Chester Township.

Carter sank two shafts near the site of this mill in the effort, to develop a copper-mine on the estate, which it was believed would yield a fortune to its owner. In 1833, John F. Watson, referring to this mine, says, -

"There was, many years ago, considerable indications and promise of a valuable copper-mine up the Chester Creek. There is still visible remains of two shafts now filled with water. They were said to contain about fifty pounds of copper and about fifty ounces of silver in one hundred pounds. At some future day they will probably be worked with more success and profit."¹

Joseph Carter still clung to the idea that at a future time the mine would be successfully operated, hence by his will he provided "that in case the copper-mine shall be opened on the land devised by me to my son Daniel, the profit thereof shall be divided equally amongst all my children, their heirs and assigns, with this exception, that Daniel shall have two shares." This mine was never worked after Joseph Carter's death, in 1830. In the Philadelphia Ariel, May, 1832, a writer in an article entitled "A Day in Chester," records his visit to the mine, and describes it as it then appeared:

"Near an old deserted saw-mill we found the traces of an ancient mine. Two shafts appear to have been sunk here, which are yet visible, but filled with water and overgrown by bushes and briers. A considerable quantity of the rubbish drawn from the mine is yet lying about the place, from an examination of which it is apparent that the shafts were sunk chiefly through clear white quartz, containing veins of copper and molybdaena. The ore of copper which we observed here in the greatest quantity is the yellow ferruginous sulphuret, though the green carbonate and several other varieties may also be found. The sulphuret of molybdaena is abundant, and so nearly resembles graphite or plumbago (vulgarly called black lead) as not to be easily distinguished from it by mere external characters. The two minerals are, however, essentially distinct in their chemical compositions; the plumbago being a carburet of iron, i.e., iron combined with a large proportion of carbon, while the other is the metal called molybdaena, combined with sulphur. It is a rare metal, and we are not aware that it has been applied to any use. Those persons who may desire specimens to add to their cabinet collections of minerals may obtain them without difficulty at this place.

"We were informed by Mr. Edward Jackson, an intelligent old gentleman whom we met at the mine, that about thirty years ago three assays were made of the copper ore obtained here, the average result of which was fifty-three per cent. of copper, with forty-eight ounces of silver in every one hundred pounds, and, as he says, one grain of gold in each ounce of the ore. Before any great depth had been obtained the progress of the work was suspended, owing to the want of funds, and it has ever since been neglected. But from the awakened attention manifested at present to the mineral treasures of our country, we venture to predict that the work at this place will be resumed at no very distant day. The strong probability of obtaining large quantities of rich ore by sinking the shaft to a greater depth may induce some of our enterprising capitalists to make an attempt to render that mine productive."²

During the Revolutionary war, Chester township, then including the borough of Chester, suffered greatly from the depredations of the British army. Under an act of the Colonial Assembly a list of the losses sustained by the residents was made. The individual bills then presented are preserved in the Historical Society of Pennsylvania. We append merely the names and the amount of loss sustained by the then residents of Chester township:

We also append a list of tile taxables of the township in the year 1799, which includes all the territory now embraced in the township, the city of Chester, the boroughs of North and South Chester, and the borough of Upland:

William Anderson (tavern-keeper, - "Columbia House"), Joseph Ashbridge (biscuit baker), William Ashford, Irwin Armstrong, Jane Ashbridge (shop-keeper), James Barnard, John Birchall (tanner), Eden Barton, Abner Barton, James Burton, Jacob Eyre (cordwainer), James Burns, Daniel Broomall (carpenter), Jesse Brown, Joseph Burns (cordwainer), Davis Bevan, Esq. (prothonotary and shop-keeper), James Baggs (weaver), Sarah Bartholomew, Roxanna Bond, David Broomall, John Caldwell (house carpenter), Pierce Crosby (miller), Caleb Cobourn, Joseph Carter, John Craig, Daniel Carter, Edward Carter, Samuel Crosley, Aaron Cobourn, John Crosby, Elenor Davis, Jonathan Dutton (miller), Jane Davis (apothecary), Thomas Davis, William Evans, Jonas Eyre (store-keeper), lsaac Eyre (justice of the peace), William Elliot, John English (cordwainer), Edward Engle (tailor), Joshua Elkins, Joseph Engle (carpenter), Nicholas Fairlamb (justice of the peace), Richard Flower (miller), William Ford (ship-wright), John Gill, George Gill, John Gibbons, Mary Grubb, William Graham (attorney-at-law), Michael Hagan, Elizabeth Harrison (tavern-keeper), Robert Henvis, William Hawkins (wheelwright), William Hoskins, Edward Hunter, Joseph Johnson, John Kees, William Kerlin (tavern-keeper, "Wadigla House"),