Perkasie’s town Christmas tree was America’s first with electric lights, starting in 1910
There was nothing like it 113 years ago. Perkasie officials chose the novelty of electric lights to decorate the municipal Christmas tree at 7th and Market streets. At that first awe-inspiring illumination 5,000 people gathered. Included was the arrival of “a team of black horses, hitched to an antique high back sleigh, loaded with gifts,” as the local newspaper reported. The glory of Perkasie’s holiday tree remains spectacular. It’s already lit. Catch it while you can.
Musings on the Minsi Trail
Michaeline Picaro of Sussex County, N.J., contacted me regarding my column on the Minsi Trail highway and former Native American footpath that passes through Central and Upper Bucks (“How the 10,000-year-old Minsi Trail became a key Bucks Highway” published April 10, 2022).
“I was reading your wonderful article. It’s great to see education about our ancestral trails. Many don’t know that the Minsis or Munsees are still living in the area today. A small, 80 Unami-speaking Lenape people left the middle of New Jersey in the early 1700s and did travel, eventually ending up in Oklahoma. Thousands of Minsi-, Monsey-, Munsee-speaking Lenape stayed. The Munsee territories were western Connecticut to middle of New Jersey to eastern Pennsylvania and south Albany.
“Anushiik (thank you in Munsee). Michaeline.”
Warrington Airport charm lives on in memory
I also heard from Frank Shelly of Warrington regarding my column on barnstorming (“Experiencing the thrill of barnstorming days” published Sept. 19, 2023):
“Your article brought to my mind memories of the former Warrington Airport. Going there was a step back in time. Entering the office building you would always find a bunch of older pilots, plane owners and enthusiasts sitting around chatting. One would expect to see a potbelly stove or cracker barrel nearby. The original grass runway had formerly been a corn field. A macadam strip was added later.
“Racing down the runway you could see the spire at Our Lady of Czestochowa in the far distance of New Britain. In addition to providing plane parking and flying lessons, there was air taxi service to Philadelphia International Airport. Although this part of local history is gone, to many it is not forgotten.”
Praise for YouTuber
Last month, I highlighted Tom Nally’s effort to restore a sculpture garden that existed at Sarobia, the former estate of Sara and Robert Logan, now Neshaminy State Park (“A long-forgotten Alice in Wonderland-inspired garden gets tender loving care in Bensalem”, published Nov. 3). On one wall of the enclosure sits a stone Humpty Dumpty, a character from the children’s novel.
I received this in response:
“My name is Tracy Coulter. Me and my sisters lived by the Humpty Dumpty wall in the house that used to be there. My stepdad was the park maintenance supervisor. We lived in the park for 13 years. My mom has one of Mr. Logan’s pictures of a baby that was in the house. I find the whole story fascinating about the YouTuber who is restoring everything.”
Helping hand from Bristol singer
Bristol physician/songwriter Mindy Murray is out with a new tune about floods that walloped eastern Kentucky last year. “Cold Kentucky Rain” was released this past month followed by a live premiere on the Lyric Theater stage in Lexington.
Her songs about West Virginia reflect years she spent in the Mountain State tending to needy citizens while in medical school in Lewisburg. Her band, River Drivers, toured West Virginia after devastating floods in 2016, raising funds for victims. Mindy was deeply moved by news of last year’s flood and a photo widely publicized of four young children who perished. “Cold Kentucky Rain” tells their story.
On a personal note, a column of mine published on June 23 inspired Mindy to write and record “George B. Fell”, a ballad about a Solebury farmer who survived the collapse of a covered bridge on the flood-swollen Delaware River. Mindy’s source material includes many vignettes from Bucks County’s illustrious history.
You can stream “Cold Kentucky Rain” on Soundcloud at https://soundcloud.com/mindymurray/cold-kentucky-rain-1
Carl LaVO can be reached at carllavo0@gmail.com. Here’s to a great holiday season everyone.
This article originally appeared on Bucks County Courier Times: Perkasie’s town Christmas tree was America’s first with electric lights
