Editing Chester, Pennsylvania (section)

===19th century===
In the 1700s and 1800s, Chester was a hub for business due to easy access to the Delaware River for the transport of raw materials and finished goods by ship. By the mid-1800s, many textile mills and factories were built along [[Chester Creek]] including the Upland Mills by [[John Price Crozer]]{{sfn|Ashmead|1883|p=320}} and the Powhattan Mills by [[David Reese Esrey]] and Hugh Shaw.{{sfn|Ashmead|1883|p=321}}

During the [[War of 1812]], a group of volunteers from Chester called the Mifflin Guards was raised and led by [[Samuel Anderson (Pennsylvania politician)|Samuel Anderson]]. The troops were sent to [[Fort DuPont]] to defend the Delaware River from the threatened attack of British Admiral [[George Cockburn]] but did not see any action.{{sfn|Ashmead|1883|p=210}}

In 1851, the Delaware County seat was moved from Chester to the borough of [[Media, Pennsylvania|Media]].<ref>{{cite web|last1=Mayberry|first1=Jodine|title=Media, Pennsylvania|url=http://philadelphiaencyclopedia.org/archive/media-pennsylvania/|website=www.philadelphiaencyclopedia.org|access-date=5 June 2017}}</ref> On February 14, 1866, Chester was incorporated as a city{{sfn|Ashmead|1884|p=333}} and the first mayor elected was [[John Larkin, Jr. (businessman)|John Larkin, Jr.]]

In 1871, the [[Delaware River Iron Ship Building and Engine Works]] was opened by [[John Roach (shipbuilder)|John Roach]] through the purchase of the [[Reaney, Son & Archbold]] shipyard.{{sfn|Swann|1965|pp=51, 56}}{{sfn|Heinrich|1997|p=51}} The first steel ships of the U.S. Navy were built at the Roach shipyard.{{sfn|Smith|1914|p=38}} For the first 15 years of operation, it was the largest and most productive shipyard in the United States.  More tonnage of ships were built at the Roach shipyard than its next two competitors combined.

Roach built other businesses to supply materials for his shipbuilding including the [[Chester Rolling Mill]] in 1873 to supply metal hull plates and beams, the [[Chester Pipe and Tube Company]] in 1877 for the manufacture of iron pipes and boiler tubes, and the [[Standard Steel Casting Company]] in 1883 to supply steel [[ingots]].

Roach built the [[Combination Steel and Iron Company]] in 1880 to supply steel rails and other products for businesses beyond the Roach shipyard. He lost control of the company after his shipbuilding enterprise entered [[receivership]] in 1885.