Klej Grange, Maryland
Encyclopedia
Klej Grange (ˌklɛdʒ ˈɡreɪndʒ) is a small unincorporated community
3 miles (5 km) northwest of Stockton
in Worcester County
, Maryland
. It is located at the intersection of Klej Grange, Betheden Church, and Ward Roads.
from the initials of the names of his four daughters (Katherine, Lucy, Elizabeth, and Josephine), and was combined with "Grange", perhaps a reference to the National Grange.
to Sandy Hill (later Stockton
) and from Snow Hill
to Stevens Landing (now Pocomoke City
). In 1878, Drexel purchased a substantial part of the estate of Matthias Lindsey, after whose family the crossroads had been known, to create a planned community where low cost farmland would be offered to benefit the poor. Drexel named Austin Thomas Byrne as superintendent of the project; Byrne surveyed and platted
Drexel's agrarian-industrial experiment.
Drexel and his brother Anthony, the founder of Drexel University
, were sons of Francis Martin Drexel
, founder of the banking house of Drexel & Co
. A "Famous Americans" biographical capsule notes of Joseph W. Drexel:
Drexel's project was cut short by his death in 1888. His widow and daughters had other interests and soon sold the property, much of it eventually deeded to the Worcester Realty Co. As with many similar projects, the community has today relapsed into the rural obscurity from which Drexel briefly roused it.
Unincorporated area
In law, an unincorporated area is a region of land that is not a part of any municipality.To "incorporate" in this context means to form a municipal corporation, a city, town, or village with its own government. An unincorporated community is usually not subject to or taxed by a municipal government...
3 miles (5 km) northwest of Stockton
Stockton, Maryland
Stockton is a census-designated place in Worcester County, Maryland, United States. The population was 143 at the 2000 census.-History:...
in Worcester County
Worcester County, Maryland
-2010:Whereas according to the 2010 U.S. Census Bureau:*82.0% White*13.6% Black*0.3% Native American*1.1% Asian*0.0% Native Hawaiian or Pacific Islander*1.7% Two or more races*1.3% Other races*3.2% Hispanic or Latino -2000:...
, Maryland
Maryland
Maryland is a U.S. state located in the Mid Atlantic region of the United States, bordering Virginia, West Virginia, and the District of Columbia to its south and west; Pennsylvania to its north; and Delaware to its east...
. It is located at the intersection of Klej Grange, Betheden Church, and Ward Roads.
Origin of name
The acronym "Klej" was coined by Joseph William DrexelJoseph William Drexel
Joseph William Drexel was a banker, philanthropist, and partner of Baring Brothers in London and Rothschild et fils in Paris.-Biography:...
from the initials of the names of his four daughters (Katherine, Lucy, Elizabeth, and Josephine), and was combined with "Grange", perhaps a reference to the National Grange.
History
First known as Trap, or Traptown, then for many years in the nineteenth century as Lindseyville, the community originally arose at the crossing of the roads leading from Mattapony Landing on the Pocomoke RiverPocomoke River
The Pocomoke River stretches approximately from southern Delaware through southeastern Maryland in the United States. At its mouth, the river is essentially an arm of Chesapeake Bay, whereas the upper river flows through a series of relatively inaccessible wetlands called the Great Cypress Swamp,...
to Sandy Hill (later Stockton
Stockton, Maryland
Stockton is a census-designated place in Worcester County, Maryland, United States. The population was 143 at the 2000 census.-History:...
) and from Snow Hill
Snow Hill, Maryland
Snow Hill is a town in Worcester County, Maryland, United States. The population was 2,409 at the 2000 census. It is the county seat of Worcester County.-History:...
to Stevens Landing (now Pocomoke City
Pocomoke City, Maryland
Pocomoke City, dubbed "the friendliest town on the Eastern Shore", is a city in Worcester County, Maryland, United States. Although renamed in a burst of civic enthusiasm in 1878, the city is regularly referred to by its inhabitants simply as Pocomoke...
). In 1878, Drexel purchased a substantial part of the estate of Matthias Lindsey, after whose family the crossroads had been known, to create a planned community where low cost farmland would be offered to benefit the poor. Drexel named Austin Thomas Byrne as superintendent of the project; Byrne surveyed and platted
Plat
A plat in the U.S. is a map, drawn to scale, showing the divisions of a piece of land. Other English-speaking countries generally call such documents a cadastral map or plan....
Drexel's agrarian-industrial experiment.
Drexel and his brother Anthony, the founder of Drexel University
Drexel University
Drexel University is a private research university with the main campus located in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, USA. It was founded in 1891 by Anthony J. Drexel, a noted financier and philanthropist. Drexel offers 70 full-time undergraduate programs and accelerated degrees...
, were sons of Francis Martin Drexel
Francis Martin Drexel
Francis Martin Drexel was a Philadelphia banker and artist. He was the father of Anthony Joseph Drexel, the founder of Drexel University and the grandfather of Saint Katherine Drexel....
, founder of the banking house of Drexel & Co
Drexel Burnham Lambert
Drexel Burnham Lambert was a major Wall Street investment banking firm, which first rose to prominence and then was forced into bankruptcy in February 1990 by its involvement in illegal activities in the junk bond market, driven by Drexel employee Michael Milken. At its height, it was the...
. A "Famous Americans" biographical capsule notes of Joseph W. Drexel:
Among his philanthropic interests is a 200 acre (0.809372 km²) farm near New York, where persons without work are lodged, clothed, fed, and taught agriculture until places are procured for them. He owns a large tract of land Klej Grange in Maryland, which has been divided into lots, and houses, mills, etc., erected upon them. These farms are sold to poor persons at cost. About 7000 acres (28.3 km²) in Michigan is destined for the same purpose.
Drexel's project was cut short by his death in 1888. His widow and daughters had other interests and soon sold the property, much of it eventually deeded to the Worcester Realty Co. As with many similar projects, the community has today relapsed into the rural obscurity from which Drexel briefly roused it.