Philadelphia
Posted by: 
silverquill
N 39° 57.210 W 075° 09.810
18S E 486034 N 4422608
Marker Text:
Founded by William Penn. Laid out in 1682. Chartered a city, 1701. Pennsylvania's capital until 1799; the nation's to 1800. County was one of Pennsylvania's original three, formed 1682 and consolidated with city in 1854. Name means "City of Brotherly Love."
Waymark Code: WMB4J
Location: Pennsylvania, United States
Date Posted: 04/23/2006
Views: 58
From:
A History of Philadelphia
The city of Philadelphia, as laid out by William Penn, comprised only that portion of the present city situated between South and Vine Streets and Delaware and Schuylkill Rivers. In fact, the city proper was that portion between High (Market) Street and Dock Creek. Here is where the pioneers dug caves in the banks of the Delaware or built huts on the land higher up. Meanwhile, the women equally busy in their sphere, had lighted their fire on the bare earth, and having "their kettle slung between two poles upon a stick transverse," thus prepared the meal of homely and frugal fare for the repast of diligent builders.
Settlements were made, however, outside of these boundaries, and in the course of time they became separately incorporated and had separate governments, making congeries of towns and districts, the whole group being known abroad simply as Philadelphia.
The movement in favor of the consolidation of the city and districts had been agitated. A committee appointed by town meeting drafted a bill to be laid before the Legislature, fixing the details of the measure, was adopted by the General Assembly on February 2,1854.
The bill provided that the city of Philadelphia, as limited by the charter of 1789, should be enlarged by taking in all the territory comprised within the county of Philadelphia.