Found in Collection (271)
One of the fun parts about historical research is coming across fun or interesting stories while we are searching for something else entirely. We recently came across an interesting article in the Times Herald dated April 9, 1930.
Times Herald, April 9, 1930, HSMC Microfilm Collection
It starts with the headline "Pays Fine for Violation of Profane Law." Apparently, Magistrate Gilbert J. Farrinton, Jr. charged Irvin Erb of Norristown with using profane language and disorderly conduct. Under the law, Irvin had to pay three fines in accordance with the profane language act as well as to cover the costs with the court proceedings.
Wait, he got arrested for using profane language? Just wait, it gets better.
Times Herald, April 9, 1930, HSMC Microfilm Collection
Irvin was arrested by Deputy Constable James D. Ambrois after his mother, Mrs. Frieda Erb, reported him. She reported that he used profane language on at least six occasions and additionally used other "improper remarks." During the proceedings Irvin pleaded guilty and even admitted to using profane language at other times as well. He was fined $1.74.
This profanity law, according to the article, was enacted on April 22, 1794. I'm not sure if this exact law is still in place. However, it appears there have been instances in recent history of people getting fined for using profanity in certain situations. In 2011, the PA State Police reached a settlement with the American Civil Liberties Union after a complaint about issuing tickets for swearing.
References:
In anticipation for the big game coming up in just a few days, I thought it would be a good time to take a look back at similar events that have taken place in Montgomery County history. While I cannot find evidence of any actual games taking place in the county, I have found some articles on dog shows. So, in honor of the upcoming Puppy Bowl XIX, here is a look back at some past dog shows in and around Montgomery County. (Wait, is there another big game I should be aware of?)
First up we have the 12th annual Spillane's Dog Show that took place in 1958. There are smiling faces both human and canine. Multiple awards were given for the different groups, including "waggiest tail." Best-in-show that year went to Peter Childs' dog.
In 1952 the Devon Dog Show, held in Chester County, included a prize winning dog from Norristown. Danny Boy won four prizes and is seen here with J. R. Beideman of Norristown.
Do you have a prize winning dog in your family? Do you think they could take home the MVP for the Puppy Bowl? Leave us a comment or your pictures on our Facebook page so we can see some other Montgomery County canine representation and appreciation. Let's go Team Ruff and Team Fluff!
(Fine. And let's go Eagles, too).
Montgomery County citizens (and guests), today we explore the story of the marriage of Gertrude Maria Margaretta Hoeppner Dettra and William Edward Dettra, both loyal employees of the Norristown post office. Following their wedding in 1924, the couple went to live with the groom’s parents. Two years later, the Dettras would find themselves at a banquet with friends. Gertrude discussed with the group how she wanted a “bob” hair style which William vehemently refused to allow her to get.
The offending hairstyle in question as modeled by film actress, Louise Brooks (University of Washington, Public domain, via Wikimedia Commons https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Film_actress_Louise_Brooks_(SAYRE_13807).jpg)
After much joking from their friends, William relented and told her to get the haircut. Three days later, Gertrude arrived home with her desired haircut much to the chagrin of her husband. Words were exchanged, William’s mother got involved (a not uncommon occurrence in the household), and upon going to bed that night Gertrude did not receive a kiss from her husband.
With her husband giving her the cold shoulder and her mother-in-law lamenting how poorly Gertrude treated William, Gertrude left. She said the only way she would return to her husband would be for them to get their own house for just the two of them. Upon his refusal the divorce proceedings began.
The headline and summary that accompanied the article. Copied from microfilm of Norristown Times-Herald found at the Historical Society of Montgomery County, PA.
This story was found in our research collection and is from an article in the Norristown Times Herald. We enjoy coming across these odd and yet somehow timeless stories within the paper. If ever interested, we have issues on microfilm dating back to the 1800s including the rest of this scandalous article.
Another PA Governor from Montgomery County
Written by Karen Ploch, CuratorToday, January 17, 2023, was inauguration day in Pennsylvania. This inauguration is particularly historic to us here in Montgomery County.
Governor Josh Shapiro
Governor Josh Shapiro is the eighth governor to hail from our county. The other governors were: Gov. David R. Porter (1839-1845), Gov. Francis R. Shunk (1845-1848), Gov. John F. Hartranft (1873-1879), Gov. John C. Bell (Jan. 2, 1947- Jan. 21, 1947), Gov. Samuel W. Pennypacker (1903-1907), Gov. George Earle III (1935-1939), and Gov. Milton Shapp (1971-1979). To learn more about these past governors, click on their names. We have various items in HSMC's collection that are connected to these governors. This includes items such as: photographs, portraits, a quilt, and political pins.
Portrait of Gov. Hartranft, HSMC Collection
In addition to being from Montgomery County, Governor Shapiro is also, as far as I have been able to verify, the third Jewish governor in our state. Former Governor Milton Shapp, also from Montgomery County, was the first Jewish governor in Pennsylvania.
Gov. Shapp's Election, Times Herald, November 4, 1970, HSMC microfilm collection
Lastly, today was historic for another reason too. Lt. Governor Austin Davis was sworn in as Pennsylvania's first Black lieutenant governor.
Lieutenant Governor Austin Davis
It should come as no surprise to anyone that the archivist / librarian here at the Historical Society of Montgomery County is a compulsive reader. Imagine my surprise when picking up Pulitzer Prize nominated novel The Dutch House by Ann Patchett, that the titular Dutch house is in Elkins Park! My first thought was “Is the Dutch house a real place in Elkins Park?”
The short answer is “no.” The longer answer is “not really.” Patchett has noted in articles and interviews that the house is not a specific house, but rather that imagined house that comes to mind when driving by historic homes and museums. She chose Elkins Park because of a friend she often visited in Wyncote and the location would make other elements of the story easier to adapt. While writing the story, her friend told her about places such as Melrose Park, Abington Memorial Hospital, Horsham, and Bishop McDevitt High School which the narrator of the novel attended (Patchett, 2020).
For our Montgomery County residents, if you wish to wander the not so fictional setting of The Dutch House, then I am pleased to inform you that copies are available through our public library system: MCLINC. Happy reading!
Sources
Patchett, Ann. “Notes from Ann: Your Questions about the Dutch House, Answered.” Musing, 6 Mar. 2020, https://parnassusmusing.net/2020/02/12/notes-from-ann-your-questions-about-the-dutch-house-answered/.
Most of us have received or mailed wedding invitations at some point in our lives. With increasing computer technology, printing invitations is relatively easy compared to the early 20th century printing process.
This is an example of a printing plate that was used to print a wedding invitation. The words were engraved in reverse into a piece of metal, typically an alloy of metals such as lead, copper, zinc, or magnesium. Ink was applied to the plate and then a piece of paper was pressed against it. The resulting printed invitation would then be legible, with the words facing the correct way. This particular invitation states:
"Mr. and Mrs. Stewart Stover keen announce the marriage of their sister Jessica Marsteller to Lin Ambros Dettra Thursday March the second nieteen hundred and sixteen."
According to the census records, Jessica and Lin lived much of their lives in Norristown. Lin started as a farmer, but by 1930 became a clerical worker at a local tire company.
Here is another example of a printing plate This one states:
"Mr. and Mrs. Franklin Pierce Ryder request the honor of your presence at the marriage of their daughter Ruth Dodson to Captain Joseph Knox Fornance on Saturday, the fifth of April at twelve o'clock at the First Presbyterian Church Norristown, Pennsylvania."
Ruth and Captain Fornance were married in 1930. Captain Fornance was a prominent soldier, lawyer, and civic leader in Norristwon. He grew up on Selma farm, which still stands today and is operated by the Norristown Preservation Society.
While looking through family files to help a patron with their research, we uncovered a series of newspaper clippings about The Sundance Kid. If you are a fan of Western history or Western films, you have probably heard of him as well as Butch Cassidy and the Wild Bunch, also known as the Hole in the Wall Gang. However, did you know The Sundance Kid was born in Montgomery County, Pennsylvania?
Born around 1867 in Mont Clare, Harry A. Longabaugh spent his childhood in Montgomery and Chester Counties. By 1880, the Census has him living in West Vincent Township working as a hired servant. According to the newspaper articles we found, about a year later Harry moved to Colorado with his cousin George.
1880 Census, West Vincent, Chester County, PA
Around the age of 20, Harry stole a horse when he was in Sundance, Wyoming and the local newspapers started calling him "the kid from Sundance." By 1889, he met Butch Cassidy, whose real name was Robert LeRoy Parker. Together their gang robbed banks and trains throughout the American West.
According to a diary kept by the Longabaugh family, Harry came back to Montgomery County to visit his sister Samantha (Sammanna) a few times during this period. This was no easy feat as Pinkerton Agents (a security company hired by the railroad) were constantly pursuing him and his fellow outlaws. He also reportedly visited his brother and fellow outlaw, Elwood, in San Francisco. Aside from these two siblings, the rest of the family appears to have distanced themselves from Harry as he turned to a life of crime.
By 1901, Harry and Robert were forced to flee the United States as the Pinkerton Agents pursued them. Records have them living in Cholila, Argentina at that time. By 1908, the paper trail for both men seems to disappear. In November of that year, a courier for the Aramayo, Franke, and Cia Silver Mine was robbed of the company's payroll by two masked Americans near San Vincente, Bolivia. Believing the men to be Butch and Sundance, Bolivian authorities pursued them and a shootout commenced. During a lull in the fire fight, gunshots and screams were heard from the outlaws' hiding place. Upon entering the building, the Bolivian authorities found the two men dead. One had been severely injured from Bolivian bullets, and appeared to have been shot in the head by his partner to put him out of his misery. The other then turned the gun on himself.
Proper identification was never made of these two men, but the authorities believed them to be Butch and Sundance. Several attempts to identify the location of the bodies in the San Vincente cemetery have thus far failed, causing some to speculate the men were not the two famous outlaws. Without any paper or DNA evidence, the circumstances surrounding their deaths remains a mystery.
If you have not already heard, tomorrow is Election Day. So, it seems like a good time to share this article we found at HSMC last week.
This article was written in 1956 and discusses the Church of the Brethren, also known as the Dunkers. For the two centuries prior to 1956, many Dunkers resided in Pennsylvania, including here in Montgomery County. Much like the Quakers and Mennonites, the early Dunkers were known for practicing pacifism. For the Dunkers, that included refusing to participate in elections. Not only did they not vote, but they were also unlikely to hold a public office or participate in public legal issues. This included litigation. According to this article, members of the Church would risk censure if they filed a lawsuit. Instead of going through attorneys and court systems, they were expected to go to Church officials for an arbitration instead.
Meeting House in Lower Salford, HSMC Photo Collection
Interestingly, although participating in politics and other public systems was generally frowned upon, there does not appear to be any evidence that members were punished for doing so. There are even cases where some Dunkers served in public offices. The most notable one was Pennsylvania's own Governor Martin G. Brumbaugh! He served from 1915 to 1919, during World War I.
It was not until 1956, during their annual conference, when the Dunkers officially declared that voting and participation in public affairs should be encouraged in their congregations.
In this blog post we will discuss an article we uncovered in an old scrapbook. Please note, this story may not be suitable for all audiences.
Harriton House, HSMC Photo Collection
The story was dated February 26, 1923. Which paper it is from is unknown, but given the topic, it was likely a local paper. The story starts with the title "A Raid of Body Snatchers". There was an incident of body snatching at the Harriton burial ground in 1838. The persons involved were attempting to take Charles Thomson, former secretary of the Continental Congress, to Laurel Hill Cemetery. According to a quick internet search, it does appear that Charles and his wife Hannah were taken by a relative and reburied at Laurel Hill around that time.
Article about Body Snatching, HSMC Scrapbook Collection
The article goes on to describe another incident of body snatching, but this time the purpose was not for reburial. A Conshohocken shoemaker named John May killed his daughter and then committed suicide around 1884. May's body was buried at what was then known as the potter's field at Sandy and Violet Streets in Norristown. This cemetery was for people who either did not have any decedents or money for burial.
Shortly after May was buried, someone dug up his body. Various organs were found around trees and fences nearby. Later, more of his remains were found along the banks of the Schuylkill River, near the Albertson Glass Works. It appeared that the culprits were looking to extract his skeleton. It turned out the culprits were two students from the Philadelphia medical college. The article claims they had influential friends and were able to get their sentences adjusted to avoid being sent to prison. The names of these students were not disclosed in the article.
Almshouse Painting, HSMC Collection
By 1890, the potter's field in Norristown was no longer an active burial site. Eventually, all of the people buried there were reburied at the Montgomery County Almshouse. This site still remains, but is only marked by a single stone monument that reads, "In Memory of the Dead". It is located on Black Rock Road in Royersford, PA.
This week we uncovered a few scrapbook articles about General William J. Bolton. What is fascinating about his story is he survived not one, but two serious injuries during the Civil War.
Scrapbook Article about Gen. Bolton, HSMC Digital Collection
In April 1861, Bolton joined the 4th Regiment of the Pennsylvania Volunteers. However, this enlistment was set for only three months. When his enlistment ended, Bolton joined the 51st Pennsylvania Volunteers.
The 51st played important roles in many Civil War battles, including Antietam in 1862. When the 51st charged the bridge at Antietam, Bolton was seriously wounded. A bullet went into his cheek, broke his jawbone, knocked out several teeth, and exited out the other cheek. Amazingly, Bolton survived his wounds and was sent home to recover. He rejoined the 51st right before the Mississippi Campaign. Little did he know that he would soon be seriously wounded again at the battle of Petersburg.
When the mine exploded at Petersburg, a bullet hit Bolton in the cheek close to where the Antietam bullet had hit. However, this time the bullet did not pass through the other cheek. Instead, it went down his throat and got stuck. Bolton survived, but surgeons were unable to remove the bullet.
Petersburg Bullet Coughed up by Gen. Bolton, HSMC Collection, 1933.8653.001
When the Civil War ended, General Bolton joined the Pennsylvania National Guard. On May 20, 1881, Bolton had what was described as a "sudden fit of coughing." Much to his surprise he coughed up the bullet from Petersburg! The bullet was made into a watch fob and is now preserved at HSMC.
More...
This item is one of the smallest objects in our collection. Do you have any guesses as to what it is?
It is a stamp holder! It opens from both sides and there is a spring in the middle, designed to push the stamps upward for easy access. There is even a three cent stamp depicting George Washington inside.
We have a few items connected to the 1876 Centennial celebration. This event occurred in Philadelphia from May to November in 1876 to celebrate the United State's 100th anniversary. The large grouping of exhibitions attracted many merchants to the area to sell souvenirs. This stamp holder was one such souvenir. It is marked "P.W. Hall," which we believe was short for Phidello W. Hall.
Pictured below is a patent for one of Hall's other postage stamp holders. Notice how the graphic depicts the spring design in Figure 3. Although HSMC's stamp holder is a different design, the spring used in ours has the same function.
P.W. Hall's Patent, US Patent Office
According to this patent, Hall's stamp holder was an improvement to older holders. Hall filed for this patent in St. Louis, Missouri on January 13, 1875. The patent was granted in March of that same year. In June 1875, Hall's stamp holder design was published in the Official Gazette of the United States Patent Office, Volume 7.
Gazette of the United States Patent Office, Volume 7
Other than these patent findings, I have not yet located other information about Hall. Since his patent was granted in St. Louis, I think it's safe to say he was not a resident of Montgomery County. If anyone has extra information about Hall, feel free to send me an email: This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.
In June of this year, we had a researcher inquire if HSMC had any record of Private William H. Howe's final resting place. Not only did we locate the gravesite, but we also learned about the events leading up to Howe's execution.
From what is now Upper Frederick, Private William H. Howe was a farmer and cigar roller. His exact birth date is not known, but he is belived to have been born around 1840. In August 1862, he enrolled as a private in Company A of the 116th Pennsylvania Volunteers.
Copy of Keeley's Church Records, HSMC Collection
By December 1862, Howe and other soldiers were experiencing severe bowel diseases. He departed his regiment to look for medical treatment in Washington D.C., but unable to get care he returned to his home without being discharged. On June 21, 1863, three officers came to arrest Howe. An altercation commenced and one of the officeres, Abraham Bertolet, was shot and killed by Howe.
Howe escaped and was eventually arrested in Allentown on July 13, 1863. He was taken to Fort Mifflin to wait for his Court Martial. While there, he carved "Wm. H. Howe" in the wall of his cell, which can still be seen today. Howe was found guilty and sentenced to death by hanging. He was executed on August 26, 1864 at the age of about 24 years old. He is the only person known to have been executed at Fort Mifflin during the Civil War.
Times Herald Article about William Howe written by Michael Snyder, HSMC Collection
Howe's family church, Keeley's Church, held a funeral ceremony, but did not permit the family to bury Howe at the church cemetery. His wife Hannah thus decided to bury him at their home. Originally, the grave may have been unmarked. Based on the images from FindaGrave.com, it seems markers have since been placed at the site, which is in the woods near 1439 Snyder Road.
Sources:
Snyder, Michael T. “William Howe, a Union soldier, sent to the gallows.” Times Herald, January 6, 2019.
“The History of Fort Mifflin,” Fort Mifflin. http://www.fortmifflin.us/the-history/
“William Henry Howe,” Findagrave.com. https://www.findagrave.com/memorial/15523529/william-henry-howe
Today a research question sent me looking through our railroad collection. When I saw the pamphlet pictured below from 1966, I was reminded of the current project to reopen a passenger rail line connecting Reading and Philadelphia, which would pass through Montgomery County.
Commuter Pamphlet, 1966
HSMC has a number of items connected to railroads, including several items from the Philadelphia and Reading Railroad (also known as the P & R). In addition to pamphlets, we also have time tables, photographs, old tickets, and lanterns from the P & R. One of these lanterns is currently on display in our gallery until March 2023.
P&R Lantern
The P & R was first chartered in 1833 and became known as the Reading Railroad in 1924. The company used coal fields in the Pottstown area to power their train service from Reading to Philadelphia. Over time, they acquired other shorter railroads in the area, helping to connect people and freight service throughout Southern Pennsylvania and Southern New Jersey.
Reading Railroad's Penllyn Station in Lower Gwynedd
By the mid 1900s, cars and airplanes became fierce competitors for all railroad companies. The decline of local coal mining and manufacturing furthered the strain on the Reading Railroad. The company filed for bankruptcy in 1971 and was absorbed by Conrail in 1976. The railroad connection to Reading has not been used by passengers for several years. However, plans to reopen this connection between Reading and Philadelphia have received much support in recent years.
We have a guest blogger for this post. HSMC volunteer Eleanor Jones researched and wrote about a Medal of Honor recipient from Spring Mount, Montgomery County. Thank you Eleanor!
The One-Man Army - Alton Warren Knappenberger
by Eleanor Jones
What do you think of when someone mentions military achievement? In serving and protecting, The Medal of Honor is the highest award for valor against enemy forces. The receivers have filled newspaper articles, remembrance anniversaries, and walls of lists. However, the personal undertaking can still be lost on many.
Alton W. Knappenberger is one such individual to receive the Medal of Honor. In World War II, Knappenberger was stationed in Europe in early 1944, during the Anzio Campaign. Born on December 31, 1923 in Coopersburg, PA, at the age of twenty, he was recognized by his familial dispatches to be, "chiefly responsible for preventing serious losses to his outfit in a battle in which every officer and non-commissioned man in his company became a casualty." One man's influence in tragedy cannot be ignored even in our modern times.
Copy of a Newspaper Article in the Family Files at HSMC
In Cisterna di Latina, a town 30 miles from Nazi-Occupied Rome, Knappenberg's unit was moving from Italy's beaches to an open field. With bodies on either side of him being shot down, he felt unattended and exposed. Assuming none of his superiors were left to give commands, Knappenberger was left to act on his own will against the enemy ahead of him. He ran forward in a zig-zag for up to forty yards as bullets shot passed him. He avoided grenades and shot down Germans. He stood his ground for several hours finding security behind a knoll, laying flat or occasionally kneeling. Six survivors remained and joined Knappenberger on the knoll. The remaining company's commander ordered them to return to their regiment, unaware there was no regiment to return to. Sixty Nazis were found dead after the Unites States troops took the ground. The 20-year old private did not have a scratch on him. Knappenberger's Medal of Honor Action date was February 1, 1944. When he was presented with the medal he was called, "a blasted one-man army," by General Mark Clark.
Alton W. Knappenberger, Photo from Congressional Medal of Honor Society
Knappenberger reminisced about the shift in response to his medal. He said, "Everybody wanted to talk to me about the medal. Now very few people know I have it." Locally, the medal lost its significance once the threat itself diminished. His life carried on when he returned home in August of 1944. He quickly married his first wife Ruth. Eventually he married his second wife, Mary. He had six children. Alton Knappenberger died on June 9, 2008 in Pottstown, PA. In World War II, 464 people were awarded the Medal of Honor. While he is proud of his service to earn the medal, he admits, "I was scared all the time I was over there. I just did what I had to do. You go in there and just try to get them guys before they get you." Alton Knappenberger's service in one day saved countless lives. The horrors of war and the strength of veterans must remain remembered and not be overlooked.
Works Cited
Stories of Sacrifice. “Alton W Knappenberger: World War II: U.S. Army: Medal of Honor Recipient.” Congressional Medal of Honor Society, 2022. https://www.cmohs.org/recipients/alton-w-knappenberger.
Venditta, David. “A Reluctant Hero.” The Morning Call, 30 Jan. 2019. https://www.mcall.com/news/all-altonknappenbergerhero-story.html.
Last, First. “Salford Medal of Honor Man Modest About his Exploits.” The Times Herald, July 26, 1962.