By Susanna Gaskill-Mahan (written 2/29/24), as quoted by Larry Schall
The College was the primal cause for the advent of the village or Borough, because there was a definite purpose in the minds of some of the early residents to bring a Friendly influence around the Quaker College. This high and beautiful location was chosen for healthfulness and seclusion by the first managers of the college, to provide our children with a higher education, which should be guarded from some of the extravagance and unwholesome influences (particularly intemperance), which had gradually invaded the older colleges, and to give girls an equal opportunity with boys.
The college building was finished in 1869, and started with a prepatory school, and brought the students up to college grade gradually --graduating the first class in 1873. The list is on a metal plate in the college dining room.
The West Hill Land Co. offered lots for sale in 1880, for the erection of homes, and at first restricted the houses to stone and a high grade of woodwork. No stores were permitted on the north side of the railroad, and a small water tank, run by a windlass, supplied us with water, under the ownership of the first Springfield Water Company. The College made its own gas and allowed a few neighbors to have a share until they decided to take from Philadelphia Suburban Gas Co.
There was only a plank walk to the station when we came in 1882 --that had been laid by the College and Simmons Kent, who was a wholesale lumber merchant. We were obliged to haul our ice from Media and drive our children to school and our help to church there.
The college had a larger tank, near the roof, that stood out in prominent view, when we came. As the first college building was gutted by fire in September 1881, no water having been thrown upon the walls, they cooled gradually from the great heat of the fire, and were serviceable to be used, after being cleaned from the smoke. During the re-building the educational work of the college was done in two buildings in Media, the Charter House for the boys, and the Gayley Mansion for the girls. But graduation exercises in June 1882 were conducted here in the restored building.
Supposedly, a thousand of acres of land on the hill, Northwest of the railroad, and from which the college bought 200 acres, belonged to John Ogden. He had several sons, the youngest of whom, Richard T. Ogden, lived to be over 90, and only recently deceased, lived in an old stone mansion at the corner of Cedar and Lazaretto Road. Richard T. Ogden, who recently sold his coal and lumber yard on the railroad, toward Morton, is his nephew. The woods along Crum Creek were much enjoyed as a Sunday walk, as the well-worn paths attested, and an Indian trail was pointed out to us, leading down a steep bank to the creek, in a Southwest direction. Indians were satisfied with nature as they found it and adapted themselves to each locality and conserved the game and fish and herbs so that each would return in its season. But, "civilized man", who by irony and ruthless conceit, fancies himself superior, destroys the sources of both food and plants, birds and flowers and water courses, and changes the face of nature almost daily.
Seven hundred species of wild flowers were identified, four hundred of which were found on college grounds. Several kinds of orchids, gentians, fringed and closed, were found near here, and laurel, arbutus, spring-beauties, violets, wild azaleas, and asters abound. There were two rustic bridges, built by early men students, across two running brooks, now dry. There was a beautiful water fall, causing by the damming of Crum Creek for forcing water up to the college, both for drinking and laundry purposes. There used to be a pump on the northeast side of the college building declared to have the purest spring water known. Even the best things frequently have to go because of fashion.
The college kept a large herd of cows until a few years ago, and ran a farm raising vegetables, fruit and hay.
The ruins of the old powder mill, that made powder during the American Revolution, are near the falls below Strath Haven Inn. The first railroad in the United States ran from Leiper Quarry to Ridley Creek, near Chester, in 1809, to carry stone.
The college was built with stone from this quarry, which had been in operation for 150 years. This abandoned quarry is now to be the background of a notable photo play. The first settler by the name of Leiper came here in 1776 and there have been descendants here to the present.
The birthplace of Benjamin West is a noted historical building on the college campus. A spring of cool water ran through the cellar, for cooling milk in the primitive days, but it has been diverted into the sewer. There was also a little spring a little further down Chester Road that used to give the road builders trouble. Mrs. Klapp, an early college matron, expressed a wish that it might be turned into a safe skating pond for the girls.
The name of the station was originally Westdale, in honor of the Richard West family, father of Benjamin, the painter, who afterwards became an Englishman, and president of the Royal Academy. The name of the station was changed from Westdale to Swarthmore in 1870, named after Swarthmore Hall, in England, the home of George Fox, founder of the Religious Society of Friends. Our faithful Captain Thomas J. Dolphin was the first station agent. The post office was located in the building. The President of the college was the official postmaster, but Mr. Dolphin was the active postmaster.
Lewis Mill made ticking during the War of the rebellion, then gingham, before it became the Victoria Plush Mills. Howard Lewis had a paper mill up Whiskey Creek, and there was a cave we used to visit.
Two of us women who used to work in First-day schools and sewing schools, in Philadelphia, organized a sewing school for the mill girls. It became a uniting force among the neighbors, who heretofore had not mingled together, and one of the school directors said "It had done more for the Oakdale School than anything that had ever happened before." It was held during the winter on Saturday afternoons from 1884 to 1888.
The paper called "The Swarthmore" started in 1893. The name was later changed to "The Swarthmore News". Charles A. Smith built his store at the corner nearest the railroad in 1893. As a young man he used to come from Morton and take orders for groceries every Wednesday. During the Great Blizzard of March, 1888, he brought a large clothes basket of supplies as soon as a little hand car could be gotten through the drift, on the railroad track. We had many thrilling times in the pioneer days. We were all young together.
It has only been possible to touch upon the more outstanding incidents of the first twenty five years. Most of the institutions so usual and convenient to a town belong to this time and differentiate it from the merely suburban and residential aspect, which at first characterized it; but still a quiet beauty, with notable trees, shrubs and flowers adorn the homes and our citizens are known all over the world for intelligence and good will.
Second month, 29, 1924. Susanna Gaskill-Mahan
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