Delaware gazette and state journal., 1899-11-16
EARLY MILLS IN DELAWARE.
BY Amos Q. nrlnton.
TFounTM rArER.1


The Story OF Middlebourg Let us
turn our attention now to the status of
land along the Christina in the neigh
borhood OF Andrais Kill or Little Falls,
where the La Grange Walraven Sen
nexon mill stood. On tho south side of
the stream, Janswen WaIrayon had his
home lot of some twenty-six acres.
Along the Christina bluff Of land
extended and here Walraven laid out u
small town, with streets modelled after
those of New Amste, and he called the
town Middle bonrg. The street parallel
with the river he called Front or Water
street, and the other streets parallel
with it were Bever, Mink and Otter.
The cross streets we're Oak, Sassafras,
Elder and Maple. Tho site of this town
is about mile and half above the
Harlan & Hollingsworth Co. IS yard
Joining the home lot of Walraven,
Broor Sennexon owned some hundreds
of acres OF land to the north; and still
further north, Walrayen's farm land
lay between Sennexon's and Little
Falls Creek tnow owned by tho Rich
ardson family. Arnoldus do La Grange
owned what is known as tho Folly
Woods, perhaps 400 acres of timber land,
and his home lot was un n point OF land
on the east side of Little Falls Creek
tiust where tho Wilmington 4 Northern
railroad turns up frcm the Philadel-
phia, Wilmington ~ Baltimore rail
road).
Nearly all tho foregoing property, the
mill, part of the town of Middle bourg
and La Grange's woodland eventually
came into the possession of John Rich-
ardsun, son Of JohE Richardson. The
first John and his wife Elizabeth, were
Friends. They had settled in New
Castle in 1890, and John became u very
prominent man in the affairs Of State
under Penn. The Quakels held thoir
meetings in his house in New Castle
and he was ono Of tho Justices OF tho
peacc. His son, John, had share in
the old Dutch tide mill on None Such
Creek, as well as in the Swedish mill
ut Little Falls. In addition to, the
properties already mentioned, he get
also 400 acres Of the finest white oak
woodland in the country.
John Lyman, Dane, or q son OF q
Dane, acquired the remaining portion
of Walraycn's holding at Middle boure
and disposed of it TO Richard Richard
son, who also secured Walraven's IS land
along the southwest side Of Little Falls.
Thus the Richardson's had flour and
saw mill and 500 hundred acres OF good
timber for house and shipbuilding.
They we're very we'll situated, having a
tide water on which tho produce Of the
land and mills were carried to the fast
growing city of Philadelphia. Briggs OF
brigantines owned by the family, sailed
from Philadelphia to the West Indies,
and two sluops, Sally and Fox, were in
tho coastwise trade. That family was
really the pioneer in extensive grain
grinding in Delaware.
Yet tho Mill Creek mill could moi
always hold its own against mills
located on streams with heavier fall.
1t was found that the growing demand
for -four would require the use Of
heavier powers, and so the milleis began
paying attention to the Brandywine and
its tributaries.
The twenty seven millions of acres
| which formed Penn's grant of Pennsyl.
vania was not very we'll located for all
purposes, having no sea front and only
few miles of tide water on tho River
Delaware. BY his getting the three
lever counties, Penn secured tide wateI
| to the ocean and power to grind the
grain TO supply his big town. II up
pears therefore that with all Pennsyl
vania's boasting, her keystone arch hat
ono cnd on sandy New Jersey and thu
other ON rocky Brandywine, while thu
Brandywine and its tributaries GROUND
grain for Philadelphia for more thar
ljO years.
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