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Ag Museum to host Crossroads open house March 25

March 20, 2023

The Delaware Agricultural Museum and Village in Dover will hold an open house and special programming in association with the Smithsonian exhibit Crossroads: Change in Rural America, from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m., Saturday, March 25. 

Crossroads explores the rural identity of the nation, an identity deeply rooted in the land, and one that has profoundly shaped American history. Visitors will enjoy touring the Smithsonian traveling exhibit, and other fascinating displays in the museum’s main exhibit hall and authentic Delaware village.

At 1 p.m., a program will feature presentations from author David Tabler and local historian Samuel Derby Walker Jr.

Tabler will discuss his book “Delaware Before the Railroads: A Diamond Among the States.”

Tabler’s book presents a photo gallery of sites and artifacts from Delaware history to tell the story of the Diamond State during the colonial period and early years of the United States. His book covers the area's various Native American groups, most notably the Lenape, and the 17th century arrival of Europeans, mostly Swedish and Dutch. Tabler also discusses African Americans in this period, both as slaves and freedmen, and Delaware's role in the American Revolution.

Wrapping up the narrative, Tabler covers the expansion of the state's economy in the 1810s with the introduction of steamships and in the '20s with canals.

“Over the centuries, people have experienced rural America in different ways, and their experiences have helped to shape our rural culture,” said Tabler.

Walker will discuss the history of the S.H. Derby and Co. farming operation and the remarkable history of Woodside.

At one time, there were more peach and apple trees in Delaware per square mile than any other state. In the mid- to late 1800s, the small town of Woodside was at the heart of the orchard industry.

Fruit farming was made profitable in the state by the Delaware Railroad. Even so, shipping fresh produce via rail wasn’t always practical. This led to the rise of canneries in the state. By the late 1800s, most Delaware towns had at least one canning house for peaches, tomatoes and other crops.

Samuel H. Derby and his wife Emma started their own canning company in the kitchen of their home in Woodside. The demand for their products soon exceeded what they could produce on their stove, so they formed a canning company by selling shares to other farmers. They soon bought back all the shares and started S.H. Derby & Company. Derby and other Delaware growers formed the Delaware Fruit Exchange to market and ship their fruits by rail. The Derbys exhibited a variety of their canned goods at the 1900 Paris Expo, where they were awarded a bronze medal.

Woodside is representative of the ways in which Delaware’s rural communities have adapted to changes in American agriculture. Like many of its sister communities, Woodside came into being as a result of the expansion of the Delaware Railroad. Walker’s talk will provide an opportunity for the public to learn about this unique community, the industry and other business enterprises in and around the town that helped shape its growth.

For more information, go to agriculturalmuseum.org 302-734-1618.

 

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