Darby Borough.

residence has always been one of the most attractive of the houses of colonial days still remaining, on the old Queen's Highway to Chester.

Just on the margin of the Kakarikonk, or Cobb's Creek, in Delaware County, and on the east of the Darby road, "is the picturesque mansion-house of the Smiths, of Tinicum, bought by them of the Lloyds in 1816. An ancient house, a part of it dating from 1725, embowered among aged trees, no destroying hand has as yet touched the antique double-door, now so rarely seen, and which in this place yet retains what perhaps can nowhere else be seen, - veritable "bull's-eyes." These are round pieces of glass, very thick in the middle, and inserted, two of them, in the upper part of the door to afford some little light to the hall. The northern door, the eastern door, and an inside one opening into the dining-room, each contain two of these now almost unknown adornments. A wooden lock, yet in good and serviceable condition, is in use on one of the doors of the house.¹

Societies. - Orphan's Rest Lodge, No. 132, I. O. of 0. F., was instituted Oct. 20, 1845, the following persons being named in the charter as officers: Charles Roe, N. G.; James McNulty, V. G.; John E. Levis, Sec.; David Roe, Treas. The lodge was constituted at the Buttonwood Hotel, then kept by William Russell, Jr., and meetings were held there until 1852, when the lodge was moved to the frame building on the east side of the street, now owned by Joseph Powell. In 1867 it was again removed to a room specially prearranged for its accommodation, in the third story of the brick building now owned by John Davis, where the lodge is now located. There are ninety-four members at the present time, and George Wiley is N. G.; Joseph Hallis, V. G.; G. W. Guest, Sec.; and Caleb B. Bonsall, Treas. The following persons are the Past Grands of Orphan's Rest Lodge in good standing: Moses Bonsall, Caleb Bonsall, Henry Bonsall, Charles T. Brooks, Humphry Brooks, John Biddle, Edward Bolduc, James E. Coombs, John L. Davis, Emanuel Ewing, Thomas Foulds, Charles Farrell, James A. Hill, Henry Hews, Theodore Knight, Thomas S. Keithler, John M. Lamplough, John Lincoln, William P. Mancil, James H. Malin, William McConnell, Charles Sladen, Samuel Wiley, James F. Wilby, Nimrod Dibler, James H. Bonsall, William Ewing, George G. Patchel.

General Taylor Encampment, No. 54, I. 0. of 0. F., was named in honor of Gen. Zachary Taylor, subsequently President of the United States, and was chartered Jan. 29, 1847, with the following officers: William Russell, Jr., C. P.; David Cooper, S. W.; Joseph Grover, J. W.; Charles T. Roe, H. P.; B. Clarkson Davis, Sec.; Thornton Russell, G.; Charles A. Litzenberg, Treas.

The following incidents are worthy of preservation in a history of Delaware County:

Capt. James Serrill, of Darby, in 1821, at that time captain of the sailing-ship "Tuscarora," made a voyage to Liverpool in seventeen days, which was then the fastest trip ever made by a sailing vessel between the United States and Europe, and for many years was not equaled. In 1839, James Bunting, of Darby, had erected a frame cocoonery, which was ninety-two by thirty-five feet, and was considered as an unusually large building to be devoted to the rearing of silkworms. On Aug. 6, 1840, Joseph Ingraham, an aged man residing at Darby, fell backwards into a well near the door of his residence, striking and dislocating his neck, occasioning instant death. On April 30, 1873, a six-year-old girl, named Jones, an adopted daughter of Mrs. Rively, of Darby, died of hydrophobia. Six weeks prior to her death she had been bitten by a dog. The child exhibited no symptoms of rabies until the day before her death, when she frothed at the mouth, was attacked by spasms at the sight of water, and showed other evidences of canine madness.

In April, 1875, Mrs. Eliza Ford died in Philadelphia. She had formerly been a resident of Darby, and it is related on Thanksgiving day, in 1858, while pouring tea for guests, her arms suddenly fell to her side, her limbs became motionless, and never again regained their power. She was carried to bed, where she remained until her death. Even when removed to Philadelphia, she was taken there on the bed. Although perfectly helpless, she accumulated flesh rapidly. Her arms and legs grew to double the size of those of persons in ordinary health. Her weight was five hundred pounds, and after death four strong men with difficulty lifted the body from the bed. Her coffin measured thirty-six inches across, and so great was its weight after the corpse was placed in it that it was laid upon the floor and rolled on rollers to the front door, after the funeral services in the house were over.

Upper Darby Township.

As stated in the historical account of Darby township, the official division between Upper and Lower Darby was not made until after the Revolutionary war, although, practically, such separate municipal districts were recognized by the people of Darby, including all the territory now embraced in both the townships, many years prior to the war of Independence. Upper Darby having the Kakarikonk, Mill, or Cobb's Creek as its eastern boundary, and the Muckruton or Darby Creek traversing the southwestern end of the township to Tuscarora Mills at the Garrettford road, and thence that stream constitutes its western boundary, gave to the district in colonial times much prominence, because of the many mill-seats and water-powers located within the territory.