THE BULLETIN

of

RA D NOR HIS TOR I CAL SOC I ET Y

Volume III FALL, 1976 No.6

INCORPORATED APRIL 30,1948

Headquarters and Museum

THE FINLEY HOUSE

113 WEST BEECH TREE LANE WAYNE, PENNSYLVANIA 19087

Visitors Cordially Welcome. Telephone MUrray 8-2668.

BOARD OF DIRECTORS

Mrs. Harri son Thf'rman , President Th l:'odorf' B. Brooks, Vice.President

Mrs. Michapl Carson, Secretary John H . Grant, Treasurer

Charll:'s E. All:'xandl:'r W. Graham Aradl:'r III Mrs. Edward F. Bf'att y, Jr. Mrs. Robert I. Cummin Francis Jam ps Dallf'tt William M. FIf'tdH'r , Editor Edward L. Forstall

Hf'rlwrt S. Hendf'rson Miss I sa ~wlla Auld McKni!!:ht Charl l:'s R. Mf'yers, Jr . Miss Carolinf' Rohbin s Ca rl O. Saa lhach Mrs . John W. Watson Mrs. Edward W . Wpstlwad

TABLE OF CONTENTS

SUBJECT PAGE NO.

ACCESSIONS ............................... .. ...... . . .. ............ . . ...... . . .. ... ....... 9 ACTIVITIES OF THE SOCIETY:

May 18, 1975 - Talk by Mrs . Robert H . Johnston on "The Grange" . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . ....... . ... 10 October 18 , 1975 - Field Trip to "The Grang e " . . . . . . . . .... ..... .. . .. . . . . . . ..... . . .. . 10 December 5, 1975 - Talk by Mr. Andrew Mosc ia on "Italians in Wayne"... . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . ... . . . . . . . . . . . . . .. . . . . .. .. . . . .... . 10 February 24 , 1976 - Interim Report on Radnor Tra c k H islo r v by Mrs. Kay Cooper Silve rman ....................... .. . . ' ............ .. . . . . . .. ... . . 11

BOBBY BARR, Portrait of a Gentleman , by Hel en Duffy . . . . ... . ..... . . . ....... . . 18 NECROLOGy ..... . . .. . .. ... .. . .... ............ ...... .. · .. ... .. .... ..... .. . . . ... . . ..... . .... 9

NEW MEMBERS ... . ...... .. .............. ....... .... . . . ... .. . .. ... .. . . . . . . .. .......... 9

PUBLICATIONS ON SALE AT THE SOCIETY .. .. .......... 17

RADNOR IN THE GAY NINETIES - REMI NIS ENCES OF HELEN EVANS MARTIN COANE ....................... .... .......... .... ............. 4

RADNOR HISTORICAL SOCIETY 1947-1976 A BICENTENNIAL RESUME ......... .. : ... . . .. . . ...... ... ....... ....... .. . . . . . .... " 14

f~~~~~r~~~~~~~ ~ 'i947: ::::::::::::::::::::::::: ::::: :: :: ::: :: : :: : :: ::: ::::: ::: : : : ::: ::: ~: ncorporators , 1948 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . ......... . . .. ..... . . . . . . . . . . .. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 14

Principal Benefactors . .... . .. . . . .. .. . ....... . . ... . .. .. .. . ... .. .. . . .. . ..... . .. .. .. : : : : : : : 14 FlIlley House Benefactors ... . . . ....... ... .. .. . . .... . .. .. . . . . . .... ... .. .. . . ..... .. . . . . ... 15 Bicentennial Benefactors . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 15 Directors , 1948-1976.... .... ......... .......... . ........ . .. ........ .. . .. .. . . . : ::: 15

REPORT OF THE PRESIDENT ......... ... . .... . ..... ..... ........ .. .. . .. ...... 3

TRACING A LATE WOODLAND INDIAN VILLAGE IN DEVON BY JEANNE DORITY ... .. . . ..... . . . ... . ' " . .. . ... .. . . ... . ..... . .. . ... 11

TREASURER 'S REPORT . .... .. . ... .. ............. .. . . ........ ... ........ . . . . . . . . ... . . 26

2

REPORT OF THE PRESIDENT

April 30, 1976 As observed in our last report, one of the mos t sig nifi cant e fforts of the s oc ie ty fo r lIw

Bicentennial year was the projected renovation of our fa c iliti es in the F inl y Ii ous e 0 1] (1

some much needed maintenance work on the hous e its e lf.

To this end, we conducted a special Bicentennial drive for funds; altho ug h we di d tlo l achieve our goal we are grateful that we received sufficient contributions to Ill uk ' significant progress in the improvement of our displays and in the ir r eor ga ni za ti on . W(' are particularly indebted to Mr. Dallett for his expertise and zeal in planning the wor k u nci carrying it out. Included in the renovation was the complete cleaning of our ve r y fin do ll house and its furnishings . In addition, our fine collection of Frost hunting print s wns enhanced by the replacement of the mats and cleaning of the fram es.

When the work is completed on the first floor, the museum room (to the le ft of t hc ' 11

trance) will contain information on the history of Radnor. The display cases are be ing practically rebuilt - lig hted , painted blue on the outside and terra cotta on the int r iO I' and slanted so as to ex hibit the material in an attractive and orderly manner. Inform a ti on and photos will be placed on the base of the cabinets beneath the glass , whil e the ri ses themselves will contain the objects relating to Radnor history. An eighteenth ce nt ury mantel will be the backdrop for an excellent collection of early Radnor carpente rs' too ls. while along another wall will be a case of old children's toys , clothes and oth e r 1ll l' Ill(l rll bilia The meeting room and the reading room will also contain some artifac ts and , I Sill II II

cabinet of personal effects of the Finley fam ily.

The la rge Shakespearean needlepoint given to the Society by Mrs . Gertrude Wa r e ('Il Nt'

which was on display at the 1876 Philadelphia Centennial Exposition is now on loa n 10 I II{' Smithsonian Institute until 1977 or 1978 for their use in connection with their spe cial xil l bit on that Expositior •. After its return it will be placed in its original position in the r '<HI ing room.

We are pleased to a nnounce the establishment of a publication fund, to whi c h an yo n(' may contribute, for the purpose of putting out books and pamphlets relating to 10 (' Ii historical activities. The various publications, as well as the excellent map depi c ting it lld nor as it was in 1776, which was researched by Mrs. Robert I. Cummin and drawn by MI' . Herbert S. Henderson , both of our Board of Directors , are on sale at the headquart ('J' 01 the Society. These and other publications are listed elsewhere herein.

We continue to furnish speakers for schools and other groups on Radn or his tory a ile! III answer inquiries about all sorts of subjects relating not only to Radnor but to Ihe (' III il '(' area. Various othe r a ctivities and projects of the Soc ie ty , toget lw r with s ome ar ti c les III

loc a l int e r est are found in other pages of the Bul letin .

We ar e parti c ul a rly thankful for th e loyal support of our fri e nd s, m e m be rs, bt' lwfa ' to rs, and the community during th e pas t year . Tha nk yo u .

nO HOT lI Y II . T III'; HMi\ N

3

RADNOR IN THE GAY NINETIES : Reminiscences of Helen Evans Martin Coane (M rs. G. Lynn Coane, of Atlanti c City, N. J .) to Francis James Dalletl, December, 1975

I will be 90 and going strong. 1 I have and always will adore the Main Lin e. Th e happi e '1 days of my life were wandering around Radnor , St. Davids and Wayn e. My hom e was v ' r y lovely in a setting of 14 acres, woods and a stream; it was sold , torn down and they bui lt s mall er hous es on the grounds - as you le ave St. Martins Chur ch you com e to a fork in th e road a nd we turned to th e right.2

I have a picture of th e woods but am sure I gave other pictures to Virginia. (daughter ). I have a large picture of the house, but I am enc losing some of th e woods and stream . Those were the happy days whe n Father paid the bills and we four childr en had fun .3 I went to Baldwins , m y brother to Haverford and the ot her two siste r s and brother went to Friends Central. 4

I do rem em ber yo ur Grandfather very we ll as I once drove one of hi s ponies in the Devon Horse Show and got the second prize . I also remember Bessie , a rather shy little gir l, and her Mother was more or less of an invalid. s

The Woods were intimate fri ends of mine and they had so many childr en I used to get co nfused how m any they had - Ruth was the beauty of the family and Mr. Wood scared me to pieces.6

KING OF PRUSSIA ROAD IN HELEN MARTIN COANE'S CHILDHOOD

In this picture , looking East at the houses on the East side of the road, are shown, fr~m the left, the house of Dr. John Brooke (later W. Barklie Henry's " Alwyne") with the resldenc~ of Moses Paxson behind , William A. Patton's "Crestlinn" (later the Obdyke place) proml· nent in the center, and David R. Garrison's "Chepstow." Off the picture to the left would have been Biddulph Road, location of "Woodburn," Mrs. Coane's girlhood home whose name was changed to "Geisley" when acquired by A. W. Robinson.

4

"THE MIKADO" AT WAYNE OPERA HOUSE, Gay '90' s

Gilbert and Sulli van's THE MIKADO was performed with local amateur ta lent on tll( ' s l 111-(('

of the Opera House (now the Colonial Building) under the musi cal direction of E n!-( I Nh· IIIIIII Professor Spiers , mentioned by Hele n Martin Coane. Spiers was a me mbe r of thl' flll 'nlt ,\' Itt the William Penn Charter School.

I knew Fritz Sayen ve r y we ll a nd also his s is te r Emily thoug h she and Geo rg'S '11Iill I were older than I was.7 I re m e mber the Finleys very well. Nice you have the ir h Olls(' 1'0 1' your headquarte rs.8 I m e t Ge rtrude Ware at one of your m eetings that Kitty Wood 10011 me to , it was th e o ld Walton hom e.9 I kne w Tom very we ll he never seem ed too bright , h il t maybe he was; he had a s is te r Martha. lo

In the book they do not mention Dr . We lls who lived in North Way ne and Wit S II WOII

derful man and a Doc to r.11 He a lways announced him se lf in our hom e by wa lk illg III IIl1d

playing a Chopin etud e o r something. He was a fin e mus ic ia n . I re m embe r th • o ld , \ 1111 ming pool in N. Wayn e run by a Caniz a r es .12 We skated a nd a te lots of g inge r II' '(I( I MI C. made, 5 cents a s li ce. On Saturday nights th ey he ld a carni va l and yo u go t d r ('Il ~ (' <I liP We a lways kn e w Fatty Gallaghe r , he was about 250 lbs. They had wond e rful s hows " 11 11 ' Opera House , of course Wayn e ta lent. Mrs . Clag horn , Mr . Mag uire a nd Mr . All en nlwn 'y acted the leads, we all sat front row ba lcony. 13 I went to the Wayne E pi sco pa l Chu r ' 11 hili I also waited on tabl es wh en th ey had s tr a wbe rry festiv a ls, I think m os tl y th e M(' ll1od l, I Church on Runnym ede Ave. We a lso had s traw rides to Vall ey Fo rge. Th a t was it hig d ('1 11 and of co ur se we had a chaperone, e ithe r Mrs. J ohn Wood 0 1' Mrs. Ha llow ' 11 .14 I W(' 1I1 III da nces a t St. Lukes Sc hoo l, th a t is whe r e I me t Lynn but di d no t ma r ry him uill il Wn4.ln

To go bae k to Way ne, my br oth er ma rri ed Cathe rin e Ba r d her g r a nd fa th e r wu s o ld M I' Richa rd Ba rd , m y oth e r br oth e r marr ied Ma r io n Gree n whose Un ' Ie .Joh n 1' . (: 1,(,\' 11 W I, Vi ce P res iclent of th e Pen nsy lva nia Ra ilroac\ . I am wro ng Catherine ltad ano l 11 \'1' I'" 111<11 /1

the r Mr. R ichard Johnson you may have heard of hilll?16 My p: II'('nls a lld hl'o ll1 \' I' 11),(' h i li '

5

ied in Old St. D<lvid's and I am going to be cremated <lndlllY ashes pu t there wl tl l m.l' 1110

ther. I r emembe r Ar m itage Sc hoo l ve r y we ll but I di d not go th er c , we lc ft Ha Inol' and moved to At lanti c Cit y.li

The Waynes ar e r elated to mc <IS my gr andparent s on m y mother 's side wC l'e named Wayne and Joseph Wayne the ban ker W<lS my co usin, his F ather and m ,v Grandmoth er were br other <l nd sister .18 I be longed to the DA H fo r 66 yea r s, al so be long to th e D<lug htcrs of Co loni <l l Wa r s, I st i ll enjoy going to the meetings. If I l ived in Wayne I wo uld sure ly be long to th e Historica l Society . I joined her e but I did not have any N. J . ances tor s and no t ies so aft er se r ving for a few yea r s as Chairm an of th e house Committ ee I r es igned , I would not cross the boulevard at night alone. These days seem so full of fea r I am g lad I li ved in the good old peace ful days, when we co uld dr ive around any pl ace, never loc ked a door or a w indow and no one ever bothered anyo ne in Wayne or Radnor ,

Papa paid th e bill s at D illons littl e stor e at Hadnor , L ienh ards in Wayne and all oth er sto r es, a wonde r fu l life for any yo ung gir l. 19

I guess yo u do no t remember up the hill wher e yo ur gr andfather lived , th e Jefferi es girls, t hE' Ba lls, T oland boys, Claflin s, M abe l Carter , Badger s, and m any more.20 They used to ca ll th e Radnor Episcopa l Church The Radnor Hunt . Mr . Hunt was th e minister , and the Bear s, Badger s, Faxes, Hares , M ar t ins all went ther e.21

I woul d love to come to Wayne and can always stay w ith m y sister -in -law or m y niece but I t hink it is qui te a tr ip fo r one my age, her e I can get on a bus and ride to Washington do not m ake any changes and my gr anddaughter is at th e bus station to m eet m e, al so a couple of great grandch ildren age 18-14 - I am quit e thrilled as m y gr eat g randd aughter aged 18 goes to Co llege next yea r , she has been a straight A pupil although she has been in seven schoo ls, I am qui te proud of her.

I have read the book over several tim es and I am fasc in at ed with it ; YOll should publi sh another one som eti m e. There must be a few m or e places yo u have missed .

I think I must have seen t he show Pati ence at th e Oper a House in 1895, no I guess not , I would on ly be 9 but I kn ew all the Spier s family, espec iall y Y vo nne and M ark. 22

LOOKING NORTH TO LANCASTER AVENUE FROM WINDERMERE AVENUE, 1890

St. Ma ry' s Church a nd adjacent half timbered rectory (late r the Township Building) fa ce the Loue lla Mansion . The la ne in the middle ground , not yet developed , is Midland Avenue .

6

T h 'y had wOllde l' fu l cl eW 'es cit tli(' Sat ul'day (' l ui> 1'1111 i>y Mrs. ( ' Iagilol'll .111(1 MI l>l> III lit! shaw. You came at 8 and wen t hom e by 10: :.10 , imagine anything so 1<1111(' IIws (' du ys , WI' had Ger mans they ca lled them and danced the Lall ce r s. T il ' 'hi ldl'l'n of lo(i ;I'y We;[lid he' bo r ed to death , they go at 12 and get home fo r breakfast.

I had a very healt hy, happy childhood and as a young gir l I did ev 'ry l hing Ihlll WI, wor th while even gO ll1g to Will ow Gr ove for an outing , skating on F ·nimor ·'s clal11 , sl( ' 11 dmg on Harts hill , sleigh riding in our sled, sw imming in the Wayn · poo l 011 iI Iio l III' ternoon , which wo uld bore this gener at.ion very much ,2:1

I hope I haven 't bored yo u to tear s w ith this letter but knowi ng you be long 011 t li (' MIIIII Lme and havmg known th e Dalletts so very far b<lc k I felt frce to ram bl ' OIl. Wllt'n I fm ally pass on at l eas t I can I'est w i th so very many people I knew at Old St. I avids, Nln I Ye atts , Laura Conrad, Francesca Wood and many other s.2Q

Best wi shes to yo u for our Christm as season and let us hope we shall hav!' a happy N('w Year wher e the heads of our nation wi ll com e to some understand ing . '

Sincere ly yours, HELEN M A HT1 N 'OAN I':

A PARTY IN WAY NE , SEPTEMBER 1895

This gat~e l'ing took place at "Craig Mawr, " house of William Henry Sayen whose chi"""' " are mentIOned by Mrs. Coane . Seated left to ri ght al'e Miss Ka therine Watson of "Kinte l'l' lI .. her mother, Mrs . Richard H. Watson, Mrs. William Henry Saye n and Emil y (Sa Y(';I) Schu ltz . Henry Conkle sits on the floor to the right. .

NOTES 1 Helen Evans M artin Coane was bo rn on Apr i l 25 , 1886. She ce lebr ated her 90th hi l' ll l( llI ,Y

las t spr ing.

2 The M artin famil y house was on B idd ulph Road , Had nor . 3 M r s. Coane was the da ughter of Hobe r t Wi ll is Martin, President of th' MW'lin I. limp

blac k Company, Philadelphi a, and of Laura Evan s Jordan hi s wif ' .

7

4 There were four children in the family, not five : Edith Wayne Martin (who married Dr . George Washington Orton of the University of Pennsylvania), Charles Edwin Martin (who married Catherine Bard), Robert Martin and Helen Evans Martin, the wr iter. The two sisters alone had issue. Charles attended Friends' Centr al School and Robert , the Haverford Schoo l.

5 Frank Dallett, of 104 Windermere Avenue, Wayne , his daughter E lizabeth and his first wife , a descendant of the Waynes of Waynesborough, hence a distant co usin of the writer.

6 General John Penman Wood, of 234 Walnut Avenue, Wayne, and his daughter Ruth (later Mrs. E. Chapman Smith).

7 F t'ederick R. ("Fritz" ) Sayen, sti ll living at the age of 91, and Emilie Longstreth Sayen were the children of William Henry Sayen, of Wayne . Emilie married George W. Schultz, of St. Davids , whose Indian collection and local photographs belong to the Rad­nor Historical Society.

8 Mr. and Mrs. William Harris Finley whose house at 113 West Beech Tree Lane, Wayne, was given to the Society by th e ir daughter , Miss E . Dorothy Finley.

9 Gertrude Ware , later Mrs. Case, and Katharine Schultz Wood (Mrs. Robert W. A. Wood, now Mrs . John W. Leonard), both former members of the Radnor Historical Society board.

10 Walmarthon , St. Davids, now the home of Eastern College, was the estate of Char les S. Walton , father of Thomas England Walton and of Martha Walton Wiedersheim ( Mrs . William A. Wiedersheim , II).

11 George Miles Wells , M.D., of 114 Walnut Avenue, Wayne. 12 A. A. H. de Cani zares, of Wayne , secretary of the Radnor Republican Club , was mana­

ge r of the Natatorium, the swimming pool at what is now Wi llow Avenue, Wayne. 13 George C. Allen, architect, of 406 Woodland Avenue, later of 409 Oak Lane, Wayne is

probably intended. "Mrs. Claghorn" is either Mrs . Joseph C. Claghorn or Mrs. Charles E. Claghorn. "M I' . Maguire" is either J . Hunter Maguire or Edward L. Mag uire .

14 Mrs. Frederick Fraley Hallowell, of 220 Walnut Avenue, Wayne. 15 G. Lynn Coane was the writer'S second husband. Her first husband was Wi lbur Zimmer­

man , of Atlantic City . 16 The paternal grandfather of Catherine (Bard) Martin was Elliott Bard, of 135 Run­

nymede Avenue, Wayne; her maternal grandfathe r was Richards Hen ry Johnson, of 148 West Wayne Avenue, Wayne, founder of the R. H. Johnson Company.

17 The Armitage School, directed by Miss Harriet E. Armitage, was located in the Louella Mansion , then fronting directly on East Lancaster Avenue.

18 Members of the branch of the Wayne fami ly to which belonged Mrs. Jordan ( nee Wayne), the writer's maternal grandmother, were collateral descendants of General Anthony Wayne . Joseph Wayne , Jr., was president of the Girard National and Phila­delphia National Banks.

19 Oscar S. Dillin , as the name was correctl y spelled, was the grocer at the " Old Store" on King of Prussia Road , Radnor. Li enha rdt & Son, as correctly spe lled, was the well­known Wayne bakery at 102 East Lancaster Avenue .

20 Mentioned here are the Misses Helen, Katharine and Marie Jefferis ( not J efferies), daughters of Joseph H. Jefferis, of 226 Windermere Avenue; the family of Joseph A. Ball , s ugar refine r , of 214 Windermere Avenue: Clarenc e and Frank Tolan, sons of Clar ence Tolan, of 123 West Wayne Avenue: the family of Waldo M. Clafli n , of Upland Way : Miss Mabe l Cartel' , of 206 Windermere Avenue, and the family of William Harry Badger, of 211 Windermere Avenue, al l in Wayne.

21 Or,ly one of these families, the Hares , remained active in St. Martin's Church until re centl y. Hare 's Lane , opposite the Church, perpetuates the name. The Hare house, Harford , is no w called the Creut zberg Center and is part of the township-owned Hare Park.

8

22 Ch ildren of Professor Is idore lI en ry Bowles Spi 'rs , of III Nurth Wu 11L' AV('ll ll t' , JlI ~ 1 I

few doors above th e Opera House . 23 Fenimore' s Dam has been ca ll ed Walton 's Pond for many yea rs . lI <lrt 's lIill WII S til( ' hili

on Radnor Street Road from Eag le Road to Beech Tree L<lne, taki ng il s nlll11(' frolll Reginald L. Hart who li ved at the latter cor ne l' . The "Wayne pool " was Ih' Nu l lllol'lll ill on what is now Willow Ave nue.

24 These popular young ladi es of long ago Wayne were Nin<l, daughter of J ohn W. (' tltt H, co rnel' of Midland Avenue and Sl. Davids Road: La ura E., daughter uf Pil'rS() 1l S. Conrad, of 310 Summit Avenue ( la ter the wife of Alfred Gu ill ou Hare ancl uU IlI , 1tl('1 dentally, of "Pete" Conrad the Astroc aut) , a nd F ra ncesea Paula Eve lyn Wood, who (li ('(\111 sixteen, daughter of Thomas Stewa rt Wood, of 137 West Way ne Av enu e and au nl of Mrs . Theo B. White, wife of a form er Director of the Histor ica l Society.

ACCESSIONS May 1, 1975 - April 30, 1976

Mr. James Alexander: Engraving, Washington's Family Circle

Mr. Theodore B. Brooks: Photograph, Radnor High School Footba ll Team, 1919.

Mr. Harry C. Creutzburg : Photographs, Women's Basketball Team and Radnor High School Class, 1913.

Miss Dorothy Fenimore Lynch and Miss Elizabeth C. Fenimore: Radnor High School Yearbook for 1911.

Mrs. James S. Maiet': Leighton Farm (Manuscript), by Miss Phyllis G. Ma ier.

Mrs . Walter D. Mertz : Radnor Township Zoning Map, May 15, 1950. Map of Township of Radnor showing early grants a nd patents. Map of Wayne and St. Davids . Radnor Township Map prepared by the Township Engineering Department , April 30, 194) .

Messrs. Timothy Michel and D. Lloyd Pakradooni : A copy of their book : Glimpses ; A Pictorial History of the Greater Main Line At·e a.

Mrs. John W. Watson : Photograph Albums.

Radnor High School : Twenty-three photographs of the Radnor High School Track a nd 1ll' III Y Teams from 1899 to 1924. •

Mrs. L. Talbot Adamson Mrs. Robert A. J . Barry Mr . Michael Bruoks Mr. & Mrs . Hamilton Carson Mrs . Robert L. Conner

Mrs. Gertrude Wa re Case Mr . J . Ralph Crea mer Mrs. O. Lou is Ehmann , Jr. Mrs. J ohn M. Flood

NEW MEMBERS May I, 1975 - April 30, 1976

Mr. E . J . De J oseph Mr. Abe Flores Ms. Phillis Grady Mr . Hamilton Vogdes

NE CROLOGY May 1, 1975 - April 30, 1976

9

Mr. Robert W. Hampe Mr . Boies Penrose Mrs. Leste r H. Se ll ers Mrs. Hamilton Vogdes

2 ACTIVITIES OF THE SOCIETY May 18, 1975

The Annual Meeti ng of the Society was held at the home of our president , Mrs . Harr ison The rman on Sunday afternoon, May 18. Mrs. Robert H. Johnston of our neighboring Haverford Township Historical Society spoke on the history of The Grange , one of the most int erest ing historical residences in that township , with particularly fine gardens.

Portions of the house go back to 1682, when one of the first three settlers in the area , Henry Lewis built his home on a five hundred acre tract. He gave his home his native Welsh name of "Maen Coch." The property passed throug h various hands until it came into the possession of John Ross in 1782. Mr . Ross, who had bee n commissioned by the Continental Congress to pr ocure clothes , arms, and powder for the us e of the Army , much of which he was neve r full y pa id for, named the establishment The Grange, in honor of the home of the Marquis de La Fayette in Fra nc e .

After several other owners , the house, with a bout 100 acres, was purchased by John Ashhurst , under whose ownership extensive repairs and architectura l changes were made . The plans for the "improvements" were drawn up by John Carver; we have today the English Gothic residence a nd outbui ldings as they were conceived in 1850.

Although changes have been made over the years , the gardens are subs tantially the same as they were in 1913 when Benj amin Hoffman purchased the home and made a con­scient ious effort to restore the gardens to their original form. October 18, 1!J75

As a res ult of Mrs. Johnston's very kind invita tion when she addressed the Society in the Spring we had the privilege of having a guided tour , with a picnic lunch , of The Grange on Saturday , Octobe r 11.

It was interesting indeed to see the house which has been so carefully maintained and see in person the beaut ifully preserved terraces, formal gardens and the magnificent forest areas of the property. December H, 1975

The Society met at the Italian American Club of Wayne on Monday evening December 8 to hear a talk by Mr. Andrew Moscia of Wayne on the subject of early Italian residents in our community .

Mr. Moscia , who has been president of the club for a number of years, traced its development from its inception in 1908 bringing out the roles that various members of the group had played in its growth and history. The original charter, on the wall in the main club room , shows that it was first chartered on June 18 of that year. Its original name was the "Societa Ita liana Beneficienza Maria SS della Libera of Wayne, Delaware County, Pa. " Many of the founders of the Club had come from the small town of Libera in Italy , so it was particularly appropriate to incorporate the name of the patron Saint of that town in the name of the Club.

The word " beneficienza" was included in the name because so many of the immigrants a rriving from Ita ly to Wayne needed assistance in adapting their ways to the customs of their new hom eland. The Society was formed to render just such aid in the form of lega l counsel and advice, in the s timulating of int er est in education, in the providing of low cost insurance a nd , of course, to give them an opportunity for friendly, social -activity.

It was actually not until 1920 that the " Italian American Club " as such was formed. This was done by the yo unger men of the Italian Community for purely social reasons. In addi­tion, in 1924 the Columbus Athletic Club was formed to stimulate interest in athletic events in the area. As interest waned in this activity this organization lost its identity. Then in 1947 the first two orga ni zat ions merged to form the present club , a viable and active asso­ciation which continues to function in a variety of ways. This account only touches very briefly on the history of the Italian American Club; the Society is looking forward to having an illustrated article by Mr . Moscia published in the near future in the Bulletin.

10

February 24, 1976 A reg ul a r meeting of the Society was held the evening of Febr uar y 24 in the publ ic room

of the Main Line Federal Savings & Loa n Association . Mrs . Kay Coope r Silv r man of Wayne pr esented "An Interim Repor t on Radnor Tr ack History ."

She illustrated her talk with photographs retrieved from the fil es of th e Rad nor s hoo ls and from the archives of the Society . It was not unusual in the early days of trac k and fi ld activity in the schools that the teams were organized on a very infor ma l bas is with the s tu dents themselves arranging for all the meets wi thout a ny supe rvi s ion of the fac ulty whatever.

For this reason it was very difficult to develop an orderly chronological accoun t of wha t actually took place . Also , in many instances det ailed records are missing thu s add ing to the obstacles in compiling the necessary information . Mrs. Sil verman's more compl ete re ­port unfortunately has not been completed; however , it is hoped that we will be ab le 10 present such a report in a subsequent iss ue of the Bulletin .

TRACING A LATE WOODLAND INDIAN VILLAGE IN DEVON

BY JEANNE DORITY This article was printed in The Suburban and Wayne Times, issue of Apr il 29,1976 and i ·

here reprinted with the permission of the author . P ro fessor Saalbach, whose work is de­scribed, served'on the board of the Radnor Historical Society from 1974-1976. His s tudents excavated the 18th century basement kitchen fl oor in the Finley Hous e , without , unfortun ­ately, making any finds of significance.

Who but an eccentric would ke~p his treasure in paper bags? Further, who but an odd fellow would look on two bushels full of stones and chips and some buckets of dirt as tr a -sure? .

An anthropologis t, of co urse , hot on the archeologi cal tra il of pure golden glimpses intI) man's distant past.

Paper bags , the a r cheologist ' s time-honored system of filing small finds , a r e much in evidence in the workroom of Carl Saalbach , anthropology professor at Eastern College, St. Davids. The bucket of dirt is there , too .

For the past two years, SaalDach has captained digging by his anthropology students in a field on the William Webb farm near Devon. Saalbach also has directed an ongoing dig by lthan Elementary School children at a site near the school.

Like prospectors seeking the mother lode, Saalbac h and his stud ents at Devon are zero­ing in on what he hopes will be anthropological paydirt , a cache showing the exis tenc(' of an entire Late Woodland Indian village .

Materials found so far are "probably pre-Delaware Indian ," Saa lbach said, and their abundance indicates that an entire village may have been located at the s ite, perhaps wit h continuous occupation from about 1500-2000 B.C. to 100 A.D.

Besides, the field in which the digs are going on is a cho ice place for a village. The re is fairly high ground , sheltered , with a creek , the all -important water source , bordering the site.

The more than 100 students who have helped Saa lbach dig in the pas t two years have un ­covered many projectile points (a rrow a nd spear he ads ), some scrape rs a nd knife blad es , pottery fragments lind charcoal.

The dig was undertaken after Webb, "an expert amateur a rcheo log is t hi mself," Saa l bach said, had surface-co llected so many of thes e obj ects in the pas t severa l years he felt a dig should be ca rried out a nd approached Eas tern College a nd Saa lbac h on til m:.l tw r .

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Saalbach and his students did not begin excavating at the spot where t he greatest num ­ber of objects had been surface-found, the likeliest place for uncove ring remai ns of a set­tlement.

DIGGERS ALL - Carl Saa lbach , sea ted, anthropology professo r at Eastern Col­lege, points out features of arrow and spear heads gathered at a Devon archeolo­gical dig by students under his direction. Looking on are veteran st ud ent diggers, from left, Carol Anzelmo, Norristown ; Paul Wyher , Rom e, N.Y.; Joan Sinith , Palmyra, Pa ., and Kim Larson , Media. Anthropology m a jors, all are seniors, ex­cept for Miss Smith , who is a junior.

Instead , they have been working in the northeast corner of the site next to the creek, with test pits a long this natural border.

This , for two reasons - to estab lish the perimeter of the hoped-for sett lement , a pre­scribed practice, and to train students in the techniques of excavation in " less delicate" areas than at the actual village s ite.

It takes numbers to conduct a proper dig. particularly when tackling an area as large as the present 2 1/2 acre loca tion . The aver­age turnout for a da y's digg ing is about 15 students .

With shovels, trowels, fingertips and soft brushes, they gently work across the wur­face of a ca refully des ignated patch in a meticulously delineated system of grids. The grids are laid out in quadra nts of 10-bY-l0 foot code-keyed squares around what is believed to be the central village s ite.

Every object is s ifted out at the s ite , and the s ifted so il is often s ifted again. The soi l itself is saved if it differs from the general type of surrounding soil , hence the boxed bucket of dirt in the workroom.

Everything is minutely recorded - date, squa re coding, level at which found , des­cr iptions a nd sketches of the object and its in-situ position, even interva l photos of the site in progress.

So the treasures are uncovered . Then co mes the eq uall y painstaking task of eva luat ion , another kind of dig through the accumulated strata of a rcheo-a nthropologi­ca l knowledg e.

Saalbach draws not only from his own expertise , but from research and from the speci­alized information of fellow scientists , always depending on following the clues his found treasures yield, wherever they lead .

The some 50 artifacts - complete qbjects - found among the two bushels of fragments , chips and bits of charcoal so far recovered , have enabled Saalbach to establish fairly well the far ranges of the dig 's time span.

The sharp triangular arrow he3ds , for instance, are "archaic," representing the oldest found objects. Other projectiles are from other eras , or "transitional," indicating continu­ed use of the site . The mix of periods also is typical of finds on the periphery of settle­ments and of finds in or just below the " plough line ," which, in previously cultivated fields , has dis rupt ed the natural stratum to a depth of about 2V2 feet.

The projectile heads , their razor-sharp symmetry showing a very high order of skill , have given up more cl ues. Besides the more common quartz, they are of such materials as

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jasper and flint of a type not found around Devon . For Saalbach , this indicated that the source of the jaspe r could be a pr ehi stor ic jasp<'r

quarry near Allentown , more than 50 miles away. He called on colleague Elwood Wilkins , of Delaware, to determine that the flint in t./l('

found arrowheads has one source, Ceci l County, Maryland . Wilkins is an ac knowl cdgNI expert in authenticating this very specific type of flint.

How did t he raw materials get from Allentown quarry to Devon ; from Ceci l County. Maryland , to Devon? The layman speculates - a chain of trade or swaps , a s teady s uppl y in exc hange for particular goods, regular trips to the quarry , extens ive migration? Saa l bach , being a scientist, simply will lIOt speculate until there is a so lid basis for one ('x planation over another.

OBJECTS shaped by human hands up to 3,000 years ago by Late Woodland Indi a ns ar (' displayed with a pencil to show their s ize . Triangular pieces are arrow heads, and th e mOrt ' leaf-shaped are probably spearheads. Most of the odd-s hap ed pieces in foreground a r!' pol tery sha rds (potherds). At top on towe ling are chips (sma ll fragments of worked stO llt' 01

pottery) and charcoa l, which indicates that the Eastern Co llege student digg e rs mig hl p(l ~ s ibly find what they hope for, a prehistoric village settl e ment.

The pottery shards also will give invaluable clues to the life of the Early Woodland lndi ans .

Saalbach 's students had put some of the small fragments out for picture- taking. W(' picked one up at random ; it was the size of a fingernail. We were as king a qu es tion al I h(' time; our casual notion was to feel the texture of the faded clay .

We gla nced at it and then looked more closely . There, ever so faintl y in c ised on its Sill'

face , was a curved line enclosing diagonal s trokes, and , next to it , the bares t s ugges tion of a deer like head.

We fe lt gooseb umps ri se on our arms . Someonc had spokc n ill c lay a lld . anoss 1111 PI'

thousand years, we hea rd .

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RADNOR HISTORICAL SOCIETY 1947-1976 A Bicentennial Resume

P eople are the essential element in any association. It is particularly appropriate in the Bi­centennia l Year of our nation and at the beginning of the twentieth year of the Radnor Histori­cal Society that we acknowledge with thanks those people who have served as officers and have given their wisdom and guidance to our organization. It is a pleasure to list their names here.

FOUNDERS 1947 Frances Hughs Sausser (Mrs. Malcolm G. Sausser)

Francis James Dallett, Jr. Mrs. Howard S. Pleasants Dr. Henry Pleasants Miss Josephine Wood Scott Howard S. Pleasants R. Norris Williams, II

Miss Marie Atlee Miss Ida Pechin Brooke Miss Mary H. Brooke

*Herbert S. Casey Mrs. DeWitt C. Clement Mrs. Francis J. Dallett Francis James Dallett, Jr. William T. DeWitt Dr. Robert P. Elmer Miss E . Dorothy Finley Mrs. Harold A. Freeman Dr. H. C. Hadley Mrs. Margaret Wendell Hess Charles H. Howson Mrs. Charles H. Howson

*Miss Margaret Howson

*Steering Committee

Miss Marie Atlee Herbert S. Casey E. Osborne Coates Mrs. Francis J . Dallett Miss E. Dorothy Finley Mrs. Lizzie Pugh Fronefield J. Harold Hallman George L. Harrison Mrs. Margaret Wendell Hess

Miss E. Dorothy Finley

CHARTER MEMBEHS 1947 Mrs . Frederick T. Jones

*Herman P. Lengel Charles E. Martin Mrs. Charles E. Martin Charles T. Mather Mrs. Charles T. Mather George W. Mitchell Mrs. Howard S. Pleasants Mrs. DeWitt P. Pugh Malcolm G. Sausser

*Mrs. Malcolm G. Sausser Mrs. William Henry Say en

*Miss Josephine Wood Scott Mrs. William A. Scott Mrs. Charles C. Suffren Douglas Cary Wendell

*R. Norris Williams, II

INCORPORATORS 1948 Charles H. Howson Herman P. Lengel Mrs. Charles T. Mather Thornton Oakley Mrs. Thornton Oakley Nathan P. Pechin Howa rd S. Pleasants Mrs. Malcolm G. Sausser Miss Josephine Wood Scott

R . Norris Williams, II

PRINCIPAL BENEFACTORS George L. Har rison

Mrs. Malcolm G. Sausser

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Richard W. Barringer Mrs. Gertrude Ware Case Mrs. Henry Clifford

FINLEY HOUSE BENEFACTORS l!Jfi4 Edwin S. Heins George Brooke Roberts Dr. Caroline Robbins Adolph G. Rosengarten, Jr. Mr. and Mrs. Robert I. Cummin

Francis James Dallett Mrs. Dorothy Harrison Therman

BICENTENNIAL BENEFACTOHS 1976 Char les E. Alexander Herbert S. Henderson

Robert W. Hompe Michael J. Ke lly

Lt. General and Mrs. Milton G. Baker Brandon Barringer Mr. and Mrs. Edward Fell Beatty Mrs. James W. Bertolet

Mrs. John W. Leonard Miss Isabella Auld McKnight

Mrs. Herbert S. Casey Dr. and Mrs. Archibald Morrison Arthur H. Moss Mrs. Henry Clifford

Mr. and Mrs. Robert I. Cummin North Wa yne Protection Association Dr . Caroline Robbins Mr. and Mrs. Francis James Dailett

Mrs. O. Louis Ehman Adolph G. Rosengarten, Jr. Mrs. Robert L. Emlen Rotary Club of Wayne William M. Fletcher Mrs. Harrison Therman Edward L. Forstail John H. Foster

Mrs. John W. Watson Wayne Public Safety Association

Conrad Wilson

DIRECTORS 1948 - 1976

Charles E. Alexander, 1951-1953, 1955-1956, 1964-President 1951-1953

Lee N. Allen, 1957-1960 Mrs . George M. Aman, III, 1976-W. Graham Arader , Ill, 1975-Richard W. Barringer, 1950-1973

Secretary 1950-1953 Mrs. Edward Fell Beatty, Jr., 1972-Theodore B. Brooks, 1965-

Vice President 1967-1976 Mrs. Michael F. Carson, 1975-

Secretary 1975-Mrs. Gertrude Ware Case, 1958-1974

Honorary Member 1974 Herbert S. Casey, 1948-1951, 1953-1969

President 1948-1951 President Emeritus 1951-1969 Correspondi ng Secretary 1955-1957

Mrs. Herbert S. Casey , 1969-1975 E. Osborne Coates, 1948-1948 Robert I. Cummin, 1960-1965

Secretary 1962-1964 Mrs. Robert I. Cummin, 1964-

Secretary 1964-1975 Mrs. Francis J. Dallett, 1948-1948

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Francis J a mes Dallett (Jr.) , 1948-1950, 1953-Sec retary 1948-1950, 1953-1955 President 1955-1957 Reco rding Secretary 1957-1959 Sec re tary 1959-1962 Vice Pres ident 1976-

Mrs. Charles W. David, 1954-1957 Rev. Fr. John R . Dunne. O.S.A., 1954-1962

Recording Sec reta ry 1955-1957 Corresponding Sec reta ry 1957-1959

O. Loui s Ehmann , Jr., 1953-1971 Treas urer 1954-1971

Rev. Fr. Dani el Patrick Falvey, O.S.A ., 1948-1949 Miss E. Dorothy Finley, 1948-1948, 1953-1964

Corresponding Sec reta ry 1963-1964 William M. Fletcher , 1972-Ed wa rd L. Forstall, 1966-1976 Richard W. Foster, 1953-1959

President 1953-1955 John H. Grant , 1968-

Treasurer 1975-George L. Harrison , 1948-1950 James K. Heilner 1950-1953 Herbert S. Henderson , 1971-Miss Margaret Howson, 1948-1949 Mrs. John Forsyth Joline, Jr. , 1950-1954

Treasurer 1953-1954 Robert Ca ldwell La urens , 1965-1965 Herman P . Lengel, 1948-1957

Honorary Member 1958 William F . Machold, 1955-1958 James C. Massey, 1962-1966 Miss Isabella Auld McKnight, 1974-Lt. Col. Charles R. Meyers , Jr. , 1971-

Treasurer 1971-1975 Horace B. Montgomery, 1966-1971 Mrs . Percival B . Moser, Jr., 1976-Mrs. T. Magill Patterson, 1955-1961

James Rawle, 1959-1963, 1964-1967 Vice Pres ident 1965-1967

Dr. Caroline Robbins , 1949-Vic e President 1950-1953, 1954-1957 President 1957-1964

Rev. Fr. Thomas F . Ro land, O.S.A., 1949-1954 Vice Pres ident 1953-1954

Professor CarlO. Saalbach, 1974-1976 Mrs. Mal colm G. Sausser , 1948-1963

Treasurer, 1948-1953

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Miss Josephine Wood Scott, 1948-1950 Vice President 1948-1950

L. Cheyney Smith , 1963-1965 Mrs. Ha rrison Therman , 1961-

President 1964-Mrs. Richa rd Tunis, 1967-1970 George Vaux, 1956-1968

Vic e President 1957-1966 H. Ross Watson, 1953-1956 Mrs. J ohn W. Watson, 1970-Mrs. Edward W. Westhead, 1960-Theo B. White, 1957-1971 R . Norris Williams, II, 1948-1953 Conrad Wilson , 1971-1974 Bertram Wolfson, 1964-1971 P. Nicholson Wood, 1956-1960 Mrs. Robert W. A. Wood , 1964-1972

(now Mrs. J ohn W. Leonard, Honorary Membe r , 1972 )

ATTENTION HISTORIANS!

LIST OF PUBLICATIONS FOR SALE AT THE RADNOR HISTORICAL SOCIETY

Historic Wayne , by Katharine H. Cummin . (The Graphics Center-Argus Printing Co. , 1975 ). 47 pages, illustrations . $2.95 per copy.

"Comfortable Homes in the Suburbs on the Hills ides at Wayne and st. Davids," pictorial postN of 1890. (Reproduction ) $ .50

" Map of Radnor Township Showing Ownership in 1776," resea rch by Kathar ine H. Cummin , drawn by Herbert S. Henderson (1976 ) . $3 .00

"Rural Homes," Wayne advertising pamphlet of 1890, illustrated. (Facsim ile ). $.50

Radnor in the War of the Revolution 1777-1778, by Fra ncis J a mes Dallett (976 ). 15 pages, illustrations. $1. 00 per copy

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Bobby Barr: Portrait Of A Gentleman

Wayne persists as a community. The Suburban and Wayne Times on April 1, 1971, pub­lished the foll owing article about Wayne of recent years. With the kind permission of that pa per, its Editor Daniel N. Ehart , and the writer , the Radnor Historical Society is happy to re­pr int this tribute to the people of Wayne .

BY HELEN DUFFY

FIFTY YEARS AGO when Bobby Barr made his entrance in Wayne, many tears were shed - tears crying on the inside . Fifty years later, the townspeople rejoice with Bobby as he marks his golden year. He is a living example that the fruit of the spirit is love, joy, peace, long-suffering, gentleness, goodness , faith, meekness and temperance, and against such there is no law . (Galatians 5:22-23)

It was on December 5, 1921, that Bobby was born. His parents, Robert M. Barr, and Katharine Barr lived in a large old home , built in 1892 on Oak lane in Wayne. Bobby's fath­er was a patent attorney with offices in Philadelphia. Bobby 's mother , the former Katha­rine .Field, was born in Virginia. She was a graduate nurse, receiving her training at the Presbyterian Hospital, Philadelphia. They were looking forward to their first child with great anticipation.

December 4 was on a Sunday . Mr . Barr , no doubt, was waiting silently downstairs smok­ing his pipe and dreaming the dream most expectant fathers dream - a son, to carryon the family name , to follow in his father's footsteps and become a lawyer . Mrs. Barr, pre­paring to deliver her child , no doubt would have answered like most mothers, "a boy or girl will be welcome - I just want a fine healthy little child."

AND THEN the time arrived for the great event. When the little guy made his entrance on that snowy day in December, his parents knew he was different. His eyes, his tiny fin­gers and toes told them not to dream impossible dreams for this little lad .

Impossible dreams. no, but possible dreams have materialized for Bobby , with courage, love and acceptance.

In 1971, retardation is discussed openly and this helps parents of retarded children face up to this problem and do something about it. In 1921 , this was not true. It was not until 1959, when the Mental Health Act was passed, that retardation was brought into a mOr( humane relationship with other disabilities.

Bobby Barr was a fortunate retarded little boy. His father, deeply saddened, was moti­vated to work harder so he could provide the material things his son would require over the years . His mother was a tower of strength, we have been told by many people who have played a part in the life of Bobby Barr. Her devotion was tireless but never posses­sive. She left not a stone unturned trying to develop whatever ability her son might pos­sess, and sought the assistance of anyone who could help him achieve.

EARL Y CHILDHOOD The days of infancy and early childhood require any mother to spend considerable time

with her child helping him to develop in body and spirit. patience is needed and Mrs. Barr was blessed with an abundance of that virtue, plus great wisdom.

She taught Bobby how to dress and feed himself. Many times it would have been simpler to do it herself, but she persevered, as she wanted her child to progress as much as pos­sible. She taught him to be considerate of others and how to perform the little niceties ex­pected of a gentleman. She taught him how to be neat and clean. All of these attributes helped Bobby in later years to be acceptable to the community.

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\

~I

Later, she sought the efforts of a neighbor and retired schoo l teac he r , Marj ori Shaw, to tutor Bobby. Bobby had attended the Radnor kindergarden for a short p riod , mainly to become accustomed to other children. However, it would not have been po ibl c for him to compete with these yo ungsters .

Miss Shaw, who lived on Beechtree lane and North Wayne avenue , was extremely fond of Bobby and for several years tried to teach him to read. Although unsuccessful with th reading , she was able to teach him to count and he was able to identify numbers. Thi . en­abled him to amuse himself at card games and he also became quite adept putting puzzl together.

He displayed a great love for music also. Miss Shaw tried to teach him to play the piano, but was unsuccessful. He did enjoy listening to records and to the radio. how eve r. Fr -quently Miss Shaw would take Bo-bby on d~y trips and on occasion take him and h r brother, Alex , over to New York for dinner and a stage s how. He was taken to the Zoo and responded enthusiastically, as all children do to the antics of the animals.

Mrs. Barr also arranged to have a Wayne resident, Mr. Kelly , take Bobby for wa lks and play ball with him, trying to develop his coordination.

SIXTEEN IN 1937 When Bobby was 16, he seemed quite happy spending most of the time in his room listen­

ing to opera music and playing pool. Mrs. Barr felt it was time he spread hi s wings a bil and also get some exercise. With this in mind , she asked Tony Mann, the postman who d -livered the mail in West Wayne, if Bobby could follow him around the block. Tony Mann was delighted to have Bobby's company and this was the beginning of a fine friend · ship and a new era for Bobby .

As many will recall, the postmen at that time delivered on foot twice a day . Bobby would be waiting to go on the route no matter what kind of weather. Snow , hail, rain or s unshine . he was dressed appropriately. His walk around the block gradually extended to the enti r route and it wasn't too long until Bobby would go down to the post office in the morning to meet Tony .

Tony Mann With His Assistant

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Several residents asked Tony to let Bobby deliver their mail personally. The late Mrs . Milton G. Baker was one who looked forward to greeting Bobby at the Valley Forge Mili­tary Academy. Many times the Academy Band would be playing on the field and Bobby kept in step with it. Bobby 's speech improved very much during this time . Tony would chide him gently if he couldn't understand him and had him repeat words until they were clear or at least partially so . Tony realized his limitations .

We asked Tony if Bobby could tell time . " Yes, indeed, " replied Tony , " and sometimes I had wished he couldn 't. He had a watch and r:ould identify with numbers . We timed our de­livery for each block and he knew where we should be at a certain time . If I stopped to chat with someone, he would go on ahead, but kept his eye on the watch and would call out, " It' s late, let's go" - and when Bobby sa id , "Let's go," he said it with authority .

Neighboring dogs usually followed the postman. We inquired if the dogs ever attacked Bobby. "No, not Bobby - he never had been bitten , but me , I had 39 bites in 40 years. Those were the days when the law permitted, " one bite per year , per family ," Tony told us . Fortunately the law was changed later . Now if a dog attacks a mailman, he does not have to deliver that mail again , unless the dog is chained. They pick their mail up at the post office.

MAIL ROUTE HELPER FOR YEARS From 1937 to 1957, Bobby accompanied Tony on the mail route. He made many new

friends. His world was beginning to grow in many directions . His visits to the post office led to visits across the street to the fire house on South Wayne avenue.

Bobby wanted to be where the action was - and when that alarm went off, Bobby hurri­ed along to help direct the engines . He was a familiar sight at the main intersection of Wayne . The Radnor Police Force were his devoted friends . He always assisted the ladies across the street if they were burdened with bundles or seemed to need he lp . If you were one of his favorites , you received his special greeting, "HI-YA HONEE ," and then he would give a deep chuckle - a Bobby chuckle, it was one of a kind .

RADNOR HIGH SCHOOL was located next to the firehouse . Although not a pupil at Radnor High , Bobby became very much a part of it. When the football games were held at home, Bobby was in his glory . We asked a former Radnorite if he remembered Bobby Barr . " Do I remember Bobby - he was the envy of all the kids. He sat on the bench with all the big shots, the team, coaches and the good looking cheerleaders. "

PAUL TEEL, director of the band , ob­served the fin e sense of rhythm and timing Bobby displayed when the band was play­ing . He in vited Bobby to some of the re­hea rsa ls and on occas ion let him lead the band. The kid s responded enthus iast ically . They a ll liked Bobby and respected him . It was very ra re that anyo ne teased him.

Many mornings Bobby would arrive at the high school befo re 8 a.m . He was al­ways dressed immaculate ly a nd wore snazzy sport coats and a jaunty hat. Joe F orres t and th e late Marty Gill would have Bobby take th e a tt endance s lips down to th e office and g ive him other small chores before it was time for him to go on the mail route. Mar y Carter, principal at that time, coo perated bea ut ifully. She had a hea rt as we ll as a head . Wh en he was through with

Leading the Radnor Jr, High Band th e mail route in the afternoon, bac k to Rad nor High Schoo l he would go .

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J

JULES PREVOST was at hl etic director at that time, and Frank Koni cko ass iSLU rll . " Bobby was quite a guy and brought out the best in everyone ," Mr . Prevo t , wh i l OW

retired, said . " 1 remember one day giving the team a real blas t. Bobby was standin th ' ,' , working up a mad too. After I finished , he gave them a second blast , repeating word 1'0 1'

word . I can still hear him telling the guys , "Get out there and get going , a nd no non· sense ." The team accepted Bobby's bawling out without a s nicker ."

FRANK KONIECKO , who taught bus iness s ubj ects and a lso coached fo otball , bas k t· ball and tennis , had this to say about Bobby . "From 1946 to 1958 Bobby wo uld arrive pun '. tually at 2 p.m. and depart at 5 p.m. He performed innumerable services gratuitous ly . H not only kept Room 202 in perfect order, but a lso handl ed s uch chores as the daily ma il , countless errands, checking equipment , etc ." Mr . Koni ec ko went on to say , " during thos' years he took care of the fieldhouse at North Wayne and ass isted in coaching football , ba . ketball and tennis . He was the best assistant coach I ever had . His unfaltering spi rit for Radnor never wavered . He always spurred the boys on to give thei r best. Eve ryone r . spected Bobby . As a result , we never had a los ing season when Bobby was he lping in this capacity."

RADNOR JR, HIGH football team , undefeated in 1950. Can you name them? Three clues·· 1st row (at left) Doug Kistler who later played pro basketball for th e Kni ckerbocke rs ; and 1st row (on right! ,!,ed Dean, who later played pro football with the Philadelphia Eagles and th e Min· nesota Vlkmgs and then there' s Frank Koniecko , coach at the top row on the left a nd BOBBY BARR , his assistant, on the third row end.

Paul Teel recalled the standing ovation Bobby received when he was awarded a L II I'

for his assistance to Frank Koniec ko , who s uggested th at Bobby receive this lette r along with the athletes who did an outstanding job. Everyone was in favor and when h wa lk d up to receive it , the crowd all s tood up and applauded . He wore it proudly on a maroon j ' I'·

sey and joined in s inging his favorite Radnor song , " Radnor will s hine toni ghl ."

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When he wasn 't helping to deliver mail or on the athletic field , he would be chatting with the maintenance department of Radnor High . Jake McCarty and many of the bus drive rs remember Bobby well. Very frequently Bobby would be directing the schoo l buses and waving them off after they were filled.

During these years, Tony Mann , frequently would take him out to the golf course. He got a big kick whee ling the cart. Frequen tly they would stop at the Bella Villa Inn for lunch, and the waitress earned that special gr eeting , "HI-YA-HONEE."

Bobby was aware that Tony was going to retire from the Post Offi ce in 1957 and he was down-hearted. The last day they delivered the mail was a hea rtbreaker for both of them , as well as Mr. and Mrs. Barr. The four of them cried together. As Tony Mann related this to us , tears gathered in his eyes as he recalled that day. Bobby was a creature of habit and what would he do now, was the question haunting Tony.

A few days later Tony was having lunch with some friends at the Covered Wagon Inn when he met C.N. "Doc" Agnew, well known Realtor of Wayne. Their conversation dwell­ed on Bobby . Tony expressed his concern about Bobby going to have too much time on his hands, now that school was not in session and he wouldn 't be assisting with the mail rout e . Doc Agnew, who had known Bobby since his birth , didn't hesitate a minute. He told Tony to bring him over to the office in the morning . I'll keep him busy doing something, " and thus a new chapter started for Bobby Barr in July , 1957 - he becam e an employee of C.N. Agnew, Realtor .

BOBBY BECOMES AN OFFICE BOY

DOC AGNEW , born in Wa yne , knew the Barrs very well. They were ne ighbors. Doc , whose real name is Charles , had planned on being a doctor and was seeking his degree at Penn . He found the real estate business so interesting one summer , he changed his plans, but the nickname , "Doc" stayed with him.

C. A. AGNEW AND BOBBY BARR IN THE OFFICE.

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Actually the things he has done for Bol by Barr should earn him an M.D. When w 'x ­pressed praise for the many kindnesses he had showered on Bobby, he poohed .- pooh d i~ and said very sincerely , " Bobby did more for all of us than we co uld ever do for him . As limited as his capabilities were, 1 have never met a more sincere , honest and depe n.d<lbl • person than Bobby . Yes, it took quite a bit of patience, ki,ndness and understa,~dll1g fO.r a ll of us here at the office to have Bobby here dally, but 1 m sure we all fe lt , But for the Grace of God ... "

" Members of the staff, who at first were a bit edgy, gradua lly came around to accept Bobby as they realized how many steps he saved them and how very dependable he was ."

"Bobby arrives bright and early every morning. He picks up the mali, takes deDos lts to the bank goes to the Title Company for the listings and numerous other tasks that save all of us time. " Mr. Agnew added that Bobby prepares the afternoon snack in the kitchen for the staff and cleans up afterwards. " He is a real scrounge when it comes to tea bags ." He makes one tea bag do for four cups. When they complain about the fourth cup being weak, he says in his special "Bobby voice," " Drink it. " He is too polite to add "and shut up ," but they get the message.

When Bobby is given a package or letter to deliver to a particular person, the President of the United States would have a tough time taking it from him. Bobby follows orders a nd it takes quite an effort to have him change them. We can vouch for that . When he brll1gs the real estate ads lo " The Suburban " office , he likes to give them to a special person . When "his girl" was on vacation we had a rough time getting him to leave the :ld~ . We suggested he call Agnew's office and get the O.K. Only then would he leave the ads .

At that time we didn 't realize he could dial the number himself. We learned from Doc Agnew that he was able to dial a few phone numbers. Doc taught him to dial his home number the office number and the police. Occasionally he would get mixed up , but With a little re~inder now and then, he did it on his own. His span of attention isn 't very long , so many things must be repetitive. Doc Agnew told us that everyday he would ca ll I11 S

mother , whom he addressed as , "Mrs. Barr. " He was a mimic and sll1ce everyone ad ­dressed her as, "M rs . Barr ," he followed the same pattern.

Doc Agnew related a touching experience that he witnessed, and we share it with you . When Bobby 's father died in 1964 , he went down to pay his respects to Mrs . Barr. As they were talking , Bobby put his arms around his mother and said, "M rs . Barr , 1 will take ca re of yo u." And he did in a sense. " He brought a great deal of happiness to us and never once did anything to cause us any trouble, " Mrs. Barr often remarked to her friends .

Although a mimic , Bobby didn ' t curse or swear. He was around many people and cer­tainly had heard four letter words . Except , for one occnsion, Doc Agnew . recalled , and he started to laugh heartily as he told us the story. " I had a convertible at the time, and Bob loved to ride in it. We had an appraisal to do out in the country and I took Bobby along . The car was spa rkling and Bobby was dressed up as he usually is , very neat with coat and tie . When we arrived, I went ins ide to complete the appraisal , parking the car under a large old tree so Bobby wouldn 't be too uncomfortable. Suddenly , I heard a loud scream and went dashing out to the car. What a sight! - and was he mad ! He looked up in that tr e and said, in his husky voice, " You damn dirty birds , look what you did to me ."

We asked Doc Agnew if Bobby eve r intl' ud ed when he was in conference. " No , he nevc r did. I would te ll him I had a meeting in my office and cou ldn ' t be di s turbed . After hearing this a few times, Bobby decided to ca ll some meetings of hi s own . He would inform th e staff he was holding a meeting in Mr . Agnew 's office , and would s it at the desk, looking as important as any chairman of the board ."

A FRIEND NAMED KEVIN Many times he would be taken out for lunch with the s ta ff a nd he enjoy 'd thi s . If Doc

Agnew and the other sa les men had an extra busy spe ll <l nd co uldn 't include Bobby , he did feel a littl e bit down. He was capabl e of fee ling jea lous y. During one of these pe riod >;, h '

23

created a mythical friend, like many children do. His friend's name was Kevin , and no doubt Kevin helped to fill some of his lonely hours.

" He would tell us about his lunch with Kevin, etc." Doc Agnew recalled an interesting episode about Kevin. " One day Bobby was being a bit stubborn. I ca lled his mother who was familiar with his unseen friend, Kevin , and said to Mrs . Barr, while Bobby listened , 'Mrs . Barr, Bobby isn 't here today. Kevin is taking his place now and he is such a nice boy , not a bit stubbor n like Bobby sometimes. We think we will hire Kevin." Bobby said nothing but went along home. "Mrs . Barr and I were pleased that Kevin had come into the picture," Doc Agnew mused, " it helped many times to accomplish a point we were trying to get across to Bobby ."

" When Bobby arrived the next morning, he said , 'I have something very important to tell you. Kevin was in an automobile accident and won 't be able to come in today. ' We all went a long with the gag for a few days inquiring about Kevin's condition . Then a few days later he came in and told us , 'Kevin died ' and he never replaced him with a new friend. "

In 1969, Bobby 's mother died. We recall Bobby stopping in at the " Suburban " office , and looking very serious , he said very distinctly , " Mrs . Barr is dead. " And the question in everyone's mind was , What will happen to Bobby ?

Needless to say , a guardian angel was ever at his side. The angel this time was his spe­cial friend , Eleanor Donato (Mrs. Dominic) or "Kit ," as everyone calls her . She had met Bobby back in 1950 while having lunch at Rexall Drug Store, one of Bobby 's special spots. Bobby is very devoted to her and always greets her with a smiling , "HI-YA-HONEE" and blows her a kiss. Mrs. Donato has been on the staff at Agnew 's for 15 years.

Bobby 's old friend , Paul Teel , also came to Agnew's after his retirement from Radnor High School. Paul Teel and Doc Agnew both mentioned how kind and considerate Mrs. Donato has always been to Bobby. Now, without his mother , and no relatives in the pic­ture , to take over the care of Bobby , Mrs. Donato took him home with her for a few days

TEA TIME AT AGNEW'S with Bobby doing the honors. Eleanor Donato, his special friend is served first. Other members of the staff waiting to be served are, Mrs. Bar'bara McBirney, Jeanne Hannafin , Terri Steele, Casey Stetzer'.

24

until other plans could be made . She was aware that the Chur ch Counc il For the Ex 'p­tional Person conducted a summer camp, Camp Beehive, for retarded children , and a lso maintains a school, Raphael House . The Council rents a house on the Norbe rtin Path rs' property , in Paoli, for this purpose. The Rev . Herbert Carey , a member of the Council , has expressed a dream that individu­

al cottages be built to house individuals who are " exceptional " people like Bobby . The cot­tages would give a more home-like atmosphere than institutions . House parents co uld b provided to supervise. There are various degrees of retardation , and many retardees a r capable of performing some type of work in the community . To make this dr eam becom a reality, sufficient funds would be required. At this time no fairy God-mother has appea red but hope is paramount .

In the meantime , the school and the camp were in operation . Mrs . Donato exp lained Bobby's situation to the members of the Council and it was agreed to permit him to live in the house . A couple looks after the house and some member of the school staff drive Bobby to the bus each morning to go to his job at Agnew's .

He lunches daily at Rexall Drug Store, and Kitty and Bob see that Bobby is waited on promptly as he enjoys his food, especially ice cream.

Joe Forrest , who is retired now from Radnor High School , relates that on Bobby 's birth­day each year, he and the late Marty Gill, would buy three cup cakes and dixie cups of ice cream, and have a little celebration for Bobby. He enjoyed blowing out the candles on the cakes and looked forward to the annual event. His birthday is a lways celebrated now at Agnew's and he is included in the Christmas party for the staff. We saw several colored pictures of the party and Bobby was very much a part of it.

Bobby, in his golden year has adjusted quite well to his new quarters at Beehive. He has slowed down considerably, as many folks do when they hit 50 , but he still arrives at Ag­new's promptly every morning .

Bobby returns on the bus in mid-afternoon now and a member of the school staff me ts the bus and drives him to Beehive, which is too far back off the highway for him to walk . He has his TV and radio and other of his personal belongings in his room. We are s ur e hi s closet is neatly arranged with his clothes on hangers. "Doc" Agnew sees to it that Bobby has the proper attire - they go shopping periodically.

Everyone has always remarked about Bobby's neat appearance . A friend of the Barrs, Adrienne Fischer , (Mrs. Gerard) told us how Bobby would greet them and t.ake the ir coat and hang them in the hall closet , when they visited his hom e . He wa s train d ear ly in good habits .

Another , friend, and neighbor of the Barrs , Peg Cleveland (Mrs . Margaret) who enco ur­aged us to write this story of Bobby and the wonderful people who helped make Bobby's life more inter esting , recalls her visits to their hom e vividly. " They wer e g raciou s an I elegant and showed great warmth and understanding towards the ir son. Mrs . Barr was a magnificent homemaker . She enjoyed making her own prese rves and prepa ring mea ls . The Barrs always reminded me of a quotation I read , author unknown , ' Never explain , never complain. '"

The folks in this community have certai nl y practiced th e golden rul e, " Do unto oth e rs as you would have them do unto you, " and because of it Bobby is s till with us a nd enjoying hi s go lden year .

EDITOR'S NOTE Bobby Barr di ed on March 9, 1973 in Phoenixvill e Nurs ing Hom e foll ow­

ing a bout with pne umonia. Funeral servi ces were he ld a t the oocl Samaritan Churc h , P ao li . He was inte rr ed with hi s m oth e r a nd fa tl1l'r in P e te rs burg, Va .

25

RADNOR HISTORICAL SOCIETY (A Non-Profit Educational Institution)

Annual Treasurer's Report April 30, 1976

REGULAR

RECEIPTS Cash Balance April 30, 1975 .. ............. . . ... . . .. .. ... . . .. ........ .. . ...... . $ 719.25 Dues 1975 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .. 168.00 Dues 1976 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 883.00 Contr ibutions . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .. 848.15 Interest on Investm ents . . . ...... . ................ . . ......... . . .. . .. ....... . .... 1,911.33 Rent .... .. . . ....... . . . .......... . ...... .. ....... .. .. .. . ..... . ............ . . .... 1,575.00 Advertising. . . . . . . . .. . . . .. . . .. . . . . .. .. . . . . . . . . . . . .. . . . . . . . . . .. . . . . . . . . . . . .. . .. .. 97 .50 Sale of Publications ........... . .... . .... . . ...... ... . . . ... .. . .... .. . . .. .. .... .... 230.34 Misce ll aneo us. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 20.33 From Savings Account . . . . . . ........... . ... .... ....... . .. ..... . .. . . .. . . .... . ... 2,300.00 Bicentennial Funds ...... . . ... . .......... .. . . . . ... .............. ............ . ... 3,847.98

TOTAL $12 ,600.88

DISBURSEMENTS Print & Postage . ................. . .. . .. .. . .. .... ......... ..... ... . ...... . .... . $ 370.47 Bullet ins .... . .... . .... . . . . ... . . .... .. ..... . .... . . .. . .. ... .. .. . . ...... .. . . .... . . .. 534.45 Telephone ............ . ....... . . .... . . . .. . . . . .......... . ...................... . . . . 134.83 Insurance . . . ......... . ... . ... . . ..... . ............ . ... . . ... . . ... . . .. ..... . ....... . 641.00 Gas & Electric . ... . . .... .. ................. ... ... . .. . .. . .... . . . .................. 471.92 Wate r . ............ ... ......... . .. ... . .. . ......... . ................ . ...... . . . .. . .. 87.95 Fuel ......................... . .. .... . . . . ... . ........ . . . .. .. . .. ......... .. ...... . 1,083 .28 Yardwork ............. . . .. ..... .. . .. . . .. ................... . . ...... . .... . .. . ..... 716 .00 Bldg. Maintenance & Furnishings . . ... . . .. .... ........ . . ... . .... . . ..... . .... . . . . 4,449 .35 Refr eshm ents . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .. 3.80 Misce ll a neous ............ .. ..... . ..... ..... . . . . . . .. .... ............... ...... ..... 48 .38 Floor Service ............... .... . ..... . .... . . . ... . .. ... .. .... ... ... . . ... . .. . .. ... 184.75 Contributions .......... . ....... ......... .... .. . .. .. . .. .. . . ........... . ........... 40.00 Transfer to Saving Acco unt. .. . . . .... .. .. . ................... . ..... .... . .. . .... . 2,927 .98

TOTAL $11 ,694 .16

Cash Balance April 30 , 1976 . . .. . . . .. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .. 906 .72

Ba lance Savings Ac count 3-4614 Ba la nce Savi ngs Certificate 335-00004

TOTAL $12 ,600 .88 3,967.29

$15 ,000.00

JOHN H. GRANT Treasurer

Me mbe rship is open to those inte rested. Minimum dues $3.00 per year co ntribution to soc iety a re tax deductible for in co m e tax purpose.

26

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779 Lancaster Ave .

BETTS McCOY, Proprietor

THE RUG-O-VATOR CO. 143 Pennsylvania Avenue

WAYNE, PA.

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Hardware - Since 1897

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NATALIE COLLETT

DRESSES and ACCESSO RIES

396 LANCASTER AVENUE 508 LANCASTER AVENUE

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King of Prussia , Pa .

Compliments

of

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Estab lished 1912

MUrray 8-9200

tif'):£~~~:) rc.. -0 J1 "I,tr:,

~D-ELIIERC;ER. - !=LORIST- GR EE/lif\OIJ!:ES WA YNfi: D £LA WAf.lC. C O . PA.

22 9 West Wayne Avenue

and Conestoga Roa d

MUrray 8-0431

Estab lished 1888

THE BOOK SHELF 4 LouelJa 0 rive

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RADNOR PHARMACY LEONARD SOLOFF. PH. G, RP

THE RADNOR HISTORICAL SOCIETY IN THE FINLEY HOUSE

AT 113 BEECH TREET LANE, WAYNE

IS OPEN EVERY TUESDAY FROM 2:00 P.M . to 5:00 P.M.

Visitors Cordially Welcome

Telephone MUrray 8-2668

Established 1890

WACK APOTHECARY Norman L. McMahon

120 E. Lancaster Ave. WAYNE, PA.

787 Lancaster Ave., Villanova, Pa. 19085 MUrray 8-0100 24 Hour Prescription Service PHONE LA 5-1971

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30

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31

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353-5700

LA 5-3270

Member FSLlC

32

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from Atl antic Ri chfie ld

Compliments of

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MU rray 8-2250

33

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4

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