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Community Corner

This Was Hatboro-Horsham, 1957

A look back at Hatboro and Horsham, 55 years ago this week.

From the Public Spirit, Week of Oct. 17-23, 1957

Pamphlet stirs up Hatboro council race

Hatboro Republican Councilman Dr. Eugene L. Brooks has refused to campaign for election, terming a pamphlet prepared by the Democratic organization as "propaganda."

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Dr. Brooks made his statement in a letter to Democratic leader Mrs. Mary Coleman. He said he hoped to remain out of the area until after Election Day, and added that his aim has been "to bring some form of good government to our town."

The pamphlet, distributed Saturday, attacks the Borough Council and School Board on a variety of charges. Council specifically is charged with disregarding the safety of school children by tabling a school-area sidewalk plan.

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Council's plan for traffic and street programs is called a "hodgepodge" in the pamphlet. It calls for a halt to the "present method of patching roads for the short term, installing traffic lights without consideration of how they can be connected to make York Road traffic flow smoothly, and the present emphasis on parking in one section of the town to the neglect of the problems faced by other sections."

Dr. Brooks, one of four incumbent Republican councilmen in the election, is accused by the Democrats of proposing new street lights in the business district to win support from the merchants.

More qualified citizens should be asked to serve on short-term advisory committees, according to the pamphlet, and those who do serve should not be "constantly harried and frustrated by day-to-day changes in the extent of authority given them."

The School Board is attacked on the grounds that cheaper schools could be built.

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Committee opposes expansion of Willow Grove base 

The Bux-Mont Air Safety Committee has reported receiving donations and support from Horsham residents.

Meeting last Wednesday at the home of C. Ray Bailey, the committee said it views the "generous contributions as an indication of the continuing strong opposition in the community to any expansion of the Willow Grove Naval Air Base."

The committee was organized about a year ago to "direct citizen resistance to increased air activity and land condemnation by the Federal Government." Petitions opposing expansion of the base, containing 2,565 signatures, were forwarded to the Defense Department in Washington.

Chairman Clair R. Williams reported that the petitions have been returned from the Defense Department for future application.

Williams also summarized the results of a meeting with attorney Alfred M. Klein. Suggestions made in the conference are being used in the completion of committee strategy. Each member was asked to work up various points of pertinent information.

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Firemen fight two blazes in Hatboro 

Two Hatboro fires in quick succession kept 57 firemen of the Enterprise and Horsham fire companies busy Saturday night.

The first fire was at the Fitzgerald Coal Yard on Lincoln avenue. The second fire was a car on the parking lot in the rear of Frattone's Jewelry Store on York road.

The call to the Lincoln avenue fire was received at approximately 9:10 p.m. Firemen found a mattress burning in a two-room office after breaking through the front door.

Just as that fire was brought under control, the second call was received. The blazing car was found at approximately 9:25 p.m.

The car, owned by Miss Marion O'Hara of Dallas road, Willow Grove, was completely destroyed. Intense heat collapsed the roof and fused pieces of glass in the car.

Besides the 32 men from the Enterprise Fire Co. and 25 from the Horsham Fire Co., six trucks and the Horsham ambulance were on hand at the two blazes.

Voters to decide on Prospectville school addition 

Preliminary plans for the addition to the Prospectville Elementary School on Limekiln pike in Horsham have been approved by the Pennsylvania Department of Public Instruction.

The addition will consist of eight classrooms, a library, a teachers' room and storage facilities. The addition will relieve an existing shortage of elementary classrooms in the school district and anticipate growth in the pupil population in the near future.

Existing service facilities such as the boiler room, offices, cafeteria, kitchen and nurse's room will serve the new addition without change, for they were planned to serve an expanded building when they were added in 1954 to the original school, built in 1932.

The construction of the addition will require a bond issue of $263,000. The Horsham School Board is proposing to the voters of the township that the addition be constructed by using general obligation bonds, which are a direct borrowing by the school district for a specific purpose.

Final plans will soon be presented to the state. Construciton will begin as soon as possible after the method of financing has been determined.

At the November 5 election, the voters will indicate whether they approve of the board borrowing the necessary funds as a direct obligation of the school district.

Editor's note - Horsham voters narrowly approved the $263,000 bond issue by a vote of 961 to 898. The Prospectville school, later named Dorothea Simmons Elementary School, remained in operation until 1992, when the new Simmons Elementary opened on Babylon Road. The older building, renamed the Limekiln-Simmons School, served several functions for the Hatboro-Horsham School District until it closed in 2011.

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Hatboro and Horsham Happenings 

A square dance was held at the home of Mr. and Mrs. Carl Nyland, of Horsham, on Saturday. Even though the weather wasn't favorable, a good time was had by all.

Mrs. Horace Meininger of North Linden avenue, Hatboro, flew to the Hawaiian Islands to spend a month and will visit her son, who is in the service.

Mrs. Dorothy Engle of Lawrence lane, Horsham, was 81 years old last week. A surprise birthday party was given in her honor by her son-in-law and daughter, Mr. and Mrs. Melvin Nagle.

Frank Todd has returned to his work at Smith Chevrolet on North York road, Hatboro, after having been home several weeks with an eye injury suffered at his job.

Mr. and Mrs. Thomas H. Pyle of Norristown road, Horsham, left Tuesday to spend the winter at Riviera Beach, Fla.

A chartered bus took a group of ladies and friends of the Friendship Guild Class of Lehman Memorial Methodist Church, Hatboro, to the United Nations building in New York on Wednesday.

Miss Carol Park, daughter of Mr. and Mrs. Joseph Park of Dresher road, Horsham, returned to George School, Newtown, last week. Carol is a senior this year.

Mr. and Mrs. "Bud" Coffey and son of Norwyn road, Hatboro, were given a surprise house warming supper on Saturday for 31 guests. The Coffeys received many lovely and useful gifts.

Walter Prettyman, of Horsham, is recuperating from a shoulder operation in Temple Hospital, Philadelphia, last Monday.

Nine directors of the Hatboro Branch of the Needlework Guild of America were honored for their service of 25 years or more at the directors' annual luncheon and business meeting held Friday.

Congratulations to Mr. and Mrs. John McNulty of Maple avenue, Horsham, on the birth of a son, Thomas Haines, weight 7 pounds 11 ounces, in Nazareth Hospital recently.

Mr. and Mrs. Donald Evans of Pennypack circle, Hatboro, celebrated their sixth wedding anniversary in New York City last week.

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