Mr. Lawrence Adelberger, Senior
Birthdate: 1902
Mr. Adelberger interestingly tells about how his father started the first florist business in Wayne in 1988. Today Adelbergers' Florists is considered one of the oldest businesses in Wayne and continues to be a family operated business. Mr. Adelberger tells of the many changes he has seen over the years within the florist business. Through his involvement in the Wayne Business Association from its inception in 1939 and in the years to follow, Mr. Adelberger has been a principal organizer in several significant community endeavors.
Recorded September 28, 1979

Mr. Charles E. Alexander
Birthdate: 1901
Mr. Alexander tells much of what life was like in Wayne in the early 1900's. His parents both contributed to the literary culture in early Wayne. Mr. Alexander gives a personal portrayal of the well-run st. Lukes School (now Valley Forge Military Academy) and its individualistic Headmaster. He tells as well of the early firehouse, police on a bicycle, and personalities whom he knew. Mr. Alexander's wide span of interests began at an early age. Like his father, he became the President of the North Wayne Protective Association and was responsible for many innovations.
Recorded February 6, 1980

Mr. Charles E. Alexander: Attitudes and Values
Birthdate: 1901
Mr. Alexander's family and the headmaster at St. Lukes School (now Valley Forge Military Academy) played an important part in the molding of the boy. He related what it was like to live in a suburban country town that was close to nature. His keen observations and memories of growing up in Wayne in the early 1900's, school at St. Luke's, earning money with a Yankee flair for ingenuity and his great story-telling talent give a most perceptive picture of early Wayne. He also discourses about man's relationship to his community and how he chose his occupation of railroading from a life-long interest in trains.
Recorded January. 27, 1981

Mr. George M. Aman , Jr.
Birthdate: 1890
Mr. Aman's family was one of the early inhabitants of Wayne, living in a home at the corner where presently the Wayne Post Office is. He relates many touching boyhood remembrances, such as being the only youngster to get a glimpse of President Theodore Roosevelt when he visited Valley Forge. To many of us that are unfamiliar with cricket, he vividly describes the game. Mr. Aman also has a vivid memory of the stores that were situated on Lancaster Avenue from 1900 to 1912.
Recorded November 15, 1979

Mrs. Benjamin Amodei (Mary A.)
Birthdate: 1905
At seventeen, Mrs. Amodei's father, anxious to be a citizen in what he thought to be the land of opportunity, emigrated from Italy to America. As a blacksmith, he immediately obtained a position with Wayne's R.H. Johnson & Co. On his yearly trips to visit family in Italy, he met Mrs. Amodei's mother. After their marriage, they lived in Italy for a few years but his attachment was now to America so he returned with his wife to a house on Conestoga Road. Mrs. Amodei reminisces about her family taking it for granted that she would marry a man of Italian descent and about the strict rules of courtship. She did meet her husband at a local party given by Italian friends. For 40 years they operated Wayne's Central Taxi Service up until World War II, they knew everyone in town by name because of this enterprising business.
Recorded May 27, 1981


Mrs. John Baird
Birthdate: 1918
Mrs. John Baird (Virginia Walton) is the only decendent of the Walton family who still lives in the Wayne area. She tells about the Walton family background and how they came to St. Davids. Mrs. Baird recounts the reasons for building “Walmarthon” and the six years that Thomas Walton spent designing, landscaping, and perfecting their home. She contributes a first-hand knowledge of the lifestyle of the family, their commitment to their church and community, and their world-wide interests. Mrs. Bairds family anecdotes reveal the family’s deep interest in people of all walks of life. Walmarthon is brought up to the present with the current occupancy of the Eastern College.
Recorded April 16, 1980

Mrs. John Baranzano (Marguerite)
Birthdate: 1908
A charming account of growing up in an immigrant Italian household as told from the female point of view. Interesting accounts of cooking, cleaning, dressing, and school provide a picture of day-to-day activities. Mrs. Baranzano also details the warm relationships with a large extended family. Through her, we learn about dowries, Eastern traditions, and chaperoned dating. This is an appealing narrative which vividly describes the life of a successful Italian businessman and his family.
Recorded

Mrs. Anne Chew Barringer
Birthdate: 1905
Mrs. Barringer is a member of the venerable Chew family. She describes in detail, Vanor Manor, the family estate that she grew up on and the wonderful holiday traditions within her family. Perceptively, she contrasts her childhood to today's young people. That wonderful era of dinner dances, coming out teas, and formal balls is memorably revived by Mrs. Barringer. She also related her philosophy of life, which has invariably sustained her.
Recorded January 29, 1981

Miss Ida Brooke
Birthdate: 1892
Miss Brooke, daughter of a turn-of-the-century Wayne milkman, describes her experience growing up on her father's dairy farm on King of Prussia Road. She delightfully recounts these happy days plying house in the corncrib, going to a one-room school, and buying foodstuff from door-to-door hucksters. Miss Brooke also tells about those not so happy times when the family lost their barn and its animals in a fire and when her brother was severely scalded by the water used to sterilize the milk bottles.
Recorded April 1979

Miss Brooke, daughter of a turn-of-the-century Wayne milkman, recounts her later experiences working in Worrall's Grocery Store and Welsh and Park Hardware.
Recorded December 1979

Mr. Theodore B. Brook
Birthdate: 1903
Lifelong resident of Radnor Township, Mr. Brooks talks about houses in Wayne that he learned about as an apprentice to Milton W. Young and, after the Depression, as an independent carpenter and builder. He recalls many details about Wayne as a planned community, from the designs for the houses and their cost, to the dinintegration of the Wayne Steam Heat system in the 1940's. He explains the work of the South Wayne Protective Association, involved citizen, a mover if not a shaker, overseeing the shifting of the World War I Memorial from Iven and Lancaster Avennue to the center of Wayne; and patiently moving Caesar, the Askin's iron dog, at least twice before settling him as a guardian of the Radnor Historical Society. Automobiles have been one great love of Mr. Brook's life. Although he no longer owns antique cars, he still has a treasure of photographs and stories, which he shares enthusiastically.
Recorded March 1980 and January 1983

Mr. George Brown
Birthdate: 1911
Mr. Brown's family immigrated from rural Virginia at the turn of the century to settle on Fritz Court on Highland Avenue in Wayne. His story is a warm and humorous account of family life as seen from a young boy's viewpoint. Mr. Brown has anecdotes to tell us about Fourth of July celebrations, the problems of raising turkeys, the circus, the WWI victory parade, home remedies, and others. His reminiscences portray the determination, hard work and immigration of Wayne's early families.
Recorded January 1980

Mr. Russell James Brown
Birthdate: 1906
The development of Highland Avenue from the early 1900's to the present is vividly depicted by Mr. Brown. He speaks with pride of a community where white and black reisdents have lived side by side since the turn of the century. Mr. Brown fondly recalls the early years - the outside plumbing on Fritz Street, the men working at R. H. Johnson and the Miller Mission. He goes on to describe his experiences working at Wayne institutions such as Park Hardware, Lienhardt's Bakery, and the Post Office. Finally there is a thoughtful discussion of the problems and hopes of the Radnor Township Civic Association and the present day concerns of this community.
Recorded April 16, 1980


Mr. Monte George Canizares
Birthdate: 1896
Mr. Canizares was a 1913 graduate of Radnor High School where he quarterbacked the football team. He tells "the way if was" for football players in those days. Especially delightful are his reminiscences about some of the games in which he played. For instance, there was the game with Winona Military Academy when Radnor retreated from the playing field in great haste, still in their footfall gear, while their biggest member held the opposing team at bay. He goes on to recount his days as owner of the Argus Press and the changes which have come about in the priting businesss through the years.
Recorded April 16, 1980

Mrs. George Canizares (Ruth Houck)
Birthdate: 1898
As a life-long Wayne resident of Wayne, Mrs. Canizares shares with her listeners insights about major events in our town which are not recorded in other recorded histories. She can tell us abut the Wayne Iron Works where her father was employed; the founding and work of the Miller Mission on Highland Avenue, where she taught English to Italian immigrants; and the Devon fireworks explosion where she worked for the Red Cross assisting disaster victims. She also reminisces fondly about growing up in Wayne and her years as a business woman.
Recorded October 11, 1979

Mrs. Sherman Coates (Amelia C.)
Birthdate: 1901
Mrs. Coates has lived in Wayne her entire life. She has fond remembrances of dancing classes at the Saturday Club where on leaned the waltz, polka and the barn dance. Mrs. Coates recounts for us the stores, markets, churches, and hotels along Lancaster Avenue in the 1900's. She also tells an amusing story concerning her family's trip to Atlantic City with their first automobile.
Recorded February 7, 1980

Mr. Guido Coccagna
Birthdate: 1906
Mr. Coccagna paints a lively picture of the life of his Italian immigrant parents and their struggle to succeed in this new land. He describes the establishment of this father's successful landscaping business which cared for most of the properties in South Wayne. Through Mr. Coccagna's vision, we come to understand the prejudices of the times and problems associated with overcoming cultural and language barriers. Mr Coccagna's anecdotes about his parents make listening to this tape especially interesting.
Recorded

Miss Mary Ann Conkle
Birthdate: 1888
Miss Conkle moved to Walnut Avenue in North Wayne 92 years ago when her father purchased the fourteenth house built in that community. She chronicles her life as a young girl, vividly describing the shopping area as it was then and sharing her recollections of school, childhood amusements, sickness, and death. She concludes with some of her later experiences as a school teacher and suffragette.
Recorded June, 1977

Mrs. Paul Cooney (Hilda Gallagher)
Birthdate:
As the former Hilda Gallagher, Mrs. Cooney grew up on her father's farm, located on the corner of Lancaster Avenue and Conestoga Road. She tells her story of life on a family farm and describes the countryside running west along Lancaster Avenue toward Devon. Born into a family committed to community involvement, Mrs. Cooney has continued the tradition. She describes her own association over the years, as well as those of her parents and family. She tells also of her late brother, Edward Gallagher, who served and was killed in the First World War and whom the Bateman-Gallagher Legion Post was named for. Recorded June 16, 1981

Mr. Dominick Cornacchio
Birthdate: 1894
At the age of 17, Mr. Cornacchio left his family in Italy and came to the United States to settle in Wayne. Shortly after, he was drafted into the Army not knowing the English language but determined to be a decent soldier. He was sent to fight at the front in Europe and reminisces about the traumatic experiences of war. Jobless, Mr. Cornacchio confronted many hardships during the Depression and found that his religion and love of music maintained his positive attitude. After much endurance, he was the first Italian to be hired by St Mary's to do the gardening and the church's odd jobs and stayed there for over 50 years.
Recorded June 11, 1981

Mr. Harry C. Creutzburg
Birthdate: 1894
Mr. Creutzburg shares with us a selection from his book Life Was Simpler Then in which he describes his family's move by horse and wagon from Philadelphia to Wayne in 1907. In the second portion of the tape, Mr. Creutzburg details with amusing anecdotes, his role in the founding and evolution of the Main Line School Night.
Recorded May 1978


Mr. Francis James Dallett
Birthdate: 1927
On the first section of his tape, Mr. Dallett, one of the founders of the Radnor Historical Society, describes how that organization originated, and how it has grown through the years. He also speaks eloquently about its present needs and what may lie ahead for the organization. In the second section of this tape Mr. Dallett recalls the business district of Wayne as he remembers it in the 1930's. With the help of his colorful anecdotes, the businesses and the people who owned them seem very real.
Recorded October 15, 1979

Mr. Alnardo D'Ignazio
Birthdate: 1899
Mr. D'Ignazio describes the struggles and determination of his immigrant father who came to America no knowing the language. Through hard work, he successfully started his own landscaping business. After the death of his father, his mother took in boarders and at an early age, Mr. D'Ignazio recounts about the Miller Mission, the Italian Boy Scout Troop, Italian neighbors and Highland Avenue, and later he and his wife operating the Wayne Diner. Listening to Mr. D'Ignazio's tape, one understands and admires the work ethic and love of their Italian heritage which was passed from father to son.
Recorded June 29, 1981


Mr. Jules Falcone
Birthdate: 1919
Mr. Falcone's tape is a lively and informative recounting of his life growing up in a family of Italian descent on Highland Avenue in Wayne. He fondly recalls his father and the rich Italian heritage which he shared with his children. These Italians and other new arrivals to Highland Avenue from Virginia who were black have lived side by side from the early 1900's to the present. Finally Mr. Falcone tells us about a new civic association, the Concerned Citizens of Radnor Township, and their efforts to continually improve relations and conditions on Highland Avenue.
Recorded February 12, 1980

Mr. Jules Falcone ("Attitudes and Values")
Birthdate: 1919
In this addendum to his first tape, Mr. Jules Falcone tells us about growing up in an Italian immigrant home. He reminisces about his father's work as an estate manager for Mr. Charles Curtis Harrison. From Mr. Falcone, we gain insight into the ambitions, values, and struggles of his father to establish himself and his family in this country. Through his eyes, we learn abut the attitude of the so-called "Americans" toward the Italian Community in Wayne. Cultural rituals of making wine and spirits are also humorously recounted.
Recorded February 1981

Dr. Harold Farmer
Birthdate: 1904
Wayne's first black doctor, Dr. Harold Farmer, established his practice here at the height of the Depression. Through his description of his work we gain insight into the lives of his patients who were for the most part poor blacks and Italians. He speaks eloquently of his boyhood decision to become a doctor and the determination to excel in his profession which earned him the respect of his fellow physicians. Eventually he became the first black doctor on the staff of Bryn Mawr Hospital.
Recorded November 15, 1979

Mrs. J. Montgomery Forster (Gladys)
Birthdate: 1896
Mrs. Forster recounts how her exceedingly community-minded dentist/father, Dr. Jamison, along with some local women, invoked the concept of the Neighborhood League. Dr. Jamison always felt that he should try to help others that were less fortunate than he. Subsequently he was one of the men responsible for obtaining federal money to build the first apartment building as part of the slum clearance project on Highland Avenue in Wayne. Mrs. Forster also tells of family camping trips in Maine, horse and carriage trips, local Saturday night dances, and her involvement in the Red Cross.
Recorded August 20, 1980


Mrs. H. Paul Gant (Frances Fronefield Crawford)
Birthdate: 1887
Mrs. Gant has lived most of her 92 years in Wayne. Daughter of Joseph Fronefield, one of the first businessmen in Wayne, she recalls for us the days when Wayne was a fashionable summer resort and ladies with outfits coordinated with their carriages sipped sodas at her father's store. As a prominent member of our community, she describes her role as the head of the Women's Civil Defense during WW II and her part in the beginning of the Musical Coterie and the Republican Club.
Recorded July 13, 1978

Mrs. H. Paul Gant (Frances Fronefield Crawford) ("Attitudes and Values")
Birthdate: 1887
In this addendum to her first tape, Mrs. Gant philosophically assesses the changes in attitudes toward education, religion, raising children, and family life which have occurred during the ninety-five years of her life. Her narration sparkles with tales of schoolroom pranks, strawberry festivals at Central Baptist Church, and local political rallies. She also vividly recounts her memories of the Indians in Wayne.
Recorded January 1981

Mrs. Joseph Gillen (Katherine Early)
Birthdate: 1886
Mrs. Gillen was born in County Tyrone in Ireland. She married in Philadelphia. Mrs. Gillen tells of how on their way to St. Catherine's Church on a Sunday morning in 1914, a large pile of dirt from a new building on Aberdeen Avenue inspired the Gillens to build a home and general store.. The Gillen's life centered mainly around their store which later became a restaurant-bar and their five children. She also tells what a general store of that era was like, the family dog Teddy, and her husband's sport activities.
Recorded February 6, 1980


Miss Mazie B. Hall
Birthdate: 1902
This tape tells us about the community of Mt. Pleasant as it was in the early years of this century. The narrator, Miss Hall, has many thought-provoking comments about life as it was for black people then and now. In her many years as a resident of Mt. Pleasant, Miss Hall has been looked upon as a community leader and has received many awards in recognition of her accomplishments. She chronicles some of these achievements, such as a founder of the Mt. Pleasant Community Center, the Main Line Read Estate Board, and her efforts to improve relations between races.
Recorded April 16, 1980

Miss Margaret Halligan
Birthdate: 1904
Miss Halligan was born into a large Irish family in Radnor. She worked as a staff member for the Neighborhood League for nearly 20 years, first as secretary and later as case worker in social services. In 1937 she was tenant selection supervisor for the Neighborhood League sponsored public housing on Highland Avenue. Her recollections make clear the variety and importance of the help offered to the community by the Neighborhood League, especially during the Great Depression. Miss Halligan became interested in the disaster relief work of the National American Red Cross when she helped out the Red Cross after the Devon Fireworks Disaster in Devon in 1930. In 1942 she became a full-time worker and eventually director of volunteers for disaster relief and rehabilitation. After her retirement in the late 1970's, Miss Halligan returned to Radnor. Thinking back on her life, she concludes that "God planned it better than I could have".
Recorded March 25, 1981

Dr. John Y. Howson
Birthdate: 1907
His family life and the work ethic played an important part in Dr. Howson's life. Both parents' families came to Wayne in the 1890's for suburban education and country life. Dr. Howson's interests in becoming a doctor began as a child when with his brothers and sisters, they played doctor, patients, and nurse. Since the beginning of his medical practice as a gynecologist, Dr. Howson has practiced in his home town of Wayne and delivered about half the babies in Wayne. He has been equally dedicated to outside interests and hobbies from being a charter Rotary Club member to cutting his own records since 1946. Although he now has a reduced schedule, Dr. Howson continues to practice.
Recorded April 22, 1981

Mrs. Richard Howson (Mary Holmes)
Birthdate: 1896
Mrs. Howson, born and raised in Wayne, met her husband, also a Wayne resident at a local gathering, married him, and raised their children in Wayne. She recalls vividly Lancaster Avenue at the turn of the century, including a delicious description of the renowned Lienhardt's ice cream and other engaging childhood memories. She relates the moving effect on her life of World Wars I and II. Mrs. Howson has steadfast values and she talks about them openly. Disclosed by Mrs. Howson is the contrast of her young tranquil life to today's scurried life.
Recorded October 15, 1979

Mrs. Richard Howson (Mary Holmes) ("Attitudes and Values")
Birthdate: 1896
On this tape, Mrs. Howson has emphatic beliefs about marriage, family life, raising children, and education and conveys them in a concerned and yet engaging manner. She compares women's goals today as opposed to her generation of women and distinguishes the sameness and differences of each generation. According to Mrs. Howson, there has always been a generation gap. The major contributor to Mrs. Howson's youthfulness is her marvelous life-long attitude, "sieze the day!"
Recorded January 26, 1981

Mrs. Marie Good Hunt
Birthdate: 1894
Mrs. Hunt was the Librarian at theRadnor Library from 1948 to 1965. She was directly involved with the expansion and moving of the Wayne Library to become a Memorial Library in remembrance of the Radnor citizens that lost their lives during World War II. With her vivid memory Mrs. Hunt recounts this memorable event including descriptions of the Library before and after, moving day, her library staff, and events at the Library. Part II of Mrs. Hunt's tape tells of toll gates on Lancaster Avenue and her experiences at Radnor High School. Interestingly, she tells about the development of Radnor Library's bookplates and seal.
Recorded September 14, 1979


Mr. John M. Johnston
Birthdate: 1904
In the early 1900’s, Mr. Johnston moved to Wayne with his sisters and brothers and lived in his grandfather’s house at the corner of Eagle Road and Chestnut Lane. He talks about a warm, close-knit family, which included many children his own age. His reminiscences include interesting accounts of his boyhood activities such as skating and learning to swim at the Walton estate, the “War Game” which was organized by the boys of his neighborhood during World War I, and his early school days in Wayne. He also describes Lancaster Avenue, the business section of Wayne, and some of the services which were available to the homes of Wayne in the early part of this century.
Recorded December 2, 1980

Mr. John M. Johnston (“Attitudes and Values”)
Birthdate: 1904
Along with his sisters, Mr. Johnston attended Dancing School and he shares his memories of it and tells of the influence it had on the participants, both on behavior and dress. He tells of attending teen-age parties and the activities of the Boy Scout Troop, Paoli Number 1 under leadership of Col. Lisle. The greatest influence during Mr. Johnston’s boyhood years were the members of his immediate family and he speaks of his parents and grandparents with love, affection, and respect. He reveals what he learned from them and how they, as individuals, helped shape his life.
Recorded January 21, 1981


Mrs. John Kane (Mary)
Birthdate: 1909
Mrs. Kane, child of Italian immigrant parents, describes her life growing up in Wayne. She reminisces about learning the needlecraft skills of lacemaking and embroidery and her days at Radnor High School. As an adult, Mrs. Kane worked in Wayne for Bell Telephone Company. Especially interesting is her description of a telephone operator’s response to a fire call in the 1930’s.
Recorded June 11, 1981


Mrs. John W. Leonard (Katharine Schultz) (Dairy of Mother)
Birthdate: 1895
Mrs. Leonard reads excerpts from her mother’s diary which records a “young lady’s social life in Wayne in the 1880’s”.
Recorded 1981

John W. Leonard (Katharine Schultz)
Birthdate: 1895
Mrs. Leonard narrates all the numerous games and recreational activities that were participated by both girls and boys at the turn of the century. She refers to other pastimes such as Liendhardt’s for ice cream, Bensinger’s for penny candy, dances, and band concerts. Subsequently, she concludes that in her day, young people were never bored because they were always able to amuse themselves. With humor, she tells about each item of clothing that had to be worn seasonally by the children. Mrs. Leonard also recounts her Grandfather building what is now Valley Forge Military School and her father’s involvement in St. David’s Golf Club. She has lived through many changes but deduces that the most unexpected is an astronaut going to the moon.
Recorded 1981

Miss Rose E. Lutz
Birthdate: 1895
Miss Lutz was presented with the Freedom’s Foundation Award in 1960 in recognition of her excellent teaching in Radnor Schools. Her experiences in the schools span several decades from the early 1920’s to the 1960’s. Looking back over those years of teaching, Miss Lutz’s narration describes for us major evens in the evolution of the school – progressive education, standardized testing and various reporting systems. However, it is Miss Lutz’s anecdotes depicting her relationships with the students which provide us with a clearer understanding of this award-winning woman. They bring her into focus as a warm and human teacher, but with a strong sense of moral responsibility.
Recorded November 1978

Mrs. Frederick Clement Littleton (Elinor)
Birthdate: Unknown
Mrs. Littleton, daughter of Mrs. Dewitt Clement, reminisces about when her mother joined Mrs. Arthur Sherman in managing the Woman’s Exchange, one of the Neighborhood League’s projects. Mrs. Littleton’s recollections of the Exchange bring its early days to life: the unbelievably elegant aspics, tarts, and cakes with were consigned, the Tea Shop upstairs, delivering catered orders – and, always, the energy and enthusiasm of the volunteers and staff. Later the Wayne Shop became a charter member of the National Federation of Women’s Exchanges and fancy work was exchanged with shops from Pennsylvania to California. Mrs. Littleton conveys the hard work and fun which her mother found at the Women’s Exchange, which “was her life.”
Recorded April 10, 1981


Mrs. Theodore Mandes (Florence C.)
Birthdate: 1915
Mrs. Mandes fondly reminisces about her father, Michael Civitella, who came to Wayne because he heard there was an opportunity for men to work in this community. He excelled in all of his endeavors and was a prime example that for the immigrant, this was a land of opportunity. Mrs. Mandes has wonderful recollections of her father’s shopping trips, his love of work, their close family, and the Italian culture. Interestingly, she also tells about the beginnings of Strafford’s Church of Assumption which was initiated for the Latin-speaking people of the Main Line.
Recorded June 26, 1981

Mrs. Charles Martin (Catherine Bard)
Birthdate: 1899
Mrs. Martin’s maternal grandfather was the owner of R. H. Johnson Co. and Johnson Quarry who hired many immigrants from Italy to work for him. In her youth, Mrs. Martin traveled a great deal to South America and back again to Wayne. She has many fond memories of summers spent with her grandparents in Wayne. With all her traveling she always had a special attachment to the self-contained town of Wayne. Over the years, Mrs. Martin has been successful in remodeling Wayne residential homes owned by her family into apartments.
Recorded October 8, 1979

Mr. John Mather
Birthdate: 1899
Mt. Mather has fond memories of Wayne baseball teams for young boys when there was no class distinction and only ability mattered. He considers fox hunting as the world’s greatest sport and reminisces about a time when this area was mostly fields. Mr. Mather is considered one of the first in Pennsylvania to have acquired a driver’s license. By obtaining signatures from the captain of police and two reputable citizens, he received his license at the young age of twelve. Mr. Mather also relates to the listener at time when one could walk through the center of Wayne and recognize everyone.
Recorded February 26, 1981

Miss Isabella Auld McKnight
Birthdate: 1902
Miss McKnight’s family moved to 404 Bellevue Avenue in 1888. She was born in that house and lives there today. Miss McKnight tells us about dining with the all male membership of the N.W.P.A. and her association with Wayne Presbyterian Church where she was Secretary of the Sunday School for over 40 years. She gives us a picture of the woods across Eagle Road and up North Wayne Avenue to Crestline Road which was Strafford Avenue at that time. The children found their entertainment there most of the year. Miss McKnight also takes us to the Le Boutellier estate where there was a Japanese garden and where they held twilight services on Sunday evenings.
Recorded June 26, 1981

Mrs. Benjamin Milstein (Jennie Lichtenfeld)
Birthdate: 1901
As the proprietor of one of Wayne’s oldest businesses, “Lichtenfeld’s,” Mrs. Milstein shares her recollections of the early days of the business established by her father in 1912. She relates memories of her immigrant parents who were one of the first Jewish families in Wayne. Mrs. Milstein also describes a warm family life shared with her parents, six brothers and sisters, attending school in Wayne, and her first job at sixteen. She recounts the Wayne business district as she remembers it in the period just before and during World War I. Finally, she shares some of her personal philosophy.
Recorded February 17, 1981

Mr. Louis Mongiello
Birthdate: 1910
Mr. Mongiello, first son of Italian immigrant parents, fondly reminisces about his boyhood growing up on Highland Avenue in Wayne. He paints a vivid picture of this community of black and Italian families, who had recently settled in Wayne, and the support they gave each other. Especially interesting is his description of Fritz Court, where many of the single men settled. His own enterprising father began the first movie theatre, owned the local grocery store, and acted as an employment agency for R.J. Johnson & Co. From him, we also hear a description of the traditional Italian games, which the men of his father’s generation played. Mr. Mongiello also reminisces about a game of the new world, football, and his participation on the undefeated team of 1926.
Recorded 1980?

Mr. Horace Montgomery
Birthdate: 1898
Mr. Horace Binney Montgomery, who is named for his famous lawyer great-grandfather, tells about the Montgomery clan which consisted of 11 brothers and sisters. He recalls his family’s first telephone, their farm at Honeybrook,, and attending St. Luke’s school. Upon retirement, Mr. Montgomery wrote about his childhood in Radnor in the two delightful books, Return to the Golden Years and How Dear to my Heart.
Recorded November 20, 1980


Miss Marjorie Roberts
Birthdate: 1904
As an Infant, Miss Roberts moved to Wayne and grew up in a North Wayne neighborhood. She describes a warm and secure family life shared with her parents and three sisters. Miss Roberts reminisces about a childhood, which included a nursemaid, a goat-cart, and the goat to pull it, having a large vegetable garden, visits to nearby relatives, and family outings to the shore and Willow Grove Park. She describes activities at St. Mary’s Church, of being a charter member of the Wayne Girl Scout Troop, and gives a lively account of what it was like to be a spectator at Radnor High School football games. A sense of civic pride is evident in her narration and in particular in her concluding remarks.

Mr. Adolph Rosengarten, Jr.
Birthdate: 1905
Mr. Rosengarten was recognized for his many contributions to this community by the Wayne Lions Club when they presented him with the first Main Line Award in 1964. In this tape he provides new insights into the history of Wayne as he modestly chronicles some of these contributions for which he was recognized. These accomplishments include his work for the Neighborhood League during the Depression, his involvement with the Highland Homes housing project and his service on the boards of the Memorial Library of Radnor Township and Bryn Mawr Hospital. In addition, his delightful anecdotes abut early telephones, automobiles, and trains reveal a time when life was simpler. In closing, he documents his concerns for the future of Radnor.
Recorded November 1978

Mr. Adolph Rosengarten, Jr. (“The Main Line Hertitage”)
Birthdate: 1905
In this brief addendum to his first tape, Mr. Rosengarten describes the world of “high society” as he remembers it in his youth. We learn why many wealthy families established estates along the Main Line and their many contributions to his community. In this tape, Mr. Rosengarten provides a thoughtful analysis of the attractions of the Main Line for people of “High Society.”
Recorded January 1981


Mr. Edgar Scott
Birthdate: 1899
Mr. Scott talks about a period when there was no income tax so subsequently people were able to live by more elaborate standards. He relates a romantic anecdote of love at first sight when he met Mrs. Scott at a local Main Line dinner party. He also recounts a colorful characterization of his father-in-law, the well-known Colonel Robert Montgomery. Throughout his life, Mr. Scott has made significant contributions to the community. To name a few, he served on the Board of Commissioners for Radnor Township from 1934-1948. To raise money for the Academy of Music, he was instrumental in launching the first Academy Ball which has become a Philadelphia tradition and is considered one of the largest fund-raising events in America.
Recorded January 28, 1981

Mrs. Edgar Scott (Hope Montgomery)
Birthdate: 1904
Since Mrs. Scott is the essence of vivaciousness, charm and thorough love of life, it is obvious why she was the inspiration for the character of Tracy Lord in Phillip Barry’s The Philadelphia Story. As depicted in the play, she describes all the glitter and that existed on the Main Line in the 1930’s. As a young girl, her great ambition was to be the best rider and she talks about when there were no cars and she could ride her horse for miles. Over the years, she has passionately devoted her time to the Devon Hose Show for her pet charity, the Bryn Mawr Hospital. Mrs. Scott also has given a lot of her energy to managing her family’s 750-acre Ardrossan farm which is considered a major commercial and highest producing herd of cows in the U.S.
Recorded January 27, 1981

Mrs. Frank Simons
Birthdate: 1891
Mrs. Simons talks about a period when the railroad was the focal point among the townspeople, dances were held at the Louella Hotel, and life was simply less complicated. She gives a vivid description of the interior of Wayne homes and explains that an attraction was the electric light because in 1898 when her family moved to Wayne, this was not to be found in Philadelphia homes. With her reminiscences, Mrs. Simons helps the listener experience the liveliness of Wayne in the 1900’s with her description of Opera House recitals, storekeepers on Lancaster Avenue and town activities. Mrs. Simon is presently residing at Wayne Hall and remembers the time when it was the Wayne Hotel.
Recorded September 7, 1979

Mr. H. Leland Smaltz
Birthdate: 1908
Mr. Smaltz has lived his entire life in Wayne. Born on Midland Avenue, a spastic, he was pushed by his grandfather, Reuben Leland, along the streets of Wayne, stopping so that his grandfather could talk to many of his friends. Mr. Smaltz talks about his schooling, starting in a private Kindergarten in the northwest corner of the Louella Hotel to the Radnor School System where he graduated in 1928. He gives us information on sewage disposal, water supply, the telephone and different postmasters in the first part of the 20th century. Mr. Smaltz graduated from the University of Virginia and practiced as an attorney in Wayne for many years.
Recorded January 22, 1981

Mr. Charles C. Smith
Birthdate: 1902
A teacher in secondary schools for fifty years, Mr. Smith describes eloquently and with pride about the curriculum developed at Radnor High School during the thirties and forties. Under the inspired leadership of Supt. Sydney V. Rowland, Radnor High School became well-known throughout the Eastern U.S. as a scholastically superior institution. He also shares his participation in the Wayne Minstrels, Footlighters, and Ration Board during World War II. The tape ends with an account of this retirement activities and reveals Mr. Smith’s remarkable talents and endless enthusiasm.
Recorded May 18, 1981


Miss Beatrice F. Tees
Birthdate: 1901
Miss Tees is presently living in the same home in which she was born. She remembers sledding, Wayne’s shopping district along Lancaster Avenue, St. David’s toll gate, and a time when the circus came to Wayne. Miss Tees received a sixty year pin from the Girl Scouts and also the Red Cross pin. This is a rare honor. She was a pioneer with Girl Scout Troop 131 of Wayne in 1917 and was involved with the Red Cross in 1918 to help soldiers during World War I.
Recorded February 1, 1980

Mrs. Edward H. Ten Broeck (Mary Atmore)
Birthdate: 1910
Mrs. Ten Broeck was one of the founders and the first President of the Tri-County Concert Association. In her narration she recalls how a dedicated group of volunteers, inspired by the Winsor sisters, worked together to provide free concerts for Wayne and surrounding communities. Her anecdotes about the Winsor sisters reveal their unique charm and their generosity to individuals and to this community. Mrs. Ten Broeck also details the growth of the organization and its present-day activities.
Recorded in December 1979

Mrs. Dorothy Harrison Therman
Birtchdate: 1917
Early on, Mrs. Therman’s family came to this area in summers. Later, they decided to purchase a St. David’s home for all year long. Mrs. Therman details the Harrison home on Brooke Road with is beautiful workmanship, high ceilings, and unique charm. In her intriguing voice and mannerism, she relates some enchanting childhood memories of spending many hours outdoors, being educated by governesses till the age of 16, and watching from the top of the staircase as her parents entertained in the lavish style that was prevalent for the period. Mrs. Therman enumerates for the listener about the life of graciousness and etiquette that no longer exists. Charmingly, she portrays her parents with anecdotes and characterizations.
Recorded March 4, 1981


Mr. George Vaux
Birthdate: 1908
Beginning with his descendants’ immigration to Bryn Mawr in the 1700’s, Mr. Vaux recounts the history of his family. In the 18th century, their family estate “Harriton” was the only tobacco plantation this far north. When asked what he thought to be unique about his time, he elaborated about the acceleration of change. Mr. Vaux is currently very active as part of a team to save and restore the Athenaeum of Philadelphia.
Recorded February 13, 1981
Miss Lecian Von Bernuth
Birthdate: 1895
From the age of three, Miss Von Bernuth’s life has been spent in Wayne and Strafford. As an artist, from a background of painters and musicians, Miss Von Bernuth had an unusual feeling for animals in sculpture and real life. She tells of many family anecdotes involving their wayward goats, blind race horse, 40 year old parrot, and “Nutkin” the squirrel who lived his 10 year life in her pigeon hospital. Miss Von Bernuth recalls the early circus in Wayne, the dancing bear, and Indians (Lenape) who lived in a reservation on North Wayne Avenue. Miss Von Bernuth also paints a word picture of her colorful and artistic family.
Recorded April, 11, 1980

Miss Lecian Von Bernuth ("Attitudes and Values")
Birthdate: 1895
Commencing with the courtship of Miss Von Bernuth’s parents and throughout their colorful life, the listener enjoys her reminiscences of this artistic family. The love of animals (about 300 pets in all – over the years) is very much a part of the Von Bernuth story. Miss Von Bernuth, a great story teller, brings the amusing and often hilarious happenings to life. Later, as an artist and sculptor, she paints and molds many of these same animals into works of art. Miss Von Bernuth tells much of her family’s values, the influence of religion on her life and thoughts on aging and philanthropy.
Recorded February 4, 1981


Mr. John J. Wack
Birthdate: 1895
Born in Mt. Pleasant in 1895, Mr. Wack recalls his childhood there when it was primarily a white neighborhood. He remembers the first black families who moved in and the good feeling between people. In World War I, he was a corpsman in France, and there he met his wife to be, who was a nurse. After the war, he returned to Wayne and in the early 1930’s began working at the drugstore run by his brother, Norman, and decided to stay for 35 years. Mr. Wack has a strong sense of his own life in the context of history, being keenly aware of many changes – not always for the better. He is a cheerful man who has spent a good part of his life helping g people and making friends.
Recorded August 20, 1980

Mrs. Paul Warner (Elinor A.)
Birthdate: 1905
Mrs. Warner was a member of a library board that had the vision to look ahead and because of that she actively participated in the 1946-48 Memorial Library of Radnor Township’s fund drive. Retrospectively, she eloquently relates the community enthusiasm toward this war memorial, her contribution to the memorial plaque now situated in the entranceway of the Library, and the transformation of the Wayne Library to the Memorial Library of Radnor Township. For over 20 years, Mrs. Warner, a Library Board member, has volunteered an endless amount of time and energy. Fondness for the Library is stressed in her voice when she designates it “the greatest institution in any community.”
Recorded May 28, 1981

Mrs. John Watson (Mary)
Birthdate: 1904
Mrs. Watson, a lively woman, recalls happy memories of growing up in St. Davids and Wayne. She remembers the flu epidemic of 1917-1918 – a terrible time – when she helped her mother at the impromptu hospital set up at the Saturday Club. She married John Watson, owner of the American Bronze Company in Berwyn and an inventor. They lived in his family’s house on Pembroke Avenue. The large garage where they kept several cars has now been made over into a small house where she now lives.
Recorded July 31, 1980

Mr. Douglas C. Wendell, Sr.
Birthdate: 1894
Mr. Wendell is the son of Herman Wendell, the builder of much of North and South Wayne. He tells how his father became a builder and describes features of early Wayne homes. Mr. Wendell talks about his boyhood in North Wayne, the Radnor Cricket Club, and his own cricket days which included a match in England. A life-long poet, Mr. Wendell has had his poetry published in the Saturday Evening Post, Ladies Home Journal, The Suburban and Wayne Times and other publications. On the tape, Mr. Wendell reads one of his poems, written recently but inspired by his brother Jan’s bobsled and the experience of a new Year’s evening on Hart’s Hill, now Radnor Road.
Recorded March 15, 1980

Mrs. Clayton Wetzel (Katharine J.)
Birthdate: 1906
Mrs. Wetzel relates some wonderful reminiscences of Christmas celebrations in her childhood. She attended a unique educational institution that was called the Open-Air School. From 1925 to 1947, Mrs. Wetzel was employed by the Wayne Library. She has recollections of the Library such as the interim during the Depression when the Library became a haven for unemployed men, Mrs. Hess’s memorable story hours, and members of the Wayne Library’s staff. It is interesting to listen to Mrs. Wetzel’s observances of library changes she has seen over the years.
Recorded March 4, 1980

Mrs. Robert Wilhelm (Laura Elmer)
Birthdate:
Mrs. Wilhelm is the daughter of Dr. Robert Potter Elmer, who was on the earliest and well-known physicians to practice in Wayne from the years 1902 – 1951. Besides being a dedicated doctor, he was quite a personality because of his knowledge in a diversity of areas. With Mrs. Wilhelm’s reminiscences, Dr. Elmer is delightfully introduced to us. As a child, she remembers meeting a memorable patient in Dr. Elmer’s office by the name of Katharine Hepburn, who in 1930 was married to a local gentleman. Dr. Elmer felt the perfect hobby that conformed to a doctor’s temperament was archery. Pursuing the sport intensely, he became known internationally. Because of his writings on the subject, Dr. Elmer became know as “the father of archery.” He taught the sport to such notables as Douglas Fairbanks, Eleanor Roosevelt and started the sport at Bryn Mawr and Swarthmore Colleges.
Recorded September 20, 1980

Mrs. R. Norris Williams (Sue)
Birthdate: 1908
Mrs. R. Norris Williams, more fondly known as Sue Williams, has been a volunteer for the Red Cross since 1941. In that time she has filled many posts of leadership including Chairman of the Wayne Branch, Chairman of the South Eastern Pennsylvania Nursing Service, and a member of the South Eastern Chapter Board and Executive Committee. The anecdotes which she shares with us increase our appreciation for the work of the Red Cross, both in war and peace. As the present day archivist of the Red Cross, Mrs. Williams also knowledgeably recounts the founding and early history of the Red Cross.
Recorded February 1, 1980


Mr. George Young
Birthdate: 1905
Born in 1900 of parents from the north of Ireland, Mr. Young grew up on Willow Avenue in Wayne. There was little money for extras but Mr. Young remembers the scents and flavors of fine home cooking and tells how his mother used home remedies for the family’s aches and pains. At age 9, Mr. Young went to work after school and on Saturdays. Given the choice of attendance at Berwyn High, where his family now lived – or to pay $60.00 a year to go to Radnor High, he decided to work his way through Radnor. Mr. Young’s life reflects his willingness to work hard, his genial philosophy, and liking of people.
Recorded March 14, 1981

Mrs. C.J. Brooke Young, Jr. (Louise)
Birthdate:
Mrs. Young first came to Wayne as a young girl to visit her cousins, the Schultz family, and there met her husband-to-be, Brooke. She has a long association with the Neighborhood League Shops and traces their history from the beginning. Mrs. Young also was involved with the Neighborhood League Nursing Service. She was an early volunteer at the Devon Hose Show. Mrs. Young reminisces about train service, sale of Sayen property to Valley Forge Military Academy, and Dr. Elmer.
Recorded February, 1981

Mr. C. J. Brooke Young, Jr.
Birthdate: 1900
Mr. Young has a special gift of telling a story in such a way that his audience becomes immediately engrossed. In his boyhood, he was a member of a local Wayne gang that often found amusement in mischievous ways. Mr. Young relates his father’s direct involvement with the beginnings of St. David’s Golf Course. He also has a vivid memory of childhood pranks, leisure time activities, holidays, stores on Lancaster Avenue and the early telephone.
Recorded May 17, 1980