USA > Pennsylvania > Delaware County > A history of Delaware County, Pennsylvania, and its people; Volume I > Part 35
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During the war, and for a short time afterwards, the people of this section of our country were in a prosperous condition. The families of the farmers of our county manufactured their own clothing to a considerable extent. There were, and had been for a long time, fulling mills throughout the county, that aided in these domestic operations, and machine cards had been introduced. The difficulties thrown in the way of trade, even before the commencement of hostilities, caused an advance in the price of foreign dry goods, that induced our people to turn their attention to a more rapid production of textile fabrics than that which had heretofore prevailed. As carly at 1810. an English family, named Bottomly, converted an old saw- mill that stood on a small stream in Concord (with a small addition) into a woolen manufactory, to the astonishment of the whole neighborhood. Den-
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nis Kelly, with the assistance of a Mr. Wiest, erected a small stone factory on Cobb's creek, in Haverford, about the commencement of the war. This establishment was patronized by the government, and with the energetic management of Mr. Kelly, turned out goods to the fullest extent of its ca- pacity. Other mills were soon erected and put into operation, but still, dur- ing the war, dry goods of all kinds continued to command a high price. But the almost free introduction of foreign goods, some time after the close of the war, was a severe blow to these hastily gotten up establishments, and caused the suspension of some of them. Still it was in these small begin- nings that the manufacturing business of Delaware county had its origin.
Farmers, in consequence, lost their home market, and there was no foreign demand for the productions of their farms. With the fall in price of agricultural products, that of land also declined. During the war, land came to be regarded as the only safe investment, and purchases were made at almost fabulous prices. Many of the purchasers, under such circum- stances, were now obliged to sell at a ruinous sacrifice. In this county the number of such sales was, however, strikingly less than in the adjacent counties. This depressed condition of business did not last long, but the improvement was gradual, and as a consequence people could only ad- vance their pecuniary interests by the slow but certain means of industry and frugality.
In the year 1817, Edward Hunter, Esq., a highly respectable citizen of Newtown township, was deliberately murdered by John H. Craig, by lying in wait in the daytime and shooting him. Esquire Hunter had wit- nessed a will that Craig was anxious to have set aside, and, being an ignor- ant man, he believed that by putting the witnesses to it out of the way, his object would be accomplished. He had watched more than once for an opportunity to shoot Isaac Cochrane, the other witness to the will, but failed to accomplish his purpose. Mr. Hunter was shot while taking his horse to the stable, and although the fiendish act was committeed in the most cool and deliberate manner, Craig's presence of mind at once forsook him, for he left his gun where it was readily found, which at once indicated him as the murderer. He was subsequently arrested in the northern part of the State, where he was engaged in chopping wood, being identified by a fellow wood-chopper from the description in the advertisement, offering a reward for his apprehension. He was tried and convicted in the following April at Chester, and soon after executed.
On November 8, 1819, the first newspaper published in Delaware county was issued from the office of Butler & Worthington, at Chester. This pa- per, which made a very neat appearance, was called The Post Boy. Its di- mensions were seventeen by twenty-one inches.
Dissatisfaction had for some time existed among the people of the upper part of the county on account of the seat of justice being situated on its southern margin. The people of the township of Radnor, residing much nearer to Norristown, the seat of justice of Montgomery county, than to
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Chester, petitioned for the annexation of their township to that county. The fact that the taxes of Montgomery were lower than those of Delaware, is also said to have had an influence in promoting this movement. Be this as it may, the prospect of losing one of the best townships in the county was a matter of serious alarm, when its small dimensions were taken into con- sideration. The discontented in the other remote townships seeing that the loss of Radnor would weaken their strongest ground of complaint, deter- mined to test the question of a removal of the seat of justice of the county to a more central situation. Accordingly a general meeting of the inhabi- tants of the county, "both friendly and unfriendly" to the proposed re- moval, was convened June 8, 1820. The meeting was unusually large and very respectable, and after the subject of removal had been discussed very fully and rather freely, a vote was taken which resulted in favor of the removalists. Removal now became the leading topic of discussion through- out the county. All party distinctions became merged in it, and the most ultra politicians of opposite parties united cordially on a removal or anti- removal platform. Meetings were held and nominations were made accord- ingly. The ballot-box showed the anti-removalists in the majority. George G. Leiper, of Ridley, and Abner Lewis, of Radnor, both anti-removalists, were elected to the Assembly. The anti-removalists, by the nomination of Mr. Lewis, had secured nearly the whole vote of Radnor-under the belief that the election of the anti-removal ticket afforded them the only chance of being annexed to Montgomery county. The test was not regarded by the removalists as satisfactory, and they petitioned the legislature for redress, but certainly with but small hopes of success. In their memorial, which is very long, they set forth the fact of the effort of Radnor to be attached to Montgomery county ; the dilapidated condition of the jail; the insalubrity of the air at Chester to persons from the upper parts of the county; the danger of the records from attack by an enemy : the badness of the water, &c. "And finally," they say, "to satisfy the legislature that nothing is asked for by the petitioners which would throw any unreasonable expense on the county, assurances are given by one of the inhabitants-perfectly respon- sible and competent to the undertaking-that he will give an obligation to any one authorized to receive it, conditioned to erect the public buildings upon any reasonable and approved plan, for the sum of fifteen thousand dollars, to be paid in seven years by instalments-if the convenience of the county should require credit-and to take the present buildings and lot at Chester at a fair valuation as part pay." This petition was drawn up by Robert Frazer, Esq., then a prominent lawyer, residing in the upper part of the county, and was signed by 912 citizens. The number who signed the remonstrance is not known, but as a matter of course with both repre- sentatives opposed to removal, no legislation favorable to that measure was obtained, and it is only wonderful that the removalists should press the matter under such circumstances. What is remarkable, the people of
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Radnor appeared to relax their efforts to obtain legislation to authorize the township to be annexed to Montgomery county.
At the next election, John Lewis and William Cheyney, both removal- ists, were elected members of the Assembly, but from some cause they failed in obtaining the much-desired law authorizing the seat of justice to be re- moved to a more central situation. The question after this effort, appears to have been allowed to slumber for a time. It was, however, occasionally discussed, and the removalists maintained a strict vigilance to prevent any extensive repairs being made to the public buildings at Chester.
In February, 1822, a remarkably high freshet occurred in all the streams of Delaware county, chiefly caused by the rapid melting of a deep snow. The mill-ponds were covered with a thick ice at the time, which was broken up and occasioned considerable damage in addition to that caused by the great height of the water in the creeks.
In 1824 one of the most brutal murders on record was committed at the residence of Mary Warner, in Upper Darby, upon a young married man named William Bonsall. The family consisted of Mrs. Warner, Bon- sall and his wife. Three men entered the house late at night with the ob- ject of committing a burglarly, and although Bonsall was sick and made no resistance, one of them wantonly stabbed him in the abdomen with a shoemaker's knife, which caused his immediate death. Besides committing the murder the party plundered the house. Three men were arrested and tried for the homicide ; Michael Monroe alias James Wellington, was convicted of murder in the first degree and executed; Washington Labbe was con- victed of murder in the second degree, and Abraham Buys was acquitted.
After the close of the war with Great Britain, manufacturing estab- lishments, of various kinds, rapidly sprung up over the county. It became an object of interest to ascertain the extent of these improvements, and also to obtain more particular information in respect to unimproved water - power. For this purpose George G. Leiper, John Willcox and William Martin. Esqs., were appointed a committee, who employed Benjamin Pear- son, Esq., to travel over the county and obtain the necessary statis- tics. From the facts reported by Mr. Pearson, the committee make the following summary :
Thirty-eight flour mills, sixteen of which grind 203,600 bushels of grain per annum.
Fifty-three saw mills, sixteen of which cut 1,717,000 feet of lumber per annum.
Five rolling and slitting mills, which roll 700 tons of sheet iron per annum, value, $105,000; employ thirty hands, wages, $7,200.
Fourteen woolen factories, employ 228 hands.
Twelve cotton factories, manufacture 704,380 lbs. of yarn per annum, value, $232,445; employ 415 hands, wages, $51,380.
Eleven paper mills, manufacture 31,296 reams of paper per annum, value, $114,712; employ 215 hands, wages, $29,120.
Two powder mills, manufacture 11,900 quarter casks per annum, value, $47.600; employ forty hands, wages. $12,000.
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One nail factory, manufactures 150 tons of nails per annum, value. $20,000; employ eight hands, wages, $2,400.
Four tilt, blade and edge-tool manufactories, two of which manufacture, per annum, 2000 axes, 200 cleavers, 1,200 dozen shovels, 200 doz. scythes and 500 drawing knives.
One power-loom mill, weaves 30,000 yards per week, value $3,000; employs 120 hands, wages, per week. $500: 200 looms.
Two oil mills, make 7000 galls. linseed oil per annum, value, $7,000.
One machine factory, five snuff mills, two plaster or gypsum mills, three clover mills, three bark mills, and one mill for sawing stone-making. in the aggregate, 158 improved mill seats, and forty-two unimproved on the principal streams. Total mill seats 200.
These returns, though in several branches of small account in compari- son with the extensive establishments of the present day, were certainly cred- itable at that early period, when steam had been but little employed in propell- ing machinery, and when it is considered that the whole extent of the county is only about 170 square miles.
In 1827 the dissensions, that had for some time existed in the Society of Friends, culminated in an open rupture. The history of this unfortunate feud properly belongs to the history of the Society throughout the United States. The animosities that were engendered among those who, in former times, had lived on terms of the most friendly, and even social intercourse, existed here, as in other places, and were productive of the like consequences. The author has witnessed with pleasure, within the past few years, a soften- ing down of those animosities, and indeed of every feeling of unkindness in each party towards the other. He would. therefore, regard himself as doing an unpardonable mischief in reviving the facts and circumstances that unhap- pily gave rise to them.
On September 21st, 1833, the institution under whose authority this his- tory was prepared, was organized with the title of the "Delaware County Insti- tute of Science," by the association at first of only five individuals: George Miller. Minshall Painter, John Miller, George Smith and John Cassin. The object of the association was to promote the study and diffusion of general knowledge, and the establishment of a museum. The number of members gradually increased, and when it became necessary for the institution to hold real estate, application was made to the Supreme Court for corporate priv- ileges, which were granted February 8th, 1836. A hall of very moderate pre- tensions was built in Upper Providence in 1837, at which the members of the Institute have continued to hold their meetings till the present time. Lectures were also given in the hall for some time after its erection. The number of its members was never large, but through the persevering efforts of a few indi- viduals it has been enabled to accomplish most, if not all. the objects con- templated in its establishment. The museum of the Institute embraces a respectable collection of specimens in every department of the natural sciences. and particularly such as are calculated to illustrate the natural history of the county. It also embraces many other specimens of great scientific or his- torical value. Nor has the establishment of a library been neglected, and
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although the number of books it contains is not large, it is seldom that the same number of volumes is found together of equal value. It has not failed to observe and record local phenomena and to investigate local facts; and the usefulness and value of the natural productions of the county have, in more than one instance, been established by laborious scientific investigations. But for obvious reasons the author will forbear to give any detailed account of the doings of the institution beyond such as it may be necessary to notice inci- dentally, hereafter, in relating a few historical facts. Since the establishment of the Delaware County Institute of Science, many similar institutions have been established in various counties throughout the commonwealth. But few of these are prosperous; a few maintain a nominal existence, while most of them have ceased to exist.
While it has ever been the policy of the religious Society of Friends to have their children well instructed in the more useful branches of learning, it was not till the year 1833 that an institution was established by them, specially for the instruction of their youth in classical and corresponding studies. In that year, members of the branch of the Society termed Orthodox, founded Haverford School. The benefits of this institution were at first confined to the sons of the members of the religious Society mentioned, though that Society, as such, had no control in its management. Connected with the school build- ings, which are not large, is a tract of nearly two hundred acres of land. Forty acres of this land, surrounding the buildings, were appropriated to a lawn, which for beauty and the variety of its trees and shrubbery, is scarcely equaled in the country. The balance of the land is used for farming purposes. Some years since, all the privileges of a college were conferred on this institution ; and the managers thereof agreeing to receive as students others than the members of their Society, the sphere of its usefulness has been greatly increased. Haverford College now enjoys a high reputation as a literary and scientific institution, while in respect to the moral training to which the stu- dent is subjected, it is unsurpassed by any college in the country.
At the commencement of the construction of the Delaware Breakwater. a large proportion of the stone used for the purpose was taken from the quar- ries in this county. The superintendent of the work, in the autumn of 1836, arrived at the conclusion that the Pennsylvania stone was inferior to that from the quarries in Delaware State, on account of the large proportion of mica it contained. He thought the presence of the mica rendered the Pennsylvania stone "peculiarly liable to chemical decomposition," and also to a further decay from the attrition of the waves. He even stated in his report, "that the expe- rience of the work, within the few years it has been in construction, has shown that the stones have decayed from both these causes."
Large quantities of stone had been quarried, particularly on Crum and Ridley creeks, when the government, on the strength of the report of its agent, rejected the stone from Delaware county. Those engaged in the busi- ness, who would be subjected to great loss by the rejection of their stone, brought the matter to the notice of the County Institute, which promptly
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appointed a committee to investigate the subject. The author was chairman of that committee, and upon him devolved the task of making the necessary investigations, and of drawing up the report. That report was decidedly favorable to the durability of the Delaware county stone. Its material conclu- sions were subsequently confirmed by a board of military engineers, and the Pennsylvania stone again accepted by the government .*
The year 1838 was remarkable on account of a great drought that pre- vailed throughout a large extent of country, embracing Delaware county. From about the first of July till nearly the first of October, no rain fell except a few very slight showers. The earth became parched, and vegetation dried up. All the later crops failed ; and what added greatly to the injurious effects of the drought, myriads of grasshoppers made their appearance, and voraciously devoured nearly every green blade of grass that had survived to the period of their advent. Even the blades and ears of Indian corn were greatly injured in many places. Cattle suffered much for want of pasture, and many persons were obliged to feed them on hay during the months of August and Septem- ber, or upon corn cut from the field.
A great ice freshet occurred in the winter of 1839, which caused consider- able damage : but as it sinks into utter insignificance when compared with the great freshet of August 5. 1843, we will proceed to give an account of the storm and freshet of that day, which may be regarded as one of the most ex- traordinary events that have occurred within the limits of our county since it was first visited by Europeans. This will be an easy task, as all the material facts connected with this unusual phenomenon, and its disastrous conse- quences. were carefully collected at the time by a committee of the Delaware County Institute of Science, of which Dr. Smith was chairman, and embodied in an elaborate report, which was published in pamphlet form. Only the gen- eral and most material facts will be extracted from that report, as the reader who may desire more particular information on the subject, can have recourse to the report itself, which is preserved in several libraries.
The morning of August 5. 1843. at early dawn, gave indications of a rainy day. The wind was in the east or northeast. and the clouds were ob- served to have an appearance which indicated a fall of rain. The sun was barely visible at rising, and a short time afterwards the whole sky became overclouded. At about 7 o'clock, a. m., it commenced raining, and continued to rain moderately, with occasional remissions, but without any very perfect intermission until noon or later. This was a general rain, which extended much beyond the limits of Delaware county in every direction. This general rain scarcely caused an appreciable rise in the streams ; but it had the effect of fully saturating the surface of the ground with water to the depth of some inches, and in this way contributed to increase the flood in some degree beyond what it would have been, had the subsequent heavy rain fallen on the parched
*The chairman of this committee was Dr. George Smith, author of the "History of Delaware County." ( 1862), from which this narrative is largely taken.
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earth. No general description of this rain, which caused the great inundation, will exactly apply to any two neighborhoods, much less to the whole extent of the county. In the time of its commencement and termination-in the quanti- ty of rain which fell-in the violence and direction of the wind, there was a remarkable want of correspondence between different parts of the county. It may be observed, however, that comparatively little rain fell along its southern and southeastern borders.
Cobb's Creek, on the eastern margin of the county, and Brandywine on the west, were not flooded in any extraordinary degree. This conclusively shows that the greatest violence of the storm was expended on the district of country which is drained by Chester, Ridley, Crum, Darby, and the Gulf creeks, and one or two tributaries of the Brandywine. This district will in- clude a part of Chester county, and a very small part of Montgomery ; but in- cluding these, the whole extent of country that was inundated did not exceed in area the territory embraced within the county of Delaware. The extent of territory that was inundated was also much greater than that which was sub- jected to any very extraordinary fall of rain. The amount of rain which fell on that part of the county which borders on the river Delaware, and embraces the mouths and lower parts of the inundated creeks, was not sufficient to pro- duce even an ordinary rise in the streams, and to this circumstance may in part be attributed the very unprepared state in which the inhabitants of this district were found for the mighty flood of waters which was approaching to over- whelm them. The very rapid rise in the water in the streams, without appar- ently any adequate cause, was also well calculated to increase the alarm in this district beyond what it would have been, had the quantity of water that fell there borne a comparison with that which fell in the upper parts of the county.
As a general rule, the heavy rain occurred later as we proceed from the sources of the streams towards their mouths. The quantity of rain which fell will decrease as we proceed in the same direction, particularly from the middle parts of the county downwards.
In those sections of the county where its greatest violence was expended the character of the storm more nearly accorded with that of a tropical hurri- cane than with anything which appertained to this region of country. The clouds wore an unusually dark and lowering appearance, of which the whole atmosphere seemed in some degree to partake, and this circumstance, no doubt, gave that peculiarly vivid appearance to the incessant flashes of light- ning, which was observed by every one. The peals of thunder were loud and almost continuous. The clouds appeared to approach from different directions, and to concentrate at a point not very distant from the zenith of the beholder. In many places there was but very little wind, the rain falling in nearly per- pendicular streams ; at other places it blew a stiff breeze, first from the east or northeast, and suddenly shifting to the southwest, while at a few points it blew in sudden gusts with great violence, accompanied with whirlwinds, which twisted off and prostrated large trees, and swept everything before it.
So varied was the character of the storm at different places, that the com-
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mittee of the Institute, in order to present a satisfactory account of it, was obliged to embody the remarks of the different observers throughout the coun- ty. Brief extracts will be made from these remarks.
In Concord township the heavy rain commenced at about a quarter before three o'clock, p. m., the wind being E. S. E., but it veered so rapidly retrogade to the sun's motion, that the clouds appeared to verge to a centre over the western section of Delaware county, from several points of the compass at the same time-the rain falling in tor- rents resembling a water spout. At about a quarter before four o'clock the wind had nearly boxed the compass, and blew a gale from W. S. W., and about that hour, a tornado or whirlwind, passed across the southern part of Concord, about a quarter of a mile in width, prostrating forest and fruit trees, and scattering the fences in every direction In the neighborhood of Concord the rain continued about three hours, and the quantity that fell in that vicinity, as nearly as could be ascertained, was about sixteen inches. It is not probable that a greater quantity of rain fell in any other part of the county.
In Newtown township the heavy rain commenced about two o'clock, and terminated about five o'clock, p. m., the wind, during the rain, being nearly N. W. There was a heavy blow of wind, but it was not violent. The quantity of rain that fell was between eleven and thirteen inches. At Newtown Square, in forty minutes, immediately before five o'clock, it was ascertained that five inches and a half of rain fell. As observed in the north part of Radnor, the heavy rain commenced abont four o'clock. p. m., and ceased about six o'clock. At the commencement the wind blew from the S. or S. W. but changed to the S. E. about four and a half or five o'clock, from which direction came the heaviest rain.
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