Newark post., 1922-05-24
Christiana Had
Gala Celebration
Biggest Gathering in Years on Last
Saturday-New Fire Engine
is Housed

One OF the largest gathering o1
people that ever assembled at Chris
tiana was on hand last Saturday when
the housing of the new fire engine OF
that town took place.
The members of Aetna Hose, Hook
and Ladder Co., through Professor C.
A. Short, of the University of Della
ware, presented the Christiana fire.
men with silver horn.
When the matter of purchasing a
fire engine for Christiana first came
up there was much opposition to the
plan and several law suits were
threatened. But the people that stood
fast for the purchase of the appara-
tus were certainly rewarded on Sat-
urday. There were persons from
all parts of the State on hand for the
affair. The gathering was held at the
old Lewden House, once the social
center of our neighboring village.
The occasion was primarily for the
purpose of dedicating the new fire
engine which arrived Saturday morn
ing and was brought through from
Washington by j. Thompson Eastburn
and his son, Horace, of the Christiana
Fire Company; partly to honor the
work done by the ladies of the Wom-
ems Emergency Relief Committee, or
ganized mainly at the instigation of
T. Duncan Just, president of the
Christiana Clay Products Company
and partly to provide an outing for
the people of Wilmington who are
friends of officers of this company.
Nearly 200 persons were present, at
he dinner provided by the Ladies Aux
iliary of the Christiana Fire Depart
ment; nearly 500 persons sat down to
the supper provided by the same or
ganization at about 6 o'clock and a
little later in the evening with eight
bands playing in different sections Of
the town after the parade of firemen
from Elkton, Newark, New Castle,
Five Points and Christiana, it is esti-
mated there were more than 1000 per-
sons gathered to view the proceedings.
There was an enthusiastic bit of
sentiment in the entire affair as was
pointed out by the speakers following
the dinner held at about 1 o'clock.
Mayor Leroy Harvey, former Mayor
William G. Taylor, Martin Smith, Mrs.
Donald Ashbrook, Mrs. Jane Penne-
will, T. Duncan Just and Benjamin F.
Groves, who acted as master of cere-
monies, all called attention to the his
5orical significance of the occasion.
Christiana, it was explained, was
he place where industrial plants in
he modern sense had their start. The
bridge across the Christiana river at
hat place marked the head of navi-
cation. Here were established docks,
and manufactures of the
;ort needed in those days. This was
more than 200 years ago. The town
lnown as "Christine," from the young
queen of Sweden, the former home of
many of the new settlers, was in the
lature of a metropolis. Barges and
ailing craft of all kinds came up the
liver to the wharves, were loaded and
arried the products of the new coun-
ry all over the world.
1t was known at that time that
catered about the place were prod
lets of clay, sand and gravel that
vould some day provide rich industry
or the people living there. But with
ne development of the larger commun-
ty, farther up the Delaware river,
ounded by William Penn and the
,rowth of industries in other sections
long the Christiana and along the
3randywine, more especially with the
.radual lessening of the depth of
'ater in the river, attention was drawn