Name: New Castle
Brand: Jim Travers
SKU: 9780738518336
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New Castle

9780738518336

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New Castle, a small, picturesque town in Delaware, was originally founded as Fort Casimir in 1651 by the Dutch East India Company. After being released from William Penn's rule in 1691, the town was briefly named the state capital. Until Wilmington was designated county seat in 1881, New Castle boomed as a commercial center. Bustling ferry traffic was eliminated in 1951 with the completion of the Memorial
Bridge five miles up the Delaware River. Long-departed industries of the town include fishing, rail and water transportation, steel and aircraft manufacturing, and gas and power production. New Castle, a National Landmark Historic Area, is home to many carefully preserved homes built in the 1700s and 1800s by judges, lawyers, and government officials. This community displays the care of generations whose pride of place make it a truly unmatched gem of American history and architectural beauty.

Fort Delaware

9780738585901

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Located on Pea Patch Island, Fort Delaware was erected to defend local ports from enemy attack but never received or fired a shot in anger. The first earthen-work version, constructed during the War of 1812, was followed by a second 1820s plan incorporating a masonry star design with a network of drainage ditches. Engineering issues and a low-lying site doomed the structure; in 1831, it was irreparably damaged by fire. A new plan created a more substantial fortification still standing to this day. Fort Delaware evolved into a well-established community that transformed from protector to notorious Civil War prison camp. Most widely known as a prison, it subsequently served in lesser roles through three more conflicts. Images of America: Fort Delaware unifies an amazing pictorial record of Fort Delaware's historical timeline. The story is not only of active duty but its rescue from abandonment and subsequent successful preservation work.

Delaware Horse Racing

9780738597638

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Never before seen photographs depict the interesting history of Delaware Horse Racing.

Although Delaware is a small state, it has a rich history of horse-related activities, one of them being horse racing. From the early 1900s, horses have been used for various reasons, including farm work, means of transportation, pasture ornament, pleasure riding, and the popular sport of horse racing. Delaware Horse Racing takes the reader back decades to the good old days of popular tracks, such as Brandywine Raceway, Georgetown Raceway, Delaware Park Raceway, Dover Downs Raceway, and Harrington Raceway, where Standardbreds and Thoroughbreds raced hard and fast on half-mile and five-eighths-mile dirt tracks. Gathered from the collections of horsemen and horsewomen, previously unpublished historical photographs show legendary owners, trainers, drivers, and racehorses.

Along Route 52

9781467120944

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Created through an act of the Delaware Legislature in 1811, the Wilmington and Kennett Turnpike would become one of the most important roads in New Castle County. Linking the city of Wilmington, Delaware, to Kennett Square, Pennsylvania, it would become crucial in the transportation of goods from a growing industrial Wilmington to Philadelphia and the eastern counties of Pennsylvania. Kennett Pike, as it would come to be known, operated as a toll road until it was purchased in 1919 by industrialist Pierre S. du Pont (1870-1954). Du Pont would work over the next year and a half to widen and modernize the highway and eliminate its tolls. When work was completed, he sold the road back to the state for just $1. Kennett Pike has continued to grow through the 20th century, with dozens of private estates gracing its borders. Villages such as Greenville and Centreville have been characterized by their country charm and local businesses, including Shields Lumber & Coal and Buckley's Tavern.

Harrington

9781467102933

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From its earliest days as a stagecoach stop, Harrington has long been nicknamed the "Hub of Delaware."

First established on September 17, 1740, by Thomas Clark, the lands surrounding Clark's dwelling place became known as Clarks Corner. By the 1790s, Thomas Clark's son Benjamin and grandson Matthew Clark had built an inn and stagecoach stop there. The crossroads remained unchanged throughout its early history, save for the addition of a mill and blacksmith's shop. Over half a century later in 1856, the town was made the major junction of the new train lines serving the entire Delmarva Peninsula. After it became a "hub," the town was renamed Harrington in honor of Judge Samuel Maxwell Harrington, the chancellor of the court in Delaware. The town may not have the same impact today as it did before the popularization of automobiles, but it still keeps the small-town charm captured in the images and imaginations of so many.

Photographs from the Newark Historical Society

9781467107167

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Newark was founded primarily as a farming community of Scots-Irish, English, and Welsh immigrants in the early 1700s near the intersection of two Native American trails. Since that time, Newark has transformed into a bustling college town that still maintains a small-town feel. The 1767 arrival of the academy founded by Francis Alison inspired the town's growth, and the small academy eventually grew into the University of Delaware. The arrival of industries, particularly along White Clay Creek, also helped encourage Newark's growth into the third-largest city in the state. By the early 20th century, Main Street emerged as the retail center of town. Many of the images included here depict some of the early businesses that served Newark residents and document the shift from horse-drawn carriages to automobiles as well as the expansion of the University of Delaware.

Photographs from the Newark Historical Society

Seaford, Delaware

9780738502076

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Located on the Delmarva Peninsula, between the
Chesapeake Bay and the Atlantic Ocean, Seaford has
always been a land rich in resources. The area was used by the Leni-Lanape Indians for both hunting and fishing and was first settled by Europeans in the seventeenth century. As early settlers raised their families and new generations thrived, Seaford began to take shape. Churches, businesses, schools, and
other civic and social institutions were formed, and, in 1835, Seaford became an established town. A vibrant riverside community on the banks of the
Nanticoke in Sussex County, Seaford has long been one of the Eastern Shore's most important economic sites. From the oyster houses and boatyards lining the river to the numerous produce farms and canneries to DuPont's first textile plant, many
industries have contributed to the growth and stability of the greater Seaford area. Images in this visual retrospective not only provide glimpses of these important businesses of days gone by, but also pay tribute to the remarkable people and places that have given Seaford its proud heritage.

New Castle County

9780738585574

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Of Delaware's three counties, New Castle County is the smallest in the area, even though two-thirds of Delaware's residents call it home. Aldous Huxley once mused that "the charm of history and its enigmatic lesson consist in the fact that, from age to age, nothing changes and yet everything is completely different." Certainly this is true of New Castle County. Images of America: New Castle County begins in 1875, as steamboats plied the waters of the Christina and Delaware Rivers and farmers worked the county's fertile farmland. Over the next 100 years, the population skyrocketed 400 percent, and suburban shopping centers and housing developments covered what had been farmland. By 1975, New Castle County boasted corporate giants, the world's largest twin-span bridge, and the stories of individuals as varied as DuPont family members; Emily Bissell, who introduced the Christmas Seal; and thousands of blue-collar workers making automobiles. New Castle County's history is as rich and colorful as the changing of the seasons and the imaginations of those who have lived here.

Building Interstate 95 in Delaware

9781467129619

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November 1, 2018, marks the 50th anniversary of the opening of Interstate 95 in its entirety in Delaware. Its construction was part of the largest public works project in American history, the Federal Aid Highway Act of 1956, signed into law by Pres. Dwight Eisenhower. The bill allotted for a nationwide 41,000-mile "National System of Interstate and Defense Highways." The federal government would pay 90 percent of the construction cost. However, the federal money was slow to arrive. The State of Delaware proceeded on its own, using secured revenue bonds that would be repaid by tolls charged to drivers. On November 15, 1963, Pres. John F. Kennedy was part of a ribbon-cutting ceremony on the Mason-Dixon Line that officially dedicated the initial 11-mile Delaware Turnpike, a stretch of highway between the Maryland state line near Newark and the Delaware Memorial Bridge. It was another five years before the highway reached Pennsylvania.

Delaware's 1962 Northeaster

9781467122627

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Delaware's March 1962 storm caused unprecedented destruction to life and property. Unusually high wind-driven tides carried breaking waves inland, destroying buildings and structures that, ordinarily, would have been beyond the reach of the surf. These photographs and the story they tell about devastation and destruction carry a strong message about hazards, risks, and the vulnerability of Delaware's communities and environments.

Along the Kirkwood Highway

9781467121569

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The Kirkwood Highway is an almost six-mile portion of State Route 2 in New Castle County, Delaware. Built as a bypass of Marshallton after the opening of Delaware Park at Stanton in 1937, it was meant to provide Wilmington-area horse-racing fans a straighter and faster route to the track. It is named after a distinguished officer of the American Revolution, Robert Kirkwood Jr., who was born at his family's farm along Polly Drummond Hill Road in Newark in 1756. Since it opened to automobile traffic, the highway has undergone numerous renovations and the scenery along its route has changed dramatically. Today, it is the fifth-busiest roadway in the state and is lined by shopping centers, national retailers, fast-food and chain restaurants, gas stations, subdivisions, and historic sites. Through vintage photographs, Along the Kirkwood Highway takes a nostalgic look back at the travel corridor, its cross streets, and familiar sites along its path.

Along Delaware's Old Post Road

9781467122733

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Along Delaware's Old Post Road: From Claymont to Iron Hill snakes through the Colonial towns of Claymont, Wilmington, Newport, Stanton, Christiana, and the Pencader Hundred portion of northern Delaware. This 13-mile route has different names, from Philadelphia Pike to Maryland Avenue to Old Baltimore Pike, but it is along this road that the State of Delaware has its earliest roots. The photographs of the people and places are mostly misty memories as the route grew from a narrow dirt road to a modern four-lane thoroughfare. From Cooch's Bridge at one end, where the only battle on Delaware soil was fought, to Archmere Academy at the northern end, the corridor has a largely forgotten place in history. Travelers now trace the same route once traversed by George Washington, Thomas Jefferson, and Charles Mason and Jeremiah Dixon as they rode into history.

The DuPont Highway

9780738568485

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The original DuPont Highway, found on maps as Route 13 between Dover and Wilmington and as Route 113 between Dover and the southern border with Maryland, was the nation's first divided highway when its expansion between Dover and Wilmington was completed in 1934. It had been officially dedicated 10 years earlier as the Coleman DuPont Road. Thomas Coleman du Pont, a descendant of E. I. du Pont and a two-time U.S. senator, had championed the road and paid nearly $4 million of his own money toward its completion, even after turning the project over to the newly created Delaware State Highway Department. While other philanthropists started schools, libraries, parks, and hospitals, Coleman du Pont said, "I will build a monument a hundred miles high and lay it on the ground." He was close. The DuPont Highway measured 96.7 miles.

Along the Christina River

9781467120432

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For centuries, the Christina River, an approximately 35-mile-long tributary of the Delaware River that cuts across northern Delaware, has played a role in the development of Newark, Christiana, Newport, and Wilmington. Near its mouth, it welcomed European settlers from Sweden and Finland. The Port of Wilmington, opened in 1923, handles international cargo and trade. The river was home to shipbuilding operations that once made Wilmington the busiest shipbuilding city in the United States. The river encouraged people to open businesses in the area, and industries like the Krebs Pigment Plant, Jackson & Sharp railroad manufacturers, and Pusey & Jones shipbuilders flourished. Farther downstream, in Newark, the river's history includes the only Revolutionary War battle fought on Delaware soil. Through vintage photographs, Along the Christina River shares the river's rich heritage and traces the history of this great waterway.

Old Swedes Church and Historic Site

9781467160445

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Situated on high ground above the Christina River, Holy Trinity Church, known as Old Swedes, is the surviving tangible remnant of the New Sweden Colony, established in 1638. Today, the church, constructed in 1698, and its surrounding burial ground, established in 1638, are part of the Old Swedes Historic Site, which welcomes visitors from across the country and around the world. At the historic site, Delaware schoolchildren learn their state's early history; Iowans and Minnesotans research their Swedish family roots; and worshipers attend services, weddings, and funerals, as they have for 325 years. The church was declared a national historic landmark in 1961 and was included, with the burial ground, as a unit of First State National Historical Park in 2015. Tracing the legacy of the Swedish colonists in what is now Wilmington, the site offers visitors a distinctive view of the history of Delaware and the surrounding area.

Quaker Hill

9780738585772

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In the 1730s, a number of Quaker merchant families moved from Pennsylvania to create a new settlement in the largely undeveloped area between the Brandywine and Christina Rivers in Delaware. Those Quakers were inspired by Elizabeth Shipley's religious vision and by the practical business sense of her husband, William. By 1738, atop the large hill where Elizabeth experienced her vision, they built the first Friends Meeting House of Willington, later Wilmington. Around the meetinghouse there grew a neighborhood known as Quaker Hill, populated by modest, pious Friends. These Quakers strongly promoted the commercial prosperity of Wilmington and also provided a moral core for the region, supporting a major station of the Underground Railroad. In time, Quaker Hill diversified and added many new and different places of worship. Businesses flourished, dwindled, and changed. For over 270 years, Quaker Hill has seen growth, decline, and, in recent decades, revitalization. It remains a neighborhood devoted to tradition and faith.

Delaware Air National Guard

9780738567075

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The Delaware Air National Guard got its start when a group of World War II veterans formed a new National Guard unit composed of surplus airplanes, combat experience, a measure of hard work, camaraderie, and fun. Some called this assemblage a gentleman's flying club, but in a few short years, it was tested for the first time in the Korean War. Since then, the Delaware Air National Guard has flown and fought in almost every corner of the globe. It answered the call in Vietnam, the Middle East, the Balkans, and most recently in Iraq and Afghanistan. Celebrating 60 years of service, it has become a well-known local institution. The "Blue Hen Air Force" has evolved into a professional organization that shoulders a significant operational role for the U.S. Air Force and serves as a versatile emergency resource for the state of Delaware.

Hotel du Pont

9780738597560

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Over the course of 100 years, the prestigious Hotel du Pont has welcomed future and former presidents, first ladies, world leaders, Nobel Prize recipients, royalty, music maestros, sports legends, and stars of stage and screen--earning its reputation as the premier hotel in the state of Delaware. The Green Room, one of the most elegant hotel dining rooms in the country, features traditional French cuisine. The Gold Ballroom and other ornate European-inspired rooms provide luxurious venues for public and private events. A nationally recognized art collection showcasing original paintings by Andrew Wyeth adorns the Christina Room's walls. A state-of-the-art conference center and a 1,250-seat theater add to amenities that make the Hotel du Pont a first-choice destination for business and social events. Often labeled the front door of DuPont, the hotel is strategically located in the company's world headquarters.

Wilmington's Waterfront

9780738503042

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Wilmington's Waterfront tells the story of what has happened along the Brandywine and Christina rivers in Wilmington.
These two rivers encompass downtown Wilmington and have been the lifeblood of the city ever since they provided a pathway for its Swedish settlers. With their perpetual rise and fall of tide, ceaseless source of power, and never-ending supply of water, the rivers have seen the growth and decline of industry, nurture and neglect by government, and respect and rejection by residents.
In 1979 and 1980, the authors visited every inch of both sides of the rivers, taking photographs, making notes, and doing historical and environmental research. Their efforts resulted in Project R.O.W. (Reclaim Our Waterfront), a detailed report funded by a grant from the National Trust for Historic Preservation. In this book, Priscilla M. Thompson and Sally O'Byrne invite you to join them on a pictorial tour of Wilmington's waterfront. Through their collection of photographs, etchings, and lithographs showing waterfront recreation and industries, you will discover shipbuilding companies, steamboat excursions, parks, waterworks, bridge dedications, and all the landmarks and activities that are a part of the Wilmington waterfront's past.

Fort Miles

9780738541952

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Fort Miles is in Cape Henlopen State Park near historic Lewes and the site of Delaware's first Dutch settlement. Named for Gen. Nelson Appleton Miles, this powerful seacoast fortification was built during World War II to defend the vital industries of the Delaware Valley. Included in this volume are rare vintage photographs of the fort's heavy artillery, hundreds of 3,000-pound sea mines, and radar systems that searched the nearby ocean for the enemy surface fleet. Its powerful 12- and 16-inch guns could reach out between 15 and 25 miles to attack an adversary. Today, the fort is being reborn as one of the best World War II museums in the country; it is housed in a real World War II bunker and includes the barracks complex and fire control towers.

Delaware Farming

9780738544496

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Delaware's agricultural traditions have helped define the state for generations. Farmers and millers were part of the Breadbasket of the Revolution, providing critically important wheat and flour for George Washington's armies. In the 19th century, Delaware became known as the Peach State, shipping fresh peaches by rail to urban markets throughout the eastern United States. In 1855, the first cannery on the Delmarva Peninsula started operations in Dover, inaugurating a still viable and active agricultural industry. Sussex County, Delaware, is the birthplace of the modern broiler chicken industry, beginning with an accidental experiment on Cecile Steele's Ocean View farm in 1923. This agricultural heritage continues; 42 percent of Delaware's land mass remains in farms, despite significant land development since World War II.

Newark

9780738552842

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During the past 250 years, Newark has transformed
from a tiny farming community into a thriving small city. Its history includes the arrival of a variety of industries--including paper, woolen, and fibre mills and an automobile manufacturing plant--that have expanded the city's commercial and economic opportunities. Newark has also been home to the University of Delaware from its beginnings as a small academy in 1767. As a result, Newark's history is interwoven with that of the university. Although
many of the industries that once thrived in Newark have closed because of technological advances and shifting economies, the city continues to grow. Main Street is now the retail hub of the city, and stores reside in what were private residences. Despite all of the changes brought on by industry and the passage of time, Newark has maintained its small-town feel.

New Castle County Police Department

9780738599281

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The New Castle County Police Department has provided over a century of service to a county that continues to grow. In February 1913, two men were duly appointed and became the driving force of the New Castle County Rural Police. By the early 1930s, this small team evolved into an efficient police force. Today, the department has grown to be one of the top law enforcement agencies in the country and is comprised of approximately 350 law enforcement officers. Members of the New Castle County Police Department have displayed tremendous courage and sacrifice in the line of duty. The dedicated men and women of the force continue to provide a positive and invaluable service to the diverse communities of New Castle County.

Claymont

9780738506357

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Claymont, Delaware, located strategically along the Delaware River, the Kings Highway, and the railroad, is a singular small town that, in many ways, has mirrored America's growth from the 1600s to the 1960s. Though an important thoroughfare between Philadelphia and Washington, D.C. since colonial times, the essence of the Claymont community has always been determined by the vision of the steadfast
people who, for centuries, have made it their home.
Within these pages, readers will discover the Claymont of yesteryear, visiting the inns and taverns that sprang up to serve the needs of early
travelers, the homes of such famous residents as artists Adolph Wertmueller and F.O.C. Darley, and the summer retreats of Wilmington and Philadelphia's elite families. Readers will delight in views of the early farmhouses along the Post Road, the Delaware
River's "gold coast" of the 1890s, the seaplane training facility of World War I, the old-fashioned meat counter at the A&P, and the Green Lantern Theatre. Schools and churches, neighborhoods and
thoroughfares, businesses and memorable events, all captured and preserved by early photographers, make this entertaining trip down memory lane a must for Claymont residents, both past and present.

Delaware Lighthouses and Range Lights

9780738544199

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Delaware does not usually come to mind as one of America's great maritime states. Yet it has a long history of "firsts," innovations, and improvements in lighthouse construction and technology dating from the beginning of lighthouse history in the United States. One of the original six lighthouses built before the founding of this country was in Delaware. In the following years, major offshore lighthouses and an extensive system of range lights were established. At the height of its lighthouse history, Delaware had 27 manned light stations that warned mariners of the shoals and colliding currents at the mouth of the Delaware Bay and guided ships safely from the Atlantic Ocean to the inland ports of Wilmington and Philadelphia. Most of Delaware's lighthouses are gone now, preserved only in faded photographs and yellowed documents such as those collected here. The lights that remain struggle daily to survive the punishing hands of vandals and Mother Nature.

Smyrna, Clayton, and Woodland Beach

9781467120333

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Smyrna, Clayton, and Woodland Beach, Delaware, share a history born from early settlers with big dreams, landowners who helped grow their importance on the regional stage, and industries that shaped the local economy. The story of these communities is wrapped around transportation, great location, and fertile agricultural soil. Smyrna, beginning as the settlement of Salisbury and then Duck Creek Village, sprang up on its river namesake before moving to Duck Creek Crossroads, where it continued to thrive. Large steamers regularly docked in Smyrna Landing to take shipments of grain, fertilizer, and even passengers to Philadelphia. The installation of the train depot, called Smyrna Station, cemented the importance for a renewed generation of history by almost instantly creating the town of Clayton. To the east, Woodland Beach enjoyed a surge of popularity, boasting a Ferris wheel, dance hall, and beer garden.

Delaware Army National Guard

9780738566931

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Images of America: Delaware Army National Guard presents images of this fabled organization that survived from the Spanish-American War to the present.

The Delaware National Guard traces its roots to 1655, when the Swedish Colonial government formed a militia to defend itself. That tradition carried through Dutch and then English control of the colony. The militia served in all five French and Indian Wars and then distinguished itself during the Revolutionary War as the First Delaware Regiment of the Continental Army, earning its ""Blue Hen"" nickname. The Delaware militia continued to serve in every major war, and currently it remains in the forefront. The people, places, equipment, and facilities of the Delaware National Guard are illustrated in this compilation of historic photographs from the collection of the Delaware Military Heritage and Education Foundation.

New Castle Revisited

9781467122320

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Since its founding in 1651 on the western shore of the Delaware River, New Castle and its residents have shared in the making of American history. Known as the first capital of the first state, this charming town watched European powers clash over its control; welcomed William Penn when he first set foot on American soil; participated in the drama of the Revolutionary War, the War of 1812, and the Civil War; and reaped the benefits of new technologies like the railroad, steam engine, and aviation. Eventually, trade and commerce moved elsewhere, leaving New Castle preserved and intact. Today, the people of New Castle take great pride in their community's heritage and enjoy sharing the story of this National Historic Landmark District with others.

African Americans of Wilmington's East Side

9781467107969

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Wilmington's East Side is the oldest residential community in the city. The first Swedish colony settled there in the 1600s, and over time, Jewish, Polish, and African American people followed. By the mid-1950s, the East Side emerged as a predominantly Black, achievement-oriented community--a place where working-class families, Black-owned businesses, and Black doctors, lawyers, teachers, musicians, and community leaders lived, worshipped, and worked together amid segregation. Among historic landmarks are Howard High School, People's Settlement Association, Walnut Street Y, St. Michael's School and Nursery, Clifford Brown Walk, Louis Redding House, and multidenominational churches. Situated in an urban setting east of downtown, the East Side is walking distance from the central business district, small retail establishments, and employers.

African Americans of Wilmington's East Side

Dover

9780738515656

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On December 7, 1787, at the Golden Fleece Tavern in Dover, Delaware's legislature ratified the United States Constitution, and Delaware thus became "The First State." While still a hub for legislative matters, Dover also boasts a restored downtown, modern industry, rolling farms, and numerous special events that all give the town a unique identity. A few miles away from the bustle of Legislative Hall, horses and carriages still pull Amish farmers along pristine country roads. The memorable photographs and detailed captions in Images of America: Dover offer a fascinating look at the nation's first state capital, including its residents, events, farms, and local architecture.

Delaware in World War II

9780738516455

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As World War II raged across the world, the lives of every Delawarean changed. Whether wearing a uniform, working in the shipyards and factories that supported the war effort, or volunteering for service organizations, the citizens of Delaware met the challenge of wartime living. Delaware in World War II celebrates the heroism and bravery of those who fought the war on the home front. From school children collecting scrap metal to first-time women factory workers building airplanes, this collection of over 200 photographs examines the many facets of daily life during this tumultuous time. These provocative images show a society united against a common cause and citizens willing to change their lives for a common good. The photographs in this volume were selected from the records of the Delaware Public Archives, including some never before seen images that illustrate a special piece of American history.

Brewing in Delaware

9781467123686

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While Delaware maintains one of the oldest beer-brewing traditions in the United States, its history has largely been lost or forgotten over the course of nearly four centuries. Beer was a main source of sustenance to Delaware's early European settlers, and its production eventually became one of the young colony's first industries. From its humble colonial beginnings, beer production grew to become one of the state's largest and most profitable industries. National Prohibition put a temporary end to the golden age of brewing in Delaware; however, the industry made a modest recovery after repeal. The state's two remaining breweries ultimately fell victim to larger, better funded regional and national concerns. There would be no brewing in Delaware for the next four decades. The remarkable popularity of craft beer in the 1990s fueled a brewing revival in the state, punctuated by Delaware's nationally recognized, award-winning breweries.

Middletown

9781467120784

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Middletown was initially just a stop for traders about halfway along a cart road between the Appoquinimink Creek in Delaware and the Bohemia River in Maryland. A farming community rose among its rich soil in the 1600s, and settlers began to call the area home. The town was incorporated in 1861, and its limits stretched one-half mile in each direction from the crossroads at Main and Broad Streets. Middletown developed its own industry of trade and agriculture and became locally famous for crops such as peaches. The number of Middletown residents increased slowly until the town's vast stretches of farmland and proximity to four major cities began to attract residential and commercial developers in the 1980s. The population skyrocketed from 2,946 in 1981 to 18,995 in 2011, and the boundaries were extended multiple times. The community's charm and agricultural roots still remain, and thousands flock to the town annually to celebrate its heritage at the Middletown Historical Society's Olde-Tyme Peach Festival.

DuPont Theatre

9780738592749

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Long known as "Delaware's Broadway Experience," the DuPont Theatre is the embodiment of the entertainment phrase, "The show must go on!" It has survived dramatic and traumatic historical events, including the 1929 stock market crash, the Great Depression, two world
wars, the rise of motion pictures and television, a name change from the Playhouse to the DuPont Theatre, and a terrorist attack on our country that resonated globally. Despite these events, it continues to thrive as the oldest continuously operating legitimate theater in the United States. Constructed in only 150 days and strategically located adjacent to the elegant Hotel du Pont and DuPont corporate headquarters, the DuPont Theatre is a mainstay in the cultural life of Wilmington. Promoted in the early 1900s as a "dress rehearsal" venue for the largest New York Broadway shows, the stage can accommodate everything from live animals to an automobile accident, making it possible to present nearly every Broadway production in the theater's Broadway series.

Marian Coffin Gardens at Gibraltar

9781467107549

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Marian Cruger Coffin (1876-1957), one of the first American women to work as a professional landscape architect, may not be a household name; however, with designs at some of America's foremost horticultural institutions, it should be. While Coffin's designs can be seen at locations as varied as Winterthur, New York Botanical Garden, Mount Cuba Center, and the University of Delaware, Gibraltar is perhaps one of her most important commissions. In 1916, Coffin was introduced to the owners of Gibraltar, a country estate home situated high on a roughly six-acre site in Wilmington, Delaware, by her longtime friend Henry Francis duPont. Beginning that year, Coffin transformed the grounds of the early-19th-century estate into a paradise of romantic gardens that seamlessly merged the Beaux-Arts classicism of her Massachusetts Institute of Technology training with the complex flower garden style of Beatrix Farrand, whom she much admired. While the gardens fell into disrepair following the death of their first owner, they were eventually restored and are now open to the public, allowing all who visit to enjoy their beauty.