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1898 Map of Chester

Name: 1898 Topographic Map of Chester
Creator: U.S. Geological Survey
Published: 1924
License: https://creativecommons.org/publicdomain/mark/1.0/

USGS Topo · Published 1924

About this map

The Delaware River serves as the central artery for this late-19th-century landscape, bordering Pennsylvania, Delaware, and New Jersey. Industry and transit dominate the riverfront, where the Philadelphia and Reading RR and Baltimore and Ohio RR converge near the shipping and quarantine facilities at Lazaretto. Inland, the terrain transitions into the developed suburbs and townships of Delaware County, characterized by a dense network of early roads like the Westchester Turnpike and Garrett Road.

Educational and local landmarks such as the Williamson School and Sharon Academy are situated among established villages including Newtown Square and Broomall. Along the New Jersey shoreline, the West Jersey and Seashore RR moves through Gibbstown, connecting river-facing settlements. The map documents a critical period of industrial maturation, evidenced by features like Llewellyn Mills and the numerous named creeks such as Crum Creek and Darby Creek that powered the region's early growth.