Before the turn of the century, Bristol was well-established industrially.  Joshua Pierce had set the pace in 1876 when he developed the Bristol Improvement Co.

    In 1882, the Wilson and Fennimore Wall Paper Co. was built.  The Thomas L. Leedom Carpet Co. came to Bristol in 1887, and in 1889, the Corona Leather Mills were established.

    Later, the David L. Landreth Seed Co. would move its operation from Bloomsdale(Landreth Manor)to join the industrial town.  The Edward Steel Wool Co., Superior Zinc and Manhattan Soap also joined the "mill-town".

    By 1883, an ordinance was passed by the borough council authorizing construction of bridges across the canal at Jefferson Avenue.  Soon houses began to appear on the northern end of town.

    Phone bells first started ringing in Bristol in 1883.  The telephone office, a one story building, was at 232 Mill St.

    The Bristol Electric Light and Power Co. had the streets lighted by incandescent electric lamps in 1889.

    In 1893, the Goodwill Hose Co. No. 3, the Beaver Fire Co. No. 4, and the Enterprise Fire Co. No. 5, were organized.  The following year, 1894, the Bristol Fire Co. was organized.

    The dedication of Bristol High School, on the corners of Wood and Mulberry Streets, was held on November 10, 1894.

    A trolley line connecting Bristol with Trenton and Philadelphia was constructed in 1903.  Another trolley line was also built from Bristol through Newtown to Doylestown.

    The Italian Presbyterian Mission was founded in 1905.  It was housed at the old Presbyterian church on Radcliffe Street until a chapel was built in 1910 on the corner of Wood Street and Lincoln Avenue.

    St. Ann's R.C.Church was also started in 1905.  A new church was built in 1908 on the corner of Pond and Washington Streets.  A new rectory has been built next to it.

    In 1908 the cornerstone for the Jefferson Avenue School was placed.   Mrs. William H. Grundy presented the school board with a check for $4,200 - the exact amount paid for the property.

    In 1910, the Grundy Woolen Mills erected a seven-story concrete storehouse, surmounted by a large clock.  The structure was the first of its type in the county.

    Also in 1910, the Bristol Courier began as a weekly and switched to a daily.  In 1954, a merger between the Courier and Levittown Times brought the paper to its present status as the Bucks County Courier Times.

    On November 11, 1911, the Pennsylvania Railroad tracks were re-routed and the passenger station moved from Market and Pond Streets to Beaver and Prospect Streets.

    Bristol Borough purchased the Bristol Water Works in 1912.  The borough sewer system was established in 1913.

    The Rohm and Haas Chemical Co. came to Bristol in 1916.  Its business at that time was manufacturing chemicals for tanning and textile trades.   Due to Bristol's excellent transportation facilities, the site selected was ideal for a growing industry.  The company moved in, built a few buildings and purchased more land for future development.  Homes and recreational facilities were built for company employees.  Rohm and Haas has grown and has been a continuous factor in the growth of Bristol.  Today, the company produces many types of plastics and conducts scientific research.

    The Zion Lutheran Church on Jefferson Avenue was formed through a merger between a German Lutheran Mission and an English Lutheran Mission in 1917.

    The American involvement in World War I may have been short one; nevertheless, it had a lasting effect on Bristol.

    The Emergency Fleet Corp. entered into a contract for the construction of 40 cargo carriers.  The 260-acre property just upriver from the town's limits was turned into a shipyard and village known as Harriman.

     Buildings were constructed, a dozen shipways were built and electrically operated boom-type cranes were installed.  A 1,135 foot fitting-out pier was built.

    The population grew to over 3,000.  Housing accommodations consisted of single homes, apartments and barracks for unmarried workers.  The town's layout was oval, with an East and West Circle at each end. 

    Harriman Village had its own police force, fire department, water and sewarge systems, heating, lighting, schools and hospitals.  It also had the "Victory Hotel" with nearly 500 rooms and the Merchant Restaurant, which served 12,000 meals every 24 hours.

    After the war, the buildings were sold at a public sale and the village was annexed to Bristol Borough.

    The Harriman Hospital was purchased by Dr. George T. Fox.  In 1922, it was opened to the public.

    In 1924, the Community Church of Harriman became the Harriman Methodist Church.
The Pentecostal Church on Wood and Walnut Streets was built in 1927.    
Also in 1927, the Municipal Building was built and presented to the Borough by Joseph R. Grundy.

    In 1930, Bristol bid a fond farewell to the ferry.  The Burlington-Bristol Bridge was built.  it was considered to be the large bridge of its type at that time.

    The borough council ordered that the Old Town Hall be torn down in 1938.

    By the time of the Second World War, Rohm and Haas and the Fleetwings Corp., as well as other industries located just outside the borough limits, were geared up to maximum production.  The Fleetwing Corp. manufactured airplanes and airplane parts.  "The Seabird", an all-aluminum, single engine seaplane, was a favorite among the townspeople.  Rohm and Haas was manufacturing Plexiglas and other acrylic products to meet the needs of the armed forces.

    With so many of the men serving in all branches of the service, women took their place in industry.  They worked the "swing shift" and "Rosie the Riveter" became a reality in Bristol.

    Aside from rationing coupons for gas, food and clothing, the Red Cross was very active.  War Bond rallies were held, Civil Defense Units were established, and "blackouts" were practiced.  Small satin banners with blue stars on a white field began to appear in windows; too many of those blue stars would turn to gold before the war was over.

    On November 13, 1945, the Hon. Joseph R. Grundy gave 14 acres of land on Jefferson Avenue to be known as the War Memorial Field.  In addition to the land, he also presented the town with a $2,500 check.

    In 1948, the Jewish Center renewed its charter and built its present Temple on Pond Street.  The Jewish Community had been founded in Bristol in 1908.

    The period between World War II and the Korean Conflict was a time of unequaled prosperity for Bristol.

    It was a time for expansion.  Fleetwing Corp. became Kaiser-Fleetwing Corp. and was revived as an airplane parts plant, employing up to 14,000 workers.

    The U.S. Steel Corp. was building a new plant just a few miles north on the river, while the Danhurst Corp and William Levitt were purchasing nearby farmland for housing developments.

    Bristol, the only town of significance between the Delaware River and the county seat in Doylestown, and between Trenon and Philadelphia , became the center of attraction.
The economy  couldn't have been better.  Mill Street was flooded with shoppers.   Shopowners remodeled their stores and carried merchandise never seen before in Bristol.
The fifties also brought the John Kenley Players to Bristol.  Opening night at the Grand Theater on Mill Street was June 20, 1955.  The show, "A Street Car Named Desire", starring Diana Barrymore, was a success.  The town loved the smell of greasepaint and enjoyed many Broadway shows, and welcomed Broadway stars into their homes.   Gloria Vanderbilt, Chester Morris, Pat O'Brien and Ethel Waters were among the celebrities to appear on stage.
The old theater stood idle for several years until Norman's Stationery purchased it when its owners remodeled its store.

In 1981, Bristol is a town of 12, 300 people.  John M. Rodgers is Mayor and Ronald Reagan is President.