A GAZETTEER OF DELAWARE. 
By Henry Gannett. 
GENERAL DESCRIPTION OF THE STATE. 
Delaware is one of the Middle States, and borders upon Delaware 
Ba} r and the Atlantic Ocean between latitudes 38° 30' and 39° 15', and 
between longitudes 75° 00' and 75° 50'. The east boundary of the 
State is Delaware Bay and the Atlantic Ocean. The south boundary 
is a line beginning at Cape Henlopen — as the name was originally 
applied — in latitude 38° 27', and running due west 34 miles 309 
perches. The west boundary is a straight line, commencing at the 
westernmost point on the southern boundary and running northward 
81 miles 78 chains and 30 links until it touches and makes a tangent 
to the western periphery of a circle with a radius of 12 statute miles 
from the center of the town of Newcastle. The north boundary is 
the peripheiy of this circle as far as Delaware River. 
Delaware was first settled by the Dutch in 1629. In 1638 the 
Swedes made a settlement and held the colony until 1655, when it was 
surrendered to the Dutch. In 1661 this region, with the other Dutch 
possessions, was acquired by the Duke of York. In 1682 this terri- 
tory passed from the Duke of York to William Penn by deed, and 
was held by him until 1701, when he granted it a charter enabling its 
people to set up a separate government. Delaware is one of the 
thirteen original States, and was the first to adopt the Constitution, 
taking this step December 7, 1787. 
The population of the State in 1900 was 181,735. The following 
table gives the population at each census since 1790: 
Population of Delaware at each census since 1790. 
1790 • 59,096 
1800 , 64, 27:; 
1810 72, 674 
1820 72, 74!) 
1830 76, 748 
1840 78, 085 
1850 91, 532 
1860 112, 216 
1870 125, 015 
1880 146, 608 
1890 168, 493 
1900 1 84, 735 
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