Editing Wyomissing, Pennsylvania (section)

===19th century===
In 1896, present-day Wyomissing began to take form when Reading lumber dealer Thomas P. Merritt acquired {{convert|600|acre}}. Albert Thalheimer, David H. Keiser, Marthias Mengel, and [[Levi Walter Mengel]] joined Thomas R. Merrit in organizing the Reading Suburban Real Estate Company. Shortly afterwards Wyomissing Industries, manufacturer of textile machinery, was established by the firm of Thun and Janssen along the [[Reading Company|Reading Railroad]] just west of Van Reed Road (today named Park Road). Ferdinand Thun, Henry K Janssen, and Gustav Oberlaender became known as "The Big Three of Wyomissing Industries.<ref name=Reading>[https://www.readingeagle.com/resources/article/ferdinand-thun-and-henry-k-janssen-were-destined-for-shared-success Ferdinand Thun and Henry K Janssen were destined for shared success] 16 January 2018 article in Reading Eagle</ref> Wyomissing Industries comprised Narrow Fabric Co., Textile Machine Works and Berkshire Knitting Mills.<ref name=Reading/> This spurred development, and soon there were many developers working to build Wyomissing.
 
In 1904 and 1905, Thun and Janssen called town meetings to discuss setting up a borough government. Eventually petitions were filed with the courts for the establishment of a borough, signed by 61 resident property owners and 39 non-resident property owners.