My Boyertown

1700s

Boyertown is settled.

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1700s

Boyertown is settled.

Boyertown was originally named Colebrookdale after the iron miners who settled in the area in the 1700s.

1835

The town is laid out.

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1835

The town is laid out.

Henry and Daniel Boyer established the area’s first tavern and post office, leading to the community being laid out in town lots by Joseph Eshbach, who had purchased it in 1835.

1866

Boyertown is incorporated into a borough.

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1866

Boyertown is incorporated into a borough.

In 1851, there was an attempt to incorporate the community as a borough, but it failed. Boyertown was later incorporated as a borough after a second attempt in 1866, leading to the first borough council in November of that year.

1870s

Boyertown mines produce iron.

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1870s

Boyertown mines produce iron.

The Boyertown mines were a principal producer of iron in Pennsylvania during the 1870s. This was also marked as the most productive era for Boyertown, with 6,000 tons of iron ore being brought to the surface every month. Mine shafts also reached depths of up to 600 feet during this time.

1893

The Boyertown Burial Casket Company is founded.

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1893

The Boyertown Burial Casket Company is founded.

Founded in 1893, the Boyertown Burial Casket Company grew from a local casket company to the second-largest company in the world. It was known for its unique design and made caskets for famous figures such as Robert F. Kennedy and Harry Houdini. In the 1980s, environmental laws were made, such as the Clean Air Act, which stopped manufacturing metal caskets. This led to many layoffs. They later closed in 1988, one year after Anedco Funeral Supply Inc. acquired the company.

1908

The Rhoads Opera House catches fire.

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1908

The Rhoads Opera House catches fire.

A fire took place on January 13, 1908, at the Rhoads Opera House. This resulted in the deaths of 171 people and injuries to 75 other people, who included men, women, and children. This disaster affected everyone in Pennsylvania and prompted a stricter fire safety law in Pennsylvania, leading to doors having to be opened outwards and remain unlocked.

1972

The Boyertown Area Historical Society is established.

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1972

The Boyertown Area Historical Society is established.

Established in 1972 the Boyertown Area Historical Society was established. Its main building was constructed in 1903 as a home for an industrialist named George Usher, but it later served as a church before becoming the Boyertown Area Historical Society. This building exhibits the history of Boyertown and covers a wide variety of topics.

2002

Building a Better Boyertown is established.

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2002

Building a Better Boyertown is established.

Building a Better Boyertown is a non-profit organization that was set out to preserve the history of Boyertown. Established in 2002, the organization still runs today and has made major changes to the neighborhood. They have made downtown Boyertown a clean, walkable hub of activity and host many community events.