The Wilmington daily Republican. (Wilmington, Del.) 1890-1902, 1895-05-15
F-ss'-T
GREATER WILMINGTON.
Rockford and the Ii Highlands are the City's
Western boundaries.

lie act OF the recent session of the Cen
ersl Assembly has added a very desirable
suburb to the city, added from 1000 TO 1900
to its population, and assessable value to
tho property OF the city Of about 81 .000, 900.
The territory added to the city contains
about 400 acres, and includes from $50 to
2O0 buildings, many of them fine private
residences. 1t also includes two churches
and chapel. a public school building aud
the extensive mills Of the Joseph Bancroft
and Sons Company, and Includes the sub
urbs known as the Highlands. the wi.
lagos OF Rockford and kentmere and the
mills OF the James Riddle Sons and Com
pany. The boundaries Of the added ter
ritory are as follows: beginning at
the intersection of Green Iil avenue
with Twelfth street, north to the kennett
turnpike. west to Rising Sun lane, north
to Brandywine creek, along that stream to
the intersection of Union street extended,
south to the intersection Of Union and
Twelfth streets, and thence west to the
place Of beginning. This territory how
ever, includes the territory known as Kent
mere, which was added to the city In 1891,
including the Kentmere and Rockford park
grounds, the property Of st. AIMS Church
and the Convent of the Visitation.
This new portion of the city lies be-
tween the Kennett turnpike and the Bran
dywine creek. 1t is easily accessible by
means Of the Wilmington city railway. The
track Is on Seventeenth street with about
half Of the territory known as the High
lands lying on each side OF ii. This por-
lion of the added territory Includes prob
ably about 100 houses, some of them fine
residences and many of them being pic
turesque vine-clad cottages surrounded by
extensive yards and gardens. In this part
Of the new acquisition there are of course
no paved streets or pavements, no street
lamps and no public water supply With
these improvements added the Highlands
will be one of the most desirable resi-
dence portions Of the city. ...
The most important part Of the new ac-
QUESTION to the city is the village Vi Rock
ford with its big cotton factory and Its
prosperous population. This village is upon
the banks Of the Drandywine about half
way between the old and the new western
boundary Of the city. 1he village is a
model factory village of about 100 houses
and 800 population. 1t has grown up
around the cotton factory and bleaching
and dye works of the Joseph Bancroft and
Sons Company. These works were estaD-
lishd In 1881 at what was then called
Rockford-o on the -Brandywlne. 1t was the
site Of a grist mill owned by Job Harvey.
The addition OF the village of Rockford
to the city has In all probability increased
its population the full ten-fold since the
founding of the factory village In 1881. 1t
was then less than 1000. 1t Is now about
20 900.
The bill making the new territory part
of the city of Wilmington is as follows:
Section 1. That the boundaries OF the city
of Wilmington be further extended so as
to include the territory bounded and de-
scrlbed as follows, viz: Beginning at the
intersection of the easterly side of Green
hill avenue with the southerly side of
Twelfth street extended thence north
easterly to the northerly side OF Kennett
turnpike; thence along the northerly side
OF said Kepnett turnpike to its intersection
with the easterly side of Rising Sun lane,
aforesaid, continued in a straight line to
the middle of Brandywine creek. by the
several courses thereof. to the point where
said line intersects the present city line.
which crosses said Brandywine creek at or
near the mouth of Crooked run; thence
along the present city line to the place of
beginning.
Sec. 2. Within the limits of the city of
Wilmington extended by this act the
Mayor and Council of Wilmington shall
be vested with all power, rights, privileges
and immunities which before this time
| belonged to them as a municipal corpora
/ tion. and all laws, ordinances and
regulations in force within the former
city limits, and not locally applicable,
shall be extended aud applied to the new
territory comprised within the boundaries
as set forth in the first section of this act
Sec. 3. The real estate by this act added
to and included within the city limits, and
all persons residing now or hereafter
within said new boundaries, shall be sub
ject to assessment for municipal taxes in
the same manner and subject to the same
rights, rules and restrictions as in other
cases within the said city; provided, that
the rate of taxation of said real estate
shall be for the period of five years ensu-
ing the passage of this act at onc-fourth
the rate of taxation on city property gem
orally, and for the ensuing five years there
after at one-half the rate on city property
generally, and thereafter at full rate.
Sec. 4. The new territory hereby added
to the said city of Wilmington shall be
part of the Seventh ward of said city, and
a part OF the Third assessment district of
the city of Wilmington for the purpose of
| assessment and collection OF taxes for
| county purposes.
Sec. s. All acts and parts OF acts incon-
sistent with the provisions of this act be
and the same are hereby repealed.
1t will be seen that the bill does provide
for the new territory becoming
part of the Third assessment dis
trict Of Wilmington hundred.
There was some discussion yesterday
over the right OF the people in the new
district to vote at the coming city cleo
tion. 1t was held that they had, because
the bill was precisely like the bill admitting
East Lake to the city, and that the people
of East Lake voted at the next city election
after that district was taken in. The East
Lake bill is found on page 999, volume 10,
Laws of Delaware. On investigation it was
found that on page 10t7 OF the same volume
is special law governing the East Lake
case.