Digitized collections from our archives and links to exhibits and resources to assist researchers, students, educators, and citizens. Please note that some of these links will open external websites such as CONTENTdm, Flickr, and YouTube.

The descriptions of our collections are available via the Delaware Public Archives Portal. Visit the Search Our Collections webpage to learn more.

We are dedicated to continuously reviewing and enhancing our descriptive practices to incorporate more respectful and inclusive terminology when possible. Please see our Harmful Content Advisory for more about these efforts.

Featured Collections

Go to Section

Document Collections

Abram Draper Personal Correspondence: The Abram H. Draper Collection consists of 34 pieces of correspondence, including letters and poetry from Sergeant Abram H. Draper to his wife Anna M. Wiley Draper during the American Civil War.

Capital School District, Administration, School Records: This collection includes two documents donated by a former superintendent of Capital School District, W. B. Thornburgh. One is a report on the move to Booker T. Washington; another details the proceedings of the 1914 meeting of school voters in Kent County.

Clara Dashiell Collection: Primarily a collection of ephemera, this collection includes invitations to the 1876 West Point Independence Day celebration and hop, dinner at New Mansion, a grand ball given by the Citizens of Dover, a Georgetown social hop, and a series of hops hosted at the State Fair at Dover through the State Board of Agriculture.

Coroner’s Report: A record of a county coroner’s investigations into the manner and cause of a death where a person died under circumstances that were violent, unnatural, or unknown. 

Cowgill Collection: This collection documents the Cowgill family and the Colored School in Little Creek. This collection consists of two series: Colored School and Cowgill Accounts.

Delaware Constitutions: Delaware constitutions created by the Delaware Constitutional Conventions in 1792, 1831, and 1897. The 1897 Constitution is the current governing document for Delaware.

Delaware Turnpike Scrapbooks: The scrapbooks consist of newspaper clippings and photographs that document Delaware Turnpike activities and events. Notable subjects include the construction of the highway, President John F. Kennedy’s participation in the dedication ceremony, maps, Turnpike appointments, tolls, Mason and Dixon boundary marker, JFK memorial wreath and services, accidents, Hot Shoppes service plaza, effects on Route 40 businesses, Turnpike officials and employees, I-95 construction completion, public safety, and Turnpike expansion. The Scrapbooks were compiled by Turnpike staff.

Department of Agriculture, State Forestry Department, Woodland Management Service Records: This series is comprised of a single report, the Forestry Planting Report. The report consists of several single-page reports on the condition of trees planted by the State Forest Service along highways and on state and private property. Some planting sites include Coleman du Pont Road, the United States Navy Henlopen Station, state forests, the Equitable Building, the Brandywine Sanatorium, Hartly Public School, and Stockley.

Dodd and Hammond Collection: This subcollection consists of two series: Personal Papers and Postcards. The documents are related to the Hammond family, who once owned a candy store in Milford, Delaware. The postcards include Delaware scenes, holidays, World Wars I and II, and others.

Duncan Collection: This subcollection consists of three series: Invitations, Justice of the Peace Docket, and Nora Neal Papers.

Eckles Papers, Civil War Correspondence: A letter from James N. Eckles to Captain Dunning. James N. Eckles served in the first Delaware Calvary unit as a private during the Civil War.

Edmund Steiner Collection: This collection is primarily composed of correspondence sent to Edmund Steiner during his time of service as the president of the Milford School Board.

George and Irene Caley Postcard Collection: George Luther Caley was a well-known genealogist, author, local historian, and avid postcard collector. This is one of our most popular collections. 

George Hansell Collection: This collection focuses on George Stevenson, Esquire, and his son, Dr. George Stevenson. After George Stevenson, Esquire’s death in 1783, his son managed the family accounts and properties. This collection is largely composed of survey warrants, land surveys, and memorandums of land. 

Gruwell Collection, Family Papers: This collection comprises historical records of the Gruwell family, originating from their Lowber lineage dating back to the early 1600s. Key documents include a detailed account of a cherished family clock, tracing its passage through generations from Michael Lowber’s immigration to Kent County, Delaware, down to its sale at Letitia Lowber Cooper’s estate. 

Harold W. Lang Papers, Sheet Music and Graphics: A collection of sheet music that relates to Delaware in the title, composer, publisher, distributor, and/or retailer. The music covers a wide range of genres and subjects. 

Insurance Evaluation Reports: A comprehensive list of state owned buildings in 1941. The reports were created to serve as a guide in determining the amount of insurance to be carried.

Irons Family Papers, Steamboat Frederica: A collection of manifests and receipts for the Steamboat (Steamer) Frederica.

New – Jacqueline Ford Skinner Collection, Documents: This collection includes photographs and documents honoring Jacqueline Ford Skinner for raising public and political awareness of the need for a safer and larger archive building.

Jonathan L. French Collection, Papers: This collection includes five documents relating to Civil War veteran Jonathan L. French’s service to his country and his and his descendants’ involvement in patriotic organizations.

Legislative Papers: Explore the General Assembly, Legislative Papers Collection, digitized with funding from the National Historical Publications and Records Commission. The collection consists of manuscript records reflecting the functions and activities of the General Assembly between 1724 and 1913.

Macklin Collection, Papers: This collection contains receipts received for various goods and services purchased by Curtis Macklin.

Martin Severe Collection, First State Covers: A collection of first-day covers celebrating different points in Delaware’s history. The collection’s most significant focus is the discovery and founding of New Sweden.

Naturalizations, Kent County: Original records of those wishing to become naturalized citizens of the United States.

Naturalizations, New Castle County: New Castle County Naturalizations Original petitions and other legal documents of immigrants wishing to become American citizens. The date listed in the title reflects the year of the file and may vary from the document displayed. The file for each individual may contain more documentation.

New – Neal Joseph Boyle Collection, Documents: Neal Joseph Boyle was an avid collector of paper ephemera, specializing in postcards. This collection consists of two series: Postcards and Records.

Ogle House Papers: This series comprises legal agreements, correspondence, property surveys, and postcards documenting the lives and activities of the Ogle family, primarily centered in Delaware City, Delaware.

Pamphlet Collection – Legislative Rosters: Annual rosters created by the Delaware State Chamber of Commerce that provide names and addresses of the Delaware General Assembly, the Congressional delegation, and state and local government leaders. Also included are introductions to State Chamber lobbyists, listings of Senate and House committees and their members, district maps, and voter registration information. Rosters are typically updated every other year following elections. Legislative Rosters are a part of the Delaware Public Archives Pamphlet Collection.

Pauper Books, Kent County: The Kent County Paupers Books are registers of the sick and poor inmates of the county almshouse 1811 to 1933. Most of the books were done annually and arranged by hundred or district. For each hundred there are separate lists by gender and race. The Pauper Books include the name of the inmate, dates admitted and discharged, age, sex, race, disease or reason for admission, date of death, and birth date for infants born in the almshouse.

Peninsular News and Advertiser: The Peninsular News and Advertiser was a weekly Milford newspaper. The collection includes original newspapers from April 1857 to May 1859, January 1872 to December 1872, and January 1893 to December 1893. The newspaper contains a large assortment of advertisements, local and national news, and miscellaneous literature and articles. Nearly every weekly newspaper has a dedicated section for agricultural news and advertising, as well as a political news page. Issues for 1873 – 1874, 1880 – 1882, 1886-1887, and 1889 are on microfilm.

Peter Caverly Collection, Correspondence: This is a collection of letters written to Representative Peter Caverly between 1813 and 1814.

Philemon C. Carter Collection: This collection includes Captain Carter’s official appointment to captain, the 1862 muster-out roll for Company H, military correspondence, broadsides and circulars for collecting military claims, a discharge certificate for George Jarvis, a special requisition for blankets, a statement of discharge and compensation for Captain Carter, and the constitution and bylaws agreed upon by the Kent County residents that made up the “Home Guards.”

Post Card Collection: The Delaware Public Archives’ general postcard collection. A majority of the collection was created by the Delaware State Museums and transferred to the Archives in 1992-1993. Many new accessions have been added to it.

Record of Delawareans Who Died in World War II: This series consists of compiled service records collected for use in the World War II memorial at the Delaware Memorial Bridge and the Delaware Memorial Volume. A basic form was filled out by family members describing the soldier’s military training, service history, cause of death/injury, and basic family information.

Reference Reels Collection – Diary of Cyrus Forwood: On May 11th, 1861, Delawarean Cyrus Forwood volunteered for three months of service in the Union Army. These are the day-by-day notes and observations he wrote in his diary during his time as a soldier. The diary provides insights into the life of a Delaware soldier in the Civil War. 

Register of Births and Deaths in the Almshouse, Kent County: Spanning 1851 to 1901, this register lists the names of those born and those who died in the Kent County Almshouse. Birth entries name the newborn, the mother, and the newborn’s date of birth. Death entries are arranged by gender, race, and place of residence and note the date of death, age, and occasionally a remark about the cause of death.

Reverend Joseph Brown Turner Collection: Reverend Turner’s Collection of genealogical notes and correspondence concerning about three thousand Delmarva Peninsula families.

Revolutionary War Oaths of Allegiance: Oaths of Allegiance or declarations of fidelity were sworn to the new nation or to the State of Delaware as required by state legislation in 1778. Shown on these documents are the oath taken, name of the person sworn before, date of swearing, and signature of the person taking the oath. Included are the oaths of New Jersey residents administered by Caesar Rodney at Trenton (Feb. 1777) and a transcript of the legislation requiring the oaths.

Richard H. Bailey Collection: Delawarean Richard H. Bailey is an award-winning sculptor. This collection consists of three series: Professional Papers, Exhibit Fliers and Advertisements, and Photographs.

Richard Sund Collection: A letter from Lance Corporal Larry Leonard to a student, Richard Sund. Lance Corporal Leonard was serving in Vietnam when he responded to the student’s letter.

Richardson Family Letters: This collection of letters from Alden B. Richardson III to his father, William P. Richardson, details daily life after Alden enters the army during World War II. This collection also contains V-Letters, Alden’s life insurance information, postcards, change of address information, telegrams, a receipt for a war savings bond, and photographs.

New – Sarah Williams Collection, Ephemera: This small collection of objects and documents includes some ephemera from Dover High School, donated by Sarah Williams.

State Map Collection: The State Map Collection includes several dated and undated maps of areas in Delaware, Pennsylvania, Maryland, Virginia, and other surrounding areas. Some maps are of Delaware Bay, the Chesapeake and Delaware Canal, military forts, and major cities. This collection includes the Beers’ Atlas from 1868.

State Reports Collection: This is a comprehensive but by no means a complete collection of works published by all agencies, municipalities, and schools within Delaware. A 2014 update to the Delaware Code relating to the Freedom of Information Act resulted in the creation of the Annual Reports from State Agencies collection. There is some overlap between the two collections.

Vietnam Mailbag Records: The Vietnam Mailbag is a collection of correspondence, newspaper clippings, and photographs compiled by Nancy E. Lynch for her “Vietnam Mailbag” column in the Wilmington Morning News. Correspondence includes nearly nine hundred letters from Delaware soldiers in Vietnam, describing their viewpoints on the war, life in Vietnam, and the home front. These records were used in Lynch’s book, Vietnam Mailbag: Voices from the War, 1968-1972.

William B. Walton Collection: This subcollection consists of three series relating to the Walton family, who came to Delaware in 1854. The series containing documents are Family Papers (001) and Genealogies (003).

William C. Jason Collection: Papers and letters relating to Reverend William C. Jason, minister for the Delaware Episcopal Methodist Church Conference for twelve years, first black president for Delaware State College (D.1895) for twenty-eight years, father, and husband to Madora Bailey.

William Tharp Papers, Correspondence: This series predominantly consists of letters, approximately half of which are addressed to William Tharp, the 36th Governor of Delaware, during his lifetime.

World War II Records: An assortment of materials related to Delaware’s participation in wartime activities, used as working papers for the publication Delaware’s Role in WWII. Included is a scrapbook with documents collected by the Frankford Colored School in Frankford, Delaware, from 1939 to 1945.