Professor Michael Dixon – History With Purpose

From WilmU, the magazine of Wilmington University

Wilmington University Adjunct History Professor Michael Dixon is deeply committed to studying local and regional history. His passion, he says, is ignited when he shares his knowledge with students and the community.

Fortified by graduate degrees in History and Behavioral Sciences, Dixon brings his extensive research and love of history to the classroom. He’s also a visiting scholar for several humanities councils and other organizations.

As my students engage in active learning activities in these practical lessons, it helps them understand how the past connects with the present,”

Professor Michael Dixon

His research focuses mainly on Mid-Atlantic regional and local history. He has worked extensively over three decades to encourage public interest and participation in preserving the area’s past and creating an understanding between earlier eras and the present. His work also focused on African American history, with topics such as the role of African American physicians before the Civil Rights Movement, the struggle for social justice that took place mainly during the 1950s, and a current examination of health care before the passage of the Civil Rights Acts of the 1960s. He also has offered a discussion about the Jim Crow era and the Spanish Influenza of 1918, which swept the country and devastated America’s Black communities.

The article continues on WilmU, the official magazine of Wilmington University.

history professor michael dixon
Michael Dixon, in WilmU, the magazine of Wilmington University (Spring 2023, WilmU Magazine)

Talking About Ferries on the Delaware River

Ed Ryan on New Castle Pennsville Ferry
Ed Ryan, Jr. on duty on the New Castle Pennsville Ferry route in April 1950.

Last week, I delivered a talk titled “From Here to There: Ferries and Bridges Cross the Delaware” at the New Castle Court House Museum. Despite the stormy weather on a Thursday afternoon, an enthusiastic and sizeable crowd gathered in the historic courtroom to attend the program.

Crossing the Delaware River presented a formidable challenge in the early days, with ferryboats serving as the primary mode of conveyance for centuries. It wasn’t until August 16, 1951, with the opening of the Delaware Memorial Bridge, that the ferry era ended at New Castle.

As a speaker, I engage the audience by encouraging active conversations during a talk. Therefore, I invited the audience to share their stories, memorabilia, and recollections of the past while also asking questions.

Memories of the Ferries

At one point, two gentlemen seated together revealed that their grandfather and uncle had worked on the ferryboats. As the conversation unfolded, others chimed in, mentioning their relatives’ involvement with the ferry company.

Charlie Cobb shared that one of his family members, Captain Jack T. Wilson, commanded the DuPont Company ferry boat, Atlantic City, on its last run on Aug. 17, 1951. The Atlantic City made one round trip a day from Wilmington, taking Delaware residents to their jobs at the Chambers Works. The Morning News reported that Captain Wilson had worked the waters for thirty years.

DuPont Ferry, Atlantic City
The DuPont Company Ferry, The Atlantic City (Source: Morning News, Aug. 18, 1951)

Meanwhile, a group of ladies from Salem County offered their perspectives, reminiscing about riding the ferryboat to New Castle for Saturday matinees. This prompted a New Castle resident to remark that Delaware youngsters would also travel to Pennsville to enjoy the Riverview Beach Amusement Park. One of the courthouse guests had extensively researched the travels of one of the old New Castle ferryboats after its retirement on the Delaware.

The Conversation Continued

The conversation extended beyond the formal program as more people gathered to share stories and show photos and memorabilia they had brought along. These interactions added a lot to the program. Engaging in conversations about history creates a more fulfilling and informative experience for everyone involved.

I want to thank all the participants who generously shared their family stories and memorabilia during the program. The New Castle Court House Museum, a part of Delaware Historical and Cultural Affairs, sponsored the program.

Charles and James Cobb had relatives working ferries on the Delaware River
Charles and James Cobb had two relatives working on the Delaware River ferries. One of them was a radar operator on the ferry when that was a new innovation.
Ed Ryan, the son of the captain, holds the photo of his father working on the ferry at New Castle.

Salem County Newspapers Online

Chronicling America at the Library of Congress has updated its digital newspaper database with the inclusion of two historic Salem County newspapers: The Monitor and the Monitor-Register. These Woodstown, NJ papers, spanning 1884 to 1925, are now digitally accessible for historical and family history research.

The publications were successfully added through the New Jersey Digital Newspaper Project (NJDNP), a partnership involving Rutgers University Libraries, New Jersey State Archives, and New Jersey State Library. These institutions worked together to ensure this valuable resource was accessible to the public for free through a text-searchable database.

This collaboration followed their previous contribution to the online resources for Salem County when they added the Penns Grove Record in 2021. The record, which started publishing in 1865, covers 1882 to 1923.

Researchers now have an invaluable, free tool to explore various aspects of South Jersey history.  The Salem County periodicals provide a window into politics, culture, business, religion, and daily events that shaped everyday life over the generations. 

The NJDNP has over 40 newspapers from all parts of the Graden State available online. 

The comprehensive access provided by Chronicling America at the Library of Congress makes it easier than ever before for historians, genealogists, students, and anyone to delve into the rich history of South Jersey and unlock a treasure trove of information about family and local history. 

One of the Salem County newspapers, the Monitor Register from Woodstown
One of the Salem County newspapers, the Monitor Register, available at Chronicling America at the Library of Congress.

A Valuable Resource for Studying African American History: “The Book of Negroes”

“The Book of Negroes” is an essential resource for those researching African American genealogy and slavery during the American Revolution. The British meticulously compiled this enumeration during their evacuation of New York at the end of the war in 1783. The ledger contains detailed information about approximately 3,000 self-emancipated and free Black people who evacuated alongside British loyalists and soldiers.

A page of Maryland entries from the “Book of Negroes.” Note the freedom seekers from Susquehanna Ferry and “Sussex County, Marland.” (Source: The Carelton Papers, Library and Archives of Canada)

Each handwritten entry provides vital information, including the individual’s name, age, and description. By consulting this remarkable source, researchers can uncover details about their journey to freedom, including the identity of their enslavers and the circumstances around their escape.

During the American Revolution, Sir Henry Clinton, the British Commander-in-chief in the colonies from 1778 to 1782, issued the Philipsburg Proclamation on June 30, 1779. This proclamation offered protection and freedom to enslaved individuals who escaped their patriot enslavers and sought refuge with the British. According to Maya Jasanoff, the author of Liberty’s Exiles: American Loyalists in the Revolutionary World, around 20,000 enslaved people joined the British, while approximately 5,000 Black men served in the Continental Army.

On November 30, 1782, peace negotiations between Great Britain and American diplomats resulted in the signing of the preliminary articles of peace. The peace treaty stipulated that owners of self-emancipated Black people who reached British lines by that date would receive compensation, and these individuals would be granted freedom.

Sir Guy Carleton, who assumed command of British forces in America, organized the orderly evacuation of New York, the final British port. Carleton ordered the creation of the ledgers to document the loss of enslaved property, which the British government would later compensate. Carrying certificates of freedom, approximately 3,000 Black people joined the Loyalist exodus from New York to Nova Scotia in 1783.

Here are several free digital resources online to help with mining these old enumerations:

A Page from the Inspection Roll of Negroes Book. No. 1, 1793, National Archives