Joseph Neugebauer - Shoemaker

In August of 1892 this article appeared in the Morning News (Wilmington, DE)  Delmar had just had the first major fire that wiped out the downtown section and many businesses. The fire would lead to Delmar restricting all new building construction to brick or stone.

Joseph Peter Neugebauer (1853-1925) was born in Germany to Joseph and Lucy Neugebauer.  The family left Germany and was in Baltimore by 1870.  Joseph Neugenauer, the father, was a Boot and shoemaker and Joseph P. Neugebauer became one also.  Joseph, the son,  moved to Berlin, Maryland where he married Elenora Henry Davis (1854-1925) in 1873.  They lived in Berlin until about 1886 when they moved to Delmar.  While in Berlin they had five children; Charles, Lillie, Della, Joseph, and Ella.  While in Delmar they had another five children; Pearl Dale, Carl Adolphe, Ray D., Louise Elizabeth, and Oscar H..  Ray and Oscar would die within a year of being born.  The high demand for boots and shoes by the railroad workers was a driving factor in his move here.

Joseph Neugebauer would remain in Delmar until about 1909 and then the family would move to Wilmington where he re-established his boot and shoemaking business.  As you may recall in a previous post I had mentioned that Charles H. Givans, also a shoemaker in Berlin, had moved his family to Delmar about 1900.  Perhaps Delmar could not support two shoemakers and Mr. Neugebauer decided to move.

In March of 1925 the News Journal posted his picture and wished him happy birthday.  He seemed to have been well-known in the business community.  In December of 1925 his wife Elenora would die and ten days later he would die.  Most of the family had moved to Wilmington,  Lillie Mae who was born in Berlin, but bought up in Delmar, would marry Marion T. Callaway and live in Laurel.  They would have a son and two daughters who would stay in Laurel or Seaford.  One of Joseph and Elenora son, Pearl Dale, would die a few years after moving to Wilmington of a heartattack.  His sister, Louise, would name her daughter after him since Pearl Dale was somewhat of a unisex name.