Middletown transcript., 1881-07-15
From the Wilmington Morning Netcs.
MIDDLETOWN.
THE INDUSTRIES AND LEADING FEA-
TURES-SOME OF THE LARGE
PROPERTY OWNERS-THE
PUBLIC SCHOOLS,
ETTC, F'Tr

ETC, ETC.
Twenty-four miles below Whining
ton, on the line of the Delaware railroad,
is MiddIetown, containing a population
of nearly 800, according to the last
census. There is very little inf0rma-
ton obtainable as to the establishment
of the town. In 1873 Adam Peterson
became owner Of 200 acres of land, em-
bracing the tract upon which Middle
town now stands, and few years later
there are records to show that there
was road from bay to bay, called "the
great cart road leading to the Apo
quinimink,' . supposed to be what is
now the main street of Middletown.
There are few descendants of old set
tiers now living in the vicinity. In
fact the present population seems al
most entirely made up Of families who
have settled there within the last cen
tury. 1t can be said with truth that
the building of the Delaware railroad
was the making of MiddletoWn. This
railroad was built in 1855, and at that
time only few scattered houses COM
posed the village. Odessa, three miles
to the eastward, was then the town OF
Importance, being on tide water, and
the shipping port for much grain, but
in the course of time Odessa has been
left in the background and MiddletoWn
has come to the front. In 1860 the
population was about 500, and in 1870
it had increased to over ], 900, and In
1880 to / 800. Middletown draws trade
from larger territory than any other
town in Delaware, and consequently IS
an active business centre. Several
large and tlourishing stores are i'll Op-
Grafton. The oldest merchantile estab-
lishment is that Of Charles Tatman Jr.
The largest store is controlled by ). M.
Reynolds & Co., whose business is very
extensive, the balance Of the trade
being deYided between w. IL. Moore
Co s., G. w. w. Naudain, NJ. L.
Hardcastle, and Benjamin Benson.
There are in addition grocery, hard
ware and drugs stores and dealers in
boots and shoes. w. L. Buckle u Son
make castings at their foundry, repair
all kinds of agricultural implements
and manufacture peculiar soldering
apparatus that is very popular. Barr
& Co. manufacture the Hamilton Drill,
the Pennington reaper and variety OF
agricultural implements. J. NJ, Cox
& Bro. have one Of the largest carri-
age manufactures in the State, south
Of Wilmington. The present firm have
been in business for the past twenty-five
years and members Of the family have
controlled the business for over forty
years. Foard & Comegys are large and
successful dealers in grain and agri-
cultural implements. Large guam
titles of all kinds of fruit are dried by
the Delmarvia Drying Company and by
G. G. Sellars. Lord & Polk, an en-
terprising firm Of young men, have
built up a large trade in phosphate.
Their manufactory is at Odessa, and
| their main office in MiddletOWn, the
two being connected by telephone, a
distance of three miles. Thomas j..
Hurn conducts large tailoring busi-
ness, which has been under his control
for the last twenty-five years. r. IL.
Eliason deals in stoves and tinware ;
and building material, lumber, hard
ware, etc., are furnished by G. E.
Hukill.
For years Middletown has been the
heaviest peach-shipping point on the
Delaware railroad. For miles in all
directions large peach orchards can be
seen and no section Of this country can
show a finer farming district nor more
thrifty and prosperous farmers. j. i.
Cochran, who was governor OF the
State from 1874 to 1878, is large fruit
grower and the owner of as fine a farm
as can be found anywhere. Edwin r.
Cochran, the Clerk Of the Peace of this
county, resides just outside OF the town
limits and is also successful fruit
grower and agriculturist. There are
three other Cochrans, brothers, named
respectively r. Thomas, William A..
and Richard W, who have accumu-
lated large and valuable properties and
are recognized as leading citizens.
William Green is also one of the most
enterprising landowners, hayining wide
spreading acres and handsome resi-
dence just on the edge OF the town.
Horatio n. Willetts lives on a beauti-
full farm Just east Of the town.
Within few years large and COM
modious residences have been erected
in the town by Benjamin I. Biggs, Il
prominent railroad man, and for four
wears a member of Congress and by
his brother, William Pierce Biggs, a
large property owner in Pencader hun
dred. Joshua Clayton, of Thomas,
resides in one of the handsOmest dwell
ings in town, built recently on the most
modern plan. The man who has done
more for the town in the way Of build
ing and improving property is Robert
"A. Cochran, one of the Oldest resi-
dents. He is the largest property
owner in the town and pays One-tenth
Of all the town taxes. He is public
spirited and enterprising. The town
has an excellent and popular citizen in
the person of Nathaniel Williams, a
retired farmer, who for some years has
been resident. He is gentleman of
intelligence and good judgment and is
one of the best-posted men in New
Castle county as regards the value Of
property and local history.
Middletown can boast what few
towns in the State can, first-class
weekly paper. Thirteen years ago
Henry Vanderford founded the Mid
dletoWn TRANSCRIPT. He conducted
| IL GNO years, anu lllCl IL I'LL W IllC
tender mercies of his son for two years
more, when Edward Reynolds bought
it and continued proprietor until four
years agon, when W. Scott Way pur-
chased it, under whose management it
has continued since. MI. Way has
succeeded in building up an excellent
newspaper. In photographed ap-
pearance it is hard to beat, and its
local and editorial departments are
managed with signal ability. The
TRANSCRIPT will at an early day oc-
cupy new building, built for its use
by Robert A, Cochran. A few years
ago large and imposing town hall
was erected with seating capacity Of
100. The ground floor is occupied by
,, stores, the second floor by the audito-
rum, and the third by lodge rooms.
The post Office occupies one of the
stores in the hall, and here D. L. Dun
ming, the polite and efficient post
master, has been in charge for the last
twenty years, except for brief term
during Andrew Johnson's admins
tration, when John L. Crouch was