Wilmington daily commercial. [volume] (Wilmington, Del.) 1866-1877, 1873-06-10
FIRST EDITION.
WILMINGTOR's sUBuRBs.

soMkTHIfo ABOUT WEST wILMINdToN-ITs EsTAB-
LIsHhEST AND GROWTH AND sKRToH OF DR..
JOHN A. BROWN, THE FOUNDER.
West Wilmington means all tho thickly
populated region west Of the city line 90 far as the
Latimer property, distance, probably, Of be-
tween one-half and three quarters of a mile,
lying on both sides of the Newport pike, now
known by as Maryland Avenue. Co.,. .tt
Within these limits, up to the year 1865, there
were only three or four country mansions
amongst which may be mentioned those of Mes
srs. Stroud, Lslimer, Mcdaniel, and Dr. Brown,
the last Of whom in addition to his residence had
built what was first called the q Living Home"
aud subsequently the Sixth Avenue House ="
This latter building was for some time used for
hospital for decrspid and aged persons, and dur
ing the Rebellion largo number of manned and
sick soldiers were sent there by the government.
and DIR, Brown. though accused of being q rebel
sympathizer." performed the duties OF govern
ment surgeon satisfactorily, and received the
thanks of many soldiers. h 81 d
In 1865. the Doctor thought he perceived the
great want of cheap tenement houses for the
lab0ring people of Wilmington, and concluded
to sell on part of his farm In lots, upon such
terms as to insure to the purchaser the possess
sion of house and lot, in seven or eight years
by monthly payment of not more than the rent
Of an ordinary house in the city Of Wilmington,
This plan was thought by some even Of our
shrewdest business men to be somewhat visiona-
ry. and indeed from very few did it receive the
encouragement which it's SUCCESS now
shows 1t deserved. A large field between
the Doctors residence and the railroad
was surveyed and staked of into ave-
nues and streets, and at q public sale
of lots, with but few buyers the new town was
commenced, the first building which was a
small two-story frame finished in 1868. Amongst
the first settlers in the new town were Isaac
RUSSELL Nicholas Coleman, and John Taylor,
who purchased lots, aud by the payment Of
regular monthly rental now own neat and COM
Portable dwelling houses. The town at this time
went by the name of "Browntown," by which it
was known for several years, but it is now gener
ally called a part Of West Wilmington.
From this commencement of one house in 1868,
there are now, after the lapse of only five years
sixty dwelling houses, besides twenty-five tene-
mert houses. and a church ou tue south side OF
the railroad, all occupied and used by colored
people.
This part Of the new settlement was named
New Liberia, and the Doctor, who was straight
out, last fall will upon no condition. so far as
he has control, allow a colored family to pur-
chase or live upon property north of the rail
road. At the same time that he preserves dis
tinct line between the black and white settle
ments he has no hesitation in employing his
colored tenants as laborers and mechanics
As the spirit OF building and improvements
become more active in BrowntoWn. those OWL
ing property along Maryland avenue caught it's
spirit, and recently lots have been sold by the
Christiana River Improvement Company aud by
private parties, and handsome brick tenements
and stores springing up. Within ninety
days. thirty houses, in this section, will have
been completed, not including sixteen more un-
der way in Browntown.
There is. for the population here large two
story school house, the school containing over
seventy-hve pupils. IL will be in charge of
Miss Ellie O. Finney, capable instructor. but the
number OF scholars becoming too large for one
person, an additional teacher has been appoint
ed. A mission Sunday School has for some time
been. carried on in this school house, by some
members Of the Union Nj. church, and now
committee has been appointed by the same
church to solicit subscriptions for the building
of Mission Church on Maryland avenue.
DIR. John A. Brown, the moving spirit Of West
Wilmington apparently possesses the vim and
activity of middle age but he has already reached
three-score and added four years more the
shady side. He is native. of Massachusetts
where he studied and practiced medicine very
successfully, but with the same independence
and disregard for established customs, which
characterizes everything he does
He afterwards practced his profession in New
York, from whence he removed to Delaware, "a
years ago and bought the property upon which
not only he but between 800 or 400 other persons
live in comfortable homes. He considers it no
drcredit to be called " Oarpet-Bagger," of
which class he claims to be successful repre
sentative. 1t is but justice to say in order to
correct an erroneous opinion. that at the time OF
the Dorr Rebellion in Rhode Island, he did not live
in the State. He says however, as Dorr was on
the right side, as the lapse of time has fully
proven, it was no discredit TO have been his
friend, and to have lost several thousand dollars
in assisting him in his struggle for popular
rights
Always Democrat and during the late
war accused, with much show of truth, OF en-
tertaining warm sympathies with those in arms
against the government he yet refuses TO wor-
ship any other political god, or adopt any other
principles than those enunciated by the Della
ware White Mans Party. In prospective polit-
ical view, he is heartily in favor Of many Of the
reforms advocated by the Republican party, and
thinks it would be wise policy to let the republi-
cans carry the State at the next gubernatorial
election, and let them enact their agitated re-
throw and establish the Democrats in power for
many years TO come.