MOUNTAINS.-The Appalachian chain of mountains extends through the eastern territory of the United States from the Saint Lawrence river on the north to the the State of Georgia on the south. The greatest heights are in North Carolina. There they are between 6,000 and 6,800 feet above the sea. This conspicuous chain includes all the ridges; and two ridges extend through Berks county.They are the Blue Mountain and the South Mountain.
The Blue Mountain, in its course south twenty-five degrees west from the Delaware at Easton to the Susquehanna at Harrisburg , forms the present northern boundary line of Berks county. It was a barrier to migration in in the earliest settlements of this section of the State and it was the limit of the earliest surveys which were made northwestwardly from the Delaware river. The earliest map of surveys, which was prepared by Lewis Evans, and published by him in 1749, is in the possession of the Historical Society of Pennsylvania at Philadelphia. Several drafts of earlier dates appear in the first two volumes of the Pennsylvania Archives, and relate to purchases of land from the Indians.
The apex of this mountain undulates. Its average heighjt above the sea isabout 1200 feet. The distinguishing peculiarities in the formation of the mountain in Berks countyare the "Pinnacle," the "Schuylkilll Gap," the "Round Head" and numerous ravines which were washed out in the mountainside by rolling waters in in the course of time, and came to be useful to man in having marked out for him easy passes over the mountain.
From a distance, the rnountain has a blueish appearance. Hence it was and is called Blue Ridge. On one of the early maps it is called the "Kittatinny Mountain," corrupted from the Indian word Kau-ta-tin-chunk, meaning endless. It is also sometimes called North Mountain.
The South Mountain extends through the county southeastwardly. It enters abouth the middle of the western boundary, near the cornerstone of the dividing line between Lancaster and Lebanon counties. At this point it is distant from the Blue Mountain about fifteen miles. It is called South Mountain because it lies south of the Blue Mountain. The distance between them increases as they diverge eastwardly. At Reading it is about twenty-three miles. The highest point in this mountain is near the county line in Lebanon county, on a spur extending several miles southwestwardly. Its height is about twelve hundred feet.
In the southern section of the county, this mountain has a greater width. It includes a succession of rollinghills, almost entirely covered with growing trees. Some portions have been cleared and converted into farming lands. This district, being thus covered and having the appearance of a forest, is called "The Forest." The "Welsh Mountain" and the "Flying Hills" are included in this range.
The "Flying Hills" extend along the southerly side,of the Schuylkill river for several miles. They comprise a small ridge broken by
gorges, and were given this name by the early settlers because numerous grouse were seen flying there. They are indicated on an early map of 1743, and from that time till now they have been so known and called. They can be seen and identified for forty miles down the Schuylkill Valley. From afar they resernble great monuments, and they were famous for game until about 1860. Of the gorges mentioned; the "Gibraltar" is the most remarkable and picturesque. Numerous hills are scattered throughout the county, which subserve the agricultural districts admirably in respect to wood and water. Their natural arrangement and distribution are wonderful. The cupidity of man is, however, gradually breaking up this harmony of nature by cutting down the trees and tilting the land. In the western section, the most conspicuous hills are "Stoudt's Hill," located at the great bend of the Schuylkill, about six miles north of Reading (named after the owner of the land), and "Scull's Hill," distant about five miles farther to the north (named after Nicholas Scull. the surveyor-general of the province from 1748 till 1761).
In the eastern section, the county is considerably broken by intersecting hills which extend in different directions, mostly, however, to the north and south. The "Oley Hills" are most conspicuous in a historic aspect. They are mentioned in patents and deeds of lands before 1720. Since 1783-the most prominent hill in that vicinity has been called "Earl Mountain," because it was cut from Oley and included in a new township of that name then erected. The "Monocacy Hill," cone-shaped, is situated several miles soutffwardly, near the river.
The "Reading Hills" are the most conspicuous in the central section in a natural aspect. They were included in the "Manor of Penn's Mount," a large tract which was set apart for the use of the Penns before the erection of the county, and included about twelve thousand acres. The hill known by the citizens of Reading as "Penn's Mount" adjoins the city on the east. To the north and west its elevated top commands a magnificent view the Schuylkill and Lebanon Valleys, which are especially rich in agriculture, manufactures and internal improvements; and it overlooks an area of territory including about five hundred square miles. It has two conspicuous spots at the apex, facing the west, which are called "White Spot" and "Black Spot." They are visible to the naked eye for a distance of thirty miles, and were so called by the first inhabitants of Reading. Their general appearance does not seem to change; they are bare spots on the hillside, composed of stones and rocks. The "'White Spot" is the nearer and more accessible. It has been for many years, and is still, resorted to for stones for building purposeb; and it is fre-quently visited also by resident and stranger for the view it commands. The removal of the stones gives the spot a white appearance. Time and the weather are not given an opportunity to darken the surface of the stones. The "Black Spot" was not disturbed till 1889, when the Mt. Penn Gravity Railroad was constructed. and the "Tower" erected on the top; hence its black appearance. Their elevation above the Schuylkill river at the foot of Penn street is as follows: White Spot, 767.64 feet: Black Spot, 879.78 feet. The elevation of the higher point above the sea is about 1,100 feet.
The hill known as the "Neversink" adjoins the city on the south. Its highest point is somewhat lower than Mt. Penn. It commands a magnificent view of the Schuylkill Valley to the southeast for forty miles, and of "The Forest" to the south and southwest for upward of ten miles. It overlooks, the double bend in the river, which forms a large S, both projections being mostly farming land, the one extending northwardly being known as "Lewis's Neck" (from the first settler there), and the other southwards as "Poplar Neck" (from the great poplar trees) for more than one hundred and fifty vears. This hill lies east and west and forms with Mt. Penn a large T. Its northern declivity is rather gentle, but the southern steep and rugged. It has been known by the name of "Neversink" for many years. It is mentioned in surveys of adjoining land which were made as early as 1714.
An interesting, though ridiculous, tradition is connected with its origin. It was said by early settlers that an Indian had devised a flying machine, by which he proposed to fly from the one hill (Flying Hill at Poplar Neck) to the other and "never sink." His efforts proved a failure. Instead of flying into fame he sank into shame. The word is of Indian origin, "Navesink," and means fishing-ground. The Schuylkill river in this vicinity was formerly a famous fishing-ground for shad. Fisheries were carried on successfully until the construction of the canal about 1820.
"Schwartzwald" is situated several miles to the east. It was included in the "Manor lands." The woods are dark and like a forest. This name was given by the early settlers in comniemoration of their native place.
"Irish Mountain" is near the center of the county. It is prominent and overlooks the Schuylkill Valley from the Blue Mountain to the South Mountain, especially the fertile lands which adjoin the Maiden creek and its tributaries. The early settlers round about were mostly Germans. They named the hill after English settlers who had located or rather "squatted" there. The language and manners of the latter were more or less objectionable to them, and they among themselves entertained contempt for the intruders ' and in conversation called them the "Irish."
"Spitzenberg" is a cone-shaped hill near by the Pinnacle. Its peculiar shape makes it conspicuous. It is not as elevated as the mountain to the north.
VALLEYS.-Nature has arranged the earth's surface within the borders of Berks county in a superior manner, Its rolling character, interspersed with hills and mountains, and intersected by numerous irrigating rivulets and streams, renders it most admirable for successful cultivation with ordinary labor. The well-directed energy and enterprise of the farmers have enriched and improved it to a wonderful degree. A depression in the central portion of the county extends from the Blue Mountain on the north to the boundary line on the southeast, a,distance of thirty-two miles. It resembles an L irregularly drawn. It is called "Schuylkill Valley," and takes its name from the meandering river that flows through its bosom. It is not distinguished for width. Above Reading it is rather open, below rather confined. Valleys enter it on the east an on the west. The most conspicuous of the eastern valleys are the Maiden-creek, the Antietam, the Monocacy and the '.Manatawny; and of the western, the Tulpehocken, the Wyomissing, the Allegheny, and the Haycreek. All take their names from the streams which flow through them. On both sides they begin at the extreme limits of the county, excepting the Antietam and the Monocacy, which begin in the central portion.
Together these valleys present a remarkable conformation. They distribute the water supply equally. Their depression is from the limits of the county toward the center, with a southerly inclination. The principal valley has the lowest points of the county from the northern limit to the southern. The limits on the east, west and south are watersheds to a great degree; inside the waters flow inwardly, but at the lines and outside they flow outwardly--on the east into the Lehigh river and Perkiomen creek, and on the west and south into the Swatara and Conestoga creek, which empty into the Susquehanna river. These valleys, therefore, gather all the waters within the county and direct them into and through its territory for the great benefit of its industrious inhabitants before they allow them to depart.
Berks county occupies the central portion of the large district, in area forty-six hundred square lmiles, which lies between the Delaware and Susquehanna rivers. The plan of distribution of valleys and waters between these rivers is marvelous, and the leaders in the movement for the erection of the county in this large body of land displayed foresight and knowledge in obtaining such boundary lines.
The Tulpehocken valley forms the eastern section of the Lebanon Valley, the Swatara Valley (which extends westwardly through Lebanon and Dauphin counties) the western section. These two valleys together are about fifty-four miles long, and they take the name of Lebanon Valley from the town which occupies the highest point midway.
There are other valleys, but they have only a local character and take their names from the respective streams which flow through them. There are several gaps in the county, but the Schuylkill Gap in the Blue Mountain, where the Schuylkill river enters, possesses the most marked features.
STREAMS-Springs are the great sources of all streams. They arise mostly in the mountains and elevated portions of country, and supply all the streams in Berks county, almost the entire quantity flowing from numerous springs which are situated within its borders. This is exceptional; for comparatively little water is drained from from Berks county into all the adjoining counties, excepting Schuyllkill county on the north. This indicates that the borders of Berks county are higher than the surrounding territory.
Bethel township, in the northwest, is entirely drained by the Little Swatara creek into the Swatara, and the waters pass through Lebanon and Dauphin counties into the Susquehanna river. Caernarvon township, on the south, is entirely drained by the Little Conestoga and Muddy creeks, into the Conestoga, and the waters pass through Lancaster county into the Susquehanna river. A part of Union township, on the southeast, is drained by French creek, and the waters pass through into the Schuylkill river. Considerable parts of the eastern townships (Colebrookdale, Washington and Hereford) are drained by Perkiomen creek, and the waters pass through Montgomery county into the Schuylkill. And the greater part of Longswamp township on the northeast, and the remaining part of Hereford, are drained by the Little Lehigh into Lehigh river, and the waters pass through Lehigh county into the Delaware river.
The streams of the county are numerous. They irrigate every section and contribute much to the natural fertility of the soil. The most conspicuous feature of the water system is the Schuylkill river. Streams flow into it from the east and from the west, and the territory on each side, thus supplied, is about equal in area. On the eastern side, beginning in the upper section, they are 1, Windsor; 2, Perry; 3, Maiden creek (which has two principal tributaries flowing into it, both on the east-moselem and Sacony) ; 4, Laurel Run; 5, Bernhart Run; 6, Rose Valley run; 7, Antietam; 8, Monocacy; and 9, Manatawny (which has two principal tributaries flowing into it-the Ironstone from the east, and the Little Manatawny from the west). Of these, the Maiden creek and Manatawny are especially large. The Bernhart run and the Antietam (formerly, for a time, known as Ohlinger creek) have been entirely appropriated by the city of Reading for a municipal water supply.
On the western side they are 1, Mill creek, 2, Irish creek; 3, Tulpehocken; 4, Wyomissing; el Angelica; 6, Allegheny; 7, Hay creek; 8, Sixpenny; and 9, Mill creek. Of these, the Tulpehocken, Wyomissing and Hay creek are especially large. All the streams mentioned afford valuable water-power. They attracted the attention of the early settlers of the county and their inexhaustible sup- ply was fully appreciated, having been appropriated immediately by the settlers, and turned to account in running gristmills and iron forges. Many of the early deeds on record relate to this.
Schuylkill.-The word Schuylkill is of Dutch origin and means Hidden creek, or Skulk creek. The Dutch named the river when they took possession of the land about its mouth. The outlet is very wide and deceiving, and appears to be a part of the Delaware river instead pf being a tributary. By some persons it is said to be of Indian origin, but this is not correct. The name given to it by the Indians was "Ganshdwehanne," which means a roaring or falling stream. Rupp says they called it "Manajung," which means mother. The river rises in Schuvikill county. it flows generally in a southeasterly direction and traverses the State for a distance of one hundred and twenty-five miles, until it empties into the Delaware river at Philadelphia. It has many important branches which flow into it on the east and on the west, from its source to its mouth. These contribute much to the physical and productive welfare of the southeastern section of the State. Together they drain a very large area of territory.
The important branches are the following: On the east, beginning in the north: 1, Main Branch; 2, Little Schuylkill (formerly called Tamaqua) ; 3, Maiden creek; 4, Manatawny; 5, Perkiomen; and 6, Wissahickon; and on the west: 1, West Branch; 2, Bear creek, 3, Tulpehocken; 4, Wyomissing; 5, French creek; and 6, Pickering. Each, is conspicuous for length and large flow of water; and in a general way they are about equal in these respects. This harmony in their proportions is wonderful. The earliest drafts show the Maiden creek, Manatawny and Tulpehocken, which indicates that the surveyors regarded them of more than ordinary importance. The Schuylkill is not only the grand trunk of this system of water, but it occupies the central line of the territory in which this system is arranged.
LATITUDE AND LONGITUDE.-The county of Berks lies in the lower central portion of the North Temperate Zone, between 40 and 41 North Latitude, and between 1/2 and 1 1/2 East Longitude, reckoning from Washington.
IRON ORE.- The mining of different ores was carried on quite extensively from the beginning of the settlements in Berks county, particularly iron and copper. The former of these was mined in connection with the manufacture of charcoal iron. Rich deposits were found at many places within the limits of the county, and became a great source of profit to miners and manufacturers. These deposits were mostly in the townships of Cumru, Alsace, Oley, Ruscombmanor, Colebrookdale and Caernarvon, and along the East Penn Valley.
In 1880 the Census Report placed Berks county third in the list of ore-producing counties in Pennsylvania, and seventh in the United States. The iron ore produced in that year was 252,940 tons and over one hundred mines were in successful operation. The character of the ore was primitive and hematite.
COPPER ORE.-It is believed that copper ore was found in the southern section of the county before 1700. Subsequently, a tract of one thousand acres of land came to be owned and occupied by David Jones, in 1735, and he mined large quantities of copper ore, causing the locality to be known from that time until now as the "Jones Mines." No statistics have been published relating to it. It was operated at different times afterward for nearly one hundred and fifty years.
CLAYS.-A number of beds of clay have been found and worked in recent years, which are described in the several townships where the operations have been carried on.
MiNERALS.-Prof. David B. Brunner (prominent educator of Berks county for many years) tabulated a list of the minerals found in the county and this list comprises seventy different kinds.
GEOLOGY.-A geological survey of Pennsylvania was made from 1836 to 1857 by the State, and this immediate section, including Berks county, was found to contain four principal strata, which extend through the county from northeast to southwest. By a published map it appears that the slate formation covered nearly the upper half of the county, or four-tenths; the limestone, the central section, or three-tenths; the white sandstone, the lower central or one-tenth; and the red sandstone, the lower, ot two-tenths.
When the province of Pennsylvania was granted to William Penn by Charles II., King of Great Britain, in 1681, no township or county organizations existed within its limits. But the arrival of Penn was the dawn of government, progress and civilization, and within a month afterward he caused three counties to be laid out- Bucks, Chester and Philadelphia. County government then began, and county representation in the Provincial Assembly was inaugurated. During this period, thousands of immigrants came into the province and effected permanent settlements; and each succeeding year found them farther removed from the county seats of the counties named. They proceeded up the courses of streams mostly. Very few followed the streams from their sources to their outlets. Only one colony came from New York overland, and this was nearly fifty years after the settlements had begun, and the government had been given a fixed character. Nearly all landed at Philadelphia; and thence the great majority proceeded toward the interior districts and the head-waters of streams. This is particularly.the case with the Schuylkill river and its tributaries.
The settlements between the Schuylkill and Delaware rivers were numerous before 1700. Every decade thereafter found them farther northward from the Wissahickon to the Perkiomen, from the Perkiomen to the Manatawny, and from the Manatawny to the Maiden creek. And so they proceeded between the Schuylkill and Susquehanna rivers.
Gradually those who had settled in the interior districts toward the mountains began to feel the inconvenience and expense incident to their location. They were compelled to travel, regardless of roads or weather, to the county-seat far removed from their settlements, and to haul their goods many miles to the market before they could realize any value for the products of their hard manual labor. Naturally they felt inclined to improve their condition. A county organization was the first step toward accomplishing this object, as well to bring the county-seat into their midst as to create a market near by for the disposition of their produce.
But, notwithstanding the numerous settlements and the large population in the great district of territory east of the Schuylkill and south of the Blue Mountain, no additional counties were erected before 1750. It was different to the west of the Schuylkill. The tide of immigration seems to have been greater in that direction. They did not have the natural facilities to enable them to reach their county seat in Chester county, as the settlers had in the districts to the east of them, which lay in Philadelphia and Bucks counties. In 1729 they induced the Executive Council to separate them from Chester county and erect their settlements into a new county, which they called Lancaster.
During the first quarter of the eighteenth century many immigrants proceeded to the right into Perkiomen Valley along the West Branch, and into Oley Valley along the Manatawny and its tributaries. These were mostly Germans; some were English, and others Swedes. Other immigrants, mostly Welsh, proceeded to the left into Conestoga Valley. The settlements for miles on both sides of the river were mostly confined to the south of the succession of hills commonly called South Mountain. This was especially the case to the right. In this district of territory the settlements were then known by the names "Amity," "Oley" and "Colebrookdale." But to the left, a small settlement of Germans had taken place in the Tulpehocken Valley, the enterprising settlers having come down the Susquehanna river from New York, and migrated eastwardly to the head-waters of the Tulpehocken creek, and another settlement, of English (commonly called "Friends") and Welsh, had taken place along the Allegheny and Wyomissing creeks. These settlements were known by tne names "Tulpehocken" and "Robeson." An earlier settlement to the south was called "Caernarvon." Accordingly, during the first quarter of that century, six distinct settlements in this vicinity had come to be formed and recognized.
During the second quarter, the way for settlements north of the South Mountain was opened by the purchase of the territory frum the Indians. The Friends were the first to enter the new district to the rilrht of the river. They took up large tracts of land along the Ontelaunee, called by them Maiden creek. Many Germans followed immediately afterward. And to the left, many Germans, Friends, and Welsh were added to the settlements along the Tulpehocken, Wyomissing and Allegheny creeks.
Improvements were carried on with great energy, and success throughout the great valleys which lay between the South Mountain and the Kittatinny Mountain (sometimes called "North," but commonly "Blue Ridge"). New districts were forrned to encouvage local government and to facilitate intercourse. To the right they were called Douglass, Exeter, Ruscombmanor, Alsace, Maxatawny, Maiden-creek, Richmond, Longswamp and Allemengle; and to the left, Heidelberg, Bern, Cumru, Bethel and Brecknock. Altogether, till 1750, the districts were twenty in number. This was the territorial situation of the settlements in this section of the province toward the close of the second quarter of the eighteenth century.
The settlers had provided themselves with meeting-houses and schools for their religious and secular education. In this respect they had exhibited commendable zeal. The German population predominated; consequently, the preaching and teaching were mostly done in the German language. But the Friends were not backward. They were prominent in Oley, Exeter, Robeson and Maiden-creek. and their schools were distinguished for excellence.
Manufactures were carried on everywhere; spinning was a Common, if not a necessary employment in every household. Wearing apparel was home-made; carpenters, masons, blacksmiths and shoemakers were in every locality; and iron ore mines and furnaces and forges were in operation to the north, south, east and west. The great highways were comparatively few, the most prominent public road being the Tulpehocken. It extended from the Tulpehocken settlement in the west, irr a southeasterly direction, viii the ford across the Schuylkill (now the site of tht Penn street bridge at Reading) and Pine Iron Works, to Philadelphia. From this ford a prorninent road extended to the north, on the easterr side of the river called Maiden-creek road; and another to the south, on the western side, called Schuylkill road.
This point of concentration naturally attracted attention toward this locality as a practicable place for a town-site. Elsewhere, for many miles round about, there was no town, not even a village; and there were then apparently no steps toward founding either. But just as the settlers had labored for years to establish a county out of the surrounding territory, similar efforts were expended for a town here.
The first efforts for the establishment of a new county out of the upper sections of Philadelphia and Lancaster counties, adjoining the Schuylkill, were made in the latter part of 1738. On Jan. 13th, of that year, the Lieutenant-Governor of the province laid before the Council two petitions ad-dressed to him--one from the inhabitants of Providence, Limerick, etc., in Philadelphia county; and the other from the inhabitants of the northeast side of the county of Lancaster (with a map of the Province of Pennsylvania)-praying that a new county may be bounded as by the dividing lines in the said map, for that they labor under, great inconveniences and damage by reason of their distance from the courts held at Philadelphia and Lancaster, and for many other reasons in the said petition mentioned; which were read and ordered to lie on the table for further consideration. The first petition has not been found: but a copy of the other is in the possession of the Historical Society of Pennsylvania at Philadelphia, and it includes the names of 172 subscribers, of which the first 61 were Welsh, the others Germans. In May, 1739, the Lieutenant-Governor addressed a message to the Assembly, in which he referred to these petitions, but the Assembly took no action. The petitioners waited patiently for six years without any progress in the matter; then they forwarded another petition, renewing their request for a new county. It was read to the Council, "and their case being thought proper to be recommended to the Assembly, the same was done," in a message similar to the first. The Assembly ordered it to lie on the table. It was signed by John Potts, Henry Harry, William Bird, Francis Parvin and numerous other inhabitants. On Jan. 14, 1745, a similar petition was presented, in which the petitioners (the persons named "in behalf of themselves and a great many other inhabitants") prayed "that their former petition might now be considered." It was read and ordered to lie on the table. The next day (15th) it was again read, but referred for further consideration. In two weeks afterward (on the 30th), another "petition from a considerable number of inhabitants of Philadelphia and Lancaster counties, praying to be set off into a new county," was presented, read and ordered to lie on the table. On Feb. 28, 1745, sundry persons appeared before the House and urged the matter of the erection of this new county, but the matter was dropped for five years more.
In the mean time settlements had been extended westwardly and northwestwardly beyond the Susquehanna river. York county was erected on Aug. 19, 1749, and Cumberland county on Jan. 27, 1750, both out of the westerly part of Lancaster county. This successful action on the part of the German settlers west of the Susquehanna awakened a new interest in behalf of the new county between the Susquehanna and the Delaware; for, some months afterward (May 7, 1750), a petition was presented and read, but again it was not effective. If they were then disappointed, they were not discouraged. Their determination prepared them for another effort. A year afterward, they tried it again. They caused their petition to be brought up before the Assembly Aug. 16, 1751, and read a second time; but it was "referred to the consideration of the next Assembly."
When the next Assembly met, these earnest petitioners were on hand. They prepared the way by presenting still another petition, Feb. 4, 1752, which represented--
That they were inhabitants of Reading-town, upon the Schuylkill. That they had settled in the said town, expecting that it would be a great place of trade and business, and had put themselves to vast expenses in building and removing thither with their families, several of whom had left tolerably good plantations; that though the said town had not above one house in it about two years ago (1750), yet it now consisted of one hundred and thirty dwelling-houses, besides forty-one stables and other out-houses; and that there were one hundred and sixty families, consisting of three hundred and seventy-eight persons, settled therein; that they had good reason to believe that in another summer they would be much increased, as the chief part of the province that could be settled was already taken up, and the settling of the town would be of great benefit to tradesmen and others who are not able to purchase tracts of land to live on; that they humbly conceived it their interest, to the honorable proprietaries as well as to themselves, and that unless this House would be pleased to erect part of the counties of Philadelphia, Chester and Lancaster into a separate county, they should be entirely disappointed in their expectations, notwithstanding all the cost and trouble they had been at; they therefore prayed that this House would take their case into consideration and grant them relief by erecting such parts of said counties as they should think most proper into a new county, with the same privileges that the other counties of this province enjoyed; and that the seat of judicature should be fixed within the said town of Reading.
And on the following day (5th) another petition was presented, in which they stated that Although their grievances were laid before the Assemblies of this Province several years past, and their petition again renewed at the last sitting of the Assembly, yet as they find the causes of their complaint still growing, they humbly beg leave further to represent that they are settled at a very great distance from the place of judicature, many of them not less than one hundred miles. which is a real hardship upon those who are so unhappy as to be sued for debts, their charges in long journeys, and sometimes in severe weather, with the officers" fees, amounting to near as much, if not more, than the debts; that the hardships on jurymen, constables, etc. in being obliged to attend when required, is also very great; that now there is a new town laid out Proprietaries' Order, within fifteen perches of the line between Philadelphia and Lancaster counties and above one hundred and thirty houses built, and many families living therein; it is very easy for rogues and others to escape justice by crossing the Schuylkill which has already been their practice for years; that, though their grievances when laid before the Assembly some years past were not redressed, of other weighty affairs being at that time under consideration, yet the prayer of their petition was thought reasonable and the number of petitioners being since doubled by the increase of the back inhabitants; they therefore pray that this House would grant relief in the premises, by erecting them into a separate county, bounded as to the wisdom of the House shall seem best.
In pursuance of the reference, the petition on the 5th, and referred for the next day. The 6th arrived and it was read again and referred. On the 12th, the same proceedings were had. And finally, on the 13th, the monotony of reading and reference was broken; for then the House after having considered the petition, and also the petitions from Reading, "Resolved, that the petitioners have leave to bring in a bill pursuant to the prayer of their petition."
On that day, some of the petitioners presented before the House and desired leave to respecting the bounds which they understood the House proposed for a new county in case it should be granted. Their objections were heard after answering such questions as were put to them, they withdrew.
On the18th, the bill was read the first time and ordered to lie on the table. On the 19th, it was read a second time, considered paragraph by paragraph, and, after some debate, ordered scribed for a third reading. On the 20th it was read a third time, and, upon the question that the bill do pass it was ordered to be given the Governor for his concurrence. After some consideration and amendments, the Act was finally passed on March 11, 1752. So, after, the lapse of fourteen years, the zeal and persistent efforts of the petitioners were at last crowned with success. The Act specified the name of the county to be Berks," fixed the boundary lines, authorized of county buildings for the public service, and gave the inhabitants the customary powers of local government, etc.
Surveying Commissioners, appointed in the Act (Edward Scull of Philadelphia county, Benjamin Lightfoot of Chester county, and Thomas Cookson of Lancaster county), made a survey of the lines of the new county extending them as far as the Susquehanna river, which was then the limit of settlements.
The settlers, soon ascertaining that the lines were run then extended their settlements rapidly farther on; which caused complaints to arise, because the adjoining counties claimed and exercised the right of levying taxes on the inhabitants and their property along the lines.
An Act was therefore passed on February 18, 1769, which authorized three commissioners to run the lines between Lancaster, Cumberland and Berks counties on the west, and between Northampton and Berks counties on the northeast, by actual survey, and extend them in a northwestwardly course as far as the lands extended which were purchased from the Indians bv the Proprietaries in 1768. The territory to the east of the Schuylkill river was taken from Philadelphia county, and that to the west from Lancaster and Chester counties. The estimated area of the county, as at present bounded, from each of them is as follows:
Philadelphia county ....280,000 acres
Lancaster county .......238,500 acres
Chester county .............7,500 acres
DISTRICTS AT ERECTION.-AT the time erection of the county there were twenty or townships, and taking the river as the dividing line, they were as follows:
EASTERN DIVISION
Albany, Alsace, Amity, Colebrookdale, Douglass, Exeter, Longswamp, Maiden-creek, Maxatawny, Oley, Richmond, Roscombmanor
WESTERN DIVISION
Bern, Bethel, Brecknock, Caernarvon, Cumru, Heidelberg, Robeson, Tulpehocken
BOUNDARIES OF COUNTY.-The county is bounded on the northwest by Schuylkill county, the Blue Mountain forming a natural boundary line in length about thirty-six miles; on the northeastby Lehigh county, the line extending S 49 degrees E., twenty-four miles; on the southeast by Montgomery and Chester county, the line along the former extending S. 33 1/2 degrees W., sixteen and one-fifth miles, and the line along the latter, S. 53 degrees W., eleven and a half miles; and on the southwest by Lancaster county and Lebanon county, the entire line extending N. 49 1/2 degrees W., thirty-nine miles, and along the former county nineteen miles, the latter twenty miles.
The population of the new county at the time of its erection cannot be approximately estimated. It may have been about twelve thousand.
.-The German immigrants were the second to enter this section of territory. The first settlement by them was effected in 1710, along the Manatawny, in Oley. Many arrived within the next decade. To the east of the Schuylkill river they proceeded northwardly from Philadelphia. To the west, however, the first colony of Germans, before 1730, entered from the west, proceeding from New York southwardly and from the Susquehanna river eastwardly into Tulpehocken Valley. The total number of Germans who settled in the county previous to 1752 cannot be estimated, but they were certainly more numerous than all the other nationalities taken together. In 1747 Governor Thomas stated that the Germans of Pennsvlvania comprised three-fifths of the whole population, or about one hundred and twenty thousand.
Many of them were redemptioners, or persons who had bound themselves or one or more of their children to the masters of vessels, upon their arrival, for a term of years, to pay for their passage across the ocean. The usual terms of sale depended upon the age, strength and health of the persons sold. Boys and girls generally served from five to ten years, till they attained the age of twenty- one vears. Many parents were compelled to sell the service of their own children in order to satisfy their passage-money, so that they might be released from the vessel upon which thev were brought to this country. Children under five years of age could not be sold to service. They were disposed of gratuitously to persons who agreed to raise them and give them their freedom wlien they attained the age of twenty-one years. In this manner the redemptioners came to occupy a verv humble position; but "from this class there have sprung some of the mort reputable and wealthy inhabitants of the province."
Prior to 1727, most of them brought considerable means, but afterwards, many of them were poor, and they came to be redemptioners on that account. The years in which they arrived were 1728,1729, 1737, 1741, 1750 and 1751. The principal part of them were farmers; but many were mechanics who brought with them a knowledge of those arts which are necessary and useful in all countries, comprising carpenters and builders, weavers, tailors, tanners, shoemakers (cordwainers), comb-makers, smiths of all kinds, butchers, paper-makers anti clock-makers. They became perfect mechanics and workmen through a custom of "Peregrination" (Wanderschaft), which, as young men, just after the close of their apprenticeship, they carried on for one or more years in order to make themselves more proficient in their several trades. This was required of young mechanics before they were permitted to set up for themselves. By this course they were afforded opportunities of acquiring much useful knowledge which books could not supply, besides proficiency in their trade. They were calltd' "Traveling journeymen" (Handwerks-Bursch).
This was the class of Germans which settled the country along the Schuylkill and its tributaries. They were a valuable acquisition to Penn and his sons in the development of their great province. They were just what a new country needed to start it grandly in the march of material progress. Their labor economy, perseverance and stability added great and increasing wealth to the country. In this manner they prepared the way for the erection of a new county, and having thus fitted the settlements for a separate political organization they proceeded earnestly in behalf of its establishment.
The Germans were along every stream excepting the Wyomissing, Allegheny, and Hay creek in the southern section. They were in the valleys and on the hills rather than along the Schuylkill. This selection of localities was not accidental, for they found the best quality of land away from the Schuylkill. The best farms in productiveness and appearance are in the localities where they settled- in Oley, in Maxatawney, and in Heidelberg. And in these respective localities we still find the grand-children and great-grandchildren of the first German patentees.
And the Germans were extreme Revolutionists, having encouraged the war for Independence to the utmost of their ability. Their conduct was admirable through the whole trying period, and when the great struggle was successfully ended, with the acquisition of increased power to the people, asserted their rights and took elective offices unto themselves.
After the massacre of St. Bartholomew's day, in 1572, the subordination of their religious interests to their political interests became inevitable, and having become followers of Henry of Navarre, heir to the French crown, their subsequent discontent obtained from him, as King Henry IV:, in 1598 (April 13th), the famous Edict of Nantes. But the provisions of this Edict were found as helpful for Catholics as for Protestants, and they were so modified as to show a decreasing favor of the Calvinists. who had dreamed of dominance and had hoped for equality, but were put off with tolerance. This situation caused them to become dissatisfied with the Edict; and'the King then determined to reduce them to nothing.
About 1590, the Huguenots carried on worship in about thirty-five hundred chateaux and two hundred towns, which were situated chiefly in the south and west of France. When Louis XIV. took his his reign, the tranquility of the Huguenots began to pass away. In 1657, they were forbidden to hold colloquies, lest they might take to politics; and in 1659, they were told to hold no more synods. Soon the court went further and conversions were undertaken. Wherever a pastor could be bribed, converted or got rid of, his temple was torn down. Their worship then became almost impossible in towns. As the King's conscience grew morbid, he became more eager to expiate his own crimes by punishing heretics. Within twenty years seven hundred churches were destroyed. throughout that trying period, whilst thousands of them yielded to oppression or bribery, thousands of others fled the land. The emigration began in 1666, and continued for fifty years. It is probable that, in 1660, there were over two millions of Huguenots who were regarded as the best and most thrifty citizens in that country; and of these it is said fully a million escaped from their inhospitable fatherland. At last, the King revoked the Edict of Nantes, because be thought that the Huguenots were suppressed. This was on Oct. 15, 1685. and it was the sentence of civil death on all Huguenots. It crushed more than half of the commercial and manufacturing industry of the kingdom.
Next to the basic qualities of the land itself, the most important factor determining the destiny of the County is the number and character of the people who settle here.
At the beginning of the eighteenth century, immigrants came to America seeking not only religious and political liberty, but also with a desire for new economic opportunities. A mild climate and fertile limestone soil combined to attract the European migrant to Pennsylvania. Pennsylvania was the only colony at that early date which could offer large amounts of developable land which, except for the outermost fringes, was mostly free of Indian depredations. To the people of the European working and farming classes, Pennsylvania offered the strong inducement of a land where a new life could be started with considerable assurance that ordinary diligence, thrift, and industry would provide sizeable returns.
Berks County undoubtedly profited from the overall attractiveness of the Commonwealth, for it is noteworthy that William Penn found it attractive for settlement. In 1683, he observed the "Schuylkill being 100 miles boatable above the Falls (i.e. entirely through Berks) and its Course Northwest to the Fountain of Susquehanna is like to be a great Part of the Settlement of Age." Apart from the Schuylkill itself, more than a dozen of its direct and indirect tributaries furnished abundant water and power, and it is only natural that their banks and valleys became the sites of the earliest settlements.
The first European settlement in the County was made in 1701 by the Swedes near the mouth of the Manatawny Creek. This was soon followed, further upstream and into the rich Oley Valley, by the French Hugenots after 1704, the Germans in 1712, and the English after 1720. The English also settled throughout the Maidencreek Valley, and, after 1730, along the Allegheny and Hay Creeks, south of the Schuylkill.
Also among the early settlers were the Welsh in southwestern Berks along the Wyomissing and Cacoosing Creeks; a small group of Hebrews who settled in Reading and Myerstown; Negro slaves of the early ironmasters; and the substantial migration of Germans after 1723 from upstate New York into the Tuipehocken Valley of western Berks.
In 1790, the first federal census of the County reported 30,189 residents, 22,345 of whom were German or of German descent. There were almost 7,000 English and Welsh, and small numbers of Scotch, Irish, Dutch, French, and mulattoes or Negroes. Reading Town, the only sizeable settlement, had 2,225 residents. The area grew steadily through the years, and by 1860, seventy years later, the County's population had increased to 93,818, of whom 23,162 lived in Reading.
Most of the increase in population through the years has been due to a combination of natural growth (i.e., an excess of births over deaths) and internal migration (i.e., from other areas of the United States into Berks). The County also shared in the great activity in immigration between 1851 and 1920, when almost 34,000,000 people entered the United States from foreign countries. By 1970, or 180 years after the first census, some 296,382 persons resided in Berks. About 200,000 people lived in Reading and its urbanizing area of 40 square miles. The remaining third were scattered throughout the balance of 820 square miles. Principal growth trends in the past several decades (and within the foreseeable future) indicate that the County should continue to grow at a moderate rate, with most of the growth taking place in the Reading urbanizing area. This is the area between Leesport Borough on the north, Birdsboro Borough on the east, Lancaster County on the south, and Wernersville Borough on the west.
As the County was settled, various means were developed to interchange men, goods, and ideas throughout the region. The earliest settlers congregated in the stream valleys not only because these streams furnished water for agriculture, but also because they afforded a convenient means of communication with the provincial capital in Philadelphia. Unquestionably, Reading's early growth was largely influenced by the availability of the Schuylkill, which was navigable for the flat-bottomed boats which carried products (mainly agricultural) to the markets and wharves of Philadelphia.
After the Revolutionary War, competition from other ports along the Atlantic coast made it imperative for Philadelphia to improve its transportation links with the productive inland counties. It soon became apparent that direct use of the Schuylkill was inadequate. Thus, the early settlers, seeking to improve the facilities for marketing their products, and the Philadelphia financial interests seeking to maintain the predominance of their port, combined forces in 1791 and formed a company to construct the Union Canal from Middletown on the Susquehanna River to Reading on the Schuylkill. This canal was in use by 1828. Previously, the Schuylkill had been canalized to Mt. Carbon. Thus, the Union and Schuylkill Canals linked Philadelphia to Reading, the anthracite regions, and central Pennsylvania.
Eventually, however, and despite some financial success, the economics of time signalled the end of the canal system in the County and the country. Even when supplemented by canals, natural waterways could not adequately serve all of the rapidly developing regions of the County and State where rapid, volume transportation was needed. By the mid-1830's, therefore, conditions were ripe for the practical application of the recently-invented steam locomotive.
Berks' strategic position between Philadelphia and the anthracite region was the primary cause behind the County's early lead in railroad growth. In 1837, service was initiated between Reading and Pbttstown on one of the nation's first steam railroads, which later became the Reading Company. By 1839, this line had been extended southeastward to Philadelphia, and in 1842, was opened northward to Pottsville and subsequently extended throughout the anthracite regions.
Additional lines spread rapidly throughout the region, and by 1874, they had radiated from Reading to Harrisburg, Allentown, Columbia, Wilmington (Del.) and Slatington. In 1884, the Pennsylvania Railroad was extended through Berks and into the coal regions.
By 1920, however, the railroads had, in many respects, reached the peak of their local usefulness. The increasing availability of free, paved public roads had enhanced the flexibility of automobiles and trucks for communications within the County and region. Consequently, the railroads have been forced to concentrate increasingly on haulage of relatively long-distance and high-volume traffic-the field in which their inherent economic superiority is most readily profitable. Notably, this does not include passenger traffic, which has been declining steadily.
The earliest roads followed Indian trails and stream valleys, and settlements naturally followed these roads. As the demand for additional roads grew, turnpike companies were chartered. In 1805, the Berks and Dauphin Turnpike Company was formed to build the road from Reading to Morgantown. This project was followed by the Center Turnpike to Sunbury; the Perkiomen Turnpike to PL-rkiomen Mills with connections to Philadelphia; and the Oley Turnpike from lacksonwaid to Pleasantville. All were completed by 1865, and the last was freed of tolls in 1925.
Most of these early roads served stages and post riders, the latter being used as early as 1763. The first stage coach line, from Reading to Philadelphia, was started in 1789. Routes were later extended to Harrisburg, Sunbury, Lancaster, and Easton. As railroad lines increased, however, the long-distance stage lines fell victim to the competition, and the last, to Lancaster, was ended by 1864. A number of local stage lines operated until World War I, when they were replaced by the interurban trolley lines and by the automobile. The automobile and truck have revolutionized road use and construction, and living habits in Berks, since the turn of the century. As this revolution continues to this date, there is little need to present all of the details. By 1979, there were 3,013 miles of highway in the County and a total of 218,500 motor vehicles were registered. Of this total, 170,8W were passenger vehicles and 47,700 were commercial vehicles.
Berks County has also shared in the growth of other communications facilities in the 19th and 20th centuries. The increasing activity in aviation in the County after 1925 led to the construction, jointly by the City and County governments, of the Reading Municipal Airport, opened in October, 1939. This field provides commuter services, as well as numerous private and charter flights. During 1979, the Airport had 160,000 operations, which made it the third busiest airport in the State. Several smaller fields are also available throughout the County.
Within the County are three AM radio stations, two FM stations, one public television station, and cable television ser- vices. The County is also served by daily, weekly and Sunday newspapers printed in Reading, by weekly papers printed in Kutztown, Boyertown, and Hamburg, and by newspapers from eastern United States.
One further indication of communications is the growth of telephone serv;.ce connecting all areas of the County. As an example, by 1979 Bell Telephone of Pennsylvania, the largest service company in the County, provided service to 85,000 residential customers and businesses.
The early settlers found Berks County almost entirely covered with forest and without cultivation or improvement. Working mostly by hand, there being few horses and plows, settlers cleared and planted 190,000 acres by 1838. Under favorable climatic and soil conditions, this land produced a wide variety of crops, along with beef, ham, and bacon, all of which found their way to local markets or to the largest colonial market, Philadelphia.
Since domestic or home-manufactures were the rule, the early settlers were almost entirely self-sufficient. The first step away from a complete dependence on home manufacturing came with the growth of Reading into a sizable town serving the needs of a rather wide territory. The Town began as a mar- ket place for farm produce, and in time it attracted artisans, whose products relieved the farmer from the time-consuming drudgery of making everything he needed for family or farm. The Town produced a small mercantile or business class and these people were also customers of the artisans. Thus, the artisans had to produce a superior product to compete with imported items which the business class could afford to purchase. The County's artisans produced items of excellent workmanship. Be'rks clocks, for example, had a high reputation throughout the colonies and in Europe, while the glassware from Baron von Steigel's Charming Forge is still a highly prized collectors' item.
The increasing use and application of mechanical power after 1790 marked the beginning of the Industrial Revolution. Berks County, with its abundant water power and natural resources, and with its growing artisan class, participated vigorously in the industrial expansion from its inception. One of the first areas affected was agriculture, which was literally revolutionized by the labor-saving machinery introduced after 1830. These enabled the farmer to cultivate far more land in the same amount of time as previously, and the resulting trend of ever-increasing farm size is one which continues to this day.
The early industrial enterprises, i.e. prior to 1860, were primarily connected with manufacture from agricultural products, including milling, tanning, wool industries, distilling, cigar- making, among others. An exception, however, but of considerable importance, was the County's wide-spread early iron industry.
As coal became more readily available with the opening of the railroad lines in the late 1830's, iron making was given new life through the application of anthracite fuel. By the 1850's, the County boasted 41 iron works with an invested capital of over $1,200,000. In turn, coal was also used to produce steam power for a multitude of manufacturing enterprises.
The textile industry, which has more-or-less "mothered" the Industrial Revolution, also made sizeable gains within the County with cottons, woolens, hosiery, worsted goods, carpets, hats, and production machinery as the major manufactures.
The Civil War provided considerable economic stimulus to Berks County. As during the Revolutionary War, not only was the County spared physical damage, but it also supplied considerable manpower and war material to the Union cause. Its rail connections, iron and textile industries, and well-developed agricultural base were the major factors in its role during the War.
Much of Berks' industrial growth and economic activity since 1860 has been patterned along pre-1860 trends. Continued introduction of labor-saving devices and of improved transportation facilities has transformed agriculture into an industry. The growth of metropolitan areas along the Eastern seaboard has provided a ready market for dairy, poultry, and fruit products. Competition from other areas, however, has required the County's farmers to rely increasingly on soil management practices to achieve the maximum efficient production.
Steel and its applications continue as the County's leading durable goods industry; in 1977, the 172 various steel produc- tion, fabricating, and machinery-producing (excluding electrical machinery) plants employed 13,125 persons. Much of the reason for the continued dominance of steel in the County's economy can be laid to continuous research and to the skills of the area's labor force.
In the consumer goods field, textiles and apparels remain of chief importance in the County, with 101 plants employing 9,800 workers in 1977.
Several industrial trends are of recent origin. Scientific research, employee "know-how," nearness of Eastern markets, and other factors have given rise to new industries, and the production of communications equipment, plastics, and industrial inorganic chemicals.
The rapid growth of service industries and the decentralization of manufacturing plants within the County can be directly attributed to the automobile and truck. The automobile, along with higher wages and shorter work week, have been chiefly responsible for the growth of the service industries associated with sales, amusements, communications, etc. From 948 service establishments in the County in 1948, the total grew to 2,614 by 1977, requiring 8,886 employees and with receipts of $242,730,000. Electrical and gas service have grown apace. For example, by 1971 the Metropolitan Edison Company, which serves the ma- jority of the County, already reported sales of almost 2,000,000 megawatt hours to approximately 100,000 residential and industrial customers. Gas sales reached 13,000,000 million cubic feet by 1979.
Education was coincidental with settlement, but was at first entirely controlled by the various religious denominations, with the ministers serving as teachers. Later, the pay school, which charged each student several cents a day, became most prevalent. For the poor, a system of charity schools was established, but these soon proved an utter failure. Most of the early schools were conducted in German, although the Quakers used English, the official language of the Commonwealth.
An act of the Pennsylvania Assembly in 1834 provided for common (public) schools, and by 1867, all of Berks' municipal- ities had established such systems. The number of schools and pupils has varied considerably, as shown by the table below:
Year Number of Schools Number of Students
1854 362 10,116
1884 599 16,848
1908 557 28,340
1960 152 52,250
1970 131 70,919
1980 111 56,213
(Does not include non-public schools.)
In the past fifty years, there have been many changes in the scope and duties of school districts. The one-room school has disappeared, and has been replaced with modern consolidated facilities. junior and senior high school and vocational-technical facilities have grown apace. The State has become a full partner with the local district in establishing a minimum level of educational services. There are five degree awarding institutions of higher learning with enrollment exceeding 7,250 full time students. To this should be added the numerous schools for specialized training in business, beauty culture, and the like.
At least 90% of all Pennsylvanians lived on farms in colonial days. They led isolated lives with few outside contacts, other than an itinerant schoolmaster or a wandering preacher who would visit from time to time. With little time or money for arts or cultural activities, life was hard, and only the simple pleasures of visiting, frolics, "bees', house and barn raising, etc. were the lot of the farmer.
An increasing population, however, produced many basic changes. More and better roads made marketing easier and more profitable; farm homes improved; the country store provided a trading (and meeting) place for a wide area. From the beginning, however, the church and school were the twin centers for social and cultural advances.
English settlers of the Quaker persuasion met as early as 1725 in the Amity district, 1737 at Maiden Creek, 1740 in Robeson Township, and 1758 in Reading. Beginning about 1725, the German immigration introduced the Lutheran and Reformed churches. The Roman Catholic chapel at Bally was built in 1740, while the first Episcopal mission was established in 1761. Other early sects included the Baptists (1740) and the Dunkards, Amish, and Moravians (all in 1742).
In 1765, there were 10 denominations with 53 churches. By 1909, this had increased to 14 denominations with 266 churches, and by 1980 to over 350 churches with a total membership of about 200,000. Farm life has undergone radical changes. The larger scope of rural communities produces larger community associations, with increasing emphasis on county-wide organizations rather than local units. Improved rural schools have greatly increased educational opportunities for farm families. As more utilities and services have been available, farm homes have improved. Farms are larger and also fewer in number; displaced farmers and farm abandonment are matters of increasing concern in the County and in the State as a whole.
The many changes in urban life have been no less radical. Urban areas have generally improved as places in which to live and work. Streets and street lights, sanitary sewers, water, parks, and public health facilities are among the many services provided. Slums, bad housing, and poverty also exist, but programs are being undertaken to eliminate these conditions. One of the primary urban benefits is that large congregations of people are able to support theatres, clubs, cultural societies, orchestras, newspapers, libraries, sports, amusements, and the like.
ORIGINS OF COUNTY GOVERNMENT
HISTORICAL BACKGROUND
Philadelphia was the site of the Provincial Assembly and the courts of Justice affecting early settlers of what is now Berks County. But it was inconvenient for these eastern Berks settlers to travel to Philadelphia, or for those west of the Schuylkill to travel to the county seat of Chester County. Thus, many groups petitioned the Assembly to create additional counties to facilitate legal transactions and trade.
After numerous efforts starting about 1738, the provincial Assernbly incorporated Berks in 1752 from parts of Philadelphia, Chester and Lancaster Counties. The eastern and western boundaries extended northwestwardly to the Susquehanna River. About 12,000 persons resided within this area at this time.
In 1772, the County gave up territory for the formation of Northumberland County, and again in 1811 for the formation of Schuylkill County. Berks presently encompasses 864 square miles with an estimated population of 305,50 in 1978 and a population density of 353 persons per square mile.
In 1752, elected county officials were three comrnissioners, a sheriff, and a coroner. Some of the so-called "row offices"--the prothonotary, recorder of deeds, register of wills, clerk of common pleas-criminal division and clerk of orphans' court- were combined in one official appointed by the Governor. Several of the county officials, such as the Treasurer, were appointed by the Comissioners. in subsequent years, the General Assembly established the appointive(later elected)board of county auditors. (replaced by an elected controller in 1901). Local attorneys were appointed by the State Attorney General from 1789 to 1850 to represent the Commonwealth in local criminal cases; after 1850, they became elected district attorneys. 'The State Surveyor-General appointed a deputy (or deputies)for Berks County from 1800 to 1850; but after 1850, the county surveyor was an elected official. Other elected county officials include the treasurer(1800), jury commissioners (1867),and board of prison inspectors(1848).
Conrad Weiser, of Indian fame, was one of the County's first Justices, serving from 1752 to 1760. In 1776, the State's first constitution provided Berks with a member of the Supreme Executive Council. This constitution also established courts of justice in every county and also provided that each election district have a justice of the peace.
From 1791 to 1849, Berks County was part of the Third District, or judicial circuit.The Governor appointed a president judge in each circuit. Berks County became the 23rd District in 1849, and in 1850, th. Constitution was amended to provide for election of judges. Additional law judges have been provided by subsequent legislation.
The first orphan's court judge for the County was appointed by the Governor in 1884. Subsequent legislation made this an elected position.
Inj ensuing years, other elective and appointive offices were added.
Counties in Pennsylvania are clasified on the basis of population for purposes of legislation and regulation of their affairs. Berks County became a third-class county on January 1, 1952, after the United States Census showed the County to have a population in excess of 250,000. Thus, the County is subject to the County Code of 1955, as amended, covering third to eighth class counties.
While the Code is the basic law administration of county affairs, many very important functions and duties of county officers are set forth in other laws. As examples, retirement systems, assessment procedures, election laws, permanent voter registration, and borrowing powers are set forth in Acts of the General Assembly dating back to 1931.
Under the code, a county is primarily an agency of the state government(and, in recent years and in some cases, of the federal government) rather than a fully independent unit of local self-government. As an agent of state government, it administers election laws. Another of the major functions which the county performs for th State is to enforce state laws and conduct courts of justice. The county judges are Commonwealth officials whose salary is paid by the Commonwealth. The sheriff is an official of the courts; jury commissioners are county officers whose duties are limited to the administration of justice. The sheriff, prothonotary, clerk of common pleas--criminal division, register of wills, recorder of deeds, and district attorney are all county officials elected to administer Justice and/or carry out state laws.
Since the county is an agent of the State, the General Assernbly, therefore, prescribes many of its operations and, consequently, its costs. In each session of the Assembly much time is devoted to some reshuffling of the duties of counties, with efforts often made to adjust costs between the State, the counties, and other local governments. The Liquid Fuels Tax is a case in point, since new formulas for its distribution to local taxing bodies are always being proposed.
Although the county generally performs many of the functions state government on the local level, it has, from time to time, been granted powers of purely self-government, not basically different from those of cities, boroughs, or townships. Exercise of these powers is based on a number of premises. In cases such as requests for appropriations for military purposes (National Guard, etc.) to societies of various kinds, to agricultural extension units, to law libraries, etc., the request is usually based on the belief that a county should foster, preserve, and promote these activities for the general welfare of county residents.
Changing conditions is another basis for county requests to the General Assembly for additional powers and functions. Responsible county officials throughout the Commonwealth have seen the need for many new county agencies and operations such as a county planning commission to plan for subdivision; ark and recreation boards for reserving and developing "open space" and recreation areas; flood control projects; refuse disposal plans; and renewal and redevelopment projects. These officials, in turn, have persuaded the General Assembly to enact the necessary enabling, legislation granting these and other powers to the county board of commissioners.
Much of the actual administration of the county operations may be delegated by the commissioners, under conditions specified by the code, to various appointive boards and commissions such as, for example, a planning commission, a redevelopment authority, and a board of visitors for charitable reform and penal institutions. The county commissioners, however, must retain the ultimate responsibility for finances, for decisions, and legal actions.
OTHER GOVERNMENTS IN BERKS COUNTY
When the County was incorporated in 1752, there were 23 townships (of the present 44), of which 18 were legally estab- lished and five others were commonly recognized. The one town, Reading, was the only place where a considerable num- ber of dwellings had been erected. Historically, all rural areas were townships of the second class. As the number of people increased, boroughs (now num- bering 30-and eventually Reading City) were created from within these townships. In addition, the General Assembly es- tablished a new classification of townships-a township of the first class-and three of the townships have voted this classifi- cation, thereby reducing the present number of townships of the second class to 41.
SECOND CLASS TOWNSHIP
The least complex governmental form is the second class township. Its three elected supervisors are engaged primarily in the maintenance of township roads; but, in recent times, they have been given (and many exercise) a wide range of pow- ers including protection to persons and property, planning, zoning, utilities, and the like. Appendix 11 lists details about these townships, as well as the other forms of government within Berks. FIRST CLASS TOWNSHIP A first class township performs similar functions but because of its population density (at least 300 persons per square mile) the number of elected commissioners is increased to five. BOROUGH The County's boroughs were created from townships by the County Court after petition by a majority of the property own- ers in the area. Usually property owners desire more services than the township is willing to furnish, so if the Court agrees, the property owners will establish a borough. If established, officers are elected, and they establish the scope and kind of services they desire. Existing boroughs in Berks County were established between 1815 (Kutztown) and 1931 (Kenhorst, the last to be established).