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HISTORY 
 
 —OF— 
 
 1 
 
 o>>0=4^>o^o- 
 
 By JOHN D, SOUDER. 
 
 .J«<^^>^o 
 
 PLDLISHKL 1!V 
 
 BENJAMIN L. (JEHMAN, 
 
 HARLKV8V1LLK, l'.\ . 
 
 1S80. 
 

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IIISTOIIV OF FIIANCONIA TOWNSIIU'. 
 
 INTRODUCTORY. 
 
 The "History of Franconia Township" is presented to the 
 public as a memorial of the one hundred and fifty-fitth year of its 
 incorporated existence. Material facts have been diligently 
 sought after and patent labor cheerfully bestowed upon the work. 
 Events are chronicled in a narrative rather than in a controver- 
 sial form, and truth gleaned in a hundred sources has been con- 
 densed in order to make it a valuable work for the future and 
 present generations. It is submitted to a generous and intelli- 
 gent people in the belief that it will meet their approval. The 
 labor of the author was shared by many residents of the township, 
 indeed Wm. W. Wile has our sincerest thanks for his cheerful in- 
 formation we received and gleaned from his own lips. The labor 
 was also shared by R. R. Hangey, Wm. S. Hemsing, H. K. God- 
 shall, H. K. Hackman, R. R, Hartzel], I. C. Barndt and others. 
 We finally extend our sincerest thanks for their co-operation and 
 cheerful information. This little work was never intended to be 
 published in book form at the beginning, but were hastily written 
 to meet each week's publication of the Weekly News, and, there- 
 fore we do not claim for them any measures of literary merit- 
 The little book contains many mistakes due to the printer and 
 author, but nevertheless it will fill its mission for what it had 
 been prepared. The writing ol a history is not as easy a matter 
 as many may suppose. It is for one to pull in the far dim dis- 
 
:; "iISTOKV OF FKA^CUMA TOW vsilll'. 
 
 taiice oi liio p;ist, then where shail you begin nnd what shitll be 
 omitted. It is the pen of a general historian which gives us the 
 principal events of the past and the present leaves much unwrit- 
 ten, like the husbandman in the harvest held, there is ahva^^s 
 something left for the gleaners. So the minor occurrences of hfe, 
 if not gathered by the local historian, are lost to us and our chil- 
 dren. It is to those following after us that most of this interest 
 IS attached. We seeing the every day events as they transpire 
 around us do not realize how highly they would be prized in after 
 years, The lives and habits of our country people fiir removed 
 froin the bustle and turmoil of city life do not reveal, it is^ true, 
 striking characteristics, yet they have l)heir way, their modes of 
 life and living, their daily routine of businesor of pleasure, which, 
 if narrated in a simple way only, would be a gratification to many 
 a household. We readily see how this would be the case if mem- 
 ory would only be carried back a single generation to behold what 
 mighty changes have been wrought therein. The ways, methods 
 and usages of foi'mer times are supplanted In- new practices, 
 and with it the bound of thought is enlarged. Our local histor- 
 ians have aided greatlj- in rescuing from oblivion much that 
 would otherwise have been lost, and contributed largelv to the 
 fvmd of general information, as recorded by local historians in 
 shape for further reference. It is both interesting and instruc- 
 tive to read the history of our forefathers, to understand by what 
 toils, through what difficulties, over what obstacles they, from a 
 feeble colony planted in nn unexplored wilderness, struggled uj) 
 to a position of wealth and power. 
 
 J. D. SOUDEK. 
 T<''!ford. AuoTist 10th, 188r; 
 
HISTORY OF KllANCONlA TOWNSllU'. iii 
 
 CONTENTS; 
 
 PART I. 
 
 Lt.3 SixaATiox— Deriviatiox of its Name — Number of Tax- 
 
 ABLES AND AmOUN'T OF TAXATION ItS EaRLIEST SeTTLEKS — 
 
 First Tannery — Other Assf'ssments. 1 
 
 PART II. 
 Land-Holders of 1792 — Tax Assessed on Bachelors -Names 
 i>F Land-Holders and Bachelors [n 1792. 3 
 
 PART III. 
 Villages — Telford — County Line Hotel— Sou dertu.\ - 
 Franconia Square and Fran(^oniaville. 5 
 
 PART \\. 
 Education — Parochial and Private Schools — How Condu* - 
 ted' — Tuition — County Scholars — Common Schools Es- 
 tablished — The Schools Connected with the Churches — 
 The Pri<]sent Schools. . S 
 
 PART V. 
 Church — Early Religion — Reformation — Religious De- 
 nominations — Mennonites, their first Meeting House — - 
 Indianfield Lutheran CHURCif, Founded and Rebuilt — 
 Ministers — Reformed Church on the Indian Creek, 
 Founded and Reiu-ilt — Leidy's Church. 12 
 
 PART Vl. 
 
 Politics — First \^oting Places — Townshir Committee — 
 V'oTES IN 1775 — Acts Passed and \^oting Places ('hanged 
 Number of Votes in 1884 — Justice of the Pea(^e — Other 
 Township Officers. 16 
 
 PAPvT VH. 
 
 ABORiGlNEES-TllEIR ReLICS-InDIAxNS AbaNDON OUR TERRITORY. 19 
 
 PART VHL 
 
 AorI'Ulture as Prm'Tised ry our Ancestors — As Practised 
 
 To-DAV 22 
 
 PART JX. 
 
 Newspvpers \ND Lodges — The "Montgomery County Press" " 
 
Iv HISTORY UK FKANCONTA TOWNSHIP. 
 
 — SouDKRTON "Independent" — The Redmen and Sons of 
 America. 25 
 
 PART X. 
 
 Early Germans — Cause of Emmigration — The German Ele- 
 ment — Their Religion. 27 
 
 PART XL 
 
 Zoology and Minerals — Birds — Reptiles — Minerals. 30 
 
 PART XII. 
 
 Roads and Conveyance — First Roads — Custom of Travel — 
 Roads To-day. 32 
 
 PART XII. 
 
 Manners and Customs — Sports and Pastimes — Local Super- 
 stition. 34 
 
 PART XIV. 
 
 Private Rurying Grounds — Fuhrman's Graveyard — Other 
 Neglected Graveyards. 37 
 
 PART XV. 
 
 acconuts of the poor of the township statements of the 
 
 Overseers of the Poor. 41 
 
 PART XVI. 
 
 The Lutheran Congregation — Pastors-Edifice-Graveyard. 47 
 
 PART XVII. 
 
 Reformed " Church — Doctrine — Indian Creek Reformed 
 Church — Its Burying Ground — Leidy's Reformed Congre- 
 gation — Its Burying Ground. 52 
 
 PART XVIII. 
 
 Dunkards or German Baptist — Their Principles — Emmigra- 
 tion TO America — Their Houses of Worship — Burying 
 Grounds. 58 
 
11 [STORY OF FKANCONIA TOWNSHIP. v 
 
 PART XIX. 
 
 TnH Mi:nnon!ti:;s-— Thhik Doctuine — Schisms oi" thk Menno- 
 yiTE Ciirucn — F'haxconta Mheimng House anm) roN(iKE(;A- 
 TroN — SoLDEUTON Meeting House. 02 
 
 PART XX, 
 
 IIerrite Denominatiox — Their House oe \A'oRsim' — Burv- 
 ING Grolm). G'> 
 
 PART XXI 
 
 Village History — Telford — Souderto.v — Frax'oniaville-- 
 Fhamoma Square^ — Midway — Karlixgton — Rksivg Su.n 
 Hotel — G ehm ans. 72 
 
 PART XXTT. 
 
 Progress of Civilization. <S() 
 
 PART XXH. 
 
 PlOXEEU SeTTLHR.S DeS( RIPTION OE THEIR FaRMIXG 94 
 
HISTORY OF FRANCONIA TOWNSHIP. 
 
 PART I. 
 
 ITS SITUATION DERIVATION OF ITS NAME NUMUEK OF TAXAI'.LES, AND 
 
 AMOUNT OF TAXATION ITS EARLIEST SETTLERS — ITS FIRST TANNERY 
 
 OTHER ASSESSMENTS. 
 
 Fraiiconia township is situated 
 in the northeastern part of 
 Montgomery county, joining- 
 Bucks county on the northeast 
 and Upper and Lower Salford 
 Hatfield township on the west, 
 south and east. Its area is 1481 
 square miles or 9520 acres. 
 The surface is generally level, 
 but sufficiently undulating to 
 susceptible of surface drainage 
 into the headwaters of the 
 Skippach, Branch and Indian 
 creeks, all of which liow through 
 the township, allbrdhig light 
 but useful water power and mill 
 
 sites. The eastern branch of 
 the Perkiomen forms the north- 
 western boundary of the town- 
 ship. 
 
 The name of Franconia is de- 
 rived from an old Duchy, which 
 afterwards formed a circle of 
 the Germanic Empire, and sig- 
 nifies " Ljind of the Franks," 
 whence aho France. On 
 
 Holme's map of" 1682 it is called 
 the "Dutch township," from 
 which we inter that the Dutch 
 were its earliest settlers. 
 
 In 1734 the township con- 
 tained thiit^'-tbur taxab'es and 
 
2 HlSTOiiY OF FllANCONlA TOWNSHIP, 
 
 land-holders, nearly all Ger- and Jacob Oberlioltzei' 
 
 mans. Anioni'st these inav be 
 mentioned John Fry, 15U acres ; 
 Henry Rosenberi^er, 125 acres ; 
 John Oberholtzer, 150 acres ; 
 Christian Meyor, 150 acres ; 
 Ulrich Hmisberger, 50 acres ; 
 Frederick Gotshalk, 100 acres ; 
 Michael Bing, 100 acres; Mich- 
 ael Hentz, 100 acres ; George 
 Hartzell, 100 acres ; Anch-ew 
 Barndt, 75 acres: Henry Barndt, 
 loo acres ; Frederick Scholl, 
 100 acres ; Jacob Bayard. 100 
 acres, and John Wilhelm. 50 
 acres. Most of these have de- 
 scendants residing in the town- 
 ship at the present day. Chris- 
 tian Meyor arrived in 1727, 
 Frederick Sholl in 1728, Jacob 
 Oberholtzer, George Hartzell, 
 Ludwig Hartzell, Michael Wil- 
 helm and JohnnasFry in 17o0 ; 
 
 ni 
 
 August, 17o2. These, perhaps, 
 all came from the Palatinate or 
 Pfaltz. 
 
 One of the tirst settlers of the 
 township is said to have l)een 
 Christian Funk, who settled on 
 the Indian creek, below the mill 
 of George 8. Reift". The Souders 
 of the township are descendants 
 of his family, and are now re- 
 siding throughout the township 
 in multitudes. 
 
 Leidy's tannery, one mile 
 south of Souderton, was founded 
 in 1780 by Jacob Leidy, grand- 
 father of the present proprietor. 
 
 In 1785 there was one tavern 
 licensed, two grist mills, one tan- 
 nrey and two slaves assessed. 
 The taxes assessed was for de- 
 fraying the public expenses of 
 the countv. 
 
HISTORY OF FRANCONIA TOWNSHIP. 
 
 PART II. 
 
 LAND-HOLDERS IN 1794 TAX ASSESSED ON BACHELORS — NAMES OF LAND- 
 HOLDERS AND BACHELORS IN 1794. * 
 
 In 1794 George Bilger, a tax 
 collector for that year, returned 
 ninety-six owners and occupiers 
 of improved lands in the town- 
 ship. Seventy-three of the num- 
 ber were assessed for taxable 
 valuables over two hundred 
 pounds, and twenty-three for 
 sums less than two hundred 
 pounds. 
 
 The tax assessed was for the 
 purpose of defraying the pul:»lic 
 expenses of the county. The 
 total sum of duplicate was 
 seventy-four pounds, five shill- 
 ings and two pence In addi- 
 tion to this tax laid upon real 
 and personal property, the sum 
 of three pounds and ten shillings 
 was laid upon eleven single men 
 residing in the township. This 
 
 latter subject of taxation was so 
 remarkable that we give place 
 to their names : George Hertole, 
 Jacob Landes, John Hunsberger, 
 George Cope, Christian Huns- 
 berger, George Rosenbergey, 
 Abraham Moyer, Samuel Moyer, 
 Christian Mo^^er and Joseph 
 Smith. The law under which 
 these young bachelors were 
 taxed was general throughout 
 the State at the date of this as- 
 sessment. Amongst the assess- 
 ed land-holders of 1794 were 
 John Althouse, George Bilger, 
 Henry P)erndt, Isaac Bergey, 
 Christian Benner, Samuel Brode, 
 Captain John Cope, Peter Con- 
 ver, George Cressman, Henry 
 Deitz, Peter Daub, Abraham 
 Dulp, John Detweiler, Henry 
 
HISTORY OF FRANCONIA TOWNSHIP. 
 
 Furman, John Freid, Jacob Ger- 
 hard, Andrew Hentz, George 
 Hartzell, Christian Hunsberger, 
 John Hackman, Jacob Hagey, 
 John Kindig, Abraham Clem- 
 mer, George Kriebel, John 
 Leister, Yell is Landes, Henry, 
 John, Isaac and Benjamin 
 Landis, John Leidy, Susana 
 Mover, John, Isaac and Chris- 
 tian Moyer, Abraham Neiss. 
 Jacob Oberholzer Philip Obe- 
 dier, Jacob Oberdorf, Isaac, 
 Henry, Christian and Jacob 
 Souder, George Shoemaker, 
 George School 1, John Swartley, 
 George Shneider, Jacob Wam- 
 pold, Andrew Swartz, Daniel 
 Wampold, Michael VVierman, 
 John Wilson, George Wunder- 
 lick and James Yocum. It will 
 be observed by reference to the 
 tax duplicate of 1884 that many 
 names will be found of those 
 families, most of which descend 
 from the above names. The 
 number of taxable persons have 
 increased in a just ratio with 
 values in this township. In 
 
 1734 there were 34, 1741, 59 ; 
 
 1828, 190 ; 1858, 380, and in 
 1884, 678. The estimate value 
 of all real and personal property 
 assessed in 1794 was $127,470; 
 the value as returned by the as- 
 sessor for 1884 is $1,456,330. 
 The per capita taxable value to 
 each person assessed in 1794 
 was $1327, and in 1884 it was 
 $2148. The increase in popu- 
 lation has l)een in like ratio, in 
 1800 it was 629, in 1830, 998; 
 in 1850, 1270; in 1870, 1950, 
 and iu 1880, 2556. 
 
 The last two decades seem to 
 have been the most favorable of 
 any in the history of the town- 
 ship. An increase of 1 380 souls 
 in a total population of 2556 
 persons, within a period of 
 twenty-six years, argues well 
 for an inland township. It was 
 douljtless due to the openhig of 
 the North Pennsylvania railroad 
 and the local commercial enter- 
 prise and village life brought 
 with it. 
 
HISTORY OF FRANCONIA TOWNSHIP. 
 
 PART III. 
 
 VILLAGES TELFORD COUNTY LINE HOTEL SOUDERTON- 
 
 SQUARE AND FRANCONIAVILLE. 
 
 -FRANCONIA 
 
 The returns of the merchan- 
 tile appraiser for 1884 shows that 
 there are over sixty business 
 firms within the limits of the 
 township, which shows the capi- 
 talized energy and thrift of the 
 Franconia people. 
 
 VILLAGES AND POST-OFFICES. 
 
 The villages of the township 
 are Franconia Square, near the 
 centre ; Franconiaville, in the 
 southern part of the township, 
 and Telford and Souderton on 
 the railroad in the eastern part 
 of the township, and another 
 little vi'dnge which has sprung 
 up within the last few years in 
 the northern part on the 
 Allentown road called Earling- 
 ton. The post-offices are Tel- 
 ford, Franconia, Souderton and 
 
 Gehman. 
 
 VILLAGE OF TELFORD. 
 
 The ground on which Telford 
 village stands was bought in 
 1737 by Conrad Detterer from 
 Humphrey Murry. It em- 
 braces about 120 acres, the 
 greater part of it lying on the 
 Montgomery side. Quite early 
 it became the junction of public 
 roads. What is known as the 
 county line road was opened in 
 1752. Since the location and 
 construction of the North Penn- 
 sylvania railroad it has become 
 an important place of business, 
 supporting the usual industries 
 of a village — Wheelwrighting 
 and carriage making, smithing, 
 tin smithing, stone cutter, har- 
 ness making, carpeting, ca])inet 
 
6 HISTORY OF FRANCONIA TOWNSHIP 
 
 rricaking, watch makiiisi;, cheese population numbers now about 
 
 box manufacturing, planning 
 mill and steam agricultural ma- 
 chinery repair shop, also a beer 
 bottlino; establishment. 
 
 COUNTY LINE HOTEL. 
 
 The County Line Hotel in the 
 village of Telford was erected 
 in 1857, by J.N. Souder. Jona- 
 than Barndt, residing on the 
 cowpath, hauled the first load of 
 stones for its erection. The 
 wash nnd bake house still at- 
 tached to the hotel is the first 
 building in the village. One of 
 the oldest buildings in Telford 
 is a one-story structure on the 
 premises formerly owned by 
 Mr. Wigner, and is yet in good 
 order. There are stores, deal- 
 ers in lumber, coal, feed, flour, 
 hay and live stock, all of which 
 attract to it the patronage of a 
 fine agricultural neighborhood. 
 There is also located here a 
 Union chapel, built in 1876 ; 
 used principally for Sunday 
 school purposes. The railroad 
 facilities have made the place 
 desiral)le for residences and the 
 
 600. 
 
 VILLAGE OF SOUDERTON, 
 
 The village of Souderton is 
 situated on the line of the North 
 Pennsylvania railroad and about 
 twenty-six miles from Philadel- 
 phia. It comprises about one 
 hundred residences, with all the 
 industries and commercial thrift 
 that mark the enterprising 
 towns along the line of railroad 
 from Philadelj^hia to Bethle- 
 hem. The Union National bank 
 is located here. It was estab- 
 lished in 1876 with a capital of 
 $90,000. It has been well 
 managed and is an indispensible 
 institution to the community. 
 
 OTHER VILLAGES. 
 
 Francorna Square and Fran- 
 coniaville are old-time land- 
 marks, founded by the opening 
 of hotels and stores,. mechanical 
 industries and post-offices. The 
 origin is now scarcely known to 
 the oldest inhabitants of the vi- 
 cinity. The buildings of these 
 villages are plain and substan- 
 tial, but have the comforts and 
 
HISTORY OF FRANCONIA TOWNSHIP. 7 
 
 necessities of life characteristics nying people who possess and 
 of tlie unassuming and self-de- inhabit them. 
 
HISTORY OF FRANCONTA TOWNSHIP. 
 
 PART IV. 
 
 EDUCATION PARCHORAL AND PRIVATE SCHOOLS HOW CONDUCTED 
 
 TUITION COUNTY SCHOLARS COMMON SCHOOLS ESTABLISHED THE 
 
 SCHOOLS CONNECTED WITH THE CHURCHES THE PRESENT SCHOOLS. 
 
 EDUCATION. 
 
 The importance of educating 
 the youth of the township was 
 the subject of early and contin- 
 ued solicitude upon the part of 
 the men having charge of the 
 public affairs of the township. 
 The common schools of the col- 
 onial era (prior to 1776) were 
 those in connection with the 
 church or meeting house, and 
 sometimes in the family as 
 private schools. The church 
 and the school house were gen- 
 erally built side by side and the 
 preacher was often the teacher. 
 The parochial schools of the 
 township was an important lac- 
 tor in society. The private 
 schools were taught by persons 
 
 of examp'ary chanicter, and in 
 many instances of eminent abil- 
 ity. It is edifying to compare 
 the schools of the past to the 
 present. 
 
 SCHOOL SYSTEM. 
 
 The costs of building a school 
 house were met by voluntary 
 contributions. Whenever a 
 neighborhood felt the need of a 
 school house it was erected in a 
 convenient place. The patrons 
 elected trustees to take charge 
 of the school property and to 
 select a teacher for the school. 
 If the teacher chosen by the 
 trustees could secure enough 
 pupils to warrant him to open a 
 school he would do so, if not, he 
 would seek a school elsewhere. 
 
HISTORY OF FHANCONTA TOWNSHIP. 
 
 The teacher was paid by those was paid by the county were 
 
 sending the pupils. Those who 
 could not pay received instruc- 
 tions at the cost of the county. 
 The rate w^as two dollars per 
 quarter or three cents per day. 
 This was according to the act 
 of 1809. The outfit of the 
 pupil cost about one dollar, and 
 consisted of an English reader 
 or testament, a Comly's spell- 
 ing book, a Rose arithmetic, a 
 slate and pencil, an ink stand 
 and a goose quill. A teacher 
 who taught til en informed me 
 that their schools were in a 
 miserable condition, and that to- 
 day such schools as then existed 
 would not be tolerated in the 
 worst manao;ed districts in the 
 county. Said he, to me, " We 
 had no furniture, no apparatus, 
 no suitable text books, no clas- 
 sification, nothing. We could 
 do but little else than mending 
 quills and make out bills for 
 tuition of poor children to pre- 
 sent to the county commissioner 
 who docked us unmercifully." 
 The children whose schoolino- 
 
 classed as county scholars. Thus 
 the law created an unpleasant 
 caste in the school and in the 
 community. Many a parent 
 who was unable to pay for the 
 education of their children would 
 keep them from school rather 
 than say to the township assess- 
 or, "put me on the poor list." 
 Many a poor scholar refused to 
 go to school an account of the 
 taunt, "Oh, you are a county 
 scholar." The parochial schools 
 of the township were held in 
 the school house at the Indian 
 Creek Reformed church, torn 
 down at the time of the 
 erection of the new church. 
 There was also one at the 
 Franconia Mennonite meet- 
 ing house and a few more. 
 Scholars attended those few 
 schools from the entire township, 
 thus some had to go a consider- 
 able distance. An old resident 
 says, "When I was a boy, sixty- 
 five years ago, we had no 
 schools sometimes for two or 
 three years, then a stranger 
 
10 
 
 HISTOKY OF FRANCONIA TOWNSHIP. 
 
 would come along and pretend 
 to be a teaclier, he would start 
 a school, if supported, and would 
 teach the lower branches." 
 
 COMMON SCHOOLS. 
 
 The State at length awoke 
 from her lathargy about the 
 year 1833, and took the matter 
 seriously in hand and passed an 
 act to establish a general system 
 of education by common schools 
 and was approved by Governor 
 Wolf, April 1st, 1834. The 
 act was much opposed in this 
 township and held to its paro- 
 chial system as late as 1851, 
 when the cominon school system 
 went into operation, having 
 opened the schools for five 
 months. From tlie act of the 
 Legislature we acquired our 
 present schools. When the act 
 went into operation for the es- 
 tablishment of common schools, 
 our citizens in the township, as 
 well as in some others, were 
 greatly ()p]-)Osed, as they had in 
 their opinion that it would dis- 
 place their parochial schools, or 
 
 the various religious denomina- 
 tions of the township, as the 
 schools at this time were nearly 
 all established on this plan, 
 in which their children were 
 taught the principles of their 
 christian religion, and at the 
 same time the necessary parts 
 of learning, to which the atten- 
 tion of the youth is generally call- 
 ed. Now, when the foundation 
 stone of their religious institu- 
 tions was striu-k by the act of 
 the common school system, 
 which necessarily supplanted 
 their parochial schools, they had 
 reason to apprehend danger to 
 their church. Therefore he who 
 regards the Franconia German 
 as opposed to education wrongs 
 them. Civil and religious tyr- 
 anny brought them here, where 
 they were solemnly [)r()mised 
 immunity against a re-occur- 
 rence of the same evil. With 
 such a promise of Penn and his 
 cradjutors they came and planted 
 a German colony. It was not 
 long, however, before they found 
 the schools under the control of themselves subje<3t to English 
 
HISTORY OF FRANCONIA TOWNSHIP- 
 
 11 
 
 laws, summened before English 
 courts and sentenced in a lan- 
 guage of which they knew not a 
 sylable. In the matter of relig- 
 ion they only enjoyed untrem- 
 bling freedom, and this was un- 
 doubtedly dear to them because 
 it was all that was left they 
 brought from their Fatherland. 
 Now, when the foundation stone 
 of their religious institutions was 
 struck at by an attempt to es- 
 tablish "common schools," there 
 was sufficient reason to appre- 
 hend danger for their church. 
 
 For want of space and time I 
 cannot give you a satisfactory 
 history of the schools of Fran- 
 conia township. There are 
 twelve schools in the township, 
 with 536 scholars enrolled for 
 the school year ending June, 
 1884, and length of term taught 
 was five months. The salary 
 paid to teachers was thirty-five 
 dollars per month ; male and 
 female employed. The school 
 buildings are plain, but substan- 
 tial, with ample grounds. 
 
12 
 
 HISTORY OF FEANCONIA TOWNSHIP. 
 
 PART V. 
 
 CHURCH EARLY RELIGION REFORMATION RELIGIOUS DENOAIINATIONS 
 
 MENNONITES THE FIRST MEETING HOUSE INDIAN FIELD LUTHERAN 
 
 CHURCH, FOUNDED AND REBUILT MINISTERS REFORMED CHURCH ON 
 
 THE INDIAN CREEK, FOUNDED AND REBUILT MINISTERS LEIDY'S 
 
 CHURCH. 
 
 RELIGION. 
 
 Religion is one of the deepest 
 instincts of the human soul. It 
 is 80 nearly universal that no 
 race has been found on earth 
 destitute of the feeling ; nay, 
 few, if any, have been discover- 
 ed whose aspirations do not ex- 
 tend beyound the present life, 
 the ancient world was subject to 
 the divinities and forms of wor- 
 ship prescribed by kings and 
 priests conjointly ; hence free 
 denominations, the inherent 
 right of free belief, was a liberty 
 unknown to the ancient world. 
 This dearly bought franchise, 
 the gioj'y of our age and nation. 
 
 is the legitimate fruit of the 
 great reformation of the six- 
 teenth century- In that era the 
 sacred scriptures were dragged 
 forth from the Cloristers, trans- 
 lated into the connnon tongue, 
 and sent forth as "The Word 
 of God." Nothing is more 
 patent in our early history 
 then that mo^t of our progeni- 
 tors tied, to a then wilderness 
 shore, for this grand idea, the 
 right to worship God according 
 to the dictate of their own c(m- 
 science. For this they tied from 
 their country willing to leave 
 civilization behind and face the 
 wide ocean nnd land on a conti- 
 
HISTORY OF FRANCONIA TOWNSHIP, 
 nent inhabited hv savai>e men 
 
 13 
 
 and wild beasts. All denonii- 
 nations conjoining then settled 
 our new township, which are 
 only distingnished b}^ slight dif- 
 ference in belief and external 
 condnct. The chief religious 
 denominations of the township 
 are Mennonites, Reformed,Luth- 
 eran, Dunkards and a few Evan- 
 galists, but have no edifice. The 
 Mennonites are easily distin- 
 guished from other denomina- 
 nations in their non use of the 
 sacremeiits in their testimony 
 jigainst war, oaths, a paid minis- 
 try, and the pride of life gener- 
 ally . They use also great plain- 
 ness of speech and attire ; they 
 are opposed to law suits, slavery 
 and intemperance ; they settle 
 their ovvn disputes and maintain 
 their own poor. Mennonites 
 settled in Pennsylvania as early 
 as 1683. In 1832 there were 
 five houses of worship in Mont- 
 gomery county, which since in- 
 creased to thirteen. Tliej' have 
 been rent several times by 
 schism. The first Mennonite meet- 
 
 ing house in Franconia township 
 was of stone and 1)uilt in the 
 year 1730, the second, also of 
 stone, forty-five by seventy-five 
 feet was built in 1833, and has 
 a seating capacity of over seven 
 hundred. The present member- 
 ship numbers about 450. Josiah 
 Clemmer was elected Bishop in 
 1861. The Souderton meeting 
 house was built in 1879, of brick, 
 fourty by fifty feet. 
 
 INDIAN FIELD LUTHERAN CHURCH. 
 
 The Indian Field Lutheran 
 chiu^ch is among the oldest 
 Lutheran congregations in Penn- 
 sylvania, and was from the be- 
 ginning entirely Lutheran. A 
 log church was built in 1830, 
 enlarged in 1766, and gave 
 place to the present stone church 
 in 1792, which in 1868 received 
 for the third time a new roof, 
 an organ was procured in 1820. 
 A fire in 1850 unfortunately de- 
 stro3^ed many of the old docu- 
 ments of the church. The cre- 
 ation of a congregation at Sel- 
 lers ville took away many mem- 
 bers, but there were still in 
 
HISTORY OF FRANC 
 
 1878 200 communicants. Some 
 of the names of the early found- 
 ers are still represented in the 
 church — Wambold, Cressman, 
 Rees. The present constitution 
 was adopted in 1836. The ex- 
 isting church record was begun 
 in 1753 by Pastor Frederick 
 Shultz. The earliest pastor 
 known was John Conrad An- 
 dreal, who came to this country 
 in 1742 from Germany, landing 
 in Philadelphia and settled at 
 Goschenhoppen. H<^ assumed 
 charge of the Goschenhoppen, 
 New Goschenhoppen and Indian 
 Field churches, where he re- 
 mained until 1751. In that 
 year Lucus Rouse began service 
 till 1752 when the Rev. Jacob 
 Schultz became pastor, and ser- 
 ved until 1763, when Rev. John 
 Roth succeeded him. From 
 that time to the present it was 
 served by the old goschenhop- 
 pen church, and since 1865 ser- 
 ved by the Rev. Frederick 
 Waltz, who has also church at 
 Sellersville. The Lutheran is 
 the most numerous denomina- 
 
 ^ONIA TOWNSHIP. 
 
 14 
 
 tion in the county having in 
 1870 twenty-five houses of wor- 
 ship. Most of their ancestors 
 came from Russia. In 1832 
 there were eight Lutheran 
 churches. This denomination 
 has undergone fewer changes by 
 transplation from Europe and 
 less disturbed by schisms than 
 any other. 
 
 INDIAN CREEK REFORAIED CHURCH 
 
 The Reformed church on the 
 Indian creek was founded in 
 1753 by the Rev. Jacob Rees, 
 who was its first pastor, and be- 
 £iun its labor June 3d. Amono; 
 the founders of the church were 
 John Neis, Jacob Arndt, Peter 
 Gerhart, Jacob Leidy, John 
 Shellenberger, John and Henry 
 Sellers, William Althouse and 
 Abraham Arndt. With the ex- 
 ception of Arndt and Neis these 
 flxmilies are all represented in 
 the church . In 1 7 34 the present 
 church lot was bought by 
 Michael Bergey, and in that year 
 a log church was built. This 
 was replaced in 1775 by a 
 rough stone church with a hip 
 
HISTORY OF FlIANCONIA TOWNSHII 
 
 root', which was used until 1826, of 400. 
 when the third church, forty-two 
 l)y forty-eight, also of stone, was 
 cree-ted. The present church, 
 forty- two bv sixtv-five feet was 
 
 15 
 
 built in 1879^ The Rev. Jacob 
 llees was its first minister, and 
 was succeeded as follows : Revs. 
 C. Gobrecht. Casper Wack, John 
 T. Fabor, John M. Kern, Lenn, 
 John A. Strausberger, Joshua 
 Derr, P. S. Fisher and Jacob 
 Kehni, who has charge of the 
 pulpit at present, since 1871. 
 The church has a membership 
 
 LEIDY S REFORMED CllUliril. 
 
 What is known as Leidy's 
 Reformed church is located be- 
 low Souderton and was built in 
 1858. A school house and a 
 grave yurd was there a hundred 
 years before. The school house 
 was also used for worship. Its 
 members are from the Indian 
 creek church, of which it was 
 for a time a part. Its pastors 
 were Revs. P. S. Fisher and J. 
 G. Dengler, the latter is still in 
 charge. 
 
16 
 
 HISTORY OF FRANCONTA TOWNSHIP. 
 
 PART VI. • 
 
 rOLITICS FIRST VOTING PLACES TOWNSHIP COMMITTEE VOTES IN 1775 
 
 ACTS PASSED AND VOTING PLACES CHANGED NUMBER OF VOTES IN 
 
 1884 JUSTICE OF THE PEACE OTHER TOWNSHIP OFFICERS. 
 
 POLITICS. 
 
 The political history of the 
 township of the past and present 
 is now before me and is a diffi- 
 cult history to chronicle. Mont- 
 goinery county became a subdi- 
 vision of the State soon after the 
 Revolution in 1775. At that 
 time people only recognized one 
 political division, that of Loyalist 
 and Rebel, Patriot and Tories. 
 The Patriots and Tories were 
 greatly opposed against each 
 other, and the.'^e two parties gave 
 use to two political parties. 
 There were less than twenty 
 thousand pieople in the county 
 at the time of its creation and 
 only three voting ])laces fixed 
 1)y law to poll votes, i. p. Nor- 
 
 ristown, Eckert's tavern, in 
 White Marsh, and Krep's tavern, 
 in New Hanover. Voters in 
 this township were compelled to 
 go all the way down to White 
 Marsh to cast their votes. The 
 following are the names of the 
 persons of the township com- 
 mittee of Franconiato represent 
 the Montgomery county com- 
 mittee for electing the first Gov- 
 ernor of Pennsylvania: Jacob 
 Oberholtzer, John Wilson, 
 Michael Shoemaker, John Alt- 
 house, Jacoli Gerhart and Cap- 
 tain John Cope. This was in 
 the years 1791) and 1800. 
 
 Prior to 1777 the entire city 
 and county of Philadelphia, now 
 a portion of Montgomery county. 
 
HISTORY OF FRANCONIA TOWNSHIP. 
 
 17 
 
 lield their election in the State 
 house in the city of Philadel- 
 phia. 
 
 At an election held in the 
 State House, Philadelphia, Oc- 
 tober 3, 1775 there were 3122 
 votes cast. At a general elec- 
 tion held for Governor in No- 
 vember, 1875, just one hundred 
 years later, in the same terri- 
 tory, Philadelphia and Mont- 
 o'omerv count v. The total 
 nundjer of votes cast in the two 
 districts was 120,836. 
 
 CHANGING VOTING PLACES. 
 
 An act of the general Assem- 
 l)]y was passed June 14, 1777 
 dividing the county and city of 
 Philadelphia into three election 
 districts. Voters .\t that time 
 were called freeman. The free- 
 men of the second district were 
 ordered to hold their election at 
 the public house of Jacob \Yentz, 
 Worcester Township. This dis- 
 trict included Franconia town- 
 ship. By an act of the Legisla- 
 tiu'e passed September 10, 1784, 
 Montgomery' county was taken 
 apart of Philale'phia county, 
 
 and is the same to-day as when 
 first laid out The county was 
 then formed, and it became 
 necessary to change the places 
 for hold ino-creneral elections. An 
 act of the general Legislature 
 was passed which divided the 
 county again into three districts. 
 Franconia township again con- 
 stituted a part of the second 
 district and was ordered to hold 
 their election at Michael K' rep's 
 tavern. New Hanover township. 
 By an act passed March 31st, 
 1797 the county was again di- 
 vided into five election districts. 
 Franconia constituted part of 
 the fourth district and was or- 
 dered to hold their electicm at 
 the private house of Christian 
 Weber, Towamencin township. 
 By an act of March 31st, 1806, 
 Franconia township was annex- 
 ed into the fourth district and 
 held their election at the house 
 of John Hughs, in Towamencin 
 township, now KuLpsville. By 
 an act March 16th, 1847, 
 the township of Franconia was 
 first formed into a seperate elec- 
 
18 HISTORY OF FR 
 
 turn district, and was ordered to 
 hold their election in the store 
 house of Daniel L. Moyer. In 
 1882 there were sixty-two elec- 
 tion districts in Monto;onier\- 
 county, which polled a total 
 vote of 20,468 for the difierent 
 candidates for Governor, Fran- 
 conia being- the largest Republi- 
 can district and polled forBeaver 
 396 votes, The number of 
 votes now polled at the perma- 
 nent place of election, Franconia 
 Square, is upwards of 700 votes, 
 of which two-thirds are zealous 
 Republicans. Should Franconia 
 ever be divided into two election 
 districts, East and West, the 
 latter would contain al)out 
 enough Democrats to hold an 
 hcmest election. 
 
 TOWNSHIP OFFICHRS. 
 
 VNCONTA TOWNSHIP. 
 
 The first Justice of the Peace 
 of Franconia township was Sam- 
 uel Wanipole, and Jacob Schlof, 
 behig elected in conformity with 
 the revised constitution of 1838. 
 Prior to 1802 the township offi- 
 cers were two Supervisors, one 
 Assessor and two respectable 
 citizens for inspectors. Since 
 the adoption of the new consti- 
 tution in 1838 considerable 
 change was made, the office of 
 the Justice of the Peace Con- 
 stable, Supervisor, Assessor, As- 
 sistant Assessor, Auditor, Treas- 
 urer, to which were, since 18-31, 
 added School Directors. The 
 first election of township ofiicers 
 was held on the third Friday in 
 March, 1840, which day has 
 since been changed to the second 
 Tuesday in Februarv. 
 
HISTORY OF FRANCONIA TOWNSHIP. 
 
 19 
 
 PART VII. 
 ABORIGINEES. 
 
 In connection with the his- 
 tory of Franconia township I 
 will give a brief" statement of 
 the aboriginees that once inhab- 
 ited our broad acres. It is now 
 392 years since the commercial 
 world learned first of the 
 American Indians, and from 
 whence they came remains a 
 mj'stery to us. Indians who 
 were once the proud possessors 
 of this tract of land we now oc- 
 cupy and honorably and peace- 
 fully acquired of them by 
 William Penn, the founder 
 of our great commonwealth, 
 have completely vanished from 
 our soil over a hunib'ed years 
 ago. Two hundred 3'ears or 
 more have elapsed since Chris- 
 tian civilization first confronted 
 
 these savages on our soil. Since 
 then their hunting grounds 
 have been turned into wide 
 areas of agricultural wealth 
 and commercial splendor, and 
 the rude impliments of their 
 simple mode of living are on 
 exhibition for antique curiosities. 
 Back to Alleghane^'s, across the 
 fathers of waters, across the 
 Rocky mountains they receded 
 through the strong arms of a 
 superior race of men. By suc- 
 ceeding generations this savage 
 race will undoubtedh* disappear 
 from our wide continent. It is 
 certainly true that the}' have 
 left no impression of their exis- 
 tancein this part of the country, 
 except a few relics of their rude 
 war utensils which were lost by 
 
HISTORY OF FRANCONIA TOWNSHIP. 
 It is true to them the Indians as practical by 
 
 •20 
 
 them 
 
 earth seemed to have had no 
 higher utiUty than a hunting- 
 ground. There is perhaps no 
 other portion in Montgomery 
 county that is richer in histori- 
 cal events than our own town- 
 ship of Franconia. Watered by 
 numbers of streams and rivulets 
 and covered wdde with dense 
 forests rendered it a most favor- 
 able home for the Red men. 
 The Indian creek valley was 
 perhaps more thickly settled 
 with Indians than any other 
 place. The vast amount and 
 variety of relics found within 
 this valley clearly establishes 
 this fact. In the vicinity of 
 springs along this creek, of 
 which many abound, skillfully 
 executed flint arrow heads have 
 been collected, and stone imple- 
 ments in great variety of forms 
 and features. Tradition says it 
 was here that there last council 
 fire was burning before they left 
 our soil . The first settlers found 
 the valley of the Indian creek 
 under rude cultivation of the 
 
 them, 
 
 and named this stream of water 
 at once in honor of the Indians. 
 The Indians plied their hands 
 to husbandry here long after 
 the first settlement. It was not 
 until the township was thickly 
 settled and the main hunting 
 grounds succumbed to the wood- 
 man's axe that the native for- 
 esters or Indians abandoned 
 their wigwams and hunting 
 grounds to the white settlers. 
 Their method of agriculture 
 would contrast strangely with 
 those of ours at the present day, 
 but it met there immediate 
 wants, and their little clearing, 
 no doubt, left them many a 
 pounder full of hominy for their 
 evening meal. It is supposed 
 that there is much gilt incurred 
 in the manner which the early 
 settlers treated the Indians as 
 well as under the present treat- 
 ment in the Western Territories, 
 although it is deemed necessary 
 to sweep the Indians away from 
 our great continent to make 
 place for the husbandman to till 
 
HISTORY OF FRANCONIA TOWNSHIP. 21 
 
 Indeed, William Wile, an old 
 sage in his eightieth year, has 
 our sincerest thanks for the in- 
 formation we gleaned from his 
 own lips on the subject of the 
 Indians. 
 
 and cultivate the soil to feed 
 the millions in our crowded 
 cities professing a Christian 
 civilization. For want of space 
 I must close the history of the 
 al:»orignees in connection with 
 history of Franconia township. 
 
22 
 
 HISTORY OF FEANCONIA TOWNSHIP. 
 
 PART VIII. 
 
 AGRICULTURE. 
 
 The annals of agriculture of 
 this township is flattering that 
 we deem it appropriate to give 
 a Ijrief history of their farms 
 and plantations. The farms 
 are so divided in proportion 
 that the work is mostly per- 
 formed by their sons and 
 daughters. The active tillers 
 of the soil here are the same 
 kind of men as those who fill 
 the profession of mechanical 
 and commercial pursuits. It 
 was not here like in the South 
 that the work was only per- 
 formed by degraded slaves, and 
 the proprietor living in luxury 
 and splender. It is reported 
 tlint there were never more 
 than two slaves employed with- 
 in the limits of Franconia-, and 
 
 I am indeed proud that we may 
 not boast of no more. The 
 primitive condition of the soil 
 in this township as compared 
 with those lying in river valleys 
 is considered improductive, but 
 under the skillfull husbandry of 
 these modern farmers and a 
 liberal use of lime, manure and 
 fertilizer this vast tract of land 
 yields abundant harvest, and 
 supports a prosperous popula- 
 tion. In 1681 this tract of land 
 consisted yet in proprietory 
 grants held by comparatively 
 few persons, who lived a fron- 
 tier life in almost daily contact 
 with the Indians, since itsbrond 
 acres must have passed through 
 at least six generations, and 
 hundreds of purchasers have 
 
HISTORY OF FRANCONIA TOAVNSHIP. 
 
 23 
 
 acquired titles to soil that have 
 alwaj^s been priced in the in- 
 ventory of worldly posessions 
 of those who lived and died on 
 the soil of Franconia. The 
 lands are greatly diversified by 
 ranges of hills, with beautiful 
 valleys. The country is a 
 source of perpetual wealth to 
 agriculture, which yield an im- 
 mense surface product. There 
 is much to be admired along the 
 little creeks diversifying the 
 township. The Skippack and 
 Indian creeks and the Branch 
 creek, which forms the northern 
 boundary of the township, drain- 
 ing as they do a large area of 
 rolling country, improved by 
 elegant and commodious resi- 
 dences and farm houses, with 
 barns and improvements unsur- 
 passed by any agricultural 
 people on the fiice of the globe. 
 The primitive condition of the 
 country known as Franconia 
 was land timbered with heavy 
 oaks, liickory and chestnut. 
 The consumption of wood for 
 fuel prior to the introduction of 
 
 anthracite and bituminous coal 
 was very great. This wealth 
 of primature forest was the 
 foundation (jf many substantial 
 fortunes in years past. The 
 old characteristic farmer of 
 Franconia took commendable 
 pride in maintaining large 
 tracts of primature forests. It 
 was useful in many ways, for 
 fuel, building, fencing, and 
 whether it was deemed orna- 
 mental or not had a rare charm 
 for him. It was their parks of 
 woodland that preserved to the 
 hunter until late years choice 
 games and birds. 
 
 As alredy stated before the 
 township of Franconia was orga- 
 nized March 1st, 1731, from the 
 township of Salford, containing 
 952 acres, having a population 
 in 1800 of 629, which have in- 
 creased by the year 1880 to 
 2556. The township in the 
 year 1734 having thirty-four 
 land -holders, the names are con- 
 tained in the previous ]iarts, 
 having also two slaves, two 
 grist mills, one tannery, 153 
 
24 
 
 HISTORY OF FRANCONIA TOWNSHIP. 
 
 horses, 266 head of cattle and 
 one licensed tavern, that of 
 Elizabeth "Gerhart. In 1882 
 the number of cattle increased 
 to 1147, 515 horses, nine li- 
 censed taverns, seven grist mills 
 and no slaves. Thus we may 
 see how the Franconia farmer 
 progressed in the last eighty 
 years. What will be our con- 
 dition at the end of the future 
 eighty years 1 We may not 
 
 live, however, who will live to 
 see it may perhaps have a 
 greater and sadder history to 
 chronicle to the future genera- 
 tions than I at the present day. 
 We are living in a progressive 
 age and advancing year after 
 year ; otherwise we are in a 
 state of degridation, which 
 should prove an end to our 
 glorious republic. 
 
HISTORY OF FRANCONIA TOWNSHIP. 
 
 25 
 
 PART IX. 
 NEWSPAPERS AND LODGES. 
 
 The press is a potential fac- 
 tor of the country. Local 
 newspapers have always been 
 received favorably, and at this 
 day have a large circulation 
 throughout the township. As 
 a source of local and general 
 information they are valuable, 
 and they afford an excellent in- 
 dex to the current history of the 
 people, Avhose habits, costumes 
 and manners are mirrored in 
 them, At present there are 
 two newspapers published in 
 the township. 
 
 The Montgomery County Press 
 published in the village of Tel- 
 ford, was founded in Norristown 
 in 1860, by John Shupe, its 
 present editor and proprietor, 
 and there published until 1868, 
 
 when it was removed to Lans- 
 dale and within a year again 
 removed to its present head- 
 quarters at Telford. It is a 
 German paper and its support 
 by the people shows the fond- 
 ness of the German people for 
 their native language. The 
 Souderton Independent was 
 founded in that village in 1879, 
 b}^ William Goettler, its pres- 
 ent editor and proprietor. It 
 is a weekly, patent out side, 
 with a moderate circulation. 
 
 Secret organizations in Fran- 
 ccmia township are not so nu- 
 merous. Two secret organiza- 
 tions have been established 
 within the past year. The 
 Patriotic Order of Sons of 
 America, is a secret, I'raternnl 
 
26 
 
 HISTORY OF FRANCONIA TOWNSHIP. 
 
 and beneficial organization, and 
 possesses much comment as a 
 secret society. The order was 
 founded in Liberty hall, Souder- 
 ton, iji 1885, in a year hence its 
 membership numbered upwards 
 of forty. This being the first 
 secret organization ever orga- 
 nized within the township with 
 success. An attempt was made 
 to organize an Inedpendent 
 Orderof Odd Fellows, inFluck's 
 hall, as early as 1882, but soon 
 abandonded for want of support. 
 
 An Improved Order of Red 
 Men was organized at the same 
 place in October, 1885. The 
 organization is a paternal and 
 benevolent organization, based 
 upon the customs and antiquities 
 of the American Indians. It 
 originated first as a patriotic as- 
 sociation among volunteers who 
 garrisoned Fort Mifflin in 1813. 
 The present order at this place 
 has sixty-five meml^ers since its 
 organization. 
 
HISTORY OF FRANCONIA TOWNSHIP. 
 
 27 
 
 PART X. 
 
 EARLY GERMANS. 
 
 Among the various nationali- 
 ties that settled Montgomery 
 county and our present town- 
 ship of Franconia the Germans 
 were an important one, and 
 their descendants at this day, 
 within its limits, are the most 
 numerous. Tlie Germans have 
 alwaj^s been a most industrious 
 and intelligent, as well as a de- 
 vout. Christian people. A ma- 
 jorit}^ of these early Germans 
 Ijecame members of the church 
 of Friends. Here in our town- 
 ship they became members of 
 the Mennonite, Lutheran and 
 ]\eformed churches. The Ger- 
 mans of the Mennonite denomi- 
 nation arrived as early as 1702 
 and settled at Germantown, and 
 years later — 1720 and 17-)0 — 
 
 this denomination of Germans 
 settled within our township ; 
 most of them coming from the 
 Palatinate of the Rhine ; most 
 of them having their clergymen 
 among them. 
 
 Among the German Luther- 
 ans the congregation established 
 in New Hanover township is the 
 earliest established in America, 
 being established in 1703, and 
 in 1730 they established a chuch 
 in this township known as the 
 Indianfield Lutheran church. 
 It is stated that the Germans 
 who directly immigrated from 
 the Palatinate into this colony 
 purchased and honestly paid for 
 their lands, conducted them- 
 selves respectfully towards the 
 goveiiiment, paid their taxes 
 
28 HISTORY OF FlIANCONIA TOWNSHIP. 
 
 readily, and were sober and away so poor that they had to 
 
 honest in their religious and 
 civil duties. In 1734 this town- 
 ship having a population of 
 thirty-four, of which thirty were 
 Germans, mostly farmers, ])ut a 
 few mechanics resided in the 
 township at that time. 
 
 The misfortune of the Palati- 
 nate Germans that settled our 
 township and county was large- 
 ly due to the fact that her geo- 
 graphical situation placed her 
 })etween powerful rival coun- 
 tries that were almost contin- 
 iously at war, and the religious 
 intolerance of the age was also 
 a fruitful source of domestic 
 trouble. The people could not 
 profess their religious opinions 
 as to the dictate of their con- 
 science, as to be in agreement 
 with their reigning Prince, and 
 in consequence were persecuted 
 with relentless severit3^ No 
 wonder those people were glad 
 to get away from a country that 
 had such a succession of woes 
 and misfortunes. Many had 
 lost their property, and came 
 
 indenture themselves for their 
 passage money across the sea. 
 They niturally chose Pennsyl- 
 vania for their new home, l)e- 
 cause William Penn had extend- 
 ed an earnest welcome, and had 
 guaranteed absolute civil relig- 
 ious toleration. • This is a part 
 of a series of hardships and ca- 
 lamities that our forefathers had 
 to endure before they establish- 
 ed our present homes in a wild 
 country. The Germans are 
 slow in adopting an opiuion, 
 Init they seem to be a great deal 
 slower in changing after once 
 adopted. During the "wars the 
 countries which were strongly 
 settled by Germans were looked 
 upon as hot beds of disloyalty. 
 I mean to be impartial on this 
 subject and abide by the truth. 
 I must say it is a pride to one 
 of German parentage, that at 
 least some of the race manifes- 
 ted the proper spirit during the 
 revolutionary struggle in the 
 infancy of the Republic, which 
 mav well lead to forgive him 
 
HISTOllY OF FRANCONIA TOWNSHIP. 29 
 
 the errors of their prosperity in ing the early period of the Re- 
 
 later years. 
 
 The Germans living in this 
 county, and others who Avere 
 termed wherlos — the Menno- 
 nites and Tankers — were gen- 
 erally counted Avith the Tories 
 during the struggle for indepen- 
 dence. The religion would not 
 persist them to resist the pre- 
 vailing authorities. They were 
 even averse in aiding the Amer- 
 ican armies with provisions 
 while at Valley Forge, and act- 
 ually did a great deal to smug- 
 gling when the British army 
 was in siege at Philadelphia. 
 This was one of the reasons why 
 the American Congress allowed 
 Washington, while at Valley 
 Forge, this county, the privilege 
 to collect all the provisions 
 necessary for his army nmong 
 the citizens of Montgomery 
 county. However, we do not 
 think that any provisions were 
 ever collected in this townshij) 
 1)V the American armv. Dur- 
 
 public the people termed 
 "Wherlos" were disfranchised. 
 Through the efforts of John 
 Adams they obtained all the 
 rights of citizens. Many of 
 these people reside in our town- 
 ship and are still adhering to 
 the "Wherlos" doctrine. In 
 early times they belonged to 
 the Federalists and naturally in 
 latter years affiliated with the 
 Republican party, and it follow- 
 ed that during the rebellion. 
 Though remaining loyal to the 
 government they were always 
 strongly opposed to slavery. 
 Franconia would undoubtedly 
 have been a much greater slave 
 district had it not been for the 
 strong German element, which 
 was strongly opposed to slavery. 
 Necessity compelled these Ger- 
 mans, Welsh and English to 
 form settlements by themselves 
 owing 
 of their languages. 
 
 to the general ignorance 
 
30 
 
 HISTORY OF FRANCONIA TOWNSHIP. 
 
 PART XI. 
 
 Z()OLO(JY AND MINERALS. 
 
 The history of Fraiiconia is 
 not complete without giving a 
 short history of the zoology of 
 the township. Very little at- 
 tention has yet been given in 
 our histories to the habitation 
 and distribution of our existing 
 animals. The existing mama- 
 lia within the present limits of 
 Franconia it is very probably 
 do not exceed thirty-five species, 
 of which perhaps half do exist 
 at the present day. 
 
 BIEDS 
 
 While perhaps one-third of 
 our various species of Ijirds 
 have dimmished, we do not 
 doul)t that in this county the 
 balance are increasing. The 
 planting of trees and various 
 evergreens in and around lawns, 
 
 lanes and roadsides has largely 
 tended to promote their aug- 
 mentation, by affording them 
 sufficient shelter and security. 
 The number of species of birds 
 that ever existed in this vicinity 
 has been estimated over 200, of 
 which numbers have left our 
 midst and are still passing 
 away, while others are increas- 
 ing. The English sparrow, 
 which has been introduced 
 since 1868, has multiplied rap- 
 idly and spread over the whole 
 country keeping chiefiy in flocks 
 around buildings and have, to 
 some extent, driven away some 
 of our more useful birds. 
 
 REr TILES. 
 
 The removal of trees and 
 stones in the cultivation of the 
 
HISTORY OF FRANCONIA TOWNSHIP. 
 soil, and the increase attention out while diooino; 
 
 given to drainage, has consider- 
 able^ to do with diminishing our 
 large reptiles, which are Ikvohi- 
 ing scarce. The most predom- 
 inant at the present day are 
 various species of snakes, seve- 
 ral species of frogs and a few 
 lizzards. 
 
 MINERALS. 
 
 Precious metals have been 
 found in the township to some 
 extent, but in such small quan- 
 tities that the occurrence is 
 more of scientific interest than 
 of any practical value. Gold 
 Avas found by Dr. Charles M. 
 Wetherill on the property of 
 Mr. Yoder, near Franconia 
 Square. The gold was found 
 in quartz rock and iron prytes. 
 In the sand and gravel thrown 
 
 31 
 
 a well he 
 found brilliaid scales of gold. 
 From an analysis he found that 
 every hundred pounds of gravel 
 contained a quantity of gold 
 worth twenty-six and a half 
 cents. 
 
 Tin, too, has been found in the 
 township. It is interesting to 
 observe that this rare metal 
 is found in its native state of 
 purity in the gravel of Franco- 
 nia. The largest piece of tin 
 found adhered to the gravel and 
 formed a rounded mass of a 
 white malleable metal, which 
 was analyzed and found to be 
 pure tin. This metal being 
 first noticed by Dr. Charles M. 
 Wetherill. This instance is the 
 only record of tin in Pennsyl- 
 vania. 
 
32 
 
 HISTORY OF FRANCONTA TOWNSHIP 
 
 PART XII. 
 
 EOADS AND CONVEYANCE. 
 
 As stated in our previous 
 histoi y tliat the township of 
 Franconia was set apart from 
 the township of Salford in 1731 
 by the court of quarter sessions, 
 on account of beino; to laroe a 
 territory, to be served by one 
 constable, and for the supervis- 
 ion of the public roads, two 
 supervisors. 
 
 Tlie first roads, from one new 
 settlement to another, were 
 simpl y paths through the forests. 
 No notice was taken by the 
 owner of the unclosed land of 
 the use made l)y the few neigh- 
 bors of his premises as a road- 
 way. After a time, as the 
 number of settlers increased, it 
 became necessary to place re- 
 strictions upon the privilege of 
 
 passing and rejiassing over pri- 
 vate property. Petitions were 
 accordingly addressed to the 
 court of quarter sessions, at 
 Pliiladelphia, prayingthat roads 
 be laid out for public use. The 
 petition for the principle roads 
 of the township, running from 
 north to south, was presented 
 to the court of quarter sessions 
 in 1741. This was that of the 
 Allentown and Cowpath roads. 
 The turnpike road leading 
 from Harleysville to Sonde rton 
 was chartered and built in 18G6. 
 Other roads were laid out from 
 time to time as the settlements 
 increased. Down to the begin- 
 ning of this century much trans- 
 portation was done on horse- 
 back ; huge sacks, wallets ana 
 
HISTORY OF FRANCONIA TOWNSHIP 
 
 33 
 
 })asket8 were constructed and 
 used for this purpose. In this 
 way nearly all the produce was 
 taken to Philadelphia, and horse- 
 men would thus be seen sur- 
 rounded with poultrj^, pork, 
 Initter, Hax, etc., and even live 
 calves and sheep would be taken 
 to market by such means. Old 
 and young, male and female 
 were usually conveyed on horse- 
 ])ack ; it mattered not whether 
 on business or pleasure, as well 
 as to their different places of 
 worship on the Sabl)ath. For 
 hauling sleds were used previous 
 to wagons, the latter l^eing 
 rudely constructed, with little 
 or no iron, and the wheels were 
 generally of solid wood. As 
 not much attention was paid to 
 roads at that day at intervals 
 they became almost impassable. 
 A tongue-cart was the first gen- 
 eral conveyance to market, and 
 as a protector against the 
 weather a cover would be stretch- 
 ed on hickory boughs. Gigs 
 
 that it was regarded 
 usual thing for a woman 
 
 and chairs began to come in 
 just before the revolution as a 
 vehicle for conveyance on busi- 
 ness or pleasure. As these 
 were taxable we find in 1785 
 but two riding chairs in the 
 township of Franconia. This 
 demonstrates how much, even a 
 century ago, the people were 
 addicted together on horseback 
 or foot. At this period it is stated 
 as no un- 
 to go 
 
 on horseback to Philadelphia, a 
 distance of thirty miles, to do 
 their shopping and return the 
 following day. It would cer- 
 tainly require a good physical 
 constitution for the sex to en- 
 dure this now. Of course the 
 days for horseback riding is now 
 past for either sex, and we have 
 the comfortable carriage for 
 either l)usiness or pleasure. 
 Farmers generallj^ go to mar- 
 ket on rail and sell out in a 
 large, comfortable market house 
 at fair prices. 
 
84 
 
 HISTORY OF FRANCONTA TOWNSHIP. 
 
 PART ^111. 
 MANNERS AND CUSTOMS — SPORTS AND PASTIMES LOCAL SUPERSTITION. 
 
 According to a list of land- 
 holders and tenants residing 
 within the township, the Ger- 
 man element, judging by the 
 surnames, composed almost the 
 entire population, The several 
 townships of the county were, 
 however, also settled by the 
 Welsh and English. Necessity 
 compelled the Germans, the 
 Welsh and the English to form 
 settlements by themselves, ow- 
 ing; to the ignorance of each 
 others' language, which preven- 
 ted general intercourse. These 
 communities were, therefore, 
 calculated to preserve and foster 
 the peculiar manners and cus- 
 tomes of their native country, 
 which, after a residence of near- 
 ly two centuries here are still. 
 
 to some extent, discernible in 
 their discendants. German 
 books and newsj^apers still con- 
 tinue to be printed for the Ger- 
 man people. The Germans 
 being numerously spread over 
 the townshij) it must necessarily 
 follow that their manners and 
 customs have exerted here a 
 considerable influence on society, 
 judging from the increasing ob- 
 servance of Christmas. New 
 Year's, Good Friday, Easter and 
 there circumstances. These 
 Germans belong, as they do, to 
 several religious" denominations 
 have never interdicted these 
 holidays, which days, in conse- 
 quence, have been more or less 
 observed among them after 
 the manner of the fatherland 
 
HISTORY OF FRANCONTA TOWNSHIP. 
 
 35 
 
 unto this day, which were ob- 
 served in many cases in a very 
 superstitious manner, more so 
 in this township than in any 
 other, in consequence of being 
 so German an origion. 
 
 The custom of levying mar- 
 riage toll, we believe, is exclu- 
 sively of German origin, as, on 
 inquiry as to the matter we 
 cannot find that it is practiced 
 b}" those of any other descent. 
 This practice is still in vogue 
 more or less throughout the 
 township, but the custom is fast 
 disappearing. Wakes or stay- 
 ing up with the dead were, to 
 some extent, practiced as late 
 as 1860 and 1805, being usually 
 performed b}^ two or three in- 
 vited neighbors. The face of 
 the corpse would be uncovered 
 every few hours to see whether 
 all was right. An apprehension 
 prevailed that it might be dis- 
 figured by rats or mice, which 
 would prove a scandal to the 
 funeral and famil3^ Before 
 1835 very few hearses were 
 used and light wagons little in- 
 
 troduced. On these occasions 
 large wagons, with two or four 
 horses, would be provided for 
 the family, who would sit around 
 the coffin on chairs and proceed 
 to the place of interment. I 
 find stated that in 1844 a fun- 
 eral conducted in this manner 
 being the last of the kind in 
 this township. 
 
 About the close of the last 
 century harvest was made a 
 jolly time, nearly all went out 
 in the field with the sickle to 
 cut the waiving grain. A young 
 young man would take his place 
 beside a young woman and as- 
 sist her like a gallant knight in 
 her labors. This was before 
 the general introduction of the 
 cradle, which has been only re- 
 cently superceded by the reaping 
 and binding machines. Such 
 changes have taken place in the 
 customs and institutions of so- 
 ciety since the formation of 
 Franconia township that it can 
 hardly be credited at the present 
 dav. 
 
 As the country was but 
 
36 
 
 HISTORY OF FRANCONIA TOWNSHIP. 
 
 sparsely settled every neighbor- 
 hood, for want of good roads, 
 good accomodations and travel- 
 ing fiicilities, formed a commu- 
 nity by itself. The hamlet and 
 village, even when only a few 
 miles apart, caused such a sepe- 
 ration as to give to each its pe- 
 culiar habits and superstition, 
 Of all our German superstition 
 undoubtedly witchcraft was the 
 most odious, but it never, that 
 we are aware of, at any time 
 became so abused as to lead to 
 any actual evil. No people are 
 entirely free from superstition, 
 for no mortal man possesses the 
 power or even the knowledge 
 necessary to draw a line as to 
 where it begins or ends. When 
 we come to consider the disad- 
 vantage our forefathers labored 
 under and compare them with 
 the facilities Ave now enjoy we 
 
 need not wonder at their hum- 
 ble superstitions, which were 
 peculiar to the time and circum- 
 stances in which they lived. 
 
 From the force and circum- 
 stances the early settlers were 
 compelled to lead what would 
 now be considered a rugged and 
 and laborous life. To clear the 
 land and brinsi; it under cultiva- 
 tion and to provide comfortable 
 buildings must have required 
 considerable effort. Roads had 
 to be opened, streams bridged 
 and made passable, and this 
 alone could only be accomplish- 
 ed by toil. Our ancestors had 
 their sports and pastimes to 
 vary the monotony of existence, 
 though they may have been few 
 and rude, yet they were adapt- 
 to their condition and no douljt 
 gave them pleasure and served 
 their aiic. 
 
HISTORY OF FRANCONIA TOWNSHIP. 
 
 37 
 
 PAF^X XIV. 
 
 PRIVATE BURYING GROUNDS FUHRMAN's GRAVEYARD OTHER NEGLECTED 
 
 GRAVEYARDS. 
 
 In the early times it was cus- 
 tomary among the leading fam- 
 ilies to bury their dead on the 
 form, on a spot set aside for this 
 purpose. In the course of time 
 the neighbors brought their dead 
 for burial in these private 
 grounds. A few of these grave- 
 yards are maintained in this 
 township, others are neglected 
 and overgrown with brambles 
 and bushes and still others have 
 relapsed mto their former uses 
 as fields for farming, and traces 
 of them are lost. The Fuhr- 
 mans graveyard is the largest 
 of this kind in the township. It 
 contains about one-quarter of an 
 acre of ground, taken from two 
 adjoining farms. It is an open 
 
 field on the farm of Henry D. 
 Wile, several hundred paces 
 southwest of the Indian Creek 
 Reformed church, The most 
 unfortunate affixir connected 
 with it is the fate of the grave- 
 yard, in which, no doubt, inter- 
 ments have been made as early 
 as 1725, and which w^as actual- 
 ly used for this purpose until 
 1T90 ; some have estimated 
 that within that period from one 
 hundred and fifty to two hun- 
 dred ma}' have been buried 
 there ; the headstones yet trace- 
 able, are all common stones, 
 about half of the number have 
 letters and dates. On a visit to 
 this graveyard we copied the 
 following : In memorv of George 
 
38 HISTORY OF FllANCONIA TOWNSHIP 
 
 Liidwig Hange, born October taiiily teaches 
 2Gth, 1696, died 1769, aged 
 73 years ; the rest of the stones 
 having no regular epitaph, hav- 
 ing only letters, few having 
 dates in the following manner : 
 I. A. H. T., 1766; .S. B. H., 
 1747; C. H., 1790; I. F. M., 
 1763; A. D., 1758; E. H., 
 1788; M. L., F. M. andK. M., 
 these are all having marks of 
 inscription, the rest are only 
 rude stone. The farm where 
 this graveyard is situated is 
 owned by Henry D. Wile, pur- 
 chased from his father, William, 
 and since it has been reduced to 
 one-half its former size. Year 
 after year the plow is approach- 
 ing nearer, which makes us be- 
 lieve that the time will not be 
 long hence when the entire 
 graveyard will be under culti- 
 vation, and the existance of the 
 same can scarcely be pointed out. 
 The tradition is that some of 
 the headstones have gone to the 
 wash gullies and covered over 
 likely to be revealed some da}^ 
 The fate of this graveyard cer- 
 
 a humilitating 
 lesson on human avarice. Had 
 it not been the resting place of 
 our lovely forefathers, the pio- 
 neers of the township, the deso- 
 lation of the same would not 
 sink so deep on the mind of the 
 present generation. Indeed, on 
 our recent visit to the neglected 
 graveyard, looking over the 
 ruins and desolation, we were 
 so moved that we sat down and 
 wrote the following lines to ex- 
 press our deep regret. 
 
 Far up the lonely Indian Creek. 
 
 My wondering footsteps led, 
 The moss grew thick beneath my feet, 
 
 The wind moaned o'er my head. 
 The traces of a graveyard old 
 
 Were plainly to be seen, 
 Surely some weary pilgrim soul, 
 
 Is here at peace I ween. 
 
 The bramble bushes and the weed. 
 
 Lay thick upon a mound. 
 The headboard where the name we read, 
 
 Had rotted to the ground. 
 No flower e'er had been planted there. 
 
 No loved ones knew the place. 
 No marble slabs or granite rare, 
 
 This lonely mound did grace. 
 
 I raised the headboard with my hand, 
 
 From dust its words made clear, 
 It read "The Settlers of Our Land," 
 
HISTOllY OF FRANCONIA TOWNSHIP. 
 
 3!) 
 
 "Franconia's Pioneer." 
 The rest was blurred with rust and age, 
 
 Long years had worked their rot ; 
 But fame that's writ on history's page, 
 
 Long years can never blot. 
 Roll on, proud Lidian Creek, roll on, 
 
 Adown the stony glen ; 
 Above thee in the shadows lone, 
 
 Sleep brave, undaunted men. 
 No brutal foes, no bloody wars. 
 
 Our Christian people fear. 
 For thou hast made our pathway smooth? 
 
 '•Franconia's Pioneer." 
 
 The condition and situation 
 of this old graveyard is well ex- 
 pressed by the above lines. The 
 remaining spot is thickly cover- 
 ed with trees and thicket ; the 
 walk to the place must be made 
 across the fields ; the Indian 
 creek, too, is below near its 
 base, the same as it had when 
 the first interment was made, 
 probably a hundred and fifty 
 years ago. 
 
 Tradition states that a place 
 in the meadow of Samuel Mus- 
 selman, in the western part of 
 the township, near the Indian 
 creek, was formerly occupied 
 with graves. There are no 
 stones there at the present day. 
 The mounds, however, are ob- 
 
 served by the uneavenness of 
 the <>round. Tradition states 
 that it was here that Christian 
 Funk was buried. Funk, it is 
 stated, lived half a year alone 
 in the township on the f^irm 
 now owned by Isaac C. Godshall 
 and where he was hurried is un- 
 known, at least, not more than 
 what tradition states, which, in 
 matters like these, is sometimes 
 very wrong. 
 
 There was also a private 
 bur3dng ground at the grave- 
 yard connected with the religious 
 edifice, so-called Herrite house, 
 also situated in the western part 
 of the township, near the Indian 
 creek. The history of this edi- 
 fice and graveyard will be given 
 in another part seperately. This 
 house was only built at the side 
 of this grave yard in later 3'ears, 
 which is the reason that this 
 graveyard is maintained at the 
 presentday, otherwise the grave- 
 yard would |)robably have been 
 neglected and laid to waste the 
 same as the rest in the town- 
 ship. 
 
 There was another private 
 
40 
 
 HISTORY OF FRANCONIA TOWNSHIP. 
 
 burying ground, called the Har- 
 ley's burying ground, situated 
 on the pike leading from Har- 
 leysville to Souderton. It was 
 commenced by Rudolph Harley, 
 in 1746. One tombstone we 
 found bears the date of 1758. 
 
 On this lot a frame house was 
 erected by the Dunkards in 
 1843, in which worship is held 
 on alternate Sundays. The 
 history of this burying ground 
 and meeting house will also be 
 given in another part. 
 
HISTORY OF FllANCONIA TOWNSHIP. 
 
 41 
 
 PART XV. 
 
 ACCOUNTS OF THE POOR OF THE TOWNSHIP. 
 
 From the township book, 
 dated March 25, 1766, we 
 copied some accomits which 
 will be of interest. It will, 
 however, be observed by aglance 
 over this book, where the yearly 
 accounts of the "overseers of 
 the Poor" were kept, that in 
 the early settlement of the 
 coimtry very little appears to 
 have been done for the support 
 of the poor The population 
 was sparse, labor was in demand 
 on every side, and necessities 
 of the people were limited to 
 such few absolute requirements 
 that pauperism could scarcely 
 be said to exist, which, of course, 
 is quite different from the pres- 
 ent, when we think pauperism 
 has reached its highest point. 
 
 The society of Friends, the 
 Mennonites and the Dunkards 
 have invariably supported their 
 own unfortunate poor to the 
 present time, which, however, 
 seems to become more of a bur- 
 den every day to these few de- 
 nominations. 
 
 During the whole colonial 
 period, down to the erection of 
 a house for the support and 
 employment of the poor, they 
 were maintained by their re- 
 spective township or district. 
 For this purpose two overseers 
 were appointed for each dis- 
 trict by the judges of the 
 county courts. Their duties 
 were to secure for those com- 
 mitted to their charge homes 
 and employment at the most 
 
42 
 
 HISTORY OF FRANCONIA TOWNSHIP. 
 
 favorable rates. An act was 
 passed in 1771 that provided for 
 two overseers in every town- 
 ship by the justices at a special 
 meeting to be held every year. 
 The expenses incurred in pro- 
 viding subsistence, shelter and 
 employment for those whom 
 misfortune had rendered a bur- 
 den to society was to be suppli- 
 ed by the regular county rate. 
 The overseers were responsible 
 for the collection of the amount 
 assessed and were required to 
 pay over the money in their 
 possession. A record was kept 
 of the poor and an order of the 
 justice of the peace was neces- 
 sary to be admitted to the list 
 before assistance could be fur- 
 nished. All those having near 
 relations w^ho were paupers, 
 were compelled to support them, 
 if their circumstances enabled 
 them to do so. Among the 
 duties of the overseers were 
 supplying the immediate wants 
 of families reduced to poverty, 
 and in case of death to give them 
 a decent burial. Those that 
 
 could work were kept on a farm 
 among the farmers. On the 
 formation of the county and 
 prior the justices of the court 
 made the following appoint- 
 ments for overseers of the poor 
 of the township, which, how- 
 ever, docs not embrace all since 
 the incorporation of the town- 
 ship, 1731. They are recorded 
 in the township book in the fol- 
 lowing manner : In 1769 James 
 Rol^ison and Jacob Hacman, in 
 1779 Michael Shoemaker and 
 Jacob Leite, Sr., in 1785 again 
 Michael Shoemaker and Jacob 
 Leite, Sr., both resigned, and in 
 their stead Jacob Leidy, Jr., 
 and Yelles Landis were appoint- 
 ed ; in 1788 Christian Chres- 
 man and Yellis Landes, in 1790 
 Abraham Nice and Jacob Hen- 
 gen, in 1794 Martin Dethwiler 
 and Henry Siple, in 1796 John 
 Dethwiler and John Swartley, 
 in 1799 Christian Moyer and 
 Andrew Shwartz,in 1801 George 
 Shneider and Abraham Rosen- 
 berger, in 1802 James Zohem 
 and John Wilson, in 1803 Chris- 
 
HISTORY OF FRA.NCOMA TOWNSHIP 
 
 43 
 
 tinn Hunsberger, Sr., and Chris- 
 tian Hunsberger Taylor, in 1804 
 Tol)ias Sholl and Henry Landes, 
 in 1805 Abraham Delb and 
 Jacob Swartley, 1806 John Alt- 
 hous and John Sahler, in 1807 
 John Bergey and Isaac Mover. 
 From this date on the overseers 
 of the poor were notified by the 
 directors of the poor house, 
 which was established from acts 
 of the State Legislature, to be 
 present at the poor house in or- 
 der to receive the paupers of 
 the township, with their goods, 
 to be valued by two persons ap- 
 pointed for that purpose. The 
 sul)ject of providing a house and 
 home of employment of the 
 poor, instead of the former 
 method of having them Avorkine; 
 or boarding around with those 
 who would consent to recieve 
 them, began to recieve attention 
 soon after the formation of the 
 county (1785). The first move 
 in this direction was the holding 
 of a public meeting at the house 
 of John Davis, in Norristown, 
 January 23, 1801, when all the 
 
 overseers of the respective town- 
 ships were to be present, on the 
 the expediency of petitioning 
 the Legislature of the State for 
 the privilege of building a poor 
 house, for the use and benefit 
 of the destitute of Montgomery 
 county. But litt'e was done in 
 the county on this point until 
 March 10th, 1806, when an act 
 was passed authorizing the pur- 
 chase of a farm and to erect 
 thereon suitable buildings for 
 the purpose by the county. 
 Subsequent acts were passed 
 January 26, 1807 and Decem- 
 ber 22, 1806. The h«.use was 
 not ready for the count}^ until 
 1808, when the directors notified 
 the overseers of the poor of the 
 respective townships of the 
 county, as stated before, to di- 
 rect the poor with their goods 
 to the newly erected poor house. 
 Isaac Moyer and John Bergey 
 were overseers of the poor of 
 Franconia township at that date 
 and they at once removed their 
 poor to the new poor house on 
 the Schuylkill- We, however, 
 
44 
 
 HISTORY OF FRANCONIA TOWNSHIP. 
 
 found that at this time only a 
 single individual was maintained 
 by the township, and this being 
 a girl. In the township book, 
 where the auditors kept their 
 yearly accounts of the overseers 
 of the poor of the township of 
 Franconia, we clipped the fol- 
 lowing : 
 
 "March 20, 1807. 
 
 We, the subscribers, as free- 
 holders of Franconia township, 
 who, being auditors chosen by 
 the townshijD aforesaid, for 
 making settlement for the en- 
 suing year of the last overseers 
 of the poor, namely, John 
 Sahler and John Althous, that 
 they have to pay for supporting 
 a young girl twenty pounds, and 
 balance in hand which they 
 have to pay to the new over- 
 seers, John Berkey and Isaac 
 Moyer, two pounds, nine shil- 
 lings and six pence." 
 
 Testes : 
 
 Michael Shoemaker. 
 Captain Summers. 
 
 John Bergey and Isaac Moyer 
 being next overseers they re- 
 
 ceived the balance in the treas- 
 ury, which they, during their 
 term, together with the poor 
 girl maintained by them, hand- 
 ed over to the poor house erec- 
 ted for this purpose. Thus 
 ended the maintaining of the 
 poor in this townhip. From 
 this time on a tax was levied on 
 the freeholders of the townships 
 of the county for the mainte- 
 nance of the poor of the county, 
 which is the practice yet to the 
 present day. 
 
 We here give place to another 
 xVuditors' account as set down 
 in the township book : 
 
 Philadelphia, > 
 March 25, 1768. ] 
 
 To cash the overseers reciev- 
 ed of the previous overseers five 
 pounds, ten shillings and six 
 and one-half pence. By cash 
 they paid for the burying of a 
 poor person two pounds, seven- 
 teen shillings and eight pence. 
 Examined this account and find 
 a balance of two pounds twelve 
 shillings and ten pence, which 
 is ordered to ])e paid to the sue- 
 
HISTORY OF FRANC 
 
 ceeding overseers, which are 
 Jacob Debtwhiler and George 
 Stump. 
 
 Testes : 
 
 Sam G. Mifflin, 
 Geo. Bryant, 
 Jacob Hall. 
 
 Below this auditors' notice 
 the following note is written : 
 "In 1767 the township of Fran- 
 conia had no poor." The follow- 
 ing shows the amount expended 
 ])y the township of Franconia 
 for the maintenance of the poor 
 in the township in every decade 
 often years: In 1766, seven- 
 teen pounds, sixteen shillings 
 and nine pence ; in 1777, six- 
 teen pounds and two pence ; in 
 1786, thirty-nine pounds; in 
 1796, twenty-six pounds and 
 two pence ; in 1806 the auditors 
 made the following settlement 
 of the overseers of the poor of 
 the township : 
 
 March 18, 1806. 
 
 We, the subscribers, as free- 
 holders of the township of 
 Franconia township as auditors 
 for making settlement for tlie 
 
 ONIA TOWNSHIP. 45 
 
 ensuing year of the last over- 
 seers of the poor, namely, 
 Abrahaui Delb and Jacob 
 Swartley, and found that they 
 have paid for supporting the 
 poor of the towTiship, and ex- 
 penses did come to twenty-five 
 pounds 16 shillings and eight 
 pence. Balance in hand which 
 they have to pay to the over- 
 seers, John Althouse and John 
 Shaler, which is five pounds and 
 fourteen shillings. 
 Testes : 
 
 Michael Shoemaker, 
 
 John Gerhart, 
 
 Auditors. 
 Thus we see that the expense 
 for maintaining the poor in the 
 township a hundred years ago 
 wxre only trifling in proportion 
 to the present, but it is evident 
 that pauperism among us is in- 
 creasing in spite of the great 
 diminution taking place in the 
 use of intoxicating liquors and 
 the considerable increase of im- 
 igration, which must be admit- 
 ted that a great number are ini- 
 provid(>nt paupers. 
 
46 
 
 HISTORY OF FEANCONIA TOWNSHIP. 
 
 The expenses for maintaining 
 the present poor house are met 
 by funds raised from taxes 
 levied by the county commis- 
 
 sioners on requisition of the 
 directors of the poor house, and 
 through their order paid by the 
 county treasurer. 
 
HISTORY OF FllANCONIA TOWNSHIP. 
 
 47 
 
 r^ARX :kvi. 
 
 THE LUTHERAN COXOREGATION, 
 
 In our pre\'iouR parts we 
 treated upon religion of the 
 township, in this part we desire 
 to give the entire history of the 
 churches and burying grounds 
 within the limits of the town- 
 ship. To meet this want we 
 were furni.shed with the neces- 
 sary papers of the various con- 
 gregations. The early settlers 
 were, with few exceptions, Ger- 
 mans, who were in many cases 
 driven hither by. the scourging 
 wars, and religious persecutions 
 then raging in Europe. Being- 
 pious men and women they soon 
 formed themselves into religious 
 societies, which I am now to 
 treat, as they settled within our 
 limits. The Indianfield Luther- 
 an Church, as stated in our 
 
 previous j)arts, was the first re- 
 ligious edifice in the township, 
 and undoubtedly the Lutherans 
 comprised the greater part of 
 the earlier settlers, but they do 
 not at the present time, how- 
 ever, comprise more than one- 
 third of the population, the 
 Mennonites are fully up to their 
 present membership. However, 
 the Lutheran is the most num- 
 erous denomination in jMont- 
 gomery county, having twenty- 
 five houses of worship in 1870, 
 probably more now. Most of 
 their ancestors came from the 
 German nations of Central 
 Europe between 1710 and 1770. 
 Like most of our early settlers, 
 they were refugees from relig- 
 ious disabilities in the Old 
 
48 HISTORY OF FRANCONIA TOWNSHIP. 
 
 World, bringing a sterling fliith ducting them into 
 
 and domestic habits with them. 
 From the date of the founding 
 of their mother churches, the 
 Old Goschenhoppen and St. 
 Augustus, Trappe, their emmi- 
 gration and settlement must 
 have been large and rapid dur- 
 ing the period name.d. As Gor- 
 don in his "Gazetteer" of 1832 
 puts down the Lutheran 
 churches of Montgomery at 
 eight, wdiich were increased as 
 above stated. This denomina- 
 tion has undergone fewer 
 changes by transplanting from 
 Europe to America, and has 
 been less rent l)y schisms and 
 disagreements among themselves 
 than any other. Some years 
 ago a few of their congregations 
 held "protracted meetings," but 
 none do so at present in this 
 county. Like most denomina- 
 tions, the Lutherans have an or- 
 ganization to promote church 
 extentions, and it is found their 
 great increase to be due to the 
 practice of regularly catechising 
 the youth at proper age and in- 
 
 the church 
 fellowship l)y rite of confirma- 
 tion. The efficiency of this 
 mode of keeping up church 
 membership leads some to con- 
 clude that it is a better method 
 than that in vogue of "disci- 
 pling" the people by protracted 
 meetings as an adjunct of Sab- 
 bath school instructions. The 
 advocates of the latter system 
 allege that religion learned in 
 the former mode only fills the 
 head, while the heart or affec- 
 tions are unreached by it. The 
 Indianfield Lutheran church, of 
 which w^e are now going to treat 
 is one of the oldest Lutheran 
 congregations in Pennsjdvania, 
 and was from the beginning; en- 
 tirely Lutheran. A log church 
 was built in 1730, the first re- 
 ligious edifi<;e in the township, 
 enlarged in 17GG, and rebuilt in 
 1792, and gave place to the 
 present stone church, which, in 
 1868, received, for the third 
 time, a new roof of slate, being 
 repaired again in 1881. The 
 building committee composed of 
 
HISTORY OK F11AN(^0NIA TOWNSHIP. 
 
 49 
 
 J. B. Wampole, J. Benner an:l 
 R. 11. Cressman. The ground 
 plan of the present chun-h is of 
 rectangle in form, with a length 
 of 54 feet focing southeast and 
 the end facin"' northeast 40 feet. 
 It is one story high and is al)()ut 
 twenty feet to the ceiling. 
 
 The building is graced with 
 an elegant tower ninety-five feet 
 in height. The architecture 
 is the work of Jonathan B. 
 Wolf, of Telford, and presents 
 quite a model of architecture. 
 The interior is filled up most 
 admirably and the decorations 
 an' I paintings being fine work of 
 art, and contains a gallery on 
 three sides, which is refitted on 
 one side with a celebrated pipe 
 organ secured in 1820, and there 
 l)eing cimnected with the church 
 at various times a good choir 
 and at the present needs no 
 commend. 
 
 There was a school house situ- 
 ated near this church in early 
 times, which was abandoned 
 and afterwards refitted for the 
 janitor of the (dmrch. It was 
 
 George Smith who lived last in 
 this school house, when at the 
 time, in 18o4, it was cxmsumed 
 l)y fire. It was here that many 
 of the early church records were 
 destroyed. The creation of a 
 congregation in Sellersville took 
 away man}^ members, but were 
 still in 1885 over 200 commu- 
 nicants. As a part of the Gos- 
 chenhoppen charge it has been 
 since 1752 connected with the 
 ministerium of Pennsylvania. 
 The present constitution was 
 adopted in 1836, and tl>e exist- 
 ino- church record was begun in 
 1753 by Pastor Frederick 
 Schultz. The earliest Pastor 
 known was John Conrad Andrea, 
 who came to this country in 
 1742 from Zweibreucken, land- 
 ed in Philadelphia and settled 
 in Goschenh()p[)en. He assumed 
 charge of the Goschenhoppen, 
 New Goschenhoppen and Indian- 
 field churches, where he re- 
 mained until 1751. In that 
 year Lucas Ilaus began services 
 as catechet under Pastor II. M. 
 Muhlenbero's direction. He 
 
riioxvjxiA \jv r jixivi> VA^i> JLxi. i\j»\i\oriir. 
 
 closed his servicer in 1752, 
 when the Rev.^ Frederick 
 Schultz became pastor and serv- 
 ed until 1763, when Rev. Joseph 
 Roth succeeded him ; from 
 1758 to 1770 Rev. John Michael 
 Enterlein was pastor, from 1770 
 to 1795 Rev. Conrad Reller, 
 Rev. Frederick Geisenhainer, 
 1795 to 1797 ; Rev. George 
 Reller, son of Conrad, 1797 to 
 1840 ; Rev. EnglebriohtPeixto, 
 1840 to 1864 ; Rev. Frederick 
 Waltz from 1865 to the present 
 day. The congregation was 
 originally formed by the Rev. 
 J. Conrad Andrea, an expelled 
 LutheVan Clergyman in Ger- 
 many, who, without any recom- 
 mendation, so insinuated him- 
 self into their confidence that he 
 became their pastor, but who 
 was soon afterward discharged 
 for immoral conduct. The first 
 regular Lutheran minister was 
 the Rev, Lucas Rnus, who 
 preached two years to the con- 
 gregation. 
 
 The graveyard is an ancient 
 one and an object of much in- 
 
 terest ; since the organization of 
 the church (1730), no doubt, 
 1500 may have been buried 
 here. To meet the increasing 
 demand for space for bur3'ing 
 the gravej^^ard has been enlarg- 
 ed again and again, and at this 
 writing (1886) the congregation 
 again enlarged their burying 
 grounds by purchasing a tract 
 of land of Tobias Wile, for $300. 
 On a visit to this graveyard w^e 
 copied some very old dates 
 from headstones. We think, 
 however, that the very oldest 
 buried here bear no dates or in- 
 scriptions at all, at least, we 
 find many of this kind. Most 
 grave stones of this kind have 
 sunk in the ground and are al- 
 most invisible. Some of the 
 earliest buried here which are 
 marked with stones having let- 
 ters and figures arc M. Conrad, 
 1769; S. Cressman, 1767; H. 
 R., 1790; Sn. Do., 1771; II. 
 E. N. M., 1777; I. F., 1776; 
 A. B. 1776; S. H. 1768; we 
 also copied the following sur- 
 names: Ra.rndt, Nace, Cressman, 
 
HISTORY OF FRANCONTA TOWNSHIP. 51 
 
 Herman, Kramer, Keller, Still- 
 wagon, Wamljold, King, Geliman, 
 Dannehower, Bilger, Soucler, 
 Frederick, Gerhart, Badman, 
 Bitter, Haens, Musselman, Beltz, 
 Bosenberger, Kober,Beller,Ben- 
 ner, Kratz, Herr and Conrad. 
 We also find here the grave of 
 Pa.stor John George Beller, 
 whose tomb is marked with 
 a flag stone. Bev. J. G. Beller 
 was pastor of the congregation 
 forty-three years. 
 
 At the present writing the 
 congregation has purchased a 
 tract of land from Tobias Wile, 
 for $300, and has been laid out 
 into convenient lots for a ceme- 
 
 tery. On a visit to the place 
 while the work was in progress 
 we had reason to believe that, 
 when finished, the cemetery will 
 be one of the grandest and l)est 
 arranged cemeteries in Mont- 
 gomery county. 
 
 Tlie janitor's house connected 
 with the church was built in 
 1834. The present incubent 
 is David Cressman. We are 
 proud to state, on inquiry as to 
 the unity of this congregation, 
 that harmony prevailed from 
 the beginning to the present 
 day and religious unity Avas 
 maintained in ireneral. 
 
52 
 
 TITSTORY OP FUANCONIA TOWNSHIP. 
 
 REFORMED Cllinuni- 
 BURYING GROUND- 
 
 PART ^VII. 
 
 DOCTRINE INDIAN CREEK REFORMED CHURCH ITS 
 
 -LEIDY's reformed church ITS BURYINC, GROUND. 
 
 (Joiiteinporaneous with Liith- 
 oran.s, the old "German lle- 
 Coniied," or "German Presby- 
 terians," came to our country 
 from different parts of Germany, 
 they only difFerin<i- from their 
 countrjanen as Zwingie and 
 Calvin disagreed from Luther 
 about some non-essential doc- 
 trine, and the proper form of 
 church Government. They 
 were stern defenders of the Holy 
 Scriptures as the sole rule of 
 faith and as the perpetuity of the 
 Sabbath as a day of divine a|)- 
 pointment. The lieformed de- 
 nomination in Pemisylvania 
 gathered congregations as rap- 
 idly as the Lutherans. Gordon 
 in his "Gazetteer" of 1 802 sets 
 down the ninnber of lleformed 
 
 congregations in Montgomery 
 county at seven, which by 1870 
 had increased to nineteen, in 
 1880 to twenty-three and in 
 1880 to twenty-five congrega- 
 tions. This church has suffered 
 more from schismatic influence 
 than the Lutherans, though no 
 serious open rupture has ever 
 taken place, but rather disa- 
 greements, mainly consisting of 
 old and new views of theology 
 and old and new measures, such 
 as protracted, night and prayer 
 meetings for the promotion of 
 vivals. One thing in our church 
 history stands to the credit of 
 both Lutherans and Ilefoimel 
 in the colonial age and even 
 down to the present day, that 
 thev fr;)terni'/ed in l)uilding 
 
IIISTOUV OF FRAN(X)NIA TOWNSHIP. 
 
 58 
 
 lioui^es of worship, which, for 
 more than a century, in nuiny 
 cases, have been occupied joint- 
 ly and alternately l)y both de- 
 nomination. That is amity in 
 dissent, a wholesome lesson to 
 adjacent sects to live peacefully 
 with each other. As wealth 
 nnd more frequent worship have 
 afforded the means and oppor- 
 tunity in recent years, however, 
 the desire arose for seperate 
 buildini^s. So nearly all these 
 union churches have divided, 
 and, in most cases, one or the 
 other erected new buildings. 
 However, to our knowledge, 
 there was none of the kind in 
 our township except when one 
 house or another was undergo- 
 in"" changes. The greatest dis- 
 quietness in all our churches of 
 the various denominations 
 throuiihout the German section 
 
 conia the services were always 
 conducted in German, with the 
 exception of late, when Engli.vh 
 services are held on alternate 
 Sunday evenings in the Indian 
 Creek Reformed church by Rev. 
 Kehm. Attempts <jf alterations 
 of the German language has 
 always been resisted by the 
 elder members of the upper 
 churches. Sunday schools, too, 
 which seemed inovations upon 
 old customs, was for a while re- 
 sisted })y elder mend:)ers until 
 recently, when Sunday schools 
 were organized in almost every 
 church, and in some cases 
 special houses were built. 
 
 There are two Reformed 
 churches in the township — the 
 Indian Creek and the one called 
 the Leidy's or Emanuel's Re- 
 formed church. The Indian 
 Creek Reformed church is the 
 
 is the elapsing of the German oldest, is located about one mile 
 
 west of Telord cm the Indian 
 creek, and was founded in IT-)-) 
 bv Rev. Jacob Reese, who wi\s 
 its first pastor, began his labors 
 June od, in that year, .\uiong 
 
 tongue and the introducticm of 
 the English to accomodate the 
 new generation, who rather 
 prefer the latter language. In 
 our German township of Fran- 
 
54 
 
 HISTORY OF FRANCONIA TOWxNSHIP. 
 
 the founders of the church were 
 John Nice, Jacob Arndt, Peter 
 Gerhart, Jacob Leidy, John 
 Shellenberger, John Sellers, 
 William Althouse and Abraham 
 Arndt. With the exception of 
 Arndt these family names are 
 all presented in the congrega- 
 tion at present. In 1754 the 
 present church lot was purchas- 
 ed of Michael Berra, and in that 
 year a log church was erected. 
 This was replaced in 177G by a 
 rough stone church, with a hip 
 roof, which was used until 182G, 
 when the third, 4ox4S, also of 
 stone was built. This being a 
 large and substantial church, 
 having walls two feet thick, and 
 the interior was well finished 
 with a gallery on three sides. 
 The present church, 42x65 feet, 
 wasbuilt in 1879, of brick. The 
 building committee composed of 
 Andrew Plartzell, Martin Shipe 
 and Henry C. Hartzell. The 
 cost of building the same was 
 upwards of $11,000. This 
 churcli has three corner stones, 
 two of which were altered from 
 
 the previous buildings, how^ever, 
 this being the fourth church 
 probably the first, the log 
 church, did not contain a corner 
 stone. The building is sur- 
 mounted to the height of 115 
 feet, containing a metalic bell 
 weighing 1500 pounds, cast in 
 Philadelphia, to call together its 
 worshippers, and toll for the 
 sorrowing, who bury their dead, 
 and whose tombstones are fast 
 whitening the capacious ground 
 upon which they are planted. 
 The church was dedicated to 
 the congregation in 1880. The 
 basement is used for Sunday 
 school purposes. It was here 
 that a Sunday school was orga- 
 nized as early as 18G8. This 
 Sunday school connected with 
 the church at times being pros- 
 perous until of late when Sun- 
 day schools were organized in 
 the neighboring villages, and 
 this one had to be abandoned 
 for w^aiit of support. The in- 
 tei'ior of the church is fitted up 
 most elegantly, with frescoed 
 walls. The gallery is graced 
 
HISTORY OF F11AN(X)N1A TOWNSin]\ r)5 
 
 with a large pi[)e organ securod Fuhrman, 1708 ; Micliaol Ilart- 
 
 in 18G5. The exterior, too, 
 [)i"eseiits (juite n model of archi- 
 tecture. At the spot where the 
 present church stands formerly 
 stood ail old log school house, at 
 least tradition states so, prior 
 to the log cluirch. An old 
 member of this congregation in- 
 formed me that at the time of 
 this log church the Indians were 
 still plenty throughout the In- 
 dian creek valley, also that the 
 old log church contained no 
 chimney. At that time fire 
 was unknown in churches, and 
 the Hoor being laid with bricks. 
 The graveyard here is an old 
 one and it may be expected that 
 many have been buried in it, 
 as it has undoubtedly been used 
 for more than 130 years and 
 being situated in such a ])opu- 
 lous section. On a visit to the 
 grave yard we copied the follow- 
 ing from the tombstones, which 
 we think are among the oldest : 
 Hannes Fuhrman, 1798; George 
 Geir, 1767; John Frederick, 
 17G4 ; Reib Sellers, 170'.); John 
 
 zell, 17S4; M. B. 11., 17G0; 
 Chr. PI., 17G1 ; Frederick 
 Weil, 17(»7. There are also 
 many tombstones that have no 
 date at all, and probably some 
 that were hurried here still 
 earlier than the above named. 
 We al.so found close to the 
 church a stone that was engraved 
 in the following manner : "In 
 memory of Heinrich Hartzell, 
 wife and two children, who emi- 
 grated from the Palatinate in 
 1727, being the first settlers in 
 Rockhill township, died at an 
 advanced age." It is also here 
 where Rev. Jacob Lenn is 
 buried. On his tombstcme we 
 found the following : "To the 
 memory of Rev. Jacob Lenn, 
 wdio was born January 4, 1774, 
 departed this life January 18, 
 1818, aged forty -three years, 
 was minister of the Reformed 
 churches in Sussix, Ilardwick 
 and Noll town four years, and at 
 Dohickon, Indianfield and 
 Swamp nineteen years." His 
 wife, too, is })urried at his side 
 
56 
 
 HISTORY OF FllANCONlA TOWNSHIP. 
 
 died October 30, 1872, aged 
 ninety-one years. The follow- 
 ing family names we copied in 
 addition to those already named 
 and are inserted here for the 
 use and ])enefit geanologist, 
 who may desire to secure ac- 
 tional information in this direc- 
 tion : Gerhart, Scholl, Moyer, 
 Strausberger, Cressman, Steiner, 
 Benner, Anchy, Sansel, Troxel, 
 Sleifer, Kehm, Bauman, Shive, 
 Sellers, Barndt, Ott, Wack, 
 Bilger, Hilgerd, Kraft, Huber, 
 Hendricks, Hengey, Henig, 
 Raudenbush, Kooker, Fluck, 
 Bealer, Slutter, Dorn, Ziegler, 
 Trumbauer, Wile, Frantz, Lenn, 
 and others. Necessity has com- 
 pelled them to enlarge the 
 graveyard again and again, and 
 contains now more than two 
 acres, enclosed with a substan- 
 tial wall, and the yard is sur- 
 rounded with shade trees. 
 Here, too, are sheds on all sides 
 for the protection of horses from 
 the inclemency of weather dur- 
 ing all seasons. 
 
 leidy's reformed church. 
 
 What is known as Leidy's 
 lleformed church, later Eman- 
 uel's Reformed church, is lo- 
 cated below Souderton, and was 
 built in 1858. A school house 
 and a graveyard was there over 
 a hundred years ago. The 
 school house was used for public 
 worship until it was desired by 
 the neighborhood to build a 
 house adapted for that purpose, 
 Its members are from the In- 
 dian Creek Reformed church, 
 of which it was for a time a part. 
 Its pastors have been Rev. P. 
 S Fisher and J. G. Dengler, 
 the hitter of whom is still in 
 charge. Previous to those 
 named there being no regular 
 installed ministers. Worship 
 was held on alternate times. 
 The church is situated on an 
 elevated tract of land and 
 affords a beautiful glimpse of 
 country life. In the jnvd, too, 
 on all sides have l^een planted 
 maple trees for shade. 
 
 The grave yard is an old one. 
 On a recent visit to this l)ury- 
 ing ground we noticed quite a 
 
HISTORY OF FRANCONIA TOWNSHIP. 57 
 
 tombstones that Wack slumbers beneath the sod 
 
 number of 
 have been placed there between 
 the years 1760 and 1780. We 
 have copied the following sur- 
 names and are inserted here for 
 the use of the geanologist : 
 Leidy, Scholl, Fluck, Beidler, 
 Weiss, Slifer, Snyder, Schnabel, 
 riolzapple, Oberholzer, Kinsey, 
 Yocum, Nace, Nice, Klein, 
 Wack, Hunsberger, 8chwenk, 
 Shellenberger, Miller, Bauer, 
 Bernd, Eaten, Cressman, 
 Weaver, Althouse, Bair, Kulp, 
 Conver^ Hagey, Garis, Rosen - 
 berger. Winter, Ratzell, Reed, 
 Delp, Goettler, Sheib, Bitting, 
 Mover, Cope, Lane, Zane, Rudy, 
 Bloom, Landis, Worman, Lever, 
 Robartaux, Savalcool, Mayers 
 and others. We have found in 
 in this graveyard more old 
 .stones bearing dates and without 
 dates than in any other bind- 
 ing ground in the township. 
 We judged the number buried 
 here probably two thousand 
 together with the more recent 
 buried. 
 
 The remains of Rev. Casper 
 
 of this graveyard, from his 
 tombstone we have ( copied the 
 following: Sacred to the mem- 
 ory of Rev. Casper Wack, who 
 departed this life the 17th of 
 July, 1839, aged eighty-seven 
 years. 
 
 And is your pa-stor <,'one : 
 
 Is he no more tliat liviniji' truth 
 
 That we have seen l)efore. 
 
 lie is ji^one, he's past the ffloomy shade of 
 
 ni<;ht, 
 Safe landed in eternal realms of lioht. 
 IIapi)y exchange, to part with all below for 
 
 worlds of bliss wheie joy unfadin" 
 
 How; 
 Triumi)hin<;- in his friend, who will be yours 
 If you pursue the i)ath he oft taught to 
 
 you. 
 
 His wife, Barbara Wack, is 
 buried by his side, aged eighty- 
 six years. Their graves are 
 marked with a tiagstone. The* 
 old grave yard is enclosed with 
 a substantial stone wall. There 
 is also a. cemetery connected 
 with the church which has been 
 recently opened, is situate on 
 elevated ground, arranged and 
 divided in convenient lots and 
 enclosed with a board fence. A 
 num))er of interments have 
 already been made, and quite 
 a number of lots are enclosed 
 with iron fences. 
 
58 
 
 niSTORY OF FIIANCONIA TOWNSHIP. 
 
 PART r<:viii. 
 
 DUNKAUDS OR GERMAN IJAPTISTe THEIR TRINCIl'LES EMIGRATION TO 
 
 PENNSYLVANIA THEIR HOUSE OF WORSHIP BURYING GROUND. 
 
 Nearly sinmltaneous and intt'i- 
 mixed with the Mennonite emi- 
 gration came the German Bap- 
 tists, who had been stigmatized 
 and persecuted in Germany 
 under the name of "Anahab- 
 tists"(rebaptisers). Tliey were 
 a very pious and devoted people 
 differing little from the Menno- 
 nites, except in the rite of bap- 
 tism, which, with them, is 
 always administered by what is 
 called "triune immersion," the 
 penitent being dipped three 
 times, -lace downward, in the 
 name of the Trinity, hence 
 the appellation Dunkards 
 (dippers). They differ from 
 Mennonites also in strictl\- 
 observing feet washing and 
 the love-feast, a sort of sim- 
 
 ple supper of plain food, to tes- 
 tify brotherly unity and love. 
 They also differ from the Men- 
 nonites in this part of the coun- 
 try in holding revival meetings 
 after the manner of English 
 speaking Baptists. In common 
 with all denominations bearing; 
 the name of Baptist, they utter- 
 ly reject infant baptism as un- 
 scriptural. The Bible is their 
 only creed. There was pul)- 
 lished in a weekly newspaper 
 an article on the Dunkards, 
 whi(ih Avas certainly a very read- 
 able and interesting article, 
 where, among other things, it is 
 stated that the term "Dunkard" 
 is used indiscriminately for sev- 
 eral denominations of a kindred 
 nature. The proper term of the 
 
IITSTORV OK FllANCONTA TOWXSIIir. T)!* 
 
 sect is (JtM'iiiiUi l^iiptiist or (Iri)ve them thence; some to 
 Ih'i'thriMi, htiviiiii,- assumed the Holland and s;)me to ('j'efelt. 
 lattei" name for thi'mscdxes, on Soon after the mother church 
 account of what Christ said to voluntarily removed from 
 his disci])les, "One is your mas- vSchwartzenan to Serusterviii, in 
 tei', even Christ, and all ye are Freisland, and from thence emi- 
 hrethren." They originated in grated to America in 1710. In 
 Schwartzenan, in the year 1708, 1720 the Brethren of Crefelt 
 in (Jermany. The first constit- followed. As to their principles 
 ucnts were eight neigh hors, six they believed that they should 
 men and two women, "who do what the Bi1)le says and not 
 agreed to read the Bible in com- what it might mean. They 
 pany.'' They desired Alexau- preserve their ancient customs, 
 der Mack as their minister to their lives are singularly pure 
 b.iptise thejn, l)ut he deeming and unselfish. They recently 
 liimself in reality unbaptised re- established a college in tlie\yest, 
 Cised; ui)on which thi'y ca.st which cont lins a large portion 
 lots t'> find out who should be of the remarkai)le library of A. 
 thea<lministra,tor of the ])aptism. H. (Jassel, of tlie sister township 
 On whom the lot tell was care- Saiford, boing a noted aiiti(pia- 
 lidly concealed. They were rian and a Dnnkard. The cen- 
 baptised in the I'ivei- Kder, and sus of 1870 i)laces the number 
 then formed themselves into a. of their congregations or houses 
 church, choosing Alexander of worship at nine. 'IMiey ar<' 
 Mack astheir minister. They in- located prin(Ui)ally a'ong the 
 creased rapidly ami had congre- Perkiomcn and its tributaries. 
 galiousiuMarieboi-nan'IKnstcin. The Dunkards ha\e only one 
 
 wiili John Xaas an I Christian house of woi'ship in this town- 
 Lew as their minisfcrs in those ship, where worship is ludd oidy 
 l)la('es. Persecution (|uickly '>n alternate Sundays. The 
 
00 
 
 HlSTOllY OF FllANCONIA TOWNSHIP. 
 
 building is a frame structure 30 
 x42 feet erected in 1843 and is 
 located about one mile east of 
 Harleysville, on the turnpike 
 leading from Harleysville to 
 Souderttm. This place was used 
 in early times as a private bury- 
 ing ground, and was opened by 
 Rudolph "Harley as early as 
 1740. On a visit to this bury- 
 ing ground we copied the fol- 
 lowing names and dates : M. 
 H., 1743; A. H., 1758; H. K. 
 St., 1783; B. H. 1791 ; A. H., 
 1794; 1. 0. H., 1793; I. H., 
 1795; H. S., 1794; N. S., 
 1783; A. S., 1802. Among 
 the aged buried here we find the 
 following : Jacob Stauffer, 76 
 years ; Jacob Stauffer again, 81 
 years ; John S. Harley, 79 
 years ; Samuel Harley, 81 years ; 
 Saniuel Harley, 82 years, and 
 Samuel Johnson 81 years. The 
 • graveyard is not v^ery large but 
 seems as if many have been 
 buried there on the little spot. 
 The surnames which appear on 
 the stones are Harley, Markley, 
 Cassel, Moyer, Kurth, Freed. 
 
 Rahs, Walter, Kindig, Hartman, 
 Fronefield, Shelly, Johnson, 
 Young, Frederick, Henge, Bin- 
 der Kline, Schissler, Schueck, 
 Landes, Stauffer and Bre3^ The 
 tombstones are of various sizes 
 and designs, some being four 
 feet high, and the inscriptions 
 are about as numerous now in 
 English as in German. The 
 Dunkards are very plain people 
 in dress, permit individuals to 
 exercise their own judgment re- 
 specting the size, inscription and 
 pattern of their monuments, as 
 may be observed in any of their 
 burying grounds. This bury- 
 ing place contains about one 
 acre of ground enclosed with a 
 substantial fence. There are 
 also trees in the yard, such as 
 oak, hickory and sassafras, all 
 of which appear to be very old 
 trees. The "Dunkards" who 
 bury here and hold alternate 
 services in the house have also a 
 meeting house on the west side 
 of the Indian creek, just over 
 the Franconia line in Salford, 
 which is their regular place of 
 
HISTORY OF FRANCONIA TOWNSHIP. 61 
 
 worship. The present ministers Jacob Booz, with a membership 
 lire William P. Price, Jonas reaching nearly two hundred. 
 Ilarley, Henry A. Price and 
 
(32 HTSTOllV OF FKANCONTA TOWNSHT]> 
 
 1 'j\i<^r >:vix. 
 
 TITE :\rENNONTTEt^ TTllUi; DOCTIMNK SCTITSAFS OK TIIK iMKNNONITI'] CfllMtClC 
 
 FKANCONTA :\II';I';T1 \(; IIOUSI^ and CONdllKI^VTION- — SOUDEIITON 
 
 MEETING HOUSE. 
 
 Almost contciii})()i';iii('ous to peculiar views a()oiit the ^'INm-- 
 
 the Quakers came the disciples sons" of the Triiiitv, still Uiev 
 
 of Meniio Simon, usually called are Tiiuitarians. They l)a[>tize 
 
 the Meunonites. No Quakers adults only hy poui'iui;', a-ud 
 
 are known to have ever settled partake of the Loi'd's supper ; 
 
 ill oui" towuiship. The Menno- ori^uially ohserved leet wash- 
 
 nites, too, were lonu' in this inn;, and only allow nian'ia«;e 
 
 country hcfore they setllcd in 'Mu the Lord," or hetween 
 
 this t(nvnship. Penn had made church nuunhei's. Their testi- 
 
 the ac(piaintance oi' these people mony ai;'ainst war, oath liti<;'a- 
 
 in their native country and after tion, and partici[)ation in the 
 
 foundiuii ;ol" the colony invited aHiiirs of civil j^overnment and 
 
 them to emii;rate to Pemisyl- against civil consti'aint iu mat- 
 
 vania, which' some of them did ters of reli,i;ion has ever heen 
 
 as early as 1 (»-);^ and many more maintained from the lirst. In 
 
 in the eai'ly years ol the last industries, plainness of attire 
 
 century, lu failh they ai'e and speech, and Iru^ality tliey 
 
 mainly e\auu'eli<'al, as shown l)\' are iu exact accord with the 
 
 a confession instituted at Dort, (Quakers. It is known that the 
 
 iu 1(>-)1^. 'I^houu'h they iiold lesser Ciermau and especiaky 
 
HISTORY OF FllANCONIA TOWNSHIP. 
 the peace sects, as individuals cept in patronizin 
 
 and societies, resist innovations 
 in dress, customs and worship, 
 in short, concerning everything 
 l)ronght with them from their 
 Fatherland ; hence these, as alsc» 
 their tenacity in religious be- 
 lief exposes them to constant 
 schisms, In the interior of the 
 State there are several branches 
 of the society unknown in our 
 township, called "Omish," 
 "Hooper," etc. In Montgom- 
 ery county there have been 
 several divisions of the Menno- 
 nite body. The first one took 
 place in 1847, in what is called 
 Old and New^ Mennonites. The 
 latter party was led by Rev. 
 ^Vbraham Hunsicker, a bishop, 
 who thought the old testimonies 
 of the society against scholastic 
 learning and general participa- 
 tion should be reformed. Five 
 years afterward finding himself 
 and his adherents trammeled 
 and uncomfortable in the "new 
 division" he withdrew and or- 
 ganized the Trinity Christian 
 church, which, in doctrine, ac- 
 (M)rd with the old societies, ex- 
 
 institutions 
 of learning, Sunday schools, re- 
 vival meetings and the like. 
 There are two prosperous socie- 
 ties of this denomination, one 
 inFreelandand one at Skippack- 
 ville. Subsequently divisions 
 in Bucks and Lehigh counties 
 were organized under the title 
 of Evangelical Mennonites. 
 Sever.il of these small parties 
 are known by the names of their 
 leaders, such as "Funkites," 
 "Oberholtzer," "Johnson" and 
 "Herrites," all of which appel- 
 lations they repel, of course. 
 The last one of the four named 
 takes its name of John Herr, of 
 Lancaster county. They have 
 two or three societies in Mont- 
 gomery county, an<l one in ear- 
 lier times in this township, but 
 have become extinct. We shall 
 treat on the Herrite congrega- 
 tion in Franconia in a forthcom- 
 ing part. The Menn(mites hav- 
 ino' one congregation and two 
 houses of worship in this town- 
 ship, and having a membership 
 of nearly five hundred and still 
 fast increasing. 
 
04 HISTORY OF FRANCO NI A TOWNSHIP. 
 
 The first meeting house built space it has been enlarged again 
 was probably as early as 1730, 
 at least tradition states so, of 
 stone. The second and the 
 present large house was also of 
 stone, 45x75 feet, and has a 
 seating capacity of over eight 
 hundred. The present officiat- 
 ing ministers are Jacob Landes, 
 Bishop Josiah Clemmer, Michael 
 Moyer and Deacons Abraham 
 Clemmer and Jacob Freed. The 
 attendance is regular and on fair 
 days the house is filled to over- 
 flowing. This meeting house, 
 as is usual with Mennonites, is 
 surrounded by noble shade trees, 
 particularly oak and maple. 
 Some of the former undoubtedly 
 remnants of the ancient forests. 
 Here, too, on all sides are ex- 
 tensive sheds for the protection 
 of horses from the inclemency 
 of the weather in all seasons. 
 There is also a well of lasting 
 water in the yard. The grave- 
 yard here is an object of interest 
 and since used for a burial 
 ground, no doubt, one thousand 
 have been hurried here. To 
 meet the increasing demand for 
 
 and again and comprises now 
 about two acres of ground, usu- 
 ally enclosed with a substantial 
 stone wall, but recently replaced 
 with a substantial board fence. 
 On examining this ground at 
 leisure we find the time honored 
 names of Nice, Moyer, Clemmer, 
 Souder, Gehman, Freed, Swart- 
 ley, Landes, Bergey and others. 
 We propose to give some of the 
 names we copied therefrom 
 which may prove of interest to 
 some of their surviving kindred 
 or friends residing beyond the 
 neig"iiborhood. We copied the 
 following names as we passed 
 through the graveyard on our 
 recent visit : Godshall, Nice, 
 Hagey, Young, Mussel man, Det- 
 weiler,Landis,Hackman,Krupp, 
 Ziegler, Kolb, Conver, Shoe- 
 maker, Freed, Bergey, Wesler, 
 Bar, Weierman, Johnson, 
 Schrauger, Rittenhouf-e, Delp, 
 Swartley. Alderfer, Souder, Geh- 
 man, Kindig, Yocuin, Halman 
 Kriebel, Frederick, Moher,Weil, 
 Benner,Yelles,Buth, Clenmiens, 
 Oberholtzer, Klaen, Derstine, 
 
HISTORY OF FRANCONIA TOWNSHIP. 05 
 
 Stover, Schleifer, Preice, Sell, be prized hi after years. We 
 
 Markley, Umstead, Dettery, 
 Kratz, Yoder and Cassel. We 
 here find many stones bearing 
 no names or dates at all, and 
 we also find stones bearing the 
 dateoflTGO, which being the 
 earliest w^e could find, however, 
 we suppose interments may have 
 been made much earlier, as the 
 many stones that have sunk 
 into the ground, almost invisi- 
 ble, bearing no date or inscrip- 
 tion at all may prove. 
 
 The history of the Mennonite 
 congregation is hard to chroni- 
 cle as no records are kept by the 
 congregation from time to time, 
 and, therefore, undoubtful much 
 of interest is left unwritten. 
 But like the husbandman in the 
 harvest field there is always 
 something left for the gleaner. 
 So the minor occurrences, if not 
 gathered by the local historian, 
 is lost to us and our children. It 
 is to those who follow after us 
 that most of this interest is at- 
 tached. Weseeingthings as they 
 transpire before our eyes do not 
 realize how highly they would 
 
 therefore chronicle facts as they 
 are presented to us. 
 
 The first step leading to the 
 founding of this congregation is 
 due to Heinrich Funk, who 
 emigrated from Europe in 1719 
 and settled at the Indianfield, 
 having five miles to his nearest 
 neighbor, consequently being 
 the earliest settler in the town- 
 ship. There came more of his 
 brothers and settled with him, 
 when they organized a Menno- 
 nite congregation and he (Hein- 
 rich Funk) being elected minis- 
 ter. In 1731 Christian Funk 
 was born, a son of the named 
 Heinrich Funk, married in 1751 
 and remained at home with his 
 father. In 1757 he being ap- 
 appointed minister by his father, 
 who died in 1760. Christan 
 Meyer being the first deacon of 
 the congregation, and soon after 
 Isaac Kolb was elected bishop, 
 nnd not long thereafter trouble 
 began between Kolb and Meyer, 
 to such an extent that Kolb, at 
 the yearly conference, suggested 
 to withdraw fi-om the congrega- 
 
m 
 
 HISTORY OF FRANCONIA TOWNSHTP 
 
 tion if he had to remain in ser- 
 vice with Meyer. Through the 
 advice from strange ministers 
 the congregation decided to 
 elect new ministers. The lot 
 fell on Samuel Bechtel and 
 Christian Funk. After the lot 
 was cast Meyer and Kulb were 
 again in harmony with each 
 other, and offered to restore 
 theii' services again to the con- 
 gregation. The congregation 
 from this time (1755) remained 
 in peace and being properous 
 until the breaking out of Revo- 
 lutionarj^ war between the 
 American colonies and English 
 in 1774. The immediate cause 
 of this war was the right of tax- 
 ation without representation, as 
 claimed by England. The 
 American colonies pleaded that 
 England had no right to tax 
 them without their consent, as 
 they were not aUowed to send 
 representatives to the English 
 Parliaments they could not give 
 their consent. The British 
 Parliament passed several acts, 
 one of which imposed a tax or 
 duty on all merchandise impor- 
 
 ted, but the Americans refused 
 to comply with the act ; How- 
 ever, the king sent a cargo of 
 tea to Boston and to collect 
 therefrom the duty or tariff, 
 the ship was, however, boarded 
 by Bostonians and emptied the 
 chests containing tea into the 
 harbor ; there upon the king sent 
 a regiment of sokliers to Boston; 
 soon after their arrival the t-ev- 
 eral colonies called together a 
 Congress and army. During 
 all this time the colony of Penn- 
 sjdvania remained in peace 
 because the colony of Pennsyl- 
 vania, did not belong to the king 
 of England, as it was given to 
 admiral Penn as a part for pay 
 for services rendered to the 
 British Parliament. After his 
 death this tract of land came 
 into the hands of his son Will- 
 iam, who was a Quaker, and he 
 made known through Europe 
 that he had a grant of land in 
 America, where he invited all 
 prosecuted Christians, securing 
 for them political freedom and 
 religious intolerencL^ "life, lib- 
 erty and the pursuits of happi- 
 
HISTORY OF FllANCONTA TOWNSHIP. 
 
 nr 
 
 ness." This beino; th<^ main 
 cause that induced our foreftith- 
 ers to leave their homes in 
 Europe and emigrate to a wil- 
 derness, inhabited by wild men 
 anil beasts. Living here in 
 ])eace and enjoying their liberty 
 until the outbreak of the Revo- 
 lutionary war. It was in the 
 year 1776 when our township 
 was notified to hold a meeting 
 and to appoint three men, who 
 should be sent to a convention, 
 where it would be decided 
 whether our State of Pennsyl- 
 vania would also enter into war 
 with England, as the other 
 States already did, or whether 
 it would remain neutral or cite 
 with England. These circum- 
 stances made the Mennonites 
 believe that their religious free- 
 dom would probably have to 
 sufTor. The township meeting 
 thus called composed of Luther- 
 Mns, Reformed and two-thirds 
 of the number constituted Men- 
 nonites. The whole township 
 being assembled and consider- 
 able difficulty was experienced 
 in electing delegates to the con- 
 
 vention. Many wanted to cite 
 with Europe, while others sup- 
 ported the new constitution and 
 cited with the other States 
 already in war. These circum- 
 stances had caused the Menno- 
 nite congregation in this town- 
 ship considerable difficulties and 
 bitterness among its members. 
 Suffice to say that we cannot 
 give the entire history thereof 
 as it would make a work like 
 this of volumes. Christian 
 Funk, a resident of this town- 
 ship, wrote a pamphlet in Ger 
 man in 1809, under the follow- 
 ing title : "A Mirror for all 
 Mankind." Christian Funk was 
 a faithful minister of the work 
 of God among the Mennonites 
 during and after the American 
 Revolution. It was written in- 
 clusively from circumstances 
 connected with the Franconia 
 Mennonite congregation during 
 the Revolutionary war. 
 
 SOUDERTON ^IRETING HOUSE. 
 
 The Souderton meeting house 
 was built in 1879, of brick, 42 
 x5o feet. Being located on the 
 western outskirts of the village 
 
()8 HISTORY OF FRANOONIA TOWNSHIP, 
 
 on an elevated traet offerinji; a b^en male therein 
 
 beautiful glimpse of country 
 life. T.here being no ordained 
 congregation at this place ser- 
 vices are held tri-Aveekly by 
 ministers from the various con- 
 oTeoations, and the house is 
 generally well filled by members 
 from different denominations. 
 There is also a tract of land set 
 aside for ti graveyard and quite 
 a number of interments have 
 
 Here, too, 
 are sheds on all sides for the 
 protection of horses from the 
 inclemency of the weather in 
 all seasons. The ground plan 
 is laid out elegantly, surrounded 
 by shade trees, which is an ol)- 
 ject alwaj^s well provided by 
 our forefathers to have the yard 
 around their house of worship 
 well provided with shade trees. 
 
HISTORY OF FRANCONIA TOWNSIITP. 
 
 OU 
 
 r^ARX 
 
 FIERRITE DENOMINATION. 
 
 It is Ivnown that the Menno- 
 nites, especially the j)eace sects, 
 as individuals and societies, re- 
 sists innovations in dress, cus- 
 toms and worship, in short, 
 concerning everything brought 
 with them from their Father- 
 land ; hence these, as also their 
 tenacity in relio;ious belief, ex- 
 ])oses them to constant schisms. 
 The Herrites, which we are now 
 to speak of, is a schism of the 
 Mennonite church, and was led 
 liy John Herr, of Lancaster 
 county. They have at present 
 two societies in Montgomery 
 (bounty, in Worcester and Per- 
 kiomen. The one in our town- 
 ship has become extinct to such 
 an extent that only a few mem- 
 bers are scattered in our midst. 
 They areusualh' and incorrectly 
 
 called Ilerralites, and their ways 
 and views are so peculiar that 
 some of them are appended. 
 "They do not or dare not, for 
 fear of the ban of seperation (a 
 sort of penance), hear the min- 
 isters of another denomination 
 preach." When one of their 
 members commit a sin or break 
 their rules, he or she is put 
 under the ban, and is kept in 
 avoidance ; then they do not 
 eat or sleep with him or her, 
 nor sit at the same table, imder 
 pain of like censure. These 
 more than monkish ansterities 
 are calculated to split society 
 into many factions, y^^i peace is 
 so ingrained in their nature that 
 to their credit be it spoken, se- 
 rious quarrels are rarely report- 
 ed amcmii; them. The "Her- 
 
ITTSTOIIY OF FTlAXrONTA TOWNSIITF. 
 
 rites" originate from the second 
 scliism of the Mennonite church, 
 which took place at the b9gin- 
 ning of this century, the portion 
 that withdrew erected for them- 
 selves a small one-story stone 
 meeting house over the Fran- 
 conia, line in Salford township, 
 ne ir the present turnpike leading 
 to Souderton. By 1850 they had 
 diminished so that building was 
 used only for a school house, 
 and in 1855 it was torn down. 
 The building was an old log 
 structure, and some of the ma- 
 terial was used to built the pres- 
 ent "Her rite House" in 1855 
 situated on the Francania side, 
 several hundred yards north of 
 the Harleysville and Souderton 
 turnpike. It was here that a 
 private burying ground was 
 maintained and also used l^y the 
 Herrites,as there burying ground 
 hence it was considered conve- 
 nient to built their house of 
 worship at this place. Funds 
 were "raised by contribution for 
 the erection by a few scattered 
 mem1)ers of the Herrite denom- 
 ination, and others wlio desired 
 
 to be buried in this grave3';ir(l. 
 Sufhce to say that it is supposed 
 now th;it they have liecome 
 extinct here. They have houses 
 of worship in Worcester and 
 Perki:)men townships and sever- 
 al in Lancaster county. 
 
 On a recent visit to the grave- 
 yard adjacent to the meeting 
 house lot we copied some very 
 old dates. Of those who sleep 
 here the stones gave us the 
 family names of Yoder, Moyer, 
 Kratz, Booz, Landis,Funk,Delp, 
 Kline, Wisler, Godshall, C.-.ssel 
 and others. We also found 
 stones bearing the following 
 dates and letters: 1732, D. E., 
 N. I. Q., I. V. N. E. H., H. S.; 
 1777, G. W. D.; 1783, C. L.; 
 1793, C\S.; 1783, M.C.; Jacol) 
 Landis, 1807. There are also 
 many stones bearing no dates or 
 letters at all, and others have 
 sunk into the ground. Among 
 the aged slumbering beneath the 
 sod are Christian Funk, aged 80 
 years ; Valentine Kvatz, 95 
 years ; Abraham Del]:), 8 1 years . 
 The aged graveyard is certainly 
 an ol)ject of interest. It con- 
 
HISTOllY OF F11AN(H)NTA TOWNSTITP. ,71 
 
 tains about a (jiiavtcM- ol'aii aci'c, is soim'tiiuos held at this place 
 
 (MU'losed with a suhstantial l,y ministers of other con^rooja- 
 
 I .oard fence, situated on ek^A^ated ^[^^^^^ r^^^^, ^^^-^^^^^ attended ser- 
 
 iiroimd, witli a l)eautiful iilimpse . , , .... , . , , 
 
 " / vices here on a hr-autuul Nh)- 
 or tlie surrounchni;' country into 
 
 ., • , 11 ' ,. -I i" r 1)ath day in June, 1880, with 
 
 tlie (juiet valley oi the Indian •' ' 
 
 ^.j,^j^]- but seventeen persons present. 
 
 It has been a Ion- time since The minister was a Uev. Landis 
 
 the Ilerrites held their last wor- :»i^ offshoot of the Mennonite 
 
 shi[) in this house. AVorship church. 
 
HlSTOllV OF FUANCONIA TOWNSIUP. 
 
 VILLAGE HISTOP.Y. 
 
 Houses for tlie i.'ntert;iiimient places aloiii;' the railroad lia,vc 
 of travelers were soon establish- ))eeonie important places ol" hiis- 
 in Pennsylvania. We find as iness 
 the population spread into the telfokd. 
 country, and roads were opened, The fn-.st settlers who eiunu- 
 that at the most prominent ,i;rated to this part of the conn- 
 points or intersections inns were try Avere mostly Germans and 
 soon located, and soon followed Welshmen who immi<^rated irom 
 by the villa<2,e blacksmith shop Germany and Great Britain. A 
 and various small business es- ])art of the land where the vil- 
 tablishments, forminij; villages, lage of Telford stands, was 
 The villages in the township bought in 17-^)7 by Conrad Det- 
 are Telford, Souderton, Franco- terer, of Humphrey Murray, 
 nia and Franconiaville, to which and end)raced 120 acres. An- 
 we may now add Earlington, other tract on the Backs coiudy 
 Gehman, Bisino- Sun Hotel and side, was bouiiht bv Heini'ich 
 Beliance Hotel, or Midway, a Hartzell, mIio emmigrated to 
 place between Telford and Sou- this section and bought different 
 derton. The places away from tracts of land at various times 
 the railroad are not very large in 1732, aggregating nearly 
 though supporting the usual in- 1,000 acres. 
 • liistries of a village, but tlic This place l)ecame quite early 
 
UTSTOUY OF FRANCONIA TOWNSHIP l'\ 
 
 ■\]\ iinportaiit juiu'tioii ol' piihlir later as (Jomity Line, 
 
 roads ; what is known as tlie The first house hnilt in Tel- 
 
 Connt\" line Uoad M'as ()pene(l lord was aone-story stone struf*- 
 
 in 17')2. ure, hnilt in 1825, hy John 
 
 Sinee the location and con- Gerhart, on the premises now 
 
 struction of the Noi'th IVnnsvl- owned hy Dr. J. E. iJamnan. 
 
 \ania railroad, it has heconie an and is still in a i;()0)d state ol' 
 
 important place of laisiness, preservation, haA'in_Li' lately re- 
 
 .snpiK)rting the nsnal industries ceived a coat of plaster, and is 
 
 of a village. The railroad was now used for storing away old 
 
 fniished ten years hefore a sta- and more or less useless house- 
 
 tion wasestahlished atthisplace, hold utensils. The house was 
 
 there heing already fpiite a vil- first occupied hy a man named 
 
 lage when the station house was John Wolf, a cohl)Iei' hy trade, 
 
 hnilt and arrangements made At that time Telford was a 
 
 lor the stopping of trains, in ([uiet, (hdl and di'eamy place. 
 
 ISCiT. The present station No noise or smoke from lorges 
 
 house was huilt hy the coinnui- or factories to disturh its tran- 
 
 nity, and m:mey was raised l)y ([uility. The rumhiing sounds 
 
 (^ontrihution foi' the same. from long trains of cars and 
 
 \\'hen this })lace was made a shrill whistle of the locomotive 
 
 stopping place it was necessary had not heen dreamed of. A 
 
 to adopt a permanent name to steam cho})ping null was the 
 
 the station and villa.ge. It was hrst husiness enterprise at this 
 
 at the the time when Mr. Tel- place, was huilt hy Jacoh X. 
 
 ford was the greatest civil engi- Souder, in 18o7, and did a good 
 
 neei' in America ; hence it was husiness at times, hut was de- 
 
 considei'eil a suitahle and appro- stroyed hy (ire in 18(11. It 
 
 priate name for the station. In stood near the spot whei'e the 
 
 1 8 4'.) the place was known as present steam mill of .Moses 
 
 llcndrick's Blacksmith Shop; Shelly is located. Theri^ n':ej 
 
74 UTSTOKY OF FllANCONlA TOWNSHIP. 
 
 ;ilso a feed store {'oniiected with with this hotel a largo hall lor 
 
 this mill, and is also to the pres- the use ot" singing schools, liter- 
 
 ent day. . Th*^ present mill was arv societies and other puhlic 
 
 huilt hi 1(S84, by C. G. Barndt gatherings. In the winter of 
 
 k Son, who rim it about a year 1884-5 good literary societies 
 
 wdien they made an assignment were Hourishiug here. It is 
 
 of" their property to E. C. Bean, here where also a singing class 
 
 lor the benefit of" their creditors, meets on alternate Sunday even- 
 
 The whole business establish- ings, for a period extending 
 
 inent was sold at assignee's sale back for probably more than 
 
 for |;S, ()()(), to Moses K. Shelly, fifteen years, 
 who, at this wanting, is doing a The Telford Hotel was l)uilt 
 
 thriving bushiess. in ISfil), by Alexander Sellers. 
 
 M. S. Kulp & Bro., who are A post office was established 
 
 rumiing a steam chopping mill liere in ISTf and MV. Sellers was 
 
 opposite the station, took pos- appointed postmaster, and ever 
 
 S'.'ssion of the same in 1S(S(). since the post olfi'^e has remain- 
 
 The establishment was founded ed at tins place. There is also 
 
 by F. II. Souder, in 1870. eonnec^ted with the hotel a hall 
 
 The (younty Line Hotel was for the use of public meetings 
 
 erected in 1857, by Jacob N. and societies. The line of lanil- 
 
 Souder. The wash and bake lords of this hotel are Alexan- 
 
 house still attacdied to the hotel der Sellers, Francis Weisel and 
 
 was one of the fii'st buildings in John Kuhn, who has posession 
 
 the village. The fodowini; is at present. 
 
 the line ot landlords of this The village contains four gen- 
 
 liotel : Jacob X. Souder, Alex- eral stores at this writing. The 
 
 aiider Sellei's, Abraliam Ksch- first one esta])lished was that of 
 
 ))a('h, (Jeorge Schweidv and I. (}. Gei'hart, on the Bucks 
 
 Isaiah Barndt, the present land- county side in 1801, the pres- 
 
 lord. TIkm^c is a.lso connected cut commodii)US store buildinii; 
 
HISTORY OF FKANCONIA TOWNSHIP. 
 
 was erected in 1880. The next 
 establishment ot" the kind erect- 
 ed was that of J. W. Hoff, in 
 18G9. Both stores are doing a 
 flout ishing business. The others 
 were established, and are of less 
 inii)ortance. A blacksmith shop 
 
 The foregoing described biisi- 
 ness places was about all that 
 composed the town in its infancy 
 prior to 1870, with the excep- 
 tion of a few private dwelling 
 houses. Finally it began to 
 grow rapidly in wealth, im- 
 
 was established in the village in provement and popularity, until 
 
 1 800, which number has increas- it reached its present capacity 
 
 ed to three. in population of about GOO in- 
 
 The first school house in the habitants, inclu<ling about 250 
 
 vidage was built in 1870. Prior children under fifteen years of 
 
 to this the scholars of the vil- age, with over 100 dwelling 
 
 lage attended the neighboring 
 schools in the rural district. 
 From this date the village rap- 
 id iv increased, and a desire for 
 more and better school accomo- 
 dation arose amcmg the citizens 
 
 houses and thirty-five business 
 establishments. 
 
 Three general stores, three 
 blacksmith shops, two coal and 
 lime yards, two hay presses, 
 two hotels, two hardware stores, 
 
 and therefore an addition was one steam planning and sash 
 
 was built to the oil school house factory, two boot and shoe es- 
 
 in 188o, and a graded school tablishments, one wheelwright 
 
 founded. F. C. Bean taught shop, one cabinet maker, an ag- 
 
 the first term of the Grammar 
 and of the Primary ; during the 
 last terms the schools, both 
 (Jrannnar and Primary, being 
 crowded with scholars, and it 
 will so(m benecessai-y to enlarge 
 the school faci'ities of the vi'- 
 lao'e. 
 
 ricultural machine shop, two 
 feed stores, connected with them 
 extensive chopping mills ; a 
 clothinic manufactory one 
 watchmaker anl jeweler, one 
 physician, two tinsmiths, a 
 bakery and confectionary store, 
 two luml)er vards, one furniture 
 
76 HISTORY OF FRANCONIA TOWNSHIP. 
 
 manufactor}', a beer bottling es- 
 tablishment, a marble yv.rd, two 
 telegraph offices, one saloon, a 
 cheese box manufactory and 
 several smaller business estab- 
 lishments constitutes the busi- 
 ness places of the village. 
 
 There is located here a large 
 Union chapel, built in 1876, 
 used principally for Sunday 
 school purposes, and religious 
 services by ministers of the va- 
 rious denomi*nations in the 
 neighborhood, on alternate 
 times. The building is located 
 on elevated ground on Main 
 street, and surmounted by a bel- 
 fry. The building committee 
 was composed of I. G. Gerhart, 
 Daniel Clowe! and Jonan Loh. 
 There was organized a Sunday 
 school in the same year, and 
 ever s.nce a Sunday school nour- 
 ished here during the whole year 
 with about 150 scholars enrolled. 
 The present officers are : Super- 
 intendents, E. C. Leidy and E. 
 C. Beans ; secretary, J. D. 
 Souder and F. II. Keller ; libra- 
 rian, Wilson Butter wick andlv. 
 R. Hengey. The Sunday sch')oi 
 
 is in a nourishing condition. 
 
 SOUUERTON. 
 
 The first settlers who emigra- 
 ted to this section of the country 
 were Welshmen. The first 
 building erected by them was 
 on the premises of Ephraim 
 Freed, on the upper Skippack 
 below this place, Where the 
 greater j)art of the town is now 
 located, a few hundred yards 
 east of the railroad depot there 
 stood an old fashioned log house 
 and a "Swiss" barn, then owned 
 and occupied by Jonathan 
 Hunsl)erger, who also owned all 
 the ground where now the depot 
 of the North Pennsylvania rail- 
 road is located, and where most 
 of the business is now transact- 
 ed. Thence along Church road, 
 a few hundred yards northwest 
 of the depot, on the right hand 
 of the road was the residence of 
 Henry Souder Sr., and on the 
 left his carpenter shop and lum- 
 ber yard. Still farther up on 
 the northwest side of the Skip- 
 pack creek stood an old log 
 cabin, formerly owned ])y 
 George Henge, deceased, the 
 
HISTORY OF FRANCONIA TOWNSHIP. 77 
 
 ancester of the lienges of this Cowpath road, near the Indian 
 
 place and vicinity, thence due Creek church, the upper part of 
 
 north, about one-third mile which was ahondoned since 
 
 northwest of the raih'oad depot 1865. What is now known ns 
 
 was the residence ot Michael Water street was its only 
 
 Ilenoe, lately deceased, now branch. 
 
 owned by William Ilenge. There were only a few houses 
 
 These were all the inhabitants in the surrounding country, 
 
 of the town in its infancy, would traces of which still remain. 
 
 say prior to 1850. It is now The oldest house in Souder- , 
 
 pn)bal)ly more than 150 years ton was built in 1837, by Henry 
 
 since the first settlers set foot on Souder, Sr., at the corner of 
 
 this section of the country. We Water street and what is now 
 
 fuid many of their descendannts known as Main street. This 
 
 livino- near the orijiiinal settle- property is now owned by the 
 
 ment of their ancestors, and railroad company, was bou<>;ht 
 
 still <i great many keep moving to avoid bridging Water street 
 
 westward from time to time, at this point, 
 
 nnd we now hear of them from About 1843 Henry Souder. 
 
 places on the Pacific coast, or Sr., established a lumber yard 
 
 more than three thousand miles at this place. The lumber was 
 
 away from the homes of their hauled from Point Pleasant, on 
 
 nncestors. the Delaware river, a distance 
 
 Fifty years ago, what is now of eighteen miles, 
 the principal street of Souderton, In the fdl of 1855 S. I). 
 was a narrow lane, having a Hunsl>erger& Bros. (M)nnnenced 
 low washed out bed, with high the Hour and feed business op- 
 s'oping banks ; on one side of posite the place where the de])ot 
 which was a forest and on the now stands. The present build- 
 other lay barren fields. This ing was erected in 1804. 
 road orio-inallv exteirled to the The North Pennsvlvania i';iil- 
 
78 
 
 HISTORY OF FllANCONIA TOWNSHIP. 
 
 road was coiiipletod in 185G. 
 Altliougli no depot being Iniilt 
 the place was known as Fran- 
 conia station, Wm. Souder act- 
 ing as agent for the company. 
 The present depot was built in 
 1865. J. C. Landis, was the 
 first agent who received a regu- 
 lar salary from the company. 
 Upon the organization of the 
 National bank, he being elected 
 its cashier, resigned and Morris 
 D. Zendt, the present incuberit 
 was appointed in 1876 to suc- 
 ceed him. 
 
 The railroad gave a new im- 
 pulse to business and from this 
 time the growth of the town 
 was rapid. 
 
 In 1864 Jesse and Jose])h 
 Huber came into the village and 
 built several houses and estab- 
 lished a cigar fjictory which 
 gave employment for a time to 
 many persons, but we are sorry 
 to say that it suffered the fate 
 of many others who were en- 
 gaged in the same business. 
 
 A post office named New 
 Harbor was established May 
 12th, 1800, Wm, >Souder was 
 
 appointed postmaster. Its 
 
 name was changed January 13, 
 1864, making it agree with the 
 name of the station which was 
 then Souders. William B. 8'i- 
 fer was appointed postmaster 
 June 12, 1869, who moved the 
 post office from Wm. Souder's 
 office to his store. It was again 
 removed after the appointment 
 of Milton D. Zendt as postmroSter, 
 February 26, 1876. The name 
 of the post office and station 
 were changed to Soudertc>n in 
 March, 1876. Postmaster 
 
 Zendt resigned June 4, 1885, 
 a,nd was succeeded November 6, 
 1885, by William K. Shellen- 
 berger, whose appointment dates 
 from October, 28, 1885. The 
 post office was again removed 
 from Hunsberger's store to its 
 present location, in the store of 
 Landis & Co. 
 
 The Ilarleysville and Souders 
 turnpike was chartered June 2, 
 I860, but was not completed 
 until 1856. A stage route was 
 established between this place 
 and Green Lane, but was soon 
 abandoned. 
 
HISTORY OF FKANCONIA TOWNSHIP. 
 The Souderton Hotel was founded in 1801 
 
 built by Jonathan Ilunsberger, 
 in 1858. It was occupied b}^ 
 Franklin Zepp, two years, 
 Alexander Sellers six years, 
 Frank F. Hendricks seven years, 
 Elias Snyder six years, W. D. 
 Hunsberger three years, W. B. 
 Sailer two years, and W. B. 
 Freed, the present landlord, 
 took possession in 1885. 
 
 Liberty Hall, a spacious 
 building connected with the 
 ))uilding connected with the 
 liotel, was built by W. D. Huns- 
 berger in 1885. 
 
 The store known as Landis & 
 Co.'s was built in 1800. Souder 
 & Bergey occupied it four years, 
 Henry Souder, Jr., two years, 
 W. B. Slifer filteen years and 
 Landis & Co. since 1882. 
 
 Hunsbergor's store was built 
 in 1860, and occupied by Wn\. 
 I). Hunsberger one year. The 
 next occupant was Milton D. 
 Zendt, who took possession in 
 March 1870. He was succeed- 
 ed by S. D. Hunsberger *fe Bro , 
 June 1st, 1885. 
 
 The first hardware store was 
 
 by E. H. 
 Souder. It was enlarged as 
 business increased to its present 
 size. It is now one of the lar- 
 gest hardware stores in Eiistern 
 Pennsylvania outside of Phila- 
 delphia. E. H. Souder carried 
 on the business tor sixteen years. 
 In 1877 he formed a partner- 
 ship with B. C. Barndt, and the 
 firm was known as K. H. Sonder 
 & Co. In 1883 E. H. Souder 
 retired and Danley & Barndt 
 succeeded. B. C. Barndt took 
 posession in 1884, 
 
 Moyer's feed store was found- 
 ed by II. K. Godshall in 1804, 
 who continued in business three 
 years and A. K. Frick two 
 3'ears. Moyer & Bro. took pos- 
 session in 1869. The building 
 was enlarge in 1871 and in 1882. 
 In the latter year a chopping 
 mill was added to the business. 
 
 M. B. Bergey erected a plan- 
 ing mill on Main street in 1862. 
 It passed into J. M. Souder's 
 hands in 1872. It was removed 
 to green street its present site, 
 in 1874. It was destroyed by 
 (ire in 1881, but was rel)uilt the 
 
80 
 
 HISTORY OF FRANCONIA TOWNSHIP. 
 It was leased in Aujj,'. Tlioiiias, H. K. Godshall, 
 
 sail 10 year 
 
 1883 by John Gerliab, agent, 
 
 who still carries on the l)usi- 
 
 ness. 
 
 In 1871 another i)lanning 
 mill was erected on Chestnnt 
 street by Henising & Souder. 
 On the erection of Sonder's 
 steam saw mill in 1872 adjoin- 
 ing the place, horse power was 
 superseded by steam. In 1880 
 the partnership was dissolved 
 and since that time the business 
 was continued by H. F. Ilemsing, 
 the present proprietor. 
 
 The Unional National l)ank 
 was incorporated May 15, 187G, 
 and opened June 10, 1876, in 
 Henry Sonder's store house, op- 
 
 G. H. Swartz and M. B. Ber- 
 gey. The present board con- 
 sists of I. G. Gerhart, A. Sorver, 
 John S. Iluth, Henry Biith, E. 
 H. Souder, John B. Moyer, Wm. 
 Souder, Isaac II. Moyer. J. G. 
 Metz and Aug. Thomas. I. G. 
 Gerhart has been president and 
 J. (J. Landis cashier since the 
 organization of the bank. Jas. 
 M. Sliler was the first teller ap- 
 pointed January 2, 1877, and 
 served until 1883 when he re- 
 signed to accept the position of 
 cashier of tiie Farmers' National 
 bank, Pennsburg, Pa., but is 
 now cashier of the Topton 
 National bank. He was suc- 
 
 posite the depot. It was moved ceeded by J. D. Moyer. 
 
 into its present building, Janu- On August 2, 1878, Peale k 
 
 ary 1, 1877. It has a capital 
 of $90,000,00, with a surplus 
 and undivided profits amounting 
 to $30,000.00. Its deposits on 
 Maj 22, 1886, amounted to 
 $171,304.97, discounts $192,- 
 713 95. The first board of di- 
 rectors were I. G. Gerhart, A. 
 Sorver, 0. D. Loch, Henry Ruth, 
 
 Goettler, established a printing 
 office, on Main street, in the l)uild- 
 ing of Mrs. Barbara Price. On 
 tlie fourth dav of August the 
 fii'st sale bill was printed in 
 Souderton, for the sale of real' 
 estate and personal property of 
 Henry Yoder, near Franconia 
 Sfpiare. On the 16th of August 
 
 John S. Mover, Chas. God.'-l^all, the Germnnla Gazette, a seven 
 
HISTORY OF FRANCONTA TOWNSriTP. 
 
 si 
 
 coUmin paper, printed in the 
 German language made its ap- 
 pearance weekly until April 2.1 
 1881, when its publication was 
 suspended, and the German type 
 sold to John Shupe, at Telibrd, 
 In January, 1879, prior to the 
 sus[)ension of the German paper, 
 Charles L. Peale withdrew from 
 the firm and W. F. Goettler, the 
 present proprietor succeeded. 
 On April IC), 1881, the Souder- 
 ton Independent, then only a five 
 colunm folio made its appear- 
 ance for public favors. On 
 June 4, of the same year it was 
 enlarged to six colums, and 
 aiiain on October 28, 1882, to its 
 ])re,^ent size. 
 
 The printing office was moved 
 from the building of Mrs. Price, 
 in the Spring of 1880, to the 
 hotel hall, then owned by W, 
 I), riunsbero-er, and whicii was 
 torn down in the summer of 
 1 881 . From the hall the print- 
 ing office was moved into an 
 open shed, then located on the 
 site of the new hall. The print- 
 ing material was removed from 
 fhe shed in order to move the 
 
 building to where it now st;ui 
 and then it was again occupi; . 
 On November 20, 1881, tli 
 office was removed to its pres- 
 ent location. 
 
 J. G. Leidy's store was open - 
 in September, 1882. It is 
 knt)wn as the Central Store. 
 The business was for a short 
 time carried on by Leidy & xVl- 
 derfer, but since 1883 Mr. 
 Leidy is the only proprietor. 
 
 M. I>. Bergey's hosiery mill 
 was started January 1, 1885, 
 and moved into the new l)uil(l- 
 ing September 1, 1885. It gives 
 employment to fifty-seven per- 
 sons, forty in the faetory and 
 seventeen outside. 
 
 A school house wiis built on 
 Chestnut street in 1875. Prior 
 to this time the children attend- 
 ed Five Points and Rosenber- 
 ger's schools. The teachers 
 who taught here during the 
 winter terms were F. G. Wile, 
 one term, J. II. Leidy, thrc' 
 terms and Jacob A. Bucher, on 
 term. Those that taught siiK- 
 scripticm schools were F. 
 Wile, John A. Wile, D. B. L - 
 
; 2 HISTOllY OF FHAN 
 
 \\eiler, J. 11. Leidy, Rev. Henry 
 Oerhart, Albert Miller and A. 
 M. Alderfer. 
 
 As the population of the town 
 increased more school accommo- 
 dations were required. Iti 1880 
 the old school building gave way 
 to the present two-story struc- 
 ture. It would be an injustice 
 to the citizens of Souderton 
 should we fail to state that they 
 voluntarily raised a considerable 
 amount of money toward the 
 new luiilding. The line of 
 teachers of this scaool is as fol- 
 lows : The teachers of the Gram- 
 mar school were I. L. Gehman, 
 one term, Enos C. Beans, four 
 terms, C.N. Gerhart, one term; 
 of the Primary, D. S. Harr, one 
 term, Chas. White, two terms. 
 Miss Connie Durrin, one term, 
 and Miss Jennie Moyer, two 
 terms. Those that taught sub- 
 scription schools were F. G. 
 Wile, J. H. Leidy, Albert Shit- 
 ler, Jacob K. Moyer and Enos 
 (\ Beans. 
 
 The Souderton Library, lo- 
 cated in the school house was 
 opened March 5, 1886. 1' is 
 
 OUXIA TOWNSHIP. 
 
 opened for the exchange of books 
 the first andthirdFriday of each 
 month. The library contains 
 over two hundred volumes of 
 travel and adventure, reference, 
 scientific, biographical and his- 
 torical works. 
 
 There is only one church in 
 Souderton, built by the Old 
 Mennonites. It was dedicated 
 on Christmas Day, 1879. There 
 is tri-weekly worship and oc- 
 casionally at other times. It is 
 also used by the Sunday schot)l 
 for about nine mcmths in the 
 3^ear. 
 
 The business of the place may 
 be summed up as follows: Three 
 general stores, one grocery store, 
 two furniture stores, two hard- 
 ware stoi^es, two shoe stores, 
 one jewelry store, one drug 
 store, one tinware store, two 
 steam hay bailing establish- 
 ments, two planing mills, one 
 saw mill, rim and spoke factory, 
 one cigar factory, two cigar box 
 factories, one carriage factory, 
 one hosiery mill, two steam 
 mills, one furniture and organ 
 man u factor V, one harness man- 
 
H18TUKY Ui- FKA.NCOMA i OWuNSHli' s;; 
 
 iiractory, two clothing establish- turv ago. For iii.m v jcurs tliis 
 iiR'iits, two hnuher yards, two section was thinly settled and 
 coal yards, two blacksmith being largely covered with woo<l. 
 shops, one barber shop, two It has l)een but lately that this 
 tailor shops, one repair shop, section had to 3'ield to the wood- 
 one bakery, one printing olfice, man's axe. The place where 
 one National bank, two tele- the pi'esent store and hotel are 
 gragh olhces, one post olhce and located had first to be cleared 
 I wo hotels. The populiition ot" from trees. These two business 
 the town in IScSli was (ill. It i)laces, especially the store, 
 contained llJ-3 dwelling houses, probabl)- date back to the colo- 
 or (me for every live inhabi- nial days. 
 
 t.aids. It is now probably a hundred 
 
 Fi!A.\coNi.\vii,u;, years since the first house was 
 
 Is an old-time land-mark, tound- l)uilt in the village by Jacob 
 
 ed by the o])ening of ahotel and Shafer. It was located where 
 
 store. The origin of which is the present dwelling house of 
 
 now scarcely known to the old- Isaac Freed now stands, and is 
 
 (_;st iidiabitants of the vicinity. now about seventy years since 
 
 Thr buildings of thi- village aiv Hcigey A. Weand kept store in 
 
 plain and substantial, and have the ])uilding; after that it was 
 
 al)out them the fvidences of the sold to Henry Ilackman, who 
 
 solid comfort and necessities of leased it to Daniel Price. Ten 
 
 life characteristics of the unas- years afterward it was ugain 
 
 suming and self-denying i)eople sold to Jacob Ilarley, who ke])t 
 
 who possess and inhabit it. store there until l(So4, and in 
 
 This place has grown so ra[)- the meantime established an 
 
 idly that it is ini])ossible tor any- hotel hi the same building in 
 
 one to picture to the young gen- addition to his store business. 
 
 oration the condition and a])- The present store house ol 
 
 pearance of things half a cen- Henry F. Hackman was bnilt 
 
84 
 
 HISTOKY OF FRANCONIA TOWNSHIP. 
 office, hotel, t^tore, 
 
 by Jacob ilarley in 1834. The 
 spot where the store is located 
 was a tract of woodland densely 
 covered with original forest, and 
 had to be cleared to cause the 
 err;ction of the building. At 
 this date this section was yet 
 covered with dense forest for 
 miles. This place must have 
 certainly invited royal rest for 
 the weary traveler. 
 
 The hotel of Jacob Harley 
 was sold to Jesse Lewis, who, 
 after several years, sold it to 
 Abraham Hackman, who kept 
 the hotel there until 18GU, when 
 his son, Henry 13. Hackman, 
 built the hotel now occupied by 
 George Z. Hunsicker. The 
 house connected with the black- 
 smith shop was built prior to the 
 store (1834). The other build- 
 ings of the village are of more 
 recent date. 
 
 FRANCONIA SQUARE 
 
 Is situated in the centre of the 
 township, at the junction of the 
 Allentown road and the Har- 
 ieysville and Souderton turn- 
 pike, thirty miles from Phila- 
 delphia. It contains a ])ost 
 
 jlacksmith, 
 tinsmith, shoemaker, saddler, 
 telegraph office and about twenty 
 houses. The post ofhce is call 
 ed Franconia and was establish- 
 ed in 1830. 
 
 The Allentown road through 
 this place was laid out cpiite 
 early, showing that was an early 
 settlement. The hotel was es- 
 tablished and licensed by 
 William (3berholtzer in 18G8, 
 and kept by him for seven years, 
 when it was rented to Israel 
 Wood for one year, and one 
 year to John Miller. In 1877 
 it was sold to John Binder, the 
 present owner, and keeping the 
 hotel himself for seven yeai"s he 
 rented it, in 1884, to Gideon 
 Nice, the present landlord. The 
 election has been held at that 
 place continuously since 1868. 
 There is also connected with the 
 hotel a commodious hall foi" the 
 use of public meetings and social 
 gatherings. 
 
 MIDWAY. 
 
 Midway is a place l)etwecn 
 Telford and Souderton, on tiie 
 North Penn i'aili"oad, and was 
 
HISTORY OF FllANCONIA TOWNSHIP. 
 
 85 
 
 (biiiuled ([iiitc recently hy the 
 opening oi" a feed .store and 
 hotel. The hotel was built in 
 1880 by Robert L. Priester and 
 licensed the succeeding' year. 
 In 1883 it was sold to A. D. 
 Stever and in 1885 to George 
 Schwenk, the present landlord. 
 The feed store, coal yard and 
 hay house was established in 
 1885 by M. 8. (Jlemmens and 
 A. S. Alderfer, and are doing 
 ])U.siness under the firm name of 
 (Jlemmens k Alderfer. A dry- 
 goods and grocery store was 
 opened in the spring of 1 886 by 
 Aaron Godshall and a black- 
 smith shop was established the 
 same year. This constitutes 
 tlie business establishments of 
 this village, together with aljout 
 eight dwelling houses. The 
 place is elegantly located and 
 the time will probably not Ije 
 long hence when requisite ar- 
 rangements will be made for the 
 stopping of trains. 
 
 EARLlNCiTOX. 
 
 Earl ing ton is a small village 
 located on the allentown road 
 about one mile north of Franco- 
 
 nia S(juare. The origin of this 
 village is ol quite recent date, 
 founded l)y the opening of a 
 hotel in i881 by Henry N. 
 Frederick, in 1883 he sold it to 
 Mahlon Kline, and he sold it, in 
 1885, to Albert Gerhart, the 
 present landlord. The hotel is 
 elegantly located on high 
 ground at the intersection of two 
 roads. The place is a genuine 
 entertainment to travelers and 
 drovers. 
 
 RISING SUi\ HOTEL. 
 
 The Rising Sun Hotel, located 
 near the East Branch on the 
 Allentown road, is an ancient 
 business establishment. A part 
 ot the building has a special in- 
 terest for lovers of antiquarian 
 relics dating back among the 
 misty records of the Revolu- 
 tionary times, and is said to be 
 the oldest inn in the township. 
 Tradition gives the date of the 
 founding of the inn 1770, al- 
 though documentary evidences 
 are wanting. It was licensed 
 to Elizabeth Gerhart in 1770, 
 and ever since it has been in 
 the name of Gerhart until of 
 
so lllSTUKV Oi^- i^'KANCONIA TOWNSHll'. 
 
 late, 1878, when Krun Gerhart traveling on tliir< loail ha;- le.s- 
 
 houglit it of Zeno Gerlmrt. sened. 
 Prior to the (X)nytriietion ol" the 
 
 XT 1 Tx , . -in (iHll.MAN8. 
 
 J^orth Pennsylvania, railroad 
 
 this i-oad where this inn isloea- ^^ P^='^^' ^'=»'"'^b' pcreeptahle to 
 ted re<|uire(l a great deal of the stranger, is located iu the 
 team accommodation. It was northwestern part of the town- 
 one of the great roads leading ship, and was founded l)y the 
 from Philadelphia to AUentown, opening of a store. A post 
 Easton and Bethlehem. I was office was established- in 1888 
 informed by an old resident that and Aimer (Jehman was appoint- 
 he saw as many as twenty loads ed |)ostmaster. There is also 
 of hay passing the roads in one a clothing manufactoiy at this 
 string, and one herd of cattle place. This, together witli 
 after the other, but since the several houses, comprises the 
 construction of railroads the villaiie. 
 
HISTORY OF FRANCONIA TOWNSHIP 
 
 87 
 
 1 'AKT XXII. 
 rROGKESS OF CIVI LI/ATI ON. 
 
 This year Ave close the one 
 hundred tind thirty-fifth year of 
 incorporation of our township. 
 There can be no hesitancy in 
 sajing that noae of those who 
 lived within its borders at the 
 time of its organization, imagin- 
 ed that at the close of 135 years 
 would find it a home of nearly 
 three thousand souls. 
 
 The men of one hundred vears 
 ago knew nothing of steam as a 
 motive power. To-day iron 
 loadb' traveri-e our country from 
 East to West and from North to 
 South, Little did they know of 
 mechanical arts, but now, by 
 the aid of inventive genius, our 
 country is spotted all over with 
 the 1)U8y mill and worksho}). 
 The Constitution of the United 
 States was not framed when 
 
 our township was organized. 
 Now, securing to all political 
 freedom and religious tolerence, 
 life, liberty, and the pursuits of 
 hap];)iness, it is an assured fact 
 a union of States which none 
 can sever. Let me then say, 
 tiiose gala days which we are 
 now livhig, we should devoutl}' 
 thank an indulgent Providence 
 for the many blessings bestowed 
 upon us in tli(* past, and pray 
 that the institutions wdiich made 
 these blessings possible be se- 
 cured to us, or children and our 
 children's children forever. 
 
 We have cause to rejoice, the 
 hundred and thirty-five j^ears 
 just rolled by has brought us 
 much pi'osperity. 
 
 In forming the township, the 
 chief idea was that the territory 
 
m 
 
 HISTORY OF FKANCONIA TOWNSHIP. 
 
 of Salford, of which Franconia 
 is part, being too huge to "be 
 served hy one constable ; over- 
 seers of the poor and assessor — 
 Franconia township was thus 
 estabhshed March 10, 1751, with 
 a popuhxtion of thirty four hmd- 
 owners, probably not more than 
 one hundred souls. The town- 
 
 fathers, whose hands have long 
 since been crumbled to dust. 
 When we see their works we are 
 reminded of their ways, in many 
 ways simpler than ours. We 
 honor and respect their mem- 
 ories. 
 
 "It is M^ell in the flight of 
 time to pause and review the 
 
 ship has grown since then from events that have transpired 
 
 one hundred to nearly three 
 thousand souls. Our growth 
 was great in the past and nmst 
 be greater still in the future. 
 Situated as we are, in railroads, 
 near the o-reat coal bed of Penn- 
 sylvania, with easy access to all 
 the largest cities in the country, 
 in the midst of fine scenery, 
 with terti^_e land and healthful 
 surroundings, we have every 
 element for future development. 
 As we mark this era, we con- 
 template the past, when we see 
 the possessions of our own an- 
 cestors for comparrison with 
 things of to-day, we find among 
 them revived fashions of times, 
 so diflerent from ours ; we find 
 still in the hands of the present 
 ueneration works of tlieir fore- 
 
 a round us ; to know^ whether we 
 have advanced or intrograded 
 as concerns the general welfare ; 
 in what respect, if any, we have 
 really progressed. Time will 
 not pause a single moment, and 
 no people can remain stationary. 
 Changes, more or less, is a law 
 of nature to which all that has 
 life must admit. It behooves 
 us then to guard that it be for 
 the better. The writing of the 
 history is not an easy matter as 
 many may suppose, because it 
 is one hundred and thirty years 
 since the incorporation of om- 
 township, and nearlj;^ two hun- 
 dred years since the first settle- 
 ment, where then shall I beghi, 
 and what shall be omitted. 
 A('cordin<!; to the list of Ian-:!- 
 
HISTOUY OF FKANCONIA TOWNSHIP. 
 
 holders oi" 1734, we find the or .saimuiiie riitiue 
 early settler.s consisted entirely 
 
 ofWelsh and Germans ; the pro- 
 )rietar3' had been anioni;' these 
 )eople in their native hind and 
 'ncouraged them to come. Here 
 i))erty of" conscience had been 
 )r()chinned, and an exemption 
 rom tithe ; thouo;h neither was 
 olerated in Great Brittain, along 
 he valle}- (.f the lUiine where 
 iiany of oin- first settlers emi- 
 :,rated, wei'e also the frontier 
 ines of powerful France, and 
 he frequent wars of Germany 
 'rom which these settlers had to 
 sutler gieath^ from their hos- 
 iles, a dark future was indeed 
 jefore them. To facilitate this 
 I company was organized and 
 ir.mcrous pamphlets circulated 
 hroughout Germany, in the 
 anguage of its pe()[)le, setting 
 brth the peculiar advantage of 
 he distant colonies. Hence it 
 nay not be wondered that the 
 veakcr sex were the first to 
 •ome, for no matter how strong- 
 he attachment of naii\'ity the 
 atherland pr^'sented, from their 
 experience of the past no bright . lages, the tt^wnslii}) contains 17') 
 
 89 
 
 In this 
 brief and hasty survey of our 
 r)rogr(^ss it is well to glance at 
 what our townshi}) was (ifty 
 years ago. It then comprised 
 9520 acres of land with a po})u- 
 lation of 998 souls, or little less 
 than ti}i\ acres to every person. 
 In 1880 the same territory con- 
 tained a population of 2,550, or 
 a little over three acres to every 
 inhabitant. This decade is the 
 most favorable of any in the 
 history of the township, an in- 
 crease of 1550 souls in a total 
 l)opulation ol 2550 persons. 
 
 At this time, though a century 
 had elapsed since the first set- 
 tlement, there was not a turn- 
 pike, no post office, no news- 
 paper, no almshouse for the sup- 
 port of the poor in the several 
 townships of Montgomery 
 county, no bridges, not a single 
 village containing adozen houses. 
 To-day we have seven houses 
 of worship, four post offices, two 
 railroad stations, two news- 
 papers, our streams are all well 
 bridged, and a numl)er of vil- 
 
90 HISTORY OF FKANCONIA TOWNSHIP. 
 
 persons to the square mile, ap- have had their way, and no 
 
 preaching the most thickly set- 
 tled countries. Such are the 
 wonderful resources of our 
 people and their general happi- 
 ness that they can not realize 
 that they are densely peopled, 
 which, in other and much older 
 countries, has so long been as- 
 sociated with wretchedness, and 
 as they have, arising from an 
 inability to secure a suthciency 
 of food. What a subject is here 
 for the people of Europe to pon- 
 der on. Taken collectively and 
 consider the progress we have 
 made since the first settlement, 
 how eventually and at no great 
 distance of time, we nrast sur- 
 pass in population and resources, 
 not only^ Europe, but perhaps 
 every c(juntry on the face of the 
 globe, when we say this we are 
 not speaking of our township 
 alone, but of our country in 
 general. In the long course of 
 two hundi-ed years not a single 
 instance can be found where a 
 white man or an Indian ever 
 shed blood ; mobs have never 
 prevailed liere, the most violent 
 
 churches or other buildings have 
 ever been destroyed under such 
 temporary excitement. Though 
 peopled by Welsh, Germans and 
 mention may be made of the 
 English, speaking various lan- 
 guages, holding different politi- 
 cal and religious views ; they 
 resolved to live here peaceably 
 together, while they diligently 
 labored to improve their posses- 
 sions, until they have become as 
 we now behold and enjoy at the 
 present day. "Let then the 
 present generation regard these 
 things as a deserving memorial 
 due to our forefathers, who have 
 so long preceded us, and whom 
 we should endeavor to follow 
 in every good example." 
 
 To determine whether we are 
 continually advancing, let us 
 only glance back over a short 
 period of ten years, which is 
 memorably with the centennial 
 year ; the time certainly seems 
 short and to have passed rapidly, 
 but we have not been idle. If 
 there is any one doubts our 
 progress, let him puu.se a mo- 
 
HISTORY OF FTIANCONTA TOWNSIITP. Ill 
 
 moiit and take a retrosj)ective 
 glance, compare 1876 with 1886, 
 and see the marked advance- 
 ment. Thenew revelations that 
 were showered npon us theii 
 have come up into general use, 
 and we find them so familiar 
 that we scarcely realize ever 
 havinji; been without them. In 
 science, in art, in architecture, 
 in every l)ranch of industry the 
 same wonderful progress is 
 shown. The electric light was 
 
 then in its infancy, the tele- 
 phone was merely a. toy, j^et 
 both have now become so essen- 
 tial that we could not do with- 
 out .them. Such illustrations 
 could be multiplied indefinitely, 
 but they onlv go to show how 
 far we have come within the 
 past ten years. 
 
 Life is full of surprise and un- 
 expected happenmgsthat we can- 
 not understand, nmch less < on- 
 trol the daily hai)penings of the 
 world. There are strange things 
 liappening every day in art and 
 science, which we merely look 
 at, shrug our shoulders, and pass 
 them bv. We think at th<* first 
 
 glance that they are wonderful, 
 but do not understand, and so 
 we let thorn pass. ^A'as this 
 always so ? Let us for a lew 
 moments glance back a hundred 
 years. If a man would have 
 told our Ivevolutionar}^ fore- 
 fathers that in a hundred years 
 hence the mail would be cai'ried 
 from New York to Califor- 
 nia in six or seven days; that 
 vessels would cross in ten days; 
 or that we could talk from 
 Maine to Florida, and get an 
 answer before breakfast, they 
 would have hung him for a 
 dangerous lunatic or an impostor. 
 But has not this, and indeed 
 much more become true 1 And 
 whiit thanks have the great and 
 noble men, who have thus ben- 
 efitted the world ? Instead of 
 making them better and more 
 contented than before, they have 
 made the people expect ten 
 times more than has ever yet 
 been accomplished, and while 
 all these wcmderful achieve- 
 ly look ments have been taking place, 
 humanity has merely started 
 and cooh^ aske<l, "Wonder what 
 
«Ji> HLSTORY OF FRAN 
 
 they will do next ?" Why, 1113^ 
 dour reader;^, I should yny, what 
 do j'ou want ? Are we not sat- 
 isfied ? The public mind has 
 more than it could digest, long 
 ago, and why shall we continue 
 Ibeding; it if it can not dierest 
 what it already has. Things 
 have alread}^ advanced so far 
 that a man can send his wife a 
 morning kiss if she is a thou- 
 sand miles away ; and yet 
 people will merely start and ask 
 "What next," without p<-rceiv- 
 ing what has already l)een ac- 
 complished. Nor is this asking 
 without an effect, man is an in- 
 quisitive creation and from this 
 one trial nuich has been found 
 out. By it Sir Isaac Newton, 
 discovered the force of gravity, 
 Franklin the tacts of electricity, 
 Watts the steam engine, all of 
 which are of great value, much 
 greater, in fact, than the greater 
 mass of hum.anity here have 
 ever taken it to be. But the 
 world is full of idlers who can- 
 not understand great objects, 
 and so they simply sneer at 
 great things, iind with their 
 
 CONIA TOWNSHIP. 
 
 hand in pocket ;ind their lira in 
 in pickle, they lazily in'juire 
 "what next?" But certain!;/ 
 this asking wdiat next will cease, 
 the next we will hear that the 
 idler and the person who is 
 never satisfied, but is continually 
 wondering what next, have been 
 sweptaway from the earth, with 
 no one to wish him here yet to 
 continue his good works ; but 
 he has departed "unwept-, un- 
 honored and unsung." All 
 great men of the world wlu) 
 have tried to understand the 
 present before wondering what 
 would happen next, were men 
 who were satisfied with the 
 present and tried to do their 
 good deeds in the time they had 
 and were not continually trying 
 to look in the future and think 
 the}' would rather live in it then 
 than the present. 
 
 It is altogether useless for us 
 to be trying to peer into the hid- 
 den future. Life is one con- 
 stant change, narrowed into a 
 moments time, which we call 
 the present. Time is pnssing 
 so rapidly that all that we can 
 
HISTORY OF FllANCONIA TOWN>SHIP. i)'5 
 
 do is to look with wonder and think ;in I plan lor to-n.iorrow, 
 amaze' n lent at the thin«;s of the but how^ foolish ; we may lie 
 present moments as they which down this evening' never more 
 
 passed n.s and ;u'e gone. They 
 then lie back of us a confused 
 mass ; a chaos out of which it is 
 ;dmost impossible to call order. 
 Everything is so mixed up so 
 that we do not know where any 
 of the things belong. * * * 
 Confused as the past may seem 
 the future is far more chaotic 
 and uncertain ; of it we know 
 positively nothing. We know 
 
 to rise. Our sun may ha\o set 
 for the last time. 
 
 Verily we are as the grass 
 that one day is growing and the 
 next is cut down and cast away. 
 And so the curtain of time, 
 which, hapily hides our woes as 
 well as our joys of the future 
 from us. and which we cannot 
 lift aside, and as one thing after 
 another passes from the future 
 not if the things that have hap- to the past, silently wonder 
 pened every day of our lives "what next." Such is certainly 
 
 will happen to-morrow^ Yes, 
 we do not even know^ if our 
 lives wall be spared for another 
 day. 
 
 All is dark betbre us. AVe 
 
 our position and thoughts of man 
 at present, which have thus 
 lived to see a triumphant record 
 of matchless progress which is 
 looming up before us to-day. 
 
94 
 
 IITSTOUY 01^^ IMIANCONT.V TOWNSTITP. 
 
 PART 
 
 ill. 
 
 l'l(L\Hi:i! SHTTLKltS. 
 
 It is now more tliiui one hun- 
 dred and (il'ty yeai's since the 
 first settlers set toot on the sec- 
 tion ofthe country which is now 
 the township of Franconia. 
 Many of their descendents still 
 live near or on their original 
 settlements in the township, and 
 still a great number kept mov- 
 ing westward from time to time, 
 and we now hear ot them from 
 places on the Pacific coast, move. 
 than three thousand miles away 
 from the early homes of their 
 ancestors. 
 
 In the year ITot the town- 
 ship contained thirty-four land- 
 holders that ])ai(l ([uit-rents. 
 Pro))al)ly some of our readers 
 may not know what a "([uit- 
 rent" is. ((Juit rent is a re- 
 served rent in the iirant of land 
 
 by the proprietary by the p-'iy- 
 ment which the land holder was 
 to be freod from other taxes. 
 They were not uniform varying 
 from one shilling sterling pi^r 
 hundred acres to six shillings 
 per M.nnum, and in some in- 
 stances more.) We have s:>- 
 cured a complete list of land- 
 holders of 17o4, 
 
 The following are the naui(\^ 
 and num1)er of acres of eacii : 
 Johannes Fry, 150 ; Jacol) 
 Obe-.-ho'zT, 150; Jost Pfanneu- 
 kuch, 100; Joseph Altlious,! fl ; 
 Ulrich Ilunsberger, 150; Leon- 
 ard Christoleer, 200 ; Joliaii 
 (Ireisman, 40 ; Conrad Kuster, 
 100; Michael Bang, 75; Jacol) 
 Fuln-man, 10; JohnniK's Ilent/. 
 100 ; Ludwig Zerkel, 100 ; 
 Johannes Wilhelm. 50 : Ilein- 
 
HISTORY OF FRANCONIA TOWNSHIP 05 
 ricli lvi)seiibor^er, IDO; Jost the c'onsimnjtioii of tli*^ liimil\-, 
 Scliindler, 140; Christian May- however, was raisodon the farm, 
 er, 150; Abraham Reif, 200; Fhix grown, swingled, spun at 
 Jacob liunsberger, 50 ; Geor<;e home and woven supplied sliirt- 
 German, 100; Frederick (Jott- ing, bedding and summer we:ir. 
 s(;ha'.k, 150; Wilhelm Hauk, Sheep vielded their i-arcass for 
 l(tO; Ilenrieh Zerkel, 50; Mich- food an winter flannels. After 
 ael Hentz, 100; Gorg Hartzell, the laboring ox had done the 
 5(1; Frederick Scholl, 100; summer hauling and was fatten- 
 . Jacob Bayard, 100; Andrew ed the flesh was consumed, and 
 Bariidt, 75; Henry Barndt, 100, the hide taken to th(» tannerv 
 and (Christian Fimk, 100. Thes(i to b(^ converted into leather for 
 being all farmers, whicli we home use. This description of 
 find was the occupation of near- oldeii-timc farm life onl\- needs 
 ly all thi:^ colonial inhabitants . the further picturing of the 
 The colonial inhabitants were rustic open-kitchen fnv-place, 
 exclusively an agricultural half way acrcjss the room on 
 people and lacked nearlv everv which lav a hu<it' ereen back-lof 
 farming implement now in use. expected to last a week. Here 
 Many of thi' i)lows had wooden the mother was sitting and 
 iuoulboards to turn the soil ; spinning stocking \arn while 
 wheat was cut with a sickle, her daughters were sitting 
 gathered and threshed bv hand, around and knitting l)v tiie faint 
 hay was cut with a scythe at- fat-light. But these things have 
 tached to a staight sneath, and all passed away from our 
 when harvested and his small l)orders and the book, paper, 
 surplus |)repared lor market it piano and serving ma(diine have 
 must be borne to the city taken their place. The forego- 
 over miry roads to exchange f»r ing disci-iption indicates to the 
 the few groceries and British people of our time how our 
 manufactured goods. Xearlv all fathers and mothers worked a 
 
90 
 
 HISTORY OF FRANCONTA 'J'OWNSHTP 
 
 hundred years ago. But new 
 ideas and methods of Hving are 
 dawning our age from the town, 
 the viUage and the remotest 
 farm liouse. Free schools and 
 improved lands ha\'e excuted all 
 over the country a desire for 
 more easy and sufficient methods 
 of farming and other produc- 
 tions. 
 
 Years ago farmers threw 
 aside the si(^kle, scythes and 
 hand rakes resolving to keep 
 abreast of the times by using 
 horse power implements to cul- 
 tivate, gather and prepare farm 
 products for the market, Thus 
 by improved land with the free 
 use of lime and fertilizers crops 
 have been nearlv doubled ; and 
 
 the railroad get into operation 
 acrcjss our territory than the 
 telegi'apli followed it, thus put- 
 ting us iuto instantaneous com- 
 numication with alltheadvance<l 
 countries of the world. Now 
 poles aud Mires pass through 
 many of our villages and 
 stations along the raib\)ad, which 
 enables us to converse with 
 friends and correspondents along 
 distant places. But the two 
 grandest elevates — we might 
 say institutions — of society in 
 this last quarter of the century 
 are the reaping or moAving ma- 
 chine of the farmer and the sew- 
 ing machine of the household. 
 By their use the man or woman 
 who employs either has <piad- 
 
 now instead of spending two rupled his or her in-oductive 
 months of exhaustive labor, as ])()wer. Husbandry and farm 
 formerly, to gather and store a work has been so completely- 
 
 harvest it is now done in a fort- 
 niiiht. Thus, also, inci-eased 
 ])rofit in agiiculture excited a 
 desire for moi'e comfortable 
 dwellings, capacious barns, more 
 elegant e^iuipages and attire, 
 also liaiidsomer churches and 
 school houses. \o sooner did 
 
 transformed that few women 
 {participate in farm woi*k, dairy 
 being the chief occujjation in 
 this township, bens and men 
 doing the milking while the 
 product is worked into a market- 
 able sha}>e at cn^inieries I'ecent- 
 Iv Imiit and furnislied all over 
 
HISTORY OF FRANCONIA TOWNSHIP. f)7 
 the oouiitrv. 'Vlw hitter idso iiuuhj with a lew (h)iiiestie aiii- 
 worked hy men and hoys while nials and a supply of" seed for 
 many of our mothers and sisters phinting the enfranchised em- 
 only ply the needle and se\vin<>- migrant telt himself "Lord of 
 machine, oi- perhaps finger the the manor." The children, the 
 [)iano or hai-p. future of the family, were the 
 At the commencement of the next source of solicitude. The 
 colonial age our ancestors were next want of the settlement now- 
 like half taught youth let loose was a rude S(;hool house, which 
 from school almost untrained in might also serve as a place for 
 the [)ractical life that lay hefore religious meetings ; it was soon 
 them. But they came here on up, in like manner of logs, In* 
 a mission of peace to all men, the joint effort of the neighhor- 
 to establish justice and love. In- hood. Soon aftei- the first pub- 
 stead of fighting the natives they lie institution just described 
 attacked the forest and rocks, came the neighborhood black- 
 \yhich fell or were removed be- smith shop, to pre])are farm 
 foi'e them on every side. The implements, and the rude mill 
 first thing wanted was shelter to prepare the new grain for 
 from the howling beast and food. These were all establish- 
 weather. Seeking out, there- ed, not much advanced in archi- 
 fore, near a spring or creek a tectnre, but'served the age. 
 southern declivity a rude cabin With what novelty at the 
 of logs was ))uilt. Pro\ided present day nnist we view such 
 with a few tools of iron and a progress when we reflect on 
 steel and some wooden and tin the many and mighty changes 
 vessels their toils begun, while we have made since the first 
 the generous Indian looked on settlement of our township that 
 admiringly and pleased with his man and time w rought in so 
 new brethren. A habitation short a period ? When we be- 
 thus finished, a small clearinij; liold itsraili-oads with their Ion*; 
 
08 lilSTORV' OF FKANCONTA TOWNSIII]*. 
 
 dark trains, the maiiv thri\ing not a reaper, not n steam en- 
 
 villan-eF! that adorn onr territory ""ine, not a match, not a thresh- 
 
 and the many l)u,sy business en- ing maehine. not a clothes 
 
 terprises, and quiet, pleasant wringer in all the wide world, 
 
 villa residences. What a tale But then Kurope was crowded 
 
 is told of progress ? To reter and old-fashioned, miserable 
 
 at a period, would say 1850, Americii consisted of a narrow 
 
 Avhen hamlets and villages were stri}) of cultivated soil along the 
 
 almost unkno\yn in our town- Atlantic coast, with here and 
 
 ship, when the spots where now there a village. Now we cross 
 
 the villages of Telford and the continent in six or seven 
 
 Souderton stand were unmarked days, the ocean in the same 
 
 by a single business place. The time, send a dispatch to Buenos 
 
 hills and valleys were covered Ayres and have an answer in 
 
 with their majestic ancient for- a few hours. ^V^e tiav^e almost 
 
 ests, with the exception of here anhilated time and space. An- 
 
 and there, where occasionally other half a century of such 
 
 the hardy farmer settlers had progress will so transform our 
 
 effected the forests and erected country as to make the pi'esent 
 
 for themselves a residence generation stand on their heads 
 
 ^JV)-day our courdry is covered . with wonder, 
 with a network of railroads and Of the blessing which civil- 
 telegraph wires; when sixty- ization and philosophy bring with 
 tAvo years ago not a single rail- them a large proportion is (-om- 
 road or. telegraph pole was mon to all ranks, and would, if 
 dreamed of in tlie world. vSuch withdrawn, be inissed painfully 
 is progress. The present gene- by all laboreis. For instance 
 ration scarcely realizes what a the market place which the rus- 
 duli creaping old world was tic can now reach in an hour, 
 when our gi-and-l'athers were was thii-ty years ago, a day's 
 bovs. Not a sewing macdiine, journey from home. The streets 
 
HISTORY OF FRANCONIA TOWNSHIP 
 
 !l!) 
 
 which now iilTord« to the artitsan 
 (luring the whole night, a bril- 
 liant light and convenient walk, 
 was a hundred years so dark 
 after sunset that he would not 
 have beeti able to see his hand, 
 >o illpaved that he would have 
 run constant risk of breaking 
 his neck, and so ill watched that 
 he would have been in immi- 
 nent danger of being knocked 
 down and plundered of his small 
 earnings. Every bricklayer 
 who tails from the scaffold, every 
 sweeper of a crossing who is run 
 over by a carriage may now 
 have his wounds dressed and his 
 limbs set with a skill such as a 
 hundred and fifty years ago all 
 the wealth of a kini»: or of a 
 
 civilization was not dreamed of 
 in our section. At present only 
 one inhabitant of the capital in 
 forty dies annually. 
 
 It is pleasing to reflect that 
 the })ublic mind of our country 
 has softened while it has ripened, 
 and that we have in course of 
 ages not only a wiser but also a 
 kinder people. There is scarce- 
 ly a page of the history or lighter 
 literature which does not con- 
 tain some proot that our ances- 
 tors were less humane than their 
 posterity. It is true the com- 
 passion ought, like all other feel- 
 ings, to be under the govern- 
 ment of reason, and has, for 
 want of such government, pro- 
 duced some rediculous and de- 
 
 merchant prince could not have plorable effects, but the niore 
 
 j)urchased. The term of human 
 life has been lengthened over 
 trie whole union, especially in 
 the towns. The year 1685 
 was not accounted sickly yet 
 more then one out of every 
 twenty-three inhabitants of the 
 capital died. When we speak 
 of this date we have not in view 
 
 we study the annals of the past 
 the more we rejoice that we live 
 in a meriful age, in an age in 
 which cruelty is Jibhored and in 
 which pain, even when deserved, 
 is inflicted relucantly and from 
 a duty. Every class, doubtless, 
 has gained largely by this great 
 moral change, but the class 
 
 our immediate township, because Avhich has gained the most is 
 
100 IIISTOKY OF FllANCUNlA TOWNSHIP. 
 
 the poorest, the most defenseless for they recall the fac+ that ages 
 
 and the most dependent. 
 
 The homes of our torefathers 
 where they had to work under 
 tew heavy obligations, will ever 
 be a place of interest to us and 
 the coming -generations. They 
 not only cleared the land and 
 built houses for their families, 
 but also established churches, 
 schools and besides defended 
 their country when fredom of 
 speech was ever untremmeled. 
 Deeds have been accomplished 
 that may never be blotted from 
 truthful history. Their homes 
 and localities may suffer changes 
 by the onward progress of time, 
 but their associations can never 
 decrease in value to the sensi- 
 tive mind. The rude colimms 
 may crumble from the churches, 
 their dwellings, which have 
 withstood the storms of ages, 
 may tall, the skill of their me- 
 chanics may come defaced from 
 the surfoce, but the fragments 
 scattered over the ground in 
 masses will still speak as the 
 works of theirs. We truly look 
 upon such relics with reverence, 
 
 past they were prominent sup- 
 porters and ornaments to gigan- 
 tic edifices, such as their circum- 
 stances allowed. Certainly these 
 circumstances excites venera- 
 tion, because, while we gaze on 
 them, we feel ourselves in the 
 ■presence of antiquity, living 
 representatives of centuries 
 w^hich have their origin way 
 back in the dim distance of the 
 past. When we reflect upon the 
 past in the dark days of the 
 devolution it spreads a mystic 
 charm over the aspirations, leads 
 the thoughts back through the 
 archieves of the past and re- 
 paints the dark days of our 
 country's history. Such are 
 the reflections that comes over 
 the sensative mind by studN'nig 
 our country's history. Their 
 voices seem still to ring on our 
 ears, and their manly forms 
 stand ])efove our eyes; upon 
 these reflections the mind loves 
 to ponder on, for here it learns 
 to appreciate the value of those 
 blessings which we enjoy, but 
 which were piu'chased at ac()stl\' 
 
IIISTOHY OF FRAN 
 
 price by our brave fbrefatliers. 
 
 Ls it uota phenomenoii, woi'th 
 our study, that we should be so 
 anxious to place our eyes in the 
 back of our heads just now ? That 
 we should so simultaneously 
 and unanimously turn i'rom the 
 rising to the setting sun ? That 
 we should one and all slight the 
 glorious iuture and the prolific 
 })resent to severe alone the 'dead 
 past' ? 
 
 The answer varies ever as 
 the souls of men 1 "Many men 
 of many minds." 
 
 But it is certainly pleasure 
 to learn and honor the departed 
 ;incestry. Age is honorable. 
 
 Our ancestry's record does 
 seem very poor and simple, a- 
 side of the pi'olific catalogue of 
 to-day. 
 
 They never built an engine, 
 they never launched a steam- 
 bout, they never surveyed a 
 railroad, they never saw a tele- 
 graph, they never whispered in 
 a telephone, they never rode a 
 reaper, they never run a sewing 
 machine; it was easily said this 
 world was not worth livintr in 
 
 CON I A TOWNSIIIF. 101 
 
 fifty years ago. 
 
 To enroll facts of by-gone 
 days is an instinct of the race 
 which ever did and ever will 
 continue to come to surface of 
 human society among all nations 
 and at all stages of the world's 
 march. To deny this proposi- 
 tion is to ccmtend against his- 
 tory. The memory of men 
 does not know oi a time or a 
 a people that did not grace itself 
 with monumental deed^ and 
 memorial honors. In the time 
 of the premial Sabbath of God, 
 when the miracle of creation 
 was first commemorated festival 
 days and jubilee songs bloomed 
 and flavored the great highway 
 of time. 
 
 Our vanished ancestry made 
 but few things, but those tliey 
 made well. Their homesteads 
 stand like castles aside of the 
 frail structures of to-day, with 
 the moss of a full centurv undei- 
 their roof trees. Their hand 
 work was and is still hand work, 
 the product of patient souls and 
 nimble fingers, and proof against 
 moth and rust. In Q\'vvy sur_ 
 
102 
 
 HISTOUY OF FllANCONIA TOWNSHIP. 
 
 viving article which the hands 
 of our fathers and mothers have 
 made we may read their craving 
 after an enduring name and 
 being. 
 
 Nor can their offspring tail to 
 respond to so natural a longing. 
 We need not blush o ver sires so 
 genuine and noble as they 
 proved to be. They were stal- 
 wart generations of men and 
 women, of fjxthers and mothers, 
 of sons and daughters ; a. hardj^ 
 race of good blood . 
 
 Their century's relics nnd do- 
 ings are precious, not merely 
 because they are a hundred 
 years old, but because "they are 
 which testify of them," of the 
 generations that went before. 
 We admire the mountains, not 
 because of their dizzy height 
 alone, but for that those have 
 been passing through all ages 
 that have been. We admire the 
 stars, not on account of their 
 brilliancy alone, but because 
 
 they looked down on all genoi 
 
 3477-251 
 Lot-3^ 
 
 ations of men. And such an 
 unction rest upon the remains 
 of our venerable pioneers. 
 
 Why are now the handiworks 
 of a century w^ithered effects of 
 an ancestry that is to-day no 
 more than if it never had been, 
 handed down as precious heir- 
 loomsto our children, and prized 
 above all others ? It is because 
 these relics are not without 
 fathers and mothers. They are 
 the title deeds of homes and 
 land our sires once acquir^^d, and 
 we are but their heirs. Hence 
 do we embalm in memory's cab- 
 inet their clumsy tenements, 
 their rude utensils, their instru- 
 ments so rough, their coaches 
 lubberly, their home spun linens 
 and all their hands have made. 
 Our forefathers have certainly 
 performed works of filial piety 
 and we, in memory of a worthy 
 ancestry, thereby challange the 
 fulfillment of the first command- 
 ment with promise, "Honor thy 
 father and thy mother." 
 

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