Delaware
Delaware history in News Journal May 31-June 6: royal visit, oil plea
Take a boat ride to Fort Delaware in the Delaware River’s Pea Patch Island
Take a boat ride to Fort Delaware, once a bastion of military defense and a prison camp during the Civil War, on Pea Patch Island in the Delaware River.
The Delaware history column features excerpts from The News Journal archives including The Morning News and The Evening Journal. See the archives at delawareonline.com.
100 years ago, The Evening Journal, June 1, 1926
Cordial welcome given Swedish royalty
Thousands of Wilmingtonians yesterday afternoon greeted Crown Prince Gustavus Adolphus and his wife, Princess Louise Alexandra, of Sweden, who were guests of the city. …
The royal party arrived on a special train at French Street Station and were greeted by a reception committee headed by Mayor Forrest. …
The crowd waiting at the station for a glimpse of the couple was so great that it had to be held back by ropes and guards.
When the Princess alighted from the train she was presented with a bouquet by Mrs. Christopher L. Ward, a member of the reception committee. …
The royal visitors were escorted to waiting automobiles to begin their hasty trip to Old Swedes Church. …
During the trip, the Mayor pointed out the Old Town Hall, the public buildings which were decorated with the American flag and the flag of Sweden, and the William P. Bancroft School.
A crowd estimated at 3,000 persons greeted the city’s guests at the church. The royal couple entered by walking through the cemetery and a lane of Boy Scouts bearing American and Swedish flags. …
Near the entrance, the Prince and Princess were greeted by the Rev. Dr. Frederick M. Kirkus, rector of Trinity P.E. Church. …
Inside, they were met by Bishop Philip Cook of the Episcopal Diocese of Delaware. …
A silver plaque was presented to the Prince bearing an engraving of Old Swedes Church and an inscription commemorating the royal couple’s visit. The plaque’s frame is made of wood from the old church. …
Prince Gustavus offered thanks for the warm welcome.
“I am deeply moved by being here at this church and to stand in the place where the first Swedes in this country offered their worship,” he said. “This day I shall always remember and the memory will always be pleasant.”
Also from 100 years ago, The Evening Journal, June 1, 1926
Holiday automobile traffic heavy
An average of 12 cars a minute passed Station No. 2 of the State Police on the duPont Boulevard and the Glasgow-Elkton Road during a 12-hour check-up on Memorial Day yesterday.
In all, 9,101 cars passed the State Police station, according to Superintendent C.C. Reynolds of the State Police.
This was the heaviest traffic State Police have had to handle since last July 5, when 9,221 cars were counted in a 12-hour check-up….
Although there were several accidents, none were serious.
State Police kept the heavy volume of traffic moving fast. On the Philadelphia Pike, the officers speeded up traffic by having slow-moving vehicles pull to one side at times, allowing faster cars to move ahead.
50 years ago, The Morning News, June 3, 1976
Mayor’s overtures may bring oilmen to Delaware
Mayor Thomas C. Maloney will try to convince visiting oilmen today that Wilmington and its port should be the onshore headquarters for offshore oil and gas development.
Maloney has organized a two-day show-and-tell for the American Petroleum Institutes’ Atlantic Offshore Committee, a group touring the East Coast looking for potential onshore support sites.
Maloney’s invitation is one of the few direct Delaware overtures to the oil industry, which generally considers the state unfriendly. That attitude stems, in part, from Delaware’s Coastal Zone law banning refineries, superports and pipelines along the state’s shores.
Although the oil companies like Delaware because of the natural deepwater in the Delaware Bay and its proximity to where future drilling may occur, most oil industry representatives say there are enough other states actively soliciting onshore development. …
When the chairman of the committee heard of Maloney’s invitation, he wrote to other members, urging them to take a “hard look” at Wilmington.
Offshore oil drilling has been a controversy in Delaware for about five years. The Interior Department expects to hold a lease sale this summer for ocean bottom land 50 to 100 miles off the coasts of New Jersey, Delaware, Maryland and Virginia.
20 years ago, The News Journal, June 5, 2006
Kenseth tames Dover’s ‘Monster Mile’ before planned changes
The scene was a familiar one after the NASCAR Nextel Cup series race at Dover International Speedway on Sunday.
Sunburned fans filed down from the grandstands, coolers in tow, heading back to their cars. The driver crews hustled their machinery back to the haulers.
And Matt Kenseth, who won the Neighborhood Excellence 400 presented by Bank of America, celebrated in victory lane. …
An estimated crowd of 134,000 fans included Rocky and Gloria Chase of Cape May, N.J., who got married in the infield before the race with the Kent County Clerk of the Peace performing the ceremony. …
But nothing will be the same at Dover now that the speedway is about to undergo a five-year improvement that track officials dubbed “The Monster Makeover.”
Changes will include more parking, an outdoor concert area, improved concession areas and more skyboxes. All of it is being done to appeal to a younger demographic while not alienating hard-core fans who have supported the sport for years.
Reach reporter Ben Mace at rmace@gannett.com.
DELAWARE COUNTY, Ind. — All lanes closed on I-69 in the southbound direction in Delaware County on Friday morning.
Authorities with the Indiana State Police were dispatched to the 240.5 mile marker on a report of a crash involving a semi at approximately 8:08 a.m.
All lanes are now open.
Pennrose and JPMorganChase help neighborhoods – and residents – thrive.
Finding an affordable place to live continues to be a challenge for many as widespread housing shortages persist across the U.S. Rising home prices and high interest rates have made homeownership inaccessible for a large portion of the population. Meanwhile, as rental demand increases, the number of renters facing affordability challenges is also on the rise.
The State of the Nation’s Housing 2025 by Harvard University’s Joint Center for Housing Studies reveals that cost burdens for renters reached another record high in 2023. Similarly, the JPMorganChase Institute reports that renter affordability is declining and forcing people to devote more of their take-home pay to housing costs. There is a growing need for affordable housing across the U.S., and that rings true here in Wilmington.
To close that gap, it’s essential that all Wilmington residents share in its growth with housing options that accommodate a range of needs and budgets. For the Pennrose real estate firm, this meant delivering a concrete solution to the local community, resulting in housing for individuals and families who otherwise might not have been able to live in the area.
Reinvesting in Wilmington’s Riverside
In Wilmington, the Riverside redevelopment initiative is focused on neighborhood stability at a scale that can be felt across generations – bringing housing, education and community resources together so families can remain rooted and move forward. Imani Village, developed by Pennrose in partnership with the Wilmington Housing Authority and nonprofit community organization REACH Riverside and constructed with support from JPMorganChase, is part of this broader effort, which is expected to create more than 600 high-quality, mixed-income homes while also enhancing and expanding EastSide Charter School and Kingswood Community Center to help establish a “cradle to college/career readiness education pipeline.”
By tying new housing to strengthened local institutions, the redevelopment aims to reduce the pressure that forces families to relocate and instead keep children closer to school, neighbors closer to one another and residents connected to the services that help them thrive. In practical terms, Imani Village represents not just additional homes, but a commitment to building a neighborhood where opportunity is easier to access and easier to keep.
“We’re proud of the far-reaching impact this project will have. It reflects Pennrose’s mission to uplift our communities and expand the supply of high-quality, affordable homes,” said Brett Macleod, Community Development Banking, J.P. Morgan. “Every additional housing unit matters – and increasing the number that are affordable is critical.”
A broader commitment to Wilmington’s future
While Imani Village is foundational, the vibrancy of a community depends on much more. In Delaware, the firm provides banking services to 215,000 customers and works across sectors to expand economic opportunity. Over the last five years, JPMorganChase has invested more than $25 million in local nonprofit organizations, supported 25,000 small business clients and delivered financial health education to thousands of residents to broaden access to banking, financial health resources, homeownership and other wealth-building tools.
“As we work with local stakeholders to expand housing options, JPMorganChase’s goal is to create inclusive economic opportunity for all,” said Don Mell, Location Management, Americas East Region Lead and member of the Delaware & Philadelphia Market Leadership Team at JPMorganChase. “When our communities thrive, we all thrive.”
Learn more about affordable housing and community development at jpmorgan.com/commercial-real-estate.
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