CHESTER, - Delaware County PA History

CnESTER,
PENNSYLVANIA,
under the powers granted by a recent Act of Assembl)', there
has been a popular demand for mOl'e and bctter thol'Oughfarcs,
and the mileage of paved strects has nearly doubled thc figurcs
abovc quoted, The strcets paved during the past year have
bcen eithcr asphaltum or Belgian blocks, according to the
exprcssed wishes of a majority of the pl'Operty owners on the
respective thoroughfares. No city of its sizc, cast or west, has
more or bctter paved streets than the City of Chester.
SI':\\'lmAGE,
The plan of our sewcr system was pcrfected some twenty
ycars ago, and with but few cxccptions has been adhered to,
but so great has bccn the growtI,1 of the city, notably in the
Second \Vard, that it is HOW dcemed cxpedient, at'an eal'l)' date,
to build a main sewcl' for that section of thc cit)'. Thc pavcd
strcets of the cit)' arc all sewercd, and according to a report of
the City Surveyor, dated February 6, .888, we have nearl)' ten
miles of scwers in the city,
II EA I.TII,
There are, unfortunately, no health statistics available by
means of which thc death ratc of thc city might bc obtained,
Leading physicians state that the cit)' is very frcc f!'Om any
form of local disease. The land l'ises from the l'ivcr in a gradual
ascent, affording excellent drainage, Chestcr and Ridley
creeks also form natural channels for carrying off the city's
waste, and Olll' sewers, well·built and llumel'OUS, and )'eal'ly
increasing, are an important factor in pl'esel'ving the health of
our city, 1\ Board of Health looks after all matters pertaining
to the ph)'sical well-being of the pcople.
'I'll E 1~lIm J)J~I'AR'J'MHNT,
In I'oopect to the equipment and efficiency of the Fire Department,
Chester will compare favorably with any city of its
size in the State, It is composed of four v.~lunteer companies.
The apparatus consists of three steam fire engines of standard
make, five hose cill'riages and one hook and laddel' truck, The
city makes an annual appl'Opriation of $2,000 each to three of
the companies, and the bOl'Ough of South Chester S.,200 to thc
one located within its limits,