Researched and written by Cory Alderfer
Souderton was grossly behind the times. Unlike other towns located along the Reading Railroad, there were no public parks for children to play safely. This, among other issues, was an unfortunate state of affairs. By the late 1800s, adults had begun creating numerous athletic, social, fraternal, and volunteer opportunities for themselves within Souderton and Telford. But no dedicated safe play space for children had yet been built.
In 1921, nine-year-old Ernest Walter Hunsberger was killed by a car while riding his bike. Even after that loss, it was another three years — 1924 — before residents of Noble, East Broad, and South Front streets took matters into their own hands. With the help of their children, the adults sold refreshments that summer, raising money to purchase a sliding board to be placed on
an empty lot on Noble Street.
The many failed attempts to raise interest in organizing a Souderton Playground Association were one of the reasons that Souderton was known as “the town that never finished anything it
started.” Mayor Henry A. Groff was weary from pleading with the town’s women and men to get involved. But in 1924, a few like-minded men decided to form a Chamber of Commerce and the
very top item on their list was to create a playground for the children.
Judge Northrup of New York City, an authority on how playgrounds can be used, was invited to give a talk to parents on the benefits of structured play. Less than 30 people attended. Parents
just did not see the need. When they argued they didn’t have playgrounds when they were young, it was pointed out they also didn’t have as many cars, trolleys, and trains to avoid.
Barney Rubin’s junkyard in Souderton, 1950, east of the park.
Part of the large lot on Wile Ave. and Reliance Rd. where the Souderton Borough Community Park is located today had been leased as a ball field as early as 1904. But owner Charles N.
Frederick strongly stipulated that ball not be played on weekdays or Sundays. After several years, the ballfield was purchased by the town and grandstands erected.
Of the seven possible park sites being looked at, the one most favored was the land behind the Summit St. Elementary School, built in 1922, and today’s Souderton Municipal Building. It adjoined the ball field. This land was owned by the school board, which was agreeable, adding that the school’s rest room facilities could be used. But the whole project was not without its challenges. There was a junk yard flanking that piece of ground to the east along Main Street, and the town dump was on the western edge along Wile Avenue.
Meetings again were held. Every household was asked to send a representative and the neighborhoods were canvassed for donations to reach a $2,000 goal. It was the middle of the “roaring 20s” when money was flowing freely. But still Soudertonians did not see the need.
By June 1925 interest again was flagging and a scathing letter to the editor appeared in the Souderton Independent with the headline “A Disgraceful Travesty” and signed by The Observer. “Boost Souderton? Patronize your home town? A greater Souderton? It sounds good! It is easy to say! It is a different matter to do it!! Yes!! Everybody does it!! But who does it?? … It seems that a small group of really earnest, conscientious, and sincere working boosters are the ones whom we are to thank and praise for what is about to be done for Souderton.”
The writer went on to lambast the townsfolk, asking them if they really just wanted to remain a “hick” town. All in all, trying to improve Souderton and provide fun and safe play for the children was turning out to be frustrating, exhausting, and at times downright defeating.
Despite all that and while not quite finished, the beautiful Souderton Park opened on July 1, 1925.
Trees and shrubs had been planted and within weeks of opening, benches were placed, and all the equipment had arrived and was installed. A slide, a 4-board see saw, 6-seat swing set, volleyball set, quoits (tossing rings over a spike), baseballs and bats were purchased in that first year.
Today’s playground is very different from that of 1925. The playground was seasonal and was like a summer camp. It opened only in the afternoon and evenings, so as not to compete with Zion Mennonite and Zwingli UCC Vacation Bible Schools, which ran for four weeks.
A sand box had been built, filled with “silver” sand from Cape May; it was more moldable and didn’t stain clothing. These items were soon followed by a new soccer ball, bases, and more quoits.
The most important assets were the hiring of a competent playground instructor and the volunteers who supervised the children, creating a different activity every single day. Three different men had been scrupulously tested, but it was Mr. Joseph Day of Philadelphia who became the playground instructor then, and for the next few years.
Funny face painting, kite contests, doll parades, and athletic events were on the schedule. A mini circus with the children acting as both the performers and the animals brought great fun. Also hopscotch and marble tournaments. The participants in the pet parade included an alligator, goats, chickens, geese, a guinea pig, and the usual cats and dogs. The first prize went to Lester Hallman with his donkey wearing jazz garters. The girls began scrap booking and learning folk dances under the direction of volunteer Miss Violet G. Frederick.
Romance also blossomed that first summer, and Miss Frederick and Mr. Day married in the spring of 1926. He never moved back to Philadelphia.
After work, men participated in quoit tournaments and volleyball matches, and mothers were involved in a decorated baby carriage parade. At the end of the highly successful season there was
a closing community sing. If not for the unending efforts of Floyd G. “Jake” Frederick (see below) and Henry P. Alderfer, the Souderton Park would not have gotten off the ground in 1925.
In 1927 the Souderton Park was approved to receive $2,000 from the Harmon Foundation — an organization that funded construction of neighborhood amenities such as playgrounds and parks in towns across the country. Souderton was approved twice more, and the park was then renamed Souderton Harmon Field.
The mini golf course was built over the former town dump.
Over the next few years more land was purchased, including the dump. It was filled in and for two years, an 18- hole mini golf course dubbed Schnitzelbank was erected on that spot. In time the unsightly junk yard was removed and the park entrance on Main St. was constructed. As for that initial effort to buy a sliding board for the children, the Park Association also maintained, for a few years, the little Noble Street Park.
Arriving at the centennial
The historical society spoke recently with long-time Rotarian Leon Moyer to learn how the Rotary
Club became involved with the park and the centennial project.
Q: A century later, the park has become the community asset that was envisioned. But it took “a heck of a time” getting people to support the park 100 years ago. How did the Rotary become involved in this centennial mission?
Leon Moyer: Souderton-Telford Rotary (STRC) involvement in the park started in the mid-80s when Rotarians Marcus Rosenberger and Ernest Landis were responsible for the design, building and fund-raising for a bandshell. It was dedicated June 14, 1987, and named the Maurice W. Foulke Bandshell sponsored by STRC. (Foulke was the long-time music teacher and band director at Souderton Area High School.) The following year, Concert Sundaes in the Park began and have run every year except during COVID. Marc Rosenberger provided leadership for many years.
In 2017-18, there was a strong initiative from Rotary International for clubs to be more visible in the community. I was president of STRC and remember having a conversation with Borough Council president Brian Goshow, Parks and Recreation chair Jeffrey Gross, and the mayor one night at a Sundae Concert. I said no one knows the bandshell was sponsored by STRC since there is only a small plaque on one of the pillars in the back. Maybe we should consider additional branding of the bandshell with the Rotary logo more prominent.
About the same time, there were other organizations considering some options for the community park. And STRC was thinking about a project in the community to mark the club’s centennial in 2025. By now there were some preliminary plans by the borough for changes to the park, so STRC proposed that Rotary would promote the improvements, conduct fund-raising, and obtain naming rights for the park. We would also involve others in the community for input. In May 2019, borough council passed a resolution for the park to be renamed Rotary Park by 2025 in exchange for Rotary promoting the vision of the park improvement project, leading the fund-raising and an initial gift from STRC.
In June 2019, a groundbreaking was held, and we dedicated and renamed the “pocket park” (sometimes known as the “clock park”) as the Charles H. Allebach park in memory for his 37 years of community service as mayor and his 48 years in Rotary. Then in August, we dedicated the concert lawn to Marcus Rosenberger for his service to the community for Concert Sundaes and Rotary.
And just this past June, a sculpture piece was installed and dedicated in memory of John Moyer as a community leader and supporter of the community and arts for 60 years.
Q:Was the entire Rotary involved, or did this basically turn into your labor of love?
A: At the end of my term as president in 2018, STRC appointed me as chair of the Rotary Park Project. We had a committee including Rotarians, borough council representatives, Concert Sundaes representative and other community leaders. In the beginning, we had monthly meetings to finalize plans and establish a timeline of construction over the next six years — a long time for a project and I’m glad we are getting to the finish line!
Q: Was it terribly difficult to raise the money needed and where it all come from?
A: Initially there was a gift from STRC of $250,000 for park naming rights. There was an informal fund-raising goal of $1 million, including the Rotary gift. To date the fund-raising has reached $1.3 million, including Rotary’s commitment, community contributions (corporate and individual), a state matching grant, and gifts in kind. STRC held many fund-raising activities for us to reach our goal, and it eventually became a gift of $275,000. We have a very generous community, and it has been very generous with its support.
Q: When is the dedication and the park being renamed?
A:On Sept. 13, there will be a free concert, ice cream and a drone light show to celebrate the rebranding of the park to Rotary Park. There will be signs at three prominent locations as well as a donor wall to recognize Rotarian and community support. On Oct. 30, we will hold a centennial event for the celebration of the Souderton-Telford Rotary’s 100th anniversary.
Q: Did you know Jake Frederick? 100 years ago, Jake was the driving force behind getting the original park created, and he had one heck of a time getting people to be enthusiastic about the idea of doing something for the children in the community. Jake worked tirelessly on the park and then turned his attention to Boy Scouts, Lions, and the pool. (Mr. Souderton, as he was later known, died in 1995.)
A: Having lived in the community all my life and been involved at Univest for 50 years, I was one of many people who knew Jake Frederick and Frederick’s shoe store. Did you know STRC was also involved in the rebuilding of the Souderton Pool? There were many other projects in the Souderton-Telford Area that STRC has supported over the years.
Q: With the centennial at hand, what are you thinking about?
A: Working on a six-year project, we did have some challenges. In the beginning, promoting the park renovations was challenging. Trying to convey the improvements when people can’t picture it; and the fact that the last renovation of any kind in the park was in 1987. Many contacts and meetings with donors had their own challenges. To make the planned changes required removing many mature trees, but the majority were diseased and would have needed to be removed eventually. But it was a cooperative effort and every time we experienced a challenge, there always seemed to be a solution. A local business owner shared these words with me some time ago and I continue to use them as an indication of what the process was like: Vision, courage, action, and generosity.
Souderton Borough Mayor Dan Yocum calls the park renovation “a herculean task that quite literally would never have happened without Leon’s vision and tireless leadership.
“Not only was Leon the main driver of most of the significant fund-raising efforts, but he kept the project moving forward year after year, despite many obstacles. The renovation of Souderton Park is an unprecedented partnership between the Souderton-Telford Rotary Club and Souderton Borough. During the six years of this undertaking, there have been six annual Rotary presidents, three borough managers, two mayors, two council presidents … and through it all, Leon Moyer. His unwavering determination is the reason that this project has come to fruition. Everyone in Souderton, and beyond, owes Leon Moyer a deep debt of gratitude for his incredible efforts.”
In 1925, it took “really earnest, conscientious, and sincere working boosters” to build a community park. And many more such boosters carried that mission forward to get to this centennial. Soon-to-be Rotary Park is a legacy that will serve the area for generations to come. To the parents and children of 2125, have fun! And be safe.
to the Souderton-Telford Rotary Club on the 100th anniversary of its charter (1925) and for its decades of service to both communities.
The Gazette is edited by Edie Adam. Email: newsletter@soudertontelfordhistory.org.
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