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Delaware
More About Delaware State
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Pages: Dover | Wilmington | | |
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as rolling, forested hills in the north, stretches of bare sand dunes in the south, and mile upon mile of lonely marsh along the coast. Visitors can tour a modern agricultural or chemical research center in the morning and search for buried pirate treasures in the afternoon. The deBraak, which foundered off Lewes in 1798, was raised in 1986 because of the belief that it may have had a fortune in captured Spanish coin or bullion aboard. The coins, which frequently come ashore at Coin Beach below Rehoboth, are believed to come from the Faithful Steward, a passenger vessel lost in 1785.
Delaware's history started on a grim note. The first colonists, 28 men under Dutch auspices, landed in the spring of 1631 near what is now Lewes. A year later, after an argument with a Lenni-Lenape chief, the bones of all 28 were found mingled with those of their cattle and strewn over their burned fields. In 1638, a group of Swedes established the first permanent settlement, Fort Christina, at a spot now in Wilmington. This was also the first permanent settlement of Swedes in North America. Dutch, English, Scottish, and Irish colonists soon followed, with German, Italian, and Polish groups coming in the late 19th century.
Henry Hudson, in Dutch service, discovered Delaware Bay in 1609. A year later, Thomas Argall reported it to English navigators, naming it for his superior, Lord de la Warr, Governor of Virginia. Ownership changed rapidly from Swedish to Dutch to English hands. Later the area was claimed by both Lord Baltimore and the Penn family. The Maryland-Delaware boundary was set by British court order in 1750 and surveyed as part of the Mason-Dixon Line in 1763-1767. The boundary with New Jersey, also long disputed, was confirmed by the Supreme Court in 1935.
The "First State" (first to adopt the Constitution--December 7, 1787) is proud of its history of sturdy independence, both military and political. During the Revolution, the "Delaware line" was a crack regiment of the Continental Army. After heavy casualties in 1780, the unit was reorganized. The men would "fight all day and dance all night," according to a dispatch by General Greene. How well they danced is open to question, but they fought with such gallantry that they were mentioned in nearly all of the General's dispatches.
Delaware statesman John Dickinson, "penman of the Revolution" and one of the state's five delegates to the Constitutional Convention, was instrumental in the decision to write a new document rather than simply patch up the Articles of Confederation. Later he effected the compromise on representation, a problem that had threatened to break up the convention completely.
In addition to Lofland and Dickinson, Delaware has produced many literary figures, including the 19th-century playwright and novelist Robert Montgomery Bird, writer and illustrator Howard Pyle, Henry Seidel Canby (founder of the Saturday Review), and novelist John P. Marquand.
A fine highway network tempts motorists to drive through diminutive Delaware without really seeing it. Those who take time to leave the major highways and explore the countryside will find much that is rewarding.
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Delaware
Statistics & Vital Data |  |
| Population: | 783600 |
| Area: | 1,982 square miles |
| Timezone: | Eastern |
| Elevation: | 0-447 feet |
| High
point: | Ebright Road (New Castle County) |
| Joined
Union: | First state to ratify Constitution (December 7, 1787) |
| State
Capital: | Dover |
| State
Motto: | "Liberty and independence" |
| State
Flower: | Peach Blossom |
| State
Bird: | Blue Hen |
| State
Tree: | American Holly |
| State
Fair: | July in Harrington (see Dover) (see Dover) |
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Delaware Events >> | | View
Delaware Attractions >> |
Delaware Parks, Recreation Areas, & Historical Landmarks:
State Parks - Water-related activities, hiking, riding, various other sports, picnicking, and visitor centers are available in many state parks. Delaware state parks are open all year, 8 am-sunset, except Fort Delaware (late Apr-late Sept). Most areas have fishing, boat ramps, and picnicking. There is a vehicle entrance fee from Memorial Day-Labor Day, daily; May and Sept-Oct, weekends and holidays. Camping is available from mid-Mar-mid-Nov at Delaware Seashore; Apr-Oct at Lums Pond, Trap Pond, and Cape Henlopen; year-round at Killens Pond. There is a two-week maximum stay at campgrounds; reservations encouraged; campsites run from $12-$26/night/site. For further information contact Department of Natural Resources and Environmental Control, Division of Parks and Recreation, 89 Kings Highway, Dover 19901; 302/739-4702.
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list of all parks in Delaware >> | |
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Delaware
Weather and Climate:
Delaware's climate is generally mild; long Indian summers are not unusual and there's seldom frost until late autumn. Temperatures at the shore can be 10°F higher in winter or lower in summer than inland temperatures. | |
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Fishing/Hunting
Opportunities in Delaware:
Both fresh and saltwater fishing are excellent. The state owns, leases, or licenses 33,000 acres of game lands and fishing waters. More than 50 well-stocked state and privately owned ponds are scattered throughout the state. Many miles of ocean shoreline between Rehoboth Beach and Indian River Inlet are ideal for surf fishing. Common saltwater fish include trout, bluefish, porgie, sea bass, flounder, and croaker; freshwater fish include bass, bluegill, pickerel, crappie, perch, and trout. An annual nonresident hunting license is $86; nonresident 3-day small game license $35; nonresident trapping license $25; additional single deer permit $10. An annual resident freshwater fishing license is $8.50; nonresident license $15; 7-day nonresident license $5.20. A license is not required for tidal saltwater fishing. For further information on fishing or hunting, contact the Department of Natural Resources and Environmental Control, Division of Fish and Wildlife, 89 Kings Highway, Dover 19901; 302/739-4431 or 800/523-3336. | |
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| Locate
a Delaware City Page: | |
| | Additional Delaware Visitor Information:
Delaware Tourism Office, 99 Kings Highway, Dover 19901, will provide tourist information; phone 800/441-8846.
Visitor centers also provide information and brochures on points of interest in the state. Their locations are as follows: Delaware Memorial Bridge Plaza, junction I-295 and the bridge at New Castle; I-95 rest area, Greater Wilmington Convention and Visitors Bureau, Wilmington; Delaware State Information Center, Duke of York & Federal sts, Dover; Smyrna, 1 mile N on US 13; Bethany-Fenwick Area Chamber of Commerce, DE 1, N of Fenwick Island. |
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