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64-526: Preston was born in Chester, Pennsylvania , and formed his own group in 1945. His first R&B top ten hit was with "Hucklebuck Daddy" in 1949, recorded for Philadelphia's Gotham Records . His main claim to fame was to record, as Jimmy Preston and His Prestonians , the original version of " Rock the Joint " for Gotham in 1949. The sax breaks on "Rock the Joint" were the work of tenor player Danny Turner (1920–1995). "Rock

128-724: A $ 60 million renovation of the Chester Waterside Station of the Philadelphia Electric Company , originally built in 1918, provides recreational and office space for businesses. Harrah's Casino and Racetrack began harness racing in September 2006 and opened its racino in January 2007. Subaru Park , home of the Major League Soccer Philadelphia Union franchise, opened in 2010. Despite

192-504: A plan that would grab as much land as they could get and hired the three fastest runners in the colony to run out the purchase on a trail that had been cleared by other members of the colony beforehand. The pace was so intense that only one runner completed the "walk," covering an astonishing 70 miles (110 km). This netted the Penns 1,200,000 acres (4,900 km ) of land in what is now northeastern Pennsylvania , an area roughly equivalent to

256-609: A popularly elected city mayor and city council. The terms of the mayor and members are four years. The current mayor of the City of Chester is Stefan Roots , who won the Democratic nomination in May 2021, over incumbent Mayor Thaddeus Kirkland . In May 2023, Roots defeated Kirkland in the Chester Democratic mayoral primary election. Roots defeated independent candidate Anita J. Littleton in

320-402: A rubber recycling facility and illegal industrial chemical dumping site. It burned out of control for several days. The burning chemicals caused multi-colored smoke and noxious fumes which injured 43 firemen and caused long-term health problems for the first responders to the fire. In 1981, the location was declared a Superfund cleanup site and remediation occurred throughout the 1980s. In 1989,

384-417: A two-month period of civil rights rallies, marches, pickets, boycotts, and sit-ins. National civil rights leaders such as Gloria Richardson , Malcolm X and Dick Gregory came to Chester in support of the demonstrations. Pennsylvania Governor William Scranton became involved in the negotiations and convinced the protestors to obey a court-ordered moratorium on demonstrations by agreeing to hold hearings on

448-531: Is bordered to the south by the Delaware River . The city has a total area of 6.0 square miles (15.6 km ), 4.8 square miles (12.5 km ) of which is land and 1.2 square miles (3.0 km ) of which (19.42%) is water, according to the U.S. Census Bureau . Chester Creek meets the Delaware River in Chester. Chester's northeastern border is at Ridley Creek . The Port of Chester is located in Chester along

512-825: The American Revolution . At the time, the Provincial Assembly was deemed too moderate by American revolutionaries, who rejected the General Assembly's authority and held the First Continental Congress in Philadelphia , which produced the Pennsylvania Constitution of 1776 for the newly established commonwealth and created the new Pennsylvania General Assembly . Penn was an English real estate entrepreneur, philosopher, Quaker , founder of

576-602: The American Revolution . In the 18th century, Philadelphia emerged as the second-largest city in the British Empire , after London . Following the American Revolutionary War , Philadelphia served as the nation's capital until 1800, when a new capital city in Washington, D.C. was constructed. The Province of Pennsylvania's colonial government was established in 1683, by William Penn 's Frame of Government . Penn

640-767: The Chester Waterside Station , the William Penn Landing Site , and Subaru Park , home of the Major League Soccer team, the Philadelphia Union . The indigenous tribe that owned the land where Chester now stands were the Okehockings , removed by order of William Penn in 1702 to other lands in Chester County. The original indigenous name of Chester was Mecoponaca, which means "the stream along which large potatoes grow". The first European settlers in

704-690: The Ford Motor Company opened the Chester Assembly factory on the site of the previous Roach and Merchant shipyard and built cars there until its closure in 1961. Chester experienced its second growth period during World War II . Manufacturing increased exponentially including companies such as Wetherill Steel and Boilermakers, Congoleum -Nairn, Aberfoyles Textiles , Scott Paper Company , Belmont Iron Works , American Steel Foundries , Crew Levick Oil , Crown Smelting , Fields Brick Company , Hetzel and Ford Motor Company . During World War II,

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768-522: The French and Indian War concluded, an additional treaty was made in 1768, that abided by the limits of the Royal Proclamation of 1763 . This proclamation line was not intended to be a permanent boundary between the colonists and Native American lands, but rather a temporary boundary that could be extended further west in an orderly manner but only by the royal government and not private individuals such as

832-543: The Royal Proclamation of 1763 banned colonization beyond the Appalachian Mountains to prevent settlers settling lands that Indians tribes were using. This proclamation impacted Pennsylvanians and Virginians the most, since they both had been racing towards the lands surrounding Fort Pitt in modern-day Pittsburgh . The Supreme Court of Pennsylvania , consisting of the Chief Justice and at least one other judge,

896-521: The Shackamaxon Treaty was "the only treaty between Indians and Christians that was never sworn to and that was never broken." The Quakers also refused to provide any assistance to New England 's Indian wars . In 1737, the Colony exchanged a great deal of its political goodwill with the native Lenape for more land. The colonial administrators claimed that they had a deed dating to the 1680s in which

960-570: The Sun Shipyard became the largest single shipyard in the world. The increased labor needs brought a flood of new workers to the city. The wartime labor force for industries along the waterfront soared to 100,000. Chester began losing its mainstay manufacturing jobs by the early 1960s. Ford Motor Company shuttered its Chester plant, American Viscose Corporation in nearby Marcus Hook closed, Baldwin Locomotive Works in nearby Eddystone

1024-506: The 1960s. John H. Nacrelli , the mayor of Chester from 1968 to 1979, was convicted of racketeering and income tax evasion for accepting $ 22,000 in bribes from an illegal gambling operation with ties to organized crime and served two years in prison. Province of Pennsylvania The Province of Pennsylvania , also known as the Pennsylvania Colony , was a British North American colony founded by William Penn , who received

1088-582: The Delaware County seat was moved from Chester to the borough of Media . On February 14, 1866, Chester was incorporated as a city and the first mayor elected was John Larkin, Jr. In 1871, the Delaware River Iron Ship Building and Engine Works was opened by John Roach through the purchase of the Reaney, Son & Archbold shipyard. The first steel ships of the U.S. Navy were built at

1152-715: The Delaware River. Located at a low elevation between Philadelphia and Wilmington, Delaware , Chester experiences a humid subtropical climate ( Cfa .) The hardiness zone is 7b. [1] Archived 2014-02-09 at the Wayback Machine As of Census 2010, the racial makeup of the city was 74.7% African American , 17.2% White , 9.0% Hispanic or Latino of any race, 0.6% Asian , 0.4% Native American , 0.1% Native Hawaiian and other Pacific Islander, 3.9% from other races , and 3.0% from two or more races. [2] There were 11,662 households, out of which 37.3% had children under

1216-470: The Delaware and other tribes that had an interest in the land in his royal grant. The initial treaties were conducted between 1682 and 1684, for tracts between New Jersey and the former Delaware Colony in present-day Delaware . The province was thus divided first into three counties, plus the three Lower counties on Delaware Bay . The easternmost, Bucks County , Philadelphia County and Chester County ,

1280-508: The Joint" was re-recorded by Jimmy Cavallo in 1951, and Bill Haley and the Saddlemen in 1952. In 1950, tenor saxophone player Benny Golson and pianist Billy Gaines were added to his new line-up and recorded songs like "Hay Ride" and "Early Morning Blues". Preston moved to Derby Records and had a final R&B hit with a cover of Louis Prima ’s "Oh Babe". Preston gave up playing music in 1952, but as Reverend Dr. James S. Preston, he founded

1344-578: The Lenape-Delaware had promised to sell a portion of land beginning between the junction of the Delaware River and Lehigh River in present-day Easton, Pennsylvania "as far west as a man could walk in a day and a half." The purchase became known as the Walking Purchase . Although the document was most likely a forgery, the Lenape did not realize that. Provincial Secretary James Logan set in motion

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1408-549: The Native Americans were concluded. The colony's proprietors made treaties in 1718, 1732, 1737, 1749, 1754, and 1754 pushing the boundaries of the colony, which were still within the original royal grant, north and west. By the time the French and Indian War began in 1754, the Assembly had established the additional counties of Lancaster (1729), York (1749), Cumberland (1750), Berks (1752) and Northampton (1752). After

1472-502: The November 2023 general election and was sworn into office on January 3, 2024. The Chester City Council consists of the mayor and four council members. Council members are elected at-large to serve the entire city. Council meetings are generally held the second and fourth Wednesday of each month. The five help administer the five municipal departments: The city government has been in financial distress for many years and has operated under

1536-862: The Pennsylvania State House ordered a new bell which would become known as the Liberty Bell for the new bell tower being built in the Pennsylvania State House in Philadelphia. William Penn had mandated fair dealings with Native Americans in the United States . This led to significantly better relations with the local tribes, mainly the Lenape and Susquehanna , than most other colonies had. The Quakers had previously treated Indians with respect, bought land from them voluntarily, and had even representation of Indians and whites on juries. According to Voltaire ,

1600-510: The Philadelphia Electric Company , Old Main and Chemistry Building , Third Presbyterian Church , William Penn Landing Site , and the former Second Street Bridge . Chester borders on (clockwise from southwest to northeast) Trainer Borough , Upper Chichester Township , Chester Township , Upland Borough , Parkside Borough , Brookhaven Borough , Nether Providence Township , Ridley Township , and Eddystone Borough in Pennsylvania. Chester

1664-595: The Proprietors. This effectively altered the original royal land grant to Penn. The next acquisitions by Pennsylvania were to take place as an independent commonwealth or state and no longer as a colony. The Assembly established additional counties from the land before the War for American Independence . These counties were Bedford (1771), Northumberland (1772) and Westmoreland (1773). William Penn and his fellow Quakers heavily imprinted their religious beliefs and values on

1728-507: The Province of Pennsylvania, and an advocate of democracy and religious freedom known for fostering peaceful and positive relations with the Lenape Indian tribe through a number of treaties. Under Penn's direction, Philadelphia was planned and developed and served as the largest city and national capital until 1800 when it was surpassed in population by New York City and a new national capital

1792-570: The Public Peace", a 10-point statement promising an immediate return to law and order. The city deputized firemen and trash collectors to help handle demonstrators. The State of Pennsylvania deployed 50 state troopers to assist the 77-member Chester police force. The demonstrations were marked by violence and police brutality with Chester being dubbed the "Birmingham of the North" by civil rights activist James Farmer . Over 600 people were arrested over

1856-487: The Quakers. However, after William Penn and Tamanend , who both supported peaceful coexistence, died, wars eventually broke out. The Quakers demonized Lenape mythology even though the Quakers were strong proponents of religious freedom . Philadelphia , the capital of the Province of Pennsylvania, emerged as a major port and commercial city and central location for the thinking, writings, and planning that ultimately inspired

1920-591: The Roach shipyard. For the first 15 years of operation, it was the largest and most productive shipyard in the United States. More tonnage of ships were built at the Roach shipyard than its next two competitors combined. Roach built other businesses to supply materials for his shipbuilding including the Chester Rolling Mill in 1873 to supply metal hull plates and beams, the Chester Pipe and Tube Company in 1877 for

1984-594: The South , searching for employment in the city's expanding shipbuilding and manufacturing industries. The Sun Shipbuilding & Drydock Co. was opened in 1917 to build ships for the United States until its closure in 1990. The idled Roach shipyard was purchased in 1917 by W. Averell Harriman to build merchant ships during World War I, and renamed the Merchant Shipbuilding Corporation . The shipyard closed permanently in 1923. Like many boomtowns, Chester

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2048-574: The Upland Mills by John Price Crozer and the Powhattan Mills by David Reese Esrey and Hugh Shaw. During the War of 1812 , a group of volunteers from Chester called the Mifflin Guards was raised and led by Samuel Anderson . The troops were sent to Fort DuPont to defend the Delaware River from the threatened attack of British Admiral George Cockburn but did not see any action. In 1851,

2112-585: The Victory Baptist Church in 1962. He died in Philadelphia in 1984, aged 71. Jimmy Preston & His Prestonians on Gotham Records... Jimmy Preston With The Jimmy Preston Orchestra on Derby Records... Chester, Pennsylvania Chester is a city in Delaware County, Pennsylvania , United States. It is located in the Philadelphia metropolitan area (also known as the Delaware Valley ) on

2176-415: The age of 18, 19.5% were headed by married couples living together, 35.6% had a female householder with no husband present, and 38.1% were non-families. 31.2% of all households were made up of individuals, and 11.1% were someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.64, and the average family size was 3.34. Chester has a mayor-council government system, consisting of

2240-609: The area were members of the New Sweden colony. The settlement that became Chester was first called "Finlandia" (the Latin name for Finland ) and then "Upland" after the Swedish province of Uppland . The New Sweden settlers built Fort Mecoponacka in 1641 to defend the settlement. In 1644, the present site of Chester was a tobacco plantation operated by the New Sweden colonists. By 1682, Upland

2304-524: The colony grew, colonists and British military forces came into confrontation with natives in the state's Western half. Britain fought for control of the neighboring Ohio Country with France during the French and Indian War . Following the British victory, the territory was formally ceded to them in 1763, and became part of the British Empire . With the French and Indian War over and Pontiac's War just beginning,

2368-664: The court to return the money to the city of Chester. With the exception of 1904–1905, the Republican political machine controlled Chester politics for over a century. The first non-machine mayor was elected in 1992: Barbara Bohannan-Sheppard ; however, in 1995, she lost her re-election bid and was replaced by Republican Aaron Wilson, Jr. In the 1990s, the Pennsylvania Crime Commission reported that Chester's government had been dominated by "a triad of criminals, corrupt politicians and rogue law-enforcement officers" since

2432-565: The de facto segregation of public schools in Chester. The Pennsylvania Human Relations Committee determined that the Chester School Board had violated the law and the Chester School District was ordered to desegregate the city's six predominantly African-American schools. The city appealed the ruling, which delayed implementation, but the schools were eventually desegregated. In 1978, an intense fire broke out at Wade Dump ,

2496-678: The defense of Philadelphia. However, Colonel Miles led the troops to New York City in July 1776 when it became clear that the British Fleet was threatening New York rather than Philadelphia. In 1777, the Continental Army led by George Washington passed through Chester on the way to meet the British Army led by General Howe at the Battle of Brandywine . John Armstrong was ordered to take command of

2560-547: The early Pennsylvanian government. The Charter of Privileges extended religious freedom to all monotheists, and the government was initially open to all Christians. Until the French and Indian War , Pennsylvania had no military, few taxes, and no public debt. It also encouraged the rapid growth of Philadelphia into America's most important city and of the Pennsylvania Dutch Country hinterlands, where German (or "Deutsch") religions and political refugees prospered on

2624-873: The fertile soil and spirit of cultural creativeness. Among the first groups were the Mennonites , who founded Germantown in 1683; and the Amish , who established the Northkill Amish Settlement in 1740. 1751 was an auspicious year for the colony. Pennsylvania Hospital , the first hospital in the British American colonies, and The Academy and College of Philadelphia , the predecessor to the private University of Pennsylvania , both opened. Benjamin Franklin founded both of these institutions and Philadelphia's Union Fire Company fifteen years earlier in 1736. Likewise in 1751,

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2688-525: The land through a grant from Charles II of England in 1681. The name Pennsylvania was derived from "Penn's Woods", referring to William Penn's father Admiral Sir William Penn . The Province of Pennsylvania was one of the two major Restoration colonies . The proprietary colony's charter remained in the Penn family until they were later ousted following the American Revolution and the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania

2752-463: The landmark 1954 U.S. Supreme Court case Brown v. Board of Education . The racial unrest and civil rights protests were led by George Raymond of the NAACP and Stanley Branche of CFFN and made Chester one of the key battlegrounds of the civil rights movement . In April 1964, a series of almost nightly protests brought chaos to Chester. Mayor James Gorbey issued "The Police Position to Preserve

2816-414: The machine until his death in 1965. In 1933, McClure was found guilty in federal court and sentenced to 18 months in prison for vice and rum-running , but his conviction was overturned on appeal. In 1941, McClure was indicted for conspiracy to gain a $ 250,000 profit from the sale of the Chester Water Works to a private buyer. McClure and four Chester City Council members were acquitted but also ordered by

2880-503: The manufacture of iron pipes and boiler tubes, and the Standard Steel Casting Company in 1883 to supply steel ingots . Roach built the Combination Steel and Iron Company in 1880 to supply steel rails and other products for businesses beyond the Roach shipyard. He lost control of the company after his shipbuilding enterprise entered receivership in 1885. Chester was known as a freewheeling destination for vices such as drugs, alcohol, numbers rackets, gambling and prostitution. Chester

2944-414: The mid-20th century, it has lost most of its manufacturing base and has struggled as a post-industrial city dealing with crime, pollution, and poverty. Pennsylvania declared Chester a financially distressed municipality in 1995 and a fiscal emergency in 2020. In 2022, Chester became the 31st city in the United States to declare bankruptcy. The city is home to Widener University , Harrah's Philadelphia ,

3008-405: The militia stationed at Chester. The Continental Army fled back to Chester after defeat at the Battle of Brandywine . A portion of the British force occupied Chester as they chased the Continental Army fleeing to Philadelphia. In 1788, the Chester County seat was moved from Chester to West Chester . In 1789, Delaware County was formed from the eastern part of Chester County, and Chester became

3072-436: The new county seat. The borough of Chester was governed under the charter granted by Penn in 1701 until March 5, 1795, when it was incorporated by the Pennsylvania Assembly . In the 1700s and 1800s, Chester was a hub for business due to easy access to the Delaware River for the transport of raw materials and finished goods by ship. By the mid-1800s, many textile mills and factories were built along Chester Creek including

3136-562: The placement of projects that increased concerns about pollution, noise, and trucks, such as a contaminated soil remediation facility, the trash incinerator, the DELCORA sewage waste treatment center and the Abbonizio recycling center. In 1995, the state designated Chester as a financially distressed municipality . Recent programs to foster investment into Chester include the Pennsylvania Keystone Opportunity Zone (KOZ) program, which incentivizes companies with state and local tax breaks to invest in KOZ-designated areas. The Wharf at Rivertown,

3200-410: The recent investments into the community, Governor Tom Wolf declared a fiscal emergency for Chester in 2020 and the city declared bankruptcy in 2022. It was the 31st municipality to declare bankruptcy since the U.S. Congress offered the program in the 1930s. National Register of Historic Places in Chester are: Delaware County National Bank , 1724 Chester Courthouse , Chester Waterside Station of

3264-427: The second half of the 19th century through the first half of the 20th century, the city was a major center of heavy industry , manufacturing and shipping . The city became a boomtown during World War I and World War II . The availability of employment in factories , dock work , and shipbuilding attracted immigrants from Southern and Eastern Europe and African-American migrants from southern states . Since

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3328-426: The site was deemed safe and removed from the Superfund national priorities list. In 2004, the site was converted to a parking lot for Commodore Barry Bridge Park . By the 1980s, Chester was a city bereft of industry. Many bottom-rung projects were initiated in Chester, including the Westinghouse trash incinerator , a sewage treatment plant, and a prison . Chester residents and politicians began pushing back against

3392-432: The size of the state of Rhode Island in the purchase. The area of the purchase covers all or part of what are now Pike , Monroe , Carbon , Schuylkill , Northampton , Lehigh , and Bucks counties. The Lenape tribe fought for the next 19 years to have the treaty annulled but to no avail. The Lenape-Delaware were forced into the Shamokin and Wyoming Valleys , which were overcrowded with other displaced tribes. As

3456-402: The state's Act 47 provisions for twenty-one years. The act provides for municipalities that are near bankruptcy. Chester has been hurt for decades by corrupt politicians and organized crime . Chester's Republican Party political machine was one of the nation's oldest and most corrupt. John J. McClure took over from his father, William McClure, in 1907 and was the political boss for

3520-423: The western bank of the Delaware River between Philadelphia and Wilmington, Delaware . The population of Chester was 32,605 at the 2020 census . Incorporated in 1682, Chester is the oldest city in Pennsylvania and was the location of William Penn 's first arrival in the Province of Pennsylvania . It was the county seat for Chester County from 1682 to 1788 and of Delaware County from 1789 to 1851. From

3584-461: The western part. Chester served as the county seat for Chester County from 1682 to 1788. In 1724, the Chester Courthouse was built to support the legal needs of the county. Chester played only a small role in the American Revolutionary War . Throughout 1776 and 1777, there were significant forces stationed in Chester and nearby Marcus Hook . In April 1776, nearly 1,000 men were stationed in Chester under Colonel Samuel Miles in preparation for

3648-405: The westernmost. The lower counties on Delaware, a separate colony within the province, constituted the same three counties that constitute the present State of Delaware : New Castle , the northernmost, Sussex , the southernmost, and Kent , which fell between New Castle and Sussex County. Their borders remain unchanged to this day. Several decades into the 18th century, additional treaties with

3712-452: Was appointed governor and a 72-member Provincial Council and larger General Assembly were responsible for governing the province. The General Assembly, also known as the Pennsylvania Provincial Assembly , was the largest and most representative branch of government but had limited powers. Succeeding frames of government were produced in 1683, 1696, and 1701. The fourth frame, also known as the Charter of Privileges , remained in effect until

3776-451: Was close to bankruptcy and Sun Shipyard employment had fallen from a high of 35,000 in 1945 to 4,000 in 1962. Chester's precipitous drop in jobs in the late 20th and early 21st centuries caused the city's population to diminish from over 66,000 in 1950 to under 34,000 in 2010. In 1963 and 1964, the Chester school protests fought to end the de facto segregation that resulted in the racial categorization of Chester public schools, even after

3840-413: Was constructed in Washington, D.C. Despite having the land grant from King Charles II , Penn embarked on an effort to purchase the lands from Native Americans . The Lenape Indian tribe held much of the land near present-day Philadelphia , and they expected payment in exchange for a quitclaim to vacate the territory. Penn and his representatives ( Proprietors ) negotiated a series of treaties with

3904-412: Was established as one of the original thirteen states . The lower counties on Delaware , a separate colony within the Pennsylvania Province, broke away during the American Revolution and was established as the Delaware State and also became one of the original thirteen states. The colony attracted English Quakers , Germans , and Scot-Irish frontiersmen. The Lenape Indian tribe promoted peace with

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3968-402: Was the most populous town of the new Province of Pennsylvania . On October 27, the ship Welcome arrived bearing William Penn on his first visit to the province. Penn renamed the settlement after the English city of Chester . Chester County originally stretched from the Delaware River to the Susquehanna River from its founding in 1682 until 1729 when Lancaster County was formed from

4032-462: Was unprepared for the social changes that came along with rapid growth. As southern blacks migrated to Pennsylvania as part of the Great Migration , racial violence broke out, racially segregated neighborhoods expanded and economic discrimination emerged. A four-day race riot that resulted in seven deaths broke out in the city in July 1917, and the separation of blacks and whites in Chester's neighborhoods and workplaces became more defined. In 1927,

4096-498: Was widely known as Greater Philadelphia's "Saloon Town". By 1914, Chester had more saloons than police officers; approximately 1 saloon per every 987 residents. During and following World War I , Chester grew significantly as people migrated to the city for jobs, 63% of which were in manufacturing. Between 1910 and 1920, Chester's population increased from 38,000 to 58,000 due to the influx of poor Southern European and Eastern European immigrants and African-American migrants from

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