The Fell family established spice mills in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, in 1766, purveyed by the mid-nineteenth century ground spices, coffees, chocolates, and mustards, as well as drugs and flour. In 1828, Jonathan Fell (1771-1829) bought Oliver Evans' (1755-1819) mill at Faulkland from John Foulk (1780-1850). On Fell's death in 1829, the firm was managed by his two eldest sons, Courtland J. Fell (1803-1848) and Thomas Jenks Fell (1805-1834), as C.J. Fell & Bro.; after their deaths, by their brothers Franklin Fell (1814-1875) and Jonathan Fell, Jr. (1816-1868). The latter, a physician, gradually left its management to his brother Franklin Fell and son William Jenks Fell (1839-1903). The Fell family papers consist of business and personal papers documenting the manufacturing business, C.J. Fell & Bro. Franklin Fell (1814-1875) and his son William Jenks Fell (1839-1903) papers form the bulk of the collection. The papers are arranged into seven series: Early papers, C.J. Fell & Bro. papers, Courtland J. Fell (1803-1848) papers, Jonathan Fell (1816-1868) papers, Franklin Fell (1814-1875) papers, William Jenks Fell papers, and Various papers.