Smyrna times., 1896-07-01

cry and Places of Interest.
A COMPETITIVE ESSAY BY AGNES HUD-
SUN CARROw, JUNIOR CLASS SMYR-
Ma HIGH SCHOOL.
Smvrna is a small but beautiful town
in Kent county, Delaware. 1t is about
thirty-eight miles from Wilmington,
and one mile and half from Clayton,
a station on the P. W. & B. railroad.
It is connected with the latter by a
branch road, and, while it is very fav-
Oably situated for commercial pur-
poses, would he much more so if lOca-
ted directly upon the main road.
The greater part of Smyrna lies in
the old tract called "Gravesend, (which
was owned in 1880 by William Green.
In 1908 he died, leaving it to his three
sons-John, Thomas and George. |
Thomas left his part to his sons
Thomas and James. James owned the |
land through which the Kings, or as
now called the State Road, passed at a !
place where another road, leading from
the old landing at Duck Greek, crossed
it. In 1868 James Green began the sale
of land at and near Duck Greek Cross
Roads. The land sold rapidly and a
village was soon established. 1t went
by the name of Duck Creek Cross
Roads until 1906, when it was changed
to Smyrna by an act of the Assembly.
The village increased slowly in pOpu-
latiOn, and in 1915 contained about two
hundred and fifty inhabitants. Smyr-
ma was incorporated on January 30,
1917, and the first board of commits
sioners was appointed to lay out, sur
vey and regulate the streets of the
town. The earliest school in Smyrna
and perhaps the most celebrated was
Quaker school known us the Southern
Boarding School It was held in build
ing on Mt. Vernon Street, and the stud
ents boarded in the building, now the
residence of Mr.. John Mustard. The
institution closed in 1925, and little can
be learned about it. After this several
academies and private schools were
opened, but the first free school was
opened on Commerce Street in 1918.
This school was kept up until the adOp-
ton of the school system.
The first Sunday School in Smyrna,
and the one from whence all the others
have sprung, was organized by eight
young ladies in 1920. The first service
was held on September 10 of that year.
This Sunday School. was continued
until June 1927, when the several de-
nominations separated and formed dis
tinct organizations in connection with
: their respective churches.
Smyrna has a number of factories
, a hose factory, a shirt factory, three
, canning establishments, q basket mill
two phosphate factories, two carriage
t factories, and saw mill. There are a
e great many stores-grocery stores, dry
2 goods and fancy goods stores, millin-
y cry establishments, butcher shops,
d feed stores and shoe stores-all owned
by enterprising merchants and there
t are two -four mills. So the town ha:
quite prosperous appearance.
The town has one of the finest Pub
u lie Schools in the State. The build
}, was completed in 1894. 1t is built O
e of brick in the shape of a Greciar
a cross having four transepts, each TWEEN
ty-fve by thirty-five feet, two stories
II high and form eight rooms. The cen
e tral building is thirty-fve feet square
d three stories high, and is surmOunteC
's by belfry, making a total height o
g ninety-two feet. There are eight de
rs partments, we'll graded and having
ID good course of study. The teachers, a
present, are Professor G. H. LeFevre
Is Miss Parrott Miss Hough, Miss Dough
?, ten, Miss Mcdowell, Miss Spruance
er Miss Lord and Miss FAIRIES.
IL The town Hall, or Opera House a
q it is now called, is a large brick build
g! ing situated on the corner of Main an
ne South Streets. The ground wa
'o broken for the building on July {
d, 1869. The cornerstone was laid o
ne August 10th. The building was con
Sc pleted and opened early in 1870. Th
'e. first floor is occupied by the office {
nd the alderman, the Public Library, an
1e the meeting-room of the Citizens Hos
Company. The second floor is used (
hall for puplic meetings, and as
DIS theatre. The third door is used as til
re-. lodge room of the Masons.
he Before the building of the railroa
he the mail wes carried daily from Dove
en- The last mail carrier was John Va
IN Gesel. In 1887 the post Office was e
.th tablished and John S. Lambden al
I'VE pointed postmaster. He has had fou
to- teen successors.
,as The project of having public
las brary was first considered by the eli
we zens Of Smyrna in 1857 In 1858 fl
hundred dollars worth Of books we
tv. bought. They were cstalogued al
ate arranged in the Odd Fellows Ha
The library remained in this buildil
rho until 1870, when it was moved to
see room on the first door of the Toy
md Hall, which it has since occupied. t
our library has been kept in good cont
ton, and is of great value to the CO.
1rs, munity. At present it contains oy
ted three thousand volumes.
be There are two banks in Smyrna
ure s'The Fruit Growers Bank" and .'T
nth Smyrna National Bank.
gees There are four churches the Asbu
Methodist Episcopal Church, the Pr
to- byterian Church, st. Peters Prote
and ant Episcopal Church and ST. Po
the carp's Roman Catholic Church.
ook In 1886 the watet works were co
be- pleted. They consisted Of stand-pi