Above: “Gathering Christmas Evergreens” by Alice Barber. Harper’s Weekly, 1889. Hand colored later. Christmas celebrations among free and enslaved Black communities in early 19th-century Delaware highlighted the stark contrast between their experiences of freedom and bondage. This divide was especially noticeable due to the independent Black churches that were becoming central to the cultural and…
Above: 2016 posada at doors of Skyline Church, Wilmington. Courtesy Skyline Church Facebook page Delaware’s rapidly growing Hispanic population has introduced vibrant Christmas traditions from Mexico, Puerto Rico, and Guatemala in recent decades. Catholic religious observances blend with indigenous customs in these celebrations, creating colorful and joyous festivities that often last for days or even…
Kwanzaa stands apart as a unique addition to the array of holiday traditions Delaware celebrates. Dr. Maulana Karenga created Kwanzaa in 1966 in the aftermath of the Watts riots, conceiving it as a non-Christian, African-American holiday that offers an alternative to the dominant Christmas tradition. Karenga aimed to empower Black Americans to celebrate their own…
Above: Collection Italian American Museum of Los Angeles. photo by Andy Jacobsohn/Dallas News The Feast of the Seven Fishes, a beloved Italian American Christmas Eve tradition, has been celebrated by many Delaware families for generations. Rooted in Southern Italian Roman Catholicism, particularly in regions like Naples, Sicily, and Calabria, this ritualistic repast is part of…
The poinsettia, native to Mexico and known there as flor de nochebuena (Christmas Eve flower), is the most economically important potted plant sold worldwide, with annual sales reaching hundreds of millions of dollars. Its rich history and growth in popularity are steeped in lore. A poor girl’s humble offering of weeds at a nativity scene,…
Above: The Moravian star, with its 26 or 40 points, originated in the 19th century at a Moravian boys’ school in Germany as a geometry lesson. It has since become a symbol of Advent and Christmas, representing the guiding star of Bethlehem in Moravian Christian tradition. Courtesy IBOC Moravian Church Christmas traditions are fluid and…
Above: Modern day mummers. Top middle: Art Braitman/Flickr; others, Steve Wassell/Flickr Colonial Delaware, in the early 18th century, found itself at odds with mumming, an ancient tradition imported from England. What had once been a quaint custom in the Old World became such a public scandal in the New that authorities arrested mummers even in…
Above: A Prime Hook cluster of mistletoe. Photo Kerry Wixsted/Flickr Each Delaware holiday season, from the late 1800s through the early 1900s, mistletoe sprigs would appear statewide in markets and fruit stands, ready to be hung for cheerful décor and stolen kisses. However, before holiday revelers could display these delicate sprigs, seasonal workers had to painstakingly harvest…
Popular culture often portrays the holiday season as a time of joy, goodwill, and festivities. However, the harsh reality is that crime and mischief have always been a part of Christmas in Delaware, with incidents ranging from political power plays and unruly schoolboys’ antics to racially tinged acts of theft. Let’s explore three notable such…
Pomegranate, Orange Slices, Cinnamon Sticks in wreath from Christ Church, Christiana Hundred / Facebook Colonial Delaware’s Christmas traditions bear the unmistakable imprint of Anglicanism (the Church of England). However, this denomination never established the stronghold in Delaware that it enjoyed in neighboring Maryland and Virginia. Anglican congregations in the United States faced a challenge after…
Above: On St. Nicholas Day, German children find their shoes filled with candy and small gifts. Photo AdobeStock Germany, known as “the Christmas country,” enjoys renown for spirited yuletide celebrations. The Evening Journal on December 20, 1915, noted that the country earned this title “because the celebration of the Nativity is carried out with more feasting…
Above: Cover of Pictorial Review magazine December 1929. Artist: McClelland Barclay / Internet Archive In the late 19th and early 20th centuries, the humble American holly tree became the cornerstone of a thriving holiday industry that would keep the Christmas spirit alive in Delaware for decades. This evergreen, with its glossy leaves and bright red berries,…
A shadow loomed over the jolly spirit as the Christmas season of 1907 approached in Delaware. Tuberculosis, a deadly disease that had claimed 56,770 lives across the United States in 1905, was still ravaging communities. In Wilmington alone, the disease known as “consumption” was responsible for 150-200 fatalities annually. While families prepared for holiday gatherings,…
Above: This drawing from a 1915 ‘Middletown Transcript’ newspaper article reminds us that sleighs were once garaged the same way we garage our modern cars. Delawareans had been using sleigh bells for well over a century by the time the Victorians introduced us to “Jingle Bells” (1857) and Currier & Ives prints of rosy-cheeked couples…
State regulators have permitted banks to operate Christmas Savings Clubs for over a century. These special-purpose savings accounts allowed customers to deposit a set amount of money throughout the year and have a debt-free holiday. Customers could then withdraw the total amount before Christmas to fund shopping, just when they needed to make purchases. Banks…
Delaware’s modern-day Christmas house tours offer a delightful glimpse into the festive traditions of numerous charming towns and cities across the state. From Claymont in the north to Seaford in the south, and from Wilmington to the coastal communities, these tours have become a cherished holiday tradition. They showcase beautifully decorated historic homes both public…
Delaware’s holiday drink traditions, from medicinal eggnog to festive wassail, reveal a rich history of colonial customs and evolving Christmas celebrations.
Above: Mary and her newborn babe / collection Holy Trinity Greek Orthodox Church, Wilmington, DE Delaware’s Orthodox community, while small, is diverse, comprising primarily Greek, Ukrainian, and Russian Orthodox denominations. Each of these groups has its own unique history, traditions, and path of cultural adaptation in the state. The bulk of the Greek population in…
Above: A member of the congregation lights a candle during a midnight mass vigil at a Russian Orthodox church. Dan Kitwood/Getty Images Delaware’s Christmas landscape is a rich blend of diverse traditions, with Orthodox Christian groups—Greek, Ukrainian, and Russian—contributing a distinct layer. Early 20th century immigrants established these communities and have maintained their unique religious…
Above: portion of the frontispiece for Max Adeler’s “Out of the Hurly Burly” In the late 19th century, as Mark Twain delighted readers with his incisive takes on American life, another humorist from the Philadelphia area was making his mark with his own distinct brand of cleverness. Enter Charles Heber Clark—better known by his pen…
Above: The earliest outdoor lights, from General Electric, are round (center), but by 1928 they were the familiar swirled or flame shape. Also, the early lamps were painted on the outside (right), but later issues feature a scratchproof inside color (left). Collection OldChristmasTreeLighs.com Long before electric lights adorned homes and lawns during the holiday season,…
Above: Traditional Finnish Christmas table setting. collection Luostarinmäki Handicrafts Museum in Turku, Finland / Finnish Heritage Agency The story of Finnish Christmas customs in 17th century Delaware begins with the arrival of Finnish settlers in the New World. As subjects of the Swedish Crown, Finns were integral to Sweden’s ambitious plan to establish a foothold…
Above: Jamie Grill via Getty Images Irish Christmas carols have become an integral part of American holiday traditions, leaving a lasting impression on the festive season in Delaware and beyond. Beloved Irish carols such as “The Wexford Carol,” “Christmas in Killarney,” and “The Holly and the Ivy” have transcended their Celtic origins to become staples…
Above: Swedish family prepares for the sled ride to early morning church on Julotta—Christmas Day. Dated 1908; Archive of the Swedish Cultural Commons In Castle & Colony by Emma Rayner is an 1899 historical novel that follows the journey of a young Swedish woman, Jessica, as she navigates the contrasting worlds of European aristocracy and…
Above: Edward W. Kemble’s illustration from Washington Irving’s “Knickerbocker’s History of New York” starts to ‘Americanize’ Sinterklaas towards the figure we now call ‘Santa Claus.’ The evolution from St. Nicholas, the 4th-century Bishop of Myra, to the jolly, red-suited Santa Claus we know today is a fascinating tale of cultural evolution, migration, and the power…
In December 1940, The Morning News reported on a unique holiday decoration in the home of Mr. and Mrs. Harry Cox of Hamilton Park, Wilmington. The couple had created what they called an “old Quaker Christmas tree” – a sassafras bush with each twig wrapped in white cotton batting and adorned with yuletide ornaments. While…
Thousands of new toys appear on the Christmas market each and every year. Companies manufacture and distribute them, of course, but where do the ideas come from? Wilmington, DE teacher and inventor Harold E. Follett and his “ThunderStreak” model hydrofoil offer one answer. The Ideal Toy Corporation marketed Follett’s patented “Hydroski-Foil Air Boat” under a…
Old Christmas, celebrated on January 6th, is a tradition that dates back to the switch from the Julian to the Gregorian calendar in the 18th century. This change moved Christmas Day from January 6th to December 25th, but some communities, including parts of Sussex County, continued to observe the old date as well. The portrayal…
French Huguenot settlers fleeing persecution brought unique Christmas traditions to Delaware, shaping local celebrations with carols, customs, and cuisine that endure today.
“Now bring us some figgy pudding, and bring it right here!” demands the 16th-century Christmas carol “We Wish You a Merry Christmas.” Tastes had changed by the Victorian era; they preferred plum pudding to fig pudding, though the latter was still easily available. Traditional British figgy pudding, dating back to medieval times, is a dense,…
Interior of St. Hedwig’s Catholic Church, Wilmington, DE at Christmas The crisp December air in Wilmington carries the scent of pierogi and the sound of kolędy (Polish carols) as the Polish-American community prepares for Christmas. This celebration, deeply rooted in traditions dating to the 17th century, has found a vibrant home in the heart of…
1960s trend: IBM punch cards repurposed into Christmas wreaths, blending tech and holiday crafts.
“Christmas in July”: A century-old nationwide tradition of sales, charity, and summer cheer, with Delaware examples.
Delaware’s handbell choirs ring out joy, uniting communities through music. From churches to concerts, these ensembles keep tradition alive.
Christmas card etiquette evolves from Victorian custom to modern practice, reflecting social changes.
Explore Charles “Red” Ruffing’s crucial stint with the 1924 Dover Senators, paving his way from the minors to a legendary career.
1939 marked the zenith of the Federal Art Project in Delaware, fostering a vibrant artistic milieu amid the Great Depression’s hardships.
Delaware’s preparation for the 1938 Great Hurricane showcased early meteorological coordination, averting major loss despite nature’s fury.
Delaware’s rural electrification (1935-1960) spurred by M.L. Cooke, fueled agribusiness growth, modernizing rural life through public-private efforts.
Discover the roots of commercial poultry farming through Cecile Long Steele’s serendipitous venture in Delmarva, revolutionizing America’s dinner tables.
Dr. Ulysses S. Washington’s lifelong dedication, from academia and athletics at DSU to legislative advocacy, leaves a significant legacy.
Wilmington’s Mancus Club, led by Mary Ann Wright, championed disability rights, focusing on education and social inclusion from the 1940s.
Senator J. Caleb Boggs navigated political tides to endorse the Civil Rights Act of 1964, marking a notable stand in America’s equality quest.
Exploring WDEL-TV’s evolution from its 1949 debut, facing technical hurdles with modest wattage, to becoming a broadcasting marvel in Delaware.
Delaware’s 1960s saw a surge in state park creations, fueled by federal funds, estate donations, and public engagement, enriching community life.
Exploring the rise of community colleges in Delaware, highlighting their journey from accessible education providers to diverse learning hubs.
The Delaware Memorial Bridge, inaugurated in 1951, revolutionized East Coast travel, symbolizing regional unity and engineering innovation.
Edmund H. “Ted” Harvey transitions from aimless wanderer to dedicated conservationist, safeguarding Delaware’s wetlands and swamps.
Exploring Gore-Tex’s 1960s origins through the lens of family ingenuity, detailing the Gores’ discovery of ePTFE, and its enduring industrial impact.
The American Liberty League, backed by Irenee du Pont and major corporations, opposed FDR’s New Deal, marking early US conservative movements.
Indian River Bay Inlet, a historic gateway, fueled Delaware’s early development and maritime industry, facing challenges from nature’s silt.
1912 Wilmington art exhibit, showcasing Howard Pyle’s legacy and his students’ work, catalyzes the inception of the Delaware Art Museum.
Delaware’s agricultural fair tradition, from 1763 gatherings to today’s state fair, showcases enduring community, farming innovations, and the adaptation over centuries.
1941: U.S. Senate funds DE’s first public airstrip at Hare’s Corner. USAAF takes over, renaming it New Castle Army Air Base amid WWII fears.
Delaware friends! Wilmington’s got a new bookstore! Huxley & Hiro’s Ryan and Claire are working hard to bring you a beautifully curated collection. They hail from Portland, OR, and bring with them a fresh perspective to the Delaware bookstore scene. I’m thrilled they’re carrying both “Delaware Before the Railroads” and my new book, “Delaware from…
Delaware’s holly tree transitions from a Nanticoke remedy to a seasonal wreath industry hub, facing challenges from regulation and competition.
Four Wilmington religious leaders spearhead social change, providing moral guidance and community support, leaving a lasting local legacy.
The Financial Center Development Act of 1981 propelled Delaware’s banking sector, leading to economic growth and a credit industry boom.
Exploring the harrowing polio outbreak in Wilmington, 1947, its societal impact, and the relentless journey towards medical and communal resilience.
Bombay Hook offers a haven for migratory birds, ensuring ecological balance. Its rich biodiversity faces challenges yet stands resilient.
Delaware ignites a biotech revolution with DBI, bridging academia, industry, and sparking a vital dialogue on genetic engineering ethics.
Wilmington’s skyline evolved post 1885, influenced by Chicago’s Home Insurance Building. Early structures paved way for modern skyscrapers.
Explore how three key factors have shaped a state into America’s premier hub for business incorporation. From specialized courts to banking support, this tale of intentional innovation reveals why so many Fortune 500 companies choose to call it home.
The public feud between Craig Gilborn and Otto Dekom in late ’60s and ’70s Delaware reveals larger debates on federal arts funding and the tension between local and national artistic influence.
Delaware’s schools serve as a critical stage for the nation’s ongoing battles over educational inequality and segregation. This article traces the state’s fraught history, from Plessy v. Ferguson to groundbreaking cases that laid the foundation for the landmark Brown v. Board of Education ruling.
Delaware’s healthcare system pioneers in adopting advanced imaging technologies, driven by unique demographics and robust research institutes.
Delaware’s strategic pivot in late 20th-century tourism led to robust growth, overcoming challenges like lack of major airports and family attractions.
Delaware’s Anabaptist groups like the Amish and Mennonites skillfully balance age-old traditions with modern hurdles such as rising land prices.
Sgt. William Lloyd Nelson’s valor on a Tunisian hill helped turn the tide of WWII in North Africa, ultimately earning him the Medal of Honor.
Thrilled to announce “Delaware Before the Railroads” won the ‘Travel’ category at the 2023 Paris Book Festival! Truly an honor.
Discover the remarkable story of James Phillip Connor, a WWII hero who defied all odds in Operation Dragoon to change the course of history.
The Nanticoke Indians in Delaware navigate a century of cultural preservation through pow wows, enduring war and societal changes.
In a life defined by educational advocacy and a spirit of volunteerism, Martha G. Bachman was not one to sit on the sidelines. “When I first started making suggestions to educators about ways to improve the system, they didn’t take me seriously,” she once reflected. “They told me I didn’t know enough because I wasn’t…
The complex history of U.S. and Delaware housing policies often perpetuated racial discrimination and economic inequality. Tracing initiatives from the 1930s to the Civil Rights era, the article scrutinizes their mixed impacts.
The Delaware Bay balances ecological health and human economy. Despite legislative gains, urgent action is needed to protect its future.
A significant increase in Sussex County’s Hispanic population has led to transformative changes in the community, legal landscape, and policy discussions.
In Seaford, Delaware, DuPont’s nylon plant transformed the local economy and became a key asset in World War II, setting a global standard.
Explore the origins of America’s first study abroad program, initiated by Raymond Kirkbride at the University of Delaware in 1923. Learn how his World War I service influenced a vision that transformed higher education and set a precedent for future programs.
Pauline A. Young, born in 1900, became a pioneering force in education, civil rights, and library sciences in segregated Wilmington, Delaware. She influenced generations through her work at Howard High School and extensive civil rights activism, leaving a lasting legacy.
ILC Dover designed the iconic Apollo space suits, embodying years of engineering excellence and ethical responsibility. This Delaware-based firm evolved from a military supplier to a pivotal NASA partner, safeguarding astronauts while remaining largely unsung. The story of ILC is a tribute to hidden innovation.
Clarence Welch rose in the spoon industry, faced betrayal and legal battles, nearly met doom, and ultimately reinvented himself.
Acorn Club’s women fostered community growth in Delaware, founding Seaford’s Library from modest beginnings to 1,200 volumes by 1932.
Women at WWI’s Bethlehem Loading Plant became Canary Girls due to tetryl exposure; their sacrifices symbolize the vital female war effort.
The Federal Art Project in Delaware in 1939 fueled cultural growth but faced challenges due to funding reforms.
20th-century Lonely-Hearts clubs: beacon for love seekers, shadowed by deceit, culminating in Brennan’s chilling treachery.
In 1986, Delaware’s Punkin Chunkin contest began from a simple debate between two locals, gaining massive popularity over the years. Contestants, using machines like trebuchets, hurled pumpkins to clinch titles. The event faced challenges, including lawsuits and venue changes, but remains a symbol of community spirit, resilience, and tradition.
BRAIN EXPLOSION ALERT Working on a new Civil War book project and just discovered the maddening 19th-century practice of “cross-writing” – where people would turn their paper 90 degrees and write DIRECTLY OVER their existing text to save paper! My editor took one look at this diary page sample and quoted Lewis Carroll: “Cross writing…
Exploring the U.S. Coast Guard’s uphill battle against rum-running in Delaware Bay during Prohibition, highlighting resource challenges and tactical evolutions.
T. Coleman du Pont, envisioning modern traffic, advanced Delaware $1M in 1911 for a key highway. His vision and funding shaped today’s roads.
The Coastal Zone Act of 1971 remains a flashpoint in the tension between environmental preservation and economic growth in Delaware. Advocates laud its efficacy in protecting sensitive coastal regions, while critics argue it hinders the state’s industrial potential. Its impact continues to evolve.
Betty Friedan’s 1963 groundbreaking feminist manifesto, “The Feminine Mystique,” ignited a firestorm by articulating the “problem that has no name”—pervasive discrimination against women. In public settings, restaurants and bars displayed “men-only” signs, and civic organizations like Rotary and Jaycees relegated women to secondary status. Many professional bodies, such as press clubs, excluded women altogether. In…
Delaware’s low-number license plates are more than mere identification; they’re cultural icons, family heirlooms, and symbols of political clout. They’ve also spawned a lucrative market, with auctioneers fetching six-figure sums for prized digits.
This essay delves into Fort Miles’ role in WWII and the Cold War, from its initial defense of the Delaware Bay to hunting Nazi U-Boats and monitoring Soviet subs.
The reedbird journeyed from a prized delicacy in 19th-century Delaware to an agricultural pest, ultimately gaining federal protection.
Delaware’s pivotal role in 19th Amendment’s ratification saga wavered, reflecting a tense national fight for women’s right to vote.
Delaware’s 20th-century sweet potato boom reveals growth, innovation, and decline, reflecting broader American agricultural trends.
Delaware’s rise as a corporate hub is explored, highlighting Wilmington Trust, du Pont family’s role, legal frameworks, and policies.
Delaware’s CCC during the Great Depression: conservation, employment, art, infrastructure, and enduring legacy.
The Fenwick Island Lighthouse, Delaware’s last ocean coast lighthouse, once navigational aid, became a community symbol after its deactivation in 1978. A community-led effort, headed by the Peppers, preserved the beacon, which now stands as a tourist attraction and historical site.
Everyone always wants to know the origin of the name Slaughter Beach. No one seems to know for sure. There are legends, anecdotes, and speculation about a Delaware Postmaster, Indian massacres, whaling events, and of course about the very large numbers of Horseshoe crabs that come ashore each spring.
Professional, well-trained, and disciplined law enforcement that is accountable to a clear authority and the rule of law is essential for ensuring public safety.
Delaware’s 1925 formation of an official State Police in response to the failures of the Citizens’ Highway Police Reserve Corps resoundingly acknowledged this principle. There was no turning back.
(sung to the tune of “Video Killed the Radio Star”) Every state in America has a story just like the story of the Smyrna, DE Opera House— The Smyrna Opera House, from its 1878 construction and for over a half-century thereafter, played a remarkable role in the life of Smyrna residents. The center functioned both…
Though rooted in time, the First State’s distinctive early 20th century voice still lingers.
In an innovative approach to audience-specific writing, an author used OpenAI’s GPT model to create a two-juror system to review his book topics, catering to two different audiences: casual readers in a beach town bookstore and academic historians. This AI-assisted method provided valuable insights into how well the topics might resonate with each audience and identified areas of overlap and divergence. The author found this AI jury remarkably effective, saving time and offering targeted guidance for writing a book that bridges the gap between entertainment and academic rigor.
What can the reader expect from the upcoming “Delaware from Railways to Freeways”?
“Delaware Before the Railroads” is officially an award-nominated book! I’m thrilled to announce that we’ve been nominated for Independent Press Award’s “Cultural Heritage” Award.
Cleared all the winter clutter pile off my summer writing table, scrubbed it up with linseed oil. Stinky, but beautiful. Ready for some April-October inspiration!
A howling winter gale in 1888 very nearly killed the Lewes Station surfmen trying to secure a buoy to the shipwrecked schooner Allie H. Belden. Listen, as they narrate the horrors they faced.
Let’s talk about the Underground Railroad and quilts. This lovely quilt, based on the Log Cabin pattern, is actually a coded symbol to slaves on the run. It would have hung on a clothesline of a safe house. The traditional log cabin pattern, which emerged in the 1830s, featured a red square at the center…
It’s fitting that the late 19th century doctor’s office preserved today by the Lewes Historical Society was built by David Hall (1831-1905). Hall was steeped in medical culture: his grandfather Joseph, his father Henry, and after him his only child William, were all physicians. Hall built the Greek Revival structure that housed the practice shown…
Above: The Bangor, first iron steamer in America, built 1843-4 In 1842 the Wilmington outfit Betts, Pusey and Harlan, a builder of railroad cars, was a modest 20 person operation. That was all about to dramatically change, when Samuel Harlan accepted a repair job on the iron cylinder of the wooden steamboat Sun from Captain…
Above: University of Delaware, Old College / Special Collections, University of Delaware Library Francis Alison planted the seed for what is today the University of Delaware in 1765, when he established the Newark Academy in the town of the same name. The school was in fact a transplant from a free school he’d begun in…
Above: Star Hill was the first A.M.E. church built (1867) in Richard Allen’s hometown of Dover, DE. “He was more like a father to his slaves than anything else,” said Richard Allen years later of Stokely Sturgis, his former master in Dover, DE. Sturgis trusted Allen enough, for example, to allow him as a teenager…
Above: Delores St. Armand as Harriet Tubman at 1978 National Portrait Gallery exhibit “Portraits in Motion.” Map courtesy Seaford Museum. Underground Railroad conductor Harriet Tubman (1822-1913) made no less than 19 trips to the south between 1850 and 1860, freeing 300 slaves during that fruitful decade. None were ever recaptured. Between 1852 and 1857 Tubman…
Above: Fort Delaware, June 1863 / Harper’s Weekly 1863-06-27: Vol 7 Iss 339 The fact is, Fort Delaware was never designed to be used as a prison. That, and the amount of space it occupied on tiny Pea Patch Island in the Delaware Bay, meant it was destined to become a chamber of horrors when…
Above: Alfred I. DuPont and 1901 DeDion Bouton In early November 1900, Alfred I. DuPont’s first car, the first one in Delaware, broke down. Within 3 months he bought his second, this one a French made vehicle from DeDion Bouton. “It is a neat machine and is especially designed for a woman’s use,” pointed out…
Above: A Dupont Powder Mill Drying House explosion/fire from 1914 / Hagley Museum and Library In 1847 Dupont’s Powder Mill was in the midst of supplying gunpowder to the US Government, then midway through the Mexican-American War. Eleuthere Ireene du Pont de Nemours’ Brandywine Valley mill near Wilmington had been in business already for 45…
Above: Edward Williams Clay, Skaters on the Delaware River at Philadelphia, 1831 / National Museum of American History “Amidst the dreariness of wintry winds and chilling frosts that have stripped the rugged oak of its foliage,” begins memoirist Elizabeth Montgomery, on the topic of early 19th century Wilmington, DE winters, “that have disrobed all inanimate…
Above: Bret Harte. National Portrait Gallery, Smithsonian Institution The newly discovered Latin poem, a sensational find surely, made its way into the campus publications of two colleges within two years of its appearance. But no other colleges picked up the piece. Smart move on the part of those others, it turns out. What was the…
The Delaware Breakwater, constructed between 1829 and about 1835, was one of the first national undertakings of public works projects, costing over $2 million at the time. “The expense and difficulty of constructing a breakwater will be very great,” acknowledged the Wilmingtonian and Delaware Advertiser in early 1827, “but will not exceed the benefits, given…
Above: Detail from Francis William Edmonds’s “The Speculator” (1852). A rural couple listens skeptically to a representative of the Building Association, identified by the paper in his coat pocket. The salesman—whose top hat, pointed shoes, and umbrella mark him as a city slicker—promises the couple a better life as he unrolls a listing of “1000…
You’ve heard the story about George Washington chopping down the cherry tree, getting caught, and then fessing up with “I cannot tell a lie.” But do you know where that story came from? How was it viewed by the audience at the time it was first told? Mason Locke Weems (1759-1825), known to all as…
He was a Delawarean by birth, a white man of education and refinement, well heeled and well connected. He thought he could get away with the idea. After completing degrees in both law and medicine at Dickinson College in 1868, 25 year old Isaac C. West returned to his native Dover and took work as…
Today he’s recognized as one of the founders of the National Advisory Committee for Aeronautics, which later became NASA. His numerous patents included one for a method of greatly extending the range of long distance telephone communication, which AT&T promptly bought up. Late in life, the Serbian physicist Michael Pupin, who had immigrated to the…
By the end of his long life, he had founded one of the largest Methodist congregations serving the African-American community on the east coast. And every time “We Shall Overcome” is sung somewhere in the world, Charles A. Tindley’s influence can still be felt. Tindley wasn’t born in Delaware, and he didn’t die here. But…
What could be less controversial than naming your estate “Buena Vista” when in fact it does have a ‘good view’? But that’s not the reason Delaware senator John M. Clayton chose to rename the ‘Homestead’ property he purchased in 1845. His political survival had something to do with it. In 1840, Clayton joined the Whig…
“We hardly think he will be able to compete with the swallows in this harness,” sniffed the June 24, 1871 Scientific American article on W. F. Quimby’s flying machine. “We would advise him to start from some low point at first, so that, if he should fall down, it will not hurt him much.” Watson…
“During the perilous and unsettled period through which Delaware passed in 1863,” begins historian J. Thomas Scharf, “there was less disposition to enter the service of the country voluntarily than the preceding year, and it soon became evident that a draft would have to be ordered to fill up the quota.” The draft bill that…
Fleatown, DE was one of those towns whose only reason to exist was that it was a convenient halfway stopping point between two popular destinations. The distance as the crow flies from the heart of Milford, DE to the heart of Georgetown, DE is about 16 miles. Traveling between these two places today wouldn’t even…
Plenty of people throughout history have faked their death in order to get out from under debt or a bad romance. But writing an elaborate letter about being lost at sea, stuffing it in a bottle, tossing it into the ocean, then hoping someone finds it? Seems like a dicey way to announce your demise.…
Solomon Bayley, newly on the run, woke in terror to see two slave hunters walking straight toward the thicket where he’d spent the night. “I was struck with dread,” he wrote in his autobiography, “afraid to move hand or foot. I sat there and looked right at them; and thought I, here they come right…
Young Alfred P. Stevenson, Esq., must’ve thought he’d be set for life. His uncle, the ‘John’ of John G. Baker Company, ushered him straight out of law school into a job at the family firm. Baker’s Wilmington, DE company, founded in 1867, was young and on a meteoric rise in the morocco leather finishing industry. …
Intricately carved decoy ducks portraying such famous Delaware birds as the canvasback, the brant, and the mallard are today coveted by collectors worldwide. The decoy duck industry began to develop in the early 19th century, in tandem with the appearance of the steamboat and the punt gun. Market hunters, forever under financial pressure to bag…
You could be forgiven for thinking scrapple is a 20th century invention. After all, one of the preeminent brands, RAPA scrapple, was founded in 1926, when brothers Ralph and Paul Adams (RAPA) started a manufacturing plant in Bridgeville, DE. In fact, this concoction of pig parts, cornmeal and/or buckwheat flour, and spices actually comes to…
In February 1838, William Huffington combined his interests in politics and literature by becoming the proprietor and editor of the first monthly magazine in Delaware, The Delaware Register and Farmers’ Magazine. The editor of The Native American (by native, they mean WASPs, not Indians) newspaper in Washington, DC immediately noticed. “This is a youthful periodical,…
In 1905 tuberculosis (TB) killed four times as many people nationwide as typhoid fever. It was more lethal than diphtheria. 56,770 Americans died from it that year, the highest rate of death for any one disease. In Wilmington, DE about 150-200 people died from it annually. There was a tremendous amount of misinformation about the…
Bethel wasn’t the only successful shipbuilding town in 19th century Delaware. Wilmington, Smyrna, and Milford could all lay claim to strength in that industry. But Bethel, thanks to its location on the Nanticoke River, had easy access to the Chesapeake Bay and its markets. Bethel was surrounded by more extensive stands of virgin oak and…
You’ve heard the name RCA Victor. It grew out of the Victor Talking Machine Company. The man behind Victor Talking Machine was not named Victor, however. So where’d the name come from? Before Victor, there is Emile Berliner. First person to bring to market Thomas Edison’s phonograph invention on a wide scale. Emile Berliner organizes…
Delawareans had been using sleigh bells for well over a century already by the time the Victorians gave us ‘Jingle Bells’ (1857) and Currier & Ives prints of rosy cheeked young couples zipping along in stylish cutters. And while those images of a carefree ride across the snow-draped countryside to grandmother’s house aren’t incorrect, they…
“107,062 Delawareans are without the free delivery of mails, except where furnished in spots by the experimental rural free delivery services,” noted the News Journal [Wilmington] in July 1898. From our vantage point today rural free delivery (RFD) mail service seems like a no-brainer. But in 1898 it was untested, and there were opponents to…
The ‘Delaware peach’ ruled eastern markets from about 1840 till the turn of the 20th century. What about the ‘Georgia peach,’ you ask? Georgia horticulturists did indeed start a determined effort in the 1850s to selectively breed the peach and get the industry under way there. But Delaware had the lead already, thanks to one…
Over half of publicly traded companies on the NY Stock Exchange are incorporated in Delaware. Compared to the corporate laws of most states, Delaware’s make the state the ultimate corporate haven. How did that come about? “During the interval between 1898 and 1899,” says Samuel Arsht in ‘A History of Delaware Corporate Law,’ “a small…
Imagine the shock a parent would experience. You’re at your desk, at work. The postal carrier brings in a package. You open it. It contains the dead body of your daughter. You had no idea she had even died. Surely one of the most haunting events in the long life of Isaac Jacob Benioff. Benioff…
New York City residents drinking the pure waters of upstate’s Croton River may thank Millsboro, DE for the part it played in first delivering those waters to them. In Sussex County, abundant deposits of bog iron ore once lined the banks of the Nanticoke River and its many branches, which made the area an early…
“You mustn’t do this again,” a Secret Service agent told her after forcibly pulling Mabel Vernon back from her position just in front of the podium. She was in the audience at a 1916 speech President Woodrow Wilson was giving on democracy at the Labor Temple in Washington, DC. “Mr. President,” she called out, “if…
Today’s Delaware State Fair in Harrington is all cow roping, carnivals and cotton candy. A delight for casual attendees, hard work for exhibitors. But few, if any, farmers at the Fair feel the pressure of their farm going under if they don’t attend. The ancestor fairs of this modern Kent County extravaganza started out as…
To my mind, it’s the perfect American Civil War border state story. Take a look at this 1970 aerial photo of Georgetown, DE’s Public Square and Circle. The two circled buildings are the Brick Hotel (bottom) and the site of the Eagle Hotel (right side). “One local folk tale concerning the [Brick],” says its National…
The Wilmington Whaling Company (1833-1846) was the only venture of its kind ever launched in Delaware, and one of the very few outside New England. The company was founded in late 1833 with a capital stock of $100,000. In May 1934 Captain Richard Weeden headed out from Wilmington on the Ceres, “completely furnished for a…
The I. O. H. is still progressing North and South, in East and West; None of nature’s laws transgressing, Honesty within our breast. Members from Wilmington, to Harrington, to Seaford began their meetings for four decades reciting in unison the Opening Ode. The original Order of Heptasophs (later the IMPROVED Order of Heptasophs, or I.O.H.)…
Close your eyes, and picture for a moment the conestoga wagon in American history. What did you conjure up? The Oregon Trail? Vast lines of ‘prairie schooners’ crossing what would become Kansas or Nebraska? I was startled to encounter this conestoga wagon in a Delaware museum—built in Delaware, and used in Delaware. If you’ve ever…
No writer works in a vacuum. There are always influences. Fathers, for example. My dad Ken, now 96, started keeping a daily journal in his early 50s. Twenty years into that he decided to pull it all together into a memoir. He grew up dirt poor in the Depression. Later, he was one of the…
Prior to 1852 Delaware Bay watermen were accustomed to harvesting oysters year round, with no restrictions. But that year the Delaware legislature became concerned about overharvesting, and banned oyster fishing from May 1 until August 10, a Thursday. On that day, fishermen flocked to the state’s seaside docks in droves, eager to head out and…
You can thank Levin Dawson Caulk that your cavity fillings are not made of beeswax or plaster of paris. Once you hear his surname, it’s not hard to forget his contribution to dental progress. Caulk was born in 1841 in Camden, DE, where he grew up. As a young dentist, he practiced in Wilmington for…
The Rehoboth Beach boardwalk shore vacationers today know and love was first built in 1884, and stretched for one and a quarter miles. How did the builders decide where to site its beginning and end? The Delaware legislature early on understood the advantages of the site for a resort, and in 1855 incorporated the “Rehoboth…
The incident prompted Delaware to change its constitution. Economist Henry Georges had gathered a large following nationwide for his ‘single tax’ theory ever since he had outlined it in his 1879 book “Progress and Poverty.” His idea sounded simple enough: a government should tax land values as the sole source of government revenues. Period. No…
Close your eyes and think of what the character Robin Hood looks like. Chances are good whatever you envision will be indebted to 19th century artist Howard Pyle of Wilmington, DE. Pyle was one of the first artists to illustrate/write a book about Robin Hood’s adventures with a children’s audience in mind—’The Merry Adventures of…
Until 1975 Delaware driver licenses listed race: black, white, red, and Moor. Moors, as in Moroccans? Well, yes and no. Delaware, like its neighboring southern states, built its early economy on the backs of slaves. Right from the start skin color determined the haves and the have nots. If you were white skinned, of English…
Sussex County, Delaware boasts a unique political tradition surrounding election time. It’s called Return Day, and it features parades, partying, and much festivity. But that day, the Thursday after an election, wasn’t always so lighthearted. It was in fact born in political strife, a solution to the violence that broke out between the Tories and…
It is now and has been for a long time America’s leading producer of matches, producing some twelve billion a year. But do you know why Diamond matches are called that? In 1853, Edward Tatnall opened a small sulfur match factory along Wilmington, DE’s Brandywine Creek. The sulfur match of that era was incredibly unstable…
The story of Miss Havisham from Charles Dickens’ “Great Expectations” haunted me for years. A young woman has bedecked her home for her wedding day. The guests have all arrived, the table is covered in lace and gaily decorated, with tiered wedding cake at the ready. The appointed time for the ceremony comes…but the bridegroom…
The New Castle and Frenchtown Railroad is a case study in mechanical engineering looking over its shoulder. What an odd way to build a railroad bed, you may be saying as you examine this section of the New Castle, DE terminus. Where are the railroad ties? The short answer is: horses. The NC&F railroad, the…
The second volume of my Delaware history series will hardly be complete without a nod to Dover’s most famous daughter. At the time of her death in 1941 Dr. Annie Jump Cannon had classified—by their spectra—more stars than anyone in the world. Even as a child growing up in Dover, the future world famous astronomer…
I was raised Presbyterian, but I never heard of communion tokens growing up. The idea was, right before taking communion, you presented a metal token to show that you were in good standing—fit to receive the sacrament. John Calvin suggested that tokens be used “to prevent the profanation of the Lord’s Table.” No token? No…
I’m starting to think about how volume 2 in my Delaware history book series will emerge. Certainly one person who towers over 19th century Delaware, and must be included, is John M. Clayton. He’s one of only two Delawareans to have a marble statue in the US Capitol. He earned that statue due to his…
Had a meeting with a bookstore owner the other day in New Castle, DE. Before the meeting I popped into a Walgreens to get some bottled water. Set a copy of my “Delaware Before the Railroads” book on the counter while I got out my wallet to pay. Turns out the clerk is doing archeology…
Rhoad built the roads. Rhoad Shankland, a trained lawyer and surveyor, is mainly remembered for laying out Georgetown, DE. It’s one of the best designed towns in Sussex County, with a lovely circular park at town center “for publick use.” Shown here is the compass he used for the task. But there’s another side to…
Raised porches are so common throughout America today that it’s hard to imagine a time when they weren’t around. But the Dutch settlers of the 17th and 18th century brought this building style.
The Delaware Public Archives is my home away from home this year. Yes, they have a ton of stuff scanned and searchable online. But when you’re talking about hundreds of years of history and hundreds of thousands of documents, the scanned material is just a tiny fraction of what’s available. And so you’ve got to…
You didn’t think I’d let October slide by without a good Delaware ghost story, did you? This is the Bonwell House in Frederica, DE. It was built sometime between 1747 and 1792, when Michael Hall Bonwell bought it. He soon added a grist mill, a saw mill, and a tannery. “Quaker” Bonwell, as he was…
It’s called the Manby mortar, but unlike the kind that takes lives, this mortar was built to save them. George Manby (1765-1854) designed his device to fire a cannonball, with a line attached, over the deck of a floundering ship. The rescue crew onshore lashed a small boat to the other end and paddled out…
Take a close look at this tabletop assemblage of artifacts retrieved from the sinking of the HMS De Braak, off the coast of Lewes, DE in 1798. Why was a woman’s comb retrieved from the sunken vessel, when the crew was all male? The comb could have belonged to Lydia Drew, the wife of Captain…
This was far and away THE most difficult shot I created for the “Delaware Before the Railroads” book. I wanted to get an exterior shot of the New Castle Courthouse in the town of the same name. Well, the early spring day I went there turned out to be rainy. I’ve been shooting long enough…
I’ve only included two retouched photos out of the 100+ in my new book “Delaware Before the Railroads.” I could have retouched more, sure, but my aim is to present truthful photos of Delaware historic sites as they look currently. So. This replica of a famous Delaware lighthouse was photographed with a drone. I rotated…
Up until a couple of years ago, the statue of Caesar Rodney was prominently featured in downtown Wilmington, commanding a square named after this famous Delaware patriot. I was looking forward to photographing it for the “Delaware Before the Railroads” book, but when I went to Rodney Square over the summer, the statue was no…
You remember the Boston Tea Party. Delawareans of that time were equally pissed off about Britain taxing them without the colonists having a say of any sort in the matter: “taxation without representation”. In 1773 a group of Delaware patriots formed to keep the East India company and its hated tea out of the colony.…
Yes, I thought it was charming that Delawareans of the early 18th century would skate—Hans Brinker style—on the local ponds in the winter. These days you don’t see people doing that here, either because ponds don’t freeze as solidly or as often, or perhaps a cultural shift to a preference for skating rinks, or all…
What happens when you’re confronted with an important building whose history needs to be told/shown, but that building is literally a tumble down wreck?
As I’ve been traveling about this past year gathering photos and stories on historical sites across Delaware, I’ve been amused as well as entertained by the fact that curators of historic properties often love pointing out graffiti on those properties. We think of graffiti today as an act of vandalism: a defiant political statement spray…
Until the advent of digital tools such as Photoshop, and now AI, the average person believed that what they were shown in a photograph represented the truth of what stood before the camera at that moment. Never mind that even noted photo documentarians such as the Civil War era photographer Matthew Brady were known for…
