eventual restorer of sound credit and a good circulating medium, is already familiar to the public. The little bill reads

"The President and Directors of the Bank of North America promise to pay to the bearer, on demand, one ninetieth of a dollar. "August, 1789. TENCH FRANCIS, Cashier." But it was issued to supply change at a time that coppers were debased, and had to be rejected. The corporation of New York issued similar little bills.

The next Bank, the Pennsylvania, was originally located in Lodge alley, (the same now called Bank street) in a three story double front brick house, which had once been a distinguished lodging house by Mrs. Sword and Mrs. Brodeau. To rear the present stately marble bank, they pulled down several houses which had themselves once enjoyed the reputation of "great things" in their early day. The facts concerning them is all that is intended in this notice, to wit:

On Second street, on the south-west corner of Lodge alley, stood D. Griscom's house, of antiquated construction, called in an old Almanac "the first built house of brick erected in Philadelphia;”* adjoining to it, southward, stood the house of James Logan, Jun., bought of Thomas Storey, who derived it from the first owner, Edward Shippen, Sen. It was a large house of double front, and a great display of dormer windows, with five or six steps ascent. These two buildings occupied the whole present front of the bank. The latter had the privilege of the wharf on the dock, at Dock creek, for ever!" On the Lodge alley, westward of the former bank there, stood the Masonic Lodge. The house which had been Shippen's and Storey's was thus described in 1707-8, by Samuel Preston, in his letter to Jonathan Dickinson, then in Jamaica, to wit: "In choosing thee a house I am most inclined to Thomas Storey's-it adjoins to David Lloyd's, [originally Griscom's, directly opposite to Norris'' slate-house]-it is most like Edward Shippen's, [where is now Waln's row] but larger-a story higher, and neatlier finished, with garden, out-houses, &c., [down to Dock creek] and I know it will suit, or none in Philadelphia. The rent is prodigious high-he asks £70. I offer £50, and rather than fail will give 10 more."

The present Girard's Bank, built originally for the first Bank of the United States, was erected upon what had been the rear of Pemberton's fine garden, upon ground much lower than the present Third street.

The Philadelphia Bank occupies the site of an old inn called the Cross Keys, an antiquated house, with double hipped roof, fronting on Fourth street, and having a range of stables at the Fourth street side. It had a heavy brick portico at the front door, and the house stood out far upon Chestnut street pavement.

Where the present Bank of the United States now stands was once Norris's house and gardens, once much distinguished as a beautiful place "out of town."

Leed's Almanac, printed by W. Bradford, New York, 1694, says, it is now elever <ears since Andrew Griscom built the first brick house in Philadelphia.

NORTH END.

In early times, "North End" was the common name given to the Northern Liberties, when having its only road out Front street. In the present notice it will include the region of Cohocksine creek over to Kensington, and westward over the former Campington. The object is to bring back to the mind's eye" its face of nature, ere banished and estranged" by improvement.

The whole region was originally patented to Jurian Hartsfielder, in 1676, by Governor Andros, of New York government. In ten years afterwards he sold out to D. Pegg his whole three hundred and fifty acres, extending from Cohocksine creek, his northern line, to Pegg's run, his southern line. That part beyond Cohocksine, northward, which came under Penn's patent, was bought, in 1718, by J. Dickinson, (say 495 acres,) at 26s. 8d. sterling, and extending from the present Fairhill estate over to Bush hill. Part of the same estate has been known in more modern times as "Masters' estate and farm," and some of it is now in possession of Turner Camac, Esq., who married Masters' daughter.

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The primitive state of the North End, near the Cohocksinc creek, is expressed in a petition of the year 1701, of the country inhabitants (one hundred and fifteen in number,) of Germantown, Abington, &c., praying the Governor and Council for a settled road into the the city, and alleging that "they have lately been obliged to go round new fences, from time to time set up in the road by Daniel Pegg and Thomas Sison," for that as they cleared their land, they drove the travellers out into uneven roads, and very dangerous for carts to pass upon. They therefore pray a road may be laid out from the corner of Sison's fence straight over the creek [meaning the Cohocksine, and also called Stacey's creek,] to the corner of John Stacey's field, and afterwards to divide into two branches-one to Germantown, and the other to Frankford." They add also that Germantown road is most travelled-taking thereby much lime and meal from three mills, with much malt, and a great deal of wood, timber, &c. At the same time they notice the site of the present long stone bridge and causeway over to Kensington, by saying "they had measured the road that is called the Frankford road, over the long bridge from about the then part of the tobacco field, to a broad stone upon Thomas Sison's hill near his fence, and find it to be three hundred and eighty perches, and from thence to the lower corner of John Stacey's field to the aforesaid tobacco field three hundred and seventy-two perches,

• The name was spelt Tison in another place.

beside (along) the meadow and creek by John Stacey's field, and of the latter we had the disadvantage of the woods, having no line to go by, and finding a good road all the way and very good fast lands." I infer from this petition (now in the Logan collection) that they desired the discontinuance of the then road over the long bridge to Frankford, and that both Germantown and Frankford might be in one, until they passed over the Cohocksinc creek on the present Germantown road, and then the Frankford road should diverge, "by as near a road, having fast land all along."

A letter of Robert Fairman's, of the 30th of 8 mo., 1711, to Jonathan Dickinson, speaks of his having a portion of thirteen acres of his land next the Coxon creek (Cohocksinc) and in Shackamaxo.† In another letter of the 12th of 3 mo., 1715, he says, "the old road and the bridge to it being so decayed and dangerous for passengers, my brother Thomas, with Thomas Masters, and others, thought it proper to move your court for a new road, which being granted, a new bridge was made and the road laid out, and timber for the bridge was cut from my plantation next the creek; but not being finished before my brother Thomas died, has been since laid aside, and the old bridge and road repaired and used-thus cutting through that land of mine and his, so as to leave it common and open to cattle, &c., notwithstanding the new road would have been a better route This has proceeded from the malice of some who were piqued at my brother."

In the year 1713, the Grand Jury, upon an inspection of the state of the causeway and bridge over the Cohocksine, on the road leading to "the Governor's mill," where is now Craig's manufactory— recommended that a tax of one pence per pound be laid "to repair the road at the new bridge by the Governor's mill, and for other purposes." In 1739 the said mill took fire and was burnt down. It was thought it occurred from the wadding of guns fired at wild pigeons.

This mill seems to have been all along an ill adventure; for James Logan, in 1702, speaking of the Governor's two mills, says, "those unhappy expensive mills have cost since his departure upwards of £200 in dry money. They both go these ten days. The "Town Mill," (now Craig's place,) after throwing away £150 upon her, does exceedingly well, and of a small one is equal to any in the province.' The other mill alluded to was at Chester.

In 1739, Mrs. Mary Smith and her horse were both drowned "near the long bridge in the Northern Liberties."""Twas supposed it occurred by her horse attempting to drink at that place where the

It is possible, however, that the long bridge may have been one on piles directly out Front street as it now runs, as such piles were there in my youth, and a narrow causeway. It was either the remains of old time, or it had been made by the British army when they flooded that land,

Thus determining, as I presume, that Shackamaxon began at Cohock sinc creek, and went up to (unner's creek.

water is very deep." At the same causeway was quicksand, in which a horse and chair and man all sank!

When the long stone bridge was built, in 1790, (its date is marked thereon and done by Souders,) they came, at the foot of the foundation, to several curiosities, described to me by those who saw them, to wit:a hickory hand-cuff, perfectly sound-several leaden weights, for weighing-a quantity of copper farthings, and a stone hollowed out like a box, and having a lid of the same.

Old Mr. Wager (the father of the present Wagers,) and Major Kissell have both declared, that as much as sixty-six to sixty-eight years ago they had seen small vessels, with falling masts, go up the Cohocksinc creek with grain to the Globe mill-the same before called the Governor's mill. Old Captain Potts, who lived near there, told me the same thing when I was a boy.

While the British army occupied Philadelphia, in the years 1777 and '78, they dammed in all the Cohocksine meadows, so as to lay them all under water from the river, and thus produced to themselves a water barrier of defence in connexion with their line of redoubts across the north end of the city. Their only road, and gate of egress and ingress northward, was at the head of Front street where it parts to Germantown, and by Kensington to Frankford.

On the 29th July, 1824, the course of the Cohocksinc creek was overwhelmed with the heaviest and most sudden torrent of rain ever before remembered. The water rested four feet on the lower floor of Craig's factory. White's dwelling house had nine inches depth on its lower floor. It flowed four feet above the crown of the arch of the bridge at Second street. All this unprecedented flood was occasioned by three hours of rain at midnight. The general desolation that was presented at daylight will be long remembered by those who witnessed it.

Formerly, the Delaware made great inroad upon the land at the mouth of the Cohocksinc, making there a large and shallow bay, extending from Point Pleasant down to Warder's long wharf, near Green street. It is but about thirty-six years since the river came up daily close to the houses on Front and Coates' street, and at Coates' street the dock there, made by Budd's wharfed yard, came up to the line of Front street. All the area of the bay (then without the present street east of Front street, and having none of the wharves now there.) was an immense plane of spatterdocks, nearly out to the end of Warder's wharf, and on a line with Point Pleasant. The lower end of Coates' street was then lower than now; and in freshets the river laid across Front street. All the ten or twelve houses north of Coates' street, on the east side, were built on made ground, and their little yards were supported with wharf logs, and bush willows as trees. The then mouth of Cohocksine was a wooden drawbridge, then the only communication to Kensington, which crossed at Leib's house opposite to Poplar lane; from thence a raised causeway ran across to Point Pleasant. The stone bridge north of it, leading to Kensington, was not then in existence. On the outside of this

causeway the river covered, and spatterdocks grew, and on the inside there was a great extent of marshy ground alternately wet and dry, with the ebbing and flowing of the tide; the creek was embanke on the east side. The marsh was probably two hundred feet wide where the causeway at the stone bridge now runs. The branch of this creek which ran up to the Globe mill, [on the place now used as Craig's cotton manufactory,] was formerly deeper than now. Where it crosses Second street, at the stone bridge north of Poplar lane, there was in my time a much lower road, and the river water, in time of freshets, used to overflow the low lots on each side of it. The houses near the causeway, and which were there thirty-six years ago, are now one story buried under ground. The marsh grounds of Cohocksine used to afford good shooting for woodcock and snipe &c. The road beyond, "being Front street continued," and the bridge thereon, is all made over this marsh within the last twenty-six years; also, the road leading from the stone bridge across Front to Second street-the hill, to form that road, has been cut down full twenty to twenty-five feet, and was used to fill up the Front street causeway to the York road, &c. The region of country to the north of this place and of Globe mill, over to Fourth street mill dam, was formerly all in grass commons, with scarcely a single house or fence thereon, and was a very great resort for shooting killdeer and snipe. It was said the British had burned up all the former fences, and for many years afterwards no attempt was made to renew them. On these commons bull baiting sometimes occurred, and many military trainings. None of the present ropewalks were then there; but one ran where Poplar lane now lies, from Front to Second street-that not having been a street till within thirty-five years ago. The British redoubts remained till lately-one on the Delaware bank in a line with the stone-bridge street-then no houses were near it; now it is all built up, and streets are run where none were seen. The next redoubt, west, stood in an open grass lot of Captain Potts, on Second street, and in front of where St. John's Methodist church now stands. [John street was not then run there.] Another redoubt stood on Poplar lane and south-west corner of Sixth street,—another back of Bush Hill house, and another was on Fairmount,―another on the hill south of High street, where the water works were located. Barriers of trees and stockades extended from one redoubt to another. All the Cohocksinc marsh is now filled up and built upon, and an immense long wharf and a bridge from it is made to join a street to Kensington.

There was a creek or inlet of water as told to me by the aged John Brown, which went up from the river at the north side of Coates' street and Front street, and thence westward over Second street at midway from Coates' to Brown street (named after this Brown, who is a large owner) up to the south side of Coates' burial ground. Up this creek he has gone in a boat as high as Second street, and gathered wild plums from small trees which overhung