Sunday, March 17, 2013
Doylestown Township's longtime justice of the peace dies at age 63, Doylestown Borough Council approves a commercial zoning change, and a Central Bucks High School senior wins a poster contest, 51 years ago this week.
B. William Wrigley Sr., Doylestown Township Justice of the Peace for 23 years, died in Doylestown Hospital on Sunday. He was 63 years old. Squire Wrigley was stricken ill Tuesday and died in the hospital following a stroke. He lived in Edison for 45 years and was Justice of the Peace since 1939. He also was a Bucks County Deputy Sheriff. He founded and organized the Doylestown Township Emergency Police and also served as the director of civil defense in the township. Born in Philadelphia, he was the son of Frederick and and Jennie Cherry Wrigley. He was a real estate broker before locating in Bucks County. Squire Wrigley was a member of the Doylestown Moose Lodge, Bucks County Magistrates Association, Pennsylvania Magistrates Association …
Monday, March 11, 2013
The Doylestown Fire Co. fair raises enough to pay off the mortgage, businessmen urge inexpensive houses for workers, and Doylestown High School defeats Hatboro High School in basketball, 93 years ago this week.
Doylestown Fire Co. No. 1 will clear the mortgage [on the Shewell Avenue firehouse, built in 1902] with the proceeds from the fair that concluded on Saturday. It is estimated that the fire company raised $2,100, which is more than the $1,800 remaining on the mortgage. It was a big success each of the three nights, and the Armory was packed from early evening up until the auction started Saturday night. As before, the Kewpie dolls and fruit were the main attraction, and it was almost impossible to get close enough to the stands. Cakewalks and dancing were also very popular and it was no time before they were filled up. Fancy work was a big attraction for the ladies, and some wonderful pieces of work were auctioned off very cheaply at the …
Friday, March 8, 2013
Check out this advertising film from the 1950s that promoted Doylestown.
Sunday, March 3, 2013
An ocean cruiser is built in Doylestown, a real estate office moves into a remodelled 117-year-old building, and the county courthouse gets a new jury wheel, 82 years ago this week.
In the mammoth garage of the Fetterolf Transportation Company on Main Street, there is nearing completion a 37-foot, twin-screw, six-ton cruiser owned by R. C. Tell, local Oakland-Pontiac automobile dealer. The new vessel, handsome and complete in detail, will be completed in a few weeks and will be launched at Essington [in Delaware County on the Delaware River] in the near future, In the meantime, hundreds of people interested in boats have been viewing the borough's newest attraction at the Fetterolf garage. In the construction of the new cruiser, Mr. Tell is not only carrying out a hobby he has had for a number of years, but he took advantage of rather slack conditions in the automobile business since Christmas. Instead of laying off …
Thursday, February 28, 2013
A new historical marker will honor the Crossroads of the Lenape.
When William Doyle opened his tavern in 1745, he placed it near the intersection of trade routes that had been in use for centuries. Doyle, whose surname later lent itself to the growing town, chose the crossroads of two major routes used by the Lenape people for generations. The culture of the Lenape lives on in Doylestown today, through the names of schools such as Unami Middle School, and Lenape Middle School. And now, the history of the tribe will be honored in another way. The Doylestown Historical Society plans to erect a new marker explaining the significance of the crossroads. The new marker will ensure that the tribe's history will not be forgotten, Stu Abramson told Doylestown Borough Council members this week. The historical …
Sunday, February 24, 2013
Public employees take a loyalty oath at the courthouse, a veteran brings 12,075 pennies to a bank, and the owner of South Main Street tourist cabins seeks zoning approval for expansion, 61 years ago this week.
Editor's note - During the anti-Communist fervor of the 1950s, Pennsylvania and 41 other states required public employees to sign an oath swearing they were loyal to the elected government and were not members of a subversive (i.e., Communist) organization. The U.S. Supreme Court upheld the constitutionality of these oaths in 1952, but later overturned them in several 1960s decisions. However, the loyalty oaths, including Pennsylvania's, remained on the books for decades. Several hundred public employees in Bucks county, including those affiliated with the State Highway Department and other Commonwealth bureau offices, repledged their fealty to the Government of the United States on Monday night, at a special meeting held in the Court …
Sunday, February 17, 2013
A special edition looking back at the fire that destroyed the former Doylestown Public School, 40 years ago this week.
Introduction - The Doylestown Public School was built for $28,000 in 1889-90 at Broad and Court streets, the site of the former private Union Academy, Doylestown's first school. The three-story stone school, designed in the style of a chateau, could accommodate approximately 500 pupils in the primary and secondary grades. As student enrollment grew, a three-story brick annex was built in 1912 behind the main school, which faced Broad Street down from the corner of Court Street. Another brick addition was constructed in 1925. While the stone building often is identified as Doylestown High School, the junior and senior high school grades actually were housed in the annexes. Run by the borough school board, Doylestown High School accepted …
Friday, February 15, 2013
An exhibit at the Doylestown museum detailing the influence of the underground railroad in Bucks County will be open to the public the next three Saturdays.
A special exhibit on the role of the underground railroad in Bucks County will be open to the public the next three Saturdays. The exhibit at the Doylestown Historical Society will feature photos, costumes and props used in the filming of "The North Star." Filmed in many locations throughout Central Bucks County, the film tells the story of "Big Ben" Jones, who escaped slavery in the south with the help of the underground railroad, finally ending up in Buckingham Township. The exhibit also coincides with Doylestown's recognition of February as Black History Month. On Saturday, Feb. 16, Doylestown resident Doreen Stratton will act as a special guest guide through the exhibit. The Stratton family's roots in Doylestown stretch back nearly 150…
Tuesday, February 12, 2013
Can you ID this spot from around town?
Welcome back to Where's This, wherein we show a photo taken somewhere around town and you try to guess what and where it is. Leave your guess in the comments, and we'll tell you who's right in a few days. Good luck.
The official trailer has been released to promote "The North Star," which was filmed in Central Bucks County and tells the story of a runaway slave.
Part of Bucks County's history, relatively unknown to the rest of the world, is about to make its debut on the big screen. "The North Star" will fill movie screens soon. To give audiences a tantalizing taste of what's to come, the official trailer promoting the movie was recently released. Shot in locations throughout Central Bucks County, the film tells the story of "Big Ben" Jones and Moses Hopkins. Slaves on a southern plantation, the two attempt to escape to freedom in the north in the mid-1800s. They follow the proverbial north star along the winding pathways of the underground railroad, a series of safe houses manned by opponents of slavery who helped slaves escape bondage. After befriending a Quaker family, the two men eventually …
Susan hartzel swartz
7:59 am on Tuesday, March 19, 2013
Don't forget about the French fries more ›