping clean, etc., the street lamps for one year.

In compliance with this resolution Messrs. Freed and Moyer, the committee on lamps, reported at the meeting of January 4, 1871, “that they have awarded the contract for lighting, extinguishing, cleaning, etc., sixteen lamps, to Michael Hasty at forty-five dollars for one year, from the 15th day of December 1870, and that the lamp lighter be allowed an appropriation of seventy-five cents per quarter for matches.”

At some point presumably the Danforth light fixtures were replaced with safer ones, once it became known how dangerous the Danforth “Non-Explosive” fluid was.

On July 6, 1896, the lamp committee was ordered to notify the lamp lighter to light the street lamps on all nights “that the moon does not give light”, until one o’clock.

The matter of street lighting continued to receive the attention of borough council, and on May 7, 1897 the following resolution was adopted: “Resolved that articles of agreement be made with a proposed electric light and power plant to be known as The North Wales Electric Light and Power Plant, as soon as it is incorporated, under which, the said proposed company shall be given the franchise to plant poles and string wires on the streets of the borough. Said franchise to be exclusive for ten years, and a contract to light the streets of the borough for a period of ten years with not less than fifty 25 candle power lights, at the rate of twelve dollars per year per light, be entered into with said proposed light company.”

One month later, June 7, 1897, borough council ordered its officials to enter into an agreement with E. K. Freed for street lighting, which was done. Thereafter, the street lighting was furnished by the E. K. Freed Electric Light Company, which erected its power plant on the Third street on the ground now [1959] occupied by Stainless, Inc.

The fate of the old lamp lighter was doomed with the following entry in the borough minutes of October 4, 1897, “the lamp lighter is to be disposed of due to the erection of electric lights. All old oil lamps and poles to be removed and sold at $2 for the best, $1.50 for next best and $1 each for the worst.”

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[i] In spring 1870, Danforth’s oil was a relatively new product in an unregulated marketplace. Without safety testing, manufacturers experimented with and sold highly flammable, unstable oils. [After a series of tragic fires] New York City’s Board of Health conducted a review of Danforth’s Non-Explosive Petroleum Fluid … and concluded that the New York-based product was no less than a “murderous oil.” It turned out that, while not technically “explosive,” the lamp oil would spontaneously ignite at room temperature without provocation. – La Crosse (Wisconsin) Tribune May 16, 2015.  “The oil sold by this firm (G. M. Danforth & Co.) is naphtha – nothing more or less; it is the most dangerous article that can be put into a lamp.” – First Annual Report of the Board of Health of the Health Department of the City of New York, 1871.

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 September 1, 1959 issue of the North Penn Reporter.

We continue with the Town Council meeting of January 20, 1870:

“The council then resolved itself into a committee of the whole and the following propositions submitted: E. K. Freed proposed that a stone building sixteen feet square ten feet high with flat roof covered with tin be erected. Joseph K. Anders coincided with Mr. Freed. Percival Slough proposed to have three apartments, one for prisoners, one for male and the other for female lodgers.

“After considerable discussion, in which all members of the council participated, the following was unanimously adopted as the specifications of the building; the building or lock-up house to be stone fourteen by eighteen feet, one story high, nine feet in the clear from floor to ceiling, wall to be eighteen inches thick laid up with good lime and sand mortar, the sleepers to be of white oak six inches thick and laid thirty inches apart, hemlock floor to be laid not less than thirty inches above the level of the surrounding ground, the joist for the ceiling to be three by six inches, to have four windows with two lights (by lights they meant window panes) in each, 10 by 12 glass with one iron bar lengthwise in each, well secured and to be one inch in thickness, to have a brick partition wall nine inches thick, two 2 inch batten doors well nailed with wrought iron nails, hung with strap hinges and have good mortise lock, flat tin roof to project eight inches over the wall with plain cornice around the same, the ceiling to be plastered with two coats and the walls inside with one coat of good mortar, the outside to be roughcast, and the outside woodwork to be well painted with two coats of white lead, and have suitable privy arrangements in each apartment for the accommodation of lodgers. The same to be completed by the 15th day of April A. D. 1870.

“All the material and workmanship in the same shall be such as shall be approved by the Town Council, under a penalty or forfeiture of one hundred dollars, after the adoption of which the clerk was in-structed to make out specifications and invite proposals for the building of the same.”

“Bids for the construction of the lock-up were received at the meeting of February 2, 1870, when the following propositions were received and read: one from Frederick Wolf for three hundred and thirty-five dollars. One from Aaron Kriebel for three hundred and sixty dollars, which were considered, and on motion it was resolved that the proposal for Mr. Wolf be accepted upon condition that he give security for the faithful performance of the contract agreeably to the specifications, under a forfeiture of one hundred dollars.

“The committee appointed at the special session of council on the 20th of January, 1870, for the purpose of purchasing a suitable lot of ground on which to build the lock-up, reported that they had made arrangements with David Moyer for the purchase of a lot on Third street for the sum of fifty dollars, subject to a dower of about four dollars, which report was accepted. This plot of ground was at Third and School streets, and the lock-up, when erected, stood about where the buildings now [1959] stand that are now owned by the Atlas Asbestos Company.

The next mention of the lock-up is made in the borough minutes of April 6, 1870, and reads as follows: “Messrs. Moyer and Slough, the committee appointed to superintend the building of the lock-up, or station house, report that the same is completed agreeably to contract, which was on motion accepted.”

Frederick Wolf, the contractor, was present and claimed ten dollars extra pay for changing the location of the building from the foundation first dug to where it was finally located. Upon Mr. Wolf persisting in his claim, it was on motion of E. K. Freed allowed and an order granted in his favor for $345.00. At this same meeting the building committee was instructed to place an iron bar across the outer door of the lock-up.

The lock-up having been erected, the next matter of importance to be brought to the attention of council was the question of street lights. On October 5, 1870, there appears in the minutes the following entry: “Application by petition of citizens of the borough having been made to the Town Council for the erection of street lamps at certain points in the limits of the borough of North Wales, in pursuance of which application, it was on motion of Mr. Freed unanimously resolved that the question of lamps to light the streets of the borough be submitted to the qualified electors therein at the general and borough elections to be held at the public house of Abel Lukens on the 11th day, being the second Tuesday of October A. D. 1870.”

We will report the result of this election in our next article.

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 August 25, 1959 issue of the North Penn Reporter.

On October 22, 1869, North Wales Borough Council finally started to function and its first official act was the passing of an ordinance compelling property owners on Main Street to lay sidewalks six feet wide with a pavement of brick, stone or wood. These sidewalks were to be completed within thirty days.

At the next meeting of council, October 27, 1869, the meeting place was changed from Lukens’ Hall to the office of Messrs. Moyer and Shearer. This office was on the site of the one now [1959] occupied by A. K. Shearer on Second street. At this meeting council passed an ordinance requiring pavements to be laid on Montgomery Avenue and Third street and that Montgomery Avenue was to be opened from Third to Second streets.

The meeting place was again changed on November 3, 1869, from the office of Moyer and Shearer to the borough clerk’s office. Mr. Wampole, the clerk, was also a justice of the peace and had his office at 107 North Second street. At this meeting it was resolved that the street commissioner receive a salary of two dollars per day for every day necessarily spent in the performance of his duties.

In order that the actions of council be legally correct it has always been necessary to employ a solicitor, and accordingly, on November 17, 1869, Henry F. Moyer appointed a committee to employ a solicitor for the town council at a salary not exceeding twenty-five dollars per year for his services. At the next meeting, November 24, 1869, Mr. Moyer reported that he had engaged the services of George N. Corson for a term ending January 1, 1871, at a salary of twenty-five dollars per year.

Apparently parking was a problem in 1869, as it is now, for at the meeting of council held on December 8, 1869, a petition was presented by citizens of the borough requesting an ordinance to prohibit any cart, stage, wagon, carriage or vehicle of any kind from remaining on any pavement, footway, or public crossing longer than a certain fixed time, under a penalty of (blank) dollars, to be recovered before the burgess or a justice of the peace; one-half of the fine to be paid to the informer. Also an ordinance making it a penalty for any person or persons to lead or drive a horse or any other animal along and on any footway or pavement. These petitions were received for consideration and future action.

On December 15, 1869, the matter was again brought up, but on motion laid on the table. A search of the records fails to disclose any further action.

The meeting of December 29, 1869, proved to be an important one in that by-laws and rules were adopted for the government of council. These by-laws and rules are lengthy and have long since been made obsolete by the Legislature of Pennsylvania which created the borough code, and under which all boroughs must function.

The next important matter brought to the attention of council at this meeting was, “The question of lodging strangers or vagrants coming into the borough, which was introduced by Mr. Anders, and after discussing the subject it was on motion, resolved that the clerk obtain the solicitor’s opinion and advice as to the duty of, and the proper course for, the council to pursue in cases where the hotel keepers of the borough of North Wales refuse to entertain and lodge such strangers upon application.”

On January 12, 1870, the matter of lodging strangers again occupied the attention of council when, “A petition was presented asking for the erection of a lock-up or station-house, the propriety of which was discussed, and on motion of Mr. Freed the subject was referred to Messers. Cathrall and Anders with instructions to report at the next meeting of council.”

At this meeting there was another petition presented asking for the erection of twelve street lamps and the appointment of a lamp lighter. This petition was referred back for more signers.

We quote in full the next meeting of council which reads as follows:

“At a special session of the council convened on Thursday evening, January 20, 1870. for the purpose of taking into consideration the propriety of erecting a suitable building for a lock-up house and a site upon which to erect the same. When Joseph K. Anders on behalf of the committee appointed at a former meeting of the council, made report, from the opinion received from George N. Corson, the council solicitor, it appears to be the duty of the council to erect such a building within the borough, and that a lot of ground upon which to erect the same fronting on Third street, bounded by lands of Frederick Mull and Daniel Kenderdine can be purchased for about fifty-four dollars. [Today this is the side yard of the house across the street from the beer distributor.] Whereupon on motion of E. K. Freed it was resolved that the town council erect within the limits of the borough a building suitable for a lock-up or station house, and that a committee be appointed to purchase a suitable lot of ground upon which to erect the same. The president appointed E. K. Freed and Joseph K. Anders to said committee.”

We will continue this article in subsequent blog posts.

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 August 18, 1959 issue of the North Penn Reporter.

In 1880, North Wales businessmen and local farmers pooled their resources to establish a creamery in the borough for “the manufacture and sale of butter, cheese, and other products of milk.”  

During the 19th century the countryside surrounding North Wales was primarily agricultural.  In addition to or in place of raising crops, dairy farming could be a sustainable enterprise, the problem being that each day, dairy farmers needed to either process or transport that morning’s milk to a creamery.  This needed to be done day in and day out, 365 days a year.  In the era before refrigeration, before motorized trucks, and before paved roads to run them on, that left few options.  Full milk cans could be hauled to the Reading Railroad’s freight station for shipment to a processing facility, but the high cost of shipment could make the enterprise untenable.

So it was that the Farmers Creamery Association of North Wales was formed.  A 1 acre plot of land was purchased from Jos. Hopkins “on the north side of the borough.”  A substantial masonry building was built to the following specifications:

34 feet x 42 feet
First story stone, second story brick
Windows:
9×14, 12 light over 12 light, lower story
9×12, 12 light, second story [the term “light” refers to glass panes]
Granite door sills (3)

This building is still standing, after several major alterations, at 717 E. Walnut Street in North Wales borough, opposite the Wawa.  Today the building serves as a 5 unit apartment house.

At a March 19^th, 1881 meeting of stockholders of the Farmers Creamery Association of North Wales, the following by-laws were unanimously adopted:

1).  If adulterated milk is furnished by anyone, first offense shall be penalty of $10. Second and subsequent offense: $20.  [Equivalent to $300 and $600 in 2024 dollars]

2). Milk shall be delivered between 5:30 a.m. and 7:30 a.m. from May 1 to October 1.  Between 7:00 a.m. and 9:00 a.m. the rest of the year.

The Ambler Gazette newspaper reported that the North Wales creamery “did a thriving business.”  Eventually however the creamery was no longer profitable and ceased operations.  The creamery building was converted to a laundry.  Later, owner George Hoffman converted the structure again, this time into a large bungalow-style house. Hoffman subdivided the lot and in 1920 sold the ex-creamery house to one E. F. Grann. 

In 1925 Hoffman broke ground for a new house on the lot next door to the former creamery, on the southwest corner of 8^th & Walnut Streets.  Still standing today at 719 W. Walnut, one and a half stories in height with the first floor of brick and the second of wood, the compact home is of the American Craftsman style so popular at the time. The Hoffman family moved into 719 W. Walnut Street in April of 1926.    

In June 1937, North Wales borough council unanimously agreed to the purchase of a new Nash Lafayette police car.  Recommended by the council safety committee, the purchase was made through the John H. Dodson Nash dealership located at the northwest corner of Walnut Street and Center Street.

The four-door Nash was optioned with “the modern ambulance conversion.”  The June 3, 1937 issue of the North Wales Record newspaper reported: 

“This is the first and only type of police car in this area.  Within a few seconds the rear of the automobile can be converted into an ambulance with all the conveniences, and a patient may be transported easily and in comfort to the nearest medical unit.

“The car will be equipped with two searchlights, and a police siren with a flashing red blinker to warn oncoming traffic.”

When the car arrived in September, a photograph illustrating the ambulance conversion along with a description of its features appeared:

“One of the finest equipped police cars in the county is now operating in the Borough of North Wales and was purchased a few months ago by Town Council. It is equipped with two powerful side search lights and a red blinker siren is mounted on the roof. Its interior is roomy and it possesses excellent speed.

“The most interesting feature of the car and the newest ‘wrinkle’ in police cars is the rear ambulance conversion. In a few seconds the rear of the car may be converted into an ambulance fully equipped with an auxiliary stretcher, blankets, pillow, pads and all necessities and a patient may be quickly and comfortably conveyed to the nearest hospital unit. This is one of the features of the car to which Council gave serious consideration when purchasing. The ambulance is not only for use on the road in the event of an accident but is also at the service of the community.

“The Donald McLeod Post, American Legion, North Wales, is the donor of the ambulance equipment. While the car is now equipped with the necessary supplies, the ‘extras’ will be officially presented to the Police Department by the Legion Post in the future.  This snappy police car with its modern equipment has been viewed and photographed by officials and residents of many surrounding towns and pronounced as the ‘ideal police’ car.

“It was purchased through the Lafayette agency of John Dodson, North Wales.

“In picture reading from left to right: Burgess W. E. Rourke; Melvin A. Hemmerle, assisting Chief of Police; Chief H. W. Turner; and Charles Brommer III, lying on stretcher).”

The caption above refers to the newspaper photograph at the top of this page. The second photo is not of the North Wales car; it is a photo of another 1937 Nash Lafayette that gives a sense of what these large streamlined sedans looked like. The image below is from a stylish 1937 Nash advertisement.

After the incorporation of North Wales Borough and the granting of the charter by Montgomery County Court we find the following entry in the borough minutes:

“At an election held at the Public House of Abel Lukens in the Borough of North Wales on the 21st day of September, 1869, by virtue of and in pursuance of the decree of the Court of Quarter Sessions of the County of Montgomery of the 20th day of August, 1869, the following persons were duly elected to fill the offices provided for by law, to-wit:

Burgess – George Schlotterer
Town Council – Henry F. Moyer, Elias K. Freed, Percival Slough, Joseph K. Anders and George Cathrall
Constable – Noah W. Weikel
Judge of Election – Augustus W. Dettra
Inspector – George W. Nyce (There being a tie vote for Abel Lukens and John S. Knight for Inspector)
Assessor – Daniel Kenderdine
Auditor – Henry W. Moyer
School Directors – George Schlotterer, William Wilson, Dr. B. K. Johnson, Leidy Gerhart, Isaac G. Freed and John Kline
Justice of the Peace – Isaac W. Wampole and David Moyer

The public house of Abel Lukens was what is now the Rorer-Seems Building, and Lukens’ Hall, which is mentioned very often in these articles, is the building which now [1959] contains the U. S. Post Office.

We do not intend to quote verbatim every minute contained in the records of Borough Council, but not to give the full record of the first meeting would take from these articles the very purpose for which they are written. Therefore, again we quote:

“The first meeting of the Town Council of the Borough of North Wales was held in Lukens’ Hall on Wednesday evening, September 29th, 1869, when the following members were present: George Schlotterer Burgess; Elias K. Freed, Henry F. Moyer and Percival G. Slough, members of the Council, all of whom having been previously duly sworn or affirmed according to law before, Algernon S. Jenkins, Esquire, a Justice of the Peace. Joseph K. Anders, also a member of Council, was present, being duly affirmed by George Schlotterer, Burgess.

“Whereupon council organized by choosing Henry F. Moyer president, and unanimously elected lsaac W. Wampole, Clerk, and appointed Abel K. Shearer, borough treasurer.

“Being thus organized, it was on motion resolved that Elias K. Freed and Joseph K. Anders, who having received the highest number of votes at the late election held on the 21st day of September 1869, should remain in office until their successors are elected in October, 1870, and come regularly into office, and that three persons be elected to the office of Town Council on Tuesday, October 12, 1869, to serve for a term two years.

“On motion Elias K. Freed was appointed a committee to procure the necessary books and stationary for the use of the council.”

Of course, no borough could function without a street commissioner and surveyor, and accordingly, on October 6th, 1869, Frederick Wolf and Ellwood Cleaver were appointed commissioner and surveyor respectively.

Council again met on October 18th, 1869, at which time they appointed Henry F. Moyer as a committee on Finance with instructions to borrow two hundred dollars on Borough Scrip. At this meeting Council was also informed of the bad condition of the bridge at Main and Walnut streets. The mention of a bridge at this intersection causes one to visualize a wooden structure across the street, but in searching records and talking to residents of the town “whose memories runneth not to the contrary” we find that the “bridge” was simply a wooden culvert over a large ditch which existed at Main and Walnut streets at that time.

On the 12th of October 1869, or about one month after the special election held on September 21st of the same year, a general election was held at the Public House of Abel Lukens, at which time the following persons were duly elected Borough officers for the ensuing term: burgess, Isaac Wampole, Jr.; town council, Henry F. Moyer, Percival Slough and David Smith, Jr.; constable, Noah W. Weikel.

In passing we want to pay tribute to the memory of the man who was the second Burgess of North Wales, Isaac W. Wampole, Jr. Mr. Wampole was elected burgess in 1869 and for many years served this community in an official capacity. He performed the duties of his various offices faithfully and loyally, always having in mind the trust imposed upon him by the people. He was one of the pioneers in the building of the town and lived within its confines for many years. Mr. Wampole left a long line of descendants, many of whom are our present day citizens.

The father of Mr. Wampole, Isaac W. Wampole, served this town as borough clerk for a period of twenty years and the minutes kept by him are the most comprehensive, as well as the most beautifully written, that we have ever seen. It is only through his detailed recordings of the actions of the early councils that these present articles are possible.

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 August 11, 1959 issue of the North Penn Reporter.