USA > Pennsylvania > Delaware County > History of Delaware county, Pennsylvania, from the discovery of the territory included within its limits to the present time > Part 39
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342
HISTORY OF DELAWARE COUNTY. [1786.
building. Here an act of indiscretion had nearly brought on a renewal of hostilities. For one of Major Harper's men having entered the fort, struck down the flag which their opponents had raised upon the walls. Highly incensed at this treatment of their standard, the removalists snatched up their arms, and were with difficulty prevented from firing upon the Major and his com- panions. Some exertion, however, on the part of the leaders, allayed the irritation of the men, and the parties at length separated amicably without loss of life or limb."
The foregoing account of this almost-a-battle, is extracted from the History of Chester County, by Joseph J. Lewis, Esq., published in the Village Record, in the year 1824. It has come to the author traditionally, that the attack of the Chester people was instigated by the removalists proceeding with the buildings after the passage of the Suspension Act, and that a promise to desist from the work was a prominent article in the treaty of peace-a promise that was only kept while the attacking party remained in sight and hearing. The attempt by the non-removal party to batter down the unfinished buildings, was a high-handed outrage which rendered those engaged in it amenable to the laws. The fact that they were allowed to escape with impunity is rather corroborative of the idea that the attack was not altogether un- provoked, and renders it probable that the cause for it assigned by tradition is the true one.
The Suspension Act had probably been procured by misrepre- sentation, or in some underhand manner. The representation " that a general dissatisfaction and uneasiness did prevail and subsist among the greater part of the good people of the County of Chester" with the intended removal of the seat of justice " from Chester to the Turks Head in Goshen township," as con- tained in the preamble to that act, was doubtless untrue. At all events, at the next session of the Legislature, the removalists were enabled to show " that a great part of the good people of said County were much dissatisfied with the courts of justice re- maining at the borough of Chester, and readily obtained an act to repeal the suspending act. The title of this act, which was passed on the 18th of March, 1786, is remarkable for its phrase- ology. It commences thus : " An act to repeal an act, entitled An act to suspend an act of General Assembly of this Common- wealth, entitled A supplement to an act entitled An act to en- able William Clingan, Thomas Bull, &c." By this act the vexed question was finally settled, though its. passage was not effected without the most spirited and bitter opposition. It may not be amiss to let the good people of West Chester know in what estima- tion the site of their town was then held by the non-removalists. In one of the missiles addressed to the Legislature, it is de-
343
HISTORY OF DELAWARE COUNTY.
1789.]
scribed as " that elegant and notorious place vulgarly called the Turk's Head, (by some called West-Chester) a place as unfit for the general convenience, and much more so, than any one spot that might be pointed out within 10 miles square of the above described place-(except towards the New Castle line)."1
The removalists became jubilant over their long delayed vic- tory, and gave vent to their feelings in sundry songs and ditties, couched in language not the most tender towards the vanquished party. One of these, entitled "Chester's Mother," has been preserved in the Directory of West Chester for 1857.
On the 25th of September, 1786, an act was passed "to em- power the Sheriff of the County of Chester to remove the pri- soners from the old gaol, in the town of Chester, to the new gaol in Goshen township, in said county, and to indemnify him for the same."
The first removal act authorized the sale of the old Court- house and jail at Chester upon the completion of the new build- ings at the Turk's Head, but this sale was not consummated till the 18th of March, 1788, when William Kerlin became the pur- chaser of the property.
The first Court held in the new Court-house commenced on the 28th of November, 1786, before William Clingan, William Has- let, John Bartholomew, Philip Scot, Isaac Taylor John Ralston, Joseph Luckey, Thomas Cheyney, Thomas Levis, and Richard Hill Morris as Justices.
In 1783 an agreement was entered into between Pennsylvania and New Jersey, in respect to the jurisdiction of the river De- laware and its islands. In 1786 an act was passed distributing the islands assigned to Pennsylvania among the several counties bordering on the river. Up to this time the jurisdiction over Hog Island was doubtful, but it had been exercised by Philadel- phia County. By this act, that Island was permanently annex- ed to Chester County, and attached to Tinicum township.
The people of the borough of Chester and vicinity, who had been deaf to the complaints of the inhabitants of the remote parts of the County, on account of their distance from the seat of justice, and who had for years strenuously opposed granting them any relief, were not slow to learn from experience that those complaints had not been wholly groundless, though their distance from the new seat of justice did not compare with the distance of most of the removalists from the old one. The peo- ple of the southeastern section of the County had been favored in fixing upon the Turk's Head as the site of the new seat of justice, for several other parts of the County were still much more remote from that place. "The inhabitants of the borough
1 MS. in possession of the Del. Co. Institute, in the handwriting of Davis Bevan.
344
HISTORY OF DELAWARE COUNTY.
[1789.
of Chester and the south-eastern parts of the County," however, became restive under their new relation to the seat of justice, and by their petitions, "set forth to the General Assembly that they labored under many and great inconveniences, from the seat of justice being removed to a great distance from them," and prayed that they might be relieved from the said inconveniences, "by erecting the said borough and south-eastern parts of said county into a separate county."
Unfortunately for the pecuniary interests of a large majority of the inhabitants of the part of the County mentioned, the Assem- bly regarded their petition as "just and reasonable," and by an act passed on the 26th of September, 1789, authorized a division of the County of Chester, and the erection of a part thereof "into a new County." The first section of this act provides that all that part of Chester County lying within the bounds and limits thereinafter mentioned, shall be erected into a separate County : "Beginning in the middle of Brandywine river, where the same crosses the circular line of New Castle County, thence up the middle of the said river to the line dividing the lands of Elizabeth Chads and Caleb Brinton, at or near the ford com- monly called or known by the name of Chad's ford, and from thence, on a line as nearly strait as may be, so as not to split or divide plantations, to the great road leading from Goshen to Chester, where the Westown line intersects or crosses said road, and from thence along the lines of Edgemont, Newtown and Rad- nor, so as to include those townships, to the line of Montgomery County, and along the same and the Philadelphia County line to the river Delaware, and down the same to the circular line aforesaid, and along the same to the place of beginning, to be henceforth known and called by the name of DELAWARE COUNTY."
By this act the townships of Birmingham and Thornbury were divided; but provision was made, that the parts falling in each county should each constitute an independent township, and each new township should retain the name of the original town- ship from which it was taken.
The petitioners for the new county, to make things sure, had contracted in advance with Mr. Kerlin, the owner of the old court-house and prison, for the purchase thereof, "at a price far beneath what such buildings could be erected for, which they were willing and desirous should be conveyed for the use of the [new ] county, on repayment of the sum agreed upon." Henry Hale Graham, Richard Reiley, Josiah Lewis, Edward Jones, and Benjamin Brannin, or any three of them, were constituted trustees by the act, to take assurances and conveyances of the property, "for the use of the inhabitants." A conveyance of the old building with the appurtenant grounds was accordingly executed
345
HISTORY OF DELAWARE COUNTY.
1789.]
on the 3d of November following, when at the same time a de- claration of trust was executed by the gentlemen above named. The price paid by the County for the property was £693 3s. 8d.
By the same act, John Sellers, Thomas Tucker and Charles Dilworth, or any two of them, were appointed Commissioners, " to run and mark the line dividing the counties of Chester and Delaware," in the manner before mentioned. A draft in posses- sion of the author, doubtless prepared from the surveys made by the Commissioners, presents several interesting facts which it may not be amiss to notice.
A straight line was run from the starting point on the Brandy- wine to the intersection of the Goshen road by the Western line, which is six miles three quarters and fifty-four perches in length ; whereas the crooked line, between the same points, passing along the boundaries of the farms, cut by the straight line, and now forming the division line between the two counties, has a length of eleven miles one quarter and nineteen perches. On a line perpendicular to the above mentioned straight line, the court- house at West Chester is only three miles three quarters and fifty-eight perches distant. The bearing of this perpendicular line is N. 46° W.
It is charged, in a note on the draft, that a member of the Legislature, while the act for a division of the County was under consideration, asserted that no part of the straight line run by the Commissioners " would come nearer West Chester than six miles."
The court-house at West Chester lies nearly due north from the commencement of the division line on the Brandywine, and is a little over five miles distant from that point; whereas it was alleged at the session of the Legislature at which the act was passed, that the distance was nine miles.
From the intersection of the Goshen road and the county line to West Chester, the distance in a direct line is four miles three quarters and sixty perches nearly, and the course N. 85° W. The shortest distance from the street road to West Chester is 935 perches.
It also appears from the draft that another division line had been proposed. This commenced at the mouth of Davis's or Harvey's run on the Brandywine, and ran so as to include the whole of Thornbury township in Chester County.
The average gain to the whole people of the new county, in the way of convenience in reaching their seat of justice, did not exceed four miles; and when it is considered that the whole population of the new county at that time (1790) was only 9,483, and many of the land-holders really poor, in consequence of the war and the exhausting system of agriculture that had been
346
HISTORY OF DELAWARE COUNTY. [1791.
pursued, it is truly wonderful that our ancestors ever consented to this division, which necessarily subjected them to all the in- creased municipal burdens incident to a small county.
The first election for the County of Delaware was held at the usual time in October, 1789, when Nicholas Fairlamb was duly elected Sheriff, and Jonathan Vernon, Coroner. On the 12th of October, John Pearson, Thomas Levis, Richard Hill Morris, and George Pearce, were duly commissioned, by the President and Council, Justices of the Court of Common Pleas of the same county. The appointment of a President of the Court was de- layed till the 7th of November, when the position was una- nimously conferred upon Henry Hale Graham. It was soon discovered, however, that the appointment of Mr. Graham was illegal, as he did not then hold a commission of Justice of the Peace; whereupon, the President and Council "revoked and made null and void" the commission they had granted to him, commissioned him a Justice of the Peace, and then appointed him President of the several Courts of the new county.
The first Court for the County of Delaware was held February 9th, 1790. No Orphans' Court business appears to have been transacted till March 2d, following.
On the 2d of September, 1790, a new constitution was adopted for Pennsylvania. John Sellers and Nathaniel Newlin repre- sented Delaware County in the Convention, by which that most important document was framed. Under this constitution, Jus- tices of the Peace ceased to sit as Judges of the Courts. The courts were about this time organized as they now are, with a President and two Associate Judges.
On the 9th of April, 1792, an act was passed to incorporate the Philadelphia and Lancaster Turnpike Road Company. The work of making the road was immediately commenced, but was not completed till 1794. It cost $465,000, or about $7,516 per mile. This important road passes only about four miles through Delaware County. It was the first turnpike road constructed in America.1
The making of this turnpike seems to have inspired the people along the Brandywine with the idea that an easier and cheaper mode of transportation for their produce, and for that brought along the road, to tide water, would be found in a canal and lock na- vigation by that stream. Accordingly an act was passed in 1793, concurrent with one passed by the Legislature of Delaware, author-
1 When the books were opened for subscription to the stoek of this turnpike, so great was the anxiety of the people to obtain stock, that the Commissioners were obliged to close the doors and windows against the crowd that pressed upon them. The appli- cants were obliged to have recourse to lots to determine who should subscribe first .- Hist. Chester Co.
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HISTORY OF DELAWARE COUNTY.
1794.]
izing a Company to be incorporated, with authority to make this improvement. The navigation was to extend up each branch of the Brandywine to the point where it is intersected by the Lan- caster turnpike road. It is believed that no part of this improve- ment was ever made.
For some years past the different meetings of the Society of Friends have had the subject of schools for the more careful and guarded education of their youth, under very serious considera- tion. From the extreme difficulty of finding suitable teachers, the progress made in the establishment of these schools was at first slow, but up to this period several had been estab- lished on a proper basis. Each monthly meeting had a com- mittee specially appointed on the subject, who from time to time reported npon the condition of the schools under their charge. As early as 1788, Concord Meeting had three schools, and not- withstanding the difficulty of the times, the committee express the belief that there were no Friends' children amongst them " but what received a sufficiency of learning to fit them in a good degree for the business they are designed for." Three schools had also been established within the limits of Chester Monthly Meeting-one at Darby, one at Haverford, and one at Radnor. These schools, though established for the benefit of Friends' children, were open to those of every denomination, and being the best then established, were generally well patronized by them. By the constant care bestowed upon these schools, they were greatly improved in after years, so that at the time of the establishment of our general system of education by common schools, several of them were in such excellent condition that it was reasonably doubted whether any benefit would result from the change.
The proper education of the colored population also claimed a share of the attention of the Society. Many had been re- cently set free, and their helpless condition presented a very strong claim upon those who had been foremost in the work of emancipation.
In early times the general election for the whole county of Chester, was held at the Court-house in Chester. Before the Revolution, Chester County was divided into three election dis- tricts, called Chester, Chatham, and Red Lion-the places at which the election was held. Chester district embraced nearly the same territory that is now included in Delaware County. After the division, the people of the whole county continued to vote at Chester till 1794, when an Act was passed dividing the County of Delaware into four election districts. This Act con- stituted the townships of Concord, Birmingham, Thornbury, Aston, Bethel, and Upper Chichester, the second election dis-
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HISTORY OF DELAWARE COUNTY. [1795.
trict-the election to be held at the house of Joshua Vernon, in Concord; the townships of Newtown, Edgmont, Upper Provi- dence, Marple, and Radnor, the third election district-the election to be held at the house then occupied by William Beau- mont, in Newtown ; and the townships of Darby, Upper Darby, Haverford, Springfield, and Tinicum, the fourth election dis- trict-the election to be held at the house then occupied by Samuel Smith, in Darby. The people of the remaining town- ships still held their election at Chester, and those townships composed the first district.
It was during the year 1794 that the general government was under the necessity of organizing a military force to quell a rebellion in the western part of Pennsylvania, known as the " Whiskey Insurrection." This county furnished one company, which was commanded by Capt. William Graham.1
The class of laborers known as redemptioners, and who con- sisted of Dutch and Irish immigrants, who were sold for a term of years to pay their passage, were much employed about this time. So much were these servants in demand at one period, that persons engaged in the traffic as a business, who would buy a lot on shipboard, and take them among the farmers for retail. But some of these dealers, who were usually denominated " soul drivers," would go themselves to Europe, collect a drove, bring them to this country, and retail them here on the best terms they could procure-thus avoiding the intervention of the wholesale dealer. One of this class of drivers, named McCulloch, transacted business in Chester County about the time of the division. A story is told of him being tricked by one of his redemptioners in this wise: "The fellow, by a little manage- ment, contrived to be the last of the flock that remained unsold, and traveled about with his owner without companions. One night they lodged at a tavern, and in the morning, the young fellow, who was an Irishman, rose early and sold his master to the landlord, pocketed the money, and marched off. Previously, however, to his going, he used the precaution to tell the pur- chaser, that his servant, although tolerably clever in other re- spects, was rather saucy and a little given to lying-that he had even presumption enough at times to endeavor to pass for master, and that he might possibly represent himself so to him. By the time mine host was undeceived, the son of Erin had gained such a start as rendered pursuit hopeless."2
In the winter of 1795, a great ice freshet occurred in the streams of this County, doing considerable damage. The creeks were raised to a greater height than at any previous flood within the recollection of the oldest inhabitants ; and yet this freshet
1 Directory of Chester.
2 Hist. Chester County.
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HISTORY OF DELAWARE COUNTY.
1803.]
was one foot less in height than the ice freshet of 1839, and eight feet three inches below the great flood of 1843, as accu- rately measured at Sharpless' Mills, on Ridley Creek.
The use of intoxicating drinks, and consequently drunken- ness, was probably increased by the Revolution. Certain it is, that the Quakers, the moral reformers of the age, about that period, set about the discouragement of the manufacture, sale, or use of these drinks by their members, in a spirit of earnest- ness not before exhibited. For a long time their success was only partial. A belief prevailed that severe labor, particularly that of harvest, could not be performed without the use of stimulating drinks, but even at this early day, "many Friends had declined using thereof in harvest." That practice was not, however, generally laid aside, and was continued for many years afterwards ; yet members of the Society refrained from the dis- tillation or sale of spiritnous liquors.
In 1797, subscriptions for the establishment of a boarding- school, to be under the care of the yearly meeting, were circu- lated among the several monthly meetings of this County, by committees appointed for that purpose. Liberal subscriptions were made ; and the result of the undertaking was the purchase of a tract of 600 acres of land in Westown township, Chester County, and the erection of a building 55 by 110 feet, four stories high, including the basement, at a cost of $22,500. The first pupils were admitted in the 5th month, 1799. The main building was subsequently enlarged, and many other improve- ments have been made to the premises since that time. Westown school is not within the limits of our County, but many of our people of both sexes have been educated there. Since the division of the Society of Friends, the school has been exelu- sively under the management of that branch of it termed Orthodox.
The burden of supporting the bridges over our numerous streams, and particularly those on the Southern Post-road be- came too great for our small County to bear. As a means of relief, an act of Assembly was procured in 1799, authorizing the Commissioners to erect toll-gates on that road, and to col- lect toll from persons traveling thereon. The rates of toll au- thorized for passing over the road were, for a stage-coach or pleasure carriage with four wheels and four horses, twenty-five cents; the same with two horses, fifteen cents, and with two wheels, ten cents. Carriages of burden were charged about one-half these rates. The act expired by its own limitation at the end of five years.
On the 8th of May, 1803, our good people had a rather un- welcome visitant, so late in the season, in the shape of a snow
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HISTORY OF DELAWARE COUNTY.
[1812.
storm. The snow covered the ground, though the greater part of it melted as it fell. On the next morning still water was frozen into ice a quarter of an inch in thickness, and the ditches and ponds of water in many places were frozen over.
On the 13th of February, 1804, an act was passed " to pro- vide for the erection of a house for the Employment and Sup- port of the Poor in the County of Delaware." This act pro- vided for the election by the people of seven persons to fix upon a site for the County house. The gentlemen chosen selected the property adjoining the present town of Media, upon which the old Poor-house now stands. The selection made was gener- ally regarded at the time as injudicious, on account of the ex- hausted condition of the land that was chosen ; but the location of the new seat of justice adjoining the property, made it a very profitable investment for the County. The original farm con- sisting of 137 acres, was purchased for less than $33 per acre ; subsequently an additional small tract was bought for about $100 per acre. The chief part of this property was sold in two tracts-46 acres at $250 per acre and 112 acres at $341.50 per acre.
Up to the time of the completion of the new Poor-house, the poor were supported in the several townships by boarding them in private families under the charge of two overseers of the poor for each township. This office was abolished as soon as the poor were removed to the newly erected building.
From 1804, till the breaking out of the war between the United States and Great Britain, nothing worthy of particular notice occurred. Owing to the European war that raged during this period, the commerce of our country was benefited, and there was an increased demand for its agricultural products. Our County fully shared these advantages, and the result was an effort on the part of our farmers to improve their lands and thereby to increase their products. These lands, in many places, had become exhausted by a system of bad farming that is generally adopted in new countries, and it was not then un- common to see large tracts abandoned for agricultural purposes, and left unenclosed. These exhausted tracts generally received the appellation of " old fields." The use of gypsum and lime as manures now began to be introduced, the former, at first, work- ing almost miracles, by the increased productiveness it imparted to the soil. It was soon discovered, however, that its effect was greatly diminished by repeated applications, and as a con- sequence it became less used ; while lime, though slow in devel- oping its benefits, soon became the general favorite with our farmers, and deservedly so, for it cannot be denied that it was owing to its extensive and continued application, combined with
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