Category: History Spotlight
Centennials, Root Beer and The Barrell
In 2026, we celebrate the 250th birthday of the United States, and there is…
Marple Public School No. 3: Cedar Grove School
In 1965, Marple historian Clarissa Smith wrote with regret: “The date stone ‘MARPLE PUBLIC SCHOOL…
Old Roads Out of Philadelphia
The Reverend John T. Faris was a curious man. Born in 1871 in Missouri, raised…
Daniel Williamson’s Well
Seventeen-year-old Daniel Williamson, born in Cheshire, England, left his mother country for the new world…
War Comes to Marple
In the Fall of 1777, the countryside was in an uproar. The previous summer, the…
The First Church in Marple
Marple Township did not have a church building for its first 150 years. Early settlers…
The 1793 Septennial Census in Marple Township
The Pennsylvania Constitution of 1776 provided for proportional representation among the counties. Counties with more…
Thomas Earle Faces Down the Marple Mob
In 1837, Quaker James Lewis, a tanner on Malin Road, took a stand on one…
Murder Most Foul!
Marple Township has the dubious distinction of being the location of the first murder in…
When the Circus Came to Town
I recently spotted this ticket on eBay. The Hunt Brothers circus was coming to Broomall…