"On a nearer approach, the city makes a poor appearance, as nothing is visible from the water but confused heaps of wooden storehouses, crowded upon each other, the chief of which are built upon platforms of artificial ground, and wharfs which project a considerable way into the river. The wharfs are of a rectangular form, and built of wood; they jut out in every direction, and are well adapted for the accomodation of shipping, the largest merchant vessels being able to lie close alongside them. Behind these wharfs, and parallel to the river, runs Water-Street."-- from Isaac Weld, Travels Through the States of North America...During the Years 1795, 1796 and 1797, p.3.
Early Philadelphia, being a port, aligned itself along the Delaware River. That is, people clustered as close as they could to the wharves for both commerce and residence, time being money then as now. Quite a few people did business and lived in structures on or next to the docks, and John MacPherson chose to denominate these addresses as "River-side." Francis White, on the other hand, with his more practical bent, decided to follow common practice by stating whatever wharf the person in question was on-- "Market Street wharf," for example. The following list is White's listings, arranged as they would have appeared on a map on which north is "up". No attempt has yet been made to align these listings.
(1785) Calwell, Captain, ship chandler and merchant, the wharf below the Drawbridge, "Captain" is capitalized for the only time in the directory, and therefore is treated as the man's first name.
(1785) Freeman, Jeremiah, captain, grocer, Callowhill Street wharf
(1785) Hamilton, Robert, brickmaker, Callowhill Street wharf
(1785) Grant, William, goldsmith and jeweller, Vine Street wharf
(1785) Smith, Thomas, sailmaker, Vine Street wharf
(1785) Turner, Thomas, merchant, Vine Street wharf
(1785) Harvey, Sampson, ship chandler, Race Street wharf
(1785) Cook, Laurence, sign Strap and Block, Arch Street Wharf
(1785) Daves, William, sailmaker, Arch Street wharf
(1785) Dudley, Mrs., shopkeeper, Arch Street wharf
(1785) Grove, Anthony, taylor, Arch Street wharf
(1785) Jacobs, William, hatter, Arch Street wharf
(1785) Older, Daniel, taylor, Arch Street wharf
(1785) Ruper, John, ferry house keeper, Arch Street wharf
(1785) Baylie, William, merchant, Market Street Wharf
(1785) Beck, Paul, merchant, Market Street Wharf
(1785) Benson, Nicholas, cordwainer, Market Street Wharf
(1785) Boyd, Andrew, house carpenter, Market Street Wharf
(1785) Fisher and Roberts, grocers, Market Street wharf
(1785) McLaughlin and Taggart, grocers, Market Street wharf
(1785) Rolston and Holmes, merchants, Market Street wharf
(1785) Taggart and McLaughlin, grocers, Market Street wharf
(1785) Turner, Robert, sign Wilkes and Liberty, Market Street wharf
(1785) Harper, William, grocer, Crooked Billet wharf between Chestnut and Market
(1785) Weaver, Adam, Crooked Billet wharf between Chestnut and Market
(1785) Hughes and Anthony, merchants, Chestnut Street wharf
(1785) McPherson, John, merchant and broker, Chestnut Street wharf
(1785) Forbes, William, merchant, Walnut Street wharf
(1785) King and Harper, merchants, Walnut Street wharf
(1785) Morris and Wistar, ship chandlers, Walnut Street wharf
(1785) Strawbridge, John, inspector of tobacco, Walnut Street wharf
(1785) Read, Samuel, merchant, Spruce Street wharf
(1785) Canby, Thomas, flour merchant, Stamper's Wharf
(1785) Rudolph, John, flour dealer, Stamper's wharf near Spruce
(1785) Waln, John, flour merchant, Stamper's wharf
(1785) Boys and McIlvain, merchants, Hollingsworth's wharf between Spruce and Union
(1785) Pugh, Mrs., innkeeper, Hollingsworth's wharf
(1785) Turnbull and Marmie, merchants, on their wharf at Pine
(1785) Burchall, John, merchant, Turnbull's Wharf, corner of Pine
(1785) Lattimer, George, flour merchant, Turnbull's Wharf near Pine
(1785) Evans, Edward, merchant, South Street wharf
1791 listings:
(1791) Bright, Michael, biscuit baker, Bright's wharf
(1791) Ash, James, labourer, Cowperthwaite's wharf, Northern Liberties
(1791) Page, James, carter, Cowperthwaite's wharf, Northern Liberties
(1791) Scott, James, baker, Cowperthwaite's wharf, Northern Liberties
(1791) Town, Thomas, corder, Cowperthwaite's wharf, Northern Liberties
(1791) Adams, John, corder, Cuthbert's wharf, Northern Liberties
(1791) Streaton, Mary, widow, John Britton's wharf, Northern Liberties
(1791) Holmes, John, labourer, Pringle's wharf, Northern Liberties
(1791) Johnson, Hannah, widow, Pringle's wharf, Northern Liberties
(1791) Kraemer, Christopher, Pringle's wharf, Northern Liberties
(1791) Byrne, Edmund, tavernkeeper, Crooked Billet wharf
(1791) Snyder, Caspar, cooper & grocer, Vine St. Wharf
(1791) Fitzsimmons, John, merchant, Walnut Street Wharf
(1791) Meade, George, merchant, Walnut Street wharf, also at 78 Walnut St.