The City Of Chester.

the latter in designating the borough about the middle of the last century. The proper Indian name of Chester Creek was Meechoppenackhan, according to Heckewelder, in his "Indian Names," which signifies "the large potato stream," or " the stream along which large potatoes grow." This was corrupted into Macopanachan, Macopanackhan, and finally into Mecopanacka. The Indian tribe which owned the land whereon Chester stands, according to John Hill Martin, was the Okehockings, and were subsequently removed by the order of William Penn, in 1702, to "the tract in Chester county, formerly laid out to Griffy Jones, but now vacant."

The story of Penn coming to Upland, the change of the name of the hamlet and the county to Chester, the meeting of the first Assembly, the courts held therein have already been narrated in the general history, and it is unnecessary to recapitulate those incidents here. During the winter of 1682-83, Penn resided in the Boar Head Inn, an ancient building which stood until March 21, 1850, when it was destroyed by fire. The noted hostelry stood on the line of the present street, on the footway approaching it having ascent to the building. It was one story and a half high, with peaked roof, the gable end standing toward Third Street, and from it, just below the eaves, projected the crane from which the old sign of a boar's head was suspended. The house was constructed of heavy frame timber, filled in with brick, and outside as well as inside the laths, which were interlaced in a kind of basket pattern, were covered with plaster made of oyster-shell lime and mud, while, in place of hair, swamp-grass was employed to hold the composition together. The doors were peculiar in the manner in which they were hung; a peg or projection from the door above and below fitted into holes made in the frames, and on these they swung instead of hinges. The windows, with the exception of the one in the kitchen, were small; the glasses, four by three in size, were set in lead. The roof was of split-shingles, the kitchen floor was laid in flagging, some of which were as large as six by eight feet, and under these was a body of eighteen inches of sand on which they rested. In the kitchen, on the side opening to the west, was a large double door, through which a cart-load of wood could be drawn if desired. The chimney was an enormous affair, nearly sixteen feet in width, and the wide-mouthed old fireplace was spacious enough to hold entire cord-wood sticks on great iron dogs, while on either side in the fireplace were benches, where, on excessively cold days, the chilled inmates of the house could rest themselves while enjoying the blazing fire on the hearth. The cellar was of dressed stone, the joints true, every stone set square, and as carefully laid as the masonry of the City Hall.

Penn, shortly after his arrival at Chester, sent for James Sandelands, the elder, to confer with him, for it was "talkt among the people" of that day "that it was Intent to have built a City (at Upland), but that he and Sanderlin could not agree." The conclusion of this interview was that Penn had to look elsewhere for a site for the future metropolis of Pennsylvania, if it be true that Penn at that time proposed building a "great town" there. The refusal of the chief owner of land, at Chester, to accede to Penn's desires was disastrous in its results, and was discovered when too late to avoid its consequences, although an attempt was made to correct it, in a measure, on Nov. 19,1700, when the petition of James Sandelands, the younger, was presented to Governor William Penn, on his second visit to the colonies, and his Council, in session at New Castle, setting forth that the royal patent to the proprietary gave him "absolute power to . . . erect and incorporate Towns, Hundreds and Counties and to incorporate Towns in Boroughs, & Boroughs into Cities & to make & constitute Fairs & Markets herein, with all other convenient privileges & Immunities according to the merits of the Inhabitants & fitness of ye places . . . . And whereas ye Petitioner is possessed of a certain spot of land lying in sd Countie of Chester, verie fitt & naturally commodious for a Town & to that end lately caused ye sd spot of Land to be divided & Laid out into Lotts, Streets & Market place, a Draft & Model whereof (the generallie desired & Leiked of by ye sd Inhabitants of sd Countie) is notwithstanding herewith presented & submitted to your honors for your approbation and consent." The same day it was ordered, after the heirs of James Sandelands, the elder, had appeared before Council, that "the Proprietary & Governor & Council having approved of the within Petition & of the design thereof & Looking upon the place within proposed to be fitt for a Town did not onlie approve of ye within & annexed model, but also did erect & do hereby erect the said spot of Land so modelled & Laid outt Into a Town provided the same do not encroach upon other men's Land without their express consent under their Hands and Seals, and saving to the Proprietor & Governor & everie one their right."¹

The first street laid out by authority was ordered by the grand jury, Eighth month 2,1686, which body reports that they "doe lay out a street and a landing upon the creek to the corner lot far as over against the north west corner of the Court House fifty foote in breadth and from thence up the said Chester town for a street 30 foote in breadthe." This highway was at first called Chester Street, then Front Street, that runs along the creek, and now Edgmont Street or Avenue. In 1689 the grand jury continued the street from the present Second Street to low-water mark on the Delaware River, and from the northwestern corner of the then court-house, to low-water mark on the creek. This latter short street seems to have been closed at a later date, perhaps before the year 1690, for David Lloyd had the Governor and Council about that time to lay out a street thirty-eight feet wide on