History of Delaware County, Pennsylvania, Part 107

Author: Ashmead, Henry Graham, 1838-1920
Publication date: 1884
Publisher: Philadelphia, Pa. : L.H. Everts
Number of Pages: 1150

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In 1764, Shaw was returned as constable of Chester township, an office which in colonial days was selected only from owners of real estate. Shaw was not anxious to serve the public in that capacity, and to avoid the honor thus thrust upon him presented the following petition to the court :

" Te the Honorable Justices of the Court of Private Sessions, held at Ches- ter on the 26th day of March, 1764:

" The petitico of Ssonuel Shaw, of Chester Towoship, Miller, Humbly Showeth-

"That your Petitioner understands that he is on the returo fer the office of Constable of the said Township for the ensuing year : That your Petitioner has formerly served that office, and there are several others places that have never served, and it being a custom that all places in the ed Township should serve in their turns before any should be obliged te serve agaio, your Petitioner apprehends it will not fall to bis inrø to serve for several years yet to come; and your Petitioner has annexed a list of some persone' names who are Inhabitants of the said Township, and have never yet served, as your Petitiener stande in- structed.

" That your Petitioner has lived but a few years in the said Town- ship, and now hath a very large family, and is also involved in such a multiplicity of business at present that he cannot serve the said office at this time without greatly prejudicing his ewo private affaire. That when your Petitioner dwelt io the county of Philadelphia he was com- missiened by the Go" se a Majer und Captain of & Company, aod beiog Ao old regular soldier did discipline several other Companies as well as

his own without any reward from the Goveromant, which proved a Considerable Expense to him, as well as a hioderance to ble own private ceocerna.

" Your Petitioner therefere most humbly Praye that your Honors will he pleased to take the premises iote consideration and excuse him at present from the esid Office of Constable, and appoint some other person to that office io his utead.

" Aod your Petitioner shall ever pray, etc.

"SAMUEL SHAW."

Attached to the above quaint document is the fol- lowing: "List of Persons who have not served as Constables : Jacob Howell, Jr., John Eyre, George Spear, David Jackson, Henry Platt, Thomas Sharp- less, Thomas Roman, Philip Roman, Jacob Ridge- way, Valentine Weaver, John Salkeld (part of a year formerly)."

On Oct. 31, 1777, Gen. Washington ordered Gen. Potter to remove the millstones at Chester Mills so that no flour could be ground there for the British army, and we know that these orders were obeyed, but where the stones were removed to is not known. Subsequent to the Revolution, in the shrinkage in the value of real estate, the Chester Mills passed out of the ownership of Samuel Shaw, and were purchased by Henry Hale Graham, who subsequently sold them to his son-in-law, Richard Flower. In 1793, Richard Flower purchased from Oliver Evans the right to use the latter's patent "for elevating grain and meal from the lower to the upper stories, and conveying the same from one part of the mill to another, and for cooling the meal and attending the Bolting Hoppers." The motive-power, we learn from this old document, then consisted " of two Water wheels situate on Ches- ter Creek .. . called Chester Mills." The same year Richard Flower made entry under the act of Assem- bly at the county court of the brands exclusively used by him at these mills, which were "Chester Superfine," "Chester," "Chester Middlings, No. 2- 96," "No. 4-98." While he was still engaged in milling, Richard Flower made several successful ventures in shipping flour to Europe. When the misunderstanding existed between France and the United States, previous to 1800, he, in connection with his brother, John, his half-brother, Reece Wall, and his brother-in-law, Capt. John McKeever, loaded three vessels with flour and cleared them for Liver- pool. All three of the ships were captured by French cruisers and condemned in French prize courts, al- though one of the vessels was within sixty miles of the Delaware Bay when taken. The loss he sustained by French spoliation was so great that he never again attempted to seek a foreign market for his bread- stuff. During the war of 1812 the American troops were instructed to impress all the flour at Chester Mills for the army, but the government paid full value for all that was taken. In 1824 he was succeeded at Chester Mills by his son, William G. Flower, who continued to operate them until the death of Richard Flower, in 1843. The Chester Mills were sold to John W. Ashmead, under proceedings in the Orphaus'

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THE BOROUGH OF UPLAND.

Court, and in 1845 the latter conveyed them, together with a tract of land of something over sixty acres, to John P. Crozer.

In 1845, after the purchase from John W. Ashmead of the Chester Mills, John P. Crozer immediately made preparation for erecting a cotton-factory at that place. The following year he built the mill known as No. 1, a five-story stone structure, one hundred and thirty-eight feet in length by fifty in width, and also erected a number of stone dwelling-houses for the operatives. In June, 1847, there were forty-six tene- ments on the property, and an eighty horse-power engine had been attached to the factory, so that in the event of the water in the creek at any time proving insufficient to operate the machinery the mill might not be compelled to suspend for that cause. At that date there were one hundred and fifty power-looms, eleven self-acting mules, with three thousand eight hundred and sixty-four spindles, while the whole number of spindles amounted to six thousand. This mill has been much enlarged, and at present contains eight thousand nine hundred and eighty-eight throstle- spindles, two thousand nine hundred and ninety-two mule-spindles, and two hundred and ninety-eight looms. In 1852, John P. Crozer built mill No. 2, one hundred and fifty-eight feet in 'length hy fifty-two feet in width, four stories and an attic in height, and containing seven thousand spindles and one hundred and fifty looms. This mill, after it passed to Samuel A. Crozer, was enlarged, and now contains seven thousand four hundred and fifty-six throstle-spindles, four thousand four hundred mule-spindles, and nine cards. In 1863, to meet the demand for the goods he then manufactured, John P. Crozer erected mill No. 3, fifty-two feet by two hundred and twenty-two feet, four stories in height, in which were used six thou- sand spindles and one hundred and fifty looms. This mill contains seven thousand one hundred and forty throstle-spindles, two thousand one hundred and twelve mule-spindles, and two hundred and fifty-six looms. Mills No. 1 and No. 3 have capacity to con- sume ninety bales of cotton weekly, and produce eighty-two cases of goods per week. William I. Woodward is manager of the mills of John P. Crozer's Sons. After the death of Mr. Crozer, in 1866, the mills were divided among his sons, Samuel A. Crozer taking No. 2 mill, and Nos. 1 and 3 being operated by J. Lewis, George K. and Robert H. Crozer, under the firm-name of J. P. Crozer & Sons.

In the township of Springfield, Delaware Co., at a place called for a time West Dale, now Swarthmore, and near the college of that name (which stands on a part of the property), in the same house, were born two persons destined to be celebrated in their re- spective spheres of action : Benjamin West, one of America's most celebrated painters and a president of the British Royal Academy, and John P. Crozer, a manufacturer, and especially noted for his philan- thropic and benevolent actions.

John Price Crozer was born Jan. 13, 1793, and was the son of John and Sarah Price Crozer.

The first ancestor of John P. Crozer in America was James Crozer, who, with his four brothers,- Samuel, John, Robert, and Andrew,-emigrated from Ireland in the early part of the eighteenth century. Soon after arriving in this country James Crozer was married to a lady of English descent named Gleave, whose parents resided in Springfield.

John Crozer, the father of John P., married Sarah Price, daughter of John Price, of English descent. He was a carpenter, and pursued his occupation in Philadelphia till after his marriage. After residing for a short time on a farm owned by the estate of John Knowles, of which he was executor, he pur- chased the farm at Springfield, now owned by the trustees of Swarthmore College, and upon which John P. was born. Though following the humble trade of a carpenter he possessed an education far superior to his calling, and was a good Latin scholar and well versed in the classics. His religious views were in sympathy with the society of Friends, though he was not a member of any denomination.

Sarah Price Crozer was a woman of strong religious convictions, gentle and charitable towards all. She had been educated as an Episcopalian, and was a sin- cere and earnest friend to all real Christianity, with- out regard to creed. She endeavored to instill by her life and teaching the principles of godliness and true grace in the minds of her children, and to teach them the ways that lead to true greatness.

The children of John and Sarah P. Crozer were Elizabeth (who became the wife of John Lewis), James, Sarah (who became Mrs. Samuel Y. Camp- bell), John Price, and Samuel.

The educational advantages of John P. Crozer were very limited. He began attending school at the age of six years at the little stone school-house about three-quarters of a mile from his home, and here all the days of his school-life were spent excepting a short term of three months at a school about two miles away. The amount of knowledge that could be acquired at these schools was very meagre, and was mostly comprised in the three "r's," ___ " readin', ritin', and 'rithmetic." His studies were, however, prosecuted vigorously ; and supplemented by the small but well-selected library of his father he acquired a much better education than was usually attained at that day.

At the early age of fourteen he became a member of the First Baptist Church of Philadelphia, having been converted under the ministrations of the Rev. Dr. Staughton.

From his early childhood he had been accustomed to the hard labor of the farm, and from his seven- teenth year had rested upon his young shoulders al- most its entire management. Upon attaining his majority, in consideration of this fact his father had given him a one-third interest in its profits. In

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HISTORY OF DELAWARE COUNTY, PENNSYLVANIA.

1816 his father died, and his mother's death occurred the next year.

He was very desirous of purchasing the farm, and preventing its falling into the hands of strangers, but upon carefully considering the matter in all its lights he became convinced that it was not practicable.

In 1820, after leasing the farm pending its sale, he made an extended trip through Pennsylvania, Ohio, Kentucky, and the then sparsely-settled country in Indiana and Illinois. The trip was made almost en- tirely upon horseback, and covered a distance of twenty-seven hundred miles, extending from April to December. Upon his return the farm had been sold, and his share of the property was about two thousand four hundred dollars. This, together with a little more than one thousand dollars additional, was his sole capital, and with it he began his business career.

His first enterprise was in connection with Mr. G. G. Leiper, who had bought the home-farm, and was that of conducting a saw- and merchant grist- mill. The capital was to be furnished equally, and the rent of the mill owned by Mr. Leiper was to offset Mr. Crozer's personal services. After prosecuting the business vigorously, and accumulating a large stock of lumber, the depression in business prevented a ready or profitable sale, and to prevent a failure, which he foresaw, he retired from the business with the consent of his partner. After looking around for a new field, he decided to engage in cotton manufac- turing, and to this end rented Mr. G. G. Leiper's mill on Crum Creek. His entire capital was about three thousand seven hundred dollars ; this, with two thou- sand dollars put into the business by Mr. John Lewis, was the entire capital at commencement.

The business was at first small, and many were the difficulties to be overcome, but by unceasing personal effort and patient, tireless economy he was at last upon the high road to success. In 1825 he bought the property known as Mattson's paper-mill, on the west branch of Chester Creek, and after altering it as seemed necessary, he moved his machinery here in the autumn of that year. From this time onward his business interests grew larger and larger, and continued to increase as long as he remained in busi- ness. In 1845 he purchased the Flower estate, about two miles from Chester, and gave it the name of Up- land. Here he erected an elegant and spacious man- sion, and to it he removed from West Branch on April 19, 1847. From this time to the date of his death .he made his home at Upland, and dispensed that generous hospitality for which the place is noted. Though a man of great business cares and ventures to engross his time, his enlarged and advanced views of the duties of a Christian, and of the responsibilities of the enjoyment of property, made him an active and incessant worker in benevolent projects.

Mr. Crozer died at his home at Upland, on Sunday morning, March 11, 1866. Among the many good works he accomplished, and to which he was a liberal

contributor, were the building of the First Baptist Church at Upland, the endowment of a Professorship in the University at Lewisburg, the founding of the Normal School at Upland, after his death endowed by his family and now the Crozer Theological Seminary. He was president of the Pennsylvania Colonization Society ; president of the board of directors of the American Baptist Publication Society ; president of the Pennsylvania Training-School for Feeble-Minded Children, at Media ; president of Home for Friendless Children at Twelfth and Fitzwater Streets, Philadel- phia; president of Women's Hospital at Philadel- phia; president of Pennsylvania Baptist Education Society. He was one of the founders of the Christian Commission, and, together with George H. Stuart, represented the city of Philadelphia at the meeting in the city of New York, on Nov. 14, 1861, at which the Commission originated. During the war of the Rebellion he gave the use of his school at Upland for a hospital. It would be almost impossible to enumerate the services of this benefactor of human kind, so numerous are they, and his benefactions seem to have been guided by an intelligence more than human. He passed away in the seventy-fourth year of his age, in the full possession of his strength of mind, still planning future acts of benevolence.

Mr. Crozer was married on the 12th of March, 1825, to Miss Sallie L. Knowles, the daughter of a near neighbor of his youth. She was a lady of intelli- gence and education, and an active participant in all of his plans for good. In addition to grace of mind she had that grace of the heart which springs from pure goodness and innate, true Christianity. To them were born in the fullness of time nine children, -Samuel A., Margaret, Elizabeth, J. Lewis, Sallie K., James, George K., Robert H., and Emma. Of these James died Oct. 25, 1838, Sallie in August, 1852, and Margaret in March, 1870. His widow died August 3, 1882, aged eighty-two years.

The Schools of Upland .- Prior to the year 1849 the children residing at Upland were compelled to attend school at Sneath's Corner, or at the "Old Mud Wasp" at Cartertown. The distance from Upland to these schools was a serious difficulty to the residents of the village, for in the winter season and early spring the roads would often for weeks together be almost impassable, the clay soil having softened to a thick adhesive mud. Female children frequently could not go to school for days together. John P. Crozer, in the year mentioned, proposed to the school directors of Chester township that if they would establish a school at Upland he, at his personal expense, would erect a building which could be used exclusively for school purposes without cost to the board. This offer was accepted, a house was built on Rose Street, not far from the Pusey house, a school was established, and Mrs. Warren Dixon was employed to teach the pupils. For nine years this building was used by the directors, but in 1858 the

433

THE BOROUGH OF UPLAND.

number of children applying for admission to the public school compelled the erection of a new build- ing. A lot was purchased at the corner of Sixth and Upland Streets, and the brick school-house known as No. 1 was built. In 1880 it was enlarged, and has now accommodations for four schools. Upland had increased so much in population that in 1868 the Hill school-house, a stone building known as No. 2, was erected, and two schools established therein. In the six'schools at the present time about three hundred and twenty-five pupils are in attendance.

When the borough of Upland was incorporated, in 1869, it was made an independent school district. In 1880, John W. Parsons was appointed principal of the schools, a position which he still retains.

The directors of the public school of Upland bor- ough have been as follows :

1869, Rev. J. W. Pendleton, Benjamin F. Pretty, Rev. Dr. George D. B. Pepper, George H. Crozer, James Blight; 1870, James Sample, Augur Castle; 1872, George Vanaant, William Band; 1873, Rev. Dr. George D. B. Pepper, Daniel G. Compton ; 1874, John Gilston, Morris P. Hannum ; 1875, Benjamin F. Pretty, Calvert Cardwell; 1876, Joseph Dalton, Jr., Daniel G. Compton, Timothy Keeley; 1877, Wil- liam Band, William Give; 1878, Mark W. Allen, John Gilston, Morris P. Hannum ; 1879, James West, Augur Castle ; 1880, J. Parry Lukina, Joseph H. Carroll, Benjamin Crowther, James H. Moore; 1881, Benjamin Crowther, Garrett Pendleton ; 1882, John McMur- ray, John Greenaway ; 1883, Lewis J. Smith, George T. Watson, Joseph H. Carroll; 1884, Dr. Isaac Crowther, Jamea A. Forsyth.

The Upland Baptist Church .- In the spring of 1851 John P. Crozer began the erection of a church edifice, previous to which date religious services con- ducted by Baptist clergymen were held in a room in the factory. In March of the following year the structure was so far advanced that it was dedicated, and on Nov. 17, 1852, when fully completed, was pub- licly recognized as a house of worship, prominent Baptist clergymen taking part in the ceremonies on that occasion. Rev. John Duncan was the first pastor, but he resigned in 1854, and Rev. William Wilder was called and accepted the pastorate of the church, continuing in the discharge of the duties appertaining thereto until July, 1865. In November of that year Rev. James M. Pendleton was installed as the miu- ister, a relationship which was continued eighteen years, until the latter part of October, 1883, when he resigned. One night in the early spring of the year 1871 the reverend gentleman had a remarkable adven- ture with several burglars. He was awakened by a light in his study, which adjoined his sleeping-room, and, believing that by neglect the gas had been al- lowed to burn at that late hour, arose. As he ap- proached the room the light was extinguished, and a determined voice ordered the clergyman to return to his bed and lie quiet. This command was obeyed, and the owner of the articles which were then under- going inspection in another room by strangers over- heard one of the intruders remark to the other, " If he don't lie still put a bullet through him." The doctor remained quiet until daylight came, when he arose to find the burglars had gone, as also a gold watch,

a pair of gold spectacles, and thirty dollars in money. During Dr. Pendleton's pastorate the church pros- pered, and in 1873 the edifice was for the second time enlarged, the improvements made in that year costing fourteen thousand dollars, the first addition to the original building having been made in 1860. Not only did the membership of the Upland Church in- crease threefold during the pastorate of Rev. Dr. Pendleton, but a mission chapel was established at Leiperville, and another at Bridgewater, while the Baptist Church at Village Green and in South Ches- ter were originally offshoots from the parent sanctuary at Upland. The church in the borough since Dr. Pendleton's resignation has been without a regular pastor, the services being conducted by Prof. E. H. Johnson, of the Crozer Theological Seminary, with marked success, for during the brief period in which he preached there one hundred and thirty persons were added to the roll of members. Rev. C. L. Williams, a recent graduate of the Crozer Seminary, is . at present in charge of the church. The brick par- sonage was built by John P. Crozer in 1855, and is a roomy, comfortable dwelling.

Crozer Theological Seminary .- Just beyond the incorporated limits of the city of Chester, to the northwest and within the borough of Upland, is lo- cated the institution of learning which was estab- lished by the Crozer family, in 1868, as a memorial of their father, the late John P. Crozer. In 1857, Mr. Crozer had begun the erection of the present main building, at a cost of forty-five thousand dollars, with the intention of locating there a normal school, and in September of the following year it was formally opened as an academy of the higher grades of intel- lectual training, and as such was continued for several years.

The war-storm having burst with fury on the coun- try, early in June, 1862, Mr. Crozer tendered, without charge, to the United States the building as a hospital, conditioned only that it should be returned to him, after it was no longer required, in as good condition as when he placed it at the disposal of the govern- ment. The offer was accepted, the necessary changes in the building made, and on June 18, 1862, Dr. George K. Wood, formerly an assistant surgeon in the regular army, was appointed surgeon-in-charge of the hospital. As soon as it was ascertained that a hospital would be established there, on the date last mentioned a number of ladies organized a society known as " The Soldiers' Relief Association," of which Mrs. Samuel A. Crozer was first directress; Mrs. Abby Kerlin, as- sistant directress ; Mrs. Samuel Arthur, secretary ; Mrs. J. Lewis Crozer, assistant secretary ; Mrs. John P. Crozer, treasurer, with a directress in every town- ship in the county. For some time the sick, disabled, and dying soldiers in this hospital were supplied with all the delicacies and luxuries so necessary to tempt the appetite and assuage the anguish of the inmates of that house of bodily suffering. The first patient was

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HISTORY OF DELAWARE COUNTY, PENNSYLVANIA.

admitted July 17, 1862, and on the 29th of the same month the steamer "State of Maine" arrived at Chester with two hundred and twenty-three sick and wounded Union soldiers on board, who had been captured in the Seven Days' Fight before Richmond, and had just been exchanged. The building contained nearly a thousand beds, but so great was the demand made upon the hospital that thirteen hundred persons, in- cluding patients, surgeons, attendants, and guards, were gathered within its walls. Until the 14th of July, 1863, the hospital was used almost exclusively for wounded Union soldiers, but after the battle of Gettysburg the Confederate wounded, left on the field by Gen. Lee in his retreat, were so many that the government was compelled to designate a certain los- pital for the reception of the rebels, and the one at Chester was selected for that purpose.

In July, 1862, Rev. John Pinckney Hammond, a brother of Surgeon-General Hammond, and at the time rector of St.Paul's Church, Chester, was ap- pointed chaplain of the hospital. This selection proved unsatisfactory to a large number of the most active friends of the institution, whose desire was to minister to the wants of the unfortunate men who were sent thither, unrestrained by cumbersome and unnecessary rules, the enforcement of which caused much difficulty in the working of the auxiliary bodies connected with the institution. Dr. J. L. Le Conte, the noted entomologist, on July 14, 1862, was ap- pointed to succeed Dr. Wood. He adhered firmly to the rules already promulgated respecting visita- tions to the hospital, which largely obstructed the unselfish and earnest work of the ladies of "The Sol- diers' Relief Association," while returning nothing in exchange for the hindrance offered. The dispute between the hospital authorities and the people cul- minated in petitions for the removal of these officers being presented to the appointing power, and at last they were removed in the fall of 1862, but not until Hon. John M. Broomall, the then member of Con- gress, had repeatedly demanded such action. Dr. Eben Smith succeeded Dr. Le Conte.

After the hospital was set apart for the reception of Confederate wounded, a picket-fence, twelve feet in height, was built, surrounding the grounds, and guards were stationed to prevent the escape of con- valescent prisoners of war. Notwithstanding the vigilance of the authorities, one dark stormny night in August, 1863, Capt. Edward Shay, of the Sixteenth Mississippi Regiment, and Lieut. Davis, of Gen. Trimble's staff, evaded the guard and escaped.

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History of Delaware County, Pennsylvania, Part 107

Author: Ashmead, Henry Graham, 1838-1920 Publication date: 1884 Publisher: Philadelphia, Pa. : L.H. Everts Number of Pages: 1150

Author: Ashmead, Henry Graham, 1838-1920
Publication date: 1884
Publisher: Philadelphia, Pa. : L.H. Everts
Number of Pages: 1150