The Wilmington daily Republican. (Wilmington, Del.) 1890-1902, 1896-12-29
DelaSyare's Primitive DAYS.

Following Is a continuation Of Amos O.
| Brlnton's contribution on Delaware'5
early settlement:
Only one OF the places have mentioned
before as taken and settled by the Swedes
| was changed to Dutch owners. That was
| Just across the Brandywine. From the
| tlrst Swedish landing in 1898, Timber
! Island, now known rs Pc el own and
| JacoDus Nnndeyer, n Holland Dutchman
came over from Manhattan but whether he
| came with Pighead Pete cannot say, but
he was there soon after and perhaps he
had an eye to business and pleasure too
for he not only got Eric Andrainson's
land opposite Tymon Stcdhams, but got u
narrow strip Of land OH tho north side
which extended from the present JeSsup's
school house down to the Shellpot.
GA TINS line afterwards was made the
Shuu MIL Lane which tract of land took
in Tradie hook on the BIandywinc, She'll
pot creeks and Timber Island. The now
vancouver tract of land contains over four
hundred aud fifty acres, mostly upland
ana covered with heavy timber, with
some marsh surrounding the Islands.
But Jacobus selecteda site for his house
on bluff Of ground near the Brandy
wine just where Bowers and Dure built
their blacksmith shop to the north Of
Nandevcr's land, Hans Peterson took
up about six hundred acres of land the
east end of which was wild Indian hook,
On the tide water further up around the
bend Of the crock was 75acres allotted as
mill lands.
On an island nearly opposite Trade
Hook, first named Manhattan, but after
wards called Cherry Island, specie of
wild plums grew around the Island
marsh TO some eight hundred acres. On
this Island two Swedes took up their
abode and built tubs and boats.
Perhaps that was about the beginning
of boat building in this section of tho
country, The south side Of the Christiana
on Crane Middle and Long Hook, were
mostly taken up by Dutch, but a few
Swede5 had small lots and lived on Crane
and Middle Hook, but the Jaqucts and per-
haps Alricks owned or claimed most Of
the large tracts and hooks in all perhaps
over thousand acres.
Now we come to the Brandywine with
TymOn StedLam on the Southwest side,
and Jacobus Nandever on the Northeast
side, with reach of creek each over two!
miles, about equally divided with tide and
rapid river, and two Indian paths crossing
the stream one ON the tide water and the
o5hcr on the rapid. Those Indian paths
We're afterward used as roads, first by the
Swodcs then by the Dutch, and then BY
Penn after 1852. One of these roads, the
lower one, passed from Upland, Chester.
down to Sandy hook, New CASTLE and
crossed the tide water of the Brandywine
near Eleventh street bridge. A Ferry
was established there by the Dutch in
1857. 1t wa5 known as Jacobus and Ty-
mons ferry, they owning the lands on the
opposite sides.
So Jacobus and his dcscendents man
agod the ferry and bridges there for 109
years or to 1866 The upper ford crossed
the Brandywine between the present jack
son and Van Buren, streets and was
known as Ashmond stidham's ford This
path Or road crossed the Christina creek
at Christina town and above tide water.
All now having the lands and roads from
Stanton to above Edge Moor and down to
Crane Hook and back in the country
northerly some miles over perhaps eight
thousand acres. | will locate some of tho
places of abode of the early Swede settlers.
/ will begin at Rockhook the first land
ing in 1867. The home church and Fort
on the rocks near Sixth and Church, Joln
Andrainson Stalooppe OH west side Of
the present old church; Tymon Stedham's
house near Fourteenth and Poplar on
the Brandywine; Charles Christopher
Springer's No. s324 French; Andrew Stal.
cope at Front near Broom; Lucas Sted-
hams at Browntown Hill; Cornelius
Stedham's near Clapbora Run now Silver
Brook.
Broor Seneysthe Lyman house; Gisbord,
Walravens home on Middleborg, all on
west side of Andrais Kill Richardson's
Crcek)
There We're others on the Red Clay
point aud Bread and Cheese Island near
on the east side Of Brandywine;
Jacobus Vandevers on Timber Island;
over the Shelpot about Edgemoor or
Trinity Hook aud up the hill side for
mile or two square.
Miles up the Brandywine were settle-
ments of Swedes and sometimes after the
Dutch got settled at New CASTLE or Now
Amstel, as they named it.
Both SWedes and Dutch being Luther
ans became friendly enough in 1867 to
join and build a log meeting house on .
Crane hook. Some would come from
Jersey, some from up the river and some
walked many miles from the country.
Poor old Mr., Fabretius, after preaching
at Crane hook would row his boat up to
Tinicum or Gloria Deo in Philadelphia.
/ wonder what the well dressed and
well fed ministers Of the present day
would think Of rowing boat twenty or
thirty miles after preaching to the people
in the church. or travel around the country
for many miles to talk to his members and
comfort them with warm Christian heart
such was the custom and duty of the
'arly Swcde settlers, but those old pious
Swcdes and the children had their happy
lays and good times and as the records Of
,ur country give more account of DR..
Tymon Stcdhnm and his family l will
axe him as a subject. Do,
Globe CoNTINUED)
Skates sharpcncd at Keystone Machine
IN Of