Delaware County Daily Times from Chester, Pennsylvania • Page 50

DELAWARE COUNTY DAILY TIMES Thursday, November 25,1975 5A 'Sumptuous' banquet for Lafayette in 1824 One of the great historic social events in the life of Chester was a "sumptuous" banquet for General Lafayette Oct. 5,1824 in the 1724 Colonial Courthouse. It occurred during the Revolutionary War hero's return to America to visit every state in the union as "The Nation's Guest." A special significance had been attached to the Chester visit. The Frenchman had been wounded in the Battle of the Brandywine Sept. 1777, and his wounds had been dressed in the Ladomus House which stood at 3rd and Market Sts.

Lafayette, born in 1757, came to fight at the side of Gen. George Washington when he was less than 20 years of age. Although he returned to France in 1779, he came back to participate in the closing Battle of Yorktown. His full name was Marie Jean Paul Roch Yves Gilbert Motier, Marquis de Lafayette. Lavishly entertained in Philadelphia earlier on Oct.

5, Lafayette boarded a ship about 8 p.m. for the 15-mile trip to Chester. With him were his son, George Washington Lafayette, and Governor Shulze of Pennsylvania. According to historians, houses and buildings all along the Delaware River were decorated and illuminated, and there were boats in the river, some with bands, joining in the welcome. The voyage turned out to be rough and the general's ship did not arrive in Chester until 11 p.m.

At the Chester wharf to greet the general was the First City Troop of Philadelphia, whose members included Thomas Leiper, who had fought in the Revoluntionary War and whose son George was in charge of the Chester celebration. Lighting the general's way was a line of boys, each with a candle, extending all the way from the wharf to the historic Washington House, which once stood across the street from the old courthouse on Market Street (now Avenue of the States) near 5th Street. The general went first to the Ladomus House for a round of welcoming speeches. It was not unil 1 a.m. that Lafayette got to the courthouse for "the dinner prepared by the ladies of Chester.

An account of the banquet said Maj. William Anderson presided and that 13 regular toasts were given together with a reponse from Lafayette. About 100 men attended the affair. Major Anderson had fought in the Revolutionary War, joining Washington's armies when he was only 15 years of age. He was present at the siege of Yorktown and the surrender of Lord Cornwallis.

CLOSED THANKSGIVING DAY BOYS or GIRLS 26" 10 SPEED BICYCLES TOVS 'BIKES HOBBIES SPORTS JUVENILE FURNITURE AURORA MACNA-TRACTION AFX FIGURE EIGHT RACE SET or TYCOPRO LIGHTED OVER UNDER PRO RACING Features "Shimano Eagle" 10 speed derailleur. Heavy duly fully lugged frame. Chrome plated chainguard, Aluminum kicfcstand. Rat trap racing pedals. In carton.

S9 88 Aurora features magna-tractiorV cars, Tycopro has lighted cur-e Muggers. Tv Both sets complete with power pact, controllers. SAVE 10.09 AMI MODEL TRUCK KITS COX GAS POWERED SKY COPTER or SAND BLASTER Choose a assortment of a trjilcrs. Authentic "eg to 5.69 AMF EVEL KNIEVEL MOTO CROSS BIKE Reg 84.99 HUFFY BOYS or GIRLS HI-RISER BIKES TYCO CHATTANOOGA CHOO CHOO HO TRAIN SET Streamlined thtinguard. "Mag" style sprocket.

"Chejier slick" oversize rear tire. Deluxe padde saddle. In canon. Rugged twin-strut cantilever frame with simulated front Single speed coaster nub. In carton.

SAVE 15.11 SAVE 12.09 JANEX RAGGEDY ANN PHONO AMF 12" TRICYCLE 20" CONVERTIBLE BIKE REO dul cover. Solid 45 RPM jdaptt'r Plays all 45 RPM records. Sapphire needle. CROWN DELUXE TOP GREEN PHANTOM TABLE TENNIS TABLE or COLECO 5 FT. DELUXE PRO POOL TABLE WELSH DELUXE DOLL COACH BLAZOIS TABLE CHAIR SETS OOTBALL TOY CHEST Denim patch hood.

Tubular pusher is 2V high. Authentic pebble grain finish with white T.D. stripes laces Your choice of 30" round table or 30" 24" ublo. Both sets include 4 Reg Q88 SAVE 14.99 5.11 twll triangle. Wood panei th.ilk 100 LITE MINI JiTREE LIGHT SET DELUXE 7 FT.

SCOTCH PINE CHRISTMAS TREE SAVE UP TO BOYS or GIRLS FIGURE SKATES 3" 15 FT. TINSEL GARLAND BMV PRO STYLE HOCKEY GOAL DELUXE SHOE SKATES BOX OF 12 GLASS ORNAMENTS Box of 12 Christmas bilk. 2 or 2 SAVE UP TO uppers, bound piece tor.m fitted Hardened tempered 10 CompleteK assembled lolding frame. 56" 3 He.us cluu not. Available in white only.

Sizes child 12 to adult 6. OPEN MONDAY THRU SATURDAY, 10 A.M. TO 11 P.M. STARRED STORES OPEN SUNDAY 11 A.M. TO P.M.

SATISf ACTION GUAftANTEID WIIN OUII NO.QUIS1IONS. Attll) MONIT ACK RfFUND fOIICV WITH AllSMir A ORICINAI CAKION I A CONSHOHOCKEN A mmvtTHHicm 10 UMIT QUANIITIU. NOT HKPONSIIII "The citizens of Chester deserve great credit for their handsome reception of the nation's guest," commented the Advertiser of Oct. 8. The dinner was described as "sumptous entertainment." Lafayette spent the night at the home of Major Anderson and remained in Chester all the next day for a round of activity which included a review of volunteer troops.

The Anderson mansion stood on the northwest corner of 5th and Welsh Sts. Built in 1803, it was torn down in 1896 to make way for the new Chester Postoffice Building and is now the site of the Chester Municipal Building. At one time, Major Anderson was landlord of the Columbia House, later the site of the Cambridge Trust Building, 5th and Market Sts. Elected a U. S.

representative, he served in the llth, 12th and 15th Congresses of the United States. He was appointed an associate judge of the Delaware County Courts in 1826. A daughter, Evelina, became the wife of Commodore David Porter. Major Anderson died Dec. 16,1829, at the age of 67.

General Lafayette left Chester at 7 a.m. Thursday Oct. 7 by coach for Wilmington, escorted by the First City Troop dressed in black coats, black stockings and white pantaloons and wearing Lafayette badges and cockades. The following year on Tuesday July 16, 1825 -Lafayette returned to visit trie Brandywine Battlefield. The Frenchman viewed the interesting heights around Chadd's Ford and the field where the armies had encamped the night before the battle.

At one point, he pointed out the position held by Gen. Anthony Wayne's brigade. Near Painter's Crossroads, Lafayette stopped his carriage to see Gideon Gilpin, a very aged man confined to bed, whose house Lafayette had made his headquarters before the battle. An account of the meeting said "the sick man was gratified at the sight of the veteran, who pressed his hand cordially and wish him every blessing." Among the choicest possessions of the Delaware County Historical Society are two plates Of China used at the Lafayette banquet in Chester. "While the society does not know that the general ate from either plate, members of the society enjoy the thought that he might have done so," said Samuel H.

Newsome, for many years president of the society. The plates, very handsome in a white and green scroll pattern, are in the society's museum at Widener College. One was the gift of Mrs. Mary Agnes Crumbie Casey in 1951. Each man who attended the Lafayette banquet was permitted to take a plate home as a souvenir of the occasion.

George 2nd governor George H. EarJe 3rd, who in 1934 was elected Pennsylvania's first Democratic governor of the 20th century, was the second man from Delaware County to occupy the state's highest office. The first was William C. Sproul, a Republican elected in 1918. Earle, who died in December of 1974 at the age of 84, lived at 295 Gulf Creek Road, Radnor, but his estate of several hundred acres stretched over both Radnor and Newtown townships.

Sproul lived in Nether Providence, just on the outskirts of Chester. Earle descended from a long line of Pennsylvania Republicans and could trace his ancestry to the Mayflower Puritans. But he supported Franklin D. Roosevelt in 1932 and two years later defeated State Atty. Gen.

William A. Schnader for the governorship. It wasn't until 20 years later that another Democrat, George M. Leader, became the state's chief executive. For half his term, Earle had a divided legislature -Republican Senate and a Democratic House but in 1937, with the FDR surge still running, he got complete control.

Earle, though he had many political enemies in his own party, worked hard as governor and liked to be known as the champion of the underdog. When he left office after his four- year term, he boasted, "We permitted no one to starve In Pennsylvania.".