The Coolidge examiner. [volume] (Coolidge, Ariz.) 1930-current, 1933-05-19
Penn's Dream Is
Now Jewel City
Philadelphia Continues to Be
a Credit to Founder.
PREPARED by National Geographic Society.
Washington. ID. C.-WNU Service


because the bank is to have new
facade. The statue has for four
decades been a famous landmark Of
Philadelphia. In whose history Penn
played a prominent part.
AT this time. Gov. William Penn
and a multitude of friends arrived
here and erected city called Phil
adelphia about a half mile from
ShackamaxOn," reads the quaint
minutes of meeting of the Society
OF Friends held at Shackamaxon on
the banks of the Delaware on No
vember s. 1852.
In two and a half centuries Phil
adelphia has become one OF the
worlds greatest urban centers, pos
seSsing colorful history OF leader
ship in the development OF the arts
and sciences and In the progress OF
industry. Meanwhile. Shackamaxon
became tiny park on the Della
ware river. tenderly cared for by
the big city.
Philadelphia now is a metropolis
OF two million souls, third In size
among all American urban commu-
mites and eleventh among the mu-
inequalities OF the earth. II covers
10000 acres. Despite its spread. il
continues to be the city OF its
founder. for William Penn estab-
lished its plan. selected its name,
and projected It's future.
His care and forethought In lay
ing out it's central area In the urn
shaped district between the Della
ware and the Schuylkill, 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 devel-
Opments.
Perhaps one may gain his best
idea of the city of the Pious Penn
by going forthwith TO its capitol,
the city hall. and from the parapet
OF its tower getting bird's-eye
view of this metropolis. First, one
notes above, the heroic statue of
the founder. This huge bronze statue
OF Penn weighs 53,349 pounds and
stands 81 feet high. All of its pro-
portions are OF amazing scale-the
hat Q feet In diameter. the shoes 5
feet 4 inches long, the coat cuffs 3
feet deep, and the buttons 6 inches
across.
A Great World Port.
Look over the outstretched city be-
low. A magnificent river front pro-
claims one of the worlds great
ports; a towering business district
tells of a financial center Of the first
order; dozen industrial areas
speak OF manufacturing operations !;
parks. parkways, canaliZed river,
museums. stately art galleries, and
fine Libraries write the superscrip-
ton of culture over the city; SUBJ
urbs Of rare beauty environ 1t and
make such areas along the mail line
and Reading route resplendent jew
els in the city's crown; railroad ia
cilities OF latest electrified type ex-
tend the city into the country and
bring country into town.
II was always the dream of Will
liam Penn that his city should ever
remain "a greene country towne."
Through these two and a half cen
turtles the citizens steadily kept
faith with his purpose. and today
we find one acre out OF every thir-
teen within its confines devoted to
parks and squares. The beauty spot
OF the whole city is Fairmount park.
one of the largest in the world. With
~ miles of drives and A. miles OF
paths winding through its 5000
acres of scenic beauty and romantic
history, one who has day TO spend
there revelS In delightful prospects
Here is Lemon Hill. the country
home of Robert Morris. the finan.
cier of the Revolution. frequented
hv Washington and jefferson. Adams
and Lafayette. who sat down Il
e, ~ hfp.,d with the banker where
the pOpulace now may come and eat
and be entertained AT the concerts
for which Fairmount park is IA
nous. AT the foot OF this historic
hin runs the SchuylkilI, its east
hank covered with the clubhouses oil
the ''Schuylkill navy"
For years on end Philadelphia has
been conscious of a dire need for 8
parkway from the center of the city
ira" Fairmnunt park and the north
western section of the city. There
we're no diagOnals from the city:
center al City Hall square. Their
came time when the passengel
train facilities OF the Nineteenth
century no longer were adequate Il
the second quarter of the Twentieth
Steam trains for suburban traffi,
became archaic. The old BroaC
street station OF the Pennsylvania:
was outgrown. the old Chestnu
street station OF the Baltimore 4
Ohio seemed a page from an almos
forgotten past: and the Reading ter
minal-well. that might have beer
modern in Centennial times, but /
was Anticipated In the late twenties