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"Rising Sun Avenue takes its name from an early village of Philadelphia located at the intersection of Germantown Avenue, Old York Road, and Westmoreland Street. The village, originally called Sunville, was settled by two young men, Heinrich Frey and Joseph Plattenbach, in 1680 [two years before the founding of Philadelphia?]. At that time, they operated a blacksmith shop at the present corner of Front and Arch Streets [right next to I-95]. A frequent visitor, tradition tells us, was Joseph, son of Chief Tamane of the Lenni-Lenape. At Joseph's suggestion, the two young smiths followed him through the woods to the tribe's headquarters. There they were made adopted tribal members. Before they returned to the city, Tamane is supposed to have taken them to a spot near where Germantown Avenue meets Old York Road and told them the tribal council had decided that all the land in that region was theirs--"until the Great Spirit should call them to the Eternal Wilderness." At that moment, the tale continues, the sun was rising in the east and the young men named the spot Aufgehende Taune or Rising Sun."
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Quondam © 2008.06.26 |