RUSH AND DELANO TOWNSHIPS, PA

and some notes on Schuylkill, Ryan, and Walker Townships

From: History of Schuylkill County, PA
IN TWO VOLUMES
Including a Genealogical and Biographical Record
of
Many Persons in the County
Edited by A.W. Schalk and Hon. D.C. Henning
Illustrated
VOL 1
State Historical Association
1907

RUSH TOWNSHIP ^Map

This was one of the original nine townships of Schuylkill county, its existence dating from 1811, when the county was separated from Berks. The territory originally embraced within this township has been greatly reduced by subdivisions made in the formation of other town.ships. Mahanoy, Rahn, Ryan and Klein townships have been organized, in whole or in part, from Rush township. Some of the first settlers of this township came as employes or tenants sent by capitalists who took that means of developing the territory. Mills were erected with foreign capital and leased for a share of the profits, the first of which was erected in 1812, and leased to William Major. The firm of Gross & Wisimer built three mills, and as far as known they were all operated by Major and known as "Major's Mills." Two of these were saw-mills, and one a grist-mill, the first of either kind in the township. The pioneer settlers of Rush township were all of German nationality, and for many years only the German language was spoken. Thomas Lindner⁴ came in 1800; John Faust settled in the township in 1800, and Abram L. Boughner became his neighbor near Barnesville in 1815; Jacob Neifert and Andrew Gottschall were early settlers who made the first improvements near Tamanend. John Feller was also one of the early pioneers. Hometown³ is the oldest village in the township, it being founded in 1829 by the Duncans of Philadelphia. A tavern was kept there by Jacob Faust in 1831. The village is surrounded by good farming land, and better things were expected of it than that it should always remain a small village. Barnesville⁵ owes its origin to the building of the Little Schuylkill railroad which was completed in 1854. It developed into a prosperous village in its early history, but its population has decreased during the last two decades, being now one hundred and twenty-nine.

Tamanend^{2 Pic} is a railroad village of some commercial importance. It was laid out in 1853, and the town established principally as a dwelling place for the railroad employes. A very plausible tradition assumes to furnish an excuse for the "outlandish" name of this place. According to the legend an Indian chief named "Taman", an ally of the British and Tories, was merciless in his aggressions against the frontier settlers and committed many outrages. When the avengers of the frontier butcheries attained the ascendency, Taman was captured at Hawk's curve, near the site of this village, and summarily hanged. This being "the end of Taman", the gruesome tragedy is perpetuated by naming the place "Tamanend"!

The village is located at the junction of the Little Schuylkill and the Catawissa railroads, as organized in days of old. In 1870 the Central railroad of New Jersey connected at this point, thus rendering the village quite an important railroad center. There are 361 inhabitants in the village, with the usual accompaniment of stores, hotels, etc., to accommodate the town.

Quakake is another village needing a "tradition", but being a suburb of Tamanend, the origin of the name may be traced! This village comprises a union depot, hotel, and a few residences of railway employes. One public school building serves the purpose of the two villages.

During the Civil war the manufacture of gunpowder became quite an industry in this township, and some five mills were established. The mills of Dupont & Weldy, at Mintzer's Station, now constitute the only important manufacturing industry in the township. By reason of the dangerous character of this commodity, several lives were lost, and all the mills except the one named were blown up.

The educational interests of this township are equal to those of any township in the county, notwithstanding the coercive measures necessary during the first introduction of the common school system. Much credit is due to the tireless energies of the Faust family for their labors and liberality to enhance the interests of the public schools. Happily for all concerned, the German language, always useful as an educator, has given way to the prevalent language of the country, and the German opposition to the public school has been removed, and the objections conciliated.

Teachers are paid liberal salaries in Rush township, and the tendency, both as to salaries and length of term, has always been upward rather than downward.

The network of railroads which traverse this township is mostly controlled by the Philadelphia & Reading Coal and Iron company and the Lehigh Valley Railroad company. In this township is the famous "High Bridge," which spans a chasm one hundred and fifty- seven feet in depth.

The oldest church, and for many years the only one in the township, is the Union Church, which is situated in the valley about two miles from Tamanend. This ancient landmark was erected in 1831, by the Lutheran and German Reformed congregations, the means being contributed by the farmers in the valley, who have also sustained the church and perpetuated the organization. This is a quaint old building without any pretentions at architectural display, but a fair representation of the old-time churches of the "Fatherland". It has been preserved for its precious memories. Services in both English and German have been maintained for many years. The old cemetery established with the church contains the ashes of many of the earliest pioneers. The Evangelical association effected an organization, and built a neat church edifice in Barnsville in 1872. For a number of years' previous to this organization, services were held at the homes of the people, or in any convenient place.

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Delano Borough ^Map was incorporated in 1881.¹ It was established as a village to accommodate the necessities of the Lehigh Valley Railroad company. In 1866 the repair shops of the Mahanoy division of that road were established there, and this was the starting point in building up the village. The land upon which the borough is located is owned or controlled by the railroad company, and that corporation has built and owns all the houses, both public and private. The railroad interests are still a prominent feature in the existence of the town, and a moral tone exists in Delano not to be found elsewhere in the county. No saloon is allowed in the place, and the company fosters and encourages morality and intellectual development by liberally sustaining a reading room, library, church and school, and prohibiting the usual corroding influences. Within recent years some of the railroad work formerly done at this place has been transferred to the larger shops at Easton, resulting in the removal of many employes, hence the population of five hundred in 1900 is not a truthful representation of the present inhabitants. Three hundred would be a closer estimate. An excellent public school of five departments is conducted in the borough, embracing a complete high school course and graduating system. Delano borough has but three licensed business places, two of which are operated by one man. Rush township has twenty-two retail establishments. A very strong organization of the Patriotic Order Sons of America exists in the borough, designated as Washington camp, No. 72. A union Sunday school and union church services are regularly conducted

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RYAN TOWNSHIP.

Ryan is one of the later township organizations, being set off from Rush and Mahanoy townships in 1868. It was named in honor of Judge James Ryan. The early history of this township is scarcely separable from the territory from which it was organized. The earliest settlers within the limits of the township were two families named Dresh and Heasing. These came about 1784, during which year David Dresh built the first log house, and set out the first orchard in the township. This improvement subsequently came to be known as the Klingman farm, on the road from Reading to Catawissa. A man named Stauffer succeeded Dresh on this farm in 1811. A Mr. Feller, John Faust, George Focht, and a man named Kregler were among the early settlers. The Reverend Schelihart, prominently identified with the early religious history of Tamaqua and vicinity, and Reverend Kroll, one of the founders of the old "White Church" in Rush township, were the pioneer ministers in this locality. The Lutheran and Reformed denominations erected a church in 1848. The first public school was opened in 1854. David Dresh kept the pioneer tavern. There are but six licensed business houses in the township. The residents of this locality are mostly engaged in agricultural pursuits, and some fine farms are the result of faithful and persistent effort.

SCHUYLKILL AND WALKER TOWNSHIPS.

Schuylkill and Walker townships existed under one organization until 1878 when the greater part of the territory then known as Schuylkill township was absorbed in the formation of Walker township. The formative period of organization, settlement, the establishment of churches and schools and the development of internal industries was passed during the domination of Schuylkill township, when, for the convenience of the people, the new township of Walker was organized. Schuylkill was one of the original townships detached from Berks county in 1811. It then comprised a large area from which Blythe township was formed in 1846, and it contributed territory in the formation of Mahanoy, Butler, New Castle and East Norwegian townships. The first settlement was made in the Lewistown valley in 1802. The pioneers were thrifty and industrious Germans and New Englanders, and the well cultivated and fertile farms of that locality attest their industry and energy, as well as that of their pos terity. A portion of this territory is productive coal land, now owned and partially operated by the Philadelphia & Reading Coal and Iron company. The villages of the township came into existence, principally, in recognition of the needs of this industry, and have waned or grown according ot the transitory character of the inhabitants.

In 1846 Tuscarora was the terminus of the Schuylkill Valley railroad, and was a village of some importance. On the 20th of May, 1830, the postoffice was established there, with Mr. Donaldson as postmaster. J. and R. Carter were early coal operators who located there, and Patterson and Sillyman of Pottsville, were operating mines on lands of Bank of the Kentucky in 1852. These holdings, and others, passed into the hands of the Philadelphia & Reading Coal and Iron company who have controlled the railroads in that locality for many years.

In the early days Tuscarora was quite a resort for non-resident pleasure seekers, and efforts were made to entertain them by the erection of a large hotel and two churches, not then demanded by the limited population. The Primitive Methodist church was opened in 1853, and the Reformed church was erected in ? St. Gabriel's Catholic church was organized in 1877, and is supplied by priests from Tamaqua. Tuscarora is the only village of importance in the territory, and in 1900 it had a population of 298. Patterson is the rival of Tuscarora in the matter of age, both claiming the honors of antiquity. In 1852 a new school house was built in the village, and the old one became the meeting place for the German Catholic church which was then organized. Semi-monthly services were held by this congregation until 1878, when, a majority of the membership having removed, the church organization was abandoned. The Irish Catholics had a weak organization in the village in 1843, and were served by the Pottsville clergy for a number of years, but it also has been discontinued. The Patterson of the present consists largely of a collection of unoccupied houses rapidly yielding to decay.

Newkirk came into existence in 1852 as a coal village, a number of stone houses being erected in that year as homes for the miners. In 1854 a church and school house, combined in one building was erected, and a Presbyterian service was inaugurated. The mines in the vicinity were opened in 1852 by Newkirk & Buch, and later operators were Fry & Shepp, who conducted the business from 1870 until 1875 when the breakers were burned, and the property passed under control of the Philadelphia & Reading Coal and Iron company, who erected new breakers and continued the business. Reevesdale and Lewistown complete the list of villages in the townships. The former was a thriving coal village as late as 1870, but since that time it has lost its prestige. Lewistown is a post village sustaining, by the aid of contiguous territory, one or two stores, an Evangelical church, and a union church of the Reformed and Lutheran denominations. The latter is one of the old churches of the section of the county, having been established about 1834, when a substantial stone building was erected which has stood the test of ages. The Evangelical society built their church in 1866.

Schuylkill township was one of the four districts in the county which voted favorably to the adoption of the public school system in 1834. But the people failed to elect directors favorable to the enforcement of the law until 1837. In the year last written six schools were established in lieu of the three "pay-schools" then in operation. These were conducted on the basis of a monthly tuition of fifty cents for each pupil. Nathan Barlow taught a subscription school at Lewistown for twenty years previous to 1837. The territory embraced within Schuylkill township in 1837 was soon organized into school districts, and the public school system readily became popular with the people. The townships now have an excellent school organization in which the people take pride in electing the most public spirited and enterprising men as supervising officials. The commercial business of Schuylkill township is now transacted through twenty-four licensed business houses, and there are nineteen such in Walker township.

SOUTH MANHEIM TOWNSHIP.

Two townships were created in 1845 from the territory originally embraced in Manheim, one of the original townships transferred from Berks county at the organization of Schuylkill County. One is designated as North Manheim and the other South Manheim. The early history of the territory thus becomes identical. The original township of Manheim was the scene of serious Indian troubles in the pioneer days, and the prowlings of the dusky savages, together with their many depredations against the few defenseless settlers of 1755, were sources of great annoyance and constant danger. An account of the early troubles with the Indians, and a record of their merciless murders and wanton destruction of property, appears in another chapter. Matthew Hem is credited with being the first permanent settler of South Manheim Township. Adam Smith was an early settler near the Blue mountain, and the names of other early corners are mentioned in the history of North Manheim, and the boroughs erected therein. The first public improvements in this township consisted in the building of saw-mills and grist-mills.

More to come ...

1. Delano: A story of three score years and ten 1861-1931 by H. O. Moser
A fine and detailed account of the history of this town and locale from Wilkes University. See the roads, named places and larger vicinity on this map.

2. This Quakake Valley lowland probably contained the nearest Indian settlement in these parts of the Coalfields. Few Indian remains and artifacts have ever been discovered in the nearby mountains. See an account of "Taman" and Tamanend at the Schuylkill County Historical Society. This source also contains other American Indian place names in the county.

3. Hometown today is mainly residential. It features the open-once-a-week-on-Wednesday Farmer's Market, locally called "The Auction". This emporium is the site of one of the best bakeries in that part of the locale.

"Sweet Expectations" Bakery

4. We speculate that this Lindner may account for Lindnersville, the conjectural earliest name for the nearby Lofty or "Summit". See a reference to this village name here.

5. Read an interesting and complete account of Barnesville (and many other nearby Quakake Valley and mountain towns) at the Fritz Family web site, especially under its Local History heading.