Wilmington daily gazette., 1873-05-17
Hope Tor Milford.
THE OLIVER CLAIM DENIED, AND rHE TOWN FRO
BABLY SAFE


THE OLIVER CLAIM DENIED, AND THE TOWN FRO
DABLY SAFE.
ltwil be remembered, uat on Saturday last
we published an article statihg THAI oae Thomas
Oliver, of West Chester County, New York, had
IL Id clam to the ground on which the town of
Milford stands, with apparently good grounds for
substantiating the same. The claim, however, is
denied, and the people of Milford eomforted, by
the following article, written by legal gentle.
man OF Georgctown, which we copy, from tie
Milfor1s Nelos -
do not think that our Milford fl ends need be
much troubled about this stale eIaim-if indeed,
| claim is seriously contemplated to your town.
MI Joseph Oliver, the cider, owned the lands on
which the town of Milford was built. I remem-
Der the old gentleman very we'll. He lies buried
IN small pri. ate burial ground, the lot back
of who're Mrs. Ann Hall, widow, or Of the lot
where Dr. Clark lived, Southwest Of the lot On
which Il. s. Hemmons, Esq, resides. Mr. Oliver
was called IN my days, or when | was a child,
'FIhe Lord Mayor of Milford" which ANNOYED
him very much l have frequently heard my
father say that he understood that Joseph Oliver
PnroEase the lands on which Milford is located,
OF man named Walton-0nd il remember cor
rectly-IIarman Walton. There was then but
one house on the land-the old Walton house
standing, thinR, on the lot where Thomas Wal.
lace, ESQ, lately resided and kept y store. A. w.
Ladock, or Levin Chopper, butt the house IN
winch Mrs. 0oveIno Cansey now resides, (After-
wards owned by my father), in the year l7T0.-
lie was engaged IN large mercantile business !;
and was wealthy man. Milford was then called
CroRpc''s Landing. Mr.. Cropper dIcd, leaving a
widoT, whom Gov. Daniel Rogers afterwards mar
RED, 10y whom hc had four sons. james ROgers,
who became Aitorney-geneIal. Thomas w. Ro-
gers, afterwards Judge OF the Supreme Court in
HennsY Ylvania, and Daniel Rogers.
In the year l7SO, Joseph Oliver obtained an
Act OF the General Assembly to erect a bridge
over Mispillion Crcek-this was at Choppers
Landing, at Milford. This Act was afterward re-
pea'ed. Before the construction Of this, bridge,
and the subsequent erection OF the Milford Mills,
the State or Kings Road leading from Dover to
Lewes, crossed the Mspiliion Creek at q point
called "The Three Runs"-traces of the causeWav
are still TO be seen, above the upper island in the
Milford mill pond This road ran from the Pres
byterian Westinghouse, on the south side Of the
creek, called the Three Runs Meeting house"
burial ground belonging to that church can yet be
seen lhis road then ran across the lands of Mr.
Chopper, by, or near, the old Rogers burying
ground. The tide OF the MIspillion then flowed
up TO the Haven Mills. l remember when vessels
passed through the draw bridge up to----gran-
aFy. Mr.. Joseph Oliyef the Lord Mayor, cold off
ground rent of the lands be then owned, and
these ground rents were very valuable and still
hold, and are regularly collected! 81
Mr. Oliver left a will, in which he devised some
lots to bis son Joseph, known as Capt. Joseph
Oliver, and TO his daughter, Mrs. Reville, wife of
ReVilie, ESQ., the father of WIN. T. Reville, Esq,
but the bulk of his estate the old "IorIl Mayor"
devised to his youngest son, Samuel Oliver, of
whom Elias Shoekley, ESQ was guardian. we'll
remember all these people. But in regard to the
"claim', said to be NOW set lIPby Mr. 9honas Oh
iver am inclined to think It is, and wiz be
found TO be myth. ...,