Note:The Leiperville Post Office was established in 1829 by Samuel Leiper who named the post office after his family who had mills and quarries close by. The post office closed for unknown reasons in 1872 and in 1884 a new post office opened named Crum Lynne. The name comes from "Crum" Creek and "Lynne" means lake or waterfall. Crum Lynne was the original name for Ridley Lake. The western part of Ridley Park became known as Crum Lynne because of the golf course and the newly established Crum Lynne Railroad Station a name the railroad selected. The new name Crum Lynne upset many Leiperville residents who still used the old name Leiperville. When I first became a Ridley Township Police Officer some old residents still called the town Leiperville. The article below is from 1901.
WHAT’S IN A NAME IF LEIPERVILLE WILL DO
Shall the Ancient and Historic Nomenclature Remain? That is the Question Now
It is to be Leiperville or Crum
Lynne is the paramount question that is agitating the residents of that portion
of Delaware County lying between the Leiper Mansion and Crum Lynne Station,
along the line of the Chester Pike.
The agitation was started a few
weeks ago by Howard J. Smiley, who wrote a communication to the Chester Times
questioning the propriety of the name of Leiperville and suggesting that Crum
Lynne the name of the post office which is located in the heart of Leiperville,
be permanently substituted.
With a view of ascertaining the
sentiment of the leading citizens of the place in regard to the agitation and
which name was really preferred for the historical hamlet, a reporter of this
journal interviewed a number of the prominent people on the absorbing topic
yesterday afternoon Supervisor James F.
Dougherty – “This place was founded by the Leiper family, the members of which
were among the most patriotic people in the country. General Leiper was among the few who escorted
General Washington from the field of battle, and he was the organizer of the first
Philadelphia Revolutionary troops. I fail to see why there is a desire among
the residents, particularly the old-time residents to have the name Leiperville
dropped in favor of Crum Lynne. For one
I am opposed to the proposed change. By
all means let the name Leiperville remain.”
School Director J. Miller Quinn –
“It does not make a particle of difference to me what they call the place. For all I care they can call it
Horntown. Let me say, however, that the
firm with which I am connected has the title Crum Lynne printed on their
letterheads, etc., on account of the post office being of that name.”
Daniel McKinney, the barber
–“Leiperville is good enough for me. I
was born here and the name suits me to a T.”
Jon Springer, manager of Mrs. EM.
Feeley’s grocery store – “It seems to me that the place should be called Crum
Lynne, on account of the post office bearing that name. Personally, it makes no difference to me what
name is used, although if the tow names in question were put to a vote, I believe
I would select Crum Lynne.”
Others who favor the name Leiperville are: Constable Harry Weatherby, Mrs. Ellen Feeley, Edward F. McLaughlin, Patrick Wood, Charles Firth, David Snyder, James Dolan, William Dougherty, William Connor, James Houghton, Thomas Hutchinson and Peter Stewart.
My Mother grew up in "" Leiperville" Her father worked for the Leiper's in the quarry. I remember so many stories of that time in history.
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