Call Number:

04

Repository:

Lower Merion Historical Society

Extent:

57.0 linear feet

Language:

English

Date:

1874-2011 (inclusive)

Creator:

Lower Merion Historical Society.

Abstract:

The Lower Merion Historical Society clippings (vertical) files, 1874-2011, contain newspaper clippings, pamphlets, photographs, and other secondary materials. The subjects range from local topics, such as geographical areas in and around Lower Merion, churches, schools, and notable residents; to topics of wider significance, such as John Dickinson, the Civil War, and the Daughters of the American Revolution. The township of Lower Merion in Montgomery County, Pennsylvania was first settled by Welsh Quakers in 1682. It is part of the "Main Line," a collection of affluent Philadelphia suburbs located alongside the Pennsylvania Railroad line that was built between Philadelphia and Harrisburg in the mid-19th century.

In August of 1682, Welsh Quakers from the County of Merionethshire landed in Pennsylvania. These "Merioneth Adventurers" were bound for the "Welsh Tract," granted to them by William Penn. Today, the area is Lower Merion township and Narberth borough, Montgomery County, Pennsylvania.

Lower Merion township has become known for two industrial giants, the Pencoyd Iron Works and the Autocar Company. The Pencoyd Ironworks was started by the Roberts family in 1852. The company became a major bridge and structural steel supplier. The Autocar company moved to Ardmore from Pittsburgh in 1900. Autocar was a manufacturer of commercial vehicles. The company moved to Exton, Pennsylvania in 1953.

In the mid-19th century, the Main Line of the Pennsylvania Railroad was constructed, running from Philadelphia to Harrisburg and Pittsburgh. The route passed through Lower Merion, and like other "Main Line" towns, the area developed into an affluent suburban community due to its convenient location.

Bibliography:

Francis, Gerald A. "Celebrating William Penn's Vision and the First Welsh Settlement in Lower Merion and Narberth: 1682-2007." The Lower Merion Historical Society, 2007.

Lower Merion Historical Society. "Business and Industry." Accessed November 7, 2011. http://www.lowermerionhistory.org/texts/first200/business_5.html.

This assembled collection was created by the Lower Merion Historical Society and contains newspaper clippings, pamphlets, photographs, and other secondary materials. The subjects range from local topics, such as geographical areas in and around Lower Merion, churches, schools, and notable residents; to topics of wider significance, such as John Dickinson, the Civil War, and the Daughters of the American Revolution.

The items in the collection have been numbered, abstracted, and assigned subject keywords, which are searchable in an online database on the repository website.