History of Delaware County, Pennsylvania, Part 70

Author: Ashmead, Henry Graham, 1838-1920
Publication date: 1884
Publisher: Philadelphia, Pa. : L.H. Everts
Number of Pages: 1150

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1816-18 .- Samuel Anderson, William Cheyuey.

1818-19 .- William Cheyney, John Kerlin. 1819-20 .- John Kerlin, Thomas Robinson.

1820-21 .- George G. Leiper, Abner Lewis. 1821-22 .- John Lewis, William Cheyney.

1822-23,-Samuel Anderson. 1823-25 .- Abner Lewie. 1825-26 .- Samuel Anderson.

1826-27 .- Joseph Engle.

1827-28 .- William Martin.

1828-29 .- Edward Siter.

1829-30 .- Samuel Anderson.

1830-31 .- John Liudsay. 1831-36,-Samuel Anderson.

1835-36 .- William Mendenball.

1836-37 .- John Hinkeun.

1837-39 .- John K. Zeilin. 1840-42 .- Joshua P. Eyre. 1842-44 .- H. Jonas Brooke.

1844-46 .- John Larkin, Jr.

1846-48 .- Sketchley Morton. 1848-50 .- James J. Lewis.

1850-52 .- John M. Broomall.

1852-54 .- Jonathan P. Abraham.

1854 .- Thomas H. Maddock.

1855 .- Charles D. Manley.

1856 .- Hiram Clesver.

1857 .- Thomas D. Powell.

1858-59 .- William D. Pennell.

1860,-Chalkley Harvey.

1861-62 .- William Gamble.

1863 .- Chalkley Harvey.

1864 .- Edward A. Price.

1865-66 .- Elwood Tyeon.

1867 .- John H. Barton.

1868-69 .- Augustue B. Leedom.

1870 .- Thomas V. Cooper.

1871 .- Tryon Lewie.

1872 .- Thomas V. Cooper. 1873 .- Orson Flagg Bullard.

1874-76 .- William Cooper Talley.

1875-76 .- William Worrall.

1877-78 .- O. F. Bullard. 1877-80 .- Y. S. Walter.

1879-81 .- Nathan Garrett (elected to fill Bullard's unexpired term).1

1881-84 .- Robert Chadwick.

1882-84 .- William G. Powell.

CHAPTER XXVIII.

THE TOWNSHIP OF TINICUM.

THE island of Tinicum, now comprising the town- ship of the same name, is located in the Delaware River, about two miles from the eastern limit of the city of Chester. At the southwestern end of the island is the mouth of Darby Creek, and, proceeding towards the source of that stream eastwardly two miles and a half, a sinuous estuary, termed Bow Creek, unites with Darby Creek, when from the place of this union the latter changes its course in a northwardly direction, while Bow Creek flowing eastwardly enters the Dela- ware about three and a half miles from the mouth of Darby Creek ; thus forming the island of Big Tinicum, as it is frequently called to distinguish it from the

1 Nathan Garrett died in office, and Isaac P. Garrett elected to fill un- expired term.

275

THE TOWNSHIP OF TINICUM.

low, narrow, marshy strip of land lying nearly in the middle of the river, extending almost the entire length of Tinicum Island proper, which is known as Little Tinicum Island. At its broadest part Tinicum is about a mile and a half in width, and its circum- ference is in the neighborhood of nine miles. It

contains two thousand seven hundred and fifty acres, two thousand of which are marsh or meadow land, the average level of the ground being four feet below high water-mark. Originally Big Tinicum Island consisted of but five hundred acres, the remainder of the land having been reclaimed from the water by the con- struction of banks or dikes.

From a description of Tinicum in 1679-80 we learn that then it was about two miles long, or a " little more than a mile and a half wide. . . . The southwest point, which only has been and is still cultivated, is barren, scraggy, and sandy, growing plenty of wild onions, a weed not easily eradicated. On this point three or four houses are standing, built by the Swedes, a little Luth- eran Church made of logs, and the remains of the large block-house, which served them in place of a fortress, and the ruins of some log huts. This is the whole of the manor. The best and pleasantest quality it has is the prospect, which is very agreeable."1 The Indian name of this island was Tanakon, Tutacaenung, and Teniko, which, after the Swedes settled there, was changed to Nya Gotheberg,2 and subsequently termed by the Dutch the Island of Kattenberg,3 while the English changed the Indian name Tennakong, as it is more usually written, to Tinicum.

The first settlement of Europeans in Pennsylvania of which authentic records exist was made on the island of Tinicum by the Swedish Governor, John Printz, subsequent to Feb. 15, 1643, in exercising the discretion reposed in him by the home government as to the site of his residence. "The convenient situa- tion of the place," we are told by Acrelius, " suggested its selection."+ Professor Keen declares that "the encroachments of the neighboring Dutch, and the recent repairs of their little Fort Nassau, determined the new Governor to remove to the more commanding post of Tutæaenugh, or Tinicum."5 Certain it is, that shortly after Printz reached the province he changed the location of the capital, removing to Tin- icum, where he erected a "new fort provided with considerable armament," which he named Nya Gothe- borg, and also caused to be built a mansion for his own residence, surrounded by "a fine orchard, a pleasant house, and other conveniences," to which he gave the name of Printzhof.6 At the same place also "the principal inhabitants had their dwellings and

plantations," but at the conclusion of the year 1645 the settlement in that vicinity was small, and the dwellings few, for Hudde reports that "there are some plantations which are continued nearly a mile, but few houses only at considerable distance one from the other, the farthest is not far from Tinnekonk, which is an island, and is toward the river side secured by creeks and underwood."7 The fort was simply a block-house, for Andrias Hudde describing it states "that it is a pretty strong fort, constructed by laying very heavy hemlock (greenen) logs the one on the other."8 In less than two years after it was erected it was totally destroyed by fire. On Nov. 25, 1645, Swan Wass, a gunner, between ten and eleven o'clock, set the fort on fire, and in a short time all was burned, nothing being saved except the dairy.9 Vincent says "that the conflagration was occasioned by the neglect of Swen Wass, who had fallen asleep, and a candle which he had left burning set fire to the structure." 10 Printz, however, treated the act as a criminal one. Hence in his report he spoke of Swen Wass as " the above-mentioned incendiary," and informed the home government that he had caused the man to be tried, that he had been convicted and sentenced, and he had sent him to Sweden, in irons, that the sentence might be executed." The destruction of the fort was a severe ordeal for the colonists, for winter had set in bitterly cold, the river and creeks were frozen, and, as New Gottenberg was on an island, no one could get to it; and as Printz reports, " the sharpness of winter lasted until the middle of March; so that, if some rye and corn had not been unthreshed, I myself, and the people with me on the island, would have starved to death. But God maintained us with that small quantity of provisions until the new harvest." Here also Printz had " a commodious church built," a small log structure, which the Governor reported he had adorned and decorated "according to our Swedish fashion, so far as our limited resources and means would allow," which sanctuary was appropriately consecrated " for divine services" by Rev. John Cam- panius, on the 4th of September, 1646. A burial- place was also laid out, and Campanius records that "the first corpse that was buried there was that of Catherine, the daughter of Andrew Hanson. She was buried on the 28th of October, in the said year, being the feast of St. Simon and St. Jude." 11

As with all European colonists, the impression pre- vailed among the Swedes that precious metals would be found in the New World. Hence, in his report for 1647, Governor Printz says, "Mines of silver and gold may possibly be discovered, but nobody here

1 Journal of a Voyage to Now York in 1679-80; Memoirs of the Long Island Historical Society, vol. i. p. 177.

2 Acrelius, " History of New Sweden," p. 69.

3 Penna. Archives, 2d eeries, vol. vii. p. 496.

4 History of New Sweden, p. 42.

6 Penna. Mag. of Hist., vol. ii. p. 327.

· Campanios, p. 79.

7 Penua. Archives, 2d seriea, vol. v. p. 104.

8 Ib.

9 Report of Governor Printz for 1647, Mog. of Hist., vol. vil. p. 273.

10 History of Delaware, p. 196; Hazard'e Aonale, p. 84; Massachu- selts Historical Collections, vol. vi. (N. S.) p. 434; Winthrop, vol. ii. p. 254.

11 Campanius' " New Sweden," pp. 79, 80.

276

HISTORY OF DELAWARE COUNTY, PENNSYLVANIA.

has any knowledge about such things."1 The report was however current that gold existed in large quan- tities on the eastern shores of the Delaware in the neighborhood of Trenton. Peter Lindstrom, the Swe- dish engineer, records that an Indian coming to Tini- cum, seeing a gold ring on the hand of Governor Printz's wife,""inquired of ber why she wore such a trifle upon her finger ?" The Governor hearing this asked the American whether he could procure such stuff for him? If he could, he would give him a great deal that was good in return. Whereupon the American answered, " I know where there is a moun- tain full of this!" On this the Governor took an armful of red and blue cloth, also lead, powder, look- ing-glasses, needles, etc., and showing them to him, said, "See here what I will give you if you will bring me a piece of that in proof of what you have said ; but I will send two of my people along with you." To this he would not agree. He said, "I will first go and bring you the proof; if that satisfies you, then there is time enough for you to send some one with me." Promising the proof, he thereupon received some pay. A few days thereafter he returned with a piece as large as two fists, which the aforesaid Gover- nor tested, and found that it abounded in good gold, and obtained a considerable quantity from it, from which he afterwards had gold rings and bracelets made. He therefore promised the American a much greater reward if he would show our people, whom he would send with him, where that mountain was situ- ated, which he also promised to do; but said that he had not leisure for it at that time, but would come back again after some days, and then he again received some presents. After the American came to his coun- trymen and began to boast before them, they com- pelled him to tell for what he had received his gifts ; and when they came to know it they put him to death so that that place might not become known to us, supposing that it might bring some mischief upon them."2 Acrelius believed that this statement was absolutely fictitious, and the representation was made "to bring to the light unknown regions for the pur- pose of enticing people over the great sea, and to se- cure settlers." 3

Arnold De Lagrange, as late as 1680, reported that there was an iron-mine on Tinicum, but a visitor there at that date says "that as to there being a mine of iron ore upon it I have not seen any upon that island or elsewhere and if it were so, it is of no great im- portance for such mines are so common in this coun- try that little account is made of them." +

At Tinicum the first vessel constructed by Euro-

peans within the present State of Pennsylvania was built, and in his report for 1647, Governor Printz says, " I have caused the barge to be fully constructed, so that the hull is ready and floating on the water ; but the completion of the work must be postponed until the arrival of a more skilled carpenter, the young men here declaring they do not know enough to finish it."5 That this vessel was completed we learn from an order issued by Stuyvesant after the capture of New Sweden by the Dutch, dated March 26, 1657, in which he states, respecting the pleasure-boat of the late Gov- ernor Printz, which "he is informed" is decaying and nearly rotten where she then laid, that if Peter Meyer would satisfy the attorneys of the late Gov- ernor Printz, and discharge Stuyvesant from respon- sibility under the terms of the Swedish capitulation, he (Meyer) might be permitted to make use of the boat for transporting letters.6

In the little log sanctuary at Tinicum, until May, 1648, officiated Rev. John Campanius, who earnestly strove to instruct the Indians in the tenets of his church. To aid him in the endeavor to Christianize the savages he applied himself to the study of their language, and mastered it sufficiently to translate the Lutheran Catechism into the dialect of the Lenni Lenape family of the great Algonquin tribe. He was the first person to translate a book into the Indian tongue, and although his work was not published until 1696, when it was printed by the royal command at Stockholm, still he antedated a few years Eliot's labors to impart instruction to the Indians by trans- lating the Bible into the Mohegan dialect, although the latter's work was put to press thirty years before that of Campanius. The reverend pastor was re- lieved at the date mentioned by Rev. Lears Carlsson Lock, who appears to have had, after 1656, the exclu- sive care for twenty-two years of religious affairs in the colony. The Swedes in those early days, we are told by the late Joseph J. Lewis, in his "History of Chester County,"7 used to attend church at Tinicum, "to which they came in canoes from New Castle and other places along the Delaware, both above and below the island."

On the return of Governor Printz to Sweden, his daughter, Armegat, yet remained at and occupied Printzhof at Tinicum, and after the conquest by the Dutch of New Sweden, notwithstanding the recom- mendation of Stuyvesant to the directors, in 1656, to occupy the fort at that place and garrison it, it seems not to have been done, for in 1680 it was a ruin, and at that date is mentioned as " the remains of the large block house."8 Armegat Printz, for she seems to have clung to her maiden name, was very haughty in her bearing and oppressive toward the poor in her pride of station. Inasmuch as the estate on which the little

1 Penna. Mag. of Hist., vol. vii. p. 272.

2 Acrelius, " History of New Sweden," p. 66 (oote); Gordon's " His- tory of Pennsylvania," pp. 596-97 (note D); Lindstrom's " Manuscript Journal," in possession of American Philosophical Society, Philadel- phia.

3 Acrelius, p. 66.

4 Memoirs of Long Island Historical Society, vol. i. p. 177.

5 Hazard's Annals, p. 231.

6 Penna. Mag. of History, vol. vii. p. 276.

7 Published in 1824 in the Village Record, at West Chester.

" Memoirs of Long Island Historical Society, vol. i. p. 178.

277

THE TOWNSHIP OF TINICUM.

church was built belonged to her father, whose attor- ney she was, she claimed that structure as part of her possessions. But the edifice was, nevertheless, used for religious services, and although she sold the church to La Grange, with the island, the Swedes still wor- shiped therein. On May 24, 1673, to show her con- tempt for the Swedes, she sold the bell after she was put into possession of the estate in the execution in the ejectment suit, to which reference will be made. The receipt given by her on that occasion is interest- ing, since it relates to the first church-bell we have record of in our country's history, although long years before that date mention is made of a bell used by the courts at New Castle to summon the people together. The following is the receipt given by her : 1

{Copy) " LAUS DEO, May 24, 1673.

"I, the undersigned, Armegat Printz, acknowledges to have trans- ferred to the congregation of the adherents of the Angaburg Confession in this place, the bell that has been on Tennakong, that they may do therewith what pleases them, and promise to keep them free from all claims that are made. Before the undersigned witnesses given as above.

" ARMEGAT PRINTZ.

" His mark, P. K.

" PETER KOCK. " His mark, X "JONAS NELSSON."

The Swedish congregation at Tinicum, Acrelius tells us, purchased the bell back again before Arme- gat left the Delaware finally for Europe, paying there- for two days' labor in harvest-time. The date of her departure is unknown, but she was at Upland, Ches- ter, on March 3, 1676,2 nearly three years after the bell was sold. We also know that at a court held at New Castle by Governor Andross, May 13 and 14, 1675, it was ordered " That church at Tinicon Island Do serve for Upland & pts adjacent."" In this little log church, for many years, Pastor Lock preached to the Swedish settlers, and when the English conquered the territory, bringing with them their contempt for the clergy,4 it was evident the change of rulers was not to his benefit. To be sure, as measured by the standard of this day, the reverend gentleman seems to have worn the cloth with little credit to his profes- sion, but the times were rude, the sports were rude, and if, as stated, his " great infirmity seems to have been an over fondness for intoxicating drinks," it was the general weakness of that age. Finally, as years crept apace, the old dominie grew infirm, became so lame that he could not help himself, and was com- pelled to suspend active labor in the ministry. Rev. Jacob Fabritius, of the Wiccaco Church, could be of little use to Tinicum congregation, for while the latter's flock grew, Lock's did not; and as Pastor Fa-

britins was blind, and had to be led when he walked about, the little church on Tinicum languished until, about the beginning of the eighteenth century, it ceased to be used for religious services. In time it fell into ruins, and long before the beginning of the present century had entirely disappeared.

The graveyard mentioned by Campanius has been eaten away by the washing of the tide. It is related by Aubrey H. Smith, late United States district at- torney, of Philadelphia, that his father and the latter's sister, when children, while walking along the river- shore at Tinicum, at the site of the burial-ground, saw coffins projecting from the banks where the earth had been worn away by the water. Printzhof, that noted mansion of the Swedish Governor, stood until the summer of 1822 on the high ground of the island, and " the interior bore evident marks of great antiquity in its structure," but at the date stated the greater part of the ancient building was destroyed by fire.5 Dr. Smith records that "the dilapidated remains of what was said to be the chimney of this mansion were standing within the recollection of the author, and up to this time one of the small foreign-made bricks, of a pale yel- low color, of which it was partly constructed, may be occasionally picked up in this vicinity. Its site was a short distance above the present Tinicum Hotel, and on the opposite side of the road.6

The administration of the affairs of the province under Printz must have been exceedingly gratifying to the crown of Sweden, for in less than nine months after Governor Printz landed on the Delaware, Queen Christina, ou Nov. 6, 1642, made a grant, "On account of the long and excellent services which the lieuten- ant-colonel and Governor of New Sweden, our very dear and beloved John Printz, has rendered to us and to the Crown of Sweden, and also on account of those which he is daily rendering to us in the government of the country and which he is engaged to render us as long as he shall live ... the place called Teneko or New Gottenberg, in New Sweden, to enjoy it, him and his lawful heirs, as a perpetual possession."" Gov- ernor Printz, when he came to the colony, was accom- panied by his wife and daughter, Armgart; the latter was subsequently married to Lieutenant John Pappe- goya, who, on Printz's return to Sweden, near the close of the year 1653, was left in charge of the gov- ernment of the colony, and after the coming of John Rysinge, who superseded him in authority, the latter remained, for in Rysinge's letter to the ministers of Sweden, July 11, 1654, he recommended Pappegoya as a proper person to be appointed schute or sheriff on the Delaware.8 At that time the presumption is Governor Rysinge resided at Tinicum, for on June

1 Acrelius, " History of New Sweden," p. 86.

2 Penna. Mag. of History, vol. Ii. p. 467.

3 N. Y. Colonial Documents, vol. xii. p. 526; Hazard's Annala, p. 417.

4 Macaulay's " History of England" (Am. Book Exchange ed.), vol. i. pp. 210, 212.

5 " Topographical and Medical Sketch of Tinicum Island," by George F. Lehman, M.D., published in Journal of Medical and Physical Science, Philadelphia, 1833.

6 History of Delaware County, p. 31.

7 Penna. Archives, 2d series, vol. v. p. 776.

8 Hazard'a Annala, p. 165.

278

HISTORY OF DELAWARE COUNTY, PENNSYLVANIA.

17th of that year a council was held by him with the Indian sachems, at Printz Hall, on which occasion some of the Indians complained that the Swedes had brought much evil upon them, for many of the savages had died since the former came to this country. Naa- man, one of the chiefs, made a speech, in which he de- clared the Swedes were a very good people. " Look," said he, pointing to the presents, " see what they have brought us, for which they desire our friendship." So saying, he stroked himself three times down the arm, which among the Indians is a token of friendship. Afterwards he thanked the Swedes on behalf of his people for the presents they had received, and said that friendship should be observed more strictly be- tween them than it had been before ; that the Swedes and Indians had been in Governor Printz's time as one body and one heart (striking his breast as he spoke) and thenceforward they should be as one head, in token of which he took hold of his head with both his hands, and made a motion as if he was tying a strong knot, and then he made this comparison, that as the calabash was round without any crack, so they would be a compact body without any fissure, and that if any one should attempt to do any harm to the Indians, the Swedes should immediately inform them of it; and, on the other hand, the Indians would give immediate notice to the Christians of any plot against them, even if it were in the middle of the night." Sev- eral savages, after they had been presented with brandy and wine, followed with similar remarks, and advised the Swedes to settle at Passyunk, where the Indians were numerous, and where, if any of the latter at- tempted to do the Swedes mischief, they could be punished. Finally, they desired to confirm the title to the land which the Swedes had already purchased from them. This being done, "there were set upon the floor in the great hall, two large kettles and many other vessels filled with sappaun, which is a kind of hasty pudding, made of maize and Indian corn. The sachems sat by themselves ; the other Indians all fed heartily and were satisfied. . .. The treaty of friend- ship which was then made between the Swedes and the Indians has ever since been faithfully observed on both sides." 1

Lieut. John Pappegoya is generally believed to have returned to Sweden shortly after the arrival of Rysinge, an impression evidently founded on the statement of Acrelius, that "the Vice-Governor, John Pappegoya, had determined to take his de- parture from the country, and the government was therefore handed over to the said commissary, John Risinge."2 The latter reached New Sweden, May 23, 1654, and yet on March 30, 1656, John Pappegoya was still in New Sweden, for on the date given he an- nounced to Governor Stuyvesant the arrival there of a Swedish ship, the " Mercury," and that the Dutch authorities on the Delaware had refused permission

to the crew and passengers to land." This is the last mentioned of John Pappegoya, and inasmuch as it proves that he did not return directly to Sweden after the arrival of Rysinge, as is stated by Acrelins, it is very likely that he never did return to Europe, but died in the province.

After New Sweden had been conquered by the arms of Stuyvesant, in September, 1655, Governor Rysinge states that the Dutch forces "at New Gottenberg robbed Mr. Pappegoya's wife of all she had, with many others, who had collected their property to- gether there."" About twelve months after the con- quest of the province, " Armgard Papigaay," as the Dutch record the name (the document, however, is signed "Armgard Prints"), petitioned that letters patent should be issued to her for her father's land at Printzdorp (Chester) and at "Tinnakunk" (Tini- cum Island). Stuyvesant and his Council, in re- sponse, accorded her permission, pursuant to the terms of capitulation, "to take possession and culti- vate the lands of her Lord and Father at Printzdorp." 5 Nothing was said as to Tinicum, but Armgart Pappe- goya continued to occupy the lands there, and we learn, from a letter from Vice-Director William Beek- man, dated May 12, 1660, that "Miss Printz requests that she may deliver here, for her taxes, a fat ox, fat pigs, and bread corn." Doubtless when Governor Stuyvesant was at Tinicum, on May 8, 1658, where he had a conference with the Swedish magistrates, he lodged at Printz Hall, for we know that at that time the block-house there was no longer occupied by the armed forces of the government. In the summer of 1657 the Dutch authorities sought to prevail upon the Swedish inhabitants on the river to gather themselves together in villages, and in 1660 the matter was pressed earnestly by the vice-director, under instructions from Stuyvesant, but we learn from Beekman's official cor- respondence that the resolute daughter of the former Swedish Governor resisted the order, stating that she could not remove " on account of her heavy buildings, also because the church stands there," and stating, as an additional reason, that although she had offered her lands "rent free, but nobody as yet shows inclina- tion to live with her." 6

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History of Delaware County, Pennsylvania, Part 70

Author: Ashmead, Henry Graham, 1838-1920 Publication date: 1884 Publisher: Philadelphia, Pa. : L.H. Everts Number of Pages: 1150

Author: Ashmead, Henry Graham, 1838-1920
Publication date: 1884
Publisher: Philadelphia, Pa. : L.H. Everts
Number of Pages: 1150