Delaware Trivia & Tidbits - Page 9

Looking for Delaware trivia? Try our list Delaware little know facts, tidbits and trivia.

The state Legislature adopted the weakfish as the state fish in 1981. It also is known as sea trout, gray trout, yellow mouth, yellow fin trout, squeteague, and tiderunner. “Weakfish” refers to the fish’s delicate mouth structure, which often won’t hold a fishhook.

first appeared: 2/15/2004

The log cabin is a legacy of Finnish settlers who arrived in Delaware in the mid-1600s and brought with them plans for these cabins, an enduring symbol of the American pioneer.

first appeared: 2/8/2004

New Sweden was founded as a Swedish colony in 1638—the first permanent settlement in the Delaware Valley. Its first fort was located in what is now Wilmington.

first appeared: 2/1/2004

Thomas Garret, a Quaker merchant from Wilmington (pop. 72,664), reportedly helped more than 2,000 fugitive slaves move through Delaware, an important stop on the Underground Railroad.

first appeared: 1/25/2004

Historic New Castle (pop. 4,862) is the oldest town in the Delaware Valley, laid out by Peter Stuyvesant in 1651. It was the original Colonial capital in 1704 and remained the county seat until the 1880s.

first appeared: 1/18/2004

The state’s chicken broiler industry began by accident when Cecile Steele of Ocean View (pop. 1,006) mistakenly was shipped 500 chickens, which she sold as meat a few months later for a hefty price of 62 cents per pound. Her original broiler house is on display at the Delaware Agricultural Museum and Village in Dover (pop. 32,135).

first appeared: 1/11/2004

The state has only three counties: Kent, New Castle and Sussex. The two states with even fewer counties are Alaska, which has none; and Louisiana, which has parishes instead.

first appeared: 1/4/2004

The Fenwick Island Lighthouse on Fenwick Island (pop. 342) has been warning ships away from shoals off the state’s southeast coast for 145 years. The lamp once burned whale oil, then kerosene, and now is electric.

first appeared: 12/28/2003

A Frenchman, E. I. du Pont began making gunpowder in Wilmington in 1802 and was America’s leading powder maker by 1811. His powder-making enterprise was the forerunner of today’s chemical giant, the DuPont Co.

first appeared: 12/21/2003

When 1,611 volunteers collected more than 22,000 pounds of trash from the Delaware coastline in 2002, items found included false teeth, a kitchen sink and a car bumper.

first appeared: 12/14/2003

Pea Patch Island on the Delaware River supports the largest East Coast heron rookery north of Florida. As many as 7,000 pairs of herons, egrets and ibis nest on the island.

first appeared: 12/7/2003

The Coastal Heritage Greenway, which celebrates the history and ecological richness of Delaware, extends along the coast from Fox Point State Park to the Maryland border.

first appeared: 11/30/2003

Drafted by the New York Yankees in 1977, Steve Taylor became the state’s first-ever, first round draft pick. Taylor also holds University of Delaware records for complete games (11) and shutouts (3).

first appeared: 11/23/2003

So many 18th and 19th-century homes can be found in Odessa (pop. 286) that the whole town is zoned historic.

first appeared: 11/16/2003

Every spring, thousands of migrant birds descend to Delaware’s shores to feast on horseshoe crab eggs. The eggs restore lost fat reserves, enabling the birds to resume their northward flight.

first appeared: 11/9/2003

The Delaware River and Delaware Bay both were named for Lord De LaWarr, a former governor of Virginia. The state takes its name from the river and bay.

first appeared: 11/2/2003

Wilmington’s Victorian-era Grand Opera House was restored in 1871 and today serves as the state’s Center for the Performing Arts. Among its unique features is an unusual cast-iron facade.

first appeared: 10/26/2003

The first three verses of Delaware’s state song, Our Delaware, sing the praises of the state’s three counties: New Castle, Kent, and Sussex. Added later, the fourth verse pledges citizen loyalty.

first appeared: 10/19/2003

Among Delaware’s nicknames is the Blue Hen State, which caught on during the Revolutionary War when the colony’s soldiers traveled with fighting game chickens.

first appeared: 10/12/2003

Coach Bruce Reynolds led William Penn High School’s football team to a record 218 wins between 1974 to 2000, making him the winningest coach in state history.

first appeared: 10/5/2003

jump to page: 1 , 2 , 3 , 4 , 5 , 6 , 7 , 8 , 9 , 10 , 11 , 12 , 13 , 14 , 15 , 16 , 17

newspaper partner login create account

Recent

Popular

Recipes

Below are the most recent American Profile articles:

Below are the most recent, highest rated American Profile articles:

Below are the most recent, highest rated American Profile recipes:

Relish

Spry

Below are the most recent articles from our Relish sister site. Click on the "Spry" tab above to see the most recent articles from our other sister site.

Below are the most recent articles from our Spry sister site. Click on the "Relish" tab above to see the most recent articles from our other sister site.