History of Delaware County, Pennsylvania, Part 178

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

USA > Pennsylvania > Delaware County > History of Delaware County, Pennsylvania > Part 178

Note: The text from this book was generated using artificial intelligence so there may be some errors. The full pages can be found on Archive.org (link on the Part 1 page).

the ice broke ; the youngest, going to her assistance, got into the water, and both were drowned. J. Reese Lewis, in endeavoring to save the children, very nearly lost his own life, and from the effect of the exposure on that occasion he never recovered. A few years afterwards J. Reese Lewis died, and the mills were operated by Mordecai Lewis until his death, on Oct. 14, 1870, since which time the business has been conducted by his sons, Isaac, Albert, and Reese Lewis.

The name Wallingford was given a hundred years ago to the locality by Thomas Allen, who came from the like place in the county of Berks. Near that place, in the latter part of the last century, Sarah Allen had license for a public-house, which disap- peared from the list of inns eighty years ago. An advertisement which was published in the Delaware County Republican for Sept. 1, 1837, furnishes some interesting historical data connected with the Allen family. The advertisement was as follows:

" NOTICE .- To the children of Thomas Allen, formerly of Tilehurst and Wallingford, in the County of Berks, io Englend, and afterwards of Springfield, in the county of Delaware, in the State of Pennsylvania, in North America, deceased :

"Pursuant to a decree of the High Court of Chancery in England, made in a cause, 'Bottomley vs. Fisher,' any person or persons claiming to be the child or children of the said Thomas Allen, who were living at his decease (which took place io or about the month of March, 1794), or the legal personal representative, or representatives, of any such de- ceased child or children, are, by their solicitors or agents, forthwith to come on before Sir Griffio Williamson, Knight, one of the Masters of the said court, at his Chambers, in Southampton Buildings, Chancery Lane, London, on or before the 1st day of November next, to establish and make out their claim to a Legacy under the will of Elizabeth Peo- tycross, widow of Thomss Pentycross, formerly Rector of Saint Mary the More, in Wallingford, aforesaid, or in default thereof they will be peremptorily excluded the benefits of the said devise.

"The said Thomas Allen was a dissenter from the doctrines of the Church of England, and formerly lived at Tilehurst, and afterwards at Wallingford, sforessid, and some time in the year 1793 emigrated to Springfield, in the county of Delaware, in the State of Pennsylvania, where he died on or about the month of March, 1794, leaving, it is be- lieved, five children surviving him, viz .: Abijah Allen, Daoiel Allen, Elizabeth Pentycross Allen, Sarah Allen, and Aaron Allen."

Holtz Mill .- On Lownes Run, a small stream that empties into Crum Creek, and on the Springfield road, in the year 1779 George Lownes was operating a blade- mill where small cutlery was manufactured. In 1799 Curtis Lownes owned the above property and also a stone tilt-mill. The blade-mill was discontinued be- fore 1807, and the tilt-mill was operated until after 1812. About 1816 it was changed to a carding-mill, and was at that time seventeen feet by twenty-six feet and three stories in height. It passed soon after to George Bolton Lownes, who operated it until 1827, when Samuel Riddle, now of Glen Riddle, rented the mill and continued there two years, when he removed to Chester Creek and built the Parkmount Mills. The stream at this place is very small, and while Mr. Riddle was there, on one occasion, the water became so low that the machinery stopped. Desiring to know the cause of this sudden decrease of power, he found that Lownes had turned a drove of steers into the lot

724

HISTORY OF DELAWARE COUNTY, PENNSYLVANIA.

where the dam was, and the thirsty animals had drank almost all the water.

The mill at a later period was changed to a cotton- factory, and in 1835 was in possession of the heirs of George B. Lownes. The factory then contained one picker, two carding-engines, one drawing-frame, one ellipse speeder, seven hundred spindles, two mules of two hundred and twenty-eight spindles each, and other machinery. It was sold at public vendue by the ex- ecutors of his estate May 5, 1835. In 1849 and sub- sequent to that year Edward Lane & Co., of Phila- delphia, manufactured carriages at this location, and subsequently -- Pilkerton conducted a weaving- mill there for a few years. The mill having been de- stroyed hy fire the real estate was conveyed to Thomas and Oliver Holt, who erected a large stone factory three stories in height. In 1853 an addition was built to the mill, which was well filled with machinery, and employment was given to nearly fifty persons. Oliver Holt having retired from the firm, the business was continued by Thomas Holt until May 18, 1882, when the mill was again destroyed by fire. Subsequently to this disaster Thomas Holt died, and the real estate is now owned by his estate.

Gibbons' Mill .- On Lownes or Whiskey Run, be- low the old Lownes Mill, Joseph Gibbons erected on his farm in 1832, a cotton-factory forty-five by sixty feet, three stories in height. It was leased to Simeon Lord and William Faulkner, who operated it uutil 1847, when Lord removed to Avondale. The factory was then rented for a short time to Thomas and Oliver Holtz, subsequently to George Wood and Joseph Bar- ker, the last being in charge in December, 1865, when the mill was destroyed by fire.

Fell's Mills .- The land on which is the mill now known by the above name is on Crum Creek and the Providence road. The land was originally taken up by Bartholomew Coppock. His daughter married Wil- liam Fell, and in 1766 the latter was assessed as half- owner of a saw-mill. The other half-interest was owned by William Paist, and in 1799, Edward Fell, a nephew of William, was in possession of the interest of his uncle, and also conducted a " pot-house" (pot- tery) on the farm now owned by Warren Lawrence. William Marshall was the potter. On the 12th of December, 1805, the property was purchased by Samuel Pancoast, who continued to operate the saw- mill, and between 1815 and 1817 erected a grist-mill; these were operated until March 15, 1828, when four acres of land, the grist- and saw-mill were sold to Wil- liam Beatty, of Lower Providence, who erected on the property a blade-mill and forge, and commenced the manufacture of edge-tools. At a subsequent date he associated in the partnership his son, John C. Beatty. In 1843 the mill was washed away by the flood of August in that year, but was rebuilt. In 1850, Wil- liam P. Beatty and Samuel Ogden bought the interest of John C. Beatty, and continued the business for some years, when William Beatty sold to the Ogden

Brothers, who continued the business there for a short time, when they conveyed the property to J. Howard Lewis, who now owns it. The grist-mill and a bobbin- turning shop are at present conducted at "Beatty's Hollow."

Keystone Spinning-Mills .- In 1766, Samuel Levis was assessed in Springfield, on a grist-mill, which was located at the present Heyville, on Darby Creek. On the assessment-roll of 1790 this grist-mill does not appear. In 1799, Thomas Levis owned a saw-mill, and John Levis and Thomas Levis, Jr., were each assessed on a half-interest in a paper-mill, which was owned by Thomas Levis, Sr. Shortly after this date the saw-mill was operated by Samuel Levis. The mills were conducted under his management until 1825, when, on April 15th in that year, they were purchased by Oborn Levis, and were placed in charge of Stephen Pancoast. It was then a two-vat paper- mill, and manufactured about thirty-three reams of medium, and forty-eight reams of printing demy paper per week. Twenty-three hands were employed, and dwellings for eight families had been built. The mill continued under the management of Stephen Pancoast until 1838, when they were rented to Moses Hey, of Haddington, by whom they were changed to woolen-mills. In 1845, Hey purchased the property, and shortly after erected what are now known as Mills Nos. 2 and 3, together with other buildings. On April 1, 1857, Moses Hey retired from active business ; his son, Emanuel Hey, succeeded him, and now oper- ates the factories. The old mill was rebuilt iu 1874, and is now used for storage purposes. Mill No. 2 contains six sets of cords, one hundred looms, and two thousand spindles; No. 3 bas six cords and two thousand spindles. At these mills yarns are manufac- tured. The mills have a capacity for manufacturing five hundred thousand pounds of wool and one hun- dred thousand pounds of cotton into yarns annually.

Other Mills .- In 1766, Job Dicks owned a saw- mill in Springfield, and Elisha Jones had a grist mill. They were not in operation after 1780, having been abandoned. The location of these mills has not been ascertained. John Heacock also owned a grist-mill between 1780 and 1799, after which date it fell into disuse.

Oakdale .- The settlement now known as Oakdale dates back sixty years, when, in 1824, Jonathan and Morris Roberts established a store at that locality. They were succeeded in the business by Samuel Rob- erts, Samuel Hamson, William and John Ogden, Rich- ard Ogden, and F. Hayden, who has the present store. A post-office was established at this place many years ago. F. Hayden is the present postmaster. Oak- dale school-house and Lownes Church are in the vicinity.

Morton .- The thriving village, located on the Phila- delphia and West Chester Railroad, which was named Morton, in honor of John Morton, the signer of the Declaration of Independence, has a history of about

RESIDENCE OF THE LATE JOSEPH GIBBONS, SPRINGFIELD TOWNSHIP, DELAWARE CO., PA.

725

SPRINGFIELD TOWNSHIP.

eighteen years, since it was first projected. At pres- ent it has a number of handsome houses, a hotel, public hall, stores, and newspaper. Among the con- spicuous residences is that of J. H. Irwin, the inventor of the tubular lantern, and the system of controlling air-currents for lamps, stoves, and furnaces, which latter discovery was evolved from his prior invention of the tubular lantern. Mr. Irwin is a native of Trenton, N. J., and came to Morton in 1871, where he purchased a tract of twenty acres of John Jenkins, and erected thereon an experimental laboratory, in which is an engine of seventy horse-power. Eight men are employed in the laboratory. Mr. Irwin in- vented, in 1877, the telephone transmitter, which is a valuable patent, now in constant use.

Kedron Methodist Episcopal Church .- This re- ligious body was organized in 1859, with about forty- five members. Meetings were first held in the draw- ing-room of John S. Morton's mansion, later were held in a wind-mill beyond the mansion, and for a time in a building nsed as a chapel on the church lot, until the church building was finished. The lot for the church was donated by Thomas T. Tasker. The corner-stone of the present edifice was laid Sept. 6, 1860. It was completed in the summer of 1862, and dedicated June 19th in that year. The services were conducted hy Bishop Levi Scott. The pastors who have had charge of the church are as follows: Revs. William Dalrymple, A. Howard, William W. Mc- Michael, John Shields, William Frees, J. C. Wood, A. C. Hood, Garbert Reed, James A. Blacklidge, William W. McMichael, Robert Mckay, and the present pastor, Rev. C. Edgar Adamson. The church has a membership of fifty, and a Sunday-school of eighty pupils, of which George Smith is superintendent.

Church of the Atonement .- A few persons of the Protestant Episcopal communion, abont 1876, held services in the house of Miss Sue Pearce, and later in a cottage of J. H. Irwin. In 1880 the present chapel was erected (at a cost of four thousand dollars) on a lot donated by J. H. Irwin. The mission is under the care of Christ Church, Media.

The Morton Chronicle .- The first number of this newspaper was issued on June 17, 1880. Its publica- tion was begun in a one-story building, ten by twelve feet, which had formerly heen used by the late Sketchley Morton as a coal-office. In these limited quarters the publisher labored for two years, often disheartened at the difficulties that encountered the new enterprise, but working patiently until the little journal was established upon a paying basis. On Friday, Oct. 6, 1882, more commodious quarters were obtained in the new drug-store building of W E. Dickeson, near Morton Station, four rooms being rented for the office, composition-room, etc. The Chronicle has now a circulation of nearly eight hundred copies, and connected with the paper is a well-fitted job-office. The Morton Chronicle is owned and edited by E. W. Smith, a practical printer.

The Birthplace of Benjamin West .- A short distance north of the railroad station, and about the same distance from Swarthmore College, is the house in which Benjamin West was born. Years ago a decayed building was standing near the present house, which some of the wiseacres in the neighborhood and elsewhere maintained was the dwelling (if ever it was a dwelling) wherein West was born, Oct. 10, 1738. The fact that this old ruin has now gone in a large degree has caused the assertion to be less frequently made, indeed it is rarely now heard, hut inasmuch as it has within recent years been mentioned in a his- torical sketch of Benjamin West, it is proper that it should not pass unnoticed in a history of Delaware County. Certain it is that West would know where he was born, when it was from this farm in Spring- field, a well-grown lad, that he went to seek and ob- tain fortune and renown. Thomas Sully, the eminent artist, frequently related that in 1810, when he, in London, took final leave of his celebrated preceptor, West, then an aged man, made a special request of his young countryman that on his return to America he, Sully, should visit the old homestead in Spring-

1 A correspondent of the Delaware County Republican, eigaing his ar- ticle "Oakdale," in 1872, when the recent death of Thomas Sully had called forth recollections of his career, in alluding to that artist's visit to Springfield, says,-

"I have somewhere seen it stated, that after the death of West, this painting was placed in the Royal Academy of Fine Arts, in London, where it probably still remains.

" The following-copied from my scrap-book-are part of some lines in reference to this event, written several years ago by Rev. Edward C. Jones, then of West Philadelphia :

" In the distance Memory paints Farm and homestead, rill and tree, And the cattle as they passed With their driver o'er the lea ;

"Blush of morn, and purple pomp Of the fast-descending sun, Hearthstone treat of nuts and cake, When the harvesting was done;

"First-day meetings, when we sat In our worship's solemn hush,- Such the groupings of the past To my aged heart which rush.

" I would have thee sketch the spot, With the limner's wondrous skill ; Ocean's billows roll between, But its outline haunts me still.

" Thou from me hast caught the fire Which ideal Beauty fans, Thine is now the Artist's thrill, As sublimity he scans.

"Oh! upon the canvas throw All the mellowing hues which rest On thal calm and rural spot, Which of earth I love the best.

" Warm that canvas, till it seems Instiuct with my boyhood's hearth, Till in thought I seem to breathe Air the balmiest of the earth.

"For the pencil's trophies bright, Proofs of Art's creative power, Only fresheu to my heart Images of childhood's hour."

726

HISTORY OF DELAWARE COUNTY, PENNSYLVANIA.

field, there make drawing of the house and other ob- jects he mentioned, and transmit them to West at London. This Sully did.

The room in which West was born was a triangular- shaped apartment on the first floor, and located in the southwest corner of the building. The infant, who was in after-life to achieve undying fame, was the tenth and youngest son of John and Sarah Pearson West. His biographer, Galt, has succeeded in gath- ering about the narrative of West's life more mythical incidents than any book purporting to be historical published during the present century. Hence, as a work of authority, it has but little weight. There is a tradition that a picture from the youthful pencil of West could be seen on the breast of the chimney in one of the attics of the old house, but the story is as apocryphal as the oft-told incident of the distinguished artist at seven years drawing in ink the portrait of

claimed, " I declare, he has made a likeness of little Sally !" and, stooping, she kissed the young artist with much fondness. However, it did not occur to any of the family to provide him with better mate- rials, and his first colors were given him by some In- dians, who, being amused at his pictures of birds and flowers, taught him to prepare the red and yellow colors with which they painted their ornaments. Subsequently his mother added a piece of indigo, and thus he became possessed of three of the primary colors. His brushes he supplied by cutting fur from the tail of the domestic cat, until that appendage of the animal became so conspicuous that his father called the attention of his wife to it as the effect of disease. Benjamin made a full confession of the cause, and his father mentioning the incident to Mr. Pennington, a merchant of Philadelphia, the latter sent the lad some canvas and six engravings by

HOUSE IN WHICH BENJAMIN WEST WAS BORN. [Drawn by John Sartain in 1837.]

the child whom he was instructed to watch in the cradle. The latter story, as narrated, is that in June, 1745, one of West's married sisters, accom- panied by her baby daughter, came to spend a few days at her father's house. When the child was asleep in the cradle, Mrs. West invited her daughter to gather a few flowers in the garden, and instructed Benjamin to watch the child, giving him a fan to keep the flies from the slumbering infant. As the lad sat by his charge the baby smiled in her sleep, and the future artist was so impressed with the beauty of the smile that he determined to give his impulse expression by drawing its portrait. With red and black ink and quill pens, he worked at his first picture. While thus employed his mother and sister returned, and he en- deavored to conceal the paper, but so clumsy was his effort to do so that his mother required him to show her the paper, which he reluctantly did. The matron looked at the paper, and with evident pleasure ex-

Grevling. Young West rose the next morning with the sun, carried his box to the garret, and for several successive days thus devoted himself to painting. The schoolmaster at length called to learn the cause of his absence, and his mother, remembering that Benjamin had gone up-stairs every morning, without replying to the master, hastened to the garret, and there found the lad employed in painting. The mother kissed him after she had inspected his work, and that kiss, West declared, made him a painter. The pictures, for there were two, then painted by the untutored lad of fourteen (now owned hy Mrs. David Jones, of West Chester), were seen by Dr. Jonathan Morris and Anthony Wayne, and the lad, through their influence, became acquainted with Franklin and other leading men in Philadelphia. At 1760, aided by friends in Philadelphia, he was enabled to go to Rome. In 1763 he returned to America, coming home by the way of England, and shortly after he

727

SPRINGFIELD TOWNSHIP.

arrived home he met his future wife. This romantic incident in his life is thus told by an accomplished anthor :

" About the middle of the [eighteenth] century youog West had au obecure lodging in Strawberry Alley, and painted portraits at a guinea a head,-painted eigus, too, for a few shillings, when portreite and guineae were not to be had, -. The Cask of Beer,' or 'The Jolly Fid- dlere.' A picture of St. Ignatine, after Murillo, having been captured ou a Spanish brigantine by the 'Britannia,' fell into the possession of Governor Hamilton at Bush Hill. West copied it, sad humored some of hie portly patrons by painting them in the attitude of the saint. Mad Anthony Wayne, then a handsome, gallant, showily-dressed young fellow, was often seen ou the streete with the mild-manuered, apple- cheeked Quaker lad. He brought as many of his fashionable friends as he could persuade to sit for their portraits to the hungry young artist, and it ie hinted not only made a military man of him, but introduced him to charming Mise Betty Shewell, with whom Weet, in his orderly, proper way, fell in love. Miss Shewell's hrother, however, being a mao with an income, had uo mind that hie pretty eister should marry a man who had done, and whose occupation was held to be not half so genteel ae that of a tailor. He therefore locked Miss Betty up in her room, just about the time that one of the Allene, who was sending a ship laden with grain to the starving Italiane, offered Benjamin a passage on her to Leghorn. But love langhed at lockemithe then as now. The Quaker Romeo and his Juliet eaw each other, though one was in the garden and the other in the window, and vowed eternal faith. West promised to win fame and money, and his sweetheart promised to come to him to the ends of the earth as soon as he should send her word he had enough of the latter necessary to keep them from starvation. The remainder of the story Bishop White told to Dr. Swift, of Easton, Pa. West, as we all know, succeeded rapidly in winning both the fame and the money, aod as soon as he was established firet favorite at Hampton Court, he seat to Miss Shewell to claim her part of the promise. Her brother was etill inexorable, and did net ceneider a painter, though he were George'e own, & fit match for the daughter of a blue-blooded Philadelphia family. He locked Miss Betty np again in her chamber. The story went ont through the town. Popular sympathy was with the lovers; Stephen Shewell was denounced ae a tyrant, and many glances of pity and en- conragement were cast at the high-latticed window behind which was the fair captive maiden. The ship was in the harbor ready to sail in which West had arranged that his bride should come to him, poder the escort of his father. The day arrived for her departure. At this crisis Dr. Franklin appeared es the good angel, and proved himself quite ae competeut to direct a love-affair as the lightning or the dranght io a stove. With Bishop White, then a lad of eighteeu, and Francis Hopkin- son, he went to the chip's captain and arranged with him to delay start- log until night, but to be ready to weigh anchor at a moment's warning. Old Mr. Weet was then taken on board, and at midnight Franklin, young White, and Hopkinson repaired to Stephen Shewell's honce, fast- ened a rope-ladder to Mies Betty's window, held it while elle descended, and conducted her safely to the ship, which set sail as soon as she was on board. The lovere were married when she landed, and lived loog and happily together. But Stephen Shewell never forgave his sister, nor did she or her hneband ever return to this country.

" The story is romantic enough for fiction, hut bears every weight of authority. Dr. Swift states that when he rallied the venerable bishop on hie part ee knight-errant to this modern Dolorida, he replied that he had doue right, adding with warmth, that 'if it were to do over again, I should act in precisely the same way. God meant them to come to- gether.'" 1

The subsequent career of Benjamin West, his rapid achievement of fame and fortune in Great Britain, and his death on Friday, March 10, 1820, at the ad- vanced age of eighty-two, occupying at the time the position of president of the Royal Academy, is matter of general history and need not be at large alluded to here. It is proper, however, that the fact that in 1874 the upper part of the West house was injured by fire, but the room in which Benjamin was

born was untouched by the flames, should be men- tioned in this work. The old structure was renovated as when first constructed, and is now occupied as res- idences by two of the professors of Swarthmore Col- lege

Pennsdale Farm .- On the Delaware County turn- pike, directly opposite Lownes' Free Church, is the Pennsdale farm, which, for nearly a century, has been owned by men who have been prominent in the his- tory of the State and nation. Prior to 1800 the farm was owned by John Thomson, a noted engineer, who, when a young man, engaged in the service of the " Holland Land Company," an organization which controlled much of the land in Northwestern Penn- sylvania. After several years, having completed the duties required of him, he determined to make his return to his home useful in aiding the development of that section of the county. He to that end, with one assistant, with no other tools than were ordinarily carried with an engineering expedition, at Presque Isle (now Erie), built a small schooner, in which he and his assistant made the journey to Philadelphia. This was the first vessel that ever passed from Lake Erie to New York and Philadelphia. The " White Fish" was taken to Independence Square, where it remained until it decayed.

The following account of the voyage of the " White Fish" is given in Dunlap & Claypole's American Daily Advertiser of Nov. 12, 1795, under the heading " Philadelphia News":

Need help finding more records? Try our genealogical records directory which has more than 1 million sources to help you more easily locate the available records.

History of Delaware County, Pennsylvania, Part 178

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