Every evening, Wilmington daily commercial., 1918-08-03
FIXING THE DATE
OF OLD CITY MAP
c. w. Garfield Gives Library
the Result of Diligent
Research.

Arthur L. Bailey, librarian of the
Wilmington Free Library. has received
the following letter referring to the map
OF the city. n copy of which hangs in the
rcading-ro but which is not dated
Dear Siri
| recently came across some records
which may furnish n clue to the date of
the old map ot " lmlngton III the Library
the map itself bearing no date. although
| understand that 1905 has been assigned
to it.
= The ordinances of the City of Will
mington. published in this city in 1871
by Porter and Natf. reprints on page 12S
An act for the better regulation of the
Borough of Wilmington, the preamble
To which recitcS that whereas, IN and by
an Act of Assembly passed the thirteenth
dav of June. I772 il Is among other
things enacted That all the streets and
squares of said borough shall he and
remain rs they are now laid out and reg
llated, agrceablv to n map or plan of
said borough, made from an actual re-
survey thereof and signed bv order of the
BurgesSes and assistants of said borough,
hv John Stapler Esq, Griffith MnshalI
and William Poole, gentlemen, which Is
hereto annexed and Whereas the said
sr,ap or plan of the said Borough of VIII
mingtOn therein referred to, by some
accident hath been lost or destroyed, so
the same hv the most dIhgcnt search
cannot now be found or obtained; and as
II is OF great Importance 10 the inhabitants
of said borough. that some certain map
or plan should be established. TO which
they may have reference, III laying out,
extending and regulating the streets,
lanes and allevs of the said borough
And Whereas new map or plan of
the said borough has been prepared under
the direction Of the burgess and his
assistants. and with the assent Of the
inhabitants of said borough in town
meeting expressed: which said map or
plan is now produced. and from the best
evidence that can he obtained. Is conform
able and agreeable to the said map or
plan referred to in the before recited act;
therefore.
Section |. The map or plan signed
hV Joseph Warner and Samuel Nichols,
Esquires. the present hurgesses which is
hereto annexed shall hereafter be deemed
and taken to he the true map. plan or
ground plot of the said borough, etc
The date of passage of this remedial
act, as ascertained through the courtesy
Of the State Archivist. Walter Tatnall, is
january 24. 1899: which date is omitted
in the book referred to Az inspection
Of the minutes OF the Wilmington City
Council. also made possible through
Mr.. Tatnan, disclosed the record of the
aclIon taken December %. 1898, in
preparation for the petition TO the
Legislature, TO confirm the plan, with
the continuation or opening OF hing
street from Kent street to Brandywine;
Tatnall street from Front street 20 Chris
tana: Broad street 70 the Church and
to stop Water street at the intersection
with Orange street and renew II at the
north side Of John Jones house. 10 be
continued to Thorn street" and on the
eighteenth of January, 1929, Of ''the
unanimous approval of the petition at a
general town meeting.
The print In the library Is understood
10 be ono of several recent re-strikes from
an engraved copper plate found in de-
moiishing an old dwelling few years ago.
The changes called for by the council
resolution are carried out on the print;
which also includes a reference TO the site
of the Second Presbyterian Church,
at Fifth and Walnut street" As this
church was not organized until October
-. 1774. ii Is thereby further established
that this csEnot be a mere copy of the
I7.a2 plan.
On the other hand, the map cannot be
the one referred to In the ordinance of
January u, 1905, because the new
streets thereby established are not shown.
The copy referred to as accompanying
the petition Is not filed with it. and no
inquiry has so far brought it to light else
where
1t seems, then, that is reasonable
assumption that the original of the map
dates from l79S; and that from it the
copper plate was engraved shortly
after, as q precaution against a second loss
of such An important record. Subsequent
Investigations may further confirm those
conclusions; which / offer, in the mean
time, subject TO such confirmation.
Yours very truly,
G. ". Canfeld.
Wilmington. Aug 3, 1918