Month: February 2013

Digital University Collections For Researching Delaware History

The Review, the student newspaper of the Unviersity of Delaware, from May 1970. Digital editions of the serial are available online.
The Review, the student newspaper of the University of Delaware, from May 1970. Digital editions of the serial are available online.

The University of Delaware has been working to make digital collections available on the World Wide Web, for some time now.  The scope of those efforts is large and covers a vast amount of different resources, which are helpful when investigating Delaware’s past.

The diverse body of material has many resources.  There are virtual record groups of Civil War era letters and diaries from Delaware families, a University yearbook collection dating back to 1899, Beer Atlas of the State of Delaware from 1868, and Delaware Postcards.  In the area of serials, the Newark Post is available back to 2001, the Review, the student newspaper, goes back to 1970. Delaware Notes an annually scholarly research publication runs from 1931 to 1961, when publication ended.

The oral history collection is helpful.  The Chrysler Corporation Newark Assembly Plant Oral History project contains interviews with twelve former employees of the industrial site.  The Iron Hill Museum collection contains 37 interviews, documenting the history of the Iron Hill School, an African-American school.  Additional interviews in the collection document life in the community and nearby Pleasant Valley.

Back in the 1963, a series of 15 originally broadcasts on WHYY TV in Wilmington focused on the history and government of the First State.   Dr. John Munroe was the scholar and historian narrating this series, which is available online.

There is much more and Delaware researchers will find many helpful resources there.  Here is the link.

Preservation Success Story: 150 Year Old Jail Saved in Princess Anne

The question of what to do with an old, worn-out Maryland jail comes up occasionally.  When it does, there are some that say these aging structures, relics from an earlier era, are just in the way of progress and have no value.  But others argue that those aging walls, survivors of centuries, add to the cultural fabric, enhancing the built environment. 

If a decision is made to preserve the institution some sort of adaptive reuse is often called for as the strong structure is converted into offices, police stations, museums, shops, or hotels.  But there have been some instances where it is still used to detain wayward types, as an addition is attached to the original building.

Down in Princess Anne this question was before the local governing and civic boards in 1999 as they grappled with whether a 150 year-old county hoosegow had any value in the modern age.   Fortunately Somerset County and Princess Anne are places that value historic preservation and so after much deliberation it was decided that there was a value proposition for the community in preserving the old jail.

In an acclaimed project that received preservation awards, the “Grey Eagle,” a place that confined notorious types from 1857 to 1987, was preserved and today is the Princess Anne Police Department headquarters.  Standing vacant for over a decade after a modern detention center was built, the Town of Princess Anne considered demolishing the building in 1999 because of “its increasing decrepit state.”

But the vocal preservation-oriented community saw economic development value in adaptive reuse however, so the political leadership restored the structure with the help of the Maryland Historical Trust and other stakeholders. Today, this finely restored prison, built of Port Deposit Granite, adds great value from a practical and preservation standpoint as it’s the police station.  It is a strong contributor to the historic district and, according to the town is a “symbol of pride.”

The Grey Lady, the Somerset County Jail, now serves as the headquaters for the Princess Anne Police Department.
The Grey Lady, the Somerset County Jail, now serves as the headquaters for the Princess Anne Police Department.

 

Talking About the Mason Dixon Line: The Stories Behind a Geographic Boundary at Docent’s Workshop

In this living history program, Chip Jewell shares stories of the early days of firefighting, as a representative of the Independent Hose Co.
In this living history program, Chip Jewell shares tales of the early days of firefighting as an officer of the Independent Hose Company.

I was pleased to talk about how to interpret the history of the Mason-Dixon Line at the Frederick Historic Sites Consortium’s Master Docent Series Workshop on February 16.

This was the 22nd year for the program, which is geared toward providing educational opportunities that help volunteers working in museums share the stories of their communities and collections.

With that purpose in mind, we discussed how to develop narratives supporting the famous boundary’s history and ways to share those accounts with general audiences.

The workshops included several other interesting and informative topics, which helped docents share the stories of the past in Frederick County.  Those included the Civil War, prohibition in Frederick County, working with teenage audiences, and the history of firefighting in the county.

Chip Jewell, the Frederick County Director of Emergency Communication with the Frederick County Fire & Rescue Museum.
Chip Jewell (right), the Frederick County Director of Emergency Communication, is with the Frederick County Fire & Rescue Museum. He did a living history program for his presentation, interpreting the stories of the county’s early firefighters. I enjoyed catching Chip’s great program.

Serving as Scholar for ALA, NEH Program – “Let’s Talk About It: Making Sense of the American Civil War”

Samuel Harris of Brick Meeting House on Maryland's Eastern Shore, a young soldier in the Union Army during the Civil War. He was in Co. E Purnell Legion.
Samuel Harris of Brick Meeting House on Maryland’s Eastern Shore, a young soldier in the Union Army during the Civil War. He was in Co. E Purnell Legion.

Let’s Talk About It:  Making Sense of the American Civil War is a National Endowment for the Humanities (NEH) and American Library Association (ALA) reading and discussion program.  Participants in this series read a common series of books, using the carefully selected titles to spark exploration, reflection, conversation and greater understanding of this pivotal period, throughout the sesquicentennial of the conflict.

The Wicomico Public Library, one of about 150 sites to host the ALA and NEH program, is sponsoring the national reading and discussion program on the Lower Eastern Shore.  Throughout the five-part discussion series, readers consider the legacy of the Civil War and emancipation through historical and contemporary literature as they discuss pivotal events in the selected works.

I am looking forward to serving as the scholar for the discussions and readings.  We will consider speeches, diaries, memoirs, and short stories, representing a broad range of perspectives from the era.