The Late Nineteenth Century

Ambler changed fundamentally during the late 1800's. The sounds of the mill wheels were replaced by the roar of the railroad; the new Industrial Age had dawned. What began in the 17th century as a tiny village with merely three roads had become, at the end of the 19th century, a borough hurtling toward "Modern Times."

TIME LINE

1884 - Thomson's Mill and Reiff's Mill close

1885 - Residents organize "the lamp association" to pay for electric lighting. Voluntary contributions do not quite cover the expense.

1886 - The first telephone in town is installed in Reickard's Drug Store by the Delaware & Atlantic Telephone Company. Five people subscribe.

1887 - Hague's Mill, the last of the nine mills, ceases grinding.
—Townsfolk meet to establish a fire protection company in response to a devastating fire that had destroyed a home the previous year in Ambler's first fire. 100 residents gave $5.00 each to purchase hose and pipe from the Keasbey & Mattison Co., which had an ample water supply.

— The lamp association agreed to merge with a company that promised to light the town with electricity provided by Keasbey & Mattison.
— Residents meet to discuss incorporating Ambler as a Borough. The following announcement was published:

A large number of the residents of the village are desirous of having some proportionate return for the taxes paid out annually and believe the most economical plan would be to incorporate our village into a Borough, which under conservative management would not materially increase our present tax rate, and yet would yield lasting improvement and give our town many permanent advantages, and add greatly to the value of property throughout the place.
A meeting will be held in Buchanan Hall at the corner of Main St. and Butler Avenue Tuesday evening, Nov. 22, 1887 when a proposed plan will be submitted for which your advice and endorsement is asked. Believing such action necessary for the best interests of our community.
Very truly,
J.J. Houghton,
R.V. Mattison
H.G. Keasbey
J. S. Buchanan

— On Dec. 1, the Borough association met again in Buchanan Hall and passed a motion to take necessary legal steps to incorporate as a Borough.

1888- June 16, Ambler was incorporated as a borough. The first meeting of the Borough Council met on September 7 of that year.

Back toTOP

Read about business in the Borough of Ambler today!

Sources:
"The Mattison Story- The Keasbey Mattison History" by Edward Humphreys Roberts, an addendum in the Early History of Ambler by Dr. Mary P.H. Hough, 1936.

Unto the Sons by Gay Talese (Historical fiction that documents the Talese family members who settled in Ambler.)

"The Keasbey & Mattison Story", The 75th Anniversary Book of Ambler, 1963.

Related Site: The Ambler Gazette continues to publish weekly.