History of Montgomery County, Pennsylvania

The "History of Montgomery County" is presented to the public as a memorial of the first century of its corporate existence. Material facts have been diligently sought after and patient labor cheerfully bestowed upon the work. Events are chronicled in narrative rather than in controversial form, and truth, gleaned from a thousand sources, has been condensed in order to make it a valuable work of reference for the present and future generations. It has been prepared with care and liberality and a determination to make it as complete and accurate as possible. It is submitted to a generous and intelligent people, in the belief that it will meet their approval.

The labor of the editor has been shared by William J. Buck, who has devoted many years of his life to the collection of material for the history of the county. Although in enfeebled health, his contributions exceed in number those originally contemplated for the work. His chapter upon Bibliography, the first published in the county, is one of the most valuable contributions to the volume. For assistance furnished him in his present labors, he expresses acknowledgments to John Jordan, Jr., and F. D. Stone, of the Historical Society of Pennsylvania; to Samuel L. Smedley, Howard M. Jenkins, and Prof. O. Seidensticker, of Philadelphia; M. Auge, of Norristown; Dr. George W. Holstein, of Bridgeport; Mark H. Richards and B.M. Schmucker, P.D., of Pottstown; William Henry Cresson, of Conshohocken; Hon. William A. Yeakle, of Whitemarsh; S.K. Grimley, of Upper Salford; A.H. Cassel and James Y. Heckler, of Lower Salford, and Charles Mather, of Jenkintown.

 

Table of Contents

CHAPTER I.
Topography 1

CHAPTER II.
Gems, Minerals, Geology and Lime 8

CHAPTER III.
The Aborigines 33

CHAPTER IV.
Early Voyagers and Traders — First Settlements on the Delaware and Schuylkill Rivers 49

CHAPTER V.
The First Swedish Settlements 57

CHAPTER VI.
William Penn — The Holy Experiment, a Free Colony for all Mankind 82

CHAPTER VII.
Penn's Arrival in America — His Colony Founded on the Delaware 91

CHAPTER VIII.
Material Improvements 102

CHAPTER IX.
The Schuylkill 118

CHAPTR X.
Stage Lines 129

CHAPTER XI.
The Germans 133

CHAPTER XII.
The Welsh 139

CHAPTER XIII.
The Colonial Era 143

CHAPTER XIV.
The Revolution 158

CHAPTER XV.
The War of 1812 and the Mexican War 180

CHAPTER XVI.
The Great Rebellion 195

CHAPTER XVII.
The Grand Army of the Republic 285

CHAPTER XVIII.
Redemptioners, Slavery and the Underground Railway 297

CHAPTER XIX.
Graduates the United Stat« Military and Naval Academies 313

CHAPTER XX.
Montgomery County Established — Municipal Government — The "Country Squire." 317

CHAPTER XXI.
Railroads 330

CHAPTER XXII.
Manners and Customs — Sports and Pastimes — Local Superstitions — Inns 335

CHAPTER XXIII.
Bibliography 348

CHAPTER XXIV.
Early Poetry 360

CHAPTER XXV.
Religious Denominations - Church History 366

CHAPTER XXVI.
Educational 392

CHAPTER XXVII.
Flora of Montgomery County 423

CHAPTER XXVIII.
Zoology of Montgomery County 435

CHAPTER XXIX.
Agriculture 439

CHAPTER XXX.
Township and Borough Organization — Post-Offices — Roads 447

CHAPTER XXXI.
Journalism 458

CHAPTER XXXII.
Banks and Banking 470

CHAPTER XXXIII.
Charitable and Benevolent Associations 488

CHAPTER XXXIV.
The Insane Hospital and Poor-House 498

CHAPTER XXXV.
Past and Present Politics of Montgomery County 502

CHAPTER XXXVI.
The Bench and Bar 528

CHAPTER XXXVII.
Manufacturing Industries 563

CHAPTER XXXVIII.
The Medical Profession 636

CHAPTER XXXIX.
Abington Township 678

CHAPTER XL.
Borough of Bridgeport 707

CHAPTER XLI.
Borough of Conshohocken 713

CHAPTER XLII.
Borough of East Greenville 719

CHAPTER XLIII.
Borough of Green Lane 721

CHAPTER XLIV.
Borough of Hatboro 721

CHAPTER XLV.
Borough of Jenkintown 733

CHAPTER XLVI.
Borough of Lansdale 742

CHAPTER XLVII.
Borough of Norristown 747

CHAPTER XLVIII.
Borough of North Wales 777

CHAPTER XLIX.
Borough of Pottstown 784

CHAPTER L.
Borough of Royer's Ford 797

CHAPTER LI.
Borough of West Conshohocken 799

CHAPTER LII.
Cheltenham Township 802

CHAPTER LIII.
Douglas Township 825

CHAPTER LIV.
Franconia Township 827

CHAPTER LV.
Frederick Township 831

CHAPTER LVI.
Gwynedd Township 853

CHAPTER LVII.
Hatfield Township 868

CHAPTER LVIII.
Horsham Township 874

CHAPTER LIX.
Limerick Township 915

CHAPTER LX.
Lower Merion Township 923

CHAPTER LXI.
Lower Salford Township 944

CHAPTER LXII.
Marlborough Township 956

CHAPTER LXIII.
Montgomery Township 958

CHAPTER LXIV.
Moreland Township 972

CHAPTER LXV.
New Hanover Township 992

CHAPTER LXVI.
Norriton Township 998

CHAPTER LXVII.
Perkiomen Township 1019

CHAPTER LXVIII.
Plymouth Township 1028

CHAPTER LXIX.
Pottsgrove Township 1041

CHAPTER LXX.
Providence Township 1044

CHAPTER LXXI.
Lower Providence Township 1044

CHAPTER LXXII.
Upper Providence Township 1056

CHAPTER LXXIII.
Springfield Township 1071

CHAPTER LXXI V.
Towamencin Township 1084

CHAPTER LXXV.
Upper Dublin Township 1092

CHAPTER LXXVI.
Upper Hanover Township 1105

CHAPTER LXXVII.
Upper Merion Township 1116

CHAPTER LXXVIII.
Upper Salford Township 1131

CHAPTER LXXIX.
Whitemarsh Township 1137

CHAPTER LXXX.
Whitpain Township 1162

CHAPTER LXXXI.
Worcester Township 1184
Appendix — Centennial Celebration I
Index LXXIII

 

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Montgomery County, originally a part of Philadelphia County, was created by act of the General Assembly approved the 10th day of September, 1784.

It is bounded on the southeast by the line of the city of Philadelphia, on the northeast by Bucks, on the north and northwest by Lehigh and Berks, and on the west and southwest by Chester and Delaware Counties. It is thirty miles in length from the south- east to the northwest line, and about fifteen miles in breadth from the northeast to the southwest line.