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Authored by Society president George Meiser IX |
| Posted 07-15-2003
EIGHT News-Bits of Reading-Berks historical interest… =============== ================= ============= 1- Correct html to access the Society's online cemetery records 2- Duryea site for those interested in his early auto manufacture 3- Inflation calculator to check old-time costs to today's prices 4- Ringgold Band sound clip of G. Rob't Rehrer's Hampden March 5- 300,000 shad put into Schuylkill at Rdg. Riverfront Park 6- Some recent obits of possible general interest 7- 3-speed record player for old-time 78's, 45's, and l.p.'s 8- Dreamland Park inquiry brought numerous responses =========== ================= ================ 1- In the previous News-Bits email, your senior-moment- beplagued editor provided the good news that many more names had been added to the Society's online cemetery (searchable) file….and then gave you an faulty address to access same. Sorry! Try this: http://www.berkshistory.org/histsoc/cem.html ============ ============= ================= 2- One of the recipients of these emails notified us that there is a web-site devoted to Charles Duryea and his early auto manufacture---prior to 1900, at which time he moved to Reading where he remained about a decade, on West Douglass St., near the former Charles S. Foos/Douglass & Weiser school. The Wesley (Windsor St.) Methodist Church, at Front and Windsor, has a handsome Charles Duryea window that can be seen from the alleyway behind the church. He had been a Sunday School sup't there for a period. http://www.duryea-peoria.com/ ============== ============== ================= 3- About a year or so ago we gave the address of the on-line inflation calculator, a really informative guide to figure out what old-time costs would be in today's terms. It covers the years 1800 to 2002. We receive on-going requests for the address to access this site. Here is it again. If it's of interest, bookmark it for later reference: http://www.westegg.com/inflation/ An example of its use: Charles, Harry, and Joseph Middleby came to Reading in 1909 to build automobiles; they continued manufacturing until 1913. Their five-passenger touring car in 1910 sold for $1,250. What would that auto cost in today's money? Answer: $24,041.82 ============= ============= =============== 4- The previous News-Bits email made mention of the fact that we're trying to locate some band parts for G. Robert Rehrer's 1930 composition, "The Reading Eagle." We've had no luck yet but there are many searching through piles of old music. Rehrer's best-known march is "The Hampden Fireman," which the Ringgold Band plays during its summer concerts. Saturday evening, they played the "Hampden" to the great delight of the throng gathered at Hain's Church grove (Wernersville) for the annual Sunday School picnic. The band first plays the march as Rehrer composed it. Then, they speed things up to suggest racing to a fire, sirens blasting. This is the ultimate crowd pleaser. Herewith is a portrait of G. Robert Rehrer and a sound clip of the Ringgold Band with the finale to his "Hampden" march.   This coming Saturday evening, July 19, the Ringgold Band will be playing another of its outdoor concerts---at St. Michael's Church, Tilden Twp. Time: 6:30 to 9:30. This event is open to the general public. Come early for good homemade food; then take to your folding chair for the concert. Plenty of easy parking. To get there from Reading, take Route 61 North into Hamburg. At traffic light near center of town, turn LEFT onto State Street. Follow State Street out of Hamburg into the village of Jallapa. There, turn LEFT onto St. Michael's Road. You can't miss the church! Incidentally, many years ago a very aged woman told former pastor Rev. David Rapp that when she was a girl, she saw the smoke in the sky from the Battle at Gettysburg in 1863 from a vantage point on the hillside that rises above the church. ================ ================ ============== 5- Recently, the Reading Eagle reported that 300,000 shad fry were released into the Schuylkill at Reading's Riverfront Park. The fry were about 30 days old and 2/3 inch long. Each year, since 1999, the game commission has stocked parts or the Schuylkill in Berks with shad. Eventually, they will make their way downriver, riding the current and flopping over dams to the Atlantic Ocean. In the days before the Schuylkill Canal and the building of dams necessary for canal operation, the Schuylkill was loaded with shad. Fish weirs or wing-dams were constructed to catch them. These looked like giant V's, the bottom of the V pointing downriver. Believe it or not, one from the 1700's can still be seen as you drive along the West Shore By-Pass heading eastward. I've often wanted to photograph it but there's no place to safely pull over, even for a minute. (See "Fish Tales of the Schuylkill," pages 10-14, in "The Passing Scene," volume 11." ================= ============== =============== 6- Some obits noted: Pauline M. Oxenreider, 93, formerly of Shillington and latterly of the Skilled Nursing Unit at the Highlands, died Apr. 26th. She was born in Allentown, a daughter of Howard and Carrie (Rabenold) Moyer. She had been an area music teacher, at Shillington High and at Thomas Ford Elementary, Rdg. She was a graduate of Cedar Crest and Combs (music) Conservatory, Phil'a. William A. Burkey, 90, formerly of Hamburg, died Apr. 22nd. He joined the family-owned Burkey Underwear Co., Hamburg, in 1936 and served as president until his retirement and sale of the business in 1969. He was twice elected to borough council He was a Yale graduate. Burkey built an electric auto many years ago that is now in the Boyertown Museum of Historic Vehicles. Dr. John E. Marshall, 76, died April 23rd in the Veterans Affairs Medical Center, Lebanon. He had been a member of the Conrad Weiser Medical Group, Womelsdorf, until his retirement. He was a graduate of Lebanon Valley College and Hahnemann Medical College, Phil'a. James T. Reedy, retired English teacher and set designer for local theatrical productions, died April 23, aged 68. He taught English and history for 31 years in the Rdg. School District. He was a graduate of Albright College and a son of the late Bill Reedy, longtime sports editor of the Reading Eagle. In 1976, he was one of the finalists for outstanding teacher in Penn'a. Franklin "Jake" Shalter, died April 23rd, age 87. He had been a Muhlenberg township commissioner 22 years. He was a co-founder of Canada Dry Bottling Co., Hyde Park, where he was employed 32 years, latterly as division manager. He was the brother of wildlife photographer Jonathan L. Shalter III, a member of our Society. Margaret E. Riegel-Edgar of West Wyomissing, died April 20th at age 82. She was born in Cumru Twp., a daughter of Harry and Emma (Eckenroth) Becker. She was an English and phys ed teacher at Hamburg High and later at Gov. Mifflin H.S. She was one of the first clinical psychologists in the Berks area. She was a graduate of Kutztown State College and earned a master's from Lehigh. Joseph B. Schlanger, formerly of Pennside, died March 27th at age 96. He was owner-operator of Filbert's Seafood, Reading, for 52 years, retiring in 1999. Born in Philadelphia, he was the husband of Dorothy Schwartz-Schlanger. ============ =============== ================= 7- Many history buffs and collectors of misc. "old stuff" have vintage photograph records in a closet or in the attic that haven't been played for years, probably because the phonographs to play them were disposed of for one reason or another. Good news! Very recently, a distributor in New Jersey introduced the Vestax record player, a quality instrument very moderately priced. It plays old-time 78's and the later 45's and long-playing discs. The player's main features are that it operates on six D-cells and allows the user to play records "out loud" or with through ear-phones---OR---run the sound directly into your computer or into a stand-alone CD maker. Recently, I transferred 1920-ish Paul Specht 78's directly to a Sony CD maker with outstanding results. If you're interested, access:- http://www.kabusa.com/handytrax.htm ============= =============== ================ 8- In the last News-Bits release we asked for comments about Dreamland Park. Nearly two dozen were received. Here are some choice remarks: "Back in the 50`s, when my dad was the head steward at the Topton American Legion, he would truck their slot machines to Dreamland to keep them from the LCB boys, whenever things got hot. This was connected to Abe Minker and some fellow by the name of Ralph Kreitz, I think. My dad always had advance notice before the LCB boys showed up. Gee, I can`t guess how that could happen, can you?" (D.R.) "I had been at Dreamland Park when I was about 6 or 7 years old . The Goodwill Fire Co of Hyde Park would hold their annual outings there back in the early forties . I would go along with my parents . I don't remember to much about the place, but they had a carousel. Also it was run by Ralph Kreitz, well-known money machine king . A store was built across the street from the entrance to the park where punch board merchandise could be bought . The store building is still there, but now is a dwelling . (K.H.) "My father, Fred E, Moll, stage name Six-Shooter Bill, played on an indoor stage at Dreamland Park when I was about six. I don't know if that was considered the theatre. I do remember behind all the theatre seats, which I recall went up-hill like stadium seating, was a gift shop with a lot of neat toys." (F.M.) "I have some interest in the site of Dreamland Park since it sits on the location of my mother's grandmother's birthplace. Joel Haas had a blacksmith shop and house there in the mid to late 1860s; their daughter, Mary Haas, married Martin Hipsch, my ggf." (L.R.) "I located the place from an old map in the Ruscombmanor Twp. office which was hanging on the wall. It showed the Joel Haas place on the road going north out of Pricetown and identified an intersection of a road where his place was at. This corresponds with the Dreamland location. I found an entrance to the park which was chained off and had a no trespassing sign. Going south along the property stone wall, maybe a hundred feet, is where I figured the home was. I'm sure that the park would have taken down any old buildings. I tried to see through the trees and bushes but didn't see anything back in there. From what I understand, the Haas home was a log cabin." (L.R.) From a 1947 program:  Special thanks to Frank Haus who took the time for forward two emails relevant to the Dreamland Park inquiry. ============ ================= ============== ============ gmmix == end ==== ============== |
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