one plantation or house. July 28th, 1683, William Penn was 
able to write : — 
"I have laid out the province in counties; six are begun 
to be settled — lying on the great river and planted about six 
miles back. Our town plot has a navigable river on each 
side, about 80 houses are built, and 300 farms are settled con- 
tiguous to it." 
As late as the year 1796, and for a long time after, 
Broad Street, Philadelphia, extended only from present 
South Street, to present Vine Street, while below and above 
these undeveloped thoroughfares, were districts of farms 
unbroken save by fences, unimportant lanes, and a few cross 
roads. At this time northward from the Penn City, extended 
four important arteries. Leading to Frankford and to points 
beyond, was Frankford or New York Road. West of this, 
Germantown Road and Old York Road for a distance ran 
together, parting at "Rising Sun Village," the northern 
branch being the main avenue from Philadelphia to New 
York State, the other or western branch, passing to and 
through Germantown, and continuing onward to the moun- 
tains of the Upper Schuylkill. 
Following Schuylkill River was Ridge Road, this uniting 
with Germantown or Reading Pike at Barren Hill, and at 
Perkiomen Creek. The historic names of these pikes, and 
the interesting roads connecting with them we dare not 
enlarge upon, for the purpose is only to bound the outlying 
districts which concern our territory, to show that German 
Towne which in 1683 stretched itself along the pike from 
present Fisher's Lane, to present Washington Lane, 6 miles 
north of Philadelphia, was as distinct from it, as Jenkin- 
town, Ambler, Conshohocken, and other nearby present day 
towns, are now distinct from us. It was the German-Town, 
the seat of justice, the gathering place for a people distri- 
buted over a country extending from Fair-Hill to Barren 
Hill, and from Tacony Creek to Schuylkill River, — a unique 
settlement, a superior deserving people, worthy the fullest 
appreciation, and it is to be forever regretted that a change 
