USA > Delaware > Historical and biographical encyclopaedia of Delaware. V 1 > Part 35
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The County Court house at Tenth and Market sts. Wilmington, completed in 18So is a commodious and beautiful stone structure costing $130,000, an ornament to the city and an honor to the County.
A new depot at Front and King streets just completed by the Philadelphia, Wilmington and Baltimore Railroad Company, affords evi- dence of the liberal provision made by that Company for the comfort of passengers and the transaction of its large and growing busi- ness.
Among the attractive edifices of the city, the Opera House, and the Clayton Hotel are objects of deserved notice. Private residences, evincing enlightened taste and architectural beauty, abound in the western portion of the city; among which is to be noted that of William Bush, known as " Greystone," a beau- tiful steel plate engraving of which is in this volume.
The Soldiers and Sailors' Monument, stand- ing at Delaware Avenue and Broome streets, speaks favorably of the patriotism of the citi- zens of Wilmington and the State.
To Eli Crozier, an aged and patriotic citizen of Wilmington, it now stands a monument of his unselfish devotion to secure payments for
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its erection, and when he dies it should do | lionor to his life by an inscription which should link his name in deatliless memory with the heroes whose fame it perpetuates.
DOVER, THE STATE CAPITAL.
HE Capital of the State of Delaware and seat of Justice of Kent County, was so called from the "Dover river ;" a name given by the earlier settlers of
the colony in that part of the State. The later settlers are supposed to have come from the County of Kent, England, and given the name Kent to the County, and Dover to the Creek, which before that time had been called St. Jones' County. By order of the Court, Wm. Clark, county surveyor, laid out the town of "Dover" in 1682. A warrant for 1200 acres of land was given by Wm. Penn, 1683, and giv- ing authority to said Clerk to lay out the town in lots of one and a half acres, giving also full instructions as to streets, Court House and Prison. The State House was built in 1787, and was used as a Court House until the erec- tion of the present handsome structure.
In 1850 Rev. T. B. Bradford came into pos- session of land belonging to the old Govert Loockerman estate. He had the land divided into lots. These lots were in that portion of the town lying north of Loockerman street, and west of King. The town grew rapidly in this direction. Chief Justice Jos. P. Comegys pur- chased the land west of Governor's Avenue to the Rail Road and sold the lots as a further addition to the town. It is a beautiful town, needing only that its streets should receive the like attentions bestowed upon its buildings, to make it as noted for its cleanliness, as it has long been noted for the morality and in- telligence of its inhabitants. The Richardson House, a hotel of the highest class in all re- spects, just completed, is an additional orna- ment to the Capital of the State.
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attracts attention by reason of its conspicuous position and adaptation to public needs.
GEORGETOWN,
PLEASANT and thriving village of 2,:co inhabitants, located in the center of Sussex County, and is its County Town. Originally, Sussex was called Dale county, and Lewistown was the Seat of Justice from the organization of the Courts till about the year 1800, when the county seat was removed by law to Georgetown, first known as Dale's Cross-roads. Besides contain- ing the Court House, Jail and other county buildings, it is the connecting point of two railroads, viz ; the Junction and Breakwater and the Breakwater and Frankford, besides being the center of business and political in- fluence in the county.
The Georgetown Academy is one of the oldest educational institutions in the State. The town isnoted for the culture and intelli- gence of its leading citizens, and as being the principal resort of the people of the County, and its chief Railroad center.
NEWSPAPERS.
Daily Gazette, published at Wilmington every afternoon, except Sunday, by Bell & Taylor, editors and proprietors. Subscription, $3.00 per annum. Democratic in politics. 416 Market st.
Daily Republican, published at Wilmington every afternoon, except Sunday, by George W. Vernon & Sons. Subscription, $3.00 per year. Republican in politics. King st. cor. 3rd.
Every Evening, published at Wilmington daily, except Sunday, by Every Evening Pub- lishing Co. $5.00 per annum. Independent in politics. Market cor. 5th.
Morning News, published at Wilmington every morning, except Sunday, by the News Publishing Co. Subscription, $5.00 per annum. Republican in politics. 511 Market street.
Delaware State Journal, published at Wil- mington every Thursday by the Every Even- ing Publishing Co. Subscription, $1.00 per annum. Independent in politics. Market cor. 5th.
Delaware Republican, published at Wilming-
The United States Post Office Building, costing $75,000, just completed and enclosed, ton every Thursday by Geo. W. Vernon & Sons. Subscription, $2.00 per aunum. Repub- lican in politics. King st. cor. Third.
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Delaware Pionier, (German,) published at Wilmington every Saturday by Francis Scheu, editor and proprietor. Subscription, $2.00 per annum. 404 Market st.
Delaware Gasette, published at Wilmington every Thursday, by Bell & Taylor, editors and proprietors. Subscription $2.00 per annum. Democratic in politics. 416 Market st.
Conference Worker, published at Wilming- ton every Saturday by C. H. Sentman, editor and proprietor. Subscription, $1.00 per an- num. Published in the interest of the Wil- mington M. E. Conference. Shipley st. cor. 6th.
Wilmington Freie Press, (German, ) published at Wilmington every day, except Sunday, by Francis Scheu,editor and proprietor, 404 Mar- ket st. Independent in politics.
Sunday Star, published at Wilmington every Sunday morning by J. B. Bell, editor and proprietor. Neutral in politics. Subscription, $1.50 per year.
State Sentinel. published at Dover every Saturday by H. W. Cannon, editor and pro- prietor Subscription, $2.00 per annum. · Republican in politics.
Delawarean, published at Dover every Saturday by Eli Saulsbury. Subscription, $2.50 per annum. Democratic in politics.
Middletown Transcript, published at Middle- town every Saturday by W. Scott Way, editor and proprietor. Subscription, $2.00 per annum. Democratic in politics.
Milford Chronicle, published at Milford every Friday by Corsa & Townsend. Sub- scription, $1.00 per annum. Independent in politics.
Peninsular News and Advertiser, published - at Milford every Saturday by H. L. Hynson, editor and proprietor. Subscription, $2.00 per annum. Independent in politics.
Smyrna Times, published every Wednesday at Milford by Robert D. Hoffecker, editor and publisher. Subscription, $2.00 per annum.
Sussex Fournal, published at Georgetown every Friday by Marvel, Downham & Clark. Subscription, $2.00 per annum. Democratic in politics.
Delaware Ledger, published at Newark every Saturday by Egbert G. Handy, editor and proprietor. Subscription, $1.50 per annum, Independent in politics. 26
Delaware Democrat, published at George- town every Saturday by the Delaware Demo- crat Publishing Co. Subscription, $1.00 per annum. Democratic in politics.
Breakwater Light, published at Lewes every Friday by I. H. D. Knowles, editor and pro- prieter. Subscription, $1.50 per annum.
BANKS. FARMERS BANK. BY HENRY RIDGELY, M. D.
N ACT incorporating the Farmers' Bank by the name and style of "The Presi- dent, Directors and Company of the Farmers' Bank of the State of Dela- ware" was passed by the Legislature, Febru- ary 4th, 1807. The principal bank was estab- lished at Dover, with branches at New Castle and Georgetown, having a capital of $500,coo divided between them. The bank was after- ward authorized to increase its capital to a sum not exceeding one million of dollars. In 1810 the Legislature permitted it to effect in- surance against fire and also on lives, but this business was very soon abandoned. On the 22nd of January, 1813, another branch was established at Wilmington.
The capital of the whole Institution is now $680,000, of which the bank at Dover holds $186,000, the branch at Wilmington $236,000. the branch at New Castle $138,000, and the branch at Georgetown $120,000. At the clos- ing of the books on the 16th day of December, 1879, the surplus of the whole institution amounted to $122,430,76, the deposits to $722, 104,25, and the discounts and loans to $1,215, 180.45 All funds belonging to the State, the three Counties, and the School Fund are deposited in the Farmers' Bank. During its long existence the Bank has not lost a single dollar by the dishonesty of any of its officials. A defalcation was discovered at the branch in Wilmington in 1867, but the sureties. of the defaulting cashier were compelled to pay the whole loss. The Bank is still under its State charter.
Henry M. Ridgely was elected the first President of the bank at Dover, and continued to fill that position until, after nearly forty years of service, failing health compelled lim
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HISTORY OF DELAWARE.
to resign in January, 1847, when Jonathan | On accepting his resignation, the General Jenkins, long a useful and prominent director, Board passed resolutions of a highly compli- mentary character to him. was elected to fill his place. He died suddenly, IIth July, 1848, and in the following Janu- The present directors of the bank at Dover are Henry Ridgely, George W. Cummins, Caleb S. Pennewill, Edward Ridgely, Edwin M. Stevenson, Governor John W. Hall, Dr. John A. Moore, Edward Lord and Thomas K. Taylor. Walter Morris, Cashier; Samuel T. Jones, Clerk; John S. Collins, Teller ; Edward Ridgely, Attorney. ary, 1849, Henry Ridgely was elected. He still continues to fill the position. The Cash- iers have been Peter Coverly, James Harper, Joshua G. Brincle, Cornelius P. Comegys (after- ward Governor of the State,) John Manlove, James P. Wild, and now Walter Morris. Mr. Wild died in September, 1879, after serving the Bank fifty years and eight months as Clerk and Cashier. He was an honest, efficient and devoted officer, and a man of high social posi- tion and unimpeachable integrity and morality Few men were more respected by his numer- ous acquaintances and friends.
The Presidents of the branch at New Castle have been Kensey Johns, afterward Chancel- lor. James R. Black, afterward Judge. James Booth, afterward Chief Justice, Thomas Jan- vier, and Andrew C. Gray. Mr. Gray was elected in 1849, and has now served thirty con tinuous years. The Cashiers at New Castle have been Francis L. Cooch, James Couper, Howell J. Terry and Charles Kimmey.
The Presidents of the branch at Wilmington have been John Rumsey, Louis McLane, John Rumsey again, 1818, Dr. Allen McLane, Allan Thompson, James A. Bayard, David C. Wilson, Chas. I. DuPont, Francis Barry, and now George Richardson. Louis McLane rep- resented Delaware in Congress, held two posi- tions in General Jackson's cabinet, was minis- ter to England, and President of the Balti- more & Ohio Railroad. James A. Bayard was an eminent lawyer and Senator. The Cashiers at Wilmington have been Peter Coverly (sent from Dover,) John Rumsey, James Harper, John Torbert. Allan Thompson, Robert D. Hicks, Joseph A. Heston and now, Aquila G. Robinson.
The Presidents of the branch at Georgetown have been Thomas Cooper, James Anderson, Gardiner H. Wright, and now Chas. C. Stock- ley. The Cashiers have been Isaac Tunnell, James Anderson, and now Gardiner H.Wright. Mr. Anderson was connected with the bank for a long time as Director, President and Cashier. Mr. Tunnell lived to the advanced age of ninety-three years. He was Cashier from 1807 until 1862, when he resigned after a " long service of fifty-four years and six months
The Directors at Wilmington are George Richardson, T. F. Crawford, George H. Bates, George G. Lobdell, Judge Ed. G. Bradford, E. Tatnall Warner, William Bright, Edward S. Moore. Aquila G. Robinson is Cashier ; Thomas E. Young, Teller; John M. Carswell, Clerk; Geo. H. Bates, Attorney.
The Directors at New Castle are Andrew C. Gray, Thomas Holcomb, John H. Rodney, Dr. John J. Black, James T. Eliason, Cæsar Rodney, David Boulden and Albert H. Silver. Richard G. Cooper is Cashier; Wm. F. Lane, Teller ; John H. Rodney, Attorney.
The Directors at Georgetown are Charles C. Stockley, H. Hickman, John R. McFee, Charles H. Richards, Edwin R. Paynter, Ex- Governor James Ponder, Dr. Hugh Martin, Ebe W. Tunnell and Charles B. Houston. Gardiner H. Wright is Cashier, and John L. McKim, Teller, and E. R. Paynter, Attorney.
The State elects three directors for each part of the institution.
NEW CASTLE COUNTY NATIONAL BANK OF ODESSA, DEL.,
AS incorporated under the title of the New Castle County Bank, March 2d, 1853, and was organized in 1854, with Charles Tatman, as President ; Dr. Benjamin F. Chatham, Cashier ; John Zelefro as Teller, and the following Directors : Cyrus Polk, Charles Beaston, Henry Davis, Garrett Cox, David J. Cummins, George W. Karsner, John Appleton, and Richard Semans.
This Bank continued to transact business under the above title with a capital stock of $50,000 until June, 1865, when by vote of the Stockholders it became a National Bank with an increased capital of $75,000.
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IHISTORY OF DELAWARE.
Dr. Chatham acted as Cashier until January, 1867, when he resigned, and Joseph L. Gibson was made Cashier, which position he still oc- cupies. John Zelefro was Teller until June 7th, 1854, John Janvier until July 3d, 1866, Eugene L. Ellison until June 11th, 1867, and Joseph G. Brown is the present occupant of that posi- tion.
Its present board of directors are as follows ; President Charles Tatman, John Appleton, Henry Davis, Horatio N. Willetts, Sereck F. Shallcross, Samuel Pennington, William Polk, John C Corbit and Columbus Watkins. This Bank has a surplus fund of $30,000, is a sound institution, and in a very flourishing condition.
FIRST NATIONAL BANK, OF MIL- FORD, DEL.,
AS incorporated July 27, 1876, and holds charter No. 2340. Officers : H. B. Fiddeman, President , J. B. Smith, Cashier ; Isaac S. Truitt, Teller ; who all still hold their positions. The Directors are H. B. Fiddeman, President ; C. S. Watson, M. R. Carlisle, Jas. R. Lofland, Geo. Russell, Thos. J. Davis, John C. Truitt, Jas. M. Hall and C. J. Harrington.
The capital stock is $60,800, and has a bank note circulation of $54,000. The bank is in a healthy condition and has a surplus of $20,000, and the confidence of the people in the institution is shown by the fact that the de- posits now, (April 1880,) amount to $170,000.
THE CITIZENS NATIONAL BANK OF MIDDLETOWN,
AS organized January 23rd, 1860, under the title of the Citizens Bank of the State of Delaware, at Middletown. The first Board of Directors were Geo. Derrickson, President ; Thomas Murphy, Vice President ; John Eliason, Benjamin Gibbs, Richard Lockwood, Richard Seamans, Albert Pennington, William C. Eliason and Robert A. Cochran. James B. McDowell was elected Cashier and John S. Crouch was elected and served as Teller. The capital stock of the Bank was $50,000.
The Bank continued under this organization and name until June 5th, 1865, when, by a vote of the stockholders it was changed to a National Bank, called "The Citizens National Bank of Middletown," also the capital stock was increased to $80,000. Mr. James V. Crawford was at that time elected President, who was succeeded by Mr. Henry Clayton, son of Colonel Joshua Clayton, which posi- tion he still occupies. Mr. Hall is the present Cashier and John S.Crouch is the Teller. The Board of Directors now (1882) are H. Clayton, John A. Reynolds, Benj. T.Biggs, Jas. Culvert- son, Martin E. Walker, Joseph Biggs, Jacob B. Cazier and Edward C. Fenimore. The Bank issues $72,000 in bank notes furnished by the Government, but bearing the name of the Bank. It has a fine three-story brick build- ing on Broad street, near the center of the town, erected in 1870. The Bank has the con- fidence of the community as a most solid in- stitution. It has never lost a dollar through any of its officers.
OTHER BANKING INSTITUTIONS.
RTISANS' Savings Bank, Wilmington, Incorporated Feb., 1861. President, George W Bush: Vice President, George S. Capelle : Treasurer and Sec- retary, E. T. Taylor : Auditor, J. M. Mather : Managers .- Geo. W. Bush, Geo. S. Capelle, Clement B. Smyth, M. L. Lichtenstein, Wm. H. Swift, Edward Pusey, Chas. W. Howland, N. R. Benson, Job H. Jackson, Henry F. Dure, Edward Darlington, Anthony Higgins, Wash- ington Hastings.
The Newport National Bank, Newport, Del., Incorporated March 14, 1865. Capital, $75,000. Surplus, 16,000. President, David Eastburn : Cashier, Joseph W. H. Watson : Teller and Notary Public, Daniel Green : Directors .- David Eastburn, Jacob Rubencame, James Cranston, John Mitchell, John A. Cranston, Chas. M. Groome, Enos. E. Wood.
Delaware City National Bank. William D. Clark, President ; Francis McIntire, Cashier. Authorized capital, $100,000. Paid in capital, $60,000. Surplus, $10,800.
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HISTORY OF DELAWARE.
First National Bank of Dover. N. B. Smith- | ers, President ; J. H. Bateman, Cashier. Paid : George H. Raymond, President; N. F. Wilds, Cashier. Authorized capital, $100,000. Paid in, $80,000. Discount days, Tuesdays.
in capital, $100,000. Surplus, $24,000. Dis- count days, Thursdays.
First National Bank of Seaford. Daniel Hearn, President ; M. J. Morgan, Cashier. Paid in capital, $50,000. Surplus, $3,400. Discount days, Thursdays.
First National Bank of Wilmington. Edward Betts, President ; Geo. D. Armstrong, Cashier. Paid in capital, $500,000. Surplus, $100,000. Discount days, Mondays and Thursdays.
National Bank of Newark. Joel Thompson, President ; Geo. W. Lindsey, Cashier ; Paid in capital, $50,000. Surplus, $12,300.
National Bank of Smyrna. D. J. Cummins, President ; W. M. Bell, Cashier. Paid in capi- tal, $ 100,000.
Fruit Growers' National Bank of Smyrna.
National Bank of Delaware at Wilmington. Henry G. Banning, President ; Richard H. Ewbanks, Cashier. Paid in capital, $110,000. Surplus, $112,800.
National Bank of Wilmington and Brandy- wine. Washington Jones, President ; Otho Nowland, Cashier. Paid in capital, $200,000. Surplus, $85,000.
Union National Bank of Wilmington. Vic- tor DuPont, President ; John Peoples. Cashier. Paid in capital, $203,175. Surplus, $60,000.
Wilmington Savings Fund Society, 8th and Market Sts., Wm. M. Canby, President ; J. E. Smith, Treasurer.
POLITICAL PARTIES.
BY .HON. GEO. P. FISHER.
EITHER history nor tradition furnishes any accurate account as to the names or existence of party divisions in the colony of Delaware, prior to the few years immediately preceding the revolutionary period. Tradition does inform us, however, that when the King and Parliament of Great Britain had commenced to impose upon the colonies a system of unjust and oppressive taxation without representation, there sprang up in the colony of Delaware, two partisan divisions, one of which was known as the Court party, and the other as the Country party. The former, which favored and upheld the government of Great Britain in its onerous and tyrannical exactions, was composed, in a large degree, of the wealthier classes, whose instincts were inclined to aristocracy, and members of the Society of Friends, tlie ten- dency of whose teachings was always in the direction of loyalty to the legally constituted governmental authority.
The Country party consisted mostly of the middle and laboring classes whose active de-
sire of bettering their condition in life, led them naturally towards progress, a larger lib- erty and home rule. Who were the leaders of these divisions, respectively, we have no means of ascertaining, as even the fact of their exis- tence has no other proof except as the oldest men now living have learned it in their youth from the lips of old men of a generation then nearly extinct. When the really revolution- ary period of our Country's history began ; when Paine wrote his Crisis, and John Dickin. son indited his "American Farmer" letters on the banks of St. Jones' River, very much the same classes of men as made up the Court and Country parties, respectively, became more compacted and crystalized, more sharply de- fined, and the Country party certainly more spirited and more aggressive against the kingly invasions of the peoples' rights. They then became known, the Court party as Tories, and the Country party as Whigs, names which they imported from across the water.
In New Castle County the Whig party was very largely in the ascendant ; in Kent it was
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HISTORY OF DELAWARE.
somewhat less preponderant, while in Sussex | the Tories and their secret sympathizers were numerically the greater, though the strength and aggressive spirit of the Whigs, the non- resisting doctrines of the Quaker element and the success of the Whigs in New Castle and Kent, rendered the Tory party a passive and defensive rather than an aggressive power; still, the Tories of Sussex were a very formid- able body and so remained till the close of the war.
The Whigs, however, after the successful close of the Revolution, through the prestige of victory and by their legislative enactments of banishment and confiscation, succeeded at last in stamping out the fires of Toryism, so that it was no longer an organization ; but the embers continued to smoulder for another generation to such an extent that even fifty years after the war of the revolution had closed successfully, a new political organiza- tion found itself handicapped in Sussex County by there assuming the old name. The leading spirits of the old Court and Country parties have not been handed down to us even by tradition, and perhaps now at this remote period it might be regarded as invidious to designate in a paper like the present the names of those who, tradition informs us, were the prominent actors among the Tories of the revolution. We doubt not, however, that they were honest in their convictions of right. Some of them were men of large means for those times who like the monied interests in all ages, are keenly sensitive to their own welfare and fearful and suspectful of changes, the results of which can rarely be clearly foreseen ; others were men who honestly believed, no doubt, that loyalty to the Crown was duty to God. Could the foresight of these Conservatives have correctly cast the horo- scope of the future for the feeble little Colo- nies of America, unfolding to their vision the magnificent panorama of a mighty nation spreading in less than a century, from the Rio Grande to the lakes of the North, and from the Atlantic to the Pacific with a population of 50,000,000 ever increasing and bound to- gether with bands of iron and chains of silver and gold, their political opinions would doubt- less have worn a different complexion, although admiration for the men of those days, who were brave in their advocacy of what
they sincerely believed to be right, and a deli- cate regard for the feelings of their posterity, which furnishes much of the best blood and brain of both the present political parties of the state, would suggest a respectful silence as to the names of the old Tory leaders, yet no such restriction should suppress the men- tion of those great and good patriots who dared to stand in the fore-front of the grand, moral, political and military struggle which we call the Revolution. The names of Rod- ney, Read, Bedford, McKean, Dickinson, Clayton. Hazlett, Caldwell, Kirkwood and a host of others are familiar as house-hold words to the readers of American history, and will go down through the remotest ages as bright exemplars of patriotism.
The successful close of the revolution ended the mission of the Whig party, and the Tory party had been buried out of sight by the achievement of our independence. The Colo- nies finding themselves not only free from Great Britain but in a large degree indepen- dent of each other, soon discovered also that the latter independence was by no means a boon, but a burthen. For a few years the old Whig party kept up its organization after a sort, but as the Tories had been completely crushed out and men, more than measures be- came the lines of partisan divisions, the elec- tions were decided by individual popularity and influence rather than by political senti - ment. This state of things continued from the conquest of our independence through the quasi union of the States under the Articles of Confederation, and until the convention of the States had promulgated the result of its labors.
Upon the question of the adoption of that instrument, the people in all the States again arranged themselves into distinctive political parties. The ratification of that instrument was not achieved by the labor of an hour or a year, for although many of the distinguished Statesmen and Soldiers who had been leaders in the revolution were members of the Con- vention, although Washington, who had then already acquired the title of Father of his Country, presided over its deliberations, and though Hamilton and Madison and Jay and other eminent jurists had most forcibly ap- pealed to the people in behalf of its adoption, there was still a large body of citizens in all
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