Lower Red Clay Valley: September 2011

Friday, September 30, 2011

1782 in Stanton / Glenville Area

I am not quite sure where this map came from. It may be from Robert Seligs report he did on the W3R and its route to and from Yorktown, but is included in the W3R Heritage Tour in Delaware.

According to this map, in 1782, on the return march following the Battle at Yorktown, Virginia, the French Troops encamped in the approximate area of where the Shop Rite and Movies 10 are located. I also thought they camped in this area on the way to Yorktown as well, but closer to the Red Clay Creek in the Stanton / Glenville area.

Wednesday, September 28, 2011

Update..... "Village" of Kiamensi

Two posts ago I was having trouble envisioning what the Village of Kiamensi must of looked like. At the suggestion of Scott Palmer I dug through some older reports and came up with this drawing put together in 1926 by Price and Price and included in a Kiamensi and Stanton report by E. Heite. It is not the prettiest of scans. It is actually on two seperate pages and taken with a phone scanner. It does give a good over view of the site and its surrondings. The second image shows dwellings up and down Kiamensi Road between Stanton Road and the Red Clay.

Saturday October 1st. at the Historic Hale Byrnes House

Press Release

OBSERVE THE NIGHT SKY

The public is cordially invited to the Historic Hale Byrnes House at 606 Stanton-Christiana Road, Newark, Delaware 19713 this Saturday evening, October 1 at 7:30 p. m.. "Observe the Night Sky," with Lynn King, a well-known local re-enactor and dulcimer player will portrays Lady Caroline Herschel, who lived in 18th century Europe, and was the first woman to have been paid as an astronomer.

$5 per person at the door includes coffee and dessert. Well-behaved children are always welcomed.

Please dress for the weather as this program will be held on the banks of the White Clay Creek on the terrace of the Hale Byrnes House. In case of rain, the program will be held indoors.

The program is part of an ongoing series of evening programs known as the American Revolution Round Table of Delaware, sponsored by the Delaware Society for the Preservation of Antiquities-Hale Byrnes House. Visit the American Revolution Round Table on Facebook.

Monday, September 26, 2011

The "VILLAGE" of Kiamensi

Ok..what happen to this Village. As I mentioned on another site it appears to be like an old west town that sprung up and when the resources died so did the town. In 2011 there does remain a couple workers homes and remnants of another, but that is all. The images below mention someone getting married in Kiamensi (was there a chapel and / or a church?), another saying in addition to the mills it had 26 dwellings(from Scharf's, History of Delaware). In another, a 1902 description of Kiamensi mentions it has woolen mills and a public hall. Some of the dwellings mention could have included its sister mill in Stanton, but it doesn't specify. I get the impression these snipits are refering to Kiamensi.
It would be fantastic if somehow, somewhere, someone had photos to share of the "Village".

Friday, September 23, 2011

ASD meeting at Greenbank Mill

I had the chance to attend the monthly meeting of the Northern Chapter of the Archeological Society of Delaware held at The Greenbank Mill on Wednesday 9/21/11. Kieth Doms, an archeologist, had an array of bottles starting from the 1700’s to the present. He gave a summary on bottles and their timeline, along with the manufacturing process and their use. Since my scanner is down, I have made a crude attempt to post some of the handouts. Hopefully they will be helpful to bottle enthusiasts.

Tuesday, September 20, 2011

1912 Marshallton Baseball Club

Wednesday, September 14, 2011

New Street, Marshallton c1915

Sunday, September 11, 2011

Mill Pond at Kiamensi

Wednesday, September 7, 2011

Here we go again??!! Tuesday night, Sept. 6, 2011 @ 11:15pm in Stanton

Saturday, September 3, 2011

Summary of Historical Floods of Red Clay Valley

Over the last decade or so we have seen the Red Clay Creek reach flood stage more than a handful of times. Homes have been flooded, roads closed and debris carried down stream. The Millcreek Hundred History Blog takes a look at some of the more infamous flooding that has taken place on the Red and White Clay. It is worth taking a look.

Welcome

The history of the Lower Red Clay Valley, stretching some 3 miles from Faulkland Road to Stanton, can be traced back to include parts of 5 centuries. From the settling of Bread and Cheese Island in the 1600’s through the 2000’s when the final industrial tract, whose start began as a gristmill, closed. The lower end of the valley has seen a whole host of different mills, names, places and events that play a major part in Delaware’s history. The region is also home to Delaware’s only steam powered train, The Wilmington and Western Railroad, which winds its way along the Red Clay Creek. It is also home to the famous Brandywine Springs and Spa established in the 1800’s that later became an amusement park.

Around 1679, before most of these facilities were in operation, a mill was constructed in proximity of where the Red and White Clay Creeks merge in Stanton, and then flow to the Christiana River. Stanton was to become the first settlement in what we know now as Mill Creek Hundred. The Stanton area also attracted names like the Lea, Tatnall, Byrnes and DuPont. Shipping goods at that time was possible due to the fact that navigation was achievable up the White Clay Creek to Stanton from the Christiana River. Goods would be brought down Limestone Road from Chester and Lancaster Counties to be shipped.

Over the next 100 years or so since that first mill was established, no less then four more mills were erected in the short distance of roughly three miles upstream to Faulkland Road. Delaware’s most famous inventor, Oliver Evans, worked in the family mill at Faulkland. This is where he invented his mill automation system that revolutionized the milling industry. He received the patent for his accomplishment in 1790. In between Faulkland and the Stanton Mill was the Phillips Mill (Greenbank Mill), Hersey Mill (Where the former Ametek site is) and The Reese Mill site (which much later became the Kiamensi Woolen Mills). Remnants from each one of these mills still exist. I believe all five of these mills were in operation in September 1777 when General George Washington assembled his troops along the east side of The Red Clay Creek, spreading south to north along the stream. He ordered mills in the area to be made inoperable and move products so they could not be confiscated by the enemy. This was all in anticipation of a battle with approximately 15,000 British Troops on their march, from the Chesapeake, to take control of the Colonial Capital of Philadelphia. According to writing’s, Gen. Washington believed this would be the final battle of the Revolutionary War. During that week in 1777 a Counsel of War meeting was held at the Hale-Byrnes House in Stanton, attended by Washington and his other officers. As history shows, that battle never took place as General Howe’s troops took a alternate route leading to Chadd’s Ford, PA. and the Battle of The Brandywine.

When a hotel was built at Brandywine Springs in the 1820’s it was the beginning of approximately 100 years of enjoyment for a site that transitioned from resort spa to amusement park that finally closed in the early 1900’s. The friends of Brandywine Springs keep the park alive through archeological digs along with providing and maintaining trails leading to areas where old foundations have been uncovered or old amusement rides once stood. The park had its own rail station where folks would be picked up and drop off by the Wilmington and Western Railroad that came into existence in 1870. The W&W railroad continues to operate today taking passengers on a scenic journey through the Historic Red Clay Valley and along the banks of the Red Clay Creek. Its station is located at Greenbank along Rt41. Its maintenance yard, with its soon to be completed new offices and meeting room, are located in Marshallton.

Not far from The Red Clay Creek remain pieces of the past which would have either supported or benefited from these industries and more. I hope some of the photos in this blog will show you some of those. Some may be gone now but some still remain.

By clicking here a DELDOT pdf document will give a more in depth look at the Brandywine Springs / Red Clay area.