VIENNA, WATER SREET AND CHURCH / HICKS HOUSE

THE VIENNA HOME

OF

GOVERNOR THOMAS HOLIDAY HICKS

Thomas Holiday Hicks, Maryland Governor during the civil War, was born in Dorchester County, on the family estate “Sector”, near East New Market, September 2, 1798 and began a political career as Sheriff of Dorchester County. In 1824. He also was the manager of a deceased brothers shipping business that carried passenger and freight between Vienna and Baltimore.

On October 22, 1850 Thomas Hicks married his third wife , Jane Wilcox, the widow of his cousin Henry Wilcox, who said to have built the home inherited by his wife Jane and daughter, which is our subject..

The two story house, sits on Vienna's Water Street at the corner of Church, and overlooks the swift moving and scenic Nanticoke River. It has also a cellar and a spacious attic, with cooking house and regular necessary out buildings. It is a basic square house, with a cooking house unattached.

Cellars, with outside doorways, were common in early days for keeping food stuff's in the coolness, and other household items in storage.. The first floor rooms have eleven foot high ceilings which were a comfort during the heat of summers but difficult to keep warm during winter months by the in room fireplaces. .. All rooms have 'chair rails' and wide plank floor boards. In the spacious hall is the fine woodwork of the staircase leading to the second floor and attic. The first floor, where entertaining was held, has elaborate carved panels and mantels while they are not so impressive on the second floor. The Pre Civil War door locks and latches are rather interesting also.

Description: Cooches Bridge August 25, 1777.
Date: 2002

Newspaper published in: Georgetown

Source: Roger Martin Collection

Page/Column: This Week in Delaware History

Cooches Bridge, Delaware August 25, 1777

On a hot and close morning, British General William Howe landed an Infantry group of British and German soldiers in the upper Chesapeake Bay, south of Elkton Maryland. General George Washington, with General Nathaniel Green and the Marquis de LaFayette reconnoitered Iron Hill and Gray's Hill near Newark prior to the Battle of Cooches Bridge. During the night when a violent thunderstorm came upon them these three generals were forced to take shelter at the home of a Tory land owner and spend the night. .

Bailey's Windmill

The late 17^th century, behind the high sand dunes of Cape Henlopen and along the banks of LeweJonathans Creek sits the growing village of Lewes, with surrounding farm lands of grain. Jonathan Bailey knew these farmers needed a mill to grind their crop into flower and meal. He also knew that the persistent sea breezes were a dependable source of power.

In 1687 Bailey erected his windmill near the lower end of what we call Pilot Town.

Around his windmill he erected a fence to keep the cows, hogs and other animals that roamed the banks of Lewes Creek from interfering with it's operation.

This fence, however , cut off the burial grounds and angry Lewes citizens

made complaint that the miller had “impudently denied ad refused the neighbors the use of ye ground to bury their dead, forbidding them to come to said ground”.

Jonathan Bailey was hauled into court and ordered to remove the fence from the road to the cemetery.

Lewes Delaware Windmill

Bailey's Windmill

The late 17^th century, behind the high sand dunes of Cape Henlopen and along the banks of Lewes  Creek sits the growing village of Lewes, with surrounding farm lands of grain. Jonathan Bailey knew these farmers needed a mill to grind their crop into flower and meal. He also knew that the persistent sea breezes were a dependable source of power.

In 1687 Bailey erected his windmill near the lower end of what we call Pilot Town.

Around his windmill he erected a fence to keep the cows, hogs and other animals that roamed the banks of Lewes Creek from interfering with it's operation.

This fence, however , cut off the burial grounds and angry Lewes citizens

made complaint that the miller had “impudently denied ad refused the neighbors the use of ye ground to bury their dead, forbidding them to come to said ground”.

Jonathan Bailey was hauled into court and ordered to remove the fence from the road to the cemetery. 

Source: Delaware Diary, Delaware Coast Press, Michael Morgan Collection 

1920 Delaware Aviation

1920's DELAWARE AVIA1TION

1918 enter John 'Jack' White and his steel worker family to Delaware as employees of the new Claymont Steel Plant in New Castle. This was a time that aviation was a proven value and planes were built with wood, wire and canvas, but now with powerful engines. World War I had shown America that air travel was here to stay.

'Jack' did not stay with the steel industry but took a job with the John Jacob Raskob family as a maintenance worker on his estate. Raskob was the ram rod of General Motors Corporation in the 1920's and had established a flying school to train WWI pilots. This is where Jack White was assigned to work and while there he became enamored with flying and became friends of J. Allison Buck, better known as “Allie, Delaware's first licensed pilot who taught White to fly. During the 1920's White and other pilots flew over Delaware farms, performing and doing stunts and such. This was called 'barnstorming'. Also they would take passengers for short rides.

1928 White and Buck organized Air Service which prospered for several years but then came the Great Depression and Jack left aviation for more stable pursuits.

World Way II saw one of his sons become a pilot and it was a great experience for Jack White to pin the 'wings' and Lieutenant bars on his son William.

John 'Jack' White passed away in 1956 when aviation was just 50 some years old.

The source of this abstract is of Michael Morgan and his conversation with Harold White , who has lived in Delaware for several decades and was an office manger for Diamond State Telephone Company at Georgetown.

WWII Death

Description: WWII Death of Nassau Man in France on D Day
Date: August 15 1944

Newspaper published in: Georgetown

Source: Roger Martin Collection

Page/Column: This Week in Delaware History

Nassau, Delaware August 15 1944

Private Minos Tee Conaway, age 22, of rural Nassau, Sussex county, Delaware was killed in action on the first day of the invasion of Southern France while serving with the 3ed Infantry Division.

Minos was the son of Minos Tyndal Comaway amd Anna Mae Hudson Conaway of Nassau, Delaware, and was married to Mary Burton Hazzard.

He was a rifleman serving in Company K, 7th Infantry Regiment of the 3rd Division, U. S. Army. He was awarded a Purple Heart Medal.

Minos Tee Conaway is buried in the Whites Chapel Methodist Cemetery , Sussex County, Delaware.

Delaware Civil War Cavalry Organized by Napoleon B. Knight of Little Creek.

Description: Colonel Napoleon Boneparte Knight to Raise Delaware Cavalry Regiment
Date: August 13 1862

Newspaper published in: Georgetown

Source: Roger Martin Collection

Page/Column: This Week in Delaware History

Dover, Delaware August 13, 1862 :

Major Napoleon Boneparte Knight, of Little Creek Hundred, Kent county, Delaware, has received authority to raise four companies of cavalry in Delaware for the civil war.
Napoleon is the son of James and Rebecca Knight, a prominent Kent county gentleman farmer family. of Little Creek Hundred, born the 3rd of 7 children. He as educated at a prominent educational institute in New York. During the Civil War he rose to the rank of Colonel in command of the first Delaware Cavalry Regiment, assigned to the 8th Army Corps to Baltimore Defense, saw action at Westminster, later assigned to the Army of Potomac, 6th Army, 1st division, 1st Brigade, with action at Cold Harbor.
After the war in 1867, Col Knight moved to Salem, Oregon, where he became a Lawyer and married Sarah Ursula Miller, daughter of General John F. Miller. together they raised one son and two daughters.
Col Knight died in Salem, Oregon, 17 February 1902, 62 years of age, where he was a lawyer. He and his wife are buried in Odd Fellows Rural Cemetery, Marion county, Oregon.

Griffin Seward, of Keent County Delaware, Congressional Medal of Honor Receiptient.

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Sussex Countian
Contributed by Harrison

Description: Griffin Seward Born Hazlettsville, Medal of Honor Holder.
Date: August 10 1842

Newspaper published in: Georgetown

Source: Roger Martin Collection

Page/Column: This Week in Delaware History 1842

Dover, Delaware August 10, 1842:
Griffin Seward, a recipient of the Congtrssional Medal of Honor during the Indian Wars in Arizona in 1869 was born in Hazlettsville, five miles west of Dover.
"He was the son of John and Martha Hawkins Seward of Kent County Delaware, and served in the United States Army during the conflicts with the Plains Indians as a Wagoneer with Company C, 8th Cavalry. He was awarded the CMOH for his bravery against the Apache's at Chiricahua Mountains, Arizona, in 1869. Seward also served in the Civil War with the 2nd Pennsylvania Cavalry. Griffin Seward is buried in the Los Angeles National Cemetery, California."

4 Mast Coastal Schooner, Albert F. Paul, Baltimore, Sunk by German Sub.

ussex Countian
Contributed by Harrison


Description: S V Albert F. Paul Launched at Abbott's Ship Yard in Milford
Date: August 2 1917

Newspaper published in: Georgetown

Source: Roger Martin Collection

Page/Column: This Week in Delaware History 1917

Milford, Delaware August 2, 1917 :

The last four masted coastal schooner, the 195 foot Albert F. Paul, was launched today at the William Abbott shipyard in Milford

"The tonnage of this ship is 735 tons, owned by Albert Shipping Company with home port Baltimore. The 13th of March 1942 as she was on return to home port with a cargo of salt from Turks Island, Antilles, the German U-332 observed the unescorted and unarmed vessel, with Master William Mack Martino at helm, 160 miles north-northeast of Cape Hatteras and sunk her with a second torpedo causing her to sink in six minutes with lost of all 8 crew members. Those eight men were OS James Clarence Bagley, Arno Wooster Brown, Cook, AS John Alexander Carlson, AS John Chistophersen, AS Gidion Lindquist, Master William Mack Martino, Bosun Douglas William Peek and AS Hugo Tokko."

Delaware Governor Gove Saulsbury Death

Sussex Countian
Contributed by Harrison

Description: Former Governor Gove Saulsbury Dies at Age 66.
Date: July 31 1881

Newspaper published in: Georgetown

Source: Roger Martin Collection

Page/Column: This Week in Delaware History 1881

Dover, Delaware, July 31, 1881 :

Former Governor Gove Saulsbury, the man about whom some said "never apologized, compromised nor surrendered, unless, of course, it was in his interest, died in Dover at age 66. He is buried in Old Methodist Whatcoat Cemetery in Dover.
He was known as the sylest, cunningest and most natural born politician the State of Delaware ever had.
He was born in Kent county's Mispillion Hundred to William and Margaret Ann Smith Saulsbury, descendants of a Welsh family. The spelling of the name was changed during the Revolution from Salisbury to Saulsbury because of the families loyalist sympathies.
He attended Delaware Collage in Newark and was graduated from Pennsylvania Medical School and was a physician. He married Rosina Jame Smith and had five children,Margaret, Olivia, Rosa, Gove and William. Although the famly were staubch Episcopalians, his family became Methodist. He was Democrat and had full control of the Delaware Democratic Party while he lived and had a medical practice in Dover.