muto^iortumttg Copyriaht, 1914, By Hy. V. Smith JAN 22 1914 ©CI.A362284 U^ PREFACE HE purpose of this book is to present Chester in its true light at home and abroad. Chester, because of its favor- able location, great industries, even climate, natural facilities and substantial advancement, affords most ex- cellent opportunities for trade expansion and desirable habitation. The advantages of Chester are set forth '"'in order that people at a distance may be attracted to this city, and ^4hat those here may become more fully awakened to the value of '.their home and the blessings they enjoy. If this publication will be the means of increasing the pros- perity and happiness of the residents of Chester, and the city's population and greatness be further advanced by the introduction of more people and more industries, then the efforts of the publisher shall not have been in vain. Hy. V. Smith. CONTENTS Title-page Ill Preface V Dedicatiou 1 Introduction 3 Historical Briefs. By Henrj' Graham Aslimead 5 Housing the Working People. B3' Carol Aronovici, Ph.D 24 City Planning 30 The Old Town Hall 37 Industrial Op23ortunities 38 Natural Eesources ' 50 Transportation Facilities 56 Low Cost of Living 60 Manufacture 62 Labor 66 Suburban Ideals 68 Municipal Improvements 72 Municipal j\Ianagement 74 Churches 7£- Building for the Future as Well as The Present SO Parks 80 Banks and Finance 83 Clubs and Other Organizations 87 Schools and Playgrounds 92 Private Educational Features 98 Philanthropic AVork .,. 100 The Press 100 Government Statistics 120 PiTblic Service Corporations 124 Map of Proposed "Greater Chester" 127 LIST OF ILLUSTRATIONS Fifth Street Bridge Frontispiece Historical Subjects 7 On the Delaware 9 In the Good Old Summertime 11 Boat Houses on Eidle}'' River 13 Early Morn and Sunset on the Delaware 15 Ocean Liners 17 U. S. Cruiser Missouri 19 Group of Public and Office Buildings 21 Proposed Alfred 0. Deshong Memorial Art Gallery 23 Grounds and Entrance to Alfred 0. Deshong Memorial 25 yiews in the Alfred 0. Deshong Memorial Art Gallery 27 Treasures of the Alfred 0. Deshong Memorial Art Gallery 29 House and Grounds of General Wm. G. Price 31 Taylor Terrace 33 The Siramonds Art Store 33 Galey Hardware Company 35 Plant of the Eobert Wetherill Company 39 Plant of the Seaboard Steel Casting Company 41 The Baldwin Locomotive Works 43-45 Eddystone Print Works 47 Aberfoyle Manufacturing Co 48 Scott Paper Company — Chester Plant 49 0. W. Ketchem Terra-Cotta Works 51 Belmont Iron Works 51 iSTew Chester Water Company 52-53 M. B. Fahey Tobacco Co 54 Suburban Gas Company 55 Chester Freight Line 57 Beacon Light Company 58-59 The John J. Buckley Company, Inc 61 American Steel Foundries 63 Geo. C. Hetzel Company Plant 63 American Viscose Company Plant 64 American Viscose Company Village 65 LTnion Paving Company 67 Some Sural Views 69 Sun Company Plant 70 Crew Levick Oil Company 71 Crown Smelting Company 73 Fields Brick Companv 73 Y. M. C. A. Building 75 Third Presbyterian Church and ]\Ianse 75 jMadison Street M. E. Church 76 Saint Paul's P. E. Church 77 First Baptist Church 77 Trinity M. E. Church 77 First Presljyterian Church 77 Church of The Immaculate Heart 78 St. Michael's Church 78 Saint Rose of Lima Church 79 Chester Park 81 Crozer Park 82 Chester I^ational Bank 83 Cambridge Trust Company 84 LIST OF ILLUSTRATIONS— Continued I'lie Delaware County National Bank 85 Pennsylvania National Bank 85 Delaware County Trust, Safe Deposit and Title Insurance Company 8(5 Wm. B. Chadwick's Log Cabin 86 Perm Club 88 Eagles Nest : . 89 Knights of Columbus Eooms 89 Temple of Elks 89 Spring Haven Country Club 90 Rose Tree Fox Hunting Club 91 Chester High School 93 Larkin Grammar School 93 Franklin School 94-95 A Group of Chester Public Schools 96 Playgrounds of Chester Schools ." 97 Sleeper's College 98 Pennsylvania Military College 99 Entrance to Crozer Theological Seminary 99 Swartliinore College 99 Hospitals 101 "Chester Times" 102 "The Morning Republican" 103 Residence of J. Frank Black 104 Residence of Dr. J. L. Forwood 104 Residence of Charles R. Long 104 Residence of Hon. Crosby M. Black 104 William Freihofer Tract 105 House and Grounds of Senator Wm. C. Sproul 106-107 Residence and Grounds of Robert Wetherill 108 Residence and Grounds of Richard Wetherill 109 Residence and Grounds of Mrs. J. Lewis Crozer 110 Residence and Groimds of John P. Crozer Ill Home and Grounds of Charles T. Schoen 112 Home and Grounds of John G. Forstburg 113 Country Place of Josiah Smith 114 Residence of Hon. William B. Broomall 114 Home of William I. Schaffer 115 Baldt Property 116 Roach Mansion 116 Sproul Homestead 116 Washington House 117 Colonnade Hotel 117 City Hotel 117 Plant of the Chester Brewing Company 118 Morton House '. 119 Colonial Hotel 119 Homes and Apparatus of Our Volunteer Fire Department 121 Incidents of Firemen's Convention Week 122 Night Scenes of Firemen's Convention Week 123 Quick as Lightning 125 Ethiopian Quartette 125 Contentment 126 DEDICATION This volume is respectfully dedicated to the general public, and the sincere thanks of the publisher are hereby extended to cdl individuals, firms and corporations ivho contributed support or in any ivay aided him in the irork. INTRODUCTION OME cities are rapid in growth, made possible by natural resources, such as gold, silver, coal, iron and oil, which products have spread fame and fortune throughout the world. Other cities have been slow in development and yet have acquired a standing that insures peace, progress and prosperity for the resi- dents. Just what constitutes the basis of happiness in the human family is not universally agreed upon. Contentment of mind contributes more to happiness than does money. The greatest men are not men of wealth. Men who have left their deeds and sentiments riveted in the hearts of succeeding generations were rich in character and wise in judgment. A city is just what its citizens make it. If a spirit of selfishness, jealousy, and envy permeates the very atmosphere of a community, then may we expect little advancement. On the other hand, a com- munity that is progressive; where its people are filled with civic pride; where the faces of the inhabitants radiate sunshine; where the handshake sends the blood tingling through the veins; where there is a "live and let live" compact, in which old and young have joined, there will you find the greatest success, the greatest content- ment, the greatest happiness. Every municipality should be conducted as one big family, and every member of the family be entitled to share benefits in accord- ance with his or her helpfulness and value to the community. The social, political and industrial forces should never clash. Compe- tition, aggressiveness or "live wire" methods in social, political or industrial circles are not intended to prove detrimental or hurtful to the individual or the community. To the contrarv, they denote a healthy condition, which is inspiring and productive of great good. No city has a greater reason for being satisfied with what God has given it than Chester. Its natural facilities are unsurpassed by any other place. Then, too, as the oldest town in Pennsylvania, Chester can justlv lav claim to important incidents in history, the early introduction of manufacture, and in doing its part toward the making and preservation of the Nation. Step by step has this set- tlement advanced from an agricultural hamlet to a city famous as an industrial center. No city holds out more and better induce- ments to the captain of industry, the merchant, or the wage earner, than does Chester. Let the following pages tell the story in illustrations and in words. / HISTORICAL BRIEFS By HENRY GRAHAM ASHMEAD [Note by the Editor. — Heni'y Graham Ashmead is a noted historian and a recognized autliority on such topics. He is a counselor of tlie Swedish Colonial and of the Pennsylvania Colonial Societies; a member of the Ameri- can Histoiical Association, a member of the Royal Societies Club of London and recording secretary of the Delaware County Historical Society. Mr. Ash- mead is the author of "Historical Sketches of Chester," "History of Delaware County," and numerous other works.] LI AT i^art of Chester comprised between the Delaware, Eiclley and Cliester rivers, extending northwestwardly to where is now the C'rozer Theological Seminary, was originally a tobacco jjlanta- tion conducted under the management of the Swedish govern- ment. In 16J:4 the greater part of this territory was granted by the Swedish crown to Joran Kyn (George Keen), who had come to the province as one of the bodyguard of Governor Printz. In 1675 the first meeting for Divine service in Pennsyl- vania, by the Society of Friends, was held at the dwelling of Robert Wade — tlie famous "Essex House." The first court that conveTied in Pennsylvania was at Upland (now Chester), November 1-1, 1676, and was administered under what was kno^vn as the "Duke of York's Law." It was at the Upland Court, in 1678, that the first hospital for the insane, supported at the cost of the public, in the history of Pennsylvania, was estab- lished. "Jan Coi-nelissen" appealed to the justices that his son Erick "is bereft of his natural Sences & turned quyt madd, and yt hee being a poore man is not able to maintain him." The Court ordered that a "Little Blockhouse" should be built at Amosland — part of Eidley Township, bordering upon Darby Creek — and directed a levy to be made to defray the expenses of its construction and the maintenance of the lunatic. On August 3, 1681, Deputy Governor William Markham, representing Penn, established the seat of the Colonial Government of Pennsylvania at Chester. On the second Tuesday of September, 1681, the last court under the authority of the Duke of York was held here, where the official notification was made that l\ing Charles II had issued letters patent to William Penn for the colony, then termed Pennsylvania, and directed the Justices to "Readely submit and yield all due obediance to ye sd Letters Pattent."' September 13, 1681, the first court held in the province under the proprie- tary, William Pemi, convened at Upland. Jury trials were heard, but there does not seem to be any distinction made between Grand and Petit Juries. At the court held at Upland, November 30, 1681, Deputy Governor William "Markham presided over its deliberations. September 24 (Sunday), 1682, Lord Baltimore, in Wade's meadow — the squares between Penn, Second, and Third streets, and Chester river — took an astronomical observation to determine the latitude of the town. This was the first demonstrative step in the noted dispute between Penn and Lord Baltimore, as to the boimdary line between their provinces, which was not set at rest until 1761, when the agreement for the running of the celebrated Mason and Dixon line was made. John Eandolph, of Eoanoke, in the debate on the admission of Missouri to the Union, made it renowned when he referred to "The Mason and Dixon's Line" as descriptive of the geographical division between the slave and free states. October 28, 1682, William Penn reached Chester in the ship "Welcome," in the afternoon, and was entertained at the dwelling of Robert Wade, knoA^ni in the liistory of the commonwealth as the "Es.sex House." This date is positively fixed five in the breviate used by the lawyers for the plaintiffs in the Chancery proceeding of William Penu's sons against Lord Baltimore, heard before Lord Chancellor Hardwick. During the winters of 1682 and 1683 Chester was the point of destination for emigrants from Great Britain, hence frequently several ships would be lying oflE the town, discharging passengers and freight. On December 4, 1682, the first assembly of the province was held at Chester, in Sandeland's "double house," which stood on the west side of Edgemont avenue, between Second and Third streets, a large building in those days as it would be even now. The session continued three days, during which the great code of laws prepared in England was adopted. Penn presided in person over its deliberations. At the court held at Chester, June 27, 1683, William Penn, as Governor, presided over its sessions, the only time, it is said, he ever acted in a judicial capacity. i On the 27th of the eighth month (August), 1687, the first jury of women, called to serve in any court in what is now the United States, was empaneled at Chester. The Grand Jury at the March term, 1695, presented the want of a "Bridle Road,'" from Marcus Hook to Chester. Prior to 1706 the King's Road was along what is now Twenty-fourth street, crossing both Chester and Ridley creeks at head of tidewater. In November, 1699, Penn, on his second visit to his colony, had his vessel anchor off Chester, and for a second time he stopped at the Essex House, where he was the guest for the day of Lydia Wade, then a widow. The next morning Penn was rowed across the creek at what is now Second street. Some young men "fired two small sea pieces of cannon and, being ambitious to make three out of two, by firing one twice, one of them ('young men') darted in a cartridge of powder before the piece was sponged, had his left arm shot to pieces, upon which a surgeon being sent for, an amputation took place." Bevan, the young man, died the following AjDril, and the expense of his care and funeral were defrayed by Penn. On November 19, 1700, the plan of Chester, as prepared by James Sande- lands, was submitted to Governor Penn, who the next day gave it his approval : so that the present city, from the Delaware river to Seventh street and from Edgemont avenue to Welsh street, conforms in substance to the plot then accepted. On October 13, 1701, William Penn chartered Chester as ajjorou'gh. The Queen's Highway, Morton avenue to Fifth, to Market, to Third, was laid out in 1706. The proposed highway caused some dissatisfaction, and not a few people objected, declaring that "God and nature intended the road to cross directly over the creek, but the devil and Jasper Yeates took it where it was located." The first trial for homicide in Chester county was heard at the Court here, April 17, 1718, when Hugh Miller and Lazarus Thomas were indicted for the murder of Jonathan Hayes, a justice of the county courts. Governor Sir Wil- liam Keith was present at the trial. The men were convicted and hanged ilay 9, 1718, the first capital execution in the district. Augiist 15, 1722, William Battin, a lad of seventeen, was hanged at Chester and the body hung in chains, the first instance of the kind in the history of the province. During the year 1724 the Courthouse, now the City Hall, was built, -which stands to-day the oldest structure in the United States, continually used as a public building. Wednesday morning, August 11, 1730, Thomas Penn, son of William, landed at Chester. The Council of Philadelphia and the members of the General As- sembly, the next day, with Deputy Governor Patrick Borden, came hither, accom • panied hj a large number of gentlemen, "waited on the Honorable Proprietary posting Place. JofinMoiton <5icfnprof ifie Oeclaratior* oflodepenclem Lyflo casttfti decidnjq fo/p ^^B/o; '/eec/m\ in the ^^(; Con Eandiiiif lace ol in tf)P jear 16'82 and paid their compliments. After dinner tlie Proprietary and his company, now- very numerous, set out for Philadelphia." That dinner was a subject of con- versation for fully a generation. September 20, 1733, John Penn, "the American," because he was the only son of William bom in this province, reached Chester, where Thomas Penn met him and a great gathering of prominent men. The town was given over to hilarity, as w-as done also in Philadelphia when the cortege reached that city the next night. The story of the "liigh old times" influenced ilichael Walfare, one of the hermits of Conestogo, to go to Philadelphia, where, in his linen pilgrim garb, with his tall stafE and venerable beard, he stood in the market place of that city and proclaimed the Judgment of an offended Deity against that inicpii- tous tow-n and those who had taken part in the orgies. In 171:6 Capt. John Shannon and a company of soldiers, recruited in Xew Castle, Delaware, and in Chester Coimty, to take part in the proposed invasion of Canada, were quartered in Chester for several weeks. They saw some hard times later, for at Albanj' thej' complained that their rations of meat were nigh exhausted and they were short of "bread and rum."'" On May 11, 1756, Paul Jackson, then Burgess of Chester, was appointed captain of the 3d Battalion of the Pennsylvania troops in the expedition, under Gen. John Gorbes, which resulted in the reduction of Fort DuQuesne, now Pitts- burgh. To his command Chester contributed her full quota of men. Paul Jack- son was the first man to graduate from the University of Pennsylvania, and was recognized as a distinguished poet in Colonial times. November 7, 1764, Benjamin Franklin, Commissioner of Pennsylvania and Massachusetts to present to George III the grievances of these colonies, came to Chester to board the London Packet. He w-as accompanied by a cavalcade of more than three hundred men of affairs of the colony. In February, 1776, Wayne, "Mad Anthony," colonel of the Fourth Battalion of the Pennsylvania Line, mustered his command at Chester, and for more than three weeks made his headquarters in the courthouse and drilled his raw levies in the manual of arms. April, 1777, John Morton died in what is now Eidley Park. He was the first of the signers of the Declaration of Independence to pass away. His grave, in St. PauFs church yard, in Chester, remained unmai'ked until October, 184-3, when the present marble obelisk was erected by his descendants. Sunday, August 24, 1777, the American army, 16,000 strong, encamped in and arounci Cliester when on its way to meet General Howe, in his attempt to capture Philadelphia. September 11, 1777, the American army, defeated that day at Brandy wine, straggled into Chester and encamped east of Ridley creek. At midnight, in the Washington House, Washington wrote the only report to Congress he ever made of that battle. Xovember 18, 1777, Lord Cornwallis, in command of three thousand British regulars, entered the town and from this place embarked his men for the attack on the American fort at Billino-sport, N. J. At that time over eighty British men-of-war and transports lay in the river off this town. September 26, 1778, James Fitzpatrick, the noted outlaw and British spy, w-ho figiires as "Sandy Flash," in Bayard Taylor's "Story of Kenneth,"' S. Weir JMitchelFs "Hugh Wynne," and General Jones' "Quaker Soldier,"' was executed at the intersection of Edginont and Providence avenues, Chester, In July, 1779, the American privateer, "Holker," lay ofE Chester, where she recruited a number of men, and here Capt. Mathew Lawyer exchanged old, dis- abled cannons for new iron, giving four tons of the former for one ton of the latter, September o, 1781, Washington with his army passed thi'ough Chester on his way to Yorktowu, to meet and capture Cornwallis. In April, 1782, Capt. Joshua Barney, who had in a naval engagement in the eight Delaware Bay, captured the British ship-of-war, "General Monk," brought the ship, the "Hj'der Ali," and her prize to Chester, where he also brought Captain Eodgers, the British commander, ashore. A Quaker lady nursed the Englislmian until he had recovered of his wounds, after which he was exchanged. January 3, 1786, Elizabeth Wilson, convicted of murdering her twin infants, was hanged at the intersection of Providence and Edgmont avenues. Her case is one of the most memorable in the judicial annals of the commonwealth. March 18, 1786, the Executive approved the Act changing the county seat of Chester county from Chester to West Chester, and on September 25th, of the same year. Sheriff William Gibbons was directed to remove the prisoners in the old prison to the jail at West Chester. ilarch 18, 1788, the old courthouse and jail at Chester were sold to Wil- liam Kerlin for £4:15. Monday, April 20, 1789, Washington, who was on his way to Xew York to be inaugurated the first president of the ITnited States, reached Chester at 7 o'clock in the morning. Later, at the Washington House, he received the con- gratulations of the citizens of the town, the address on that occasion being made by Dr. William Martin, then Burgess. September 26, 1789, Governor Mifflin approved the Act creating the county of Delaware. November 3, 1789, William Kerlin sold the old courthouse and jail to the countj' of Delaware for £693, 3s 8d. November 7, 1789, the first court for the county of Delaware convened at Cliester. January 23, 1790, Henry Hale Graham, the first president judge of Dela- ware county, died in Philadelphia, while attending, as a member, the Constitu-.. tional Convention of 1790. He was buried in Friends' graveyard, on Edgemont avenue. During June, July, August and September. 1790, John Fitch ran the steam- boat, "Perseverance," carrying passengers and freight between Wilmington, Chester and Philadelphia, nearly seventeen years before Fulton made his successful ven- ture on the Hudson river with the "Clermont." In 1793, yellow fever raged as a dire pestilence in Philadelphia. A party of boys at Chester boarded a vessel lying in the stream, on which were several men with the disease. By that means it was spread in the town, where a number of persons died. In the early summer of 1794, when Governor Mifflin called for Pennsylvania's quota of troops to suppress the "Whiskey Insurrection," William Graham, the Chief Burgess, raised a company of horsemen from the town and immediate neigh- borhood, of which he was captain. This cavalry served throughout the bloodless campaign. In 1798 yellow fever appeared as a pestilence in Chester. Deborah Logan says that it was brought here by a woman who had fled from Philadelphia and died in this town. She had "exacted a promise from some of her friends that her body should be brought back to the city and buried in consecrated grounds, and that in consequence of this iDad vow, the infection was first caught in the borough, where it spread with frightful rapidity and depopulated whole families and streets." One-fifth of the population died of the disease. June 8, 1813, David Dixon Porter, eminent as a naval officer, who for his distinguished services rose to the rank of admiral, and who was an author of some repute, was born in Chester. August 27, 1814, the bank of Delaware county organized by the election of a Board of Directors. In August. 1814, when the British army and naval forces threatened to attack Philadelphia, Chester furnished to the volunteer army "The ilifflin Guards," com- manded by Capt. Samuel Anderson, who subsequently represented this district in Congress, and who was the only man from Delaware county elected speaker of the State House of Eepresentatives. June 6, 1818, John H. Craig was executed at Mundy's Run, where is now Morton avenue and Eleventh street, for the murder of Edward Hunter, a justice of the peace of Newto^^^l. On Tuesday evening, October 5, 1834, General Lafayette was received at Chester. At 11 o'clock at night, when the steamboat made fast to the wharf, the Delaware County Troop and the First City Troop of Horses from Philadel- phia received him in open order. The towTi was brilliantly illuminated and from the pier to Fifth street, on both sides of the curb, stood a line of boys, each bear- ing in his hand a lighted candle of mammoth size. The Marquis was con- ducted to the Columbia Hotel, now the site of the Cambridge Trust Building, (where his wounds had been dressed forty-seven years before). There Dr. Samuel Anderson made an address of welcome. At the courthouse the leaders of the borough had "provided a sumptuous entertainment, to which upwards of one hundred gentlemen sat down at 1 o'clock in the morning." Friday, December 17, 1824, James Wellington was hanged for the murder of William Bonsell, of Upper Darby, at what is now known as the "Forty Acres." In 1826 a committee on manufacture issued a report on the number, extent and capacity of the manufactories, mills and unimproved mill sites in Delaware county, which was issued from the office of the Upland Union, Chester, the first book ever printed in Delaware county. In 1837 Kitts & Kerlin established the first manufacturing establishment in Chester, a machine . shop and foundry on the w^est side of Edgmont avenue above Fifth street, and therein erected the first stationary steam engine in the borough. January 15, 1838, the Philadelphia, Wilmington & Baltimore Eailroad was opened for travel and freight from Wilmington to Philadelphia. April 29, 1841, a mock funeral was held in the borough, on the occasion of the death of President William Henry Harrison — the only instance of the kind in our city annals. Friday, August 6, 1841, Thomas Cropper, who was convicted of the murder of Martin Hollis, of Birmingham, was executed in the Jail yard at Chester, the last person to suffer capital punishment within the borough limits. On Saturday, August 3, 1843, a cloud-burst, kno-sAOi as "Lamma's Flood," wrought widespread destruction in Delaware county. The water in Cliester creek rose nineteen feet in the borough limits, sweeping away the railroad bridge as well as the bridge at Third street. Thirty-two of the county bridges were destroyed or seriously damaged. Nineteen persons were drowned and the pecuniary loss estimated at about $220,000. The movement to change the county seat from Chester to a more central location took active form on November 22, 1845, at a public meeting held at the Black Horse Tavern, in Middletown. The Legislature in 1846 enacted a law, submitting the question to a vote of the people. The election, October 12, 1847, showed a majority of 752 votes in favor of the change. The matter was taken to the Superior Court and early in 1849 that tribunal decided in favor of the remo^'al. In the summer of 1851 the court records were transferred to Media. The last court held in Chester began May 26, 1851, and was in session four days, adjourning Friday, May 30, 1851. April 18. 1846, Theodore Porter, born in Chester, son of Commodore David Porter, and brother of Admiral D. D. Porter, was killed in Mexico. He was a lieutenant in the 7th U. S. Infantry, and with a detachment of ten men liad been ordered outside of General Taylor's encampment. They were fired upon by fifty Mexicans, Porter and three of his men l^eing killed. The others reached camp safely. Theodore Porter was the first American officer killed in the Mexican war. His remains rest in an unmarked grave in old St. Paul's graveyard, Chester. June 13, 1S46. The Delaware County Gravs, which hail been recruited mostly from the borough, -ivere inspected by Major Peck, Captain Zeilin having, through Governor Shunk, offered the company to President Polk for active service iii the Mexican war. The quota of Pennsylvania being filled, the president refused to accept the troops. In 1847 the battlefield of the ten-hour movement was practically in Dela- ware county, although the western parts of Pennsylvania were active in the move- ment to limit the hours of labor by law from fifteen to ten hours. For five years the fight continued, until, at a public meeting held in Chester, the manufacturers of the county decided to give the new law a year's trial test, which proved emi- nently successful. December, 1849, John M. Broomall purchased fifty acres, the Kerlin farm, west of the creek. January o, 1850, John Larkin, Jr., purchased eighty-three acres of land from John Cochrane. Both tracts were laid out in streets, squares and building lots. It was then that Chester awoke from its torpor of more than a century. In the latter part of March, 1850, James Campbell, who had erected the "Pioneer Mills," on Fourth street, near Market, started the machinery in the factory. This was the first textile industry located in Chester. December 9, 1850, the old Courthouse and grounds were divided into three lots and sold. The Courthouse, purchased by the borough, was bought for $2641, the lot now occupied by the First National Bank and Chester Times brought $1525, and the jail and lots adjoining were sold to James Campbell for $3520. November 8, 1851, the Pemisylvania Historical Society celebrated the one hundred and sixty-seventh anniversary of the landing of Penn at Chester. After appropriate literary exercises, the society planted several trees at Front and Penn streets, on the exact site where the old pine trees stood, to one of which the small boat that conveyed Penn from the "Welcome" was made fast when he made his first landing on Pennsylvania soil. In the summer of 1856 William Bucknell organized a company, erected works, laid mains, and in the fall supplied illuminating gas to the inhabitants of the to\\-n. In 1859, Thomas Eeaney, the senior member of the shipbuilding firm of Eeaney & Neafie, located at Chester and for a number of years conducted a success- ful shipbuilding business here. During the civil war there were built for the United States Government at this plant, then kno\vii as the Pennsylvania Iron Works, the double-enders, "Wateree," "Suwanee"' and "Shamokin;"' the monitors "Sagamore," "Lehigh"' and "Tunxis." The success of the firm brought a large number of workmen to Chester and added largely to the population and development of the town. The civil war burst upon the nation on Saturday, April 13, 1861, when the stars and stripes were hauled down from the staff at Fort Sumter, under the fire of the Confederate forces. Wednesday, April 17, 1861, the "Union Blues," an independent company com- manded by Capt. Harry B. Edwards, was recruited in Chester, and on the Saturday following was mustered into the United States service and immediately ordered to the front; and later was encamped with the Ninth Pennsylvania Eegiment of Infantry. Later, Capt. William L. Grubb raised a company in the Irorough, as was the Slif er Phalanx, Capt. Samuel A. Dyer. Company A of the Forty-eighth Eegiment, Capt. Thomas I. Leiper; Company E of the One Hundred and Nine- teenth Eegiment, Capt. William C. Gray ; Company B, Delaware County Fusileers, Capt. Simon Litzenberg; Company D, Gideon's JBand, Capt. Norris L. Yarnall, and Company H, Delaware County Volunteers, Capt. James Barton, Jr.. were chiefly recruited from the borough and were incorporated in the One Hundred and Twenty-first Eegiment, Pennsvlvania Volunteer Infantry. During the drafting of 1862, Company K, Capt. Wm. B. Thatcher, of the Tenth Eegiment ]\Iilitia, was recruited in 'Chester, and in the emergency call of 1863, the Gettysburg campaign. Company A, Thirty-seventh Eegiment Militia, Capt. AVilliam Frick, foKrteen fifteen was recruited here. Company A, Capt. James Barton, Jr.. was mustered into the One Hundred and Ninety-seventh Eegiment of Pennsylvania Volunteers, and Company K, Lieut. William B. Thatcher, of the One Hundred and Ninety-eighth Regiment, Pennsylvania Volunteers, was recruited mostly from Chester, while on July 1st, of the same year, Company li of the Forty-fifth Pennsylvania Volun- teers, Capt. Geo. K. Crozer, was recruited at Upland. Chester was incorporated as a city by the Act of Assembly, approved February 1-t, 1866, and John Larkin, Jr., became the first mayor of the city at a special election held one month later. In April, 1866, the Legislature empowered the city of Chester to construct a water works, if the project was sustained by a popular vote of the people. The North and Middle wards rejected it, but the South ward adopted the measure, whereupon, on March 2, 1867, an Act was approved authorizing the South ward to construct a water works, which was done and operated by that section of the city as the South Chester Water Works until July 1, 1887, when the plant was sold to the New Chester Water Company, which has controlled it ever since. 1869. John Larkin, Jr., was elected mayor, for the second time. 1872. Dr. J. L. Forwood was elected mayor, defeating John Larkin, Jr., who had been nominated by the Republicans for a third term. In 1872 John Roach purchased the Reaney shipbuilding plant and estab- lished "The Delaware River Iron, Shipbuilding & Engine Works," which he greatly enlarged and outfitted. 1875. Dr. J. L. Forwood was elected mayor for the second time. May 13, 1874, the "City of Peking" (5079 tons), the largest vessel up to that time built in the United States, was launched at Roach's shipyard. January 1, 1876. The Centennial year was ushered in with memorable cere- monies. At half past eleven o'clock, of the night of December 31, 1875, a Colonial salute of thirteen guns was fired by a detachment of Wilde Post, No. 25, G. A. R., and when the hands of the dial of the illuminated clock in the tower of the city hall marked the hour of twelve, the bells of the city rang out a joyous peal, while the music of the various bands, the cheers of the crowd, the discharge of firearms and cannon, the blowing of the whistles, all made a din such as Chester had never before known. A large procession, comprising all the military and fire companies and most of the civic societies of Chester and outlying boroughs, traversed the principal streets of the city amid the greatest enthusiasm. July 4, 1876. Centennial Day was observed with a procession, which was the most imposing ever before seen in the city. Nearly every manufacturing establish- ment was represented in the ranks. Numerous floats, exhibiting the products of the town and fully six thousand persons took part in the parade. The literary exercises were conducted on the Beale House lawn, where now stands the Arcade Hotel and Black Block. Tuesday, May 22, 1877, the steamship "Saratoga" was launched at Roach's shipyard. Without warning the vessel "slipped its shoes" and ran swiftly down the ways. A number of workmen under the ship were caught in the blocking. Seven were killed and many others seriously injured. 1878. Dr. J. L. Forwood was elected mayor for the third time. April 6, 1878, the "City of Para" (3548 tons), of the Brazilian Line, was launched at Roach's shipyard. It was witnessed by President Hayes, members of his cabinet, together with several hundred senators, congressmen, and de]3artment officials, who had come from Washington in a special train ; also Governor Hastings and his staff"; all the guests of Mr. Roach. They were met by the city officials and conducted to the shipyard in carriages with military escort. The streets were crowded and fully ten thousand persons were present at the launching. The Moyamensing Hook & Ladder Company was instituted April 7, 1868, and incorporated February 28, 1870. Its first truck and hose carriage was pre- sented to it by the Moyamensing Company of Philadelphia. The Franklin Fire Company, Xo. 1, was instituted Xovember 30, 1867, and incorporated February 22, 1869. Its first steam fire engine was purcliased in 1874. The Hanley Hose Company was instituted January 12, 1869, and incorporated February 22, 1869. Its first steam fire engine was owned by tlie city. 1881. James Barton, Jr., was elected mayor. Thursday, February 16, 1882, the Pennsylvania Military Academy liuilding was totally destroyed by fire. Friday, February 17, 1882, Jackson's Pyrotechnical Manufactory, for which purpose the house built by Chief Justice Lloyd, in 1721, and later the birthplace of Admiral David D. Porter, was then used, took fire and a large stock of fireworks exploded, resulting in the death of eighteen persons and the wounding of fifty-seven others. June 27, 1882, the Chester Street Eailway Company was formed, and on February 1, 1883, began operating the road as a horse-car line. From that enter- prise the present trolley railway system has developed. The Bi-Centennial of Penn's Landing at Chester was celebrated Monday, October 23, 1882, that day being selected so as not to conflict with the remainder of the week's observance in Philadelphia. The landing of William Penn (imper- sonated by John J. Hare), was made as near the exact spot at Front and Penn streets as could be done, considering the changes made in the river bank in two hundred years. Among the persons present were Governor Henry W. Hoj^t and staff, Adjt.-Genl. John W. Lather and Captain Deen, U. S. Eevenue Service. Fully ten thousand persons were present. Hon. Jolin M. Broomall delivered an oration, and in the afternoon a parade, commanded by Capt. William C. Gray, traversed the prominent streets of the city. Over six thousand persons participated. The Felton Fire Company was instituted on November 2, 1882, and was incorporated on the twenty-ninth day of the same month. Thursday, Jfovember 9, 1882, a number of members of the Pennsylvania His- torical Society and the Penn Club unveiled the Penn Memorial stone at Front and Penn streets. It is of granite, in the form of a milestone, five feet in height and three by two feet at the base. It weighs over two tons and is set on a solid founda- tion of masonry. In 1883 the Naval Department awarded to the Eoach shipyard the construc- tion of the famous dispatch boat "Dolphin" (1202 tons), the armored cruisers "Atlanta"' and "Boston" (2296 tons each), and the "Chicago" (3527 tons). The building of these war vessels was the beginning of the new navy of the LTnited States. Chester was the birthplace of the noted "White Squadron." 1884. Dr. J. L. Forwood was elected mayor for the fourth time. 1887. Maj. J. E. T. Coates elected mayor, defeating Dr. J. L. Forwood. July 1, 1887, free delivery of postal matter was inaugurated in Chester. October 3, 1887, North Chester borough, by ordinance, was incorporated with Chester city. 1890. Major Coates was re-elected mayor. During the year 1890 the gunboats "Concord"" and "Bennington"' were launched at Eoach's shipyard. The "Concord" was one of Dewey's squadron which, on Sunday, May 1, 1898, destroyed the Spanish fleet in Manila bay. and the "Ben- nington" was later lost in striking a rock on the uncharted coast of Luzon. September 13-18, 1890, the State Firemen's Association held its eleventh annual convention at Chester, 1891. The Good AVill Fire Company was inaugurated. 1893. John B. Hinkson elected mayor. Samuel A. Crozer, in the summer of 1893, offered to donate to the city some tliirty acres of land to be used as a public park. On July 14, 1894, the gift from Mr. Crozer was accepted by ordinance and the grounds, in recognition of the donor, was named Crozer Park. 1894. Larkin Grammar School building' erected. X Lauds had, tvoia time to time, been donated by owners of tracts in the northern part of the city — late the borough of North Chester — for the purpose of creating a jDublic park, entitled Chester Park, and on September 6, 1894, the Supreme Court authorized the incorporation of certain lands in Nether Providence with Chester city. Much land had been donated by Col. Samuel A. Dyer to enlarge the area of the f)ark. The efEorts of Edward Dickerson, a prominent contractor and builder, added largely to the success of the movement. 1896. Crosby M. Black elected mayor. January 19, 1897, the borough of South Chester enacted an ordinance for the annexation of that municipality with the city. On February 27, of that year, the Councils of Chester passed an ordinance amiexing South Chester, and at noon of that day j\Iayor Black took possession of the Borough Hall and assigned police- men to patrol the new territory. Prior to February 16, 1897, an appeal from the actions of both the city and borough authorities had been taken to court by citizens, and Judge Waddell, of Chester county, granted an injunction and referred the whole matter to George E. Darlington to report thereon as Master. The old bor- ough officials resumed authority during the litigation. On September 27, 1897, the master reported to Judge Hemphill (Judge Waddell having died in the mean- time ) , in which he held that the merger of the two municipalities had been legally effected. The report was approved. An appeal, however, was taken to the Supreme Court, but the bond being defective Judge Clayton made a decree ad interim, that the old borough should constitute the ninth ward of the citv', which later was divided into the ninth, tenth and eleventh wards. 1899. Dr. Daniel W. Jefferis elected mayor. July 4, 1899, a reception to Eear Admiral Winfield Scott Schley, the hero of the naval battles of Santiago, was tendered bv the citizens of Chester at Chester Park. 1902. Chester High School building erected. 1902. Howard H. Houston elected mayor. April 21, 1903, the Dela^\■are County Chapter of the Daughters of the Ameri- can Bevolution unveiled a bronze tablet on the walls of the Washington House. Mayor Howard H. Houston, Dr. P. H. Mowry and others delivered addresses. April 20, 1903, the Delaware County Chapter of the Daughters of the Ameri- can Bevolution unveiled a bronze tablet at the City Hall, on which occasion ad- dresses were made by Mayor Houston, Garnett Pendleton, Esq., Rev. P. H. Mowry and others. February 10, 1905, William H. Berry was elected mayor by a fusion move- ment. In the fall of that year he was elected State Treasurer by the Democratic party, and on December 30th resigned the office of mayor. January 13. 1906, Samuel E. Turner, President of Select Council, was elected mayor by Councils ad inferim to fill the vacancy occurring by William H. Berry's resignation. April, 1906, Dr. Samuel E. Crothers was elected mayor for two years to fill the unexpired term of ex-Mayor Berry. October 28, 1907, the Delaware County Historical Society had made most elaborate preparations to observe its two hundred and twenty-fifth amiiversary of the landing of Penn at Chester, and those in charge felt that the occasion would prove a great public demonstration. But the day was a veritable downpour of rain, preventing any outdoor exercises. However, exercises were held iu the I^arkin Grammar School, and a dramatic presentation given at the Family Theater, while in the evening Gov. Edwin S. Stuart, Isaac Sharpless, President of Haverford College, and Garnett Pendleton, Esq., made addresses in the Third Presbyterian Church. 1908. David M. John.son elected mayor. April 13, 1908, the conductors and motormen of all the trolley lines con- trolled by the Chester Traction Company struck for an increase in wages. All tii:cnty (iioiip«fPilif ro^TOrfifpBnikJiiiliisEiiimwil centy-ovc business in the citj^ was disturbed. The State Constabulary was called into service and nearly five mouths elapsed before the boycott by citizens was raised and the railways were again able to give undisturbed public service. December 17, 1908, the ceremonial presentation of a silver service to the United States Scout Cruiser "Chester" was made at the Brooklyn Navy Yard. Mayor D. M. Johnson, who with fifty officials and citizens had gone thither for that purpose, made the presentation address. The "Chester," which was named in honor of our city, and whose sponsor was Miss Dorothy, daughter of Senator William C. Sproul, had been ordered here in June to receive the service, but be- cause of the railway strike the order was countermanded. Xaval Commander Henry Baird Wilson accepted the gift on behalf of the vessel and the navy. November 27th to December 1, 1909, the United States Cruiser "Chester" anchored in the Delaware off this port, and for five days Capt. Henrj^ B. Wilson, her commander, officers and crew were the guests of our citizens, who made the occasion a memorable incident in the city's history. 1911. William Ward, Jr., elected mayor. October 26, 1912, the two hundred and thirtieth anniversary of the landing of Penn at Chester was celebrated, at the Washington House by the Colonial Society of Pennsylvania and the Swedish Colonial Society. April 19, 1913, Alfred Odenheimer Deshong died leaving to trustees his estate, estimated at more than a million dollars, to establish, for the use of the people of the city, an art gallery and park in his spacious grounds on Edgmont avenue. July 15, 1913, an Act of Assembly passed by the Legislature was approved by Governor Tener, providing for a body of five councilmen, one of whom shall act as mayor, to govern cities of the third class. September 5-10, 1913. The thirty-fourth annual convention of the State Fire- men's Association of Pennsylvania was held here. Although the weather was ex- tremely hot on Thursday, the day of the parade, the turnout was the largest ever witnessed in the history of the association. November 4, 1913, the following councilmen were elected under the new Act governing cities of the third class: Wesley S. McDowell, Joseph H. Messick, J. K. Hagerty and Charles B. Mould; Mayor Ward, having an unexpired term of two years to serve, making the required number. The Council first went into executive session on the first dav of December follo•^^"ing the election. ttcenty-t'WO twenty-three HOUSING THE WORKING PEOPLE By CAROL AROXOVICI, Ph.D. HE city of Chester is facing a large expansion of busi- ness and an unprecedented increase in its population, which must of necessity follow. The future of the city will depend not so much upon the number of factories it can lure to its jDrecincts, nor upon tlve number of workers who find employment in a variety of industries, but in the way in which these people live and make their homes. Eecent years have shown that it is more advantageous to live in the proximity of a large metropolis than to be a part of it. Such is the case of Chester. It is within easy reach of Philadelphia and yet it is sufficiently distant from its boundaries to render it immune to the regrettable urban conditions which large cities must develop, with the increase in congestion and the consequent increase in the cost of human comfort. There are in the city of Chester hundreds of acres of land, which could comfortably accommodate twice as much population than is to be found within the limits of the city and provide better homes, more open space, less congestion, and a better system of community development than is to be found at the present time in any of the Penn- sylvania cities or in Chester itself. In the matter of housing conditions, Chester is no different than other Pennsylvania cities that have been developed without a properly worked-out plan. With the appointment of a Planning Commission, which has re- cently been made mandatory by the State Legislature, and the increased ])ublic spirit developed in the community by the realization of the com- mercial and living opportunities afforded, it is expected that a plan will be devised that will meet not only the present needs of the city, but that it will prepare the field for a normal future development render- ing unsanitary conditions impossible. One of the best advantages of Chester is its location in the prox- imity of undeveloped land areas which may eventually become a part of the city. Those who may be seeking homes are, therefore, not confmed to the precincts of the city, as it is legally defined, but can easily be within the reach of the center of industrial activity and busi- ness sections and still remain close to the open country that has so tirenUj-four twenty-five abundantly been provided with picturesque vistas and easy means of access to the social and industrial centers. There is a great future before the city if the citizens will only realize in time the conditions under which the community should de- velop. A recent investigation has shown that the demand for homes is very great, but on account of the lack of clearly defined zones of industrial, commercial and residential distribution throughout the city, there is considerable hesitancy on the part of reliable builders to under- take the construction of houses in large numbers. The way is clear, however, for the development of a city plan that will be far reaching in character and will fix the development lines of the city in accordance with its present demands and future needs. It is hoped, however, that when a plan is made and home building is encouraged, the laws now in force in Chester will be recognized and proper regulations adopted for the benefit of those who are ultimately to occupy the houses as well as in the interest of existing homes. The present emplojTuent capacity of Chester, as far as its indus- tries are concerned, can be trebled and the territory now within the precincts of the city is ready for development, so that it would accom- modate the additional population necessitated by an increase in indus- trial activities. If we examine the figures concerning the population we find that a decided increase has taken place in the last ten years. The citizens of Chester are therefore beginning to realize that the time has come for the city to develop its natural harbor advantages and the splendid industrial sites which are now unused. The lack of more rapid de- velopment has not been due to any inlierently unfavorable conditions to be found in Chester. They have been due to the conservative poli- cies followed by the local government and the difficulty that one must encounter in an established community. Should the local government and the leading citizens of Chester realize the importance of developing its natural resources, and should the public come to an understanding of the best methods of community development, Chester could not be prevented from becoming the fore- most port in the State and one of the world's commercial and indus- trial centers. The city should secure the land fronting on the Dela- ware river and develop its docking facilities along the most modern lines. Land should be offered free of charge to industrial concerns twenty-six twenty-seven willing to take advantage of the local opportunities for locating fac- tories within reach of three of the most important railroads of the country, and one of the best and safest navigable rivers in the United States. Exemptions from taxation, free land and proper docking facili- ties would make Chester the commercial and industrial center of the Middle Atlantic Coast. This is not a vision, but a clear and feasible proposition that has been ti'ied out in European cities with the greatest success. The city could easily afford to secure a loan, not for the purpose of burdening the property owners with responsibilities for extravagant street construction or fanciful improvements, but for the purpose of giving itself a chance to become what is within the city's power — a progressive, active, growing and prosperous community. The increase in the number of homes, the large volume of local business, and the consequent increase in taxable property, will more than pay for the improvements and the exemptions from taxation or gifts of land made to incoming industrial plants. Instead of Eddystone and other outlying districts, Chester would gain in industrial growth and in population. It is all a matter of applying intelligent methods to public business, and the future of Chester will be determined not by its conservatism or false notions of its natural advantages, but by the actual efforts and intelligence applied to the planning of the larger city. Chester, as a city of homes, does not represent the highest practical standards, nor can one look with favor upon the homes that are being provided for wage earners in some sections of the city. There are, however, hundreds of acres of land awaiting development, and the city is now ready to render the service whereby the unattractive tyjDe of building will be replaced by a high type of home worthy of American standards and the future prosperity of Chester. tirciity-eiglit iirriitij-iilllr t CITY PLANNING HESTER has outgrown the accommodations afforded in the business sections. West Third street is no longer adequate as a district for large stores. There is too much congestion in traffic and little chance of advance- ment in keeping with the growth and requirements of the city. Market street will never be considered a modern business thorougiifare unless widened, and un- less the smaller and unattractive buildings give way to larger and better-class construction. EdgTuont avenue, from the railroad to Ninth street, is not likely to advance beyond what it represents to-day. The question, as to which section of the city will some day be the advanced business district, is not easily answered. It is not a random thought to predict that Seventh street. Eighth street, and Ninth street, from New Market street to Morton avenue, will lai'gely comprise the shopping center of Chester in future years. That the present lower re- tail district will continue as a trading point goes without saying. It will, however, be occupied more largely by merchants who aim to meet the demand for tlie cheaper and lower grades of goods. Chester can never hope to control all the better-class trade — keep it from going to Philadelphia — unless larger and better retail stores are provided and conducted in the most modern and attractive manner. Philadelphia, because of being only a few minutes' ride from Chester by fast train, and only an hour by trolley or boat, and having the largest and finest retail stores to be found in any city, will always be more or less of an attraction to the housewives of Chester. Not that Chester has no live merchants, for it has. But the numl^er is not large enough, and their facilities are not great enough, to stem the tide of trade traffic from home. What then is the remedy at hand? Simply this: Plan your city with a view of meeting future requirements. Plan for looking after trade and industry as well as the housing of more people. Plan to bring the people of outlying districts into the city to make their purchases, and give them the right kind of attention when they come. It is absolutely necessary that a new city plan be adopted, which shall determine years in advance the physical needs of a city that should thirty ^^1 thirty-one at least grow to three times its present size in the next quarter of a century. Chester will soon have an opportunity of availing itself of the benefits of the new Metropolitan Planning Commission, recently ap- pointed by Grovernor Tener, under a special Act of the last State Legislature. Another recent Act gives to Mayors of third-class cities the authority to appoint a "City Commission," whose duty it will be to have prepared plans for the future development of the munici- pality it represents. In this connection, it is expected that the Chester City Commission, when appointed, will work in conjunction with the Metroi3olitan Planning Commission.' The purpose of the latter Commission is to formulate plans pro- viding for parks, boulevards, water, sewerage systems and housing facilities, not losing sight of the trade and industrial needs of the territory surrounding Philadelphia for a distance of twenty-five miles. The services of the world's best experts will be employed by the Com- mission to work out the problems of traffic, complex activities, health, comforts, and pleasures of a rapidly increasing populace in a rapidly growing industrial center, surrounded by a most attractive and fast-ad- vancing suburban distiict. . It is claimed that, with the exception of Washington, no Amer- ican city was ever planned. That Chester was badly laid out there is no question. The benefits to be derived from laying down a plan and working to it are manifold in things ever so small. How much more so should they be when applied to a city the size of Chester ? If we have been neglectful there is no good reason why we should not profit in the future by the mistakes made in the past. The vari- ous planning associations are giving much thought to the suliject. For the districts in and about Philadeljihia and Chester, the following rea- sons why some comprehensive plan should be adopted, for the better- ment of the territory surrounding these cities for twenty-five miles, are suggested, as follows: Past errors in planning and developing cities and suburban dis- tricts, due to allowing their extension under the stimulus of private enterprise and according to the dictates of individual interest, have heretofore caused large expense to the taxpayers, and will hereafter cause greater expense in an effort to correct them. thirty-tiro Tc^ijoiTerracp Frfcledbi/ TlrVinWaffor Artc§tor^ on Mart\pt§tn!et thirty-three Lack of consideration of the topographical features of the sur- rounding sections in planning for any one political division, and con- fining improvements to the arbitrary limits of county, township or borough, tend to inefficiency and to increased cost of construction, oper- ation and maintenance. Public demands require from the authorities services often in ex- cess of what the current funds at their conunand allow, consequently necessitating the raising of money by bond issues; and suburban dis- tricts in and around Philadelphia and Chester are facing large expen- ditures to provide proper water supply, sew^ers, highways, garbage- disi^osal plants, parks, playgrounds, hospitals for contagious diseases. The interests of the section represented by the city of Philadel- phia, Chester and their environments would be best served, and a maxi- mum of economy and efficiency in construction, operation and mainte- nance be secured, by the adoption of some far-sighted and well-conceived plan of development, in which the mutual needs of the various political divisions are considered as a whole. Such results can only be obtained through co-operation and joint action by the various political units, and through the preparation by experts of a comprehensive plan embracing the entire section, in which the sanitary, economic and aesthetic laws governing the contempora- neous development of rural, suburban and urban districts, will be care- fully considered. The best development of the suburban territory surrounding Philadelphia and Chester requires the planning, execution and main- tenance of such public works as main sewers, main highways, park- ways and parks, water supply, collection and incineration of house- hold waste, etc., through the voluntary joint action of the various communities interested in adopting a comprehensive scheme. There is no satisfactory^ provision under our present laws for such co-operation or for the supervision and regulation of building opera- tions, or for the condemnation of property for parks, playgrounds and other public necessities, including power to condemn in excess of that required for direct public use, with the right of re-sale under proper restrictions of the excess portion, or for the preparation of official plans showing the location of future streets, ])arks and other improve- ments, and to prevent buildings being erected within the lines of such streets. thirty-four thirty-fine ■i§^Sjr^®'««>* ffinwrn.;. Such necessarj' enabling legislation can be secured from the Legis- lature only by the united demands of the different suburban districts, backed by an aroused public sentiment. With a view of arriving at a plan by which the various commvmi- ties might be encouraged to join in the movement to further the in- terests of the respective districts referred to, a Suburban Planning Conference was held in Philadelphia on October 10th, and another in Chester, December 11, 1913. Representatives of each goveimmental or administrative department in the various political units within twenty- five miles of Philadelphia were invited, and both meetings were well attended. Other similar conferences will be held during the year 1914 and a comprehensive report of the result of these gatherings is to be .published in i^amphlet form. The following concise outline of what City Planning means, as stated by Mr. Arthur C. Comey. Consultant on City Planning, ]\Iember Massachusetts Homestead Commission, and American Society of 4^' Landscape Architects, at a recent meeting in Library Hall, this city, is well worth studying : CITY PLANNING MEANS: Conservation of human energy and life. Economy, necessity, scientific reality. A definite plan of orderly devel- opmeiat into which each im- provement will fit as it is needed. Business methods for citv work. Correlation of the city's activi- ties. Not merely superficial beautifi- cation. Not extravagance, dreams, fads. Not the immediate execution of the whole ]ilan. Not the surrender of the city to artists with vague schemes for civic advancement. Not wholesale alterations at great expense, with no assured financial returns. thirty-six Encouragement of commerce and facilitation of business. Preservation of historic build- ings with their associations. The development of an American city. Not the interruption of commerce and business. Not the destruction of the old landmarks and city individ- uality. Not imitation of London, Vienna and Paris. Exercise of common and prudence. foresight Not ruinous expense and debt. Happiness, convenience, for all citizens. health Not merely expensive boulevards and parks available to the rich. AVith the above interesting thoughts and suggestions on how Ches- ter could be still further advanced, let us turn our attention to the industrial ojaportunities the city affords. THE OLD TOWN HALL HE new administration should use every means avail- able to further the movement to restore the Old Town Hall to its original form and perpetuate this historic structure to future generations. Philadelphia thought enough of Congress Hall to have that structure restored to its original shape, and the nation applauded the act. There is not a more historically valuable public build- ing in Pennsylvania or elsewhere than Chester's town hall. For nearly two hundred years has it been uninterruptedly used as a public building. It is one of the oldest landmarks in Pennsylvania and has been associated with the early history of the nation like few other buildings in the country. Chester needs larger and better municipal quarters. Such could readily be provided by the erection of a building in the rear of the old hall, and at a cost that would mean a saving to the city over its present cost of providing for the various departments. The Old Town Hall should be treasured for its historic value and its presei'vation amid attractive surroundings, is a duty we should not hesitate to perform. The lately retired Councils did what they could to pave the way for bringing about the proper care of the old building and providing for a modern municipal administrative building. A single official seems to have blocked the consummation of what the Mayor and all other city officials favored. The delay is thought to be only temporary, however. It will l)e a shame and lasting disgrace to the citizens of Chester if they sit idly by and i^ermit the Old Town Hall to lose its historical identity by going into disuse and decay. It is also no less imjwrtant that more proper accommodations be provided for the various depart- ments of the city. This can only be done, with credit to the munici- ])ality, l)y the erection of a new and modern buildino-. fhirty-seven INDUSTRIAL OPPORTUNITIES EW cities afford greater opportunities for trade expan- sion than does Chester. Its natural facilities are un- surpassed. It is a great manufacturing center and is destined to become much greater. j-^Hi Year by year the lines of manufacture within its ■

articii)ated in liy manufacturers, business forf/i forty -one and professional men, representing interests of upwards of 100 million dollars. Mr. Johnson reviewed the history of The Baldwin Locomotive Works from 1831, the year that Matthias W. Baldwin began the con- struction of "Old Ironsides," his first locomotive, and which required one year in its construction. "The first locomotive weighed four and one-half tons," stated Mr. Johnson, "while the average weight of locomotives constructed last year was 150 tons, and the maximum weight was about 250 tons. It took thirty years to construct the first 1000 locomotives." It seems that the capacity of the works grew rapidly after the civil war, for the number of locomotives turned out in 1861 was 100, compared with one a day in 1876. By 1880 the plant was manufac- turing locomotives at the rate of 500 a year. This was still further in- creased to 1000 a year in 1900, and to 2500 a year in 1906. Mr. Johnson told of the Baldwin works finding it necessary to branch out in 1906, as the Philadelphia plant was not anything like large enough to take care of the orders. In May of that year the property at Eddystone, a suburb of Chester, was purchased. Here follows a brief description of some of the buildings erected: Foundry, 900 feet long and 320 feet in width, followed by smith shojDS, pattern shops, pat- tern storage houses, and a power house. Because of the business de- pression of 1908-1909 no further development was made during these years, but in 1910 a new erecting shop was built, which was enlarged in ]912. This building covers nearly ten acres of ground alone. Quoting from Mr. Johnson's speech, we find that the number of emploves at the Eddvstone plant was "1100 in 1906; 2850 in 1907; 2400 in 1908; 2400 in 1909; 4200 in 1910; 3650 in 1911; 7000 in 1912." And here follows an interesting statement, where he says : "Fiirther development of these works will be made as rapidly as the business conditions of the country justify. Plans have been pre- pared for a modern, comprehensive plant capable of turning out 3000 of the largest locomotives per annum. As the labor of ten men is re- quired per locomotive, per annum, if these plans are realized, these works should eventually require a force of 30,000 men. Assuming an average of five persons to a family, this represents a pojnilation of 150,000 without counting the large additional population necessary to supply the general needs of the community." Continuing, 'Sir. John- forty-two forty-three son said: "Of 6840 men employed at Eddystone, it was ascertained that 3555 were residents of Chester, 505 were residents of the sub- urban districts between Chester and Philadelphia, and 2780 were resi- dents of Philadelphia, finding transportation to Eddystone over the Pennsylvania and the Baltimore & Ohio railroads, and over the trolley lines." The above somewhat lengthy descrijotion of what The Baldwin Locomotive Works is and, as appears at a glance, must be to Chester, is set forth in order that those who read these pages may become con- versant with its magnitude and importance. Before directing our thoughts to another subject, let us stop long enough to consider Mr. Johnson's closing remarks, as follows: "The interests of The Baldwin Locomotive Works are bound up with the interests of Chester. What is best for you is best for us. The days of civic inactivity should be over. I call upon you, citizens of Chester, to realize the fact that by birthright in this great state of Pennsylvania, by jonv magnificent situation upon the shore of the Dela- ware river, by the splendid lands available for residence, by the intel- ligence of your people, you are a part of the great manufacturing com- munity which must of necessity develop, because you occupy one of the most favorable situations in our country. With unequaled trans- portation by land and sea, with unsurpassed access to raw materials of every kind, with intelligent and industrious labor ready to make their homes amongst you, by ample capital and enterprise, ready to distribute weekly such sums for wages and mate- , rials as to constitute the life blood of , commerce, the future is in your hands : to create a great city if you will intelli- gently adopt the highest civic ideals." it is not out of place to state that , The Baldwin Locomotive Works, after eighty-two years of continuous opera- tion, completed its forty-thousandth locomotive about the first of Sejitember last. Locomotive No. 40,000 is one of thirty similar engines built for the Pennsylvania lines west of Pittsbuj'gh. ■ forty-four :uiiiotlf«*i/oi'te forty-five It is used for heavy passenger service, is of the "Pacific" type with three pairs of driving wheels, and weighs about 150 tons. Just as good judgment led men lilie Alba B. Johnson and his co-workers to come to Chester and establish the needed enlargement of The Baldwin Locomotive Works, so, too, good judgment was the means of the American Viscose Company locating at Marcus Hook, a suburb of this city. The latter enterprise is also a new and most important industry. It was founded by English capitalists who came to this country to establish a branch plant of one of the greatest indus- trial enterprises known to the world. Artificial silk is the commodity manufactured, and the immense plant at Marcus Hook is constantly being increased to meet the de- mand for this very popular and useful product. The key to "The Dawn of a New Era" for Chester is the self- reliance of its people. There are no weak or cracked links in the chain of progress that is being lengthened out at the forge of industry. No gem sparkles so gracious as enterprise, and no other place holds out more inducements for the development of enterprise than does this city. As the title page of this book states, Chester and vicinity is "Full of Opportunities." It has more to offer than most other places, be- cause few are so well situated. It has more to commend it than other places, because its natural facilities are greater than those of any other city. In short, no other city presents so many industrial oppor- tunities as does Chester. Its activity is fully protected by the un- bounded wealth of its resources ; its hum of industry fully reciprocated by the peace and happiness of its people. forty-six forty-seven forty-eight forty-nine NATURAL RESOURCES OCATED as Chester is, in close proximity to the biggest trading centers of the United States, it is an ideal place for those who are here and others who may wish to come and share in its advantages as a commercial and industrial city. Philadelphia, New York, Baltimore and Washington are within easj^ reach of Chester and afford means of interchange in commerce and trade, by rail and water, not equaled elsewhere. Its natural resources are many. Being practically a seaport town, with the advantages of a superior inland harbor, places Chester in a most enviable position as compared to other cities. It is a city destined to become a great shipping center, greater than Philadelphia, because of its excellent water front. Far-sighted men of affairs predict that a continuous-dock system, reaching from Crum river to the Delaware State line, a distance of approximately seven miles, will be the future facilities of the jjort of Chester. To bring this about will require an expenditure of millions of dollars, in which expense both the State and National Government are expected to share. In reality, Chester to-day has a population of 60,000 people, if the adjoining boroughs are considered. In the next twenty-five years the population is likely to reach 200,000, for by that time the city boun- daries will be extended to the Ridley Park borough line on the east and to the Delaware State line on the west. As indicated by the map at the end of this book, that amount of territory added to Chester of to-day will comprise about ten square miles and provide for a population of 275,000, based on twelve families to the acre, after deducting part of the area for industrial establish- ments, and setting aside 500 acres for churches, schools, parks and playgrounds. Along the Delaware river front are many industries, but there is room for more. Manufacturing is in its infancy here. Eight million dollars are paid annually in wages to the working people of Chester. This will be greatly increased. Three important tributary rivers — Crum, Ridley and Chester — empty into the majestic Delaware and are navigable for some distance Pftu 8ric|e,^ at»d.5uiidir|gs fifty-one ?T^ ,0 ^ '^ <^ ZS •iS ^ — «« ^ ■=!; Ji5 '-^ Q^ r= ^ ^ ^ S £ pftij-three inland for small draft vessels. All these streams add value to Ches- ter's resources. Thousands of acres of land, with small hamlets dotted here and there, plenty of woodland and splendid roadways, serve as a back- ground for Chester on the banks of the Delaware. All this, added to a climate in which the winters are mild and the heat of summer never excessive, makes Chester an ideal jjlace in which to live. It is a good "all-the-year- 'round" climate, pleasing in summer as well as in winter. Cyclones and tornadoes ai^e unknown to Chester. The district com- prising the city and surroundings is rarely visited by wind storms of any kind, such disturbances passing either over or around the city. An occasional thunder storm during the summer season breaks over the community, but never with disastrous results. After all is said, the chief attractions of Chester are its natural resources and acquired facilities, its even climate, its steady growth, its superior advantages over other places and, last but not least, the induce- ments it holds out to those seeking homes or industrial sites. fifty-four fifty-five TRANSPORTATION FACILITIES HESTER, because of its geographical position, has many advantages as a center of industry, commerce, and trade. In point of shipping it is practically a seaport town, being fifteen miles nearer the sea than Philadel- phia, the third largest port in the United States. The historic Delaware river is, in ti'uth, Chester's greatest asset. It indeed provides a great water front, as it skirts the city on its way eighty-four miles to the sea. It is one and a quarter miles across its bosom from Chester to the New Jersey shore, and has a channel thirty-five feet deep, sufficient to accommo- date the largest of ocean-going vessels. All kinds of craft, from the speed or pleasure motor boat to a full-rigged ship of commerce or ocean liner, may be seen at any hour of the day or night skimming over or ploiaghing through its smooth or choppy bosom. Vessels from for- eign shores dock and discharge their cargoes at Chester, under the supervision of the Customs officials of the port. Many ships are loaded here with cargoes for foreign markets. Among the industries that have their own fleets of vessels may be mentioned the Sun Company, located at Marcus Hook, a suburb on the west, which sends out shipload after shipload of petroleum and its by-products to all parts of the world. The products more largely imported to this port are iron and chrome ores, magnesite, gypsum, logwood, fustic and mahogany ; paper and wood pulp. In the line of exports, refined oil is the chief product shipped. There are also large car shipments made of fireproofing materials and fire bricks to Canada and other points. The Pennsylvania, Baltimore & Ohio, and Philadelphia & Reading railroads provide for shipments to and from all parts of the United States. Both the freight and passenger service extended to Chester by the above-named three trunk roads is superior to that of most any other city. A business trip to New York City can be made in two and a half hours. Washington can be reached in three hours' time, while but twenty minutes is required to ride to Philadelphia. There are 125 pas- senger trains that stop at Chester daily. Not many cities of the size of Chester can boast of such extensive transportation facilities. Then, too, the freight accommodations by rail are equal to the passenger serv- ice. All three roads handle through freight, and rates from the East and West are equal to those accorded Philadelphia. The Chester Freight Line has three large vessels that run from Marcus Hook to Philadelphia daily, except Sunday, and freight is taken on and discharged at Chester, Eddystone and other places. These vessels afford a quick means of transportation, and the splendid serv- ice is of great value to the manufacturers and business men of Chester. An additional feature of travel is that atforded by the river steam- ers plying between Wilmington, Chester and Philadelphia, to say noth- ing of the many excursion boats that ply the waters to various points in Pennsylvania, New Jersey, Delaware and Maryland. Hfty-nix ■^k t- -rrr-r-i »'i ^ fifty-seven ^'^^^' fifly-eighi Jvlercup Arc Rc(h^^erOll1fif fifty-nine LOW COST OF LIVING ECAUSE of its location, Chester affords better and cheaper markets in the line of foodstuff than many (itlier ijlaces. It is here that the products of three states are brought to the doors of the dealer and the con- sumer. New Jei'sey contributes abundantly. The Jer- sey sweet potato is known far and wide for its flavor and sustenance. Various other lines of vegetables and many kinds of fruit are brought to Chester markets from the sandy soil of that state. Delaware supplies peaches and berries, eggs, butter and other table delicacies, while the products from the farming dis- tricts of Pennsylvania are brought to the city in all freshness and abundance. Because of a large packing house being established here, the people of Chester are provided with more and better meats than otherwise would be the case. The products of western houses and home-di'essed meats are displayed in our markets, side by side, with the patronage of our people favoring the home-killed product. Then, too, the oyster from the beds of the Delaware and Susque- hanna bays furnishes a succulent food for eight months of the year, while the toothsome Delaware river shad has few, if any, equals the world over. Many other kinds of fish are caught in nearby streams for home consumption, and game in great variety is also to be had. Chester is an ideal place for a workingman to live. He can enjoy a better table and at less cost than is to be had elsewhere. The variety of edibles is so much greater than most cities afford that foods, which may be termed luxuries in other places, are only of commonplace attrac- tion here. During the winter months vegetables and fruits from the South are as readily to be had here as in Florida. The fact is, Chester shares all the advantages in the way of edibles that do Washington, Baltimore, Philadelphia or New York. There are no hindrances to the comfort of the workingman and nothing in the way of supplj-ing the necessities and luxuries of his home at less cost than can be had in other places. So many markets and such great variety to meet our needs in the line of table supplies are what makes Chester less costly to live in than most places. It is here that the consumer has every opportunity to save in cost of living by buying in large quantities. Another saving feature is to pay as you go and thus avoid unnecessaiy purchases. The work- ingmen and women here have largely reached the stage of paying cash and accepting credit only when absolutely necessary. They are not much gifted to useless extravagance, preferring to be content with tlie necessaries of life and such pleasures they can afford, rather than waste money on shams and false appearances. sixty n y-one MANUFACTURE CITY of its size has gained more publicity the woi'ld over as a manufacturing center tliau Chester. This is largely due to the fact that here were built ships of war, merchant and passenger vessels, that are now tra- versing the high seas in all parts of the world. Here, too, the products of iron and steel, spindle and loom, have found a ready market throughout the United States and foreign countries. A century or more of uninterrupted in- dustrial activity has won honor and fame for the oldest city in Penn- sylvania. Unsurpassed transportation facilities, by rail and water, places commercial Chester in the foreground in respect to progress and trade. Here has been solved successfully the force of water and steam, the spasms of electricity, the brilliancy of gas, the ductability of metals, the refining of oil, the production of silk. Indeed, the speed of the locomotive, the power of the stationary engine, the construction of ships, the fabric of the loom, the casting of steel, the printing of cloth, the making of paper, the molding and burning of brick, the calcining of gypsum, and dyewood extracts, have all been brought to the highest state of perfection in this city. The captains of industry of the past, as well as those of the pres- ent, all had obstacles to surmount. If we look back upon their foot- prints, see some of their many helps and hindrances, we cannot know of the silent inner struggles of their lives, or the windings of their pathways. With few exceptions, the industries of years ago in Chester were successful and those of to-day are prosperous. Genius and thrift, combined with wide-awake, intelligent, observation of the markets; ex- ecutive precaution in the handling of labor and the wise expenditure of money contributed largely to the success of these enterprises. There is plenty of work and plenty of room for employer and em- l>loye here. Wliat the joast has left undone, the future will accom- plish. There is no better field for progress, and it is the belief of those who are capable of knowing, that Chester is just entering a new era of prosperity. At this time there are about 150 industries, large and small, in Chester and its immediate vicinity, representing an investment in the neighborhood of $75,000,000. They give employment to a vast army of employes, variously estimated between 10,000 and 12,000 men, women and children. The wages paid are between $8,000,000 and $10,000,000 annually. There is every indication that Chester will continue to develop as an industrial center and a good place to live. It is a city of steam- hammer, forge, pulley, crank-shaft, tooth-wheel, steel furnace, loom and spindle, and values are shining everywhere. The many and extensive manufacturing plants along the Delaware river and the railroads are certain to grow in size each year, until Chester becomes a veritable bee hive of industry, with three times its sixti/-two present population and an enlarged area, in keeping with a proposed "Greater Chester," as indicated on the map expressly prepared and bonnd in the back of this volume. Chester has a right, indeed, to rejoice at its own success and the triumph of its many achievements. Although Chester has some of the largest plants known to the country, it also invites small factories. Not a few of the smaller indus- tries have cast their lot with us of late. There is ample room for more and every in- ducement is held out to all in search of a well-balanced industrial center. 3Bfon of Casinil for loooo ^HtirbiiiP fn(i#b^Un)ori{'(tnStpei nmndnes Si)(^skr — tleo eifeftet ( 1 sixty-three .liTiy-foiir sixty-five LABOR ^HILE the population of Chester proper does not, per- haps, exceed 40,000, that amount is increased fiftj' per cent, by tlie adjoining borouglis, whose interests with Cliester are closely interwoven. A glance at the indus- trial life in and about Chester convinces one tliat no line can be drawn between districts from the viewpoint of labor, the manufacturer's needs and commercial require- ments. Both steam and electric railways make intercommunication easy. People living in Chester are in many cases employed in indus- tries or places of business in the adjoining boroughs, and even in Phila- delphia. On the other liand, persons living in near-by places, or as far away as the "Quaker City," find being employed here advantageous. The number of people employed in Chester and the immediate boroughs is approximately, at this time, 10,000, and the greater portion of the number are American born. Chester, however, has its share of foreigners, such as Italians, Polish and Russian Jews; while twenty per cent, of the city's population is colored. In some sections of the city the foreigners have colonized, to some degree, each nationality keeping pretty much separated from others. In a large number of cases they have acquired property, mostly in the older districts of the city. There seems to be plenty of employment for both male and female foreign help. They soon take to the ways and customs of American life and, in the main, become useful citizens. Their social life has fea- tures not altogether in keeping with our laws and customs. Showy weddings and christenings are hobbies of all foreign newcomers of the nationalities referred to. It miglit be said that these gatherings assume proportions of a big noise, and it matters not if it be Sunday or Monday, excess ijrivileges are expected to be enjoyed just the same. As to the colored population, the number does not seem to liave increased to any extent for some years. Not enough of the colored people have steady employment to make them self-sustaining. The women mostly do laundering and house cleaning, while many of the men find employment in some of the industries of the city. Some serious attention should be given to the negro question in Chester. Every advantage in the line of school education is afforded the children, but not enough attention is given to the negro to lift him into channels which might serve to broaden the opportunity to earn a living. Elections do not come often enough to make the negro so independent as to invite idleness between contests. The result too often is that he becomes a burden to himself and the community, and not infrequently a menace to society. Altogether, the outlook for the col- ored race in Chester, is not very promising. The lack of responsi- bility, and an adverse disposition to advance, places most of the negro population of Chester in a somewhat helpless state, to say the least. Chester, however, has plenty of skilled labor, and there is room for more. The iron and steel, and textile industries, as well as the many other diversified lines of manufacture, afford means of employ- ment at good wages for all who want work. No well disposed work- ingman need be idle for any great length of time in Chester. The same may be said of the working women. sixty-six |fO„ 50lfeLociist^t5» Phi||J«'lpAa T^^[^plopmsin^ . Cfiester istfiefot paved Cit\) it) Pennsylvania Over !>00,OOO^ijuarv ^virds of'jilberHtje^avertjei^t laid % tl^eUpion PavipgCon^pafu) it) tl)e last t^rec^eai^- sixty-seven SUBURBAN IDEALS HE suburban districts that surround Chester on the east, north and west (the city is bounded on tiie south by the Delaware river) are indeed ideal for living. The suburbs of Chester are full of appreciation of natural outdoor life. The country seat, cottage and bungalow stand so near the city as to be only a matter of a few minutes' ride by train or trolley to the shop or place of busi- ness. Recreation of some kind is absolutely necessary to the health of the human body and mind. In summer you may prefer to walk along the running streams that wind their way through the rural districts, away from the congregations of humanity, to be alone, or almost so. Everyone desires at some time to be alone with nature, to study her moods, delight in her sequestered spots of beaut}', dressed and guided only by her lavish hand. Picture yourself standing on some hill brow, enraptured with the magnificent view of country, rivers, and woodland, extending miles in every direction; and again, in some narrow gully or ravine, of which one side may be a grassy slope, the other clothed with the trees of a woods, and where tiny but never-failing streams of spring water in the bottom keep the shrubs and plants that grow in profusion in full leaf and flower until late autumn, and you have some conception of Chester's suburban ideals. In spring the opening buds and blossoming trees, the bright- ening lawns, the returning birds, the placing in the ground of vege- table seed, plants and flowers, all tell us that the season of promise is here. In the summer everything seems to possess life and animation. One may see the birds skimming over the fields, or hear their voices in the trees and hedges the whole day long, or spend the day with rod and line along the many streams which afford pleasure and pastime to those who have patience and are gifted in the way of piscatorial art. Autumn brings with it the crisp and chilly air that quickens your footsteps and brings a healthy complexion to the cheek. It also brings with it the beautiful and variegated foliage so abundant on the hills and in the valleys of Delaware county. Then it is that the birds flock together for their yearly tour South. Even in the season of winter, Jack Frost and the storm king have no terrors for the suburbanites. The lakes and smaller streams are covered with ice, affording pleasure to the young of heart. There is at times snow enough to provide good sleighing; transportation by rail and trolley is seldom seriously interfered with and life goes merrily on. It is here that winter has beauties and attractions equal to the other seasons. The several splendid city and suburban homes and grounds shown elsewhere in this book will convey, as well as plates can do, some idea of the beauties of Chester and its suburbs. Those who possess these sixty-eight sixty-nine ♦' ^^■■* I Bft^ seventy estates are men who have made a success in life and who are now' en- joying the fniits that come only from pure motive and the highest sense of duty to themselves, their fellowmen and the State. Tliey are men whose motives and deeds make character and provision for the future that will stand the storms of temptation and reverses that heat up life's patliway. They are men of executive talent and power to man- age well large enterprises ; the power to handle men and facts ; the power to carry a scheme or purpose or plan into immediate or telling etifect; the i^ower to "rvm things"' generally, or make them "go." Energy, perseverance and a strict attention to business brought them success and prosperity. Each one did not reach success by the same road, but they all possessed both interest in their business and perseverance to continue. They well knew that he who aims at nothing cannot reasonably expect to hit anything. They also learned that the objective point is the point to be made, the thing to be done. li^eMawrnoflf^toraierEanSare filled \v^^^^^^ . ,. . sei!Oifi/-o«e MUNICIPAL IMPROVEMENTS HESTER, in the past three years, has made creditable ad- vancement in the line of public improvements. This is particularly true in the matter of newly paved streets. While the greater portion of street paving done in that time has been "Filbertine," a plastic pavement, that much resembles "Bitulithic" construction, much ijioney was also expended in putting down wood blocks and other types of street paving. That the city received full return for the money expended is generally conceded. It is a truthful boast of Chester that it is to-day the best paved third-class city in Pennsylvania. But well-paved streets are only one of the many requirements of a city that is advancing and has every advantage for growth and ex- pansion. Streets once paved will not take care of themselves. They must be kept clean, and it is a well-known fact that they also wear out. To keep the streets clean and tidy requires system and money. With- out the former we are very apt to have waste, and without the latter expended effort is of little consequence. Good system and little money is better, however, than much money and no system. To inaugurate and carry out a perfect system means to have the confidence and co-operation of the public. Without such a combina- tion, the result will be failure, indeed. During the past administration the Street Department has done well, considering the handicaps that confronted it. Not near enough money was available to keep the streets in proper order. When the street commissioner had exhausted his skill and allowance, and there seemed to be no other remedy, heavy rains not inopportunely came to the rescue. The more paved streets, the more cost in the up-keep of our thor- oughfares. But the public can do much to lessen the burden of the Street Department by exercising care and thoughtfulness. Waste paper and other trash should never be allowed to find a lodging place on our streets or in the alleys of the city. It is all a matter of the proper system and right kind of education. The new council, which represents practically the commission form of government, will have an opportunity to study the situation and solve a way out of the difficulty that was, perhaps, not possible under the old system of making and enforcing laws. As each councilman will be a department in himself and, in turn, be personally responsible to the i^ublic for the success or failure of his department, the best results are expected. It will take time, however, to formulate plans, study the needs of the city and then act. The old form of thirty-three councilmen and a mayor did well, under the conditions that prevailed. It was the system, not the coun- cilmen, that was wrong. Men devoting their time and service without pay are not expected to accomplish as much good as men under fair salary. Then, too, "what is everybody's business, is nobody's busi- ness." In other words, there was no way by which to fasten respon- sibility on anyone under the old rule of government. Now it is dif- ferent, and better results shoiild follow. AVhile Chester is destined to forge aJiead in rapid order, the muni- cipal autliorities can do much to hasten or retard its growth. A too penurious policy is worse than extravagance. By the former we are likely to get nothing; by the latter, surely something for the good of the community. A middle-in-the-road policy is, after all, the best one to adopt. It is a foregone conclusion that the new council will not be in position to advance the city along the lines of public improvements to the extent that the councils lately retired, did. The duty of carrying out unfinished contracts is a legacy left to the new council by the old. This applies to further street improvements. But the new council can do much in planning for Chester's future, the benefits of which may not be apparent during the two years of its official life. Steam, as it rushes out of the exhaust pipes, makes a great noise and whizzing, but it accomplishes nothing. It is only when the mighty power is rightly confined and applied that it puts in motion the arms of the ponderous engine. The same truth holds good as regards the management of a city and the developing of its resources. The doing of the right thing at the right time is what counts. There is something more to be done besides kindling fires and gen- erating steam in a growing industrial center, and success comes to the municipality whose officials exercise the kind of tact that makes each act and deed tell for good. (^oil\|)(lllV f faind'ati(lniJ)kc.s (IHOUOIHI iMllldluolmcll dniiM.illv" seventy-three MUNICIPAL MANAGEMENT HESTEE, like other municipalities that have progressed through a long period of years in upbuilding, has ex- perienced occasional "knocks" against the city's public servants for alleged misconduct. It may be conceded that Chester, like other municipalities, has made mis- takes. But these instances have been isolated — few and far between. For close observers of Chester's muni- cipal conduct — politicians, newspapermen and others in position to carefully note official doings — in summing up long years of this city's official oversight, bear witness that honesty and general efficiency have been the rule, and as a result there are few American municipalities that can boast of a healthier financial and general condition than is that of Chester to-day. Some three years ago Chester had a total net indebtedness of a little more than $400,000 and it was then determined, by popular vote, to increase the city's bonded liability by $600,000, with which sum great improvements in paving, sewerage, wharfage, etc., could be accom- plished in one momentous advance. The result of this wise move is shown in the city having, compared to population, more miles of well- paved streets than any other municipality in the State of Pennsylvania, and which fact causes the citizens of this community to point with pride to their home city. Chester's bonded debt, at the last annual report of the City Treas- urer in April, 1913, was $1,201,000, less $207,871.31 held in reserve in the several sinking funds to meet maturing obligations. Considering that the assessed valuation of the city is only $19,183,402 — conceded by property owners much lower than is fair to the municipality — and that the tax rate is only five and one-quarter mills for general purposes, with four and one-quarter mills to provide for maturing bonds (or a total of ten mills), it may be noted that Chester as a corporate city is finan- cially not overburdened. Particularly is this recognized when it is taken into consideration that with a pojiulation of 40,000 the per capita debt of Chester is only about $25, or far below that of the average municipality in this country. Taken as a whole, therefore, and viewing the municipal manage- ment of Chester through a long vista of years, it is conceded by all intelligent and well-informed citizens that the city can feel proud of the great work that has been accomplished for this "best town on earth," as it has been termed, and reflect with satisfaction over the integrity that has been manifested by the city's trusted officials — with rare exceptions — in the management of the city. On the first Monday of December, 1913, in pursuance of a new Legislative enactment, Chester entered upon a system of commission government, vested in five Councilmen, one of whom acts as Mayor. It is believed this method of administration, with five instead of the seventy-four past rule of thirty-three Councihnen, will provide for a more concrete form of mmiicipal management, a better business form, be more accessible to tlie general pulilic, and provide municipal l>etterments in raanv wavs. 5^#^4i Hi" m A IDOllPff) (111(1 Mlt)^^(1lltl(]l TMC/V^lllldlljil ^TvuttTCdiTJ^i Tl)if(lPrp^b^toriai)CtiitiTl)'(iii(ll^liill^e seven fy-fi r<_ CHURCHES HEEE are in the neighborhood of fifty churches or places of worship in the district comprising Chester, repre- senting a variety of denominations in keeping with other places. Many of the edifices are beautiful and costly in exterior and interior architecture. Our churches have a wholesome influence over the morals of the community and are open to the cry of the needy, no matter whether the need be spiritual or temporal. Civic righteous- ness and religious training go hand in hand, though there be differ- ences of opinion. While society has its bubbles here, so biasiness cir- cles have their bubbles and religion its bubbles, — for life is full of bub- bles, — but their fate is the fate of the bubble in the air; they float easily and lightly, sparkle very beautifully in the sunlight for a moment, then burst and are forgotten. Relig-ion has no foundation in fact, unless it is based on truth. The gospel preached here is the same as that expounded in other places, and the duty of spreading a knowledge of its saving truths is as in- cumbent upon our ministerial friends in Chester, who believe in its efficacy to raise up and save fallen souls, as it was upon the early apos- tles who preached it two thousand years ago. There is a business side to all forms of religion, that is, those un- dertakings having for their purposes the preservation and propagation of the principles for which religion stands. Its chief mission, however, is to teach the gospel, which in reality is based on the common brother- hood of man, and through which doctrine alone the soul of man is reached. In respect to religion, Chester is no exception to other well regu- lated communities. Its power for good is the same as in other places and the people contribute liberally toward its support and maintenance. JladMii Street WM)iircli seventy-seven seveiitij-ciffht Pari si) AnMlrfiUiVo ^ubiirlMi) -1iiir(t)pr«|i('rl\i seventy-nine BUILDING FOR THE FUTURE AS WELL AS THE PRESENT HE residents of Chester may well be proud of the place in which they live, and they live in a manner that makes Chester justly proud of its residents. The city will stand by anybody whose stand is right. Wrongdoing is not tolerated. Our citizenship will not stand for that. Every man gets a square deal here. We make every stranger feel at home and welcome competitors in all lines, for there is room enough for all. A man here, whether rich or poor, in high station or low, will alwaj's, if indeed a man, have the power to be happy. Our people may wear out in working, but they dread to rust out in idling. We believe that when you have anything to do, do it. There is much doing in Chester. The future growth and development of Chester will depend to a great extent on the co-operation and active work of its progressive citi- zens. Our city has developed as the grain in the field develops, and not as the mushroom grows. We are solving problems for the betterment of the city every day. The community is fast developing better housing conditions, so as to make Chester a more attractive and desirable place of residence for those whose hands and brains must co-operate in in- dustry. We are working along the line of that which is best for all is best for the individual. We do not believe in working for the good of a few at the expense of many. Industry and civic betterment go hand in hand. We are building for the future as well as the present and shall strive to make our citv beautiful as well as large. PARKS HE public parks of Chester are attractive recreation spots. True, not enough money has been available in the past to beautify them as they should be. Yet our residents get much enjoyment out of these breathing places. The two larger parks — Chester and Crozer — are situated in the outskirts of the city and are not as well patronized as would be the case were they more centrally located. Thurlow Park, in the west end, affords much pleas- ure to the people in that part of the city, because of it being so advan- tageously situated. It is here that the working-men and women largely congregate, particularly after a day of toil in the heat of summer. The late Alfred 0. Deshong, however, was mindful of Chester's needs. In his will, he bequeathed his handsome estate to be used by the people of Chester as a park and art gallery. The legacy is known as the "Alfred O. Deshong Memorial," is controlled by a board of trus- tees, and consists of spacious and well-laid-out grounds in the central part of the city, besides a most valuable art collection, as indicated in several plates in this book. eighty Chesler park Comprising 40 Acres of Pl^cjrounds Great expTiftJOtions eighty-one eighty-two BANKS AND FINANCE HE fact that there never has been a failure of any national bank or trust company in Chester speaks well for the financial soundness of our banking institutions. The officers representing the Chester banking houses are all men of the best character, who have taken every Ijrecaution to protect the interest of stockliolders and safeguard the money entrusted to them. There are four national banks and two trust companies, having a combined capital of $1,400,000, deposits amounting to $7,458,500, and a surplus of $1,525,250. This in itself is sufficient guarantee to insure safety for and confidence in the banks and trust companies of Chester. When, in 1910, a $600,000 city improvement loan was floated, the most recently organized trust company of the two doing business here showed its confidence in the financial standing of Chester and the move- ment to improve the municipality by underwriting the entire loan at a handsome premium to the city. Safe and legitimate undertakings are supported by the banks of Chester, and every reasonable borrowing need of the merchant, manu- facturer or investor is served. The Chester clearing-house answers as a most valuable adjunct to the banks in many ways. The sums each day due by and to the banks among themselves are here set otf against each other and the balance paid or received. The clearing-house system also affords an oppor- tunity for consultation on matters of common interest to the banking institutions and serves as a bulwark of strength in times of need. eiyhty-three eighty-four 'SolinPCfurci' JH.Roop JMBrourpllJr OBDifkinsoii Gpo.M:BuiUiiiii \v;;i^l}roiu ' \Vii»J«)l)affor VViC^prour I C.DfA C\)mcr Pa Tn1l9rniirui| rapiral^SWiuou cMlipllU "/OO 01(11 1000,000 eighty-five A Ti}pDol9\\aro '^^ Toiinn)ymt,(§a[ol)pposit and Cotnpan^^ (tin\ta\ ana^urplus A<.'H>,000. OO' ^9pohiis> 2,100,000-00 Offieen& TXpt 0re 3ami?s> AG Campbell Prev c/M» CMnfilOn ■ .ytre'Ptei/o'ent JDhriCbf(/trea J^/hlf3on. lowsff.fiff UTolterS. Stc/f/s^ Pcomtnjprdal and §.avinMc( uu t ris "^oi i riteoi [: Trustt. of every descrijihon exctured ^itW Itl^urat VEWmiilKooni -** ■■'"" if/hi jj-ni.v CLUBS AND OTHER ORGANIZATIONS HE social life of Chester is in keeping with all its other good points. As for clubs and societies there is no scarcity, be they purely social, political, fraternal, secret or religious. Among the ladies' organizations of a somewhat public character, may be mentioned the New Century Club and Young Women's Christian Associa- tion. There are other minor clubs and societies con- trolled by women, but the two above named claim much attention from the fair sex. As to men's organizations, there seems to be no limit. Almost every "Glrand" lodge, society or fraternal body in the country has a branch at Chester. Among them may be mentioned : Elks, Eagles, Moose, Red Men, Knights of Pythias, Masonic, Odd Fellows, Woodmen, American Mechanics, Knights of Columbus, Catholic Benevolent Legion, American Catholic Union, Ancient Order of Hibernians, and scores of others. The Penn Club, composed of professional and business men and manufacturers, has a centrally located clubhouse, which provides pleas- ure and recreation for its members and strangers coming to the city. A recently organized club, which has attractions not to be had in all other cities, is the Chester Club. Its aim is to provide home-like accommodation to its members and their friends. This is chiefly ac- complished by the kind of meals served and the features of pleasure and amusement in the nature of games and other pastimes. Chester has also a Board of Trade, Chamber of Commerce, and what is known as the Civic Advancement Commission, all three organ- izations working for the betterment of the city. The Chester Free Library and West End Library both serve also a useful purpose in the community and are well patronized. eighty-seven eight y-cight eighty-nine ■n inety ninety-one SCHOOLS AND PLAYGROUNDS F there is any one thing for which Chester is entitled to credit more than anything else, it is its valuable and attractive piiblic schools and the excellence of the teach- ing force. Let it be said to the credit of the city that such school buildings as the Chester High, Larkin Grraui- mar, and Franklin, are not excelled in many cities of the country. The combined valuation of public school property in Chester is placed at $1,000,000. It is the fact that so much return has been had for the money expended that calls for special com- ment. The total enrollment for the year 1913 was approximately 5250 pupils, and the cost in the neighborhood of $30 per pupil. A brief description of the more important school buildings will not be out of place. The Chester High School is a structure of archi- tectural beauty, is modernly equipped, and cost $175,000 complete. It is a massive granite stone editice, surrounded by a large area of ground and is classed as the foremost building in the city. Next in order is the new Franklin School, built last year, and which cost close to $100,000 for construction and equipment. It is the pride of the Chester school district, because in this building is taught manual training and domestic science, besides the usual classes. Its need has long been felt in the community. Chester, being a city comprised chiefly of the working classes, the introduction of the new educational fea- tures will redound to the lasting credit of the school directors, who, of their own volition, brought about this valuable addition to the public school property, and caused to be introduced the special courses of training, so very much needed by the boys and girls of Chester. The Larkin Glrammar School is of gray granite, a model building, and cost $90,000 to erect and equip. In addition to the above, there are twenty-one public schools throughout the city, all of them being main- tained on a high order. Playgrounds for the children are provided in different parts of the city, all of them on public school property. They are conducted under the direction of the Chester Playground Association, composed of pub- lic-spirited men and women of the city, aided by the school authorities and the general public. Each year brings with it new playgrounds and more amusement features, and the pleasures and benefits derived from them by the children of the city cannot easily be estimated. There are three Catholic parochial schools, with close to 1000 pupils, under the care of sisters of several orders. These schools are also kept up to a high standard of excellence, both as to secular and religious training. Pupils in the parochial schools here are prepared for the Chester High School and Catholic High Schools of Philadelphia. Altogether, the educational needs of Chester's rising generation are exceptionally well looked after. One more advantage, however, could well be afforded those whose education has been neglected be- cause of circumstances beyond the control of the school authorities, that is, a system of night schools for the young men and young women who were forced to go to work at an early age. ninety-two ninety-three l^irf(inlnP#lie.rpt\oor ConroidA^'enupFront ninety-four Tfjpffiiiklin behoof ninety-five ninety-six ninety-seven PRIVATE EDUCATIONAL FEATURES ESIDES the extensive public school system and the ad- vantages afforded hj the several parochial schools, Chester has a number of private educational institu- tions of widespread distinction, such as Swarthmore College, the Pennsylvania Military College, Crozer Theo- logical Seminary, Sleeper's College, and other minor schools. There are men and women all over this broad land who can attest to the efficiency of our institutions of learning, manj^ having climbed the ladder of success because of the training re- ceived here in the days of their youth. How to get on in life, and secure a competency, is the great struggle of the masses. Old proverbs abound purporting to make the matter as "clear as the road to mill," yet very often they come as wide as possible from the mark. A man may "rise with the lark" and "work like a beaver," and take "care of the pennies," yet never have the dollars to take care of. He may, by dint of scraping and saving and pinching, until life becomes as dry as a chip, amass a little Joftfutiop [or ' Offjcpaol Commercial ncty-right hoard, which is worse than poverty compared to noble manhood. It is not these things that bring ease and content- ment in life. The best capital for success a man can have is being the right man in the right place. Then, too, book learning is only one method of education. In reality, it is but the foundation for greater things. Practical experience, tact and perseverance are as necessary with the preacher as with the shoemaker. ifarriiHaff' n ihp Jlills of ©elaware Countj) overlooking (1>e*ter -^proulTMesropp Onp ot tl)e lai|e^tMronon)ical In^tmipenk inttipEast . ninety-nine PHILANTHROPIC WORK HESTER has its charitably disposed people, like other lolaces. In the line of ijhilanthropy, no community of like proportion has been more considered by the well- to-do class than has this city. The Chester Hospital and the Crozer Hospital and Home for Incurables — the latter two institutions being alone supported by a lady philanthropist, and the former partly by State aid and local charity — care for the sick and injured under the most efficient management and skill. A recent Y. M. C. A. campaign lifted the association out of debt and provided enough monej" to establish a Y. W. C. A. in Chester. The lady philanthropist above referred to was the largest contributor towards both associations. Ninety thousand dollars was raised in six days in the early part of November last, for Christian association pur- poses. In public and private, Chester people are ever ready to do their full share in charity, be it helping along the work of religious and char- itable societies, supporting an educational cause or responding to the appeals from stricken communities far away. THE PRESS EE standing of a city, its values and attractions, are based, as a rule, on the attitude of the people .toward the government and that which is vital to the public welfare. In this connection, it is the press of the com- munity that plays the most important part in molding- public opinion. It can serve as an educator of the people, and can also be used with demoralizing effect. The press of Chester has aimed to serve the city and its surround- ings to the best interest of the people. Its influence has always been for good and its power never abused. Prejudice is never allowed to sway the columns of our papers in anything that bears on Chester's advancement or progress. Both the two dailies and the several week- lies that are published here encourage, in every way possible, that which is best for the government and best for the people. The columns of the papers are freely lent to exploit projects of in- terest to the community, and no worthy or deserving cause is per- mitted to fall because of any indifference on the part of the press. one hundred ^jfs^^M^M^^ one hundred and one "^--^, one hundred and two one hundred and three 'Sh . one hundred and four ^mjl'pjpfpf {fact v)t)khisto Redeveloped ontheModera Ttdmincf Plan ciuriii| l^l'f . Bemost atlrachve piec9#ar^ci for f)om^ oulevard leading to tl)ppai-)t <)n(l v(1)ifl) (fividotbe proporjv) one hundred and five one hundred and six one hundred avd seven one hundred and eight 1 one hundred and nine one hundred and ten one hundred and eleven one hundred and twelve one hundred and thirteen IIOUI one hundred and fourteen one hundred and fifteen ^^^^- ^.y^ ^K one liKiiflrcd and sixteett laudjriiMEl£,femo9erninSeiViayiV£po,| o»!e hundred and seventeen Iplantofthe <^ one hundred and eighteen ereJBs^ieTB all ' Tanii" Gather i n ancf out of c§ea?.oa Coloniafljotof I (aferitothG^raveliiKf one hundred and nineteen GOVERNMENT STATISTICS HE Chester postal service is equal to that of any other third-class city in Pennsylvania. There are three de- liveries each day throughout the city, and the rural mail service in the suhurhan sections, as well as the con- venient post offices in the outlying districts, atTord prompt delivery in the line of all mails, including the Parcel-Post service. In order to show the growth of the post-office receipts for Chester, which does not include the various, fourth-class offices in the immediate suburban districts, the following statistics are of interest: Receipts for the year ending June 30, 1880 $16,909.15 " " " " " 30, 1890 . 29,270.19 " " " " " 30, 1900 46,137.42 " " " " " 30, 1908 63,477.82 " " " " " 30, 1913 79,037.63 During the year just past the Federal building was enlarged to twice its original size, in order to all the better take care of the rapidly increasing business. The building, besides used as a post office, is also occupied as the headquarters for the Customs officials. It is here that the Collector of the Port has his office, where vessels enter and clear and duties are collected. In addition there is stationed here a naval officer and meat inspectors, under the direction of the United States Government. Chester was first declared a Port of Entry by Act of Congress in 1912. It was not, however, until November 1, 1913, that the district was recognized in that capacity. The district extends from the Dela- ware state line on the west to Crum river on the east, and includes Gribson's Point, New Jersey. The Chester Collector of the Port is sub- ject to the headquarters port at Philadelphia. He, however, makes all his reports direct to the Treasury Department at Washington. The business done at the Port of Chester, from July 1, 1912, to June 30, 1913, was as follows : Arrival of foreigTi vessels 112 Net tonnage 225,890 Value of cargoes in imports $1,801,099 Value of cargoes in exports 6,039,170 As stated elsewhere, logwood, fustic, mahogany, used as dyestuff ; iron, magnesite and chrome ores ; crude gypsum, and refined oil are the chief products imported to and exported from Chester, liiiiidnd (1,1(1 hrciitii ope hundred and tioenty-one Chester cgept 5-10 HiJ one hundred and twrvttj-tn-o one hundred and tii:cntij-1hrre PUBLIC SERVICE CORPORATIONS HESTER does not own anj- of its public service works. While the city does not get all it should in the way of returns from some of these corporations, the fault is of long ago and not of to-day. As to water, electricity and gas, it is doubtful that, if any or all three of these works were owned by the municipality, better or cheaper service to the consumer would be the result. The quality of all three of these products, so necessary to city life, is of the best. State analysis shows that our drinking water is quite superior to most places and excelled by few. The city is lighted by electricity at a cost per candle power much lower than can be said of numerous cities throughout the State, and power, heat and light are furnished for manufacturing, business and home pur- poses, at most reasonable rates. What is true of the water and electric light and power service is also true of the gas service. Gas is pretty generally used for domestic purposes and in stores, for cooking, light- ing and heating. The rates are low and the quality excellent. In the matter of telephone and trolley railway services, there seems to be a wide difference of opinion as to whether the public is getting all it should. Competition in telephone lines has been productive of some good since the Independent Company, established some eighteen years ago, began business. Rates have been materialh^ decreased and the number of telephones increased 1500 per cent, dui'ing that time. While telephone competition forced the giant monopoly that was first on the ground to reduce its rates, in most cases more than one-half, there has been a very noticeable advance in rates of late years, due, in a measure, to the public having to go back to the original company, because the new failed to keep pace with the requirements of a fast- developing district. However, the recent installation of a new and latest-improved system, in new and enlarged quarters, ensures to the public superior service from the Independent Company, and at rates more consistent and liljeral than have been given for some time past by the company first to introduce the telephone here. In this connection, a word might well be said relative to the numer- ous unsightly poles and wires that predominate on our main business and residential streets. An underground system, under the control of the city, is the only remedy that will give relief. The city could well afford to provide underground facilities, at no greater cost to the com- panies than the expense of maintaining the system. It is due to the fact that no amicable arrangement has ever been suggested, that Chester is so burdened with overhead construction. That Chester is in need of, and should have, more and better service in the way of trolley railways, there is no question. No ad- vancement in the transportation service of Chester has practically been made other than what was brought about by shifting from a horse-car system to that of electricity, in twenty-five years. True, two new com- l^eting lines have come into the city, but they are bottled up so much as to be of little benefit to Chester. We need more railways that will help develop the city and assist it to grow in the districts that are as yet undeveloped. one hundred and twotty-fuur liHiidird und ticfnty-fu CONTENTMENT one hiiiidi-cd and l.(Ciiiti/:six "CHE STEP - HY. V SMITH. MAP OP PF ^OPOSED GREATER CHI ESTER, PA, COVERS AN AREA OF^^ TEN SQUARE MILES f=ROVIDES FOR A POPULATIO. V OF /IBOUT SrS.OOO (12 HOMES TO THE ACRE) /IFTt'Ft OeO. UCJING 'A OF THE AREA FOR COMME' ^CIAL AND INDUSTRIAL USES AND 500 AC:RES FOR SCHOOLS CHURCH£5, PARI- -S AND PIAY6R0UND5. .f