Category: History Spotlight
Randal Pratt, Quaker Farmer and Springton Farm
A few years ago, I was given an old book on Quaker history. Inside was…
Fox Hunting in Marple
I came across this account of a fox hunt on February 12, 1913, that ranged…
Go West, Young Man and Seek Your Fortune!
In the office of Dr. Belitsky in Broomall last month, he mentioned he was going…
Harvest Home at Castle Rock Park
From time immemorial, farmers celebrated the successful gathering of fall crops, hoping the harvest would…
Lawrence Park Theater: A Beacon of Mid-Century Modernism
Last week, I sat with my 6-year-old granddaughter to watch her first full-length movie, The…
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…