History of Delaware County, Pennsylvania, Part 162

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

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Mills .- In giving an account of the mills of Nether Providence the plan of following the creeks will be employed, first giving those on Ridley, and after those on Crum Creek.

Turner's Cotton-Lap Factory .- In 1813, William Beatty, an edge-tool maker, entered into an agree- ment with Daniel Sharpless to take the ground on the Providence road, above the present bridge, where William & Richard T. Turner now have their cotton- lap factory, free of rent for seventeen years, in con- sideration of building a house, shop, dam, and race there. William Beatty at this place erected a tilt- or blade-mill, which he operated successfully. In 1825 he made sixteen hundred cast-steel picking-axes, five hundred broad-axes, five hundred drawing-knives, two hundred cleavers and choppers, steeled about five hundred axes and adzes, besides manufacturing many chisels, gouges, knives, and other tools. In 1828, Wil- liam Beatty moved to Crum Creek, in Springfield, above the present paper-mill of J. Howard Lewis. The title to property on Ridley Creek had passed to Henry

Sharpless, and in the latter year he changed the tilt- mill to a cotton-lap factory, and rented it to Ambrose & Charles Williams. On May 10, 1867, William & Richard T. Turner, the present owners, purchased the mill and eight acres of ground, and continued there the manufacture of cotton laps.

Waterville Mills .- In 1764, on the site of this mill, on Ridley Creek, Daniel Sharpless was assessed on a saw-mill, which was in operation prior to 1755, for William Worrall (born in Marple in 1730) states in his " Recollections," published in 1820, that in that year (1755) the water in the several creeks in Delaware County was so low that the race at Daniel Sharpless' saw-mill was dry, which was never known to have occurred before that time. In 1790 he built a fulling-mill at the present Waterville, and conducted the business there until 1805, when it was operated by Isaac Sharpless. In 1810, Daniel Sharpless had again assumed control of the enterprise, and in 1815, Enos Sharpless erected a grist-mill and saw-mill, and Isaac Sharpless was operating the fulling- and woolen- factory at that place. James Schofield, in 1826, was the lessee of the Isaac Sharpless factory, and was then manufacturing fine cloths and cassimeres. At a sub- sequent date Daniel Sharpless was operating the mill, to he succeeded by Antrim Osborne. The latter re- mained at this locality until 1863, when he removed to Rose Valley Mills. Robert Hall succeeded Os- borne in the factory at Waterville, where he remained until 1871, when, having purchased the Mohawk Mills, in Chester, he removed thither. In 1873 the Sharpless factory was rented to Joseph Bowers for a shoddy-mill, which he operated until 1877, when be also removed to Chester. The mill at Waterville was after that date rented to various parties until 1882, when it was destroyed by fire.

As early as 1815, Enos Sharpless had erected, per- haps a few years prior to that date, a grist-mill on Ridley Creek, the water being supplied by the same race which furnished the power to the Isaac Sharp- less mill. In 1826, Enos Sharpless had at Waterville a grist-mill, saw-mill, and a cotton factory, the latter operated by George Richardson. The machinery re- quired by the latter at that time consisted of five carding-engines, throstles, spindles, and one mule of one hundred and eighty spindles. Richardson manu- factured cotton yarn. He was succeeded in 1828 by Richard Wetherill, who subsequently moved to Mana- yunk. On Nov. 15, 1835, Gideon Smith, Laurence Hartshorne, and John M. Sharpless entered into partnership in the manufacture of dye-stuff and the grinding of dye-woods, and a part of the grist-mill was arranged with machinery for that purpose. Hartshorne soon retired from the firm, and in 1842 Smith also withdrew from the partnership, but still remained in the business. On Nov. 15, 1845, the grist-mill and dye-works were partly destroyed by fire. John M. Sharpless immediately rebuilt the mills, but on April 24, 1846, they were again burned.

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NETHER PROVIDENCE TOWNSHIP.

For a second time the mills were rebuilt, and the business carried on by John M. Sharpless, at Water- ville, until his death in 1875, and subsequently by his heirs until 1878. A company being formed by the name of John M. Sharpless & Co., in 1878, purchased land in Chester, on the river front, erected buildings thereon, and removed the work to the new location. The old grist-mill is still in use, now conducted by Nathan Sharpless, but the dye-wood works are standing idle.

Franklin Iron-Works .- On the 17th of Decem- ber, 1795, William Vernon sold eighty-three acres of land on Ridley Creek, in Nether Providence, to Jona- than Worrell, who the same day conveyed the prop- erty to James Withey, and two days later, December 19th, the latter sold the tract to William Kerlin. The executors of Kerlin, on March 27, 1806, sold the real estate to Joshua Harlan, of Wilmington, Del., Thomas Chandler, of Nether Providence, and Sam- uel Sinclair, of Kennett, Chester Co. On the 13th of February, 1809, James and John L. Ham, of Nether Providence, sold to Joshua Harlan, Thomas Chandler, and Samuel Sinclair, "copartners in water-works," ten acres adjoining their other lands, with "right, liberty, and privilege of erecting a dam across the said creek [ Ridley], at or near the scite of an ancient Butment on the opposite side of the creek," on land some time of Nathaniel Squibb, then of Harlan, Chandler, and Sinclair, with power to raise water in the dam five feet and six inches for the purpose of obtaining power, " to a level with an anger-hole long since bored in a rock on the creek side and no higher." It appears from this deed that a mill of some kind had many years before been erected upon this mill-seat, and had entirely gone out of existence. No account has heen found of it since 1790.

On the 16th of January, 1810, Harlan, Chandler & Sinclair purchased of Nathaniel Squibb fifty acres of land in Chester township, on Ridley Creek, oppo- site their other lands, and on the 19th of March, 1811, sold all their lands to John Slawter, reserving one acre at the dam. Slawter was not " to dig any ditch; drain, or canal in the land conveyed ... so as to con- vey any part of the water of said creek for any pur- pose whatsoever." In the assessment-roll of 1811, 1812, 1813, Joshua Harlan & Co. are assessed on slit- ting- and rolling-mill. It was operated by them with slight changes till 1821, when Thomas Chandler owned two-thirds of the property, and sold to James Cloud, who took personal charge Oct. 20, 1825. The latter bought Sinclair's third interest. Cloud con- tinued until Jan. 16, 1826, and sold to Robert S. Johnson, then an iron merchant on Water Street, Philadelphia, “ rolling-, slitting-, and saw-mill, and all lands mentioned." Frederick Johnson, a brother of Robert, was in charge of these mills for a year or two, and was followed by Nathan Roland for about two years, when John Gifford Johnson, a son of Robert, became manager, and remained as such until

1850. Philip Nelling, now of Middletown, com- menced work at these rolling-mills Feb. 14, 1827, and continued there until 1848. The mills were then running night and day, with two sets of men,-four men each twelve hours. The mill rolled sheet-iron, which was all sent to Mr. Johnson's store in Philadel- phia. The report of 1826 states that two to three hun- dred tons of iron and steel were rolled annually, and a ton of Lehigh coal was used in rolling a ton of iron. During the great flood of Ang. 5, 1843, the mills stood back some distance from the stream, but when the water came rushing down, in a few minutes the floor was flooded with eight feet of water, causing great damages. The large furnace was highly heated, and J. G. Johnson ordered Thomas D. Nelling, then a lad, to run on the roof, and go to the brick stack connected with the furnace and raise the damper. The boy declined, but Thomas Roberts, then employed in the mills, but now a farmer in Upper Chichester, drew the damper, and a moment afterward the furnace ex- ploded, throwing a portion of the bricks through the roof of the mill. Two large frame store-houses, used for storage of band- and of scrap-iron and other arti- cles, were washed away.

The slitting-mill was continued by Robert John- son until about 1850, when his son, J. Gifford Johnson, changed the mill into an edge-tool factory, and rented it to Robert Beatty, who ran it till 1855. In 1853, J. G. Johnson erected the present stone grist-mill. John Beatty, the brother of Robert, in that year rented the edge-tool factory, and operated it from 1855 to 1862. About the latter date the property was sold to Wil- liam C. Johnson, who conducted the grist-mill and edge-tool factory until 1870, when John Dutton and John Booth purchased the property. Booth retired after a few years, and Dutton, the present owner, carries on the milling and edge-tool works.

Todmorden Mills .- The property on which these mills aresituated belonged, in 1777, to Thomas Vichers, who, on June 7th in that year, sold one hundred and sixty-two acres to Alexander Willcocks, of Philadel- phia. On the 7th of December, 1791, Jacob Benning- hove, a tobacconist, of Philadelphia, leased of Caleb Harrison a small parcel of land in Middletown town- ship for nine hundred and ninety-nine years, with the "right, liberty, and privilege to erect or cause to be erected a dam on and across Ridley creek from the land of the said Jacob Benninghove, which he lately purchased from Alexander Willcocks." It appears from this deed that Benninghove had purchased of Willcocks prior to 1791; the deed, however, from Willcocks to Benninghove bears date Aug. 30, 1793, and is for one hundred and sixty-two acres of land in Nether Providence. On the same day Joshua Har- rison, son of Caleb, with consent of Jacob Benning- hove, canceled the lease of 1791, and a new lease was made for nine hundred and uinety-nine years for the consideration of fifty Spanish milled dollars and an annual rent of "one grain of Indian corn, if demanded,

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HISTORY OF DELAWARE COUNTY, PENNSYLVANIA.

to be paid to Joshua Harrison, his heirs or assigns." This lease gave "full right to raise, repair, alter, or rebuild" a new dam on the site of the present one. It is evident that soon after the lease, in 1791, the snuff-mill was erected. It was owned and operated by Jacob Benninghove till his death, which occurred before 1811.

The residence now owned and occupied by Samuel Bancroft was built by Jacob Benninghove. For a few years after the death of Benninghove the mill was operated by James Crowley, and from 1816 by Eliza- beth Benninghove, widow of Jacob, till her death. On the 5th of April, 1831, Samuel Bancroft purchased one hundred and sixty-two acres of land, and the snuff- and saw-mill then on the property, the land lying in Chester, Middletown, and Nether Providence. In the next year, 1832, Samuel Bancroft erected a stone woolen-mill, eighty-six by forty-six feet, three stories and an attic in height, in which he placed two thousand four hundred spindles and thirty looms. In 1842 the property passed to William T. Crook, who remained there twelve years. During that time he built a stone mill, one hundred by fifty feet, four stories high, for the manufacture of blankets. Ten sets of cards were put in. On Dec. 4, 1849, an accident hap- pened at the mills, which made a deep impression on the residents of the county at that time. A young man named Hutchinson, employed by Crook, was in the fourth story of the mill engaged in hoisting cotton from a wagon. In leaning ont the door to catch the tackle the bar gave way and he fell, striking on the wheel of the wagon, causing instant death. About 1854 the property was again purchased hy Sam- uel Bancroft, who has operated it to the present time. There are three thousand spindles, thirty-five looms, and seven sets of cards in the mill.

John Bancroft, the grandfather of Samuel, was by birth an Englishman, and resided in Manchester, England, where he was a chair manufacturer. On retiring from business he removed to Penketh, near Warrington, England, where the remainder of his life was spent. He married Jane Fielding, of Todmorden Hall, to whom were born children,-John, David, and Sarah. John, whose birth occurred in Manches- ter, pursued the business of his father, to which was added that of a Inmber merchant. He married Eliz- abeth Wood, of Bolton, Lancashire, England, whose children were John, Joseph, Samuel, Rebecca, Mar- garet, Sarah, Thomas, William, Edward, Esther, Mar- tha, and Harvey. Mr. Bancroft, with his family, emigrated to America in 1822, and settled at Wil- mington, Del., where he established mills for the manufacture of flannel goods. His son, Samuel, was born on the 25th of July, 1804, in Manchester, Eng- land. His youth was spent in Wales, where, after being educated at a Friends' school in Ackworth, Yorkshire, he engaged in farming, and continued thus employed until his emigration, with his father, to America in 1822. He at once became identified

with his father's pursuits, and in 1827 repaired, with the family, to the township of Upper Providence. Here, having rented a mill, he became interested in the manufacture of flannels. In 1831, Mr. Bancroft removed to his present location, in Nether Providence, and, in conjunction with his father, erected mills in the vicinity, which he continues to operate, residing meanwhile at his attractive home-known as "Tod- morden"-in the same township. He was married, June 3, 1828, to Miss Mary W., daughter of William Hallowell, of Philadelphia. Their only child was Eliz- abeth H. (Mrs. Thomas H. Rice), deceased. He was a second time married, on the 13th of January, 1859, to Sarah, daughter of John Patrick Hare, of Phila- delphia. Mr. Bancroft affiliates with the Republican party in politics, but rarely interests himself in the political issues of the day further than by the casting of his ballot. He is identified with the First National Bank of Media as a director. In his religious belief he is a member of the society of Friends.

Rose Valley Mills .- Nicholas Stimmel, in 1789, purchased of Joseph Dicks one hundred and sixty- five acres of land on Ridley Creek, in Nether Provi- dence. Soon after he sold eighty-two and one-half acres to James Reese, and in 1789 purchased a right for nine hundred and ninety-nine years of abntting a dam on the other side of the creek, with sufficient land to keep it in repair. In the same year Nicholas Stimmel built a snuff-mill on this property. His son, Philip, kept a tobacco store in Philadelphia, and in 1794 the snuff-mill came into the latter's possession. He continued to operate it until April 12, 1814, when he conveyed the mill property and fifty-three acres to William Smith. On July 29, 1818, Smith sold the property to John White, by whom the place was named Rose Valley. The snuff-mill was carried on under his ownership until 1821, when he conveyed the property to William Yardley, a son-in-law, in trust for two of his children, Catharine Fields and John White. At that time it was operated by Charles Fields, who employed the mill for grinding bark used as a medi- cine for fevers. The introduction of quinine destroyed the business, and on April 4, 1826, the property was sold to Park Shee, and Charles Fields removed to Philadelphia, where he became a leading coffee broker. Park Shee changed the old bark into a paper-mill, and erected other buildings. The structures were part stone and part frame, two stories in height; one was thirty by forty feet, and the other forty by fifty feet. Three engines, a drying-machine, and other necessary machinery was added for the manufacture of paper. Park Shee continued the business until after 1850, when the buildings fell into disuse. On Aug. 27, 1861, the property was purchased by Antrim Osborne, and was at that time in ruins, and, as then stated, was "inhabited only by bats and owls." The next year Osborne repaired the dam and race, and built a three- story stone building, seventy-five by fifty-five feet, in which was placed twelve hundred and twenty-four

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NETHER PROVIDENCE TOWNSHIP.

spindles, sixty looms, and three sets of cards. In 1863 a stone building, with picker-house adjoining (now the engine-house), two stories in height, forty by twenty-three feet, was built, and in 1864 another build- ing, also of stone, three stories in height, forty by forty feet, was erected. In 1873 the main mill was enlarged by an addition of seventy-five by fifty-five feet, three stories in height, making that building one hundred and fifty by fifty-five feet ; a dry-house sixty-one by forty feet, and a picker-house sixty by forty feet. The building contains at present two thousand three hun- dred spindles, one hundred looms, and fifteen sets of cards.

Randall Osborne emigrated before 1730 from Eng- land, and settled in Montgomery County, where he leased property and engaged in agricultural pursuits. Among his children was Richard, whose son, Randall, became owner of the land, which he cultivated and improved. One of the grandsons of the latter, who also bore the name of Randall, married Mary Hess, by birth a German, whose children were Richard, Nathan, Jonah, John, Randall, and a daughter, Elizabeth, who became Mrs. John Custer. Jonah, of this number, was born in 1788, on the ancestral land in Montgomery County, and on attaining a suitable age acquired the trade of a stone-mason. He mar- ried Elizabeth Bisson, and had children,-Mary (Mrs. James Redmond), Franklin, Antrim, Elizabeth Ann (Mrs. William Sewell), Phoebe (Mrs. Harlan Miller), and Susannah. Antrim Osborne was born Nov. 19, 1817, on the homestead, in Montgomery County. Having been deprived, in the year 1826, when but eight years of age, of a father's protection and guid- ance, he was placed with Bethel Moore, of West Con- shohocken, to learn the trade of woolen manufactur- ing. He remained three years at this point; was employed for a brief period at a neighboring mill, and ultimately removed to Rockdale, Delaware Co., where he was engaged as a weaver with Lewis & Phillips. After a service of four years with this firm he removed to Philadelphia, and completed an ap- prenticeship to the trade of a bricklayer. In 1838 Mr. Osborne resumed his original occupation in Dela- ware County, and was employed for three years by Richard Blundon, after which the same period was spent in a carpet-factory in Philadelphia, owned by John McAfee. He was also at a later date employed at Crosby's mill, in Delaware County, and in 1846 rented a mill at Waterville, in the same county, where he began the manufacture of satinets. He continued in this location for seventeen years, and in 1861 pur- chased the property of the Rose Valley Paper-Mill, upon which site his present buildings were erected, after which he began the manufacture of woolen jeans, doeskins, and cassimeres. 1n 1863 his son, William H., became a partner, and in 1879 his son, Thomas J., was admitted in the firm. Mr. Osborne was married in 1839, to Isabella V. Barris, of Tren- ton, N. J. Their children are Elizabeth B. (Mrs.

John L. Grimm), William H., Mary Ann (Mrs. Wil- liam H. Forwood), Thomas J., and Antrim E. Mr. Osborne is in his political views a pronounced Repub- lican, but has been fully occupied with his business interests, and found no leisure for participation in matters of public concern. He and his family are worshipers with the congregation of the Nether Provi- dence Methodist Episcopal Church.

Thomas Y. Hutton's Grist-Mill .- A short distance above the Rose Valley Mills, on the property sold by Nathaniel Stemmel in October, 1794, stands an old unoccupied mill, now in the possession of Antrim Osborne. This property passed from James Reese through several parties, and in 1823 from John and Jabez Jenkins to Thomas Y. Hutton, who, in 1840, built a stone grist-mill, which he operated until Sept. 1, 1845, at which date he sold it to Richard Wetherill. The latter kept it until April 1, 1847, when he con- veyed the mill to Robert Boyd, who changed it to a turning-mill and sand-paper factory. Boyd died in 1859, and James Greer, as administrator of his estate, sold it, July 1, 1862, to Edward Borden, who rented it to Joseph Jackson, a bobbin-turner. On Aug. 1, 1869, the latter bought it and ran it till 1878, although he had sold the mill to William Pilling, March 1, 1873. From Pilling it passed successively to Solomon Chorley, John Wildey, and Andrew Rankin. The latter sold it, Nov. 25, 1879, to Antrim Osborne. The building is now used by Antrim Osborne as a store- house.

Chestnut Grove Cotton-Mill .- In 1764, Nathaniel Vernon was operating a saw-mill on Vernon's Run, which was discontinued soon after 1770. The land on which it stood was in 1799 part of the large tract owned by Thomas Leiper. In the division of his estate in 1843 it came to Samuel M. Leiper, who, March 24, 1845, sold the land to John Fildes. The latter erected near the old mill-site a cotton-factory, dye-house, and other necessary buildings. In April, 1852, fire broke out in the dye-house and spread rapidly to the main building. They were both destroyed. The mills were again rebuilt and operated by Fields until May 25, 1858, when the property was sold to Samuel Bancroft, who retained possession until Oct. 28, 1865, when he sold the cotton-factory and sixteen acres of land to James Jerome. The property later came to Mrs. Frances M. Jerome, and afterwards to Andrew P. Walker, by whom it was owned March 29, 1884, at which time the factory was destroyed by fire.

Mills on Ridley Creek-Leiper's Snuff-Mill and Avondale .- The first appearance of the name of Thomas Leiper in connection with manufactures in this county occurs in an assessment-roll of Nether Providence in 1779. In that year he was assessed on a snuff-mill, which was located on Crum Creek, in Nether Providence, opposite and a little above where the Avondale Mill is now. In 1790 he was operating two snuff-mills and was the owner of two hundred | and ninety-six acres of land. A dry-house was added

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HISTORY OF DELAWARE COUNTY, PENNSYLVANIA.

about 1800, and in 1811 there was at Avondale, in addition to the snutf-mills, a spinning-house, in which tobacco was spun, at a later date called the tobacco- factory. These mills were conducted by Thomas Leiper until his death, in 1825. By his will, April 21, 1824, he devised his real estate to his sons, George G., William J., and Samuel M. Leiper. The estate remained undivided until 1843, when the property on which the snuff-mills were located was conveyed by his co-heirs to William J. Leiper. Shortly after the death of Thomas Leiper a two-vat paper-mill was erected, which was supplied with water from the same race which gave power to the snuff-mills. In 1826, and for several years thereafter, the paper-mill was operated by John Holmes. In 1829, George G. Leiper conducted the business at this mill, which was de- stroyed by fire in 1836.

In 1826 there were, as before stated, two snuff-mills on this property, with eight mulls and two cutting- machines. They were operated until 1845, when they were changed into teuant-houses for the employés in the cotton-mills. Subsequent to the destruction of the paper-mill the estate was rented by James Riddle, who erected a cotton-factory on the east side of the creek, in Springfield township, and below the old paper-mill, the walls of which were utilized and changed into tenement-houses. On June 8, 1844, a fire occurred at Avondale, by which two tenement- houses were burned to the ground. Hardly anything was saved in these dwellings. In one of the upper rooms a man was lying dangerously ill and helpless, who would have perished had not James Honan, a stone-cutter, at great personal risk, forced his way through the flames and bore the sick man down the stairs to a place of safety. James Riddle, at a later date, rented the mills at Strath Haven, and conducted those, together with the mills at Avondale, until 1846, when they were rented to Simeon Lord. At that time there were eighteen tenant-houses at Avondale. On Dec. 29, 1849, the dye-house was destroyed by fire. In 1851, Simeon Lord was manufacturing fine cassimeres.

On the afternoon of July 2, 1851, Simeon Lord's dwelling, at Avondale, was struck by lightning. The fluid entered the chimney at the eastern end of the house, and, dividing, passed into all the rooms, being attracted in every direction by the heads of nails and other metallic substances. Large masses of stones were detached and thrown from the chimney into the yard below. Passing from the chimney to the room over the kitchen, the fluid shattered that portion of the house almost to pieces. Entering the room below, it tore off the plaster and demolished a clock, and de- scending near to a window where Mrs. Lord was seated, it threw her from the chair in which she sat into the middle of the room. Her son, a child of six years, who stood behind her, was thrown to the floor. The lightning struck the boy on the back of the head and ran down his back, coming out at his shoes, leaving a ragged hole in the latter about two inches in diameter.

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History of Delaware County, Pennsylvania, Part 162

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