Review of Secret Delaware by Rachel Kipp and Dan Shortridge
A.E. Jackson Review Score: 2 / 5 Ravens
How was this review scored?
Born and raised in Delaware, I was already convinced Delaware was the 'Small Wonder'. The First State leads the way in many things - not just the signing of the Constitution. However, I had no idea of the many strange, unusual, unique, and fascinating stories tucked away along rural roadsides.
Secret Delaware - a Guide to the Weird, Wonderful, and Obscure by Rachel Kipp and Dan Shortridge reveals the multitude of incredible gems hidden throughout, what Thomas Jefferson called, 'The Diamond State'! The authors were both former reporters who already completed '100 Things To Do in Delaware Before You Die' and several other books. They are proud locals who have lived and worked in all three counties.
Did you know that the image of pirates most of us hold in mind was created by local Delaware magazine illustrator Howard Pyle? I had no idea that swashbucklers from the Saturday Evening Post, right through to Disney's Pirates of the Caribbean films, were all the brainchild of one Wilmington native. His work is on display along with his whole story, as Secret Delaware reveals.
The first time the US mail was used to commit murder happened in Delaware. Horrendous, to be sure. But fascinating! They were known as the infamous "chocolate candy murders". You can visit the site of the fateful afternoon when several people devoured a deadly box of San Francisco sweets.
Delaware is even home to a Bible older than the United States itself. Paris printer Robert Stephens assembled the Latin text and bound the thick and heavy tome. Mystery still surrounds the exact journey the book made to reach the Delaware Public Archives where it sits under lock and key today. Still, every time a Governor is sworn in, the Bible comes out for the ceremony. Amazing!
Reading through the odd and interesting on a relaxing afternoon is both fulfilling and enriching. The stories, photographs, and location summaries tell you almost everything you need to know about planning a visit. In fact, I think I'll stop reading and get up off the couch to experience these locations for myself - with a copy of Secret Delaware under my arm as a great guide!