COPLAY BOROUGH CENTENNIAL 1969. Part One.

THIS PICTURE IS THE LID OF THE COPLAY BOROUGH CENTENNIAL TIME CAPSULE WHICH WAS PLACED ON THE MEMORIAL PLAZA AT CHESTNUT AND MAPLE STREETS.  THE EXACT LOCATION IS ALMOST DIRECTLY NORTH OF 4TH ST., CLOSE TO THE SIDEWALK AND SEVERAL FEET WEST OF THE GAS STATION SIGN.  I BELIEVE 100 HUNDRED YEARS MAY BE TOO LONG TO WAIT TO OPEN IT, CONSIDERING WHAT HAS BEEN FOUND UPON OPENING OTHER AREA TIME CAPSULES.  IF NOT SEALED PROPERLY THE CONTENTS MAY DETERIORATE BEYOND USE.  APPROXIMATELY FIVE YEARS AGO, A LOCAL GENTLEMAN HAD PROPOSED RETRIEVING THE TIME CAPSULE, WITH CONTENTS, AND PURCHASING A MEMORIAL BENCH TO BE PLACED IN THE MUNICIPAL BUILDING LOBBY.  THE TIME CAPSULE CONTENTS WOULD THEN BE PLACED IN A SEALED CHAMBER IN THE BENCH.  THIS HAS ALREADY BEEN ACCOMPLISHED IN A NEIGHBORING COMMUNITY. 

FOOD FOR THOUGHT.

CLICK ON ANY PICTURE TO ENLARGE 

I will start this Posting with several excerpts from the Coplay Borough Centennial History Book.  ("The History Book, along with companion book "A Panoramic View of the Coplay Centennial" are available in their entirety on the "Coplay Pictorial and Text CD" which was produced by a Committee comprised of Coplay Neighborhood Crime Watch members.  All funds generated, to the tune of $2100.00, were distributed to organizations in Coplay.  CD is best viewed on a computer and is still available by calling 610-262-0802. Any additional funds generated will also remain in Coplay.")

The excerpts are as follows:
The area that now is known as Coplay was once inhabited by Indians.  The tribe living here was the Lenni Lenape or Delawares, which formed part of the Algonquin Nation.  They survived by hunting, fishing and cultivating some crops, which included the principal crop of  Indian corn or maize.

The Borough of Coplay is situated along the Lehigh River, about 5 miles North of Allentown.  It is a part of 400 acres of land purchased from the William Penn Heirs in 1740 by John Jacob Schreiber.  For a long time it was known as "Schreibers" but later was changed to "Lehigh Valley" because the Lehigh Valley Iron Furnaces were located here.  It was later changed to "Coplay" and this name came from "Kolapechka", the son of Chief Paxinosa, who lived at the headwaters of a creek named after him in Schnecksville.

The Borough of Coplay was formed out of a portion of Whitehall Township in 1869.  The following is the record of the court. On  Feb. 10, 1869, a petition of citizens of the village of Coplay, presented, praying for a charter of incorporation, the same day the petition was ordered to be laid before the grand jury.

April 7, 1869, the grand jury returned the charter of incorporation, approved.  Charles Keck, Foreman.

Now, April 7, 1869, the court confirms the judgement of the grand jury and decree that the said town of Coplay be incorporated into a Borough, in conformity with the prayers of the Petitioners and the corporate style and title thereof shall be "The Borough of Coplay".

That is how Coplay came into being and that was the official beginning of "The Closest Thing to Utopia" in our opinion.  As residents and voters in the Borough of Coplay, we must remain ever vigilant so that Coplay will continue to be the garden spot of the Lehigh Valley, where a family can thrive and grow.

We will follow this up in the future and add more pictures of the Centennial Celebration which remains a period of time never to be duplicated again.  If only we could turn back the Sands of Time.  God Bless----------

PS.  Please take the time to view our older Posts and please comment.  We are here to serve the community.