W-ir^'j" X'*^^*<^ W'^-^^'J" "^c> -?!???' rethren Corson, Thompson and Morgan, be appointed to convey to Brother Page a copy of the above resolution, and invite him to accept the call to become our pastor. A HISTORY OF BRISTOL BOROUGH. 171 The above call was accepted by Brother Page, who en- tered upon his duties April i, 1850. Rev. Page re- mained with the church until 1856, when he resigned, after a faithful pastorate of over six years. The following pastors have served since that time : Rev. William Swinder, 1856 to 1859; Rev. John Miller, 1859 to 1862; Rev. Malachi Taylor, 1862 to 1866; Rev. Thomas Goodwin, 1867; Rev. Henry Bray, 1868 to 1870; Rev. J. C. Hyde, 1871 to 1874; Rev. C. E. Harden, 1875 to 1876; Rev. W. H. Conrad, 1877 to 1880; Rev. Levi J. Beck, 1880 to 1886; Rev. I. D. King, 1886 to 1889; Rev. I. W. Goodhue, 1889 to 1891 ; Rev. W. H. Clipman, 1892 to 1894; Rev. E. A. Rook, 1894 to 1901 ; Rev. Thomas Mc- Kay, 1901 to 1905; Rev. Wm. T. Johnston, 1906 to the present. During the pastorate of the Rev. J. C. Hyde, the heavy debt which had hung over the church since the erection of its building, was cancelled. During the past five years, the interior of the church has been greatly changed. The old gallery in the top story has been taken away, a sloping floor introduced, stained glass windows installed, while the lower story has been greatly improved. New comfortable pews have been placed in the church audi- torium and a pipe organ adds much to the attractiveness of the services. A series of meetings for men, held on Sunday afternoons, have proven very profitable and popu- lar. In a recent efifort to raise funds for the cancellation of some of the church debt, about $800 were raised. Bristol Newspapers. — Bristol has been the birthplace of several newspapers. In June, 1849, William Bache, greatgrandson of Franklin, commenced the publication of the Bristol Gazette, a small weekly. It lived through fifty-two issues, and met its death some time in 1850, for want of adequate support. In 1854, a new paper came into life in the borough, being published in the interest of the Know-nothings, a political party just entering into power. It was called the Bucks County American and made its appearance on the Fourth of July. In its sec- ond year it was wedded to the Burlington American, making a twenty-eight column paper. There was no 172 A HISTORY OF BRISTOL BOROUGH. union of interest between the publishers, in business or Otherwise, the object being to furnish the patrons on both sides of the river with a more readable newspaper. There was a double issue. The proprietor at Burlington was Samuel C. Atkinson, while that at Bristol was William Bache, a newspaper pioneer along the Delaware. Both papers were printed on the same forms, taken back and forth across the river. The Bucks County American died with the decline of the party it was started to sup- port. Following the death of the Bucks County Ameri- can Wm. Bache established a paper called Bache's Index, which existed for about one year and was discontinued in 1861. In April, 1871, the Bristol Observer was estab- lished by James Drury, a graduate of the Doylestown Democrat. It was continued until a few years ago, when the failing health of its proprietor caused its withdrawal. In August of 1873, Jesse O. Thomas, of Ohio, began the publication of the Bucks County Gazette, of thirty-two columns. Its first issue was on August 14, and it has continued without intermission ever since. In July, 1888, the Evening Journal was published by William C. Wat- son. It was the first daily newspaper started in Bristol. It continued for five months, when it was supplanted by the Weekly Journal. The latter paper was merged into the Every Evening ii,i 1889. The Every Evening ceased its publication in August, 1891 for want of patronage. In 1906 the Weekly Courier, a forty-eight-column paper, was established by Wm. C. Watson, and has since built up a large circulation. The Bristol Republican, which was run as a local adjunct to the Doylestown Daily Repub- lican, and later the Doylestown Daily Intelligencer, was started in the spring of 1908, and discontinued December 10, 1910. The Daily Courier began its career on Monday, October 3, 1910. Downing's Flour Mill. — About 1850, a flour mill was erected on the north bank of Adams' Hollow Creek, near the river, by Joseph M. Downing, the grandfather of George and Wm. M. Downing. The building was two stories in height, was equipped with the latest improved machinery and was operated by steam power. It Avas A HISTORY OF BRISTOL BOROUGH. I73 Started as an active competitor of the Bristol Mills. Upon the death of Joseph Downing, the business was con- tinued by his son, Allen Downing, and he, in turn, was succeeded by a man named Van Dyke. Later the busi- ness was discontinued and the building" converted into a snufif mill by Alexander Ralph & Co. About 1870, it was destroyed by fire. Ralph removed to Philadelphia, where he continued in the snufif business and amassed a for- tune. During his residence in Bristol, Mr. Ralph was an active member of the Presbyterian Church. Pleasing Reminiscences by C. Wesley Milnor. — Among the many aged citizens of Bristol, is C. Wesley Milnor, a native Bristolian, and one whose splendid memory, combined with his affable manner, make him a pleasing conversationalist. At the request of the author, he cheer- fully contributed the following reminiscences of that im- portant period in the town's history, 1850 to i860, when Bristol reached the zenith of its prosperity as a coalport town. "The chief industry in Bristol at this time was the shipping of coal. The coal was brought from the mines in canal boats down the canal and after being unloaded on the coal wharves, which were located along the river front, was reloaded into vessels and shipped to New York and other points. The coal wharves owned by the Lehigh Coal & Navigation Co., extended from Mill Street to the 'mouth of the apron,' and were the largest in town. Asa Packer & Co.'s wharf was just north of Market Street. The wharf of the Hazleton Coal Co. was located where the waterworks now stand. Between Franklin and Penn Streets was the wharf of Gilbert Tomlinson, and back of the residences of the late J. K. Wildman, F. F. Bell and H. B. Beatty, were wharves operated by Lewis Audenreid & Co. "The Buck Mountain Coal Co. had wharves above the Hollow Creek. The old f3eaver Meadow House, which stood on the site of the present Elks' Home, was a board- ing house, kept by Mrs. Thomas Crooks, for the men who worked on the wharves. "Canal stables for the accommodation of the horses 174 A HISTORY OF BRISTOL BOROUGH. and mules used on the canal, extended from Lock 2, back of Mill Street, to Lock 4, opposite the Pennsylvania Railroad freight station, and also along the southwest side of the canal basin. A large stable stood near the overflow, back of the old forge, and was destroyed by fire. These stables created a large business for the farm- ers who sold their grain and hay and straw to the owners. The large number of boatmen in the town, as well as the large number employed on the coal wharves, contributed to the prosperity of the community and gave to the town an air of thrift. Among the important stores may be noted the following: James V. Foster, James Brudon, John Wright, Allen Brothers, Robert Booz, Israel Allen, Jackson Hibbs, Bostwick & Cabeen and Pierce & Scott. Most of these men, who engaged in business in that day, amassed small fortunes and are remembered today as honored citizens. Labor was cheap and food was also cheap. "An important industry in the town, besides the old forge spoken of elsewhere, was a foundry on Wood Street near Mulberry. It was originally operated by James Phillips. His successor was John McNeal, father of Andrew McNeal, who later was at the head of the large pipe works located near Burlington. Kelly & Ayers succeeded McNeal, and later Ayers retired and the business was conducted by William Kelly. About 1869 the foundry was destroyed by fire. "Pond Street, in those days, was opened as far up as Dorrance Street and was called 'Highty Lane.' Only two houses had been built on the west side above Walnut Street, one of which was occupied by Charles Johns and the other by Joseph Teneyck, both of whom were col- ored. Where De Witt's house now stands was a building occupied by William Wright, the father of our respected townsman, the late Jonathan Wright. Franklin and Penn Streets had been cut through as far as Wood Street. The Friends owned the land above their present graveyard, up as far as the alley back of Dorrance Street. Both Penn and Franklin Streets contained but half a dozen houses each, occupied by men engaged in the coal trade. At the southwest corner of Penn and Cedar Streets lived A HISTORY OF BRISTOL BOROUGH. 1/5 William Tyrol, the father of John Tyrol. Above Penn Street was a farm, which extended up to the Bostwick property above Lafayette Street and west from Rad- cliffe Street to Pond. This farm was purchased by John Dorrance, Sr., and Henry M. Wright, who divided the land up into building lots and opened Dorrance, Washington and Lafayette Streets. The farmer who lived upon this plot of ground was named James John- son. His house stood at the intersection of Dorrance and Radclifife Streets and was torn down when the former street was opened. The old barn connected with the farm, stood at the corner of Cedar and Lafayette Streets for many years afterward. The farm above and adjoining this land was owned by Cyrus Pierce, the father of Joshua Peirce. Following his death, the sons developed the land and opened up Jefferson Avenue. "On the west side of the railroad in what is now called the mill district, and extending from Beaver Dam Road to Jefferson Avenue, the land belonged to Captain Hutchinson. It contained three large ponds, on which the boys skated in winter. Captain Hutchinson at one time occupied the house on Radcliffe Street, now the home of Jos. R. Grundy. While living there he built the large mansion on west Jefferson Avenue now occupied by the German Club, and resided there until his death. "Buckley Street had been opened, but few houses had been erected. A rope manufacturing industry was located on the street just above the mill race. The building was 125 feet in depth and one story high. The methods used were crude. The rope walker carried a circle of hemp around his waist. One end was attached to a large wheel which was turned by hand and made the twist. While the rope walker stepped backward he manipulated the threads of hemp and with the assistance of the man at the wheel twisted them into a rope. This business was conducted by W. J. Jeffries. Snedeker's machine shop also stood on Buckley Street near Bath. It was built for repairing agricultural machinery used on the farms near Bristol. "Bath Street and Otter Street were important highways leading into the town but contained very few houses. 176 A HISTORY OF BRISTOL BOROUGH. On the west side of Otter Street there was not a house from near the corner of Bath Street, down to below Schmidt's greenhouses. Walter Laing and Samuel Swain had purchased the lower end of the field and had projected the laying out of streets and building lots. "One of the smaller industries in the town was that of shoemaking. Making shoes by machinery was un- heard of and the wholesale stores in the larger cities placed their orders for hand-made shoes with the work- men in the surrounding towns. Bristol's close proximity to Philadelphia encouraged the industry here, and many of our citizens engaged in the business. Most manufac- turers employed a number of apprentices, and in this way the shoe business gave employment to a large number of citizens. Among the many who engaged in the business, the following can be remembered: Clayton Pope, Alexan- der Morrison, Nathaniel Brodnax, Lewis Holt, Charles Banes, Henry Gear, Jacob S. Young." Bristol's Forges. — In 1852 a stock company, with a capital of $12,000, built the Bristol forge for the manu- facture of heavy shafting and other large pieces of wrought iron. This business was fairly successful. When the demand for armor plates for government warships created a market for their products both active and profit- able, the capital stock was increased to $125,000, and the capacity of the works greatly enlarged ; but, unfortunate- ly, too late to reap the anticipated advantage therefrom. The large amount of iron-working machinery put into operation all over the country during the war, and the sudden withdrawal of demand for the products conse- quent upon its termination, created a depression in the business, from which this company never recovered. The plant was subsequently entirely removed. It was in this forge that the iron plates were made for the hull of "New- Ironsides," a man-of-war, which gained prominence in the Civil War, and was burned at the old Philadelphia navy yard. Stimulated by the large profits of the Bristol Forge and Iron Company during the brief period of its pros- perity, a second organization was formed under the name A HISTORY OF BRISTOL BOROUGH. I77 and title of the Keystone Forge Company, with a capital of $87,000. An extensive plant was erected on the east- ern side of the old railroad, south of Mill Street, but too late to receive any profitable business. Losses thus in- curred absorbed nearly the whole capital. The old build- ing was used by the Democratic pioneer corps, to drill in, during the Hancock-Garfield political campaign in the fall of 1880, and was removed about the year 1882, when the Pennsylvania Railroad changed the course of its road- bed south of Mill Street. Landreth's Machine Shop. — A machine shop was established at the corner of Pond and Mulberry Streets in 1852, for the manufacture of Allen's Swift-Sure Mow- ing Machine, Corn Sheller, Plows and other agricultural implements. The business was conducted by David Landreth & Sons, of Bloomsdale, and was run as an ad- junct to their Philadelphia business. The output was sold mostly at Peoria, 111. ; St. Louis, Mo., and Charles- town, S. C, where the manufacturers maintained exten- sive sales rooms. This manufacturing business was dis- continued in 1862 and the building was leased by John Bardsley, who later became city treasurer of Philadel- phia, and fitted up as a woolen mill. Bardsley retained possession for five years, and on the evening of October 16, 1876, the building was burned to the ground. (Con- tributed by Captain Burnet Landreth.) The Temperance War. — Back in the early fifties, the temperance question agitated the minds of our citizens and the movement became a popular one. Meetings were held in Institute Hall, which stood on the site of the present postoffice building at the corner of Radclifife and Market Streets. Thomas P. Hunt was one of the promi- nent orators of that day. Meetings were also held in a tent on Radcliffe Street, where the Algonquin clubhouse is located. Wanger, the Poughkeepsie blacksmith, charmed the people with his eloquence. Twenty-five years later the "old grove," which stood on Pond Street, above DeWitt's greenhouses, was the scene of many meetings held in the interest of the temperance cause. 178 A HISTORY OF I'.RISTOL BOROUGH. An orator named William A. Lafferty was active in the work. In the winter of 1885-6, the temperance cause de- veloped its greatest strength. The W. C. T. U. brought suit against a citizen for illegally selling liquor, and he was promptly convicted. While giving attention to the prosecution of this suit, the ladies were apprised of the applications for license on file from other parties, against three of whom they had evidence of violation of the law. and promptly had the j^roper remonstrances prepared and presented to the court. It being apparent that the court was inclined to deal harshly with those found guilty of violation of the liquor laws, the hotel and saloon keepers, through their attor- ney, B. F. Gilkeson, Esq., solicited the consideration of the ladies, to a proposition in the shape of a pledge of the saloon keepers to obey the law, in consideration of which the remonstrances were asked to be withdrawn and no further prosecutions instituted for past offences. Fol- lowing is a copy of the pledge : "We, the undersigned licensed dealers in spirituous, vinous, malt and brewed liquors, in the Borough of Bristol, County of Bucks, and State of Pennsylvania, do hereby agree as follows : First. That we will close and keep closed our respective bar- rooms and saloons on Sunday, and will sell no liquor of any kind whatever to any person or persons, nor suffer the same to be sold or given away upon our respective premises to any persons on Sunday. Second, That we will sell no liquor, either spirtuous, vinous, malt or brewed, to any person under 21 years of age, nor suffer or permit any such person to be given any of the said liquors upon our respective premises. Third, That we will close our respective places of business every night at 12 o'clock and not permit the same to be opened until sunrise the next day. Fourth, That no pool table shall be permitted upon our re- spective premises, nor shall any game of chance be played either for drinks or otherwise in our respective places of business. Fifth, That those of us who do buisness under a restaurant license will sell no whiskey, gin, brandy, or other spirituous liquor to any person or persons nor permit the same to be sold or given away at our places of business. A HISTORY OF BRISTOL BOROUGH. I79 Sixth, That we shall sell no liquor of any kind to any person visibly intoxicated, or of known intemperate habits, nor will we sell liquors of any kind to any person after receiving notice not to sell from such person or persons who by law give such notice. Seventh, That in all other respects we will faithfully obey the laws relating to the sale of liquor. Eighth, That any violation of this agreement upon the part of any one of us, which shall come to the knowledge of any of the subscribers hereto, shall be at once reported to our attor- ney to be dealt with according to law. In witness whereof we have hereunto set our hands and seals this sixth day of February, A. D., 1886. This pledge was signed by all the proprietors of licensed places in the borough, except three, one of whom was tried before the court, and being found guilty, the license was transferred to another person. The ladies of the W. C. T. U. were reluctant to entertain the propo- sition, but upon the advice of their attorney, Henry Lear, of Doylestown, finally decided to do so, upon the ground that it secured them all they could hope to obtain, if the cases were continued, and would place them in a strong position for the future, without compromising anything. In more recent years the temperance question has be- come a political issue, and has injected itself into the elec- tion of state assemblymen, who favor the passage of a local option law. A History of Bristol's Physicians Down to 1854. — From writings by the late William Kinsey, we are able to obtain some interesting information about Bristol's old- time physicians. Mr. Kinsey, in a newspaper article of long ago, says : "There is no record that gives any account of the names of the first physicians who practiced medicine in Bristol. I have heard my grandparents, who were amongst the early settlers, speak of Dr. John Abraham de Normandie practicing in their early days, and said he was their family physician. They spoke of him as a man of dis- tinguished ability. He emigrated with his father from Geneva, in the year 1706, and settled in Bristol. They were descendants of a distinguished family in France, l8o A HISTORY OF BRISTOL BOROUGH. and being Huguenots, fled to America to escape perse- cution. Their remains lie in the Episcopal graveyard, Bristol. An interesting account of the family is given in Davis' History of Bucks County. He was supposed to be the first regular physician that settled in the county. "Dr. William Mcllvain practiced as early as 1748. He was a brother of Bishop Mcllvain and had an extensive practice; he also had a brother Joseph, who held a com- mission in the army. His father sent him to Edinburg to finish his education. His remains lie in the Episcopal graveyard, Bristol. "Dr. Wm. Hewston practiced previous to the Revolu- tionary War, removed to Philadelphia, and became one of the prominent physicians of the city. "Dr. Joseph P. Minick practiced as early as 1770. He was the founder of the Bath Springs, and built the large bath house in 1807, for the accommodation of his patients who came from all parts of the country for the benefit of the chalybeate water, which in that day was considered the best for curing diseases of any mineral water that had yet been discovered in the country. Bristol in that day became a great resort for invalids from all parts (even from the West Indies), who professed to have been cured by the use of the waters. The doctor sold the property and removed to Ohio. "Dr. Amos Gregg came to Bristol from Middletown previous to the year 1785. He was considered a reliable physician and had an extensive and successful practice. He built the house now belonging to R. Trudgon, in Mill Street, which was then the largest and finest mansion in the borough. He was several times elected to the office of councilman and chief burgess, and filled many offices of trust and responsibility. His practice amongst Friends, of which society he was a member, was very extensive. He died in 1817, having accumulated a large amount of property. "Dr. John S. Mitchell studied medicine vinder Dr. Wil- son, of Buckingham ; came to Bristol in 1817, married a Bristol lady and practiced about a year, and then moved to Hulmeville. where he had a large practice. He was frequently called upon to consult with physicians in the J A HISTORY OF BRISTOL BOROUGH. l8l neighborhood in extreme and dangerous cases. He was looked upon as a man of more than ordinary abilities; though slow in his movements he was generally success- ful in his practice. In 1840, he moved to Cape May Coun- ty, N. J., and shortly after died there. "Dr. Henry Desborough came to Bristol from Philadel- phia about the year 1800. He brought testimonials from the Humane Society of having restored to life a boy who was drowned in the Schuylkill after being in the water three-quarters of an hour. He was a man of fine appear- ance and of excellent elementary education, was consid- ered the best surgeon in the county and had nearly all the practice in that line. He was fond of good horses,- kept a pack of hounds, and was prominent in the sports of his day. He was fond of a good joke and played many on the boys who came under his treatment whom he sus- pected of robbing his fruit trees. On one occasion a boy suspected of steaHng his plums went to his office to have a tooth extracted. The doctor seated him, applied the forceps, then with his arm around his head to keep him from getting away he gave them a twist, when the boy gave a yell — another twist and another yell, the boy struggling to get away. The doctor said : "You are the boy who stole my plums." When he promised to do so no more, he drew the tooth and the boy went out of the office breathing threatenings against the doctor. He re- mained unmarried until about two years previous to his death, which took place in 1823. He was greatly respect- ed by the people for his liberality towards the poor. "Dr. John Phillips was born in Lawrenceville, N. J., in 1790, studied medicine with Dr. Smith in New Bruns- wick, graduated at the University of Pennsylvania, and came to Bristol in 1812 and began the practice of medi- cine. He was a man of fine personal appearance, being over six feet in height. He married Deborah, daughter of Dr. Amos Gregg, who for many years was one of the leading physicians of the borough. She was a lady of refinement and noted for her benevolence. Dr. Phillips was highly educated in the science of medicine and was eminently successful in clinical practice. As a physician, he obtained great distinction, devoting himself with un- l82 A HISTORY OF BRISTOL BOROUGH. remitting" zeal for nearly a half century to the duties of a very extensive practice, during which he was called upon to treat cases of unusual character. During the epidemic that prevailed in Bristol and vicinity in 1823, which baffled the efforts of physicians in their treatment of its victims, so alarming was its effects upon the people that the Board of Health, with many physicians from Phila- delphia, visited Bristol to make examinations into the character and effects on its victims. ^During the preva- lence of the disease, for upwards of four weeks, the doc- tor's practice extended into the townships of Bensalem, IMiddletown, Falls, Morrisville and Bristol. Great was the joy of the people when the epidemic passed away, the cause of which was never satisfactorily accounted for. The doctor made as many as sixty visits in twenty-four hours. He was frequently called upon to consult with physicians in extreme cases. He was positive in his con- victions, and had no sympathy with any man who prac- ticed medicine under any other diploma than that issued by the faculty of the University of Pennsylvania. He held many offices of honor and trust in the borough and under the general government, succeeded in securing a large amount of property from his practice, and died in 1861 in the seventy-second years of his age, greatly lamented. The doctor treated a case during his practice that gave him great prominence in the higher circles of society. Joseph Bonaparte, the brother of the great Napoleon, who possessed successively the crowns of Naples and Spain, whilst living in his splendid mansion at Point Breeze, N. J., in making a visit to his friend, Major Lenox, residing in Bristol, was accidentally thrown from his carriage opposite the Coates' farm (now D. Landreth & Sons), and was seriously injured. The doctor b.ad been visiting his jjatients near Tullytown, and returning he overtook the ex-king, who was sitting by the roadside unable to rise. He lifted him into his buggy and drove to the Delaware House. Under the doctor's treatment he recovered so as to be able to return home the same eve- ning. A day or two afterwards the doctor received a let- ter from the count in which was enclosed a $100 note, with thanks for the kindness he had received. Shortly 1 A HISTORY OF BRISTOL BOROUGH. 183 after another remembrance came — a beautiful steel en- graved likeness of the great Napoleon, handsomely framed, which is now in the possession of one of the doc- tor's grandchildren. "Dr. Henry Lippincott came to Bristol about the year 1838. He taught school in the Friends' Meeting House, a year or more, and then commenced the study of medi- cine with Dr. John Phillips. After graduating he re- mained in Bristol a short time, then removed to Fall- sington, where, after many years of successful practice, he died. "Dr. Somers came to Bristol in 1823 from Philadelphia, to attend the patients of Dr. Desborough, who was taken sick and died in September of that year. Shortly after he bought the property occupied by Dr. Desborough and commenced practice. Although considered a good phy- sician he did not succeed, and after a residence of five or six years returned to Philadelphia. "Dr. Samuel McClellan came to Bristol in 1824. He practiced here about two years and returned to Philadel- phia, where he built up a good practice. He was greatly admired for the genial manner in which he met his patrons. He died in the prime of life, leaving a large circle of friends to mourn the loss of a young man who bid fair to be a valuable acquisition to the medical fra- ternity. He was a brother of the widely known and celebrated surgeon, George B. McClellan. During his short stay in Bristol, he had a case of accidental shooting which the physicians said was very skilfully and success- fully managed. A guard on one of the mail coaches be- tween Philadelphia and New York, in dismounting from his seat, accidentally discharged his pistol, one ball enter- ing his face below the eye and the other his neck. The doctor extracted the ball from the neck and the man recovered. Some three years later the ball that entered his face was taken out of his throat. "Dr. Edward Swain was the son of Benjamin Swain, whose ancestors were among the early settlers of the county. He studied medicine with Dr. Phillips, gradu- ated in 1833, commenced practice shortly after, became popular, and was generally successful in the treatment of 184 A HISTORY OF BRISTOL BOROUGH. his patients. But he, like a great many young men of promise, was suddenly cut off in the midst of life. On the fourth day of July, 1839, he accepted an invitation to take an excursion to Philadelphia on the steamboat Bur- lington. Shortly after the boat left Burlington she was run into by the steamer Pilot Boy. The doctor being in a side room at the time, was crushed to death and fell into the river. It was many days before his body was recovered. Thus died a young man of bright prospects, leaving a widow and three children to mourn the loss of a kind husband and affectionate father. "Dr. W'm. Bessonett was a son of John Bessonett, who kept the Delaware House for upwards of forty years. He studied medicine with Dr. Physic, of Philadelphia, in 1823. After his graduation he practiced two years in Bristol, when he emigrated to New Albany, Miss., through the persuasion of a resident of that place, where he succeeded in securing a good practice. "Dr. Benjamin Tomlinson was a son of Henry Tomlin- son, an old resident of Bristol. He studied medicine with Dr. John Phillips in 1826, graduated with distinguished honor, remained in Bristol a year, and then removed to South Amboy, N. J., where he became noted for his suc- cess in the treatment of malignant fevers. He died in 1835 greatly and deservedly lamented. "Dr. Reynold Coates came to Bristol from Philadelphia in the year 1838. He was a younger brother of the cele- brated Dr. Coates, who was for many years connected with the Pennsylvania Hospital. He was an educated and talented man, with pleasant and agreeable manners, but did not succeed in his practice. His wife was the daughter of a Philadelphia merchant who spent much money on her education. She was gay and giddy and was the first woman in Bristol to appear on the streets in bloomer costume. Being short in stature, she did not make a favorable appearance, and was severely criti- cized by the women of the borough. Some said she must be fond of showing her extremities, and others that she wanted to attract the attention of the men, of whom she was very fond. The doctor, finding his practice decreas- ing, moved to Camden, where he succeeded in obtaining A HISTORY OF BRISTOL BOROUGH. 185 a large and lucrative business. His wife died shortly after leaving Bristol. "Dr. E. B. Dodson came to Bristol in the year 1836 from Philadelphia. He graduated at the University of Penn- sylvania, was well educated in the science of medicine, and was successful in treating his patients, but not suc- ceeding financially he returned to Philadelphia, where he died in 1861. "Dr. L. V. Rousseau came to Bristol in the year 1848 from Bridgewater, Bensalem Township. He was the son of the celebrated French physician, Joseph B. Rousseau, of Philadelphia, who studied medicine and graduated in France, practiced some time in San Domingo, and re- moved to Philadelphia, where he became noted for his success in his treatment of extreme cases. He owned and occupied a beautiful residence in Bensalem Township, on the banks of the Delaware, known as the Clock House, in which he kept a light burning at night to warn watermen of the rocks located in the river in front of his house. He was much esteemed by his neighbors. Dr. L. V. Rosseau studied medicine with his father and graduated at the University of Pennsylvania. He was a man of excellent education and agreeable manners, and had an extensive practice in medicine and surgery, in which he was very successful in his treatment. He married the granddaugh- ter of Captain John Green, who lived in Bristol Town- ship, on the banks of the Neshaminy, and who was cap- tain of the first ship that carried the American flag to China. The doctor had the confidence and esteem of his fellow-citizens in matters pertaining to everyday life. He built the beautiful residence at the corner of Cedar and Mulberry Streets. He died in 1876, having practiced twenty-eight years in Bristol. His great success was in the treatment of typhoid fevers — seldom losing a case. He was a prominent member of Bristol Lodge, No. 25, F. & A. M., having passed the chairs with honor, and ad- vanced in the higher degrees. "Dr. Joseph Pease came to Bristol from Philadelphia in 1836. He was a young man, well educated, a descendant of a wealthy family in the city who spent their summers in Bristol, which place was thought by his friends to be l86 A HISTORY OF BRISTOL BOROUGH. a good place to commence his medical labors in. But alas ! all their hopes were blasted by his sudden death, which was the result of an imprudent act on his part. One very warm day, while suffering from the heat he went into the cellar to cool off — was stricken with a chill, and died the next day. "There was a Dr. Hagerman and a Dr. Brent who came to Bristol between the years 1835 and 1840, neither of whom remained long enough to establish a medical repu- tation. From whence they came or whither they went, I am unable to say. "Dr. Augustus Guerard came to Bristol about the year 1838. He was from Savannah, Ga., attended lectures and graduated in Philadelphia. He was associated in practice with Dr. John Phillips for several years, and was considered a safe and reliable physician. He married the daughter of David Swain, an old and much respected citi- zen of Bristol. He built the house now owned by Mrs. Clemens, on Radcliffe Street, and resided there at the time of his death, which took place in 1859. He was a good citizen and a worthy man. "Dr. Benjamin jMalone came to Bristol from Bucking- ham, in 1845. He practiced until 1849, when he was elected to the state senate for three years. After the ex- piration of his term he removed to Philadelphia and died there. During his stay in Bristol he made many friends, was generally successful in practice, which, though not large, was amongst the best families in the borough. As a citizen, he was active in all movements for the pros- perity of the borough and the elevation of human charac- ter. During the rebellion he received the appointment of purser in the army, which he held during the war. His failing health was the cause of his giving up practice. "Dr. E. B. Buckman came to Bristol in 1849 ^"^1 pur- chased the practice of Dr. Malone. He remained till 1856, when he removed to Byberry, and from there to Phila- delphia. In 1863 he was professionally in the military service, on the field and in charge of hospitals until the close of the war, after which he resumed practice in Phil- adelphia, where he became prominent as professor in surgery and physiology in the Philadelphia University; A HISTORY OF BRISTOL BOROUGH. 187 subsequently a professor of physiology in the Penn Medical University. During his residence in Bristol he made many friends. His practice was principally amongst the Society of Friends, of which he was a member, "Dr. Wm. Phillips came from Lawrenceville, N. J., studied medicine with Dr. John Phillips, graduated at the University of Pennsylvania in 1844, married the daughter of Dr. Phillips, and commenced to practice with him. He was a young man of talent, integrity and zeal; his useful life was of short duration. He died in 1854 greatly and deservedly lamented. He built and occupied the house now the residence of Dr. E. J. Groom, on Mill Street. "Dr. Henry Dorrance came to Bristol in 1850, from Philadelphia, remained two years, removed to Burling- ton, N. J., remained but a short time, and returned to the city. He was a young man of talent, well educated, prepossessing and gentlemanly in his intercourse with the people. The community being so well supplied with older phjlbicians, but little opportunity was offered to test his medical skill. "Dr. James L. Pierce was the son of Cyrus Pierce, an old and much respected citizen of Bristol. He commenced practice in 1854, was a young man of talent, excellent education and agreeable manners. He married the daughter of Garrett and Lydie Lukens, of Bristol, and was distinguished for his integrity and zeal in his pro- fession, was greatly confided in by his fellow citizens and was securing a fine practice when he fell a victim to that fell destroyer, consumption, and died in the prime of life greatly and deservedly lamented. "Amongst the noted persons who studied medicine in Bristol was Mrs. James Anderson, who came from Con- necticut in 1837 to take charge of the female department of the common school. Her maiden name was Anna Smith. She was a young lady of fine education and a successful teacher. She married James Anderson, prin- cipal of the grammar department of the school. They were the first teachers in the public school. She gradu- ated about the year 1850, remained in Bristol some time, 13 l88 A HISTORY OF BRISTOL BOROUGH. was successful in the treatment of her cases, and removed to Rah way, N. J. "Bristol has been the resort of man}- eminent men in the medical profession who spent their summers in the borough for the benefit derived from the use of its min- eral waters. Among the number I remember the name of Dr. Mead, of Philadelphia, who brought with him a fine span of horses and an elegant barouche. He boarded at the Delaware House, which in that day was considered the best hotel between Philadelphia and New York ; Dr. Pollock, who came from North Carolina, who was the owner of a large cotton plantation and had many slaves, one of which always accompanied him on his journeys. Dr. Prettiman, from South Carolina, with his wife and daughter, who always traveled in his own conveyance. Dr. Wynn and his son, of New York, boarded at the Cross Keys ; they both fell victims to death from indiges- tion brought on by partaking of large quantities of huckleberries and cream, of which they were very fond, just before going to bed. The father was found dead in bed, and the son died the next day. Dr. Gill^. a French surgeon in Bonaparte's army, who was with him in his campaign in Egypt, after Bonaparte's downfall came to America and married the daughter of a Philadelphia merchant named Fricke. He bought the Bath Springs and moved to Bristol in 1820, and remained several years, when he sold the property and returned to Philadelphia. During his stay here he was frequently called upon to consult with the physicians of the borough in surgical cases. "Dr. James de Normandie. son of Dr. John, moved to Bristol, remained two years and then removed to Ohio. Dr. James married a daughter of M. Yardley, settled in Falls Township and had a very fine practice. "Among the noted men was the celebrated Dr. Ben- jamin Rush, who was born in Byberry, Philadelphia County, who wrote an interesting article on the medical properties of the mineral waters at Bath Springs in 1770, which was i:)ublished in the Philadelphia papers of that period. "In olden times, at the commencement of the lectures \ A HISTORY OF BRISTOL BOROUGH. 189 in the University of Pennsylvania, there would be great fear on the part of the people that their dead would be stolen from their graves to supply the students with sub- jects for dissection. Many persons employed men to watch the graves of their relatives to prevent desecration by the body snatchers. A wag wrote the following lines and posted them on the gate at the entrance of one of the graveyards in Philadelphia, which caused much excite- ment on the part of the incredulous : "The Body-Snatchers have come And made a snatch at me. It's very hard these kind of men Won't let a body be. Don't go to weep upon my grave, And think that there I be ; They haven't left an atom there Of my anatomy." Charles Burleigh, the Abolitionist, Denied the Right of Free Speech. — In 1839, Charles Burleigh, the celebrated abolition lecturer, visited Bristol by invitation from the anti-slavery men, to deliver a lecture on "American Slavery." Application was made to the board of directors for permission to hold the meeting in the public school house, which was granted. Notice was published that the meeting would be held on Sabbath afternoon at 2 o'clock. As soon as the people learned that Burleigh was an abolitionist, they became greatly excited. Notices were posted calling on all good citizens to meet at the town hall, Saturday evening, to take such action in the matter as may be deemed necessary to prevent the meet- ing from being held in the public school house. A large number of citizens were present. Speeches were made denouncing the board of school directors for their action in the matter. A resolution calling on all good citizens to be present and prevent Burleigh from lecturing in the school house was passed. As early as 10 o'clock on Sun- day morning the people began to flock up Wood Street to the school house. A committee was appointed to guard the entrance to the house. By 2 o'clock a crowd of 300 persons had assembled, many of them under the influence of liquor, who made violent and noisy demon- 190 A HISTORY OF BRISTOL BOROUGH. strations against the abolitionist. As soon as Burleigh and his friends made their appearance the mob made a rush for the gate. When he, accompanied by Joseph Warner and Cyrus Pierce, attempted to enter, they were pushed back into the street. A second and third attempt was made, but with no better success. In the scuffle. Friend Warner was thrown to the ground and received severe bruises. Some of the better class cried shame and rushed in to prevent any further violence to Burleigh and his friends. Gilbert Tomlinson, president of the board of school directors, made a speech denouncing the action of the mob. He said the demonstration should have been made by remonstrance to the board of directors against granting the use of the school house to Burleigh. That on a former occasion they had granted the use of the house to the Colonization Society and no objection had been made on the part of the citizens. He contended both sides ought to be heard, for the information of the people on the most effectual means for the emancipation of the slave. Some of the rowdy part of the crowd cried out that no abolitionist should lecture in the public school house. Friend Warner said they had acted in good faith in the matter. They had made application to the board of directors for the use of the house for Charles Burleigh to deliver a lecture on slavery, and it had been granted. He thought they should have been permitted to occupy it for that purpose, but as there was so much opposition on the part of those present, they would retire to the Friends' Meeting House. He invited all to come and hear the speaker. About half the crowd followed and the meeting house was crowded. Burleigh spoke for two hours on the evil of slavery and the slave trade. Many of his hearers, who were opposed to his speaking in the school house, said they regretted the occurrences of the day and desired that he be' invited to deliver another lecture on the same subject. A series of meetings were provided for, and Charles Burleigh for several years held his meetings without molestation. He moved his family to Bristol during the two years he re- mained. He frequently addressed the people. His con- gregations were large and respectable. Many who op- A HISTORY OP BRISTOL BOROUGH. IQI posed his lecturing in the school house became his warm- est friends. His intercourse with the people and his open, manly demonstrations against the evils of slavery did much in creating a strong anti-slavery sentiment in the minds of the citizens of Bristol and vicinity. From the late William Kinsey's memoirs, we learn that the president of the school board was a local preacher in the Methodist Church, and that when the quarterly con- ference considered the renewal of his license, objections were made to the passing of his character on the ground that he was in sympathy with the Abolitionists, and had made a speech in favor of one Charles Burleigh, speak- ing in the public school house on the subject of "Ameri- can Slavery." It was charged in the quarterly conference that the brother, by his speech and action in the matter, had aided in a breach of the peace and desecration of the Lord's Day, and there was much feeling manifested on the part of the members, some contending that the bro- ther had not been guilty of any impropriety in what he had said or done on that occasion. If he believed slavery was an evil he had a right to say so. He had the authori- ties of the church to sustain him. He had never brought the matter before the church in any speeches, therefore this conference had no right to deprive him of his license. During the discussion the Elder asked the brother if he believed that slavery was a sin under all circumstances. He replied, that, as he must give an account to God of all he said and did, he believed that slavery was a sin against the laws of God and humanity. The elder said he would not renew the license of any man who entertained such sentiments, and also declined to put the question. Some of the brethren contended that the motion to pass his character and renew his license was properly before the conference and demanded a vote. The elder said there was no necessity for a vote on passing his character, as he would not P^ive him a license. There was much ex- citement and bitter controversy on the subject. The bro- ther with his family withdrew from the church. Public School No. 2. — In 1852 the school house on Wood Street being inadequate to accommodate the chil- 192 A HISTORY OF HRISTOL BOROUGH. dren of the town, measures were taken to provide for another building. A lot situated on the east side of Otter Street, known as the "Baptist lot," was purchased at a cost of v$400. In 1853 ^^^ ^ct of Assembly was obtained, which allowed the directors to borrow $3,000, and to create a sinking fund for the extinguishment of the debt within fifteen years. A tax of $2,800 was also levied for OLl) OTTER STRKET PUBLIC SCHOOL, NOW MOHICAN HALL. the purpose of paying the balance of claims and for cur- rent expenses of the school year. The building commitee consisted of J. D. Alendenhall, E. D. Buckman and L. M. Wharton. Edmund Lawrence's bid of $4,400 was ac- cepted. The corner stone was laid with imposing cere- A HISTORY OF BRISTOL BOROUGH. I93 monies in July, 1853. The l)uilding was not completed until the spring of 1854. A primary grade school was opened in the lower room in September, 1854, with Sarah H. Davis as principal and Matilda Swift as assistant. On January i, 1855, a school was opened in the upper story to accommodate the boys who were employed on the canal and could only attend school in the winter. It was to continue from month to month as the board might direct. Samuel A. Wharton was employed as teacher, at a salary of $25.00 per month, payable the next summer. In July, 1856, the board found itself deadlocked over the election of an assistant teacher for the primary grade, and remained so for two months. In September, when the schools opened, the increasing demand for seats made necessary the employment of two assistant teach- ers, instead of one. In this manner the deadlock was broken and Sarah J. Repsher and Phebe Hibbs were elected. In later years a secondary department was established in the upper story with Miss Repsher as principal. After the completion of the Bath Street school building in 1881, this building was sold to Mohican Tribe, No. 127, I. O. of R. M., and is now known as Mohican Hall. In Bache's history of Bristol, published in 1853, we find the following description of the building "School House No. 2 is a handsome Gothic structure, of light sandstone, built in broken range work, and paint- ed in wdiite ; finished with a cupola; in all, constituting one of the handsomest public buildings in the town. It contains all the modern improvements for ventilation and heating. Its dimensions are 53 by 35 feet ; two stories high. The interior arrangement is for a school room 32 by 36 feet, and a class room 13 by 18 feet, in each story; also two entrances and stairways, as a means of egress in case of accident, such as has occurred at various times in Philadelphia and New York." It was in this building that the author received the rudiments of an education. Around the old school house still cluster many pleasant memories. The following lines, simple and crude as they may be, will no doubt awaken in the minds of many old time schoolmates, memories long since forgotten. 194 A HISTORY OF ItKlSTOL BOROUGH. School Day Memories. In memory I travel back, To happ3^ days of yore. And roam about in childish glee, Just as I did before. The faces of mj' old schoolmates, Again with joy I see, While some now gone to Heaven's shore Seem beckoning to me. The old school house with peaked roof. Is standing just the same, But some I met within its walls. Now tread the paths of fame. In memory I see again, The wooden pump so dear; That stood inside the old schoolyard — So often out of gear. The old forge too, I can behold With all its dirt and grime, Its chimney tall, but not so high. But what we boys can climb. Methinks I see, as oft before. A schoolmate climbing high. While we. his comrades, stand below, 'Waiting- our turn to try. Old Bunker Hill, that garden spot. Where Mother Fiddle ruled. And kept a gun to scare us boys. So often was she fooled. And Otter's Creek just where it bends, I walk down to its brim; And view again that sacred spot. Where we boys learned to swim. Beside the schoolyard tall and straight. In majesty supreme. I see that dear old buttonwood tree. Of which I often dream. Its spreading branches shelter me. As in the daj's of yore, 1 cut the punk from its gaping side. As I often did before. A HISTORY OF BRISTOL BOROUGH. I95 The old marsh too, with all its mud Attracts my earnest gaze, For I cannot forget its charm, Through all my passing days. But what is that? A crowd of boys, The ice is weak and thin, And Fred breaks through; but Joe is brave, And quietly pulls him in. Again the scene is changed once more, The schoolyard I behold. While underneath my feet there runs, A sewer small and cold. The boys are linmg up the same. And I cannot resist. So take my place along with them. The last upon the list. Then down upon our hands and knees. We all begin to crawl. And through the sewer one by one, We squirm with many a bawl. From Otter Street to the railroad tracks. We pass beneath the ground. And quickly emerge on Goslin's side With one triumphant bound. And thus again as in a dream. Those happy days I see. As God in wonder turns for me. The pages of memor3^ Each dear familiar spot to me. Has some particular charm, As o'er the well-known paths I tread, With playmates arm in arm. I hear the merry laughter of My schoolmates at their play. And join again in childhood's games. As in those early days. But suddenly a shadow comes. Like some bloodthirsty knave, As I behold the forms of those Long silent in the grave. 196 A HISTORY OF BRISTOL BOROUGH. O, memory; thou fickle thing, To tease the minds of men, And from the heights of ecstacy To dash them down again. • So now since thou hast sought to clothe, My thoughts in sombre mood, I'll ask release, and thank thee well. Our walk has done me good. Bristol Fire Company No. i. — The action which led to the organization of Bristol Fire Company No. i, was prompted by two disastrous fires, one of which consumed Albernathy's storehouse on the canal basin, and the other the frame houses on Mill Street, near Radcliffe. At its first meeting-, held in the Town Hall, on March 10, 1857, a committee consisting of H. G. Stelwagon, C. W. Peirce. Jr., Dr. J. D. Mendenhall, L. A. Hoguet'^and A. L. Packer, was appointed to make inquiry relative to the purchase of an apparatus. This committee succeeded in raising $1,800 by public subscription and placed an order with John Agdew, of Philadelphia, to build a new fire engine, to cost $950, and be completed in six months. The com- mittee also ordered 500 feet of leather hose. ]\Ir. Agdew kindly loaned the company a second-hand engine until the new one was completed. At the same meeting the committee was authorized to purchase a lot at the corner of Wood and Market Streets, of Ellen Johnson, for $600, upon which to erect an engine house. Subsequently a hose carriage was purchased for $400. It was an antique affair, consisting of a reel, supported by two heavy wheels, with a short tongue or pole to which the rope was attached. The first officers of the company were Lucius H. Scott, president; A. L. Packer, vice president; E. D. Buckman, secretary ; J. K. Wildman, assistant secretary ; Louis A- Hoguet, treasurer, and H. G. Stelwagon, C. W. Peirce, Jr.,'H. L. Strong, R. W. Brooks, Joseph B. Bailey. I. S. Tomlinson, W. S. Sulger, John Vanzant, El wood Doron, Samuel S. Rue, Edward C. Brudon, Valentine Booz, Xathan A. Gaskill, Chas. C. Douglass and Robert Pat- terson as directors or engineers. At the meeting of July A HISTORY OF BRISTOL BOROUGH. I97 7th, a committee reported that the charter had been re- ceived and was in the possession of the treasurer. On December 23rd, the new engine arrived and the members gave a short street parade in order to show it to the people, after which a demonstration of its working quahties was given, which proved entirely satisfactory. The first fire at which the new engine was in service, occurred about 12 o'clock on Thursday night, March i8th, 1858. when a frame stable belonging to Jacob Poole was entirely consumed at a loss of $600. On the same night a frame dwelling and stable owned by J. ]\Ierrick Brown, was burned and also two houses, owned by John Davis and Robert Sanderson were partly destroyed. The en- gine was in service for three hours and threw two streams of water constantly. In 1868 the members became disheartened over the apathy in the community, with regard to the support of the company, and a special meeting was called to con- sider the advisability of handing over the engine to the borough authorities, but it was reported at this meeting that council expressed a willingness to assist in defraying the expenses of the company, and the members gained fresh courage, deciding to struggle on in the good work. Several disastrous fires occurred this year, notably St. Mark's Roman Catholic Church, Wm. Young's hay press, the Farmers' Hotel stables on Bath Street, Budd Doble's training stables and the Bristol Woolen Mfg. Co.'s mill. In February, 1872, ninety-two new members were elected to membership. A new era appeared to be estab- lished and on March 5th the committee reported that they had purchased the hose carriage formerly owned by the Diligent Hose Company, of Philadelphia, for $500, and 800 feet of new leather hose at 75 cents per foot. The carriage and hose had been housed on February 21st and taken out for exhibition and parade on Washington's birthday. The agitation for the purchase of a steamer began in July, 1872, and in a short time $2,000 were raised by sub- scription. On October ist, the order was placed for a third size Silsby steam fire engine, to be delivered in thirty days. On the arrival of the steamer a parade was 198 A HISTORY Of BRISTOL BOROUGH. held, the steamer being drawn by the horses of Good Will Fire Company, of Trenton, which were kindly loaned for the occasion. The steamer cost $5,000, and was paid for by a cash payment of $2,000, a note of $i,t8o at one year, note of $1,120 at two years and a note of $1,060 at three years, and John R. Boyd was elected engineer. The bell was purchased in 1873, having been formerly the Union Street Station bell at Philadelphia, weighing 1,423 pounds. In 1874, at a fire at the canal stables, on the property of Joseph Allen, the steamer was damaged by having the smoke stack and headlight torn ofif by striking the trestle under the railroad bridge, but by the substitu- tion of a flour barrel for the smoke stack, good service was done and the injury was repaired after reaching the engine house. On October 6, 1874, the use of the meeting room was granted to W. H. P. Hall and others for the purpose of organizing a new hose company. This Avas the first step in the formation of America Hose, Hook and Lad- der Company No. 2, and was followed by formally rent- ing the room to that company free of charge, and the loan to them of the Fame hose carriage, previously bought of Dr. Schenck, with a line of hose. This hose carnage was afterwards sold to the new company and 500 feet of hose was presented to them to fill the reel. On February 13, 1875, the members attended the trial of the first fire plug in the town, one having been placed at the comer of Radclifife and Walnut Streets by the newly organized Bristol Water Company, and also put the steamer in service from the river and from the plug, the result being very satisfactory, both as to the plug stream and the line from the steamer. The company participated in the parade at the com- pletion of the house of America Ilose, Hook and Ladder Com]>any No. 2, and attended Divine service at the M. E. Church on iuAitalion of the pastor, the Rev. J. S. Cook, on October loth. As evidence of the fact that the serv- ices of the company were appreciated by the ladies of the borough, a large and handsome flag was presented on May 4th, 1876, together with a beautiful banner of blue and gold bearing an api^ropriate inscription. A HISTORY OF BRISTOL BOROUGH. I99 On February 22nd, 1877, the hand engine which had been kept in good order and repair, was turned over to the Fire Brigade of the Bristol Woolen Mills and housed in the brigade's building with appropriate ceremonies, after a street parade, in order to afford facilities for the extinguishing of fires on the west side of the canal. The same year a wooden bell tower was erected and the bell removed from the cupola and placed in the tower. On December 6th, 1877, the company with the steamer and hose carriage took part in a parade in Burlington, cele- brating the bi-centennial of the settlement of that city. In August, 1875, permission was granted the Burgess and Town Council to place a third story upon the engine house, to be used as a council chamber. On October 22, 1882, the company took part in the parade and celebration in Philadelphia of the Bi-Centen- nial Association of the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania, and on August 8, 1885, the company's bell was tolled for the memorial service of General U. S. Grant. On March 15, 1886, a pair of horses was purchased at a cost of $500, with harness costing $25. A brick stable 33 by 24 feet, by 12 feet high, was erected and joined to the engine house. On September 15, 1887, the company took part in the Philadelphia parade in honor of the Constitutional Centennial. The team proving unremunerative, the horses were sold in April, 1888, for $350, and arrange- ments made with the fire committee of council for haul- ing the steamer to and from a fire. On July 10, 1890, the purchase of leather hose was discontinued, and 400 feet of rubber-lined canvas hose were bought. A two-wheel hose cart was bought of the Silsby Company in May, 1891, at a cost of $166.25, and a pole for drying hose was placed in the lot adjoining the building. On April 7, 1897, the fortieth anniversary of the company was duly celebrated, and the same year the company participated in a parade at the reunion of the One Hundred and Fourth Pennsylvania Volunteers, and Durrell's Battery, held in Bristol on September 16, and also housed a new hose wagon with swinging harness and other modern appurtenances. On October 21, 1899, the company responded to an 200 A HISTORY OF BRISTOL BOROUGH. in\-itation from Good Will Hose Company No. 3, to assist in the housing of their new combination hose and chemical wagon and on June 6, 1901, the com])any joined the State Fire Association. During 1903 a hose tower was erected and furnished with all necessary conveniences for drying hose. In 1904 a horse was purchased for draw- ing the hose wagon. On May 19, 1906, the company turned out to take part in the ceremony of housing the new chemical engine of Good Will Hose Company No. 3, and the raising of a flag at the Hall of Mohican Tribe, No. 127. Imp. O. of R. M. On April 8, 1907, the company celebrated its fiftieth anniversary with a banquet in Pythian Hall. Of those who constituted the company in 1857, ^^"^^ three are known to be alive today: William S. Sulger, I. S. Tom- linson and G. Morris Dorrance. During the existence of the company it has fought successfully about 300 fires. Last year (1910), the company purchased an automobile hose wagon, with chemical apparatus combined, being the first company to introduce an automobile fire ap- paratus in Bristol. Washington Hall. — This three-storied brick edifice, situated at the westerly corner of Radclifife and Walnut Streets, was erected by a subscription stock company, expressl}^ with the laudable design of supplying that much wanted desideratum — a public hall adapted to the general convenience of the people, and for the accommo- dation of the several popular societies of the day, which had s])rung into existence among the citizens of Bristol and vicinity. The first meeting which was held for the purpose of building this hall, convened June 17, 1846; and it was then proposed to confine the subscriptions to the building among the Odd Fellows (Hopkins Lodge, No. 87), for whose accommodation it was in the outset originally de- signed. But after consideration among the members, and consultation with the citizens, the proposition was modi- fied to allow any one to buy shares from the original projectors and stockholders, provided the same was first ofi^ered to Hopkins Lodge, and declined.. A HISTORY OF BRISTOL BOROUGH. 20I In 1847 the building was completed, and since then has accommodated a number of societies and organiza- tions, and for several years was the headquarters of the old Franklin Building Association, instituted November 7, 1853. April 7, 1848, the charter was granted, under which Trustees were elected annuall3^ The lower story which for many years has been the home of "The Bucks County Gazette," was in its early days a "lecture room," and was transiently rented for all purposes of public interest or pastime. Some years after the building was erected, Hopkins Lodge, No. 87, absorbed all the stock of the company and had the title transferred to them, thus winding up the afifairs of said company. Building Associations. — It is not often in a manufac- turing town that so many of the operatives own the houses they occupy as is the case in Bristol. This condi- tion of things, so desirable and necessary in every Avell- ordered community, has been brought about mainly through the agency of building and loan associations. The second organization of this character in the state, the Bristol Building Association, came into existence Febru- ary 22, 1847, when Joshua V. Buckman was elected presi- dent, Anthony Swain secretary, Robert C. Beatty trea- surer, and Lewis P. Kinsey, Charles W. Peirce, Charles T. Iredell, Walter Laing, Joshua Fell, Jonathan Milnor, John Dorrance, L. A. Hoguet and William Hauk, direc- tors. The plan was simple; the funds first realized amounted to $400, which was loaned in sums of half that much to the person ofifering the highest premium. Mort- gages on real estate and the shares of the borrower were held as collateral security. The principal and interest on the debt were paid in monthly instalments of one dollar a share and one dollar for every two hundred borrowed. This association was closed in 1859. Two others had, meanwhile, come into existence, the "Franklin" and the "Union." The former was organized November 7, 1853. with Anthony Swain secretary and Robert C. Beatty treasurer. The "Union" was established about the same time with Andrew Gilkeson secretary. The "Home" and 202 A HISTORY OF BRISTOL BOROUGH. "Cottage" building associations were started in 1867 and 1870 respectively, the principal promoters being William Hank, L. A. Hoguet and Samuel Swain. The Bristol Building Association was incorporated in December, 1866, having organized August 6th the previous year with William Hauk, president ; J. V. Buckman, secretary, and L. A. Hoguet, treasurer. The Union Building and Loan Association was organized June 8, 1874, with the following officers : President, Jonathan Milnor ; secre- tary, Samuel Swain ; treasurer, Charles T. Iredell. The Fidelity Building Association was organized February 8, 1885, and incorporated Alarch 26, 1885. Original offi- cers: President, James Wright; secretary, A. Weir Gil- keson; treasurer, Robert W. Rogers. This was the first association in Bristol to adopt the instalment plan of paying premiums. The Merchants and Mechanics' Building Association was organized October 21, 1885, with Charles W. Peirce president, John C. Stuckert, sec- retary and Dr. Howard Pursell treasurer. The "Bristol," "Union," "Fidelity" and "Merchants and INIechanics'," are in active and prosperous operation at the present time. A New Charter Obtained for the Borough. — At a gen- eral town meeting, held July 26, 1850, Samuel Allen, Dr. Benjamin Malone, Andrew W. Gilkeson, Anthony Swain, William H. Swift, Isaac Van Horn, Pugh Dungan, Wil- liam M. Downing, Gilbert Tomlinson and William Bache were constituted a committee to prepare a draft of a new charter, which, with slight amendments, was passed by the legislature and approved February 15, 1851. It in- creased the number of councilmen to nine, but abolished the office of second burgess. The burgess and council, in meeting on the 25th of February, 1853, took into con- sideration the propriety of asking such amendments in the borough charter as shall secure to the corporation the power and control in opening and extending streets, and the jurisdiction of the port in building and extending wharves and landings. It was determined that these privileges should be asked; and an Act was passed at the session of 1853, giving burgess and council the necessary A HISTORY OF BRISTOL BOROUGH. 203 powers. The council was increased to ten members in 1863, and to twelve in 1878, when the borough was divid- ed into three wards for election purposes. Today it num- bers twenty members, the borough being divided into five wards. Prior to 1863 all officers were elected annually ; but subsequently the burgess and councilmen were elected for two years, two of the latter being chosen every year from each ward. Within the last few years the burgess has been elected for three years. The borough records now extant begin with the year 1 730. The official acts of the town fathers reflect much that is of interest in connection with village politics in the early history of the borough. The ferry, encroachments upon the streets, and local nuisances were the most fruitful sources of legislation. Public morals were jealously guarded. In 1769, when it appeared that crowds were accustomed to collect at the Baths on Sunday and be- come disorderly, an ordinance was passed forbidding any one to loiter in that vicinity; and in the following year the custom of collecting on the street corners was severely censured. It was disorder incident to the fairs that resulted in their discontinuance. The penalty for Sabbath-breaking was confinement in the workhouse five days at hard labor upon an allowance of bread and water. Election days were some times disorderl}-; and that this might not occur, the council decreed in 1751, that the polls should be opened at i o'clock in the afternoon and close precisely at 6 in the evening. The Bristol Gas Light Company.— The Bristol Gas Light Company was incorporated March 29, 1856, and organized with Lucius H. Scott, president, and Charles W. Peirce, secretary and treasurer. The manufacture of gas was begun July 30, 1857. Several miles of pipe have been laid and the conveniences of gas light brought with- in the reach of all. A few years ago the company sold out its interest to the Public Service Corporation of New Jersey. The price of gas at this time (1911) is $1.50 l^er 1,000 cubic feet. M 204 A HISTORY OF BRISTOIv BOROUGH. Bristol in 1853. — Wm. Bache, writing in 1853, thus summarizes Bristol's industrial and business interests at that time : "At present the greater amount of business in general storekeeping is carried on in Mill Street ; which now has twelve retail stores for the sale of groceries, provisions, clothing, dry goods and housekeeping articles generally. Besides these, there are now, on the same street, two fancy dry goods and trimming stores, two leather and shoe-finding stores, three tin and sheet iron manufac- tories, three millinery and two tailoring establish- ments, three harness manufactories, three boot and shoe makers, a grain and a saw mill, two hat manufacturers, one smith-shop, two drug and medicine stores, two tobac- conists, one soap and candle manufactory, one cabinet- ware maker, a printing office, a watchmaker and jeAveler, two bakers and one public house. "On Radclifte Street we have three or four stands for general store-keeping, one millinery and one ladies' shoe store, a confectionery, two public houses, a few shop- keepers, and a boat yard. "Bath Street is at present chiefly occupied with private residences. The property on the upper side, however, has been rendered very valuable for landings on the canal and on a small inlet of sufficient capacity to admit canal boats. Two extensive lumber and coal yards are upon this inlet, wdiich yards open on Bath Street. "On Cedar Street, one small grocery store, one black- smith shop, one wheelwright shop and a livery stable. "On Wood Street are two small grocery shops, an iron foundry, one ladies' shoe shop, one blacksmith and one ])aint shop. "On Market Street, one blacksmith shop, one ])aint shop, one cooper shop, one ladies' shoe sho]:) and two livery stables. "At Mulberry and Pond Streets is erected Hibbs, Fry and Company's machine shops for the manufacture of clover hullcrs and cleaners invented and patented ])v Jonathan Hibbs, one of the partners. Also on Mulbcrr'v street is carried on the business of grain cradle makino-. 1 A HISTORY OF BRISTOL BOROUGH. 20$ "On Walnut Street, several boot and shoe manu- factories. "On Buckley Street has recently been erected Strang & Morgan's malleable iron and tilt-hammer works, now going into active operation. The business of rope mak- ing is also carried on in this street. "In Otter Street have recently been erected one wheel- wright shop and a pump-maker's shop. Otter Street is becoming one of the most favorable localities for the erection of shops for carrying on the mechanic arts, par- ticularly such as are more generally required by our neighboring farmers. A small grocery store has recently been opened on this street, required by the rapid advance- ment in building up the lots opened for improvement in that neighborhood in 185 1. "On Linden Street is erected an extensive and complete coach, wheelwright, blacksmith, painting and coach- trimming establishment. "A large amount of the river front, and sites on the canal, are occupied by coal operators, and some portions for boat building. "Along the line of the canal, Avithin the limits of the town, are several extensive stables, smith shops, a coop- er's shop, and stores adapted to the wants of watermen." We do not claim in the above recapitulation to have noticed all the industrial pursuits of the town; while enough has been presented to give a general idea of the borough as to its business character in 1853. Disastrous Fire; How it Was Fought. — The compiler is indebted to our fellow-townsman, Charles M. Foster, for the following article which gives an interesting ac- count of one of the most disastrous fires which took place in liristol prior to the period of the Civil War : About 1 o'clock in the morning, on March 4th, 1857. the citizens of the town were awakened by the ringing of the town house bell and the cry of fire. The town was small in comparison with its size today, having about 600 houses and a population of 3,000 souls. No fire apparatus was owned by the town, and when the town house bell sounded the alarm all the men and bays re- 206 A HISTORY OF BRISTOL BOROUGH. sponded ])nimptly and with the aid of buckets assisted in extinguishing the flames. On this particular occasion, fire had broken out in the shoe store of David R. Jamson, on Mill Street, which stood on the site now occupied by Mrs. Sarah Smith. Between it and W. P. Wright's store building, which was then occupied as a trimming store by Mrs. Lydia Lukens and her two daughters, was an alley which alone saved the Lukens' home from destruction. A few days before, snow had fallen to the depth of six or eight inches, being followed by a warm rain, but on the day of the fire the weather had cleared with a strong northwest wind blowing and was very cold. The fire quickly spread to the next house on the east side, occupied by William Scull as a dwelling and oyster house, thence to the little ofBce of Joseph B. Pennington, justice of the peace, adjoining, and continued to spread to the next house, in which was kept a tobacco store by John Vanzant. Mr. Scull had in his home thirty-two silver half-dollars, which he was unable to secure on account of the rapid progress of the fire, but at the end of the conflagration, they were all found in the cellar in good condition. Bristol having no fire apparatus, water was obtained from a well which was located in the yard back of a restaurant on the opposite side of Mill Street. This pump had l)een put in order only the day before the fire by our fellow townsman, the late Joseph Tomlinson. Two lines of men were formed across Mill Street, one of which passed the full l:)nckcts and the other returned the empty ones. These men worked unceasingly until 9 o'clock in the morning, the fingers of many being almost frozen and were thawed out in warm water. ■A New York passenger train was detained at llristol station by the freezing of the sup])ly pipe which carried the water from the tender to the locomotive boiler, and the passengers were obliged to seek the Delaware House for shelter and refreshments. They were greatly aston- ished at the work accomplished by the fire fighters, with- out the aid of a fire engine. The roofs of the store prop- erty at the corner of Mill and Radcliffe Streets, adjoining the burning l)ui]flings and the Delaware ITouse were cov- A HISTORY OP BRISTOL BOROUGH. 20/ ered with frozen snow and slush, which prevented them from catching" fire. The steamboat. Thomas A. Morgan, which made daily trips to and from Philadelphia, was lying at the Mill Street wharf, and when the fire broke out Captain Jona- than Cone sent her over to Burlington for a fire engine. The Burlington firemen very kindly responded and came over with the old Fulton hand engine, not being in pos- session of a steamer. The engine was placed on the for- ward deck of the steamboat and the manhole plate on the Morgan's boiler removed and the suction pipe run into the hot water in the boiler. The fire hose was run up the hill to the fire and the water turned on, but the cold was so intense that the hose was frozen stifT, rendering it useless. All the men did noble work, however, and finally the fire was extinguished. During the fire some one broke into Nathan Tyler's store cellar, at the corner of Mill and Radclifife Streets, and carried off hams and other provisions. A few days after the fire a meeting of citizens was called and Fire Company No. i was organized. It was also decided to place an order for a fire engine and to purchase the ground upon which the present fire house now stands. The builders of the new engine kindly loaned the company a second hand engine to use until the new one was completed. A Singular Accident. — Away back in the fifties of the last century a singular railroad accident occurred at the Bristol station. The old freight depot, which stood on Pond Street, was used in those days as a sort of round- house and train shed. In close ])roximity to the southern end of the freight station stood a frame dwelling house occupied by William Stewart and his family. At a point opposite Mulberry Street, was a turn-table and the cars which entered the freight house, ran over this turntable. On the day when the accident occurred a passenger coach was standing in the freight house. Through the negli- gence of some one, the switch was left open and an ex- press train coming down from Trenton, ran through the open switch, crossed the turn-table and entering the 208 A HISTORY OF BRISTOL BOROUGH. freight house, struck the passenger coach which had been stored therein, with such foce as to drive its end through the wall of the building, across the open space and through the side of the Stewart dwelling. When the car stopped, its forward end hung suspended over the table Avhcre the Stewart family were eating their dinner. No one in the Steward home was injured, although Mrs. Steward sufifered severely from shock. The fireman and greaser of the express train, however, were seriously injured, both of whom sufifered the amputation of a foot. County Elections. — The elections for county ofificers were held at Bristol until the county seat was removed to Newtown, in 1725, when they were changed to the latter place and continued there for many years. The first division of the county into election districts was by the court in 1742, but no places were fixed for the polls. Bristol, Falls and Middletown formed the first district. The county was divided into two election districts by the act of June 14th, 1777. Bristol was included in the second district and the elections were held at Newtown. In 1794, for the greater convenience of the voters the county was divided into five election districts. Bristol, Falls and Bensalem comprised the fifth district and the elections were held in the old court house, on Cedar Street, Bristol. By 1818 all the townships in the county had become separate election districts, with the exception of Bristol Township and Borough, whose elections were held in the old court house. Caleb N. Taylor, of Bristol Township, Only Delegate From Pennsylvania, Who Voted for Abraham Lincoln, in the Republican National Convention of i860. — At the centennial anniversary celebration of the birth of Abra- ham Lincoln, held in the Colonial Theatre, February 12, 1909, by the school children of Bristol Borough, Charles E. Scott, the cashier of the Farmers' National Bank, in an address, told how in i860, Caleb N. Taylor, of Bristol Townshi]), went as a delegate to the National convention in Chicago and was the only one of all the Pennsylvania delegation who refused to be tied 1)y the unit rule and A HISTORY OF BRISTOL BOROUGH. 209 would not vote for Simon Cameron for President, but cast his vote for Abraham Lincohi, who was eventually nominated. Mr. Scott said in part: "There is a historical incident of much local interest connected with the anniversary we are celebrating today, of which probably not a half- dozen persons in this building are aware, and most of those who knew of it have forgotten long ago ; but I want to transmit it to you, young people, that you may not only bear it in mind as a matter of local pride, but that it may lead you to take a greater interest in each recur- ring anniversary of our martyred president, Avhen you know that you have a peculiar right to do so. ■'Do 3'ou know that this town and Township of Bristol, in this County of Bucks, is the only spot in all the State of Pennsylvania that can most fitly commemorate the birth of President Lincoln? When the Chicago conven- tion met in i860, to choose a nominee for the presidency of these United States, Caleb N. Taylor, of Bristol Town- ship — and I might say of Bristol Borough, for he was the largest holder of real estate in the borough ; after- wards president of our Bristol bank and our member of Congress — was selected as delegate from this Congres- sional District, then embracing the counties of Bucks and Lehigh. It was afterwards formed from Bucks County and the Twenty-third ward of Philadelphia, and was not, as at present, composed of Bucks and Montgomery coun- ties. His alternate being a gentleman from Lehigh Coun- ty, who could not attend the convention, Benjamin J. Taylor, of Bristol, was appointed alternate in his stead, and accompanied Mr. Taylor to Chicago. "When our delegate arrived in Chicago, he was attracted by a man of thoroughly western characteristics, who was looked up to by his fellows as a born leader; as a man of excellent judgment and considerable attain- ments. This man was Abraham Lincoln, of Illinois, and a number of delegates intended to place his name before the convention. After personally judging of his qualifi- cations, and diligent inquiry as to the outlook, for Mr. Taylor was a thorf)ugh investigator, and never went into anything blind, whether in politics or business, he de- 2TO A HISTORY OF liKISTOL liOKorGH. cided to vote for him when a ballot should be taken, and did so from first to last ; the entire balance of the dele- gation casting" their votes for Simon Cameron, of Penn- sylvania, though knowing full well that Cameron had not a ghost of a chance to succeed. "Therefore, I say, that this is the only spot in this whole state that was honored by having one of its citi- zens among the foremost in placing Lincoln's name be- fore the people of the United States for election to that hieh office." A HISTORY OP BRISTOL BOROUGH. 211 EPOCH VII. PERIOD OF THE CIVIL WAR. Lincoln Greeted by Bristolians. — February 21st, 1861, was a day long to be remembered in Bristol. President- elect Abraham Lincoln had left his western home a few days before, and started on his long journey to Washing- ton, via New York, Philadelphia, Harrisburg and Balti- more. The news had reached Bristol that Mr. Lincoln was in New York and would pass through here in the afternoon en route to Philadelphia. A large crowd gath- ered at the station and to their great surprise the train stopped at the depot. Surging around the rear platform of the last car, in which Mr. Lincoln and his family were riding, they made the welkin ring with their cheers for the new president. As the tall form of Lincoln appeared in the doorway, Frank Woodington, Sr., bounded up the steps of the car, and grasping the President's hand said : "Mr. Lincoln, when you get to be President, enforce the laws." Lincoln gave Woodington's hand a hearty shake and said : "That I will try to do, my friend." Wooding- ton was followed by a colored man and lastly by Gilbert Tomlinson. The train was moving as the latter gentle- man sprang to the ground, but Lincoln stood in the door- way waving his hand to the cheering crowd, until he disappeared from view. A Bristol Girl Unfurls First Confederate Flag. — In an old scrap bof)k belonging to Charles M. Foster, was found the following newspaper clipping, which shows that Miss Tyler, a daughter of Robert Tyler, who for many years was a prominent resident of Bristol, but who at the 212 A HISTORY OF BRISTOL BOROUGH. breaking out of the Civil War, left the town and cast his lot with the South, was accorded the much to be regretted privilege of unfurling the first Confederate Flag: "At a little after noon yesterday," says the Montgomery (Alabama) Advertiser, of the 6th instant (1861), "the Congress adopted a flag for the Confederacy, which may be described thus : Three bars, each in width, one-third of the de[)th of the flag; the upper and lower bars red, and the middle one white; a blue field in the upper left- hand corner, with seven stars in a circle. The secretary of the Congress was ordered to have a flag prepared and hoisted on the Capitol immediately ; and under the direc- tion of Commander Ingraham, and assisted by Lieuten- ant-Colonel Sayre, late of the United States Marine Corps, the ensign of the Federation was prepared and ready for hoisting by a little before 4 o'clock P. M., when it was run up by ^liss Tyler (a granddaughter of ex- President Tyler), in the presence of a considerable crowd. The Blues saluted the flag with seven guns, and Mr. Canning's fine band from the theatre, furnished excellent music for the occasion." Bristol's Patriotism at Sumter's Fall. — Our fellow- townsman, Charles M. Foster contributes this interesting article, in which he tells of that memorable day in Bristol, Avhen on the morning news was received of the surrender of Fort Sumter, the people gave expression to their patriotic feelings by displaying flags : "April 14, 1861, was a memorable day in Bristol. I was employed by my father, James V. Foster, in the retail dry goods and grocery business at No. 33 Mill Street. At that time my father was serving as a juryman in the United States Court at Philadelphia. T had been reading every day with much interest of the conduct of the seces- sionists in the South, and the attack on Fort Sumter and the Steamer. Star of the West, which had been sent with supplies for Major Anderson. "Being extra busy on account of father's absence, I had not looked over the morning paper, but on going out on the pavement and looking across the river towards Bur- lington, I saw the large flag flying from the Beldin Hotel, A HISTORY OF BRISTOL BOROUGH. 213 and knew it meant something out of the ordinary, as flags were not numerous and not often displayed except on Independence Day, Washington's birthday, and during political campaigns. As I stood looking at the flag, James S. Fine came along, and drawing his attention to it, I asked him if he knew what it meant. He replied : 'Yes, have you not read the morning papers yet? Major Anderson has been compelled to surrender Fort Sumter to the rebels, and people all over the land are showing their patriotism by displaying the stars and stripes.' "My young heart was stirred with the news which I had heard and immediately going to the housetop, flung my flag to the breeze. At that time few flags were owned by Bristol people and on national holidays but two were to be seen, the one on the Delaware House and the other my own. Charles E. Scott, who is cashier of the Farm- ers' National Bank, had erected a nice flag staff on his father's store on Radcliffe Street, and was the first man to unfurl his flag on that memorable morning and I was the next. We were followed by Lewis F. Pratt, proprie- tor of the Delaware House, and Henry G. Booz, who resided at the corner of Cedar and Walnut Streets. Then flags were swung across the streets by Captain James McClain, of Franklin Street, and AVilliam H. White, of Bath vStreet. '"The demand for flags became so great that I was kept busy for several days giving information how to make them and to rig poles for their display, which information it was a great pleasure for me to give. The larger cities were unable to supply the demand for bunting and other material was brought into use. Samuel Cabeen, of the firm of Bostwick & Cabeen, whose place of business was at the corner of Mill and Pond Streets, purchased a lot of red, Avhite and blue delaine which made very handsome flags. A fine one of that material, twelve by eighteen feet, was soon displayed from the roof of their building. One of the same dimensions was displayed from a high pole on the cupola of Dorrance & Doran's flour mill. W. H. H. Fine's Hotel at the corner of Mill and Bath Streets run up a fourteen-foot flag. W. H. Evans swung a nice twelAC-foot flag across the street from his store, corner 214 A HISTORY OP BRISTOL BOROUGH. of Mill and Wood Streets. The employees of W. K. Kelly's iron foundry, on Wood Street, purchased a flag for their building. The scholars of the Wood Street and Otter Street public schools collected money for flags, which were displayed from staffs on each of the buildings, "On April i8, 1861, a mast and topmast, 115 feet high, was erected at the intersection of Mill and RadclifTe Streets, and a handsome flag twenty by thirty-six feet was unfurled to the breeze with appropriate ceremonies, the Rev. P. J. Cox, of the Wood Street M. E. Church, making the presentation speech. The day was bright and very warm, with a fine southerly breeze. This was fol- lowed by a sudden rain and wind storm from the West and before the flag, which a few minutes before had been unfurled with loud cheers and hurrahs, could be hauled down, the wind tore out the top of the pole where the halyards were fastened, and the flag thus released, was carried over the Delaware House towards the river. The lower end of the flag, however, still clung to the halyards, and it was promptly secured without further damage. The next day it was floating as proudly as ever in the breeze. "Mrs. Lewis T. Pratt, who stood by, remarked it was rather a bad omen, indicating a severe struggle, but as the flag was not lost, its enemies would finally be de- feated and the flag and nation preserved. "The flag continued to fly nearly every day and was allowed to wear away without being repaired, so that in three years there was little left of it except the union. It was finally loaned to an entertainment out of Bristol and was never returned. I forgot to mention that the flag was made by Mrs. Hal Martin and other ladies of the town, each star bearing the name of the person who made it. The mast and flag were both paid for by patriotic citizens of Bristol and vicinity. "Toward the close of the war, when the fall of Rich- mond seemed certain. Mrs. Cornelius C. Pratt, aided by cithers, collected $too by subscription and purchased a new flag, twenty by thirty feet, and placed it in charge of a committee consisting of John H. Jones, Charles H. Pratt and myself, with positive orders not to loan it, but A HISTORY OF BRISTOL BOROUGH. 215 to use it only for national purposes. These instructions were strictly adhered to, except on the occasion of the two-hundredth anniversary of the founding of the city of Burlington, when it was promptly returned in g-ood condition. "The mast was struck by lightning during the summer of 1879, on the 4th day of August, and so badly damaged that it was cut down. The flag was placed in the custody of H. Clay Beatty Post, No. 73, G. A. R. I find there were a few others who displayed the flag during those exciting days which followed the surrender of Fort Sumter, name- ly : C. C. Douglass' stove and tin store on Mill Street, S. S. Rue, on Wood Street ; John Dorrance, on Radclifife Street ; Captain Burnett Landreth, at Bloomsdale ; Cap- tain Jackson, on Pond Street; J. W. Hall, on Wood Street; J. H. Chambers, on Mill Street; J. Merrick Brown, corner of Market and Pond Streets ; John Wright, Mill Street, near canal, Robert C. Beatty, on Radclifife Street. Captain Joseph H. Hutchinson, on Beaver Street, erected a high mast and topmast on his lawn, the flag when run to the top, being seen for several miles around. A large and beautiful flag made of flannel was swung from the store of John Davis across Radclifife Street, near the Hollow Bridge. Many other citizens, imbued with feelings of patriotism, displayed smaller flags from the windows of their dwellings. "Thus was the spark of patriotism ignited in this locality, by the firing of the first gun in the Civil War; a patriotism that sent our brave men to the front when Lincoln called for aid ; a patriotism that sustained them during those bloody years of warfare ; that sent many of them to martyrs' graves, cheering the old flag; that enabled men like Michael Dougherty to withstand the horrors of Confedei-ate hell holes, like Libby and Ander- sonville prisons; that made heroes like Henry Clay Beatty; that brought desolation to many homes; but through it all a patriotism that rose above partisanship, and with but one thought, that of preserving the integrity of the nation, gave to our town a long list of noble patriots, whose names we honor and whose memory will never fade." 2l6 A HISTORY OF BRISTOL BOROUGH. Young America Aroused. — The spirit of patriotism aroused by the fall of Fort Sumter, affected even the chil- dren of the town, and they were not slow in giving public expression to their patriotic feelings. On Monday, April 29, the children of Public Schools Nos. i and 2, made an effective display, in a juvenile parade, with banners bear- ing appropriate mottoes, displayed in their ranks. The ceremonies commenced by unfurling to the l^reeze, at School House No. i, a beautiful American flag, 8 by 12 feet, when J. Magill, Esq.. was called to the stand and delivered a patriotic address, the ceremonies closing by the children uniting in singing the Star-Spangled Banner. The young cavalcade, with their superiors, then re- paired to School House No. 2, where a similar flag was raised and addresses delivered by Amos Rriggs, Esq., Colonel Montgomery and Caleb N. Taylor, Esq., closing witli three cheers for the Stars and Stripes. Thus, by the patriotic fervt)r of childhood, was fuel added to the already glowing fires of patriotism. Patriotic Enthusiasm. — Before the flag was lowered on Fort Sumter, a company roll call for the formation of an infantry corps was opened in Bristol by Wesley M. Lee, Esq., and on the day preceding the fall of Sumter, thir- teen able-bodied men had signed the call for volunteers. A meeting was held in the town hall on the evening of April 13, 1861, at 7:30 o'clock, at which time contribu- tions amounting to v$ioo were pledged, and others con- jointly promised that $1,000 should be raised. The com- pany, when organized, was to be drilled by Colonel W. 1\. \Iontgomery, a resident of the town. Then followed the surrender of Fort Sumter and the old town was on fire with patriotism. The drum and fife were heard in the streets by day and night. To the credit of the town, the muster roll of the company then forming soon reached eighty, nearly all of whom were young men. A few of the citizens, with praiseworthy consideration, resolved to give encouragement to the patriotic move- ment by at once starting a subscription for the purpose of clothing these volunteers and sustaining their families in their absence — a considerable sum was immediately A HISTORY OF BRISTOL BOROUGH. 21/ raised. The work of preparing flannel underclothes was commenced by some forty ladies, in the basement of the Presbyterian Church. The Masonic Fraternity promptly offered the spacious lower room of their handsome hall, to the new company, as a place for drill, and there, three times a day, the men assembled for that purpose. Colonel Montgomery took a great interest in the com- pany, and was busily employed day and night, in making them familiar with the manual of arms. About the first of May the enrolled men went by rail to Philadelphia for inspection, and with the exception of three, who were struck off, passed a most satisfactory and commendable inspection. It was intimated that they might look forward to being accepted as a part of Penn- sylvania's reserve force under command of Colonel Wm. Mann. The enrollment of the company was augmented by the signing of several recruits from Tullytown. An election was held, according to military rule, and William Kinsey, Robert Patterson and John Dorrance were duly sworn and affirmed as an election board, by Jos. B. Pen- nington, Esq. W. S. Thompson was unanimously elected captain, H. Clay Beatty, first lieutenant, and S. J. La Rue, second lieutenant. The company was named the "Montgomery Guards of Bristol," in honor of their fellow citizen. Colonel Wm. R. Montgomery. Subsequently the ladies of Bristol presented to the Montgomery Guards a suit of silk colors, to be carried with them to the tented field. The Rev. Cox, pastor of the Bristol M. E. Church, made the presentation speech, Avhich was highly patriotic. Lieutenant H. Clay Beatty accepted the colors in behalf of the company in a neat and pertinent speech, glowing with patriotism. A revolver was presented to Captain Thompson, and also to First Lieutenant H. Clay Beatty, and Second Lieutenant S. J. La Rue; each of the gentlemen replied in appropriate terms. By the time the company was fully equipped, drilled and ready for service, the women of Bristol had made 358 substantial woolen garments. Among those active in the work was an honored matron of 84, ]\Irs. Mary Street, also another, nearly as far advanced, Mrs. Rebecca James, who with equal zeal, embarked in the labor of love. 2l8 A HISTORY OF ]!KISTOIv 150ROUGII. Sword Presentation. — Soon after the formation of the AIontij;oniery Guards, ^^'illianl Kinsey, Esq., made a loan presentation to Captain Thompson, of the handsome sword and sash formerly in the possession of his son, Lieutenant Samuel Kinsey, deceased, attached to the United States Artillery Corps. The friends of Lieutenant Samuel J. La Rue, a few weeks later presented him with a handsome sword ; and subsequently a superb sword and belt costing $30, was presented to Lieutenant H. C. Beatty, by his personal friends of Bristol. The presenta- tion was made on the part of the donors, at the Masonic Hall, by the Rev. P. J. Cox, of the M. E. Church. The Montgomery Guards Inspected. — This fine body of our citizen soldiery, who at the time of their informal inspection on the i8th ult., to be mustered into Colonel Mann's regiment, attracted marked encomiums for their soldiery appearance, again repaired to Philadelphia on Wednesday, May 29, 1861, leaving Bristol on board the Steamer Warner, and on arriving in the city marched to the rendezvous, Girard House, for inspection. The com- pany numbered 88, including the officers — and were fully inspected by Dr. H. H. Smith. Seven were rejected for want of height, two for other causes, and one after in- spection declined serving for the full term of three years or during the war. With these exceptions the company passed an acceptable inspection. The company then returned to ]_h-istol, with orders to hold themselves in readiness to proceed to Camp Wash- ington, at Easton, to join the nine companies under com- mand of Colonel Wm. B. Mann, which had preceded them, where the regiment Avas to be instructed in the school of the soldier by well disciplined officers and teachers. The Montgomery Guards left on Saturday, June i, 1861, at 7:50 A. M., by way of the C. & A. and B. D. Railroad for Easton ; but no arms or accoutrements were furnished to the company before their arrival at the camp. (Bache's Index.) A HISTORY OF BRISTOL BOROUGH. 219 Bristol's Three Military Companies. — During the Civil War, Bristol raised three military companies, one of which fought through the war from 1861-65, making an honorable record. Company I (Alontgomery Guards), Third Regiment Pennsylvania Reserves, of Bristol, was recruited during the month of April, 1861, by Captain W. S. Thompson, a veteran of the Mexican War. Upon his promotion to lieutenant-colonel. First Lieutenant Henry C. Beatty was elected captain. He was killed in August, 1862, at the second battle of Bull Run, Samuel J. La Rue becoming captain and Samuel Beatty, first lieutenant. During the term of service, nine men of the company were killed outright, and eight died of wounds and disease. On the 15th of April, 1861, President Lincoln issued a proclamation calling upon the Northern States for 75,000 men for ninety days, the quota of Pennsylvania being 16,000. Steps were immediately taken in Bristol to form a company, but before it was accomplished the state quota was filled. There being several thousand Pennsylvanians re- cruited in excess of the quota, Governor Curtin was authorized by an act of the Legislature, dated May 15th, 1861, to organize a State Military Corps, to be called the Reserve Volunteer Corps of Pennsylvania, composed of thirteen regiments of infantry, one regiment of cavalry, and one regiment of light artillery. The volunteers were assembled during the last weeks of May in several camps of instruction, where they were formed into regiments. The Bristol Company was assigned to the Third Regi- ment of Reserves, of which N. G. Sickles Avas elected colonel, and William S. Thompson, captain of the Bristol Company, was elected lieutenant-colonel. After serving for about two months in the state service, the regiment was ordered to Washington, arriving there on the evening of July 25th, and was mustered into the United States service on the 27th of July. Its first en- gagement was at Dranesville, on the 20th of October. The regiment, after participating in the Peninsular Campaign, was moved up to Manassas to support Gen- eral Pope, where it was in action at Gainesville and Sec- 15 220 A HISTORY ()!• I'.KrSTOI, liOROUGH. ond Bull Run, and afterwards took part in the Antietam campaign. Following this, the regiment participated in the attack on Fredericksburg, and the campaign in West Virginia, under General Crook. The regiment was mus- tered out of service in July, 1864. Company I, Seventeenth Regiment, Reynold's Division of Pennsylvania Militia, was organized in 1862, and Burnet Landreth was elected captain. The company, as originally organized, numbered sixty men. The fol- lowing is a brief history of the object of the formation and story of the short service of the militia of 1862 : On the loth of September, the rebels having crossed to the northern bank of the Potomac, Governor Curtin, of Pennsylvania, authorized by President Lincoln and General Orders No. 35 and 36, called for 50,000 men. Two provisional regiments of militia went forward next day, followed up by others as organized. Fifteen regi- ments, ten days later, were concentrated at Hagerstown, Maryland, ten regiments at Boonsboro, and the other twenty-five regiments were on the march, or in state of preparation, making 50.000 men in all, constituting what was officially termed the Militia Division. This was commanded by Major-General John F. Reynolds, who was detached from the second corps of the Army of the Potomac to mould the new force into shape. The battle of Boonsboro was fought on the 14th of September, and the battle of Antietam was fought on the i6th and 17th. By the 19th the rebels had retreated to Virginia. On the 24th orders were issued for the dis- charge of the militia after two weeks' service. Because of the retreat of the rebel army, none of the militia force was called upon to go into action, but it was a narrow pinch, as, had the Northern Army failed to have stopped thp rebels' advance the militia would ha\e gotten into it with both feet. In a letter addressed to Governor Curtin by General Mc- Clellan, thanking the Governor of Pennsylvania for his energetic action in calling out the militia and placing them in the field, McClellan adds: "Fortunately circum- stances render it imi^o^siblc for the .\rmy to set foot upon the soil of l^ennsyh'ania, but tlic moral support CAPTAIN BURNET LANDRETH. A HISTORY Of BRISTOL BOROUGH. 221 rendered the army was none the less mighty. In the name of the Army and for myself, I again tender you an acknowledgment for your patriotic cause. The manner in which the people responded to the call no doubt exer- cised a great influence upon the enemy." These 50,000 militia were not mustered into the United States service or the State service. There was no time to spend over the formalities of muster, the men were wanted too quickly, wanted to make a demonstration, and were accepted on the enrollment lists of the captains. Nearly two years later the captains were sent pay rolls in quadruple, on which were made out the names of their men, who, on the second of June, 1864, were paid by the clerks of Colonel B. W. Bruce, United States Paymaster, of the District of Baltimore. Company G, Forty-third Regiment, Pennsylvania Xinety-Day Volunteer Militia, in 1863; Third Brigade, Franklyn's Second Division, Dana's, Couch's Army of the Susquehanna, was organized by the selection of Bur- net Landreth, captain. Following is a brief history of some incidents connected with the formation and services of the company. On the 9th of June, Secretary of War Stanton created two new military departments. First, that of the Sus- quehanna, under Major-General Darius N. Couch, trans- ferred from the second corps, this department compre- hending everything in Eastern Pennsylvania and Mary- land, north of the Potomac ; second, that of the Monon- gahela, under Major-General W. T. Brooks, comprehend- ing Western Pennsylvania, Western Virginia and part of Ohio. Preparations were immediately made to organize army corps for these two new divisions. On the 15th of June, President Lincoln called for 100,- 000 men to serve for six months, but enlistments were slow. The people seemed to doubt if the rebels really intended to invade the North, but on the 24th and 25th of June the entire rebel army crossed the Potomac. On the 26th of June. Governor Curtin, with the approval of President Lincoln, and under General Order No. 43, issued a proclamation calling for 60,000 men for ninety days. To this call thirty-eight regiments of infantrv. 222 A HISTORY OP BRISTOL BOROUGH. three troops of calvary, and ten batteries of artillery were brigaded, principally in the district of General Sigel. Of these men 31,000 were assigned to the Army of the Susquehanna, and 5,000 to the Army of the IMonongahela. One-half of the entire force were men who had already seen service in the field. In addition to the 31,000 Pennsylvanians in the Army of the Susque- hanna, were 6,000 men from New York and 500 from New Jersey. In the Department of the Susquehanna only one regi- ment of the ninety-day men came in contact with the enemy, this being the Twenty-seventh, under Colonel Frick, who lost nine men in the defense of Columbia bridge on the 24th of June. The other regiments were formed too late to be of any use at Gettysburg, but had Lee after Gettysburg, made a stand at Williamsport Ford, then the ninety-day men would have been put into the game. The rebels recrossed the Potomac on the 13th and 14th of July. Part of the ninety-day men were distributed along the banks of the Potomac from Harper's Ferry up to Cum- berland, others relieved men of the Sixth corps, in charge of prisoners, while others were sent into the coal regions of Pennsylvania to quell a threatened insurrection. The Forty-third was stationed along the Potomac near Dam No. 5, not far from Williamsport Ford, special care being given to the preservation of the canal locks, Avhich it was thought the rebels might destroy. In the Monongahela district three of the ninet3''-day regiments were very active in the ten-day chase and final cai)ture, near Wheeling, W. Va., on the 24th, of the rebel leader, Morgan, who. Avith 2.000 horsemen raided across the State of Ohio. The Forty-third Regiment, numbering 931 men, was one of the six forming the Third Brigade, Second Divi- sion of Couch's Corps. The Regiment was commanded by Colonel ^^^ W. Scott, formerly a ca])tain in the Twen- ty-fourth Pennsyh'ania. Lieutenant-Colonel Arnold, ]\Iaior Petrican, and Adjutant Newlin were all ex-officers of the -Army of the Potomac, and all had been wounded. The r.ristol Com])any. designated as "G," or the ninth A HISTORY OI' BRISTOL BOROUGH. 223 company, numbering" eighty-two men, furnished two offi- cers for the regimental staff, Assistant Surgeons Potts and Ward, and Quartermaster Harrison, also Drum Major Pettit, and Fife Major Harkins. The captain of Company G was elected major, but declined in favor of the next highest candidate, who was a veteran officer of the Army of the Potomac. The company included twen- ty-four veterans of the Army of the Potomac, one lieuten- ant, three sergeants, two corporals and nineteen privates. Some companies of the regiment were nearly altogether veterans. Company G contained many representative citizens of the town of Bristol, and County of Bucks, and some wealthy men. Of these the most picturesque individu^al, and only privileged character, w^as the Hon. Caleb N. Taylor, who held a pass from Secretary of War Stanton, which document gave him passage through any line of the Army of the Potomac. He would disappear for days at a time and return with a wagon load of provisions, which were for every man as was the contents of his pocketbook. Company G included two commissioned officers, four non-commissioned officers and seven privates, who had the previous year, served in Company i, Seventeenth Militia. In fact. Company G grew out of Company I, as the latter company, by frequent drills, had been kept together, the officers having been mustered and commis- sioned for two years in the State service. All the regi- ments of the ninety-day men were well armed, uniformed and organized, and if they had been put on the firing line, would have done as well as any other half-green force. Eight of the thirty-eight regiments were mustered into the service of the United States, but thirty other regi- ments doing the same duty outside the borders of the States of Maryland, Ohio and West Virginia, served along under State muster. After the thirty State mustered regiments were dis- charged from State service, it was proposed to muster in to the United States service and muster out companies rolls, so regular United States discharges could be given, but in the rush of military business during war times 224 -^ HISTORY OF BRISTOL BOROUGH. this was never done. The men, however, by order of the Pension Bureau, were given a "pensionable status," and three men of Company G obtained pensions for injuries received while on duty. All the ofificers and men of this regiment were mus- tered in and mustered out of the State service, but they were all sworn into the service of the United States, from which to this day they have never been released. (From writings of Captain Burnet Landreth, Sr.) The Ladies' Aid Society of St. James' P. E. Church. — Immediately after the battle of Hull Run, in 1861, the ladies of St. James' Protestant Episcopal Church, organ- ized what was known for four years subsequently as "The Ladies' Aid Society," founded for the collection of clothing and delicacies for the soldiers at the front. This Society, though started in the Episcopal Church, was greatly augmented by the women of other congregations of the town, their united efforts resulting in the dispatch- ing of an. enormous quantity of underclothing sent prin- cipally to the United States Hospital at Point Lookout, Md., which was in charge of Surgeon Stonelake, once a resident of Bristol. Mrs. David Landreth was president of the Society for the four years of its operation. These ladies received hundreds of the most pathetic letters of thanks from wounded soldiers, both Union and Rebel. (Contributed by Captain Burnet Landreth.) Captain Henry Clay Beatty. — Captain Henry Clay Beatty was the son of Robert C. Beatty, a former cashier of the Farmers' National Bank of Bucks County. He commenced the study of law with the late Anthony Swain, a prominent member of the Bucks County bar, in 1854, and finished his course in the law office of Charles Gibbons, of Philadelphia, in the early part of 1857. He took his degree in the Law School of the University of Pennsylvania soon afterward. Mr. Gibbons, speaking of him after his death, said: "He was an earnest and in- dustrious student, and at the time of his admission to the Bar was well read in the law. He remained with me as long as he practiced his profession, to which he was almost entirely devoted, and in which he was eminently CAPTAIN HENRY CLAY BEATTY. A HISTORY OF BRISTOL BOROUGH. 225 successful. He loved the truth, and no one ever found him a hair's breadth out of its latitude or longitude under any circumstances." When the call was made by our state authorities for the fifteen regiments known as the Pennsylvania Re- serves, Mr. Beatt}^ volunteered his services for the war and received a lieutenant's commission in Company I of the Third Regiment. Captain Thompson, who then com- manded that company, was elected lieutenant colonel of the regiment, and Mr. Beatty was promoted to the cap- taincy^ which he held at the time of his death. He was with the Reserves in all their toilsome and suiTering experiences, and at the battles before Richmond where, thrice deciminated by disease, they covered themselves with glory. During the first day's battle Captain Beatty was in the hospital, where he had been confined by an exhaustive sickness for some days. But weak and wasted as he was, he left his bed and was at the head of his company in all the battles that followed except the last one. At the battle of White Oak Swamp he received a ball in the leg, early in the action, but, debilitated and wound- ed as he was, he remained on the field at his post of duty until the end of the battle. On the next day, having reached the James River, he went down to Fortress Mon- roe, had the ball extracted from his leg and, declining to remain in the hospital, immediately rejoined his regi- ment. He was, however, in no condition for active serv- ice, and was sent home on furlough to recruit his health. He spent a short time with his family in Bristol, and be- fore the expiration of his furlough returned to report himself for duty. On the day after he left Philadelphia to rejoin his regiment his uncle, Robert B. Cabeen, placed in the hands of his law instructor, Charles Gibbons, Esq., an open letter, addressed to Governor Curtin, from Colonel Sickles, who commanded the regiment. It was a volun- tary testimonial of the heroic courage, soldierly bearing and high military ability displayed by Captain Beatty during the disastrous retreat of the army. And it con- tained a recommendation to the Governor for his promo- 22() . A HISTORY OF I!RISTOI< P.OKC )L'C.H. tion to the colonelcy of one of the new regiments called for from Pennsylvania. Captain Beatty was wounded in the second battle of Bull Run, near Manassas. He was struck by an almost spent conical ball about eight inches long, doubtlessly fired from a rifle of three-inch bore. The ball struck the ground about forty yards distant, rebc^unded, struck a man in Company D in the head, killing him, and then struck Captain Beatty, breaking his arm in two places and wounding his hand. He did not have his wound dressed until the next day, when his arm was amputated at the shoulder. It is said that when Captain Beatty fell, his brother, who was a lieutenant in Company I, rushed to his side, but with that unselfish devotion to country which characterizes a hero, he ordered him back to his company. He considered duty to country as paramount to his own sufferings, and by that patriotic action gave to Bristol a hero, whose memory can never die. After his arm was amputated he was sent to Washington, but died on board the steamboat on the way up the river from Alexandria. He had partaken of some soup which he relished and spoke of feeling better. His comrade left him for a few moments, and on his return found him sinking, and in ten minutes he was dead. Charles Carlin, of the same company, was wounded while in the act of carrying his much loved captain from the field. Captain Beatty's remains were brought to Bristol and interred in St. James' burial ground. Subsequent to his death and burial, the following poem appeared in the Bucks County Intelligencer, dated Aug- ust 23, 1862. The name of the writer is not given, but simply his initials, "S. S." Harry Beatty. Captain of Company i, Third Pennsylvania Reserves. Fallen in battle! my brave friend, Warm tears from faithful eyes Bedew that grave where lulled to sleep Thy wounded body lies. A HISTORY OF BRISTOL BOROUGH. 227 Youth, fame, ambition — all were laid On thy dear country's shrine — A future proud with promised glory Closed in that battle line. A mind clear as this autumn moon — A heart warm as its sun, Have done what sternest duty asked — Toiled and suffered and — gone. So many brave and stalwart arms Have palsied in the fray — So crowded moved and long procession Of heroes passing away. That darker seemed our country's woe. And deeper sighed the breeze On that sad day we laid thy form Beneath St. James' trees. Thy martyr dust is sacred now, xAnd coming years will bless Thy place of rest, and its green mound With mutest reverence press. Yes, pilgrim feet will gather there, Oppression's crime to ban, And mark how green the laurels grow Above the truthful man. Thy heart twined closest with thy being Is worn and bruised indeed. And o'er thy doom and o'er its own Will lived and pitied, bleed. The shadow of thy loss will lay A cold and cheerless bar Athwart her faltering steps, illumed Only by memory's star. Farewell! with Flim who knows thy heart, Its longings, aims, and worth. We trust thee, and resume our march So soon to close on earth. We praise thee for thy generous daring. Thy scorn and selfish ease; We mourn thee for the love we bore thee, For thy loss in days like these! 22S A HISTORY OF BRISTOL BOROUGH. Commissioned Officers in Civil War. — Captain Bvirnet Laudreth contributes the following list of names and occupations of those Bristol men, recorded by him, with the assistance of Captain Strickland Yardley and Ser- geant Charles E. Scott, who served as officers in the Army and Xavy. From Captain Laudreth it has been learned that al- though at the outbreak of the war Bristol's population was less than 3,000, yet the town contributed one out of every seven of its entire population to the Army and Navy; to be exact, 493 soldiers and sailors. Such a total of enlistment of 493 gives force to the war poem : "We are coming Father Abraham, Six hundred thousand more." Among these, nearly 500 men, were the following forty-three, who were commissioned as officers on land or sea : Brigadier-General William H. Montgomery, of the First New Jersey Brigade ; West Point graduate. Colonel John M. Gosline, Ninety-fifth Pennsylvania ; lawyer. Colonel William R. Dickinson, New Jersey Cavalry; lawyer. Colonel and Surgeon Stonelake, commanding hospital at Point Lookout, Maryland ; doctor. Lieutenant-Colonel William S. Thompson, original Captain' First Bristol Company, Third F'ennsylvania Re- serves ; engineer Steamer Warner. Captain Henry Clay Beatty, second Captain Company I, Third Pennsylvania Reserves; lawyer. Captain Samuel J. La Rue, third captain Company i, Third Pennsylvania Reserves ; hotel man. Captain Strickland Yardley, Quartermaster Third Pennsylvania Reserves; storekeeper. Captain Oscar Vezin, Company H, Anderson Cavalry, Fifteenth Pennsylvania; student at "Bonn," Germany. Captain Alfred Vezin, Company C, Anderson Cavalry, Fifteenth Pennsylvania; banker. Captain Anthony Taylor, Company K, Anderson Cav- alry, Fifteenth Pennsylvania ; farmer. A HISTORY OF BRISTOL BOROUGH. 229 Captain Richard Henry Morris, of Company K, Ninth New York ; merchant. Captain Burnet Landreth, Seventeenth and Firty-third Volunteer MiHtia ; farmer. Lieutenant Samuel Beatty, Company I, Third Re- serves ; clerk. Leituenant J. Hutchinson, Company I, Third Re- serves ; farmer. Lieutenant Frank McKean, Marine Corps, U. S. Navy; Annapolis man. Lieutenant Henry Montgomery, Company A. Thir- teenth Pennsylvania Cavalry, transferred to general staff; student. Lieutenant John Burton, Company C, Anderson Cav- alry, Fifteenth Pennsylvania ; farmer. Lieutenant John Rousseau, Sixth Regular Cavalry; clerk. Lieutenant Albert Booz, Company E, Eighty-eighth Pennsylvania Infantry ; farmer. Cadet William J. Hamilton, of the Regular Army; student West Point. Lieutenant Frank Sargent, New Jersey Regiment ; clerk. Lieutenant William Shewell, General Stafif ; merchant. Lieutenant B. F. Hibbs, Seventy-first Pennsylvania; clerk. Lieutenant William D. Baker, Seventeenth and Forty- third Militia, Landreth's Companies I and G; dentist. Lieutenant David H. Carter, of Forty-third Militia, Landreth's Company G; clerk. Lieutenant James W. Martin, of Seventeenth Militia, Landreth's Company I ; master carpenter. Lieutenant Jacob Hamilton, Company 1, Ninth Veter- an Reserves ; hotel man. Cadet Bloomfield Mcllvaine, U. S. Navy; student Annapolis. Lieutenant and Surgeon Potts, of the Forty-third Militia. Promoted from private, Landreth's Company; doctor. Lieutenant and Surgeon John Ward, Forty-third 230 A HISTORY OF BRISTOL BOROUGH. Militia, promoted from corporal, Landreth's Company; doctor. Lieutenant and Regimental Quartermaster, Edmund G. Harrison, of the Forty-third Militia. Promoted from l)rivate, Landreth's Company ; doctor. Lieutenant and Surgeon John Downing, New York Regiment ; doctor. Lieutenantand Surgeon Thomas P. Tomlinson ; doctor. Lieutenant and Surgeon Rev. John H. Drumm ; doctor. Lieutenant and Assistant Surgeon Henry Dorrance ; doctor. Lieutenant and Second Assistant H. K. Prouse; doctor. Lieutenant and First Assistant Surgeon Hawke, U. S. X. ; doctor. Lieutenant and Chaplain Henry B. Bartow; Episcopal rector. Lieutenant and Assistant Surgeon Woodbury; doctor. Lieutenant and Second Assistant Surgeon Alexander G. Hazard ; doctor. Lieutenant and Engineer \\'illiam Pratt, of the L'. S. Navy ; machinist. Lieutenant and Engineer Thomas Crosby, of the U. S. Navy ; machinist. Three of these officers died of wounds ; five others were wounded but recovered ; two died in the field of disease, a mortality of ten, or one-fourth of the whole. Of these forty-three officers from Bristol, all but four have answered the final roll call, these being Admiral Hawke, Lieutenant Beatty, Engineer Pratt and Captain Burnet Landreth. Terrible Railroad Accident. — In the month of March, 1865, ^ terrible railroad accident occurred at the Mill Street crossing of the Pennsylvania Railroad. But one track ran through the town at this period. A train, sev- eral rear cars of which were loaded with soldiers, some of whom had recently been released from Libby Prison, became disabled and stopped on the crossing at i o'clock A. M. The old railroad ran just back of Otter Street and the curve in the road made it impossible to see an approaching train either way, until it had almost reached A HISTORY OF BRISTOL BOROUGH. 23I the crossing. Joseph TomHnson, a resident of Bristol, Avas station master at Schenk's station (Croyden), having charge of the switches at that point. On the night when the accident occurred, the conductor of the wrecked train, told Mr. Tomlinson to hold the express train, which was following, until the lights of his train were out of sight. These instructions Mr. Tomlinson followed, but an unexpected breakdown detained the first train at the Mill Street crossing. The express train came thundering along unaware of the near proximit}'- of the preceding train, and rounding the curve crashed into it on the cross- ing, while running at full speed. The three rear cars on the front train, which contained the soldiers, were tele- scoped and their occupants pinioned in the debris. To add to the horror of the scene, the coaches took fire and the cries of the wounded, whose agonies were increased as the flames reached their bodies, were heartrending. Fire Company No. i quickly responded to the call for assist- ance and the old hand engine was put into effective service. As soon as the flames were subdued the citizens made an effort to release the wounded. Carpenters brought their saws and cut through the side of the coaches, then ropes were fastened to the loosened por- tions, and in this manner the sides of the cars were pulled out. The wounded were carried into nearby houses. Some were taken into the home of Mr. and Mrs. Henry Sutch, who lived in a brick house adjoining the track; others into the home of Elwood Doron, next to his lum- ber yard on Mill Street. The ambulances and surgeons from the hospital at China Hall, were quickly on the scene and the surgeons gave valuable service. The greaser on the wrecked locomotive was performing some duty outside the cab on the side of the boiler, when the wreck occurred, and in the collision was impailed on a piece of piping. He lived for half an hour, but it was two hours before the rescuers could reach his body. Such a horrible railroad accident was never before or since wit- nessed in Bristol. A coroner's jury was impanelled a few days following the accident and an investigation begun. When the con- ductor of the wrecked train was summoned before the 232 A HISTORY OF HRISTOL BOROUGH. jur}', he endeavored to clear himself of blame, by claim- ing' to have instructed Tomlinson, the station master at Schenks, not to allow the express to follow. The coro- ner's jury rendered a verdict of criminal negligence, and the district attorney issued indictments against Tomlin- son and the engineer and conductor of the wrecked train, charging them with manslaughter. The trial of the engineer and conductor' was called first, when the con- ducator reaffirmed his statement made before the coroner's jury and both were acquitted. Mr. Tomlinson's trial was set for the next day and it looked as if he was to be made the scapegoat. It appeared, however, that on the night of the \vreck, the conductor had been asked the cause by a friend, and in the presence of several other citizens, among whom were Richard Trudgen and Charles M. Foster, had told how he had informed the station master at Schenks, to let the express pass as soon as the red lights of the first train were out of sight. When news reached Bristol on the afternoon of the day before the trial, that Tomlinson would undoubtedly be convicted, Messrs. Trudgen and Foster voluntarily went to Doyles- town, arriving in the evening, hunted up Mr. Tomlin- son's lawyer and informed him of the evidence they de- sired to give. He cautioned them of the necessity for secrecy and made his plans for the morrow. At the trial the conductor renewed his accusations against Tomlin- son, and the lawyer for the defense allowed all the evi- dence of the prosecution to be presented without com- ment. Then he called Messrs. Trudgen and Foster to the Avitness stand, both of whom recited the conversation which they had overheard between the conductor and his friend. The prosecuting attorney attempted to weak- en the evidence, but it was too convincing, and amid sup- pressed excitement the jury rendered a verdict of acquit- tal. Tose])h TomlinscMi lived to a ripe old age and died res])ccted I)y all who knew him. Robert Tyler. — At the breaking out of the Civil War, Robert Tyler, son of ex-President John Tyler, lived in the house on the river bank now occupied by Joseph R. Grundy, lie was a Southerner by birth and very pro- A HISTORY OF BRISTOL BOROUGH. 233 nounced in his defense and advocacy of the South. One morning- he left town suddenly and a short time after- ward news was received here that he had joined the Con- federacy and had accepted an office under the rebel gov- ernment. In a newspaper article written by William Kinsey at the close of the war, we find a good description of the hot blooded Southern temperament possessed by Tyler, as well as the causes which finally carried him over to the Confederacy : "Shortly after the firing on Fort Sumter by the rebels, when the country was in a high state of excitement, and men, at the call of the President, were volunteering for the defense of the Government, and the watchword was 'shoot every man who attempts to pull down the Ameri- can flag," when every man who was not outspoken in favor of sustaining the President, was suspected of being in sympathy with the South, Mr. Tyler at that time lived in a house on the river bank, belonging to Captain Hutchinson, near Penn Street (now tlie home of Jos. R. Grundy). He held the office of Clerk of the Supreme Court of Pennsylvania, and went to and returned from Philadelphia daily on the steamboat. Being a Southerner by birth and education, he had frequent conversations with the passengers, on the causes and effects of the war. He attributed the cause of the difficulty between the Xorth and South to acts of the Abolitionists. Those in sympathy with that body would reply and sometimes the conversation would run into personalities and become very bitter. "The day on which he left Philadelphia, the writer, with several of the citizens of Bristol, among whom were John Dorrance, Sr., and Robert Tyler, went to the citv. Shortly after the boat left, some of the passengers for the purpose of drawing from Tyler his sentiments on what he thought would be the results of the war between the Xorth and South, asked him if he believed the South- ern people would sustain their leaders in trying to destroy the Government. He said he believed from what he knew of Southern character, that unless Congress passed a stringent law to protect them in their rights to hold their slaves and recover them when they fled to the 234 -^ HISTORY OF HRISTOI, P.OROUGH. North, unmolested, their leaders would be sustained, and he thought if a war took place it would be a long and bloody one, the consequences of which no man could cal- culate. Mr. Dorrance replied and said if a war was begun he didn't believe it would last ninety days. Tyler, some- what excited, said : "Why John, if a battle between the Northern and Southern troops was to take place on ycjur farm the blood would run to the bits of the horses' bridles." The conversation was kept up with bitterness until the arrival of the boat at the city, when it was learned that a meeting of the citizens to sustain the Government would be held at Independence Square, on that day. At the meeting, one of the speakers stated that it was reported Robert Tyler was in sympathy with the South, and was in the habit of speaking in their defense. The excitement was great. Some one said he ought to be lynched. It appeared that an attempt would be made to arrest him. One of his friends, who was present, fearing for his safety, hurried to his office and informed him of what was said about him at the meeting, and advised him to leave the city immediately. Fearing to be seen in the street he hired a carriage and was driven to Frank- ford, where he took the cars -to Bristol. In the mean- time parties were searching for him in the city with a view of arresting him for treason. Ncavs had reached Bristol that a mob in Philadelphia were in search of Robert Tyler. Had they arrested him he would have been locked u\) and deprived of his libert3\ There was to be a meeting and parade in Bristol on the night of his arrival. His friends, believing him to be a loyal man, fearing an attempt might be made to molest him, and for the high estimation they had for his family, called on Mr. Lee, who was to have charge of the parade, and requested him not to march his men in the neighborhood of Mr. Tyler's house. He assured them that no demonstration should be made that would give any cause of alarm to Mr. Tyler or his family. About the time the procession got into line it commenced to rain; when they reached Dorrance Street, the rain increasing, Lee marched his men up to Wood, down to Mill, and they were dismissed, no demonstration having been made against j\Ir. Tyler. A HISTORY OP BRISTOL BOROUGH. 235 Colonel Montgomery and other citizens called on the family and assured them that they would not be dis- turbed. They were in great fear and excitement, and the next morning Mr. Tyler left for New York. "A few days after, the writer (Wm. Kinsey), being in New York, passing up Courtlandt Street, met Mr. Tyler and his wife on their Avay to the depot. They both ap- peared glad to meet me and Mr. Tyler commenced to talk about his exit from Philadelphia. He inquired particu- larly about the state of feeling of the people in relation to the charges made against him, and said he had been maligned and misrepresented by persons who had led him into conversation on the questions of the times for the purpose of misrepresenting him in his attitude to the Government through malice and political jealousy. He had no interest in the South personally or pecuniarily; his wife and children were born in the North, and here was his home and friends. He was for peace and not for war. In the course of our conversation he asked if I thought he would meet with personal interference if he returned to Philadelphia. He said he had no fears of any one molesting him in Bristol. I advised him not to return to the city until the excitement against him had died out, and recommended that he write to the Mayor of Philadelphia stating fully and clearly his feelings and attitude toward the Government, and ask him in case he returned to Philadelphia, if he thought he would be molested, and if he were, whether he could protect him from violence. He thanked me for my advice and we parted. "After the close of the war I was at the Merchants' House in Philadelphia, and there I met Mr. Tyler; he had arrived the night before. He said he was pleased to meet an old citizen of Bristol, and in course of conversation referred to our last meeting in New York. I said to him : "You should not have left the North ; it was a mistake ; you had better remained, as the excitement against you would have soon died out." He replied : "I took your advice and wrote to the Mayor of Philadelphia ; he promptly answered my letter and said he thought my re- turn to Philadelphia would be attended with serious 16 236 A HISTORY OF BRISTOL BOROUGH. consecjiiences ; that the excitement against me was so great that he could not promise me protection from per- sonal assault. Finding myself, as it were, an outlaw, I had no other alternative but to leave the North and take a position that was repugnant to my feelings and against my best interests." After Mr. Tyler cast his lot with the confederacy, his property was confiscated by the Government and his household goods sold at public sale. x\ clock belonging to Mr. Tyler was purchased by the late John W'orrell. and years afterwards, while Mr. Worrell was in the em- ploy of our fellow-townsman, Mr. Joseph R. Grundy, he presented the clock to his employer. Mr. Grundy still holds it in his possession, a "timely" reminder of a prom- ising young man, who started in life with every pros- pect of becoming eminently successful in the line of his chosen profession, but who, by his allegiance to an unholy cause, fell short of his highest ambition. A Whale in the Delaware at Bristol. — "Our citizens were treated to a free exhibition and some of the more hazardous, to novel and lively sport, by the appearance of a black whale (grampus) in the Delaware, on Monday last (April 22, 1861). His whaleship passed up and down the river, between Burlington, and for a short distance above Bristol, several times, and was repeatedly seen at difl-'erent times, spouting a stream of water several feet high. Our sportsmen with the oar succeeded in nearly shoaling him several times, and once had him for a time fast with a harpoon, from which both it and they more luckily escaped, being taken. It was eventually captured on Tuesday near the site of 'the treaty elm,' Kensington. It was said to be about forty-six feet long." ( Bache's Index.) Death of Dr. John Phillips. — Dr. IMiillips, one of the most beloved physicians who ever practised in r>ristol, died tran(|uilly. surrounded by his family, in his home, on ^\lesday evening, December 31, 1861. He was re- garded by his ])rofessional brethren with great respect for his fine talents, large experience, and unusual skill as A HISTORY OF BRISTOL BOROUGH. 237 a practitioner. Indeed, while his modesty forbade him to make the least assumption of superior powers, he was unquestionably admitted by all who were brought in con- tact with him, to be one of the most able and successful physicians in this state. In addition to his professional attainments, his courtly manners and generous qualities recommended him to the favor of all. He was borne to his last resting place on the Saturday afternoon following his death amid the lamentations of the whole town. A constant tide of people moving sad and slow, passed into the house of the deceased to take a last look at their venerable friend. It was not idle curiosity that led them there — -many came in humble apparel and went away weeping'. The poorest as well as the richest felt that they had lost a friend. The memory of kind words, patient watching in sickness, little delicacies carried to the sufferer's bedside by his own generous hand — aye, and bread for the starving — the recollection of these things brought many humble mourners to his coffin. His remains were taken to the Episcopal Church (St. James'), where appropriate services were read. Rev. Mr. Pierson, the pastor of the church, in a short dis- course, spoke of the many conversations he had with the deceased during his sickness and said that the doctor requested him to bear testimony to his friends, that he had an abiding faith in Christ his Saviour, and that if he was permitted to recover he would consecrate the re- mainder of his days to religion. Dr. Phillips was in his seventy-first year. He had practiced medicine in Bristol and the surrounding neighborhood, for upw^ards of fifty years. His manner in the sick room was always tender and sympathizing, and in cases of serious illness, no sac- rifice or attention was considered too great on his part, where he could thereby benefit the patient. Bristol Woolen Mill Company. — The Bristol Woolen Mill Company was organized in 1864 with a capital of $60,000, which was afterward increased to $75,000, and a large two-story building was erected for the manufac- ture of fancy knit goods of wool, at that time very popu- lar for ladies' wear. This enterprise enjoyed a brief 238 A HISTORY OF BRISTOL BOROUGH. period of fair success, but fashions changed and after a season of unprofitable business, it shared the fate of its unfortunate predecessors and was closed with consider- able loss. The property passed into other hands and was converted into a hosiery mill, being" run by Lewis Jones, of Germantown, under the management of Thomas Hughes, of this place. It had an aggregate of about 25,000 square feet of floor surface, and was fully equipped with cards, spi^idles, and knitting r^achines, adapted to the manufacture of plain and fancy cotton and merino hosiery. After the retirement of Lewis Jones and the death of Thomas Hughes, the business was continued for a period by Miss flattie Hughes. For the last few years the building has been unoccupied. A HISTORY OP BRISTOL BOROUGH. 239 EPOCH VIII. BRISTOL A MANUFACTURING TOWN. From 1865, the Close of the Civil War, to 191 1, the Present Year. Introduction. — Mention has previously been made of the lethargy into which the town subsided, following the destruction of the coal trade, by the construction of the outlet lock at New Hope and the shipping of coal from Philadelphia by the Reading Railroad Company. This lethargy continued for several years, extening down through the period of the Civil War. Then the factories came. Employment was given to many. The town be- gan to grow. The hum of the spindles was heard, the click of the loom became music to the ear of many Avill- ing workers who had no opportunity before, the carpen- ter and mason became busy, and an air of general pros- perity again prevailed. Since 1868 many mills and fac- tories have been erected, the invested capital of which amounts to several million dollars. Industrial Progress. — Interesting paper read by Jos- eph R. Grundy, Bristol's leading manufacturer, at the spring meeting' of the Bucks County Historical Society, held in the Friends' Meeting House, Bristol (1910) : "The west bank of the Delaware River, we are told, was first settled in the neighborhood of Chester, by a body of Swedes about 1677, and shortly following that settlement, the ancestors of some of us found their way farther east and established for themselves a home within what is now the Qounty of Bucks. So numerous had this settlement become that at the end of twenty years we find the provincial government petitioned for the estab- 240 A HISTORY OF BRISTOL BOROUGH. lishment of a market town at what is now the site of Bristol, and four years later, or in 1701, Samuel Carpen- ter, described as a wealthy merchant of Philadelphia, attracted b}' the water power, furnished a mill property for the grinding- of grain and the sawing of timber. This enterprise heralded a beginning of considerable activity, as it afforded the settlers a medium of profitably clearing their lands and also of grinding the grain which they were then beginning to grow upon the lands that had been already gotten under cultivation. "This industry undoubtedly was responsible for the fact that there followed the establishment of shipbuilding upon Mill Creek, the timber for which the local mill aided in preparing, and further aided in providing cargoes for the ships when built to carry, and thus it was for prac- tically a century the industry of our neighborhood con- sisted in the building of ships, the sawing of timber and the grinding of grain, which was freely exported to various parts of the world. "In 1815 we are told that a woolen mill was established along the banks of Mill Creek, but its existence was of short duration, a quarrel having occurred in the firm which resulted in the removal of the machinery to Groveville, N. J. "The year 1827 saw the beginning of the construction by the state of the Delaware Division of the Lehigh Canal which was completed three years later, and fur- nished thereby an outlet from the anthracite coal regions of the north to tidewater. This development brought much activity in shipping lines and much labor found employment in handling the cargoes of coal which fecund their Avay to the sea by way of this new development. "In 1853 ^ body of capitalists gathered together the sum of $12,000, and in the neighborhood of the junction of Beaver Dam Road and the northwestern side of the canal established what was known as the Bristol Forge, for the purpose of making wrought iron. "About this time, however, the borough met with a severe setback; the extension of the Philadcl])hia and Reading Railroad from l^ethlchem to Philadelphia, by which route thereafter they shi])])e(l the C(ial to their JOSEPH R. GRUNDY, Jristol's Leading Mamifacturei A HISTORY OF BRISTOL BOROUGH. 24I yards in Port Richmond on the Delaware ; thus taking from our town the employment and business Avhich had for a quarter of a century played an important part in its growth and prosperity. "The period of time from 1855 to i860 is recorded as one of great depression due largely to this cause. It will be noted that up to this period substantially all the activity and business development had been created by the handling of raw products either of the mines or of the soil, and exporting same. The requirements of our people in all other than food products being imported from abroad. "The year i860 found our country in a condition of great turmoil and alarm. A man had been elected Presi- dent of the United States who was not in sympathy with Southern traditions, and the South, which for many years had been in charge of the Government, was upon the verge of secession. With the control of the Government thus far in their hands and with secession in their minds, it was but natural that ships, arms and munitions of Avar should have been transferred by those in charge, to points south of Mason and Dixon's line, in anticipation of the coming struggle. Thus when Abraham Lincoln subscribed to the oath of office as President of the I'nited States, he found the Government of our country con- fronted not only with secession and civil war. but also stripped of means to enforce by force of arms, the laws of our country and cope with the rebellion which was then before him. In order to provide and equip the armies and navies of the United States, large expendi- tures confronted the Government ; as the treasury was as depleted as were the arsenals, large sums of money had to be borrowed on the faith of the Government, and to provide for the interest and principal of these obliga- tions every method of taxation was, in the course of the struggle, resorted to, including heavy import duties upon all kinds of manufactured products into our country. "The import duties on manufacturers from abroad, high as they were, was not the only drawback to procur- ing goods from foreign lands. Many enterprises of a privateering character were entered into by men taking 242 A HISTORY OF r.RlSTOI, liOROUGH. advantage of the condition in which the Government of our country found itself and harassed in the name of the Confederacy the shipping trade of Northern states, and so our foreign trade relations were not only made diffi- cult by high tarifif duties, but hazardous by the fear of capture by those engaged in preying on our commerce. "The effect of the Government being a very large pur- chaser of all commodities, such as clothing, boots and shoes, arms and armament, to say nothing of the general equipment necessary to maintain large armies in the field, coupled with the requirements of our people, also the great abundance of money due to the large expenditures on the part of the Government for war purposes ; created great opportunity for domestic manufacture of all classes of merchandise. Under this stimulance domestic indus- tries to meet these requirements sprang up and flourished on every side, and the industrial strides made by the North during the Civil War, reflects their most prosper- ous period in American history. "The close of the Civil War, in 1865, brought many problems to those in charge of our Government, but none that they approached with more serious consideration than that of restoring the revenues of the Government to a peace basis and yet not disturb the splendid industrial development which had been created by the conditions before described. To prepare for this the Congress of the United States appointed a Revenue Commission con- sisting of David A. Wells, of Connecticut ; S. S. Hayes, of Massachusetts, and Stephen A. Col well, of Pennsylvania. The work of this commission covered a period of two years and proved to be a masterly review of the revenue laws of the land. In the latter part of 1866. this commis- sion made its report to the then Secretary of the Trea- sury the Hon. Hugh McCollough, who after approving same and certifying to it, laid it before the then Speaker of the House of Representatives, the Hon. Schuyler S. Colfax, who in turn approved and certified the report to the Chairman of the Ways and Means Committee of Congress, the Hon. Justin S. Morrell, who made this report the basis of what has since been known in history as the Morrell Tariff Act of 1867. The passage of this JOSHUA PEIRCE. Bristol's Industrial Pioneer. A HISTORY OF BRISTOL BOROUGH. 243 law brought continued confidence and encouragement to our industrial development as a country and formed the basis upon Avhich every protective tariff bill has since been constructed. "In the industrial uplift following i860, Bristol shared. "The Bristol Forge, located on Buckley Street, became the scene of great activity. Its. original capital of $12,000 was raised to $125,000, and its products found a ready market both for Government and domestic uses. The prosperity of this company led to the erecting of a similar concern known as the Keystone Forge Company. In 1864 the Bristol Woolen Mills were established on Buck- ley Street for the manufacture of knit fabrics. This prop- erty passed through several hands and afforded, up until recent years, the employment of many hundreds of peo])le. "The year 1868 is notable in Bristol's industrial history as marking the return of Joshua Peirce to Bristol after several years' residence in the western part of Pennsyl- vania. Impressed by the favorable location of- Bristol for industrial development and the opportunities which the Morrell Tariff Act created ; he established the Living- stone ^lills for the manufacture from wool of felt products. He actively and enthusiastically entered into the industrial development of Bristol, and in 1871 was instrumental in establishing the Bristol Foundry, since operated by ex-Burgess Thomas B. Harkins. The sash and ])laning mills now operated by Messrs. Peirce & \\'illiams were located in Bristol in 1873, and in 1875, likewise through Mr. Peirce's activities, the f)ristol Roll- ing Mills were built by Messrs. Nevegold & Scheide. In 1876 Mr. Peirce organized for the further industrial development of Bristol the Bristol Improvement Com- pany, and the same year this company erected the worsted mills, which were leased to the then firm of Grundy P.rothers and Campion. In 1877 the Bristol Im- I)rovement Company erected for L. M. Harned & Co., the mill known as the Keystone Mill for the manufacture of fringe and braids. In 1880 the same company erected the Star Mills for a firm engaged in the manufacture of knit goods, and in 1882 the Wall Paper Mills, which have 244 -'^ HISTORY OF BRISTOL BOROUGH. since been operated under various management were also erected by this company. About this time Samuel Apple- ton erected the mill located on Buckley Street near Beaver Dam Road, now operated by Henderson & Co.,. as a carpet mill, and in 1887 the Improvement Company erected the fine property of the Bristol Carpet Mills for the then firm of Thomas L. Leedom & Co. "In 1889 the leather factory, now known as the Corona Leather Works, was established by Boston capitalists,, and in 1906 the Patent Leather Company engaged in a similar line of work to that of the Corona Leather Works,, was established by its enterprising president, our towns- man, Mr. C. L. Anderson. "The year following, the Standard Cast Iron Pipe and Foundry Company erected the large works in the town- ship just east of the borough line. This last mentioned mill property about completes the industrial enterprises now in existence in our district. It is interesting to note some of the deductions Avhich are drawn from Bristol's industrial development. "The first is that from the settlement of our neighbor- hood in 1677 to i860, a period of 183 years, the population had but grown to about 2,500 people, and in assessed valuation the borough reached a property valuation of slightly under $500,000. During the past fifty years the industrial conditions which had led to the development of Bristol up to i860 have entirely passed away. The busi- ness of the canal for the most part was diverted else- where, the grist mill has long since passed out of active operation, and with it the saw mill, and in their place industrial activity was found in the manufacture of iron, of carpets, of hosiery, of leather products, mill work, and yarn and cloths for the clothing of our people. "In the 183 years since the settlement, to i860, our ]>()])ulation had grown to 2,500. Fifty years later we a])pro.\imate 10,000 souls. The assessed valuation, which in 183 years had reached nearly $500,000 in 1860, since has grown to $3,000,000, and the number of people em- ployed in the mills in 1910 approximate 3,300; the wages annually paid to these operatives total $1,750,000, while A HISTORY OF BRISTOL BOROUGH. 245 the value of the manufactured product amounts to sub- stantially $12,000,000 annually. "The past decade, in Bristol especially, has been one of marked prosperity in its industrial development; its population has increased 40 per cent, over that of 1900, and never in the history of the borough has there been a year when expenditures for development and advance- ment of the community will be as great as that of the year 1910. "As stated before, in the 183 years of the life of our neighborhood up to i860, the assessed valuation of our town was less than $500,000. Yet this year do we find one enterprise under way, that of changing of the lines of the Pennsylvania Railroad, which will involve an ex- penditure of more than $1,000,000. Also we find in the development and extension of mill operations already located within our neighborhood contracts made for the expenditure in new buildings and equipment approximat- ing $750,000. In building operations for homes for our people, probably not less than $50,000 additional will be expended, while many more homes would find ready rental if constructed, all directly reflecting a condition of business activity and industrial development much to be desired and encouraged. "Those of us who have been identified with Bristol's growth during the past generation, naturally take much pride in what has been accomplished. But however grati- fying the past may have been we feel that should there be no change in the fiscal policy of the Government which has made possible our development in the past, the future of our neighborhood is very bright. We believe the work now under way by the Pennsylvania Railroad will be a great factor in this direction, as it will open up some three miles of lands for development along their new lines which heretofore has been inaccessible, owing to physical difficulties. The removal of passenger tracks at grade crossings from the heart of our town, thus afford- ing free access and communication to all sections, is something greatly to be desired, and the development which naturally will follow in trolley service will bear an important part in our growth and added convenience. 246 A HISTORY OF BRISTOL BOROUGH. "Ill all of the problems which effect our future develop- ment, our local government is deeply interested. The question of our future water supply, a question of great importance to every industrial town, is being solved in the direction of municipal control of this important utility. A complete sewer system for the better sanita- tion of the borough will shortly be installed. Never was there a brighter horizon for our people than that which at this day confronts them. "In all ages the valor and l)ra\'ery of men who have borne arms in the defence of their country has been the subject of grateful appreciation by their fellow man. If this is true in a general sense, when ai)]:)lied to those who fought on the side of the Union in the Civil War, it should have a double significance, for did not the bravery and patriotism of these men preserve our national in- tegrity, deliver unto freedom millions of men wdio had previously been held in bondage ; but unknown even to themselves evolved and developed in the minds of our patriotic statesmen of that day, out of the necessity and circumstances of the war, what has since been known as the American Protective Tariff System. The advantages and benefits of this system are directly evidenced by the development and prosperity of the community and our entire country during the past fifty years, and the ex- ample set has led to the adoption of this system as part of the fiscal policy of every civilized nation in the world but one. Surely can it be said of the patriotic soldiers of '60 to '64, 'they built more wisely than they knew.' " Supplemental. — The Livingstone Mills were built by Messrs. Charles ^^'. and Joshua Peirce, in 1868, for the manufacture of printed felt druggets and floor cloths, but the character of the product was changed from year to year to meet the demands of a changing market. The coming of the Peirces to Bristol marked the beginning of an era of industrial activity wdiich has continued ever since. A large part of the product of the firm during the first few years of its existence, consisted of ladies' felt skirts, of which 2,000 per day were regularly produced. The exhibit of the firm at the Centennial Exposition, A HISTORY OP BRISTOL BOROUGH. 247 held in Philadelphia in 1876, was attractive and varied in character. The manufacture of felt cloths ceased in 1882 in favor of medium and fine woolen cassimeres. Charles \\'. Peirce withdrew from the management in January, 1883, and the business was conducted under the firm name of Joshua Peirce & Co. Mr. Peirce failed in 1887. Subsequently the plant was purchased by Edward T. Steel & Co., the present oAvners, and fitted out for the manufacture of men's worsted fabrics. Arir.LS Ol- KliWAKI) T. STKKL X CO. The Bristol Foundry, operated by T. B. Harkins Foundry Company, was established in 1871, for the manu- facture of stove plate and fire castings. Though limited in extent, this enterprise has been successful and pros- perous, and has acquired an extended reputation for superiority of workmanship. The sash and planing mill of Joseph Sherman was built in 1873, was later operated under the firm name of Sherman & Peirce, and since the death of the former partner, has been known as the Bristol Woodworking Mill, operated by Peirce & Williams. In 1891 a disas- 248 A HISTORY OF BRISTOL BOROUGH. trous fire burned the buildings to the ground, after which the splendidly equipped factory of today was erected. The Bristol Rolling Mill was built by Messrs. Neve- gold, Schiede & Co., in 1875, for the manufacture of hoop, scale and band iron from scrap and muck bar. After the withdrawal of Frederick Nevegold, in September, 1886, the proprietorship was vested in the Bristol Rolling Mill Company, which was incorporated in 1881, with Charles E. Schiede president and GilTord L. Lewis, secretary and treasurer. Subsequent to the failure of the Bristol Rolling Mill Company, the mill has been operated at intervals by the Bristol Iron and Steel Company. The mill is now idle with very little prospects of an early resumption. The Bristol Improvement Company was incorporated in 1876, with a capital of $60,000, mainly through the efforts of Joshua Peirce, to whom much credit is due for the establishment and successful operation of the enter- prise. The purpose of the corporation was to offer facili- ties to manufacturers desiring to locate here by erecting a building for their accommodation, thus encouraging the growth of manufacturing industries in the borough. The Bristol \\'orsted Mills, the first erected by the Bristol Improvement Company, were established in 1876, by Messrs. Grundy Bros. & Campion. The senior part- ner, Mr. Edmund Grundy, died in 1884, but the firm name remained unchanged for two years longer. In 1886 the firm was reorganized under the name of Wm. H. Grundy & Co., Mr. Campion retiring. The new firm consisted of Wm. H. Grundy, George A. Shoemaker and Joseph R. Grundv. After the death of the elder Mr. Grundy, in 1893, the partnership was continued between the other two members of the firm, under the same title. Mr. Shoemaker retired in December, 1900, since which time the business has been conducted by Mr. Joseph R. Grundy, who is the sole owner. The firm manufactures wool to])s and worsted yarns for men's wear, dress goods and hosiery trade, both in grey and mixtures. During the year 1910, the firm erected a seven-story reinforced concrete storehouse, the first building of its character to be constructed in this vicinity. 'I'he first three stories of the new structure, which is parallel \\\{h the canal, are A HISTORY OF BRISTOL BOROUGH. 249 an extension to the main mill and when equipped with machinery will increase the working force from 800, the present number, to 1,000 hands. The plans for the build- ing were drawn by the architectural firm of Messrs. Hea- cock & Hokinson, of Philadelphia, which firm also super- intended its construction. The building is surmounted by a clock tower, the heighth of which (from the ground to the top of the tower), is 168 feet, 4 inches. The height of base above the ground is 89 feet ; from the base to centre of dial is 58 feet, 4 inches, and the distance from the centre of dial to the base of flag pole is 21 feet. The length of flag pole above the roof is 35 feet, making the total distance from the ground to the top of the pole 203 feet, 4 inches. The tower contains four clock dials, each of which has a diameter of 14 feet. The tower is 19 feet square and has four observation balconies, one on each side, 134 feet above the ground. It also contains four observation windows, 158 feet above the ground. The estimated weight of the tower is 225,000 pounds. The dials are of glass, and being illuminated at night, can be seen dis- tinctly from all parts of the town. The year following the erection of the Bristol Worsted Mills (1877), the Keystone Mill was built by the Bristol Improvement Company and leased to Messrs. L. M. Har- necl & Co., fringe manufacturers. They occupied it but a few years, and in 1885 it was leased to the Bristol Worsted Mills as a storehouse for wool and was con- tinuously rented by them from year to year, until the building was purchased by Messrs. Edward T. Steel & Co. The Star Mill was the third mill erected by the Bristol Improvement Company. It was originally occupied by the Star Woolen Mill Company, and later by Joshua Peirce & Co., as a cloth weaving mill. When the latter company failed in 1887, the mill was used as a storehouse by \\'m. H. Grundy & Co. This mill was annexed to the Paper Mill in July, 1891. Previous to the erection of the Star Mill, the Bristol Improvement Company had built a small one-story build- ing, 32 by 50 feet, for Woods & Killinger, to be used as 250 A HISTORY Ol- nklS'Pol, lUJRUUGH. a keg" factory. This building was torn down to make room lor tlie new structure, and the keg factory was removed to a two-story frame Ijuikhng, which had been erected along the canal basin at the foot of the Cedar Street hill, on ground owned l)v Dr. Howard Tursell. The factory was only in operation a short time, when it caught tire one afternoon, and was burned to the ground. During the conflagration the boiler exploded, but no one was injured. After the completion of the Star Mill, the large wall paper mill was erected by the I'.ristol Improvement Com- I'AI'KK Mil. I. ol'KR.VTED BY CLEOH II.I. WALL PAI'ER CO. pany and leased to Messrs. Wilson & Fenimore. This industry involved the exercise of high artistic and mechanical talent. The firm sold out its interest se\eral years ago to the wall paper trust, and were succeeded by Kayser & Allman and later by the Lewis Chase Wall Paper Company. The mill today is operated by the Glad- hill Wall Paper Compan}'. The last mill erected by the Bristol lm])ro\ement Com- pany (1877), was the Bristol Car])et ]\Iills, now owned I)\- A HISTORY OF CRISTOIv BOROUGH. 251 The Thomas L. I^eedom Company. This firm removed from Philadelphia and manufactures rugs and carpets. Of later years close attention has been given to the develop- ment of the "Wilton Rug" industry, and by a number of improvements in its manufacture, the firm has become the foremost producer in the country. Of later years the Bristol Improvement Company has been disposing of its mills to its tenants. Joseph R. Grundy has purchased the Bristol Worsted Mills ; the CARPET MIW.S OF THOS. I.. I.EEDOM CO. Keystone Mill was sold to Edward T. Steel & Co.; and the large carpet mill was bought by The Thomas L. Leedom Company. The only properties now held by the Bristol Improvement Company are the Wall Paper Mill and the Harkin's Foundry. During the year 1879, Clara Appleton erected a hosiery mill on Buckley Street, near Beaver Dam Road. It was destroyed by fire, but later rebuilt on a smaller scale and is now occupied by Wm. Henderson for the manufacture of carpets. Messrs. D. E. Baker & Co., in 1899, purchased the old rubberoid works on Beaver Street, and began the manu- 17 252 A HISTORY OF BRISTOL BOROUGH. facture of patent kid and colt leather. The firm was reorganized in 1900 and incorporated as a stock company under the name of the Corona Kid Company. The Bris- tol Patent Leather Company moved its plant from Cam- den, N. J., to Bristol in 1906, since which time it has rapidly clcveloped. Both companies are in a flourishing condition and are a valuable addition to the industrial life of the borough. The Standard Cast Iron & Foundry Company, spoken of in Mr. Grundy's paper, is located just east of the bor- ough limits. It is gradually increasing its output and al- though most of its employees occupy houses erected by the company in the vicinity of its works, yet its influence is felt by the merchants of Bristol, and it is claimed as one of the town's most flourishing industries. Joseph Ridgway Grundy. — Proprietor of the Bristol Worsted Mills, and one of the most prominent manufac- turers and business men of Bucks County, was born in Camden, New Jersey, January 13, 1863, and is a son of the late William Hulme and Mary (Ridgway) Grundy, and a grandson of Edmund and Rebecca (Ilulme) Grundy, and is a descendant on the maternal side from the earliest English settlers on the Delaware. Edmund Grundy, grandfather of Joseph R., was a native of England, came to this country when a young- man and located in Philadelphia, where he became a prominent merchant. He retired from business in 1856, at the same time moving to Walnut Grove Farm, Bristol Township, where he resided until his death in 1878. He married Rebecca Hulme, daughter of ^\'illiam and Rachel (Knight) Hulme, of Hulmevillc, Bucks County, and they were the parents of five children. William Hulme Grundy, the father of the subject of this sketch, was the second child of Edmund and Rebecca (Hulme) Grundy, and was born in Philadelphia in De- cember, 1836. He was educated at a select school in that city and at an early age became a clerk in a mercantile establishment. Later he entered into the mercantile trade for himself in that city. In 1870 he began the manufac- ture of worsted yarns. mo\'ing liis ])lant to IJristol, Bucks WILLIAM H. GRUNDY, A HISTORY OF BRISTOL BOROUGH. 253 County, in 1876, establishing the Bristol Worsted Mills, SO long- and successfully conducted by the firm of Wm. H. Grundy & Co., of which firm he was the senior mem- ber. It proved to be one of the important industries of the county, and gave employment to several hundred hands. William H. Grundy was a public-spirited and broad-minded business man, and did much to advance the interests of his town. He was president of the Bristol Improvement Company, and filled the ofihce of chief bur- gess of the town for two terms. He was always active in all that pertained to the best interests of the town and won and held the respect and esteem of all with whom he came in contact. He was one of the first members of the Union League of Philadelphia, and a prominent mem- ber of the Manufacturers' Club of that city. He was also a prominent member of the Masonic fraternity. His career of extraordinary business activity and usefulness was terminated by his sudden death on October 26, 1893, of heart disease. Mr. Grundy married in 1861, INIary Ridgway, of New Jersey, a lineal descendant of Richard Ridgway, of Wel- ford. County of Bucks, England, who arrived in the River Delaware, in the ship ''Jacob and Mary," of Lon- don, in September, 1679, and settled near the Falls of the Delaware in what is now Falls Township, Bucks County, where he was a considerable land holder. The first court- house of Bucks County was erected on land belonging to Richard Ridgway. Mr. Ridgway was accompanied to America by his wife Elizabeth and son Thomas, and another son, Richard, was born a few months after their arrival. His wife died in Bucks Count3% and in 1699 he married Abigail Stockton, of New Jersey, and thereafter made his residence in Burlington County, New Jersey, where he became a very prominent man and left numer- ous descendants. The maternal ancestors of William Hulme Grundy were also among the earliest English settlers of Bucks County. George Hulme and his son George Hulme, Jr., came from England prior to 1700, and settled in Middle- town Township. George, Jr. married, in 1708, Naomi Palmer, daughter of John and Christian Palmer, who 254 A HISTORY OF BRISTOL BOROUGH. came to Bucks County from Cleveland, Yorkshire, arnv- ino- in the Delaware, September lO, 1863. Naomi only survived her marriage a short time. George Jr. married (second), her sister, Ruth Palmer, contrary to the rules of Middletown Friends' Meeting, which forbid marriage with a deceased wife's sister, and he was disowned by the Meeting. John Hulme, son of George and Ruth, married Mary Pearson, daughter of Enoch and Margaret (Smith) Pearson, of Buckingham, and their son John was the founder of Hulmeville, which still bears his name. He married Rebecca Milnor, daughter of William Milnor, of Penn's Manor, and lived for a number of years m the Manor In 1796 he exchanged his manor farm with Joshua Woolston for the Milford Mills, as Hulmeville was at that time known, and subsequently purchased several hundred acres of land adjoining, and with his sons William, John, Joseph, George and Samuel, established several new industries there and laid out and developed the town. . t^ i The family were the originators of the Farmers bank of Bucks County, which had its inception at Hulmeville. John Hulme was one of the most prominent business men of Bucks County and a pioneer in the rapid development that began in the first quarter of a century after the Revolution. His eldest son, William, ^yas a carpenter and cabinet maker and was associated with his father in the varied interests of the town, and assisted materially in its development. He married, April 17, 1794, Rachel Knight, and died in 1809, leaving one son, Joseph K., and two daughters, Susanna and Rebecca. The latter was born in 1803 and became the wife of Edmund Grundy. She outlived all of her generation, dying at her country residence in Bristol Township, October 26, 1895, at the advanced age of 92 years. Of her five children, only one survived her, Mrs. Susan G. Harrison. William Hulme and Mary (Ridgway) Grundy were the parents of two children, Joseph R., and Margaret R. Mrs. Grundy, who is still living, resides at Walnut Grove, in Bristol Town- ship, though much of her time is spent in traveling in Europe and elsewhere. (Davis' History of Bucks County.) A HISTORY OF BRISTOL BOROUGH. 255 Bud Doble, the World-Renowned Horse Trainer and Tockey.— Bud Doble, the greatest horse tranier and iockey America has ever known, lived in Bristol durnig the early years of his famous career. About 1867, he erected a large stable on the west side of Otter street, near Bath, and made it the winter quarters for his re- nowned trotting horses. In January, 1868, this stable caught fire and burned to the ground, but the horses were saved A new stable was subsequently built at the corner of Otter and Maple Streets. In this stable were wintered many of the most famous horses known to the world in that day. Among the number may be men- tioned Goldsmith Maid, Dexter, Lucy Lady Thorn, Snow Ball, Dot, Jay Gould and Flora Temple. Some- times as many as one hundred and fifty horses were wintered here at one time. Mr. Doble would allow the small boys of the town to take out the famous trotters for exercise, and many of our older men of today hold in their memory fond remembrances of having ridden, during their boyhood, upon the back of some of the fast- est horses in the world. r , , o o The famous Dexter, a brown gelding, foaled 1858, was the first of the great trotters that was bred m conformity with later-day ideas. The track career of this champion covered but three years, from 1864, to 1867, and m that time he performed in harness, under saddle and to wagon, winning forty-six contested races at various hitches and distances, one to three miles, and was defeated but four times. His essay against time was October, 1865, to beat 2 19 under saddle, and he went the distance in 2.iS}i. His next time trial was in 1866, to beat his saddle record and he failed. The third was to beat the harness record of Flora Temple, starting August 14, 1867, at Buffalo, and in the second trial he trotted in 2.1734, thus making the world's record. This record maintained until 1869, when it was passed over to Yankee Sam, who reduced the time to 2.i6>^. r 1 1 o The incomparable Goldsmith Maid, a bay, foaled 1857, started on her brilliant career in 1865, taking a record of 2.36. All told, in the twelve years she was on the turf, she trotted 135 races, winning 91. She also won nine- 256 A HISTORY OF BRISTOL BOROUGH. teen contests in which the three heats were in 2.20 or better. Her total of heats in races and against time was 332. The first time she beat the 2.17^4 of Dexter and placed herself at the head of American trotters was Sep- tember 6, 1871, at the Cold Spring Track, Milwaukee, where she defeated Lucy in a match, the second heat in 2.17 flat. Her greatest races were against Lucy, they meeting many times, Lucy defeating her but three times. Her next reduction of the record was June 29, 1872, at Mystic Park, Boston, again defeating Lucy, who forced her out in the second heat in 2.16^. July 16, 1874, at East Saginaw, Mich., she cut the record to 2.16, in the last heat of a match with Judge Fullerton. i\ugust 7, the same year, she started at Buffalo to beat her record,^ and trotted in 2.153/2, and the next week, at Rochester, won the second heat of a race with Fullerton and Ameri- can Girl in 2.14^. September ^. 1874, found her at Mystic Park, where she started against 2.14^, and cut the mark to 2.14, a record which stood for four years. Her only ap]:)roach to this record was 2.14^, in 1877, in a race with Rarus, who was destined to succeed her. The only famous trotter of the day that the Maid failed to defeat was Lady Thorn. Goldsmith Maid was retired to the breeding ranks at Fashion Stud, Trenton, N. J. The last public appearance of the Maid was at the first National Horse Show, in 1884, at Madison Square Gar- den, when she was paraded in the ring with the ex-cham- pion stallion. Smuggler, 2.15^4, who defeated her in 1876, at Cleveland, in one of the greatest old-time races in the Grand Circuit. She died September, 1885, at Fashion Stud, in her twenty-eighth year. She and Lucy, 2.iSj4, were inseparable at the farm. They were always to- gether in pasture and had adjoining boxes in the big barn. AAHien the Maid was dying, Lucy raged in her stall like a mad creature and was inconsolable for days. They were buried side by side. Mr. Doble removed from P)ristol to California during the 70's of the last century, where he married a daughter of "Lucky" Baldwin, the famous ranchman of Southern California. Mr. Doble is still living, spending his declin- ing years in (piict luxury, at Los Angeles, Cal. He was A HISTORY OF BRISTOL BOROUGH. 257 truly the greatest turfman of his day, and since then there have been none greater. Bristol Water Company.— The Bristol Water Company was incorporated August 31. 1874. The first standpipe erected was 140 feet high. Pipes were laid through the principal streets of the town, and extended with the growth and development of the municipality. The com- pany was successful from the start and for many years has' paid a 10 per cent, annual dividend. In 1895 the old standpipe was removed and a new one, 152 feet high, erected in its place. In 1906 the company entered into a contract with the New York Continental Jewelt Filter Company for a filter plant with a capacity of 2,000,000 gallons per day, at a cost of $25,000. This filter contains two coagulatmg tanks and four sand filters, occupying a space of 40 by 80 feet, with a concrete storage basin, 40 by 80 by 9 feet m depth, being similar in all respects to the Norristown Filtering Plant except in size. It was during this year (1906) that Borough Council began the agitation for a municipal waterworks. The charter of the borough was changed by an act of the State Legislature, givnig to the borough greater borrow- ing powers. A bi'tter controversy ensued between the managers and stockholders of the company and those interested in the establishment of a municipal plant. Tuesday, July 10, 1906, was decided upon as the time when an election should be held by the citizens to decide upon the expenditure of $100,000 for a municipal water and filtration plant. In the midst of the controversy the water company began the installation of its filtration plant, but the citizens voted at the election in July, by a large majority, in favor of a municipal plant. Litigation followed in the courts, but all decisions favored the bor- ough's right to maintain a municipal plant. Last year (1910), the question was revived, and Borough Council endeavored to purchase the Bristol Water Works, but without success. Plans for a new municipal plant have been drawn, approved by the State Board of Health and 258 A HISTORY OF P.RISTOI, BOROUGH. accepted by the Borough Council, and work on the new- plant will begin soon. The Buckley Street Mission Sunday School.— The Buckley Street Mission Sunday School was instituted in a small one-story building on Buckley Street, at the end of the mill yard of Thomas Hughes & Co., manufac- turers of hosiery and underwear, by Mr. and Mrs. James M. Slack, January 3, 1875, with sixteen scholars and four teachers. James M. Slack was its first superintendent and held the position continuously until his death. The building was erected by the firm for the accommodation of the school, and later enlarged as it increased its mem- bership. So rapidly did the school grow, that two years after its institution, 200 scholars and eighteen teachers were enrolled. This increase in membership necessitated larger ac- commodations, so the firm remodeled the building, adding another story and increasing its dimensions. This en- abled the primary department, under the charge of Mrs. Henry Bailey, to meet in the lower story, and the senior scholars to have the use of the upstairs' room. Mr. Slack continued as superintendent until his death, which oc- curred in January, 1888. Mrs. Slack succeeded her hus- band as Superintendent, and gave personal and financial support to the mission. The Christmas festival each year was made particu- larly enjoyable to the scholars. Gifts were presented to all, and special prizes were awarcjed for attendance dur- ing the past year. Mrs. Slack always bore the expenses herself and never allowed a collection to be taken for that purpose. She also devoted her time and spared no trouble in looking after the personal welfare of the scholars. On the occasion of one of the Christmas festivals, a large fountain was placed in the centre of the room and allowed to remain during the year. An interesting feature of the school was a Bible Class of twenty-five or thirty men, both old and young, in charge of Mrs. E. J. Groom, who was always present, as she said, "to look after her boys." Mrs. Slack had repeatedly asserted her determination A HISTORY OF BRISTOL BOROUGH. 259 to discontinue her connection with the mission when she reached the age of 70 years. When the time came, how- ever, it was hard work for her to break the ties asunder, and several Sundays passed before she could say the school would close. Finally, on Sunday, June 27, 1897, the Buckley Street Mission Sunday School, after a suc- cessful existence of twenty-two years, was discontinued, Following its close, the members decided to visit their superintendent, Mrs. Slack, on each recurring birthday, and thus keep united the ties of friendship and afifection \^■hich had bound them together for so many years. This custom has been continued during the thirteen years which have intervened since the close of the school, and on the evening of January 24th, of each year, the pleasant home of Mrs. Slack, at the corner of Radcliffe and Frank- lin Streets, is the scene of a happy reunion between the aged superintendent and her scholars, and her heart is cheered as she hears the boys and girls of former years sing over again the Gospel Hymns she taught them back in the olden days. America Hose, Hook and Ladder Company No, 2. — The America Hose, Hook and Ladder Company No. 2, was organized in October, 1874, and incorporated Jan- uary 12, 1875, with fifty charter members. The names of the six men, which appear upon the charter are : William H. Hall, John M. Callanan, Richard E. Shaw, Allen L. Garwood, W. Harry Wright and B. C. Foster. The first president of the company was Allen L. Garwood. On October i, 1876, just one year after its organization. Bor- ough Council authorized the construction of a one-story frame building on land owmed by the borough, at the corner of Pond and Mulberry Streets, for the use of the company, at a cost of $545. In February, 1882, the old building was torn down, and by authority of Town Coun- cil, a two-story brick building was erected at a cost of $2,940. In more recent years the company, with permis- sion of council, removed the brick building, and had erected, at its own expense, the handsome and commodi- ous stone building of today. The building cost the com- pany $10,000. The first truck owned by the company was 260 A HISTORY OF BRISTOL BOROUGH. built by \\'ilson Randall, the carriage builder on Bath Street, in 1875, at a cost of $650. After being in constant use for about a quarter of a century, it was supplanted by the splendid apparatus which is now in the company's possession today, and a few years later the old truck was sold to the Yardley Fire Company. This company has always been noted for its efficiency. Several times it has participated in parades in Philadelphia and other cities, always making a fine showing. Its twenty-fifth anniversay was celebrated by a banquet in Pythian Hall in October, 1899. 1 besides the truck, its equipment com- prises a hose wagon and a hose carriage. A Fruit Preserving Establishment. — Between 1875 and 1880, below Bloomsdale, and on the bank of the river, was located the extensive establishment of Nathan Hell- ings, for the preservation of fruit. The main building was eighty by fifty with thick walls, and was so constructed as to avoid the outside changes of temperature, which was maintained within at from thirty- four to thirty-six degrees, while a current of dry air passed constantly through the building, to prevent mois- ture. A large ice bed under the centre of the building- cooled the atmosphere in summer. Here large quanti- ties of foreign and domestic fruits, in season, were stored for preservation. The storage capacity of the establish- ment was about 10,000 barrels. Improvements in the system of fruit preservation and the development of "cold storage," soon made the Bristol establishment im- practicable and it was closed with a total loss to the pro- prietor. Subsequently the buildings were destroyed by fire, but the old ruins can still be seen from the decks of the steamers which i)ly up and down the river. Reminiscences of Bristol in 1875-1880. — During this period Bristol was about half as large as it is today, hav- ing a population of 5,000. Joshua Peirce was developing the land above Washington Street, and the Fifth Ward was a })ossibility of the remote future. The Bristol Im- provement Company had been organized and Grundy's mill was the first to be erected. The Fourth A\'ar(l was A HISTORY OF BRISTOL BOROUGH. 261 but sparsely settled, while the Third Ward was under- going the process of development. Samuel Swain and Walter Laing had divided the land south of Swain Street into building lots, opened up Swain, Linden, Locust and Maple Streets, and through the agency of the old Home and Cottage Building Associations, were rapidly selling the land. The old W^ood Street and Otter Street (Mohican Hall), school buildings, had been erected and many of the boys of that generation, from all over the town, received their elementary training within the walls of the latter building. The old Pennsylvania Railroad freight depot stood on the east side of the tracks, just above the passenger depot, with a frontage on Pond Street. Wm. H. P. Hall was freight agent, and occupied a frame office attached to the southern end of the building. Somewhere between it and the passenger station was a foot bridge, which passed over the top of the tracks, with steps leading up on both sides. J. Merrick Brown was ticket agent at the passenger depot and also looked after the baggage de- partment, as well as the Adams' Express business. Along the race, just opposite the depot, on the west side of the tracks, was a frame house occupied by a noted character. Jack Kelly, or more commonly known as "Rabbit Eggs," and his associate "Poll Scott." Farther up towards AIul- berry Street stood a row of small houses called "Rotten Row," or "Bed Bug Row," and back of them, along the mill race stood another house or two. Along the track in front of "Bed Bug Row," were located the water tanks of the Pennsylvania Railroad. But two tracks passed through the town and the course of the railroad ran along the old roadbed just back of Otter Street. Gates had not yet been placed at the Mill Street crossing, but a flagman was on duty. Accidents frequently occurred and many men and boys were killed in attempting to steal fruit from the moving trains. The grist mill which now stands in ruins near the cor- ner of Mill and Pond Streets was operated with water power, which produced a current in the basin below, which furnished a rendezvous for Bristol's famous her- ring. As many as fifteen dip-nets were often in use at 262 A HISTORY OF BRISTOL BOROUGH. one time and what a happy time it was, when a school of herring came up the basin attracted by the current. Twenty-five or thirty and sometimes fifty at a dip, was an occasional occurrence. The old saw mill was also a place of interest, with its long incline running down to the log pound in the basin below. The boys of that period found pleasure in watching the logs pulled up the incline into the mill, and then, when they were in position, through the kindness of the sawyer, Thomas Harrison, were allowed to ride forward and backward on the carrier frame, while the saw ploughed its way through the log. On the south side of Mill Street, at the junction of the railroad and the street, stood a brick house occupied by Mr. and Mrs. Henry Sutch. Between the house and the railroad tracks was a pair of steps leading down to the tow path below. On the other side at the northwest intersection of the track and the street, Charles Osmond ran a bakery, and at the end of his property another pair of steps ran down to the towpath. When the crossing was blocked, the travel was diverted, passing down the steps, under the railroad bridge, by way of the towpath and up the steps on the other side. Adjoining the home of Mr. and Mrs. Sutch was a tin shop, the proprietor of which was Courtland Lynn. On the corner next to the race stood a blacksmith shop and its tenant may have been a man named Craven. On the other side of the railroad between the Owl Club and the canal, was a wagon road running down the hill underneath the old railroad to a canal stable situated near the overflow. One night, shortly after the borough had purchased its new Silsby steam fire engine, this stable caught fire, and in going down the hill the smoke stack struck the l^ridge and it broke off, so that the steamer was run that night with a barrel for a smoke stack. It proved a disastrous fire and several mules were burned to death. The old forge was standing on the east side of the tracks near the Otter Street school building. It was in operation only a short time during this period, and some of the machinery was eventually sold to the rolling mill, which was then operated by Nevegold & Schiede. Be- A HISTORY OF BRISTOL BOROUGH. 263 tween the forge and the canal bridge stood two or three small houses. Modus Stroble, a sturdy type of our early German settlers, conducted a harness making establish- ment in the property now occupied by the Owl Club. William Blackwood ran a bakery at the corner of Bath and Otter Streets. Israel Tomlinson occupied the old stone house at the west corner of Bath and Otter Streets. Wilson Closson was proprietor of the Closson House. The Bath Springs Hotel was still standing, being still in use for summer boarders. Jared Hellings was the pro- prietor. A bath house stood in the mill pond and a pavilion still remained near the famous spring. Near the creek was a bowling alley, which burned to the ground one night before the fire department could render assistance. Occasional excursions still came up on the boat, some bringing music with them. Baseball occupied the attention of Bristol's sporting men just as it does today. The old "Athletics" played on a lot between Washington and Lafayette Streets. Later, Simon's field, opposite the Bristol Cemetery, was leased. It was here that baseball saw its greatest de- velopment. The old Keystone Club was almost invinci- ble. Mixed clubs, composed of Bristol and Burlington players struggled with the Keystone again and again for supremacy. It was during these struggles that the curved ball was brought out, which made such a revolu- tion in baseball circles. The Jerseymen brought the curved ball over from Burlington and the names of Bottle Burr, Frank Schuyler and Godie Brotherton are fresh in memor}- today. An amusing incident occurred during this period of baseball history. The laws of the game were changed so that the pitcher in throwing a ball must keep his arm below his hip. One of the pitchers of the Bristol team was Mr. Dickie, who was a local manufacturer. He violated the rule so often, that the umpire was obliged to warn him, saying: "Get your hand down, Mr. Dickie!" This expression seemed to make a humorous impression upon the youthful minds and it became a by-word. Wherever Mr. Dickie went he heard this expression. The small boys would meet his carriage at the Mill Street 264 A HISTORY OF BRISTOL BOROUGH. crossing and follow it down Otter Street to the ball grounds, shouting at the top of their voices : "Get your hand down, Air. Dickie !" It was during this period that Patchem Flynn, who afterward became a pitcher for the local team, learned to pitch a curved ball. John Tyrol, Vivian Potts and many other boys of this period became adepts in the same line, and soon the curved ball became a feature in local ama- teur as well as professional baseball circles. The ball field was subsequently removed to the Fourth Ward, where, on one occasion, "Billy Downing," the pitcher of the local team, while at the bat, was struck in the temple by an inshoot, knocking him senseless, and putting an end to his baseball aspirations, for he played little after that occasion. Mr. Downing is still living and conducts a flour and feed business on Mill Street. The circuses of these days traveled in wagons on the road, and what fun it was for the boys to arise early in the morning and meet the wagons at Otter Creek bridge. The bridge was a weak structure and the elephants were taken down the bank and waded across the creek. The tent wagons always arrived first. Later in the morning the circus proper would arrive. Stopping on South Otter Street they would form in line and parade through the town to the lot on which the tents had been erected. On one occasion, the band wagon was drawn by forty horses, driven by one man. It was considered a wonderful feat, and was talked over in the town for many days after- ward. The circuses of this period seemed better than they are today, because the clown was a more important part of the show. Perhaps many of our readers will re- member McGinley's Circus and Cole's Circus, both of which made yearly visits to the town. Dan Gardiner was the greatest leaper that Bristol people have ever seen and the number of horses, camels and elephants he could leap over, at the same time turning a double somersault in the air, was wonderful to behold. The tem])erance question was agitating the minds of the people and outdoor meetings were held in the old grove, which was situated on Pond vStreet above De\\'itt's greenhouses. An orator named William A. Lafifertv was A HISTORY Of BRISTOL BOROUGH. 265 prominent in the temperance work. One evening a hotel keeper signed the pledge and the next day the liquor from his hotel was poured out on the hill adjoining Dr. Pur- sell's drug store. Meetings were also held in Cabeen's Hall. A strong branch of the Catholic T. A. B. Society was in existence and temperance meetings were frequently held in St. Mark's Roman Catholic Church, which were largely attended. Bunker Hill rose out of the marsh in majestic splendor. It was situated just back of the old forge, and a remnant of it exists today. At one time it was thought a paper mill would be erected thereon. A well was sunk, l>ut for some reason the work was abandoned. Later, when the Pennsylvania Railroad changed its roadbed to its present location. Bunker Hill was purchased and the earth used for the road's embankment. For several years a man named Fiddle and his wife, lived on the side of the hill in an old canal boat. He dealt in rags, bones and old iron and kept a large fiock of geese. Mrs. Fiddle was quick tempered and would often get a gun and make the boys run, when she could stand their conduct no longer. On the south side of the hill, there was a favorite spot where the boys liked to bathe, and in winter time the north side made a delightful coasting ground. When the ice on the marsh was in good condition, the impetus secured from the ride down the hill would carry the coast- ers half way across to the overflow. One night, after the canal boat home had been vacated by its occupants, it was set on fire. A snow storm was raging at the time and it made a beautiful sight. In fact, such a vivid im- pression did it make upon the memories of those who lived at this period, that today, whenever they indulge in reminiscences, the Bunker Hill fire is always mentioned. Bristol in these days, had two brass bands and a drum corps. The latter was first organized in connection with H. Clay Beatty Post No. 73, G. A. R., and met weekly for practice in Henry Rue's carpenter shop on Otter Street. The T. A. B. Band met in the upper store of the building adjoining Harry Vanhorn's (A. Petty) black- smith shop on the same street. The Washington Band, which was one of the very best bands the town ever had. 266 A HISTORY OF BRISTOL BOROUGH. was organized in about 1879, in the room in W'^ashington Hall, now occupied by H. Clay Beatty Post, G. A. R., but then used by a social organization called the Washing- ton Assembly. Later the band met in the upper story of the hose house of the Bristol Hosiery Mills' Fire Brigade, on Buckley Street. This building was afterward moved to the corner of the Beaver Dam Road and Buckley Street, and turned into a residence. The services of the Washington Band were in great demand, and during the Garfield-Hancock campaign it filled several important en- gagements. The band was under the leadership of John Cotshott, who was a cornet player of rare ability. Among the surviving members are Alexander Watson, Joshua Townsend, Patrick Morris and Thomas Keating. The band was in existence about ten years. A review of the business places on Mill Street will probably prove interesting reading to many. Jacob Mc- Brien conducted a harness making shop where Mcll- vaine's bottling establishment now stands. William Terneson was the proprietor of a shoe store at the corner of Mill and Pond Streets. John Bostwick's photograph gallery was in the building now occupied by Jacob Win- ders. Cabeen and Beatty ran a store on the opposite cor- ner and the hall in the second story, then known as Cabeen's Hall, was in the zenith of its popularity. Mr. and Mrs. Tom Thumb, Commodore Nut, Professor Wey- man the magician, and Blind Tom, have all performed on its platform. On one occasion a traveling mesmerist came to town and gave a series of exhibitions in the hall. He was a clever performer and took his subjects from the audience, putting them through all sorts of laughable stunts. The exhibitions, however, raised a howl of pro- test, but jievertheless the hall was packed every night. Uncle Amos Lippincott conducted a tobacco shop, sand- witched in between PI. S. Rue's residence and Ruby's five and ten cent store. John H. Wood was in business where Harry Smith now is, at the corner of Mill and Wood Streets. The lot on the southeast corner was un- occupied and was a rendezvous for every traveling show that came along. It was here in a side show, where many Bristol people first saw the fantoscope, sword swallow- A HISTORY OF BRISTOIv BOROUGH. 267 ing, feats in magic and ventriloquism. Traveling medi- cine men also occupied the lot and during the summer there was hardly a night when some "faker" was not per- forming upon it. The boys of this period will recall Johnnie Steen, the bootblack man, who was perhaps the foremost among them. Old Mr. Pennington kept a store in Joseph Vansant's property next to "The Bristol." Louis Hoguet was a druggist, having been succeeded in later years by E. C. Erthal. Nathan Tyler's clothing store stood on the site where the Family Theatre now stands. Over in front of the Bristol House, now occupied by Charles Rommell, stood a high flag pole, owned by the borough, and when the new steam fire engine was purchased by Fire Company No. i, the firemen used to test it by trying to throw a stream over the top of the pole. The postofifice was on Mill Street, next to Tyler's clothing store and Jessie Miers was postmaster. Dr. Howard Pursell conducted a drug store, as he does today, at the corner of Mill and Cedar Streets. John McOwen kept a shoe store in the building now occupied by Kidd's dining room. Charles Woolman occupied an old building which stood on the site of Weis- blatt's store. Rogers Brothers operated the Bristol Mills. In an old building adjoining Cabeen & Beatty (Bell), William Broadnax was in business and the Louderbough sisters conducted a store on the opposite side of the street. Samuel Scott occupied the store now owned by William Girton, and W. H. P. Hall lived in the dwelling now occu- pied by W. M. Downing. Hibbs Goforth kept a store next door in a building later occupied by George L. Horn as a residence, and Wm. Blackwood had removed from the corner of Mill and Otter Streets to the building next door. On the other side of the street, in the dwelling now occupied by H. S. Rue, his father, Samuel Rue, re- sided and conducted the undertaking business. Charles Douglass was in the tin business where the Chinese laundry now is, and next door a store was kept by a Mrs. Gear. H. G. Peters was in the drug business in the Allen building, where Wollard's shoe store is located, and George Allen was in business in the store now run by Johnson Brothers. Joseph Foster conducted a jewelry 18 268 A HISTORY OF BRISTOL BOROUGH. Store on the opposite corner and next door, in the build- ing now used as an ofifice by the Bristol Gas Light Com- pany, a hardware store was run by a Mr. Thomas, who was the father of Jessie O. Thomas. Mrs. J. M. Brown was in business next door and next door to Mrs. Brown's, Charles Ahlee conducted a candy store. Mr. Gear had a shoe store in the little building later used by the Bristol Courier and next door was the residence and adjoining thereto the butcher shop of Hazel Hibbs. On the oppo- site side of the street, in the McMullen building, a Airs. Hamilton kept a store. Frank N. Booz kept a lamp store where Mr. Roper lives, and ran an oil route. John M. Callanan kept a toy store and news agency where Whit- aker's shoe store now is. On the other side Brown's millinery store was a popular place, and in the adjoining building, Harry Bradfield conducted a music store. Next door but one, in the "Ark" building, a store was run by a Mrs. Jewitt. Jesse Jackson kept a candy store where Claud Harris is now in business, and Richard Trudgen was in the furniture business next door, where the news agency is now established. Dr. E. J. Groom occupied his residence next door, and down the hill, back of Dr. Pursell's drug store, was a keg factory, operated by Joseph Wood. This building was destroyed by fire. Mrs. McCorkle kept a millinery store on the east corner of Mill and Cedar Streets and Joseph Kinsey ran the hard- ware store where the Wright Brothers now conduct their business. Thomas Barnard was proprietor of the tin shop now owned by L. J. Bevan. The Railroad House was conducted by W. H. H. Fine. Of all the business or professional men, who were located on Mill Street, three decades ago, oidy three remain in business today. The men of this period, in addition to those already mentioned, who occupied prominent places in the life of the borough were : Joshua Peirce, William H. Grundy, Charles E. Schiede, Charles W. Peirce, Joseph Peirce, William Kinsey, John S. Brelsford, James Foster, Joseph Foster, James lirudon, J. G. Krichbaum, Wilson Randall, Squire James Lyndell, J. Wesley Wright, James Wright, Charles E. Scott, William Bailey, Dr. \V. f. Potts, Henry M. \\>ight, W. H. P. Hall, Allan L. Garwood, Edmund Lawrence, Ellwood Doron, Michael Dougherty, Wm. H. A HISTORY O^ BRISTOL BOROUGH. 269 Booz, R. W. Holt, T. B. Harkins, Joseph Sherman, Sym- ington Phillips, James M. Slack, Charles York, Jonathan Wright, A. L. Packer, Charles Wollard and Morton A. Walmsley. The Clark Insulated Wire Company. — About the year 1878, Henry A. Clark came to Bristol, and purchasing a piece of land in the northern part of the town, facing on Beaver Dam Road, erected a building and began the manufacture of grossamer cloth. Mr. Clark was a chem- ist of unusual ability and his new enterprise met with success from the beginning. His plant was known far and wide as the Bristol Rubberoid Works. In his chemical experiments, Mr. Clark discovered a method of insulating wire, and needing additional capital in his business,organ- ized a corporation known as the Clark Insulated Wire Company. Lack of harmony among the stockholders, however, soon caused Mr. Clark to withdraw, and taking the secret of manufacture with him, the company soon failed. Mr. Clark was a man of pleasing personality, and enjoyed a wide circle of friends, who deeply regretted his removal from the town. Washington Street School House.— On June 26, 1878. there was an interesting event in Bristol at 3 o'clock in the afternoon, when there was a procession of school children, led by their teachers, from the Wood Street school to the corner of Washington and Pond Streets, where the corner stone of the new school building was laid with appropriate ceremonies. Professor Krichbaum. standing near the corner of the building, announced the opening ceremonv ; a prayer by Rev. Dr. Cunningham, of the Bristol M. E. Church, afte'r which the school sang a selection : "Live and Learn'" and Dr. Cunningham delivered a short address. After a song by the secondary school, Professor Krichbaum announced the contents of the copper box about to be deposited in the corner stone to be as follows : Names of the officers of the United States government, names of the State officers and of the Borough Council and Borough officers, names of the School Board and ministers of the different churches, names of the directors of the Farmers' National Bank, copies of the latest issues of the Bucks County 270 A HISTORY OF BRISTOL BOROUGH. Gazette, Bristol Observer, Bucks County Intelligencer and Doylestown Democrat and some old coins and frac- tional currency. The box was then deposited, after a few remarks by Professor Krichbaum. At a meeting of the Public School Board, held May 10, 1877, it was decided to build a new school house in the upper end of the town, on a lot recently purchased of Ell wood Doron, at a price of $1,600, and a committee com])osed of John W. Bailey, W. H. Hall and Dr. John WASHINGTON STREET I'L'liLIC .SCHOOL. \\ ard, was appointed to make all neccssarv inquiry as to the cost of erecting a suitable building of brick or stone. This committee visited three school houses in Camden, X. J., and recommended that the board use as its model the Central school house, of that city. The plans were drawn and bids asked for. Twelve bids were received, but all were rejected because the amounts were in excess of that wliicli the board had decided to expend. At the A HISTORY OF BRISTOL BOROUGH. 2/1 next meeting the committee submitted a plan which they thought would lessen the cost of construction, but it was rejected. A new committee was appointed consisting of John S. Brelsford, John Ward and Joseph H. Foster, to confer with the architect and have his plans modified. The new plan provided for a two-story school house con- taining four rooms, which was adopted by the board. The contract was awarded to F. P. Crichton, at a cost of $6,529, the building to be of stone. The board appointed E. C. Brudon, J. W. Bailey and W. H. Hill as a building committee, to superintend the construction of the new school house. It was later decided to install an improved system of ventilation at a cost of $315. The building was completed in December and dedicated on Friday, Janu- ary 3rd, 1879, with appropriate ceremonies. It was opened for school purposes on Monday morning, January 6th, with the following corps of teachers : First Primary, Maggie Stewart ; Second Primary, Ellie M. Turner ; Third Primary, Emily H. Stackhouse ; Secondary, No. 2, Sarah J. Repsher. (The author was in the procession of school children, which marched to the site of the new building and participated in the corner stone exercises, and later was selected as one of the boys to place crayon drawings upon the blackboards at the time of the dedication of the building.) An Exciting Election; Ballot Box Stolen. — Bristol has been the scene of many political fights, but none have so inflamed the public mind or lingered longer in memory, than the one here related. "As a result of the fight of the Young Democracy of Bristol to obliterate the 'Ring Combine,' a sensational episode took place on Saturday, September 21, 1878, at the delegate election which was held in the town hall, an occurrence which is frequently referred to even to this day. It was a battle of ballots and terminated in the theft of the ballot box. "The Young Democracy and their opponents locked horns with a vengeance and from 4 o'clock in the after- noon until 8 o'clock in the evening, when the polls closed, the town hall was a centre of attraction to individuals of 272 A HISTORY OF BRISTOL BOROUGH. all parties. The contest was for the election of delegates to the county convention, which was to meet at Doyles- town on the Monday following. There were two sets of delegates voted for — one the old and the other the young Democracy. The ring fought desperately and contested the ground inch by inch, the first attempt being to exclude from the room two representatives of the Young Democracy, who were selected to act in the capacity of 'visiting statesmen,' to see that their party's interests were carefully looked after. But a letter was produced from the County Chairman at Doylestown, saying that the Young Democracy w^ould be allowed such representa- tion, so the ring scored their first defeat. "When the polls closed it was apparent to everybody who had watched the progress of the fight, that the younger branch of the party was victorious. When the officers appointed by the County Committee to count the vote closed the doors, the two 'visiting statesmen' re- fused to leave the room although Constable Louderbough was called on by the ring to put them out. "One of the ring representatives on the election board said he would not count the vote while these men re- mained in the room, but as they showed no disposition to depart he became uneasy, and pretending to take a philo- sophical view of the matter, went to the back window and suddenly seizing the ballot box, thrust it out of the win- dow to one of his colleagues who was waiting to receive it. "As soon as the representatives of the Young Demo- cracy saw the game, they gave the alarm to their friends, who were gathered in force outside the building, them- selves jumping out the window. "As soon as the alarm was given the crowd outside hurried around to the back of the hall and before the ballot box thief got very far he was headed off by one of the Young Democracy. Other parties quickly coming up, in an instant the ballot box was taken from the cul- prit, and he was knocked to the ground. When he attempted to rise, twice in succession he was laid out again, but finally was taken in charge b}^ Policeman Sax- A HISTORY OF BRISTOL BOROUGH. 273 ton, who took him to the Cottage Hotel (Silbert House), in a rather damaged condition. "The election officers, seeing the way the battle was raging, thought discretion the better part of valor and left the hall, in their haste blowing out the gas instead of turning it off. When the Young Democracy returned with the ballot box in their possession to count the vote, they could not find the ring representatives and pro- ceeded to count the votes themselves, which showed that, after allowing the ring (Old Democracy), to have the twenty-one votes which were missing (for careful tally had been kept, from which it was known that 304 votes had been polled), the Young Democracy had 172 votes and the ring only 132, thus giving the former forty majority. "When the vote had been counted and the Young Democracy were announced the victors, a large delega- tion of them got together and with fife and drum made a 'royal progress' through the town, paying particular attention to stop before the residences of the ballot box thieves and others of the same party, and serenaded them with their fine instrumental music, accompanied by vocal strains of very significant sentiments. "The excitement continued until after midnight, and all the next day groups of men were to be seen upon the streets, discussing the proceedings of the night before and upon all hands, the action of the 'ring' in stealing the ballot box was condemned in the strongest manner." Although thirty-two years have passed since this occur- rence took place, yet the incidents of that night are fresh in memory today, and although many battles with the ballot have been fought since that time, yet the battle of that memorable day in September, 1878, stands out pre- eminently as the most exciting ever waged in the bor- ough. (Taken from the Bucks County Gazette.) The Providence Knitting Mill. — The Providence Knit- ting Mill, erected in 1879, and owned and operated by Mrs. Clara Appleton, adjoined the property of the Bris- tol Woolen Mill Company, on Buckley Street, and was engaged in the same branch of industry. On the night 274 A HISTORY OF BRISTOL BOROUGH. of March 4, 1895, it was burned to the ground, being one of the most disastrous fires Bristol has ever witnessed. The weather was bitter cold and the wind blowing a gale. Pieces of the burning hosiery were carried by the wind over to the eastern section of the town, and at one time five or six houses were on fire. The carpet mill, however, acted as a bulwark of protection for the threatened sec- tion, and saved it from destruction. Bath Street Public School. — During the month of June, 1880, the public school board purchased from Howell & BATH STREET PUBLIC SCHOOL. Harris, a lot with a frontage of 200 feet, on Bath Street, above Buckley, for the sum of $1,500.00. It was decided that the building to be erected thereon should be of stone, hammer-dressed broken range, similar to the front" of the Washington Street building, and should have a frontage of 86 feet and a depth of 56 feet. It was to be two stories in height and divided into eight class rooms. A HISTORY OF BRISTOL BOROLTGH. 275 The building committee consisted of Edward C, Brudon, William Randall, Chas. S. Wollard and W. H. P. Hall. Instead of employing an architect, the board de- cided to employ Chas. S. Wollard as superintendent, he to have general supervision over the building and to receive a salary of $3.00 per day. The plans for the building w^ere drawn by Mr. Wollard. Permission from the court was obtained by the board to borrow $10,000, and bonds to that amount were sold. The work on the new building began in August, 1880. In August, 1881, the building committe reported the building completed and five rooms ready for occupancy. The school house was dedicated with appropriate exer- cises, on Thursday afternoon, September i, 1881, at 2 o'clock. The president of the board, W. H. P. Hall, called the meeting to order and William Kinsey, Esq., who was secretary of the first school board elected in Bristol Borough, was called to preside and Daniel Mun- cey was elected secretary. Mr. Kinsey read a portion of Scripture and Professor J. G. Krichbaum, principal of the high school, offered prayer. Jacob S. Young, secre- tary of the board, read a historical sketch of the local public schools and was followed by County Superintend- ent W. W. Woodrufif, in an address, during which he complimented the citizens for having the best school house in the county. Hugh B. Eastburn, ex-county super- intendent; Professor J. G. Krichbaum, Charles S. Bailey and Wm. Kinsey, Esq., also delivered addresses. After the exercises were over, the building was thrown open ior inspection. The building Avas opened for school purposes on Sep- tember 5, 1881, five rooms being occupied. The teachers who first taught in the Bath Street building are as fol- lows : Secondary Department, Maggie Stewart ; Primary A Department, Hannah Yonkers ; Primary B Depart- ment, Lizzie G. Tomlinson ; Primary C Department, Ella M. Turner; Ungraded Department, Ephraim Moss. The total cost of the building was $15,444.18. A Republican Wigwam. — In the fall of 1880, during the Garfield-Hancock political campaign, the Republican 276 A HISTORY OF BRISTOIv BOROUGH. party erected a large wigwam on the then vacant lot at the southeast corner of Mill and Wood Streets. Many prominent men spoke in the building and large crowds were attracted to the meetings. Hon. B. F. Gilkeson, William H. Grundy, Joshua Peirce and Charles E. Scheide, were the recognized leaders of the Republican party at that period of the town's history. Memorable Freshet and Ice Gorge. — On Saturday eve- ning, February 12, 1881, the ice in the Delaware River broke up about 9 o'clock, and for two hours ran rapidly down the stream, filling the river from shore to shore. Later, when the ice above Trenton reached Bristol, it jammed up on the bar and flats between Bristol and Burlington, the gorge extending up the river some dis- tance above the Hollow Creek. On Sunday afternoon the ice above the Hollow Creek broke, and with such force that it cut a gully through the orchard of Hancock's farm on Burlington Island, and the imprisoned water, which had been backed up by the ice gorge, on the low lands of the Manor and into the roadway near Landreth's seed farm, found vent and rushed across Hancock's farm into the channel back of the island. The freshet which caused the ice to break up was the greatest since 1857. The water covered all the wharves and inundated the residences along the river front and canal basin, in many cases flooding the kitchens and doing considerable dam- age. The gorge held fast for one whole week, and on the next Saturday evening broke and disappeared, leaving the cliannel free of everything except small masses of floating ice. The Pennsylvania Railroad Changes Its Course. — About the year 1882, the Pennsylvania Railroad Company changed the course of its roadbed through the town south of Mill Street, moving it eastward about fifty 3^ards, and increasing the number of tracks from two to four. An island which stood in the marsh, known as Bunker Hill, was purchased by the company and the earth from the hill used in the construction of the embankment for the course of the new road. Subsequently, the water A HISTORY OF BRISTOI. BOROUGH. 277 troughs were installed at South Bristol, which enabled the locomotives to take water while running. Opening of the Streets. — The borough limits have been extended from time to time, as the increase of population required. Otter Street (the turnpike road), was an original highway, but was not regarded as a street. Bath. Street, otherwise known as the terminus of the old New- town road and as part of the turnpike in its intersection with Otter, was opened and widened in 1809 by private individuals, but without the co-operation of the proper borough authorities, who finally accepted it in 1821. The Beaver Dam Road, otherwise known as Beaver Street, was surveyed in 1821. The borough limits had mean- while been extended eastward to Adams Hollow and westward to the mill pond in 1801. A further addition was made in 1852, and the boundaries then established are those of the present, embracing an area of about 450 acres. It is worthy of notice that the built up portion of the town was first extended west of the mill race, about the years 181 1-25, as shown by the improvement of Bath Street in 1809, and of Otter a few years later. The con- struction of the turnpike probably influenced this. There was considerable building activity from 1833 to 1855. the period of prosperity incident to the canal trade. Property having a river front was in demand at this time ; and hence the opening of Franklin and Penn Streets from Radcliffe to low water mark, in 1836. Wilson Street was opened in 1849. Pond Street was extended from the Wal- nut to Lafayette in 1855. Wood Street, which was con- tinued easterly from Walnut in 1766, upon land vacated by John Hutchinson, was further opened to Washington in 185 1. Cedar Street was extended from Walnut to Franklin in 1849, ^^^^ thence to Lafayette in 1851. Wood and Pond were further laid out in 1874. Franklin and Penn Streets were opened in 1855. Dorrance Street was opened from low water mark to Pond Street in 1855, ^^^ thence to Canal Street in 1881. Washington and Lafay- ette Streets were laid out from the river to Pond Street in 1855, and continued in 1874. Jefferson Avenue was opened in 1873. Buckley Street was laid out in 1847, 278 A HISTORY OF BRISTOL BOROUGH. Mi'fiflin in 1853; Spruce, Race, Swain and Locust in 1874; Linden, Maple, Green and Pearl in 1880, by the borough authorities, although opened by private individuals in 185 1. The survey for Garden, Mansion, Spring, Summer, and Corson Streets, and the extension of Jefferson Ave- nue, west of the canal, was made in 1884. The Roller Skating Craze. — The roller skating craze struck Bristol during the winter of 1884-5. A new maple floor was laid in the lower story of Mohican Hall, on Otter Street, and a skating rink opened in charge of a man named Bull. In the spring of 1885, James Wright erected a large roller skating rink on Wood Street near Penn. For a short time it proved a popular pastime, but the excitement soon subsided and the building was re- modeled and opened as a theatre. Today the old build- ing is used as a moving picture show house. A Memorable Blizzard. — In March, 1888, occurred one' of the Avorst blizzards Bristol has ever known. Rain be- gan to fall on Sunday morning and continued throughout the day and evening. Sometime during the night the shifting of the wind brought on a fierce snow storm, which increased in severity, the wmd blowing a perfect gale. When our citizens awoke on Monday morning, they found the town literally buried under an avalanche of snow. In many places the snow drifts reached a height of ten and fifteen feet. Traffic on the railroad was blocked ; the telegraph and telephone wires were down, and for two or three days the town was completely cixt off from all outside communication. High School Building. — At a meeting of the public school board, held July 6, 1893, the supply committee which consisted of B. C. Foster, E. H. Foster, R. W. Holt, Neal J. Mcllvaine and Geo. W. Louderbough, was ap- pointed to consider the expediency of increasing the school accommodations and to take the preliminary steps, if thought advisable, to erect a suitable building at the cor- ner of Wood and Mulberry Streets, for high school and grammar school purposes especially, and to report at a A HISTORY OF BRISTOr. BOROUGH. 279 subsequent meeting the results of their deliberations with such recommendations as their judgment might approve. At the meeting of December 7, 1893, the committee re- ported that, in their judgment the time had come to build a new school house for the accommodation of the high school and grammar grades especially, and that a build- ing be erected and made ready for occupancy by Septem- ber I, 1894. By action of the board the committee was empowered to procure plans and estimates for the erec- BKISTOL HIGH SCHOOL. tion of the new building and report at the next meeting. The building, as originally decided rapon, was to contain not less than eight class rooms, with a hall and lecture room on the third fioor. February i, 1894, the committee reported that there was not sufficient room on the lot at the corner of Wood and Mulberry Streets to erect an eight-room building 28o A HISTORY OF BRISTOL BOROUGH. and suggested the erection of a building containing six class rooms, a directors' room, superintendent's office and assembly room on the third floor, and presented plans for such a building together with estimated cost, for the con- sideration of the board. They also recommended that the board obtain the services of an experienced architect and suggested the name of S. A. Brouse, of Trenton. The plans submitted by the committee were approved by the board and the committee instructed to go on with the work according to the plans. Mr. Brouse was em- ployed as architect to prepare the plans and specifications and supervise the work, his remuneration to be 3 per cent, of the cost of the building. The bids were opened on Tuesday, April 10, 1894, and were as follows: Ernest Lawrence $i5.S25 Chas. S. Wollard 16.357 Wright & De Groot 16,764 Angus C. York 17,190 The contract was awarded to the lowest bidder. Ground was broken on Wednesday morning, April 18, 1894. Bonds to the amount of $15,000 were sold to cover the cost of erecting the building. The heating contract was awarded to Thomas Craig, his bid being $1,690. The building when completed cost $15,793.50, without the heating and furnishings. Saturday afternoon, November 10, 1894, at 2 o'clock, the dedicatory exercises were held in the assembly room of the new building. Dr. N. C. Schaffer. State Superintendent of Public Schools ; W. H. Slotter, County Superintendent ; \\\ W. Woodrufif, ex- County Superintendent ; Matilda S. Booz, Borough Superintendent; John K. Wildman, President of School Board and John C. Maule, a member of Borough Council, all made appropriate addresses. At the close of the meet- ing the chairman of the building committee, B. C. Foster, in a short speech, handed the building over to the school board, and it was accepted by the president in behalf of the board. The pupils of the high school and grammar grades were present and took part in the exercises. Music was furnished by the Bristol Orchestra. Nearly 500 per- sons were in attendance. A HISTORY OF BRISTOL BOROUGH. 281 Cost of the Building. Architect's Fee $524 50 E. Lawrence. Contractor 1 5,793 50 Craig, Heater 1,690 00 Desks, Blackboards, etc 966 34 Outhouses 619 50 Gas Fixtures and Extra Plumbing 219 08 Iron Fencing 457 10 Flag Pole 12445 Grading 103 03 Pavement and Material 309 76 Roofing Outhouses 117 94 Graining Doors 5 00 $20,930 20 On April i, 1895, an additional bond issue of $4,000 was sold to meet the deficit in the total cost of the new build- ing". The building' was occupied in November, 1894, by the removal of the high school and grammar grades from the Bath Street building. The primary grade rooms in the old building on Wood Street were also moved into the new building and the secondary grade from the Friends' school building on Cedar Street to the old build- ing on A\'ood Street. St. Paul's Protestant Episcopal Church. — In November, 1885. a disagreement in the Sunday School of St. James' Protestant Episcopal Church, led to the withdrawal of the superintendent, fourteen teachers and a large number of scholars. On Advent Sunday, November 29, a new Sun- day School was organized in Washington Hall, corner of Radclifife and Walnut Streets. Forty communicants joined in an application to Bishop Stevens for permission to organize another Parish, but consent thereto was refused. The Sunday School prospered from the beginning. On January 2, 1886, St. Paul's was adopted as a name for the mission, and on St. Paul's Day, January 25, 1886, the school was removed to Evans' (now Bell's) Hall, corner of Mill and Pond Streets. During the first winter the Mission enjoyed the services of a clergyman, until pro- hibited by the Diocesan authority. 282 A HISTORY OF BRISTOL BOROUGH. Owing to the steady growth of the school, a building became a necessity, and in 1891 a lot was purchased on Jefferson Avenue, costing $3,750. The financial depres- sion succeeding that year delayed the carrying out of plans to build until 1895, when a contract was signed for the erection of a building to cost $1,648. This, with extras, not including furniture, amounted to $1,940.50 upon the completion of the building. The building was formally opened on October 6, 1895. The estimated value of the property was about v$7,ooo. , K \ y "si /■ vl ^' - / ft 1 1^^ "'■■ -4ii Pi tf -^ _^ Jw^ :L_iJ'j.';t 1 ST. PAUIv'S P. E. CHURCH AND PARISH HOUSE. In the winter of 1899-1900, another appeal for recogni- tion was made to the Convocation of Germantown, but It was found it was not Canonical to do so. The Convo- cation, however, favorably recommended the matter to the standing committee. A hearing was given by the Standing Committee and at the request of Bishop Whita- ker, the committee appeared before him for a conference, with the result that on May 9, 1900, official recognition was granted and the name of St. Paul's Mission was placed upon the list of recognized missions of the diocese. Rev. Thomas J. Garland was appointed by the Bishop as Minister-in-charge, and the first regular service and A HISTORY OF BRISTOL. BOROUGH. 283 administration of the Holy Communion was on Sunday, May 13. It was a most impressive service, being the culmination of fourteen years' hopes and prayers. Regu- lar services were instituted from June i. During the summer the church building was enlarged by the addition of a chancel and a room for the infant class. The committee in charge of the mission, when the min- ister was appointed, was Wm. V. Leach (who had been acting as lay reader during all the previous years of its existence), B. F. Gilkeson, Thomas B. Harkins, Henry Lombaert, Arthur W. Doust, John Lawrence, Mrs. A. Weir Gilkeson. A Weir Gilkeson, who had been the superintendent of the Sunday School, from the time of its beginning in 1885. died in July, 1899, just one year before the mission received official recognition. In April, 1903, Rev. Garland resigned, and in June of the same year. Rev. J. Kennedy Moorhouse was appointed deacon in charge from July i. In August, 1903, a plan was adopted to pay off a debt of $3,100 resting on the property. On Easter Day, 1904, the amount of $1,100 was raised and before the following Easter the' whole indebtedness was paid off. The first steps were taken in February, 1905, to organize the Mission into a Parish. After several setbacks the charter was finally passed by the Standing Committee of the Diocese, and at 2.30 P. M., Wednesday, May 3, 1905, at the One Hundred and Twen- ty-first Annual Convention of the Diocese, the charter and proposed amendments were approved and the church admitted into union with the Convention. In August, 1908, ground was broken for a Parish House. On Sunday. February 14, 1909, the new Parish House was opened by a Missionary Service of the Sunday School, the Rev. Thos. J. Garland making the address. The building cost $5,000. In August, 1910, the Rev. J. Kennedy Moorhouse resigned, since which time the church has been without a stationed clergyman. Causes Which Led to the Organization of Fire Com- panies Nos. 3, 4 and 5. — In the summer of 1893, a fire occurred at the residence of Thomas Brooks on Garden Street, in which four persons lost their lives. The rail- 19 284 A HISTORY OF BRISTOL BOROUGH. road crossings were blocked by a freight train and the fire companies, both of which were located in the First W^ard, were greatly delayed in reaching the conflagration. The possibility of what might happen to that section of the town, on the west side of the railroad, should a serious fire occur, and the fire companies be prevented from responding promptly, on account of the crossings being blockaded, caused the citizens of that section much seri- ous thought. It remained, however, for John T. Smith, a citizen of the Fourth Ward, to devolve a plan whereby the unprotected sections of the town could have adequate protection. His proposition was to organize a company in the Fourth Ward for local fire protection only. He sought and obtained the co-operation of Messrs. Wm. H. Grundy, Geo. A. Shoemaker and Joseph R. Grundy, and U]>on the suggestion of these latter gentlemen the plan was made to embrace the other two unprotected wards. Through the combined efforts of these four gentlemen the citizens of the three wards became interested in the project, which finally culminated in the organization of a fire company in each of the three wards, known respect- ively as Second Ward Hose Company, Third Ward Hose Company and Fourth Ward Hose Company. The Sec- ond Ward Company erected its hose house in the alley back of the south side of Jefferson Avenue, between Pond and Wood Streets ; the Third Ward Company built its house in the rear of Abraham Ettenger's yard, facing on Pearl Street ; while the home of the Fourth Ward Com- pany was located on Garden Street. Borough Council presented 500 feet of hose to each of the companies. Sub- scriptions were taken in the different wards and the money thus raised used to purchase hose crabs, except in the Fourth Ward, where the company was presented with a crab by Wm. H. Grundy & Co. For a period of several years the various companies en- joyed a quiet and modest existence. Then the progressive spirit possessed by the young members of the Third Ward Company, began to assert itself. A charter was obtained from the court and the name of the company changed to that which it now bears. Good Will Hose Company, No. 3. The property at the corner of Swain A HISTORY OF BRISTOL, BOROUGH. 285 and Pearl Streets was purchased and converted into a comfortable and commodious hose house. Borough Council presented the company with a Combination Chemical and Hose Wagon, and the members raised suffi- cient funds to purchase a one-horse hose wagon. The chemical wagon proving unsatisfactory, it was exchanged for a chemical engine. A pair of horses was procured by the company but the experiment was a costly one. Finally, with the consent of Borough Council, the chemi- cal engine and horses were sold and the proceeds used to purchase an up-to-date Automobile Combination Chemi- cal and Hose Wagon. The new apparatus was housed with appropriate ceremonies on Saturday afternoon, October i, 1910. Three years ago (1908), the old Second Ward Hose Company was reorganized and its name changed to the Enterprise Fire Company, No. 5. A char- ter was obtained and during the year 1909 the company erected a $7,000 hose house on Wood Street near Jeffer- son Avenue. Its membership has steadily increased and its efficiency is recognized by the whole community. The Fourth Ward Hose Company, like the other ward companies, no longer bears its original name, but is now known as the Beaver Fire Company, No. 4. Although not a chartered company, its members are enthusiastic firemen and are ever ready to respond to the call of duty. Borough Fire Department Organized. — By request of the Fire Committee of Borough Council, a meeting of the Fire Committee, with a committee from Bristol Com- pany No. I, and America H. H. & L. Co. No. 2, was held in July, 1894, and a set of rules and regulations providing for the election of a Chief Engineer and Assistant Engi- neer and the organization of a fire department for the borough was presented by the committee of No. i com- pany and unanimously approved. The committee also reported a uniform for the chief and his assistant, and at a subsequent meeting of the delegates, Norwood P. Chase, of No. i, was elected Chief Engineer and Thomas R. Vandegrift, of No. 2, Assistant Engineer of the Fire Department of Bristol Borough. This was followed by the installation of the Gamewell Fire Alarm System, 286 A HISTORY OF BRISTOL BOROUGH. which, under the care of Frank T. Chambers, has proven a valuable adjunct in the speedy extinguishment of fires, supplanting the former method of notification by mag- neto bell signals from the two fire houses to the water works. Since the organization of the Borough Fire De- partment two other companies, namely Good Will Hose Company No. 3 and Enterprise Fire Company No. 5, have taken out charters and become members of the department. A second assistant chief is now also elected. Death of Matilda Swift Booz.— Miss Matilda Swift Booz, Superintendent of the Bristol Public Schools, was stricken with apoplexy at a meeting of the school board, held in the directors' room in the high school building, on April 2, 1897, 3-"d died the next morning. Miss Booz was a self-made woman. She received her education in the Bristol schools and owed her advancement to the posi- tion she occupied at the time of her death to her own indefatigable labor and patient study. Ex-County Super-' intendent Hugh B. Eastburn, Esq., of Doylestown, writ- ing of her subsequent to her death, said : "The success- ive steps which she took and the promotions which she steadily earned were the logical results of her industry, of her perseverance, of the exercise of tact and discrimina- tion in the work given her to do, of a rare devotion to duty and of a constant endeavor to fulfill a high ideal." She was elected an assistant teacher in the Secondary school in the old school building on Wood Street, Aug- ust 9, 1865. In July, 1872, she was promoted to the prin- cipalship of the Girls' Grammar school, and on August 14, 1873, became the assistant principal of the High School under Professor J. G. Krichbaum. In 1884 she was elected superintendent of the Bristol Schools, which posi- tion she held up to the time of her death. Miss Louise D. Baggs, the then principal of the High School, but since the death of Miss Booz, her successor as superintendent, paid the following beautiful tribute to her memory, in behalf of herself and teachers : "We bear testimony to her efificiency and faithfulness, ever giving of herself and her time most willingly; by her advice, helping; by her example, stimulating; by her kind MISS MATILDA SWIFT BOOZ. First Superintendent Bristol Public Schools. A HISTORY OP BRISTOL BOROUGH. 287 words, encouraging. Her own love of study and breadth of culture were quiet but potent factors in enthusing the , oft-time weary brains of others to more activity. Her strict integrity held up constantly such a high standard of living that intercourse with her inspired a striving after noble things. Her keen sense of justice often made the more hasty to halt, and taught them to hold judgment in abeyance until reason could look fairly on the subject from all sides. In her the children ever found an inter- ested friend, one who fully appreciated honest efifort but never exacted the impossible. As a woman and as super- intendent we loved, admired and respected her, and we feel that while today the world is poorer for her absence, yet it is much the richer for the time she tarried here." Memorial services were held in the assembly room of the High School building, on Monday evening, April 12, 1897, at which were present directors, teachers, members of the Alumni Association and a few others connected with the schools. President of the School Board John K. Wildman was elected chairman and Miss Louise D. Baggs, secretary. Several addresses were made and a number of letters from prominent educators read, all of which bore testimony to her fidelity. Suitable and appro- priate resolutions were also adopted. Ex-County Super- intendent W. W. Woodruff, of West Chester, Pa., in closing his letter of eulogy, said : "Somewhere, I cannot tell you where, you will find these lines, as nearly as I can recall them : Were a star quenched on high, For ages would its light, , Still streaming downward from the sky, Fall on our mortal sight. So when a good man dies, For years beyond our ken, The light he leaves behind him lies Upon the paths of men. "This applies to our dear friend who has left us, and for a generation to come, Bristol will feel the influence of her life." 288 A HISTORY OF BRISTOL BOROUGH. Miss Louise D. Baggs Elected Superintendent. — A meeting of the Bristol School Board was held on April 26, 1897, for the purpose of electing a Borough Superin- tendent of Schools to fill the vacancy occasioned by the death of Miss Matilda S. Booz. All the directors were in attendance, twelve in number. On the first ballot Miss Louise D. Baggs was elected, receiving the unanimous vote of the board. It was a marked indication of the recognition of her merits by those who are qualified to judge. Miss Baggs is a graduate of the Philadelphia Normal School of the class of 1880. She taught seven years before she was chosen, in 1892, as Principal of the Bristol High School, and during her five years of active service in that position, she gave entire satisfaction as an earnest and competent instructor. She is well fitted for the office of superintendent, having fine intellectual ability, a high grade of scholarship, and admirable per- sonal qualities. She is still occupying the position (191 1), and the progress which the schools have made during her incumbency, is a splendid testimony to her qualification and competency. Revolutionary Skeletons Unearthed — 1903. — While the sexton of St. James' Protestant Episcopal Burying Ground, at Bristol, was digging a grave, he unearthed portions of several skeletons. Lying among the bones were a number of brass buttons of different varieties, such as were worn by British and American soldiers dur- ing the Revolution. One of the buttons bore a representa- tion of a crowned head, surrounded by a wreath of laurel. Above this was the inscription, "Georgius III, Rex, Dei Gratia," and underneath the date, 1774. The present site of St. James' burying ground was used in the past cen- tury as a temporary resting place for the victims of the Revolutionary battles. Several years ago a number of other momentoes of these long forgotten heroes were dug up in the same place. Charles Foster, of Bristol, at that time secured a piece of red cloth in a good state of preservation, which was part of the coat of a British soldier. MISS LOUISE D. BAGGS. Superintendent Bristol Public Schools. A HISTORY OF BRISTOL BOROUGH. 289 B. Franklin Gilkeson. — The late Benjamin Franklin Gilkeson, for many years one of the leading attorneys of the Bucks County bar, and prominentl}'^ identified with the political affairs of his native county, was born in Bristol, Bucks County, August zt,, 1842, and spent his whole life here. His grandfather, Andrew W. Gilkeson, Esq., was born in Montgomery County, but was of Bucks County ances- tors, and spent most of his life in this county. His father, also named Andrew, was a lieutenant-colonel in the War of 1812, and prominently identified with the volunteer militia in the years immediately following the second war with Great Britain, and the family were among the early settlers of Pennsylvania. Andrew W. Gilkeson was a prominent attorney, being admitted to the Bucks County Bar April 29, 1840, and practicing for many years at Bristol. He took an active interest in the affairs of the county, and filled the office of prothonotary of the county for the term of 1854-7. He married Margaret M. Kinsey, of that borough, whose ancestors were among the early English settlers in Bucks County, her great- great-grandfather, Samuel Kinsey, having settled in Bristol Township in 1728. Andrew and Margaret M. (Kinsey) Gilkeson were the parents of four children, of whom Benjamin Franklin was the eldest and the late A. Weir Gilkeson, also a prominent attorney of Bristol, was the youngest. Benjamin F. Gilkeson was educated in the graded schools of Bristol and at the Academy of Hartsville. He studied law with the late Anthony Swain, of Bristol, and was admitted to the bar February 2, 1864, and at once engaged in practice at Bristol. Possessed of more than ordinary ability in the line of his profession, an earnest and careful student, his unflagging and indomitable will soon brought him to the front, and for twenty-five years prior to his death, which occurred in 1903, he was the leader of the Bucks County Bar, and represented vast corporate interests both in the county and elsewhere. Soon after his admission to the bar, he launched into the political arena, and was a prominent figure in the political councils of the county and state for many years. Reared 290 A HISTORY OF BRISTOL BOROUGH. in the Democratic faith, he was an early convert to the principles of the Republican party, and was for several years a colleague of Hon. Caleb N. Taylor, at that period a potent political factor in Bucks County and twice her Representative in Congress. Taylor and Gilkeson later became estranged, and the rising young attorney became the recognized leader of his party in the county, and held that position in local and State politics for many years. He served as the repre- sentative of his county in many State, National and Con- gressional conventions and also in the State Committee, of which he was for some years chairman. He was intimately associated with the leading states- men and politicians of his day, serving in the cabinet of Governor Daniel H. Hastings as commissioner of bank- ing, and taking an active part in State affairs for many years. He Avas second controller of the United States Trea- sury during the adrriinistration of President Harrison, and made an excellent record. He was prominent in the Masonic fraternity, and served as district deputy grand master for Bucks and Montgomery Counties. He was one of the trustees of the State Lunatic Asylum at Nor- ristown, and held many other positions of trust and honor. Mr. Gilkeson was twice married; first in 1870, to Char- lotte B. Jones, daughter of George B. Jones, of Pittsburg. She died in 1872, and he married (second), in 1874, Helen E. Pike, daughter of Samuel Pike, of Bristol, and they were the parents of three children : Franklin, a member of the Ijucks County Bar, and of the firm of Gilkeson & James, and two daughters, Helen and Ethel. CDavis' History of P)Ucks County.) Death of John K. Wildman. — On Monday morning, March 21, 1905, the community was startled by the report of the death of John K. Wildman. The deceased was a highly respected citizen and for eighteen years had held the ])osition of president of the local school board. He was affable in his manner, devoted to his work in con- nection with the schools, and many a boy and girl A HISTORY OF BRISTOL BOROUGH. 29I received from him inspiration and encouragement, which proved of inestimable value to them in after life. As an illustration of his kindly qualities, on one occasion, after a young lady had graduated from the schools, he taught her stenography, giving his services gratuituously, and when his pupil became proficient, secured for her a posi- tion and later obtained an advance in her wages. Under Tiis careful attention the schools advanced to a lofty state of efficiency and usefulness. It was under his administra- tion that the present high school was established. It was his great ambition to build up a strong public school library. He loved good books and his intense desire to cultivate a similar taste among the boys and girls of our town, guided him always in the selection of books for the school library, which he started, and which at the time of his death numbered over 600 volumes. He was known hy all the pupils for he frequently visited the schools, and always had a few words for the children, praising what he knew to be good and encouraging honest effort, so that €ven the little ones felt free to speak to him by name when they met him on the street. He also took an active interest in town affairs and for several years was presi- dent of the Bristol Public Library. He was a Republican in politics and was generally called upon to preside over ])ublic meetings held under the auspices of his party. The funeral services were held on the Thursday afternoon fol- lowing his death, when the relatives and friends of the deceased were present in large numbers. The school board delegated Director Doron Green to deliver an eulogy at the funeral, which duty was performed. On the following morning, in the presence of the immediate family and members of the school board, who acted as pall bearers, the body was interred in the Bristol Cemetery. William C. Peirce, a close friend of the deceased, read a chapter from the Bible and with sorrowing hearts, the directors lowered the body of their friend and companion down into his last resting place. On Friday evening, a public memorial service was held in the assembly room of the high school building, at which time a large number of men, women and school children gathered to pay their respects to the memory of 292 A HISTORY OF BRISTOL BOROUGH. one whom they all loved, and one who had unselfishly given his time and talents to the upbuilding of the public school system of the borough. Director Green was called upon to preside, after which eulogistic addresses were made by Miss Louise D. Baggs, Superintendent; John C. Maule, Charles E. Scott, W. F. Leedom, Howard I. James, Esq., Joseph R. Grundy, John C. Stuckert, John Angus. Resolutions of sympathy were adopted and sub- sequently the school board placed a memorial tablet, dedicated to the memory of the deceased, on the wall in the front vestibule of the high school building. Bristol Lodge, No. 970 B. P. O. Elks. — Bristol Lodge, No. 970, Benevolent and Protective Order of Elks, was instituted May 25, 1905. Its first officers were as fol- lows : Exalted Ruler, John J. Kilcoyne ; Esteemed Lead- ing Knight, Lewis T. Rodan; Esteemed Loyal Knight,. Frank T. Chambers; Esteemed Lecturing Knight, Wm. V. Leech ; Secretary, Doron Green ; Treasurer, Wm. K. Highland; Tyler, E. W. Minster; Trustees, Howard L James, Esq., Wm. B. Rogers, Jr., and John J. Tyrol. Three years after the organization of the lodge, the build- ing at the corner of Radclifife and Walnut Streets, known as the Beaver Meadow House, was purchased for $6,500, and opened as an Elks' Home. The corner stone of the new home was laid with appro- priate ceremonies on Saturday afternoon, June 25, 1910, at 2 o'clock. The exercises were in charge of Past Ex- alted Ruler Howard L James, Esq. The members met in their lodge room in the post office building and marched in a body to the site where the building was in the course of construction. Prayer was offered by the chaplain, after which the Secretary read the list of articles which had been placed in the corner stone. They con- sisted of the following : Copy of Grand Lodge Laws ; copy of By-Laws of the Bristol Lodge ; a list of the grand officers and local officers; copies of the local papers; a description of the old home and of the new home ; a small silk American flag; several old coins and a poem dedi- cated to the Elks. Mr. James then received a silver vessel filled with water and sprinkled the stone, repeating at the A HISTORY OF BRISTOL BOROUGH. 293 same time the words of the ritual. The chairman of the building committee, James Mooney, handed the trowel and mortar to Mr. James, who set the stone in position and then declared it to have been laid according to the rules and ceremonies of the order. The chaplain led in prayer and after a short address by Mr. James, the exer- cises closed bv the members sinoing the lodge ode. HOME OI" BRISTOL LODGE, NO. 970, B. P. 0. E. The dedication of the home took place on Saturday afternoon, March 4, 191 1, at 4 o'clock. The exercises, which were private, were held in the lodge room, in the presence of a large number of members. Eloquent ad- dresses were delivered by Past Exalted Ruler Howard I. 294 A HISTORY OF BRISTOL BOROUGH. James, Captain John Jack, of Oregon Lodge and others. 'J'he new building is three stories high at the front and four stories at the rear. Up to the second story the material used in construction is gray stone and the bal- ance of brick. The style of architecture is modified colonial, with a "hip" roof. The building has a frontage of forty-four feet and extends to the rear seventy feet. At the rear of the building is a double-decked porch twelve feet wide, of pretty design. Under the basement is a cellar for the boiler and storage of coal. The basement is fitted up as a rathskeller. The first floor contains a large lobby, from which stairways lead to the upper floors and to the rathskeller. Next to the lobby, opening into the main corridor, are two rooms, the one on the left being used as a parlor and the other as a card room. The corridor connects in the rear with a large pool room. The second floor contains an auditorium with stage, and will be used for social sessions and other functions. Com- modious cloak rooms have been placed on this floor. The third story is used exclusively for lodge purposes. The hip roof affords a high ceiling, which is dome shaped. There is also two ante rooms on this floor. Three of the floors are supplied with lavatories and on the second floor is a bathroom fitted with tub, shower bath and stationary washstand. The building is lighted with gas and electricity, heated with steam and elaborately fur- nished from top to bottom. It is a handsome structure, and one that not only adds to the beauty of the locality in which it is erected, but is one of the attractive struc- tures of the town. The building was designed by Architect C. J. Brooke, of Philadelphia. The contractor was C. F. Bachman, of Camden. Peirce & Williams furnished the woodwork, L. T. Rodman did the plumbing, and the heating plant was installed by S. B. Ardrey & Sons. The Building Com- mittee of Bristol Lodge of Elks consisted of James L. Mooney, C. L. Anderson and Doron Green. The cost of the building independent of the lighting and heating, was $12,800. The total cost, including furniture, was about $24,000. A HISTORY OF BRISTOL. BOROUGH. 295 The Italian Presbyterian Evangelical Mission. — The Italian Evangelical Mission was organized in June, 1905, in the audience room of the old Presbyterian Church, with Rev. Francis J. Panelta, missionary in charge. Dur- ing its first year, twelve men professed their faith in Christ, according to the Evangelical doctrines. After two years. Rev. Panelta resigned and was succeeded by Henry C. Sartorio. During the summer of 1907, street services were held on Sunday afternoons in the Italian district and in the summers of 1908 and 1909, a tent was secured and very successful Evangelistic services were held. The Sunday School was organized in June, 1909. On December 18, 1910, the new church building at the corner of Wood Street and Lincoln Avenue was dedi- cated. Rev. Sartorio, whose ordination to the ministry occurred in the Presbyterian Church, in 1909, resigned in the fall of 1910. His successor was Rev. Nicola Mucci, the present pastor. At present the church roll contains the names of fifty communicants, although a few have recently removed from town. Death of Hon. William Kinsey. — August 9, 1895, after a long and active career, the Hon. William Kinsey de- parted from this life, in the 92d year of his age. Mr. Kinsey was prominent in Methodist circles and one of the best known laymen in the Philadelphia Conference. His grandparents were among the early members, awakened by the preaching of Captain Webb, in 1771 and 1777. In 1828, Mr. Kinsey was converted and joined the Bristol Church. He was made an exhorter in 1828. For over fifty years he was a trustee, and at the time of his death he had been president of the board many years. He was a great promoter of the new church enterprise, but died just ten days before the ground was broken for the new edifice. At his death he bequeathed his fortune to his' two surviving daughters, Lizzie and Caroline. Upon the death of Miss Caroline, the last member of the Kinsey family, the bulk of the fortune, amounting to about $35,000, was bequeathed to the Bristol Methodist Church. It was this legacy which enabled the Methodist Congre- gation to cancel the mortgage indebtedness on their 296 A HISTORY OF BRISTOL BOROUGH. church property and set aside $10,000, which is now in- vested in good securities. Wm. Kinsey was a descendant of one of the earliest settlers of this state. The family was early divided into two branches ; one engaged in iron-working and the other as workers in leather. Of the former branch were the ancestors of our subject, and several of them were in the Revolutionary War. The first to settle in Bristol was Samuel, the son of a cotton manufacturer of Birmingham, England, who came here in 1728. He was a farmer. His son was the great-grandfather of our subject and was born in 1755. All of the family since then have been born here. William was born in November, 1804. His early education was limited, but he had been a constant reader. He worked in a cotton mill for a short time, but early in life learned the trade of a blacksmith, which he followed until 1850. Afterward he engaged in iron manu- facturing for several years, subsequently dealing in real estate, acting as auctioneer, etc. In 1829 he was married to Mary, daughter of Richard Gosline, whose family have been residents of Bucks County for three generations. Their children were Mary Anna, Caroline, Elizabeth, Margaret, Fanny and Samuel, who was a graduate of West Point. Mr. Kinsey held many public positions. In 1829 he was elected high constable, serving six years; in 1836 chief burgess, holding the position for seven years; and in 1837, school director, serving twenty-four years. In 1842 he was appointed assignee in bankruptcy for the county, and in March, 1845, was appointed post- master, filling that ofifice for four years. In 1850, he was elected justice of the peace for five years. As assignee, executor and administrator he settled about fifty estates. In 1862 he was elected to the State Senate for a term of three years, and proved himself an able speaker on the floor, besides serving on the committees of education, agriculture, domestic manufacture, etc. On the call for troo])s to defend the State invasion, he assisted in raising a company and went into the service, receiving an honor- able discharge at the close of his term. He was a fre- quent contributor to the newspapers and to local history. In politics he was a Democrat and at the time of his death Avas the oldest Free Mason in Bristol. HON. WILLIAM KINSEY. A HISTORY OF BRISTOL BOROUGH. 297 St. Ann's Italian Roman Catholic Church. — The Italian residents of Bristol for a number of years communed at St. Mark's Roman Catholic Church. Attracted by the opportunities offered of finding employment in the mills, their number steadily increased. During the period fol- lowing the year 1900, the number of Italian residents reached such proportions that a church of their own be- came a necessity. The Bishop accordingly sent Rev. Father Paul Gentile to Bristol in December, 1905, to take up the work of providing a church home for the people of his nationality. Father Gentile came here from Lansford, Pa., having built an Italian Catholic Church at Nesquehoning, Pa. He was admirably adapted to the work, afifable and with an abundance of energy, calculated to pusli the project through to a successful completion. The first services were held in the parlor of the present rectory in April, 1906, when the congregation consisted of 175 families. The corner stone of the church building at Dorrance and Pond Streets was laid March 17, 1908, and the building blessed, September 29, 1908. Only the base- ment was completed and in this the congregation has since worshipped. Father Gentile had perfected his plans for building the upper story of his church last fall (1910). It was to have been of brown stone to match the base- ment. The main entrance was to be on Dorrance Street, while in the rear a tower fifty-five feet high was to have been built. The style of architecture was Roman and several friends of the church had promised to donate stained glass windows. A part of Father Gentile's plan provided for the opening of a Sunday School and a day school in the basement and two sisters were to instruct the children in the Italian and English languages. But just on the eve of the fulfillment of his plans. Father Gen- tile was removed to another diocese and the great work which he had projected is now held in abeyance. Father Gentile was succeeded by the Rev. Father Anthony Or- lando, the present rector. The Grundy Medal. — During the latter part of the school year ending with June, 1906, Joseph R. Grundy presented to the Bristol Public School Board a $500 bond, 298 A HISTORY OF BRISTOL BOROUGH. the interest from which was to be applied to the purchas- ing of a suitable medal to be contested for by the pupils in the high school. The donor refusing to allow the medal to bear his name, it was decided by the board to name it in honor of his father, the late Wm. H. Grundy. The medal is presented upon the basis of the full four years' course. The medal of 1906 was won by Miss Sara McNally, for having attained the highest average in the final examination of that year. Miss Esther L. Daniels was awarded the medal of 1907, upon the basis of effi- ciency in the last year's work in the high school. The medal of 1908 was won by Miss Ethel M. Townsend as a reward for efficiency in the last two years' work of the high school. The medal of 1909, which was the first to be presented upon the basis of the full three years' course, was won by Miss Helen C. Randall. Miss Marion Dun- gan won the medal of 1910, her average for the three years being 96.02 per cent., which is the highest on record ever having been attained by a pupil in the Bristol High School. Miss Eunice Williams made an average of 97.00 per cent, during her last year in the high school (1910), which is the highest record for a single year's work. In 1906, Miss Helma Stout was only three one-hundredths of one per cent, below Miss McNally, in the contest for the medal, and in 1909, Louis S. Weik finished a close second, being but 1.14 per cent. beloAV the average attained by Miss Randall. In each of the three instances, the con- testants were rewarded for their efficiency by receiving special prizes awarded by the president of the board, Wil- liam V. Leech. Beginning with this year (1910), a four years' course has been introduced into the high school, and in consequence the medals of the future will be awarded upon the basis of four years' work. Jefferson Avenue School House.— With the beginning of the year 1908, the proposition of providing accom- modations for the large influx of children, confronted the town. For five years the board had held back the question of building, hoping that the issue of bonds covering the A HISTORY OF BRISTOL BOROUGH. 299 cost of the high school building might be very largely paid off, before entering into a new indebtedness. But with the opening of the year the board realized that the question must be met. Most careful consideration of the propo- sition was given. If a new building was to be erected, accommodations must be provided for the children who occupied the rented building on Cedar Street, as well as for the extra children at the Bath and Washington Street buildings. This meant that the exigencies of the present demanded the immediate occupancy of four rooms. The question of remodeling the Washington Street school house and erecting an addition, containing two extra rooms was first considered. It meant the purchasing of JEFFERSON AVENUE PUBLIC SCHOOL. several properties on Washington Street, adjoining the school grounds, and when the cost was considered as well as the proposition being only a partial solution of the problem, the proposition was rejected by the board as unfeasible. An addition to the high school would also have only have afforded temporary relief and left the future with no opportunity for development. To add to the discomfiture of the board, the attendance in the high 20 300 A HISTORY OF BRISTOL BOROUGH. school increased from thirty-five to fifty pupils and the need of less circumscribed environments became appar- ent. Thus, the proposition of building a new school house forced itself upon the board as the only proper method of disposing of the question. Eighteen archi- tects entered competitive drawings for the new school house. Two or three evenings were taken up with the consideration of the plans, and finally those of Heacock & Hokanson, of Philadelphia, were accepted. The plans provided for an eight-room building with basement auditorium. The lot at the corner of Jefiferson Avenue and Pond Street had previously been purchased of John Praull, of Philadelphia, for $4,200. The contract for building the school house was awarded to John N. De- Groot, his bid being $22,000, and work was begun immediately. The corner stone was laid on Tuesday afternoon, Sep- tember 15, 1908, at 2.30 o'clock, in the presence of a large crowd of people. The pupils of the high school, grammar and secondary grades, numbering about 500 in all, met at the high school building and paraded from there to the site upon which the new school building was to be erected. The line was formed as follows : Chief of police and four officers; Metropolitan Band, of Burlington; members of school board and town council ; members of Alumni Association. Then followed the scholars and teachers of the various grades. All the scholars carried small American flags. The line moved out Mulberry Street to Radclifife Street, to Jefiferson Avenue, and thence along the latter avenue to the new building. Seats had been provided for the teachers and scholars and a platform erected for the speakers. President W. V. Leech acted as chairman and announced the numbers on the program. Several patriotic selections were sung by the pupils and prayer was oflfered by Rev. J. Kennedy Moorhouse, rector of St. Paul's P. E. Church. Burgess W. K. Highland, a graduate of the Bristol High School, delivered an address. James H. Brooks, class of 1889, represented the High School Alumni Association and made a speech. Two essays were read, one entitled, "Old Time Schools," by Miss Vera Vansant, and the other. A HISTORY OF BRISTOL BOROUGH. 3OI "Past and Present," by Miss Helen Randall, both young ladies being members of the class of 1909. The last ad- dress was made by Director Doron Green, chairman of the building committee. The copper box in the corner stone contained the following articles : Holy Bible ; names of Burgess and Town Council ; names of School Board and various committees for school year 1908-1909; list of superintendent and teachers ; complete list of all the scholars enrolled in the public schools of Bristol ; list of the officers and members of the High School Alumni Association; postal card views of High School building, old building Wood Street, Bath Street building, Wash- ington Street building, old school building on Otter Street, now Mohican Hall; Radclifi'e Street, Mill Street, Ferry Boat Wm. E. Doron; Alumni badge; Swastika emblem; Pennsylvania School Journal, August, 1908; brief description of Bristol as it is today; copy of Bucks County Gazette, September 11, 1908; copy of Weekly Courier, September 10, 1908; copy of Weekly Courier containing account of commencement exercises, June, 1908; copy of Daily Republican, September 15, 1908; coins presented by Farmers' National Bank, to wit: half dollar, 1908 issue; quarter dollar, 1908 issue; dime, 1909 issue; nickel, 1908 issue; penny, 1908 issue; brief descrip- tion of architectural firm of Heacock & Hokanson ; brief description of the builder, John N. DeGroot; program of ceremonies. After the articles had all been deposited in the box the superintendent of the schools, Miss Louise D. Baggs, stepped forward and covered all with a small silk American flag. The band played the Star Spangled Banner, and the children rose to their feet, cheering loudly and waving their flags. The corner stone was laid by W. V. Leech, the president of the board, who spoke briefly The exercises closed with the benediction by Rev. C. E. Burns, D. D., of the Presbyterian Church. The building was dedicated on Monday evening. May 24, 1909, with appropriate ceremonies. The exercises were held in the auditorium. Prayer was offered by Rev. S. W. Gehrett, D. D., of the M. E. Church. An address was delivered by Charles Heber Clark, Esq., of Philadel- phia. Director Doron Green, chairman of the building 502 A HISTORY OF BKlSTOI. BOROUGH. committee, turned the building over to the school board, in a short address, and the keys were accepted by Presi- dent Leech. The dedicatory prayer was made by Rev. J. K. Moorhouse, rector of St. Paul's P. E. Church, after which President Leech, formally dedicated the building for school purposes. The benediction was pronounced by Dr. C. E. Burns, of the Presbyterian Church. On Tuesday afternoon the scholars had their part in the ceremonies. They met at the high school building and marched in a body to the new building. The magni- ficent flag pole which stands on the front lawn, being loo feet from base to the ball on top, was formally presented as a gift from the Graduating Class of 1909. The presen- tation was made by Ellwood Wright, a member of the class. A handsome flag, 123^ by 24 feet, was also pre- sented to the school as a gift from the pupils in the grammar, secondary and primary grades. Lawrence Mc- Coy, a pupil in the ninth grade, made the presentation speech. The pole and flag were accepted by Director Doron Green, in behalf of the board. When the flag was unfurled a salute was fired by the firing squad of Henry Clay Beatty Post, No. 73, G. A. R. Following the out- door exercises, the pupils assembled in the auditorium of the new building and rendered a most excellent program. Addresses were made by Rev. S. W. Gehrett, D. D., and Professor J. G. Krichbaum, a former principal of the Bristol High School. At the close of the exercises, James Brooks, of the class of 1889, presented the school board, in behalf of the Alumni Association, with eight hand- some oxford teachers' Bibles, for use in the building. On Tuesday evening a parents' meeting was held. Addresses were made by Superintendent Louise D. Baggs; Franklin Spencer Edmunds, Esq., of Philadelphia; Professor J. G. Krichbaum, of Woodbury, Pa. ; and President W. V. Leech. The exercises came to a brilliant close on Wednesday evening, when the president, W. V. Leech, gave a recep- tion and banquet in the school auditorium to those occu- pying official positions in the life of the borough. Among the invited guests were the members of the school board, their wives ; the superintendent and teachers of the A HISTORY OF BRISTOL BOROUGH. 3O3 schools, members of town council, the burgess, members of the board of health, ministers of the churches, officers of the Alumni Association, representatives of the local papers, the architects who planned the building, the builder, and a number of educational men throughout the county. There were in all about 150 guests. President Leech acted as toastmaster and toasts were responded to as follows : "Views on Our County Public School Sys- tem," Judge Mahlon H. Stout; "Our Local Schools," Superintendent Louise D. Baggs ; "Reminiscences of an ex-Director," Burgess Henry E. Ancker; "A Business Man's Opinion of Our Schools," Joseph R. Grundy, man- ufacturer; "A Few Facts," Director Doron Green; "Edu- cation in Bucks County," County Superintendent J. H. Hoffman; "Necessity of Friendly Intercourse Among Directors in the County," Lewis C. Wettling, of New- town ; "Impressions I Have Formed of the Local Schools," Rev. J. K. Moorhouse; "A Neighborly Greet- ing," Dr. A. N. Baggs, president of Abbington School Board ; "The Church's Relation to the Schools," Rev. C. E. Burns, D. D.; "Old Time School Days," Charles E. Scott, cashier Farmers' National Bank ; "Efficiency of Our Local Schools," Dr. S. W. Gehrett; "Impressions of Bristol," Joseph L. Heacock, architect; "The Citizens' Duty to Our Schools," Howard I. James, Esq. ; "The High School Alumni," James H. Brooks. The new school building stands upon a knoll at the intersection of Jefferson Avenue and Pond Street. Sim- plicity is represented in its construction, but the architects have so drawn the lines of the building and taken advan- tage of the natural contour of the ground, that the build- ing itself stands as a monument of beauty. Its very plainness and simplicity adds to its charm and appear- ance. It contains eight class rooms of the regulation size, 28 by 32 feet. Each room contains eight windows. A large cloak room is connected with each class room, which is adequately lighted and heated. Teachers' closets are placed in the cloak rooms, with accommodations for a large number of books and necessary supplies. All the rooms are equipped with slate blackboards 3^ feet wide. The furniture is of cherry. Each room, with the excep- 304 A HISTORY OF BRISTOL BOROUGH. tion of the two lowest primary grades, contain forty- eight desks and seats and a teacher's desk of the same material. In the two lowest primary grades, accommoda- tions have been provided for fifty-six pupils in each room. One-third of the desks in each room are adjustable, the board having figured that two-thirds of the pupils run uniform in size, while the other third is out of proportion. The auditorium has been placed in the basement on the Pond Street side, this arrangement being made possible by reason of the natural slope of the ground. The room is 36^ feet wide by 56^ feet long and will seat 400 per- sons. Large wide stairways lead down to the auditorium from the upper floors, while an entrance on Pond Street will permit the use of the room for evening entertain- ments without the necessity of passing through the school building. In the basement are also situated the boys' and girls' laboratories and toilet rooms, and the boiler room and coal bin. The room containing the boiler has a ceiling of reinforced concrete, a floor of the same material and brick walls, the door being of fireproof con- struction, making the room absolutely fireproof. A janitor's entrance in the basement, under the front en- trance, makes it possible to enter the boiler room with- out going through the building. The ventilating system is elaborate and efficient. The fresh air is brought into the basement through a large sheet iron conduit, passed over aspirating coils in the basement, heated and distributed to the different rooms, where it enters as warm fresh air. Large registers set in the walls, about eight feet above the floor, regulate the supply of fresh air for each room. These registers are operated by the teachers. In all the rooms, just above the washboards, are large foul air registers. The foul air conduits are connected with a central ventilator on the roof. A large aspirating coil below the roof causes a constant circulation in the conduits, which draws the foul air from the different rooms. The building is heated by direct radiation, an adequate number of wall radiators being installed in each room. Another feature of interest are the hygenic drinking fountains, installed on each floor. No cups are required. A HISTORY Of BRISTOL BOROUGH. 305 the children simply placing their mouths over a tiny- stream which shoots up from the fountains. At the head of the stairs on the top floor has been placed a teachers' room. It is equipped with a sanitary couch, to be used when pupils are taken sick, a ladies' writing desk, labora- tory and toilet room. The building is lighted with gas and electric lights. The grounds surrounding the building are beautifully and artistically laid out. The front lawn slopes gently down to the main entrance, where a green terrace and handsome entrance steps and gates give a charm to the picture, which holds the admiration of the spectator. An iron fence surrounds the grounds on Jefiferson Avenue and Pond Street, and another iron fence of different pat- tern divides the boys' and girls' play grounds. A rear entrance off Pond Street permits the children to enter the play grounds, without passing through the building. A wide concrete walk leads up the front lawn from the entrance gates and another walk leads to the janitor's entrance. The entrance to auditorium on Pond Street is of a pretty design. The main posts contain electric lamps, which greatly enhance its beauty when illumin- ated at night. The architectural firm which supplied the plans and superintended the construction of the building, was Heacock & Hokanson, of Philadelphia. Lewis T. Rodan was the successful bidder for installing the heating and ventilating system. His price was $4,001. The wood- work was furnished by Peirce & Williams and represents a class of high grade workmanship. The furniture was purchased from the New Jersey School and Church Fur- niture Company, of Trenton, N. J., and the blackboards from the Slatington-Bangor State Syndicate, Slatington, Pa. The cement used in the construction of the building was purchased direct from the manufacturer, at a saving of several hundred dollars to the board. The total cost of the building including ground and all the furnishing, was $38,711.07.' The Property Committee, which had charge of the work, consisted of Doron Green, William H. Booz and Edward Swain. The president of the board, W. V. Leech, 306 A HISTORY OF BRISTOL BOROUGH. acted in conjunction with the committee, his position making him an ex-officio member. The Supply Commit- tee, which purchased the furniture, consisted of Jacob Young, E. H. Foster, Dr. W. C. Le Compte and Doron Green. The board issued bonds to the amount of $38,000. Following is an itemized account showing the entire cost of the building: Building Account. Jefferson Avenue Property. Amount realized from sale of Bonds $38,186 25 Interest on above until used 594 55 Total amount $38,780 80 Cost of Ground, Interest, Taxes and Improvements $4,556 14 J. N. De Groot, Contractor 21,979 84 L. T. Rodan, Heating & Ventilating 4,001 00 Architect's Fees 1,50647 Cement i,i79 Qi Furniture 2,445 60 Outside Mason Work 1,06000 Counsel Fees and Expenses of Bond Issue Iron Fence Wood Fence Grading and Hauling Blackboards Electric Work and Fixtures Bricks for Pavement Insurance 75 00 38,711 07 368 54 590 GO 123 14 328 23 178 58 187 47 131 IS 75 100 00 Balance carried to General Account, 1909 $69 T^ Governor Edwin S. Stuart, of Pennsylvania, Visits Bristol. — Governor Edwin S. Stuart was the principal speaker at the Bristol High School commencement, held in the M. E. Church, Friday evening, June 4, 1909. Mr. Stuart was greeted so enthusiastically upon his arrival in the town, that he said the event would ever remain fresh in his memory. Long before 5.32 o'clock, the time scheduled for the Governor's arrival, a large crowd as- sembled at the station. A delegation of several hundred public school children, led by the drummer boys of the schools, marched from the high school building to the depot. Each child carried an American flag and all were A HISTORY OF BRISTOL, BOROUGH. 307 trembling with suppressed excitement. The Governor stepped from the train into the midst of the shouting and jubilant youngsters. Before leaving the depot the chil- dren sang several patriotic songs and Mr, Stuart made a short speech, expressing his surprise at the cordial greet- ing he received and his admiration for the patriotic fervor shown by the children. The children then escorted Gov- ernor Stuart to the residence of Joseph R. Grundy, on the river bank, where a reception was tendered him at •6.30 o'clock. About one hundred and fifty persons were present. The guests included the members of the public school board, town council, those at the head of the financial and commercial interests of the town and other prominent men in the borough and county. When the Governor entered the church where the commencement was held he was greeted with hearty and prolonged applause. His address was interesting, and listened to with close attention by the large audience, which filled the building to overflowing. At the close of his address he received a long and continued ovation. A pleasant feature of the occasion was the action of the Governor in consenting to pin the "Grundy" medal upon the win- ner, who was Miss Helen C. Randall. Maggie Winder, a Phenomenal Pacing Filly. — Maggie Winder, bay filly, by Oratorio, 2.13, owned by Jacob Winder, of Bristol, was the most phenomenal pacing filly of the season of 1909. In the history of harness rac- ing no other filly has the credit the first year of her career as a 3-year-old, of establishing four world's records, win- ning four three-year-old futurities, a stake event and one purse race in six starts. She never lost a heat or was headed after being given the word, and never made a mis- step or a break in her races. Breeders have spent thousands of dollars and a lifetime to breed a futurity winner, many failing in their efforts and only a few succeeding, but the owner of Maggie Winder, accomplished on his first real horse purchase what others have failed to do after many attempts. Mr. Winder came by a world's champion filly in a rather peculiar manner. Through a desire to purchase a 3o8 A HISTORY OF BRISTOL BOROUGH. driving horse for his wife, Mrs. Margaret Winder, Mr. Winder looked through a horse sale catalogue and saw the name of a mare, Clara Direct. Pleased by the name, he bought the mare through Henry Jones, of Caveland Farm, Kentucky, who has acted as his trainer since. It was not until her foal was a year old that Mr. Winder saw the marc or the filly, and then he named the future record breaker Maggie Winder, in honor of his wife. Maggie Winder showed trotting ability in her younger days, developing her pacing proclivities later. While she MAGCIK WINDKK. TIME, 2.0()J/4. was working in her two-year-old form the filly was fitted with toe weights to increase her stride. She suddenly began pacing and was driven at 2.11^ at that gait. Mr. Jones, finding she went more easily that way and seeing that her speed was increasing, laid her up with the idea of having her in championship form at three years old. Maggie Winder was first started on her career at Lex- ington, Ky., on August 13, 1909, in the 2.20 class at the Blue Grass Fair, with horses of four years and upwards, including Pickles 4, by Piilly vSayre, a horse that had A HISTORY OF BRISTOL BOROUGH. 309 paced at 2.113^ at Danville the week previous. The others were Sport of the Times, by Ashland Wilkes; Juno, by Jay Morse ; Kitty Gray and Agnes Forest. Mag- gie Winder won straight away in 2.o8j4, 2.09, setting a new world's record for three-year-old pacing fillies, the former mark, 2.08 2-3 having been held by Brenda Yorke, by Moko, made in 1906. Her next start was at Readville in the American Horse Breeders' Futurity, at $2,000 stake, in which she won at 2.12^, 2.12^4, beating Miss Eva Wilkes and Lacopia. She was shipped on a 1,100-mile trip to Indianapolis, starting on September 6, three days afterwards, in the Western Horseman's Futurity, $2,000, against Dean Patch, by Norchen, Dell Patch, Alma Rex, Huxley, Thelma C., and Opal Royal, and distanced all but Dean Patch in the first heat in 2.065^, having a jog to win in the second heat in 2.12. Four days afterwards she won a $600 stake at the same track in 2.15^, from Miss Eva Wilkes, Gagan and Alma Rex, the last named being distanced in the first heat, making her winning $360 first and fourth moneys. Maggie Winder's next start was at Columbus, Ohio, on September 22, when she won the Kentucky Stock Farm Futurity in 2.09^, 2.083^, defeating Capitola, a half sis- ter by Oratorio ; Miss Eva Wilkes, by Glenco Wilkes, Dixie Parole, by Parole, who had shown 2.10 speed in her work and The Philistine by Direct Hal. who was credited with a trial in 2.07%. She concluded the season at Lexington on October 7, by winning the Kentucky Futurity, getting first and fourth money of the $2,000 purse and reducing her record of 2.065^, made at Indianapolis, to 2.06^, in the third heat. The time for the three heats, 2.08^, 2.09^, 2.06^, constitute a world's record for three-year-old pacing fil- lies. In her thirteen heats paced during the season, she averaged 2.10.30 10-13 and her winnings for the season were $5,120. During the season 1910. Mr. Winder kept his horse out of all events, as it was a hard year for the filly, and he and Mr. Jones considered it best not to push her. As this history is going to press, Mr. Winder is staking the 310 A HISTORY OF BRISTOL BOROUGH. horse for the 191 1 season of which nothing can as yet be said, except that greater things still are expected of Mag- gie Winder. (Contributed by Leo. Pollock, News Edi- tor, Bristol Daily Courier.) Lincoln Centennial Anniversary. — What was perhaps the greatest patriotic gathering ever seen in Bristol, as- sembled in the Colonial Theatre on Friday evening, Feb- ruary 12, 1909, to witness the celebration of the one hundredth anniversary of the birth of Abraham Lincoln, by the pupils of the high school and grammar grades of our local public schools. On the stage were seated the board of school directors, teachers, members of town council. Alumni Association and the veterans of Henry Clay Beatty Post No. 73, G. A. R., the latter being the guests of the children. As the members of the Post marched down the aisle the children gave them a rousing reception, waving their flags and singing "Marching Through Georgia." The boys in the school contributed the program with one exception. George Smith, a pupil in the high school, made the address of welcome. Intro- ductory remarks by the chairman, Doron Green, followed, and Charles E. Scott, cashier of the Farmers' National Bank and a member of Henry Clay Beatty Post No. 73, delivered an address. Rev. S. W. Gehrett, D. D., the pas- tor of the Bristol M. E. Church, was the last speaker. During the day appropriate exercises were held in the primary grade departments, the entertainments being at- tended by the members of the school board and the G. A. R. The whole day's proceedings were marked with great enthusiasm. Memorial Tablet Unveiled By Children. — One of the most impressive services ever participated in by the pub- lic school children of Bristol, was held in the auditorium of the Jefiferson Avenue school building on Tuesday morning, March 15, 1910, in connection with the unveiling of the memorial tablet commemorating the memory of the late William H. Grundy. The tablet had been placed in the building by the school board as a mark of appreciation for the kindness of Mrs. Grundy in presenting to the A HISTORY OF BRISTOIv BOROUGH. 3II board the sum of $4,200 in memory of her husband, which was the amount paid for the ground upon which the new school building has been erected. At the banquet held in the building the May previous, during the dedication exercises, Mr. Joseph R. Grundy, when making the pre- sentation, said the gift was made as a memorial to his father, because the ground upon which the building stands was the family's first home in Bristol. The children of the seven departments assembled in the auditorium at 9 o'clock. On the platform were seated President of the Board William V. Leech; directors Wil- liam Booz, Dr. W. C. LeCompte, Doron Green and the superintendent of the schools, Miss Louise D. Baggs. The exercises were entirely informal. The children sang Tennyson's beautiful composition "Crossing the Bar," after which they recited in concert the Twenty-third Psalm and the Lord's Prayer. Another selection entitled "Lend a Helping Hand," was then sung and at the con- clusion Director Green was introduced. He told the children that the meeting of that morning was under peculiar circumstances, that never before in the history of the schools had the children been invited to par- ticipate with the directors, in an occasion of like character. Telling the children that they had a right to know something about the man in whose honor the tablet was unveiled he reviewed briefly the life of the late William H. Grundy. He told of his coming here in 1876; the in- terest he manifested in the town's affairs ; how he was twice elected burgess of Bristol ; how he was once hon- ored by election as a Presidential elector, and told of his voyage to Russia to assist in the distribution of the sup- plies sent by the citizens of Philadelphia to the starving people of that country. In closing Mr. Green dwelt upon the gift to the board and explained how that body had decided to show their appreciation by placing the tablet in the building. The children sang another selection, "The Golden Rule," and then marched in a body upstairs to the main corridor where the tablet had been placed. As the chil- dren sang, "My Country 'Tis of Thee," Mr. Leech with- drew the tacks which held the covering in place, and as 312 A HISTORY OB" BRISTOL BOROUGH. the closing words of the song were uttered dropped it to the floor, thus exposing the tablet to the gaze of all. The children stood in silence, as a mark of tribute to the dead, and then at a command from their teacher marched quiet- ly to their different rooms. The tablet is of brass and occupies a place on the left side wall, on the main stairway leading up from the front entrance on Jefferson avenue. It bears the following in- scription : This tablet commemorates the memory of the late WILLIAM H. GRUNDY who occupied this site as his first residence in Bristol in 1877, and in honor of whose memory the ground upon which the school house has been erected was presented as a gift to the Bristol School Board May 26, 1909. — (From Bristol Courier.) The Pennsylvania Railroad Company's New Roadbed. — In the spring of 1910, the Pennsylvania Railroad Com- pany began work on its new elevated roadbed through the town. The object of the improvement is to straighten its tracks, as well as eliminate the dangerous grade crossings which now exist. The new elevated roadbed which begins at a point opposite the Bristol Cemetery, follows the extreme western boundary of the town until Bath Street is reached, when it skirts the residential por- tion of the Fourth Ward and parallels Garden Street, crossing the canal and joining the main line a short dis- tance above the Hollow Creek. The new station is to be placed on Prospect Street, between Jefferson Avenue and Beaver Stret. It is expected that cars will be running on the new road by August, 1911. Railroad's New Concrete Bridges. — The new bridges which the Pennsylvania Railroad Company has erected on its elevated line through Bristol are departures in many ways in concrete bridge building. Three of the bridges are innovations in size and ornateness — those at Corson, Spruce and Pine Streets. All of the spans are of concrete construction, but the three last named are of A HISTORY OF BRISTOL, BOROUGH. 313 concrete entire with steel used only in reinforcement rods. The bridges at Corson, Spruce and Pine Streets are the largest concrete slab bridges probably ever erected. Not that they are the largest concrete spans ever erected, for the arched bridge at Walnut Lane over the Wissahickon, Philadelphia, holds the record. But the Walnut Lane bridge is arched and these Bristol bridges are straight across from abutment to abutment. OLD P. K. R. STATION, POND STREET. Concrete slab bridges have been placed prior to this, but the slabs have never exceeded 20 feet, in fact most of them are 10 or 11 feet long. The new slabs are 31 feet, greater than ever before attempted. From abutment to abutment the bridges are 50 feet. The advantages of concrete spans lie in their longevity and minimum cost of maintenance. Iron bridges do not last nearly so long as concrete, which is practically inde- structible ; iron also must be painted constantly in order to lengthen its life. Concrete spans need no attention after they are finished. The Pennsylvania Railroad concluded to use concrete spans in view of the superiority of that material over iron 314 A HISTORY OF BRISTOL BOROUGH. for bridge work. Because of the narrowness of the dis- tances to span ordinary streets, arched concrete bridges would have had to be very long and erected at a consid- erable height. The elevated structure is not sufficiently high to permit arched bridges, so slab spans had to be utilized. The disadvantage then arose of laying slabs of over 20 feet. The railroad engineers determined to construct slab bridges on this work of greater length than heretofore, and they have succeeded in their efforts. Besides being a feat of engineering ingenuity the bridges are things of beauty. They are as gracefully out- lined as the temples of the departed Grecians and Romans, the designers having gone beyond the goal of planning utilitarian spans which would stand best the strain of heavy trains thundering across them, and they have placed in Bristol examples of high class architecture that are a credit to the town. The style used is an adap- tation of the Moorish. The other bridges are of steel and concrete construc- tion. The manner of covering the steel floors so as to make them invulnerable to water is interesting. A layer of concrete is laid over the floor, over this is spread a coating of a patent waterproofing fluid, then comes a cushion of sand, then brick and "grout," or fluid cement. In this way the span is protected from rain, snow, frost and the action of the atmosphere. (Bristol Republican. Halley's Comet. — After a disappearance of seventy-five years, Halley's comet returned and became visible to the naked eye, in the eastern sky, about May i, 1910. Astronomers announced that on the night of May i8th the earth would pass through the tail of the comet at 11 P. M., and suggested the possibility of an electrical dis- play or meteoric showers, when the earth took the plunge. Hundreds of people remained up to see the spectacle, but the earth passed through the tail without a visible sign and many were disappointed. A few were frightened as the day approached, but the great majority regretted the absence of some display when the great event took place. For two weeks following its contact A HISTORY OF BRISTOL BOROUGH. 315 with the earth, the comet could be plainly seen above the western horizon. Astronomers claimed that the head of the comet measured 200,000 miles in diameter; its fail was 25,000,000 miles long and its distance from the earth 14,000,000 miles at the time of contact. The width of the tail at the point where the earth cut through it was 1,000,- 000 miles and it required about five hours to make the passage. The First Airship to Pass Over Bristol. — Charles K. Hamilton, the daring aviator, passed over Bristol in his biplane, Monday morning, June 13, 1910, at 9.30 o'clock. This was the first airship to make the flight between New York and Philadelphia. On his return journey he passed Bristol at 11.33 A. M. A special train on the Pennsyl- vania Railroad acted as a guide to the aviator. Hamil- ton's speed was between fifty-five and sixty miles an hour. Considerable excitement prevailed in Bristol, the tracks of the Pennsylvania Railroad being lined with people eager to catch a glimpse of the biplane. History of Radcliffe Street. — The following article was taken from the Bucks County Gazette. It was written during the summer of 1910, by our fellow townsman C. Wesley Milnor, one of Bristol's oldest and most respected citizens, and gives an interesting history of the eastern side of Radcliffe Street, away back in the fifties of the last century: "Near the Hollow Bridge, so called, there stands just south of the antique structure an unpretentious little dwelling not very large in any degree. In this little dwell- ing lived one Alexander Condy, a good citizen of our town, who taught school in the winter season and when there was any work toiled in the ship yard just adjacent. Mr. Condy was a calker by trade and followed this occu- pation when there was any work in this yard. In the larger one of the row of brick houses lived one Charles Thompson, who owned this property and carried on the business for a time. "There came, however, two people under the firm name of Risley & Wright, who built two vessels of good size named the William H, White and Nathan Tyler. 3l6 A HISTORY OF BRISTOL BOROUGH. "By the way, a number of our citizens were holders of vessel stock which proved to be a good investment on account of the coal trade to and from our town. The writer worked in this yard at the liberal pay of 50 cents per day and boarded himself, attempting to learn the trade. Just think of it, and compare it with the present, with beef at 28 to 30 cents a pound. "Adjoining this property, what is now called the Wor- rell property, there lived General William Montgomery, a retired army officer, with his family, together with Thomas and William Wood. General Montgomery was a gentleman of the old school, showing his military training. "Next adjoining there lived Francis Jacoby. He, too, was a type of the old school respected by his friends and faultless in his dress. I remember him when he kept a horse and buggy, and John Weaver was his driver and general utility man. This mansion of Mr. Jacoby's has been remodeled and the residence of Clifford L. Ander- son added to the lot owned by Mr. Jacoby. "As we are walking southward on this street on the site of the Jonathan W^right estate, there stood, just back from the street, obscured almost with shrubbery and flowers, a quaint old house one and one-half stories high in which lived Samuel Bankson, the father of Mrs. Reuben Pedrick. Adjoining this is the Robert Beatty homestead, an old residence, where Robert Beatty reared a large family and was a man of noble character and at one time cashier of our bank. "Well I remember Beatty's hill in winter when the coasting was good and also the bathing ground in the summer in the Delaware. A few of the boys were always welcome to enjoy the sports and pleasures at the Beatty home. "We now have come to the property of the late John K. Wildman which at the time I am writing of was occupied by William M. Downing, the father of our townsman, William M. Downing, the flour merchant. Mr. Downing was an agent of one of the coal companies whicji were located in Bristol at that time. A HISTORY OF BRISTOIv BOROUGH. 317 "Adjoining this property in the yellow mansion there lived Lucius H. Scott, a fine, noble gentleman, an hon- ored member of Bristol Lodge No. 25, also of St. James Church, a man whom if once seen you would always remember. "We now have reached what has always been known as the 'haunted house,' the property then of a Miss Sarah Keene, who also owned a brick house corner Tenth and Chestnut Streets, Philadelphia, where the Mutual Life Building now stands. This sombre looking house with no visible sign of life or cheerfulness about it had stood unmolested nor inspected for many years, until recently, when I have been told one of our ladies took a party through it for inspection. One, William Whitley, with his family, lived in the basement at that time. "We have now arrived at the palatial mansion now occupied by our fellow townsman, Joseph R. Grundy. This property was once owned and occupied by Captain Joseph B. Hutchinson, Sr., who lived there and was the father of Joseph B. Hutchinson, of the Pennsylvania Railroad. Mr. Hutchinson was a gentleman of the old school and lived here before erecting the stone edifice on the Beaver Dam Road. This house was once occu- pied by Robert Tyler? a relative of ex-President Tyler. Mrs. Tyler was a descendant of Thomas Cooper, the tragedian, who figured in the theatrical world in the days of Edwin Forrest. Unfor- tunately, I might say, Mr. Tyler espoused the cause of the Southern Confederacy at the beginning of the rebellion. Although holding a good position, I think, in the Phila- delphia courts, he took up with a cause that was not worthy of the support of any man, and that finally ended in its overthrow and caused much distress and expense to our country. He had a fine family. Mrs. Tyler was a highly educated woman, of fine social qualities and well thought of in our community. "On the site of the residence of John C. Stuckert and others, there stood an old brick dwelling which was called the 'old bake house.' It has been said it was used as a hospital during the Revolutionary War. It also has been said that Lafayette stopped there for a time, so you 3l8 A HISTORY OF BRISTOL BOROUGH. see our town has a more than passing record of figuring in the war of the revolution. "At or about the river front of Dr. Lecompte's there was a fine beach at the river edge which was used by our Baptist people as a place to administer the rite of bap- tism by immersion. C. J. Page was the pastor in charge and frequently conducted these exercises. Mr. Page was here for some years and was a strong exponent of the Bible, as well as a staunch advocate of Temperance. "There were no houses from this spot to Walnut Street, where we find a building now occupied by the Order of Elks, originally called the Beaver Meadow House, kept as a boarding house by a Mrs. Crooks. "Let me say that from this point to the Laing property, outside the borough limits, there was a string of wharves upon which were stored thousands of tons of coal which came to Bristol via the canal and was unloaded from boats carrying from 75 to 90 tons and then reloaded on vessels for eastern points. This required a vast amount of manual labor and consequently gave employment to a large class, who kept up these boarding houses. This industry did much to build up a business for Bristol and added to the thriving prosperity of the town at that time. Other facilities having developed the coal industry in a wholesale sense is a thing of the past in the history of Bristol. "Adjoining lots with the Elks' property is the residence of Ernest Lawrence, which is of a more recent origin. "We come to a brick dwelling wherein Jesse W. Knight now resides, formerly occupied by W. B. Baker, but at the time of my story was the residence of Captain Lloyd B. Newell. Mr. Newell was a retired navy officer and lived with us for a number of years. A Commodore Shaw also made his home with him. It was also occupied by William R. Dickinson, a prominent lawyer of his day. "Next we find on the site of the new house of the Johnson family, two or three dwellings owned by one Benjamin Brown, who was a respected resident of our town. William Tabram lived on this property and car- ried on a business of dealer in rags, iron and second hand articles in general and did a good business. In the small A HISTORY 01? BRISTOL BOROUGH. 319 house Standing back from the street there lived a Mr. Harlan and family. "The large dwelling now occupied by Dr. Frank Leh- man, was built by a John Magoffin, who with his wife, lived there for a number of years. The house is probably the best built house of its kind in the town and it is said that Mr. Magoffin superintended the erection of his home and that any material that was not up to the standard he would not let it go in the construction. Mr. and Mrs. Magoffin were members of the Presbyterian Church and were well known for their deeds of charity and example of the true Christian life. Mr. Magoffin would frequently on Sundays in summer, wend his way to the canal basin and there gather a lot of boatmen together and expound to them the teaching of God's word from the Bible. "There lived in a yellow house, where the beautiful home of G. M. Dorrance now stands, a Mrs. John Myers, a fine widow, a member of St. James' Church, at one time its organist in the old edifice, where I have seen her pre- side at the organ, during the pastorate of William S. Per- kins. Mrs. Myers was a noble specimen of a lady in its truest sense, kind, charitable and a devout Christian. "On the opposite side of Mulberry Street hill there lived Captain George Breck, who had a military career but I cannot recall of what kind. He also was a member of St. James Church, a perfect gentleman, well known in our town for his many good qualities. "We have now arrived at a point in our narrative covering the imposing structure of the Farmers* National Bank of Bucks County, a building of imposing architec- ture standing for years as sentinel guarding the peoples' money ; an institution solid as a rock and managed by men of strict integrity until today it is second to none in the county, and would no doubt be on an equality with any in the State. Robert Beatty was its cashier, assisted by Charles Iredell, both good men. It is now managed by our genial townsman Charles E. Scott, and his son Thomas as assistant, both able financiers. "An incident comes to my mind that will illustrate the faith our people have in this institution. There was an old Irishman in our town who had through economy 3?Q A HISTORY OF BRISTOL BOROUGH, saved quite a sum of money in the way of gold, there being a premium on the same during the war. It was his custom to consult a friend as to what it was selling for; when one day he finally sold it and received in exchange greenbacks for the same ; and it is said that he had such confidence in our bank that he exchanged the greenbacks for our bank's issue of notes, never dreaming that if the government went up, the bank notes would be no good. "Where Tom Scott now lives there lived a family by the name of Vezin for quite a time and was afterward occupied by a Mrs. Fraily and also A. L. Packer. "The two brick houses next adjoining were not built until quite recently as well as the building of the Bristol Trust Company, this being erected but a short time back, and as it is composed in its board of officers of some of our best citizens there is no reason why it should not succeed in its mission and thereby benefit its stockholders and the community in general. There stood on the site of this a large mansion where John Dorrance and family once resided for quite a season and was afterward used later on by William Fabian as a furniture and house furnishing store. "John Dorrance was an old resident of our town and had large business interests, was a senior member of the firm of Dorrance & Knight also Dorrance & Doron who managed the old mill for many years. He was interested in the railroad and other enterprises, was respected by all who knew him and built the mansion now occupied by G. M. Dorrance. He was a member of St. James' Church and one ot its regular communicants. He lived here and passed away at a good old age well liked and respected by his fellowmen. "Where the post office now stands was a building occu- pied by a number of persons in diflferent kinds of busi- ness, the upper story being used as a public hall for various purposes. "We now come to what was the terminus of the Phila- delphia & Trenton Railroad Company, where trains were run from Trenton and New York, and thence by boat to Philadelphia. This business was carried on prior to 1850 and I clearly recall the trains going and coming down A HISTORY OF BRISTOL BOROUGH. 32 1 Market Street when I was but a small boy. The boat would come to Bristol from Bordentown and there wait for the train and take the passengers to Philadelphia. When quite a boy I sold the Philadelphia newspapers to passengers from Bordentown and Trenton and some mornings would sell from thirty to fifty papers whilst the passengers were being transferred. I think there was only one train a day from Trenton and only two from New York in the early part of its existence in our town. After a time this business was transferred to Tacony; then again to Kensington and finally to Broad Street. What a contrast between now and the beginning of 1850. The old depot was used during the war as a storehouse for hay and straw, wherein hundreds of tons were baled and shipped to the front for our army. The building was later on demolished. "The two or three frame buildings adjoining were occu- pied by dififerent persons during his time. The one that I can recall now was a carpenter named Harrison Brels- ford. He was also a ferryman in the winter time when the ferry boat was laid up. Christopher O'Reilly once had a newspaper agency in one of these houses. This brings us to that old hostelry, the Delaware House (be- fore the days of railroading it was Bessonett's Hotel). It has been a landmark for many years whilst not now hav- ing its original appearance, but being considerably changed by painting, etc., yet it has a history that belongs to our ancient town that is worth thinking over. As I have said it was originally called Bessonett's Hotel, being kept by a man of that name. It was here where passen- gers who were fatigued with the tedious journey from Philadelphia to New York — (for it took, sixty years ago, two days to get there in a lumbering old stage coach and you had to pay four dollars for the pleasure), stopped to rest over night and also to change horses. I recall an incident written by our townsman, William Kinsey, wherein he stated that there was a rivalry in regard to carrying the mail between this man Bessonett and a Mr. Reeside, which created an opposition line and handbills were posted throughout the town by the opposition : 322 A HISTORY OF BRISTOL BOROUGH. Unparalleled speed. Philadelphia to New York in two days. Comfort and safety assured. Fare, $4. "Just think of it, when now, in 1910, you can travel from Philadelphia to New York on some trains in about ninety minutes. What a contrast, surely we Americans are progressive and hard to beat. This hotel was kept later on by Lewis F. Pratt and others." Showing Increase in Population. — In 1753, Bristol con- tained only seventy-two taxables, twenty-four of whom were single men. In 1806, Bristol contained ninety houses. By the census of 1800, the population was 511; in 1810, 628; in 1820, 908; in 1830, 1,262; in 1840, 1,438; in 1850, 2,570; of which there were males, 1,287; females, 1,283; (colored persons, 89). This shows a prosperous increase of 1,132 souls, during the decade between 1840- 50. In 1850-51, there were about 450 dwellings in the borough (besides a number of shops of various kinds), and in the spring of 1852, they numbered 500 . In 1853 the borough contained 600 buildings, as dwellings, stores and manufactories of various kinds, and Wm. Bache placed the population at 3,000. The population in i860 had reached 3,314; in 1870, 3,269; in 1880, 5,273; in 1890, 6,553; in 1900, 7.101 ; in 1910, 9,256. Bristol's Oldest Citizen. — Joseph S. Peirce, Bristol's oldest male citizen, recently celebrated his ninety-second birthday anniversary. Three years ago he was seriously ill and since that time has been confined to his room. He has lost the motion in his lower limbs and his memory is greatly impaired. He resides with his son, E. M. Peirce, on Radcliffe Street. Mr. Peirce was born in Philadelphia in the house next door to that known as the Betsy Ross House on Arch Street. He was educated in Philadelphia and Byberry, where his parents afterwards resided. As a young man he found employment in Maryland, but left that state to come to Bristol in 1851. He was at one time superin- tendent of the forge which stood where Henderson's carpet mills now stand. Mr. Peirce identified himself with the Abolition movement early in its career and be- A HISTORY OF BRISTOL BOROUGH. 323 came one of the most active agents of the Underground Railroad, taking care of the Bristol end. It was he who helped Captain Dangerfield from Philadelphia, from which city the escaped slave so mysteriously disappeared. Mr. Peirce sheltered the captain in his home on the night of his disappearance, until midnight, when he rowed him across the river to Burlington, where together they took the "Owl" train for Camden. Mr. Peirce accompanied him a short distance, when he was relieved by another agent of the Underground Railroad, and returned to Bristol. After the war, Mr, Peirce went to the oil regions, re- turning to Bristol in 1868. He went into partnership with his brothers, Charles and Joshua, forming the firm of Peirce Brothers. This firm cut the old Cyrus Peirce farm, above Lafayette Street, into lots and financed and influenced manufactories to establish in Bristol. After the dissolution of the firm, Mr. Peirce conducted a coal business until he was succeeded by his son, E. M. Peirce, in 1888. Since 1902, he has retired from all business and lived quietly with his son Edward, on Radcliflfe Street. Recently, owing to the serious illness of his son, Mr. Peirce was removed to the home of his daughter, at Wor- •cester, Mass., where he still remains. Note. — Since the writing of this article, Mr. Peirce has passed away. His death occurred on April 24, 1911, at the home of his •daughter, Mrs. Edith Getchell, Worcester, Mass. The article is retained, however, for its historical value. 324 A HISTORY OF BRISTOL, BOROUGH. EPOCH IX. BRISTOL OF TODAY— 1911. Introduction. — The little collection of log cabins which were erected in the early years of our history, by the settlers upon the banks of our beautiful river, have been superceded by the substantial and comfortable residences that meet the eye today. The hardy pioneers of 225 years ago, who with axe and cleaver cleared the land and erected their unpretentious habitations, have given place to another class of people, who know nothing of the toil, privations and hardships which were endured by those who preceded them. Yet we have every reason to feel proud of our citizenship. For intelligence, industry, cor- diality and everything that contributes to the highest type of American manhood, our citizenship is not sur- passed by any other town of corresponding size in the whole United States. Unsurpassed Opportunities. — Situated on the bank of the beautiful Delaware, with the main line of the Penn- sylvania Railroad running through the town, and trolley service to Philadelphia, Trenton and Doylestown, un- surpassed opportunities are offered for transportation and commerce. Yet unsurpassed as these opportunities have been, the near proximity of Philadelphia has proven a deterrent factor, and what under other conditions would have been a blessing, has to the merchants of Bristol proved the reverse. The large department stores of Philadelphia have delivery wagons in Bristol, and many of the citizens purchase their clothing, furniture, HENRY E. ANCFvER. Burgess of Bristol. A HISTORY OF BRISTOL BOROUGH. 325 etc., in the larger city, and have the deliveries made to their homes here, w^ithout extra charge for transporta- tion. Nevertheless, Bristol exhibits an abundance of business houses. Mill Street is the principal business street of the town and has but five or six dwelling houses, its entire length, all the other places being devoted to business. The Bristol Mills, on this street, which for nearly two centuries, contributed to the prosperity of the town, are today a mass of ruins. The office has been converted into a store, which is leased by Samuel Scott, an old resident of the town. Radcliffe Street has no stores above Mulberry Street. Bath Street is assuming a business air and is fast becoming a strong rival of Mill Street. Most of the other streets of the town, each con- tain one or more stores. Population Cosmopolitan. — The population of the town is thoroughly cosmopolitan, made up of the following nationalities : German, Irish, Italian, Prussian, English, Greek, Scotch, Welsh, Swiss, Hungarian, Hebrew and Chinese. The Italians are the latest acquisition to our citizenship. They have settled mostly in the northeast- ern section of the town, in and near Brook Street. The Roman Catholic branch have erected a brown stone church at the corner of Dorrance and Pond Streets, while those who hold to the Protestant faith, are identified with the Presbyterian Church and have recently completed a chapel building at the corner of Wood Street and Lincoln Avenue. The children of the Italian residents are mostly employed in the mills and factories. Many of the Hebrew residents are in business in various parts of the town, while from the sturdy stock of our English, German and Irish settlers, have come our best citizens of today. Manufacturing District. — The northeastern section of the town, between the canal and railroad, above Beaver Street, is all occupied by manufacturing industries, the names of which are as follows : Thomas L. Leedom Co., carpet manufacturers; Gledhill Wall Paper Company; Peirce & Williams, Wood Turning Mill;; T. B. Harkiris 326 A HISTORY OF BRISTOL BOROUGH. Foundry Company; Edward T. Steel & Co., manufac- turers of men's worsted fabrics; Wm. H. Grundy & Co., worsted yarns. Wm. Henderson is the proprietor of a carpet mill located along the canal near Buckley & Beaver Streets. The Corona Company's plant fronts on Beaver Street above Mansion Street, and the factory of the Bristol Patent Leather Company is about a quarter of a mile above the town, between the railroad and canal. The Standard Cast Iron, Pipe and Foundry Company occupies a site along the river about a quarter of a mile above the Hollow Creek. The new plant of the Artesian Ice & Dairy Products Co. is located in the Fourth Ward near the Washington Street swinging bridge. The num- ber of people employed in these industries aggregates 3,300, while the wages annually paid to these operatives amount to the sum of $1,750,000, and the value of the manufactured product to $12,000,000 annually. Well Supplied With Churches. — The town is well sup- plied with churches as follows. Society of Friends, Methodist Episcopal, Presbyterian, Baptist, St. James' P. E. Church, St. Paul's P. E. Church, St. Mark's R. C. Church, English Lutheran, German Lutheran, St. Ann's Italian R. C. Church, Presbyterian Italian Mission, Afri- can M. E. Church and Colored Baptist. St. Mark's has a large and well equipped parochial school building and both of the Protestant Episcopal Churches have parish houses. The Presbyterian congregation worships in its beautiful chapel building which adjoins the old church building in the rear. St. Mark's has the largest member- ship. Among the Protestant denominations the Method- ist congregation is the largest. Several of the churches have excellent choirs, and the spiritual needs of the people are looked after by able and efficient pastors. Local Public Schools. — The local public schools are the best in the county. Four school buildings are in use, namely: High School Building, Wood Street; Jefiferson Avenue, Washington Street and Bath Street. The old school building on Wood Street is held in reserve and A HISTORY OF BRISTOI, BOROUGH. 327 will probably be used some day for a Commercial High School. One superintendent and twenty-seven teachers are employed and the enrollment of scholars is about 1,100. The names of the superintendent and teachers follow: Miss Louise D. Baggs, superintendent; Ella Van- uxem, principal of high school ; Ella M. Torrey, assistant principal of high school ; Rachel Bartine, second assistant principal of high school ; Clara M. Parks, principal of commercial department; Bessie Clark, drawing teacher; Margaret Barrett, Alice Lippincott, Carrie Mins- ter, Florence Kelly, Emma Duckworth, Helen McClossie, Elizabeth Betz, Gladys Blackwood, Anna Brady, Ella Mathias, Edna Groom, Effie Watson, Minnie Rodrock, Bertha Hetherington, Beulah Doan, Mary King, Jessie Mansall, Clara Beidleman, Mary Wilkinson, Sara Mc- Nally, Rhoda Marine, Mabel Wettling. The board of directors consists of the following: First Ward, Wm. H. Booz, H. S. Rue, Dr. W. C. Le Compte; Second Ward, E. H. Foster, D.O.Taylor, Edward Swain; Third Ward, Jacob Young, John F. Wear, Doron Green ; Fourth Ward, Eugene Barrett, Bernard Boyle, John J. Gallagher; Fifth Ward, Wm. V. Leech, Samuel Turner, Charles Dalton. Wm. V. Leech is president, H. S. Rue, secretary, and E. H. Foster, treasurer. In June, 1909, a course in stenography and typewriting was intro- duced into the high school curriculum, and in September, 1910, a full commercial course was installed. The ques- tion of a cooking school is being considered and will probably be put in operation before the end of the pres- ent school term. Music has been taught in the schools for several years past and the progress made by the scholars is remarkable. The pupils of the high school have a social and literary association which they call the Swastica Society. It has done much to promote social intercourse, and develop an interest in literary work among its members, besides contributing much to the happiness of their school days. The teachers also have attended and much good has been accomplished through a society for their mutual good, which meets weekly. About once a month a mothers' meeting is held in one of the school assembly rooms. These meetings are well 328 A HISTORY OF BRISTOL BOROUGH, attended and much good has been accomplished through the acquaintanceship thus formed between the mothers and teachers. In September, 1910, the ninth grade was merged into the high school, thus giving to that depart- ment a four years' course. A splendid spirit of co-opera- tion exists between the teachers and directors, and as a result, the schools have reached a high grade of efficiency and usefulness. Newspapers. — The town can boast of two newspapers. The Bucks County Gazette, which was started in 1873 ^Y Jesse O. Thomas, is still published weekly. The Daily and Weekly Courier are published by Wm. C. Watson. Licensed Hotels. — Six hotels are licensed in the town. The Delaware House, which was built in 1765, is still standing, and is now run by Matthew Lincoln. Recently the old building has been greatly improved and now presents a more modern appearance. The Silbert House, ' Radcliffe Street, formerly known as the Cottage Hotel, is operated by Mrs. Geo. Silbert. Charles Rommell is proprietor of the Bristol House, at the corner of Mill and Radcliffe Streets, opposite the Delaware House. The Railroad' House, Mrs. W. H. Fine, proprietor, is located on Mill Street, between Pond Street and the railroad. The Hotel Closson, J. J. Kilcoyne, proprietor, stands at the corner of Mill, Otter and Bath Streets. Sweeney's Hotel is situated on Buckley Street near Pine. M. J. Sweeney is the proprietor. Divided Into Wards. — The town at present is divided into five wards. The First Ward embraces all the land between the canal basin on the south, the Delaware River on the east, Penn Street on the north and the canal on the west. The Second Ward is bounded by Penn Street, the Delaware River, Lafayette Street and the canal. The Third Ward contains all the land south of the old mill race and the canal. The Fourth Ward is situated north of the mill race and is bounded on the east by the canal and extends on the north and west, to the borough line. The Fifth Ward includes the land above A HISTORY OF BRISTOI. BOROUGH. 329 Lafayette Street to the borough line, bounded on the east by the river and on the west by the canal. Borough Government. — The government of the bor- ough is vested in a Burgess and Town Council of twenty members, four being from each ward. Henry E. Ancker is Burgess, and the members of Town Council are as follows : First Ward, James Wright, W. K. Fine, George Strausser, R. B. King; Second Ward, Joseph R. Grundy, Gustav Rathke, George Buckley, Griffith L. Williams; Third W^ard, Edward Hoeding, Dr. A. S. Wilson, John J. Kilcoyne, Clarence Young; Fourth Ward, Martin A. Fallon, Patrick Dougherty, Thomas Hoffman, Neil Mulli- gan ; Fifth Ward, Josiah M. Owens, Abraham Wilson, Louis Spring, Dr. J. de B. Abbott. Josiah M. Owens is President of Town Council and H. H. H. Poole is town clerk and borough treasurer. An efficient police force is in charge of Charles Saxton, a veteran officer, who has been in active service over thirty years. Fred I. Kraft fills the position of town 'squire and has an office in the Tabram building, between the town house and Silbert's Hotel. The borough attorneys, Gilkeson & James, occu- py an office building next door to the Wright Brothers' store, at the corner of Radcliffe and Market Streets. Repairs to Streets. — The Street Committee of Town Council, under the direction of Joseph R. Grundy, chair- man, has done much to improve the streets and highways of the town. Recently a new material known as "Amiesite" has entered into the construction of new roads. The roadbed on Otter Street has been resurfaced with this material, making it the finest street in town. During the year 1910, about one and a quarter miles of new roads were built. Banking Institutions. — Bristol has two banking insti- tutions : The Farmers' National Bank, and the Bristol Trust Compan3\ Both bank buildings are situated on Radcliffe Street, between Market and Mulberry Streets. Benjamin Taylor is president of the former and Charles E. Scott cashier. Joseph R. Grundy is president of the 330 A HISTORY OF BRISTOL BOROUGH. Trust Company and William P. McCoy secretary and treasurer. Both institutions have saving fund depart- ments which arc well patronized. Post Office. — The post office occupies the first floor in the W. E. l^oron building, on the east corner of Radcliffe and Market Streets. E. W. Minster is post master, and his assistants are Howard Thornton, Melvin Jefferies and John Wright. Two years ago the Federal Congress appropriated the sum of $80,000 for the purpose of erect- ing a new post office building in Bristol. The site at the southeast corner of Pond and Mulberry Streets was pur- chased, but since then nothing more has been done. A HISTORY OP BRISTOL BOROUGH. 33* Extensions to Streets. — The new extension of Buckley Street from Beaver Street to Washington Street, has re- cently been opened, and most of the houses on Prospect Street have been removed to new sites on the west side of the new extension, to make room for the new depot of the Pennsylvania Railroad. Arrangements have been made to open Cedar Street, from the pocket above Lafay- ette Street, through to Jefiferson Avenue. Anchor Yacht Club. — The Anchor Yacht Club, com- posed of owners of motor boats, has a clubhouse on the cliffs above the Hollow Creek. Burgess Henry E. Ancker is president and Edward Dougherty secretary. The annual lawn fete and regatta of this club is one of the pleasant events of the summer season. Secret Societies. — Bristol has more secret societies, per- haps, than any town of its size in the United States. Six public halls have lodge room accommodations. They are as follows : Odd Fellows' Hall, corner Radcliffe and Walnut Streets ; Knights of Pythias Hall, Wood Street; between Mulberry and Walnut Streets; Mohican Hall, Otter Street below Bath Street; Mechanics' Hall, Post Office building, corner Radcliffe and Market Streets ; A. O. H. Hall, Corson Street, near Buckley Street; Forest- ors' Hall, corner Pond and Lafayette Streets, and two private halls, namely. Masonic Hall, on Cedar Street, be- tween Market and Mulberry Streets, and the Elks' Home, corner of Radcliffe and Walnut Streets. The richest lodge in the town is that of the Junior American Mechanics, their total worth being about $16,000. Fol- lowing is a list of the ])rominent orders established in the town : Masonic Fraternity, Order of Elks, L O. O. Fellows, Knights of Pythias, Imp. Order of Red Men, Jr. O. U. A. Mechanics, Daughters of .A.merica, Degree of Pocahontas, Knights of Friendship, Ancient Order of Hibernians, Knights of Columbus, Shepherds of Bethlehem, Order of Forresters, Brotherhood of America, American Protest- ant As.sociation, Knights of Mystic Chain, Sons of St. George. Knights of the Cjolden Eagle, Grand Armv of 2?> .332 A HISTORY OF BRISTOL BOROUGH. the Republic, Patriotic Order Sons of America, Royal Arcanum, Grand Fraternity and Woodmen of the World. Social Clubs. — The men of Bristol are fond of club life, .and as a result, several clubs are in a flourishing condi- tion. The "Algonquin" has quarters on RadclifTe Street between Walnut and Franklin Streets. The new Elks' club house, at the corner of Radcliffe and Walnut Streets, recently opened, is magnificent in its appointments and a credit to the town. The AUemania Verein, or German Club, has a commodious club house on West Jeflferson Avenue in the Fourth Ward, near the new depot of the Pennsylvania Railroad Company. The Owl Social, one of the oldest clubs in the borough, has quarters in the Strobele building on Mill Street, near the canal. The Mohican Social has a room in the old Osmond building, ^t the junction of Mill Street and the railroad. Practicing Physicians — Seven physicians are practicing in the town. Dr. E. J. Groom is the oldest, having prac- ticed continuously for over fifty years. He resides in a commodious residence on the north side of Mill Street, adjoining the building occupied by the Child's grocery. Dr. J. de B. Abbott resides at the southwest corner of Radclifife Street and JelTerson Avenue. He takes an active interest in municipal afTairs and at present is serving a term in town council. He has also served a term as burgess. Dr. William Martin resides on Rad- cliffe Street, next door to the Slack homestead, at the <;prner of Radclifife and Franklin Streets. He is the Jocal physician of the Pennsylvania Railroad Company. Dr. W. C. LeCompte occupies a palatial residence on the •east side of Radclifife Street, adjoining the Britsol Water Company. He takes an active interest in public school afifairs. being a director from his ward, and is also at the li^ad of the health and sanitary committee appointed by the school board. Dr. Frank Lehman succeeded Dr. W. P. A'Veaver, and resides on Radclifife Street, next door to the residence of G. M. Dorrance, at the corner of Rad- clifife and Mul])erry Streets. Dr. George T. Fox and Dr. frames Collins are 1)oth voung men wlio have recentlv A HISTORY OF BRISTOL BOROUGH. 333 located here. The former resides on Radcliffe Street near Mulberry, and the latter on Bath Street. Dr. A. S. Wilson, one of Bristol's most popular physicians, retired over a year ago on account of failing health, and is now an invalid. The doctors of dentistry are Dr. J. T. Stradling, 219 Market Street; Dr. C. E. King, 228 Mill Street and Dr. J. J. Hargraves, 325 Radcliffe Street. Drug Stores. — Nine drug stores are established here, being located as follows : Dr. Howard Pursell, south- west corner of Mill and Cedar Streets; John K. Young and Maurice Watson, on Bath Street; Emil Erthel, on Mill Street, in the Hoguet building, near Cedar; Emlen Martin, Radcliffe Street, adjoining Presbyterian Manse; A. Fabian, southwest corner of Radcliffe and Mulberry Streets ; Serrill Douglass, southeast corner of Dorrance and Wood Streets ; Harry H. Headley, northwest corner of Washington and Wood Streets; John B. Spencer, northwest corner of Jefferson Avenue and Pond Street. Moving Pictures. — The moving picture show is still a jiopular diversion. The first show was started in the second story of the Bell building, at the corner of Mill and Pond Streets, about five years ago, by Edward Subers, of Burlington, N. J. It attracted large crowds, but subsequently the factory inspector declared the building unsafe, and the show was closed. Another show was started in the old post office building, which stood upon the site of "The Bristol." Joseph Vansant, who owned the adjoining building, erected an addition in the rear, and the show was moved therein. In the mean- time, a show was started in the old Colonial Theatre on Wood Street, by Earl T. Stanley, which was successful from the start and is still in operation. Subsequently two moving picture houses were erected on Mill Street, one of which is still in use. Burlington Island Park. — A few years ago a park was opened on Burlington Island, and it is today a popular resort for picnics from both up and down the river. The park is also much enjoyed by liristol people. Most of our 334 ^^ HISTORY OF BRISTOL BOROUGH. local Sunday Schools hold their annual picnics on the island and on Saturday afternoons large numbers of our citizens cross over to the park and eat their suppers in the grove before returning home. No intoxicating liquors are sold, and this fact greatly adds to its popu- larity as a resort for Sunday School and Church picnics. Trolley Service. — Two lines of trolleys run into the town, with their terminals at the corner of Bath and Otter Streets. The Bucks County Electric Railway Com- pany operates the line from Doylestown to Bristol, and uses Bath Street for an entrance into the town. The Philadelphia. Bristol and Trenton Street Railway Com- pany controls the line running from Philadelphia to Trenton and uses Otter, Mill and Radcliffe Streets in its course through the town. The trolley tracks are not extended over the tracks of the Pennsylvania Railroad at Mill Street, which necessitates a transfer of passengers at that point. The trolley fare from Bristol to the heart of Philadel])hia is 20 cents, and from Bristol to Trenton is 15 cents. The railroad fare is 57 cents to Philadelphia, or 80 cents for an excursion ticket. The boats on the river charge 15 cents each way to Philadelphia, or 25 cents excursion rate. The rate by trolley to Doylestown is 48 cents. The trolley lines are now carrying freight and greater development along this line is expected in the near future. Grand Army of the Republic. — Henry Clay Beatty Post No. 73, G. A. R.. which was organized shortly after the close of the Civil War. is still in existence, but its ranks are being rapidly decimated by death, as the years l^ass by. Each Decoration Day still finds them engaged in their labor of love, when the graves of their fallen comrades are decked with flowers. A few days before Decoration Day each year, a public memorial service is held in the Methodist Church, and is largely attended by the citizens. During recent years, a strong attachment has sprung up between the veterans of the G. A. R., and the children of the local public schools. Each year the \eterans arc the guests of the children at their annual \\'ashington-Tvincoln celebration, and the reception they A HISTORY OP BRISTOL BOROUGH. 335 receive at the hands of the children is one of the memor- able events in the current history of the town. Last year the veterans invited the children to their memorial serv- ice, and the latter sang several patriotic selections, which greatly increased the interest in the occasion. But the ravages of time are making great gaps in the ranks of the veterans and it will be only a little while when there will not be a single answer to the roll call. But the veterans need have no fear of being forgotten. With the large number of patriotic boys and girls growing up in the public schools of the town, their willing hands will take up the work, when the veterans lay it down for the last time, and thus continue the work of love down through the coming years. Dawning of a New Bristol. — On Monday evening, De- cember 12, 1910, the Street Committee of Town Council introduced a resolution into the session of council, pro- viding for the construction of a sewer system and a new water works, and the issue of two series of bonds, one series in the sum of $100,000, ,for the contruction of the new water works, and the other in the sum of $63,000 for the erection of a sewage and disposal plant. On Monday evening, January 10, 1911, the ordinance was passed by a vote of 14 to 2, and it is expected that work on both projects will begin this summer. At the meeting of Town Council, held on Monday eve- ning, December 12, 1910, Councilman Joseph R. Grundy proposed to present to the borough the handsome sum of $25,000 in cash, to be used in making certain improve- ments to the highways approaching the site for the new railroad station, in addition to his previously announced ofifer to deed several acres of land surrounding the station site, to the town for park purposes. The improvements referred to are the widening of Jefterson Avenue and Beaver Dam Road, each to sixty feet, the construction of a new bridge at the crossing of Beaver Dam Road and the canal, and the proper lighting of the streets and ave- nues which will furnish the main approaches to the new station. Surely the dawning of a greater and better Bristol seems to be at hand. 33^ A HISTORY OF BRISTOL BOROUGH. APPENDIX. Being a Collection of Additional Items Obtained Too Late for Insertion in Their Chronological Position. Items From Diary of C. M, Foster. — May lo, 1867 • The tide in the Delaware River was the highest since 1841. Passengers on the steamboats were taken off in small boats. November 9, 1867: The Catholic Church, a stone build- ing which stood on the site of the present church, was burned. May 30, 1868: The new steamboat Twilight made her first trip to Bristol, taking the place of Pilot Boy. November 23, 1868: The old freight house on Pond Street was burned. July 20, 1869 : Wm. Iv. Kelly's foundry on Wood Street was burned. The wind carried the sparks up Wood Street, setting fire to the roofs of the old Wood Street school house and the old Methodist Church, now Pythian Hall. The fire, however, was quickly extinguished with buckets of water, with but little damage to either building. November 11, 1870: A locomotive boiler exploded, a part of which was carried over to the schoolyard, iniuring the building. May 9, 1873 ■ Charles Michener was accidently struck and killed by a bat while playing baseball. December 11, 1874: The standpipe at the water works was raised into position and a string of American flags was hoisted to the top. On February i, 1875, the stand- jMpe was filled with water for the first time, and on Feb- A HISTORY OF BRISTOL BOROUGH. 337; ruary 13, the fire plug on the opposite side of the street was given its first trial. April 12, 1875: A canal boat loaded with coal for the John A. Warner, broke her lines on account of the very low tide, and slid out into the river, striking the Warner below the water line, breaking a hole in her iron plates and causing the water to rush into her lower cabin. The hole was temporarily stopped with cushions from the seats. The fire company was called out to help pump the water out and with the aid of the boat's engine, kept her from sinking until Philadelphia was reached, where she was hauled out on the dry dock and a patch put on the broken part. She resumed her trips next day. September 18, 1875 : The first hook and ladder truck of America Hose. Hook & Ladder Company, No. 2. was housed with appropriate ceremonies. January i, 1876: The Centennial was ushered in at 12 o'clock P. M., with fireworks and ringing of bells. June 5, 1876: The new steamboat, Columbia, made her initial trip to Bristol. September 10, 1877 • -^ shock of earthquake was felt in Bristol. How Otter Street Received Its Name. — Otter Street and Otter Creek derived their name from John Otter, who owned the land on the south side of the creek. The Bristol Library. — The Bristol Library was organ- ized April 2, 1878, with Rev. Jas. H. Mason Knox, D. D., president; A. Weir Gilkeson, secretary, and Dr. G. W. Adams, treasurer. The library was opened in Washing- ton Hall, with three hundred and twenty-seven volumes, which number has since been increased to several thou- sand. The library is stationed at present in the old Pres- byterian Church building. Miss Esther Lawrence is librarian. , How Radcliffe Street was Named. — It is supposed that Radclifife Street was originally named after a suburbal portion of Bristol. England, known as Redclifife. The river Severn divides the heigfhts back of the town into 338 A HISTORY OF BRISTOL BOROUGH. two i)ai'ts, one of which is called "Clifton Dowmis," and the Other, "RedclilTe." One of the highest suspension bridges in the world connects the two suburbs. It is thought that with the passing of the years, the name Radclift'e superceded that of Redcliffe, the former being a corruption of the latter. How St. James' P. E. Church Extended the Boundaries of Its Land.— Although it has l)een generally understood, that Anthony Burton gave to the St. James' P. E. Church the ground embraced within its present boundaries, G. Morris Dorrance is authority for the statement that the part donated to the church by Burton only comprised a strip through the present grounds, upon which the church edifice now stands. The various extensions to the land were purchased by the church, as the deeds in Mr. Dor- rance's possession show. At one time it appears to have been the intention of the church to purchase all the land between Wood and Cedar Streets, up as far as Franklin Street, but lack of funds prevented the consummation of the plan. In 1856 the Baptist burial ground in the rear of the present church building was bought and annexed. More About the de Onis Marriage by Proxy. — During the fashionable watering place period, mention is made of the marriage by proxy of the eldest daughter of Don de Onis, the Spanish Minister, to a Spanish army ofificer. From the columns of the Bucks County Gazette the fol- lowing additional information has been obtained: "The time of the wedding had been fixed to take place at her home here on a set date. About the time the pros- pective groom was to leave Spain to fulfill his engage- ment, the government ordered his regiment on duty in active service and he could not be present. Then oc- curred the strangest wedding ceremony ever performed. It was done by proxy. The like had never been witnessed in this country. The bride's father represented his in- tended son-in-law and she was represented by his sister in Spain. The marriage took place at high twelve in both countries. Father Hogan, of the Catholic Church in Phil- adelphia, performed the ceremonv in Bristol." A HISTORY OF BRISTOL BOROUGH. 339 "It was a grand affair and never before were so many : grenadiers of Spanish blood in Bristol at one time. Feast- ing and dancing were kept up till a late hour in the eve- ning. The afifair caused much criticism among the ladies in Bristol. Some thought such a marriage would not be -legal." Description of the First Episcopal Church. — A descrip- tion of the first Episcopal Church, erected in 1712, as given by G. Morris Dorrance, is as follows : "The building that Burton, Rowland, the De Norman- dies and others erected was one story high and was com- FIKST ST. JAMES' P. E. CHURCH. posed of brick and stone. The nave of the church con- tained but ten pews. In the walls on either side were two small windows. In the chancel were a communion table, a communion set purchased by the Commissioners of Queen Anne's Bounty and on which were wrought the coat of arms of Anne, and a reading desk. The pulpit Avas in the rear and underneath it stood the chair of the 'clarke.' The first pew, directly under the reading desk, 340 A HISTORY OF BRISTOL BOROUGH. was reserved by the grant to the use of Anthony Burton and his heirs and assigns forever. A small spire rose above the nave. In 1739 it was by the vestry 'agreed that ye present church wardens build at the back of ye church between ye north windows, a vestry room eleven feet wide and sixteen feet back, one story high, and ye walls of brick and to build a chimney in the north end and all other conveniences that they may think necessary and to repair ye church windows and shutters and such other things that are needful to be done.' " The Beginning of the Public School System. — The "Act" creating the public school system of Pennsylvania, passed the Legislature in 1834. The first board of school directors in Bristol, elected under this act, was in 1835, and the first public school building was erected on Wood vStreet in 1837. A Whale in the Delaware. — In the old records it is recorded by Phineas Pemberton, that in 1688 a whale was seen in the Delaware river as far up as the falls. "Weston" Passes Through Bristol. — From an old citi- zen we learn that "Weston," the renowned "walker," passed through Bristol in 1861, while on his way to Washington, D. C, to witness the inauguration of Presi- dent Lincoln. He stopped for a brief period at the Rail- road House, then kept by William Early. When he re- sumed his journey he was met at the canal bridge by Jos- eph Tomlinson, a well-known resident of Bristol, who was noted for his speed as a walker. Down Otter Street the pair went at a rapid pace, side by side, but when the buttonwood trees at the sand hole were reached, Weston turned to Tomlinson and said: "Well, old man, you are a pretty good walker, but I've got to leave you," whereupon he made a spurt and to the great surprise and mortifica- tion of Tomlinson, was soon far in the lead. Tomlinson stopped at the Otter Creek bridge. "ITncle" Josie Tom- linson is remembered today by many of our citizens, and if "Weston" could surpass him in speed as a walker, all agree that he must have been far above the average. A HISTORY OF BRISTOL. BOROUGH. 34 1 Leasy's Point a Noted Place. — Leasy's Point, men- tioned in the early part of this history, was situated on the New Jersey side, at the junction of Assiscunk Creek and the Delaware River, and was a noted place. In 1668, Governor Carteret granted permission to Peter Jegou to take up land there on condition that he would settle and erect a house of entertainment for travelers. This he agreed to do, and at the point he opened the first tavern on the river, a famous hostelry in its day. When Gov- ernor Lovelace visited the Delaware in 1672, it will be remembered that Captain Garland was sent forward to Jegou's house to make arrangements for his accommoda- tion, and persons were appointed to meet him there. The governor crossed at this point. George Fox, who visited the Delaware the same year, likewise crossed at Leasy's Point into Pennsylvania and thence continued on to the lower settlements. The house was subsequently called Point House, to which Governor Burnet opened one of his vistas from Burlington Island. More About the Willis (Buckley) House. — In Davis' History of Bucks County, we find that the old "Willis House," which stood on Radcliffe Street where Halzell's and Nesbit's houses now stand, was once owned by Ennion Williams, a thrifty cooper and baker, and a leader in Falls Meeting, who married Mary Hugg in 1725. It is related of him that while in possession of the Willis House, he set some men at work to dig the foundation for an addition to the dwelling. Hearing the pick of one of them strike a hard substance that did not sound like a stone, he threw the laborers some change and told them to get something to drink. When they returned they saw the print of an iron pot in the earth. He said he had changed his mind about building, and discharged them. After this he rapidly grew wealthy. He subsequently built the front portion to the Willis House, putting in the west end the letters and figures, "E. W., 1735," in blue brick . This house was afterward in the Buckley family, and was used as a bake house for the Continental soldiers while encamped here during the Revolutionary War. It was also to this house that Lafayette was taken after being wounded at the battle of Brandywine. 342 A HISTORY OP BRISTOL BOROUGH. Showing Dates of Ward Divisions. — Bristol was di- vided into three wards in 1878. In 1890 the Third Ward was siib-diA'idcd and the Fourth Ward was formed from the division above the mill race. The Second Ward was sub-divided in 1905, thus bringing into existence a new ward known as the Fifth, which embraced the land above Lafayette Street to Adam's Hollow Creek, and bounded on the east by the Delaware River and on the west by the canal. Bristol's Oldest Manufacturer.— Of that coterie of men, who, following' the period of the Civil War, aided in the industrial development of Bristol, Ex-Burgess Thomas B. Harkins, is the only one residing here today. Joshua Peirce, to whom Bristol owes much as its industrial pioneer, is now a resident of Tacoma, Washington. Charles E. Scheide is in New York. William H. Grundy, Charles Peirce, James M. Slack, Thomas Hughes, Sam- uel Appleton, Frederick Nevegold, Joeph Sherman, Fran- cis Fenimore and William Wilson are all deceased. Mr. Harkins started in the foundry business in Bristol in 1871. and is presenting to his friends, this year, 1911, a neat souvenir nickle plated horseshoe, in celebration of the fortieth anniversary of the beginning of his business career. Bristol's Oldest Citizens. — \\'illiam H. Booz, of Cedar Street is the oldest native born citizen residing in Bristol, having been born in 1828, and with the exception of one year, has resided here his whole lifetime. Mrs. Margaret Stetler, who resides with her niece, Mrs. Joel Sooy, on Wood Street, is the oldest person in Bristol, being in the ninety-sixth year of her age. A Reference to the Vanzant Family. — Many persons have noticed the old willow trees, which stand near the lock tender's house in the rear of the Bristol Mills, now occupied by Howard Sigafoos. but never dreamed that an interesting piece of history was attached thereto. Back in the early forties of the last century, this house was occupied by the late Abel \^anzant. \vho was a bank boss A HISTORY OF BRISTOL BOROUGH. 343 and also had charge of the lock. When his first son. who is now our well-known citizen, Joseph H. Vanzant, was born, the happy father planted a willow tree in honor of the event. Upon the birth of each succeeding child, the father planted another tree, so that the trees which now stand are living reminders of the children of Abel Vanzant. Mrs. Mary Vanzant, the wife of Abel Vanzant, was a sister to School Director William Booz. Over her grave in the Bristol Cemetery, on a beautiful monument erected by her son, Joseph H. Vanzant, is this very in- teresting inscription : "When General Marquis de Lafayette, America's zeal- ous supporter and the esteemed friend of General George ^^^ashington, passed through Bristol, September 4, 1824, on his second tour of the United State, the deceased was one of the flower girls who helped to decorate the triumphal arch, under which the general passed, upon his entrance into the towai at the old hollow bridge, Rad- cliffe Street" Earliest Settlement in Bucks County. — General Davis in his history of Bucks County claims that about 1624-25 the West India Company established a trading house on a small island, called "Vurhulsten Island," after William Vurhulst, director of New Netherlands, near the west shore of the Delaware, just below Trenton Falls, and located upon it three or four families of French Walloons. The post was broken up about 1627, and the Walloons returned to New^ York, but a small vessel was retained in the river to keep up the fur trade. The island was oppo- site Morrisville, and the settlement upon it was undoubt- edly the earliest in this county and state. Showing the Origin of the African M. E. Church. — John Price, the well-known barber on Otter Street, in a historical sketch, written several years ago, claims that the P)ristol African M. E. Church was organized by Rev. George Longstreth, in the house of Sister Harriet Ward, which house stood between the old mill race and the railroad, north of the Mill Street crossing. Services were 344 -^ HISTORY OF BRISTOL BOROUGH. held here regularly for some time, until the congrega- tion outgrew the accommodations, when the meetings were transferred to the old cooper shop at the foot of Wood Street. About this time (1847), R^v. James Ross became the pastor of the little flock and his work was very successful. The church on Pond Street was dedi- cated by Bishop Brown, and at the same time placed in the Philadelphia District. Subsequently Bristol and Bensalem become one charge. The church removed to its present quarters in 1883, under the pastorate of Rev. Cuff. Bishop Brown also dedicated this new edifice. Conductor William Bailey and "Bailey's Line." — Back in the days when railroading was in its infancy, there came a man to Bristol, to work in the provision and clothing store of Cone & Tyler, whose name was Wil- liam Bailey. So closely did Bailey become associated with this period of the town's history, that this work would be incomplete without some reference to his name. After a time he found employment with the railroad, and became the conductor of the "early and late" accommoda- tion line, running between Trenton and I^hiladelphia. This train, tried as an experiment, soon proved a success. Such an arrangement being long needed, the traveling public generally expressed their thanks and commended the company for the favor. The train was known as "Bailey's Line." Some "wag" composed the following verses and dedicated them to Conductor Bailey : Long have I known our Yankee friend, Who now is often heard Cry "all aboard," then "go ahead," "This, this train's the early bird." He's always in a pleasant mood. Nor does he trouble dread; Rut strives to please his passengers. Who like the "go ahead." The people who may ride with him Need never fear delays, Because as soon as time is up, 'Tis "go ahead." he says. A HISTORY OF BRISTOIv BOROUGH. 345 Although two mornings in each week, His train is somewhat late; But even then he "goes ahead," In spite of all the freight. The company did very well In making such selection; For socially, friend Bailey has, A very wide connection. "He is a man whom I do like," Are words which I hear daily; And then because he "goes ahead," There's many go with Bailey. Not only is he much beloved. By mankind not a few; But he is held in high esteem By many ladies, too. "How handy is this early train," The masses do exclaim. And with Conductor Bailey, There's no room to complain. National Rivers and Harbors Committee Visits Bristol. — Saturday, June 3. 191 1, was a "big" day in the history of Bristol. It was known that the Rivers and Harbors Committee of the Federal Congress would pass down the river in the afternoon, on their trip from New York to Philadelphia via of the Delaware and Raritan Canal and the Delaware River, for the purpose of viewing the sec- tion through which the proposed ship canal should be constructed, which, with the deepening of the Delaware River, will connect New York and Philadelphia. Through the efiforts of "The Daily Courier." the committee agreed to stop at Bristol a short time, to permit the town to show its respect and interest in the deeper waterways project. The "M. S. Quay," which carried the Congres- sional Committee, tied up at the Market Street wharf, where a committee of citizens went on board. Assembly- man Franklin Gilkeson addressed the committee and his welcome was responded to by Congressman Stephen M. Sparkman, of Florida, chairman of the committee. It was not expected that the various members of the com- mittee would speak, but to the surprise of all. Congress- 346 A HISTORY OF BRISTOL BOROUGH. man G. Hampton Moore, who had planneurgess, Charles E. Scott; Council, S. S. Rue, C. W. Pierce, Tames M. Slack, David Stackhouse, Samuel A HISTORY OF BRISTOL BOROUGH. 365 Pike, A. L. Packer, I. S. Tomlinson, W. B. Baker, Wil- liam Jones, J. Wesley Wright. 1874. Burgess, Charles E. Scott; Council, Morton A, Walmesley, A. L. Packer, Henry M. Wright, L. A. Hogu- et, J. Wesley Wright, S. S. Rue, C. W. Pierce, J. M. Slack, Samuel Pike, David Stackhouse. 1875. Burgess, Charles E. Scott; Council, Charles W. Pierce, James M. Slack, Samuel Pike, S. S. Rue, Jona- than Wright, J. Wesley Wright, Henry M. Wright, L. A. Hoguet, A. L. Packer, Morton A. Walmesley. 1876. Burgess, Charles E. Scott; Council, H. M. Wright, J. Wesley Wright, Charles York, Allen L. Gar- wood, Symington Phillips, C. W. Pierce, J. M. Slack, Samuel Pike, S. S. Rue, Jonathan Wright. 1877. Burgess, James M. Slack; Council, H. M. Wright, Symington Phillips, A. L. Garwood, C. York, W. H. Booz, William Louderbough, Thomas B. Harkins, C. W. Pierce, S. S. Rue, J. W. Wright. 1878. Burgess, James M. Slack; Council, C. W. Pierce, Symington Phillips, W. H. Booz, Charles York, Charles Scheide, S. S. Rue, H. M. Wright, Thomas B. Harkins, Charles Fenton, J. W. AVright. 1879. Burgess, Allen L. Garwood; Council, L. A. Hoguet, W. H. Booz, R. W. Holt, C. W. Pierce, Jr., T. B. Harkins, Henry Sutch, C. H. Fenton, Symington Phil- lips, C. E. Scheide, H. M. Wright, J. W. Wright. 1880. Burgess, Allen L. Garwood; Council, Charles E. Scheide, William H. Grundy, John S. Brelsford, James Wright, W. Taylor Potts, Michael Dougherty, L. A. Hoguet, W. H. Booz, R. W. Holt, C. W. Pierce, Jr., T. B. Harkins, Henry Sutch. 1881. Burgess, J. Wesley Wright; Council, John S. Brelsford, W. H. Booz, M. Dougherty, William H. Grundy, R. W. Holt, L. A. Hoguet, William J. Jones, W. Taylor Potts, C. W. Pierce, Henry Rue, Charles E. Scheide, James Wright. 1882. Burgess, T- Wesley Wright; Council, John Bur- ton, W. H. Booz, Nelson Green, R. W. Holt, L. A. Hogu- et, William J. Jones, James Lyndall, C. W. Pierce, Henry Rue, William Tabram, James Warden, James Wright. 1883. Burgess, J. Wesley Wright; Council. Nelson 366 A HISTORY OF BRISTOL BOROUGH. Green, A. Hoeding, A. K. Joyce, James Lyndall, C. N. Pierce, G. A. Shoemaker, Joseph Sherman, William Tab- ram, James Warden, Jacob M. Winder, James Wright, John Burton. 1884. Burgess, J. Wesley Wright; Council, G. A. Shoemaker, C. N. Pierce, A. K. Joyce, Joseph Sherman, A. Hoeding, J. M. Winder, James Wright, Nelson Green, W. S. Daniels, William Tabram, Thomas B. Harkins, A. Loechner. 1885. Burgess, William H. Grundy; Council, Francis Fenimore, A. K. Joyce, C. N. Pierce, G. A. Shoemaker, C. H. Hoeding, R. W. Holt, James Wright, Nelson Green, W. Daniels, William Tabram, T. B. Harkins, A. Loechner. 1886. Burgess, William H. Grundy; Council, W. S. Daniels, F. N. Booz, A. L. Garwood, R. S. Buseman, A. Loechner, James Wright, Francis Fenimore, A. K. Joyce, C. N. Pierce, G. A. Shoemaker, C. H. Hoeding, R. W. Holt. 1887. Burgess, William H. Grundy; Council, Francis Fenimore, A. K. Joyce, G. A. Shoemaker, C. H. Brudon, Henry Rue, S. W. Black, W. S. Daniels, F. N. Booz, A. L. Garwood, R. S. Buseman, A. Loechner, James Wright. 1888. Burgess, William H. Grundy; Council, George A. Shoemaker, A. K. Joyce, Samuel Black, Francis Feni- more, John Lumm, Harry Rue, Wm. R. Bailey, S. J. Sterling, C. F. Brudon, J. M. Callanan, James Wright, John F. Riley. 1889. Burgess, Wm. P. Wright; Council, James Wright, J. M. Callanan, R. A. Porter, W. B. Baker, Henry Rue, A. K. Joyce, Peter Deihl, Wm. R. Bailey, Samuel Sterling, C. F. Brudon, John Lumm, John F. Riley. 1890. Burgess, Wm. P. Wright; Council, James Wright, W. B. Baker, Peter Deihl, A. K. Joyce, Henry Rue, R. A. Porter, Anthony Bell, E. J. McCue, Robert Clark. J. T. Whitely, J. H. Kelly, G. L. Horn, Charles Strumfels, Lewis Spring, C. F. Brudon. 1891. Burgess, Francis Fenimore; Council, Tames Wright, Anthony Bell, Robert Clark, J. N. DeGroot, Joseph R. Grundy, Frank Green, G. L. Horn, J. H. Kelly, A HISTORY OF BRISTOL BOROUGH. 3^7 Patrick Lyden, John C Maule E. J- McCue, G. W., Strausser, Lewis Spring, Charles Strumfels, J. T. White- Iv, Samuel Scott. ^ •, n u ^ i8Q2. Burgess, Francis Fenimore ; Council Robert Clark T N. DeGroot, Joseph R. Grundy, Frank Green, J. H Kelly, Patrick Lyden, John C. Maule, G.W. Strausser, Samuel'^Scott, Lewis Spring, J. T Whitely, James Wright, Peter Curran, Patrick McFadden, E. G. Smith, Dr. W.'P. Weaver. ■, t, u ^ 1893. Burgess, Thos. B. Harkins ; Council Robert Clark R T. Fetrow, Joseph R. Grundy, J. H. Kelly, Tohn'c. Maule, Wm. Robinson, G. W. Strausser E. G. Smith, Lewis Spring, Samuel Scott^ Dr. W P^ Weaver John T. Whitely, James Wright, E. M. Wood, Patrick McFadden, Peter Curran. 1804 Burgess, Thos. B. Harkins; Council, Janies Wright, Robert Clark, R. T. Fetrow, Joseph R. Grundy, T H Kelly, John C. Maule, J. R. Pearson, Wm Robin- son, Edward Roche, G. W. Strausser, E G. Sniith, Lewis Spring, Samuel Scott, J. T. Whitely, James Wright, E. M. Wood. ^ . T^ r^ T^ ^ ^ 18QS Burgess, R. T. Buseman; Council, B. C. l^oster, Robert Clark, Samuel Milnor, Mahlon H. Moss, James McCarry. Wm. Robinson, Edward Roche^^ W F- .^c^ill, E G Smith. Lewis Spring, Samuel Scott, D. W. WiUmg- myre. Dr. W. P. Weaver, J. T. Whitely, James Wright, T T? "Pppf^on ■ i8q6. Burgess, R. T. Buseman ; Council, B. C. Foster, P R Deihl, Owen Evans, R. T. Fetrow, Samuel Milnor, M H. Moss, James McCarry, W. F. Scull, E. G. Smith Samuel Scott, J. T. Whitely, James Wright, Edward Roche, John V. Kelly, A. K. Joyce, Wm. Robinson^ 1807 Burgess, Benjamin S. Johnson; Council, Owen Evans, A. K. Joyce, R. T. Fetrow, John V. Kelly, Samue Milnor, Edward Roche, W. F. Scull, E. G. Smith, Samuel Scott, J. T. Whitely, James Wright, Thomas Scott, Den- nis A. Dugan, M. A. McCarry, Jr., Fred F. Collier, Fred ■^1898 Benjamin S. Johnson, Burgess; Council, W. F. Scull Wm W. Allen, D. A. Dugan, Owen Evans, Frank Flum' John V. Kelly, Samuel Milnor, Fred Byers, Maur- 368 A HISTORY OF BRISTOL BOROUGH. ice McCiie, M. A. McCarry, Jr., Alfred Pearson, H. H. H. Poole, Samuel Scott. Thomas Scott, L. C. Wettling, James A\' right. 1899. liurgess, Benjamin S. Johnson ; Council, W. F. Scull, W. W. Allen, J. B. Appleton, W. H. Butler, F. T. P)vers. T. A. Callahan, E. F. Ennis, W. K. Fine. Frank Fium, C. M. Guyon, E. A. Jeffries, Maurice McCue, Al- fred Pearson, H. H. H. Poole. James Wright, John V. Kelly. 1900. Pjurgess, Edward L. Leigh; Council, W. F. Scull, W. W.' Allen, J. B. Appleton, W. H. Butler, E. F. Ennis, W. K. Fine, C. M. Guyon, J. B. Headley, E. A. Jeffries, M. Larrisey, T. J. McGinnis, G. A. Rathke, H. H. H. Poole, Albert Rothenberger, James Wright, J. A. Callahan. 1901. Burgess, Edward L. Leigh; Council, W. F. Scull. W. W. Allen, W. H. Butler, J. A. Callahan. W. K. Fine, y. V. Headley, Edward Hoeding, M. Larrisey, J. M. Owens. H. H. H. Poole, G. A. Rathke, A. Rothen- berger, Edmund Spearing, James Wright, Tames Covle, T. J. McGinnis. 1902. Burgess, Edward L. Leigh ; Council. W. F. Scull, W. H. Butler, J. A. Callahan, James Coyle, J. N. DeGroot, W. K. Fine, J. P. Gallagher, Edward Hoeding, E. McDonald. James Moore, J. M. Owens. H. H. H. Poole, G. A. Rathke, Edmund Spearing, James AVright, W. A. Girton. 1903. Burgess, Dr. J. de B. Abbott; Council, J. H. Brooks, G. W. Buckley, J. J. Dugan, J. N. DeGroot, P. J. Dougherty, W. K. Fine, Frank Flum, W. A. Girton, J. P. Gallagher, Edward Hoeding, E. McDonald, James Moore, J. M. Owens. IP H. H. Poole, G. A. Rathke. James Wright. 1904. Burgess, Dr. J. de B. Abbott; Council, J. M. Owens. G. W. Buckley, P. J. Dougherty, W. K. Fine, Frank Flum, W. A. Girton, Edward Hoeding, T. Hoff- man, W. K. Highland, James Moore, H. H. H. Poole, Albert Pepper, G. A. Rathke, James Sackville, James Wright, J. J. Dugan. 1905. Burgess. Dr. J. de B. Abbott; Council, J. M. Owens. G. W. Buckley, C. L. Anderson, P. J. Dougherty, A HISTORY OF BRISTOL BOROUGH. 369 W K Highland, W. K. Fine, M. J. Fallon, Joseph R. Grundy, W. A. Girton, Thos. Hoffman, W. L. Johnson, J B. Keating-, James Moore, H. H. H. Poole, G. A. Rathke. James Sackville, Lewis Spring, James Wright, G. L. Williams, Dr. A. S. Wilson. 1906 Burgess, William K. Highland; Council, C. L. Anderson, G.^W. Buckley, P. J. Dougherty, J. Dever, W. K Fine, M. J. Fallon. Joseph R. Grundy, Edward Hoed- ing, W.L. Johnson," J. B. Keating, J. J. Kilcoyne, J. B. McGee, J. M. Owen, G. A. Rathke, G. W. Strauser, Lewis "spring, James Wright, G. L. Williams, Dr. A. S. Wilson, Abram Wilson. 1907. Burgess, William K. Highland; Council, J. M. Owen, J. de B. Abbott, P. J. Dougherty, James Wright, G L. Williams, C. L. Anderson, J. J. Kilcoyne, M. J. Fallon. J. R. Grundy, G. A. Rathke, Lewis Spring, Dr. A. S. Wilson, G. W. Strauser, Edward Hoeding, W. K. Fine. A. B. Wilson, C. E. Kelly, M. J. Sweeney, J. B. McGee, G. W. Buckley. 1908. Burgess, William K. Highland; Council, J. M. Owen, C. L. Anderson, Geo. W. Buckley, P. J. Dougher- ty, M. J. Fallon, J. R. Grundy, Edward Hoeding, Thos. S. Harper, C. E. Kelly, J. J. Kilcoyne, J. B. McGee, Gustav A. Rathke, G. W. Strauser, Lewis Spring, M. J. Sween- ey, James Wright, G. L. Williams, A. B. Wilson, Peter McNelis, W. K. Fine. 1909. Burgess, H. E. Ancker ; Council, J. M. Owen, T. de B. Abbott, G. W. Buckley, P. J. Dougherty, W. K. Fine, Edward Hoeding, R. B. King, C. G. Young, J. J. Kilcoyne, W. L Murphy, Peter McNelis. G. A. Rathke, G. W. Strauser, Lewis Spring, James Wright, G. L. Wil- liams, A. B. Wilson, J. R. Grundy, Dr. A .S. Wilson, M. J. Fallon. 1910. H. E. Ancker, Burgess; Council. J. M. Owen, J. de B. Abbott, G. W. Buckley, James Wright, G. L. Wil- liams, J. J. Kilcoyne, T. E. Hoffman, J. R. Grundy, G. A. Rathke, Dr. A. S. Wilson. Lewis Spring, G. W. Straus- er, W. K. Fine, M. J. Fallon, Edward Hoeding, R. B. King, C. G. Young, A. B. Wilson, P. J. Dougherty, Den- nis J. Mulligan. 370 A HISTORY OF BRISTOL BOROUGH. 191 1. Owing to the passage of a new election law by the State Legislature, which has done away with the Spring elections and provided for but one election in each year, to be held in November, at which time all offi- cers, whether of the Nation, State, County or Borough, shall be elected, all Borough officers holding office at the time the new act went into efifect, whose terms expired in 191 1, have had their terms extended to 1912. In con- sequence of this, the list of borough officers for 191 1 will be the same as 1910. M 70 89« ^-M .-^^ t * Oj >* .^^ ,>^ /.'i^l'%. f,C.*.C^,*°o >*\'J^.**_ • o' V^^\/. "°*^^'*o' V'^^V lECKMAN NDERY INC. ^JUN 89 ^^ N. MANCHESTER, ^Ov;,