History of Delaware County, Pennsylvania, Part 182

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

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Baptist Chapel .- In 1871, Samuel A. Crozer of Up- land erected a brick chapel for the use of the Baptists in and near Leiperville. It is under the care of Rid- ley Park Baptist Church, and the pulpit is mostly supplied by the students from Crozer Theological Seminary. The chapel was dedicated Oct. 21, 1877. The dedicatory address was delivered by Dr. Henry Weston, of the Crozer Theological Seminary.

Schools .- On the 12th day of Second month, 1800, : a number of the inhabitants of the township con- vened at the public-house of Jacob Painter to take action on the erection of a school-house in the town- ship. William Paul was chosen chairman of the meeting, and Aaron Morton secretary. From resolu-

Free Christian Church .- On the south side of tions adopted it appears that Isaac Culin had given a

Juoe Dec.

April

14, 1840.

Jonathan P. Worrall

April

RIDLEY TOWNSHIP.

740

HISTORY OF DELAWARE COUNTY, PENNSYLVANIA.

lot of ground as a site for a school-house, but the meet- ing did not approve of the situation, whereupon Caleb Davis proposed to give forty two perches of ground on the north side of the Great road, adjoining the lot then occupied by Peter Norbury, which was accepted. A committee was appointed to notify the prominent inhabitants in the township of the action of the meeting and ask their concurrence in the movement, for which purpose a call was issued for the entire sub- scribers to meet on the 17th day of the same month at the same place. A resolution was adopted at the meet- ing following, locating the school-house on the tract of ground presented for that purpose by Caleb Davis, and certain trustees appointed to hold the land for the use of the school. At a subsequent meeting held at the house of Jacob Painter on the 25th of Seventh month, the deed to the trustees was executed by Caleb Davis and Lydia, his wife, to Abraham Trini- ble, Jeremiah McIlvain, and Nathaniel Worrell, trustees. The lot contained forty-two square perches, and was described as being on the Post road from Chester to Philadelphia, " for the purposes of a school- house intended to be erected and for which subscrip- tions is made." The list of subscribers, with amounts subscribed ($386), is here given :

William Paul $30

Thomas Price ... $5

Jeremiab McIlvain 30

William Beatty

John Mcllvain. 30

Rachel Effinger.

James McIlvain. 20

Isaac Worrell

Aaron Morton .. 20

George Jordan

Jacob Painter. 30

Peter Hill ..

James Maddock.

5 William Hill

Nathaniel Worrell. 30 Mary Pyewell

Hugh Mellvain.

Peter Revel.

Henry Trimble .. 5

Daniel Lamplough

Isaac McIlvain ..

Robert Davenport.

Caleb Davia. 40 Jesse Worrell

Caleb Davis, William Paul, and John McIlvain were chosen managers, and were instructed to build a suitable building, according to their own ideas in the matter. Five trustees were also appointed to look after the interest and instructed to employ a tutor. All the subscribers were appointed visitors, whose duty it was to inspect the school once every month, and it was provided that if there should be any moneys remaining in the hands of the trustees after the necessary expenses were paid, that the amount should be expended in purchasing books for the use of the poor who attended the school.

The managers, during the Tenth month in the same year, reported to the trustees that the building would shortly be ready for the reception and accom- modation of the school, whereupon the trustees ad- vertised for a tutor, and selected for that office Jacob Fenton, a graduate of Dartmouth College. An agree- ment was made with him on the 15th of the Tenth month, which provided that he should " teach a reg- ular Day-School, subject to the direction of the trus- tees of said school, in the rudiments of the English language, reading, writing, arithmetic, book-keeping, geography, and either or every branch of the mathe- matics, at the rate of two dollars a quarter for every

scholar subscribed for the term of three months, to commence on the 20th day of Tenth month, 1800. And the undersigned subscribers to said school agree to pay the said Fenton or order two dollars for every scholar subscribed, together with a reasonable charge for wood and ink."

Before the winter had passed Fenton was in finan- cial difficulties. He sent his bills before they were due, refused to allow for time lost by absence, and at the end of his term bade the trustees defiance, and kept possession of the school. The trustees resolved to eject him. The entry is brief (January, 1801),-"On the morning of the 23d the foregoing resolution of the trustees was carried into effect."

" 2d mo. 2, 1801. William Fairlamb commenced teaching, at the rate of Eight dollars a year, fire-wood and ink allowed." Ink came in paper packages in those days. The preparation was put in a bottle, and a certain quantity of water poured upon it. Then it was shaken, and after standing a while was ready for use. Quills were the only pens in those days.

Fourth month 6, 1801. Samuel Lytle commenced teaching at two dollars per quarter and fire-wood and ink. The trustees " agreed to meet in future on the first 2d day of each month, at 2 o'cl'k in the after- noon," or to pay fifty cents for every such neglect, which money was to be laid out in books for the use of the school.

Tenth month 5th. It was agreed " to give premiums at the next examination to those scholars who should make the greatest improvement or excel in any par- ticular branch of the education, and for the second and next best."

Feb. 6, 1804. A meeting of the subscribers was held to inquire into the decorum of the school, the conduct of the master, and the neglect of the trustees to attend to their duties for two years. The old board of trus- tees was removed, and a new board appointed.

20th Feb., 1804. A meeting of the trustees report that there were "forty-five scholars," and that the master's conduct was not approved. On March 5th there were thirty-seven scholars. The trustees unan- imously agreed not to employ Mr. Lytle, the present master, any longer than his present engagement, and on April 2d the trustees found the school-house locked, " neither teacher nor scholars" being in at- tendance.

3d May, 1804. Archibald McKenney became teacher, preparing the articles of agreement and then refused to furnish the trustees with a copy, so "no record could be made." The consequence was the school " fell off" to fifteen pupils, and the master was dis- charged.

Twelfth month, 1804. Joseph Barrows hecame the teacher. In April, 1805, he had forty-three scholars and was much praised for his capacity. In June there were sixty-eight scholars in attendance, and in Au- gust the master absconded in debt to several persons. 9th Sept., 1805. Jonas P. Fairlamb agreed to teach.

Abraham Trimble. 30

Michael Rowe ...

5 5

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RIDLEY TOWNSHIP.

Caleb Davis, however, took his stove away, and James Maddock undertook to procure another "to remain forever for the use of the school."

Oct. 28, 1805. The committee settled, allowed, and approved the account for building the school, amount- ing to $502.19, being $121.19 in excess of the contri- butions.

On Dec. 12, 1805, Jonathan Dutton became school- master, the terms still being the same, two dollars per quarter. In January, 1806, he had twenty-six schol- ars, but had no authority over them, and the school- room fell to fourteen scholars.

28th April, 1806. James Townsend became master at two dollars and fifty cents for subscribers' children, and twenty per cent. more for non-subscribers. On May 23d there were forty pupils. About the year 1812, Thomas Kitts was teacher, with thirty-nine scholars in attendance.

April 18, 1816. Jesse Broomall agreed to teach six months for one hundred and sixty dollars. In 1826, Jan. 15th, he was again the master at two dollars and fifty cents per scholar, and here at the date on the records the dollar-mark ($) is first used.

June, 1819, Michael Burke was chosen master for three months at three dollars per quarter. Burke was employed another quarter, "at which time Jesse Broomall has engaged to return, and on Dec. 29th he resumed the position as teacher."

29th March, 1819, Samuel Lytle began teaching at three dollars per quarter. In August there were sixty scholars. The trustees thought this too many, and notified the subscribers that only fifty would be re- ceived per day.

Feb. 5, 1820, the trustees, on account of the teach- er's extreme youth and inexperience, etc. (his name is not given), advertised for another teacher in the Village Record and Post-Boy. Samuel Lytle and Na- thaniel Vernon applied. The latter was chosen. Terms, two dollars per quarter ; three dollars if mathe- matics were taught. The school-house is built of stone, and was used under the management of the trustees until the township accepted the school law, when the building was given in care of the school directors, and was used by them until about 1870, when it was abandoned and the new brick school- house took its place. The old house is now used as a dwelling, and the ownership of the property is in dis- pute.

On Aug. 20, 1800, Lewis Morey conveyed to Wil- liam Boon and Aaron Martin, trustees, thirty seven and a half square perches of land on the Lazaretto, between the Southern post-road and Moore's Station, in trust " to build a school-house thereon, and for no other purpose." That school was built immediately, as it appears on Hill's maps, and was used under the control of the trustees, when it passed into the charge of the school directors, who maintained school therein until 1879, when the Norwood school-house was built. The old house is now owned by William Trainer.

In the year 1819, Thomas Leiper erected a stone school-house on the Leiper Church lot, which was used until the "Thomas Leiper School-House" was erected, in 1870, by the school directors, on the oppo- site side of the road. The old building is still stand- ing, but in ruins.

In 1862 the Kedron school-house, located on the road from Morton to Norwood Station, was erected, a lot having been purchased of Thomas I. Tasker and George W. Caldwell for that purpose. It is a one- story stone structure.

In 1870 the school directors erected a two-story brick school-house, thirty by forty feet, on the south side of the Southern post-road, a short distance south of Crum Lynne. The building was enlarged in 1873. In 1876 the directors erected on the northwest corner of Lex- ington and Second Streets, Eddystone, a two-story brick school-house, and in 1879, at Norwood, the di- rectors erected a two-story brick school-house.

At the March election in 1825, James Maddock, John L. Pearson, and George G. Leiper were elected school trustees for the township, and after the adop- tion of the school law of 1834 the court appointed George G. Leiper and William Martin inspectors of the public schools, until directors were elected. In 1835 Ridley received five hundred and fifty-five dol- lars and forty-five cents, its proportion of the county and State appropriations.

The following is a list of school directors of the township since 1840, as they appear of record in Media :

1840, John D. Kelly, George M. Maris ; 1842, George G. Leiper, Jonathan P. Worrall, Edward Horoe; 1843, Joho H. Miller, Joho Noble; 1844, Isaac Stewart, Thomas Powell; 1845, Jacob Hewes, Jacob Worrell; 1846, Alexander Moorhead, Joseph Powell ; 1847, Alex- auder M. Wright, Neal Duffee; 1848, Philip Morris, Jacob Worrall ; 1849, James Ward, Thomas T. Hutton; 1850, Washington Berry, James Leoney; 1851, James Hogeland, Williamn Johnson; 1852, William H. Gesner, Hugh C. Sample; 1853, James McCormick, Bea- jamin Miller; 1854, Jooathan P. Worrall, Jesse W. Griffith; 1855, William H. Geener, John C. Leiper; 1856, George Gester, Alex- ander Moorhead; 1857, no report; 1858, Hugh C. Sample, William H. Gesoer; 1859, Jesse W. Noble, Thomas H. Geener ; 1860, Joseph Smiley, Thomas McBride; 1861, William McFarland, Isaac D. Wor- rall ; 1862, Thomas Gesner, William S. Sample ; 1863, Thomae Mc- Bride, Joseph Powell; 1864, George Lodge, Sr., William McFarland; 1865, Thomas H. Gesner, Hugh C. Sample; 1866, George W. Gesner, David Johoson ; 1867, Thomas McBride, Peter Stewart ; 1868, Bethel Curter, H. C. Sample; 1869, Franklio Parsons, Jamies Roop; 1870, W. McFarlao, Thomas McBride ; 1871, David Johnson, Samuel Palmer; 1872, Milee W. Stille, Thomas J. Hutchinsoo ; 1873, Thomas McBride, Samuel Palmer ; 1874, William Worrall, Bethel M. Custer ; 1875, Thomas C. Hutchinsoo, Benjamin M. Norton ; 1876, S. T. Foller, Joseph L. Lukens ; 1877, Bethel M. Custer, Neal Duffee; 1878, Thomas C. Hutchinson, M. M. Stille ; 1879, Abram Ward, W. J. Kelly; 1880, Bethel M. Custer, T. F. Foregar ; 1881, G. P. Denais, Thomas C. Hutchinson ; 1882, Abram Ward, E. G. Wood- ward; 1883, Thomas F. Kreeger, John W. Armstrong ; 1884, G. P. Deonia, T. C. Hutchiosoo.

The Crosby Forge .- Prior to Dec. 24, 1740, John Crosby, Jr., and Richard Crosby operated a forge on Crum Creek. At Leiperville, near the residence of the late Jacob Hewes, just west of the bridge and east of the house, " can still be seen a large embankment, with trees growing upon it. This, I imagine, was the

742

HISTORY OF DELAWARE COUNTY, PENNSYLVANIA.

tract of the dam which gave the water-power neces- sary for the forge."1 The forge had been built by John Crosby, the elder, and Peter Dick, as is evident from the following extracts from the minutes of Chester Monthly Meeting:

" 8th mo. 25, 1742. The Representatives of Chester meeting have ac- quaioted this meeting that there ie some Difference between John Crosby and Thomas Dell, because the said John Crosby and Peter Dicks haveing built a forge on Crum Crick, ye damm whereof overflows some part of ye said Dell's land, the damage of which they have not yet been able to ssttle, neither by themselves, nor by some assistance they have had, ye said Thomas Dell havsing insisted to have a certain sum of money yearly, or to have the Dam Pulled down. After some debate on the affair, and Proposals of appointing of friends to Indeaver to Reconcile ye said Difference, ye esid Thomas Dell being present, absolutely Refused to be determined by either friends of their own choice or such as the meeting should appoint, but Refused to Confer any Longer on the Oc- casion, and Departed the said meeting, not only withont Leave, but Contrary to the Request and advice thereof.

"1 mo. 28, 1743. Thomas Dell bath complaned to this mesting that ye damm at ye forge on Crum Creek yet overflows some part of his land, and that they cannot agree to settle ye difference or damage be- tween them, nor will the said Thomas Dell chose men to deside ye said difference. Therefore this meeting appoints John Maris, William Pen- nell, Thomas Goodwin, Samuel Lewis, James Bartram, and Johsus Thompson to mestt some time at ye said damm between this and next meeting, to Compute ye said Damage, and Indeavour to Reconcile ys Baid difference, and make Report thereof at next mestiog.

"2 mo. 25, 1743. The Committee report that they cannot reconcile the parties, and that Thomas Dell is not willing for the matter to be determined by any body but himself, but they think John Crosby & Peter Dicks should psy him £5 per annum so long as the water Dam- nifies the said Dell's land, to which John and Peter (being present) agree. Thomas Dell appealed to the Quarterly Meeting."

Peter Kalm, the Swedish naturalist, in his " Travels into North America," written in 1748 and 1749, thus describes it : " About two English miles behind Ches- ter I passed by an iron forge, which was to the right hand by the road side. It belonged to two brothers, as I was told. The ore, however, is not dug here, but thirty or forty miles from hence, where it is first melted in the oven, and then carried to this place. The bellows were made of leather, and both they and the hammers, and even the hearth, [were] but small in proportion to ours. All the machines were worked by water. The iron was wrought into bars."

The oven spoken of by Kalm, a recent writer sug- gests, was a blast-furnace, most probably located in the Schuylkill Valley, and the pigs for the forge were boated down the Schuylkill to the Delaware, and thence to and up Crum Creek.2 From the re- port of John Owens, the sheriff of Chester County, in 1750, it is evident that this forge was not then in operation. John Crosby, the elder, who died previous to Oct. 15, 1750, devised his one-half interest in the forge to his son, John Crosby, Jr., " together with my part of the utensils belonging thereto." Acrelius, writing of the iron-works in Pennsylvania prior to 1756, says that the forge on "Crum Creek belongs to Peter Dick; has two stacks, is working sluggishly, and has ruined Crosby's family."' Peter Dick died

shortly after the visit of Acrelius, and the forge, from "working sluggishly," was doubtless then entirely abandoned as a business enterprise.

Lapidea Mill .- On Crum Creek, at the place now known as Lapidea, in 1770, Hugh Lloyd was carrying on a grist-mill, and in the order of Washington to Gen. Potter requiring the mill-stones to be taken from several mills, he particularly mentions "Lloyd's, about two miles on this side of Chester." + In 1785, the mills were then owned by John Wall, and in that year Richard Flower, Wall's step-son, who had just married Henrietta, a daughter of Judge Graham, removed there and operated the mill, continuing there until 1789, when he removed to Chester Mill, and in 1790, George Pierson is returned as running the mill for Richard Flower. In 1802, Peter De- shong seems to have owned the mill, which was then operated by Joseph Walton, and in 1807 by Foster & Hinkson. In 1808, Thomas Leiper owned the grist- and saw-mill, and in that year his name for the first time appears on the assessment-rolls of Ridley town- ship. In 1816 he erected the present stone mill, which was operated by his son, George G. Leiper. In the spring of 1821, John P. Crozer went into partnership with George G. Leiper in these mills. Logs were purchased at Richmond (now a part of Philadelphia) and rafted down the Delaware and up Ridley Creek to the head of tide-water. This partnership lasted only during the summer. A large quantity of lum- ber had been manufactured and business was very dull. The outlook was so discouraging that Mr. Crozer retired from the firm. After a careful examination of the many branches of business enterprise, John P. Crozer decided to venture into that of cotton-spin- ning, there being at that time one factory then oper- ating successfully in the county, that of Wagstaff & Englehorn (on Chester Creek, now known as Man- chester Mill) in Upper Providence. Mr. Crozer pur- chased the machinery in a small cotton-mill on the Brandywine, and rented the second and third stories as well as part of the first story of the grist-mill of George G. Leiper, in which he had been previously interested, moved the machinery to the building in November, 1821, and commenced work in February, 1822.

At this place he remained under many disadvan- tages until 1825, when he moved to West Branch, where he purchased a mill. He was succeeded in the Leiper Mill the next year (1826) by Joseph Burt, who rented the upper story of the grist-mill for a woolen-factory, and employed seventeen hands, and operated one pair of stocks, two carding-engines, one billy of fifty spindles, and two jennies of seventy spindles each. Mr. Burt continued in occupancy of the upper story of the mill until 1841, and was suc- ceeded by Richard Blunden, who conducted both the grist-mill and the woolen-factory. He manufactured

1 Martin's " History of Chester."

2 " The Manufacture of Iron in all Ages," by James M. Swaok, p. 134.

3 Ilistory of New Sweden, p. 165.

4 Ante, p. 68.

743

RIDLEY TOWNSHIP.

ingrain and Venetian carpets, double coverlets, etc. In 1847 he was operating four hundred and sixty- eight throstle-spindles, three hundred mule-spindles, and thirty looms. In 1848, Edward Taylor operated the mill, but was unsuccessful in business, and his machinery was sold by the sheriff in November, 1848. The mill was then rented by Daniel Lee. Subse- quently the property passed to Samuel Lewis, who now owns it. It has been rented to different parties before 1871, and to the present time it has been oper- ated by Cockroft & Black. It has a plant of worsted machinery, and manufactures three thousand pounds of yarn per week.

Davis & Culin Saw-Mill .- On the 30th of Oc- tober, 1797, Caleb Davis and Isaac Culin entered into an agreement jointly to build " a saw-mill and water- works" on a tract of land at the junction of Crum Creek and Little Crum Creek, in more recent years known as "The Island Field." A saw-mill was erected nearly at the junction of the two creeks, and a race from Little Crum Creek brought the water to the mill. On April 14, 1806, Davis sold his interest in the mill property to John Newbold, and on August 11th of the same year, Culin & Newbold sold the property to Eli Lewis. The mill had been discon- tinued prior to 1825. On March 25, 1831, Eli Lewis in turn sold the property to John F. Hill. The latter was unsuccessful in business, and made an assign- ment of his property to James Maddock and Robert E. Hannum. The assignees, in 1843, conveyed the property, then consisting of seventy-one acres, " with right of mill-seat, water-works, dam, and race (now out of repair), on the waters of Little Crum Creek and Big Crum Creek," to William J. Leiper. The mill, which had fallen entirely into disuse, was abandoned, and finally disappeared, until the fact of its having ever stood there had almost faded out of memory of the oldest resident in that neighborhood, until re- called to recollection by direct inquiry made while gathering data for this work. The property now be- longs to Clarence Deshong, of Chester.

Licensed Houses-The Salutation or Wheat Sheaf .- Early in the annals of the county Walter Fauset was granted license for a public-house in Rid- ley, and doubtless other persons had the like privilege extended to them prior to Aug. 26, 1729, when the first petition found of record was presented by Joshua Thomson. In fact, we learn that this was the case by the quaint document itself, which sets forth that his (Thomson's) house was located " on a very public road, about half a quarter of a mile from a house which was licensed for several years, but vacant for a considerable time past." He also stated that he was four or five miles from any public-house. Thomson was granted license continuously until 1747. This honse is believed to be the old Drove Tavern, while the house to which he referred was a stone building, which stood on the road nearly opposite the residence of the late William Maddock, south of Crum Lynne.

Iu 1752, Abel Janney was granted the right to sell liquor at the Thomson house, and the inn was at that time known as The Salutation, the sign representing a pair of clasped hands, showing the arms above the elbows. The Swedes, who used to make this house their headquarters, were in the habit, it is said, of kicking each other's shins for cider, and he that cried "Hold, enough !" was required to pay for the liquor of all present. One Swede, tradition states, for a long time managed always to be on the winning side, until it was discovered that he had adroitly concealed the leg of a chair in each of his stockings, and thus defied the toes of his adversaries' boots. In 1757, Mordecai Thomson was the landlord, who seems to have died in 1758, for in that year Hannah, his wife or daughter, received the license, and continued to do so for many years thereafter. In 1797, Aaron Morton was the landlord for two years, and in 1799, Thomas West took the house, and in his petition stated that Caleb Davis owned the property, which had, previous to his application, been in the tenure of Morton. In 1800, Jacob Painter became the landlord, and then, for the first time, the name of the tavern, The Wheat Sheaf, appears, and continued during all the period for which Jacob Painter was its host and proprietor, until Painter, after 1824, declined to take out license, and offered the property for sale. In his advertisement he de- scribes the house as on the post-road, twelve miles from Philadelphia and three from Chester, the build- ing being a two-story stone house, fifty feet front and eighteen deep, with a piazza front, three rooms on the lower floor, three on the second, and a good garret, a large stone kitchen, with chambers above, with suffi- cient sheds and stabling. The farm attached to the hotel comprised forty-two and one-half acres above the road and twenty acres below it, towards the river. At the intersection of Swarthmore Avenue with the Queen's Highway, or Southern post-road, was formerly a private graveyard of the Painter family. The little burial-place was inclosed by a thick-set thorn hedge. In 1827, Edward Horn had license for the ancient hotel, which he named the Drove, his sign represent- ing a number of cattle being driven along a highway. In 1832, Horn received license for the last time, since which period the old house has been occupied as a private dwelling. It is still standing, is included within the limits of Ridley Park, and is now occupied by Curtis Taylor.

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History of Delaware County, Pennsylvania, Part 182

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