Express-Times Photo | SUE BEYERSamuel Moon paintings on display at the Sigal Museum.

Historical Treasures is a new feature that spotlights local artifacts found in local museums. It will appear every Sunday in the Connect section of The Express-Times.

Paintings by artist Samuel Moon at the Sigal Museum, 342 Northampton St., Easton

Samuel Moon was born Feb. 22, 1805, in East Caln Township (Downingtown), Pa., to a Quaker family whose ancestors arrived from Wales in 1682.

He showed exceptional talent and creativity. He liked to wander in the woods and fish from the banks of the Brandywine Creek. More often than not, he lost track of the fishing and drew the wonders he saw instead. There is a story that, during Quaker meetings, he sketched the congregants’ portraits on the high backs of the pews. It is said that they were so lifelike that they were allowed to remain there for a long time.

In 1827, Moon relocated to New Hope. He became a noted painter. His copy of David’s “Napoleon Crossing the Alps” was exhibited in Doylestown, Pa. It took him three months to complete because it was so large, measuring 6 feet by 4 feet. This work launched him to success at age 22.

Moon painted religious scenes, as well as landscapes, portraits, miniature portraits and copies of old masters. He painted a portrait of George Washington and a religious painting, “Resurrection of Lazarus,” that was his largest at 8 feet by 12 feet.

Moon moved in 1830 to Easton, where he set up an art studio in the Insurance Building on Centre Square. There was no other portrait painter in Easton at the time.

He married Matilda Lehn White, daughter of William (Chippy) White, in 1835 and they had eight children. Moon lived in Easton for 30 years and made his living painting portraits of wealthy people from Easton, Philadelphia, and Bucks and Chester counties.

The Sigal Museum has a large collection of Moon portraits, many of which are on exhibit in its decorative arts gallery. The museum’s entire collection was exhibited as a body when the Northampton County Historical and Genealogical Society held its Moon Harvest in 1990.

According to the 1855 city directory, the Moons’ first address was 9 N. Third St. Some time before 1860, they moved to 5 Lehn’s Court. When Moon died, June 14, 1860, Dr. V.K. Swayze purchased all of the paintings in Moon’s gallery. He exhibited them in the Insurance Building on Centre Square. 

Samuel and Matilda Moon are buried at Easton Cemetery.

The earliest newspapers in Pennsylvania were published in Philadelphia as early as the end of the 17th century. There is no record of a newspaper in Northampton County until the end of the 18th century. At that time, the population of the county was largely German; therefore early newspapers were published in German or, occasionally, in both German and English.

View full sizeExpress-Times PhotoAn edition of The American Eagle from Aug. 22, 1799.

It was the first English language newspaper in Northampton County.

Of the many papers founded in the county, many lasted only a few months. Several lasted a few issues, and one survived for only one day. Early subscribers often paid for their paper with flour, wheat or whiskey.

In September 1793, Jacob Weygandt founded the NEUER UNPARTHEYISCHER EASTONER UND NORTHAMPTON KUNDECH (New Nonpartisan Easton Messenger and Northampton Intelligencer). He was both publisher and editor, and he worked to keep the paper nonpartisan.

Shortly thereafter, Weygandt and Sons began publication of the EASTON GERMAN PATRIOT AND COUNTRYMEN’S WEEKLY to express Weygandt’s political views. An original copy of that paper from 1804 shows a newspaper of 12 inches-by-20 inches, with 12 columns.

The first English newspaper in Northampton County was the AMERICAN EAGLE published weekly by Samuel Longcope from May 10, 1799, to 1805. The subscription price: $2 a year. It was in the Eagle that county residents first learned of the death of George Washington. In an early issue, Longcope advocated support for James Ross, of Pittsburgh, for Pennsylvania governor. His candidate lost the election. Longcope’s strong Federalist principles were in direct contrast to the German-speaking  Democrats in the county and led to the demise of the Eagle in 1805.
Jacob Christian Hutter began another German newspaper, DER NORTHAMPTON CORRESPONDANT, in 1806. It would become the leading paper in Northampton County from 1806 to 1860.

Hutter prospered until he sold his paper to the publisher of the ARGUS in 1875.
The PEOPLES INSTRUCTOR was founded about 1812. It was the first bilingual paper in the county with side-by-side articles in German and English. That was not a popular format and the paper soon closed.

That same year, Thomas J. Rogers founded THE NORTHAMPTON FARMER. When he sold the paper in 1818, the name was changed to THE SPIRIT OF PENNSYLVANIA.  In 1817, Col. C.J. Hutter and Son founded theEASTON SENTINEL in support of “Democratic principles.”

THE WORLD ARGUS was successful from 1826 to 1844 under the leadership of editors Jacob Weygandt Jr. and Samuel Innes. In 1844, Col. William H. Hutter purchased this paper and changed the name to theDEMOCRAT AND ARGUS. Then later, with yet another new name, THE EASTON ARGUS became a 14-page weekly. It was a “penny paper” costing 1 cent an issue or $2 a year.

In 1855 the EASTON DAILY EXPRESS became the first daily printed north of Philadelphia. William Davis and William Eichman were the publishers. It was 11-inches-by-14 inches, with four pages of four columns, selling for 2 cents a copy or $4 a year.

It still publishes today, 156 years later at 30 N. Fourth St., as THE EXPRESS-TIMES.

Written By Jim Deegan

As a lad of 16, Trumbore volunteered for the Union Army shortly after the firing on Fort Sumter in 1861. He traveled to Boonton, N.J., to join the 4th New Jersey Regiment, part of the 4th New Jersey Brigade.

Young Trumbore soon became known as “Billy the Drummer Boy.”  Billy served in the Army a total of five years, four months and 21 days, retiring with the rank of first sergeant.

Drums were an important asset to any Army unit. In addition to keeping a steady drum tempo for the marching troop, the drummer often issued commands on the battlefield. Drum orders could be heard over the noise and confusion of battle.

Trumbore’s drum is on display in the military area at the Sigal Museum.

Following the Civil War, Trumbore returned to Easton. He formed his own drum and bugle corps and played in several Lehigh Valley bands. He became drum major for a group known as the Easton Grays.

Trumbore was recognized as the drummer for the Grand Army of the Republic. In this capacity, he took pride in playing his drum over the graves of 1,198 of his Civil War brothers in arms.

Trumbore died in May 1917, having drummed for the last time only 15 days earlier.

Submitted by Elaine Greek.

Tuesdays, September 11, 18, 25, and October 3

10am – noon

Until the eve of the Revlutionary War, most colonial Americans did not want to separate from Great Britain. They thought of themselves as loyal British citizens and wanted to remain within the British Empire. At the same time, events both in America and in Britain were making a split inevitable. In this course, America’s beginnin is told in four parts:

September 11 – “A New World”- exploration, settlement, and the dynamic growth of British Colonies in North America

September 18 –  “Awakenings” – tension builds between the Colnies and the Mother Country

September 25 – “Against all Odds” – how and why America won out in an unequal contest in the hard-fought War for   Independence

October 1: “A Republic to be Kept” – the infant republic almost falls apart as it struggles to replace a weak Articles of Confederation with a true Constitution

$20 Early Registration, through September 10

After September 10, $10 per session or $30 for full series

Register: 610 253-1222, or director@northamptonctymuseum.org

This educational program is provided by the Northampton County Histoorical & Genealogical Society through the courtesy of Richard Morrison

8/11 – 10am   Opening parade, comments and birthday cake

10am – 3pm   Fraktur Mini-Workshop

1 pm                Sullivan’s Campaign, presented by John Moore

8/12 – 11am   Women’s Fashion “Colonial and Victorian Dress and Undress”

2pm                Fashion Show – Women’s Fashions of the 1940′s and 1950′s – sponsored by Phyllis Vintage Clothing

All this and more!

Roseto residents are celebrating their Cent’Anni – the 100^th anniversary of their town’s incorporation. Mayor Desiree DeNicola will recount and illustrate with photographs the coming of the first immigrants from RosetoValfortore, Italy, and the incorporation on January 2, 1912, of their community, then a few houses along dirt streets. She will describe the activities and fundraisers that the current residents have been conducting since January: a borough-wide dinner, 5K run/1 mi. walk, walking tours, talk by guest author Adriana Trigiani, 3-day August celebration, and gala in September.

Thursday, July 26 7pm   History of Roseto, Part II

Mayor DeNicola  continues her account of the celebration of Roseto’s Cent’ Anni, the  100th anniversary of the incorporation of Roseto. She will use photos, artifacts and articles about the residents and the DeNicola family itself, and discuss the contents of the 1987 time capsule.

Photo by Sue Beyer

Young Pennsylvania Dutch girls between the ages of 8 and 10 began to sew household items in preparation for marriage. To store her growing accumulation of goods, her father or brother would make her a “kischt.” These chests were usually 4 feet in length with a lift lid and painted or stained in a dark color. The girl’s name or initials, the date when made and the traditional Pennsylvania Dutch hearts and flowers were often painted on the front panel.  Folkloric symbols, including those to ward off evil, were occasionally used.  The amount of decorations varied by the wealth of the owner and the county in which the chest was made.

On her wedding day, the bride proudly displayed her bed linens, quilts, needlework, other personal items and family heirlooms stored in her kischt. Following the ceremony, the kischt was loaded into the “hochzich watte” (wedding wagon) for the trip to her new husband’s home.

The kischt displayed in the Pennsylvania Dutch area at the Sigal Museum of the Northampton County Historical and Genealogical Society is thought to have been made for Cadrena Sandern in 1796. Her name, the date, and several small hex signs are painted on the front. Henry Marx, the prominent Easton librarian, donated the kischt to the historical society in the early 1900s.

Submitted by Elaine Greek

As a commodity, hair was light and portable. It could be woven into intricate art forms, most often flowers, by twisting or sewing the strands around a thin wire. Then differently shaped hair flowers were combined to form a horseshoe-shaped wreath mounted on a silk or velvet background inside a shadowbox frame. The top of the horseshoe wreath was always kept open as to be pointing heavenward. The newest addition to the wreath was placed in the center for a mourning period of one year or until the next person passed away. The next addition would again be centered while the previous centerpiece would be moved aside then woven into the larger horseshoe shape.

Occasionally hair wreaths were made by a church group or a school as a special project. For these, living people contributed locks of their hair in memory of their friendship or of a special event with the sponsoring group. The larger of the two wreaths at Sigal was donated by Mrs. Charles Haines. The smaller, more circular wreath was a gift from Miss Annie Heller. It is believed that this wreath may be a memorial from the Eli Heller family, of Riegelsville.

In 1793, the Borough Council of Easton met and discussed, among other topics, the need for a pumper truck. Three years later, in 1796, a pumper was ordered from Philip Mason. Easton organized its first fire department in February 1797; the first company of volunteers was known as the Humane Company.

When an alarm for a fire was sounded, the fire company members raced to the firehouse. From there this pumper was hand-drawn by firefighters, not pulled by horses. A team of up to 10 men, five per side, would power the pump by pulling down the pump handle on their side to the engine.

On the pump handle at the front end, you will see a brass plate wrapped around the handle. That was the foreman’s station. The foreman called the cadence of the men pumping to provide the needed flow of water. Pumping teams would frequently need to be rotated, reportedly every 10 to 20 minutes depending on the cadence.

A good team would produce a steady water stream similar to what a modern-day garden hose delivers.

Photo by Matt Smith

Some homes had a small loom set up on which the housewife could weave a strip about 36 inches wide.  Two strips of finished fabric would be sewn together to make a coverlet. The looms produced “float weave” patterns of geometric design – stripes, squares or diamonds. The Sigal Museum showcases a simple coverlet of that type done in black and white squares in the Decorative Arts Gallery. Although the two pieces are well matched, a center seam is visible.

During the late 18th and early 19th century, itinerant weavers traveled with their own looms. They would contract with a family to weave an item and then set up their loom in the barn or in a spare room. The weaver stayed with the family until the coverlet or carpet was finished. On those and later looms, the foundation yarn, or warp, was of bleached cotton or linen. The colored design, or weft, was usually wool. The colors were made from natural materials, with the blue dye made from indigo being the most popular. Dogwood, bloodroot or Brazilwood produced the red color; goldenrod made green; bittersweet was orange and butternut bark made brown. These organic dyes produced a soft muted tone for the coverlet.

At the National Exposition in Paris in 1801, Joseph Marie Jacquard introduced the large loom that bears his name. This revolutionary loom created a pattern one line at a time.  Jacquard’s design of using punch cards, similar to a player piano roll, suspended high above the loom produced a more complex pattern. These coverlets had a tighter weave and were double- faced so that either side could be displayed. These larger looms were permanently installed. It is believed that weavers traveled the countryside collecting spun wool. They could show the housewife a book of patterns to choose from and then return to their shop to create a coverlet for that specific family, using their own wool.

The Sigal Museum has several Jacquard coverlets made by Peter Seibert, of Easton.
Seibert was born in 1821 in Lowhill Township to Elizabeth and John Seibert. He learned his trade by assisting his father, a carpet and coverlet weaver. In 1843, Peter married Sarah Shmick and one year later he opened his yarn and weaving shop at 196 Northampton St. in Easton. His coverlets were made of linen and wool, some having fringe on three sides. At the time of the gold rush, Seibert shipped many of his coverlets to California.

When he retired in 1867 for health reasons, Peter and Sarah moved to Allentown. His business remained in Easton and was owned by his brother, Owen, and nephew, George.

One coverlet shown at the Sigal Museum includes the owner’s name – Sarah Schoch – woven into the corner and the date, 1840. This coverlet of red, blue and green has fringe on three sides and shows a center seam. It is not signed by the weaver. One of the Seibert coverlets, done in natural yarn and red, was made for Sarah Fitts. Along one edge of the coverlet is the legend “Made by Peter Seibert Easton.” Another multicolored coverlet in red, blue and green has a corner panel with the woven label “Made by Peter Seibert Easton Pensyl  1845.” No owner is shown.

The nation’s 100th birthday in 1876 also brought a renewed interest in Colonial crafts. A centennial coverlet at the Sigal Museum shows Memorial Hall at the center and the dates 1776-1876. Its vivid colors are the result of using commercial, rather than natural, dyes.

Coverlets can be found today in antique shops or at estate sales. The value of a coverlet is determined by its condition, color and design. However, the most important feature by far is the historical significance of the coverlet, preferably accompanied by written documentation.

Submitted by Elaine Greek.