Author: Doug Humes
History Spotlight: Randal Pratt and Springton Farm
A few years ago, I was given an old book on Quaker history. Inside was…
The Earliest Edgmont Map of 1816
In 1816, the Pennsylvania legislature authorized mapmaker John Melish to make detailed county maps for…
History Spotlight: And Sweetly Breathes, “Forget Me Not!”
Over the weekend I drove up to Bucks County to pick up a donation to…
History Spotlight: Judge William Lewis
Who was Edgmont’s most famous native son? If you asked the question in the 18th…
History Spotlight: The Wild West Comes to Edgmont
New Year’s Eve 1904 saw some fireworks along West Chester Pike around Edgmont, as described…
History Spotlight: Notorious Fitz Captured
A voice from the grave, and a research notebook from preeminent Delaware County historian Hilda…
History Spotlight: Sad Effects of Bad Company
On March 28, 1881, 19-year-old Newtown resident Robert Orr left home with a plan. From his father’s farm on the southern boundary of Newtown near Crum Creek, he walked to a neighbor’s property in Edgmont.
History Spotlight: “Third in the World, First in Our Hearts”
This summer, a Media baseball team became just the 3rd team from Delaware County to…
History Spotlight: Lane’s End
Each parcel of land has its unique history, told in successive chapters. The Sill family owned a 92-acre farm along West Chester Pike from 1721 until 1926, and built the stone house and barn on the property.
History Spotlight: Howellville and Gradyville
Who was Gradyville named for? The simple answer is State Senator John Cadwalader Grady. But the back story is more complex. And interesting. And like so many interesting stories, it begins with a tavern.