Delaware County was the first section of Pennsylvania to be settled by Europeans, specifically Swedes in 1643. The Borough of Media, located about 12 miles outside of Philadelphia, has been the county seat of Delaware County since 1850. A largely rural area prior to that point, the town grew rapidly in the second half of the 19th century and throughout the 20th century. The Delaware County Institute of Science manuscript collection, 1686-2014, consists of a variety of local history materials including organizational records, business records, personal papers, photographs, scrapbooks, blueprints, subject files, maps and atlases, and other materials. Most of the materials relate to Delaware County (Pennsylvania), but some items pertain to other locations in Pennsylvania and other states. Although the 19th century is the best represented among the materials, there is a significant amount of materials from the 18th century and a few items from the 17th century.
Held at: Delaware County Institute of Science [Contact Us]
Tyler Arboretum in Delaware County, Pennsylvania is one of the oldest arboretums in the northeastern United States. It began as a private horticultural collection developed in the mid 19th century by brothers Minshall and Jacob Painter, and was turned into a not-for-profit public garden by John J. and Laura Hoopes Tyler in 1944. John and Laura Tyler both descended via the Painter family from Thomas Minshall, a Quaker "First Purchaser" who acquired land from William Penn in 1681. The Tyler family papers, 1681-1937, consist of various papers from John J. Tyler and his wife Laura, the Painter Brothers (Jacob and Minshall Painter), and other members of the Painter and Minshall families.