Call Number:

07

Repository:

Historical Society of Tacony

Extent:

15.0 linear feet ((11 document boxes, 2 flat archival boxes, 1 plastic box, 7 cardboard boxes, numerous loose framed and rolled items))

Language:

English

Date:

1920-2011 (bulk) and 1861-2011 (inclusive)

Creator:

Historical Society of Tacony.

Abstract:

Tacony is a historic neighborhood located in Northeast Philadelphia. In 1872, Henry Disston bought a large tract of land in the area to which he moved his saw mill, which became the world's largest saw manufacturer. The Historical Society of Tacony local history collection contains subject files on a wide range of topics such as local buildings, events, and people. The files contain newspaper clippings, photographs, and ephemera. Of special interest in this collection are about 50 employment cards from the Dodge Steel Company, dating from 1924-1964, which contain detailed information on individual employees.

Tacony is a historic neighborhood located in Northeast Philadelphia. Tacony gained recognition in 1846 when the Philadelphia and Trenton Railroad built a Ferry Wharf to transfer passengers to downtown Philadelphia by steam-boat. In 1872, Henry Disston bought a large tract of land in the area to which he moved his saw mill, which became the world's largest saw manufacturer. Disston also sought to develop a "utopian" residential community in Tacony for his workers, and funded the building of schools, churches, and a library. The Tacony Iron and Metal Works became famous for crafting the dome and statue of William Penn which now sits atop City Hall in downtown Philadelphia. An important resident of Tacony was Frank Shuman (1862-1918), an inventor whose most notable inventions were wired safety glass and the first solar power steam engine.

This collection of subject files on local history topics was compiled largely by Louis M. Iatarola in the 1990s and early 2000s. The files cover a wide range of subjects including: local schools, such as Our Lady of Consolation, Lincoln High School, and Disston School; churches, such as Tacony Baptist Church; businesses, such as the Tacony Iron and Metal Works, Dodge Steel Company, and Insinger Machine Company; public spaces, such as the Library, Post Office, and Pennypack Park; nearby neighborhoods, such as Holmesburg, Mayfair, and Frankford; and transportation lines, such as the Philadelphia Railroad, "the Hop, Toad, and Frog Line" (Holmesburg, Tacony & Frankford Railroad Company), and I-95. There are also files on special topics such as a "War on Graffiti," Tacony History Day events, the hurricane of 1911, local politics, fraternal organizations, "Tacony making headlines," local politics, and Tacony individuals.

The subject files primarily consist of newspaper clippings and printouts of internet articles, circa 2000-2010; and photographs, some original but mostly copies, of scenery, buildings, events, and group portraits of classes and sports teams,1860-2011. The files also contain some ephemera.

Of special interest are about 50 employment cards from Dodge Steel Company, 1924-1964. The cards are incredibly rich in detail: they list address, marital status, languages spoken, parents' birthplaces, previous employment, and wage history at Dodge Steel, among other information; they also include photographs of the employees. Another highlight of the collection is a proposal, printed by the Tacony Manufacturer's Association in December 1921, to hold Philadelphia's Sesquicentennial celebration in Pennypack Park. There is also a photocopy of a record of births delivered by local doctor David R. Umstead, 1907-1915, that may also interest researchers.