The City Of Chester.

such officers were authorized to act, it became an important matter to secure the first charter for a national bank in Chester, where, by reason of its manufacturing interests, the United States revenue tax amounted to many thousands of dollars. Hence, on Feb. 25, 1863, Samuel M. Felton, Thomas Reaney, Samuel Archbold, Benjamin Gartside, Amos Gartside, Abraham R. Perkins, L. T. Rutter, Samuel Eccles, Jr., Jacob Sinex, John Gartside, and William Ward signed articles of association for a national bank, to be located in Chester, and William Ward was dispatched to Washington to secure the charter. The bank was not regularly organized until May 15, 1864, when Abraham R. Perkins was elected president, William Taylor cashier, and a board of directors chosen, consisting of Abraham R. Perkins, Samuel M. Felton, Thomas Reaney, Benjamin Gartside, Samuel Archbold, Samuel Eccles, Jr., and William Ward. The seal of the bank had been agreed upon at a previous informal meeting, when it was decided it should represent a steam-engine and power-loom, the distinctive industries of the city. On March 24, 1864, the bank purchased a house and lot at the southwest corner of Second and Penn Streets for thirty-four hundred dollars, and there, at the date already given, the First National Bank opened its doors to receive deposits and to conduct a general banking business. The location of the building was on a side street, away from the centre of trade, hence it was determined to remove to another and better situation when opportunity should offer. To that end, on Oct. 10, 1870, the present banking-house, immediately south of the town hall, on Market Street, was purchased from George Baker, the front removed, a serpentine-stone front substituted, and internally the structure was arranged to meet the requirements of a banking institution. On Jan. 18, 1871, the First National Bank began business at its new location, and the following day, January 19th, Abraham R. Perkins, having removed from Chester, and because of failing health resigned the presidency, to which position John Larkin, Jr., was elected on the 23d of the same month. The old banking-house on Penn Street was purchased by George Baker, and later sold to Orlando Harvey, who converted it into a dwelling-house. On May 26, 1884, Frank R. Palmer was elected cashier, William Taylor having resigned that office, which he had held since the incorporation of the bank. The present board of directors is as follows: John Larkin, Jr., Benjamin Gartside, John Gartside, Mortimer H. Bickley, James Irving, William B. Broomall, and William Hannum.

John Larkin, Jr., the president of the First National Bank, is one of four men to whom Chester is indebted for much of its present prosperity, the other three being John P. Crozer, James Campbell, and John M. Broomall.

John Larkin, the great-grandfather of the subject of this biographical sketch, emigrated from England, and was one of the earliest settlers in Delaware County. He had among his children a son, Joseph, whose son, John, married Martha Thomas, whose ancestors were of Welsh descent. Their son, John, was born Oct. 3, 1804, in Concord township, Delaware Co., and after limited advantages of the country schools, was employed until twenty-one years of age upon his father's farm. He engaged in mercantile pursuits for one year at Chichester, and later for three years at Marcus Hook. He in 1832 purchased a freight-vessel and established a packet-line between Marcus Hook and Philadelphia, which was continued until 1839, when he sold the vessel, wharf, and business interest. He was elected sheriff of Delaware County in 1840, and on the expiration of his term removed to a farm of one hundred and fifty-five acres in Lower Chichester, upon which he had erected new and commodious buildings. During the years 1845 and 1846, he represented his district in the State Legislature. Mr. Larkin, in 1848, made Chester his home, and the same year built two vessels and established a daily line of packets between that city and Philadelphia, the boats having previously run but twice a week. He in 1849 formed a copartnership with William Booth, under the firm-name of Booth & Larkin, for the purpose of running packets daily from Chester to Philadelphia in the interest of the coal and lumber business. The firm enjoyed a prosperous career until 1852, when the partnership was dissolved, and Mr. Larkin's attention was directed to real-estate operations consequent upon the exchange, in 1850, of his farm for eighty-three acres in the North Ward of Chester, formerly used as a race-course. This property was at once laid out in streets and the lots sold for building purposes. In 1854 he entered into a contract to erect for Abram Blakeley a cotton-mill of any dimensions, which contract was completed before the specified time, and adequately illustrates the energy and business capacity of the subject of this sketch. He also erected, the same year, twenty-two dwellings, and by the large sale of lots was enabled to carry out to the fullest extent the various beneficent enterprises he had projected. This movement, which gave a decided impetus to Chester and its manufacturing interests, was followed by the erection of a total of one hundred and forty-six dwellings and thirteen manufacturing establishments of various kinds. Mr. Larkin, in 1881, sold the last unimproved building-lot, and thus disposed of the eighty-three acres he originally acquired. In 1870 he purchased a tract of land at Marcus Hook, containing twenty-three acres, which was at once laid out in streets and building-lots. On this he erected sixty dwellings, two machine-shops, two foundries, and a large hosiery-mill. He has been actively identified with the municipal interests of Chester, was for eleven years a member of the Borough Council, and for six years president of that body. On its incorporation as a city, in 1866, he was chosen its first mayor,