The Penn's Grove record., 1901-02-01

Penn's Grove is located along the
Delaware River. in the Township OF
Inner PENIS Neck, County of Salem,
D. miles below Philadelphia, 3mileseast
of Wilmington, Del. and l3mlles ABOVE
Salem. the county seat. Penns trroVe
had its beginning in 1929 when a com
many of citizens of Wilmington pull tile
FIRST steamboat wharf on the site OF tile
present wharf. 1t consisted of . or Q
scattered houses, besides South Penn 5
Grove which was known then as Helm 5
Cove which was the then head business
center. In 1881 the New Jersey and
wilmington Ferry Company. which
owned the wharf, built the brick build
inc near the foot of Main Street, and
named the place PENIS Grove. Tins
brick building was used for a hotel for
many wears. The wharf, hotel II
most office being located at the upper
end of the town led to its more rapl9
growth. From ten or a dozen scattered
houses Including the Cove PENIS
Grove has grown from a habltatloh OF
90 or 80 persons to a Borough of 4OO
homes. with a population OF $500. Inc
first census of the Borough in 1895 was
1896. showing Il growth Of 300 i'll tye
wears. during which time about Oh
houses have been built.
Ppnn's Grove is about l mile long
and about half a mile wide. 1t com
pris2s 100 single houses, SO double
houses. 5 rows of houses, with g., u, 4, 4
and 3 apartments, 3G stores, restaurants
and shops. | licensed hotel, | large
boarding house, / public school build
inc. - summer cottages, clup
houses and cabins. The summer pop
| nlation is over 1000.
The taxable valuations i'll 1900 We're
real estate S403, 40: personal property
$40 O65: debts only 4i,630: net taxa
| bile property 1929, pos, $500 was rais-
ed for borough purposes, 1000 special
| lax for schools. The tax rate was Sl.lS.
AGRICULTURAL PURSUITS.
Cord wood. wheat and corn were the
first principal exports. As the land be
came more cleared, the growth of Phil
| adeIphia and Wilmington led to the
| growing of sweet potatoes, water mel
| ons. cantaloupes, tomatoes and other
vegetables. But few water melons are
nov raised. except for the local Viii
| miuoton market. The exports are now
| largely strawberries, early white pota-
| toes and tomatoes, sweet potatoes and
garden vegetables. Three firms buy
sweet potatoes at the Railroad stations,
making a home market. More than
700 barrels were shipped by them in one
day last fall.
Poultry raising is most protitably
pursued because poultry from tins see
ton commands the best prices in New
York market. Dairy products are rails
| ed only for the Borough use and ice
| cream factory. The largest shipment
| of poultry has been ) tons a week.
FISHING INDUSTRY.
Penm's Grove is the headquarters for
the shad and sturgeon fishing industry
on Delaware River and Bay, Between
100 and 200 shad gilling nets are fitted
out every spring at Il cost of from $500
to $500 each, including boats. These
nets will each catch from 1000 to TO-
900 shad from April | to June 10, worth
from 81 to SO per 100, net average.
Many Of these fishermen go in floating
cabins down the Bay during the fishing
season, where they make the largest
catches and get the best prices. About
$50. 600 shad were caught last spring off
Penn's Grove. and either sold on the
wharf to two firms, who make a home
market, OF shipped to Philadelphia on
the shad carrying line.
Until five years ago sturgeon fishing
was Il most prosperous industry for %
wears and added much to the material
wealth of the town, probably $4,000 a
year. About II dozen firms still follow
that industry from March until June,
using from one to Il dozen nets, at IN
outlay of from $3.50 to $1,000. They
go in floating cabins to Bayside, their
main shipping point, and fish from there
as far down the Bay al the Capes.
COMMUNICATIONS.
The Delaware River Railroad NOV II
branch of the West Jersey and Seashore
NEUTRALITY-SUSPICIOUS. SYSTEM was
opened for travel in 1876, and nowruns
seven trains to Philadelphia and five
back daily, the express making the trip
in II hours. Round trip fare only 70
cents. For the past "A years the steam
I'll AluJbl IltN bOiAl lidN ihil b'lhNNh 'N
lem and Philadelphia, touching at
PENIS Grove, from March until Janu-
airy, fare for round trip Ace. The steam
er Ulrica, owned by the Reading Rail
road, runs between Penn's Grove and
Wilmington from March until January,
three round trips in the spring and fall
and four in summer; fare % cents for
the round trip. The pay roll of the
railroad company TO employees is $1,000
"a month, in PENIS Grove. There are
4 livery stables.
Communications are also had by
Western Union telegraph, Delaware and
Atlantic telephone, West Jersey and T..
5. Expresses.
The postal facilities are excellent.
There are three mails out and four in
each day. The office receipts are with
in a few dollars of the Presidential class,
of 81 900 salary.
CHURCHES.
PENIS Grove has four churches.
Emmanuel Methodist Episcopal Church
was built in 1915. 1t has about 300
members. In 1858 the Methodist Pro-