Delaware Public Archives Blog

On Monday night, February 23, 6:30 p.m., Tom Summers, Outreach Services Manager at the Delaware Public Archives, will be speaking at the Lewes Public Library in Lewes, Delaware. Summers will be presenting a program titled “More Treasures of the Delaware Public Archives.” While the Delaware Public Archives has presented its original “Treasures” program for many […]

Nineteenth century African American genealogy is particularly difficult for researchers. On Saturday, February 7, at 10:30 a.m. the Delaware Public Archives will host a special program which will explore this challenging time period for African American genealogy. Presented by Shamele Jordon, the program will focus on a variety of sources and strategies for locating ancestors […]

In 1814 the War of 1812 was entering into its second full year. During the previous year the Chesapeake Bay and the Delaware Valley region experienced active naval campaigning and a seaborne blockade. On Saturday, January 3, at 10:30 a.m. historian Charles (Chuck) Fithian will visit the Delaware Public Archives to present a program on […]

Tom Summers, Outreach Services Manager One of the joys of working at the Delaware Public Archives is discovering interesting documents that have not been processed until now and has not been seen for hundreds of years. Recently, I blogged about a Kent County Orphans Court plot that was more than 25 feet long which was […]

To help us get in the Thanksgiving spirit, we took a look back at former Delaware governors’ Thanksgiving proclamations.

Sarah Denison, processing archivist Tomorrow Delawareans up and down the state will head to polling places to cast their vote in the midterm election. Not sure who to vote for? For hundreds of years political parties and special-interest groups have issued flyers endorsing candidates. Check out these tickets from the 1800s. They won’t help you make a decision tomorrow, but […]

This blog is part of a special behind the scenes series for Archives Month. Kate Fair, markers coordinator Delaware has over 570 historical markers located throughout the state. Historical markers are first proposed by members of the public, vetted for historical significance by the Delaware Public Archives, and financially sponsored by state senators and representatives. The Delaware Historical […]

Are your digital genealogy files all over the place? Have you discovered a record for your ancestor, twice? Librarian Leah Youse will be presenting a program at the Delaware Public Archives on Saturday, November 1, 10:30 a.m. on developing methods of genealogical arrangement and organization. Whether you are just getting started or you have been […]

This blog is part of a special behind the scenes series for Archives Month. Connor Graham, processing archivist The Processing Room is where we clean and organize documents so they can be properly preserved. Removing staples and paperclips, photocopying acidic documents, unfolding papers, and placing records in acid-free folders and boxes are among the basic preservation techniques that […]

This blog is part of a special behind the scenes series for Archives Month. Tom Summers, Outreach Manager   Recently, processing and reference archivist Margaret Dunham uncovered a document in the Kent County Orphans Court Case Files Collection that measured almost 26 feet in length. The file, from the year 1822, focuses on a section of property in […]