September 9th, 2021 Schedule of Events
Zwaanendael Museum Facebook livestream, Zoom, and in-person
All programs are free. Virtual Zoom programs are open to the first 100 registrants. Attendees of in-person programs must bring their own chairs.
Examining Delaware’s Commercial Fishing Industry – 12:00 pm
Early colonists depended on the natural resources of our local waterways, including, but not limited to the American Shad, Atlantic Sturgeon, Eastern Oyster, Menhaden and Striped Bass. Join Dr. Ed Hale, Marine Advisory Specialist & Assistant Professor of fisheries & aquaculture, for an active discussion about key topics of the commercial fishing industry of Delaware. He will review current trends at regional and national scales, as well as historical fisheries that contributed to the social fabric and economic development of the first state. After this presentation, participants will better understand how early colonists relied on these animals for sustenance and how we continue to rely on these fisheries for important recreational and commercial industries.
Dr. Hale is a Marine Advisory Specialist with the Delaware Sea Grant Program, and holds a faculty appointment with the University of Delaware School of Marine Science and Policy. After attaining his Ph.D. in 2012 with Dr. Tim Targett at the UD-Lewes campus, he returned to the state of Delaware as a Research Statistician with the DNREC Division of Fish & Wildlife. He joined Delaware Sea Grant in 2018. Dr. Hale has broad research interests in fisheries & aquaculture, population dynamics and environmental drivers of abundance of locally observed fishes in the Mid-Atlantic region, cooperative industry research, and sustainable oyster farming. He has a small demonstration area at the Lewes campus where he exhibits methods in oyster aquaculture, and is actively collaborating on topics that include Blue Crab catch rates in the Inland Bays, American Shad passage on Brandywine Creek, and apex predators in the coastal ocean.
Join this program via Zoom (Register Here).
On the Cutting Edge: Fort Miles and Cold War Technology – 1:15 pm
Built for World War II, Fort Miles actually saw the most use during the Cold War. Join us as we uncover Fort Miles’ role in developing new missiles, communication systems, and surveillance programs during this tense moment in history.
Tyler Dreiblatt, Interpretive Programs Manager at the Fort Miles Museum and Historic Area. He is responsible for developing programming, exhibits, and special events that interpret the World War II and Cold War history of Fort Miles. Tyler has a degree in History from Allegheny College, and a certificate of study in Environmental Education and Interpretation from Humboldt State University. He is a National Association for Interpretation Certified Interpretive Guide, as well as the 2018 winner of the Delaware State Parks Mohr-Jennings Award for excellence in interpretation.
Join this program via Zoom (Register Here) or Facebook.
Lammot du Pont and Innovation at the DuPont Company – 2:30 pm
Lammot du Pont (1831-84) served as the DuPont Company’s chief innovator in the mid-19th century. In addition to receiving four patents, he completed numerous studies to make operations in DuPont’s explosives factories safer and more efficient. Lammot du Pont also changed how the company operated based on his knowledge of the explosives industry and latest business practices. Lammot du Pont, along with his uncle Henry, laid the foundation for the DuPont Company to become the largest American explosives manufacturer and later take a lead in the chemical industry.
Lucas R. Clawson is site historian at Hagley Museum and Library in Wilmington, Delaware. He works with the historical records of the DuPont Company and du Pont family, using them to create public programming, lead discussions with Hagley’s staff, and for scholarly research such as his upcoming book on the DuPont Company in the American Civil War. Lucas is a graduate of the University of Delaware and has been with Hagley since 2007.
Join this program via Zoom (Register Here) or Facebook.
We Have Been Here Before: Delmarva During the 1918 Pandemic – 3:45 pm
This program examines the impact of the so-called Spanish Influenza Pandemic of 1918 on Delmarva and nearby points. The virus took a grim toll on the Delmarva region, and it overwhelmed the health care system, forcing the region to shut down for an extended period. Although they didn’t call it social distancing at the top of the twentieth century, the methods they used to quarantine the contagion are similar to what we practice today. Thus, as the world struggles with the novel COVID-19 contagion, we will take a relevant look at the past to see how people in the region 102-years ago managed a similar situation, at a time when medical science did not have a treatment for the pathogen.
Mike Dixon is a historian and writer whose research and teaching focuses on social history and community studies. For over four decades, he has worked to encourage public interest and participation in the preservation of the past while creating understandings between earlier eras and the present. Addressing his area of scholarship, he has appeared on the Today Show, the National Geographic Channel and in prestigious magazines. Mike enjoys seeking out stories that create a distinctive sense of place. Along the way he finds rich, deep, and varied stories about earlier times in our fascinating towns and communities. He holds graduate degrees in history and the behavioral sciences and teaches as an adjunct professor of history at a number of area universities and colleges. His interest in the study of the past started in the late 1960s when he started volunteering at a local historical society.
Join this program via Zoom (Register Here) or Facebook.
This program is funded by a grant from the Delaware Humanities, a state program of the National Endowment for the Humanities.
Smooth Sound Big Band – 6:00 pm
Cancelled due to inclement weather.
The Big Band performs music from the Big Band Era through Classic Rock and Jazz. The band is comprised of former professional musicians, former music educators, and amateur musicians. Membership is through request/invitation only.
Join this program in-person at Stango Park, 113 Third Street or on Facebook.
George Washington Carver: “There is no End to What I can do” – 7:15 pm
George Washington Carver, better known as the Peanut Man, was the inventor responsible for redeveloping the southern crop industry after the Civil War. His discoveries with plantings of peanuts, sweet potato, and soy beans changed the southern crop industry. His ideas influenced farmers both here at home and countries abroad for many years. Carver was a man of strong religious beliefs and of great tenacity.
In his interpretation of Carver, Henley discusses how to achieve success in Faith and brings out the strong will and determination of Carver.
Keith Henley’s background is one of great diversity. He graduated South Carolina State College with a major in Chemistry and minors in Mathematics and Biology. Later, he went on to study Theatre Education at Camden County College Blackwood, NJ. He currently owns and operates J.O.Y. Productions, Queenie’s Homemade Sweets and Catering, & Alpha Designs. He is the Artistic Director and Choreographer for Folkloric Heritage Culture Arts Company Inc. of Cherry Hill, New Jersey. He began his historic interpretation career with Historic Philadelphia Inc. and has worked for American Historical theatre and History First Hand and has performed for the Smithsonian Associates’ Teaching American History program, Historic Germantown, the Academy of Natural Sciences of Philadelphia and organizations served by the New Jersey Council for the humanities.
Join this program via Zoom (Register Here) or Facebook.