UD Special Collections > Exhibitions > Little Known Histories of Newark, 1758-2008
Introduction
NewArk arose from the crossroads of two Lenni Lenape Indian trails which spanned the peninsula between the Chesapeake Bay and the Delaware River, and connected the lower peninsula with the northern hills of later-day Pennsylvania. As Europeans - mainly English, Welsh, and Scots-Irish - came to the area in the early eighteenth century, the same intersecting crossroads gradually matured into a village, with brickyards, mills, and tanneries developing in the vicinity. Newark was first chartered on April 13, 1758, by King George II of England, when he granted permission for the growing village to hold a weekly market and a bi-annual fair.
Mayor Vance Funk III, City of Newark, spearheaded several celebratory events to commemorate the 250th anniversary of Newark's charter in 2008. Special Collections at the University of Delaware Library is pleased to contribute to the University's support for recognition of this significant milestone. The Delaware Collection, located in Special Collections, features significant print, manuscripts, photographs, maps, oral histories, business ephemera, and other primary sources related to the local history of Newark.
Though still a considered a small town with a permanent population under 30,000, Newark's history of growth and change since 1758 is a reflection of significant developments in the history of many American cities over the last 250 years.
This online exhibition represents a walk-through of the Special Collections Gallery, with themes interpreted in several cases, some of them topically intersecting.