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… Read More »The doctor who couldn’t slow down
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… Read More »Newark Academy becomes a college
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… Read More »Conestoga wagons…in Delaware!
The Hokey Pokey. The Monster Mash. Teddy Bears Picnic. Songs that have reached ‘escape velocity,’ broken free from their own era, and are now part of the American Songbook. By the time he penned “The… Read More »“If you go out in the woods today…”
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.… Read More »The Moors of Delaware
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… Read More »Out of wax that day!
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… Read More »The demon Fence Rail Dog
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… Read More »The mortar that saved lives
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… Read More »Were women among the drowned seamen?
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… Read More »To retouch or not to retouch?