Frankford Creek Drainage Area (1888)

SOURCE:
Bureau of Surveys, City of Philadelphia, Annual Report for 1888, pages 119-121.

The territory of this drainage area within the city limits is the largest and most extensive, and therefore the most important in future expenditure that we have; therefore it should have the preliminary study that the subject deserves.

To give a comprehensive idea of the extent of this area, the (page 120) Wingohocking creek, northwest branch, includes a large part of the villages of Germantown and Mt. Airy, in the Twenty-second Ward, containing 5,380 acres; the Tacony creek, north branch, 14,400 acres, 9,700 acres of which lie in Montgomery County, and includes the villages of Chelton Hills and Jenkintown; the little Tacony creek and Tackawanna run, northeast branch, 4,470 acres, includes the villages of Frankford, Volunteertown, and Oxford Church, in the Twenty-third Ward, and the area draining directly in the Frankford creek, between the villages of Frankford and Bridesburg, 670 acres, making the total area 20,220 acres, or nearly 32 square miles....

The territory is beautiful and rolling, with some sharp spurs and knolls generally rising gradually from tide water to 360 feet above city datum. The rectangular system of streets with grades have been projected over the whole of it, irrespective of the natural drainage channels, consequently if the drainage is to follow those artificial lines the construction will be needlessly expensive. Upon a great portion of this area, the lines and grades of the streets should be revised for drainage purposes, and the regulated water-courses that are to remain should be defined, and the sizes and grades of the main sewers determined. It is of the utmost importance for the city's interest that this work be given the attention it deserves.

The north branch of the Wingohocking creek passing through the village of Somerville east of Germantown, is a fair example. Here the sides of the valley are so abrupt that the main sewer must follow the line of the creek through private property and be inaccessible in the future, unless a street following the same be laid out and opened, requiring a revision of part of the city plan.

Another important subject to be considered before the sizes of the main sewers in this drainage area can be determined, is the question whether the city will not be required in its own defense to prevent the channel of Tacony creek from becoming (page 121) a future nuisance, by providing for carrying the sewage from this area of 9,700 acres, in Montgomery county, which is now being rapidly improved and populated.