▁County , ▁Pennsylvania , ▁United ▁States ▁about ▁ ▁north west ▁of ▁Philadelphia ▁and ▁ ▁sout heast ▁of ▁Reading , ▁on ▁the ▁Sch u yl kill ▁River . ▁P ott st own ▁was ▁laid ▁out ▁in ▁ 1 7 5 2 – 5 3 ▁and ▁named ▁Pot ts gro ve ▁in ▁honor ▁of ▁its ▁founder , ▁John ▁Pot ts . ▁The ▁old ▁name ▁was ▁abandoned ▁at ▁the ▁time ▁of ▁the ▁incorpor ation ▁as ▁a ▁bor ough ▁in ▁ 1 8 1 5 . ▁In ▁ 1 8 8 8 , ▁the ▁limits ▁of ▁the ▁bor ough ▁were ▁consider ably ▁extended . ▁P ott st own ▁is ▁the ▁center ▁of ▁a ▁product ive ▁far ming ▁and ▁da ir ying ▁region . ▁ ▁P ott st own ' s ▁iron ▁and ▁steel ▁interests ▁were ▁once ▁extensive . ▁There ▁were ▁large ▁rolling ▁mill s , ▁furn aces , ▁n ail ▁works , ▁text ile ▁mill s , ▁bridge ▁works , ▁agricult ural - im plement ▁works , ▁bo iler ▁and ▁machine ▁sh ops , ▁found ries , ▁and ▁manufact ories ▁of ▁br icks , ▁sil ks , ▁sh ir ts , ▁hos ier y , ▁etc . ▁In ▁ 1 9 0 0 , ▁ 1 3 , 6 9 6 ▁people ▁lived ▁there ; ▁in ▁ 1 9 1 0 , ▁ 1 5 , 5 9 9 ; ▁in ▁ 1 9 2 0 , ▁ 1 7 , 4 3 1 ; ▁and ▁in ▁ 1 9 4 0 , ▁ 2 0 ,