This talk explores stories about getting hitched in a hurry in days gone by. Eloping couples once came to Wilmington for a licenses and a quick ceremony, but just before World War I, Delaware passed more restrictive laws. A city newspaper, proclaiming that Wilmington was no longer a “mecca” for marriages, remarked that “Wilmington’s Days…
Tag: delaware
Old Commercial Maps for Delaware & Maryland Available from Philadelphia Free Library
While digging up some historical records on a Delaware property earlier this week, I discovered a large body of helpful online maps published by the Philadelphia Free Library. This urban institution has substantial online collections, including a large holding of maps. The resources that helped with my investigation was the Hexamer General Survey collection. Between 1866 and…
19th Century Travel Guide for Travel between Philadelphia and Baltimore Helpful for Local History Researchers
When we hit the road these days for a trip to some unfamiliar destination, we often consult travel directories and guidebooks. These handy sources, whether online or on the printed page, are packed with information about a place, providing details for sightseeing and accommodations They were there in the 19th century too, filling the need…
1807 Gazetteer of Delaware and Maryland Helps Genealogists and Local History Researchers
In the decades before state directories and similar resources appeared, there were gazetteers or geographical dictionaries. These valuable titles, many over 200 years old, focused on geography as they examined an area in detail, presenting information about a community, its landscape, political economy, business enterprise, population, and natural resources. Today genealogists and local historians will…