Newark post. (Newark, Del.) 1910-1969, 1916-06-07
INTERESTING LOCAL HISTORY
A DISCUSSION OF THE PROBABLE LOCATION OF
WELSH LANE IND THE STORY OF HOW
TLfE DEER PARK WAS MINED

copy of the old Railroad guide
book, presented by Mr.. Harlow
H. Curtis to the College library,
reproduced in a recent issue of
the Newark Post, has aroused an
interest in the old roads around
Newark, and especially as to
whether the road shown therein
was or not the old "Welsh Lane
Although many changes have
taken place since 1856, when the
guide was issued, the road shown
in the illustration is readily dis
tinguishable as the one leading
from the College to the depot,
which we have long known as
South College Avenue or as the
Depot Road.
This road has become so i'm
portant part of the daily life of
= a.. and : In~4i~od TO play so
prominent a part in the future.
tNat it is hard for us to realize
that the greater part of it is COM
rc"'-...ivelv 2 lew road, o"e"ed
within the lifetime if not within
the memory, of persons now liv-
ing in Newark. 1t is harder still
to realize th"t bitter and dctc"
mined opposition should have
been raised against its establish
ment.
In the early history of Newark
there was a road sometimes call
ed the "Welsh Lane" but this
road had long since passed into
disuse before South College Ave
nue. was thought of. 1t may be
even more of a surprise to many
that this lane did not lead to the
welsh Tract Meeting House at
the foot of Iron HILL nor even
in that direction.
The Baptist Meeting House lot
should not be taken as synony-
nous with the Welsh Tract, for
that tract covered a much larger
area. There were also Presby-
terians among the Welsh who es-
tablished the Pencader Church at
Glasgow. The Welsh Tract in all
comprised about thirty thousand
acres and was granted to the
Welsh in 1901 by William Penn.
Most of this tract was in Pen
cader Hundred although it ex-
tended westwardly into Cecil
County Maryland. The northerly
boundary of the tract was the
northerly boundary of the Hun
bred. The boundary line crosses
the depot road just above Evans
vile where the road makes a
slight bend. Johnston's history
of Cecil County states "The
northeast corner of the Welsh
Tract is a few hundred yards
northeast of the depot of the Phi
ladelphia, Wilmington and Balti
more Railroad at Newark, Della
ware, from which the north lin,
extended 1446 perches or abou
four and a half miles west"
Although the Welsh Lane ha
long since been abandoned, an,
very little traces Of it remains, i
is possible to determine its loca
ton by reference to old deed
covering property along whic'
it passed.
In 1885 Joseph Stidham Sheri1
sold to Joseph Kinkead, Clock
maker. a lot of land "on tn
northerly side of the road leadin
from Newark towards the Wells
Tract" The same description ot
ours in the deeds from Kinkea
to Charles Allen in 1896, and i
the deed from Allen to John Mac
beth in 1906.
A lot of land on the opposit
side Of this road is described in
deed from Alexander McBeat
Gather of the above although tn
name is spelled differently t
James Anderson in 1895. In thi
deed the road is referred to as %
lane leading from Newark towar
the east side of the Welsh Tract.
Alexander McBeath designate
it as the "Welsh Lane" We fin
in his will made in 1905 a devils
of -four acres Of meadow lyin
down the "Welsh Lane"
BY plotting these pieces togetf
err with others, we locate the Ian
as running in southeastwardl
direction from the Academy roa
to what is now South Chapel st
extended The Academy road en-
is short distance below tn
Lewis homestead. and Chapt
road end would be along tn
southerly side of Michael Kelley
new home. A fence, some bush
es. slight depression at the Acs