1820
Head of Council: James Hemming
Population in 1820: 23,420
The first term of James Hemming as Head of Council was noted for his zero tolerance towards crime and corruption, which made him a lot of enemies with other wealthy families in Desten. Their argument was that he went after those that were a threat to his fortune, but turned a blind eye to the corrupted actions of his own family and friends. Nonetheless, much was accomplished in the five years Hemming served as Head of Council.
Farming and herding land more than doubled from 1815 to 1820, bringing with it several opportunities for employment and keeping Desten – an island that would otherwise have to rely on imports to feed itself – in a food surplus. The beef grown in Desten was considered one of the finest in the world by those that had it, rich in taste and flavor, while the some of the fruits grown locally were also lamented with the same compliments. The spread of the farmland had generally stuck to the north, following the Mulmont River, which provided the necessary fresh water and kept the soil healthy and moist. Much of the land was subsidized by the Desten Council – unfortunately for some, it was only those who Hemming favored that seemed to receive those subsidies. When farmers, led by a member of the Brickson family, decided to protest and travel west across the Mulmont River and start developing agricultural land there, they were attacked and brutally put down by the Sophara Police, and shortly thereafter, the Desten Council passed a law that forbade anyone to found any type of farm or settlement on Desten land. The only one with that authority, it was announced, was the council itself, and as of the time being, the council had decided that the focus was to remain on the development of Sophara. That did nothing to quell the growing resentment against the perceived aristocratic power players led by Hemming, and the 1820 elections was the most contested – and unfortunately, the most violent – in Desten history.
Under Hemming’s first term as Head of Council, the population of Sophara also nearly doubled, growing to almost 24,000, with the city expanding rapidly north and east. The town’s population would have had it ranked as the United States’ 7th largest city if it was part of the former English colony, just a tad smaller than Charleston and ahead of the capital of Washington DC. Desten’s population growth was directly related to the growth in the USA because it was the same people that were immigrating to the New World that were stopping and settling in Desten, as well. Fearful that the rapid growth might lead to lack of control by his Council over the country, Hemming instated the Desten Immigration Authority, which was given the responsibility of tracking all incoming and outgoing people. The DIA also issued Resident Cards for all of Desten citizens, making it mandatory for all residents of the country to get the their resident papers as a form of identification that proved they were citizens of Desten. Anyone caught making trouble that was not a resident of the country was swiftly deported on the next ship out. It was also a way of consolidating power as Hemming was always fearful that the Brickson family were using their money to buy outside help from Europe to wrestle away Hemming’s authority.
The backroom politics that was going on behind closed doors between Desten’s richest was pretty much unknown to the everyday people who went about their daily lives in Sophara. The biggest thing that had supported the town’s population growth and trade was the Sophara Docks. Five years after work had commenced on it, the Docks now had 7 operational piers, with plans to develop another 2 in the immediate future. That would put an end to the first phase of development concerning the Sophara Docks, which was the largest single project the Desten Council had undertaken, and funded, since the creation of the country. The importance of the new Docks could never be overstated, however, as the new harbor was also the single most important catalyst to the growing wealth of Sophara, as well. Whether it was the fishing industry or the trade sector, when the sun came up, the Sophara Docks came to life, filled with the hustle and bustle you would find at any major city’s harbor around the world. The Docks also were extremely important in the development of Desten’s export industry – while food was the main source of trade for incoming ships who wanted to restock for the second leg of their trips to either the New or the Old Worlds, a growing sector in Desten was the leather industry. Whether it was cow, pig, or sheep leather, the quality of the Desten leather was giving it a reputation as some of the finest one could get anywhere, and demand for the product was growing. The largest exporter of the Desten leather was, of course, the Hemming family, who were trying to monopolize market by either buying out the smaller traders, or making life extremely difficult for them – with full support of the Head of Council.
With the town expanding and growing so fast, Head of Council James Hemming also led the charge into finding a quieter and more exclusive place to live for himself and his rich buddies, as the center of town was becoming way to crowded and congested. The Desten Council, most of them the rich buddies of Hemming, approved to expand Desten Boulevard after its intersection with Melborne Avenue, making each street a one way affair, with trees and grass lining up the middle of it. Mansions were constructed almost overnight by Sophara’s wealthiest, and those that were late on acquiring land there decided to build their mansions to the far east of Melborne Avenue, also miles away from the crowded center of town. Still, there were those who preferred the life closer to the action, and development in the center of town was also evident, as old single story houses were torn down and fancy townhouses were built up in their place. The town now had three main roads – Desten Boulevard going south to north, and Cross Street and Melborne Avenue going west to east.
With all the improvements, developments, and growth, James Hemming entered the 1820 as the firm favorite to win his second term. Running against him, again, was Rosemund Brickson, the same candidate that Hemming had defeated five years prior. Last time around, the elections was an exciting affair filled with hop and promise – this time, however, it was mired by violence and threats. With accusations flying rampant that Hemming was power hungry and consolidating his authority so that he would not be challenged, Brickson attempted to rally the people of Sophara around him by portraying Hemming as a power-hungry dictator. Hemming responded by painting the picture that Brickson was out to destroy all the progress Desten had made in the past five years because he was not able to use his wealth for corruption and his own personal gain anymore. Protests from both sides became common place, usually ending with several arrests and injuries. By the time Election Day came around, both families had spent exhaustive amounts of money campaigning their candidates, and it was Hemming who would win out again, albeit by a slim margin. The Brickson family immediately called out the elections as illegitimate, claiming Hemming had his goons falsify votes and intimidate Brickson voters into not voting. Both claims, according to many neutral parties, were true, but at the end, the result was accepted by the Desten Council and Hemming was to serve another five years as Head of Council.
The northern part of Desten Boulevard.
The Sophara Docks and the center of town.
Looking south.
An aerial of Sophara looking south.
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