PROCEEDINGS 



OF THE 



Delaware County Institute of Science 



Volume VIII Number 3 



THE MILESTONES OF DELAWARE COUNTY. 



BY F. H. SHELTON. 



In the early days the distances on nearly all the principal 

 roads leading out of Philadelphia were marked with mile- 

 stones. The straggling remainders of these stones can still be 

 found on most of the roads. It is the purpose of this paper 

 to give all the information that I have been able to collect 

 about the milestonesin Delaware County, Pennsylvania. 



It will help in understanding them, if one will bear in 

 mind that these stones can be divided into three separate 

 classes, as to the time or period : — 



First, The "Turnpike Company" stones, set up from 

 1794 on, and in the next fifty years or so, by the 

 various turnpike companies ; 



Second, The "Insurance Company" stones, set up a 

 generation earlier — 1764 and later — by the two 

 early insurance companies, so far as known, and 



Third, Some very early Colonial stones — if apparent 

 dates be correct — set up by private enterprise in 1705 

 and later. 



THE TURNPIKE STONES. 



Leading out from Philadelphia there are four principal 

 roads or pikes that more or less cross our County — Lancaster, 

 West Chester, Baltimore and Chester. I will take them in order. 



