Call Number:

WISS

Repository:

Chestnut Hill Historical Society

Extent:

26.5 linear feet

Language:

English

Preferred Citation:

Multiple accession numbers.

Date:

1970-2011 (bulk) and 1760-2011 (inclusive)

Creator:

Chestnut Hill Historical Society.

Abstract:

The 1,800 acres of Wissahickon Valley Park are part of Philadelphia's 9,200-acre Fairmount Park, one of the largest city parks in the world. The Chestnut Hill Historical Society Wissahickon collection, 1760-2011 (bulk 1970-2011) consists of ephemera, memorabilia and records relating to the Wissahickon, created by various sources and collected by the Historical Society. There are newspaper and magazine clippings, scholarly research and governmental reports, prints and photographs, slides, music CDs, and VHS tapes. A large collection of stereoviews of the Wissahickon is a highlight of the collection.

"On the east side of the Wissahickon Valley, high above the creek, is a 15-foot statue of an Indian. He was placed there in 1900 to memorialize the Lenni-Lenape tribe, who were the first people to walk the steep trails of the Wissahickon.

"When colonists arrived in the mid-1600s, the hunting and fishing grounds of the Indians were transformed into the first industrial area of North America. Waters of the Wissahickon Creek were dammed to supply power for more than 25 mills built along its banks.

"Co-existing with the mills in the 1800s were numerous taverns and roadhouses as the interior of the Valley became accessible by road and the Wissahickon Turnpike. Throughout the 19th century, the beauty of the Wissahickon's rock, forest, and water was celebrated in poetry and prose; paintings and prints. The Valley achieved international fame as visitors to Philadelphia's Centennial Exposition of 1876 took home tales of its wild scenery.

"Fairmount Park acquired the 1,800 acres of the Wissahickon Valley in 1868 in order to preserve the purity of the City's water supply. Mills and taverns were demolished leaving scant historic evidence in the form of dams and foundations. The wide Wissahickon Turnpike paralleling the creek was closed to vehicular traffic in 1920 and became Forbidden Drive.

"Today, the Wissahickon Valley is a unique, urban wilderness park providing recreation for thousands of visitors yearly from the city and the region. With minimal municipal resources available, preservation of the Valley must depend on the dedicated efforts of the Friends of the Wissahickon and other non-profit groups."

Bibliography:

Friends of the Wissahickon. "History." 2006. Accessed January 9, 2011. http://www.fow.org/history.php

This collection was compiled by Chestnut Hill Historical Society staff and consists of ephemera, memorabilia and records created by various sources that relate to the Wissahickon Valley Park. There are newspaper clippings, magazine articles, pamphlets, books, and other publications, including scholarly research and governmental reports. The park is depicted in numerous media forms, including photographs, slides, music CDs, and VHS tapes recorded in the park. Other than original reports compiled by the Fairmount Park Commission, there are few unique documents in the collection.

Of special interest is a large collection of stereoviews of the Wissahickon. There are also many lantern slides.

The collection is organized by accession number.