The Wilmington daily Republican. (Wilmington, Del.) 1890-1902, 1896-12-18
uELAWARE's PRIMITIVE DAYS.
Amos c. Btinton Tells Of Early
History as He Learns It

! learned ". IL 10 Interesting, ana IRON
day to day additional chapters from hi
writings will appear. Ho says;
Columbus discovered the Americas about
1493 but the section that propose to tell
something about was inhabited by the
Indian band until about 1897 and at much
later date some of the tribes were still
roming over what Is now Chester, Lancas.
ter and Delaware counties. Pennsylvania,
and the state of Delaware which included
| part of New Jersey opposite New Castle
| county.
Now to tell of the actions of the diff
erent people Of Europe who first settled
on the above mentioned land, 1t will be
necessary to tell of the nationality and
| christian belief of the first settlers.
The Swedish Lutherans, Holland Dutch
Lutherans, English and Irish Sons of
Light or Quakers and the nation called
Scotch Irish Presbyterians and some Cor
man farmers who settled in Chester
county along tho Susquehanna, now Lam
| caster county
Now to begin with the settlements as
they took place and give short account
of each. Begin with Sweden about 1927,
then Gustavus Adolphus the young ener.
getic and righteous King Of Sweden, then
considered a powerful nation and In
war with Austria and Germany who was
trying to put down the Lutheran religion.
William Usclenex, who had boon in
some of the European expeditions along
the American coast saw what glorious
chance it would be to send q colony to
America as q missionary to the Indians,
and also start trade with the Indians
for the peltries of the wild animals that
abounded in forest and along the strea ms.
When the project was mentioned to Gus
tavus Adolphus ne was SC. well pleased
that he said such a colony from Sweden
would be tho jewel in his crown. His
time being taken up In defending his
country from the enemies OF his religion,
did not stop the project of the starting out
the colony to America although it de.
layed II some,
Chancellor Oxen5teirna took good care
to send colony Of god fearing people, and
and after beating their swords inGo pillow.
shares and their spears into pruning
hooks Isaiah 2, ~, came on a Christian
mission.
After all things were ready the Colony
started out on their voyage under Cover
nor Peter Minuit and being tossed for
many weeks they at last reached the river
Delaware and landed temporarily on the
Jersey coast near the present. Salem. In
the spring the ships with the majority Of
the passengers and genera stores con-
timed on up the river to the mouth of the
Brandywin0. (The reader will please here
notice at the confluence of the tide waters
the Brandywine is three times larger than
the Christina with all her tributaries
The ships were brought up the stream
to the rocks and fast land between the
two rivers Brandywine and Christina and
landed on Rock Hook. After buying
four acres Of land which were bounded by
marked streets and Indian path which
crossed from near what is Third street to
Eleventh street bridges. This path and
ferries were afterwards used by the Dutch
and Swedes and were known as Christina
and Brandywne ferries Beyond tho
Brandywino Tymon Stedham, owned the
land and Jacobus Vandever on this side.
The Ferry beyond the Christina was kept
up at one time by Dorcas Jaguett, but
by different owners and the county until
1857.
Peter Minuit the Governor of 1888, first
brought the colony over and they bought
the above mentioned acres around the
Point Of Rock Hook and on the land he
built his store house which served as a
Fort church and cottage in the wilder
ness, where the different families that had
settled up the Christina mt Middleborg
Nvnams) and ut Red Clay Point (now
Stanton) and those who had settled on
Shellpot hill and Trinity Hook (Edse
noOr) Tymon Stcdham selected three
hundred acres on the west side Of Flshkill,
or as the Indians called it ChcacatiuS.
The SwCdus aftcrward named it Stoor
Follet or Great Falls and Fishkill, while
the Dutch who got possession of the land
some sixteen years after 1898 called the
stream Brentwigu, after Some river i'll
Holland, tho water Of which was pleasant
to drink.
A long strip Of land that extended up
the BrandywinG to Rattle Snake run and
back to tho Rattle Snake path, which OK
tended ,down to Church street, or cross
Indian path at that time. On tho east
side of the Fishkill, Erick Andrai nson
selected another like strip of land but
not quite 50 long. 1t reached up the fish
kill to opposite Rattle Snake Run, and ex-
tended southeastcrly to Wild Indian Run
Just below the present Thatchcr's quarry.
1t is likely AndrainsOn never built his
house on tho land, but if he did, there is
no mark Of it, His tract of land however
comprise two hundred acres.
Symun SiCdhams' two nephews, Cor.
npluS and Lucas, selected for their home
stead about four hundred acres of land
Fast of Auuruis Kin OF Little Falls now
Richardson or Mill Creek. Their four
hundred acres ware called S,cdham5 Park
and the ground on which tho most Of
| BrowntOwn is built and all the nmnsions
Of the Latimers, Banuinga', Bush, Bay
ards, BrOOms', Warmers and many Others
now stand between the old TymOn Strd-
hams and on the 'iShkilland his nrphcws'
lands on the Anlrais Xii. John An,
| drainsOn StalCOp ruOk up the whole Of the
| land, over II thousand acres and
| on the west side Aniria5 XIII on Mid
| die Bpurgh, was the WalruyCn home
! This is now owned by Lynams and the
WalrHVcnS.
But John Richardson about 1888 got the
lIt ~ rt rI ont 10