Editing Willow Grove, Pennsylvania (section)

==History==
The place was on the route of an old [[Lenape]] trail to New York and developed into a typical colonial crossroads, with inns, stables, blacksmiths, and wheelwright shops. [[William Penn]] granted land to physician Nicholas More and the tract became known as the "Manor of Moreland" and later, Moreland Township. The place dates to the year 1711 when the [[Old York Road]] was laid out from [[Philadelphia]] to [[New Hope, Pennsylvania|New Hope]] where the [[Delaware River]] was crossed at Coryell's Ferry. In 1792, mapmaker Reading Howell was said to remark upon the abundance of "willow trees in the marshy land" and the name "Willow Grove" stuck. During the [[American Revolution]], inn keeper Joseph Butler, proprietor of the Red Lion Inn at Willow Grove tended to wounded American soldiers. He was later arrested by the British and held prisoner in Philadelphia.<ref name=":0">Momorella, E. [https://www.uppermoreland.org/DocumentCenter/View/144/A-Brief-History-of-Willow-Grove-PDF#:~:text=The%20area%20we%20know%20today,Philadelphia%20to%20physician%20Nicholas%20More. A Brief History of Willow Grove.] Upper Moreland Township Pennsylvania. No date.</ref>

In 1778, British troops under Lt. Col. Abercromby marched through Willow Grove to the [[Battle of Crooked Billet]] in [[Hatboro, Pennsylvania|Hatboro]].

=== 19th century ===
By 1850, the village was a major crossroads and stage coach stop with five stage lines a day. George Rex, a blacksmith from Germantown, had developed the Mineral Springs Inn in the early 19th century.<ref>Thomas, Joe. [http://www.umha.com/PDFs/Synopis_of_UM.pdf A Synopis of Upper Moreland and Willow Grove.] Upper Moreland Historical Association. </ref> The springs contained a high concentrate of minerals, like iron and sulfur, which had a reputation of curative powers. There was a recreational park with walking trails and gardens, mineral spring water baths and stables for 100 horses. It was likely at these stables that the [[Irish diaspora|Irish emigrant]] Thomas Carolan (1806-1870) found work as a blacksmith and [[farrier]].{{Original research inline|date=January 2025}} In 1847, Carolan, wife Elizabeth Smyth (1817-1876) and their children had fled the [[Great Famine (Ireland)|Great Hunger in Ireland]] aboard the [[Patrick Henry (packet)|''Patrick Henry'']].<ref>{{Cite web |date=2022-07-27 |title=On This Day: A Famine ship carrying my Irish ancestors arrives in New York City |url=https://www.irishcentral.com/roots/history/irish-famine-ship-patrick-henry-1847 |access-date=2025-01-12 |website=IrishCentral.com |language=en}}</ref> They made their way to Willow Grove where they lived until taken in by an elderly [[Quakers|Quaker]] couple with a 100-acre farm a mile to the north east of the village. They moved to a farm near [[Fitzwatertown, Pennsylvania|Fitzwatertown]] by 1865.{{fact|date=January 2025}} [[File:Willow_Grove-Upper_Moreland_Township-Montgomery_County_Pennsylvania-1891_Baist_Map-Plate_15.tif|thumb|Atlas of the Properties Along the North Pennsylvania, Bound Brook, and Pennsylvania Railroads, William Baist, 1891]]

In 1896, Willow Grove Park was established by the owners of the [[Philadelphia Transportation Company|Philadelphia Rapid Transit Company]] as an escape from the hot summers in Philadelphia. The Pennsylvania & [[Reading Company|Reading Railroad]] erected a station in Willow Grove. Soon it became a popular music venue where band leaders like John Phillip Sousa drew as many as 50,000 people a day to the concerts. The park later featured amusement rides and, for a time, was referred to as the "Music Capital of the World".<ref name=":0" />