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Archiver > PADELAWA > 2002-01 > 1010250142


From: "TwoWolvesDancing" <>
Subject: Re: Upper Darby City Directories
Date: Sat, 5 Jan 2002 12:17:10 -0500
References: <NEBBLIAOGLJOOBNOAOJGCEFBEOAA.rascalz98@yahoo.com>


Hello Nancy. my brother still lives in the Kensington - Fishtown part of
Philly where these streets are located.
Franklin is off Leigh Ave and Kingston and Somerset Sts are off Kensington
Ave. This will help you find them on a map.

In 1894 & 1897 they were residing at 407 E. Somerset St. and 102 Kingston
St. Philadelphia, Pennsylvania and they resided in 2555 N. Franklin St.,
Philadelphia, Pennsylvania.

Upper Darby is in Delaware County, so checking those census records might
help. And UpperDarby is kinda SouthWest of Philly... out 69th Street.
Every Christmas, they would have a big slide - The Old Lady in the Shoe and
even a live Santa Claus were right outside of the Sears Store (or was it Lit
Brothers). It was the thing to do back in the 50's and on your way home
we'd buy our Christmas Tree and drag it home. We all (4 kids plus 1 that
mom carried) wanted to help daddy carry it home. The in 1960 we moved to Mt
Airy, Philly from East Lansdowne/
Stonehurst Hills and there we went downtown on the train to Wanamakers and
saw the wonderful music from the Grand Organ (started in 1911... way before
my time) and aniamted Christamas Lights Display... which was awesome.
Wanamakers had been around since the late 1800's... so my older aunts and
uncles have said... they did the same thing when they were kids... and their
parents also before them. Then before Christmas, you had to go to the
Thanksgiving Parade and see Santa coming and climb out of the window go up
the Fire Truck ladder from his sleigh on the float in the parade to his
place and the Depatment Store. I believe that it was Gimbels and it was the
famout Gimbels Christmas Parade. Then after Christmas, you had to at least
once in your life attend the New Years Mummer's Parade. Being a kid and in
a drum and bugle corps I marched quite a few Thanksgiving Parades and back
the the girls couldn't march in the Mummer's Parade... just the boys could.
But us girls could walk beside them and still experience the thrill. It was
even better, when I was over 21 and retired from marching, that I
experienced the Parades as a spectator. Wow.

Just sharing some old memories ...because of the Holidays, I though that I'd
share some of the old Philly and Suburbian Christmas Traditions wil you all.
Enjoy.


I am not sure when Happy Reseaching. Peace and blessings.
Dolores Cobb Phifer


----- Original Message -----
From: "Nancy Atkinson" <>
To: <>
Sent: Friday, January 04, 2002 11:07 PM
Subject: RE: Upper Darby City Directories


> Hi Karen,
>
> I wish I had an easy answer to those questions. I have no idea what part
of
> Upper Darby they lived. It was information that had been passed down to
my
> father (family knowledge) but no specifics about living there were ever
> mentioned that I am aware of. I've found it odd that I have yet to come
> across the family living there however there are a number of years where
> this family is unaccounted for.
> I haven't yet checked in Upper Darby because I don't know how to go about
> getting access to the appropriate resources that might include the Upper
> Darby area. I realize it was never a city but thought it might have been
> included in a city directory covering a larger area.
> These are the years I would like to search for my William ATKINSON family
in
> Upper Darby resources if available:
> 1891 thru 1893, 1895, 1896, 1898, 1899, 1911 thru 1916
> Here are the known residences of the family:
> In 1894 & 1897 they were residing at 407 E. Somerset St. and 102 Kingston
> St. Philadelphia, Pennsylvania.
> In 1900 they resided in Hemlock Township, Columbia, Pennsylvania.
> In 1905 they resided in Magee Ave., Bloomsburg, Columbia, Pennsylvania
> In 1910 they resided in 546 West Fifth St, Bloomsburg, Columbia,
> Pennsylvania
> In 1917 they resided in 2555 N. Franklin St., Philadelphia, Pennsylvania
w/
> John E. Collins, laborer
> Between 1923 and November 1930 they resided at 89 Oak St, Newton Upper
> Falls, Middlesex, Massachusetts
> From 1919 through November 1924 William ATKINSON worked at Saco-Lowell
shops
> in Massachusetts. So there's probably little chance they were living in
> Upper Darby during that timeframe. In 1920 I can't locate them in the
Mass.
> or PA census soundex.
> Thanks for any assistance you can provide.
>
> Nancy


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