Interesting as are some of the old-time recipes in the cook book compiled by the Ladies’ Aid Society of the Wayne Methodist Church in 1892, described last week in this column, the advertisements are even more so.

Evidently, every merchant or business man in the vicinity who was in the market to sell anything, from homes to wagons, advertised their merchandise in this interesting 78-page booklet. Not to be outdone by the home merchants and business men, Philadelphians contributed their full share.

What a change in prices these 65 years have brought! Although all of us are conscious of those changes, still it is startling to think that a brand new 15-room stone house “finished in oak and plate glass,” and “located on ¾ acre of ground” sold for only $9,500 In 1892. This information was given in the very first advertisement in the booklet, by the one-time famous “Wayne Estates,” of which much has appeared in this column from time to time.

This was the era in which women’s “hand-sewn Paris kid shoes” were sold for $4.00 by Hallahan’s Shoe Shop, one of the most famous stores in its line in Philadelphia. The illustration appears in this column. At the same lime George B. Wells, “City Hall Hatter” was charging $1.90 for a “fine Derby Hat” with silk hats “at $3.50 up.” And $2.90 was the price for “the best Derby the hatters’ art can produce.”

There is a surprise in the wide variety of merchandise that could be purchased in Wayne itself in the ’90’s. But at that time there was no Ardmore shopping center, and a round trip to Philadelphia by train was a tedious affair.

John Wanamaker advertised as “the biggest store in the world, and the biggest dry goods store in America, nothing by halves.” And since it was a cook book in which they were advertising, they called attention to their “more than 50 shapes and sizes of agate ware, as safe to use as the purest ironware. And handsome! Pots and kettles, and stew pans actually handsome!” Strawbridge and Clothier emphasized “Dry Goods by Mail” from their Philadelphia store.

Locally the Wayne Mart, operated by George R. Park and F.E. Lamborn at “Store No. 1, New Block,” Wayne, sold a full line of everything from clothing to embroidery silks. C.W. Bensinger, at “No. 7 Business Block,” was a book, stationery and variety store.

Thomas Law, “General Upholsterers” located at “6 Business Block,” advertised that he “sewed and laid carpets,” thus solving one of the problems of the housekeeper of the ’90’s. Since lace curtains and carpets belong in the same era, it is interesting to note that the Forrest Laundry, of Philadelphia, made a speciality of doing up these window hangings, a matter which always presented a problem. This laundry, whose trucks are seen daily on the streets of Wayne, is still located on Columbia avenue, Philadelphia, just as it was in the ’90’s.

(To be continued)

This week the mail has once again brought interesting information about Wayne in a bygone era. This time it was a letter from Miss Lillian Walter who, with her sisters, Miss Helen and the late Miss Nellie Walter, lived for many years at 105 Runnymede avenue with their parents, Mr. and Mrs. A. F. Walter. They moved to Perkasie about 12 years ago.

Miss Lillian Walter writes: “The other day in cleaning out a kitchen drawer in which there were several old cook books of my mother’s, Helen and I came across this old cook book compiled and published by the “Ladies Aid Society of the Wayne Methodist Church” in 1892, 65 years ago. It was done as a means of raising money for the society… the church had been fairly recently built.”

The letter then tells of a recent visit to their home, made by Mrs. Gertrude Ware Case and her brother, Albert Ware, both Wayne residents of many years, who had been much amused by the contents of the old book.

Miss Walter regretted that the book had not reached this writer in time for exhibition at the recent historical meeting of the Saturday Club, when many other mementos of the late 1800’s had been on display.

Miss Walter’s letter continues: “I was a little girl at the time the cook book was published, but remember perfectly my mother buying a copy, and I am quite sure that the book found its way into the kitchens of most of the Wayne households of 1892… the timing of the cooking of certain vegetables is priceless – one hour for spinach, for instance!”

The booklet of “Practical Receipts” was compiled by the Ladies’ Aid Society less than a year after the completion of the building of the church. There were well over 100 recipes in the 78 pages, and even more advertisements than recipes.

As the reader glances over the various items, she is struck by the fact that many edibles that were then made in the kitchens of Wayne are now purchased from the shelves of the grocer. Homemade bread seldom makes its appearances on any table now, particularly “bread of entire wheat flour.” Tomato catsup, pickled onions, picklelilli, chili sauce and chow chow come in bottles these days, and, more often than not, soups come in cans. Welsh rarebits, warm slaw, potato pancakes, kidney stews, breakfast croquettes are but a few of the now almost forgotten dishes. And who makes raspberry vinegar now?

Under the listing of “Things learned by experience” are the following:
“If your coal fire is low, throw a tablespoon of salt on it, and that will help greatly.
“To remove grease from a carpet or any woolen goods, beat up the yolk of an egg until it is light, rub on the spot with a brush, let it remain half an hour; then wash with hot water and Babbitt soap.
“To prevent codfish from smelling through the house when cooking, put it in a covered boiler and place in the oven – it will cook just as well.
“For a burn, apply pure castile soap; moisten the soap, shave off and spread over the burn; it prevents blistering.
“To keep your milk pure, put it into glass fruit jars and close tightly.”

(Next week’s column will contain same of the many advertisements that appeared in this 65-year-old cook book.)

Many pages could be written on the history of Wayne Girl Scout Troop 131, one of the oldest in the Philadelphia Council. However, this brief article endeavors to chronicle only the very beginnings of this troop, whose charter dates back 40 years ago this April.

A record book of Troop 131, made up of early troop minutes, old pictures and newspaper clippings, was kept for many years by Miss Myra Paxton, now Mrs. Elliston J. Morris, Jr., of St. Davids. The first page contains brief minutes of the first meeting, “On Friday, March 23 (1917), six girls met to organize the Wayne Troop of Girl Scouts. It was decided that Miss Nancy S. Hallowell be captain and that a charter be obtained for the troop.”

At the second meeting on April 6, “It was decided to invite the girls of the sixth, seventh and eighth grades of The Radnor Grammar School to join the troop the following Friday, at 2:30 in St. Mary’s parish house, Wayne. All subsequent meetings to be held Friday, at the same time and place until school closed for the summer, when a new time would be decided upon.”

Enthusiasm ran high in the newly-formed troop. By the next meeting, the much prized charter, now carefully preserved in the troop records, was on exhibition. Captain Hallowell was joined by Lieut. Margarette Tingley and membership had grown to 23. Part of the business meeting was the pledge of allegiance, after which the Scout Laws and requirements for a tenderfoot scout were explained. Patrol leaders were elected and dues of ten cents a month were decided upon.

At the meeting a week later “patriotism was discussed and tying knots was practiced.” Next on the program was a hike to the woods near St. Davids, where eager young scouts “picked flowers and looked for birds.” After that they “returned to the school campus where the salute to the flag was given.” At another meeting “the uses of triangular bandages were explained and practiced… drills and setting up exercises took place.

By early May, the group took an active part in a pageant given at the Saturday Club for the Wayne Branch, American Red Cross when, dressed as nurses of that national organization, they acted as ushers, took enrollments and served tea; proving that “a Girl Scout is useful and helps others.”

This troop of young girls was also very active in the sale of war bonds, canvassing not only homes in the Wayne – St. Davids – Radnor area, but also met trains at the station and solicited sales at the bank. The total of their subscriptions reached an amazing $16,000.

Much of the early success of this troop may be attributed to the leader, Miss Hallowell, whose untimely death saddened the whole community. One of her outstanding achievements with the troop was swimming instruction for each girl. This was done on the lake at “Walmarthon,” the former Walton estate, now Eastern Baptist College, St. Davids.

Throughout the ensuing years, many Scouts have made their way through the ranks of Troop 131, under the guidance of many fine leaders from the time of Miss Hallowell, to the present leadership of Mr. John Dunlap, of Villanova.

The quaint old postcard picture from which the illustration shown above was reproduced, was made well over 50 years ago. And as often happens, the way by which the postcard reached this column is almost as interesting as the story of the picture itself.

On a recent visit to Wayne, Mrs. Elizabeth Frame Woodlow, a resident of Brookline, presented the old picture to Miss Mary Brooke, of St. Davids avenue. A number of years ago the two were neighbors in Radnor. Miss Brooke’s parents, the late Mr. and Mrs. Horace L. Brooke lived on King of Prussia road, on what is now the Charles M. Tatum place. The Frame family, of which Mrs. Woodlow is a member, lived near the corner of Weadley and King of Prussia roads.

Mrs. Woodlow, who moved away from Radnor township more than 30 years ago, has given the picture to Miss Brooke because it shows the original spring house on the Pechins’ farm. The Pechins are old-time settlers of Radnor township, to whom Miss Brooke is closely related. Miss Brooke, in turn, has lent the postcard for use in “Your Town and My Town.”

In her story accompanying the picture, Miss Brooke has given the following interesting facts:
“The small stone springhouse was built more than 100 years ago. It stood on the site now occupied by the gate house of ‘Villa Cabrini’ on King of Prussia road, north of Eagle road, and was torn down when James W. Paul built the present gatehouse, about 60 years ago.

“Few residents of the township will remember it, still less that it was used by the parents of Peter Pechin, Edward and Ann Wagner Pechin, who lived in the homestead on the opposite side of King of Prussia road (now owned by William Gerhard).

“Subsequently, the homestead was sold to Mr. Watson and Peter Pechin and his family moved to the farm east of Eagle road, and the springhouse was little used, except by an old Civil War veteran, named Jim Donaldson, who was a sort of handy-man on the Pechin farm. Jim used to sing old Civil War songs, such as ‘Carry me Back to Old Virginny,’ ‘Old Uncle Ned’ to the grandchildren.

“Occasionally, Jim would go on a binge – his favorite beverage, when he couldn’t get the real thing, was paregoric, and he slept off the effects in the room over the spring, the entrance to which was at the right end of the building.

“About once or twice a year, a band of gypsies camped in the field adjoining the springhouse, at the corner of Eagle and King of Prussia roads. They were English gypsies, the Stanley and Wells families, who owned beautifully decorated wagons and fine horses. Once, when they were camping in Radnor, one of their horses became tangled in barbed wire and was badly cut. They sent one of their men to borrow a Bible from Mr. Pechin. He asked what they wanted with it and he was told that there was a verse in the Old Testament which, when repeated, would stop the flow of blood. He asked them to tell him where to find it, but the reply was that a man couldn’t tell another man, or the charm wouldn’t work, but they would leave a straw in the place where the verse was found and since it referred to blood, he would be able to identify it. Of course, the bleeding of the horse was stopped!

“It is evident that the trouble the State Highway Department has been having with an overflowing spring at this location, on King of Prussia road, is caused by the self-same spring over which the old springhouse was erected.”

A recent column showed pictures taken more than 50 years ago, of property on Aberdeen avenue which has since come into the possession of St. Katharine’s parish. The house on the northwest corner of Windermere and Aberdeen avenues now serves as a convent for the Sisters of the school faculty. The writer has thought it might be interesting to follow this with a brief history of the early days of St. Katharine’s Church itself. An especially interesting account appears in “Rural Pennsylvania,” by the Rev. S.F. Hotchkiss, published in 1897.

St. Katharine’s parish was established June 7, 1893, by the Most Rev. Patrick J. Ryan, Archbishop of Philadelphia, who appointed the Rev. Matthew A. Hand, assistant priest of the Church of the Assumption, Philadelphia, to assume spiritual charge of Roman Catholics living in the Wayne area. At the same time, Father Hand was given charge of St. Monica’s, then a mission church in Berwyn. Up to this time, all Catholics of this area were under the jurisdiction of the Augustinian Fathers of Villanova, and attended Mass at the parish church of St. Thomas of Villanova.

On the 20th day of June, Mass was celebrated in the Wayne Opera House, and for five Sundays afterward, the congregation continued to attend Mass in this public hall. In the meantime, a temporary chapel of frame was being constructed. This chapel was on the northwest comer of the present site, and was dedicated July 30, 1893. Then a plot of ground, 150’ x 200’ was donated by A.J. Drexel and G.W. Childs, upon the condition that a handsome stone church, costing at least $25,000 should be erected there within a period of three years. To comply with these conditions was no easy task with a congregation which, including men, women and children, did not exceed 300.

Satisfactory plans for the new church and rectory having been designed by H.A. Roby, of Lebanon, and a favorable bid having been received for the construction, ground was broken for the new structure on April 16, 1895, and the cornerstone of the church edifice was blessed and laid the following June 9, Archbishop Ryan officiating. The rectory was completed by the end of the year and was formally occupied by the rector on January 2, 1896.

The author of “Rural Pennsylvania” adds a brief notice from the “Catholic Standard and Times” written for the August 22, 1896, issue, concerning the Rev. Matthew A. Hand, who was described as “the zealous young rector of the infant parish.” Born in Philadelphia in 1860, Father Hand was ordained to the priesthood on January 11, 1885, by Archbishop Ryan. His first mission was St. Dominic’s Church, Holmesburg. Later be was transferred to St. John’s, going from there to St. Agatha’s and thence to the Assumption, where he served until June 7, 1893, when he was appointed pastor of the new St. Katharine’s parish.

Of the situation and appearance of St. Katharine’s, this same article in the “Catholl\ic standard and Times” states, “The building stands on the southwest comer of Lancaster and Aberdeen avenues. It is of Gothic design, with clerestory windows. The stone used in its construction is of a peculiarly pleasant shade, known as Conestoga pink sandstone, and has never before been used in any structure in this section of the state. The architectural features of the church, and of the adjoining rectory, and the perfect harmony and blending of colors have elicited words of praise from all who have viewed the building.”

Raising $25,000 at the turn of the century was no easy task for a young pastor, whose congregation included very few, if any, wealthy members. However, in addition to the willing family members, the parish numbered a large group of men and women who were employed as domestics, gardeners, chauffeurs on neighboring estates. It has frequently been said that the sacrifice of these members played a conspicuous part in the building of the new church. One of the large sanctuary windows depicting St. Zita was installed in their honor and in appreciation of their efforts.

Fearing that sufficient funds could not be raised by parish means, Father Hand undertook the wearying task of obtaining help by weekly visits to other parishes of the Archdiocese, with personal pleas to the members of those congregations. His fund-raising efforts were so successful, that when his successor, the Rev. Joseph F. O’Keefe, was appointed in 1901, the parish was entirely free of debt.

Two more pictures of old Wayne, received by this writer from Harry B. Buten, of Merion, are shown in today’s column. Although each is labeled “corner of Aberdeen and Midland avenues,” it is quite obvious, to one as familiar with Wayne as is the writer, that the views have been made from a point on the west side of Aberdeen avenue, about midway between Midland and Windermere avenues. In the picture with the waterfall in the foreground, the camera has been focused to the northwest, while in the other it has been to the southwest.

The picture from which the two postcards were made are now more than 50 years old. This full half-century has brought little change in the scenes except that their vistas have now been somewhat obscured by the growth of trees. Several landmarks, such as the spires of both the Presbyterian Chapel and of the Presbyterian Church which show clearly in the waterfalls picture, are now obliterated by these trees.

The entire plot of ground extending along Aberdeen avenue from Windermere avenue to Midland avenue is now the property of St. Katharine’s Church, having been purchased in 1917 from Emma B. Mallon, as a residence for the Sisters, members of St. Katharine’s School faculty. This house, the present convent, does not show in the picture, although the building directly to the rear of it, which was originally used as a carriage house and stable, looks today just as it did 50 years ago in the picture.

From his old records in the township building, T. Griffiths Roberts has ascertained for this column that the house in the center of the picture was occupied at the time by the Scofield family. Others to the west in the same block were the Betts’ house, the Bucks’, the Badgers’ and the Conners’. Mrs. W.H. Badger is still living in the house at 211 Windermere avenue, into which she and her husband moved in 1901.

The beautiful grounds which lie back of the Sisters’ home have changed very little in the years that have passed. The stream still flows under a rustic bridge, which is, however, a successor to the one in the picture. The path which crosses the bridge leads to a point on Midland avenue directly opposite the parochial school where the Sisters teach. And as the years turn back for this writer to the time when her children trudged home along Midland avenue from the Radnor township schools, she wonders if the present day children from these schools sometimes still wander into these grounds and fall – intentionally or otherwise – into the stream that goes over the waterfall.

In the April 8, 1949, Issue of “The Suburban,” when this column made its fifth appearance, there appeared the first reference to the handsome building so clearly portrayed above. It has taken almost eight years for this illustration to come to light. The original is a postcard picture given for use in this column by Harry Buten, of Merion.

The spacious Merryvale Cricket Club, as the Radnor Cricket Club was first known, was erected in the 1880’s. It stood in North Wayne, near the track of the Pennsylvania Railroad on ground now used as a playfield by the Radnor Township Schools. Directly adjoining it was the original North Wayne fire house, now headquarters for the American Legion Post, and easily identified in the picture.

The Radnor Cricket Club has a baseball diamond and a board backstop surmounted by a pavilion, reached by stairs from the rear. The club also had two tennis courts, a room for billiards and a bowling alley.

Among the young men of Wayne who were members were Robert Hare Powel, Henry Baring Powel, Jack Claghorn, Morris Wetherill, Frank Howley and George and William Schultz. Some of this group later started a golf club on the Francis Fenimore tract of land in St. Davids. In addition to sports on their own grounds, club members took to early morning hikes in a group known as “The Walkers.” Among them were David Knickerbocker Boyd, later a well known Philadelphia architect, and Billy Brown, son of an early publisher of “The Wayne Times.”

From the original Merryvale Cricket Club there later developed the Swimming Club, located at the famous Kelly’s Dam in North Wayne, and the Bicycle Club, with headquarters on Lancaster pike. Later still came the organization which was eventually to develop into the present St. Davids Golf Club.

However, the beautiful club house erected by the Merryvale Cricket Club was not to see many years of gay parties and outdoor sports activities. Catastrophe struck it in the form of a disastrous fire which burned it to the ground only a few years after it was erected. The charming club house was never rebuilt.

Wayne’s Oldest Xmas Tree Seller Still Going Strong After 50 Years

With Christmas now so close at hand, the excitement of Wayne shopping days, followed by shopping evenings under multi-colored street lights, is now approaching its end for 1956.

From year to year, much of the local holiday setting changes, if only in small ways. But, since December, 1906, just 50 years ago this month, the same Christmas tree merchant has sold trees, wreaths and other festive trimmings on the southeast corner of Lancaster and South Wayne avenues.

In December, 1906, Hyacinth D’Ignazio, now 74 years old, sold the first Christmas trees ever to be bought on the streets of Wayne, in partnership with his brother, the late John D’Ignazio.

To the old timers among us, that corner site, now occupied by the Sun Ray Drug store, is still known as the “Fronefield Corner,” for in 1893 the late Joseph M. Fronefield, Sr., bought what was then the west hall of the present Lienhardt Bakery building. His drug store was moved here from the old Lyceum building across the street, and in 1926 he erected the present brick structure known as the Fronefield Building, with its various shops and offices.

Before John D’Ignazio, assisted by his brother Hyacinth, set up his outdoor stands for the sale of Christmas trees and greens, they were sold in Wayne only at the Etchingham and the Adelberger nurseries. The former was located on North Aberdeen avenue and the latter on the same site it still occupies on Conestoga road.

John D’Ignazio’s first job after coming to America In 1900 was with Adelberger’s. Later he went into business for himself on Highland avenue, as a landscape artist and florist. In 1910 he returned to Italy for a visit, taking with him his entire family. While there he contracted pneumonia and died, leaving his wife, Julia, to bring the children back to America alone. Besides Alnardo D’Ignazio, who operates the Wayne Diner, surviving children are Mrs. Edith DiBonaventura and Mrs. Louis Phillip, both of Wayne; Mrs. Carl Milan, Sarasota, Fla., and Mrs. Rudy Gambacorta, Riverside, N.J.

The practice of making their own wreaths and other decorations is still carried on by his brother, Hyacinth. The latter’s kitchen, in his home on West Wayne avenue, presented a cheery scene as the writer visited there one evening recently. Busily at work with Hyacinth was his daughter, Splendora, while two grandchildren, Bill and Mary Jane Hansell, added their youthful bit. Later, Hyacinth, Jr., joined the family group. This work goes on for some weeks before the stand on the corner is opened in early December.

As a young man, Hyacinth learned his art in Italy, where his whole family was skilled in this work. Each Christmas season he tries to originate something new in the way of sprays or of table baskets, using wild grape vine and wire as frames.

The laurel which be ties in “never comes out,” Hyacinth says, adding that this is a method which he has originated. He sell 1,000 or more of these wreaths each Christmas season – many decorated with holly and cones, others are made from hemlock and pine. His laurel comes from his own 114 acres in New Jersey. At the time of the visit, Hyacinth’s daughter was busily at work making long strands of greens into door trimmings, using spruce, yew, Douglas fir, pine branches and cones.

As the writer prepared to eave this busy workroom, she thought back over the many years she had purchased trees from the stand on the corner. One tree in particular she remembered, because it was so tall that one of her small children had to lean over the stair rail, in the second floor hallway, to attach the star to the top of the tree. And this year, a young grandson went with her to pick his own Christmas tree! And so it must be in many Wayne families, for as Hyacinth said in parting, “Lots of people come year after year to me because I try to take good care of them.”

The group of postcard pictures of Wayne of an earlier day which have recently been presented to the writer by Harry M. Buten, of Merion, contain several of various buildings or streets about which this columnist has written during the past few years. In some instances the articles have been without illustration, since none were available at the time. Today’s column shows four of Mr. Buten’s postcards of Wayne in the 1880’s and early 1890’s.

 

With Thanksgiving now past, thoughts of the community turn to Christmas as the happiest and gayest season of the year. Wayne will present its usual picture of sidewalks crowded with holiday shoppers; of stores, beautiful both on the exterior and interior, and in the evenings, strings of multicolored overhead lights will add their sparkle to the scene.

As the holiday season progresses, the two main community Christmas trees, and other small ones scattered through the township, will be trimmed with their strings of gay colored lights in anticipation of the carol singing, held shortly before Christmas Eve.

The main community Christmas tree is located on Lancaster pike on the grounds of the old chapel of the Wayne Presbyterian Church. But while this Christmas tree belongs to ALL Wayne, North Wayne also has one of its own, located on a spot that seems built to order for that purpose. This is the triangular piece of ground in the center of the wide opening of Walnut avenue onto North Wayne avenue. In 1951 the purchase of this handsome Nordman fir was sponsored by the North Wayne Protective Association, which in the intervening five years has been responsible for its constant care and for its Christmas lighting, as well as for its evening of carol singing.

The triangle has been there ever since Walnut avenue became a residential street in the 1880’s when the Wayne Estate started to build homes.

In a series of “Your Town and My Town” articles written several years ago, based on information given the writer by George M. Schultz, an old time resident of Wayne, the latter described Walnut avenue as he knew it when he came to this community as a very young man. According to Mr. Schultz, it was the first real residential street in the rural community. With its newly built homes, Walnut avenue had a rather barren look, since most of its present widespreading trees were saplings and the now thick hedges had not been planted. Since the trees in the postcard picture are of moderate size and the hedges are a few feet high the picture was undoubtedly taken several years later, probably in the middle 1890’s.

Both vehicles in the picture are horse drawn – the one on the left being a wagon, perhaps the property of a gardener on the corner property. The vehicle on the right is much like one in a picture lent by Mr. Schultz several years ago to illustrate an earlier article, except that one had two seats placed back to back and accommodated four riders. At the time, Mr. Schultz named this type of pleasure vehicle a “dog cart” and said it often had a lantern attached to it for night driving purposes.

With the help of this picture the eyes and minds of the many who pause to admire the beauty of the Nordman spruce at Christmas time may visualize the intersection of Walnut and North Wayne avenues and the long vista of Walnut avenue, as they looked in the 1880’s.