BRIDGES OVER THE DELAWARE

BRIDGES OVER THE DELAWARE

SKINNER'S FALLS & MILANVILLE BRIDGE



1902



Long before this bridge the Skinner family were the prominent area watermen, taking timber rafts down the Delaware and operating a ferry between Pennsylvaning and New York. The village of Milanville was also known as Sskinner's Falls at the time. Early 1900 , local politicians felt a bridge across the Delaware at this point would be appropriate and a private company, Milanville Bridge Company, was formed to sell stock, build and operate such for the public. Milton Skinner was the first president of this company. There were problems, first weather and an ice flow flood and then objections from nearby competative bridges built in the 1800's . These were the cochecton Bridge to the north and Narrowsburg Bridge to the south aand to make settlement the Milanville bridge was to be built as a one lane only. American Bridge Company completed the bridge in november 1902 and a cost of $14,000. Tolls were less than the two orther area bridges and tolls were collected on the Pennsylvania side the albro Dexter famly. Then in 1904 a serious flood of ice carried off the New York section.The Perkins brothers of Horsehead Bridge Company, using steel from the wrecked bridge, repaired and reopened Skinner's Bridge for $7000. After repening other businesses were attracted to the area, Erie Railroad sestablished a station, and freight siding for the Brant-Ross Chemical Company's acid factory at Milanville, several creameries were built, aiding the daiary farmers, so added business increased rhe toll income for the bridge and owners.

Luxurious tourist resorts in the beautiful and secluded river valley were a draw to New Jerssey and New York people in Spring, Summer and Fall bringing more travelers across the narrow Milanville bridge. In the 1920's Pennsylvania and New york took ownership of Delaware River bridges which increased travel in the valley. Floods in the 50' and 60's were harmless. During the summer of 1986 the Skinners Fall;s bridge was closed for repair but was reopened and in 1988 was added to the list of historic places on the National Register and still serves travelers who are not in a hurry.



RUTGERS PRESS

History of Delaware Crossings

Frank T. Dale

Salting Down Coon & Possum in Broad Creek Neck of Talbot county Maryland

February 2, 1898 - The Baltimore Sun Paper
  Racoons and opossums have never been in the woods of Broad Creek Neck until this winter, that is as many as there are now.  Nobody can understand the reason of their appearance. The Broad Creek woodlands have many old white and red oaks, gum trees and pines full of hollows from the decay of old age.  Sometimes coons, possum and squirrel are found together in one hollow, living amicably. The country people of Broad Creek Neck  make great sport of these animals. Some, having more than they can use fresh, are 'salting them down' for coon bacon.
 The Broad Creek Neck is a peninsula ten miles long, Broad Creek on one side and Harris Creek on the other, both of which run into the Choptank. Here the invasion of the coons and possum are farm yard pest, plundering anything edible and sometomes they are found drowned in the slops barrels.

Oysters - New Type of Rat Trap

From the Philadelphia Gazette, 14 May 1910:

The London National Register contained the following singular occurence; 
A rat lately visited a tub of oysters at the post office at Falmouth and as he was whisking his tail between the open shell of one of them it closed upon him and held so firmly that he was prevented from escaping and was found in the morning with the oyster still holding fast to his tail at the rat hole enterance.

VILLAGE OF DRAWBRIDGE

The village of Drawbridge was located on the Broadkill River, three or four miles east of the town of Milton. Today it is known as the location of Henlopen Memorial Gardens, a large cemetery, and a highrise bridge crossing the Broadkill.  Most locals call it 'Broadkill Bridge' today.
Early Sussex county days it was home to Miers and Aletta Clowes Clarke, among others,Miers keeping a sailing ship  on the river in the vicenity. Drawbridge had a store which Samuel Paynter kept. Samuel Paynter was one time govenor of Delaware. It had been passed down to his children and grandchildren until about 1857 when it became the property of a Mr. Coulter and family  for several years. It then was owned and operated by William B. Tomlinson who sold it to Captain David Burton and John B. Dorman who conducted business there many years.
In the 1860's and 1870's,  Drawbridge village had three  dwellings,  four grain mills, and a blacksmith shop and the store. At some time there was either one or two ship building sites on the river in the near vicinity. Also there was a ships landing and the hand operated drawbridge. Drawbridge had coastal vessel service to Philadelphia and New York, shipping 2500 cords of wood for fuel and 30,000 bushels of grain each year.  A post office was established in 1830 and Sam Paynter was first postmaster and John B. Dorman became postmaster in 1879.
The 1900's saw the Lockerman family at the store and tending the drawbridge.  The store eventially became an auto parts business which Layton, his wife and a sister kept many years.
From "History of Delaware"

Early Dover Newspapers

Dover Newspapers

The 'Federal Ark', the first newspaper issued at Dover, Delaware in the year 1802, was published by Augustus M. Schee. The Ark was the news paper of the Federalist Political Party, and it was published for two yeas.

In 1805 Mr. Schee published the Delaware Herald which lasted only one year. Also in 1805 "The Record and Federal Advertiser" was published at Dover by Joseph Robertson.

In the interest of the presidential candidacy of John Quincy Adams, the "Delaware Intelligencer" was printed by Samuel F. Shinn, February 1, 1925.

During the 1828 presidential campaigen, Joseph Robertson was editor of "The Political Primer / The Home Book for Jacksonites" that had for a motto "Retaliation" and it strongly advocated the re-election of John Quuincy Adams for President. Leading politicians of that time made contribution, men such as Caleb S Layton and Samuel M. Harrington. These gentlemen had no hesitancy in pouring hot shot into the ranks of their political opponents. This publication was published for six months or so.

Henty W. Peterson, who kept a stationary and book store in Dover in 1830, printed about six issues of "American Freeman and Legislative Reporter" during that year legislative session.

A man noted for his considerable literary ability, William Huffington, Esq., started in 1838 at Dover, a monthly magazine, "The Delaware Register and Farmer" which was discontinued after a year.

"The Sentinel" a Whig Party newspaper was published in 1851 by William Wharton. The "Delaware State Reporter" a Democrat and anti Prohibition newspaper edited by George W. S. Nicholson was published in Dover from 1853 to 1859.

7 May, 1859, Delaware Company, James Kirk, editor, issued the first number of the "Delawaran", a weekly newspaper. It became the Delaware State organ of the Democratic Party, well known throughout the Eastern States. Mr Kirk was editor until March 1876 when Eli Saulsbury became a proprietor until 1902.

A Republican party newspaper, the "State Sentinal" was started in 1874 by Henry W. Cannon who published the paper until 1891 when purchased by Edward W. Louderbourgh and was edited by John H. Bateman until his death in 1900. James E. Allee, Jr purchased this paper in 1814.

"The Index" was first published in 1887 by Francis M. Dunn and his son, Thomas, continued with it after his death in 1894. By 1928 James H. Hughes, Esq., was owner and his daughter, Caroline wrote a social column "Whispers" which had wide readership.

"The Delaware State News", was established in 1901 by Monroe Ashmore of Chicago who sold to James C. Wilkes , Arley Megee and Robert Wilson. By 1928 Wilkes was owner.

In 1929 there were four newspapers of issue in Dover. The Delaware Republican, a weekly, founded in 1907 by Benjamin Simmons, owner and editor. The Delaware State News, weekly, The Index, another weekly and the State Sentinel which ceased publication in 1941

1985 there were three newspapers of issue in Dover . "Delaware State News" daily since 1985, owned by Independent Newspapers Inc., with officers, Joe smyth, I.D. Baily and Karen Walters. A Sunday edition was added in 1871. "Delaware Post", weekly, Don Flood, editor, Marie Marchese and Ann Biyer staff wrighters, Jim Flood Sr., publisher. The "Sentinal" a weekly, Jack Costello, editor, Roy Shielfs, owner.

Transcribed from "Tricentennial View Of Dover, 1683-1983"

DELAWARE RIVER INDUSTRY OF THE PAST

Article from the August 8th 1891 issue of the newspaper PEOPLE.

A unique Industry on the Delaware River

That Lasts Three Months

Down along the shores of Delaware Bay, on both the New Jersey and Delaware sides, there is a thriving industry which is seldom heard of and still more seldom seen in operation or has fewpeople stop to inquire into it.

It is the King Crab fishery and last year 1,674,00 of the ha shelled crustaceous fellows were taken from their native element, while past years the yield has reached 5.000,000. The season lasts three months.

Thfishery for the king crab, while nit primarily intended to provide a food product does furnish one of the best fertilizers known.

A trip down the bay proves the industry to be flourishing condition and seems to center on the Jersey side, between Cape May Point and Heislerville, twenty mile above and seven/eights of the entire catch is made between Dennisville and Fishing Creek. At Goshen, Dias Creek and Green Creek the catch was between 335,000, 410,000 and 411,000 crabs respectively.

Two forms of appatatus are in common use along the Jersey Shore, one resembles a type of 'pound net', but the the other is unlike and thing used in waters of the United States and is designed especially for this fishery.

The wood stakes that form the frame for the 'pound' are 8 to 10 feet long and 4 to 6 inches diameter, pleaced 4 to 6 feet apart. To the bottom of the stakes, called the 'hedge' , one inch boards are nailed on, one foot or slightly higher. This forms the 'bowl'. The door to the first bowl is 18 or 24 inch wide and the door to the second bowl is in narrower to prevent too many crabs to enter. Netting is either twine or chicken wire.

Then there is the 'weir or stake net as it is called here, and is different than the pound net. It has poles driven into the muddy or sandy bottom so as to form a 'hedge', wings, bowl or pound . The poles are placed about 3 inches apart to allow the sea to flow through them. This bowl is semicircular in shape, the extremies of the brushwork is about midway the pound. The capacity is controled by the leader door to the pound and is the most important feature of the apparatus. It consist of a wedge shaped platform, five foot long, and is inclined at a gentle angle, not too smooth, otherwise the crabs canot walk upon it. There is a floor to the pound, made from cheap boards, so that the crabs will not scratch hols in the mud or sand, loosening the frameiing poles.

This story was told by Hugh M. Smith of the United States Fishery Commission.

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