CHESTER. A city in Delaware County, Pa., 14 miles southwest of Philadelphia. on the Dela ware River, and on the Baltimore and Ohio, the Pennsylvania, the Philadelphia and Reading railroads (Slap: Pennsylvania. F 4). It has a free library, two hospitals, and two parks. and is the seat of the Pennsylvania Military College and the Crozer Theological Seminary (Baptist). Ot historic interest are the city hall, built in 1724. and the house of William Penn. Chester has large manufactories of cotton and woolen goods, dyestuffs, iron and steel, boilers and en gines, lumber in various prodnets, cigars. plaster. boards, ice, and many other articles; and is noted for its ship-building. The government of the city is carried on by a mayor, elected for three years, and a bieameral city council. The executive, with the concurrence of the council, appoints the health board. park commissioners,
police. and commissioner of highways; the pity solicitor, engineer. and board of revision of taxes are elected by the council; other offices are filled by popular election. Population, in 1880, 14,997; in 1890, 20.22G; in 1900, 33,9s8.
('bestir. the oldest town in Pennsylvania, settled by Swedes in 1044. was called Upland until 1082, when Penn arrived and gave it its present name. It was laid out in 1700. was in corporated as a borough in 1701, and was char tered as a city in 1800. The first Pennsyl Nania Assembly convened here in 1082. During the Revolution it was alternately occupied by the British and the Americans. and after the battle of Brandywine. in 1777. Washington re assembled his troops here. Consult: Ashmead, Historical Skctch of Chester (Chester, 1883).