Delaware Tercentenary Almanack & Historical Repository; Being a valuable Compendium of Historical Information concerning the State of Delaware lavishly embellished and enlivened with felicitous Illustrations by the most eminent Artists and accurate Maps and Plans by the most ingenious Cartographers

Ward, Christopher L.

Published by Delaware Tercentenary Commissions, 1938

About this Item

Unpaginated--55 pages. Maps. Illustrations. Cover has wear, soiling, and a sticker scuff on the front. Association copy--written inside the front cover is the following statement: "This book, a souvenir, is that from The Public Archives Commission given by Mr. Leon de Valinger, Jr. State Archivist for whom I worked from March 1 - March 31, 1943 [signed by] Beatrice George. Christopher L. Ward was one of the many Delawareans who were writing in the 1920s and 30s. There is no good biography of Ward. Ward's papers are stored at the University of Delaware Morris Library. Ward's mother was the daughter of Dr. Lewis Porter Bush, a prosperous physician who served a term as head of the Delaware Medical Society and, briefly, as president of the University of Delaware. The family fortune was largely in shipping, stemming from Capt. In 1899, Delaware passed the laws that eventually made the state the home for America's corporations. Ward and Josiah Marvel, 1866-1930, had been instrumental in drafting the laws and founded one of the law firms that specialized in serving corporations. The success of the business gave Ward the money and leisure to pursue scholarly and literary activities. Ward was a historian, and his writings are well respected. Even his novels often had a historical basis. When writing serious history, Ward used "Christopher L. Ward" as his name. In fiction and literature he dropped the middle initial. At least three of his books were translated to Swedish. Among all the Delaware books, the Delaware Tercentenary Almanack & Historical Repository 1938, is unique. In its unnumbered 55 pages, this slim volume compresses more Delaware energy, famous names, and artistic talent than any other volume. It is old provincial Delaware at its best. The officers of the tercentenary commission include John Biggs, Jr., Edward W. Cooch, John P. Nields, and Anna T. Lincoln, all famous in their own fields and all well-known Delaware authors. It was probably Biggs whose political clout was able to get Franklin Delano Roosevelt to open the tercentenary celebration on the Christina River waterfront. The executive committee was headed by Christopher L. Ward, corporate lawyer and prolific writer of history. Ward wrote the Almanack. His authorship is only stated in the acknowledgments on the next to last page. There are headers, vignettes and sketches in black-and-white throughout the book. Not until the list of credits is it learned these decorations were done by Stanley M. Arthurs, Clifford W. Ashley, Albert Kruse, Frank E. Schoonover, Andrew Wyeth, and N. C. Wyeth. Andrew Wyeth would have been 20 years old at the time. By examining the pictures with a magnifying glass, one can see tiny initials identifying the artist for each work. The book begins with a calendar listing a Delaware this-day-in-history event for every day of the year. It is followed by a chronology of Delaware history and another of Delaware firsts. There are a number of short articles on colonial and federal period events. The book finishes with a list of former place names. It is said that Stanton was once called Cuckoldstown, and that Wyoming was known as West Camden. Either might be fighting words today. Frederica was Johnny Cake Landing. Bombay Hook was the musical Boomptiens Udden, and Roxana was Dog's Ear Corner.Leon de Valinger, Jr. (June 25, 1905 - July 5, 2000) was an American archivist and historian, and served as the state archivist of Delaware from 1941 to 1970. Leon de Valinger, Jr. was born in Middletown, Delaware, and studied history and political science at the University of Delaware. He received his undergraduate degree in 1930, and a master's degree in 1935 with a thesis on the early development of local government in Delaware. After completing his bachelor's degree, deValinger was hired to work as an assistant at the Delaware state archives and worked under archivists Henry Clay Conrad and George Ryden.

Seller Inventory # 73007

Bibliographic Details

• Title: Delaware Tercentenary Almanack & Historical Repository; Being a valuable Compendium of Historical Information concerning the State of Delaware lavishly embellished and enlivened with felicitous Illustrations by the most eminent Artists and accurate Maps and Plans by the most ingenious Cartographers
• Publisher: Delaware Tercentenary Commissions
• Publication Date: 1938
• Binding: Hardcover
• Illustrator: Stanley M. Arthurs, Clifford W. Ashley, Albert Kru
• Edition: Later printing.
• Condition: Good
• Signed: Signed by Author(s)
• Seller catalogs:
  • American Revolution