About This Project
Welcome to a historical collaboration intended to celebrate roughly 350 years of Chester County history!
In 2020 when the world was briefly closed to deal with an influenza pandemic, I began working on what I dubbed "A Modern History of Chester County" that discussed the county's ancient past and how the automobile transformed the county after World War II. In order to bring my research to life, I came across the work of a fellow historian from Montgomery County, Yen Ho. Yen’s website brought visual life to the story in a way my writing couldn’t. So, we have collaborated to bring you a modern and illustrated history of Chester County that is navigable with the touch of your mouse.
Please feel free to join this collaboration with suggested topics, amendments and corrections.
Meet Yen
While attending Temple University, Yen Ho fell in love with Philadelphia's history and neighborhoods and decided to study historic preservation as a result. She continued her studies at Drexel University to study library and information science due to her love of historical research and helping others in need. It was during that time she started her own website where she writes the history of her hometown and the Wissahickon Valley Region.
Yen is currently working overseas in Vietnam as a school librarian at the Pennsylvania American International School. She is also on her way of becoming a certified school librarian in Pennsylvania.
Meet Mark
Mark Ashton is a retired litigation attorney who began to practice law in Chester County in 1987 on the site of the first Blue Ball Tavern. He currently serves as chair member of the West Pikeland Historic Commission and as a trustee/director of the Montgomery School and Historic Yellow Springs.
In 2020 he began work on "Chester County: A Modern History" from which much of the information compiled on this website comes. In Fall 2024 he solicited the help of a fellow Montgomery County historian, Yen Ho, to create a website celebrating the history of Chester County and marking 250 years of independence.
