Days Gone By
100 YEARS AGO, 1924 » Jewelry valued at more than $3,000 was stolen from the home of Burgess Adam J. Gotshall, of Darby, early last night. It was one of the boldest robberies committed in Darby in many months. Burgess Gotshall lives at Fourth and Chestnut streets, within a half block of the Darby Presbyterian Church. The members of the family were absent for a short time last evening and while worshippers were making their way to the church, the thieves broke a window on the first floor of the Gotshall home and gained entrance into the house.
75 YEARS AGO, 1949 » The court hearing on a petition to establish Leiperville as a borough has been postponed until 10 a.m. on Thursday, March 17. Scheduled for Wednesday, it was delayed when matters before the common pleas court consumed most of the day. About 50 residents who favor separation from Ridley Township appeared at Media Courthouse to offer testimony. They went to the county seat in a 15-car motorcade. In seeking court approval to establish their community as an independent political entity, they included the entire first ward, popularly known as Leiperville. The area has a population of approximately 3,000 and contains two big industrial plants, Baldwin’s and General Steel Castings Corp.
50 YEARS AGO, 1974 » Robert Day has been named “Junior Horticulturist of the Year” by the Pennsylvania Horticulture Society. The 18-yearold Ridley High School senior, who also attends the Folcroft Vocational-Technical School, received his $500 award Sunday from the society at the Philadelphia Flower Show. The young man’s prize will go towards his college expenses at Williamsport Community College where he will study forest technology.
25 YEARS AGO, 1999 » Royal Ahold bought the Pathmark supermarket chain for $1.7 billion yesterday to take a controlling hold over the supermarket industry on the East Coast. Newark, N.J.-based Pathmark operates five supermarkets in Delaware County. No store closings or layoffs were planned as a result of the acquisition. The Dutch food retailer, which already owns the Tops Market, Giant Food and Stop & Shop chains, will gain 132 stores in New Jersey and the New York and Philadelphia metropolitan areas with estimated 1998 sales of $3.7 billion.
10 YEARS AGO, 2014 » A contingent from E.T. Richardson Middle School presented to the Springfield School Board information regarding the newly minted designation as a Pennsylvania Don Eichhorn Schools: Schools to Watch 2014 Award. One of 29 schools in the commonwealth, and 360 middle schools nationwide, the achievement identifies the middle school as excelling in four major categories, with 39 different areas considered.