A Day in Schwenksville (Part 2)

Parsley asked me where I found all the information for my previous entry.

Want to know a "secret"? Acadia Publishing has a couple series of books that I've been avid reader of for years. Parsley, being a postcard collector, might find Arcadia's Postcard History Series of great interest. They have a lot of books, and perhaps one (or two) of your area. They have over 500 books for Pennsylvania alone.


So when I set out for Schwenksville, just a handful of miles down the road, I took this book with me. My intent was to find any of the old buildings featured in it (as a postcard) still around and take a picture to creat a then and now set. I got so wrapped up with the firehouse history and the Victorian homes - I forgot to "cite my sources" and forgot the "then" shots! Looking at the buildings then and now - there is remarkably little change so the "then" shots went by the wayside!

To fill in the blanks, I found a historical account of Schwenksville (here) on the web. It is a derived from a booklet printed in 1976 by The Schwenksville Bicentennial Committee.

One of the buildings that one can't miss entering the town of Schwenksville is a block (or more) long red, shed-like, one that used to be the lumber company's. Today it is home to "The Trading Post", a rather ecclectic assortment of old country living items charitably called "antiques".

Sprawled outside the front door were the following items.


I could hear the scree-cree scree sound that pumping the handle made - in so many places in so many times in times past. I fondly recall one of these in a park where I walked - and after 6-7 miles of summer heat, the chuggling sound of cool water "on the way!" was a blessing.


A cast iron wood (or perhaps coal)-burning cook stove. I look at this and think about my microwave and say sometimes progress ain't all bad.


The first thought through my head was, "No, this cast iron tub doesn't look very bendy to me" followed by a flood of memories of a pair of similar tubs that used to be in the house "down the shore" where I spent so many boyhood summers.


An old metal milk can - one of the reasons for being for many of the railroads in farm country was to bring fresh milk to the city from the outlying farms each day. A dairy farmer would put his milk cans on the train freight station platform and take his empties back to the farm - there must of been hundred of thousands (or more) of these "back in the day".


This 1950-ish Maytag washer looks like it might still work. I would have bought it except the original Maytag repairman passed away as well as his replacement, waiting for me to require his services.

And then I came across this -


This is about a foot and half high with the gear and crank handle, and the can about ten inches in diameter. Very sturdily made as the long bolts attest - I originally thought, "Hmmm... a cider press?" and decided, no... it can't be.

I showed the picture to a friend of mine and we put our two heads together. Olive oil? No. Orange juice? Doubtful. Lets look at google pictures for "iron press" and of course we saw a bunch of clothes irons. Getting increasely mule-headed by being stymied, I searched on - until I stumbled onto this webpage (link).

Titled, "Consider the Pig: Adventures in Sausage-Making," it was an "on-line forum" that had pictures showing pretty much the same object.

Ah! A saugage stuffer and Fruit/Lard Press!

I sent my friend the link and had moved on when I was greeted by gales of laughter. She had started reading the page. I went back to see what the laughter was all about and started reading -

"My mama was the very first Queen of the Cochon de Lait (or, Queen of the Roast Suckling Pig, or just plain “Pig Queen,” as we like to call her) in 1951. I am royalty in the line of pageant swine. For reasons totally unrelated to my hog heritage, my favorite cashier at Dominick’s calls me Miss Pork, and frankly, I’m flattered."

I started to giggle.. and then laugh... Her tips...

"Wear hairnets or hats. (I won’t go into the details.)"

"Be brave. Mix in more pork fat nubbins."

"Don’t eat homemade sausage at every meal for three days straight, no matter how delicious it is."

And some of the reader comments:

"I don't know if this is a plus or minus in your book, but Halsted Packing smelled like a barnyard when I went in. They do 'live kill' butchering, which is why I chose it over the other places I checked out."

"I don't know why, but I find the fact that there's an International Natural Sausage Casing Association...hilarious."

And someone's mind went into the gutter when they read:

" It doesn't have to be frozen solid - just firm and it works fine."

So, I hope you enjoyed what my trip to Schwenksville turned up - there were some other pictures - I might even get to a "then" and "now" set with them.