Milton Historical Society celebrates 50th anniversary
After having it delayed for two years due to the COVID-19 pandemic, Milton Historical Society celebrated its 50th anniversary April 7.
The event attracted more than 50 people and came with food from The Backyard and beer, wine, cocktails and the signature Golden Martini from Irish Eyes. Entertainment was provided by Philadelphia’s Eddie Davis Band.
Part of the celebration was honoring past and present Miltonians who have made contributions to making the society what it is today. Honorees included Jack Hudson, Denny Hughes, Tom Draper, Marie Mayor, former mayors Jack Bushey and Don Post and current President Randolph Brown and Vice President James Fisher.
The event included a silent auction and a 50/50 raffle; the raffle was won by current Milton Mayor John Collier, who took home an original work by Urban Sketchers of Delaware artist Jane Dean.
Milton Historical Society was founded in 1970 to collect, preserve and tell the story of the town’s history. The society is housed in the Lydia Cannon Museum on Union Street, itself the site of the first Grace Church in a building first built in 1857. Lydia Cannon, a longtime Milton resident, bought the building and donated it to the society, which renovated and reopened as a museum in 2006.
Walking tours to be revived
One of Milton Historical Society’s most popular pre-pandemic programs is set to make a comeback.
The society is reviving its walking tours where Miltonians and visitors can walk the town and learn of its history.
The first tour will be “Milton Memories with Judge Jack Hudson,” who will discuss growing up in 20th century Milton. The tours begin at 10 a.m., Saturday, April 23 and Saturday, June 11, starting at the Lydia Cannon Museum.
Beginning at 10 a.m., Saturday, May 14, is the “Boats, Buttons, Beans and Beer” tour, which examines the history of Milton industry from shipbuilding to button-making to canning to Dogfish Head beer. The tour will begin at Dogfish Head brewery.
Finally, the “Architecture of Milton” tour is set for Saturday, Sept. 10 and Saturday, Oct. 15. It will discuss the many different styles of Milton homes and the development of the community. Both tours will step off from the Lydia Cannon Museum at 10 a.m.
The society also offers self-guided tours that can be found at the museum.
Ryan Mavity covers Milton and the court system. He is married to Rachel Swick Mavity and has two kids, Alex and Jane. Ryan started with the Cape Gazette all the way back in February 2007, previously covering the City of Rehoboth Beach. A native of Easton, Md. and graduate of Towson University, Ryan enjoys watching the Baltimore Ravens, Washington Capitals and Baltimore Orioles in his spare time.
