Will Snite’s Stage Coach

History Spotlight by Doug Humes

Recently I came across the grave of William F. Snite at the Marple cemetery. And I asked him, “Haven’t we met?” His name is on an old stage coach ticket in our archives. So I went looking for his story.

Will Snite’s gravestone in the Marple cemetary

Photo courtesy of Marple Historical Society

In 1880, Will was 16 years old, a laborer for James Dunwoody at his farm (at the Octagonal School) bordering West Chester Pike. The road ran past the farm and up to the stage coach stop at the Newtown Square Hotel, and then on to West Chester. Will Snite would see that stage coach while at work in the farm field. And he had an idea. Why couldn’t he run a daily stage coach from Newtown Square to Philadelphia and back?

Newtown Square Hotel

Photo courtesy of the Newtown Square Historical Society

With two horse and a wagon, he could haul passengers and freight each way. It was an 11-mile trip, and he could offer daily service to and from the city, as we can see from the advertising flyer he printed in 1887, at age 23, as the proud proprietor of the Newtown & Philadelphia Stage Coach.

Promotional flyer for Will Snite’s Stage Coach

Photo courtesy of Newtown Square Historical Society

Leaving the Square at 7:15 each morning, Will made his first stop at Broomall 25 minutes later; then 35 minutes to Eagle Road, then 30 more to Upper Darby, and then delivered his passengers to the William Penn Hotel at 38th & Market in Philadelphia at 9:30am.

His return trip did not leave till 3:45 pm, so during the day he did short hauling - picking up packages at the various stores in the city to bring them back to the farm families who had ordered goods unavailable in the communities on his route. On a slow day he could catch up on all of the news and gossip along the way. It was a good life – easier than farm labor.

William Penn Hotel, West Philadelphia

Photo courtesy of Newtown Square Historical Society

Nothing lasts forever. The railroad came to Newtown Square in 1893, and the West Chester trolley line came a few years later. Will Snite and his two horses could not compete, and soon his stage coach was out of business. He returned to farming, left the area, and returned at death to Marple cemetery, where I found him.

Wouldn’t you love to climb aboard the Newtown & Philadelphia Stage Coach in 1888 and spend the day traveling into town with the young Will Snite, and hearing the rest of his story?

For more history on Newtown Square, Delaware County, and membership information, please visit the website of the Newtown Square Historical Society:

www.HistoricNewtownSquare.org