Mont Clare, Pennsylvania
Encyclopedia
Mont Clare is a village in Upper Providence Township
, Montgomery County
, Pennsylvania
, USA. The village is located on the left bank of the Schuylkill River
, opposite Phoenixville
, at the site of the former Jacobs' ford
. Mont Clare hosts the only functional lock
and one of only two remaining watered stretches of the Schuylkill Canal
. Mont Clare was the birthplace of the infamous outlaw Sundance Kid
.
The village was originally named Quincyville. The village name has also been spelled Quinzyville, Mont Clair and Montclare.
, there was an aboriginal American
encampment or village on the site, of the Unami
speaking Lenni-Lenape tribe.
, who settled in Providence Township
, along the Schuylkill in what is now Mont Clare. This Gordon was Deputy Governor of the Province of Pennsylvania
from 1726, until his death in 1736.
In 1761, another Patrick Gordon, relation to Deputy Governor Gordon unknown, leased a "plantation" from the sons of William Penn
. This Gordon lived in an improved cave in the hill below where the Mont Clare railroad station would be located over 100 years later. Newspaper accounts show him to be living in the vicinity as early as 1757. He was reportedly unmarried and owned female slaves which lived in the cave with him. Those newspaper notices show he also came into possession of his neighbor's livestock on occasion.
In Colonial America
the ford drew traffic through Quincyville. Bean's History of Montgomery County Pennsylvania suggests Quincyville was the location of Joseph Richardson's 1766 licensed inn
.
The ford was used by American and British troops during the American Revolutionary War
. In the fall of 1777, Lord Cornwallis
' troops forced a passage of the ford. This move ultimately led to the British taking Philadelphia
. Gordon's Cave became the site of a very minor American victory when a British squad tarried there to liberate a roasting goose and were captured by militia.
On 3 December 1785, 700 acres (283.3 ha) of land at what is now Mont Clare, were sold by John Penn
and John Penn, Jr.
, grandsons of William Penn, to Quaker
John Jacobs for £2,600. The first Jacobs to live on the property was colonial Assemblyman and future Representative at the 2nd United States Congress
, Israel Jacobs
.
, and reentered the river at Oaks
. Black Rock Dam
, Lock
60 and a house for its lock tender were built in Mont Clare. In the mid 1900s, the lower mile was filled in when the river was dredged, however the upper portion was kept watered at the insistence of Mont Clare and Port Providence residents who use it for recreation.
In the winter of 1843-1844, Joseph Whitaker, ironmaster
and state legislator from Phoenixville, obtained a charter for the first Mont Clare Bridge
. Starting in the summer of 1844, the bridge was constructed to replace the ford. In 1846, Whitaker sold his interest in the Phoenix Iron Works
and moved across the river to Quincyville to land he had purchased there. Whitaker built a dwelling and a steam saw mill. Whitaker's residence was named Mont Clare (or Montclair, see below) at the 1847 suggestion of poet Bayard Taylor
, setting the stage for the future name of the village.
By 1859, Quincyville consisted of "an inn, store, steam saw mill, lumberyard, and seventeen houses. There was formerly an iron foundry and machine shop here, which ha[d] been converted to a paper mill". "There was also a post office
here, which was discontinued in the spring of 1858."
The post office reopened from 1861 to 1868, but with the name Mont Clare. Through the 1870s, the village name transitioned from Quincyville to Mont Clare (see below).
with a station in Mont Clare. The line comes up from Philadelphia on the river bluff then turns out over the northern part of Mont Clare on a high viaduct that then crosses the Schuylkill River into Phoenixville. The line crosses what was the front yard of the Mont Clare estate house. Fortunately the house has an equal rear entryway, so they moved the driveway to the former back door. In 1900, the Pennsylvania Rail Road (PRR) combined the line with five other subsidiaries to form the Schuylkill and Juniata Railroad
. In 1902, the PRR eliminated the subsidiaries and took direct owner ship of the line. PRR discontinued the Mont Clare station between 1955 and 1958. After the PRR successor, Penn Central, failure and the takeover of successor Conrail, the line now belongs to Norfolk Southern, who used it for freight. After two years of no local use, the line was formally taken out of service at the end of 2007. As of 2009 one rail has been observed to be disconnected just south of the Bridge Street(PA 29
) overpass in Mont Clare. The line is part of the alignment in the moribund Schuylkill Valley Metro
light rail
proposal, and the more recent, and less ambitious, Green Line
rail proposal. Both proposals would reestablish rail service from Mont Clare to Philadelphia, via Norristown
and Paoli
, respectively.
In 1886, the Mont Clare post office was reopened, although it took the name Montclare from 1895 to 1905. The Post Office remained open until the decline of small post offices at the end of the 20th century. Eventually Mont Clare was assigned the ZIP Code
19453. At the end, the Post Office was located at the eastern corner of Bridge and Walnut Streets in a small storefront in an apartment building. The Mont Clare Post Office finally closed again near the turn of the 21st century
. Village mail is delivered by the Phoenixville Post Office to the still active 19453 ZIP Code, as well as to its own 19460 ZIP code area, which entirely surrounds 19453.
In 1900, the volunteer Mont Clare Fire Company was formed. Chartered in 1910, Company 55 celebrated their 100th anniversary in 2010. Besides traditional fire and rescue, they have water rescue units with boats and divers, reflecting the river and canal location of Mont Clare.
Montclair after Whitaker's estate was the source of the name change. However the railroad and its Mont Clare station were constructed in the 1880s, well after the name appeared beyond the estate. Some references show both names simultaneously. The county map in Bean's 1884 history shows Mont Clare on the river and Quincyville as an adjacent village, inland. Harley's 1881 history refers to both names individually in a list of Upper Providence villages. So while there is some possibility there were once two villages, the 1871 and 1877 atlases are the most detailed and both have insets detailing the property ownership of the same village on the river, but with the name changed. The 1895 atlas has no mention of Quincyville.
The spellings of the village's names are the subject of some historical debate. There are several 1850s references to Quinzyville, including official Post Office lists.[ Note: A version of Bean's History on the web names it Quineyville, but this is a transcription error.] An 1895 Philadelphia Inquirer article claims that Bayard Taylor spelled the estate's name Mont Clair 48 years previously and notes the railroad company's using the spelling Mont Clare might be due to a "blind guess" that would be "near enough to pass". Yet Pennypacker, who grew up in his grandfather's Mont Clare estate, consistently spells the name Mont Clare in his Annals of Phoenixville and attributes the estate's name to Bayard with that spelling. But Phoebe H. Gilkyson, a Whitaker great-granddaughter and later resident of the estate, refers to the house as Montclair in her papers. In any event, Mont Clare is the modern spelling listed by both the USPS and GNIS, although the latter lists Montclare as a variant, as used on the map below.
, Levi
, and Robert
, were notable pioneers and helped found Lexington, Kentucky
. Many of David's descendants were still living in the township in 1884. The most well known Todd descendants were Mary Todd Lincoln
, wife of U. S. President
Abraham Lincoln
, and their son, Robert Todd Lincoln
, Secretary of War
under President Chester A. Arthur
.
In 1855, future Mennonite Church leader and publisher, John F. Funk
, had his first job teaching in a one room school house in Quincyville.
The eventual 23rd Governor of Pennsylvania, Samuel W. Pennypacker
, spent his boyhood in the Mont Clare estate of his maternal grandfather, Joseph Whitaker. In 1862, Pennypacker had his first professional job teaching in a one room school house in the village.
Mont Clare is the 1867 birthplace of the infamous outlaw Harry "The Sundance Kid" Longabaugh
. The movie, Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid
, erroneously states Sundance was born in New Jersey
(possibly due to confusion with Montclair, New Jersey
). Sundance was born at 122 Jacobs Street. Sundance's mother's family, Place, was from Mont Clare, with one relative, Daniel Webster Place, marrying Mary E. Pennypacker in 1873. Harry A. Place was the alias the Sundance Kid used when he married the woman known to history as Etta Place
.
Between 1882 and 1899, poet and local historian Christian Carmack Sanderson
grew up living in Mont Clare and adjacent Port Providence. The home at 205 Jacobs Street is referred to as "The Little Brick House" in his writings.
In 1916, the Mont Clare estate was occupied by Phoebe Hunter Gilkyson, a great granddaughter of Joseph Whitaker. Mrs. Gilkyson was a noted literary and social figure, whose poems and stories were published in Harper's
, Scribner's
and McClure's
Magazines. She also wrote a newspaper column. Her husband Hamilton H. Gilkyson, Jr. was a local business and civic leader. Phoebe's son, Terry Gilkyson
was a song writer and musician. Terry co-authored the chart topping Memories Are Made of This
and wrote the Oscar nominated "The Bare Necessities
" from the 1967 movie The Jungle Book
.
Contemporary musician Todd Martin
grew up in Mont Clare, and his fifth album's title, Mont Clare
, reflects that.
In 1995, Montgomery County designated the Mont Clare Cliffs and Ravines as a natural area "priority site". Extending upriver from Mont Clare along the Schuylkill, this series of "steep cliffs and deeply etched ravines" are formed by the intersection of hard Lockatong Formation
argillite
s with the river.
s. A ten minute walk across the bridge accesses the newly revitalized downtown Phoenixville's restaurants, pubs, and theater.
Mont Clare is the site of Lock 60 a fully restored and operating lock
at the upstream end of the Oakes Reach of the Schuylkill Canal
. The Lock, tow path, the restored lock tender's house, and surrounding area form a park maintained by the Schuylkill Canal Association
(SCA). The park is at the center of the "Schuylkill Navigation Canal, Oakes Reach Section" Historic District
. The park includes a floating dock in the canal and a launch area on the river. This compliments a portage
trail, between the downstream end of the canal reach and the river. The river, portage, canal, and park form a 5 miles (8 km) canoe
and kayak
loop. St. Michael's has a large recreation area on the left bank of the canal, below the lock tender's house. SCA's annual summer Canal Day festival usually spans both parks. The park also hosts the annual Ancient Order of Hibernians
local Irish Festival. There is another park on the canal between Mont Clare and Port Providence. , Mont Clare is the western end of the contiguous Schuylkill River Trail
(SRT) out of Philadelphia. Plans to connect this eastern SRT segment to existing SRT segments further west will eventually remove this distinction.
Joseph Whitaker's Mont Clare estate home still stands on the corner of Bridge and Grace Streets (Grace was Joseph's wife). The home is currently occupied by three generations of Whitaker descendants.
Upper Providence Township, Montgomery County, Pennsylvania
Upper Providence Township is a township in Montgomery County, Pennsylvania, United States. As of the 2010 census, the township population was 21,219.- History :...
, Montgomery County
Montgomery County, Pennsylvania
Montgomery County is a county located in the U.S. state of Pennsylvania, in the United States. As of 2010, the population was 799,874, making it the third most populous county in Pennsylvania . The county seat is Norristown.The county was created on September 10, 1784, out of land originally part...
, Pennsylvania
Pennsylvania
The Commonwealth of Pennsylvania is a U.S. state that is located in the Northeastern and Mid-Atlantic regions of the United States. The state borders Delaware and Maryland to the south, West Virginia to the southwest, Ohio to the west, New York and Ontario, Canada, to the north, and New Jersey to...
, USA. The village is located on the left bank of the Schuylkill River
Schuylkill River
The Schuylkill River is a river in Pennsylvania. It is a designated Pennsylvania Scenic River.The river is about long. Its watershed of about lies entirely within the state of Pennsylvania. The source of its eastern branch is in the Appalachian Mountains at Tuscarora Springs, near Tamaqua in...
, opposite Phoenixville
Phoenixville, Pennsylvania
Phoenixville is a borough in Chester County, Pennsylvania, United States, northwest of Philadelphia, at the junction of French Creek with the Schuylkill River. The population is 16,440 as of the 2010 Census.- History :...
, at the site of the former Jacobs' ford
Ford (crossing)
A ford is a shallow place with good footing where a river or stream may be crossed by wading or in a vehicle. A ford is mostly a natural phenomenon, in contrast to a low water crossing, which is an artificial bridge that allows crossing a river or stream when water is low.The names of many towns...
. Mont Clare hosts the only functional lock
Lock (water transport)
A lock is a device for raising and lowering boats between stretches of water of different levels on river and canal waterways. The distinguishing feature of a lock is a fixed chamber in which the water level can be varied; whereas in a caisson lock, a boat lift, or on a canal inclined plane, it is...
and one of only two remaining watered stretches of the Schuylkill Canal
Schuylkill Canal
Schuylkill Canal is the common, but technically inaccurate, name for the Schuylkill Navigation, a 19th-century commercial waterway in and along the Schuylkill River in the U.S. state of Pennsylvania. The "canal" was actually a system of interconnected man-made canals and slack-water pools in the...
. Mont Clare was the birthplace of the infamous outlaw Sundance Kid
Harry Longabaugh
Harry Alonzo Longabaugh , better known as the Sundance Kid, was an outlaw and member of Butch Cassidy's Wild Bunch, in the American Old West. Longabaugh likely met Butch Cassidy after Parker was released from prison around 1896...
.
The village was originally named Quincyville. The village name has also been spelled Quinzyville, Mont Clair and Montclare.
Time line
Prior to the European colonization of the AmericasEuropean colonization of the Americas
The start of the European colonization of the Americas is typically dated to 1492. The first Europeans to reach the Americas were the Vikings during the 11th century, who established several colonies in Greenland and one short-lived settlement in present day Newfoundland...
, there was an aboriginal American
Native Americans in the United States
Native Americans in the United States are the indigenous peoples in North America within the boundaries of the present-day continental United States, parts of Alaska, and the island state of Hawaii. They are composed of numerous, distinct tribes, states, and ethnic groups, many of which survive as...
encampment or village on the site, of the Unami
Unami language
Unami is an extinct Algonquian language formerly spoken by Lenape people in what is now the lower Hudson Valley area and New York Harbor area, New Jersey, Pennsylvania and Delaware, but later in Ontario and Oklahoma. It is one of the two Delaware languages, the other being Munsee...
speaking Lenni-Lenape tribe.
Colonial and Revolutionary War periods
The earliest recorded resident of European descent on the site appears to have been Patrick GordonPatrick Gordon (governor)
Patrick Gordon was Deputy Governor of the Province of Pennsylvania and the Lower Counties on the Delaware from 22 June 1726 to 4 August 1736. He was deputy to the Proprietors of Pennsylvania, the heirs of William Penn, rather than to a governor...
, who settled in Providence Township
Providence Township, Montgomery County, Pennsylvania
Providence Township was a township of Montgomery County, Pennsylvania, USA from 1729 until it was divided in 1805.Originally the land was a major part of William Penn's Manor of Gilberts. In 1699, Penn sold off east of the Perkiomen Creek and leased the land to the west...
, along the Schuylkill in what is now Mont Clare. This Gordon was Deputy Governor of the Province of Pennsylvania
Province of Pennsylvania
The Province of Pennsylvania, also known as Pennsylvania Colony, was founded in British America by William Penn on March 4, 1681 as dictated in a royal charter granted by King Charles II...
from 1726, until his death in 1736.
In 1761, another Patrick Gordon, relation to Deputy Governor Gordon unknown, leased a "plantation" from the sons of William Penn
William Penn
William Penn was an English real estate entrepreneur, philosopher, and founder of the Province of Pennsylvania, the English North American colony and the future Commonwealth of Pennsylvania. He was an early champion of democracy and religious freedom, notable for his good relations and successful...
. This Gordon lived in an improved cave in the hill below where the Mont Clare railroad station would be located over 100 years later. Newspaper accounts show him to be living in the vicinity as early as 1757. He was reportedly unmarried and owned female slaves which lived in the cave with him. Those newspaper notices show he also came into possession of his neighbor's livestock on occasion.
In Colonial America
Colonial America
The colonial history of the United States covers the history from the start of European settlement and especially the history of the thirteen colonies of Britain until they declared independence in 1776. In the late 16th century, England, France, Spain and the Netherlands launched major...
the ford drew traffic through Quincyville. Bean's History of Montgomery County Pennsylvania suggests Quincyville was the location of Joseph Richardson's 1766 licensed inn
INN
InterNetNews is a Usenet news server package, originally released by Rich Salz in 1991, and presented at the Summer 1992 USENIX conference in San Antonio, Texas...
.
The ford was used by American and British troops during the American Revolutionary War
American Revolutionary War
The American Revolutionary War , the American War of Independence, or simply the Revolutionary War, began as a war between the Kingdom of Great Britain and thirteen British colonies in North America, and ended in a global war between several European great powers.The war was the result of the...
. In the fall of 1777, Lord Cornwallis
Charles Cornwallis, 1st Marquess Cornwallis
Charles Cornwallis, 1st Marquess Cornwallis KG , styled Viscount Brome between 1753 and 1762 and known as The Earl Cornwallis between 1762 and 1792, was a British Army officer and colonial administrator...
' troops forced a passage of the ford. This move ultimately led to the British taking Philadelphia
Philadelphia campaign
The Philadelphia campaign was a British initiative in the American Revolutionary War to gain control of Philadelphia, which was then the seat of the Second Continental Congress...
. Gordon's Cave became the site of a very minor American victory when a British squad tarried there to liberate a roasting goose and were captured by militia.
On 3 December 1785, 700 acres (283.3 ha) of land at what is now Mont Clare, were sold by John Penn
John Penn (governor)
John Penn was the last governor of colonial Pennsylvania, serving in that office from 1763 to 1771 and from 1773 to 1776...
and John Penn, Jr.
John Penn (writer)
John Penn was an Anglo-American writer, a part proprietor of the Province of Pennsylvania , and a governor of the Isle of Portland.-Life:John Penn was the son of Thomas Penn and his wife Juliana John Penn (aka "John Penn, Jr."[sic], "John Penn of Stoke") (22 February 1760, London, England – 21...
, grandsons of William Penn, to Quaker
Religious Society of Friends
The Religious Society of Friends, or Friends Church, is a Christian movement which stresses the doctrine of the priesthood of all believers. Members are known as Friends, or popularly as Quakers. It is made of independent organisations, which have split from one another due to doctrinal differences...
John Jacobs for £2,600. The first Jacobs to live on the property was colonial Assemblyman and future Representative at the 2nd United States Congress
2nd United States Congress
-House of Representatives:During this congress, two new House seats were added for each of the new states of Vermont and Kentucky. -Leadership:-Senate:*President: John Adams *President pro tempore:** Richard Henry Lee...
, Israel Jacobs
Israel Jacobs
Israel Jacobs was a colonial Pennsylvania Legislator and United States Representative from Pennsylvania....
.
Canal era
In the 1820s, the construction of the "Schuylkill Navigation" Canal through the village brought more commerce and traffic. The 3.5 miles (5.6 km) Oakes Reach started in Mont Clare, ran down past neighboring Port ProvidencePort Providence, Pennsylvania
Port Providence is an unincorporated village along the Schuylkill River in Upper Providence Township, Montgomery County, Pennsylvania, United States. Originally known as Jacobs, then Lumberville, the village is located on one of the two remaining watered stretches of the Schuylkill Canal...
, and reentered the river at Oaks
Oaks, Pennsylvania
Oaks is a village located in Upper Providence Township, Montgomery County, Pennsylvania, 18 miles northwest of Philadelphia. Its boundaries are defined in large part by the village's position at the junction of Perkiomen Creek and the Schuylkill River.-History:The two waterways defined much of the...
. Black Rock Dam
Black Rock Dam (Schuylkill River)
The Black Rock Dam is a low head dam in the Schuylkill River. Originally constructed as a stone filled, timber crib dam in the early 19th century by the Schuylkill Navigation Company, the dam was one of dozens built to create a slack water pools for the Schuylkill Navigation System...
, Lock
Lock (water transport)
A lock is a device for raising and lowering boats between stretches of water of different levels on river and canal waterways. The distinguishing feature of a lock is a fixed chamber in which the water level can be varied; whereas in a caisson lock, a boat lift, or on a canal inclined plane, it is...
60 and a house for its lock tender were built in Mont Clare. In the mid 1900s, the lower mile was filled in when the river was dredged, however the upper portion was kept watered at the insistence of Mont Clare and Port Providence residents who use it for recreation.
In the winter of 1843-1844, Joseph Whitaker, ironmaster
Ironmaster
An ironmaster is the manager – and usually owner – of a forge or blast furnace for the processing of iron. It is a term mainly associated with the period of the Industrial Revolution, especially in Great Britain....
and state legislator from Phoenixville, obtained a charter for the first Mont Clare Bridge
Mont Clare Bridge
The Mont Clare Bridge is a crossing of the Schuylkill River between Mont Clare and Phoenixville in Pennsylvania, USA. The bridge was also referred to as the Intercounty Bridge, as it connects Montgomery and Chester counties. The bridge abuts a across the Schuylkill Canal and towpath on the Mont...
. Starting in the summer of 1844, the bridge was constructed to replace the ford. In 1846, Whitaker sold his interest in the Phoenix Iron Works
Phoenix Iron Works
The Phoenix Iron Works , located in Phoenixville, Pennsylvania, was a significant manufacturer of iron and related products during the 19th century and early 20th century. Phoenix Iron Company was a major producer of cannons for the Union Army during the American Civil War...
and moved across the river to Quincyville to land he had purchased there. Whitaker built a dwelling and a steam saw mill. Whitaker's residence was named Mont Clare (or Montclair, see below) at the 1847 suggestion of poet Bayard Taylor
Bayard Taylor
Bayard Taylor was an American poet, literary critic, translator, and travel author.-Life and work:...
, setting the stage for the future name of the village.
By 1859, Quincyville consisted of "an inn, store, steam saw mill, lumberyard, and seventeen houses. There was formerly an iron foundry and machine shop here, which ha
Post office
A post office is a facility forming part of a postal system for the posting, receipt, sorting, handling, transmission or delivery of mail.Post offices offer mail-related services such as post office boxes, postage and packaging supplies...
here, which was discontinued in the spring of 1858."
The post office reopened from 1861 to 1868, but with the name Mont Clare. Through the 1870s, the village name transitioned from Quincyville to Mont Clare (see below).
Rail era
Between 1882 and 1884, the Pennsylvania Schuylkill Valley Railroad was completed between Philadelphia and ReadingReading, Pennsylvania
Reading is a city in southeastern Pennsylvania, USA, and seat of Berks County. Reading is the principal city of the Greater Reading Area and had a population of 88,082 as of the 2010 census, making it the fifth most populated city in the state after Philadelphia, Pittsburgh, Allentown and Erie,...
with a station in Mont Clare. The line comes up from Philadelphia on the river bluff then turns out over the northern part of Mont Clare on a high viaduct that then crosses the Schuylkill River into Phoenixville. The line crosses what was the front yard of the Mont Clare estate house. Fortunately the house has an equal rear entryway, so they moved the driveway to the former back door. In 1900, the Pennsylvania Rail Road (PRR) combined the line with five other subsidiaries to form the Schuylkill and Juniata Railroad
Schuylkill and Juniata Railroad
The Schuylkill and Juniata Railroad Company was a railroad company formed on 1 June 1900 from the consolidation of five subsidiaries of the Pennsylvania Railroad . The predecessor component railroads were the Pennsylvania Schuylkill Valley; Nescopec; North and West Branch; Sunbury, Hazleton and...
. In 1902, the PRR eliminated the subsidiaries and took direct owner ship of the line. PRR discontinued the Mont Clare station between 1955 and 1958. After the PRR successor, Penn Central, failure and the takeover of successor Conrail, the line now belongs to Norfolk Southern, who used it for freight. After two years of no local use, the line was formally taken out of service at the end of 2007. As of 2009 one rail has been observed to be disconnected just south of the Bridge Street(PA 29
Pennsylvania Route 29
Pennsylvania Route 29 is a 118 mile long north–south state highway that runs through most of eastern Pennsylvania. The route currently exists in two segments, a southern segment and a northern segment. The southernmost terminus of the designation is at U.S. Route 30 in Malvern...
) overpass in Mont Clare. The line is part of the alignment in the moribund Schuylkill Valley Metro
Schuylkill Valley Metro
The Schuylkill Valley Metro was a proposal for a 62-mile railway system that would link Philadelphia, Pennsylvania with the city of Reading, Pennsylvania in central Berks County, USA, using the SEPTA Manayunk/Norristown Line and Cynwyd Line, as well as two current freight-only rights-of-way owned...
light rail
Light rail
Light rail or light rail transit is a form of urban rail public transportation that generally has a lower capacity and lower speed than heavy rail and metro systems, but higher capacity and higher speed than traditional street-running tram systems...
proposal, and the more recent, and less ambitious, Green Line
Green Line (Pennsylvania)
The Greenline is a proposed $138 million mass transit line for the Upper Schuylkill Valley region in southeastern Pennsylvania in the United States. It is still in the planning stages and its construction is not guaranteed. The line is being advocated by a group called Citizens for the Train...
rail proposal. Both proposals would reestablish rail service from Mont Clare to Philadelphia, via Norristown
Norristown, Pennsylvania
Norristown is a municipality in Montgomery County, Pennsylvania, northwest of the city limits of Philadelphia, on the Schuylkill River. The population was 34,324 as of the 2010 census. It is the county seat of Montgomery County...
and Paoli
Paoli, Pennsylvania
Paoli is a census-designated place in Chester County near Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, United States. It is situated in portions of two townships: Tredyffrin and Willistown...
, respectively.
In 1886, the Mont Clare post office was reopened, although it took the name Montclare from 1895 to 1905. The Post Office remained open until the decline of small post offices at the end of the 20th century. Eventually Mont Clare was assigned the ZIP Code
ZIP Code
ZIP codes are a system of postal codes used by the United States Postal Service since 1963. The term ZIP, an acronym for Zone Improvement Plan, is properly written in capital letters and was chosen to suggest that the mail travels more efficiently, and therefore more quickly, when senders use the...
19453. At the end, the Post Office was located at the eastern corner of Bridge and Walnut Streets in a small storefront in an apartment building. The Mont Clare Post Office finally closed again near the turn of the 21st century
Turn of the century
Turn of the century, in its broadest sense, refers to the transition from one century to another. The term is most often used to indicate a non-specific time period either before or after the beginning of a century....
. Village mail is delivered by the Phoenixville Post Office to the still active 19453 ZIP Code, as well as to its own 19460 ZIP code area, which entirely surrounds 19453.
In 1900, the volunteer Mont Clare Fire Company was formed. Chartered in 1910, Company 55 celebrated their 100th anniversary in 2010. Besides traditional fire and rescue, they have water rescue units with boats and divers, reflecting the river and canal location of Mont Clare.
Village names
The village gradually changed its name from Quincyville to Mont Clare in the latter half of the 1800s, adopting the name of the estate of one of its most prominent residents. An early recognition was the naming of the reopened village Post Office as "Mont Clare" in 1861. In 1871 and 1872 atlases, the village is still labeled Quincyville, but Samuel W. Pennypacker refers to only Mont Clare in his 1872 Annals of Phoenixville and Its Vicinity. In an 1877 atlas, it is shown as "Mt. Clare", but that atlas' included history of Upper Providence refers to it as "Quincyville or Mont Clare" and "Quincyville, perhaps better known as Mont Clare". There is a story that the railroad dubbing the local stationTrain station
A train station, also called a railroad station or railway station and often shortened to just station,"Station" is commonly understood to mean "train station" unless otherwise qualified. This is evident from dictionary entries e.g...
Montclair after Whitaker's estate was the source of the name change. However the railroad and its Mont Clare station were constructed in the 1880s, well after the name appeared beyond the estate. Some references show both names simultaneously. The county map in Bean's 1884 history shows Mont Clare on the river and Quincyville as an adjacent village, inland. Harley's 1881 history refers to both names individually in a list of Upper Providence villages. So while there is some possibility there were once two villages, the 1871 and 1877 atlases are the most detailed and both have insets detailing the property ownership of the same village on the river, but with the name changed. The 1895 atlas has no mention of Quincyville.
The spellings of the village's names are the subject of some historical debate. There are several 1850s references to Quinzyville, including official Post Office lists.
Notable people
By 1760, David Todd had settled near Mont Clare. His sons, JohnJohn Todd (Virginia)
John Todd was a frontier military officer during the American Revolutionary War and the first administrator of the Illinois County of the U.S...
, Levi
Levi Todd
Levi Todd was an 18th century American pioneer who, with his brothers John and Robert Todd, helped found present-day Lexington, Kentucky and were leading prominent landowners and statesmen in the state of Kentucky prior to its admission into the United States in 1792.He was also the grandfather of...
, and Robert
Robert Todd (pioneer)
Brigadier General Robert Todd was an 18th century American pioneer, politician and soldier. As an officer in the Continental Army under General "Mad" Anthony Wayne, he took part in the Indian Wars and the western campaign during the American Revolutionary War.Together with his brothers John Todd...
, were notable pioneers and helped found Lexington, Kentucky
Lexington, Kentucky
Lexington is the second-largest city in Kentucky and the 63rd largest in the US. Known as the "Thoroughbred City" and the "Horse Capital of the World", it is located in the heart of Kentucky's Bluegrass region...
. Many of David's descendants were still living in the township in 1884. The most well known Todd descendants were Mary Todd Lincoln
Mary Todd Lincoln
Mary Ann Lincoln was the wife of the 16th President of the United States, Abraham Lincoln, and was First Lady of the United States from 1861 to 1865.-Life before the White House:...
, wife of U. S. President
President of the United States
The President of the United States of America is the head of state and head of government of the United States. The president leads the executive branch of the federal government and is the commander-in-chief of the United States Armed Forces....
Abraham Lincoln
Abraham Lincoln
Abraham Lincoln was the 16th President of the United States, serving from March 1861 until his assassination in April 1865. He successfully led his country through a great constitutional, military and moral crisis – the American Civil War – preserving the Union, while ending slavery, and...
, and their son, Robert Todd Lincoln
Robert Todd Lincoln
Robert Todd Lincoln was an American lawyer and Secretary of War, and the first son of President Abraham Lincoln and Mary Todd Lincoln...
, Secretary of War
United States Secretary of War
The Secretary of War was a member of the United States President's Cabinet, beginning with George Washington's administration. A similar position, called either "Secretary at War" or "Secretary of War," was appointed to serve the Congress of the Confederation under the Articles of Confederation...
under President Chester A. Arthur
Chester A. Arthur
Chester Alan Arthur was the 21st President of the United States . Becoming President after the assassination of President James A. Garfield, Arthur struggled to overcome suspicions of his beginnings as a politician from the New York City Republican machine, succeeding at that task by embracing...
.
In 1855, future Mennonite Church leader and publisher, John F. Funk
John F. Funk
John Fertz Funk was a publisher and leader of the Mennonite Church.Funk's personal papers are housed in the Mennonite Church USA Archives- External links :*...
, had his first job teaching in a one room school house in Quincyville.
The eventual 23rd Governor of Pennsylvania, Samuel W. Pennypacker
Samuel W. Pennypacker
Samuel Whitaker Pennypacker was the 23rd Governor of Pennsylvania from 1903 to 1907.-Biography:Gov. Pennypacker was born in Phoenixville, Pennsylvania, April 9, 1843; son of Dr. Isaac A. Pennypacker and Anna Maria Whitaker; grandson of Matthias and Sarah Anderson , and of Joseph and Grace Whitaker...
, spent his boyhood in the Mont Clare estate of his maternal grandfather, Joseph Whitaker. In 1862, Pennypacker had his first professional job teaching in a one room school house in the village.
Mont Clare is the 1867 birthplace of the infamous outlaw Harry "The Sundance Kid" Longabaugh
Harry Longabaugh
Harry Alonzo Longabaugh , better known as the Sundance Kid, was an outlaw and member of Butch Cassidy's Wild Bunch, in the American Old West. Longabaugh likely met Butch Cassidy after Parker was released from prison around 1896...
. The movie, Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid
Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid
Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid is a 1969 American Western film directed by George Roy Hill and written by William Goldman...
, erroneously states Sundance was born in New Jersey
New Jersey
New Jersey is a state in the Northeastern and Middle Atlantic regions of the United States. , its population was 8,791,894. It is bordered on the north and east by the state of New York, on the southeast and south by the Atlantic Ocean, on the west by Pennsylvania and on the southwest by Delaware...
(possibly due to confusion with Montclair, New Jersey
Montclair, New Jersey
-Demographics:As of the census of 2000, there were 38,977 people, 15,020 households, and 9,687 families residing in the township. The population density was 6,183.6 people per square mile . There were 15,531 housing units at an average density of 2,464.0 per square mile...
). Sundance was born at 122 Jacobs Street. Sundance's mother's family, Place, was from Mont Clare, with one relative, Daniel Webster Place, marrying Mary E. Pennypacker in 1873. Harry A. Place was the alias the Sundance Kid used when he married the woman known to history as Etta Place
Etta Place
Etta Place was a companion of the American outlaws Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid , both members of the outlaw gang known as the Wild Bunch. Principally the companion of Longabaugh, little is known about her; both her origins and her fate remain mysterious...
.
Between 1882 and 1899, poet and local historian Christian Carmack Sanderson
Christian C. Sanderson
Christian Carmack Sanderson was a teacher, fiddler, square dance caller, poet, and noted local historian in southeastern Pennsylvania, United States, in the early to mid-20th century. He corresponded with a wide range of notable people of his time and was a remarkable collector of historical...
grew up living in Mont Clare and adjacent Port Providence. The home at 205 Jacobs Street is referred to as "The Little Brick House" in his writings.
In 1916, the Mont Clare estate was occupied by Phoebe Hunter Gilkyson, a great granddaughter of Joseph Whitaker. Mrs. Gilkyson was a noted literary and social figure, whose poems and stories were published in Harper's
Harper's Magazine
Harper's Magazine is a monthly magazine of literature, politics, culture, finance, and the arts, with a generally left-wing perspective. It is the second-oldest continuously published monthly magazine in the U.S. . The current editor is Ellen Rosenbush, who replaced Roger Hodge in January 2010...
, Scribner's
Scribner's Magazine
Scribner's Magazine was an American periodical published by the publishing house of Charles Scribner's Sons from January 1887 to May 1939. Scribner's Magazine was the second magazine out of the "Scribner's" firm, after the publication of Scribner's Monthly...
and McClure's
McClure's
McClure's or McClure's Magazine was an American illustrated monthly periodical popular at the turn of the 20th century. The magazine is credited with creating muckraking journalism. Ida Tarbell's series in 1902 exposing the monopoly abuses of John D...
Magazines. She also wrote a newspaper column. Her husband Hamilton H. Gilkyson, Jr. was a local business and civic leader. Phoebe's son, Terry Gilkyson
Terry Gilkyson
Hamilton H. Gilkyson III , better known as Terry Gilkyson, was an American folk singer, composer, and lyricist.-Biography:...
was a song writer and musician. Terry co-authored the chart topping Memories Are Made of This
Memories Are Made of This
"Memories Are Made of This" is a popular song written by Terry Gilkyson, Richard Dehr, and Frank Miller in 1955.-History:The most popular version of the song was recorded by Dean Martin. It reached #1 on the Billboard chart for six weeks in 1956, and became his biggest hit...
and wrote the Oscar nominated "The Bare Necessities
The Bare Necessities
"The Bare Necessities" is a song, written by Terry Gilkyson, from the animated 1967 Disney film The Jungle Book sung by Phil Harris as Baloo and Bruce Reitherman as Mowgli. Originally, it was written for an earlier draft of the movie that was never produced. The Sherman Brothers, who wrote the...
" from the 1967 movie The Jungle Book
The Jungle Book (1967 film)
The Jungle Book is a 1967 American animated film produced by Walt Disney Animation Studios. Released on October 18, 1967, it is the 19th animated feature in the Walt Disney Animated Classics series. It was inspired by the stories about the feral child Mowgli from the book of the same name by...
.
Contemporary musician Todd Martin
Todd Martin (musician)
Todd Martin started as a solo acoustic act performer who eventually formed the band Todd Martin & The Ends.Somewhere between the intense guitar style and infectious personality of Matt Nathanson and the creative pedal effects of Keller Williams and Howie Day you'll find Todd Martin...
grew up in Mont Clare, and his fifth album's title, Mont Clare
Mont Clare (album)
-Track listing:#"Listen Like You Should" – 4:33#"Safe From The Water" – 4:05#"Spinning" – 4:08#"Greener Is Home" – 4:22#"Attention" – 3:50#"After The Sunset" – 3:04#"Know How It Feels" – 4:11...
, reflects that.
Historical maps
- 1871 Map of Quincyville and Upper Providence Township: GIF Format TIFF Format
- 1877 Map of "Mt. Clare" and Upper Providence Township: GIF Format TIFF Format
- 1884 Map of Montgomery County EnlargedOriginal
Geography
Mont Clare is located inside a bend of the Schuylkill River, which forms the western and southern sides of the village. The village is at a historical ford and present day bridge. Originally settled between the river and a bluff, the village has expanded northeastward up the bluff along Bridge Street (PA29). The lower part of Mont Clare is in the river flood plain.In 1995, Montgomery County designated the Mont Clare Cliffs and Ravines as a natural area "priority site". Extending upriver from Mont Clare along the Schuylkill, this series of "steep cliffs and deeply etched ravines" are formed by the intersection of hard Lockatong Formation
Lockatong Formation
The Triassic Lockatong Formation is a mapped bedrock unit in Pennsylvania, New Jersey, and New York. It is named after the Lockatong Creek in Hunterdon County, New Jersey.-Description:...
argillite
Argillite
An argillite is a fine-grained sedimentary rock composed predominantly of indurated clay particles. Argillaceous rocks are basically lithified muds and oozes. They contain variable amounts of silt-sized particles. The argillites grade into shale when the fissile layering typical of shale is...
s with the river.
Culture
Mont Clare is primarily a residential community. The village has two churches: the Holy Archangel Michael Byzantine Catholic Church (locally known as St. Michael's) and the Otterbein United Methodist Church. Commercial concerns include Produce Junction, Eagle's Nest Deli & Market, a professional office building, and two local automobile repair shopAutomobile repair shop
An automobile repair shop is a place where automobiles are repaired by auto mechanics and electricians.- Types :The automotive garage can be divided in so many category....
s. A ten minute walk across the bridge accesses the newly revitalized downtown Phoenixville's restaurants, pubs, and theater.
Mont Clare is the site of Lock 60 a fully restored and operating lock
Lock (water transport)
A lock is a device for raising and lowering boats between stretches of water of different levels on river and canal waterways. The distinguishing feature of a lock is a fixed chamber in which the water level can be varied; whereas in a caisson lock, a boat lift, or on a canal inclined plane, it is...
at the upstream end of the Oakes Reach of the Schuylkill Canal
Schuylkill Canal
Schuylkill Canal is the common, but technically inaccurate, name for the Schuylkill Navigation, a 19th-century commercial waterway in and along the Schuylkill River in the U.S. state of Pennsylvania. The "canal" was actually a system of interconnected man-made canals and slack-water pools in the...
. The Lock, tow path, the restored lock tender's house, and surrounding area form a park maintained by the Schuylkill Canal Association
Schuylkill Canal Association
The Schuylkill Canal Association is a non-governmental organization that maintains the Oakes Reach and Lock #60 of the Schuylkill Canal as a public recreation area and historical site...
(SCA). The park is at the center of the "Schuylkill Navigation Canal, Oakes Reach Section" Historic District
Historic district (United States)
In the United States, a historic district is a group of buildings, properties, or sites that have been designated by one of several entities on different levels as historically or architecturally significant. Buildings, structures, objects and sites within a historic district are normally divided...
. The park includes a floating dock in the canal and a launch area on the river. This compliments a portage
Portage
Portage or portaging refers to the practice of carrying watercraft or cargo over land to avoid river obstacles, or between two bodies of water. A place where this carrying occurs is also called a portage; a person doing the carrying is called a porter.The English word portage is derived from the...
trail, between the downstream end of the canal reach and the river. The river, portage, canal, and park form a 5 miles (8 km) canoe
Canoe
A canoe or Canadian canoe is a small narrow boat, typically human-powered, though it may also be powered by sails or small electric or gas motors. Canoes are usually pointed at both bow and stern and are normally open on top, but can be decked over A canoe (North American English) or Canadian...
and kayak
Kayak
A kayak is a small, relatively narrow, human-powered boat primarily designed to be manually propelled by means of a double blade paddle.The traditional kayak has a covered deck and one or more cockpits, each seating one paddler...
loop. St. Michael's has a large recreation area on the left bank of the canal, below the lock tender's house. SCA's annual summer Canal Day festival usually spans both parks. The park also hosts the annual Ancient Order of Hibernians
Ancient Order of Hibernians
The Ancient Order of Hibernians is an Irish Catholic fraternal organization. Members must be Catholic and either Irish born or of Irish descent. Its largest membership is now in the United States, where it was founded in New York City in 1836...
local Irish Festival. There is another park on the canal between Mont Clare and Port Providence. , Mont Clare is the western end of the contiguous Schuylkill River Trail
Schuylkill River Trail
The Schuylkill River Trail is a multi-use trail under construction for expansion along the banks of the Schuylkill River in southeastern Pennsylvania...
(SRT) out of Philadelphia. Plans to connect this eastern SRT segment to existing SRT segments further west will eventually remove this distinction.
Joseph Whitaker's Mont Clare estate home still stands on the corner of Bridge and Grace Streets (Grace was Joseph's wife). The home is currently occupied by three generations of Whitaker descendants.