What happened in the 1850s?
If asked on the spot, the average American probably wouldn’t be able to think of something from the 1850s, a decade that has faded into the background of American consciousness. Despite this, most people probably know more than they realize about this important decade in American history. If you...
Why write about Marple in the 1850s?
By Sam Pickard Today the Marple History Blog starts, “Marple in the 1850s,” a series of articles on life in Marple Township during the 1850s. While these posts will be shorter than normal for the Marple History Blog, for the next month or so, a new article in the series...
Obituary for a Funeral Home: the McCluen House, ca. 1847-2021
Last week the former Kish funeral home, a familiar landmark at Sproul and Lawrence Roads, passed into history. Now, after 1998 Sproul Road has been demolished, it is worth looking back on this building’s roughly 174-year life....
“Fowl” Play: An Altercation Over Chickens Turns Deadly
In September 1868 a fight about trespassing chickens left a Marple man dead. This incident would likely have faded into the mists of time were it for not for its inclusion by Henry Graham Ashmead in his 1884 History of Delaware County, Pennsylvania......
Hayti Cemetery and the Marple UAME Church
Underneath a Blue Route overpass lies what is commonly known as Hayti Cemetery. This cemetery, originally the churchyard of the Marple UAME Church, is the final resting place for generations of Delaware County's African American community....
The Jones Pottery Factory: Part Two, 1850-1869
In 1842 Benjamin Jones began a profitable pottery manufactory in Marple Township, but in less than 30 years, the factory was destroyed and its existence was slowly fading from memory......
The Jones Pottery Factory: Part One, 1842-1850
For roughly three decades Benjamin Jones operated a pottery on West Chester Pike in Marple Township, yet aside from scattered references, little has been written about it until now....
“…In Harvest Thou Shalt Rest”: Rev. Compton’s Marple Farm
About a year ago, I came across Robert Compton, who was listed as a “Baptist clergyman” in the 1860 census schedules for Marple Township. Compton caught my attention because I was not aware of a Baptist congregation in Marple during this period, so I began digging. I soon discovered...
Isaac Burn and His Failed Mineral Spring Resort
Two hundred and ten years ago this August, Isaac Burn (also spelled Burns) advertised his Mineral Chalybeate Springs in Marple Township as a health and pleasure resort. Seeking to cash in on the popularity of mineral spring resorts, the cash-strapped Burn tried for several years to make an attractive...