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West Nantmeal Township Historical Commission local history collection, 1759-2015 (inclusive)

Extent:
4.0 linear feet
Abstract:
In the first decades of the 18th century, emigrants from Radnorshire, Wales settled in the area that would become Nantmeal Township, Chester County, Pennsylvania. Nantmeal Township was divided into East and West Nantmeal townships in 1739, and Honey Brook Township and Wallace Township later separated from West Nantmeal Township in 1789 and 1852, respectively. In the 18th and early 19th centuries, West Nantmeal was home to farms, mills and forges, including the Isabella Furnace. As of 2015, West Nantmeal remains a largely rural community. The West Nantmeal Township Historical Commission local history collection, 1759-2015, consists of a mix of primary and secondary source materials relating to the history, residents, businesses, and other topics related to West Nantmeal Township. The materials include manuscripts, subject files, oral histories, CDs and DVDs, maps, and other materials.

Held at: West Nantmeal Township Historical Commission [Contact Us]

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Aston Township Historical Society local history collection, circa 1806-2015

Extent:
75.0 linear feet
Abstract:
The area that is known as Aston Township was incorporated as a township of Chester County in 1688 and became a part of Delaware County when the latter county was established in 1789. Today, due to its proximity to both Philadelphia, PA and Wilmington, DE, Aston Township is predominantly a residential area with various local organizations and community events. The Aston Township Historical Society local history collection, circa 1806-2015, consists of various materials, including organizational, church, township, and school records; scrapbooks and photographs; subject and vertical files; and other materials that document the history, residents, businesses, and other aspects of Aston Township.

Held at: Aston Township Historical Society [Contact Us]

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African American Museum in Philadelphia small collections, circa 1850-2014

Extent:
45.0 linear feet
Abstract:
Founded in 1976 in celebration of the nation's Bicentennial, the African American Museum in Philadelphia (AAMP) is the first institution funded and built by a major municipality to preserve, interpret and exhibit the heritage of African Americans. The museum is committed to telling the story of African Americans in all its permutations: family life, the Civil Rights movement, arts and entertainment, sports, medicine, architecture, politics, religion, law, and technology. The African American Museum in Philadelphia small collections, circa 1850-2014, consist of various small accumulations (less than one linear foot) of archival materials acquired from a variety of sources at various times. The collection focuses on, but is not limited to Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, touching on all aspects of African American life and culture. It features a great variety of document types, such as correspondence, minute books, ephemera, photographs, clippings, scrapbooks, film reels, and much more.

Held at: African American Museum in Philadelphia [Contact Us]

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Delaware County Institute of Science manuscript collection, 1686-2014 (inclusive)

Extent:
20.0 linear feet
Abstract:
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]

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Plumstead Historical Society local history collection, 1809-2014 (inclusive)

Extent:
2.0 linear feet
Abstract:
The area of Plumstead Township (Bucks County, Pa.) was originally settled in the early 18th century by English Quakers, but soon grew into a diverse community. The township was officially established in 1725 and was initially an agrarian community, although many businesses and industries were eventually established due to the presence of a nearby highway. The Plumstead Historical Society local history collection, 1809-2014, consists of various primary and secondary-source materials donated to or collected by the Plumstead Historical Society relating to the history and residents of Plumstead Township.

Held at: Plumstead Historical Society [Contact Us]

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Wallace Township local history collection, 1789-2014 (inclusive)

Extent:
30.0 linear feet
Abstract:
Although the first official survey of Wallace Township, Chester County, Pennsylvania took place in 1729, the Township was formally created in 1852 and has had multiple changes to its boundaries since. In the 18th and early 19th centuries, farms, mills, and forges dotted the landscape, but the late 19th century brought the railroad and considerable development of the area. A Pennsylvania Turnpike entrance was created near Wallace in 1950, and during the late 20th century, many residential subdivisions were built in the Township resulting in a substantial population increase. The Wallace Township Historical Commission local history collection, 1789-2014, consists of a mix of primary and secondary-source material relating to the history and residents of Wallace Township. Materials include scrapbooks, maps and blueprints, deeds, financial and administrative records, photographs, audio recordings, ephemera, correspondence, posters, and genealogy and other research materials.

Held at: Wallace Township Archives [Contact Us]

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Kennett Township Historical Commission subject files, 1980-2014 (bulk) 1847-2014 (inclusive)

Extent:
10.0 linear feet
Abstract:
The first recorded mention of "Kennett Township" in Chester County, Pennsylvania is from 1705. An abolitionist stronghold, Kennett was popular with freedom-seekers escaping slavery prior to the Civil War due to the presence of progressive Quakers and a community of free blacks that was established as early as 1830. Later, the Kennett area became known for producing more than half of the mushrooms consumed in the United States. The Kennett Township Historical Commission subject files, 1847-2014 (bulk 1980-2014), focus on people, places, organizations, buildings, and events of Kennett Township. The files consist mainly of secondary-source materials, such as clippings, pamphlets/ephemera, and family genealogies, as well as a small amount of primary-source materials.

Held at: Kennett Township Historical Commission [Contact Us]

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Nether Providence Historical Society local history collection, 1995-2014 (bulk) 1825-2014 (inclusive)

Extent:
8.0 linear feet
Abstract:
Nether Providence Township in Delaware County, Pennsylvania, was incorporated in 1687. Over time, it progressed from a farming economy, to a manufacturing center with over a dozen mills, to a resort destination for wealthy Philadelphians, to a residential community. The Nether Providence Historical Society local history collection, 1825-2014 (bulk 1995-2014), consists of primary- and secondary-source materials relating to the residents, events, organizations, and structures, of Nether Providence Township in Delaware County, Pennsylvania. Most of the collection is organized into subject files, but there are additional materials stored separately, including a sizeable accumulation of 19th and early 20th century papers from the Byer family.

Held at: Nether Providence Historical Society [Contact Us]

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Darby Free Library local history collection, 1970-2000 (bulk) 1873-2014 (inclusive)

Extent:
12.0 linear feet
Abstract:
Darby Borough is located west of Cobbs Creek in Delaware County, Pennsylvania. The village of Darby had its first town meeting in 1683 and was incorporated as a borough in 1852. Nicknamed "The Gateway To The South" because of its status as a popular way station for travelers between Baltimore and Philadelphia, Darby was also an important stop for many freedom seekers on the Underground Railroad. The Darby Free Library local history collection, 1873-2014 (bulk 1970-2000), consists mostly of secondary-source materials, such as newspaper clippings, photocopies, computer print outs, color photographs from the late 20th century, flyers and pamphlets, and ephemera. There are also some original, primary-source documents, and a few maps and about half a dozen atlases of Darby, Delaware County, and vicinity.

Held at: Darby Free Library [Contact Us]

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Radnor Historical Society subject files, circa 1860-2014

Extent:
27.0 linear feet
Abstract:
Radnor Township in Delaware County, Pennsylvania was founded in 1682, shortly after Welsh Quakers arrived on the lands previously home to the original inhabitants, the Lenni Lenape Indians. Development in the area increased when new transportation routes passed through the area, first the Lancaster Turnpike (the first toll road in America) in 1794, and then the Columbia (later Pennsylvania) Railroad in 1832. The township's population doubled between 1880 and 1890 with the birth of one of the country's first planned suburban developments, Wayne. Development and population boomed again in the wake of World War II and has continued to grow in the 21st century. The Radnor Historical Society subject files, circa 1860-2014, contain a general subject file with separate series for Streets, Estates, and Genealogy. Materials are mostly secondary-source, such as newspaper clippings, photocopies, printed materials, and ephemera, but there are also a large number of original photographs,...(see more)

Held at: Radnor Historical Society [Contact Us]

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