Incorporated District, Boroughs, and Townships in the County of Philadelphia, 1854

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ARAMINGO

A borough crested out of the township of Northern Liberties, incorporated April 11,1850. Bounded on the northeast by a portion of the borough of Bridesburg and Frankford Creek, which divided it from a portion of Oxford township and Frankford; on the northwest the unincorporated Northern Liberties, and the District of Northern Liberties were boundaries, the latter partly on the southwest; and Richmond district on the southeast and southwest. The name is an abbreviation and alteration from the Native American name of the stream adjacent, called by the Swedes and English, Gunner's Run. The original name was Tumanaraming, meaning "Wolf Walk." By cutting off a portion of the head, and omitting two letters in the center and adding an o, the word "Aramingo" was coined.

BELMONT

A district created by act of April 14, 1853. It embraced that part of Blockley township which lay long the River Schuylkill from the northern boundary-line of West Philadelphia to the northern boundary-line between Philadelphia and Montgomery counties, and had also its western boundary on that line. This district had scarcely time to be organized before the Act of Consolidation of February 2, 1854, put an end to its franchises. The name was derived from Belmont, the county seat of the Peters family, which is now portion of Fairmount Park. The mansion was erected by William Peters about 1743, and the name was descriptive of the fine position of the property and suggestive of the beautiful views of the river and valley of the Schuylkill. The property became the estate of Judge Richard Peters, of the United States District Court; he lived there until his death, August 22, 1828.

BLOCKLEY

A township on the west side of the Schuylkill River, north of Kingsessing township; bounded on the east by the river; extending south from the county line, opposite to, but a little below, the mouth of the Wissahickon, down to the Nanganesy or Mill Creek, below the Woodlands; thence by the same creek up to Chadd's Ford Turnpike, known in later years as the Baltimore Pike; along the same to Cobb's Creek; thence by the courses of the same to the county line adjoining Lower Merion township, Montgomery county, and along the same to the River Delaware. It was traversed by the Darby Road, Chadd's Ford, or Baltimore Pike, the road to West Chester, to Haverford and to Lancaster. Within its boundaries were the villages of Hamilton, Mantua, West Philadelphia, Hestonville and Haddington. The greatest length, 4 miles; the greatest breadth, 5 miles; area, 7,580 acres. The name is supposed to have been derived from Blockley, a parish in England in the county of Worcester.

BRIDESBURG

A village south of Frankford Creek and upon a tract of land formerly belonging to Point-no-Point. It took its name from Joseph Kirkbride, who for many years was land-owner there and proprietor of a ferry over Frankford Creek, and to whom Legislature gave a right to build a bridge and receive toll for passage over the same by act of March 20,1811. On April 1, 1833, the County of Philadelphia bought the Kirkbride bridge and two and a half acres of land annexed for $5,500. Kirkbridesburg was considered too long a name for convenient use, and the shorter one was adopted Bridesburg was incorporated as a borough on April 1, 1848.

BRISTOL

A township at the north end of the county, at the intersection of the angle which runs down from the extreme point of the city boundary and Montgomery county. It was of irregular form, and was bounded on the northwest by a portion of Springfield township, Montgomery county; on the northeast by Cheltenham, Montgomery county. It extended along the latter to Oxford township, but was bounded mainly on the east by Tacony Creek, on the south partly by the Wingohocking and the township of the northern Liberties, and on the west and southwest by Germantown township. The Old York Road ran through it to Branchtown and Milestown (now Oak Lane), and thence to Bucks county. Greatest length, 5 1/2 miles; greatest breadth, 3 miles; area, 5,650 acres. The name is derived from the city of Bristol in England.

BYBERRY

A township in the extreme northeastern part of the county of Philadelphia; bounded on the east and northeast by Poquessing Creek and Bucks county; on the northwest by Montgomery county; and on the west and southwest by the township of Moreland.

Its greatest length was estimated at 5 miles; its greatest breadth, 2 1/2 miles; area, 4.700 acres. It was settled by a few Swedes previous to the year 1675, and in that year by four brothers — Nathaniel, Thomas, Daniel and William Walton — who were all young and single men. They had arrived at Newcastle from England early in that year, and, having prospected the land in the neighborhood of the Delaware, chose the country near Poquessing Creek, and settled there.

They gave to it the name Byberry, in honor of their native town, near Bristol, in England.

They were joined after the arrival of the ship Welcome in 1682, by Giles and Joseph Knight, John Carver, John Heart, Richard Collett and their families, and others.

The township of Byberry was established at a very early date after the coming of Penn. It contained very few villages at the time of consolidation, and was the most rural of all the townships of Philadelphia county. Byberry Crossroads, once called Plumbsock, and Knightsville, were the principal villages.

DELAWARE

A township formed out of portion of Dublin township in 1853. Its inhabitants voted at one general election. Its officers were superseded in the next year by consolidation.

DUBLIN

Commonly called Lower Dublin, a township in the upper part of the county, adjoining Moreland and Byberry on the south, extending southeast nearly in parallel line to Poquessing Creek and the Delaware River. Bustleton, Fox Chase and Holmesburg were in this township. It was 5 miles at its greatest length; 3 miles in breadth; area, 9,500 acres. This township was formerly called Lower Dublin to distinguish it from another Dublin township, formerly in Philadelphia county, but now in Montgomery county, and there called Upper Dublin. This township was one of the first created in Philadelphia county, but the date is not known.