USA > Pennsylvania > Philadelphia County > Philadelphia > Annals of Philadelphia, and Pennsylvania in the olden time; being a collection of the memoirs, anecdotes, and incidents of the earliest settlements of the inland part of Pennsylvania, Vol. II > Part 55
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The same year the corporation of Philadelphia made a causeway on both sides of the ferry, and appointed boats, &c. The ferrymen were to dwell on the western side, and to ferry persons over at one penny, horses id., cows and oxen 1}d., cart or wagon 6d. to 1s., sheep &d., &c. The upper and lower ferries were then called Roach's and Blunston's, on private account. This one became of course " the middle ferry."
In the year 1762, we see by a minute of the council that they then leased " the middle ferry," for three years, at £200. per annum
I am not able to say when the floating bridges were first intro- duced ; but we know the British army made one across the Schuyl- kill when they held the city, which I believe they destroyed when leaving it, as it is known that Joseph Ogden built and kept a new bridge at the middle ferry, soon after they were gone.
Mr. Kalm states, that at the first building of Philadelphia, they erected sundry houses upon the Schuylkill side, which they after-
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River Schuylkill.
wards removed to the Delaware side, on finding settlements there did not take.
The river scenery and banks of Schuylkill were once picturesque and beautiful-such as I have elsewhere described the " Baptiste- rion," at the end of Spruce street. Benjamin Franklin, too, said it was his custom when young to go out there with his companions, Osborne, Watson, Ralph, &c., to take a charming walk on Sundays in the woods then bordering on the river. There they used to sit down and read and converse together ; now how changed the scene to a busy, bustling coal mart?
" Receding forests yield the labourers room, And opening wilds with fields and garlands bloom!"
It is even now within the memory of aged men, when it was a great fishing place. Old Shrunk assured me he had caught as many as 3000 catfish of a night with a dip-net, near the Falls. Penn's letter, of 1683, speaks of Captain Smith, at Schuylkill, who drew " 600 shades at a draught."
In the year 1759, there appeared in the Gazette a writer from Berks, who greatly urges the advantages to be produced by clearing and opening the river channel. Some of them were then set upon by a subscription.
The 4th of July, 1824, being Sunday, the long desired era ar- rived of opening the canal from Reading to Philadelphia. Many witnessed the operations near Reading with great gratification. This is "the consummation devoutly to be wished !"
A fact occurred in November 1832, which goes to confirm the theory before advanced, that the Schuylkill once passed from the Falls by the way of the Cohocksink creek. In making a coffer dam, (the first one on the eastern side,) to form the foundation of the railway-bridge at Peters' island, they came at the depth of thirty feet of excavation to the stump of a tree completely embedded in the soil, thus evincing that the course of the river has been changed from its original channel .- See Poulson's Gazette, of Nov. 26, 1832.
I have in my possession, a copy of a curious old deed of the 2d of May, 1681, from Peter Peterson Yocum, a Swede, to Niels Jonason, for two hundred acres of land to begin at a creek on the west side of Schuylkill above Arromink, called the little Quarnes fall, and thence, up along the river side to the Great-hill, being part of the original tract of 1100 acres granted by patent of Governor Lovelace at New York to Captain Flans Modens, i. e. Moens. [The Great hill, may be understood to be Conshohocken now-and the Quarnes, (Quarries,) the Little falls.]
The place called Swedesford, had a work of defence cast upon its margin by the Americans, in the time of the Revolution. It was the crossing place then of the army.
Near there was the Swedes' church, since rebuilt by the Episcopa- tians; the grave ground is well filled with Swedes, who very much
(on the 2 Toviki)
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Country Seats.
settled along the Schuylkill. The Swedes used to go to the old church in considerable numbers, in antiquated and rude style of dress. The men went on foot, or in canoes, the women on horse- back, often riding double, and always with coarse outside petticoats, which could be seen hung along the fences in dozens, while the owners were in church-their descendant daughters since scarcely know it.
COUNTRY SEATS.
IT is intended herein to revive the recollection of sundry country seats nigh the city, once known to all, and now no longer arresting attention, to wit :
Bedminster was a neat country place, having a fine collection of fruit trees, at the N. E. corner of Brewer's alley and Fourth street. The same house, now an inn there, with a new gable-end, having cut off about fourteen feet once upon Fourth street. That place, when " far out of town," was the summer residence of the celebrated Gilbert Tennant. It was at another time the summer seat of the Baynton family. In the year 1755, it was advertised as "a very rural, agreeable place." Its proper front was upon the present Wood street, formerly called Brewer's alley, because of a brew- house once on that street, below Third street.
Samuel Birge had a country seat-the house still standing, with two corresponding out-houses, fronting westward, and themselves now a little west of New Fourth street, near Poplar lane. When occu- pied as a seat, it was surrounded with fields and woods-now it is shut in by common houses.
The Robin Hood Inn, in Poplar lane, near New Fourth street, was the summer residence of Abram Mitchell, and when occupied by a British officer in command of the British barracks, it was finely cultivated, and the woods in abundance near at hand.
Along the northern bank of Pegg's run, west of Sixth street, were several neat country houses, some of them still standing, but all their former scenery utterly obliterated by streets and houses placed near them. The present " Drover's Inn," on Sixth street, is ore of them. Near the corner of Tenth and Vine streets is now the remains of what was once a distinguished seat and farm. The house even now, is surrounded by many old fruit and other trees- at same time-opposite to it is a long row of new and fashionable city houses-a part of Palmyra row.
Wharton Mansion, in Southwark, fronting the river, back from
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Country Seats.
the present Navy-yard, was a country house of grandeur in its day It was of large dimensions, with its lawns and trees-and, as a supe- rior house, was chosen by the British officers of Howe's army, for the celebration of the Meschianza. Now the house and all about its grounds looks only like a deserted, decaying place.
Treveskin was the seat of Governor Gordon, down the Passyunk road, about a mile and a half below South street. It became the place of Israel Pemberton, and descended by his daughter, Mrs. Pleasants, to her family. The house is still standing.
Judge Kinsey's country seat, out South street, near to the Schuyl- kill, was a very superior place. The respectable looking house, sur- rounded by big cedars, was standing till lately, on the premises of the Naval asylum. It was, when built, the only good house be tween the city and Gray's ferry. It afterwards became the property of James Pemberton. On the other side of the road is now a similar country seat, built for Israel Pemberton, now the property of Mrs. Marshall, the daughter of Joseph Cruikshank, containing thirty-two acres, and used as a milk farm by Mr. Webster. Brick kilns are now all about near the place.
Wilton, the place once of Joseph Turner, down in the neck, was the nonpareil of its day. It was the fashionable resort for genteel strangers. Every possible attention was paid to embellishment, and the garden cultivation was superior. The grounds had ornamental clumps and ranges of trees. Many statues of fine marble [sold from a Spanish prize] were distributed through the grounds and avenues. Some of them are now on the place, mutilated and neglected, and others of them are at " Chew's house," Germantown. The mansion house and out-houses, still standing, show in some degree their former grandeur. The ceilings are high and covered with stucco work, and the halls are large. In the time of the war, when occupied by the British, it got much abused-even to chopping wood on the floors. The statues, too, made good marks for their sharpshooters, and Pan, now there in the cabbage garden, which long stood for the ideal presence of Diabolus himself, has many tokens of his fire- proof. The property, now belonging to the heirs of Henry Hill, has long been used as a rented grazing farm, and shows much of desolation and neglect, created in some degree by a long and dubious point of legal ownership.
Springettsberry, called after the name of William Penn's first wife, was once cultivated in the style of a gentleman's seat, and occupied by the Penn family. It was built, I believe, for Thomas Penn, about the year 1736 to '39, on a fine commanding situation, a little south-west of Bush-hill.
Celebrated as it was, for its display and beauty, now almost no- thing remains. The Preston retreat is now on the premises, near the former house and gardens. Its former groves of tall cedars, and ranges of catalpa trees are no more. For many years the Penn family continued o have the place kept up in appearance, even after
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Country Seats.
they ceased to make it a residence. James Alexander, called Penn's gardener, occupied the premises; and old Virgil Warder, and his wife, servant-blacks, lived there to old age, occupying the kitchen as their home, on an annuity (as it was said) from the Penn family- paid to them till their deaths, about the year 1782-3. For many years, the young people of the city-before the war of Independence, visited Springettsberry in May time, to gather flowers, and to talk with and see old gray-headed Virgil, who had always much to say about the Penns of former days. It was all enchanted ground to the young-
" Where once the garden smiled, And still, where many a garden flower grew wild !"
In the year 1777, old Virgil had quite a harvest, derived from the blooming there-a great wonder then-of the great American aloe, which had long been nursed in the green-house. It was visited by many-and all had their gifts ready for the old black man.
The garden had evergreens, made into arbours, and nicely trimmed and clipped in formal array. There was also a seeming wilderness of shade, with gravel paths meandering through, &c. The place was in the occupancy of Robert Morris, as a country retreat, and was so used in 1784, when the mansion took fire, and was con- sumed.
Bush-hill, the country seat of Andrew Hamilton, Esq., near to the former place, on an elevation, commanding a fine view of the then distant city, was once kept up in fine style as a distinguished country seat-built in 1740, for Andrew Hamilton. In the rear were avenues of stately cedars-some few still remaining ; and in the front was a charmingly graceful descending green lawn, gradually sloping down to Vine street. The original farm consisted of many acres, and has since descended to the family as valuable building lots. In the year 1793, the mansion-house and out-houses were used temporarily as a yellow fever hospital-and afterwards it fell into the hands of Mr. M'Cauley, and was used as his carpet manu- factory.
In excavating there a new cellar for Mr. M'Cauley's use, in 1832, they came to two lines of graves parallel to each other, with about fifteen graves in each line. They were deemed to have been aboriginal. No remains were found of either bones or ornaments, but a kind of residuum of decomposed substances, which was pro- nounced, by geological examiners, to have been animal deposit-" it looked like gray earth in ashes." The graves were all five feet long, by two feet wide, and put at one and a half feet below the sur- face, and thence two and a half feet to the bottom. The rows stood north and south.
Bushhill and Springettsberry were parts of the manor of Springetts- verry. James Logan early saw the prospective value of this part of the manor, sc near the city, and was very unwilling to part with any
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portion of it, but the difficulties of the Penn family made it neces- sary to yield it to others. Jonathan Dickinson bought a part; and a part was given to Andrew Hamilton for needful professional ser- vices as a legal counsellor, &c., to the Penn family.
A few country seats were located along the Ridge road, having the rear of their grounds extending back to the beautiful banks of the Schuylkill. Among such were Mifflin's place, Francis' place, Peale hall, and others. Those named were all set fire to at the same time, by the British-saying, as their excuse, that they could or did serve for look-out shelters for their enemies. Two country seats on German- town road were also burnt-say Norris' place at Fairhill, and Charles Thomson's at Sommerville.
Stenton, near Germantown, the residence of the Logan family, was originally taken up by James Logan, secretary, &c., of William Penn. The family mansion was built in 1727, in a very superior manner. At one time the fields there were cultivated in tobacco. It was used for a short time by General Howe, and at one time was preserved from intended conflagration by the British, by the adroit management of the house-keeper then there, in charge of it.
Familiar as I have been with the history and manuscript remains of the honoured proprietor, the first James Logan, I approach the secluded shades of Stenton, in which he sought retirement from the cares and concerns of public life, with such emotions as might inspire poetry, or soothe and enlarge the imagination.
In truth, I feel, with Sir Richard Steele, that on such an occasion, " I can draw a secret, unenvied pleasure from a thousand incidents overlooked by other men." A picture of the house, as now seen, is given in this work.
At the present time there are standing some three or four old brick country residences distinguished in their day. One of double front, from the road, in the lot on the northern side of the Arsenal ; another stands opposite to the Arsenal, back from the road, having a circular window in the gable-end to the street, and a piazza around the whole square of the building. Another stands at the angle of the ferry- road, below the Arsenal, and shows its circular window to the road. It was built and resided in by Weiss, who inherited it from the Swedish family of Cocke. This Weiss was the first man to bring Lehigh coal to Philadelphia for experiment. He, bringing what he had, in his saddle-bags, and was laughed out of his hopes therein, on its being tried for ignition in his cousin Dupuy's silver-smith furnace! He died at Weissport, named Col. Jacob Weiss.
Strange to tell, a former country-seat is even now in the centre of Philadelphia ! It is No. 2 South Thirteenth street. 'The same house where the five wheelbarrow men murdered a man, and were hung for it, on the Centre square.
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Miscellaneous Facts.
MISCELLANEOUS FACTS.
"Made of odd ends and patches."
THE following facts have no proper connexion, and have here been brought together, because they had no proper affinity with any other subjects treated of severally under appropriate heads. They are shreds and patches and odd ends, here wove, into a Mosaic pattern-to wit :
Miscellanea.
1683, Jan. 28 .- The speaker of the assembly ordered, that each member absenting himself without good cause, should pay a fine of 12d. sterling each time.
1685, March 16 .- Nicholas Moore, (former speaker,) for contempt of the authority of the house, was expelled.
1689, March 13 .- John White, a member in prison in New Castle, was ordered to be set free and to take his seat, but he was again seized by the sheriff, John Claypole, and borne off!
1695 .- The Judges were allowed 10s. a day for their services. John Claypole alone was declared a man of ill-fame, and the governor was requested to remove him.
1701 .- Juries were to be paid 8d. a day, and witnesses 2s. each. Members of assembly in after years received 4s. 6d. a day.
1702 .- Solomon Cresson, going his round at night, entered a tavern to suppress a riotous assembly, and found there John Evans, Esq., the governor, who fell to beating Cresson.
1704, August 16 .- The violence of the wind and rain prevented the members of assembly, out of town, from attendance. Such mem- bers usually brought their dinners with them.
-. October 15 .- The assembly was required to meet on Sun- day. They organized, and adjourned to Monday.
1706 .- The wolves had increased so greatly near to Philadelphia, as to endanger the sheep.
1721 .- Sundry persons in Philadelphia agree to receive, in pay- ment of goods, &c., the dollars called Lion dollars at the rate of 5s., the English crown at 7s. 6d., the English shilling at 1s. 6d., &c., proclamation money.
Four brick tenements on the west side of Front street, and with lots extending through to Second street, fronting on which are two tenements, all rent for £70. per annum, and pay £12. ground rent, bounded on the north by Clement Plumstead. who lived at the north-west corner of Union and Front streets.
VOL. II .- 3 L 41
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Miscellaneous Facts.
1722 .- The mineral water in the Great valley, 30 miles from Philadelphia, is discovered this year ; and great praise is bestowed on the Bristol spring.
A public paper of the merchants at Jamaica, of July, 1722, states " that the reputation of a place, (Philadelphia,) once famed for the best flour in America, has become so corrupted, that housekeepers are scarcely persuaded to look on Pennsylvania flour." In conse- quence of this and other representations, an act for better inspection was passed.
The names of the grand jurors empanelled, gives one a good idea of the first inhabitants ; and their original signatures to recommenda- tions to tavern licenses, might now help many a descendant to a means of knowing the writing of their first progenitors in Philadel- phia. These are still on file in the Mayor's court.
In 1722 and '23, interest was reduced in Pennsylvania from 8 to 6 per cent.
When blackbirds and crows were numerous and destructive, they gave premiums for their heads-by the act of 1704, they gave 3d. per dozen for blackbirds and 3d. for crows.
By an act of 1719, they compelled all paupers in Philadelphia to wear a letter P upon their right shoulder, to prevent them from street begging, &c.
The act for establishing a ferry to Daniel Cooper's land, was passed in 1717.
1726 .- There are advertised two gray stallions suitable for a coach.
1727 .- Lord De la Warr, after whom Delaware is so named, so spells his name in signing, with the other lords, the declaration of King George's death.
A lion, the king of beasts, is exhibited in Water street at 1s. a sight.
The king's birth-day was celebrated this year, (1727,) at the house of Wmn. Chanceller, sailmaker, in whose gardens twenty-one pieces of cannon were placed and fired. Some incidental circumstances have shown that he was the friend of Sir Wm. Keith, the governor, and had from him the first grant of keeping gunpowder stored for safety.
The first loan office was opened in 1728.
1729 .- J. Kempster and J. Coals were compelled to kneel at the bar of the house of assembly, and to ask pardon for offence.
1730, Nov. 5 .- Monday night, one Bradley going home alone, in liquor, fell into a ditch at the upper end of Market street, where he was found dead the next morning, having been drowned in six inches of water.
It is worthy of remark, that in this early day so few co-partner- ships should occur in business. In a list of 120 chief houses in trade, only two instances occur of signatures by firms.
1730 .- The house of assembly ordered that a flag should be hoisted on proper days upon Society hill-such as Sundays and
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Miscellaneous Facts.
holidays, &c.,-and that Edward Carter be paid £10. for such noisting, &c.
1736 .- An ox is announced as to be roasted whole, for public entertainment, in the Northern Liberties-at J. Stennard's.
Mr. Derring, dancing-master, advertises for scholars. John Salo- men, Latin and French teacher, advertises in Latin for pupils.
1736 .- A servant man going into the river, " under Society hill," to wash, slipped beyond his depth and was drowned.
At the same place a man, attended by his wife, came to drown himself to get rid of her : but after casting himself in, at which sight she was a calm spectator, some officious persons near there rescued him, and compelled him and his wife to go home together!
1738 .- Peter Poole, of Manatawna, hearing a noise in the brook near his house, supposed it was a deer in the water, and shooting at it, killed his own mother, Anna S. Poole! This family probably gave name to Poole's ship-yard and bridge.
1738 .- The mayor acquainted the city council that several of the barbers of the city had applied to him to take proper measures to prevent persons exercising that trade on the first day of the week, called Sunday, and the mayor desired the opinion of the board what measures to adopt,-whereupon the board orders that they be notified to abstain from so working on that day, according to the law of the province before existing, and preventing working on that day.
1739 .- One of the houses at the south-west corner of Front and Walnut streets, (held by Edward Bridges as a dry-goods store) is said to be "commonly called the Scales."
A camel is this year exhibited, the first ever shown here.
1746-" Firms"' in trade now first begin to appear-say Hamil ton, Wallace and Co."-" Steadman, Robertson and Co."
A storekeeper in Wilmington-say Joseph Peters-advertises his list of store goods in the Philadelphia paper. He does this often in several years, even till his death, and then his successor does the same.
In 1746, Thomas Kinnett advertises to teach the noble art of de fence with the small sword, and also dancing.
In consequence of that advertisement, an article soon after ap- peared, signed Samuel Foulke, in which he says, "I was indeed surprised at his audacity and brazen impudence in giving those de- testable vices those high encomiums. They may be proved so far from "accomplishments," that they are diabolical. This is a free- dom of assault by friend Foulke, not now practised with other men's advertisements! The other does not appear to have made any de- fence, although so accomplished to defend himself !
1748 .- The coin of the day is called pieces-of-eight-pistoles and cob-dollars.
1749 .- A proclamation of Charles Willing, Esq., the mayor, commands all barbers and peruke-makers from working at their trades on the sabbath-day.
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Miscellaneous Facts.
This year wood was determined, by an ordinance, that it should measure four feet in length, or be forfeited to the poor, and any person refusing to submit it to measurement, should forfeit 5s. per cord.
1751 .- The pilot boats used to be all docked in a dock where are now Girard's stores, above High street. They were of small dimen- sions then. I perceive they were pinked stern, but 27 feet keel, and 11 feet beam.
1754 .- By far the greatest collection of books that I have seen advertised by catalogue, even by Franklin and other printers, were published by Tench Francis, Jr., in connexion with his assortment of European and East India goods. There were then no exclusive book-stores.
William Taylor, who came from England in 1726, and settled at Darby, was the first man who ever made a pair of smith's bellows in our country.
There were great perplexities in our markets at the time of changing the computation of money from pounds, shillings, and pence, to dollars and cents, and considerable in keeping accounts, &c. It was a long time before people could get out of their old habits.
Philadelphia has long enjoyed the reputation of a peculiar cake called the apee. Thousands who partake of them have no con- ception of the origin of their name. Ann Page, lately living under another name and business, first made them, many years ago, under the common name of cakes. The aged may remember her small frame house in Second street, two doors north of Carter's alley. On her cakes she impressed the letters A. P., the letters of her name, and from this cause, ever since the initials have been disused on them, the cakes have continued to be called apees.
Our Philadelphia butchers are said to cut up and display their beef in a manner superior to the sister cities. At New York, they leave the lean on the chuck, which our butchers leave on the hide; and we cut the plate and the brisket more sightly than they do at New York or Baltimore.
In the year 1779, the Spanish ambassador, then living in Chew's large house in South Third street above the Mansion house, gave a grand gala. The gardens there were superbly decorated with va- riegated lamps, and the edifice itself was like a blaze of light.
I saw an ancient deed in the possession of Samuel Richards, which was written on very fine linen cambric, and faced on both sides with paper. It made it firm and to the eye like vellum.
The mile-stones from Philadelphia to Trenton were set up by the directors of the Company for the Insurance of houses-done in 1763, out of the funds raised by their fines. They cost £33. The particulars, as reported by the committee, may be seen at length on page 198 of my MS. Annals in the Historical Society of Pennsylvania.
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