Tredyffrin Easttown Historical Society
History Quarterly Digital Archives

Source: Fall 2006 Volume 43 Number 4, Page 106

FROM THE EDITOR

Page 106

Two of the 4 articles in this issue have been written about before in this Quarterly, but each presents new information and illustrations. Caroline Hager's Kirkner Award winning essay is the first report of anyone going inside the second Blue Ball Inn to investigate the reports of ghosts and the spectre of Prissy Robinson. James Brazel's many photographs of the section of the Chester Valley Railroad track passing through Tredyffrin Township have not been seen before.

The other 2 articles are about never before published topics. The demolishing in the summer of 2006 of an important corner in Paoli for a new bank branch prompted an interview to record Gerald Schneider's research into the history of the Plank family who lived on Paoli's Plank Avenue in the early days of the Paoli Rail Yard. Early local business histories are rare and Mike Bertram's research into the Bean family who was mining quartzite from a quarry on Mount Misery in Valley Forge is particularly valuable.

Two new local history books with many pictures have recently been published.

Nancy B. Schmitt, editor of an earlier title, A Century in Malvern, published in 1989, has updated that title as the author of Malvern Items: 1870 – 2006 published in 2006 by the Malvern Historical Commission. The new 144-page book includes reproductions of over 90 maps and photographs. Seven chapters cover the early history of Malvern and move on to the early churches, schools, parks, and other community institutions; the Malvern Preparatory School; the Malvern Fire Company; and remembrances of Malvern's 25th, 50th, 75th, and 100th anniversaries. The price is $25.00.

Northern Chester County by Vincent Martino Jr. was published in 2006 by Arcadia Publishing as one of the titles in the publisher's Postcard History Series. This 127-page book has reproductions of early postcards with usually 2 illustrations on each page. It also has a chapter on Malvern and Paoli—but there is very little overlap in the Malvern illustrations in these 2 books. Martino also includes images for a wide geographic area extending from Berwyn to St. Peter's Village. The price is $19.99.

Meeting dates for the Society for 2007 are January 21, February 18, March 18, April 15, May 20, June 17, no public meetings during July and August, September 16, October 21, November 18, and no public meeting in December. Unless otherwise noted all meetings are at 2 PM at the Easttown Library & Information Center, 720 First Avenue, Berwyn.

The January 21, 2007 meeting will be a presentation by Roger D. Thorne on “The Ryan Connection: The Relationship Between the Main Line Airport, Paoli, Pennsylvania and the Ryan Aeronautical Company, San Diego, California.”

For further information about this and future meetings contact the President or the Program Chair.

Authors retain copyright of their contributions.
The Club does not accept responsibility for the accuracy of the information in the articles.

TREDYFFRIN EASTTOWN HISTORY QUARTERLY
Volume 43, Number 4 – Fall 2006

FRONT COVER: The second Blue Ball Inn is decorated for the season. It is the topic of the winning essay of the first Kirkner Memorial Essay Contest sponsored by the Tredyffrin Easttown Historical Society. Photograph by Bob Goshorn, c. 1988.

BACK COVER: Part of an advertising booklet for the Wynburne Inn [here spelled Wynburn] when it was owned by William W. Downing and his wife in the years between 1913 and 1926. Tredyffrin Easttown Historical Society Collection.