On April 3 1883, in one day, 110 families, and 8 businesses, moved in Watsontown Pa.
That was unusual only because it was two days late. Annual Moving Day in Pennsylvania was April 1. But moving on Friday or Saturday was considered bad luck, so occasionally the date was moved by a few days.
Danville Morning News, March 1900
Annual Moving Day was May 1st every year in New York. No one seems to know exactly why May 1st - perhaps because the Dutch set out for Manhattan on May 1st? Or maybe based on the European May Day traditions? But neither of those theories explains why Pennsylvania (and Connecticut) chose April 1st as their Annual Moving Day.
For more than 100 years, from colonial times to World War II, all leases - ALL leases, expired on the same day of the year, every year. In New York, it became law in 1820 that all leases expired on May 1st at 9am. The law was repealed eight years later, but the tradition stuck.
"Wagon Men" could name their prices, and farmers journeyed from far and wide with their wagons, where a good wage could be made for the day. Finally New York put a stop to the price gouging - Per 1890 laws, it cost $2 per one-horse truckload within two miles and a whopping 50 cents per extra mile.
Lewisburg Chronicle 1904
In New York, February 1st was "Rent Day". On that day, landlords would inform their tenants of any rate increases, which would go in effect at the end of the next quarter. Tenants would then have two months to find a new place to live, if they could not come to an agreement on the rent. (I'm assuming January 1st was rent day in Pennsylvania, but I could not confirm that)
The Harrisburg Telegraph, 1873
And apparently, hundreds of people each year, in every town, could not come to an agreement with their landlords. In the 1880s, newspapers would dedicate whole columns to who had moved where, in the days after moving day.
Can you imagine the chaos in these towns, as a hundred families, and many businesses, moved everything they owned to a new location? The moving was referred to as "flitting".
The Danville News 1908
Not just townspeople, or "city folk" moved on moving day - this was the day farmers changed farms, retired to town, or, in some cases, sent Grandma to live with the next sibling in the rotation.
On April 1 in Pennsylvania, weather was a constant concern. It may snow, it may rain, the winds may be strong.. and the likelihood of a sunny April 1st was slim. Both the Lewisburg & Danville newspapers regularly suggested that Annual Moving Day should be moved to a month with a better chance of fair weather, but a change never happened.
1894
In 1912, Danville faced a Moving Day dilemma larger than the weather. Moving Day fell too close to election day. In order to vote, you had to live in the precinct two months prior to the election. In 1912, those who moved to a different precinct would not be able to vote in the spring election.
After 1885, moving day became more flexible, with some families moving a day or two before the official moving day. As more housing became available, less people were moving each year, but leases still all expired on the same day, and Annual Moving Day was still observed. It wasn't until the second World War, with most able bodied men off to war, that Annual Moving Day came to an end.
The Lewisburg Chronicle, 1869
======================
Find More Local History Here
=====================
Read More:
=====================
April 1883 - Moving day, April 3, was well observed here,and the streets were crowded with flittings. The store of Durham & Bro consolidated with the store of D. Hague. Steiner the Clothier has removed to a corner room at Minerva Hall, vacated by E. Zarr who has moved her millinery store to 2 street in the rear of Jackson & Caldwells Stores, in a room vacated by Steiner. Charles Werner moved his meat market to the next building south of Minerva Hall, and T.G. Caldwell removed his store from Minerva Hall to the store room vacated by the Durham Brothers.W. Hunter will open a Furniture Store in Minerva Hall, in the room to be vacated by T.G. Caldwell.
110 Families changed their residence here on 3rd April.
=====================
Lewisburg Chronicle April 3 1890 "Moving day was observed in this place with a due amount of respect and industry"
==============================
Scranton Tribune reported on April 2 1879, "Moving day was generally observed yesterday"
=====================
=====================
====================
I have often wondered why some of my Leech/Leach relatives moved so often, even those farming the area. We moved 9 times in 51 years and it was a pain each time.
ReplyDelete