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The Wissinoming Station was built in the late 1870s and was, arguably,
the most important event in the development of Wissinoming. An examination of maps
of the period shows that Wissinoming's growth began around the railroad station, then
spread gradually west. This picture is from around 1908. |
In 1884, J. Thomas Scharf and Thompson Westcott published a three volume
set titled History of Philadelphia, 1609-1884. In the Transportation section,
pp. 2183-2185, they give a good account of the Trenton-Kensington Railroad: Philadelphia and Trenton Railroad
All interests involved in the business
of transportation between Philadelphia and New York were not united in the movements for
the establishment of the Delaware and Raritan Canal and the Camden and Amboy Railroad.
Consequently another line of railroad was projected, and Feb. 28, 1832, the Legislature of
Pennsylvania passed an act "to incorporate the Philadelphia and Trenton Railroad
Company, with a capital of six hundred thousand dollars." Authority was given to this
corporation to locate and construct a railroad of one or more tracks from a suitable point
in the district of Kensington, through the borough of Frankford, intersecting the Delaware
Division of the Pennsylvania Canal in the borough of Bristol, and to continue to a point
at or near the Trenton Delaware bridge, in the borough of Morrisville. To this company
also was given power to place on the railroad machines, wagons, vehicles, carriages, and
teams of any kind, and to transport goods and passengers, said road to be a public highway
for conveyance of passengers, and transportation under rates to be charged by the company.
There was no difficulty in disposing of the stock, and the work of construction was
immediately entered upon. It was estimated at this time. that the amount received by the
Union and Citizens' Lines jointly during the year 1831, for way passengers alone, between
New York and Philadelphia, exclusive of through passengers and transportation of goods,
was one hundred and six thousand dollars, and that, allowing the opposition line, which
might go by the Camden and Amboy route, a greater proportion of the business, the net
annual receipts would be sixty thousand dollars, from which, deducting interest on the
capital, there would still be sufficient profits to allow a dividend of flfteen per cent.
This flattering estimate was not sustained by subsequent experience. The track was
finished from Morrisville to Bristol on the 14th of November, 1833. The People's Line for
New York, via Bristol and Trenton, was established immediately, with the announcement,
"No locomotive, no monopoly, fare only $1.50." In order to make a virtue of a
necessity, the People's Line claimed that it desired to protect the community. It said,
"As it has always been their first care to provide a safe and comfortable conveyance,
they have resolved not to use steam-carriages, and thus not to "place it in the power
of an agent to sport with the lives of passengers at forty miles an hour. Col. Reeside's
best drivers and horses are constantly employed on this route, by which the United States
Eastern mail is carried." These precautions were not of long continuance.
The railroad was completed from Kensington to
Morrisville on the 1st of November, 1834, and a locomotive was immediately placed upon it,
which ran to Morrisville, twenty-eight miles, in one hour and thirty minutes. The depot of
the road was established on a lot of ground between Front Street and Frankford road north
of Harrison Street. By act of March 27, 1834, this company, with the consent of the
commissioners of the Northern Liberties, was given authority to connect its track with the
Northern Liberty and Penn Township road at or near Front Street, with authority to
"occupy such street or streets as shall be most convenient." In view of this
authority, the office of the company was established at Third Street Hall, a large
building erected at the northeast corner of Third and Willow Streets, partly for use as a
hotel and partly for a railroad depot. In February, 1835, the Pennsylvania Legislature
passed a law empowering this company to build a bridge over the Delaware River and lay
tracks to New Jersey. Shortly afterward authority was given to the road to purchase stock
in turnpike bridges and railroad companies, not only in Pennsylvania, but elsewhere. There
was a feeling of opposition among the people of the Northern Liberties and Kensington
which was sufficiently understood, and had its effect in preventing the company from
making the junction with the Northern Liberties and Penn Township road, on Willow Street,
which had been intended. This had the effect of delaying the connection some time. On
March 23, 1839, another act of Assembly was passed authorizing the company to continue its
tracks from the depot in Kensington along the Frankford road and Maiden Street for one
year, until another railroad could be conveniently constructed upon another route from the
Kensington Depot to the depot at Third and Willow Streets. The privilege of continuing the
tracks upon Frankford road and Maiden Street was not to extend over one year, and James
Ronaldson, Thomas D. Grover, and Daniel Smith, carpenter, were appointed commissioners to
ascertain what damages had been suffered by the corporation of the district of Kensington
and the people along the route. The second section of this act permitted the company to
locate a railroad between the Kensington and Willow Street Depots "by the best route
along the streets between said depots, and for that purpose they may occupy such street or
streets as shall be most beneficial and convenient." The route might be
approved by the Court of Quarter Sessions, upon the report of a jury of view of six
persons, appointed to consider its advantages and its disadvantages.
Under this authority, license was obtained to
lay a track on Front Street between Willow Street and the Kensington Depot. No sooner had
the proposition taken shape than an excitement arose among the people not only upon the
line of the proposed tracks, but throughout the Northern Liberties and Kensington. It was
urged that the establishment of a railroad to be carried through the thickly-built
portions of the districts would be dangerous to the lives of citizens and injurious to
property. The law of 1839 was criticised unfavorably, upon the allegation that it was
smuggled through the Legislature without notice to the people of the districts. When the
workmen began to tear up the pavement for the purpose of laying the rails, they found
themselves surrounded by crowds of discontented persons, who talked loudly against their
proceedings. The women, who were active; scolded them, and resorted to many annoyances, in
which they were countenanced and aided by men. From words the discontented opponents
resorted to acts. On July 26, 1840, several feet of the rails which had been laid down
were torn up, and the roadway injured. On the following day the company procured the
protection of over one hundred police officers, who were stationed in the neighborhood of
the road; but the workmen were obliged to desist by the menaces of the crowd. A pitched
battle ensued, in which the mob used paving-stones and the officers tried to resist them
with their maces; some men and one woman were arrested, but the police who held the
prisoners were attacked, severely handled, and compelled to retire from the fury of the
mob, which was increasing every hour. These occurrences took place in the afternoon of the
27th, and they created much excitement. The news of the encounter spread to all parts of
the city, and at night large numbers of persons resorted to the scene. The rails that had
been laid were again torn up, and the mob proceeded to a tavern upon Front Street, which
was owned by John Naglee, president of the railroad company, and was occupied by John
Emery. The place was offensive to the crowd because it had been occupied by the police. An
attack upon the building followed; the doors were battered in with paving-stones, and, the
house being abandoned by the tenants, was entered by the rioters, who set it on fire. The
usual alarm being given, the firemen came to extinguish the flames, but they were
assaulted with a shower of stones, and driven back.
The police were as active as was possible under the
circumstances; they arrested, or endeavored to arrest, the persons concerned in the riot
and arson, and ten men charged with rioting were brought into the Court of Criminal
Sessions the next morning, and indictments were framed and presented against them. The
grand jury responded speedily, and two of the persons charged, Joseph Jennings and David
Ortman, were arraigned immediately, tried, and found guilty. The court was as passionate
as the mob. Jennings was sentenced immediately to seven years' imprisonment in the Eastern
Penitentiary, and Ortman to ten years' confinement in the same institution. They had been
in the station-house all night, were taken thence to the court; and the preliminary
examination took place in the court-house before the Judge and in the presence of the
general jurors. The accused had no time to summon witnesses or to obtain counsel. Ortman
was imperfectly acquainted with the English language, and he and Jennings were strangers
to each other, and had no opportunity to consult as to the best methods of defense. The
court was denounced on account of the indecent haste and feeling exhibited by the judge,
prosecuting attorney, and jurors. At a public meeting held in the Northern Liberties
strong resolutions of condemnation were passed. Petitions for the pardon of the prisoners
were prepared and passed and extensively signed. They were so strong in their influence
that they produced an effect upon the Governor of the State, and in a short time Ortman
and Jennings were pardoned. An effort was also made to repeal the law creating the Court
of Criminal Sessions, which had been passed in 1838. It was not successful at the time,
but the feeling had its influence in the passage of the act of Feb. 22, 1840, by which the
Court of Criminal Sessions was abolished and the Court of General Sessions erected in its
stead. The company was not disposed to yield to the opposition. New authority was obtained
from the Legislature by act of May 3, 1841, which extended to the company the right to use
the railroad tracks along Frankford road and Maiden Street for three years, and gave the
same time for the construction of the railroad along Front Street from the Kensington
Depot to the depot at Third and Willow Streets. No immediate attempt was made by the
company to exercise this authority, and in the neat year an act was passed to repeal the
law of the year previous, reaffirming the right to construct the railroad on Front Street.
Practically the Front Street route was abandoned for many years. The Kensington Depot
remained at Harrison Street, and trains arrived and departed there. For passengers,
particularly on the through lines, the station for starting by cars was established at
Tacony. City passengers were carried by steamboat from a central wharf in the city as far
north as Tacouy, where they took cars and proceeded on their journey. Certain trains
arriving from New York were accommodated by the same method. |
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