A Few of FR's Finest....Every Day....10-24,25-07....Delaware ~ The First State

October 24, 2007 | Billie

[Billie]

A Few of FR's Finest....Every Day

Free Republic made its debut in September, 1996, and the forum was added in early 1997.    Over 200,000 people have registered for posting privileges on Free Republic, and the forum is read daily by tens of thousands of concerned citizens and patriots from all around the country and the world.

A Few of FR's Finest....Every Day was introduced on June 24, 2002. It's only a small room in JimRob's house where we can get to know one another a little better; salute and support our military and our leaders; pray for those in need; and congratulate those deserving. We strive to keep our threads entertaining, fun, and pleasing to look at, and often have guest writers contribute an essay, or a profile of another FReeper.

On Mondays please visit us to see photos of A FEW OF FR'S VETERANS AND ACTIVE MILITARY

Over the past four years we have taken A Few of FR's Finest on a cyber tour of many of the states in this great land of ours; today we are featuring the tiny state of Delaware, also dubbed "The First State", "Diamond State", "Blue Hen State", and "Small Wonder".

"The First State": Delaware is known by this nickname due to the fact that on December 7, 1787, it became the first of the 13 original states to ratify the U.S. Constitution.

"The Diamond State": This nickname was given to Delaware, according to legend, by Thomas Jefferson because he described Delaware as a "jewel" among states due to its strategic location on the Eastern Seaboard.

"Blue Hen State": This nickname was given to Delaware after the fighting Blue Hen Cocks that were carried with the Delaware Revolutionary War Soldiers for entertainment during Cock fights.

"Small Wonder": This nickname is basically a new nickname. It was given to Delaware due to its size and the contributions it has made to our country as a whole and the beauty of Delaware.

Source: http://www.state.de.us/facts/history/delfact.htm

Below are some of the states we've visited since Mama_Bear first took us to "Sweet Home Alabama" on May 23, 2003.

Click on each STATE to view the thread, and it will open in a separate window. (States with a white * have not been profiled yet.)

Delaware's history is a long and proud one. Early explorations of its coastline were made by the Spaniards and Portuguese in the sixteenth century; by Henry Hudson in 1609 under the auspices of the Dutch; by Samuel Argall in 1610, Cornelius May in 1613, and by Cornelius Hendricksen in 1614.

During a storm, Argall was blown off course and sailed into a strange bay which he named in honor of his governor. It is doubtful that Lord De La Warr ever saw, or explored, the bay, river, and state which today bears his name. In 1631, 11 years after the landing of the English pilgrims at Plymouth, Massachusetts, the first white settlement was made on Delaware soil.

A group of Dutchmen formed a trading company headed by Captain David Pietersen de Vries for the purpose of enriching themselves from the New World. The expedition of about 30 individuals sailed from the town of Hoorn under the leadership of Captain Peter Heyes in the ship De Walvis (The Whale). Their settlement, called Zwaanendael, meaning valley of swans, was located near the present town of Lewes on the west bank of the Lewes Creek, today the Lewes and Rehoboth Canal.

Continue reading HERE

Adopted on July 24, 1913, the Delaware state flag has a background of colonial blue surrounding a diamond of buff color in which the coat of arms of the state is placed. Below the diamond are the words "December 7, 1787," indicating the day on which Delaware was the first state to ratify the United States constitution. Because of this action, Delaware became the first state in the Union, and is, therefore, accorded the first position in such national events as presidential inaugurations.

According to members of the original commission established to design the flag, the shades of buff and colonial blue represent those of the uniform of General George Washington. Inside the diamond, the flag recognizes the importance of commerce {the ship} and agriculture {wheat, corn, the ox and the farmer} to the state. Tribute is also paid to the revolutionary war soldiers. The words in the ribbon banner read Liberty and Independence.

Take a virtual tour of Delaware's rich history and culture.

• Delaware was admitted to Statehood on December 7, 1787 - the first state in the union, thus the nickname of "The First State". It is also dubbed "The Diamond State", "Blue Hen State", and "Small Wonder". The state's motto is "Liberty and Independence", and those words are printed on the state flag.
  
  
• Delaware ranks 49th in the nation with a total area of 1,982 square miles. There are only three counties in the state. New Castle County is 438 square miles. Kent County is 594 square miles. Sussex County is 950 square miles. Delaware is 96 miles long and varies from 9 to 35 miles in width.
  
  
• Song: "Our Delaware" (words by: George B. Hynson music by: M. S. Brown) became the official state song in 1925. The verses recognize each of Delaware's three counties.
  
  
• Largest Cities: Wilmington, Dover, Newark, Milford, Seaford, Middletown, Elsmere, Smyrna, New Castle, and Georgetown. Dover, located on the Saint Jones River in the central part of the state, is the seat of Kent County. Dover has been the state's capital since 1777. The capitol building, below, is commonly known as Legislative Hall.
  
  
  
• Highest elevation -- 447.85 ft. above sea level near Ebright Road in New Castle County. Lowest -- sea level along the coast.
  
  
• 2000 Population Estimate - 783,600; 45th among the states; Density: 401 persons per square mile. For additional information, go to the U.S. Census Bureau, the Delaware Economic Development Office, or the Office of Occupational and Labor Market Information.
  
  
• Delaware's climate is moderate year round. Average monthly temperatures range from 75.8 to 32.0 degrees. Average temperature in the summer months is 74.3 degrees. About 57% of the days are sunny. Annual precipitation is approximately 45 inches. Temperatures along the Atlantic Coast are about 10 degrees warmer in winter and 10 degrees cooler in summer. The average growing season varies from 170 to 200 days.
  
  
• On the Eastern Seaboard of the United States, Delaware is bordered by the Atlantic Ocean and Delaware Bay, as well as by the states of New Jersey, Pennsylvania and Maryland. Delaware's location affords easy access to the major metropolitan areas of the Northeast. Washington, D.C., Philadelphia, and Baltimore are all within a 2-hour drive.
  
  
• Chief Products: Agriculture -- broilers, soybeans, corn, milk. Fishing Industry -- crabs, clams. Mining -- sand and gravel, magnesium compounds. Manufacturing -- chemicals, food products, paper products, rubber and plastics products, primary metals, printed materials.

Why Delaware? I can't begin to list all the reasons to visit Delaware, but for starters.....

Do you like water? Quiet, peaceful landscapes? Nature at its best? Do you like history? Like to shop? In Delaware you can shop tax-free because there's no sales tax!

Delaware may be the nation’s second-smallest state, but it packs plenty of first-rate opportunities for both vacation and relocation - after all, it didn't get its newest nickname (Small Wonder) by accident!

Let's just let a few pictures do the talking.

For history buffs, these are but a few examples of the rich history that is Delaware....

The historic Fort Delaware State Park on Pea Patch Island in the Delaware River offers Civil War reenactments and displays of soldiers’ daily lives. Fort Christiana State Park includes a full-size replica of the Swedish settlers’ sailing ship, the Kalmar Nyckel.

The Zwaanendael Museum in Lewes, Delaware, is modeled after the town hall in Hoorn, the Netherlands, to commemorate Delaware’s first European settlement by the Dutch in 1631.

As I was searching Delaware's history, state symbols, and other facts, a page out of The Official Website for the First State caught my eye, especially since it's almost Halloween. (I chose a few of the pictures and their accompanying 'stories' below for you to enjoy.)

It starts like this:

Rumors and legends of hauntings have grown up around these locations for many years, but please remember as you view the images that seeing is not necessarily believing.

The Delaware Public Archives does not endorse or deny any of these legends, however, the continued existence of these stories is enough to make you wonder...

• Addy-Sea Inn, Bethany, Delaware...
  Room 1 contains a bathtub that has been seen shaking violently. Room 6 has organ music heard within its walls. Room 11 is thought to be haunted by the ghost of Paul Dulaney, who worked for the Addys. Footsteps, thought to be of Kurtz Addy, can be heard on the roof and in the second floor hallway. Kurtz, the son of builder, John Addy fell to his death from the roof.
  
  
• Rockwood Mansion, Wilmington, Delaware...
  Many orbs have been witnessed floating throughout the 45 rooms of this Victorian Mansion. Strange sounds have been reported by staff members. Although investigations have been done, none have been able to identify specific spirits.
  
  
• Ellendale State Forest, Ellendale, Delaware...
  A headless figure has been seen walking along the highway that runs through the park. No one knows who he is, but there is a high rate of accidents reported along this road by the local police.
  
  
• Scotts Run Bridge, St. George's, Delaware...
  The spirit of an old black man named Jacob is said to still play his fiddle by the bridge. Before the Civil War, he played his fiddle while he sat on the railing of the old wooden bridge. He died after falling into the Scott Run stream. It is said that you can still hear his fiddle playing while standing on the new bridge.
  
  
• Slaughter Neck, Slaughter Beach, Delaware...
  The ghost of a man who committed suicide haunts this area. He apparently shot himself while sitting in a ditch. Another ghost that wanders the Boardwalk trail between Slaughter Neck and Broadkill Beach is thought to be that of Jonathan Morris. He owned a farmhouse that once stood near the trails. His spirit is most often felt by his grave, which is located in the old Morris Family Graveyard.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Website Links:

50states.com
Visit Delaware
Destination: Delaware
Historical Society of Delaware
State of Delaware -
The Official Website of the First State

03-27-07 ~ Hall of Fame #19 ~ Final

THIS WEEK'S THREADS 10-22,23-07 Military Tribute

Opinions by our own 'King of Ping' Every Thursday at the Finest The guy's good, folks!

[MEG33]

I have started emailing graphics and framed graphics to myself now that freepmail messes them up with all those added “;” and somehow disabling the “<”..I hate having to go back and “clean up” the frame I freepmail..

I make one on one computer and may need to post it from another..It also is helpful when I leave home and need to post a graphic. I can access my photobucket backgrounds account from anywhere so that works.

I need to email myself more graphics links! I have everything fairly organized and then lapse into just storing on my computer. I lost a lot of stuff when a computer fried. Now I have a thumb drive with most of my desktop files in it.

[jaycee]

P. S. Where do I get my background colors, etc.

[Kitty Mittens]

You have Freepmail! : )

[Kitty Mittens]

It’s Weird how those Semi-Colons Appear from Nowhere when we Freepmail Frames to ourselves, and the Quotations have to be Changed. :( I’ve been Emailing all my Lord’s Day Graphics/Tables to myself Lately, and have Thought I Might Need to Keep an Emergency Table, Lol, in my Freepmail, just in Case my Email were to Go Down Right at the Wrong Moment! : )

[MEG33]

Before they changed it..only thee breaks disappeared..The first time I tried to post a frame with the ;s added it drove me nuts until I finally saw the extra;s and changed the <s. Good way to keep us from storing up things in freepmail..LOL

[jaycee]

FRiends, I suppose you are closed down for the night. I have been over on that first tutorial of Billie’s that Meg sent to me recently and I have been playing. When you get time, you might want to check out about 4 posts with tables I have been playing with......I had fun!

[SnarlinCubBear]

IS THIS GORGEOUS OR WHAT?

I will read this throughout my weekend - THANK YOU!

[Billie]

IS THIS GORGEOUS OR WHAT?

I will read this throughout my weekend - THANK YOU!

Thank you, so glad you like it, Snarlin. I know you've checked some of the older state threads, too. :) I've found them all so interesting - and enjoy the opportunity to be creative with the presentations.

[Billie]

The thing with the quotation marks is the strangest thing, and I don’t quite understand why they go crazy in freepmail, but as kitty and I decided when we were copying and pasting the text back and forth in freepmail not too long ago, if you just leave the quotation marks OUT of the command, everything is okay. (You HAVE to leave them out of the whole command or it will still mess up, and the pictures and tables will post without being enclosed in quotations.)

[Billie]

FRiends, I suppose you are closed down for the night. I have been over on that first tutorial of Billie’s that Meg sent to me recently and I have been playing. When you get time, you might want to check out about 4 posts with tables I have been playing with......I had fun!

I've seen them - good job! Save that text and then just substitute different backgrounds for those that are there. (You just replace the whole http://thingie after the background= with another background image that you've saved.)

Another thing is that the graphics you placed in your tables can still have table borders around them - like the "little girl" we played with framing.

You'll get the hang of it and when you do, you won't be able to stop! :)

[SnarlinCubBear]

Ya’ know? He’s good. I really enjoy his sound.

[MEG33]

Good tip! NO quotation marks in freepmail from now on. If I want to help someone with framing this really helps.

I just accept that is how to do it not the “why” we must do it ....so I don’t teach nearly as well as you do..

I remember that framing a picture inside a larger frame with text was a mystery until you reminded me I had to cancel that frame before I put the text inside the larger frame ..

[TAdams8591]

Nice post, Mayor. But sunshine also helps plants grow. The same is true for us.

Constant adversity is not a good thing.

[TAdams8591]

Beautiful work, Billie, thank you! This thread caught my attention, as I especially love Delaware beaches!

[Billie]

:)

It's a lot to try and digest, but it's also a good habit to get into - turning OFF all commands (even if we know that FR will turn them off for us if we don't) :)

I wish I could impress on everyone to put the width and height in their graphics, but that is a lost cause. It's particularly important if it's a large graphic and we're opening it for the first time and trying to read other comments below it.

I don't think that people with DSL know what I'm talking about because their graphics open faster than those using modems and probably open so fast it doesn't affect comments posted after it. Sigh. :(

[Billie]

Thank you, TAdams! I’m really glad you like the presentation on Delaware. It seems like a wonderful place to visit. :)

[MEG33]

I had no idea that it made the graphic easier to open when height was written in..and I was on dial up for several months last year when I came back home to stay after a very long visit at my daughter’s.
My computer was from the dark ages here so it made it doubly difficult. Military Monday was almost impossible for me to load..pookie’s toons were impossible. I keep my graphics below 70 now that you gave me that great link
Under 300,000
http://tools.dynamicdrive.com/imageoptimizer/
over 300,000bytes(You must insert a jpg link for this one)
http://www.321webmaster.com/optijpg.php

No size in picture reduction..just bytes reduced in both.

No luck with reducing animated graphics at either site..

[Billie]

It doesn’t make the graphic open faster with the width and height are there, but what it does is open the post with the size built in, so that anything that follows stays put. Without the width and height specified in the graphic, when the post opens the first time, you get that tiny little box where the graphic will be - if it is HUGE (and we don’t know until it fully opens) and we are trying to read something after that graphic starts opening, we keep losing our place as it opens to the full size. If it’s a really small one in both physical size AND in bytes, it’s not a problem, but the big ones are. :(

[MEG33]

The “crawl” up the page syndrome. There is one poster on FR that posts a lot of big byte pictures all in one post and trying read the rest of the page is impossible until it loads..even on cable it’s a pain..They do great posts but need a byte reducer and number of pictures in one post reducer big time!.

[Billie]

Fast connections, large monitors and powerful pcs - would be nice if everyone had them. :) I like my 17” LCD monitor - and my pc is pretty powerful - just don’t have cable or DSL available and hubby is not about to have a DISH installed so that I can open graphics faster on my computer! LOL