THE DELAWARE STORY

[Music] this is the Delaware story the story of a free people in a free land and of their progress across the years historically culturally and economically it is a story well worth the telling as the immortal Thomas Jefferson knew it would be when more than a century and a half ago he gave Delaware its nickname Delaware is a diamond in the Coronet of States that's what Jefferson said and since that time Delaware has been known as The Diamond State like a diamond precious Beyond its size the beauty and value of this good land for living and working comes from many facets one of these sparkling facets is Delaware's history the Leni lenpy Indians proudest of the red men roam the fertile Peninsula when in 168 Henry Hudson was the first white man to sail into what is now Delaware Bay first to carve home sites in Delaware's forests were the Dutch under Hendrickson this Monument marks the establishment of their settlement Swan day or Valley of swans near what is now Lewis here was the cradling of a state within a year the settlement was wiped out but 6 years later at this spot known as The Rocks the Dutchman Peter menu founded a colony for the Swedish company near what is now Wilmington the colonists named the settlement New Sweden and centered it around found Fort Christina ham named in honor of their Queen but rivalry soon developed between the swedes and the Dutch of New Amsterdam led by the fiery peg-legged Peter stent the Dutch took possession of New Sweden and governed until 1664 when the English took control of the territory it was at this spot in Newcastle that William Penn first set putot in the new world and the Visionary Quaker governed Delaware for many years during the century and half before independence the flags of three nations flew over Delaware and from each the Dutch the swedes and the English the people of Delaware inherited many fine Traditions historic old swedes church in Wilmington one of the oldest Protestant churches in the new world symbolizes Traditions inherited from Swedish Pioneers this church where Services have been held for more than two and a half centuries played an important role in the spirit Spiritual Development of the Young Nation from Swedish settlers also came the architecture of the Log Cabin destined to become a symbol of pioneering in the new [Music] world this quaint Dutch courthouse in Lewis reminds us that it was from the Dutch that came the systems of town and Village self-government and organization into counties magistrates courts systems copied throughout the States from the English centered in Newcastle came not only only spiritual Traditions but systems of laws that were subsequently to it our Constitution and Bill of Rights but swedes Dutch and English these and many other nationalities gradually merged to become a new people a people who were to take their place in the front ranks of the struggle for Independence it was the delawarean Caesar Rodney who left from his estate in Dober to ride all through the night of July 3rd 17 1976 to cast the deciding vote for Independence during the Revolutionary War the devotion of the people of Delaware to the cause of Liberty was evidenced by 4,000 enlistments in the Blue Hens chickens militia men who served with Valor in many major engagements [Music] here at cooches bridge near new ark visitors may see the spot where in September 1777 General Maxwell's men met the advanced forces of General how's Army carrying with them as this Monument tells the first official American flag Betsy Ross's Old Glory and after the struggle for Independence was fought and won it was the deputies of the people of Delaware who were first to ratify the Federal Constitution thus was born a free state first of the United States pledged to Liberty and [Music] Independence this facet of the diamond State its history is however but a part of Delaware's Brilliance much of a people's greatness comes from things of the spirit and Delaware is rich in spiritual heritage Lovely St an's church was built half a century before the Revolution and still serves the spiritual needs of nearby Middletown quaint Dagsboro Church opened its doors to worshippers before George Washington was born historic Christ Church in Dover was built in 178 and rebuilt in 1744 Barrett's Chapel near Freda became the Cradle of methodism back in 1780 old friend's Meeting House in Wilmington in 1738 was the first church of the friend society and Wilmington's first Schoolhouse also in Wilmington the first and Central Presbyterian Church is the outstanding example of Colonial Church architecture today several hundred churches large and small throughout the state provide comfort and guidance for the membership of 18 denominations Catholic Protestant and [Music] Hebrew eight out of 10 of Delaware's people are active members of church groups and young and old of all faiths find inspiration and friendship in the state's many churches some of these churches are new many have watch Generations come and go all of them contribute to the spiritual beauty of Delaware for Delaware is a beautiful state its beauty is a friendly beauty that is timeless soft rolling Fields Sparkling Waters and Placid streams under peaceful Skies season after season year after year from its Woodlands to its Sunny Shores the diamond state offers a symphony of loveliness 50 Inland Lakes offer Scenic charm and opportunities for relaxation while The Shining Sands of reoboth Beach and the musical surf make it one of the east's finest Resorts often called the nation Capital young and old here find healthful Recreation yes for good Fellowship for play for health for outdoor living Delaware offers Beauty in unending variety health of body and a healthy mind are combined in a Christian way of living to these are added other cultural advantages libraries art museums and art programs here in the Wilmington Art Center are both exhibits and art classes this Museum in Newcastle displays many items of artistic and historic interest and the building itself built in 1730 was the home of Nicholas van djk governor of Delaware each year residents of Newcastle dress in Charming Colonial costumes and visitors from far and near are treated to delightful reenactments of home life in early America quaint and lovely objects and articles of furniture date back 300 years this little Lady represents Delaware's history as much as the cherished China she handles she is Mrs Sarah R cooch descendant of both cooch of cooch's bridge and the famous Cesar Rodney By Appointment visitors May view the Treasures of the winter tour Museum a comprehensive and unique display of early Americana here as in many places in Delaware the historic beauty of old architecture is preserved along with the pleasant atmosphere of Old Colonial days ridgley house built 50 years before the Revolution is one of the lovely old houses still standing ing on do green the George Reed house built in 181 is considered one of the finest existing examples of English Georgian architecture old do state house set the style for countless state government buildings Wilmington's Old Town Hall is not only symbolic of a style of architecture but also of local governments in which the Free People of Delaware participate with pride based on longstanding Traditions local and state governments are dedicated to constant betterment of the people's welfare this is why Delaware's Statewide educational program began in 1792 when the state constitution directed the establishment of schools is constantly being improved [Music] the future of the state is in its Youth and that is why Delaware May well be proud of its schools its grade schools its high schools and its colleges the University of Delaware traces its history back to 1833 when a charter was granted to what was then known as new ark college today students from many other states join with the young men and women of Delaware in working toward degrees in the Arts and Sciences agriculture education engineering and home economics similarly Delaware State College on 200 Acres of fertile Farmland near do offers degrees in the Arts Sciences home economics Agriculture and Industrial subjects but Delaware is Rich not only in its history its spiritual life its beauty and its educational and cultural advantages there are other shining f of the diamond State Delaware is Rich too in its material strength in fact since its earliest days a sound and well-balanced economy has been perhaps the brightest facet of the diamond State many of its old Industries still thrive in Delaware here we see the eighth generation of the same family management of the J roads company which has been in Delaware for well over 2 and a half centuries this is but one of the companies that make Delaware famous for its leather products and the state is today the world center for glazed kid and Morocco Leathers the Joseph Bancroft company served the state before the Revolution and is now the largest cotton finishing plant in the world back in 1785 Oliver Evans of Delaware invented the automatic flower Miller which was to revolutionize industry and make Delaware a center for flower Milling along the sparkling Brandy Wine in 182 quaint powder Mills marked the beginning of the DuPont company one of the world's largest and most dramatic private Industries in the shipyards of Wilmington was built the Bangor the first Iron held propeller driven [Music] Steamboat and speaking of Steamboats the Delaware and Chesapeake Canal begun more than 150 years ago symbolizes effectively the early development of transportation and communication in Delaware over 13 miles long this Waterway provided a valuable Transportation link between many centers of early Commerce for water routs played an important role in Delaware's early economic history on land early Trails developed into Road networks in 1820 the railroads came to Delaware First the Newcastle Frenchtown railro Road and later railroad the exchange of goods and ideas is essential to growth and when our nation was just a century old a new era [Music] opened the invention of the telephone by Alexander Graham Bell in 1876 was destined to have a profound effect on the social and economic life of Delaware only a bit more than 2 years after its invention April 1878 to be exact William T Westbrook as established the first telephone service in the state some 19 years later the Diamond State telephone company came into being linked to the rest of the nation by the wires of the Bell System the Diamond State company has had much to do with Delaware's growth and progress in busy downtown Wilmington at Ninth and tatel streets and on the city's Northern outskirts at 3900 Washington Street we see the offices of the diamond State telephone company which may well be considered the heart of Communications in Delaware for the telephone has played an important part in the development of the state into one of the foremost industrial centers the industries of Delaware serve the nation and the world because they are linked to the nation and the World by efficient Communications networks here at Deer steel raw materials from other states are fashioned into the machines and products that add to our country's welfare and industrial strength within Delaware's borders are Industries known the world over pu and Jones Corporation the Magnificent General Motors plant near Wilmington the new multi-million doll Delaware flying a Refinery of the Tidewater Associated Oil Company at Delaware City which processes 130,000 barrels of crude oil per day this huge plant of the Chrysler Corporation the international latex Corporation at do the Container Corporation of America National vulcanized fiber in northern Delaware the Claymont plant of the Colorado Fuel and iron Corporation DuPont's nylon plant in Seaford and many others among these the DuPont company has grown to become an outstanding example of private Industries unlimited Horizons where growth is a measure of service to human needs dedicated to better things for Better Living Through Chemistry it has given to the world thousands of entirely new products that have benefited mankind today with companies such as Dupont Atlas and Hercules Delaware is the chemical center of the world while the Miracles of modern chemistry perhaps best typify Delaware's larger industrial growth and progress throughout the years many smaller Industries have also flourished [Music] here these have found Delaware a thriving state in which to do business with growing markets and a reliable supply of industrious [Music] employees Banks trust companies and other Financial in also play key roles in Delaware's economy while in its prospering cities and towns thousands of small businesses enjoy the opportunities afforded by the diamond state in these days when the rights of individuals to seek their own Destinies are challenged by Foreign ideologies these thousands of small businesses typify private Enterprise at its best and play a leading role in the state's growing economy located in the heart of a great industrial area Delaware's fertile land and moderate climate make it an important Farm state with nearly 7,000 Farms producing over $100 million worth of farm products a year in addition to producing a wide variety of truck crops such as these delicious vegetables Delaware is also known for its fruits and is often referred to as the peach blossom state harvests from Del Farms carry health and pleasure to the tables of the [Music] nation livestock and dairy products are also important in Delaware's economy but most outstanding is Delaware's poultry business over 10,000 chickens live in this one of many hen houses doing their bit toward the 140 million eggs produced annually in the state valuable chickens handsome healthy and noisy one of Delaware's large hatcheries welcomes as many as 8 million Lively chicks a [Music] year poultry is big business in Delaware in fact the state is one of the nation's leading producers sending to Market each year more than 90 million plump young chickens the nation's tables benefit not only from the harvests from Delaware's Fields but also from her Bays her rivers and the ocean and these commercially valuable Waters offer an extra dividend to those who appreciate not only Seafood but also the sport of fishing yes Delaware's Waters play their part in making the Diamond State prosperous and pleasant practically surrounded by navigable waterways Delaware has benefited since her founding from the channels of Transportation which they provide for the state's location on the busy Eastern Seaboard makes it an important one in the nation's Commerce geographically it is nearly an isolated Peninsula and over the years a growing network of bridges have sprung from Delaware's Commerce with neighboring states and the nation Delaware's transportation system ever growing is among the finest in the nation growing Commerce demands efficiency in transportation and the famed Dupont Highway running the length of the state is engineered for efficiency and safety most of this forlane divided highway is landscaped and planted to provide pleasure as well as utility this lovely arching span speeds motorists over the Delaware Chesapeake Canal near St George's speeding streamliners to from North and South link Delaware to the nation while bridges in the air provide time-saving highways to distant places for business or pleasure but most striking in Delaware's Transportation network is The Magnificent Delaware Memorial Bridge built and maintained entirely by the state this engineering Triumph with its 2,000 ft Center span Rising 180 ft above the Delaware River provides easy access to the nation's Turnpike Network symbolic of still another major contribution to Delaware's economic strength is this telephone cable for telephone service is vital to Delaware's growth and progress today Delaware's po population growth is among the fastest in the nation its average household income is the highest in the country and its farm income is well above the national average the Diamond State telephone company is proud to have matched this Dynamic growth of the state throughout the years it is proud also of the fact that Delaware was the first state to have 100% dial service today its telephone service is among the most modern in the world big business medium business shops stores and services National Defense Farms transportation and the homes of Delaware have all benefited from a continually expanding and improving telephone [Music] service in addition the telephone company spends annually in Delaware millions of dollars for supplies purchased from hundreds of businesses large and small throughout the [Music] state it also provides good jobs for hundreds of her people most of whom live and spend their wages in [Music] Delaware delawarians employed by the telephone company are proud of the important part they play in the vital job of communications they know that today's high standards of service demand constant attention to planning for the future as well as the development through scientific research at the Bell Telephone Laboratories of ever better methods and Equipment direct distance dialing which with amazing equipment such as this is rapidly placing the nation at your fingertips [Applause] radio relay service beaming telephone calls and television programs across the continent the amazing transistor a tiny counterpart of the vacuum tube coaxial cable which carries thousands of telephone calls simultaneously through tiny Hollow copper tubes and the solar battery which has help to unlock the doorways to outer space yes the employees of the Diamond State telephone company are a part of Delaware and its people and it is its people which are the final most brilliant facet of the diamond state for it is they who have made its history have created its spiritual Heritage have built its [Music] Commerce they are proud of their state and find it a good place in which to raise their families they find it also a good place in which to work whether in busy Wilmington or in its smaller cities such as Georgetown do Seaford Newcastle in its towns and Villages or in the Open Country the men and women of the diamond State telephone company are proud of Delaware too it's history culture and economy and they show their pride by taking an active part in the Affairs of their local communities in education in Boy Scout work in service to the needy in these and countless other phases of community life they play their part as good citizens and as your neighbors enlarging your world through service and science to them as it must be to you the Delaware story is a thrilling story not only because it is an outstanding example of what free people in a free country can accomplish under our American System of private Enterprise but also because they are a part of that story what the future may hold of course no man can say but if the future of Delaware can be for told from the record of its past then indeed the years ahead are bright with promise and and this is only the beginning of the Delaware story