Have you ever wondered why our streets were named in a particular way?
Do you know why the street where it leads to Wissahickon High School was called "Dager Road?" No, it's not because they misspelled it as "Danger Road."
The reason why it was named Dager Road was because of the person who owned a property right at the corner of Dager Road and Bethlehem Pike. His name was Charles L. Dager.
Charles L. Dager (1811-1885) was born in Horsham, PA. He was possibly the only son of George and Elizabeth (Loeser) Dager. It is assumed that his family moved to Lower Gwynedd some time around the 1830s according to the 1830s census data, where his father was mentioned.
According to the 1850 census data, both he and his father were farmers. He married Mary Lukens Jarrett and had 7 children:
George (1837-1872)
Ann Elizabeth (1840-1924)
John Jarrott (1842-1914)
Margaret "Maggie" (1846-1927)
William (1849-1850)
Charles (1851-1920)
Irwin (1855-1897)
His records said that he died in Horsham, so that would mean he didn't live in Gwynedd for too long, and decided to go back to his hometown where he laid to rest.
It's interesting to see his name is still marked on the 1893 map after he died. Some time before 1916 the street "Dager Road" was named either after Charles, or his family that came to Gwynedd in the first place.
His property was where Wissahickon High School, Wissahickon Middle School, and Lower Gwynedd Elementary School, are currently located. The pathway through the property is currently "Houston Road." It's a bit off, but it's possible over the years they improved the road, and made it straighter.
Bibliography:
Bean, Theodore Weber. History of Montgomery County, Pennsylvania, Volume 2. (Philadelphia: Everts & Peck, 1884): 908.
"Geni: A MyHeritage Company." Geni. Accessed June 7, 2020. https://www.geni.com.
Mueller, A.H. Atlas of the North Penn Section of Montgomery County, Pa., Plate 27, 1916.
Scott, J. D. Montgomery County 1877, Gwynedd, North Wales, Ambler, Royer's Ford, Limerick Station, 1877.
Smith, J.L. Montgomery County 1893, Upper and Lower Gwynedd Townships, Lansdale, North Wales, Spring House, Ambler Right, 1893.
the dager farm was george dager place he was my great-great-grandfather