Historic Philadelphia

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Above: Director of Public Works John R.
Hathaway, on a cold rooftop on Twentysecond
Street near Callowhill in 1901,
ceremonially began demolition of houses to
make way for the planned Parkway.
COURTESY OF THE CITY OF PHILADELPHIA, DEPARTMENT
OF RECORDS, CITY ARCHIVES.
Right: Evolution of the Parkway before
much demolition was done, 1909 (right);
the same view, 1918 (opposite, top); and
again, 1929 (opposite, bottom).
COURTESY OF THE CITY OF PHILADELPHIA, DEPARTMENT
OF RECORDS, CITY ARCHIVES.
A new organization, Keystone Telephone
Company, materialized in 1901. Bell Telephone
Company had set up at Fourth and Chestnut in
1878, and had 12,500 subscribers who were
charged $160 a year for the privilege of
speaking to each other over a wire. Keystone
would begin positioning its services toward
businesses, and soon Philadelphians would see
two phone numbers in most advertising, Bell
and Keystone. City installations including
HISTORIC PHILADELPHIA
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