96 Yerars ago Delco had 667 farms!!

It is hard to imagine today, that in 1928 Delaware County had some 667 farms thru out the county.. The farms ran from a few acres to 50 plus and they grew everything. The above picture from the area of Crum Creek and Baltimore Pike near the Blue Route today gives some idea of what Delco was like some 100 plus years ago, The postcard dates from about 1912.

NOTE: No one today thinks of Delaware County as a farmland community but some 96 years ago  it certainly was. The third smallest county in Pennsylvania it hard to imagine that many farms less then 100 hundred years ago. There are still farms today in the west-end.

 

CHESTER TIMES 

September 15, 1928 

 LIST 667 FARMS IN THIS COUNTY 

Total Farm Population Is 3269, and Acreage Is computed at 42,125

The second triennial farm census recently completed in Delaware County, shows 667 farms, 565 of which are operated by owners, eighty-six by tenants, and sixteen by managers, according to L. H. Wible, director, Bureau of Statistics, Pennsylvania Department of Agriculture.

The county has a total farm population of 3269, according to the census, and a total acreage in farms of 42,125, of which 14,249 is used for the principal field crops.  The acreage devoted to these crops is as follows:  Corn for grain, 3282; for silage and fodder, 963; wheat, 1661; Oats, 1144; rye, 62; potatoes, 601; alfalfa hay, 1612; all other tame hay, 4924.

The extent of fruit growing is indicated by 23,729 apple trees of bearing age and 13,954 of non-bearing age, 21,416 peach trees of all ages, and 6532 pear trees of all ages.

The livestock industry is represented by 1409 horses including colts, 100 mules including mule colts, 3760 milk cows and heifers, two years old and over, 551 heifers, one to two years old, 723 other cattle and calves, 580 sows and gilts for breeding, 2681 other swine, and 917 sheep and lambs.

The count shows 43,041 hens and pullets of laying age, 19277 other chickens, and 178 hives of bees.

Modern equipment and conveniences on farms are as follows:  396 farm homes have running water in kitchen and 346 have furnace heating systems.  The farms have 11 milking machines in use, 671 automobiles, 321 trucks, 127 tractors, 254 gas engines, 342 telephones, 320 radios, and 119 silos, 27 of the farms have their own electric plants, and 301 receive electricity from a power station.