Chester County


Book Description

The history of Chester County, the fastestdeveloping county in Pennsylvania, is revealed by the uses of the land through the years, from the agriculture and industries of the nineteenth century to the specialty agriculture and service industries of today. Chester County visits the landscape and community that has endeared generations of residents. Rediscover Saturday night movies at the Warner Theatre in West Chester and root-beer floats at the Guernsey Cow in Exton. Visit the industries that built a strong economy in Chester County, such as Lukens Steel and the Sharples Separator Company, and learn about the site of a paper mill that is now a nature preserve for rare Brandywine bluebells.







Just Over the Line


Book Description







Chester County Mushroom Farming


Book Description

Chester County is well known for its sprawling scenic views, rich farmland, the Main Line, and mushrooms. Chester County, and specifically the village of Kennett Square, is known as the mushroom capital of the world because of the quantity and quality of mushrooms grown there. Mushrooms have been around for centuries, with the French beginning cultivation in the 1600s, and mushroom farming began in Chester County more than 120 years ago. The earliest farmers were Quakers, but over the years members of the Irish, Italian, and Hispanic communities have joined the ranks of Chester County mushroom farmers. The local mushroom farmers were responsible for the forming of the American Mushroom Institute more than a half century ago.







The Mines and Minerals of Chester County, Pennsylvania


Book Description

Chester County is the home of many famous and world-class mineral localities -- the Wheatley Mine, French Creek Mine, Brinton's Quarry, Poorhouse Quarry, Unionville corundum mines, Cornog Quarry, Beryl Hill, and the Parksburg rutile area -- to name just a few. This new book pulls together over 200 years of mining and mineral history under one cover. It is richly illustrated with 574 figures -- old and new photographs, old maps, mine cross sections, crystal drawings, and mineral photographs. Many of the old photographs have never been published before. The Mines and Minerals of Chester County, Pennsylvania describes over 400 mines and mineral localities. It includes the known history of each mine and locality and a list of reported minerals. The locations are shown on a set of USGS topographic maps. Because many of the mines had several names over the course of their history, a comprehensive cross-index is provided. Also included is an index of all minerals reported from Chester County with their localites.




A Guide to Naturalization


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Chester County Clocks and Their Makers


Book Description

This early collection on Chester County Clocks is thoroughly recommended for inclusion on the bookshelf of all horologists. Extensively illustrated with text and full page photographs. Contents Include: Foreword; Acknowledgments; Introduction; The Parts of a Grandfather Clock; Individual Clockmakers and Clocks - David M. Anderson, Emmor Baily, Joel Baily, George Baldwin, Harlan Baldwin, Thomas F. H. Baldwin, Eli Bentley, John Boyd, John Breckwell, Butler & Bartlett, Canby & Nielson, Joseph Cave, Benjamin Chandlee, Sr, Benjamin Chandler, Jr, George Cochran, Abraham Corl, Thomas Crow, Benedict Darlington, Thomas Dring, Jacobn Fertig, Benjamin Garrett, Goshenville's Big Ben, John Hall, Jonathan N. Hatch, Caleb Hibbard, Joseph M. Hollis, Honey Brook's Community Clock, Joshua Humphrey, George Jackson, Jr, John Jackson, Isaac Jackson, Curtis Ferreris, Elisha Kirk, James Kinkead, A. Sydney Logan, J. Clemens McConnell, John Murphy, Abraham Olwine, Henry Olwine, William H. Price, Moses A. Regensburg, Thomas Scott, Samuel Sligh, James Starrett, mordecai Thomas, Isaac Thomas, David Underwood, Russell Vibber, John Way, West Chester's Town Clock, David Williams, Thomas Wolf (deWolf) Allan Yarnall; and a Bibliography. Many of the earliest books, particularly those dating back to the 1900s and before, are now extremely scarce and increasingly expensive. We are republishing these classic works in affordable, high quality, modern editions, using the original text and artwork.




Abolition & the Underground Railroad in Chester County, Pennsylvania


Book Description

Chester County was home to a diverse patchwork of religious communities, antislavery activists and free Black populations, all working to end the blight of slavery during the Civil War era. Kennett Square was known as the "hotbed of abolitionism," with more Underground Railroad stations than anywhere else in the nation. Reverend John Miller Dickey and the Hinsonville community under the leadership of James Ralston Amos and Thomas Henry Amos founded the Ashmun Institute, later renamed Lincoln University, the nation's oldest degree-granting Historically Black College and University. The county's myriad Quaker communities fostered strong abolitionist sentiment and a robust pool of activists aiding runaway slaves on their road to emancipation. Author Mark Lanyon captures the rich history of antislavery activity that transformed Chester County into a vital region in the nation's fight for freedom.