William Penn's First Walking Purchase
Upper Makefield Township, Bucks County, Pennsylvania
Marker Inscription
This site, Towissinck or Jerricho Creek, was the northern boundary of Penn's 1st purchase of Native American land on July 15, 1682. The land purchase was measured by the distance a man could walk in a day and a half, starting from the mouth of the Neshaminy Creek. It is believed Penn walked the distance himself, covering what is now Bristol, Falls, Middletown, Newtown, Lower and part of Upper Makefield Twps.
Erected by Pennsylvania Historical and Museum Commission
The Story
In the summer of 1682, only months after receiving his charter, William Penn began acquiring land from the region's Lenape inhabitants under a distinctive measure: the distance a man could cover on foot in a day and a half, walked out from the mouth of Neshaminy Creek. This spot along Towissinck (Jerricho) Creek marked the northern edge of that first purchase, which took in the ground that became Bristol, Falls, Middletown, Newtown, and the Makefield townships. Tradition holds that Penn made the walk himself, at an unhurried pace that reflected his early intent to deal fairly.
Why it matters
This first, comparatively honest transaction stands in sharp contrast to the notorious 1737 'Walking Purchase' that his heirs would later stretch to defraud the Lenape—making it a benchmark for how quickly good faith between colonists and Native nations could erode.
Own a business near here? Add it to the map.
Related people
- · William Penn
Related events
- · Walking Purchase of 1682
Themes & tags
Nearby & related markers
Walking Purchase
Wrightstown Township, PA · est. 1949
At sunrise on September 19, 1737, three chosen walkers—Marshall, Yeates, and Jennings—set out from this spot to measure the land Pennsylvania claimed under the Walking Purchase. Over a day and a half, Edward Marshall pressed on past present-day Jim Thorpe, covering some 65 miles far to the north and west. The punishing pace stretched the purchase well beyond what the Lenape believed they had agreed to.
Playwicky Indian Town, 1682 - PLAQUE
Lower Southampton Township, PA · est. 1925
In the earliest years of Penn's colony, an Unami Lenape community known as Playwicky stood in the vale by the run and springs south of here. Their leader was Tammany, a chief of the Turtle clan who became famous for his dealings with William Penn and, later, as a folk symbol of American liberty. In 1683 he and his people sold Penn the land between the Neshaminy and Pennypack Creeks.
Katharine Drexel (1858-1955)
Bensalem Township, PA · est. 2004
Born to a wealthy Philadelphia banking family, Katharine Drexel turned her inheritance toward the people her era most neglected. After professing her vows in 1891 she founded the Sisters of the Blessed Sacrament and spent more than four decades building mission schools and churches for Native and African American communities, including Holy Providence School near this spot. In 2000 the Catholic Church recognized her as a saint.
Walking Purchase
Tinicum Township, PA · est. 1949
The 1737 Walking Purchase depended on three hired walkers, but the punishing pace took its toll. Near this point Solomon Jennings gave out after roughly 19 miles from the start at Wrightstown, leaving Edward Marshall to carry the walk to its grueling end. Jennings turned toward his home on the Lehigh River.