The Old City of Brotherly Love

Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, U.S.A., boasted of being the 3rd largest city in America in 1932, with a population of 2 million.  John Oliver La Gorce, A.M., Litt. D., has described much about the city at that time in The Historic City of Brotherly Love: Philadelphia, Born of Penn and Strengthened by Franklin, a Metropolitan Area of Industries, Homes, and Parks, National Geographic Magazine, December, 1932.

First, there is a tribute to William Penn, the pre-colonial founder of the city. "His care and forethought in laying out its central area in the urn-shaped district between the Delaware and Schuylkill (rivers), with its central and satellite squares, have been perpetuated to this day.  This area stands as a monument to his genius as a city planner, even in these times of amazing urban developments."  Gorce continues, "The traditions and the attitudes of the long ago, are maintained in this metropolis as perhaps nowhere else in America.  It is no mere coincidence that Philadelphia has sixteen establishments that have been doing business consecutively since before ante-Constitution days," (p. 643).

FYI: Penn objected to the King of England naming Pennsylvania after him, unsuccessfully bribing an undersecretary in the king's cabinet because it was an "unQuaker-like use of his name," (p. 655).  Philadelphia was named by Penn after one of the seven churches noted in the Bible's Book of Revelation.

The first (black-and-white) photograph is "Independence Hall, Liberty's Shrine of Shrines.  The delight of architects, the joy of patriots, and the pride of Philadelphia. . . it houses the Liberty Bell," (photo caption, p. 644).  I visited Philadelphia in 1995 for a nursing convention; Liberty Bell was in an adjoining park.  Independence Hall was almost as sacred as a church!

More single-family homes were owned in Philadelphia in this era than in either New York City or Chicago.  There were also more skilled laborers.  The workers preferred to live near the factories in which they worked and walk there.  "With but one-sixtieth of the Nation's population, the city of the great Penn produces about one twenty-fifth of its manufactures," (p. 663).

I'm embarrassed to admit I know nothing of the personal history of one of our country's most famous founding fathers, Benjamin Franklin. Mr. La Gorce gives quite a comprehensive account.  Benjamin came as a young boy, a printer, from Boston through New York City to Philadelphia, where he hoped to find a job.  Eventually he set up his own print shop, founded what would become a classic, "Poor Richard's Almanac," and married Deborah.  Early on, Franklin was interested in public safety, founded a fire-fighting brigade, then instituted Fire Insurance policies.

Franklin also started a lending Library by importing books from London.  This was started the year before our first president, George Washington, was born.  The ever-active Mr. Franklin was also instrumental in founding first hospital in Philadelphia and the institution which would become the University of Pennsylvania.

"There is no era in the City of Brotherly Love more saturated with the romances of historic events than the Revolutionary Period and its aftermath years.  Here met the men who were called upon to plan a nation.  Here gathered the men who were invested with the responsibility of writing the charter of human freedom that should change the attitude of the world upon ideas of government," (p. 673).

The members of the First Continental Congress met at Carpenter's Hall on September 5, 1774.   The Second Continental Congress met in the statehouse building which would be known as Independence Hall in May of 1775.  "Here George Washington was chosen as Commander-in-chief of the Continental Army on June 15, 1775.  Here, too, the Resolution of Liberty was adopted on July 4, 1776.  The Articles of Confederation and the Constitution itself were also adopted and signed," (p. 674).

For a time after the Revolutionary War established America's independence from England, Congress met in Philadelphia, in "Congress Hall."

In 1932, the largest industry was the Philadelphia Navy Yard.  Mr. La Gorce lists its attributes: "It has a dry dock as big as any lock at Panama, a crane that is higher than an eighteen-story building and capable of setting the turret with its guns in place out of a battleship and onto the Brooklyn Bridge!" (p. 693).

The city enjoyed many parks for its citizens.  The author concludes, "the metropolis. . . has pioneered in American art, science, industry and commerce, blazing trails in every field of endeavor, it is moving forward to an even richer future, " (p. 697).  This article was most enjoyable with its many photographs and eight-page section of beautiful color photographs.  It was most appropriate to be reading this very long article starting a few days before the 4th of July.   I think my city of Lexington, Kentucky, U.S.A. is celebrating the 4th of July for all of this weekend!