Date Posted: Wednesday, December 21st, 2016

On Saturday, January 7, at 10:30 a.m. Bill Hutchison of the Kalmar Nyckel Foundation will present a program at the Delaware Public Archives focusing on how the Kalmar Nyckel operated, with special emphasis on the navigation of the vessel, and the firing of the ship’s guns. Segments of a new film about the ship will be shown to reveal how these tasks were carried out. The Kalmar Nyckel arrived in America in 1638 from Sweden and the settlers aboard founded the colony of New Sweden on the Delaware. This was the first permanent European settlement established in the State of Delaware and in the area that would become the City of Wilmington. New documentary evidence has recently been uncovered about the fate of the Kalmar Nyckel which will be presented at the program.

Bill Hutchison, Lead Educator Emeritus for the Kalmar Nyckel Foundation, has served as a volunteer crew member since 2003. A retired educator, Hutchison was a social studies teacher and administrator in the Capital School District for 35 years. He was the district’s Teacher of the Year in 1989. In addition, Hutchison has been an instructor at Delaware State University, Wilmington University, and the University of Delaware. A Vietnam Veteran and life-long resident of Delaware, Hutchison received his BA in history from Salisbury University and his MA in education from the University of Delaware.

The program is free to the public and will last approximately one hour. No reservations are required. For more information, contact Kevin Barni (302) 744-5015 or e-mail Kevin.Barni@delaware.gov.

The Kalmar Nyckel (Photograph by Andrew Hanna, KNF)
The Kalmar Nyckel (Photograph by Andrew Hanna, KNF)

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