The Somerset herald. [volume] (Somerset, Pa.) 1870-1936, 1899-07-05
Some American Pioneers.

Every sehoolboy knows that the
little State of Delaware was settled by
Swedes, who made their first perma-
nent stand in it near the present site Of
the city of Wilmington in 1888. Re
Gently in Wilmington the two hun
dredth anniversary of the consecra-
ton of Old Swedes' church, as Trinity
church in that city is called, was eele-
brated. The old Swedes' church is
familiar landmark, but ii is about the
only reminder in the State ofthe pion-
eer settlement of Delaware, in which,
such are the mutations Of ofpOpulatiOn in
the United States, there were by the
last federal census only 800 Scandina-
vians, all told, in population Of no.
OO0-246 Swedes, Al Danes and l3 Nor
wegians.
Delaware is not the only American
State in which the early pioneers have
left very little trace in the population.
Wisconsin was originally settled by
the French in the Seventeenth century,
and evidence is found of it in many Of
the French proper names retained, par
ticularly La Crosse, Racine, Prairie du
Chen, Fond du Lac, Juneau and Mar
quette. But although Frenchtrappers
were the first settlers in Wisconsin and
many French emigrants arriving in
the United States in the early years OF
this century found homes in Wiscon-
sin, its present French population IS
not only Insignificant in number, 1000
in a total of nearly 100000, but also
smaller than the French population of
most of the neighboring States, Iowa,
Illinois and Michigan especially.
Though there are practically no traces
in Wisconsin Of the original French
settlements, there is a considerable
Belgian colony there, attracted TO some
extent by the zinc industry of the Bad
ger State, in the development of which
industry Belgians in all parts of the
United States where zinc is found have
taken an active part.
Florida was originally settled by the
Spaniards, and in the same way that
the Old Swedes' church in Delaware
recalls its pioneer settlers and French
names in Wisconsin recall the French
settlement of that State st. Augustine,
Tampa, Fernandina and other Spanish
geographical names recall the fact that
the Peninsula State was under Spanish
rule for a great number of years But
there are not many Spaniards in Flor
ida. The last census returned the
number of such as $50 only, very
small total when one considers the
proximity of Florida to the former
Spanish possession in the West Indies
There are, of course, a great many
Cubans in Florida, particularly in aud
about Key West, but their presence
there was in no wise due to the Span
ish traditions of Florida; on the con-
trary, many, if not most, of the Key
West Cubans went there as refugees
from Spanish misgovernment in their
own country.
South Carolina was settled by French
HuguenOts at Port Royal more than
two centuries ago, and though many
of the ideas of government of French
Huguenots are still observed in the
affairs of South Carolina, and though
for many years the port Of Charleston
was very important one and not only
a landing place for immigrants, but a
receiving port for many foreign goods,
there were by the last Federal census
in total population of 100000 in
South Carolina only lSS natives Of
France. The original settlement Of
American States has usually greater
historical than practical value, and the
only conspicuous exception to be found
to this rule is seen in the case of the
New England States, settled by Eng
Iish Puritans and preserving after
many centuries sundry distinctive feat
ures of the early settlers though in the
last few years there has been an enor-
nous foreign immigration into New
England, particularly of Irish-Ameri-
cans and French Canadians. New
York Sun.