Wilmington daily commercial., 1875-05-13
FIRST EDITION.
Wilmington, past ana rntu,e

=
THE PROPOSITION 70 PLACE A MONUMENT AT " THE
ROCKS -sUddFsrioS FROM pESNoCR Pussy,
| ESQ.
| To The Eiifor NJ he. Commercial:
The following communication was hastily
sEetched and handed to me by Mr.. Pennock Pu-
sey Tor Insertion in your paper, just on the eve
OF his departure for Minnesota. 1t il gratifying
to know that after an absence of about 25 years,
and residence in his Western home OF 81 years,
broken by occasional short returns, Mr.. Pnsey,
in making n more extended visit to his
| old home has taken time to renew
| his interest with us. He has not merely visited
| old friends and places, but he has studied the
conditions of our resources, and capabilities,
| and more particularly, and with the keenest zest
and surprise, has he searched Historical Socie-
| ties, Public Records, and individual pre-
| seryations and memories, for informa-
ton as TO our early history aud deeply
interesting original settlement. He has
here presented both new and revived facts that
cannot but attract the attention.o of onr people,
and he has left with them suggestion of such
teeming and interesting Importance as will
doubtless, through timely cooperation with the
owners OF the historical site in question: result
in the successful accomplishment of his anxious
wishes 1t is ilstterng to know, too, that in
the preparation of the data and material for the
article Oh Wilmington, by request of the publish
ers OF AppietOns Neir american EYciOpedid, Mr..
fuSey mas not alone learned TO CHERISH the ilBto-
ry,and memories OF our past but has equally come
to believe in the promising future of his boy
hoods home our beautiful " City on the HILL"
j. Z. II.
An old Wilmingtonian, for many years resi-.
dent of the Northwest desires to direct public
attention to the urgent Importance of setting
apart at least portion of the landing place of
the Swedes at The Rocks" and of marking the
spot with suitable monument commemorative
Of the important historical events there enacted.
Few even among wel-informed persons upon
fedrectlng their attention to the subject fail to
be impressed anew with the number and im-
portance of the events which were crowded upon
that small spot. There, in April, 1888, landed
Peter Minuit and the first Swedish Colony in
America, and there they planted the first per-
manent European settlement on the Delaware,ii
years before the arrival of William Penn.
There stood Fort Christina, which under
went prolonged siege and capture
BY Peter stuyyesant, and his
Dutch army, i'll September, lG55, a bloodless
achievement which has been humorousy immor
talized by Washington irving There lived Min
uit, leader and lirst Governor OF the Swedes, and
there probably he died and lies buried. This
the first spot dedicdted 10 Christian ,corship
on The Deldmdre,reguar religious services having
been held in a little chapel within the fort from
the first landing of the Swedes in 1858 until the
erection of a separate ed1ce for worship.
There lived the first officiating rector the Rev.
Reorus TorkillCs. There he was married and
there rest his remains There resided the earli-
est Swedish and Dutch governors and there were
held the first courts Of justiee on Me Nla,cdre
Immediately in the rear the Swedes built their
little town of Chrstnaham which the Dutch
destroyed at the siege of the fort and there
stands to-day the old Swedes church. erected in
1858, rich in clustering memories, justly an OBJ
ject of aliectionate interest not merely for the
people of this vicinity but for those of the en-
tire country.
The interest attaching TO this spot is quick
ened by its absolute identity as that upon which |
these events occurred. 1t is wholly free from |
such yeXatious doubts HI exist touching the ex- |
act locality of historical events elsewhere
Throughout the extended banks of the Delaware |
river and bay with their muddy, sandy and so-
ping shores. this was probably the only spot |
where the solid rock abutted abruptly upon tide |
water, forming natural wharf whore large ships |
could moor and unload This would fix with |
were there other doubts as TO the mat
ter. Before the dyking of the marshes they |
were covered with water at high tide forming |
large from the fast land skrted by the rail |
road to the Jersey shore. The mouth of the !
Chriatiana was then at the rocks and that of the |
Brandywlne near the bridge of the philada., |
Will. BALTIC. rail road. Upon that small
rocky pfomontofy the modest be- |
ginning of u civilization, the material results of !
which we recognize i'll the proud city of Penu |
with its teemng marts and noisy industries, no |
less than i'll the amazing development of onr |
own beloved city and the abounding achieve
ments of an energetic, prosperous. and happy |
humble beginners. We are reaping to-day the |
fruits of their faith, courage aud persistent in |
dnstry. And what can be more eloquent and |
impressive than the vivid jnxtapostion of these |
results of the old and the new which is wit |
messed to-day in that locality On the one hand |
the spot where our Swedish ancestors landed |
and made their beginning, and on the other the |
old church, the last mennonite of their original |
settlement. Between them are the proldest |
results of modern development, eXten- |
sive works for new product of iron, mans |
kipgliest agent in his trumpha, and the hourly |
passage Of trains of cars, than which nothing |
can be more expressive ut once of power, grace
and celebrity.
Will not the enlightened citizens of Whining
ton take prompt measures to rescue the spot |
from oblivion? 1t may well be doubted wheth-
er, all things considered, there is historical all
acre of ground on the Continent. A few years
more, unless action is taken, the place will be |
covered by buildings on appropriated to such |
uses as will obliterate all traces of its exact To-
caty. 1t has been suggested that portion of
the original site be set apart, and a simple mon
ument erected thereon, bearing brief inscrip-
tions descriptive OF the leading events of its
fruitful history, and that ceremonial dedica-
ton or celebration take place in connection with
the great Centennial of 1876. The subscriber
cannot doubt that 80 happy suggestion, en-
bodying proposition peculiarly appropriate
and important will commend itself to the good |
taste and liberal Judgment of the good people
of Wilmington. PEsNock PrsFf.