The daily gazette., 1880-01-01

that year, hepoPulation OF Wilmington
was 1870, and the city was then re-
garded as flourishing little metropolis,
beginning TO loom up into considerable
Importance as manufacturing centre.
The city limits, at thai time, were the
Christiana and Brandywine on the
south and north, Buttonwood street
and portion Of the Brandywine ON the
east, Logan street and South street on
the southwest, the told York Road"
"a crooked thoroughfare part of which is
now Broome streep on the west, and
Rodney street, Kennett Pike (now
Pennsylvania Avenue), Adams street
and the Brandywine ON the northwest.
The area comprised within these limits
was about $500 acres.
The present city limits, at the opening
OF the year 1880, extend from Union
street on the west, 10 the Delaware
river on the east, width Of about three
aud one-tenth g l-10) miles, as measur-
ed along Eighth street. The southern
limits Of 1850 have been extended near
ly 1000 feet south Of the Christi ana
river TO a street not yet laid out, but to
be designated as q street, while the
northern limits have stepped across the
Brandywine and taken what was for
years known as "Brandywine Village"
into the corporate boun Is Of the city
proper, under the name and title of the
Ninth ward.
This latter extension reaches TO
Twenty-eighth street (ten squares from
the bridge at Market stieeD and both
OF them ase bounded by the Delaware
river on the east. To the southwest
The present limits extend 10 Beech
street, running down and across MARY
laud Avenue 10 the Chrisriana, and
then over to the line of the aforemen-
toned G street, south of the creek.
The junction OF Beech street and Mary
land Avenue is where the Newport Pike
toll-gate was located previous to its last
removal. In 1850 this toll-gate was in
the neighborhood Of what is now known
as Logan street now it is near the top
of the hill, beyond Browntown.
On the northwest the limits of
1850 have been extended TO the old
"Riddle's Road" and on across the
Brandywine TO the Concord Pike (now
Elliott Avenue) and Twenty eighth
street.
The present limits comprise an area
of about 400 acres.
THE BUILT UP LIMITS.
In 1850 the closely built-up limits OF
the city would be squared with tolerable
accuracy by Front street on the south,
Tenth street. In the north, Lombard
street ON the east and West street on the
west. OF course many buildings exist
ed outside Of these boundaries, but they
were stragglers from the regular lines
while In the boundaries above described
a number Of gaps existed, which have
since been filled with dwelling houses
and other structures.
What are the building limits now f?
Buttonwood street marks the limit Of
the solid array OF houses on the east, and
the Old Swede's Church Is no longer sur
rounded by vacaut lots. On the west,
the County Almshouse, which twenty
years ago was surrounded by acres OF
pasture lots and cultivated fields, now
looks down upon rows of dwelling
houses extending TO Ito very borders.
On the southwest, in the stretch of
country between the old Lancaster and
Newport Pixies new Ward (the Tenth)
has sprung into existence. On the
west side houses have gone up as II by
magic, and on the northwest the new
houses that comprise the thriving hamlet
OF "Fory Acres" extend clear 20
the present city line. Throughout the city
the vacant lots have been Improved by
the erection of houses, until now the
Wilmington of 1850 has sprung into a
prosperous and still growing city, con-
tanning over 5000 dwelling g-houses, and
population of at least 5000 people.
HOW THE CITY INCREASED.
The most strikingly rapid growth of
the city during these three decades was
IN the southwestern section, where the
Tenth Ward and the western limits of
the Third Ward are now located. The
tirst move towards the improvement of
this section was about twenty-five years
ago, when Messrs. II. e. Banning, DIR.
z. X. Porter and j. 7. Heald, purchased
large tract OF property belonging to the
John Connell estate, extending from
Adams TO Van Buren streets, and from
the Lancaster to the Newport Pixies.
This purchase was made for less than
$500 per acre, and the land was after
wards divided into building lots and sold
to various persons. Afterwards more of
the estate, lying to the westward, was
sold, and also resold into building lots.
Streets were laid out and graded, houses
went up with almost incredible rapidity,
and now this great Improvement of it
self forms separate Ward (the Tenth)
with voting population of from 500 to
1000, and an actual population of from
5000 to 1000 souls.
The John Connell, on whose estate
the bulk OF the Tenth Ward is now To-
Gated, was brother-in-law of the late
Alex. Reed, well-known citizen, who