Inquirer Anniversary: Civil-rights standoff in Levittown

To mark the 180th anniversary of its founding, The Inquirer is reprinting an article from its archives every Monday for 18 weeks. Today's offering, the 14th in our series, was published Aug. 16, 1957, and describes the situation in Levittown after the first black family moved into the area.

Despite the presence of a detail of 12 uniformed State troopers, a crowd of several hundred residents of the Dogwood Hollow section of Levittown last night milled around the home of the first Negro family there for the third consecutive night.

The crowd marched in a large circle across the street from the home of Mr. and Mrs. William Myers Jr., at 43 Deepgreen lane, stamping their feet and clapping their hands.

Some stones were thrown from the crowd toward the dwelling about 9:30 P.M. according to Police Chief John R. Steward, of Bristol township. No damage was done.

The State troopers, under Maj. William J. Ruch, were ordered into the area last night by Gov. George M. Leader in response to an appeal by Sheriff C. Leroy Murray, of Bucks county, to prevent possible violence.

Working with township police they stationed themselves at the three entrances of the Dogwood Hollow section and restricted the area to residents and persons on necessary business. All sightseers were barred.

At 8 p.m., a mass meeting, attended by 500 persons, was held on the grounds of Billington Post 6495 VFW on Haines rd. James Newell, of 94 Daffodil lane, near the Myers' home, was chairman of the meeting. He told the group the objective "was to find a solution to the problem in a peaceful way."

He announced another meeting was scheduled for 8 o'clock tonight at the Little League baseball field in the Levittown Shopping Center when "plans would be drawn up on what action to take."

Meanwhile Myers was reported visiting his father in York, Pa. He said he left his Levittown home because of an oil tank leak and would return when it was repaired.

He said he had received a number of letters, mostly from Levittowners, saying they were ashamed of the mob and would welcome the family in the community.

Gov. Leader last night told a meeting of Democratic party leaders from 12 Southeastern Pennsylvania counties at the Berkshire Hotel, Reading, that "the stoning of the home of the first Negro family in Levittown is completely alien to the historic principles upon which Pennsylvania was built."

He said "any family has the right to live where it can obtain legal possession on any street, road or highway in this Commonwealth." The Governor said he would fight any outbreak of racial intolerance.

Meanwhile Hobson R. Reynolds, director of civil liberties department, Improved Benevolent Protective Order, Elks of the World, said after conferring with Dr. Robert H. Johnson, its exalted ruler, that the department "stands ready to give its full cooperation in the case and offers the services of our attorney, Herbert Caine, to the Myers family."

The Levittown incident was discussed at two meetings last night at the William Penn Center, Fallsington. Bucks County Human Relations Council said it would issue "facts and information to assist in counteracting the flow of disturbing rumors in Levittown."

The board of directors of the Friends Service Association reaffirmed its position in "favor of equal opportunity for employment and housing in the Delaware Valley area." It announced it would place its clerical and staff facilities at the disposal of religious and civic groups.

At the same time, the Urban League of Philadelphia urged the Governor to do everything he could to maintain order in the Levittown situation.

The Bucks county unit of the Americans for Democratic Action also "protested the use of mob violence against the first Negro family to move into Levittown," and urged a "continuance of full protection by law enforcement agencies."

The executive committee of the unit in a statement said: "The right to live where one chooses is a basic American tradition . . . we believe that there is a place in the community for the Myers family and that they should be treated as any other new residents of Levittown."