History of the Borough of Coatesville (1881); Chester County, PA Contributed for use in USGenWeb Archives by Sandra Ferguson . *********************************************************************** USGENWEB ARCHIVES NOTICE: Printing this file within by non-commercial individuals and libraries is encouraged, as long as all notices and submitter information is included. Any other use, including copying files to other sites requires permission from the submitters PRIOR to uploading to any other sites. We encourage links to the state and county table of contents. http://www.usgwarchives.net/ *********************************************************************** from THE HISTORY OF CHESTER COUNTY PENNSYLVANIA, by Futhey and Cope (1881); The borough of Coatesville was incorporated by the Court of Quarter Sessions of Chester County in 1867. It was taken wholly from Valley gap, and is situated in the Great Valley, where it is crossed by the west branch of Brandywine, and embraces territory on both sides of that stream. A village long known as Midway, situated on the Pa RR west of the Brandywine, was included within its boundaries and is now generally known in common parlance as West Coatesville. The village of Midway was just 1/2 way between Philadelphia and Columbia, the original termini of the RR, and hence its name. Coatesville was named in honor of the Coates family. Moses Coates, the ancestor of the family , with his wife Susanna, came from Ireland ca 1717 and settled in Charlestown twp, Chester Co, whence some of their children removed to East Caln. Wm. Fleming was an early settler near Coatesville. His wife Mary was a sister of John and Thomas Moore, who settled at Downingtown. The Fleming family are now quite numerous. The noted marauder during the Rev. War , James Fitzpatrick, had one of his hiding-places at what was known as Hand's Pass, a gap in the North Valley Hill, a short distance west of Coatesville, near where the Pa and Lancaster turnpike leaves the valley.