I don’t have to tell regular blog readers about Delaware’s smallness. In fact, with Kentucky Derby Day approaching and having noticed a plethora of miniature horse farms (I’m not kidding) we’ve been joking recently that there should be a “Delaware Derby” using miniature horses.
Yes folks, it is a small state. However, Lewes is near the southern end and there is much to see and do in the Wilmington area on the northern tip. Thus, we are going to have to do a little more driving (and maybe a little more planning ahead) in the next week or so as we begin to explore historic northern Delaware.
One of our biggest problems with this plan will be getting started. I’m up early each day, of course. However, much of those early hours are frittered away writing this blog and reading the New York Times.
Not long after I get up the workers arrive and start beating on the walls. Incredibly, Betsy seems to sleep through that and does not emerge from her first-floor cave into the bright sunlight of the second floor’s ocean view until 9ish.
Then we have our favorite little things to do in Lewes. Today I once again biked to Cape Henlopen State Park, checked the Osprey Cam (there may be a third egg and Mrs. Osprey was facing the camera; still no sighting (by me) of Mr. Osprey), jogged and walked on the beach, where I saw several Horseshoe crabs (these quite large, prehistoric looking creatures have been designated as the Delaware State Marine Animal and state officials claim there are more of them in Delaware Bay than any other place on earth).
While I was at the cape enjoying myself Betsy was “working”; taking care of the shopping chores by riding her bike down the trail toward Rehoboth to the farm store where she picked up more asparagus, fresh milk, steaks, bacon and other goodies – all of it raised right there on the adjacent farm, which adjoins the western edge of the state park.
By the time these “chores” were finished it was time to eat lunch.
Finally, we took off for northern Delaware. Near the air force base in Dover we broke away from the main highway and took a scenic route that more or less follows the eastern shore of the upper portion of Delaware Bay as it increasingly narrows to the point where it looks more like a river than a bay (and providing a great view of the huge power plant on the New Jersey shore, see photo below).
A large chunk of this portion of Delaware consists of Federal wildlife refuges and conservation areas and is mostly marsh/swamp. Occasionally there will be a road that juts east through the marshland to the shore of the bay/river, where there may or may not be a small collection of houses and possibly a small store.
Eventually this twisty, two-lane road brought us to Delaware City where Betsy is considering ending her bike ride across Delaware. I’m sure there will be more on Delaware City and the bike ride in future posts.
As the photo indicates, the scenic route comes to a rather inglorious (and perhaps somewhat tardy) end just outside Delaware City, on the way to New Castle.
New Castle is where William Penn first set foot in North America and it was an important port city in colonial days. It is also the home of George Read, an influential delegate to the 1787 Constitutional Convention and a signer of the Declaration of Independence (a combination only a few men can claim) even though he famously voted against the declaration.
Read is a family name on Betsy’s mother’s side and her mother and other forebears are buried in the Read Hill Cemetery near Texarkana. One of Betsy’s older brothers was named Read and that is also Tex’s middle name.
At some point in her life, for reasons that are unclear, Betsy’s mother became convinced that she (and therefore Betsy and her siblings and, eventually, Tex) is descended from George Read. She was quite proud of the fact that Read both signed the declaration and participated in drafting the constitution.
However, I don’t think she was fully aware of Read’s true role and his opposition to the declaration.
Read was an attorney and a major player in governing colonial Delaware, which was technically still part of Pennsylvania until just one month before the declaration.
As such Read was one of three Delawareians representing the colony in the Continental Congress when the votes were taken on the declaration in 1776. Reflecting what was probably the majority opinion in Delaware at that time, Read favored continuing to try to work things out with the British and he felt that the colonies were not strong enough to declare independence in 1776; thus the rebellion would be crushed and the cause of liberty would be set back (not to mention that the many prosperous merchants in Delaware would be adversely impacted). This was not an imprudent or unusual position for a politician to take at that time.
The other Delaware delegate to the Continental Congress, Thomas McKean, voted in favor of independence. That meant that the vote of the third delegate, Caesar Rodney, was needed to break the tie. Rodney reportedly rode overnight, 14 hours straight, to get to Philadelphia in record time and break the tie. In a show of unanimity (and great courage) Read signed the declaration even though he had opposed. That signature was considered an act of treason and, had things turned out differently, would have effectively been a death sentence for Read and all of the other signers.
Guess which one (Read or Rodney) portrayed as the hero today?
In the post-revolution Articles of Confederation period both Read and Rodney served as presidents of Delaware (a common term used at the time instead of governor). Like most people in Delaware Read chafed at the weakness of the Federal government under the articles and wanted a stronger Federal government because he felt it was needed to protect the interests of the burgeoning merchant class in the state. He was elected by the state legislature to serve as a senator in the first and second congress under the new constitution.
While I don’t think Betsy shares her mother’s conviction of a link to Read one of the things we definitely wanted to see in New Castle is the George Read house.
Unfortunately, the house was closed for the day, as was the New Castle County Courthouse.
Thus we had to settle for walking the cobblestone streets, puttering around in the Read garden (where George’s house once stood) and scouting out Betsy’s route to ride her bike across the state on the trip home, which also featured a stop at Delaware’s only rest area, which is very nice.
A late supper of asparagus, pork chops and drippings-infused rice topped off an interesting, relaxing day.
1 comment:
Quick Betsy affirmation: I not only believe in our family's connection to George Read but have seen the lines to confirm it. However, there were other factors after my mother learned this which has made me lose some enthusiasm. That's now gone.
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