The Evolution of the Circle in Centre Square Part 2

The Soldier and Sailors monument had been up only two years when Congressman Mutchler went to Washington DC to propose that the Circle in Centre Square be the site for a "Public Building". (EDFP 11/6/1902) He suggested that the monument be moved to the Court House property so that it would be adjacent to both the county and newly bought City Hall. There was a vigorous protest against its removal by veterans, G.A.R. posts, businessmen and professionals. By November 21 the county Commissioners decided the monument would remain in the Circle.

February 1906, Easton City Council received a petition from the Merchants Association of Easton and Phillipsburg to abolish the Circle Market. They claimed; " That for a long time past the manner in which the Circle market has been conducted has been an imposition upon the public and the resident merchant who deals in similar commodities; That the original idea of allowing the farmers a place where they might offer for sale their produce has passed away, and in its place we have a large number of hucksters who monopolize this spot for the purpose of selling articles of merchandise which they themselves purchased for sale at this place. " It went on to say that some of the hucksters were non-residents and merchants could not sell some goods at the price of the hucksters, and they the merchants, were taxed upon the amount of business done, besides being under heavy expenses of maintaining  a permanent place of business. (EDFP 2/17/1906)

Ledger of Market Stands sold in the Circle and 12th St. from 1905 -1939

                                   This ledger is located in the Marx Historical Room at the EAPL.

                                                Photo courtesy of Ronald Wynkoop

Needless to say the Market continued although with a new resolution.

In June of  1921, Easton City Councilman, Albert F. Heck won his long battle for a Comfort Station to be put into the Circle. Comfort stations built below ground in town squares in Pennsylvania cities were the practice rather than the exception. Harrisburg, Lancaster, Allentown, Reading, Easton, and Scranton, all had underground facilities.William Richardson, a student at Lafayette College in 1921 wrote his thesis, titled;
The Design of a Public Comfort Station for Center Square, Easton, Pa. This book can be found at the Lafayette College Library.

Comfort Station in 1966 Photo courtesy of R. Wynkoop

On May 25, 1925 The Easton W.C.T.U. Federation were proud to unveil a new drinking fountain on the west side of the Circle. (The purpose of the Woman's Christian Temperance Union was to create a "sober and pure world" by abstinence, purity and evangelical Christianity.) In presenting the fountain, Mrs. McWilliams said: When the 18th amendment went into effect January 16, 1920, a group of Easton citizens decided to celebrate the event....it was agreed upon to commemorate the passing of the 18th amendment by placing a drinking fountain on some busy thoroughfare in Easton. (Easton Express  5/25/1925) It took them almost five years to collect the money and find a place.

In August of 1928 it was decided to remove the public drinking fountain located on the north curb line of the Circle. For years it furnished water for man and horse. The reason given were there were far more cars than horses that came into town. This was the same fountain that Peter S. Hulsizer had raised funds to install in 1887.

The following decades brought few major changes to the Circle. On August 14, 1945, " The Greatest Mass Celebration Since World War I Greets Victory News In Easton Area; Thousands and thousands of Eastonians and residents nearby poured into the downtown section jamming the district about Center Square so that police had to close main streets to traffic throughout the evening." (Easton Express 8/15/1945) The reason for this jubilant celebration was the war was over! 

On December 10, 1951 the very first Christmas Candle was lit. This candle was made of wood and plaster and was placed over the Soldiers and Sailors Monument.

Christmas Candle

Current Peace Candle

 Over the years, the Candle (Peace Candle) changed. Some years it was not put up at all. Whether you agree with the Candle being put up or not, it is to this day, a seasonal decoration and symbol.


June 20, 1969 it was decided that the Comfort Stations would remain closed, mainly because they didn't feel they were being used to the extent they cost to keep up. This was for the most part, due to major plumbing repairs.


In June of 2002 a resolution guaranteed the Fallen Firefighters' Monument would remain in the Circle at Centre Square. Six-graders had raised $3,800 to erect a monument after being inspired by the September 11 terrorist attacks in New York City.


In recent years the biggest event to happen in the Circle is the Farmers Market. This has grown into one of the most well attended and vibrant events in downtown Easton. Vegetables, fruits, honey, soap, coffee, wine, food and much more are sold there. Music and cooking demonstrations can be seen through out the day. So well received they expanded into a Garlic Fest and Bacon Fest that extended past the circle into the four streets that converge on the circle.

Easton Farmer's Market

 A town square is an open public space commonly found in the heart of a traditional town used for community gatherings, according to Wikipedia. Easton, in the past 252 years has certainly proved this!

 

 

Photo Memories

Jim's Hot Dog Stand after being hit by a truck in Phillipsburg, NJ
August 1, 1966

                                                                          

SEE WHAT YOU CAN FIND IN THE SANBORN FIRE INSURANCE MAPS

SEE WHAT YOU CAN FIND IN THE SANBORN FIRE INSURANCE MAPS

 

“I just purchased a home in Easton and want to know more about it.”

 

            It’s a frequent question we hear in the Marx Room. One of the first resources we reach for are the collection of Sanborn Fire Insurance Maps. The Library has a paper set of 42 maps of the Easton area for the year 1919 and microfilms with the years 1885 to 1927 and 1950 to 1970.

            First a few words about the history of this valuable resource. Surveyor Daniel Alfred Sanborn founded the Sanborn Map Company in 1867 in New York City. The maps were originally designed to be used by insurance companies to estimate the risks involved in underwriting policies in the rapidly growing urbanized areas of the United States. Mr. Sanborn’s maps were highly detailed and rich in the useful information the insurance companies required.

            The colorful Sanborn maps show addresses, building footprints, building use, property boundaries, materials used in construction, height/number of stories, street names, road widths, right of ways and fire-fighting resources at the time the map was made. The sets have an index and an overall map of the area represented along with a key to interpret the symbols and colors used.

            You can see if your house originally had a wraparound porch or a chicken coop or bake oven in the back yard. Early buildings did not have indoor plumbing, so there was probably an outhouse in the back yard. (A nod to all of the bottle diggers out there!) Maybe your home was built as a log cabin or out of stone and subsequently covered over with a different material. There is an abundance of information about the construction of the buildings which is helpful to those who would like to restore their homes to an earlier appearance.

            Businesses, large and small are also shown on the maps. Your home may have been a small grocery store, a barber shop, a church rectory. By comparing different years of the map sets you can

see if the landscape has been altered over time and view the expansion of homes and new streets as
they occurred in your neighborhood. The maps show parks, churches, graveyards, bodies of water
and rail lines.

            The Sanborn Fire Insurance Maps bring the past to brilliant life and are a treasure trove for historians, preservationists, genealogists, archaeologists and, of course, the new homeowner.

Photo Memories

Siegfried's Store at 603 Northampton St. Easton, PA

The CWA and WPA Projects of the Easton Library

The Civil Works Administration (CWA) was a short-lived United States job creation program started by the New Deal during the Great Depression to help create manual labor jobs for millions of unemployed workers. President Franklin D. Roosevelt unveiled the CWA on November 8, 1933. Although most jobs from this program were construction related, (improving or constructing buildings and bridges), in December of 1933 an amazing and very important professional project was started at the Easton Public Library. “Compilation of early records, typing of data previously gathered, German translations, indexing of School Board minutes, genealogies and local historical manuscripts, comprise a work of lasting and practical value to residents of Easton and Northampton County." (see Newspaper and date below)


The projects were started by then Librarian, Henry F. Marx who directed and contributed to the work until his retirement in 1936.  In June of 1937 it was announced they were finished. By this time the project was known as the Works Progress Administration (WPA).  (The CWA was ended and replaced with the WPA due to taxpayers complaints of  "no permanent value" in the projects, hence the WPA was founded and became the largest and most ambitious American New Deal agency, employing millions of unemployed people.)

Other important contributors to the Easton Library projects were A. D. Chidsey  Jr., Rev. A.W. Leiby, Dr. Wm. John Hinke, J. Ingham Kinsey, W. A. Stocker and Jennie L. Stewart. Seventeen volumes of Northampton County family histories from the manuscripts of Horatio Gates Shull (1858 - 1929) were also added to the collection.

According to the newspaper article, WORK OF LASTING VALUE COMPLETED AT EASTON LIBRARY (Easton Express, June 3, 1937) , there were twenty volumes of local and county churches and ten volumes of local and county newspaper extracts of marriages and deaths. We currently have 32 volumes of church records in our INDEXED WPA CHURCH RECORDS.  The Indexes were completed in 1945 and credit is given to the WPA personnel, Robert F. Ehret, and the staff of the Easton Public Library. I personally am amazed what a great and accurate job they did for the Indexes as it was all done manually without the help of computers to organize it. It was a monumental project to go through 32 volumes of church records and to match up all the surnames along with given names.

Currently we have 37 volumes of Marriage & Death Newspaper extracts, 1799-1902 with additional death notices/obituaries 1900 to current. Another very important project they did were the Wills of Northampton County from 1752 (the start of the county) to 1840. Over 3,000 early English and German script wills were translated. The abstracts of these are exclusively at the Easton Area Public Library.

Miscellaneous records such as cemetery records, copies of Revolutionary muster rolls, and early Northampton County Tax lists were also added to the genealogical library through this project.

"The Easton School Board sponsored the work, the benefits from which have been two-fold. Permanent additions to the Library have been made possible, as well as employment for many deserving citizens of the community."

Citizens from all over the country if not world, still benefit from this CWA/WPA project. Volunteers and staff are still adding to the collection of the Marx Room making it a premier stop for genealogist and historians.

ReMarx on Genealogy and History

Welcome to the Marx Room Blog!

Henry Marx was Director of the Easton Area Public Library from 1901 until 1936. He realized the importance of local history and genealogy and initiated and fostered the collecting of this material.

Due to the foresight of Mr. Marx, the History Room is known nationwide, even worldwide, for its extensive and informative collection of local church, cemetery, newspaper, and courthouse records. With his guidance, future directors and volunteers were inspired to continue adding to the collection, making it one of the most premier destinations for genealogists and researchers. The collection has been maintained and expanded to house over 15,000 items all in a climate controlled environment.

The majority of our holdings center on the city of Easton and Northampton County. To a lesser degree we have concentrations on locales within a 30-mile radius. This includes Lehigh, Monroe, eastern Berks, eastern Schuylkill, northern Montgomery, and northern Bucks counties in Pennsylvania, and Hunterdon, Sussex, and Warren counties in New Jersey.

We have launched this new blog to help highlight the many valuable genealogical and historical resources that are available in the Marx Room of Local History.

We will be writing about upcoming projects, new materials we acquire, volunteer opportunities, and topics that we think will be appreciated by the community, and family historians. Plus have some fun along the way.

We welcome you and would like to help you get acquainted with everything the room has to offer. We will encourage you, introduce you to new resources, and help you develop your research skills.

Along with the history and genealogy of our area, each staff member has their favorite areas of interest regarding history and genealogy:

Sharon - Lower and Upper Mount Bethel Townships, Bangor, and Schuylkill County

Barbara B - New Jersey, Upper New York State, and DAR Methods

Barbara S - Worcester County, Massachusetts, Hoosick Falls, Rensselaer County, New York,
Quebec, Canada

Rory Morgan - Easton area history of the 19th and 20th century Military History

For detailed information about our holdings, consult the Library's online catalog, available on the Library website at: www.eastonpl.org. To see specific information about the Marx Room of Local History click on the Local History link at the top right of our homepage.

Sample of a Northampton County Family Genealogy

My Merrill Family, according to a Biographical Record of Richard N. Merrill , came from French descent and were early settlers of New Jersey. His father Richard, came to Lower Mt. Bethel Township, Northampton County, PA and died there in 1850.

Richard Merrill (1767- 1850)
Scotch-Irish Cemetery, Martins Creek, PA

 Richard was first married to Mary Fitz Randolph and had six children. After Mary died, he married Mary Bitters nee Nye/Neigh. Mary had been married to Arnold Bitters and together they had four children. Richard Merrill and Mary Nye had only one child that reached adulthood, Richard Nye Merrill.

Mary Nye (1772-1848)
Scotch-Irish Cemetery, Martins Creek, PA

                                                              
 Honorable Richard Nye Merrill was born in 1817 in Lower Mt. Bethel Township. In 1838 he married Jane Shull/Scholl, daughter of Philip Shull of Martins Creek, a local mill owner.
                                             

Richard Nye Merrill (1817-1907)

In 1855 Richard Nye was elected Treasurer of Northampton County and served two terms. Previous to this in 1853 he was elected Justice of the Peace of Lower Mt. Bethel Township and again in 1858. In 1861 he was chosen Associate Judge of Northampton County for a term of five years. He continued as Justice of the Peace up to 1893 having been honored to have this position for more than forty years, the longest period that any Justice of the Peace had held. Along with these positions, he was also an auctioneer.  (My mother has possession of Richard Nye's old seal press from when he was JOTP.)

Jane Shull/Scholl (1819-1882)

Richard Nye and Jane Shull had eleven children. Of these children there was John C. Merrill, District Attorney of Northampton County; Irwin Merrill, Justice of the Peace for Bangor, PA; Rev. Dr. Philip S. Merrill, who under his supervison the White Temple in Miami Fla. was constructed. Jane, Laura and Richard moved to Philadelphia, Elizabeth ended up in Seattle, WA, Margaret drowned in the Raritan Canal from "insanity", Sallie (Sarah) married a local doctor and Mary, the only child who did not marry,  devoted herself to the church.
The eleveth child was my ancestor, Oscar Merrill.

Oscar Merrill ( 1848 - 1920)

Both Oscar and his wife Emma Gordon were "deaf mutes". They were not born this way but due to high temperatures at a young age, both lost their ability to hear and ultimately to speak. Emma was born in Milford, PA to Jervis and Eliza Gordon. Jervis was a mill owner and well off enough to send Emma to the Pennsylvania School for the Deaf in Philadelphia. That is where she met Oscar who was also lucky to be able to attend this school.

Emma Gordon (1850-1932)

Oscar and Emma after getting married in 1875 at Milford, PA, lived with Oscar's father, Richard Nye and mother Jane at Mt. Pleasant in Lower Mt. Bethel Township. Even though Oscar went to the school in Philadelphia for tailoring, his occupation was farming.

Emma and Oscar Merrill

Oscar and Emma had one child, Gertrude Merrill, my Great Grandmother.

Gertrude Merrill (1875-1960)

William Dillman (1874-1959)

Gertrude Merrill and William Dillman lived fairly close to each other and married in 1901. They lived their entire married lifes in Mt. Pleasant, Lower Mt. Bethel Township, PA.
They had nine children that all lived to adulthood. My Grandmother (Nana) was Anna Gordon Dillman.

Marx Room Databases

DID YOU KNOW….
The Marx Room subscribes and offers some useful historical databases for Easton Area Public Library patrons to use at home on your computer. Whether you are doing family genealogy or histories of towns, there is a variety and wealth of information at your fingertips. These are all located under LOCAL HISTORY on the library’s home page.  You will need your Easton Area Public Library card number to access the pages.

1. Heritage Quest Online 

•  Search Census - Find ancestors in the complete set of U.S. Federal Census images from 1790-1940, including name indexes for many years.
• Search Books - Find information on people and places described in over 28,000 family and local histories.
• Search PERSI^(TM) Archive - Find information about people and places from this index of over 2.3 million genealogy and local history articles (1800-2009).
• Search Revolutionary War - Search selected records from the Revolutionary War Era Pension & Bounty-Land Warrant Application Files.
• Search Freedman's Bank - Search for individuals in Freedman's Bank (1865-1874), which was founded to serve African Americans.
• Search U.S. Serial Set - Search the Memorials, Petitions, and Private Relief Actions of the U.S. Congress in the ProQuest U.S. Serial Set.