EA RLY H I STO RY F A L L S O F S C H U Y L K I L L , M A N A Y U N K , SC H U Y L K I L L A N D L E H I G H N A V I GAT I ON M C O PAN I E S , F AI RM O U N T W AT E RW K S ET C O R . , BY V H ARL v H C E S . AG NE R . V P H I L A D E L P H I A C LA! T O N REM S , EN , AN D H AFF ELFI N G E R, 3 1 A N D 8 2 ! M A RK E 9 T S T R E ET . 1 6 8 9 . E i A ct 1 86 b ntered accord ng to the of Cong ress , in the year 9 , y LA! N R E M EN AN D H AF F E LF I N GE R C TO , S , , in the Office of the Cl erk of the D istrict Court of the United States in and for l v the Eastern D istrict of the State of Pennsy ania . O L S R I T E R C L I N , P N , O A Y N E S T 7 S J . Ven e rabl e Old Fri e n d OHN M cALL I S TER Ess 7 , a, Wh o o n a o u s o ccas o n s h as s o k n ex e n e , v ri i , i dly t d d t o m e th e u s e o f h is e e n s e an d a e a xt iv valu bl libr ry, This H umble Con tribution to th e o c l s o o f h e h a e tc . L a H i t ry P ilad lp i , , is re sp e c tfu lly d e di c at e d i h is s n c e re an d m u c h o b l i e d f e n by i g ri d , U T H E A T H O R . I N T RO D U C T I ON . I N th e e 1 8 6 I e on old e y ar 5 , was call d by an fri nd with a r eq u e st to give on e o f a course o f L e ctures th e n be ing de liv e re d R B . h o e th e e o f th e ev . e o t e o und r auspic s Wist r M rris , at Sch l . I o se ed oo o f . D oo r m St avids Church , Manayunk c n nt , and t k “ fo r e ! I ts e o e ro my subj ct Manayunk arly hist ry , ris , and p T h I e . o d o e to t e e o e e to e gr ss j ustic subj ct , f und it n c ssary b gin th e e two e e o th e o f S c h u l with villag mil s b l w Manayunk , Falls y e e o e th e S N o o kill , wh r riginat d chuylkill avigati n C mpany, which , ea th e e - o e o r e s was th e by cr ting wat r p w r mill s at at Manayunk , I e e re e e primary cause o f its o rigin . As prog re ss d th cam up fr sh o n s o e e a n d m e I my mind many int r sting facts circu stanc s , that soo n disc o v e re d I c o uld n ot d o justice to th e subj e ct in a singl e h r n e e . I t e e fo re e two o e o n th e o f l ctur gav , Falls Schuylkill , th e o e n t o e th e o o th r o Manayunk . Wha is c ntain d in f ll wing e th e e o f o e two e e th e e e e pag s is substanc th s l ctur s , which , at r p at d e e o f e o I e o e to . r q u st many p rs ns , hav c nclud d publish V H . C . C O N T E N T S . PAGE Fort St . Davids J ohn D ickinso n G o dfre y Sc h ron k Andre w G arre t Falls Cre e k J o se ph Nee f Rob e rt K e n e d y J o siah White Flat R o ck Captain J ohn Towe rs J o se ph Ripka Chills and Fe v e r Sal es o f Wate r Po we r Po pulati o n Manayunk Stage s P ost - offi c e Turnpik e Road Sch oo ls v fi i CO NTENTS B e o William L . r t n Library D ’ St . avid s Church Ch ol e ra Pe rsonal Re minisc e nce J ose ph M onte lie r Ste amb oats C onclusi on EA R LY H I STO RY OF TH E LL F S H UY L K I LL E T C . F A S O C , V F O RT ST . D A I D S . T H E village now called th e Falls o f Sc h uyl ” o f kill was one day a place m uch notoriety , and ther e are many int e resting facts o f an historical e o f natur connected with it , which few persons this age are aware of; even its ancien t nam e , ” Fort St . Davids , which it bore for many years o n e e (about h undr d) , seems to be entirely lost and forgotten . This name was given to th e village and adopted by the inhabitants, near th e o f commencement the last century, by a n umber o f gentlemen who built a fishing house there , and formed themselves into a society under the “ ” name and title Of Fort St . Davids . Their o f house , previous to the Revolution , was built o f hewn logs , situated at the foot the hill imm e dia te l y opposite th e long rock , as it was called , upon which the ab utm ent o f the Falls Bridge I O EARLY HISTORY OF TH E n was subseque tly and partly b uilt . This long I e rock well r member , and have Often , when a fi b o . y, shed from it I t extended from the foot Of the hill to about two - thirds th e distance across the river , forming a compl ete natural dam , a part of it overhanging on th e lower side . In high freshets the water flowed over it an d made a beautiful cascade ; at other times it forced th e o n river into a narrow channel the western Side , through which it ran with great rapidity an d fi m uch noise , falling some ve or Six feet in a dis o n e tance Of about hundred and fifty yards , an d could b e heard at a distan ce o f from o n e to fi v e o f miles , according to th e state the river and th e winds . There was a very singular and curious impression o r inden tation on a part o f this rock that attracted many persons there to View it . It was apparently an impression Of an immense tw o h uman foot , over feet long , and sunk som e ix . s inch es in the rock It showed the heel , o f 1 n ste o f hollow the p , ball the foot and toes . It was called by the people in the neighborhood ’ ” The D evil s Foot , and there were som e super stitio n s . in reference to it Professor Wagn er , who when a lad resided near the Falls, and had Often seen it , asked me lately if I rem embered it ; he has som e theory on the subj ect . There o r as were many other holes, pots , they were of called , in the rocks, caused by ages attrition OF E TC . I I FALLS SCHUYLKILL , from stones and gravel , which the water , when flowing over them , kep t in agitation . Some of these pots are Still to be seen o n a part O f the long rock remaining , and not covered by the water . There was a tradition that they were used by the Indians for pounding corn in ; cer ta in ly th ey were well adapted for such a pur pose . o f Th e fi sh in g company Fort St . Davids was originally establish ed by a number o f prominent o f an d wealthy gentlemen Philadelphia , among We l c h m e n w h o whom were many , gave the Society its name , St .