Longswamp Township Historical Society Newsletter June-July 2015 Preserving and sharing the historical past and culture of Longswamp Township since 2010 Purpose of the LTHS T0 discover and preserve educational and illustrative collections of material, structures, and landmarks of the Longswamp Township area. To maintain a museum and noncirculating historical library of the Longswamp Township area. To preserve and record the history and culture of the Longswamp Township area. 2015 LTHS Directors Officers: President Mary Ann Lantz Vice President Marie Maly Secretary Jerri Burket Treasurer Mike Radcliffe Board: Bill Anton Troy Fairchild Tootie Helwig Eloise Long Ron Young Betty Anton, Newsletter editor A Message from our President April and May have certainly helped us forget January and February. Daffodils, tulips, and lilacs are bringing in the color, and we are on the way to the deeper greens of summer. The Society will be sponsoring a Community Appreciation day on Sunday, June 14 at Hunsicker Grove as a way to thank all of you for your support during the past five years. We appreciate every contact, every purchase, and every gesture of support we have received. We thank you and hope to see you at the Grove, rain or shine, on June 14. I'd also like to take this opportunity to thank the Society Board and all the committee members who support, work, and propel the Society into the future, our future of preserving the past for our grandchildren. Mary Ann Lantz Happy Flag Day June 14 th! If you have any questions or are interested in becoming a member, please contact us at (484) 504-9149 Email: LongswampHistory@gmail.com
BCTV Viewers Learn about the Longswamp Township Historical Society In February, board member Eloise Long guest starred on BCTV s The Passing Scene to share information about the Longswamp Township Historical Society and its publications. She shared several old photos of the township with the TV audience and stressed the importance of preserving historic photos so that current and future generations can enjoy and learn from Longswamp Township of yesteryear. Historian Lynn Otto Shares the Road Once Traveled by Conrad Weiser Our March audience was taken on a virtual walk along the Tulpehocken Trail a route traveled extensively by Conrad Weiser while serving as interpreter and negotiator for the Iroquois Indians and the Provincial government during Pennsylvania s early days. Otto also shared interesting facts about Weiser s extraordinary life including the time he spent as a teen living with the Mohawks in the upper Schoharie Valley. Lynn is vice president of Friends of the Conrad Weiser Homestead. Eastern Barn Expert Delights Crowd with Informative Barn Program Our April lecture offered a second opportunity to learn about the barns of Longswamp Township from Greg Huber, generally regarded as the nation s leading authority on 18 th and 19 th century barns of the northeast US. Greg referenced projected images of township barns as he spoke about each barn s unique features. Audience members remained on afterwards for more than an hour to speak with Greg and ask questions. Longswamp Township resident Laurel Fanning won a free onsite inspection of her historic home, courtesy of Past Perspectives, Greg s historic and cultural resources company. We are fortunate to count Greg among our honorary members. Keep reading to learn about our big anniversary event in June!
Longswamp Founding Fathers This series highlights the life and accomplishments of the 26 men who signed a petition presented to the justices of Berks County in 1761 that requested Long Swamp be erected into a township. Written by Marie Maly. Peter and Jacob Mertz The progenitor of the Longswamp Township Mertz family was Johan David Mertz, born around 1690. He arrived in America in 1733 from Alsace (at the time, a German-speaking area of eastern France) with his wife Veronica, sons Nicholas and Peter, and daughter Christina. David died about 1750; Veronica s death date is unknown. The Mertz family originated in Switzerland; David s grandfather migrated from Menizken, Switzerland to Alsace. Nicholas was born about 1715 and died in 1760, leaving a widow (Margaret) and four sons. Jacob, his eldest son, was the only one who had reached his majority age at Nicholas death. Peter was born about 1717 and died around 1787 (his will was proved on August 7 th, 1787). Peter s wife s name does not appear in available documentation and remains unknown. Peter s sons are believed to be Peter, David, John, Philip, Nicholas, Jacob and Abraham. Christina married Theobald Klein and, following his death around 1758, Peter Klein. Christina and Peter are buried in the Longswamp Church cemetery. We can surmise that, because of their early settler status, Peter and Jacob (the latter of which likely stood in for his recently departed father) were invited to sign the township petition. Christ (Mertz) Church: Any Connection? David, Nicholas and Peter are listed as founders and early elders of the Longswamp Reformed Church. The Johan Henry Mertz family, which immigrated to Rockland County, was of Lutheran doctrine, as is the church. Henry Mertz donated the land upon which the church was built. The Village of Mertztown: Who is it Named for? The Village of Mertztown, the largest of the villages in the township, was founded in 1823. It was suggested in Morton Montgomery s 1886 History of Berks County that the village was named for Martin Mertz, an old settler. According to Mertz family genealogist Kati McSweeney, Martin was one of David s sons. But this information is not corroborated by Mertz family genealogist C. Oakley Mertz s research. Of the three Martin Mertzes in Oakley s database, only one Martin Mertz was born in the right timeframe, but he was 10 years old when Mertztown was founded and was living with his father, Jacob Jr., in Northumberland County, along with most of David Mertz s grandsons. Katie could not be reached for comment. A Wikipedia article claims the village was named for Robert Mertz. (No reference source is noted.) Based on Oakley s research, this claim is unlikely as well: All Mertz men in Oakley s database named Robert were born 100 or more years after the founding of Mertztown. We wish to express our thanks to Oakley for his recent donation of a printed, bound copy of his Mertz family genealogy. We invite you to visit his extensive Mertz website, where you can learn more about this family: http://www.mertzgenealogy.com/index.html.
Newspaper Tidbits From Past Alburtis, Pa., Oct. 17 Peter Hoffman, of Longswamp, will not play any more tricks on the family cat, having learned better since he placed a piece of sticky fly-paper on the floor of the kitchen so that the cat would step on it. His expectation was fulfilled. The cat, in its effort to get rid of the sticky stuff, made a leap for the table, laden with pies and cakes, plowed its way through the pastry, upset a pot of coffee, severely scalding the baby, and ended up by upsetting and smashing a $5 cut glass cream jar. [The Evening Times, Cumberland, Maryland, Tuesday, October 17, 1905, page 7] August 7, 1898 Fifty years ago A GREAT WALKER Charles Geist, 81, retired farmer of Long Swamp, Berks county, is a great walker despite his age. He visited relatives, John A. Carl, of 31 Walnut street, and Josiah Frederick, Hanover Avenue. On his way home, he will walk to Gilbertsville, Forgedale and Huff s church. He says he has no use for steam trains and trolley cars. [The Pottstown Mercury, Pottstown, Pennsylvania, Saturday, August 7, 1948, page 4] MODERN BARBARA FRITCHIE Berks County Woman Guarded Her Drain with a Shotgun Reading, Pa., Sept. 12. Mrs. Maria Wagonhorst, of Long Swamp, today proved herself Berks County s Barbara Fritchie. Shoot if you must this old gray head, but the man who takes one flag away from the front of my property will run up against a bunch of trouble. So in effect said Mrs. Wagonhorst when Supervisor Fegley attempted to open a gutter in front of her store, which she has been conducting ever since the death of her husband. Recently she had constructed at great expense a drain, and she claimed the gutter would interfere with this. This morning she planted seven large American flags along the drain, and then stood guard with a shotgun. The supervisor and his assistants arrived, but when they saw that she meant business, they departed with more haste than grace. The flags are still there and Mrs. Wagonhorst is still on guard. The matter will likely reach the courts. She is about forty-five years of age, and a sure shot, as the supervisor knows. [The Washington Post, Washington, D.C., Wednesday, September 13, 1905, page 7] Reading, Pa., March 11. A rather novel lawsuit has been brought against Valentine Geest, a farmer at Longswamp, near Reading, by Amelia Long, his house keeper, who sues for twelve years wages at the rate of $2.50 a week. Mrs. Long says she was competent to do farm work of a character that women are usually exempt from and he paid her no wages, but gave her small sums at different times, and promised her a large amount at his death. She is tired of waiting for him to die. [The Salem Daily News, Salem, Ohio, Wednesday, March 11, 1891, page 1] One hundred women of the fashionable Warren Avenue Congregational Church, Chicago, agreed each to earn $1 by her own efforts and contribute it to the church. Friday night they reported. One had shaved her husband; another got 5 cents whenever she got up before her husband. Another offered to launder for her son and got $1 for letting the shirts alone. Another assessed her husband $1 for a shine. Still another got the money by not singing a song. One woman starved her husband till he "shelled out." [The Lehigh Register, Allentown, PA, Wednesday, April 7, 1897, page 6]
LDS Family History Centers This is part of a series of articles submitted by Jerri Burket on researching family history. Family History Centers are branches of the Family History Library in Salt Lake City, Utah, and are operated by The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints (LDS). Their goal is to assist you in the research and study of your genealogy and family history. They provide access to genealogical records through their microfilm loan program. The Central Library has been gathering genealogical records for over 115 years, from all over the world. Most of the records have been recorded onto microfilm and microfiche. There is no charge to visit a Family History Center. They are open to anyone with an interest in genealogical research. Even though they are located within LDS facilities, it is not necessary to be an LDS member to use them. The Family History Center in the Lehigh Valley is located at 1881 Van Buren Dr., Whitehall, PA. They are only open on Wednesdays from 9 a.m. to 1 p.m.; Thursdays from 9 a.m. to noon; and the 1st Saturday of every month from 9 a.m. to 1 p.m. You can find other information about the center at https://familysearch.org/learn/wiki/en/allentown_pennsylvania_family_history_center. This center has the ability to order any of the films and microfiche available in the FamilySearch catalog (https://familysearch.org/catalog-search). If you go to the catalog and type longswamp in the Keywords field, you will notice that they have 37 items available. Among them are: Church records of the Longswamp Reformed Church, 1762-1810 (Hinke) Church records of the Longswamp Reformed Church, 1748-1810 (Ziegler) Church records, Longswamp Reformed and Lutheran, 1747-1907 (Butz) Gravestone record of the Longswamp Church (Sell) Pastor s record, 1816-1861, John Helffrich Births, marriages and deaths copied from the diaries of Rev. David K. Humbert Isaac Roeller s surveying book Private records of Rev. Johannes Heinrich Helffrich, 1790-1810 Microfilms are on loan to the local Family History Center for 90 days from the day the order is shipped. You can either ask the local Family History Center to order the microfilm for you, or you can order it yourself online and ask that it be sent to the local Family History Center. The loan of the film is free, but there will a small charge to cover the shipping costs. A more detailed explanation about ordering the films can be found at: https://familysearch.org/films/. All microfilm and microfiche must be viewed at the Family History Center where they are sent. They cannot be removed from the center to view at another location.
Historical Society to Host a Community Appreciation Event Sunday, June 14 th It s our way of saying thanks for your support! Resolution No. 2009-22, which was set forth by the Longswamp Township Board of Supervisors and adopted October 27, 2009, established the Longswamp Township Historical Society. Between then and our first public appearance in May, 2011, a small group of volunteers worked hard to set up the new organization and plan for a 250 th anniversary celebration of the township s incorporation. In the four years we ve been in full operation, our small, dedicated band of volunteers has published three books, two calendars, and 16 newsletters. We ve also hosted 30 programs, almost all of which have showcased the past or the historical culture of the township. None of these accomplishments would be possible without you, our valued members and loyal township residents. You have supported us at every turn. Now, it s our turn to give back. On Sunday, June 14 th, we will host a 5 th anniversary celebration featuring free entertainment all day at Hunsicker s Grove on Longswamp Road, a place also steeped in Longswamp Township history. You ll find details about this event on the next page. We hope you and your family and friends will come out and join us. More about Hunsicker s Grove Atlas Minerals & Chemicals, Inc. employees at a picnic held at Hunsicker s Grove in 1949 following a research laboratory dedication. The Hunsicker s Grove property started out as privately owned farmland. At some point, iron ore was discovered on the property. We ve found some evidence that the mine may once have been known as the Kaiser Mine and/or the Wagonhorst Mine, but we can t confirm this as fact. We can confirm, however, that the last mine owner was the Lehigh Crane Iron Company, and that the company sold the property in 1929 to Levinus W. Hunsicker, a building contractor who lived in Lehigh County. A plan of the property refers to the former mine hole as Rittenhouse Lake. The plan, dated August 16, 1929, and revised November 25, 1930 May 19, 1934, is on file at the Lehigh County Historical Society. The ecosystem of this lake is unique: It s one of the few locations in eastern Pennsylvania where you can find freshwater jellyfish (craspedacusta sowerbii), clams and mussels. It s also a great place to fish. The property remained in the Hunsicker family until 1994, when it was purchased by the County of Berks. The Grove was acquired by Longswamp Township in 2014. In its heyday, Hunsicker s Grove was a popular spot for company clambakes and picnics and family reunions. Its most famous visitor may have been silent movie star Gloria Swanson, who was a guest at a Hess Brothers picnic in 1951.
Longswamp Township Historical Society 5 th Anniversary Celebration Community Appreciation Day Sunday, June 14 th 12-6:00 p.m. Hunsicker s Grove FREE ENTERTAINMENT FOOD BEVERAGES FLAG DAY EVENT CAKE WALK 12:00 Opening Remarks: Maryann Lantz, President, LTHS; Steve Wyka, Chairman, Board of Supervisors Topton American Legion Honor Guard 12:30 Boy Scout Pack 575: American flag disposal ceremony 1:00 Musician and storyteller Keith Britzenhoff 2:00 Music by Jim Meck 4:00 Pa. Dutch humor by Bill Meck and Jock Brown 5:00 Matt Bailey s MagiQuist (magic and ventriloquism) Jumpin J s Entertainment (DJ) will be keeping things festive all afternoon. A cake walk will take place between the entertainers. Food and beverages for purchase from Cub Scout/Boy Scout Pack 575, Girl Scout Troop 105, Longswamp Township Historical Society and more. This event is free of charge and open to the public. Attention Amazon.com Shoppers! It Pays to Smile Don t forget: We are registered with Amazon Smile, the philanthropic arm of Amazon. When you begin your Amazon.com shopping experience at www.smile.amazon.com, Amazon will donate five percent of the cost of your purchases to the LTHS. The first time you enter the site, you ll be asked to select your charity of choice. After you ve made your selection, your shopping experience is identical to previous visits to Amazon.com.
Eighteenth Century Barns of Lancaster County Eighth Annual Meeting & Barn Tour June 12 & 13, 2015 Since 2008, the Historic Barn and Farm Foundation of Pennsylvania has hosted annual barn tours to highlight some of the very best structures across Pennsylvania. This year, we ll visit Lancaster County, the apparent birthplace of the most prevalent barn form in all the state the Pennsylvania forebay barn. The selection of barns this year offers the very best in the county, all of eighteenth century vintage, unique for any barn tour yet given. This year s annual meeting is a full two-day affair. The meeting place is at the Landis Valley Village and Farm Museum just northeast of Lancaster City. The museum collects, conserves, exhibits and interprets Pennsylvania German material culture, history and heritage from 1740 through 1940. THE BARNS: A special chance to visit working farms not open to the general public. Reist Homestead (Friday s visit) possibly the earliest tobacco barn in the county. Also an outstanding collection of early Conestoga wagons, farm implements and rare tools. Herman Log and Stone Sweitzer circa 1790 with an early-style German liegender Dachstuhl roof structure. Breckbil Stone Double Decker -- built late 1790s, a truly remarkable structure with unique features such as scissors truss construction, double floor level cruciform plan and rare prominent stone-arched gable end-wall wagon entries. King Frame and Log Sweitzer -- circa 1790, maybe the only eighteenth century partial-frameconstructed log barn in the state. Five bays with alternating mow and wagon areas, and an early German roof structure. Beiler Stone Sweitzer -- dated 1770, another rare five bay structure with alternating mow and wagon bay sections and an early German roof. Diffenbaugh Stone Sweitzer built circa 1790 with classic proportions, a medieval-like timbered internal frame and an early-style German roof support. Plus, possibly, a special drive-by treat THE SPEAKERS (Friday) Michael Emery & Jeff Marshall -- Welcome Brian Murphy -- A Timberframer Looks at Anomalies and Details of Bucks County Barns Joseph W. Glass -- America s Garden Spot: Beyond Barns Patrick Donmoyer Decorated Barns of Lancaster County: A Diversity of Forms Robert Ensminger The Isaac Long Barn: Investigating its Architectural Evolution Gregory D. Huber Sweitzer Barns in Lancaster County A Look at the Possible Place of Origin of the PA Forebay Barn Please note - you can attend just Friday or just Saturday or both. For information, contact Greg Huber, Event Coordinator greg@easternbarns.com or phone 610-967-5808
Longswamp Township Historical Society PO Box 6010 Mertztown, PA 19539 Phone: (484) 504-9149 Email: LongswampHistory@gmail.com We re on the web! http://www.co.berks.pa.us/muni/longswamp/pages/historicalsociety.aspx If you wish to no longer receive this newsletter, please let us know and we will discontinue mailing it to you. Like us on Facebook