Tredyffrin Easttown Historical Society
History Quarterly Digital Archives

Source: April 1938 Volume 1 Number 3, Pages 26–27

From the secretary's book

Mildred F. Bradley

Page 26

On August 4th, 1936, Dr. A, W. Baugh, Frank Hibbard, W. C. Latch, and Mrs. Charles J. Bradley met with Mr. Teamer on his porch and talked history and from this talk grew the Tredyffrin-Easttown History Club.

They decided to hold the first meeting on October 2nd, at which time they were joined by Miss Katharine Stroh and Frank L. Burns.

Mr. Teamer was instructed to get in touch with the Chester County Historical Society and arrange for a field trip to Valley Forge on October 31st: this trip proved to be such a success that it was immediately decided to take a trip each month as part of our program.

The Club continued to grow and on February 2nd, 1937 the Charter Membership list closed and the first Officers were elected as follows: President, S. Paul Teamer, Vice-President, Frank L. Burns, Secretary, Mildred F. Bradley. Other Charter members included Mrs. John Croasdale, Howard Okie, Miss Katharine Stroh, Mrs. John Heagy, Miss Ruth Moore, Mrs. Morrow Campbell, Morrow Campbell, Dr. A. W. Baugh, Mrs. W. W. Wilson, R. Brognard Okie, Conrad Wilson, Mrs. Alfred Prime, W. C. Latch, and Sydney Morris, and Harry Emerson Wildes. The membership has continued to grow as interested persons have expressed a desire to take part in the work of the Club as laid down in the "Aims and Objects."

The first Field Trip having proved such a success Frank L. Burns was appointed chairman of the Trip Committee. It is his duty to arrange a trip for each month. Space does not allow me to go into details about these trips but as they form such a vital part of the life of the Club I am going to tell you briefly of the ones we have taken.

On November 15th, 1936 the Club members and some friends (as guests are always welcome on the trips as well as at the meetings) hiked from the High School over the South Valley Hills viewing the locations of British Officers Quarters, including Howe's Quarters, the former home of W. C. Latch, a member of the Club. Stopping here Mr. Latch told us some interesting stories about the place. The trip ended at the home of Mrs. W. W. Wilson where we enjoyed a delightful buffet supper.

The next trip took us to Sycamore Mills where we viewed an old stone which, it is believed, was placed by the Indians along the side of Dismal Run several hundred years ago. On the return trip we visited another site of an old Indian Village as well as the birthplace of Elizabeth Iddings, who was born in 1709 and married Isaac Wayne in 1738. After this trip we were the guests for supper of Mrs. John Croasdale at her home, the old Blue Ball Tavern.

We next made a visit to the quarters occupied by the American Officers during the Valley Forge encampment. The itinerary for this trip will appear in a coming quarterly so I will not tell you about it, except to say that we went afterwards to Mrs. Charles Bradley's and were entertained there for supper.

A trip to the Brandywine Battlefield and a supper at the home of Mrs. Alfred Prime brought us to the point where we thought we would like to go away for more than a day, and as we felt the call of the South, Historical Williamsburg, Va. was the place selected, and so twenty-three members and friends enjoyed a three day trip through Maryland and Virginia.

Page 27

Thinking of the early iron industry, Mr. Burns planned our next trip to see the Mary Ann Forge and the Hopewell and Isabella Furnaces. This trip ended at the farm of Mr. and Mrs. John Croasdale where we cooked our supper on the open fire.

In September we celebrated the Anniversary of the Paoli Massacre by starting where the British Army had quartered on the South Valley Hills and following the troops up the Valley to Malvern where Mr. Teamer told us the story of the Paoli Massacre, as it has been called. Miss Ruth Moore entertained us at supper after this trip.

In October we went out for recreation only, enjoying the Autumn foliage on the North Valley Hills as we walked the first seven miles of the Horseshoe Trail and cooked our supper over the open fire. We are looking forward to walking the next seven miles very soon.

The site of the White Marsh Encampment was the destination for the next month's trip, then in December we walked again, this time it was to Hammer Hollow, about a mile and a half East of Berwyn. Here we viewed a spot where once had been a busy little village but now there stands only the walls of one mill as a memento of the past.

The year finished with trips to the Site of Sullivan's Bridge, the University Museum and "Fonthill," the home of Dr. Mercer at Doylestown. While we have been busy making trips each month they have not interfered with the Historical research work of the members, as from time to time each member reads a paper on the project he has selected as his work in the Club. Some of these papers have included "Cockletown," "Hammer Hollow," "The Old Gold Mine," "Berwyn Back in the Eighties," Maps showing the War History of Valley Forge and its Vicinity, "Roads in Tredyffrin," "Schools in Tredyffrin," "Churches in Easttown," "History of Berwyn Post-Office," etc.

Our outstanding work during the year has been the publication of the Quarterly Magazine, the first issue of which came out in September 1937, when 50 copies were made; these sold so fast that we had immediately to make 100 more. In December the second issue came out; this time we made 150 copies; both of those issues are entirely sold out.

During the year the Club went on record as objecting to the removal of the Cherry Trees from around the Basin in Washington, and also as being willing to assist in any possible way with any changes that might be made at Valley Forge in order to keep it true to history.

We have located the spot where the Old Stone Chimney stood on the farm now owned by Ralph M. Hunt on the Swedesford Road near Now Centerville and hope to place a marker there later.

In February the Club took on as extra work the program for the meeting of the Chester County Historical Society, at which time Miss Ruth Moore read a paper written by Frank Burns on "The Early Swedes Along the Delaware," and Mrs. Charles Bradley read one she had prepared on "Schools in Tredyffrin Township prior to 1834." Each had a map to her talk.

The Club will be glad at any time to cooperate with any organization in recording and preserving Historical Records and will receive and care for anything of historical value which interested persons would like to donate.