Lansdale Historical Society Bringing Artifacts, Map Roller, Video Tour to Founders Day

What would Founders Day be without a little bit of Lansdale history?

Lansdale Historical Society is readying for Saturday's third annual event in downtown Lansdale.

Its main feature: A continuous 45-minute video walking tour of downtown Lansdale at the 311 W. Main storefront from 11 a.m. to 4 p.m.

The video tour is a bit of an artifact itself—it was created by Allen and Inez Lincoln in the early 1980s.

"It has been digitized with the narration re-recorded by Pat Rieker and professionally produced as a  DVD by Jay Delp Productions, who record and edit our community programs," said Dick Shearer, Lansdale Historical Society president.

Copies of the video tour will be available for purchase, as will other DVDs from the historical society.

Montgomery Township artist Judith Boyles will brighten the event with her latest masterpieces—she painted 1910 and 1970 views of Hotel Tremont. 

Boyles' other works, including paintings of the former Lansdale Theatre, Neiburg's Clothing Store and the 1903 Lansdale Train Station, will be on display. Boyles will be taking orders for her work. 

From 10:30 a.m. to 3:30 p.m. at Railroad Plaza, Lansdale Historical Society will be selling a 16-page "Junction Town" booklet, which features the history of the North Penn Railroad. 

Lansdale Historical Society will also open its doors from 11 a.m. to 4 p.m. at its headquarters at Jenkins Homestead to show off new displays in its musuem room. There are also tours of the homestead on Saturday.

Shearer said the society is excited about three new special features at Jenkins Homestead.

One major feature is a Jenkins Map Roller. Shearer said the scale model was probably a salesman's sample of an 1890s map roller designed and sold by Charles Jenkins, Lansdale's first cashier of Lansdale National Bank.

"The sample is a gift to the society from a Sellersville resident who discovered it at an antiques shop," Shearer said. "He also provided copies of the three patents Jenkins obtained for the map roller. By the way, we have a full-sized one in storage, but it is so large, we have no way to display it."

Shearer said Jenkins map rollers were sold all over the world.

"They were used in the U.S. Capitol, the War Department, the Smithsonian, the state Highway Department, PP&L, Bell Telephone, dozens of federal government agencies and more than 200 major businesses and industries," he said.

A second major feature at Jenkins Homestead Saturday are artifacts from Shelly's Cake and Confectionary, which was a popular meeting spot in the 1940s and 1950s. The society will show off menus, ads, store displays and even a complete soda fountain booth.  

Lastly, Lansdale Historical Society will promote its surplus clearance sale items. Visitors will find Lansdale board games, local history books, and Centennial celebration items like pins and dishes. 

Shearer said this year's excursion train to Souderton from Lansdale will have volunteer conductors on board.

"(They) will describe points along the way and how they played a part in the area's history," he said.