Merry Christmas

 

Join DHAS Today

 

Is it coming down to the wire for that gift for the Aunt or Uncle who is always saying " I remember when Delmar Had...."  Well maybe a membership to The Delmar Historical and Arts Society (DHAS) is the answer.  For twelve dollar a year you can let that person join other Delmar people who say "Remember when Delmar had ..." 

 We meet at the Delmar Police Department Training room at 7PM the second Thursday of each month.  The cost to be a member is twelve dollars a year.  Membership runs January to December.   If you are interested send a twelve dollar check made out to Delmar Historical and Arts Society PO Box 551, Delmar DE 19940.

1918 Flu influence verse

                                                                           I had a little bird,

And its name was Enza.

I opened the window

And in-flu-enza.

– Children’s jump rope rhyme, ca. 1918

New Color

 

new paint color for the old movie theater

At Least One Person from Delmar was at Pearl harbor

 

Just a link to a person from Delmar who was at Pearl Harbor 

https://delmarhistoricalandartsociety.blogspot.com/2019/12/the-pearl-harbor-attack.html

President Trump's National Pearl Harbor Remembrance Day 2020

 Proclamation on National Pearl Harbor Remembrance Day, 2020

On the morning of December 7, 1941, Imperial Japanese forces ambushed the Naval Station Pearl Harbor on the Hawaiian island of Oahu. Tragically, 2,403 Americans perished during the attack, including 68 civilians. On this National Pearl Harbor Remembrance Day, we solemnly honor and uphold the memory of the patriots who lost their lives that day — “a date which will live in infamy” — and we reflect on the courage of all those who served our Nation with honor in the Second World War.

Seventy nine years ago, Imperial Japan launched an unprovoked and devastating attack on our Nation. As torpedo bombers unleashed their deadly cargo on our ships and attack aircraft rained bombs from above, brave members of the United States Navy, Marines, Army, and Army Air Forces mounted a heroic defense, manning their battle stations and returning fire through the smoke and chaos. The profound bravery in the American resistance surprised Japanese aircrews and inspired selfless sacrifice among our service members. In one instance, Machinist’s Mate First Class Robert R. Scott, among 15 Sailors awarded the Medal of Honor for acts of valor on that day, refused to leave his flooding battle station within the depths of the USS CALIFORNIA, declaring to the world: “This is my station and I will stay and give them air as long as the guns are going.”

Forever enshrined in our history, the attack on Pearl Harbor shocked all Americans and galvanized our Nation to fight and defeat the Axis powers of Japan, Germany, and Italy. As Americans, we promise never to forget our fallen compatriots who fought so valiantly during World War II. As a testament to their memory, more than a million people visit the site of the USS ARIZONA Memorial each year to pay their respects to the Sailors entombed within its wreckage and to all who perished that day. Despite facing tremendous adversity, the Pacific Fleet, whose homeport remains at Pearl Harbor to this day, is stronger than ever before, upholding the legacy of all those who gave their lives nearly 80 years ago.

On this National Pearl Harbor Remembrance Day, we recall the phrase “Remember Pearl Harbor,” which stirred the fighting spirit within the hearts of the more than 16 million Americans who courageously served in World War II. Over 400,000 gave their lives in the global conflict that began, for our Nation, on that fateful Sunday morning. Today, we memorialize all those lost on December 7, 1941, declare once again that our Nation will never forget these valiant heroes, and resolve as firmly as ever that their memory and spirit will survive for as long as our Nation endures.

The Congress, by Public Law 103-308, as amended, has designated December 7 of each year as “National Pearl Harbor Remembrance Day.”

NOW, THEREFORE, I, DONALD J. TRUMP, President of the United States of America, do hereby proclaim December 7, 2020, as National Pearl Harbor Remembrance Day. I encourage all Americans to observe this solemn day of remembrance and to honor our military, past and present, with appropriate ceremonies and activities. I urge all Federal agencies and interested organizations, groups, and individuals to fly the flag of the United States at half-staff in honor of those American patriots who died as a result of their service at Pearl Harbor.

IN WITNESS WHEREOF, I have hereunto set my hand this fourth day of December, in the year of our Lord two thousand twenty, and of the Independence of the United States of America the two hundred and forty-fifth.

Christmas movies and Videos

 

It is that time of year again when you search for the old 8mm movies from the 1940s and 50s that you converted to VHS tape and then to DVD’s.  Even in 2020 there will be some people visiting you can show them to.  In 1965 Kodak came out with Super 8 movie camera and film, a big improvement over the 8MM. One of the prime movies taking time was Christmas, a time when everyone came over on Christmas day and bragged about what they got for Christmas.  It was time you would capture a number of your Aunts and Uncles and Grandparents on camera visiting with your family.  In looking at the movies I am always surprised how everyone smoked, the room would be cloudy over with smoke.  There was always that one Aunt you would see running from the camera as she didn’t want to be photographed. The 8MM movie was less than 5 minutes long and in shooting it you had to swap the film over half way through as the film was really 16mm wide and you shot on both sides of the film to get an 8MM roll of film. Of course you also had a key on the side to wind the camera up to shot.  Because the film was so short you rarely spent much time homing in on a person.  It had to a special thing to get more than 30 seconds of film time; new baby, a wedding, a birthday, etc.

When VHS tapes came out in the 1980s you had a longer time to shoot, didn’t cost you anymore to spend 5 minutes on a subject than it cost to spend 30 seconds on someone.   Now you can embarrass your son or daughter by showing movies of them when they were young even if they are approaching social security age now.  

Christmas cards from the Bethlehem Post Office

 A tradition that, fortunately, continues to this day, mailing Christmas cards from the Bethlehem Post Office with its special Christmas cachet. This image from 1981 captured Postmaster Aaron Carroll keeping busy that Christmas season. Help keep the tradition alive by mailing your Christmas cards from the Bethlehem Post Office this year!

Visit Preston Historical Society this Saturday, December 5th, from 10 AM to 2 PM, for our 7th Annual Christmas House and view an exhibit to learn more about the history of the Bethlehem Post Office. Santa will be in attendance as well, and live Christmas music will be provided by Gina McConnell,

Janice Isenberg

, and Joyce Cohee. There will also be train displays running, and baked goods and gift items will be available for purchase. Masks are a must, as well as social distancing, when visiting.

Dr Annie Colley, Dentist

 

an ad from the Salisbury Advertiser 1899

If you were to read a Salisbury newspaper about 1900 you would see an ad or maybe several ads in it for Dr Annie Colley, Dentist.  She advertised extensively.  At a time when dental work was frequently done at home by the wife of the family perhaps she needed to advertise. 

above 1907 ad

She worked in Salisbury from about 1899 to 1911.  She came to Salisbury with her husband, Dr Robert “Kyle” Colley.  Dr Kyle Colley (1858-1900) had married Annie in 1883.  They were both from Caroline County Maryland.  He attended the Chicago Homeopathic Medical College and graduated in 1885.  He had a practice in Queen Anne County before moving to Salisbury in 1899. 

Both of their practices were in the Jay William Law Building opposite the courthouse.

In just a little over a year Dr Kyle Colley would be dead from Brights disease (a kidney disease).

above from the Salisbury Advertiser Feb 17 1900

He left Dr. Annie to carry on with her two daughters. 

Anna “Annie” Frances Whiteley was born to Wm Henry Whiteley and Mary Pierce Whiteley in 1862.  She would marry Dr R. Kyle Colley in 1883 and have her first daughter, Mary, in 1886.  Her second daughter, Ethel, would arrive in 1888.  They lived in Queen Anne County Maryland at the time.  When she was about 34 she begins to attend the Philadelphia College of Dental Surgery, graduating in 1897.

The Philadelphia College of Dental Surgery started in 1856 and was a competitor of the Philadelphia Dental College.  It graduated it's first woman dentist in 1869 and after that each graduating class would have one or more women graduating as Dentist.  It is interesting that John Henry “Doc” Holliday noted gambler, dentist, and gunfighter of the old west was a 1872 graduate of the college.

After the death of her husband she stayed on in Salisbury.  Both of her daughters graduated from Salisbury High School and became teachers.  In 1911 she moved from Salisbury to New Jersey where she was the dentist for the New Jersey Hospital for the Insane at Greystone Park. 

The building is often feature on abandoned building websites

Dr Annie Colley would end up living with both of her daughters in New Jersey.  She would die in 1935 and be buried at the Sudlersville cemetery alongside her husband. 

Mary K Colley would graduate Salisbury High School in 1904.  She would become a teacher and end up at Westfield  high school where she would teach business courses until retiring in 1948.  She would come back to Salisbury in 1954 to attend the 1904 class reunion.  She would die about 1971.

1935 yearbook photo of Mary Colley from Westfield High School

Ethel Roberts Colley would graduate Salisbury High School in 1904.  She would teach in Salisbury and in 1913 move to Pennsylvania to teach.  She too would end up in New Jersey as a teacher.  She would die in 1973. 

1906 yearbook clipping

1913 article

Both daughters would remain single and with their deaths would end this family tree branch for the Colley and Whiteley family.  It is unknown where Mary and Ethel are buried.

 

1979 Delmar High School FFA