The Telford Jet

Question: I grew up in Telford and remember the Navy donating the Jet to the Telford park on School Lane, since removed. Why was the Jet donated to the park. I have a fond memory of the jet's arrival at the park.

Answer: For anyone who was in the Telford area in the 1960s- 1980s you may remember the orange and white jet at the park on corner of School Lane and East Summit Avenue. (This was also where the Telford Borough Authority water tower was located at one time, but that is another story.) This is the information on that jet as my sources filled in the missing details.

At one time there was a "Souderton-Telford-Franconia Recreation Council" composed of area community members. This Council raised funds at local sporting events concession food sales to provide play equipment to parks in these three communities. An unknown member of this committee had a contact at the Willow Grove Naval Station and had the Korean War vintage Panther Jet delivered to the Telford East Summit Avenue Park. ( I was told a machine like that used on aircraft carriers was used to get the jet from Willow Grove to Telford. We are not sure just what route was taken, but it did come down School Lane past the Souderton Area Joint Junior- Senior High School enroute to its new home.)

When it was first delivered, children were able to climb all over the jet and sit in the cockpit as well. Later, due to safety considerations the cockpit was sealed preventing entry. After about 20 years, the jet had repeatedly become a target for vandals and was believed to have become a hazard to children. It was finally sold to a private collector in the 1980s who disassembled it and removed it from the park.

Death on the High Seas and a Distant Relative

Question: My relative Anna Harms came to US on the ship the SS Nederland but died at sea. The story has come down through the generations that she was buried in Souder's Station Montgomery County PA. But we have searched and searched in the cemeteries and with the Mennonite communities but so far have not found proof of this. I wonder if you could please help to direct us? We are so lost without knowing where she is buried. Thank you so very much.


Answer: Wow! That’s really an interesting story. If Anna passed away in 1874 she would never have been buried in Souderton. There are only two cemeteries in Souderton and the earliest one wasn’t started until 1879. I checked a few of my books on cemeteries in the area but also did not see her name. I guess the biggest question is in 1874 how did they handle a death on board ship? Were they still doing burials at sea at that time and did they have a place to store the body? Without refrigeration I can’t imagine they would have kept a body? And if they were close to docking wouldn’t the body have been buried where they docked? I am no expert on that subject nor am I an expert on where they would have registered the death. Again I think that would have been in the port of arrival. I think I would find out first how they handled ship deaths in that time period. Good luck and let us know if you find out anything.

Souderton's Oldest House?

Question: My parent's farmhouse at the corner of 4th and Sunny Hill, I believe is the second oldest structure in Souderton (the toll house at Chestnut being older.) Yet I have not found mention of it. A reason? My sister, I believe, still has documentation from the courthouse.

Answer: The Souderton historians have always been a bit confusing. When we mention the oldest buildings in Souderton we are always referring to those that were within the original borough limits. Souderton annexed twice to bring it to its current size. With that said, none of the original farm houses, your parents included, were within the original borough. I think we do this because we don’t know which one is the oldest farm house in Souderton. The building you referred to as the toll house, at the corner of Main and Chestnut St. was never a toll house but was the first home of Henry O. Souder and his wife Hannah, c. 1834, and yes, that’s the oldest building within the original limits. Soudertonians are so lucky to have almost all the old farm houses still standing, and your parent’s home, originally the Abraham Benner homestead, is lovely and has the oldest visible date stone of 1785. However is that the oldest part of thebuilding or an addition? I would be extremely interested to see your sister’s documentation. In 1755 George Cressman sold 6 parcels of land retaining one parcel for his family. Those seven properties, totaling 1000 acres, roughly make up present day Souderton. All seven families built log homes first, cleared theland for farming, and stock piled the field stones to build future houses. Your parent’s home is one of four houses which can compete for the title of the oldest house in Souderton.

How did Telford get its name?

Telford was first called Hendrick's Blacksmith Shop and then County Line. When the railroad came to the area in 1857 it called this stop "Telford", after Sir Thomas Telford, a renowned Scottish civil engineer. It became less confusing to call the town the same name as the train stop, but the town was situated in two counties. When the Bucks County town became incorporated in 1886 it took Telford as its name. The Montgomery County portion took the name of West Telford in 1897. Finally in 1934 the state allowed a town to exist in two counties and the towns consolidated and became known as Telford in 1937.

With the possibility of the return of passenger rail service to Souderton can you tell me how the train first came to Souderton?

The North Pennsylvania Railroad Company planned to lay track from Lansdale to Bethlehem and was actually going to by-pass Souderton totally. An astute businessman, however, Henry O.Souder, donated some of his land to divert the track here. The first train, "TheCivilizer" came through town in 1857 and the railroad named this stop Franconia. In 1863 the stop was renamed Souder's and finally changed to Souderton in 1876.

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