Review of Delaware Railways to Freeways by Dave Tabler
A.E. Jackson Review Score: 2 / 5 Ravens
How was this review scored?
Dave Tabler announced his new book was headed to the editor for final review and I jumped at the chance to be among the first readers.
Tabler’s first book in the series - Delaware Before the Railroads: A Diamond Among the States - was a pleasant exploration of early Delmarva Peninsula history.
That book promised readers a rich future was opening up to Delawareans. Through Delaware Railways to Freeways, Tabler delivers on the promise and sets the stage for even more advances to come.
Where does Dave Tabler find all his fascinating photographs? The images included in this new collection are intriguing. Each is accompanied by a small paragraph of content which often raises more questions for the curious mind. Tabler serves the reader well by continuing the stories of colorful characters and interesting local artifacts through longer entries at the back of the book.
An example to note is a segment of content that ends with “Oh—then there was the goose that ‘tended bar.’” This one note will have readers flipping to the more extended entry about the tavern and inn at Fleatown which boasted a bar-keeping goose. Too bad that’s no longer around!
Readers may feel as if they are pinwheeling through a vast range of social history, local sites, and disjointed artifacts. However, Tabler has a rich tapestry he unfurls by bringing loosely associated threads together in just the right way.
For instance, did you know W.F. Quinby (1825-1918) made many attempts to fly long before the Wright brothers reached the sky? His pioneering role partly shaped their ambitions by lessons they learned from Quinby’s failures. All of his exploits took place in Newport, Delaware.
A few of the historical footnotes are repeated from his earlier work - Delaware Before the Railroads: A Diamond Among the States. But they are approached from a different angle and with new information conveyed. Examples include illustrator Howard Pyle, the Town of Arden, and the first murder by mail.
Readers will be enthralled by the wild and tall tales that thrived in the backcountry wilderness of the early Delmarva Peninsula. As Conestoga wagons and stagecoaches were replaced by railroads and steam engines, a healthy consolidation took place. Far flung watering holes and stage stops died off as new towns sprang up. Diverse agriculture solidified into almost industrialized production techniques of a few highly prized commodities.
The move from sailing ships to iron horses reshaped the region and unified the people even as the Civil War sought to tear the young nation apart. Delaware was involved, in great and small ways, every step of the way.
Still, one wonders if more of the magic would still be alive today without the advent of this modernization.
Read more from Dave Tabler at https://davetabler.com and find his social media profiles at Facebook(@davetabler) and Twitter(@davetabler).