File:John Welsh (diplomat).jpg

Identifier: germantowngarden00jell (find matches)
Title: Germantown Gardens and Gardeners
Year: 1914 (1910s)
Authors: Jellett, Edwin C. (Edwin Costley), 1860-1929.
Subjects: Gardens -- Pennsylvania -- Germantown (Philadelphia). Germantown (Philadelphia, Pa.) -- Biography.
Publisher: Philadelphia: Horace F. McCann
Contributing Library: Pennsylvania Horticultural Society, McLean Library
Digitizing Sponsor: LYRASIS Members and Sloan Foundation

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uld not beforced. Except politically, there was practically no changein the order of things until after the period of reconstruc-tion which followed the Civil War. But wisely or un-wisely, or whether or not it was desired, a change whichcould be felt came, and this change dates from the gradingof Main Street in the year 1877. The dirt road which hadbeen piked in the year 1801, no doubt was a one timeimprovement, but neglected and out of repair, it was con-tinued a source of annoyance to its users, and a hindrance tothe progress of the town. During Centennial Year, however, everyone locallywakened, and the great exhibition created by John Welsh ofSpring Bank, if it did no more, stirred Philadelphia, andGermantown like a strong man rising from sleep rouseditself, a host of workmen with picks and shovels, with batter-ing rams and strength, invaded its territory, graded andpaved with Belgian blocks its well-known highway, elevatedsome of its houses, leaving others depressed, raised such a
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Johx Welsh 43 clatter and bang, that the echoes continued until the horse-cars were drived out, and trolleys came rolling in, giving thecontented, happy, dear old easy-going town, such a shakingthat it has not had a chance to doze since. Alert in spite ofits inclinations, the towns enlargement continued, new streetswere opened, old streets were changed and rebuilt, a newrailroad entered to open up West-side, two trolley lines inaddition to that of Main Street came unbidden, land associa-tions, in parts took possession, and for better or for worse,we are what we are this day, possessing as yet the mostbeautiful town I know, but apprehensive, fearing the en-croachments of a pressing, unsympathetic, unrelenting future. But the greatest and most important of local improve-ments was not the change in character of Main Street,—itwas the development of West-side, of Pelham, of Sedg-wick, and the like, but supremely that of Fairmount Park,the Wissahickon section of which extends through Ger

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