|Newark History|
Newark:
A mine, a tavern and an historic area By Gene Pisasale Contributing Writer In terms of its historical impact, the City of Newark has played an important role in the development of local industry and also in the creation of our nation’s republic.
Iron Hill historical marker, courtesy of the New Castle County Department of Parks and Recreation.
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Newark Life | Spring/Summer 2022 | www.newarklifemagazine.com
One spot provided a strategic raw material in construction; two others saw troops march past during the Revolutionary War. The area has been a part of colonial settlement since the early 1700s. In subsequent decades, travelers going to and from Philadelphia and the Chesapeake Bay frequented the region, making it a desirable location for settlement and commercial development. When early settlers wanted to make something sturdy, they searched the hills for iron ore. Just south of Newark stands Iron Hill at 328 feet in elevation, making it the highest individual geographic feature in the state. Indians had lived in the area for many centuries; they quarried jasper from Iron Hill to make arrowheads. In 1701, the hill was included in the 30,000-acre Welsh Tract, granted by William Penn to a group of settlers fleeing religious persecution in Wales. Welsh Baptists were rejecting intolerance in their home country. They were drawn to the area, where they purchased large plots of land. Many of these Welsh settlers were familiar with ironworking and related techniques – several were skilled miners and ironworkers – and soon started open pit mining operations on Iron Hill. Mineral extraction continued there until the late 19th century. The village of Glasgow developed at what was and still is an important crossroads in an area called Pencader Hundred. The name Pencader means “highest seat” in Welsh. This is where the first log meeting house in the region was built in 1703. A Presbyterian church was established shortly thereafter. The Welsh Tract Primitive Baptist Church remains active and is accepted as the earliest Old School Baptist Church in America. It is one of Pencader’s most noted historic sites.
