Strongville/Frailey Twp..A Schuylkill 100 Geocache Traditional Geocache
Strongville/Frailey Twp..A Schuylkill 100 Geocache
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Difficulty:
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Terrain:
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Size: 
(small)
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Robert Morris, born in Liverpool England in 1734, who was a very successful businessman and land speculator, once owned the land that encompasses Frailey Township. In later years, subsequent debts incurred by Morris necessitated a Sheriff’s sale of the property. The Sheriff’s name was Charles Frailey from whom Frailey Township derived its name. The township was officially formed in 1847 and over the years had four towns: Donaldson, Eckertville, Middle Creek and Strongville.
Like many of the small and now disappeared coal mining towns of the 1800’s in Pennsylvania, the town of Strongville was built around the established coal breaker in the area. About 1855, Henry Heil leased and for many years worked the veins at Upper Rauch Creek. The coal, excellent in quality was known as East Franklin coal. The East Franklin colliery at Strongville was operated for many years by the Philadelphia and Reading Company. Its hoisting capacity is 100 and its pumping capacity 220-horse power. Several smaller engines are used to drive ventilating fans, and a large one to propel two air-compressors for inside hoisting. When worked to its full capacity this colliery employs about 120 men and boys inside, and 80 outside. The coal at this colliery is of a superior quality and highly prized for domestic use, for which it is perhaps
excelled only by the famous Lykens Valley coal. The daily production is about 200 tons. The village of Strongville was located two and half miles southwest of Donaldson. Although the village of Strongville has long since disappeared, some of the area names have prevailed: “East Franklin”, Rausch Creek.
Old maps show that, along with East Franklin colliery and associated buildings, Strongville had a school and about 15 to 16 other buildings. This cache was placed about the approximate center of the once town of Strongville. I’m not curtain how close the current State Rt. 209 is located to the once center roadway of Strongville. But this cache is along State Rt. 209, so therefore be careful of traffic and parking.
A little history on Robert Morris:
Robert Morris was born in Liverpool England in 1734. As a very successful businessman, he served in the Continental Congress, was a Pennsylvania Senator from 1789 to 1795, assisted Benjamin Franklin with collaborating with France for supplies for the Revolutionary War, established the First Bank of America and issued notes based on his own credit as currency. Robert Morris nominated George Washington for Presidency in 1789. On March 12, 1791 he contracted with Massachusetts to purchase what is now essentially all of western New York west of the Genesee River for $333,333.33. The land, which had been a substantial portion of the Phelps and Gorham Purchase, was conveyed to Morris in five deeds on May 11, 1791.
Morris was later heavily involved in unsuccessful land speculations, investing in District of Columbia, and purchasing over 6,000,000 acres in the rural south. An expected loan from Holland never materialized because England and the Dutch declared war on Revolutionary France. The subsequent Napoleonic Wars ruined the market for American Lands and Morris's highly leveraged company collapsed.
Although he attempted to avoid his creditors by remaining at "The Hills", his country estate on the Schuylkill River in Philadelphia. After he was sued by a former partner, who was a fraud and at that time serving time in debtor's prison himself, he was arrested and imprisoned for debt in Prune Street prison in Philadelphia from February 1798 to August 1801.
Morris's economic failure reduced the fortunes of many other prominent Federalists who had invested in his ventures (e.g., Henry Lee). Demagogues among Morris's political adversaries used his bankruptcy to gain political power in Pennsylvania. Governor Thomas McKean was elected and refined the art of political patronage in America. McKean’s party then picked the Pennsylvania members of the electoral college for the election of 1800, and this helped Thomas Jefferson become president. Congress passed the Bankruptcy Laws, in part, to get Morris out of prison.
After his release, and suffering from poor health, Morris spent the rest of his life in retirement. He was assisted by his wife, who had supported him throughout his misfortune. Morris died on May 9, 1806, in Philadelphia
These historical accounts were taken from:
1. Munsells History of Schuylkill County (1811 to 1881)
(visit link)
2. 1935 copy of the History of Frailey Township from the Joseph H. Zerby History of Pottsville and Schuylkill County.
3. Printed booklet from the Sesquicentennial celebration of Frailey Township.
4. Wikipedia Encyclopedia.
Additional Hints
(Decrypt)
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