Museum to present Delaware holly industry program Dec. 8

The Milford Museum will continue its American History Series at 1 p.m., Saturday, Dec. 8, at the Milford Public Library, 11 S.E. Front St., Milford.

The Christmas-themed program will focus on the historical value of American holly to Delaware. During the 1930s and ‘40s, Milton was known as the holly wreath capital of the world, and Milford and surrounding towns also contributed, with Christmas wreaths being shipped worldwide. The Pennsylvania Railroad had a special train at Christmastime called the Holly Express to pick up and deliver wreaths throughout the region. Many families in Sussex and lower Kent counties were involved in making holly wreaths to supplement their income.

Presenter Dr. Robert Tjaden is a native Delawarean and a forester. With a great appreciation for Delaware’s rich forest history, he and the late Walt Gabel wrote the book, “Beneath the Canopy: A Historical View of Forestry in Delaware,” so others can realize the value of the state’s forests and have historical information in one publication. The authors take the reader on a historical journey with photographs and written documents that were gathered from archival resources and interviews that are part of the Delaware Forest Oral History Project.

Sponsored by the Milford Museum, these monthly programs focus on a variety of topics concerning local, state and national history.

For more information, contact the museum at 302-424-1080 or tom@milforddemuseum.org. These programs are offered through a generous grant from the Delaware Heritage Commission.