It’s always fun to imagine living life in a past era. All history lovers probably think about that from time to time. What was it like back in the simpler, easier horse and buggy days, we wonder? Allow me to give you a small glimpse into the, perhaps, not-so-perfect life of Souderton and Telford from days gone by.
First, a little background: The railroad opened in 1857 and property was sold, divided, and houses were built at an incredible rate. Businesses were quickly established and goods were received and delivered six days a week by train. In 1895, thirty-six passenger trains a day passed through the two towns; not to
mention all the freight and express trains. Now start to imagine the chugging and grinding from all those steam locomotives. Imagine their screaming brakes and loud whistles. Add to that the sounds of the start and stop horns from the many cigar and clothing factories all over town. Oh, and one last thing…besides the train, horses were the only other means of moving freight through the towns.
Sadly, horses and loud sounds don’t mix well. There were times when the Souderton Independent reported weekly heart-in-your-throat incidents that I for one am glad not to have witnessed. Let me recount a few from 1895:
While driving out Chestnut Street at noon last Friday the horse of Morris S. Landis took fright at the steam whistle at William Souder’s spoke factory, became unmanageable and threw Mr. Landis violently from the vehicle and onto the pavement and received several bad bruises. The horse was caught by Daniel Detwiler near the residence of John R. Binder without doing further injury.
The horses of M. D. Zendt took fright at the shrill whistling of a freight engine last Saturday morning while standing at the black smith shop of E. W. Strasser (currently the Jack Trappe bldg at Chestnut and Main) and ran away up Main Street. Above the bakery of J. F. Dietz (probably near the Souderton Family
Restaurant today) the wagon struck a lamp post and almost completely wrecked the body and top of the covered tailor wagon. The lamp post was also broken off and the lamp shattered. The horses were caught at this point and no one was injured. At the same time and from the same cause the horse of Abrm. S. Harr ran away from the hardware store of B. C. Barndt (currently Indian Valley Appraisal Company East Broad St). The horse was caught before any injury was done.
While tied to the hitching post in front of the hardware store of Souder & Crouthamel (currently Univest on Main St.) last Friday afternoon, the horse of Henry Cressman, residing north of Telford, became frightened at the market train and jumped upon the hitching post which penetrated his body between the hind legs. The horse was with difficulty gotten from the post and taken to Freed’s hotel stables (currently the building housing the new Broad St. Grind) where he was shot Tuesday morning to relieve him of his sufferings. The horse was a four-year-old bay and a fine one; not insured.
One of my favorite stories was from 1887 when the Souder family, instrumental in bringing the railroad to Souderton and Telford, seemed to be having a rather unfortunate day. In the forenoon, William Souder’s wagon, overloaded with lumber had broken down. Now, later in the day, his horses which were attached to another load of lumber became frightened when the danger signal blew from a locomotive. They collided with and damaged his brother Edmund’s coal office. Why did the warning whistle sound? Apparently, their father Henry Souder Sr., had been walking on the tracks.
So, if I am going to imagine anything, I think it will be fun to recreate in my mind the conversation held that night around the Souder’s supper table.
Abe Freed (left) and Horace Souder (right) in the yard of William Souder’s house on Main Street, Souderton
