From my travels, August 5, 2023.

Emily and I had gone up to visit her Nana at the senior living community that she moved in to. We planned to have dinner together in their dining room and just enjoy the company.

As we were waiting for our food, I noticed a series of prints hanging on the wall depicting various aspects of the papermaking process. Some of the prints were photos and maps labeled as from the “Nonantum Paper Mill”. It piqued my interest because of the excellent lecture from Scott L. Mingus that I attended a few years ago on the History of Papermaking.

The three of us got to talking about it at dinner, and the ladies told me that the old mill was nearby on the aptly-named Paper Mill Road. Emily agreed to drive over to check it out when we were finished with our visit.

The City of Newark converted the site into a park several years ago. The mill had closed down in 1999. None of the old buildings still exist, but I think the mill race is still there – I need to go back to investigate further. A wayside marker told the story of the mill – and I was able to add it to the HMDB during my visit.

Most notably, during WWII about 50% of the output of the mill was used by the United States Federal Government or for lend-lease. In fact, the paper that the Japanese Instrument of Surrender was printed on was made right there at that now-unassuming spot in Newark, DE.

I feel like I say it all the time, but history is all around us if you give yourself the chance to stumble onto it.

From my travels, February 4, 2023.

Several months back, a good friend of mine who had grown up in Delaware, suggested that I check out the John Dickinson Plantation. We had a free afternoon, so it seemed like a good time to explore a bit.

Dickinson was an interesting guy. He is one of the rare founding fathers to have participated in all three of the important early documents: the Declaration of Independence (though he refused to sign it), the Articles of Confederation, and the Constitution (which he signed as a representative from Delaware. A native Marylander, he was among the wealthiest men in the colonies, with holdings in Pennsylvania as well. He was a prolific writer, but seemed to hold a more moderate view than some of the others – perhaps because of his Quaker beliefs. He preferred the idea of a negotiated settlement of the grievances that existed with the British crown. Toward the end of his life, he expressed limited abolitionist sentiments, eventually freeing all his slaves.

The historical site here consists mainly of the mansion on the property. There is a small visitors center with a very sparse museum, though the introductory film was good. One of the more bizarre aspects of the site is how it is affiliated. Up until the 1990s, Delaware had no NPS sites. There was a push to create what became First State National Historical Park by involving the NPS in a few of the state historic sites. There were no NPS employees here – it’s primarily run by Delaware, but they offer a limited Junior Ranger program. There was no book – simply participating in a tour earns the badge. They did have a few activity books about sounds in nature, so we took those, but that part of the park experience seems a little disjointed.

Moving on to the main house, the tour was interesting, but not as impressive as some of the other founders’ homes. For one thing, this was not Dickinson’s main residence, but I also think this was due to his Quaker lifestyle. Despite his wealth, he attempted to maintain a plain, modest lifestyle. One of the more interesting things that the tour guide pointed out is that his wealth was displayed in subtle ways in the home. They had extremely high ceilings, and portraits of the family members included their hands – notoriously hard to paint, and thus much more expensive.

In the end, we learned quite a bit about this founding father, and the boys got their First State Junior Ranger badges. It was a good use of a few hours.

From my travels, December 4, 2022.

It’s been on my radar for a while to check out this small park that has some interesting historical connections. As we were on our way home from visiting family in Newark, DE, we decided to make a quick stop to check it out.

The main attraction that day was the dog park, which was wooded, but not very well maintained it seemed. There were just a few other dogs there, and our dog, Sallie seemed to enjoy herself. It was our first time taking her to any kind of off-leash area like that, so I don’t think any of us knew what to expect.

Farther up the hill, there is a collection of wayside markers discussing the geologic history of DelMarVa, the Pencader Hundred, the Battle of Cooch’s Bridge & the Philadelphia Campaign, the historic iron mining operations here (hence, the name of the hill), and Isaac’s favorite: the New Castle & Frenchtown Railroad. He insisted on reading the entire marker out loud by himself. It was actually really nice (if not a bit cold that day).

Prior to the Battle of Cooch’s Bridge, Gen. George Washington and other officers observed the British landing at Elkton, MD from atop this hill. Some fighting also took place along the slopes.

From my travels, September 5, 2021.

Since the boys and I had started hanging around in Delaware more, I thought it might be good to check out some of the local historical sites. Emily had visited the Old State House before, and thought it would be a fun outing, so the next time we visited with “Nene” and “Baba” we took a short drive down to Dover.

The site was originally a smaller 25′ x 25′ courthouse. That building was where the Declaration of Independence was first read aloud in Delaware – the spot is marked by a monument out front. Downstairs in the “new” building served as a county courthouse originally, and the House and Senate met in chambers upstairs. Both of those meeting rooms were surprisingly small – the Senate only had 9 members back in those days, while the House had 21.

The building has been beautifully restored. They even let us sit at the legislative desks – super cool for the boys. Each desk had the name of a member of the legislature from the 18th century, with a short biographical sketch.

Our tour concluded in a room upstairs where some Underground Railroad and abolitionist history was shared.

It was a very nice presentation and tour – especially considering that it was free.

From my travels, July 27, 2020.

With my recent interest in 19th century industrial history – especially where it relates to the Civil War – the Hagley Museum was an obvious place to check out. Because of the partial closures caused by the COVID-19 pandemic, we were also able to get discounted admission. The boys and I planned a visit, and my mom even came along, too.

The museum preserves the site of the original du Pont gunpowder mill along the Brandywine. Many of the old industrial buildings there still exist, and even the water-powered machinery still operates. The mills where the gunpowder was actually ground and mixed were 3-sided buildings with thin metal roofs, so that any accidental explosions would be directed toward the river and not cause permanent damage. There were very strict rules for the employees regarding flammable materials, as you can imagine.

During the Civil War, Delaware was – like Maryland – a state with divided loyalties. The du Pont family lived and worked in the area around the Delaware / Pennsylvania border, so they were strongly pro-Union. Several of the men in the family served in military roles. One of the docents at the museum told us that something like 60% of the gunpowder used by the Union during the war came from these mills. It’s staggering to think about – especially considering how peaceful the place is today. Nature lovers would find plenty to do here as well between the gardens and the lovely views of the Brandywine.

Besides all the cool 19th century machinery, the coolest thing we got to see what the demonstration of the gunpowder testing rig. This was a little apparatus that would show how much force the gunpowder released when it was ignited, and was apparently used as a tool by some of the company’s salespeople.

In the end, it was a good day and an awesome museum. It’s the kind of place that I’d like to visit again in the future.

Even before I moved to Delaware, I had my eye on a visit to what I had heard was an excellent mid-19th century, Third System fort that sits on a small island in the middle of the Delaware River, appropriately named Fort Delaware. Back on May 25, 2019, my boys and I made our first trip over to Pea Patch Island to take in the sites of this wonderful old defensive structure. We have since returned a few more times – it’s a really nice experience.

Today, the island and fort are contained within Fort Delaware State Park, and park staff engage in living history presentations on the island as if it was 1864. Most everyone on the island is “in-character” demonstrating various aspects of life in a coastal fortification turned prison during the Civil War.

Since the fort is located on an island, the only access is by ferry boat from Delaware City. It also operates seasonally, shutting down visitor access between October and April. We bought our timed tickets in advance online, but I think it is also possible to get walk-up tickets from the gift shop. After a quick stop at the restroom, we were ready to board the Delafort for the 10-minute ride over to the park.

Once the ferry docks on the island, a tram takes visitors across the marshy part of the island over toward the historical fort. An audio presentation during the ride talks about some of the history of the island, as well as describing some of the wildlife that can be seen in the marsh as you go by. Eventually, as you make the transition to dry land, the massive fort comes into view.

Built with the intention of defending Wilmington and Philadelphia from naval attack, the fort was completed in 1859 – just in time to be garrisoned at the outbreak of the Civil War. Like many of the Third System forts, Fort Delaware went through a series of Endicott conversions in the late 1890s to install larger caliber guns in huge concrete emplacements. The remains of the Endicott batteries can be seen on the south side of the island near the modern restrooms, and immediately to the right as you enter the fort. These days, the concrete structures serve mainly as bat habitats.

Every time we have gone, the interpretation of life at the fort has been wonderful. The staff does an excellent job of making the place feel alive as you tour through the various areas within the fort. Favorites for us have been the laundry, mess hall, and blacksmith shop.

But this was a fort after all, so the real draw is the artillery! Sadly, there isn’t much here in the way of guns, and I believe that what they do have are reproductions. They do a LOT of artillery demonstrations here and it’s generally not safe to do those with weapons that are over 150 years old at this point. A favorite memory for me is from our first visit, when the boys were able to man one of the guns themselves and participate in a firing drill.

As cool as the guns and casemates are, none of the fort’s defenses were ever tested by an enemy in any era. The main Civil War story here is of the island’s use as a prison camp. Thousands of captured Confederates were confined here. Many died, and there were even a few daring escapes that took place. At the height of it, there were dozens of prison barracks built outside of the fort walls for enlisted men. Captured officers were generally kept within the fort itself. The park has rebuilt one of the barracks from a set of original plans to give visitors a feel for what the conditions would have been like, but it doesn’t do justice to the scale of the prison population that was kept here.

As a fort nerd, I really enjoy going to Fort Delaware. Between the ferry ride and the in-character interpretation of the place, each visit is a true experience. And the fort is in terrific shape – so many of the Third System forts have been messed with over the years – with some becoming almost unrecognizable after going through Endicott conversions. Seeing one that is still at its original height and with many of the interior structures still intact is a real treat. I can’t wait to plan my next visit in the spring.

In the lead-up to the Battle of Brandywine, a relatively small action took place in Delaware at Cooch’s Bridge. So far as I know, it was the only battle to ever take place in Delaware. So when I had to run some errands in nearby Elkton, MD a few years ago, I felt like this site was worth a stop. It’s certainly easy enough as the field is not far from the first exit in Delaware along Interstate 95.

There is a small park here on the American side, with lots of really great wayside markers describing historical topics beyond just the battle that happened here. Recently, the State of Delaware purchased the Cooch family home, with an intent to make a historical park out of it. I’m excited to see what happens there. You can also find some roadside markers in the area that describe the various phases and positions of the battle. For a small field, it is very well-marked!

There is a large stone monument to the battle located along Old Baltimore Pike, but there is nowhere to safely park to examine it closely. Sadly, I could get close enough to notice that the base of the monument is surrounded by 4 Civil War-era Naval Parrott Rifles, so that is a bit of a head-scratcher.

All-in-all, it’s a very nice, well-monumented field given it’s small size and relative obscurity. I heartily recommend a visit if you’re ever in northern Delaware.