History Unlocked – September 2017, Early Education in PA
The Early Education of Pennsylvania By: Karen Dingle Kendus, Concord Township Historical Society My mother became a teacher as a second career, after I was already a teenager. She is going into her 15th year and could not be happier with her career choice. She takes each new technology in stride, and learns it completely. Her living room has been covered in textbooks, teacher books, activity manuals, and lab experiments for the past month while she was prepping her lesson plans and writing curriculum. My mother is a biology teacher, but that was not an original offering of early colonial schools in Pennsylvania. As a matter of fact, there are very few similarities between today’s public education and William Penn’s idea of education when he acquired Pennsylvania. Obvious differences are the technology involved. Students now are submitting their work through Google Docs and researching reports on their smart devices. However, even the subject matter, duration of the school day, and the fact that education was not free separates early schools from current education. William Penn did not know if pursuit of knowledge was worthwhile, but he felt strongly enough about education to give the governor power to erect and order all public schools for the teaching of reading, writing, religion and arithmetic in his Two Frames of Government (1682-1683). This first call for public education met resistance by other sectarian groups who worried that the Society of Friends, who controlled the Assembly, would use the schools to propagate the Quaker faith. As a compromise, a law was passed that allowed all religious societies, assemblies, and congregations of Protestant faith to erect schools. Quaker schools did not progress very rapidly until 1778 when the Quarterly and Monthly Meetings created an Education Committee. With help from the Education Committee, by 1782, the Society of Friends established subscription schools. Subscription schools required that one person in the community donate land for a schoolhouse if enough neighbors were willing to contribute funds for the construction. The Subscription collected would apply to the master’s salary and go toward the tuition of poor Friends children. Original subscribers and any subsequent donors would have the use of the school for the education of their children and their children’s children. While this was considered “public education,” these schools were only open to those who could afford to pay the fee. Additional subscription schools were built by nondenominational groups as well. The curriculum for early schools consisted mostly of religion and spelling. The earliest textbook was most likely the hornbook, which had the alphabet and the Lord’s Prayer in it. If arithmetic, called cyphering or “casting accounts,” was offered, it was only taught by the master and through oral lessons. Paper was too scarce to use for arithmetic. Spellers came into wider use in the early 18th century. Noah Webster’s American Spelling Book was a standard text after the Revolution. John Comly’s Speller was also popular in this area probably because he taught at the Westtown School. Grammar became part of the curriculum at the end of the 18th century but was not universally taught, as it was not seen as useful. Schoolhouses in southeastern Pennsylvania were architecturally distinct. The early schoolhouses were built in an octagonal shape, with the idea that they were easier to heat. In practical terms, the schoolhouses offered more space for blackboards and exhibits, areas for separate study, and had an acoustic design that lessened noise. Teachers appreciated the practical uses of octagonal schoolhouses. Of all the issues facing the Education Committee, one of the most difficult was the lack of qualified instructors. Unfortunately, society did not have a positive view of teachers. They were seen as being of low quality and incapable of doing anything else. And society’s view of teachers was not the only deterrent. Teachers had low salaries, taught large classes for short sessions, and teaching was not a fulfilling profession. All this being said, if one had the money for a tutor or to attend one of the few quality schools, a worthwhile education was possible. In 1764, one could take English, history, Roman history, poetry, Latin and English grammar, and Bible and geography at the Union School (near Chadds Ford). These and the subscription schools were students’ only options until 1834 when Pennsylvania passed a law mandating a system of public education. As the 2017-2018 school year begins, it is worthwhile to see how far we have come. Teachers have become an integral part of society and are well-respected as scholars. Students attend school for the better part of a day, for most of the year. It took many years for society to value education and it remains free for all, as well as compulsory, today. Enjoy the new beginnings! References Ashmead, Henry Graham. 1884. History of Delaware County, Pennsylvania. Philadelphia: L.H. Everts & Co. pp. 488. Case, Robert P. 1983. Prosperity and Progress: Concord Township Pennsylvania, 1683-1983. Chester, Pa.: John Spencer, Inc. pp. 66-68.
History Unlocked – August 2017, Early Auto Laws
Early (and Absurd) Pennsylvania Automobile Laws By: Karen Dingle Kendus, Concord Township Historical Society When my husband and I started looking for a house last year, we had a list of must-haves. I needed a two car garage, a spacious kitchen, and at least two toilets (they did not have to be full bathrooms). My husband wanted a single family house, with a yard, and sufficient bedrooms so he had an office space. We thought for only a moment about location in relation to other places such as workplace, family, and friends. My husband is a mobile therapist in Chester County, and works from home unless he is seeing a client. My office is in Wilmington Delaware (or Horsham PA, or Philadelphia PA), but I spend most of my work time in a home office. Our families are settled in Delaware and Chester counties. Our friends are spread out among the same counties. When we settled in southern Chester County, we were not too concerned about distance. We only transplanted about 25 minutes west from where we were previously. Our families are still within an hour of where we live (most are 45 minutes or less drive away). Our friends are nearly the same, with only a handful further than an hour from where we settled. And we could not have done any of this without our cars. My husband and I each have a car, which seems to be rather common today. With two income households, and perhaps a number of adult children living at home (but also working outside the home), multiple cars per household is a necessity. Nearly 60 years ago, only 19% of American households had two cars. By 2014, that percentage increased to 37%. With so many people moving to the suburbs and countryside, (a trend that has existed for quite a while), and public transportation struggling to keep up, ownership of automobiles had to increase. Automobiles have not always been such a huge part of American life, however. Cities today struggle to find a way to decrease personal vehicles on city streets based purely on volume, but when vehicles were first on the scene, cities restricted them because they were a menace. The rural population was especially resistant to an increase in vehicular traffic. After the first vehicle was manufactured in 1893, continuous improvements and a competitive price allowed for a steady increase in demand. These original vehicles were loud, though, and had to share the roads with horses and carriages. There were limited rules governing how to drive these new machines, and for the traditionalists, automobiles were a menace to society. While it sounds ridiculous now, the naysayers had legitimate concerns. Traffic signals were not introduced until 1912, and the first stop sign was not introduced until 1915! That is a full four and 7 years respectively after the first Model T was sold. Early on, the number of people who died in car accidents was tenfold, and so many were injured, it was largely left unreported. On country roads, an automobile, barreling along at 20 mph, could easily spook horses with its unnatural noise. Horses would break carriages, trying to get away from the sound, according to one report. Additionally, farmers lost livestock, especially chickens, to reckless drivers. As a matter of fact, drivers paid dearly when accused of hitting livestock with his or her car. The negative sentiment toward automobiles was so strong that around 1910, a group called the Farmers Anti Automobile Society (FAAS) formed in Pennsylvania. They were troubled by the rapid increase of automobiles on the road and sought to protect their horses and livelihood in any way possible. The FAAS drafted a number of laws they wished to see ratified, and the text of these still exists as part of the historical record. To any modern person, the demands seem rather extreme. The group of farmers wanted automobiles traveling on a country road at night to send up a rocket every mile, then wait ten minutes for the road to clear (presumably, of livestock). The driver could then proceed, with caution, blowing his horn and shooting off Roman candles (a type of rocket), as before. The FAAS also wanted the driver of an automobile, who sees a team of horses approaching, to stop, pull over to one side of the road, and cover the car with a blanket or dust cover which is painted or colored to blend into the scenery, and render the machine less noticeable. The rule did not mention where one could buy such a blanket, or how much it would cost. And in the event that the horse was still too spooked to pass the automobile, the driver of the car must take the machine apart as rapidly as possible and conceal the parts in the bushes. I must admit, I would have no idea where to begin taking apart my car in the event that a horse could not bring itself to pass me. It was also recommended that a man with a red flag walk in front of an automobile to clear the way, which defeated the purpose of having an automobile in the first place. It is not clear whether these requests made it into law. While few have heard of the FAAS or their requests, there is one automobile law that exists today. While considered part of the blue laws, there is evidence that it began as a part of the anti-automobile movement. Pennsylvania dealerships are not permitted to open on Sundays. While other Sunday closure rules have been relaxed, (state stores are now open on Sundays in some locations), Pennsylvania automobile dealerships remain closed. Today, there are not many horses on the road. My husband and I only see them on our way to visit his sister in Lancaster County. And while it is not unheard of, one would be hard-pressed to find livestock crossing the road in Concord Township. I am sincerely grateful that automobiles are
History Unlocked – The Mills of Concord Township
The Mills of Concord Township Originally written by Karen Dingle Kendus on behalf of the Concord Township Historical Society in July 2017/Updated August 2021 Milling was one of the first industries to come to Concord Township, which was incorporated in 1683. Grist mills, which processed flour, were not the only type of mill in the township. Saw mills turned forests into wood used in building houses and fences. Paper mills turned wood pulp into paper used for everything from currency to legal documents. Bark mills extracted tannin for use in tanning leather. Fulling mills cleaned wool for clothing. Cotton mills spooled cotton and stone mills processed stone. By 1694, the first mill in the township, called Concord Mill, was in operation on Thornton Road, north of Route 1. Concord Mill appeared to be a small grist mill based on the tax rolls for 1694, showing only £10 in its assessment. By 1699, there was a road from Concord to Joseph Coeburn’s mill in Chester Township because Concord Mill could not handle the demand from Concord farmers. Nathaniel Newlin constructed a grist mill in 1704 on the West Branch of Chester Creek to handle the volume. Eventually, he added a dry goods store that specialized in cloth, sewing materials, and housewares. The second oldest mill in Concord Township, in operation by 1696, was a saw mill built by Nicholas Newlin north of Scott Rd, on Route 1. It later became a spoke mill, creating pieces of wagons. Around 1729, Thomas Wilcox built Ivy Mills paper mill, the second oldest paper mill in the United States. Ivy Mills started out manufacturing heavy pressboard paper. They manufactured a lighter paper for the printing of various colonial currencies. By the 1760s, demand for higher quality paper was used for newsprint and books. This led to a thriving business at the mill, and contracts with several printing houses, including Benjamin Franklin’s firm. During the Revolutionary War, the Ivy Mills created all paper for the Continental Currency. Today, Concord Township has one mill still functioning. The Newlin Grist mill operated commercially until 1941. In 1956, E. Mortimer and Elizabeth Newlin purchased the mill complex and immediately started to restore it. Mr. and Mrs. Newlin established the Nicholas Newlin Foundation in 1960, and it continues to support the mill today. They welcome visitors all year around and conduct demonstrations of the mill operation, where they grind the corn and sell the final product. Like many mills in Concord Township, the Newlin Grist mill was, and still is, operated by water power. A water wheel, connected to the two millstones inside the mill, is moved by the water current, from a millrace. A millrace is a diverted route of water, manmade, to create a stronger current from a mill pond. As the water moves the water wheel, the miller pours the grain into the millstones and produces the powder product from wheat, corn, and other grains. Concord Township was not alone in their building and running of mills. With the time needed to travel in 1700, it was useful to have any mill the residents needed close by. Concord Township is not lacking in creeks and waterways, and several families had the capital and desire to open mills, serving the residents and travelers in and around Concord Township. In the summer months, Newlin Grist mill has several programs for visitors. The property has a park attached, the mill and demonstrations, a museum, and opportunities for a picnic or fishing. I make an effort to visit anytime I need to appreciate my 45-minute baked goods! Check out their website here: https://www.newlingristmill.org/. References Case, Robert P. 1983. Prosperity and Progress: Concord Township Pennsylvania, 1683-1983. Chester, Pa.: John Spencer, Inc. pp. 92-110, 339. Newlin Grist Mill. 2017. Newlin Grist Mill: About Us; www.newlingristmill.org Accessed: 6/3/2017.
History Unlocked-May 2017, Taverns
Taverns in Concord Township By: Karen Dingle Kendus, Concord Township Historical Society When I was a child, summertime meant road trips, battlefields and hanging out with my cousins. My parents liked to mix family visits with anything else we did so that we could keep in touch at least once a year, (and have a welcoming landing pad, no matter how far from home we ventured). My dad would take a week off each summer and we would head south in our blue Dodge Minivan. We had family in Virginia, Ohio, Atlanta, Kentucky, and Tennessee and managed to visit all of them, every year, (with some exceptions). My parents were lucky in that my family was spaced rather well for road tripping. We rarely had to stay in hotels or find accommodation on any given leg of our trip. In the 18th and 19th centuries, travelers sought good accommodation and refreshment as well. When travel from Philadelphia to Lancaster took a wagon team 5 days, accommodation along the way became necessary. As the market grew for taverns and “public houses,” entrepreneurs along major thoroughfares took little time in purchasing buildings and conducting business. Even though taverns started as accommodation, they became more than just a place to stay throughout the 19th century. Concord Township was prime territory for running taverns. With the Great Road (Wilmington-West Chester Pike/Route 202) and the Chester-Philadelphia Road from points west (Baltimore Pike then Concord Road) crossing the township, Concord Township residents and travelers had their choice of places to stay, eat, and drink. While official records of taverns are rare before 1709, taverns became easier to track when Pennsylvania passed a law requiring any proprietors, wishing to sell “rum and other liquours therein”, to apply for and receive a liquor license from the government entity, the Pennsylvania Court of Quarter Sessions. Liquor licenses were granted to the proprietor, as opposed to the establishment. Since this was the case, the first two liquor licenses granted in Concord Township went to Mathias Kerlin of Kerlin Tavern and John Hannum of Buck Tavern, both in 1722. In most cases, application for a liquor license came with a petition from area citizens either vouching for the proprietor and his morality, or imploring the court to reconsider as there are too many taverns already and this proprietor is not morally equipped to run such a place. Licenses were renewed yearly, and if sentiment in the community changed, the renewal was not guaranteed. For those who continued to obtain liquor licenses, the business model for taverns was rather lucrative. While taverns did accommodate travelers passing through the township, money was made on the sale of alcohol. The market for alcohol consumption did not slow down when travelers were rare, for example, in winter when the roads were not passable. The local community could also be found imbibing at their nearby establishment, and offering a constant flow of patrons, no matter the season. While taverns were important to travelers, local citizens also found value in having a tavern nearby. The quickest way to get news outside the immediate township was from travelers passing through. Local citizens could whet their whistle and listen to stories coming out of Philadelphia, New York, and Wilmington. Local residents also found taverns to be a convenient place to congregate with others in the community. In addition to being a convenient meeting place, taverns could also be used as polling places. The White Horse Inn, opened in 1817 by Joseph Hannum, was used as a polling place until 1837. This inn was located on Concord Road and offered a central location for residents from Concord, Birmingham, Bethel and part of Thornbury Townships to cast their votes. After Hannum closed his White Horse Inn, the polling place was moved to Concordville Inn, which was opened in 1830 by John Way. Toward the end of the 19th century, the number of taverns dwindled. While still several decades before the start of the Temperance movement in the United States, local residents started to voice their displeasure at the number of public houses, usually through petitions submitted to the Quarter Sessions for review. Licenses seemed to be more difficult to acquire, and owners turned their sights to other business ventures. In some cases, taverns were transformed into personal homes, with the surrounding land tilled for farming. In Concord Township, several of the buildings where the taverns once thrived are still standing today. The Nine Tun Tavern, opened by Nathaniel Newlin in 1748 on the corner of Route 202 and Beaver Valley Road, contains the offices of State Representative Steve Barrar. The Drove Tavern, opened by James Smith in 1823 on the corner of southbound Route 202 and Smithbridge Road, is now the Pool Care Specialists. Other tavern buildings are private residences. If you ever have a desire to see the Cross Keys Tavern sign, it is housed in the Virginia Merion DeNenno History and Educational Center at the Pierce-Willits. Please stop in when we are open to check it out! Taverns of Concord Township Kerlin Tavern: opened by Mathias Kerlin in 1722; located on Concord Road near Mattson Road; closed 1750. Buck Tavern: opened by John Hannum in 1722; located on Concord Road near Cheyney Road; closed 1822 (with periodic closures in the 100 years it was open). Nine Tun Tavern: opened by Nathaniel Newlin in 1748; located at the corner of Route 202 and Beaver Valley Road; closed 1814. Known for accommodating the large teams of horses used to transport goods from Wilmington to Reading. Nine Tun referred to the size/weight of the wagon, which was normally pulled by 8-10 horses. Bullock Tavern: opened by Moses Bullock Jr. in 1815; located a quarter mile north of Nine Tun Tavern on Route 202; closed 1832. Cross Keys Tavern: opened by Joshua Vernon in 1787; located on Concord Road at Cross Keys Drive (near Kerlin Tavern); closed 1836. The White Horse Inn: opened by Joseph Hannum in 1817, was located on