Oxford residents and the “prominent and curious people” in the area who traveled to Oxford had the opportunity to witness some important local history on the morning of December 22, 1860.

In “Oxford Now & Then,” a history of Oxford that was written, edited and published in June of 1976 by Girl Scout Troop 1185, recounted the events of that long ago day like this:

“The very first train arrived in our town on December 22, 1860, with the flags flying and the bands playing. On that day there was fog and drizzle, but the sun came out by 10:00 a.m. The special train that had left West Chester was pulled by the engine, “Rockdale.” It pulled a half dozen cars and was crowded with prominent and curious people who came to Oxford. The train arrived at the squatty station South Third Street where it was met by a reception committee, a company of soldiers, and the Cornet Band. Afterward, a great feast was served at Oxford Hall. A brand new station was built on the East side of the tracks shortly after the first train arrived on Railroad Street. Here it stayed until about 1900.”

The arrival of trains in Oxford changed the town’s future. 

Oxford had very humble beginnings, but was destined to be “in the middle of things.”

Oxford’s location is approximately equidistant between Baltimore and Philadelphia and also equidistant between Lancaster, Pa. and Wilmington, Del. That worked in Oxford’s favor from the very beginning of its history, as it was a natural crossroads for commercial activity.

Oxford was once called Oxford Crossing and then Oxford Village during the 1700s.

In 1805, the Oxford Post Office was established. Oxford was officially incorporated as a borough in 1833. You can see the borough’s 200th anniversary of that event now, just on the horizon.

At the time that Oxford was incorporated, the northern half of Oxford was owned by the Dickey family. Reverend John Miller Dickey and his wife Sarah Emlen Cresson founded Ashmun Institute in 1854. The school later became Lincoln University. The Dickey family played a major role in re-routing the new Philadelphia and Baltimore Central Railroad (P&BC) through Oxford. Track was laid in the 1850s. The railroad reached Oxford in 1860 and later connected to Philadelphia and Baltimore.

Within just a few years of the trains arriving in Oxford, the town was a bustling community. The business district on Third Street was entirely re-built at this time, including the Oxford Hotel (1858) and Oxford Hall (1862). Oxford became known for its confectionery and candy businesses and was the location of many manufacturing facilities. A second railroad, the Peach Bottom Railway, was built in the 1870s from Oxford to Peach Bottom. It carried farm products and passengers but was not profitable. It struggled through three bankruptcies and reorganized as the Lancaster, Oxford and Southern Railway, finally closing permanently in 1918.

Passenger train service ended in 1935. Transportation changes ultimately resulted in Interstate 95 in 1963 and in a Route 1 bypass in the late 1960s. This resulted in a shift of much of the Philadelphia-Baltimore traffic away from Oxford. 

That was Oxford then.

You can enjoy Oxford now—following extensive revitalization efforts—during some of the holiday events coming up.

The annual First Friday Christmas celebration take place this Friday with Christmas carols and songs by the Christian Life Center, the arrival of Santa on a fire truck, and the annual tree lighting. Stores will be open for you to get a head start on your holiday shopping.

Santa’s Workshop in town will be located at KVIS & Coe Insurance at 123 E. Locust Street in Oxford. There will be plenty of fun activities for children, especially after Santa’s arrival, when children will be able to get their picture taken with Santa.

The Oxford Arts Alliance’s Artisan Gift Shop will be open on Friday from 2 p.m. to 8 p.m. and on Saturday from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m.

Oxford Feed & Lumber will offer photos with Santa and Mrs. Claus on Saturday from 9 a.m. to 11 a.m. 

Also on Saturday, from 1 p.m. to 3 p.m., the Oxford Public Library will present the Santa Extravaganza. Enjoy a special Santa show, including a read-aloud event and magic tricks from Santa. Afterwards enjoy stations with crafts, games and Santa himself.

At the Oxford Presbyterian Church, Ten Thousand Villages is open on Friday from 5 p.m. to 8 p.m. and Saturday and Sunday from 10 a.m. to noon. Ten Thousand Villages is a global maker-to-market movement that breaks the cycle of generational poverty and ignites social change. Every purchase directly impacts the life and community of its maker in a developing country. 

Lola’s, one of Oxford’s distinctive businesses, presents Men's Day from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. on Saturday. The store will make shopping easy and fun. There will be bourbon and hors d'oeuvres at noon and every purchase enters you in a contest to win a bottle of bourbon. There will also be complimentary gift wrapping, this day only. 

On Sunday, Breakfast with Santa takes place at the Octoraro Hotel & Tavern.

These holiday events are a good way to experience Oxford’s small town charm.