Colonial Philadelphia
Some facts about early colonial Philadelphia that our first Kolb ancestors would have discovered after their arrival in 1707. Taken from Philadelphia: A 300 Year History, Edited by Russell F. Weigley, W. W. Norton and Co, New York, 1982:
- William Penn only spent about 2 years, 8 months in Philadelphia, from Nov 1682 – Aug 12, 1684 and 2 Dec 1700 – 1 Nov 1701. His statue over city hall is over 36 feet tall.
- In 1693, the biggest taxpayers in Philadelphia were merchants and brewers.
- Samuel Carpenter was one of the city’s influential men in Penn’s time. In 1693, was Phila largest property holder, invested in the West Indies trade that erected Carpenter’s wharf, at least 10 warehouses, a lime kiln for mortar and a crane. He also served in public office as deputy governor, councilor, assemblyman and provincial treasurer. (Think of Carpenters Hall, home of first Continental Congress 1774.)
- Penn’s belief that freedom of religion was a fundamental right, combined with the rapid commercial growth of the city, attracted other religious groups so that by 1700, the Quakers only accounted for about 40% of the population.
- Population of Philadelphia in 1701 was around 2500, with about 500 brick houses by 1702 and by 1725 Christopher Saur estimated there were over 800 shopkeepers and merchants.
Germantown
William Penn visited Germany in 1677, trying to convince many to seek religious freedom in his Pennsylvania.
A group of Mennonites, Piertists and Quakers got together in Frankfurt, including Penn’s cousin, Abraham op deb Graeff, to purchase land in Pennsylvania, asking Francis Daniel Pastorius to go and be their agent. He agreed, first traveling to London in the spring of 1683, purchasing 15,000 acres, then sailing on to Philadelphia, arriving on 20 August 1683.
About the same time, individuals from the village of Crefeld, near the Dutch-German border, also purchased 18,000 acres. Unfortunately, the Frankfurters never came, but the Crefelders did.
Penn combined the two claims and created a township about 6 miles northwest of the city called ‘Germantown’, with Pastorius becoming their leader.
Joseph Illick wrote in his book Colonial Philadelphia, ”Of the small villages surrounding Philadelphia, Germantown was the most notable….Pastorius, its founder, pointed out that ‘ by virtue of the franchise obtained by Penn, this town has its own court, burgomaster and council, together with the necessary officials, and well-regulated town laws, council regulations, and town seal.’….its inhabitants being (in Pastorius’ words) ‘for the most part tradespeople….and linen weavers, tailors, shoemakers, locksmiths and carpenters’ who were farmers and husbandmen on the side.” Germantown became known throughout the colonies for their fine linen manufacture.
Sounds like a well-organized community! We believe Dielman Kolb, of Wolfsheim, father of some of the first Kolbs in America, was a weaver.
Sources:
Illick, Joseph E., Colonial Pennsylvania: A History, Scribner’s Sons, New York, 1976, pp 61-64.
Weigley, Russell F., Ed., Philadelphia: A 300-Year History, Norton & Co., 1982, pp 25.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Francis_Daniel_Pastorius
https://www.loc.gov/resource/g3820.ct004135/?r=-0.259,0.006,1.571,0.806,0
