Chester County History Center

How do you piece together a life that has almost vanished from history? The Chester County Archives invites you to explore "Radical Founder: The Rediscovered Life of William Clingan," a digital project that brings a forgotten local patriot out of the "white spaces" of history.
Because Clingan left behind no diaries or personal papers, his remarkable story had to be painstakingly reconstructed from surviving primary sources. Follow the paper trail as our archivists trace his journey from a merchant living "near ye Waggon" tavern in West Caln to a signer of the Articles of Confederation.
Discover how ordinary records can reveal extraordinary lives. Uncover the mystery of Chester County's forgotten founder and explore the interactive biography at arcg.is/0iCaiC0

How do you piece together a life that has almost vanished from history? The Chester County Archives invites you to explore "Radical Founder: The Rediscovered Life of William Clingan," a digital project that brings a forgotten local patriot out of the "white spaces" of history.

Because Clingan left behind no diaries or personal papers, his remarkable story had to be painstakingly reconstructed from surviving primary sources. Follow the paper trail as our archivists trace his journey from a merchant living "near ye Waggon" tavern in West Caln to a signer of the Articles of Confederation.

Discover how ordinary records can reveal extraordinary lives. Uncover the mystery of Chester County's forgotten founder and explore the interactive biography at arcg.is/0iCaiC0.

We're entering our last few weeks of Underground Railroad Walking Tours for the year! We still have tickets remaining for this Saturday, July 11, at 11am and 1:30pm.

The Underground Railroad was a network of people offering shelter and aid to enslaved men, women and children on their journeys to freedom. This small-group walking tour will visit eight locations around downtown West Chester that served as a backdrop for the people involved in this clandestine operation. Learn about the conductors, financiers, and stations that made the Underground Railroad possible, and discover the stories of some of those that made it to freedom and settled in West Chester.

The tour covers approximately 1.25 miles, lasts 90 minutes, and is entirely outdoors. For more information about tour dates and times, click the link in our bio to find our calendar of events!

Chester County was home to a lot of beautiful covered bridges. Can you identify this one? Put your guess in the comments, and we'll post the correct answer tomorrow!