Aston Township.

eating-house at Rockdale, and in 1864 full license for the " Mountain House." Schofield dying in 1865, his widow, Hannah, made the application that year, which was favorably considered, to be the next rejected. In 1870, William Carson obtained license for the Mountain House, but failed in 1871 to receive the approval of the court. In 1875, Carson again was authorized to keep a public inn at the "Mountain House," a privilege which annually thereafter has been extended to him.

Associations and Secret Societies. - The People's Literary Association, which was incorporated by the court of Delaware County, Aug. 25, 1870, had erected a commodious building, in the second story of which is a large hall used for entertainments, lectures, and public meetings. The ground on which the building is located, containing half an acre, was given by John P. Crozer, on May 24, 1860, under certain conditions, to the association. The corner-stone of the building was laid July 4, 1860, but nothing was done to complete the hall. The gift from Mr. Crozer was to become operative when three-fourths of the estimated cost of erecting a suitable edifice for the purposes contemplated in the charter of the association had been collected. The association, having failed at the time of the latter's death to carry out this provision, this lot, under his will, was devised to Samuel A. Crozer for life, with remainder to his grandson, John P. Crozer. Jr. An application being made to court to have the executors of the will convey the land to the association, under the terms of tile original gift, the Crozer family willingly acquiesced in the application, and on June 21, 1871, the court ordered the executors to "make a binding deed to the People's Literacy Association of Rockdale." The organization is now in a flourishing condition. A provision in the charter declares. -

"Should the association at any time terminate its existence by giving up its charter, or in any other way that may be determined upon for that purpose, all the property of the association, in whatever form, must revert to the public school fund of the townships of Middletown and Aston, to be divided equally between them."

In the fall of the year 1872 the members of the Rockdale Base-Ball Club formed the Rockdale Cornet Band, which was incorporated by the court of Delaware County, Feb. 26, 1874. The organization purchased a lot of ground in the village, on which, in the spring of 1882, was erected a handsome building, twenty-five by thirty-five. The band is under the Ieadership of George Blair, and the members are all residents of the immediate neighborhood.

There are several secret societies in Aston, the eldest in time being Benevolent Lodge, No. 40, Independent Order of Odd-Fellows. The lodge was chartered Sept. 2, 1831. On July 4, 1848, its hall, at Village Green, was dedicated. The procession of the order on that occasion, up to that time, was the largest ever had in the county, being nearly a mile in length, the officers of the Grand Lodge and Grand Encampment being present. The lodge has now one hundred and forty-two members. Noble Grand, James C. Megraw, and Samuel K. Crozer, Secretary.

The next society in age is the Rockdale Lodge, No. 50, American Protestant Association, which was organized Feb. 28,1854, and has now forty-five members. Samuel Hopkins is the present Worshipful Master.

On Feb. 22, 1869, Energy Lodge, No. 9, Junior American Protestant Association, was chartered, and has sixty-five members. Smith Yarnall is Worshipful Master, and James A. Bates, Secretary.

July 22, 1869, Lenni Tribe, No. 86, Independent Order of Red Men, was chartered, and has now eighty-five members. William Frame is Sachem, and Charles R. Yarnall, Chief of Records.

Charles Dickens Lodge, No. 41, Sons of St. George, was chartered March 24, 1879. It has about fifty-five members. John Lee is the present President, and Samuel Harmer, Secretary.

Bethel Township.

This municipal district, which was the smallest township in the original county of Chester, is about three miles in length and a mile and a half in breadth at the widest part, the whole area being scarcely files square, is mentioned as early as 1683,¹ and again at the court held on the Eleventh month 6, 1684, the inhabitants of "Concord, Bethell, and Chichester, were ordered to meet on the third day of the next weeke," at the tavern of Henry Reynolds, in Chichester, and confer as to the maintenance of a poor woman and her child. This township is on the summit between the Delaware and the noted Brandywine Creek. The soil, which is lighter than that nearer the river, and in some places stony, is very productive, yielding abundant harvests of wheat and corn. Clay, used for making fire-bricks, and kaolin abound in the western part of the township bordering on Concord. Dr. Smith states that "the name of this township, for anything that is known to the contrary, was imported directly from Palestine. The word is said to signify 'House of God,' Beth being the name of the second Hebrew letter, which is made after the fashion of a Hebrew house. Bethel hamlet had an existence at a very early date, and was probably composed of the first rudely-constructed dwellings of the early imigrants, who built them near together for safety."² At the September court, 1686, Edward "Beasar" was appointed constable "ffor Bethell Lyberty." In 1683, Edward Bezer and Edward Brown had five hundred

²History of Delaware County, p. 382