100 YEARS AGO – 1908

Probably more foreigners left the west end of Chester for their native homes during the past week than at any time in years. The greater portion of those who have left for Europe were Poles and Austrians. Many of the people of these nationalities send most of their money to their homes abroad and when they find work a little slack, they return to their homelands.
A big drove of cattle, several carloads in all, were received over the Baltimore & Ohio Railroad from the West consigned to John J. Buckley of Chester. When released from the cars they were very wild and ran in all directions. There were five men in charge of each carload and they had be heir hands full trying to get the cattle to Buckley’s yards.

75 YEARS AGO – 1933

The Assembly plant of the Ford Motor Co. at the foot of Lloyd Street, Chester, resumes operations today with a payroll of 1,500 men. The Chester plant at times has employed between 4,500 and 5,000 men.
His wife’s infatuation with a member of a religious order was such that he was forced to leave his Edgmont Avenue, Chester, home. The man complained to Judge A. D. MacDade and the judge granted the man a divorce on grounds of desertion.

50 YEARS AGO – 1958

The soon-to-retire superintendent of schools at Collingdale was arrested in St. Petersburg, Fla., on a warrant changing him with embezzlement, forgery, fraudulent conversion and cheating by false pretenses. The educator was at a luxury hotel when he was arrested in the $160,000 or more fraud.
Mrs. Connie Viles of Highland Ave., Chester, made “suffragette’’ history at Bethany Presbyterian Church in Chester by her election as a church elder. Before moving to Chester Mrs. Viles was active with Middletown Presbyterian Church.
William Patterson, son of Mr. and Mrs. R.M. Patterson of 315 Darby Road, Leedom Estates, a 10th-grader at Ridley Township High School, has been selected for the Southeastern District Orchestra.

25 YEARS AGO – 1983

Joseph Kraynak of Boothwyn, who is in charge of letter carriers working out of the Brookhaven Post Office, won $5.3 million in the state Lotto jackpot. Joseph and his wife, Tina, have three children. He is a native of Chester’s West End.
Upper Darby police arrested a man who was in the act of breaking into a house on Fairview Avenue. Police were called after the owner called them and said a man was trying to force open a rear door.

10 YEARS AGO – 1998

Michael Ludwig, a teacher at Penncrest High School, Middletown, is presenting a seminar on “ Civil War Medicine’’ at the high school. The seminar is open to the public.

-- LEN CASTERLINE
To contact Len Casterline,
e-mail: lencas1038@verizon.net
or lencas1038@yahoo.com
or call (610) 565-4298