388 HISTORY OF DELAWARE COUNTY. 



Thomas Nossiter was appointed constable. The division between 

 the townships of Upper and Nether Providence is laid down in 

 Holme's map, and each is marked with its appropriate name. 

 In 1686 Upper Providence is recognized as a township by the 

 appointment of a constable, but up to 1722 both townships were 

 assessed as one municipality, and at that time the whole number 

 of taxables in both was only forty. 



Todmorden, formerly Crookville, situated on Ridley Creek, 

 chiefly in Nether Providence, is a manufacturing village of some 

 note. There are two large woolen factories at this place, and 

 two on the creek a short distance above, in Upper Providence, 

 the property of Samuel Bancroft, and conducted by him. The 

 whole together constitutes one of the largest woolen manufac- 

 turing establishments in the United States. 



Media, the present seat of justice of Delaware County, located 

 chiefly in Upper Providence township, has been noticed else- 

 where. Besides a Presbyterian, an Episcopalian and a Method- 

 ist church, there are two well-established boarding-schools at 

 this place — one for each sex. The classics are taught at the 

 boys' school, while in the female seminary, known as Brooke 

 Sail, young ladies are thoroughly instructed in all the useful 

 and ornamental branches. Chestnut Grove House, beautifully 

 located near the railroad depot, is a very large and tastefully 

 fitted up summer boarding-house owned by a company. The 

 town is supplied with water, but not as yet, with gas. 



Not long after the removal of the seat of justice to Media, 

 the establishment of the "Upland Union" newspaper was re- 

 moved from Chester to that place and continued there about two 

 years. In 1855 "The American and Media Advertiser " was 

 commenced, and with its name changed to " Delaware County 

 American" has been continued to the present time. It was at 

 first edited by Cooper and Vernon, but for a year or two past 

 by the latter partner alone. 



RIDLEY. 



Under the government of the Duke of York, the municipal 

 district of " Calkoen's Hoek," embraced not only the neck of 

 land known by that name, but also Amer's Land, or Amos Land 

 and Tinicum. In 1682, John Simcock located one of his large 

 purchases of land, (2875 acres,) immediately north of Amer's 

 Land and named it Ridley, after the place in Cheshire, England, 

 from whence he emigrated. This large tract, for the most part, 

 remained unimproved, and hence the old district was for a time 

 continued ander the name of " Amos Land and Calcoone Hook." 

 In 1686 Calcon Hook was annexed to Darby township, and the 



