Discover Delmarva: Milford Museum
MILFORD, De- The town of Milford is steeped in history and tradition- the Milford Museum prides itself in telling the stories of the past to the next generation. Museum Director Tom Summers tells us they offer a variety of ways to experience the town’s history. “You can see some great things about Delaware’s military past. We have a library here where you can find information about Milford itself. We have an African American section here.”
The history is felt through the stories of the once prominent local businesses that have come and gone, but still had a major role in sculpting the town into one of the most desirable locations in the state. “Well, Milford is very much a changing community here. According to one survey, it’s the fastest-growing town in Delaware, and we’ve had a couple of thousand people move here in the last few years. So we’re always going to be evolving, but what we don’t want to do is forget about our history.”
So many new faces remembering the town’s journey to the present is a vital factor in keeping the community close-knit. The museum has exact flash points in history through its archived collection of the Milford Chronicles. This collection houses the daily newspaper showcasing the evolution of the town, prices, and even how the media landscape changed throughout print.
Summers says this has been a major part of the digital programming they offer through the museum as well. “Well, we have a monthly feature called This Month in Milford History. And it’s based on articles you can find in the Milford Chronicles, which was a newspaper that existed here for over 100 years.” I think the craziest thing about this for me was seeing the prices in the ads! I wish we had grocery prices like these still, but hey, at least the Tv’s have gotten cheaper- and bigger!
Summers showed us one of their newest artifacts — A civil war era decorative sword layered with gemstones with local ties
The town continues to grow- just like its history- but the preservation of the past — whether it’s a random baseball game from the 50’s to the building blocks of the town. There’s no better spot to house these stories for the future.
The museum is planning its move to its new location over the next few months. Which will allow for even more exhibits to come to life. Check out their website.
