RITTER, Jacob
Birth : 25 JAN 1835 Exeter Twp., Berks Co., PA
Death : 27 MAR 1912 Reading, Berks Co., PA
Gender: Male RITTER, Annie RITTER, Amelia
Birth : AFT 1836 Exeter Twp., Berks Co., PA
Death : ABT 1914 Reading, Berks Co., PA
Gender: Female RITTER, Elizabeth
Birth : AFT 1836 Exeter Twp., Berks Co., PA
Gender: Female RITTER, Isaac
Birth : 31 DEC 1840 Reading, Berks Co., PA
Death : 28 NOV 1914 Philadlephia, PA
Gender: Male RITTER, Mary
Birth : 22 JUN 1845 Exeter Twp., Berks Co., PA
Gender: Female RITTER, David
Birth : ABT 1846 Exeter Twp., Berks Co., PA
Death : 1865 Lokout Mountain, TN
Gender: Male
BINKLEY, John Heinrich "Henry"
Birth : 13 SEP 1793 Wernersville, Lower Heidelberg Twp., Berks Co., PA
Death : 16 JUL 1855 Wernersville, Lower Heidelberg Twp., Berks Co., PA
Gender: Male
"The Binkley Hostelries"
On April 7, 1895 the Reading Eagle reported an interview with Josiah Binkley, son of Henry J. This man was still operating the Half-Way House at that time. A portion of the interview reveals that the Binkley's had hospitality in the blood.
From the earliest days of the republic to 1907 the Binkley families of three generations provided food, drink and shelter in hotels and jails. The most striking period of this activity was from 1825 to 1855 when Henry Binkley owned and operated the Half-Way House in eastern Wernersville. His operation of it was not continuous because of political involvements. In 1838 he was elected sheriff of Berks County and that office made him host to the lawbreakers imprisoned in the old jail at 5th and Washington Streets, Reading.
Because the Binkley Hotel of eastern Wernersville was located equidistant between Reading and Womelsdorf it was generally known as the Half-Way House. There were other hostelries in Berks that bore the same name, locally. We still refer to a portion of the borough of Shillington as the area of the "Three Mile House;" the "Five Mile House," near Gouglersville-Mohnton and the "Nine Mile House" on the road from Reading to Kutztown. There was a Half-Way House near Bern Church on Pig Hill, half way between Bernville and Reading.
The old hotel built by Henry Binkley in 1825 was demolished during the first decades of this century. Although there are many people who can recall the structure, we found no one who could supply the exact date of demolition. It stood on the south side of Penn Avenue, on lands that later were owned by D. E. Herb and Mr. and Mrs. Walter Miller. People will recall that it was of frame construction and painted a bright green. A photograph of the building and its surroundings (extreme left of the view of east Wernersville) appears on page 236 of the 1935 edition of the History of St. John's (Hain's) Reformed Church. This picture shows the pale fencing which formed along the eastern side of the main building.
Henry Binkley, like his father before him, was a hotelman bred to the trade. His first hotel was known as the Lerch Hotel, still standing and, now the oldest building in Wernersville. It is on the south side of the Benjamin Franklin Highway, opposite the present Lebanon Valley House and today it serves as a laundromat. Binkley rented this place and operated it for some years before 1825.
The Half-Way House flourished for a number of years until 1855, when an act of the Pennsylvania Legislature put its liquor dispensary out of business. It was the time of the construction of Lebanon Valley branch of the Reading Railroad (1855-1857). The workmen who built the road were inclined to become too thirsty, resulting in inefficiency and other problems for their employers. Hotels, close to a building operations of railroads, were denied licenses to sell strong drink. The railroad skirts the south of Wernersville, a few hundred yards from the rear of what once was the Binkley House.
At some time during the middle of the 19th century the Half-Way House was rented to the redoubtable Berks comedian Hugh Lindsay, who exhibited his puppets throughout the Lebanon and Schuylkill Valleys. He was the pioneer, in these parts, in producing a "Punch and Judy Show," featuring some Pennsylvania German expressions in the course of dialogue. Now a rare item is Lindsay's publication of a paper-back booklet recording his capers and nocturnal extra-curricular activities when he was "on tour." We have no record of his staging performances at the Half-Way House, but his headquarters were there.
From the time of the erection of the three-story structure known as the Half-Way House, it remained in the possession of members of the Binkley family as late as 1907, when Josiah Binkley, the last survivor of Henry and Mary Binkley's seven children passed away.
The builder of the hotel died in 1855, aged 62. When a license was restored to operate a bar selling intoxicating liquors the right "to keep an Inn Tavern & Hotel" was granted to Mary Binkley, widow of Henry. On April 12, 1858, by order of the Court of Quarter Sessions and of the Peace a license was granted for "one year from this 27th day of April." The Clerk of the Court who signed the document was Joseph S. Hoyer, later Mayor of Reading, 1863 - 1865, during the trying days of the Civil War.
Mrs. Binkley, with the assistance of some of her children, operated the hotel until her death in 1870, Within the span of the next twenty years all of the offspring had died except Josiah who was the innkeeper at the Half-Way House until his death in 1907.
In 1838 Henry J. Binkley was elected sheriff of Berks County. This meant that the Wernersville landlord was required to move to Reading, temporarily renting his tavern. In those days the sheriff was warden of the county jail and required to live there.
Adapting from page 26 of the Inventory of County Archives of Pennsylvania #6, BERKS COUNTY: "From 1770 to 1790 the county sheriffs acted as wardens of the jails by custom and tradition. But a state law in 1790 placed the responsibilities of jail supervision clearly on the sheriff who, with the approval of the court, could select his own employees."
This law was changed, again, in 1848, when the supervision was placed under the control of a Board of Prison Inspectors. It is likely that Binkley employed his own family in helping to operate the Jail. It is known that he did all of the auctioneering when sheriff sales were conducted.
The Binkley records of Reading Jail (1838-1841) have been found and copied. They are both puzzling and revealing. It appears that he recorded the names of his prisoners, the charges against them and the costs of hosting them in his accommodations much as one might have kept a hotel register. The names of the committing magistrates are given, the length of time held in jail and the charges levied for their keep and the services of the turnkey - probably the jailer himself. The puzzles grow out of spelling and abbreviations. We assume that the entries "A&B" mean assault and battery and that "F&B" charge fornication and bastardy. "Surety of the Peace; Drunkenness; Larceny" and other offenses are intelligible. Most charges were two dollars, or less, and the cost of an overnight stay was 67.5 cents. Incarceration for ten days brought costs to as much as four dollars. The most serious cases held over for major court trials seldom appear. One incarceration for 88 days resulted in charges of 22 dollars and 37.5 cents.
Source: Historical Review of Berks County, Volume XXXIII, Number 4, Autumn, 1968.
Marriage:
20 JUL 1841
in First Reformed Church, Reading, PA
Spouse:
BINKLEY, Benneville
Birth : 15 NOV 1817 Wernersville, Lower Heidelberg Twp., Berks Co., PA
Death : 22 JAN 1899 Bern Twp., Berks Co., PA
Gender: Male
Parents:
BINKLEY, William B. BINKLEY, George Washington
Birth : 27 MAR 1846 Berks Co., PA
Death : AFT 1899
Gender: Male BINKLEY, Heinrich Jacob Rev. BINKLEY, Johannes T.
Birth : 18 AUG 1848 Berks Co., PA
Death : 23 MAY 1898 PROB Berks Co., PA
Gender: Male BINKLEY, Benneville Jr.
Birth : 30 JAN 1850 Berks Co., PA
Gender: Male BINKLEY, Mary Magdalene BINKLEY, Emma Lovina BINKLEY, Sarah Elizabeth
Birth : 27 NOV 1853 Berks Co., PA
Gender: Female BINKLEY, Monroe
Birth : 23 DEC 1854 Berks Co., PA
Gender: Male BINKLEY, Anna Eliza
Birth : 01 MAR 1856 Berks Co., PA
Death : BEF 1870
Gender: Female BINKLEY, Sohndott
Birth : 27 OCT 1843 Berks Co., PA
Gender: Female
BERTRAM, Mary Ann
Birth : 29 APR 1833
Death : 05 DEC 1889 Wernersville, Lower Heidelberg Twp., Berks Co., PA
Gender: Female
Family:
Marriage:
16 APR 1854
Spouse:
BINKLEY, Henry
Birth : 01 AUG 1826 Wernersville, Lower Heidelberg Twp., Berks Co., PA
Death : 12 JAN 1880 Wernersville, Lower Heidelberg Twp., Berks Co., PA
Gender: Male
1880 - Berks Register of Wills has an Estate from Lower Heidelberg Township. Mary passed her rite as executor of his estate to Lewis M. Klopp. Information is from: Berks County Courthouse, Record Volume 27, page 272, 1880.
Berks County ss. At an Orphan's Court held at reading in and for Berks County Nov 11 AD 1880. Present -eou Judge Heagemman and Sassaman.
The petition of Lewis M. Klopp of the township of Lower Heidelberg Respectfully represents that Henry Binckley, late of said Township, died intestate and left to survive him a widow and ____ [was left blank] children. That letters of administration were in due form of law committed to your petitioner by the register of Wills -- in and for said County of Berks.
That the personal estate as appears by the inventory filed amounts to $72.67. And that the same is insufficient for the payment of the debts said decedent.
That the debts so far as the same have come to the knowledge of your petitioner are as follows:
Augustus Ames Judgment Note 580 March 7, 1877 $178.00
Beneville Serch Judgment Bond 104 April 7, 1877 $150.00
P.S. Heaire, guardian Judgment Note 38 May 7, 1878 $84.35
Binckley bal of Exemption appraised to her as per appraisement filed = $254.48
Total = $669.83
That said decedent died Seized of a certain two story frame house and lot of ground in the village of Wernersville, in said Township of Lower Heidelberg, bounded on the north by Meadow Alley, on the East by Johan A. Ruth, on the West by Adam H. Miller, and on the North by the Turnpike having a front of twenty five feet and a depth of one hundred and fifty feet.
Your petitioner therefore prays that the Court to grant and order of Sale for the premises aforesaid in conformity with the provisions of the Act of Assembly.
The said petition was presented and read and on motion an order of Sale is granted as within prayed for the time of Sale to be fixed by administrator and notice thereof given according to law. The administrator to give bond with approved security in the sum of Twelve hundred dollars, said order to be returnable on the First day in December next.
By the Court
Ephraim Dunkle
1880 - Order of Sale Sur Real Estate of Henry Binckley, deceased.
And now to wit Jany. 22. 1881 -- an orphans court the --- order of --- is presented and read as ---- the court confirm ---- ---- so made and give judgment that the same be and remain to the said William B. Binkley his heirs and assigns p---- & s---- for ever by the court
Wm. S. Sapa----
Judge
_______________________________________________________________
To the Honorable the Judges of the Orphan's Court of Berks County
I the undersigned Administrator of said Henry Binkley's estate do make return as follows:
That in pursuance of the Order said Court made on the eleventh day of November AD 1880- after due public notice according to Law we did on the Eleventh day of December last expose the premises therein described to Public sale at Binckley's Hotel in the village of Wernersville and then and there sold the Two story frame house and Lot of ground having a front of twenty five feet and a depth one hundred and fifty feet at six hundred dollars to William B. Binkley his heirs and assigns he being the highest and best bidder and that the bet price bid for the same; which sale so aforesaid made. I -way may be confirmed to said purchased by the Court.
Lewis M. Klopp
Berks County ss.
Lewis M. Klopp the person named in above return adm Order being duly sworn according to Law doth depose and say that the facts set forth in the above return are just and true to the best of his knowledge and belief and that he has no interest direct or indirect in said Sale and purchase.
Sworn and Subscribed before me this 6th day of January AD 1881
Lewis M. Klopp
