Urban

       

        James Alonzo Harley. I have seen and typed his name so many times over the past 20 years of doing family history, but what did I really know about him? Did I know enough to write a blog post about him? Not really, and I figured this was the week to fix that, and challenge myself to see if I could learn more about him than just a few dates and some census records data. 

        I knew James was our mom’s paternal grandfather and his wife’s name was Kate Landis. Our mom knew both of them when she was a child. James lived most of his adult life in Philadelphia, having moved there around 1881 with his wife and one young son.  But he grew up in the very rural Lower Salford area of Montgomery county PA, just about 35 miles north of Philadelphia, learning the trade of harness making from his father, Jacob Klein Harley. 

James Alonzo Harley, my paternal great grandfather

I also knew that James and Kate had four sons together, but sadly the first two passed away after living only a few years. Their last two sons, Jacob Linwood Harley (b 1882) and our grandfather Clarence Wilbur Harley (b 1888) were both born in Philadelphia, which was definitely a very large city by then, with a population pushing 1 million people. 

James & his wife Kate Landis Harley

Most of James Harley’s family and ancestors were of the German Brethren faith, (also referred to as Dunkers), and this was true for James and his wife as well. Upon moving to the Philadelphia area, he and Kate joined the First Church of the Brethren in Philadelphia. And it is because of this affiliation that I have learned much of the information that follows, or at least pointed me in the right direction. You see, in 1943 the church leaders published an extensive book (700 pages) of the history of their church. James Harley was one of their deacons, and therefore was mentioned in some detail. The book is available online, which is how I came to learn more about him.  https://archive.org/details/HistoryOfAChurchDunker/page/n5/mode/2up

        Below is an excerpt of what they wrote about his life and his contribution to the church. Note that he was not baptized until he was 28 years old:

JAMES A. HARLEY

“Born July 2, 1854. Died December 16, 1927. James A. Harley passed away unexpectedly. He attended church services the Sunday before, apparently in usual health. He was the son of Jacob and Sarah (Stover) Harley, born in Montgomery County. He was united in marriage with Kate Landis May 10, 1876, at Collegeville. He later moved to Philadelphia and became affiliated with the church at Marshall Street, and was baptized February 19, 1882.

He was called to the office of deacon April 6, 1903, and served as president of the board a number of years until February 13, 1918. He was familiarly known as "Deacon Harley." He was a member of the board of trustees from January 30, 1885 until January 27, 1919.

He took a great interest in church work, willingly and cheerfully consenting to do anything he was asked to do, and was therefore often sought.

He was for many years a member of the old firm of Kennedy, Willing & Co., saddlers, Arch St. near 5th.

He always brought a ray of sunshine and good humor. He served on many important committees; was favorably known throughout the country among his business associates, and highly esteemed by his many friends. His widow, Kate Landis Harley, survived him ten years, passing away October 21, 1933, at the age of 87.”

I have to say, I loved reading this, particularly the part of him bringing a ray of sunshine and good humor. To be honest, this was a little different than what I imagined him to be, although I do have one photo of him and Kate on the beach looking very happy! I love knowing how well thought of he was, and I wish I could have known both of them.

James & Kate at beach (sorry for the poor quality, but they are smiling!)

One very interesting detail this book included was who he worked for - Kennedy, Willing & Co. Now I had a clue as to what his working life was in Philadelphia. I had always wondered how he could make a living as a harness maker, particularly after automobiles and trolleys changed transportation in this large city.  One census record stated he was in the hardware business. After doing some research online, and finding some tidbits of information on this company, it all makes sense.

The company (Kennedy, Willing & Co.) did much more than make and sell harnesses and saddles. They also were a large importer of blankets and other woolen goods for horses and carriages. And they branched out to hardware and automobile and carriage accessories. They even sold bicycles. So they had many product lines to bring them into the 1900’s and beyond. But there was much competition, things change, and in 1920 they closed their doors. This was when James retired. 

Through city directories I was able to find three addresses for James and Kate when they lived in Philadelphia, They were all houses on the north side of the city, the last residence being close to the Germantown area. I also know that by 1917 he had registered a vehicle, so he owned and drove a car. I’m guessing that’s how they got to Atlantic City to visit their son (our grandfather) and family.

Kennedy, Willing & Co. (close up below)

One particular thing I found fascinating was where the business he worked for all those years was located in Philadelphia. It was in the heart of downtown Philly, just one block away from the Liberty Bell, and where the Independence Mall is now. How cool is that! I have never been to that part of the city, and now I need to go!

store front close up - 524-526 Arch St

I did find a great website philadelphiabuildings.org that had detailed information on that area. I found that the building that housed the business (and others on the same block) were demolished in 1959. The actual address was 524 and 526 Arch St. The site now houses the National Constitution Center. Below are some photos (thanks to the organization shown above) and a bill of sale from ebay showing James Harley’s name on the document from 1915.

company invoice showing J.A.Harley's name listed  - 1915

To conclude, living in this urban area for 45 years, during a period of tremendous growth in population, industry and transportation must have been a challenging transition, particularly after growing up in such a rural area. I feel now that I know a little more of James’ life, both personal and in business, and a little more about him. The research was so well worth it, and now I can feel a sense of connection with him that I did not have before. This "52 ancestors" project provided the impetus to dig into resources more purposefully. I absolutely love seeing this photo of the business that existed well over 100 years ago, knowing that is where he spent much of his work life. My German genes pushed me to keep going, and finally found it!