by W.W. Summerill Sr.
The southern part of Penns Grove now known as Helms Cove was a village in the l700"s, and was shown on early maps before Penns Grove came into existence which was not until l821. Two hundred fifty acres around the Cove and the southerly part of Penns Grove was owned by Andrew Helms and his wife Catherine.
All evidence points to the fact that they built the brick house now known as the Carl Summerill house on east Maple Ave., as they aquired the land in l758 from Catherine's father John Mounson. Andrew Helms in March l77l applied for a license to keep a tavern and ferry in Helms Cove. This petiition was signed by Charles Dalbow, Cornelius Blom,Thomas Webber, William Summerill, Henry Peterson and others.This continued as a tavern with various owners into the l800's. It was heired by Robert and Frances Walker who were children of Catherine Helms Walker the widow of Michael Walker.
Catherine and her second husband John Diver sold some of the land to James Sherron,Jr. in l8l9, who started a store on the property. Sherron's sold the property which as near the river to John Summerill II, Feb.7,l829. His son John Summerill III began keeping the store in partnership with his father. His two sons John Summerill IV and Joseph Carney Summerill inherited the property from their father and operated the store until August l904 when it was leased to S.R. Leap and Son, The leading General Store at the foot of Main Street. This Cove Store as it was known for years as a general store and the brothers brought in lumber by schooner from the south during the summer, unloading it at the small wharf on which the Riverside Apartments now Stand.
During the shad fishing days of the l880's and l890's when that industry was the prinipal industry, the Summerill Bros. Handled a special linen thread from Ireland for the shad nets. This thread was the best thread in those days for Shad nets, and the Summerill Bros. copyrighted it under the name of "Golden Irish". Many years it took an investment of $30,000 annually to handle this business. the thread was sold to fisherman from Maine to Georgia. Shad fishing as an industry had wained and by the time of World War I started it was almost extinct. The oil refining industry, north of this region at Marcus Hook, poluted the river so that the shad almost disappeared from the river. This applies right at the present time also.
Andrew Helm's license granted by the court was not only to keep a tavern but also to operate a ferry from a landing at what is now the foot of Maple Ave. Here was a natural sandy shore which at high tide boats could come up to. In November 21, l779 Andrew Alston of New Castle having married Mary Holton became the operator of the tavern and ferry. Alston purchased the right to operate the ferry and tavern from his mother-in-law Mary Holton, who had heired it from her husband Charles Holton. Helms Landing as it became known, was on the end of a strip or small peninsula of land formed by Helms Cove on the south and a small bay and stream on the north. What is now Meadow was a bay of the river. About 1805 a river bank was built shutting out the river and what is now Broad street was built The first road into Penns Grove was laid out in 1765 by the court from Helms Landing and ran easterly over Maple Ave, Shell Road and Georgetown road to the Pennsville-Aubern Road and there another tavern existed known as Biddle's Tavern. The road continued easterly across country to Layton's Lake which was the site of Thomas Carney's Grist Mill. Here at the Grist Mill all of the grain from the surrounding country was ground into flour and meal from the eary 1700's until about 1880 when the Justice Steam Mill was established at Pedricktown. The next road of importance to the town was laid out in1805 from Pedricktown to the Forked Hickory Road and is now known as North and South Broad Street, Shell Road and Hollywood Ave.
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