When was quakertown founded

Libraries A-Z Index Directories. Around the time the City of Denton incorporated in , a community of African Americans began taking shape within the city in what became known as Quaker. The British troops didn't occupy John Allen's our house, and they did not take him to jail. He was imprisoned and fined by the Patriots for upholding his religious convictions and "not complying with the unjust requisition of Men to become instruments in shedding Human Blood.

He didn't give boots to the American troops. John Allen did marry his sweetheart, Mary, in July of , after he came back from jail. He prospered and even added a two-story stone addition to his one-room cottage.

Several generations continued to live on the farmstead until , and continued to be members of the Friends Meeting. The Quaker Monthly Meeting closed in The only surviving trustee of the Meeting, Willis W. Vail, a great-great-grandson of John Allen, opened the meeting house for worship once a year starting in the s.

By the s it was active again, and remains so today. In the s a Methodist Church was built in the village, and later rebuilt as a beautiful Queen Anne-style structure in It survived a major lightning strike in , but unfortunately one of its' parishioners did not. Two general stores and other commerce gave way to a handful of antiques shops in the s and 80s, but today, there is hardly any commerce.

Quakertown still retains its small-town charm. A walk around the village will delight your senses with a variety of architectural styles ranging from Colonial to Victorian to Craftsman, along with the villagers' well-tended gardens. The Franklin Township School, opened in in the center of Quakertown to replace five one-room schoolhouses around the township, is presently undergoing expansion. The village is surrounded by beautiful expanses of farmland.

In the early days, they were devoted to crops and animals for food. Today crops such as corn, soy beans, and hay still abound, along with vegetables, strawberries, Christmas trees and flowers.

Sheep, alpaca, and horses also dot the landscape. A multitude of farm stands overflow with seasonal produce, and of the township's 14, acres, over 3, have been permanently preserved for farmland or recreation. Pittstown is also still a small village at heart, although much to the residents dismay, a multi-faceted stop light now dominates the crossroads in the center of town. Moore Furman's mill still exists today, and houses two businesses, one a tack shop and animal feed store, the other sells swimming pool supplies.

Furman's tavern, called the Century Inn in the early s has gone through many metamorphosis. Presently it is known as the Pittstown Inn, and serves fine lunches and dinners in a beautifully restored stone structure. There were a few general stores up until the mids, but now Perricone's Market, established in , is the place for local farmers, residents, and passers-by to catch up on the latest news or gossip of the day, while enjoying home-cooked breakfast, pizza, sandwiches and more.

A walk through these two villages steeped in history, and listed on the State and National Registers of Historic Places will reveal only a portion of the township's frame houses built before and only a handful of the area's 99 Colonial-era stone structures. You can find more if you drive along the townships scenic roads, along with miles of beautiful farm fields, ponds and streams. Slow down and enjoy the scenery, and please be mindful of the farm vehicles you may encounter.

They represent our historical past and our agricultural future. You can easily see the beauty that brought us to the area, and it is our hope that residents today will help fight to keep the township rural, and thus continue to become part of its history. Delightful fantasies beyond words! Now featuring Pandora Jewelry. Before long, it was announced that a bond election would be held, allowing the city to vote on the removal of the community in order to build a new park.

Over the next months, the Chamber of Commerce began petitioning for the new park and the residents of Quakertown responded with a variety of emotion. Many worried that not abiding with the city would cause bad relations with white employers and thought it would be best to stay quiet. Opinions were divided by those who thought it was necessary to stand up for the community and those who found it logical to follow the path of least resistance.

A vote would be held on whether or not all of the Quakertown land would be purchased in order to create a new park. However, there were still many barriers that kept blacks from voting, such as poll taxes and literacy tests. The residents of Quakertown could not participate in the election, leaving them without any say in their own futures. The day before the bond election, the Denton Record-Chronicle campaigned for the park vote.

The decision was soon made. Those in favor of the park won by a narrow margin of votes. By May of the next year, the City of Denton left Quakertown residents with an ultimatum: have your property bought by the city and find a new home, or move your current home to land that has been allocated for you in Southeast Denton on Solomon Hill. Many of the residents who were frustrated with their treatment abandoned Denton altogether. Moten, the doctor, and his family relocated to Indiana.

Angeline Burr followed her family to California — her departing was the only one mentioned in the Denton Record-Chronicle. Unfortunately, the City of Denton did not pay a high dollar for the land they were purchasing. One man, Will Hill, publicly sued the city for under-compensation. He eventually dropped it, as those who resisted the move were threatened and the KKK had started encroaching on the community.

Unfortunately, those looking for property in Denton also faced hardship. Many neighborhoods posted signs warning them not to buy land in the vicinity. They were eventually offered land in Southeast Denton that they could move their homes to.

The land was undeveloped and the amenities and comforts that Quakertown offered were lost. Comparing the living standards, moving to Solomon Hill was like traveling back in time. They were left without electricity, water, roads and many homes were damaged during the moves.

One of the first houses that was moved to Solomon Hill was mysteriously burned down. By , all of the Quakertown residents had relocated. The City began construction on the new park. Civic Center park was eventually renamed Quakertown Park and the city began seeking ways to pay respect to the events of the past.

Today, Denton honors the people of Quakertown. You can visit the park and see the historical markers remembering the community; go to the Civic Center and look at the murals that were made in honor of the former residents; visit the Quakertown House at the Denton County Historical Park; or read White Lilacs , a historical fiction novel written by Carolyn Meyer based on the Quakertown story.

Quakertown, most likely so named for the northern Quakers who aided freedmen in the early years of Reconstruction , began to form as a separate community within the Denton city limits by the mids. Black families from Freeman Town, the first black settlement in Denton, relocated to Quakertown after a black school was opened there in The first school building burned down in and was rebuilt in By the s Quakertown had a number of stores and churches, and several communal organizations, including the Masons, the Odd Fellows, and the Knights of Pythias , also served as centers of community life.