Main Line Board of Realtors.

In August of 1682, Welsh Quakers from the County of Merionethshire landed in Pennsylvania. These "Merioneth Adventurers" were bound for the "Welsh Tract," granted to them by William Penn. Today, the area is Lower Merion township and Narberth borough, Montgomery County, Pennsylvania.

In the mid-19th century, the Main Line of the Pennsylvania Railroad was constructed, running from Philadelphia to Harrisburg and Pittsburgh. The route passed through Lower Merion, and like other "Main Line" towns, the area developed into an affluent community due to its convenient location.

Lower Merion township has become known for two industrial giants, the Pencoyd Iron Works and the Autocar Company. The Pencoyd Ironworks was started by the Roberts family in 1852. The company became a major bridge and structural steel supplier. The Autocar company moved to Ardmore from Pittsburgh in 1900. Autocar was a manufacturer of commercial vehicles. The company moved to Exton, Pennsylvania in 1953.

Bibliography:

Lower Merion Historical Society. "Business and Industry." Accessed November 7, 2011. http://www.lowermerionhistory.org/texts/first200/business_5.html.

Francis, Gerald A. "Celebrating William Penn's Vision and the First Welsh Settlement in Lower Merion and Narberth: 1682-2007." The Lower Merion Historical Society, 2007.

From the guide to the LMHS.01: Main Line Board of Realtors listings, 1949-1990, (Lower Merion Historical Society)