Upper Darby Township.

Abraham Johnson (miller), Robert Steel (miller), Nathan Jones (tailor), Jesse Lobb (cooper), Philip Super (weaver), Benjamin Lobb, Bernard Mackey, Samuel Moore, John Moore, Samuel Powell, James Pyott, Jacob Reaver, Jr., George Sellers, Jacob Tyson, Robert Thomas, Isaac Tyson, Benjamin West.

The following is a list of the justices of Upper Darby:

Schools. - The first official record of land being set apart for school purposes in the township is in a deed in 1779 for twenty-four perches of ground granted to John Sellers, Benjamin Brannon, and Oliver Garrett as trustees, the consideration being ten pounds. On this lot a building was erected on the Haverford and Darby road, above the highway leading to Garrettford, and near the residence of Isaac Garrett. This school is distinctly marked as so located on John Hill's "Map of Philadelphia and its Environs," published in 1807. In that house Isaac Garrett was at one time a teacher, and William and John Sellers attended there as pupils. In the olden times it was under the control of a board of trustees, but when the law of 1836 became operative, it was transferred to the school directors, and is still used for educational purposes. The trustees named in the deed of 1779 and their successors had the care of the school until it was transferred to the board of school directors. Under the act of 1804 school trustees were elected in Upper Darby, in 1825; their powers, however, could in nowise include the control of the contribution school of 1779. On May 18, 1825, at the election then held, Oborn Levis, Thomas and John Sellers, Jr., were chosen trustees for the township, the duties of which offce, so far as we have information, must have rested with ease on the shoulders of those who bore the offcial honors. Upon the enactment of the public school law of 1834, Joseph Henderson and William Booth were appointed by the court inspectors of public schools until directors should be selected. The township of Upper Darby having accepted the school law, directors were chosen at the fall election of that year. In 1835-36 the township received from the State and county appropriations amounting to the sum of $444.14, that being the proportion allotted to Upper Darby of the public money set apart for the maintenance of public schools.

On Feb. 18, 1833, Coleman Sellers granted to John Sellers, Sr., Nathan Sellers, Abraham Powell, Charles Sellers, Samuel Sellers, Jr., David Snyder, and Samuel Sellers a lot in Upper Darby on which to erect a school-house, and in their discretion to employ suitable teachers and open a school as soon as convenient under the exclusive management of trustees. The house was built and a school maintained there. It was known as the Union School, and on its site the present stone school-house near the grist-mill of William Walker is located. After the enactment of the law of 1836 the trustees transferred it to the use of the directors of the public schools of the township.

On the Springfield road west of Clifton, on the lands of Oborn Levis, is a building which was for many years a school-house, and was continued to be used as such until 1871. On March 23d of that year a lot was purchased of Dr. S. P. Bartleson, at Clifton, and the directors contracted with John Frees to erect the present two-story brick school-house, at a cost of five thousand seven hundred and eighty-five dollars. The new structure was completed in the fall of the same year, and therein five schools of different grades are maintained. Oborn Levis, on Sept. 9, 1871, purchased the old school-house and lot for one thousand dollars, and the quiet of an uninterrupted vacation maintains in the ancient building where since time out of mind the noisy laugh and boisterous play of the rosy-cheeked urchins could be heard at recess, or the dull "murmur of the pupils' voices conning over their lessons" was audible to the passer-by.

The Central school-house, above Garrettford, is located on a lot of land purchased from Thomas Garrett, Oct. 14, 1837, containing seventy-two square perches, and thereon a school-house was erected near by the present building. School was maintained there until Jan. 26, 1860, when twenty-one square perches of the lot was sold to Nathan and David Platt. In June, 1873, a contract was entered into with Moses Gilmour for the erection of a school-house, at a cost of three thousand three hundred and seventy-five dollars, on the remaining ground owned by the school board, which was completed in November following, since which time schools have been regularly conducted therein. On May 3, 1851, the directors purchased one hundred and thirty-seven square perches of land of Charles Kelly, at Kellyville, on which a school-house was built and used until 1871, when the school therein was discontinued, and the house and lot, on August 28th of that year, was sold to Dennis B. and Edward J. Kelly for thirteen hundred and thirty dollars.

On June 6, 1873, the residents of Pattonville, now known as Fernwood, petitioned the school directors to establish a school at that locality. A committee of the board, to whom the petition was referred, on August 9th reported that the Methodist Church could be leased. That building was rented, and a school opened and continued therein until it became necessary that other accommodations should be had. On May 15, 1875, Francis Kelly contracted with the directors to erect the present two-story brick school-house, at a cost of three thousand seven hundred and twenty dollars, on lands purchased for that purpose.