Delaware gazette and state journal. (Wilmington, Del.) 1883-1902, 1896-11-05
cHUhcH niEl.
A Thrifty and Prosperous Inland Town OF
the Eastern shore.


steamboat landing aud four from
railroad station, Church Hill. in
Queen Anne's county, between Ches-
ter river and the Queen Anne's Il Kent
railroad, nine miles from Centrerille
and seven from Chestcrtown. is one OF
the most thrifty and prosperous on the
Peninsula, and, indeed, in the laat few
years has gone ahead OF many railroad
and river towns When the Delaware
railroad was built as tributary to the
Philadelphia, Wilmington a Baltimore
built down tho water she'd of the
Peninsula, which kept it's continuous
line in Delaware those two old Deia-
ware towns with those old Eastern
names, Odessa and Smyrna, protested
nightly against the iron road passing
within hailipg distance of them. 1t
would be- their ruin. And by clamor-
ing against the right of way and
threatening legal proceedings they re.
sisted successfully. Tho surveys were
run and the road built mile away.
| Odessa was forgotten and Middletown,
| on the railroad, arose and tlourished.
| Smyrna was fast becoming d suburb of
the new railroad town of Clayton, and
| TO prevent tho town from fading en-
tirely into 'tinnoeuous desuotudeh the
Slnyrneso had to build a mile Of road
to connect them with Clayton.
i The Church Killers never pursued
such n policy. They have always
| wanted railroad, but never could
! get one. Outlines it was a-conIn' on
paper, but it turned out that Church
| Hill was always on the line OF aban
4 doned schemes. The porth and south
| meridian from EilttoD to Easton passes
~ nh Cd Sab rltsN
| Maryland road parallel 10 the Della
ware road is built Church Hin will bs
! on 1T. Then. perhaps, it may come TO
pass with that town, as with Vienna,
on the Nanticoke, In Dorchester. Whom
| the surveyors were laying down the
baltimore ~ Eastern Shore road a few
years ago there was fierce contest
whether the road should cross the
| NRnticoke at Vienna Or Sharptown.
| Having the most money to put in il,
| Vienna won, TO the loud lamentation
anil lasting regret Of the merchants,
who say the railroad is running them.
The Viennese would pay the Sharp
townians to take the road up and
move ii to their place il it could be
done.
Church Hill is one of the old towns
of the Eastern Shore. st. Luke q
parish of which the church that named
the hill is the parish church, is of
colonial location. The old church is
interesting. 1t was falling into decay
when, few years ago, it was restored
through the munificence of the late
Hon. George Hawkins Williams OF
Baltimore county. Mr.. Williams did
this pious work as a memorial TO his
mother, who was Miss Hawkins. and
who in infancy was baptized in this
church. The Church of England was
the first to occupy this part of the
shore, but it's successor, tho Episco.
palians, were not allowed to possess
1t undisturbed The Catholics soor
entered and got u foothod, which
is maintained to this day. The Presby
terians were early on the hill. and they
: have now the prcttiest church edifict
d meeting house hero as soon as the,
had conference embracing the terri
tory.
Ono of the incidents told in all th,
histories of Peninsula Methodism il
that Freeborn Garretson, apostle ant
j COMPRESSOR in the annals Of primitiv,
Methodism, was attacked on the roat
near Church Hill and beaten with
black-gum goad by yestryman of ST
r Luke's parish. The story is true; 81
/. is the account of the Imprisonment II
Easton Jail of Rev. Joseph Hartly,
Methodist preacher, but in both case
the melting causes Of the persecution
we're political and had nothing to d,
Q with religious beliefs.
Il Tho farm lands around Church Hill
. are the finest fruit, grain and gras
i lands. fertile, productive and remunera
!, tive. 1t is very much in the poacl
u belt, and such thing as a total failurt
of a peach crop in all the countr
around is unknown. There are excel
J. lent mill seats at the town and acces
:, siblo to it. The thrifty country an,
the prosperous people around it max
@ good times for the retail merchants
mechanics and laborers of the town
Here the fruit.canning industry of tn
Peninsula first developed to large OK
tent. and tho creamery business ais
- took its start. Many of the Garlic
u settlers, the oldest families, were greH
business people and their descendant
to-day arc in the ranks of the leadin
- activities. The Browns, Trenchardt
Finleys, Walls, Gatfords, Coppages
~ Cranes and others have been eadin
~ business and professional people fc
, generations and still are. They al
~ reinforced by people of culture, refine
u ment and business enterprise frol
y other sections, drawn here by tho oppo
" tunitics afforded for profitable agricu
o. tural and other pursuits.
~ OF course, like every old town, Churc
Hill has its interesting traditions, eve
-, it's thrilling ghost stories-traditior
" az well authenticated and stories
-, true as those Of any other place. Man
n years ago two men from Maine, shil
p" wrights they were, took contract
>, build large vessel at Southeast Lant
. ing, the shipping port of Church Hi
-, for the owner of Southeast farm, VT
d was possel-uwneF and large shippe
a. They were strangers. No one lSne
~ even the precise part of Maine the
~ camo from. When tho vessel was near
completed and the time had como f,
= the payment, according to contrac
=. ! their manglod and dead bodies wei
=, found on the chores OF Southeast rreei
-, They were buried in unmarked gravt
m in the burial ground of Southeast farm
~ and their disappearance was suppose
7. to be final.
- The Southeast house immediate
became haunted. There was no pea,
nor rest in it. The pattering Of il
MI visible footsteps was heard al the dos
90 hour Of night on tho stRirwaya, IN
u prints of bare feetEwere found wherev
I" the dust had settled. Persons we
40 thrown violently from the bod, and