Evening journal. [volume] (Wilmington, Del.) 1888-1932, 1893-11-01
AN ISLAND ANTIQUITY.
Swede, Dutch and English
Contended for Cherry Island.
EARLY OWNERS AND DRAINAGE

payers for Help
"Now that Cherry Island Marsh is &C
cupying so much space In the papers,
think that the public should be enlight.
ened as to its history, for IL has one, ex.
tending over $50 years, said an old vii.
mingtonian TO an EVENING JOURNAL re.
porter yesterday.
Tell us all you know about 1t, said
the reporter.
ITO begin with, was the reply.
CHERRY Island Marsh, as it is now called,
has been a desirable piece OF land since
the first Swedish settlement in Delaware
in 1888 At that time it was a small
patch OF land called Marathon.
Near the time of the first settlement,
two Swedes, Peter largo and Hendry
Jacobse took up their abode on the
Island It consisted of some six or seven
acres Of upland. Most of the other land
contiguous thereto was subject TO over
flow from the Delaware or this there
was about LOCO acres IL was bounded
on the south by the Delaware, west by
the Brandywiue, north by the Shellpot
aud east by the fast land of Trinity or
Verdritigo Hook, now Edge Moor.
The Dutch and English Step In.
The Dutch got possession Of the
country in 1866 In 1857 Deputy
Governor p. Alrick laid claim to Cherry
Island and held 1t until the English took
possession of Delaware. Then William
Thorn, Esq, succeeded Alrck in the
Cherry Island ownership. It was classed
as 800 acres, with due allowance for
roads After holding It for some tins,
De Haes succeeded.
"rhe Swedes continued to hold posses
sion of the upland, and devoted them
seves TO building small boats, yachts,
tubs, buckets and other useful things
for the people who had settled In New
Sweden. When Penn got control he
wanted everybody TO pay quit rent for
their land, Cherry Island included 1t
was desirable land. Jargoe and Jacobs
would not or could not pay what was de.
manded. so they were dispossessed
William Stacey got the upland, or island
and gave it the name Of Cherry Island
The name was derived from species of
small plum, sometimes called mountain
cherries, which grew there in abundance.
I'm the year 1iAS William Bedford in
his own right, and In trust for the heirs
OF Sarah and William Neering, had IT,
surveyed II was found to contain 730
acres. Six per cent was allowed for
roads, or, in other words, six acres out
Of every 100.
The First River Banks.
In 1851 they started to put bank
along the Delaware river from Edge
Moor to the Christiana. It was about
mtle aud a half long. Also along the
east sides of the Christiana and Brandy
wine, mp TO Timber Island. the fast land
at Pullman's car works. This bank was
over a mile long and ended where the
voat navigation of the Shellpot ends. ~
took several years to complete the banks
the work being undone by the storms
aud high tides
Cut Up Into Building Lots.
In l775 the owners began selling
marsh lots, which had become desirable
for hay-getting purposes, to supply the
farmers OF Brandywine and Christians
hundred with provender Each lot sold
contained few acres The new owners
ditched them and thereby served a
double purpose-that Of lines of owner
ship, and holding the overflow from the
Delaware river and that shed by the
Highlands, to the west and north.
Thomas Babb's Canal and sluice.
In 1914 Thomas .Babb, an able and
inventive farmer, conceived the idea of
cutting a canal from the Shellpot.
through Island Greek to the Delaware
river, just below Edge Moor. He put
his conception to practical use A large
sluice gate TO drain all the water of the
east end OF Cherry Island marsh and do
away with the Brandywine sluice, so
that all the small runs could be led into
the now useless channel Of the Shellpot
thence through slulce into Babb's
canal and out into the Delaware river.
was built IL might have been let into
the Christian through what is now
jackson & Sharp's yard. Any man with
common sense can see at a glance that
Thomas Babb's plan was proper and
effective
The Work of Seventy-Gve Years.
Seventy 1--we years and two genera.
tions Of people bsve passed away. Some
Of the owners raised hay. others grass.
and one man actually started grave
yard on Cherry Island marsh Others
used the bitches as repositories for all
kinds of garbage The banks have been
broken and patched and broken time and
time gain; the property has changed
hands many times, each man believing
he would be ultimately enriched by the
/ oeAN Va AANNA-iANnb AauNs DNl Lnty nave
never realized
What do you think Of the present
overflow -
Clean River Water "A Scavanger.
| Common sense will show anyone that
the clean river water is more healthful
than a partially dry marsh with the
bitches full of stagnant water aud all
kinds OF filth, deposited there by persons
who had no particular interest in the
marsh or the public health.
~ is remarkable what interest some
persons who own a few acres of Cherry
Island marsh have for the health Of the
people Of Wilmington when the river
banks burst and they want some cash
out of Over-taxed people for repairs
In my humble opinion the public health
would be better IN the tide were ebbing
and flowing over the marsh all the time
o. else keep the bitches clean
"Of course IL would not be proper al
this year Of the world TO let the tide
low over so valuable piece Of land as
Cherry Island marsh Il will in time, be
our river front; be built up from Edge
Moor TO the mouth Of the Christiana AZ d
afford fine wharfage. The persons who
own The land, judging by what they ask
/ DQp acre ara aha "a ,s,f m 4. .o,a go