MERCANTILE PRINTING COMPANY WILMINGTON, DELAWARE [Illustration: MAP of DELAWARE] _·ONCE·UPON·A·TIME· ·IN·DELAWARE·_ _by_ _Katharine Pyle_ [Illustration] _Edited by Emily P. Bissell_ _Drawings by Ethel Pennewill Brown_ TO BE COPYRIGHTED BY THE DELAWARE SOCIETY OF THE COLONIAL DAMES OF AMERICA 1911 To All Delaware Children Dear Girls and Boys: These true stories are written just for you. They tell how once upon a time brave men and women came across the ocean and landed here in the wilderness, among the Indian tribes; how they made farms and towns and cities and formed a state; and how they fought for the freedom and the peace that Delaware now enjoys. Only thirteen out of the forty-eight states of our Union are original colonies, and Delaware is one of these famous thirteen. You are the young citizens, therefore, of an historic state. To you it will fall, some day, to uphold the honor of Delaware. May you be as patriotic and as brave as the Delaware settlers who conquered the wilderness and the Delaware soldiers who laid down their lives for liberty and right. THE DELAWARE SOCIETY OF THE COLONIAL DAMES OF AMERICA. Editor’s Preface This book is published by the Delaware Society of the Colonial Dames of America for the use, primarily, of the children of Delaware, in school and out. Its style and matter are therefor chosen to suit young readers. Many historical points in these stories are more or less disputed. The original sources do not always agree. In preparing these stories of Delaware for children’s reading, it has been thought best to use anecdotes and interesting traditions whenever they could be found. The result is a substantially true set of stories, which do not however, undertake to settle the facts in any disputed case, but are designed to leave in a child’s mind the broad outlines of Delaware history. The stories have all been read and revised by the Hon. Alexander B. Cooper of New Castle, to whom the thanks of the Colonial Dames are here expressed for his wise and constant help. The Rev. Joseph B. Turner, of Dover, has also kindly read over several of the stories. Table of Contents 1—HOW ONCE UPON A TIME THE DUTCH CAME TO ZWANNENDAEL 2 2—HOW ONCE UPON A TIME THE SWEDES BUILT A FORT 18 3—HOW ONCE UPON A TIME GOVERNOR STUYVESANT HAD HIS WAY 32 4—HOW ONCE UPON A TIME WILLIAM PENN LANDED AT NEW CASTLE 48 5—HOW ONCE UPON A TIME CAESAR RODNEY RODE FOR FREEDOM 60 6—HOW ONCE UPON A TIME THE ROW-GALLEYS FOUGHT THE ROEBUCK 75 7—HOW ONCE UPON A TIME THE BLUE HEN’S CHICKENS WENT TO WAR 84 8—HOW ONCE UPON A TIME WASHINGTON CAME TO DELAWARE 100 9—HOW ONCE UPON A TIME MARY VINING RULED ALL HEARTS 112 10—HOW ONCE UPON A TIME MCDONOUGH SAILED THE SEA 124