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History of Delaware County, Pennsylvania
Since the publication of the admirable History of Delaware County, written by Dr. George Smith, nearly a quarter of a century ago, the interest awakened in the National Centennial resulted in directing general attention in almost every locality through the country to its early annals, and as a consequence in Delaware County, at least, much historical material was reclaimed from the past of which Dr. Smith could have had no information while preparing his work for the press. The present history has been written with the purpose of presenting, as far as could be done in a single volume, an authentic, exhaustive, and unbiased narrative of the events which have occurred in Delaware County from the period of the early settlements within its territory to the present time; and in so doing care has been taken to avoid any reference to incidents happening without its boundaries, excepting in those cases where it became necessary to give a brief account of the movements elsewhere in order to render the incidents related in the present work intelligible. It will be noticed that very little attention has been given to the recital of political contests which have taken place in the county. The effervescent nature of such public incidents is such that after the reasons which have produced them have ceased to be potential, very little substance remains for the annalist to deal with in relating the story of the times that have passed.
In that part of the work devoted to the histories of the several townships, the author has received the assistance of Mr. Austin N. Hungerford, a gentleman whose accuracy of research and comprehensive examination of documentary authorities has made his labors of the utmost value to the writer in the preparation of this history. To Mr. Hungerford's unwearying industry and quick appreciation of the data necessary to that end is largely due the full history given of the industrial establishments in the county. The pressure of time rendered it necessary that several of the township histories should be prepared by other writers. To Mr. Alfred Mathews was assigned Media borough, and Haverford and Radnor to Mr. John S. Schenck. Mr. Mathews' narrative of the history of Media is very fuTl and accurate, and must commend itself to the reader, not only for those features, but because of the graceful style in which the narrative is presented. The histories of Haverford and Radnor, written by Mr. Schenck, are also admirable presentations of the annals of those localities.
The author, in the preparation of this work, has been met with the utmost kindness by the residents of Delaware County, who responded promptly to his application for data and access to documents of a historical character. From William B. Broomall, Edward A. Price, David M. Johnson, John B. Hinkson, George M. Booth, and others, he has received many favors. The introductory chapter of the General History was prepared by Dr. Ellwood Harvey, and that relating to the ten-hour movement was contributed by James Webb. These articles must commend themselves to the reader, as to style, comprehensiveness, and accuracy of statement. To the Historical Society of Pennsylvania the author desires to return his especial acknowledgments for favors shown, and also to Gilbert Cope, of West Chester, for like kindnesses. The atlas of Early Grants and Patents in Delaware County, prepared by Benjamin H. Smith, is the authority on which the author has based in most cases his references to the lands taken up by the early settlers. The rupture of a blood-vessel in one of the eyes of the author rendered it impossible for him to read much of the proof of the General History, and possibly errors may occur therein which might have been avoided under other circumstances.
Table of Contents
CHAPTER I.
Physical Geography and Geology of Delaware County 1
CHAPTER II.
The Early Settlement of Delaware County to the Grant of the
Province to William Penn 2
CHAPTER III.
The Circular Boundary Line between Delaware County and the
State of Delaware 15
CHAPTER IV.
"William Penn's First Voyage to his Province in 1682 — The Change of the Name Upland to Chester, and the Season it was Made 20
CHAPTER V.
The First Assembly of Pennsylvania, and the House wherein it
met 22
CHAPTER VI.
The Colonial History to the War of the Revolution 24
CHAPTER VII.
The Revolutionary Struggle to the Battle of Brandywine 40
CHAPTER VIII.
The Battle of Brandywine 55
CHAPTER IX.
From the Defeat at Brandywine to the Conclusion of the Revolutionary War 65
CHAPTER X.
From the Revolutionary War to the Erection of Delaware County 77
CHAPTER XI.
From the Erection of the County of Delaware to the Second War with Great Britain 83
CHAPTER XII.
The Second War with England 86
CHAPTER XIII.
From the Second War with England to 1850 91
CHAPTER XIV.
Storms, Freshets, and Earthquakes 99
CHAPTER XV.
The Ten-Hour Movement 108
CHAPTER XVI.
The Removal of the County-seat to Media 112
CHAPTER XVII.
The Civil War 114
CHAPTER XVIII.
Crimes and Punishments 157
CHAPTER XIX.
Manners and Customs— How Inhabitants of Delaware County lived
in former Years 178
CHAPTER XX.
Traveling and Transportation, with an Account of the Railroads
in the County 192
CHAPTER XXI.
Redemptioners and Slavery in Delaware County 200
CHAPTER XXII.
Agriculture, with a brief Mention of our Domestic Animals 207
CHAPTER XXIII.
Wild Animals, Fish, etc., of Delaware County 211
CHAPTER XXIV.
Delaware County Climate, together with Notices of Remarkable
Weather 215
CHAPTER XXV.
The Court, Bench, and Bar of Delaware County 217
CHAPTER XXVI.
Physicians and Medical Societies 253
CHAPTER XXVII.
Civil Lists 267
CHAPTER XXVIII.
The Township of Tinicum 274
CHAPTER XXIX.
Aston Township 290
CHAPTER XXX.
Bethel Township 305
CHAPTER XXXI.
Birmingham Township 311
CHAPTER XXXII.
City of Chester 327
CHAPTER XXXIII.
Chester Township 424
CHAPTER XXXIV.
Borough of Upland 427
CHAPTER XXXV.
South Chester Borough 435
CHAPTER XXXVI.
North Chester Borough 443
CHAPTER XXXVII.
Upper Chichester Township 448
CHAPTER XXXVIII.
Lower Chichester Township 455
CHAPTER XXXIX.
Concord Township 482
CHAPTER XL.
Darby Township 505
CHAPTER XLI.
Darby Borough 515
CHAPTER XLII.
Upper Darby Township 531
CHAPTER XLIII.
Edgmont Township 553
CHAPTER XLIV.
Haverford Township 563
CHAPTER XLV.
Marple Township 579
CHAPTER XLVI.
Borough of Media 587
CHAPTER XLVII.
Middletown Township 611
CHAPTER XLVIII.
Newtown Township 634
CHAPTER XLIX.
Nether Providence Township 652
CHAPTER L.
Upper Providence Township 666
CHAPTER LI.
Radnor Township 678
CHAPTER LII.
Thornbury Township 702
CHAPTER LIII.
Springfield Township 713
CHAPTER LIV.
Ridley Township 734
APPENDIX 756
INDEX 759
Illustrations
Abraham, D.C. 700
Adams, George B 676
Andrews, James 515
Austin, Obdyke & Co. 551
Bancroft, Samuel 660
Bartram, Thomas P 650
Beaumont, Davis 650
Bishop, Jeremiah 677
Bishop, Randal 732
Black, Henry B 403
Blakeley, Abraham 400
Booth, Thomas, Sr 311
Brinton, John 711
Brinton, Joseph E 712
Brinton, Joseph E., residence of 712
Brooke, H. Jones 608
Burnley, Charles 624
Burnley, George 545
Burnley, John 623
Campbell, James 397
Oassin, Isaac S. 675
Cheyney, Charles M. 311
Childs, George W. 697
Childs, George W., residence of 695
Converse, John H., residence of 678
County House, Media 595
Court-House and Jail 394
Crozer, John P. 430
Custer, Bethel M. 755
Darlington, Edward, Jr 632
Deshong, J.O. 376
Dunwoody, James 651
Dunwoody, John 586
Eachus, Eber 562
Eckfeldt, A.C. 447
Edgmont Central Seminary 557
Edwards, Samuel 248
Ellis, Rudulph, residence of 684
Elwyn, A.L. 628
Esrey, D.R. 447
Etting, Frank M., residence of 482
Eureka Cast-Steel Company 404
Friends' Meeting-House, Middletown 613
Forwood, J.L. 262
Gartside, Amos between " 398, 399
Gartside, B. & Sons " 398, 399
Gartside, Benjamin " 398, 399
Gartside, James " 398, 399
Gartside, John 401
Gest, Joseph 502
Gest, Rebekah 502
Gibbons, Joseph 732
Gibbons, Joseph, residence of 724
Green, William H. 437
Haldeman, Isaac 604
Hibberd, John 251
Hinkson, F.J. 377
Holmes' Map of the Province of Pennsylvania 26
Hoskins (Graham) House 354
Hunter, J. Morgan 676
Irving, James 444
James, Daniel 710
Johnson, Charles 633
Kent, Thomas 544
Keystone Paper-Mills 550
Kirk, Benjamin 702
Landing-Place of William Penn 415
Larkin, John, Jr 379
Leedom, Jesse 652
Leedom, Joseph B. 579
Lewis, J. Howard, Paper-Mills 663
Lewis, Milton 609
Lewis, William, Birthplace of 561
Magill, Edward H. 722
Manley, Charles D. 608
Mathues, C.W. 500
McCall, Robert 310
McIlvain, Spencer 407
Mendenhall, John 563
Middletown Presbyterian Church 614
Milbourne Mills 547
"Millbourne" 549
Moore, James A. 578
Moore, John M. 586
Mural Tablet in St. Paul's Church, Chester 338
Outline Map 1
Palmer, Charles 501
Palmer, Lewis 501
Palmer, Samuel 423
Pancoast Samuel 585
Peace, Edward 698
Peace, Edward, residence of 699
Pennell, Edmund 378
Penn Memorial Stone 416
Peterman, David 587
Plumstead, Robert 552
Porter House, the 356
Powel, T.P. 500
Pratt, Thomas 632
Ramey, Lawrence 701
Rawle, James, residence of 699
Reece, Thomas 607
Rhodes, John B. 294
Rhodes, John B., residence of 295
Rhoads, William 651
Roach, John 390
Scott, Alexander, residence of 486
Seal, William 634
Seal, Jane T 635
Sellers, John 548
Sharpless, Joel 633
Shaw, Hugh 446
Shaw, Esrey & Co. 445
Smedley, Samuel L. 560
St. David's Church 644
Swarthmore College 719
Tasker, Thomas T. 754
Taylor, Joseph 424
Thatcher, Garrett 713
Thomas, Jonathan, residence of 618
Thomson, J. Edgar 728
Thurlow, John J. 436
Trainer, David 470
Trainer, J. Newlin, residence of 468
Trainer, William 481
Tyler, Hugh L. 677
Ward, William 422
Walter, Y.S. 383
Webster, Joseph 713
West, Benjamin, birthplace of 726
Wetherill, Robert & Co. 405
Williams, Edward H,, residence of 680
Willcox, James M. 494
Willcox Paper Mills 492
Wilson, Dr. Ellwood, residence of 292
Worrall, Jacob 755
Worrell, David 733
Worth, Edward, residence of 298
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The first vessel under the control of white men whose prow ever ruffled the bosom of the great sheet of water now known to the world as Delaware Bay was the "Half Moon" ("Halvemann"), of eighty tons burden, an exploring vessel belonging to the Dutch East India Company, commanded by Henry Hudson. The log-book of Robert Jewett, the mate, records that about noon of Friday, Aug. 28, 1609, a warm, clear day, "we found the land to tend away N.W. with a great bay and river." The lead line, however, disclosing many shoal places, the vessel, next morning, was put about and steered on a southeast course, the officers being convinced that "he that will thoroughly explore this great bay must have a small pinnace that must draw but four or five feet water, to sound before him."
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