John B. Parsons

The Genealogy Of John B. Parsons

The Lower Delmarva Genealogical Society is proud to present

JIM MORRIS

Jim will speak on the genealogy of John B. Parsons, the three old age homes he financed and the historical Lemmon Hill Lane standpipe near the John B. Parsons home.  Jim is President of The Preservation Trust of Wicomico County, Past President and Curator of the Lower Delmarva Genealogical Society, Past Vice-President of the Wicomico County Historical Society and President of The Peninsula-Delaware Conference Historical Society

This event is open to the public and is free.

 

Wednesday night at 7 PM May 28th at the Edward H. Nabb Research Center for Delmarva History and Culture at Salisbury University - Wayne and Powell Street Unit #190

 

Henry G. Allen Jr in Australia 1943

1943 Daily Times

1937 Restoration of Gordy Park

From The Wicomico News (Salisbury, Md) Thursday April 8, 1937

RESTORATION OF GORDY PARK WAS BEGUN THIS WEEK

Workmen started Monday on the building of grandstands and bleachers at Gordy Park in preparartion for the opening of the Eastern Shore League baseball season here May 19.

Post Office delivers

Postal Service finally delivers a card mailed before WWII

By Ryan Pfeil / Medford Mail Tribune

Published Apr 18, 2014 at 12:01AM

BUTTE FALLS — The postcard’s message is brief, written along its edge in fading pencil: “Arrived in Portland at 8 o’clock. Having a fine time. Be home sometime Sat. — Blanche.”

But the writing on the postcard, addressed to Florence Marion of Butte Falls, isn’t its defining characteristic. The date it was sent — and the date it finally arrived — all but redefine the term “snail mail.”

Postmarked from Portland: 12:30 p.m., Feb. 20, 1940.

Arrived in Butte Falls: July 2013.

Formally delivered to Florence Marion’s great-grandson, Alan Marion of Phoenix: April 14, 2014.

“To me, it’s one of those things that must have been meant to be,” said Marion, maintenance director at the Rogue Valley Genealogical Society. “For everything to fall in place and show up at my doorstep, so to speak. I’m thrilled to have this card.”

U.S. Postal Service worker Sunny Bryant had been working at the Butte Falls Post Office only a month when the World War II-era message arrived in July 2013. The front shows a boat with a handwritten inscription underneath: “Leaving Manilla Bay. Feb. 1906. Flying Homeward Pennant.”

The postmark left Bryant scratching her head.

“I looked at it, and I’m like, ‘What am I supposed to do with this?’” Bryant said.

She began to ask around the small community, looking for a home for the long-delayed piece of mail.

“I got little clues here and there, but nothing that I could go any further on,” Bryant said.

But she was determined to find a resting place for the piece of mail. Charleen Brown of the Rogue Valley Genealogical Society helped. She had gone to the Butte Falls Post Office to deliver some books. Bryant approached Brown while she chatted with another RVGS member about genealogy.

“She said, ‘What do you think of this?’ And she showed me this postcard,” Brown said. “And I looked. I couldn’t believe the postmark said 1940.”

Because of the postmark year, Brown knew the intended recipient would show up in the U.S. Census. She started digging on www.ancestry.com and tracked down Florence Marion’s name.

“Being that Butte Falls was actually probably 350 people in that day, I knew it had to be the right one,” Brown said.

She dug deeper. Then a light bulb flickered to life over her head. She knew an Alan Marion, an RVGS member, who had once told her of some relatives who lived in Butte Falls. He confirmed Florence Marion, his great-grandmother, was among them. Brown told him about the postcard and retrieved it for him.

“Somebody’s been looking over my shoulder here, and it must have been my great-grandmother,” Marion said.

He did not know Florence, or of her, until he started his research at the Jackson County Genealogy Library. She continued to live in Jackson County after her husband, John, died in 1935. She died in 1952. Both are buried in a cemetery in New Sharon, Iowa.

Even less is known about the postcard’s author.

“We have not figured out the relationship Blanche may have had with Florence Marion,” Alan Marion said.

Why it had taken so long to be delivered remains a mystery. One possibility is that the postcard actually did make it to its address in an acceptable amount of time, was found years later in a drawer or attic, and was put back into the system a second time, USPS officials say. The “why” of the story may never be answered.

“Obviously these kinds of situations are very rare,” said Peter Hass, USPS spokesman. “It’s really difficult to determine where it might have been for those many years. The good news is it did get delivered to a relative, at least.”

Better late than never.

“I’m just happy it found a home,” Bryant said.

The Name Stays The Same

Delmar is one of the few towns on the Delmarva that has always been called Delmar.  Created by the Railroad in 1859, and called Delmar it has remained Delmar for over 154 years. 

Carl Anderton To Speak At LDGS

THE FAMILY TREE of CARL ANDERTON

The Lower Delmarva Genealogical Society is proud to present

CARL ANDERTON, JR.

Mr. Anderton  will speak on researching his family tree.  Mr. Anderton is Mayor of Delmar Maryland, President of the Maryland Municipal League, and candidate for the Maryland House of Delegates 38b. He will give us a unique perspective of someone who holds a job, has a family, has numerous evening activities and who attempts to research his family tree.  Mr. Anderton hails from the Westover Maryland area and has lived in Delmar for a number of years.   He will speak on the Anderton, Figgs, Dryden, White, Stant and Hearne families.

This event is open to the public and is free.

 

Wednesday night at 7 PM April 23rd at the Edward H. Nabb Research Center for Delmarva History and Culture at Salisbury University - Wayne and Powell Street Unit #190

The History Of Ocean City Talk At LDGS Meeting

Last Wednesday George Hurley gave a talk to the lower Delmarva Genealogical Society (LDGS) on "The History Of Ocean City." It was a highly entertaining talk. Two items that stood out from many interesting topics were these; Each high rise Condo in Ocean City has a higher appraised tax value than the entire town of Snow Hill. Second, in the 1930's when the government was trying to give everyone a job they would pay 35 cents for a filled quart mason jar of dead mosquitoes - he had a filled jar there for an example.

A Fat little Girl - Marianna Sterling

I like to look at yearbooks and there are many on-line.  I am amazed at the political incorrectness of those early ones.  This is from the 1904 Western Maryland college year book the "Aloha", which WM digital yearbooks can be found here   http://hoover.mcdaniel.edu/archon/?p=collections/findingaid&id=68&q=&rootcontentid=4432

George Hurley Speaks To LDGS

THE HISTORY OF OCEAN CITY

The Lower Delmarva Genealogical Society is proud to present

GEORGE HURLEY

Mr. Hurley will speak on the “History of Ocean City.”  Mr. Hurley is a long time member and volunteer at the Ocean City Life-Saving Station Museum.  He is also a co-author of “Ocean City: A Pictorial History”, “Shipwrecks and Rescues along the Barrier Islands of Delaware, Maryland and Virginia” and “Calvin B. Taylor, Banker, the first 100 years.” Mr. Hurley is also a past President of the Ocean City Council and a past President of the Worcester County Commissioners.

This event is open to the public and is free.

 

Wednesday night at 7 PM March 26th at the Edward H. Nabb Research Center for Delmarva History and Culture at Salisbury University - Wayne and Powell Street Unit #190

 

 

 

 

Walker-Cutler American Legion Post #42

The American Legion was chartered by Congress in 1919 as a patriotic veteran’s organization.  It was formed by the veterans of World War One.  The American Legion is organized by departments ( currently 55 departments, one for each state, plus District of Columbia, Puerto Rico, France, Mexico and the Philippines) and within those departments are Posts.  Today there are over 2.4 million members and 14,000 posts.  

At one time in Delmar, Delaware there were two American Legion Posts.  The better known one was the Glenn Rayne Post #15 at 104 North Second Street.  The Glenn Rayne post received it’s charter from the Delaware department of the American Legion on March 20^th, 1935.  It was named after Glenn Rayne who originally was born in Berlin Maryland but was living in Delmar Maryland when he enlisted in the Army.  He had the misfortune to be sent to Camp Mead Maryland where he contracted Broncho Pneumonia and died on October 1 1918, just four weeks after being married.

The other American Legion post was Walker-Cutler Post #42.  Walker-Cutler Post #42 was formed in 1960.  It was considered the Black Delmar American Legion and the Glenn Rayne Post 15 was considered the White American Legion.  Even in 1960 I do not believe the American Legion had a policy on segregation.  Since these veteran organizations were mainly social organizations they were formed with membership who felt comfortable with one another in a social setting.   

Little information is known about the Walker-Cutler Post #42.  It has been only recently I have acquired a few more bits of information about it that would allow some type of blog post to be made.  Part of the lack of information is because the post had a short life span (five years).  In summary Walker-Cutler Post 42 had a  history that went from; 1960 filed for temporary application for Post of the American Legion, In 1961 granted permanent charter for post, in 1965 the charter was cancelled.

In 1960 the application for a Post in Delmar Delaware of the American Legion was filed.  The Post was called Walker-Cutler Post 42.  Who Walker – Cutler were is not known at present.  The American Legion requires that a post not be named after anyone living so these two people we know had died before 1960.  No doubt they were men who at one time were in the military and from the local area.  The post 42 part, I am sure was assigned by the Delaware department of the American Legion. 

In this initial application fifteen names are given as the minimum membership number.  Henry R. West gave his address of RD#1, Delmar, Md as the address to use to send the charter to.  The people listed as members had to subscribe to the American legion requirement of the time; Article IV, Section 1. “Any person shall be eligible for membership in the American Legion who was a member of the Army, Navy, Marine Corp, Coast Guard, or Air Force of the United States and assigned to active duty at some time during either of the following periods. April 6, 1917 to November 11, 1918; December 7, 1941 to September 2, 1945; June 25, 1950 to July 27, 1953;..”

Those initial members were; Wilton J. Wailes, Herbert J. Smith, Rothert C. Blunt, Othar L. Roberts, Randolph G. Reed, Edward Marshall, William Howard Hearn, Emerson C. Holloway, Randolph A. Hotten, Samuel Bynum, Sr., William S. Carter, William L. Shreaves, Henry Roosevel West, James Catha Gunter, and Clifton Moore.

In 1961 Post 42 applied for a Permanent Charter.  In the application it said the post had 22  paid-up members and it had a possible 50 ex-service members to draw from.  The address given was #12 Hitchens Street(West Grove St today)  Delmar Delaware, which it stated was rented but they had raised $150 for a building fund.  It also stated “Since its organization, the post has held a dance and a raffle.  Proceeds (Net) have amounted to about $400.00. Post also had Easter egg hunt, sponsored Americanism program and flag etiquette in local elementary school.  Post also participated in “Back to GOD Movement” in local church on March 12, 1961.  “

The post officers were; Commander – Henry R. West, Vice-Commander – Clifton Moore, Adjutant- Rothert C. Blunt, Finance Officer – Grayson E. Kenney, Chaplin – Samuel Bynum, Sr, Sergeant-at-Arms – Edward Marshall, Historian – William S. Carter, and Service Officer – Emerson C. Holloway.

In May of 1961, The post gave notice in the local paper (Bi-State Weekly) that it intended to file for a license to sell alcoholic liquor in its club to members only.  It also mentioned the club house was a house at Park Street across from the railroad roundhouse. 

By 1965 the Department of Delaware American Legion had cancelled Post 42’s charter.  It is not known why the charter was cancelled. 

So there is a little bit of Delmar History.  There is still a great deal to learn about Walker-Cutler Post 42 in Delmar Delaware but now we have the beginning for accumulating addition information. 

Altho I have known about this American Legion post for a few years I had not been able to find any definite information about it. I finally contacted Richard J. Santos Adjutant Department of Delaware, American Legion who did not have any information on Post 42, but instead of blowing me off as others have done in the past, he contacted Howard Trace and Lynda Lydick of the American Legion who looked into their archives and found the initial application for charter and the application for permanent charter and scanned them for me.  Thank You Richard Santos, Howard Trace and Lynda Lydick.   

Jos. A. Banks

The Baltimore Historical Society had in their Fall 2013 newsletter http://www.historicbaltimore.org/program/newsletter.htm

An article on the search for what was Joseph A. Banks middle name.  Now we know from TV ads etc that Jos A. Banks was a clothier and the company still exist under his name.  The company contacted Michael J. Lisicky to research the middle name as they had no idea what the A stood for.  In the article Mr. Lisicky checked a wide range of sources and eventually by way of a friend found a World War One draft card filled out by Jos A. Banks that listed his middle name as Albert.  Wow, this is typical of the type of information genealogist are asked to come up with.  In my own family tree my great grandfather was named Frazier A. Dickerson.  For years I searched for the middle name and all documents were listed as Frazier A. Dickerson.  Eventually I found in the bible of his daughter, Alice Kate Dickerson, that his middle name was Alice.  Today it is unusual for a man to carry a name of Alice but back a hundred years ago what are viewed as female names today were male names.  Other names used for male names that today can be both male or female are; Nancy, Courtney, Laverne, Evelyn, Dana, Gail, Tracy, Jocelyn, Jayne, Beverly, Mandy, Nikita, Shirley, and Taylor.  Other "female" names that are given to men are based on the country they are from.  Andrea is a man's name in Italy and Greece.  Flo is short for Florian from Germany.  Anne was a man's name in France. 

 

 

 

Wyoming Gives Grants For State History Research

By Kate Snyderksnyder@rawlinstimes.com  From the Rawlins Daily Times                                

The Wyoming State Historical Society (WSHS) is offering cash grants to people involved in research projects about the state’s history. The Carbon County Museum will likely experience a bump in visitors as a result, said Kelly Morris, museum director.
 “We have a research area in our museum,” she said. “We have a lot of research capabilities.”

 

Part of the grants will likely go toward travelling to facilities like the Carbon County Museum to conduct research for historical projects about Wyoming, she said.

The grants will range from $100 to $1,500, according to a press release from the WSHS. The grants will be awarded based on the application. A committee will review all proposals and make final decisions in the spring, the release stated. Proposals must include a statement of purpose, an explanation of the project, the value the project has to Wyoming history and a description of how the public will benefit from the research.

Projects could include writing books, restoration projects and oral histories, which compiles the history using audiotapes and videotapes.

“This kind of money can only help places like ours,” Morris said.

Learning about the state’s history is important for the general public as well as those conducting the research, Morris said.

“To know where you should go, you better know where you’ve been,” she said.

Many researchers spend their own money to fund their projects, she said. While the museum has several services it offers for free, such as staff assistance, if the project is more in-depth, such as setting up interviews, staff services could cost money.

The money for the grants will come from a fund established by the late Lola Homsher, an historian and state archivist, the press release stated.

Previous recipients, applications and rules can be found by visiting the WSHS’s website at www.wyshs.org and then by selecting “Homsher Endowment,” the release stated.

The Celebration of War

The celebration of war, well maybe celebrate is the wrong word, perhaps remembrance of war would be better.  Besides currently observing the 150th anniversary of the American Civil war and the 200th anniversary of the War of 1812 starting this summer we will observe the 100th anniversary of World War One (1914 to 1918). The war is generally considered as starting on June 28, 1914 when the Archduke Franz Ferdinand was killed in the Bosnian City of Sarajevo. Compared to the number of Europeans who died in WW1, American troops made out well, however on returning home they would bring the Spanish influenza which would kill many in the United States.

Max Keil and The Jewish Historical Society Of Delaware

Over at the Jewish Historical Society of Delaware there is an interesting article about Max Keil.  apparently besides having a liquor business he also donatated a pair of binoculars to the Coast Guard during World War One.  He was one of the ones who received his binoculars back after the war plus a check for one dollar.  Go here to read the article http://jhsdelaware.org/jhsd-a-liquor-bottle-and-why-the-navy-can-not-balance-its-books/

Ice Harvest in 1919

With the recent cold weather I thought some of you might be interested in this blog piece on harvesting ice in New England.  Included in the blog post is a ten minute movie made in 1919 of them cutting and moving the ice blocks to an ice house.  Out about the 9 minute mark is a horse drawn elevator to move the ice blocks to the 2nd floor that I found interesting.  The blog post address is http://histsociety.blogspot.com/2013/11/ice-ice-baby.html

Last Passenger Service Between Cape Charles and Delmar

On January 11th 1958 the last passenger train ran between Cape Charles and Delmar.  Train # 454 was called the Delmarva Express.

The Zinc Tombstone

Yesterday I paid a visit to Buckingham cemetery in Berlin Maryland.  While there I came across this nice example of a Zinc/white bronze tombstone.

The tombstone is for Doctor Robert J. Bowen - April 27, 1827 to December 12, 1914.  Dr Bowen is the son of  Robert Fleming Bowen and Andasia Ironshire whose tombstones set to the right of Dr Bowen's.   Robert J. Bowen was born in the Berlin area.  In 1853 he graduated from the American Eclectic Medical college in Cincinnati Ohio.   He practice medicine in Northern New Jersey but kept a summer home in the Berlin area.  When he was in his 70's he returned to the Berlin area and lived with his brother, William, until his death.

The Zinc Tombstone was made of sand cast zinc and were made between 1875 to 1914 when the government took over the production of the Monumental Bronze company for WW1 war material production.  The zinc has a bluish gray color.  This type of monument tend to be a rare find in our area.  The tombstone could be fitted with additional plates to bolt on to the marker as additional family members died.  As you can see above the plate with the Robert Bowen information is held on by four bolts.  This example looks quite nice with it bluish color and there are no stains or cracks that I saw.  For a monument that will be a hundred years old shortly, based on his death date, it is in excellent shape.

First DHAS Meeting of 2014 Is Tonight

Delmar Historical and Arts Society

Our first meeting is Thursday 7 PM January 9 at the Avenue Building downtown. 

 

If you are unable to make the meeting please send your comments and suggestions to us for projects and improvements we can make so we can kick off 2014 with a bang.  We need your help, there are several areas in which we lack the knowledge to include them in the newsletter or do projects related to them, but they are all synonym with Delmar.  Among those areas are The Railroad, School Sports and Stockcar Races.  Being a DHAS member is a worthwhile adventure.  All of us are needed, including you, to take us thru this year with vigor and joy.  We are on the path of creating a fun and exciting Historical and Arts Society, to keep our rich history alive and growing. 

This is not only a meeting announcement but it is a request for you to join DHAS or renew your membership.   The membership dues structure is a follows;

 ·         Individual Membership $24.00

·         Family Membership $48.00
·         Life Membership $200.00
·         Husband/Wife Membership $300.00
·         Senior/Student $12.00

The annual dues are due in January and cover the Period January thru December.

Please send your check to DHAS, PO Box 344, Delmar, DE 19940

I do hope you will join or renew your membership and give us your support to carry out the purpose of our society as stated in our bylaws.

DHAS Email: delmarhas@Yahoo.com

DHAS Blog: http://delmarhistoricalandartsociety.blogspot.com/

 

Laurel Delaware Rape attempt - 1925

From The State Sentinel, Dover Delaware February 11, 1925

 CRIES ROUT MAN AS WOMAN FIGHTS ASSAILANT

Levin J. Hitchens, 20 year old, the son of a farmer living about five miles from Laurel, was arrested on Sunday charged with assaulting Mrs. Hattie Waller, 35 years old, married and the mother of several children.  The assault is alleged to have taken place about 10:30 o’clock Saturday night on the causeway leading to Record’s Mill, one of the most isolated spots in Laurel.

When about midway of the causeway the assailant is said to have jumped from behind some bushes and seized the woman.  Being of medium size and strong, Mrs. Waller fought desperately to save her money, which she thought was what the man wanted.

Realizing that the man would soon overpower her she dropped her pocketbook together with the bundles of food.  The man then told her he wanted her and not her money, and Mrs. Waller then fought the harder.  In the battle her clothes were badly torn.  Finally the man drew a revolver and threaten to kill her.

Mrs. Waller screamed for help and was heard by George Coverdale, a negro chauffer, and another negro, who rushed to her aid.  As they neared the scene the man ran away.  Coverdale recognized the man and after assisting Mrs. Waller to her home, he and his companion notified Chief of Police Charles Hickman and soon a posse was formed and a man hunt was on.

Hitchens was captured at the home of his father.  He vehemently denied the charge, but later, after being jailed and identified, is alleged to have confessed to Hickman and Highway Officer Oscar James.

Last Passenger Service between Wilmington and Delmar

On January 1^st 1966 the last regular passenger train service ended between Wilmington and Delmar when PRR train #455 pulled into Delmar at 7:44 PM and M. B. Parsons called out for the last time “Delmar”.   Called the "Blue Diamond" the run had been established with State funded support for an early morning AM trip North to Wilmington and a PM trip south to Delmar Monday thru Friday. 

Since that time various “special” trains have been run.  Mainly for the Delaware State Fair in Harrington or for the Nascar races in Dover.