The Tuskegee Airmen of World War II

January 27th, 2012

             On Saturday, February 4, 10:30 a.m., the Delaware Public Archives, in one of its planned activities to celebrate Black History Month, is hosting a program entitled “The Tuskegee Airmen.”  During the Second World War, a question was raised and answered conclusively in a noble experiment that later became known as the “Tuskegee Experience.” Our nation’s first African-American military aviators, the Tuskegee Airmen, are remembered in this presentation designed to tell their story and reveal the significance of their achievements. Presented by Brigadier General Ernest George Talbert (Retired, USAF), this program will also include information about the achievements of other African-American warriors and civilian aviators who preceded the “Tuskegee Experience.”

            Brigadier General Ernest George Talbert (Retired, USAF) is the first African-American general in the long history of the Delaware National Guard.  He is the immediate past president of the John H. Porter, First State Chapter Tuskegee Airmen, Inc. General Talbert is a Command Pilot with over 6500 flying hours including combat hours in Operation Desert Storm and the Balkans conflict. Upon his retirement in January 2009 he accepted a state promotion to the rank of Major General.   A product of the Delaware public school system, he received a B.A. in Economics from New York University in 1972 and an MBA from the University of Delaware in 1983.

The program is free to the public.  No reservations are required.  For more information, contact Tom Summers (302) 744-5047 or e-mail thomas.summers@state.de.us. 

Tags: , ,
Posted in Blog Posts, Delaware History, Events at the Archives, Research Room | Leave a Comment »

Honey, Grab Your Coat. We’re Going For A Ride On The New Bridge!

January 20th, 2012
Indian River Bridge 1935

Indian River Bridge 1935. 1st Wooden Bridge Built In 1935. 2nd Drawbridge Built In 1938.

If you’ve been reading the papers you saw that the Indian River Inlet bridge finally opened today.  With all the attention it’s been getting, we had some people from the area stop by to see what we had on the previous bridges that were there.  They were surprised that we had information on all 3 former bridges as well as a photograph of the area before there was a bridge.

To see more photos of all the Indian River inlet bridges, view our Facebook album.

Tags:
Posted in Research Room | Leave a Comment »

Martin Luther King Jr.

January 13th, 2012

Every year we commemorate the achievements and contributions of Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. and the civil rights movement. When Dr. King spoke to the packed audience in the Howard High School auditorium on September 12, 1960, he delivered a message of patience and persistence. “Protest, yes, but with dignity and discipline to achieve our goals,” said King in this newspaper clipping from the News Journal.  News Journal Article on Martin Luther King Jr.’s only visit to Delaware on September 13, 1960.cpy

Dr. King’s first and only visit is just a small part of Delaware’s history during the civil rights movement. Did you know that Brown vs. The Board of Education is actually comprised of 5 cases, one of which was from Delaware? These cases were unsuccessfully tried in lower courts then appealed to the Supreme Court where they were combined to create Brown vs. The Board of Education. The case from Delaware, which began as two cases before being combined, involved a one-roomed school house in Hockessin and Howard High School in Wilmington, where Dr. King spoke on his visit. In both cases, students traveled nearly an hour to attend schools that were not equal in resources.

Many documents, photos and recordings from the civil rights movement in Delaware can be found here at the Delaware Public Archives. Notable collections include photographs, recordings from NAACP and NAAWP rallies, legislation addressing segregation laws, newspaper collections, court records from Evans vs. Buchanan (relating to segregation in Wilmington schools), and documents addressing segregation and desegregation of schools from the Department of Public Instruction.

Dr. King had a dream that still lives on today. Stop by and examine documents pertaining to that dream here at the Delaware Public Archives.

Howard High School

Howard High School

Tags:
Posted in Blog Posts | Leave a Comment »

The War of 1812 Comes to Lewes

January 3rd, 2012

           On Saturday, January 7, 10:30 a.m., Mike DiPaolo, Executive Director of the Lewes Historical Society, will be presenting a program at the Delaware Public Archives entitled “The War of 1812 Comes to Lewes.”  With the 200th anniversary of the War of 1812 taking place in 2012, this program will address the 1813 attack on Lewes by the British Royal Navy. In March 1813, the Royal Navy established a blockade of the Delaware Bay and River.  The British squadron began to conduct raids along the coast in an effort to disrupt maritime commerce and shipping. After Delaware authorities refused a demand to provide supplies, the British ships took up bombardment positions close to the town of Lewes. From April 6th into the 7th, Lewes was shelled for twenty-two hours, with the British firing as many as 800 projectiles into the town. 

            Mr. DiPaolo has been the Executive Director for the Lewes Historical Society for 10 years and recently won the 2011 Nancy Hanks Memorial Award for Professional Excellence from the American Association of Museums. This honor is awarded to people who have been outstanding in museum work, and have been in the field for less than 10 years. A graduate of The College of Wooster in Ohio, DiPaolo earned a Masters Degree in Library Information Science from the University of Pittsburgh. In 2007, DiPaolo was chosen as the Delaware Tourism Person of the Year.  

The program is free to the public.  No reservations are required.  For more information, contact Tom Summers (302) 744-5047 or e-mail thomas.summers@state.de.us. 

Cannon used in defense of Lewes during War of 1812

Tags: , , ,
Posted in Blog Posts, Delaware History, Events at the Archives, Photographs, Research Room | Leave a Comment »

Holly Jolly Christmas

December 13th, 2011
Holly Factory in Milford

Holly Factory in Milford

It’s mentioned in songs and it’s image covers wrapping paper and greeting cards. Wreaths are adorned with it and mantles are decked with it. It keeps company with mistletoe. It’s the state tree of Delaware and one of the most recognizable images of the holiday season.

The American holly became the state tree of Delaware by an act of the General Assembly on May 1, 1939. Governor Richard C. McMullen signed the act recognizing the booming export market for this cheap and readily available, native tree.

But why holly? The story of this celebrated holiday icon starts much earlier than this.

Ancient religions believed that the mighty holly kept bad spirits at bay and, thus, holly became a symbol of goodwill. This belief carried on and became associated with modern winter celebrations. The abundance
of American holly in Delaware in the early 20th century made southern Delaware the epicenter for the holly industry.  By 1930, Delaware had become the leading producer of holly wreaths. Families capitalized on this cottage industry, often adding $100-$500 to their yearly earnings by producing fresh wreaths and sprays from Thanksgiving until the week before Christmas. These wreaths were marketed all
over the country as coming “From the Land of Holly.”

Beyond its aesthetic value, holly is a vital part of the Delaware eco system. It’s important to know that while generally toxic to humans, the holly tree offers important nutrition and shelter to birds and other wildlife
throughout the winter.

Today, holly is an unmistakable image of the holiday season and like many pieces of American history, Delaware had a hand in it.

Tags: , ,
Posted in Research Room | Leave a Comment »

Celebrate Delaware Day!

December 7th, 2011

 In recognition of Delaware Day, December 7, being the day that Delaware was the first state to ratify the United States Constitution, the Delaware Public Archives has recently created a shadow box exhibit that celebrates the story of Delaware’s role as the First State to ratify the United States Constitution. This exhibit features facsimiles of original documents drawn from the collections of the Delaware Public Archives and will only be displayed for a limited time.  These documents, along with the pictures and other Archives resources featured in the shadow box exhibit, describe the state’s role in the ratification process, and the interests and activities of Delawareans during this watershed period in our country’s history. The centerpiece of the Archives’ celebration is Delaware’s Ratification Document. Signed by the thirty delegates on December 7, 1787, this document bears historic witness to Delaware’s role as the first state to approve our nation’s new frame of government.  As noted by State Archivist Stephen Marz, “this display truly shows Delaware at a time when it was a leader in determining the type of government that would be implemented at the national level.” To view documents online related to Delaware being the First State check the webpage http://archives.delaware.gov/exhibits/document/index.shtml

            To honor this special day in Delaware history, Governor Markell came to the Delaware Public Archives for a ceremony in which he read the official proclamation of Delaware Day and honored Dr. Carol E. Hoffecker as the recipient of the 2011 Governor’s Heritage Award.  Congratulations, Carol!

 

Governor Jack Markell and Secretary of State Jeff Bullock stand with Dr. Carol Hoffecker as she displays her award.

Tags: , , , ,
Posted in Blog Posts, Delaware History, Events at the Archives, Research Room | Leave a Comment »

The Whipping Post

December 2nd, 2011

One of the great features about the program we use for our blog is that it lets us see what search terms people are using.  Recently a lot of you have been searching for “the whipping post” so I thought I’d write about it.

There were three whipping posts: one in each county. The Kent County whipping post was located at the east side of the Old State House on the Dover Green, and was relocated to the Morris Correctional Facility in the 1930’s. The one in New Castle was located at the New Castle County Jail then moved to the New Castle County Workhouse. And the one in Sussex County was in Georgetown at the Jail. The last whipping occurred in 1952. Delaware was the last state to abolish the whipping post when it was removed from the Delaware Code in 1972.

Crimes punishable with whipping included breaking and entering, larceny, arson, and wife beating. The number of lashes ranged between 10 to 60 and depended on the era.

We have photographs, newspaper clippings, governor’s files, a general reference file and even a lesson plan regarding the whipping post. Robert Graham Caldwell wrote a book about Delaware’s whipping post called Red Hannah Delaware’s Whipping Post

Why not stop by and see for yourself.

New Castle County Whipping Post at the New Castle County WorkhouseKent County Whipping Post at the Kent County JailSussex County Whipping Post in Georgetown

Tags:
Posted in Research Room | Leave a Comment »

Bring Something New To The Table This Holiday

November 22nd, 2011
Thanksgiving Dinner at the New Castle County Army Air Base

Thanksgiving Dinner at the New Castle County Army Air Base

With the holidays fast approaching, we’re all thinking about perfecting our holiday meal menus or securing the perfect gifts for our nearest and dearest. Visiting with family is an often refreshing and sometimes frustrating part of the season.  I don’t know about your family, but when we get together family histories usually come up. These stories are great but after years and years (and years and years and years) of retelling, I wonder if these stories are true. Oral histories are sort of like a playing the telephone game; the story you start out with might not be the story told 50 years later. Did great grandfather what’s-his-name really throw dollar bills off the top of his car dealership? Was our family actually part of the French Revolution?

If you’re anything like me, you’ll want the real story. Here’s an idea: take this opportunity to set the record straight and tell your relatives something they might not know about your family. The holidays are a perfect time to get to the roots of your family tree and it’s easier than you might think.

Here at the Delaware Public Archives we have many resources for genealogical research useful to native and non-native Delawareans alike. Take a spin through our vital statistics index which lists the births, deaths and marriages of Delawareans. Or, hop on a computer and checkout Ancestry.com –use it for free only at the Archives.

While everyone else is looking forward to the New Year, take a look back at your family’s history. Get started HERE.

Tags:
Posted in Research Room | Leave a Comment »

Delaware Public Archives Launches Searchable Finding Aids Tool

November 9th, 2011

There’s a new tool now available for online patrons to search the records of the Delaware Public Archives. Known as the Collection Gateway, this new feature searches the databases of nineteen different collections in the Archives. The Collection Gateway will open a treasure trove of information for historians, genealogists, and all citizens who have an interest in finding Delaware information online.  Among the collections now searchable online are Church records, Orphans Court records, Newspapers, Maps, Coroners Reports, Probates Reports, and Apprentice Indentures. The complete list can be found at de.gov/collectiongateway or on the Delaware Public Archives homepage at archives.delaware.gov. Along with having the ability to easily search through these records; users can also integrate what they find and share their discoveries using social media tools such as facebook, twitter and e-mail.

There are nearly half a million records currently available online and the Delaware Public Archives will continue to add databases to more collections. The Gateway will be updated on a quarterly basis.  To make these materials available online, Archives staff extracted pertinent elements from each document to make it easy to identify each record.  Because not all the information was extracted, the Gateway gives only a glimpse into the full record.  Once a detail page for the document has been reached, it will be possible to e-mail a request for the full record to the Delaware Public Archives.  With this request, the Archives staff can pull the record and send a reply with a link to shop.delaware.gov to purchase a copy. To view the original record, it is strongly recommended that patrons visit the Mabel Lloyd Ridgely Research Center at the Delaware Public Archives.  Take some time to check out this exciting new feature!

Tags: , , , , , , , , , , ,
Posted in Blog Posts, Delaware History, Inside the DPA, Research Room | Leave a Comment »

The Tragic Odyssey of Obie Evans and other African-Americans in Civil War Delaware

November 1st, 2011

Join us on Saturday, November 5, 10:30 a.m. as the Delaware Public Archives continues its commemoration of the 150th anniversary of the beginning of the Civil War with a program entitled “The Tragic Odyssey of Obie Evans and other African-Americans in Civil-War Delaware.”  Obie Evans escaped slavery, survived the Battle of the Crater, and participated in Baltimore’s post-war street riots–only to be murdered by other war veterans near Smyrna in 1866. His story reveals the triumphs and tragedies of African-Americans in Civil War Delaware.

            This will be the fourth in a series of four Civil War programs presented this year at the Archives by Dr. Steve Newton of Delaware State University.  Dr. Newton is the author of nine books and an Associate Editor of North & South magazine.  He has been a Professor of History and Political Science at Delaware State University since 1990.  Currently, he serves as the Acting Chairman of the History, Political Science, and Philosophy Department at the University. 

The program is free to the public.  No reservations are required.  For more information, contact Tom Summers (302) 744-5047 or e-mail thomas.summers@state.de.us. 

Tags: , , , ,
Posted in Blog Posts, Delaware History, Events at the Archives, Research Room | Leave a Comment »

« Older Entries