Edmund Simpson Lemmon, in the Philadelphia Record, thus descries a short ramble along Darby Creek: There is a charm about the old Darby Creek. No matter what part of it you start in with, you are sure of good scenery, rugged and wild above Chester Pike and tide water activities below.
In this warm weather you probably only want a short trip or two or three miles, and that is what you will find indicated by the arrows. But if you want from five to seven miles you can take the West Chester car from Sixty-ninth and Market Streets and get off at the Eagle Road, the end of the first fare, and turning left, follow it as marked on map toward Media, until you come to Darby Creek, which you can follow for a long distance, mostly through woods and, of course, all downhill.
KEYSTONE VILLAGE
For out shorter walk we also start from the union station at Sixty-ninth and Market Streets, but we take a car on the Collingdale line, and as we cross West Chester Pike after leaving the station we pass to the left of Keystone Village, which has a few houses, a small church and two school houses, the old one and a fine new large one, build of gray stone only three or four years ago. You can see this school house as we enter the fields running on a private right of way at express speed, crossing via a high bridge, the Newtown branch of the Pennsylvania Railroad and Naylor’s Creek, which runs by it, and makes a pretty picture from the car window.
LANSDOWNE
From the first stop at Lansdowne Avenue, the town of Lansdowne is a mile down the road to the left, and Arlington Cemetery is a short distance to the right close by the Eastern High School.
A little further on the left, along Garrett Road, is the old Garrett homestead, said to be considerably over a hundred years old.
DREXEL HILL
A thriving new settlement in an ideal spot was formerly the country home of the Drexels, until their mansion was destroyed by fire a few years ago; the ruins are visible on the right: stone walls and towers covered with ivy, reminding you of the famous ruins of older countries. Just below the station the new Media line branches off to the right, making a comfortable pleasant ride into Media.
GARRETTFORD
Almost before we know it we are at Garrettford where we get off and walk back to the station to Garrett Road, which we just crossed, and walk along a beautiful country road, downhill most of the way. To our right is Garrettford public school almost an exact duplicate of the one we saw at Keystone Village, and built at the same time and by the same builders.
ADDINGHAM
We follow the arrows and turn to the right along a level stretch, then to the left downhill. To the right on the hill is an old time village, known years ago as Taylorsville, but now known as Addingham, still quite a lively center of activity. We cross the creek on a real old time wooden bridge, the kind that is getting scarce, and turn left to the old Tuscarora Mills, run years ago by Taylor and Haley.
LEVIS HOMESTEAD
Up the hill back of the mills still stands the old Levis Homestead, over 200 years old, and built of brick on great brick arches, all these years in one family of which William B. Levis, a Market Street merchant, is a member. Then to the right on Bishop Road just up a little way is another very old house close to the road worth taking a look at for its brick arch piers and good construction, for many years the property of Samuel Hey.
SANITARY WATER?
If you are thirsty be careful about drinking here, where the drainage runs along the roads; a little further on it is much better.
We follow the road, bending sharply to the left, and just look at that pretty waterfall, a nice place to picnic for a while. You will feel like wading around there and getting the spray splashed over you. A little further the main road bends off to the right and up the hill. We keep close to the stream along a small road which runs past the old Glenwood Mills into the equally good Clifton Mills, where we cross a little foot bridge to the other bank of the stream and find a mere trail leading along a small road which was the old main road through what was once a delightful village occupied by the mill operatives, but now almost deserted; enough to bring Goldsmith to life again.
HIDING SPRING
At the end of this pathway we find a peculiar stream which had its origin near Garrettford and runs as a sparkling rapid run to a point just above this path, where it disappears for a short distance and comes to the surface again just above this path as though it was a fresh spring of water. It does taste good and this is a convenient place for lunch. The bridge overhead is on the Collingdale line and Oakview station is close by, right up the steps. We have walked about two miles and after lunch we start again. Our pathway turns into a main road as we go up hill into Kellyville, one of the few places in Delaware County that still holds to its old name.
MODERN CHANGES
All the old mills are about in ruins, only a reminder of what places of industry were our valleys, when water power was used for all manufacturers.
With the discovery of coal it has taken the place of water. Factories are now erected where more convenient and the old localities are fast being deserted for commercial purposes, ready to be utilized as the playground and place of general recreation and all this valley is likely to become a public park when the powers that be awaken to the importance of such a plan.
A MODERN FACTORY
Just below us by the stream and near the trolley lines are the Kent Mills with many hundred employees and equipment that was not known when the valley mills were in operation.
Near the top of the hill is the Catholic Church of Kellyville, and a short distance back is the Baptist Church.
The mansion to the right on the next hill by the steam railroad is the estate of the late Phil J. Walsh and Burmont station is at the end of the long bridge.
ANGORA
We can turn to the left on Burmont Avenue and return to our car at Garrettford, whence we started, or we can turn right into Burmont Avenue and go downhill to Baltimore Avenue and take the trolley car through Lansdowne and Fernwood into Angora, where we get the Baltimore Avenue car into the subway, or the Sixtieth Street car, which transfers east on all lines it crosses; in either case the carfare has been five cents each way from the city borders.
