Background

Excerpts taken from the book entitled "Stories of Lower Penns Neck" by Mary F. Sanderlin.

Introduction

The story of Lower Penn's Neck is interwoven with the discovery, colonization and development of the great Delaware River. It is a story of changing nationalities, names and languages.

The dream of European navigators of finding a water route to the Indies led to the discovery of the river. Probably the river may have been visited by other explorers from the Vikings before 1000 A.D. to the French in the middle of the sixteenth century, but it was Henry Hudson, an Englishman in the employ of the Dutch East India Company, who is credited with its discovery in 1609. Searching for a northwest passage to Asia, Hudson brought the Half Moon, which was later to sail up the Hudson River, into the Bay and sailed up the river as far as hidden shoals and tiny islands would permit. The Dutch named the river the "Zuydt" or South River. They did not colonize at this time, but formed the United New Netherlands Trading Company.

In 1610 an English contingent, on its way to Jamestown, Virginia, anchored in the Bay. They named the Bay in honor of the head of the expedition, Baron De La Warr (Thomas West, 3rd) who would lead the original settlers against the Powhattans and be appointed governor-for-life of Virginia. Soon the English in Virginia began to use the name "Delaware" for the river and bay. To the Indians, in their burned out log canoes, the river was Shanagah and Salem Creek was Assamhocking. The Dutch named the creek Varkens Kill.

Three nations met in this locality with their claims, interests and efforts. The story of their struggle, and its final outcome as an English triumph involves many changes. Sweden entered the field of colonization later than other nations. She was held back by the necessary original investment, by lack of colonizers or explorers, and by battles within and beyond her borders. Stories of wealth in the New World were slow in exciting the people of Sweden. There was no drive for land or for religious freedom which had aided colonization by other countries.

Colonization

Lack of funds caused the failure of the first attempt to establish a General Trading Company between 1624-1627, under the direction of William Usselinx. The King of Sweden was too occupied in the battlefields of Prussia to provide money and effort for a trading company. A second attempt in 1632 also failed because of low cash subscriptions and the defeat of the Swedish armies. Six year old Christina became Queen at this time with Oxenstierna acting as regent.

Oxenstierna met with Samuel Blomaert, a Dutch coppermagnate in 1635 to discuss plans for improving Sweden copper trade. Peter Minuet, an experienced former directorate of the West India Company offered his services. His plan was to establish permanent settlements for greater trade rewards. The New Sweden Company was chartered in 1637. But, a lack of interest in colonization persisted and only twenty-six men formed the first group of settlers, whose primary objective was to establish trade with the Indians and learn about the land.

Two ships, the Kalmar Nyckel and the Fogel Grip, sailed on December 31, 1637 from the Dutch harbor of Texel. They reached the Delaware Bay in March of 1638 and proceeded up river to Minquis Kil (Christina River). Two miles up the Kil they anchored at a natural rock landing place. Andres Lucassen, who knew the Indian language, acted as interpreter in securing land, and a strong fort was built and named Fort Christina after Queen Christina of Sweden. Today we know this area as Wilmington, Delaware.

Shortly after the Swedes and Finns settled in Wilmington, Delaware in 1638, they migrated across the Delaware River into New Jersey where they found the area more suited to farming for those who were not interested in the trade business. These settlers established the first settlement in Salem County.

The majority of the Finns settled near the Finn's Point Lighthouse and the Swedes in the area that had at one time been called Churchtown. When the early colonists arrived there were three clans of the Lenni-Lenape tribe living in the area along the Delaware River. Obisquahassit was the name of the Indian Chief who sold land to the settlers. Records of land purchases by Swedes and Finns date back to 1660. Several homes within the township have been preserved as private residences, six of which are pre-Revolutionary, built between 1726 and 1775.

It is certain that Finns were among the earliest citizens of New Sweden to occupy the land between Salem and Raccoon Creeks. In 1685 an English mapmaker labeled Lower Penns Neck as Finns Town, and there was a settlement as early as 1661 at the present town of Pennsville.