Remember When Virtual Museum

A real snow storm

noreply@blogger.com (Online Editor) — Mon, 08 Mar 2010 16:54:00 +0000

There’s little doubt that we’re all hoping we’ve seen the last of the snow for this winter.

But a photo submitted by Barbara Smith Santee of Telford reminds us that this was not the most snow ever recorded in the area.

According to Santee, this photo shows the depth of snow that fell during the winter of 1939 — and it was a LOT of snow.

She notes that the child in the left front of the photo, Mary Smith, was about 7 when it was taken. She is the daughter of Alfred and Violet Smith, who lived across from the Perk Hotel in Perkasie.

The children in south Perkasie in grades one through three went to the elementary school on Branch Road, up from the Perk Hotel, Santee said.

The other children in the photo were from the neighborhood and lived across from the school.

“I don’t know who shoveled this passway in front of the school, but it was a difficult, back-breaking job,” Santee said.

The bottom of the photo shows that under the sides of the passway in the cement there was another 8 inches of snow not removed.

“That winter we sledded, ice skated on the creek at the falls behind Benfield Mill, near the Benfield Apartments. We also were grateful to all the dads who pushed the snow away on the ice so we could ice skate,” said Santee, who is the second child in the Smith family.

A reminder....

After three postponements because of February’s inclement weather, the Lansdale Historical Society’s Community Program, “Firefighting in the North Penn Area,” has been rescheduled for Tuesday, March 9, at 7:30 p.m. at the Lansdale Parks and Recreation Building, Seventh Street and Lansdale Avenue; and Thursday, March 18, at 7:30 p.m. at the Towamencin Firehouse, Bustard Road, Kulpsville.

The show will focus on how local volunteer fire companies became a necessity more than a century ago as the region’s population increased, along with the risk of major fires.

Representatives of the Fairmount (Lansdale), North Penn (North Wales), Towamencin, Colmar, Upper Gwynedd, Hatfield and Montgomery Township fire companies will describe the founding and development of their brigades and share their personal experiences as firefighters.

Society President Dick Shearer will narrate a brief history of early firefighting efforts. A video presentation by Steve Moyer will also be featured.

To accommodate an anticipated large crowd, the second presentation — originally planned for firefighters and their families but now also open to members of the public — was scheduled.

The society’s Community Programs are presented free of charge, but donations are appreciated.

For more information, call (215) 855-1872.

Early bikers

noreply@blogger.com (Online Editor) — Mon, 01 Mar 2010 16:58:00 +0000

No, they’re not Hell’s Angels.

Far from it.

This photo from Pat (Waldspurger) Mahoney shows the Greyhound Motorcycle Club circa early 1930s.

According to Mahoney:

“Back in the early 1930s, this Lansdale group played motorcycle polo against neighboring clubs.

“Games were played on vacant fields in and around Lansdale. Greyhound’s Home games were played on fields located near Route 309.

“Each team fielded four players plus a goaltender, all riding their motorcycles.

“They used a special hacked 1917 Harley-Davidson.

“My father, Larry Waldspurger, and two of his brothers — my uncles, Ed Waldspurger and Bud Waldspurger — were members.

“From left to right in the photo are:

“Eddie Bruises, Ed Waldspurger, Bill Moore, Larry Waldspurger, Bud Waldspurger, Bryon Schultz, Roy Gottshall, Whitey (Andrew) Black and Ted Klebes.

“Ed Waldspurger was the manager and Bud Waldspurger was a referee and they did not ride.”

So there you have it. These motorcycles certainly were used for a different kind of sport.

Maybe it could be a contender for the next Olympics!

It snows this time of year

noreply@blogger.com (Online Editor) — Mon, 22 Feb 2010 15:35:00 +0000

Not tired of the snow just yet? Good, because today we thought we’d remind you of some storms that hit here in 1984.

In the photos from Reporter files, one photo from Jan. 11, 1984, shows commuters at the Lansdale train station after a bit of a snowfall.

Kids always seem to enjoy the snow, and that was no exception in this March 9, 1984, photo that shows children enjoying a spot in Whites Road Park, Lansdale.

And in a photo that also was from Jan. 11, 1984, John Shainline of York Avenue, Lansdale, contends with a frozen-shut car door.

Remind yourself, it’s only about a month until spring!

A history of a mill

noreply@blogger.com (Online Editor) — Mon, 22 Feb 2010 15:22:00 +0000

By WALTER AULT

UPPER FREDERICK — Many years ago there were countless mills along the Schuylkill River and its tributary streams like Skippack, Perkiomen and Swamp creeks. Nearly all of them are gone now, with little or no evidence of their existence. However, Sunrise Mill, located on Nieffer Road in Upper Frederick Township, is still there. It is an intriguing piece of history situated beside Swamp Creek, with two distinctions.

Photo: Montgomery County Department of Parks and Heritage Services

First, Sunrise Mill had the rare aspect of being both a grist mill and a saw mill simultaneously, explained present mill caretaker Clayton Blank. Secondly, Blank added, a very famous and widely admired and respected American lived at the mill for many years, a true renaissance man named Chevalier Jackson.

Much research of the mill has been done by the county — which took over ownership of the site in 1971 — because of its historical significance, yet some details are still sketchy. In any case, it is recorded in a county report that the mill had its beginning in 1767, when Michael Krause and Yost Britting built a wooden structure, which was rebuilt (in stone) in 1819.

The mill changed hands many times over the years, owned by families with surnames including Funk, Diefenbaker, Shoemaker, Hartranft and Reed. The Reed family owned the mill the longest, for 48 years from 1862 to 1910, the county report says, adding that the mill was still called Reed’s Mill when Dr. Jackson bought the property in 1918.

The county has done much restoration work, Blank said, gradually restoring the property to its late 18th century appearance. But there is still much work to be done to the two-story structure, Blank said. For instance, no-one can go inside the mill because the old wooden floor is unsafe.

“The county saw the importance of this place right away. It was a very unusual mill,” Blank said, “with both wood and grain being processed here. People came from miles around to use this mill.

“And it is truly a beautiful spot,” Blank continued. “People come here now to view the mill, walk along the creek and take in the scenery or fish in the creek.”

In addition, visitors can see some relics of the old mill, such as an old grinding stone formerly used in the grist mill and rusted turbines used for the saw mill, all laying alongside a barn a short distance from the mill. Inside the barn there are fan belts, conveyer belts and an old scale formerly used to weigh grain.

The mill, since it was rebuilt in 1819, isn’t the oldest building on the site. The barn, built in 1795, has that distinction. There is also a nearby house (1828) where former mill owners and operators lived, and where Blank now resides.

A development that ultimately added significantly to the mill’s fame and lore, the report states, was the arrival of Pittsburgh native Jackson, an incredibly talented, intelligent and passionate individual who as a trailblazing and innovative doctor saved many lives; and in other endeavors touched many more.

Besides being a world renowned physician, Jackson was a highly respected impressionist painter; an inventor of numerous medical instruments; a teacher who taught in many area colleges and in Europe and Latin America; and a writer of highly specialized textbooks on surgery. He was also a naturalist: One of the first things Dr. Jackson did when he arrived at Sunrise Mill was to minimize use of the saw mill, because too many trees in the area were being cut down.

At the beginning of the 20th century, Dr. Jackson was, a Pennsylvania Heritage Magazine article says, one of the top doctors in the entire world in his field, which was treating people who swallowed foreign objects. He also created a myriad of instruments that were widely used in such treatment.

At the time of his death in 1958, the magazine article says, “it was estimated that Dr. Jackson had personally saved 5,000 lives, and that those taught by him had saved half a million more.”

What a riot!

noreply@blogger.com (Online Editor) — Wed, 17 Feb 2010 18:31:00 +0000

By TONY Di DOMIZIO, staff Writer

Call them the pre-SWAT.

Ray Navitsky, of The Villages, Fla., was a former cop with Lansdale Police in the 1960s and 1970s.

He was digging through a box of old photos one day and pulled out a relic.

It was a lineup of the former North Penn riot squad that existed for a brief time in the 1960s.

“Back when the riots started happening in Philly and all, they went to several departments (to make a riot squad). One was Montgomery Township and the others were Upper Gwynedd Township and Lansdale. I think three were involved.”

Walt Drusedum, who was a cop with the Lansdale Police from 1953 to 1981, remembered two riot squads comprised of officers from Towamencin and Hatfield as well.

“They started one, then they thought we needed another one,” he said. “Back then, there was trouble with the roofers union. When they were building the Valley Forge Convention Center, they set that on fire. The carpenter’s union was upset because (developer) Leon Altemose was using non-union people.

“We spent one morning on 202 on the roundhouse office building and spent the afternoon in Norristown with the carpenter’s union that was picketing around the courthouse. We were backup for the state police at that time.”

Drusedum is referencing a 1972 event when unionists attacked Altemose’s building site at the convention center. They destroyed $400,000 worth of equipment and materials in an organized attack that police on site were helpless to stop.

A judge banned pickets within a mile of any Altemose project, leading to protests by unionists who marched from Plymouth Meeting to Norristown and back, according to a state Crime Commission report.

Altemose died at age 68 in April 2008 from multiple sclerosis.

“That was the only duty we did,” said Navitsky. “We did a little bit of training as far as making a ‘V’ and push the crowd back. There was never any trouble in Lansdale or Montgomeryville.”

Navitsky remembered patrolling Norristown during an 11 p.m. to 7 a.m. shift.

“We stood in the doorway of a business somewhere with a shotgun and watched the streets to see if anybody was breaking into stores at that time,” he said. “It was a pretty quiet night for us.”

He fondly remembered the existence of the riot squad was during a time when “everybody was rioting.”

“At the time, down in Philly, Frank Rizzo was the police chief down there. He had pretty well control of those things,” Navitsky said. “He had seen a lot of movies of the riots in California and he wasn’t going to take any crap. He told you, if people were looting stores and what have you, shoot them. He was pretty tough.”

Aside from backing up the state police, the local riot squads did a lot of training.

“It was just another precautionary measure with one’s call of duty,” Navitsky said. “We did do some formations and training on the old pistol range with sidearms, but that was about it.”

Drusedum said the squad would march over and practice in Towamencin near Christopher Dock.

“The state police, one time, took us up to Graterford for tear gas training to see what it feels like,” he said. “We were outside the prison in one of the fields and they wouldn’t give us any masks. They shot some off, and everybody started running through it. When we got to almost down to where we were clear of it, there was this snake going faster than the rest of us.”

Navitsky said he doesn’t remember the squad ever officially breaking up.

“It was there for about two years, and sort of faded away,” he said. “Today, I guess they call it the SWAT team.”

Marching memories

noreply@blogger.com (Online Editor) — Wed, 10 Feb 2010 15:30:00 +0000

Today we go inside North Penn High School, in different decades, for a look at students associated with the marching band and marching unit.

The first photo was submitted by Margaret Adams of Lansdale, who said she does “not know much about this photo. I believe it’s from the early 1960s.”

In it you see girls marching through the gym, carrying flags and rifles, as students look on from the bleachers.

“I think my husband, Robert Adams (now deceased), trained the girls in a gun drill at North Penn High School.”

So perhaps someone out there can add some information — or perhaps you’re in the photo!

In the next photo, which appeared in The Reporter in 1984, we see a section of the North Penn Marching Knights being directed by Steve Frederick.

In the accompanying article, by the way, it was noted that Frederick, “who stands about 6 feet tall, is a giant in his students’ eyes.”

Hope you enjoy that trip down memory lane, Steve!

But getting back to the Knights in 1984, the feature was written about the band because it had just returned from the Great Bands of the Orange Bowl competition, where it was crowned “grand national champion.”

In a separate competition at the event, the band front also took first prize.

The article noted that 200 bands had applied for four open slots at the Orange Bowl competition, so it was quite a feat just to be chosen, much less take the top prize.

At the Vet

noreply@blogger.com (Online Editor) — Mon, 01 Feb 2010 21:43:00 +0000

Today we have a photo submitted by Frank Carney of Lansdale, who is “revisiting” 1972.

We’ll let him explain:

“Here is a photo of my brothers and I with friends from 1972, during Lansdale’s Centennial celebration.

“Lansdale had a few buses going to a Phillies Game and we all dressed up, as we were told, “like olden times.”

“The year of 1972 featured a summer — and year — of great activities, fun and lots of memories for Lansdale.

“We all had a great time on the buses and at the game, but I can’t remember if the Fighting Phils won that day. It didn’t matter, as the day still brings back smiles and good memories.

“In the photo, you see in the front row, kneeling, Pete Signore, Frank Carney (me), Jay Strunk.

“Back row, Dennis Carney, Rob Eberle, Mark O’Brian, Frank Carr, Jack Carney and Greg O’Brian.

“I’m not sure who took the photo, but Rob Eberle was kind enough to share it with us recently and to great amusement.

“I wanted to note that I also was proud to have been a paperboy for The North Penn Reporter back in the day.”

Thanks, Frank, for the great photo and story — and for helping us out “back in the day” as a paperboy!

Last word on Santa...

noreply@blogger.com (Online Editor) — Tue, 26 Jan 2010 01:17:00 +0000

Last week, if you remember, we had a few holiday photos that included a 1962 shot of Lansdale’s Mardi Gras Parade, and photos from Santa’s headquarters in Lansdale, which the contributor also thought had come from 1962.

This week we received an update from Bob Nuss of Hatfield, who had been involved with the house and wanted to clear up a few items.

He included a few photos, one of which shows a workman busy on the new “North Penn North Pole,” an expansion of the Santa Claus house of previous years, while in the distance, a wrecker is razing the last remaining old building on the lot at the corner of Green and Courtland streets. The photo is from Nov. 19, 1965.

In the Santa photo, Sandra Slotter, 4, of Lansdale, is seen outside the headquarters. A date on the back of the photo indicates it appeared in The Reporter on Dec. 15, 1965.

Another photo shows the empty lot with the Santa house and Christmas tree, which is described in the following.

We’ll let Nuss tell the story:

“Lansdale’s first Santa house was erected in 1963. The house was to be placed on the Krieble property at 23 West Main Street, which is now a public parking lot.

“The location was abruptly changed on that morning because of difficulty removing the iron fence adjacent to the sidewalk for access. The powers that be were frantic about what to do next so they decided to go to Plan B.

“Someone came up with the idea to place it in the eastern-most access drive from Main Street to the Madison parking lot, between the Sam Fruit shoe store and Beinhacker building.

“This was not a problem due to another entrance drive close by, next to the Sun Ray Drugstore.

“The new headquarters was built in such a way that it could be taken apart or lifted onto a trailer and stored. I was told it fell prey to vandals during the off-season sitting in a storage facility off Moyer Road.

“Opening night was business as usual for the Mardi Gras Parade. It started in the early evening with the lighting of the Christmas lights along Main Street as the parade traveled west from the Memorial Park area to the former Acme parking lot.

“But this year was different. After arriving at the Acme, Santa (alias Dave Fesmire of Mt. Vernon Street, Lansdale) took a turn and headed back to Green and Main streets for the grand opening ceremony of his new headquarters.

“In November 1965 there was a second and much larger Santa headquarters built on the lot of the demolished Longacre building at the corner of Main Street and Railroad Avenue. This was also the first time the Mardi Gras Parade would be held during the day on Saturday.

“Merchants from Lansdale and surrounding areas donated all the materials for both buildings. Some of these were Krupp Meyers and Hoffman, Line Lexington Lumber, Snyder’s of Hatfield, Lansdale Lumber and Millwork, Shearer’s Lumber of North Wales and Sherwin Williams Paint.

“A local builder donated the labor and locals completed the finishing touches. Mattero’s scrap yard of West Seventh Street sent an old rubber tire crane and lifted a 30-plus-foot fir tree from a property along Railroad Avenue near Courtland Street, carried and placed it next to the house as a Christmas tree.

“Lansdale Electric braced it with rope and strung lights. It was remarkable how the Jaycees along with the borough coordinated the many merchants and businesses who responded on both occasions.

“During the Santa house era, the Hatfield Jaycees established an annual ‘Santa Calling’ project. It was a direct telephone line linked with Lansdale and Souderton. Each area had a local number, which was tied together so children could call Santa. These calls were made during evening hours and answered by Santa at the Lansdale headquarters.

“When construction was about to start for new office building, Santa’s headquarters had to be removed and placed in storage off Moyer Road. This second Santa house stood abandoned until around early 1971, when a group of local men gave it new life.

“They disassembled and relocated it near the town of Rock Port, Carbon County, close to the Lehigh River. It was rebuilt and eventually enlarged as a hunting and fishing cabin in the middle of the Lehigh River Gorge State Park.

“I was told that it still stands but is unrecognizable, and is now owned by the state. It became the headquarters not of Santa, but of the park rangers who patrol the Lehigh River State Park.

“Thanks to the Lansdale Historical Society for their assistance in my research.”

Christmas re-run

noreply@blogger.com (Online Editor) — Wed, 20 Jan 2010 16:23:00 +0000

Don’t panic when you look at these photos today because yes, the holidays are behind us.

But when Judy Weiner of Lansdale sent these photos to us last week, we just could not resist sharing them with all of you.

She has the photos dated as 1962.

Weiner noted:

“I came across these pictures from The Reporter from my mother’s belongings. She passed away in 1992 and my stepfather, Bill DiPietro, passed away last year and I found these among photos in a box.

“My mother is the one in the pictures with the guys who entered a contest to design Santa’s house. Maybe somebody will recognize themselves or a family member in there.”

In that photo, Daniel Kollar, designer of the new Santa Claus headquarters in Lansdale, is given 25 silver dollars for his work by H. Richard Eyer, vice president of the Lansdale Chamber of Commerce. Weiner’s mom, Mrs. Lou Lukens, was chairman of the contest for the Lansdale Art League.

Weiner continues:

“I especially liked the Mardi Gras Parade — check out that reindeer. Was that the first Mardi Gras Parade? If anybody knows the answer, let me know. Also, I’m curious to know Santa’s name.”

In that photo, you’ll ee that the parade was held at night. The caption noted that the crowd was estimated at 15,000.

In the other Santa photo, the jolly old man waves as he stands outside his headquarters, which were located on Main Street, opposite the end of Green Street.

Well, Judy, we can tell you that the 2009 Mardi Gras Parade was the 59th parade. As for Santa — maybe he just goes by St. Nick!

When parks weren't passive

noreply@blogger.com (Online Editor) — Tue, 12 Jan 2010 15:48:00 +0000

Remember the ferris wheel at West Point Park? How about the Wild Mouse?

Or maybe you preferred heading up to Menlo Park in Perkasie, where you could ride the amusements, bowl or roller skate.

On Tuesday, you’ll be transported back to the days when area recreation spots provided relief from the heat for more than a century.

That’s when the Lansdale Historical Society fights the winter blahs with a touch of summer at its Community Program titled “Amusement Parks.”

The program features the history and photos of four area amusement parks that attracted huge crowds during their heyday.

All four of them — West Point Park, Edgewood (Whites) Park, Forest Park and Menlo Park —were popular spots that trace their beginnings to the 19th century.

Their rides, midways, lakes and picnic groves were visited by thousands each summer.

In the photos you see here today, West Point Park is featured, with the ferris wheel and the train in the spotlight.

The popularity of these parks diminished after the 1950s. West Point Park and Forest Park were replaced by housing subdivisions. Whites Road Park and Menlo remain as municipal parks geared to swimming pools, picnicking and other recreational activities.

The program will also include Allentown’s Dorney Park, which serves as example of an amusement park that survived by expanding and by adapting to changing lifestyles over the years.

A special show featuring Willow Grove Park will be scheduled in the future.

The Tuesday program will be held at the Lansdale Parks and Recreation Building, Seventh Street and Lansdale Avenue, beginning at 7:30 p.m.

There is no admission charge but donations are appreciated.

For information, call (215) 855-1872.

Cold treats

noreply@blogger.com (Online Editor) — Tue, 05 Jan 2010 17:46:00 +0000

As we kick off the new year, it may be a bit chilly to think about heading to a snack bar.

But, on the other hand, maybe this photo will warm you up a bit.

Before McDonald’s, Burger King and Wendy’s, fast food was pretty much a home grown in these parts.

According to Dick Shearer of the Lansdale Historical Society, who supplied this photo and information, the prosperity of the 1950s led to a spate of locally owned roadside stops that specialized in hamburgers, hot dogs, milk shakes, ice cream cones and the like.

Some had tables or counter service; others were walk-ups where customers lined up to order their food, which they ate in their cars.

Every town and highway had at least one of these eateries, which were popular with teens who borrowed dad’s car or Little League managers who wanted to treat their players after big games.

Among them were White’s Liner at Valley Forge Road and Sumneytown Pike, Hagey’s in Souderton, the Curly Top at Welsh Road and Route 309 and an occasional Dairy Queen — the first of the national chains to come into the area — and the Big Pixey, with locations in Montgomeryville, Upper Gwynedd and Collegeville.

Another busy spot was the Frosty Cup — which is featured in this photo — on Bethlehem Pike near Route 113 in Hilltown Township.

The Cup is long gone, but memories of its tasty barbecue on a bun last a lifetime.

To market, to market...

noreply@blogger.com (Online Editor) — Tue, 29 Dec 2009 19:27:00 +0000

Many of you no doubt have been doing plenty of shopping lately for the holidays, including grocery shopping.

The photos today remind us of earlier days when grocery stores were much smaller, found throughout our towns and were, well, a bit more basic.

The three photos today were donated by a local resident who said she knew nothing about the photos, but had found them when she was cleaning out a relative’s home.

Thanks to Dick Shearer of the Lansdale Historical Society, we are able to share some information about this store.

According to Shearer, the photos are of the L.D. Moyer Meat and Grocery Market, which was located behind 18 E. Third St., Lansdale.

It faced the back of what is now the U.S. Gas Station on North Broad Street, site of the former Broad Street School.

The photos are probably from the mid-1930s, according to Shearer.

The store was one of a dozen mom-and-pop stores in Lansdale at that time and the building is still standing.

As you can see in the photos, the employees take time out to pose for a picture; one case featured some “undressed” fowl; and the interior was as neat as a pin.

Movie time: The holidays

noreply@blogger.com (Online Editor) — Mon, 28 Dec 2009 17:15:00 +0000

From the camera of Nelson Stoudt, grocer and amateur cinematographer, today we bring you some scenes of Lansdale and Montgomeryville at Christmas and during the winter.

Stoudt owned a small grocery store and gas station at the northeast corner of the Five Points intersection in Montgomeryville back in the late 1930's. When he was not busy tending his shop, he recorded the local scene with a movie camera, and turned the footage into a series of newsreels.

Today we bring you some night scenes of downtown Lansdale, and although cameras were not as good with low-light shooting as they are today, you can still see some of the lights, the Lansdale Christmas tree and the marquis of the Lansdale Theater.

After that you will see some winter weather in Montgomerville, including shots of snow plows at Five Points, which was a much small intersection (though no less confusing) back then.

Finally you will see some color footage of kids enjoying the snow in Montgomeryville.

A Christmas Caravan

noreply@blogger.com (Online Editor) — Wed, 23 Dec 2009 17:40:00 +0000

The year 1997 marked quite a difference in the Christmas holiday season for this area.

For 38 consecutive years prior to 1997, what was then the North Penn Hospital Auxiliary presented the Christmas Caravan, when area residences and churches were selected to brightly deck the halls and open their doors to the community.

It was a fundraiser for the hospital auxiliary and, at one time, attendance was as high as 1,500 people.

In 1996, it was reported that fewer than 400 people toured the homes, and so the Caravan ended that year.

In the photos we feature today, the year was 1976 and it was reported that more than 1,300 area residents had visited the two historical houses, one historical church and three private homes on the tour.

That year the featured stops were the Peter Wentz Farmstead in Worcester; Kre-Belle Farms owned by Mr. and Mrs. Robert Rothenberger in Worcester; St. Luke’s United Church of Christ in North Wales; the home of Mr. and Mrs. Louis Baldino in North Wales; the home of Mr. and Mrs. Henry Guzewicz in North Wales; and the Jenkins Homestead in Lansdale.

The Caravan netted the auxiliary more than $5,000 that year, according to Reporter accounts.

In these photos, we see a scene from St. Luke’s UCC, with Jon Leight, Mrs. Louis Baldino at left and Mrs. William Lemmon, who was the Caravan chairwoman.

The other photo features Thelma Lee Rothenberger, as she relaxed in her home’s decorated library.

Broad Street School

noreply@blogger.com (Online Editor) — Mon, 14 Dec 2009 16:20:00 +0000

People love to see kids at the old schools in our area, and today we feature another Lansdale school.

Kenneth R. Walker of Sellersville submitted this photo of the old Broad Street School of Lansdale — well, actually it’s a bunch of kids posing outside the school.

Walker noted that he attended the school during the fifth and sixth grades, during the mid-1940s.

One photo includes the entire class when he attended; the other is “just the boys.”

In that photo, Walker noted, “I’m in the back row, second from right. On my left is Fred Schmidt. Front row on right is Henry Rouch. To the left of him is “Peanut” Cliver.

“I know Bruce Hemmerle is in there somewhere, and a Cook, a Woodward, and there was a boy that lived on Third Street and I think his dad drove a taxi, but I can’t think of his name!”

Perhaps someone out there looking at these photos will recognize a few familiar faces.

Walker also noted that he lived on Hancock Street, Lansdale, “in a big house down a long lane. It is now a park and trail area.”

Businesses that lasted

noreply@blogger.com (Online Editor) — Tue, 08 Dec 2009 16:24:00 +0000

There’s no question the past year has been a financial challenge for many businesses across the nation.

Whenever the economy turns south, it usually spells disaster for merchants and companies that haven’t prepared for difficult times.

But many did; they were the survivors and they will be subject of the Lansdale Historical Society’s Dec. 8 Community Program.

“Staying Power: Businesses That Withstood the Test of Time” will focus on the dozens of North Penn area firms that survived for at least half a century.

Some are still going strong; others eventually succumbed to financial problems or simply went out of business because their products or services were no longer used by the public.

Dick Shearer, president of the Lansdale Historical Society, provided today’s picture, a late 1880s photos of the Oberholtzer and Freed farm equipment business on Susquehanna Avenue that was the predecessor of today’s Honda dealership.

Shearer noted that he picked this photo because Freed’s was moving to its new location in Montgomeryville on Dec. 4.

Freed and Oberholtzer lasted until 1902, Shearer said, when Freed bought controlling interest — and they’ve been in business since then.

This latest move is only their second in all those years, Shearer said.

An extensive list of area companies that meet the 50-year benchmark was prepared by historical society members this year.

However, the list is far from complete, Shearer said, and members of the audience will be encouraged to suggest other businesses that may have been overlooked.

The program will be narrated by Shearer and, as usual, will include a video presentation by Steve Moyer.

The show begins at 7:30 p.m. Tuesday at the Lansdale Parks and Recreation Building, Seventh Street and Lansdale Avenue. There is no admission charge but donations are appreciated.

Udder nonsense

noreply@blogger.com (Online Editor) — Mon, 30 Nov 2009 19:16:00 +0000

December starts tomorrow, so can the snow and cold be far behind?

If the weather predictions we’ve all been hearing are any indication, this could be one snowy, cold winter.

So when we came across this photo from our 1982 files, we couldn’t help but think it was the perfect picture to run as we head into December.

Apparently someone at Freddy-Hill Farms on Sumneytown Pike, Towamencin, just could not resist a little play on words.

We don’t know if it was one of their cows, or just a creative family member, but they cud not — er, could not — have made it much more of a groaner could they?

Nope, they milked this one for all it was worth.

If you all know what cud, cows and udders are, you should get the joke.

Let’s hope that this year any bovine weather forecasters will deliver warmer predictions.

Time marches on

noreply@blogger.com (Online Editor) — Tue, 24 Nov 2009 19:14:00 +0000

Now that the annual Lansdale Mardi Gras Parade has been held, the holiday season is officially under way locally.

And if you enjoyed the parade this past Saturday, we thought perhaps you’d like to take a look at a few photos from years gone by, from The Reporter files.

In 1978, (far right) you’ll see how jolly Santa looked as he welcomed in the Christmas season during that parade. That year marked the 28th annual parade, which was sponsored at that time by the Lansdale Jaycees.

The story on the 1978 parade noted that it was a “crisp, sunny fall” day, and the morning parade concluded at 2 p.m., right on schedule.

A photo from the 1979 parade (top) features the North Penn High School Marching Knights. Their banner notes that they were the 1979 National Field Show Champions at the St. Petersburg, Fla., Festival of States.

And also from 1979 (right) is a very creative person almost hidden by the packages that make up his costume.

We hope both the parade on Saturday and these photos from decades ago have put you in the shopping and giving spirit.

Fresh young faces

noreply@blogger.com (Online Editor) — Tue, 17 Nov 2009 16:50:00 +0000

Old school photos are always fun to look at and today’s submission is no exception.

Just check out these hopeful young men and women, members of the Class of 1934 of the former Lansdale High School.

Doug Coughlin of Lansdale has shared this photo with us today, and pointed out that his aunt, Freidia Constantine, is in the front row, the sixth young woman from the left.

He said he really doesn’t know who any of the other people are, since it was his late aunt’s photo.

Coughlin’s mother, Elva Constantine Coughlin, the sister of his aunt, had graduated from the school in 1933.

But unfortunately, he said, he does not have a class photo from that year.

It’s interesting to check out the fashions worn by those in the front row — especially the young man in the knickers with those snazzy socks!

And a few of the young men in the back row also have quite the head of hair.

So look closely; perhaps you’ll recognize someone.

Brothers serving bravely

noreply@blogger.com (Online Editor) — Tue, 10 Nov 2009 16:52:00 +0000

Veterans Day will be commemorated on Wednesday, and David Fischer of Souderton has shared with us today a look back at three Fischer brothers from Lansdale who served their country during World War I.

This photo shows George at lower left; William at center; and Charles at right.

The three men were David Fischer’s uncles. Later in this article, you will see Martin mention, who was Fischer’s father. He said he did not get to serve in the war, because of the armistice being signed.

The newspaper clipping he submitted with this photo reports:

“Mr. and Mrs. Martin Fischer, of West Third Street, Lansdale, are the proud parents of three sons who are ‘doing their bit’ to make the world safe for democracy, as well as two more boys who will be liable for service if the present draft ages are lowered.

“The oldest son, Charles, 27, who was employed by Lawrence Freeman of Lansdale before entering the service, left Lansdale last September. He proved to be a good soldier and was made a sergeant with a supply train. He recently arrived overseas.

“George, 24, left for Camp Meade with a contingent from Lansdale last November. He was later transferred to the ambulance corps and is now stationed at Camp Greene, N.C. He was also employed by Lawrence Freeman before leaving Lansdale.

“William, 22, the youngest of the three sons in the service, left Lansdale last November and was assigned to the Fourth Infantry. He arrived in France in April. Before leaving, he was employed by the P&R Railway, having just been appointed baggage master at Gwynedd.

“Another son, John, will be 21 in December and will have to register on Sept. 5 if the draft ages are lowered, as will Martin Jr., who will be 19 in December.

“The boys come from Pennsylvania German ancestry and from a Dunkard family. They are well known about Lansdale and are all said to be first-class soldiers.”

Also sent in by David Fischer was a letter noting that Pvt. William Fischer had been “slightly gassed” in action and was under treatment at a base hospital on Oct. 15, 1918.

It’s quite interesting to look back at how local young men were serving their country during World War I.

And we salute all veterans as we near Veterans Day on Nov. 11.

Hospital grows

noreply@blogger.com (Online Editor) — Mon, 02 Nov 2009 14:27:00 +0000

The present Lansdale Hospital in Hatfield Township, part of Abington Memorial Hospital, has undergone many changes through the years.

Today, Dawn Macy has submitted photos that appeared in a 1990 publication that marked the 10th anniversary of the “new” North Penn Hospital.

One photo shows an aerial view of the former hospital in Lansdale in the 1960s.

The other photo shows the groundbreaking ceremony on Oct. 11, 1977, for the new North Penn Hospital. In that photo we see, from left, Jean Lemmon, auxiliary first vice president; Robert H. McKay, hospital executive vice president; Dr. Charles macy, president of the medical staff; and Albert Hoffman, president of the hospital board.

According to the publication, the hospital started as Elm Terrace Hospital in Lansdale as a privately owned facility that opened its doors in 1934. It consisted of two residences with a 23-bed capacity.

On Sept. 17, 1955, the first building of the North Penn Hospital was dedicated at Seventh and Broad streets, Lansdale. It was a four-story structure that had 80 beds. During the 1960s and 1970s, four major renovations and additions occurred.

The next big change started in the 1970s, when a 72-acre tract of land was bought in Hatfield Township.

In 1980, the present facility was dedicated and in 1984, a new addition was completed.

Since then the hospital was sold and become Central Montgomery Medical Center and, most recently, sold again and changed to Lansdale Hospital.

At the station

noreply@blogger.com (Online Editor) — Wed, 28 Oct 2009 13:21:00 +0000

Marlene Bardman of Harleysville has shared a few photos with us today of the former Salford Station area in Upper Salford.

The town of Salford formerly was called Salford Station, when the train still ran through that area.

“These pictures from the Perkiomen Creek in Salford Station, above the iron bridge that is now closed, were taken by my mother, E. Violet Force, who grew up in Salford.

“Her parents had the general store there.

“The view of the creek was taken from the summer vacation spot there. The area was known as Camp Rest-A-While and people from Philadelphia would come on the train to stay there.

“Some of the families owned summer houses there and some rented them.

“There was a refreshment stand and a dock where you could get a canoe.”

In addition to the two photos taken by her mother in 1932, Bardman included a photo of Salford Station. The general store can be seen in the background.

Local landmark: Red Men's Hall

noreply@blogger.com (Online Editor) — Mon, 19 Oct 2009 19:54:00 +0000

By WALTER AULT

GREEN LANE — There is a fascinating building on Route 29 in Green Lane that is, put succinctly, a treasure trove of local history.

Just the name painted on the front of the red brick building, Red Men’s Hall, arouses curiosity in any history buff. Inside are thousands of artifacts and numerous displays and exhibits graphically depicting the rural past of the Upper Perkiomen Valley. It is all part of the Goschenhoppen Historians’ Folklife Museum and Library.

The Red Men, according to museum director Abe Roan, were a fraternal organization made up of men from all walks of life in the Perkiomen Valley who admired the “communal lifestyle of the American Indians.

“Indians saw their tribe as just a large extended family that held everything in common,” Roan said. “Lodge members saw this as an admirable thing and because of that admiration started a fraternal lodge where members would take care of each other and help each other.”

The three-story building, Roan pointed out, was built in 1 907, with a second floor meeting hall where they “held shows and had all kinds of fund raising events and used the money from them for lodge members’ needs.”

For many years the Red Men leased the first floor of the building to the Green Lane Bank and a general store, Roan said. The third floor of the building, he added, was much more private; a sanctum sanitorium where secret rituals were held. Roan explained that the Red Men, who often dressed as Indians and attended special public events like parades, were nonetheless a secret society much like the Masons. Roan even pointed out a peep hole in the front door entering the third floor, where visitors would be scrutinized before entering; kind of like a speakeasy during Prohibition.

The Goschenhoppen Historians (Goschenhoppen, according to local legend, refers to a large area of the Perkiomen Valley and is a German transformation of the name of an Indian chief named Shakahoppa, who formerly controlled that tract of land) bought Red Men’s Hall in 1970, and thanks to their dedication and tireless efforts the building is now an intriguing museum that serves as a local history lesson to anyone who visits.

“As soon as we got the building we started accumulating things,” Roan said. “We went to yard sales, we went to auctions and a lot of items were generously donated. It has worked out very well, and we think we have something special to offer the public.”

The entire building is brilliantly utilized to give visitors a provocative look into the surrounding area’s past, with an emphasis on Pennsylvania German culture of the 18th and 19th centuries.

The first floor is a replica of an old general store, with such things on display as wooden barrels, farm implements, horse riding apparatus, even a giant (1848) coffee grinder and old post office windows and boxes. Many of the items, Roan pointed out, came from other general stores in the area when they closed.

“People could get just about anything they wanted at a general store,” Roan explained. “And if something wasn’t in stock, they would order it and it would be delivered by the Perkiomen Railroad,” a branch of the Reading Railroad that from 1873 to 1948 ran from Port Kennedy (Valley Forge) to Emmaus.

The second floor meeting hall has beautiful chandeliers, along with a large plaque listing presidents of the former lodge, referring to them as Sachems (chiefs) of the Tohickon Tribe, which the lodge was known as. There are also many paintings of historical buildings in the Perkiomen Valley on this floor, as well as interesting charcoal enhanced photographs of former lodge members.

The third floor, known as the Goschenhoppen Folklife Museum, has many items on display, all of which, as Roan pointed out, are hand made and predate 1870.

“The early 1870s were the beginning of the second Industrial Revolution,” Roan said, “Things began to change dramatically and there were more and more machines in use. Since the Germans took so much pride in their craftmanship, everything on display was made before 1870.”

One room on the third floor holds the German folklife library. Another, which Roan called the Zeigler parlor, has items, some made locally, “that are dated 1823 or older,” including a large spinning wheel and an organ made in Skippack. In an adjoining room there is a detailed display of local cigar making.

In the main museum room there are displays on all facets of a lifestyle and era that are long gone. There are, for instance, exhibits on open hearth cooking and baking and the processing of flax. There is a needlework sampler and various pieces of folk art; a craftmen’s shop and a weaver shop.

There is also an 1820 kitchen with a beautiful piece of folk art, a hand-painted corner cupboard; as well as a farm display with numerous old implements, including a 250-year-old plow.

School Days on Broad Street

noreply@blogger.com (Online Editor) — Mon, 19 Oct 2009 19:51:00 +0000

Grace Zeigler Freed has submitted two photos today, one of which show the Broad Street School in Lansdale and the other which shows her and her classmates at the school.

She notes:

"I have good memories of this two-story school, where the first six years of my early education started.

"I remember walking the three blocks each morning from Chestnut Street, home for lunch and then back until about 3 p.m.

"The small store next to our playground was where we would stop and buy our penny candies after school hours.

"The photo here is of our class on the playground. Many of the class here moved to the junior high school on East Main Street, Lansdale, and graduated in 1945 from the senior high school on Penn Street, Lansdale.

"It would be interesting if anyone can identify themselves. I am the first one sitting at the end of the second row. I can name most of the class, but need help with naming others.

"Today, a gas station has taken our spot.

A Centennial worth celebrating

noreply@blogger.com (Online Editor) — Mon, 12 Oct 2009 19:47:00 +0000

Dick Shearer, president of the Lansdale Historical Society, provides us with a prompting and two great photos today.

Consider:

“The year 1972 was a turbulent time around the world. The Watergate burglary. Civil disorder in the streets. Anti-war protests as the Vietnam peace talks broke down. Black September at the Munich Olympics.

“But in Lansdale there was a great coming-together, bigger than any the town had ever seen.

“Residents celebrated the borough’s 100th birthday with a weeklong bash that included parades, pageants, parties, beards and hoop shirts, and there was the dedication of a new high-rise building named Century Plaza.

“From May 27 to June 3, thousands of civic-minded citizens temporarily diverted the flood of bad news to remember 1872, the year when a small railroad village became a full-fledged town with a government of its own.”

“Lansdale’s Centennial Celebration of 1972” will be the subject of the Lansdale Historical Society’s next Community Program on Tuesday at 7:30 p.m., at the Lansdale Parks and Recreation Building, Seventh Street and Lansdale Avenue.

The program will be hosted by Shearer and former Reporter Chief Photographer Willard Krieble.

Shearer was an editor at the paper in 1972, and Krieble photographed the entire week of special events.

In addition to a video presentation by photo archivist Steve Moyer, the program will include a display of memorabilia from the centennial celebration.

There is no admission charge to the program, but donations are appreciated.

For more information, call (215) 855-1872, or visit the society’s Web site, www.lansdalehistory.org.