This article on the history of Chester is brought to you by the personal injury lawyers in Chester, Pennsylvania, from Schuster Law.
Chester
Originally named “Upland” by the Swedish settlers in 1644, decades later, the name was changed to Chester in 1682. William Penn obtained the colonial settlement in 1861 as a refuge for Quakers, and soon after, he changed the name to Chester, after a city located in England.
Chester was a successful and affluent industrial town for the first two hundred years of its existence, with factories focused on construction, metal manufacturing, railroads, shipbuilding, and goods and services. Combined with the town’s accessibility to the Delaware River and major lines, these powerful factories created employment and fuelled a steady growth in population.
A rapid expansion of people grew in the early 1900s, caused by World War I, with tons of jobs created in the city from the war. A demand for housing and other services had also been generated by the number of jobs created. Shortly after, economic growth balanced out after the depression period. During this time, manufacturing employment fell dramatically in Chester, along with the rest of the county.
By the 1950s, the population in Chester peaked again with over 66,000 residents; simultaneously, the post-war economy hit the economic industry, prompting workers to move out of the city to other surrounding towns with more job security. Today, Chester attracts a number of new businesses, generates tons of job opportunities, and is home to five nationally registered historic places. This little town has grown significantly over the hundreds of years and will continue to thrive with either close-knit community and economic developments.
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