Middletown Township.

hold a school, which was accepted, and the school was called Glen Riddle School. This was later abandoned, and the Knowlton lot was sold March 8,1869, to Thomas McDermott for three hundred and thirty dollars.

In February, 1861, a lot of land was purchased for one hundred and twenty dollars, at Lima, of the directors of the poor. A contract was made with Robert P. Dunn for the erection of a house thirty by thirty-six feet for fifteen hundred and sixty dollars. This was completed and is now in use. It is known as No. 7. On Jan. 28, 1864, three-quarters of an acre of land was purchased of Samuel Riddle for one hundred and seventy-five dollars. Borell Williams contracted to erect a house there for two thousand three hundred and eighty-four dollars. It was completed and school was opened there Nov. 28, 1864. On April 16, 1866, the directors decided to remodel No. 1 school-house, and Simon Litzenberg was awarded the contract for the work for six hundred and seventy dollars.

On June 28, 1866, a contract was made with Joseph Yarnall to remodel school-house No. 4. On April 25, 1867, it was decided to move School No. 2 to corner of Thomas Pratt's land, between roads leading from Village Green to Glen Riddle (near the fair-ground). Three-quarters of an acre of land was purchased for three hundred and seventy-five dollars. Joseph P. Yarnall contracted to build a house for nineteen hundred and ninety dollars. The old lot at Park Mount was then sold to Elwood Malin for four hundred and seventy dollars.

On the 1st of June, 1868, the districts were renumbered: No. 1, near Habbersett's; No. 2, near Johnson's; Nos. 3 and 4 (two stories), at Parkmount; No. 5, Darlington; Nos. 6 and 7 (two stories), at Lima; No. 8, the Barrens.

On June 6, 1872, it was decided to erect a new school-house in place of No. 1, on the same plan as school-house No. 8. William Armstrong contracted to build a stone house for seventeen hundred dollars, which was done.

School Directors for Middletown. - The following list contains the names of the school directors of the township from 1834 to the present time:

On Oct. 1, 1834, the first election for school directors was held at the house of George Malin. The following persons were elected: Jonathan Thomas, Minshall Painter, George Smedley, Abraham Pennell, Jr., David Thomson, and Edward Lewis. Subsequent elections have resulted as follows:

March 30, 1835, William L. Lewis, James Pennell; March 18, 1836, Humphrey Johnson, Samuel Sharpless; March 17, 1837, Minshall Painter, James Barton; March 16, 1838, William Smedley, Jared Darlington, Jonathan Paist; March 15, 1839, Samuel Hibbard, Jonathan Paist; 1840, Nicholas Fairlamb, Israel Yarnall; 1842, Minshall Painter, Samuel Sharpless; 1843, Thomas Pratt, Nicholas Fairlamb, James Enos; 1844, Samuel Riddle, John H. Fairlamb; 1845, William S. Lewis, Jacob Painter; 1846, James Eves, Samuel Riddle; 1847, John H. Fairlamb, Jared Darlington; 1848, William L. Lewis, John Williams; 1849, Pennock Edwards, Ezekiel Norman; 1850, Joel Sharpless, Joseph Dutton; 1851, George Callaghan, John Williams; 1852, Abram Blakely, John Williams; 1853, N. Walter Fairlamb, James Pennell; 1854, George Rodebach, William Webster; 1855, George Rodebach, Castor Gray; 1856, James Pennell, N. S. Yarnall; 1857, John Williams, William Webster; 1858, Nathan S. Yarnall, Charles Fairlamb; 1859, Charles Johnson, Castor W. Gray; 1860, John Williams, Thomas Williams; 1861, Thomas T. Williams, Milton Edwards; 1862, George Callaghan, Jr., Charles Johnson; 1863, Hiram Schofield, William Webster; 1864, Nathan S. Yarnall, George W. Ormsby; 1865, Charles Johnson, Jesse Hibberd; 1866, Owen W. Yarnall, John Pearson; 1867, John McDowell, Archibald McDowell; 1868, John Hoopes, Samuel Dunn; 1869, John J. Hoopes, Owen W. Yarnall; 1870, S. P. Dunn, John R. Taylor; 1871, Jesse Hibberd, Jared Darlington; 1872, Isaac W. Kerlin, M.D., John J. Hoopes; 1873, Samuel P. Dunn, James Miller; 1874, Thomas T. Williams, James M. Schofield; 1875, John Hibberd, Thomas D. Jester; 1876, T. Darlington Jester, William H. Pratt; 1877, Thomas T. Williamson, Samuel Dunn; 1878, John Hibbard, Robert Fairlamb; 1879, S. P. Dunn, William Burnley; 1880, Robert T. Ash, Charles R. Yarnall; 1881, John Hibberd, Robert Fairlamb; 1882, S. P. Dunn, Samuel Riddle, Jr.; 1883, Jesse F. Smedley, C. R. Yarnall; 1884, Robert Fairlamb, John Hibberd.

Mills on Chester Creek. - The industries located on Chester Creek, in Middletown, have an exceedingly interesting history, and the narrative will be told as the several mill-seats are reached, beginning at the southern end of the township and moving up the stream to its source. The like course will be followed on Ridley, the eastern boundary of Middletown.

Forest Dale Mills. - At the court held at Chester 5th day of 1st week, Tenth month, 1686, Caleb Pusey, the partner with Penn and others, and then the manager of the Chester Mills, "Petitioned against Cobourn for setting a water-mill above him on Upland Creek." The court, however, "considering the premises, and finding it to be for the common good, dispenseth therewith." Pusey was powerful and active in protecting his own and partners' interest, hence, after he obtained the intervention of the commissioners of property forbidding Cobourn to build his mill, the people determined to carry the matter before the Provincial Council, and at a meeting of that body on 17th of Sixth month, 1687, "The Petition of about threescore people, Inhabitants of Chester County, was Read, setting forth the great want of a Mill in their parts, and Requesting a Permission for Thomas Coebourne to goe forward with y^e building and setting up of his mill on Chester Creek. The Council is willing to give Incourag^mt to y^e Procedure of Thom. Coebourne, in the finishing of his mill that he is now about, for y^e urgent necessity of y^e Conterey, Reserving to y^e Gov^t his Proprietary Ship."¹

This petition was presented on behalf of the people of the county, because on the 30th day of the preceding month, Caleb Pusey had induced William Markham and John Goodson, members of the Board of Commissioners of Property, to issue an injunction forbidding Cobourn proceeding with the erection of the mill. The order was as follows. The closing paragraph particularly was ordered to be read to