covers the founding of Frankford and the origin of the neighborhood's name, early
history, a survey of what ethnic groups inhabited the area, transportation, early
churches, a historic house, the world famous Frankford Arsenal--describing a key
industry, the YWCA, the evolution of water sources in the area and its problems,
health care, the arts, sports, technology, and even contact information for the
Historical Society of Frankford. This would be a wealth of information to assemble
for a Neighborhood Project.
Area History: Chapter 2 - Part III Vol II - Watson's Annals of PENNSYLVANIA
Chapter 2. PENNSYLVANIA Part III FRANKFORD.
There has been an opinion prevalent about Frankford village, that it derives its name from "Frank", a black fellow, and his "ford", where he kept a ferry for passengers on foot; but, besides its looking too artificial to be true, there are obvious reasons against that cause of its name. Called Frankford creek in Holmes' map, in 1682.
I see it as early as 1701, referred to in a public petition concerning a road under the name of Frankford besides, it lies on the creek, the Indian Wingohocking, from the "Frankford Company's land" in Germantown. It was their proper water passage to the river. Jonathan Dickinson in 1715, writing respecting Fairman's land at "Frankford creek" says, "a ford there will be very needful, and very expensive, as the winds drive the water from the Delaware over much marshy land". [Thomas Fairman had been a surveyor, who dwelt at the Treaty tree. For two hundred and twenty acres he offers £400. It falls short in the survey thirty-seven acres, thus showing how vaguely it was first done. He says it cannot be surveyed on the marsh [now all converted into productive meadows, &c.] till the winter, so as to go over it on the ice. He states that one hundred loads of timber were cut off it, since it was untenanted in the last winter, by moonlight night. Thus there were great depredators then! They probably cut it for staves and ship timber. In the year 1814, Christopher Kuhn, at Frankford, in digging a cellar foundation for a small store house on Kinsey and Hilles' present tanyard, came to a pot of old coin, hid perhaps by pirates. This tanyard, on the Frankford creek, was close to the bank where it is high; and at three feet depth, he came to an earthen vessel highly glazed, which held about half a pint, and contained one hundred pieces of various sizes and shapes of silver coin. None of it was left to be shown to me; the whole having been sold soon after to the silversmiths as old silver! On questioning him as to their character, he stated that there were many cut pieces of the size which would remain in cutting quarters and halves of dollars into sections of four pieces each. He observed dates to some as much as three hundred years old. One piece was as large as a crown, and was square. Two pieces had a tree on one side, and were marked Massachusetts; such a coin I have myself of the year 1652. On the whole the vessel contained quite a treasure for a collector, and yet none were saved. The aged Giles Gillingham, who died at Frankford in 1825, at the age of 93 years, said that when he was a boy, it was quite common with him to play with Indian boys in the neighbourhood. Frankford then had but very few houses, and was often called Oxford, after the name of its township. About the time of Braddock's defeat, there came an Indian from a distance, blowing a horn as he entered the Indians' place; they soon went off with him, and were no more seen near the place. The Frankford mill, now possessed by Mr. Duffield, was originally used as a mill by the Swedes before Penn landed. The earliest house in the place, now T.W. Duffield's, near the same mill, was deeded to Yeamans Gillingham by Penn's commissioners in 1696. The "Swedes' mill" was probably a saw mill, as wind mills were first used for grist. Arial;">http://ftp.rootsweb.com/pub/usgenweb/pa/philadelphia/areahistory/watson0204.txt
FRANKFORD
Situated on the Tacony, since called Frankford Creek, in the lower part of the
http://www.ushistory.org/philadelphia/incorporated.html#09
Frankford is a neighborhood in Philadelphia, situated about 6 miles northeast of
Founded in the mid- to late 1600s by German settlers, the name of the village was very likely derived from the title of the Franckfort Company, which took up ground there, along what is now known as Frankford Creek. It was an early suburb of the town of Philadelphia. William Penn forged a trail through the village that would run from
Today, Frankford is primarily a residential neighborhood.
Although its borders are disputed, the neighborhood runs from Frankford Creek to the
Although it was originally founded by German settlers, the neighborhood today includes a wide variety of peoples, including a large number of Italians, Polish, Irish, African Americans and Hispanics.
One of
Immanuel was founded on April 4, 1792, at which time, according to a Philadelphia County Deed still on file in City Hall, Joseph J. Miller, a Philadelphia merchant, and his wife Elizabeth transferred 96 perches of land in Frankford, Oxford Township (later to become part of the city of Philadelphia) to a group of German farmers "for and in consideration of promoting purity and Christian religion and of the sum of five shillings lawful money...as a site for a house of religious worship and a schoolhouse for the use of the German Lutheran Congregation of the township of Oxford..." http://www.voicenet.com/~lutheran/history1.htm
The Historic Greenwood
Nomination to the
PHILADELPHIA
Frankford Arsenal Reloading Tools
There aren't many veteran reloaders who are not familiar with the famous initials "FA" on military 30/06 brass and for good reason. The original Frankford Arsenal Army Ammunition Plant was constructed between 1816 and1830 on Frankford Creek, which flows into the
http://www.battenfeldtechnologies.com/frar.html
YWCA OF PHILADELPHIA--FRANKFORD BRANCH is a membership organization which served the lower Northeast section of Philadelphia from 1920-1994. The organization was one of numerous branches that comprised the YWCA of Philadelphia since its beginnings in 1870.
http://www.library.temple.edu/collections/urbana/ywca-555.htm
The Tacony-Frankford Watershed
Historical Timeline
Part 1
Frankford Creek
Part 2
Sewers and Sewage Treatment http://www.sewerhistory.net/Tacony_Frankford/!!!TFTimeline.html
http://www.phillywater.org/Tacony-Frankford/River%20Conservation%20Plan/TF_Watershed_Summary_for_RCP.pdf
In the late nineteenth century, a wave of Jewish immigrants fled eastern Europe and settled in northeastern
http://www.jewishphillyneighbors.com/frankford.htm
Frankford's Early Beginnings...
The story of Frankford Hospitals began in 1902, when a resident of the Frankford section of
http://www.frankfordhospitals.org/about/article6509.html
Lion Theater was formed as Lion Productions in autumn 1998 with the intention of bringing live theater to
http://www.liontheater.org/history.htm
Historical Society of Frankford
Other Information
Open by appointment
With its growing collection of photographs, oral histories and family documents, this society documents the history of
CONTACT INFO
(215) 743-6030
The Historical Society of Frankford, founded in 1905 to collect, preserve and present the history of Frankford and
A long time Society board member, Diane Sadler, will take people on an architectural walking tour of the neighborhood highlighting some of the prominent homes, historic sites and unique architecture. Visit the Society at
Philadelphia Eagles, professional football team and one of five teams in the Eastern Division of the National Football Conference (NFC) of the National Football League (NFL). The Eagles play at Veterans Stadium in
http://www.nfl-football-tickets.net/pe/history.htm
Welcome to the home of The Frankford Yellow Jackets. The Jackets are one of the original National Football League teams to join in the early 1920's. Originating out of the Frankford section of
http://www.frankfordyellowjackets.com/
OUR ARCHITECTURAL HERITAGE As Seen From The Frankford EL http://www.phillytrolley.org/ c. 1924
The Frankford Radio Club originated in the
