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Sussex County Archives - Page 2 of 4 - Secrets of the Eastern Shore

Quote of the DayWay Back Machine

Delaware Quote of the Day: The Great Turkey-Thief Crime Wave of 1934!

Here is a detailed report from the Wilmington (Del.) News Journal that appeared on Nov. 27, 1934 under the headline below. "Thieves Steal Fowl, Haul to City 'Fences':" A band of chicken and turkey thieves are operating from Harrington and Milford to the Delaware-Maryland line at Delmar, and hundreds of the fowl are reported to have been stolen within the past few weeks. The thieves…
November 26, 2020
From the BooksWay Back Machine

The Day Seaford, Delaware Went ‘Almost Hysterical with Joy,’ 1938

This is an excerpt from Eastern Shore Road Trips #2: 26 MORE One-Day Adventures on Delmarva. Each chapter in the book includes not just modern-day travel destinations, but historical snippets that give a sense for the history and culture of the place at hand. The peach boom that had lifted the fortunes of so many Delaware farmers and businesses for so long came to a…
September 30, 2020
The Newsroom

Book Signing at Bethany Beach Books: Wed., Aug. 5, 2020

Secrets of the Eastern Shore co-founder Jim Duffy will be signing books and chatting with customers on the evening of Wed., Aug. 5 at Bethany Beach Books in downtown Bethany Beach, Del. The event runs from 6:30-8:30pm. Weather permitting, I'll be at a table on the sidewalk outside the store. Yes, I'll be wearing a mask. Yes, there will be hand sanitizer available. Duffy is…
August 1, 2020
CharactersWay Back Machine

Albert Jackson: How a Man Born into Slavery in Milford, Del. Became a Hero in Canada

Up in Toronto, Canada, there is a street in a residential neighborhood called Albert Jackson Lane. Downtown, on Lombard Street, there is a historical marker describing why Albert Jackson's life should be celebrated by Torontonians. The honors that Mr. Jackson has received up north go beyond those city limits--the Canadian postal service has issued a stamp in his honor. Why does this matter on a…
July 30, 2020
CharactersDelmarva WisdomWay Back Machine

Character of the Day: The Delaware Housewife Who Invented the Modern Chicken Industry

As a deeply religious young woman, Cecile Long Steele probably didn’t let loose with a string of curse words when the delivery truck driver showed up at her farm that day in 1923. Cecile had ordered 50 baby chicks, but the deliveryman had 500 chicks instead. This being 1923, Cecile couldn’t call or text customer service to sort out this mix-up on the spot. The…
May 28, 2020
Way Back Machine

SUSSEX COUNTY SPAT: When Seaford Set Up Blockades to Keep Out People From Laurel, 1916

In the spring of 1916, a small smallpox outbreak popped up in Laurel, Del. In the days that followed, health officials in the neighboring town of Seaford came to believe that their colleagues in Laurel weren't doing everything they could to keep the disease at bay. They ordered a halt to all traffic between the two towns. The Wilmington News Journal, May 15: "Guards have…
May 5, 2020
The Newsroom

“Underground Railroad Journeys” Presentation in Selbyville, Del. on Thurs., Feb. 20

Author and storyteller Jim Duffy of Secrets of the Eastern Shore will tell true-life tales about “Underground Railroad Journeys on Delmarva” in a presentation and discussion at the Selbyville (Del.) Public Library on Thursday, Feb. 20. The presentation is based on Duffy’s book, Tubman Travels: 32 Underground Railroad Journeys on Delmarva. The event begins at 5pm. There is no admission fee. Duffy will be signing…
January 22, 2020
The Newsroom

On WBOC-TV, Secrets of the Eastern Shore talks about the Prohibition Era

Secrets co-founder Jim Duffy recently went on WBOC-TV’s Good Day Delmarva to tell stories about the era of Prohibition on the Delmarva Peninsula. The 100th anniversary of Prohibition taking effect landed on Jan. 17, 1920. Have you heard the one about the guy in Wachapreague who set up a secret compartment under his kitchen floorboards so that booze would pour out of one of his…
January 16, 2020