Fort Delaware Museum

Black Bombardier Ned Hector at Brandywine

June 30, 2022 by John Conway Leave a Comment

In February of 1777, with the American colonies engaged in a seemingly hopeless war with the world’s foremost military power, Edward “Ned” Hector enlisted in a state militia unit known as Proctor’s Third Pennsylvania Artillery, where he was assigned duties as a bombardier, one of the three rear positions on the cannon.

This fact, in and of itself, would not seem significant, but Ned Hector was African American, one of perhaps 5,000 African Americans who fought with the Continental Army in the War for Independence. [Read more…] about Black Bombardier Ned Hector at Brandywine

Fort Delaware Museum Reopening Under New Management

June 29, 2021 by Editorial Staff Leave a Comment

The Delaware Company, a non-profit history education group started in 2012, is taking over management of the Fort Delaware Museum of Colonial History in Narrowsburg, Sullivan County, under a public-private partnership with the county legislature.

Their first event, “Patriots and Loyalists: The Declaration of Independence in the Upper Delaware Valley” will take place on Saturday, July 10th, from noon until 3 pm. [Read more…] about Fort Delaware Museum Reopening Under New Management

Heritage Tourism And Sullivan County

May 28, 2014 by John Conway Leave a Comment

There seems to be a great movement underway in recent years—the European Union is a good example—to make all places the same or at least more like each other. This global homogenization, for want of a better term, has threatened national identities and it has also created new challenges for those areas whose economies have been dependent upon heritage tourism.

Heritage tourism is defined by the National Trust for Historic Preservation as “traveling to experience the places, artifacts and activities that authentically represent the stories and people of the past,” but it is only viable if different places have different stories to tell. Eliminating differences makes that a real challenge. [Read more…] about Heritage Tourism And Sullivan County

The Magical History Tour: Revolution to Revolution

May 19, 2014 by John Conway 2 Comments

Architect Robert Dadras is quick to admit that when he helped conceive the idea of an Architectural-Historical Bus Tour back in 1996, he wasn’t at all sure it would catch on.

“There were comments like, where will you ever find architecture in Sullivan County?” he recalls.

The fact that cities from Miami, Florida and Greensboro, North Carolina to Chicago, Illinois and Toronto, Canada had successfully used similarly constructed tours to boost tourism and economic development did not make it any easier to sell the idea locally, Dadras concedes, at the same time relishing the fact that this year’s tour will be his nineteenth. [Read more…] about The Magical History Tour: Revolution to Revolution