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Perkiomen Valley History
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| The Perkiomen Valley.... A Valley Rich In History... |
| When European settlers first came to what would be called Pennsylvania,
they found about 15,000 Native Americans, most from the Delaware or
Lenni-Lenape tribe, living primarily in the southeast section. |
| What is now the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania ("Penn's Woods")
was created on March 4,1681 by King Charles II of England. He granted
William Penn, a prominent Quaker, most of what we know as Pennsylvania
to repay a debt owed Penn's father, Admiral William Penn. |
| Pennsylvania later became known as the Quaker State and the Keystone
State, the latter name suggesting its position in the arch of the
13 original colonies. |
| The Perkiomen Valley was important from Pennsylvania's earliest
days because its rich farmlands provided food for residents of Philadelphia.
During the Revolutionary War, Washington's troops wintered in nearby
Valley Forge. |
| Montgomery County was formed in 1784 from land taken from Philadelphia.
Limerick Township is one of the first townships formed in Montgomery
County. Limerick's original settlers came from Germany and Holland
in the early 18th century. The township's borders took their current
form in 1879 with the separation of Royersford Borough. Today, Limerick
Township is the fastest growing area within the Perkiomen Valley.
There are many new residential developments because of the new 422
Expressway that runs through Limerick from King of Prussia to Pottstown.
It is also home to PECO Energy Company's Limerick Nuclear Generating
Station, the Pottstown-Limerick Airport, and several golf courses. |
| "Skippack and Perkioming Township," as it was known then,
was formed in 1725. In 1886 it divided into Skippack Township and
Perkiomen Township, separated by the Perkiomen Creek. Perkiomen Township
includes Rahns and Graterford, although most properties have Collegeville
mailing addresses. Skippack Township includes Creamery and Skippack
Village, which contains many small antique and craft shops. |
| The first copper mine in Pennsylvania was operating near Schwenksville
before 1720. For a time after the railroad reached Schwenksville in
1869, this area was a summer resort on the Perkiomen Creek. Schwenksville
Borough was incorporated in 1903, with its original land coming from
Perkiomen Township. Schwenksville reached its current form in 1972
with the addition of land from Lower Frederick Township. |
| Lower Providence Township and Upper Providence Township were created
in 1805 by splitting Providence Township in two. Both townships were
largely agricultural until recently. Lower Providence Township includes
Audubon, Eagleville, Evansburg, Trooper and the Valley Forge Industrial
Park and Corporate Center. |
| John James Audubon (1785-1851) had his first home in America at
Mill Grove in Lower Providence Township. The French-American
ornithologist was noted for his bird drawings and paintings, published
in Birds of America.The largest developments in Upper Providence Township
are at the intersection of the 422 Expressway and Route 29: SmithKline
Clinical Laboratories, SmithKline Beecham Pharmaceuticals Research
and Development, and the world headquarters of Rhone-Poulenc Rorer.
Upper Providence includes Mont Clare and Oaks. |
| Collegeville (formerly called "Perkiomen Bridge" and "Freeland")
and Trappe were incorporated in 1896 from land that had been part
of Upper Providence Township. Freeland Seminary was founded in 1848
by Abraham Hunsicker in what is now Collegeville. Ursinus College
purchased it in 1869. Pennsylvania Female College was founded in 1851
and closed in 1880, at which time Ursinus began to admit women. |
| Until the Pennsylvania Turnpike and the more recently opened 422
Expressway, Collegeville and Trappe had a strategic position at the
midpoint of the Philadelphia-Reading Pike. The Perkiomen Bridge Hotel,
built in Collegeville in the 1700s, is one surviving example of the
taverns and inns built to service this travel trade. |
| Henry Melchior Muhlenberg, whose restored home is on Main Street
in Trappe, founded the Lutheran Church in America. His eldest son,
John Peter Gabriel Muhlenberg, became a major general in the Continental
Army, was a vice-president of Pennsylvania and a U.S. representative.
Another son, Frederick Augustus Conrad Muhlenberg, served various
Lutheran congregations until he was elected to the Continental Congress
in 1779. A member of the US. House of Representatives, he was its
first Speaker. A grandson, Henry Augustus Philip Muhlenberg, was the
first U.S. minister to Austria. |
| Lower Frederick Township and Upper Frederick Township were formed
in 1919 with the division of Frederick Township. Their original settlers
were of Pennsylvania Dutch descent. Mostly still rural and agricultural,
this area has experienced residential development. Lower Frederick
Township includes Spring Mount and Zieglerville. Upper Frederick Township
includes Frederick, Obelisk, Perkiomenville, and Montgomery County's
536 acre Upper Perkiomen Valley Park. |
"The Perkiomen Valley was important
from Pennsylvania's earliest days
because its rich farmlands provided food
for residents of Philadelphia.
During the Revolutionary War,
Washington's troops wintered in nearby
Valley
Forge." |
| ....With Even More To Offer Today |
| Early on, middle-class Philadelphians would try to escape the summer
heat by riding the train out of the city to retreat to their summer
homes along the Perkiomen Creek in Collegeville, Schwenksville, Skippack
and Trappe. When the transportation infrastructure-particularly highways-was
developed, people began to live here year-round and commute to their
jobs in the city. |
| The Perkiomen Valley retained its rich heritage and pleasant rural
lifestyle. In more recent decades, companies began moving to this
area, too, to escape the growing problems of the inner city, to attract
skilled labor, and to be more conveniently located for their employees
and customers. |
| Most recently this trend has accelerated as technological developments
in telecommunications and computers have enabled all businesses, not
just those located in major cities, to look at and service markets
with a more national and international perspective. |
| Today, the valley continues to grow and prosper while preserving
its history, culture and unique, small-town sensibility. |
| Growth is a key word in this area. In the most recent census (1990),
the Perkiomen Valley had a population of 58,778. The largest growth
is expected in Limerick, Perkiomen Township, and Trappe Borough. |
"Today, the valley continues to grow
and
prosper while preserving its history, culture
and unique, small-town sensibility."
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