456
 

HISTORY OF BUCKS COUNTY,
 

CHAPTER  XXVIII.
 

RICHLAND.
 

1734.
 

The Great swamp.—"Kich lands."—English Friends first settlers.—Grifhth Jones.—
Manor of Richland.—Peter Lester.—Edward Foulke.—Morris Morris.—Edward
Roberts.—Thomas Lancaster.—Growden's tract.—Settlers of 1733.—Benjamin
Gilbert.—Randall Iden.—Earliest mention of Richland.—Sucking creek.—Peti¬
tioners for road.—Movement to organize township.—Friends' meeting.—Land¬
owners.—The Matts family.—Andrew Snyder.—Population.—Poor-tax.—Quak¬
ertown.—Its situation.—Nucleus of town.—McCook's tavern.—Public library.—
Industrial establishments.—State Normal school.—Richland Centre.—Its popu¬
lation.—Richlandtown.—Saint John's church.—Oldest house.—Bunker Hill.—
Lottery land.—Opening of roads.—A German township.

In the early day a large scope of country in the north-west cor¬
ner of the county, including Pichland and Milford, with Quakertowm
for the centre, was known as the "Great sw^amp." The origin of
the name is not known, but probably because the surface is fiat, and
before it was cleared and cultivated water stood upon it at certain
seasons of the year. It bore this name for three-quarters of a cen¬
tury, and those who were not familiar with the country believed it
to be a veritable swamp. But the true character of this section was
soon ascertained by those in search of new homes, for shortly after
1720 it began to be called "Eicli lands," no doubt from thefertdity
of the soih and in the course of time this designation gave the name