Daily Republican. [volume] ([Wilmington, Del.]) 1874-1890, 1889-03-04
DOVER
A PICTURE OF THE CAPITAL
OF THE DIAMOND STATE.
A Glance at its Early History STATE
and County NEUTRALITY-SUSPICIOUS.
Institutions and Industrial
Establishments.


tiest towns In this State, and the fact
that it is the capital constitutes IL one Of
the most important. 1t was projected
by William Penn shortly after his arri-
val In this country, although it was not
laid out until l7l7. The order authoriZ-
Ing the surveyor TO lay out the town was
issued August ilth, 1858, and the object
was TO create a town for q county eeat for
what was then known as st. Jones' coun-
ty. At that time their was no town or
village Of any size In the country and the
inhabitants realizing the Importance OF
having Il place where the public business
could be transacted sent u petition In
1899 to the council, which met In Phila-
delphia, asking that such town should
be established. Thia was granted and
the name ordered to be Dover.
Previous to this, In 1897, the frat court
house was built on the same site where
the present court house now stands.
| After the petition was granted the town
became known as Dover, and In l7l7,
when Sir William Keith was Governor Of
| Pennsylvania and the provinces. an act
was passed by the General Assembly Of
the three lower counties appointing COM
mi,siontrs to carry into effect the order
Issued by Penn tllirty-four years prey-
ously, and lay the town out 10 lots and
streets, CONNIE; cling at the court house.
An act was also passed TO encourage
tradesmen and others TO locate In the
town, and this seems to have had the de-
sired effect, for IN 1889 u became nece :
sary to enact law establishing market,
upon market lot selected by the magis-
trAtcs. The toHp, however, afterwards
seems TO have come almost to u standstill
until some years after the Revolution,
when the boundaries were extended. IL
was incorporated by an act of the Legis-
lature, passed February 10, lS29 and the
iret election for town commissioners held
In March Of the same year.
On March 9Th, 1877, an act was pass d
providing for the division of the town
iuto ur dstric's, from each Of which
two persons were TO be elected to terge
for two years and con titute a town coun-
cll. Since the construction OF the Della
ware railroad, some thirty five years ago,
the town has continued 10 grow aud in-
crease, until now It stands second in I'm
ro;t lnce in the State. The streets aye
wide aud many OF them contain hand.
some residences, which show the cul'iva-
ilon and excellent taste OF the owners.
PUBLIC BUILDINGS.
TIE ground where the Safe house ant
County buildings stand was assii ned To-
the purpose In 1775 and Caesar Rolnel
was appointed one of the trustees. Th'
old building was remodeled and repaired
Ia 1874 and placed iu tho condition which
IL row is at cost of about Is, ,OOp. Th'
State library Is IN the IT ar on the ground
floor, and 10 1t Is the old bell VIII ch wa
hung in the original courthou e In 173(
by Thomas Rodney. L Is bell was run {
In l774 to call meeting OF the people 70
the purpose of taking into consideration
the acts OF the British parliament il
shutting up the port OF Boston.
The courts were originally held in tn
Sta c House until the present court hous
was constructed In 1874. 1t contain
ofllees on the first floor with the couT
room on the second aud Large rooI
above used for theatrical exhibitions an
! other amusements. The county buildin
used by the Levy Court is neat substaI
tial brick structure, standing to tile righ
OF the Stale House. The Jail stands In th
rear of this building, and the presen
~ structure was erected in 1872. The ia
9 prooer is OF stone, but the residence {
G lhe sheriff, which adjciDs 1t in front,
built of brick. The jail has cells on th
lower and upper floors, the latter bein
. reached by staircase in the centre OF th
i building. At present there are twenty
i three prisoners, all of whom are servln
e short terms for miuor offenses, excep
10 the notorious negro burglar and THE
2 Bob Allen, who was sentenced to te
+ wears imprisonment. The whipping pos
which stands In the yard is unique al
y y fair, and bears close resemblance to q
. old pump stock. The whipping is PEI
!, formed different to the way 1t is done
: this county, as raw hide, instead OF min
/. leather thongs are used. There ar
J. places morticed In the sides of the post i
n which pieces are put ior pillory, whtl
K one is nee ded.
I, CHURCHES.