Philadelphia's River Wards

Images of America: Pennsylvania

by George J. Holmes

Philadelphia's River Wards is the story of five remarkable neighborhoods that line the banks of the Delaware River from Vine Street to the Frankford Creek: Northern Liberties, Kensington, Port Richmond, Frankford, and Bridesburg. The first white settlers arrived in the area in the 1600s, and the population grew with the influx of European immigrants in the 1800s and early 1900s. Industry flourished as fabric and textile mills sprang up and shipyards and terminals lined the waterfront. In 1922, the Frankford El, a technological marvel, forever changed the face of transportation in the area, connecting the River Wards to the far reaches of the city. Philadelphia's River Wards captures this history in more than two hundred vintage photographs, rare maps, and historical drawings.

Genres: History

128 pages, Paperback

First published July 14, 2003

Reviews

[Kurt Weber]

What a shame, these used to be such nice, industrious neighborhoods. Now K+A is an open air drug market

[Janene AKA Ms. Palumbo]

This book is filled with pictures and you can learn so much from the captions. I imagined my mom, her parents and her grandparents walking around Philly during time these photos were taken. I learned that Aramingo Avenue (the street I lived on as a kid) used to be called Gunnar's Run, and it was a creek and a canal before it was street. Also, the Frankford El was built in the 1910's and was revolutionary for its time. I had no idea my mode of transportation to work was so old! When I was a kid, I thought history was so boring and did not relate to me, but as I look through this book, I see photos and drawings of houses and factories that are still around today in Philly and I can't wait to read more about the history of my neighborhood, city an nation!

[Robert]

One of the most offensively insular and insipid faux-history books I've ever had the misfortune to read.

Whether the most blatantly stupid errors or to be laid at the feet of the author or the editor is an open question (16th century attributions in a city not founded till 1682??) - I prefer to blame both. This is a family scrapbook with a publisher.

[Jim McIntosh]

Great photos of the development of the River Wards of Philadelphia, including Kensington and its Fishtown section. Lousy captions to these pictures. Some demonstrate a lack of research bordering on laziness, others simply a poor command of the English language. But, three stars for the great photos.