Tredyffrin Easttown Historical Society
History Quarterly Digital Archives

Source: Winter/Spring 2007 Volume 44 Numbers 1&2, Page 40

Part 2: The Rural Period, 1780 – 1950

Page 40

Although there was some change in farming techniques and the introduction of mechanical methods, there was not a lot of change in the farms during the rural period. The opening of the “Main Line” railroad in 1834 spurred urbanization along the ridge of the South Valley Hills. This was not actually visible in the Tredyffrin census data until the 1880s when the population started to noticeably rise, although the big explosion in the township population did not occur until the 1950s. The railroads also catalyzed the expansion of the limestone industry, bringing in a new wave of immigrants to work in the quarries at Howellville and Cedar Hollow. At the start of the 20th century the management of some of the big farms were “secondary” occupations for people, such as A. J. Cassatt, and Philander Knox, who had made their fortunes in other enterprises.