The Mitchell capital. (Mitchell, Dakota [S.D.]) 1879-1918, 1899-08-04
THEY'RE FORGOTTEN.
ORIGINAL SETTLERS OF SOME
OF OUR STATES.
Only Slight Traces of the Earliest
Pioneers Are Retained - Renem-
bered Only by Reason of Edifices or
Geographical Names.

Every schoolboy knows that the lit
tie 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 2O0th ami
versary of the conservation Of Old
Swedes' Church, as Trinity Church in
that city is called, was calculated. The
Old Swedes' Church is familiar land
mark, but it is about the only reminder
in the State of the pioneer stttlement
of Delaware, in which, such are the
mutations Of population in the United
States, there were by the last Federal
census only 300 Scandinavians, all told,
in population of 17O,OOO-246 Swedes,
Al Danes and 13 Norwegians.
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 1t 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 French trappers
We're the first settlers in Wisconsin,
and many French emigrants arriving
in the United States in the early years
of this century found homes in Wis
consin, its present French population
is not only Insignificant in number,
1000 in total Of nearly 100000, but
also smaller than the French popula-
ton 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
Badger State, in the development Of
which industry Belgians in all parts of
the United States 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 it's 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 great number of years. But
there are not many Spaniards in Flor
ida. The last census returned the num-
ber Of such as $50 only, a very small
total when one considers the proximity
of Florida to the former Spanish pos
sessions in the West Indies. There are,
of course, a great many Cubans in
Florida, particularly in and about Key
West, but their presence there was in
no wise due to the Spanish traditions
Of Florida; on the contrary, 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 immi-
grants, but receiving port for many
foreign goods, there We're by the last
Federal census in total population of
100000 in South Carolina only 13S
natives of France. The original settle
ment of American States has usually
a greater historical than practical val
ue, and the only conspicuous exception
to be found to this rule is seen in the
case of the New England States, set
tied by English Puritans and preserv-
ing after many ceturies sundry distinc-
tive features of the early settlers,
though in the last few years there has
been an enormous foreign immigration
into New England, particularly of
Irish Americans and French Cana
dians.-New York Sun.