File:The Pennsylvania-German Society - (Publications) (1891) (14782036721).jpg

Identifier: pennsylvaniagermv15pbpenn (find matches)
Title: The Pennsylvania-German Society : (Publications)
Year: 1891 (1890s)
Authors: Pennsylvania-German Society. cn
Subjects: Germans
Publisher: (S.l.) : The Society
Contributing Library: Allen County Public Library Genealogy Center
Digitizing Sponsor: Internet Archive

View Book Page: Book Viewer
About This Book: Catalog Entry
View All Images: All Images From Book
Click here to view book online to see this illustration in context in a browseable online version of this book.

Text Appearing Before Image:
ada. After Kurtzs death the property went to a man bythe name of George Barr, who sold it to a party who in-tended to erect a fat rendering and soap factory. Thecitizens, however, protested against having a soap factoryin the center of the town, and petitioned the Burgesses tocondemn the property for street purposes. This wasfinally acted upon and Chelten avenue, under the nameof Market street, was approved by the Burgesses andplaced on the town plan as early as 1852, and by 1854there was left no trace of either trees or garden. John Christopher Meng, Vernon, John Wister.Above Chelten avenue stood the building lately occu-pied by Mr. Oliver Jester as a tin shop, after having beenaltered from an old-fashioned farm house into a modernstore. This was formerly the home of John ChristopherMeng. Meng came here from Manheim, Germany, in1728. He was a wealthy banker and probably the finan-cial agent of the Germans that sent Matthias Kin, theplant and seed collector to America. His grounds ex-
Text Appearing After Image:
Early Homes and Colonial Mansions. 25 tended back beyond Green street north, including theground now known as Vernon Park. The meadow andhis spring-house were still to be seen up to the time whenthe hollow was filled in by the Department of City Prop-erty. It is said of his son, Melchior, who was the sub-sequent owner, that wherever Melchior Meng mowed hismeadow it rained. Christopher Meng had a very fine garden, much largerthan his friend Kurtz who lived below, and shared withhim his friendship for Kin and his seeds. Kin presentedhim with many rare trees. The immense linden tree thatstood on the side of his place is supposed to have beenplanted by Kin. The last years of its life the unfortunatetree hung in chains, for no other fault than that of livingso long as to become infirm. Nearly all of Mengs property north of his home waspurchased by John Wister, who built a spacious mansionupon it in 1803, and called the place Vernon, in honorof Washingtons home, Mount Vernon. This house iss

Note About Images