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History of Tacony
By Louis M. Iatarola
When William Penn arrived in 1682 to establish the City of
Philadelphia, a vast area presently known as Tacony was already
in existence along the Delaware River. Swedish farmers, millers,
furriers, and artisans lived in harmony with the native Lenni
Lenape American Indians. The name "Tacony" was derived
from the Indian word "Tawacawonick," meaning "forest,"
"wilderness," or "uninhabited land."
 In
1846, the Philadelphia and Trenton Railroad was granted a
charter to operate rail service. The City of Philadelphia
denied permission to run trains into the city and Tacony became
the terminus of the railroad. Passengers to Philadelphia rode
the train to Tacony, then were taken by boat to the Walnut
Street wharf from the wharf at Washington Avenue, now known
as Disston Street. In 1861, there were three hotels, a few
taverns, and other businesses in the vicinity of the train
station and the boat pier. The entire riverfront was owned
and inhabited by a relatively few wealthy people, including
William H. Gatzmer, the businessman credited with securing
the charter for the railroad.
Henry Disston, owner of Disston Saw Works,
which eventually became the world's largest saw manufacturer,
purchased 390 acres of land on both sides of the railroad
terminus. Tacony was chosen for its transportation sources
(railroad and dock already in place) and for that fact that
this mostly undeveloped area would facilitate profitable building
lots for workers, even if areas and monies were set aside
for residents' needs such as streets, sewers, and a school.
Disston visualized an ideal working class community where
workers would not only be given a chance to live in homes
with ample open space but also given a chance to own their
own houses.This paternalistic outlook, exemplified by Disston's
eagerness to fulfill his workers economic, social, and cultural
needs, had its roots in Victorian England. Paternalists viewed
the employer/employee relationship as reciprocal and voiced
opposition to the greed which permeated many commercial operations
with ruthless management and unhealthy disorganized shops.
 In
1872, construction began on the Tacony plant and by 1876 construction
of homes commenced on the carefully designed lost, with much
attention given to light and air. Examples of Henry Disston's
paternalistic views were evident as time progressed. Tasteful
homes were constructed for workmen who were brought from England
with the assistance of Henry's nephew, William. Funds to purchase
these homes were made available through a Building and Loan
Association established by the Disston Firm. Henry Disston
was ready to grant any assistance needed to see to it that
his workers could purchase a home, even if advances needed
to be made. Payments were made on such terms as were easiest
to the buyer including renting a two bedroom residence for
$8.00 per month.
Other examples of Henry Disston's fatherly
influence on the community were evident in everyday Tacony
life. He refused to use water from the Delaware River and
built a pumping station which fed water to large water tanks
near what is now Disston Recreation Center and in turn, fed
the pipes down Longshore Avenue via a gravity process. This
gave Tacony Philadelphia's purest drinking water. In bringing
to Tacony skilled workers from England, the culture of the
English heavily influenced life in nineteenth century Tacony.
For example, at the corner of Unruh and Hegerman Streets was
the Washington Tea House, which served the British custom
of tea drinking. To meet employees' cultural needs Tacony
Hall was built on State Road by another party with Henry Disston
agreeing to pay a fixed sum toward its maintenance. The library
contained about two thousand volumes. The reading room was
stocked with trade publications and a smoking and conversation
room was often used for games.
 The
Tacony Music Hall was built in 1885 at Edmund Street and Longshore
Avenue by Frank W. Jordan, an entrepreneur and local druggist
whose store adjoined the lot. The first story contained rental
shop space, used by such tenants as H.G. Shannon, Watchmaker
and Jeweler, while the second story comprised an assembly
hall for musical performances, lodge meetings, and lectures.
A permanent tenant was also found for the third story: the
Keystone Scientific and Literary Association. Founded in 1876
to sponsor public debates and lectures, the Association had
maintained a small public library at Tacony Hall but had "sought
larger and more imposing quarters." Although funds were
limited, "generous gifts and money from Messrs. Disston"
made it possible to rent and furnish the rooms in the library
with a main reading room and a smaller committee room to the
rear. Acknowledging the financial support of the Disston family,
the name of the Association was changed to the Disston Library
and Free Reading Room. In 1906, the library moved to even
larger quarters at Knorr Street and Torresdale Avenue and
changed its name to the Carnegie Library in honor of its benefactor,
Andrew Carnegie. Our modern day Tacony Branch of the Free
Library of Philadelphia has been recently rehabilitated and
is a shining example of early 20th Century architecture featuring
central stained glass skylights.
The Music Hall remained the center of
Tacony's cultural and social life into the twentieth century.
After the Disston Library moved into its own building, the
Music Hall entered a protracted period of neglect. The installation
of trolley tracks along Torresdale Avenue eventually led to
the changing of the main business district from Longshore
Avenue to Torresdale Avenue. In addition, the changing character
of American leisure, particularly the decline of variety revues
and the rise of the cinema, hurt the Music Hall which never
became a successful motion picture theater. Fortunately, the
failures of the theater has preserved the building's original
character including such features as the metal-ceilinged Music
Hall itself and the original library on the third story. The
Tacony Music Hall is the only Tacony property listed on the
National Registry of Historic Places.
 Like
the Tacony Music Hall, many of Henry Disston's contributions
to Tacony are still evident today. He and his family aided
liberally in their building of many of Tacony's houses of
worship. His wife, Mary, who was a devout Presbyterian, built
the Disston Presbyterian Church in honor of a daughter who
passed away at an early age. The community park, which extends
just west of the railroad along Keystone Street through all
of old Tacony, was purposely laid out in such a way by Henry
Disston. This stretch of greenery provided a scenic barrier
between the residences and the industries, symbolized cleanliness
and orderliness and, with spring flowers in bloom, became
a pleasant Tacony attraction. As enduring as Disston Park
has been, as have the deed restrictions placed on any land
within the 390 acre Disston Estate, which read, "No tavern
or building for the sale or manufacture of beer or liquors
of any kind or description and no court house, carpentry,
blacksmith, currier or machine shop, livery stables, slaughter
houses, soap or glue-boiling establishment or factory of any
kind whatsoever where steam-power shall be used or occupied
on the said lots, tracts or piece of land or any part thereof."
These restrictions were felt to improve
the quality of life in Tacony and provide a superior standard
of living for those who live there. Eventually the Disston
family provided a school, firehouse, library, scientific society,
and newspaper to Tacony. Tacony was considered an ideal place
in which to live. Many wealthy families lived here, as did
the working class. The average rental in 1882 for a five-room
frame house was seven dollars, while a five-room brick house
rented for nine dollars. The Disston worker averaged two dollars
and fifty cents per day and the circular-saw slithers averaged
three dollars and fifty cents. A laborer was paid one dollar
and twenty-five cents per day.
Tacony was a center for technological
revolution during the period between 1890 and 1920. Frank
Shuman was a world famous inventor who lived at Disston and
Ditman Streets. Scientific American visited this community
multiple times for such innovations as the casting of the
mammoth statue of William Penn and all the domework adorning
Philadelphia's City Hall. This project was overseen by Francis
Schumann, President of the Tacony Iron and Metal Company and
uncle of the inventor. Much attention was brought to this
community as a result of Shuman's numerous inventions, including
wire glass and a gas mask so durable it was used in World
War I. Shuman also was notable for solar power, having a solar
powered engine on display during sunny days between 1907 and
1909. He later oversaw the world's first solar energy plant
in Egypt which pumped 6,000 gallons of irrigation water per
minute.
There were many notable citizens who
helped advance Tacony during the 20th Century. Thomas South
was a popular judge for over thirty years who doubled as Disston's
land agent and was credited more than anyone with overseeing
the improvements which created Henry Disston's industrial
village. During the early part of the last century, South
served as Assistant Director of Public Safety and Chief Clerk
at the Office of Mercantile Appraisers. Peter Costello was
a Disston worker and a Tacony builder who went on to become
City Councilperson and, in 1914, Congressman. Costello was
responsible for extending Roosevelt Boulevard into the Northeast
and constructing the elevated train to Bridge Street. John
N. Costello, Peter's son, also became a Congressman and served
the 5th District until 1931.
Frank Dorsey was a St. Leo's alumnus
and a popular athlete who rose through the ranks of Henry
Disston and Sons to the position of Employment Supervisor.
In 1932, Dorsey was elected as the first Democratic Congressman
to hail from Tacony. The town's loyalty to Dorsey was so strong
that even the Disston Family accepted his political affiliation,
despite their constant support of Republicans. So influential
was Dorsey that the community named a park at Magee and Hegerman
Streets after him.
The Dodge Steel Company, located on the
site which housed the Tacony Iron and Metal Works at Magee
Street and State Road, employed one of the most notable local
residents of the mid-20th Century. Mr. Al Schmid, at the age
of 21, left the Dodge Steel Company to sign up for military
service on December 9, 1941, two days after Japan attacked
Pearl Harbor. Eight months after leaving his job working a
gas-fed torch and cutting and scraping steel castings, Al
Schmid found himself manning a machine-gun emplacement on
the Tenaru River at Guadalcanal. Although a grenade explosion
blinded Schmid and one partner was dead while the other was
wounded, he singlehandedly held his position and fought of
aggressors for over four hours. Of nearly 1,200 Japanese soldiers
who reportedly tried to cross Tenaru River that night, eighteen
were wounded, two captured, and the rest killed. Hollywood
soon recognized that Schmid's story was one of which movies
were made. A feature film titled "Pride of the Marines"
was released after the war starring John Garfield as Al Schmid
and Eleanor Parker as Ruth Hartley, Schmid's girlfriend and
eventual wife. Parts of the movie were filmed at Al Schmid's
Fillmore Street home and at the Dodge Steel Company. Much
furor was raised in Frankford and Tacony as local residents
swarmed around the film sites to get glimpses of the movie
making.
 Hymen
Rubin was born in 1897 to one of the brothers who operated
Rubin's Department Store at Hegerman Street and Longshore
Avenue. The Rubin's were leaders of a small group of Jewish
immigrants who opened stores in Tacony in the 1920's. Hymen
Rubin became a lawyer and returned to Tacony to establish
a practice and become a leader in the community and active
member of the Tacony Merchants Association in the 1950's and
1960's. He also served as President of Fidelity Federal Savings
and Loan at Torresdale and Tyson Avenues. His lasting legacy
is a series of articles entitled "Hi, Neighbor"
which appeared in the weekly publication Northeast News (predecessor
to the News Gleaner) in the 1950's and 1960's. Many of these
columns contained fond recollections of his Tacony upbringing
and gave Taconyites glimpses into the neighborhood's storied
past which at that time had been long forgotten by many.
In many ways, Hymen Rubin was responsible
for "passing the torch" of pride in Tacony's heritage
to those who have influenced Tacony to this very day. In 1982,
residents, William Lamey, Caroline Smith, Dot Beck, and Anna
Keck, inspired by the one-time community leader, were instrumental
in forming the Tacony Civic Association. That same year, local
businessmen Benson Kessler and Robert Glassman helped form
the Tacony Business Association, modeled after the Tacony
Merchants Association of two decades prior. Louis A. Iatarola,
past president of the Tacony Business Association who rehabilitated
the Tacony Music Hall in 1989, recalls Rubin as being more
responsible than anyone for re-kindling a spirit of historical
awareness in Tacony at a time when history was not so fashionable.
Upon the Music Hall's rehabilitation, the Historical Society
of Tacony was formed in 1990.
In conclusion, although many persons
are responsible for our community as we know it, most credit
is still owed to the foresight of Henry Disston. His creation
of a "Utopian Victorian Village" is still evident
in the many attractive homes, public buildings and churches
which line Tacony's streets today. Increasing pride of ownership,
which has been evident over the past few years, would truly
make Henry Disston proud. For the greatest tribute Tacony's
residents could give its founder is through the preservation
of the structures and ideals upon which the community as founded.
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