Tredyffrin Easttown Historical Society
History Quarterly Digital Archives

Source: January 1990 Volume 28 Number 1, Pages 35–40

A Portfolio of Old Bill Forms : III

Page 35

In the latter part of the nineteenth century and early twentieth century Berwyn was a thriving commercial center for this area, with several grocery stores, meat markets and other food stores to serve the community.

On the next five pages are reproduced some of the bill forms and letterheads that were used in the early twentieth century by several of these stores. (The forms used by the Hall & Hibberd grocery store were included in the first part of this series in the January 1988 issue [Volume XXV, Number 1].) These bill forms were also part of the papers found in the trash in the office of the farm manager of Chesterbrook Farm before the building was demolished. The reproductions are reduced to about three-quarters of the original size.

The first forms were those of Joseph W. Shank, dealer in groceries and meats. (You will note that on the letterhead he boasted that he sold "meat you can eat"!)

The store of Howard Williams & Son, later of Harry P. Williams, was at the southeast corner of Bridge Avenue and the Lancaster Pike. An American Store was later located at this corner.

Meat was bought not only from the local stores, but also from itinerant butchers that came in meat wagons on a regular basis. Among them were L. R. Ullman, from Phoenixville, and William Walker, from King of Prussia.

There was also a grocery store in Devon -- the Devon Grocery, operated by M. F. Harley. It was located on the north side of the Pike, adjoining Lehman's drug store east of the boulevard between the railroad station and the Devon Inn.

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