Delaware gazette and state journal. (Wilmington, Del.) 1883-1902, 1891-11-05
IN OLD LANDMARK.


at Groenbank for Joseph w. III. Watson
trustee, to Herman Mcdaniel of Union,
vile, Pa, for the sum of $10,675. There
Is connected with the mill property q
tract Of land comprising 80 acres, with
mill and tenant house and stone dwell
ing. The mill was purchased by Henry
Clark in 1888, and since then has beer
operated by Mr.. Clark and his brother
The mill will still be operated as u girls
mill.
There is indeed history connected with
the old Philips mill building at Green
bank, which was sold the other day. The
| property has been o mill from New Castle
! coIlntv's earliest settlements. Ii is not ex
actly knowuinst when the original struc
| tnre was eree;ed. but the foundation stone
was laid long before the war OF the Revo
luton, or at least chronologists say So In
TACT it is said that the ancient grist mill
! was once operated by the Swedes and that
for a long time it bore no other namethan
the Old swedes mill. This was when New
tastleconnty was in her neutrality-suspicious.
when Wilmington was growing from what
might be. called a good sized borough TO u
large and prosperous city.
| There is no record to show how fre-
| quen,ly the mill changed hands in its
earliest history but along about the wear
lfso the premises were put W at sheriff
sale and Robert Philips, long since passed
away was the highest bidder and likewise
the purchaser. There was quite Iii fer
ence between the old log mill Of over a
century ago and the fine stone structure
| OF the present day. In 1892 Mr., Philips
decided thar the old log mill was entirely
inadequate for the increased demands
from the neighboring farmers who locked
from fur and near with their grists TO be
ground into flour, and consequently an
ADDITION was built, and the mill was OPP
| Grated more extensively than before.
DURING the war Of 1912 the old log mill
was levelcd to the ground by Mr. Philips,
ana handsome stone structure stood
where the building Of logs used to stand.
inns was then for some time operated as q
wooden mill Here was woven some Of
the best cloth that wool could produce.
ihe properly continued TO be operated US d
WOODEN mill until 1898, when John G.
Philips became the purchaser of the prop-
erty. John q, Philips began operating the
frame part as grist mill again, and con
tinued 10 do 50 until 1851, when Calvin and
William G, Philips, his sons assumed
charge. Calvin Philips continued in
operating the grist mill for time, when
he relinqushed his share and went to
Philadelphia to reside. Then it was
that /. y: Philips, now living az
49, f'Vt al bllItll Nbfppt, III InlS
city, became his brother Williams partner
in the milling business, and the trade was
carried on IS before. This was in 1851,
and |. p. Philips operated the mill until
about three years ago when he disnosed
Of the properly 70 james aud Ellis Clark
for $1,000 During l. D. Philips time Il
portion Of the building was also
operated as n spoke-trrning and bending
mil. MT Philips made improvements
fFa ]. L..
was in his hands and since the Glarks pur
chased it, 5000 more has been spent for
mnre-improved machinery, making the
total value of the property over S2000U
The sum realized oil Thursday for the
mill property, tenement house, large stone
dwelling and 30 acres Of land was but
SluGsh.
In 1892 oliver Evans, an inventor of mill
machinery fitted the building IN with new
elevators and hopper boys, and this in.
proved machinery was subsequently, pur-
chased from The patentee by Robert
Philips, the first Of that long line of an
cestors TO operate the mill Evans ma
ehinery wa 4 remarkable invention for
those days and was a wonder to the neigh
bOrhuod.
Astoryist told Of party of mill operators
coming % the Old Swedes mill to examine
the machinery with a view to purchasing
it and introducing the same in their own
nnlls. When the capitalists entered they
found the mills running i'll full blast and
not person could be found in the htlil1A
ing. search was Instituted for the
operator and Evans wasFfinalfy discovered
III u hay field quarter of a mile away
busy with the harvest! The machinery
was so constructed as to permit of the
operators leaving sufficient quantity Of
gram III the hoppcrs and going away for
several hours while the machinery
hummed On the same as before Its need
less ta say that the visitors decided to
adopt the machinery in their.own mill.
The mill has and has always possessed
one If tile best water powers In the State,
ana It's fall is acceptance. This made the
property very valuable for milling pur-
poses. .r
Probably the most important incident
OF all connected with the mill property is
that which occurred during the revolu.
tlonary war, when Washngton's army
was entamped on all sides of the old grist
mill along Red Clay creek The American
troops We're scattered all along Red CLAY
creek preparatory to the battleof Brandy
wine, while the British funded AZ EFF,
landing in Maryland and reached the Old
limestone road about three miles from
Stanton Thence they marched on towards
the 3randywine.
While the British were proceeding on
toward the Brandywine. Washington
troops had located the enemies movements
through scouts sent ont all along the line
Of mach. The American troops committed
several acts q depredations while en-
camped along Red Clay creek, and Of those
plltefinE expeditions was Il serious annoy-
nlee e Old Miller Philips and his good
good wife, Mrs. Philips Had lust finished
baklng large oven heaped with pies and
Dread ana yariphs other edihlcs furnished
loihe men In the mills. and while her
paek WIS turned the soldier boys appru-
priille ing pastry from the oven and made
On with II to their tents lii those DAYS
the Philips had an Old clay oven 10xG feet
~ dimension erected i'll the garden, where
AZ the baking was done, an oven long since
abolished. lhe soldiers watched their
CHANCE and when Mrs Philips returned to
draw out the pies and bread with long
lA7le riin the oven, thtre was no bread Or
~ !" Re found. he matter was reported
" General Washington Who caused 4
guard % Sc placed urailAd Tie oven .,nl
a.lief IhAi Ars. Philips continued her hak-
lllss tnd ,iarbctl, Tho Old stone dwelling
+ sIill tintlilss on tile banks across from
tue NM but the ancient bread OVEN was
long ago torn down
Co
SUCCfSsFnL E.1TSCH.
Pretty Ceremony N thu ship-yard of the
't.t - - ilihssNorih Company.
:, he steamer Maine, building by the
i IT, AZ y ii9lllhsswprtA Company for the
lfeNlthnte q NiVaingtan Steamship Com
pany was success fully launched saturday
morning. Driving the Wedges began n
ll.ll o'clock, ami eight minutes later tile
majestic vessel glied gracefully from the
%aNs 9he was ehfistened by Mrs Samuel
j 5laraei and the launch was superin-
tynaed ~ y. K. BENSON Tic shil.yard
.fllN f,f f,a "a u, ~ =
ddg -bedeclled in honor Of the OCCASION
ana about 1000 spectators were present
Hesides Mrs. Clarke the following visitors
were IN attendance: j. W. Miller bresi-
denii Richard Demilg, assistant 10 the
president; O i briggs, general passenger