Delaware from Railways to Freeways / First State, Second Phase
Category: Adult Non-Fiction, 110 pages
Genre: American History, Colonial
Publisher: Dave Tabler
Publication Date: Nov 1, 2023
Content Rating: G. None needed. Works for all audiences.
“Delaware from Railroads to Freeways by Dave Tabler is a visually stunning book that takes readers on a captivating journey through Delaware’s 19th-century history. With engaging narrative and stunning graphics that seem to leap off the page, this book provides an immersive and enthralling reading experience as Tabler chronicles the rich history of Delaware. This is his second installment of a three-part series on the history of Delaware – the First State…. For Delaware natives and enthusiasts, this is probably one of the best-illustrated background books of Delaware’s 19th-century history as you can find about the First State. It is truly a captivating book.“ — AuthorsReading
“Dave Tabler’s Delaware from Railways to Freeways is a fascinating history text covering important sites and artifacts from the first state. The book includes a wealth of historical and social insights into the production techniques and ultimate significance behind the early Delaware artifacts and events it covers. It makes note of the geographical importance of certain buildings and landscapes as well. Detailed images appear on each page of the book alongside brief, evocative descriptions of their meaning and significance. The result is an involving pictorial history of the evolution of Delaware, complemented by distinguishing coverage of the development of the state’s transportation infrastructure.” — Foreword Reviews
“Tabler’s second entry in a trilogy covering the history of Delaware rides the rails into the First State’s storied past, covering the tumultuous yet prosperous 19th century and the dawn of the 20th, that era of iron, steam, Civil War, suffragettes, technical marvels, and surprises both fun—like the history of scrapple, or the suspender-and-pants rig known as a “breeches buoy” used to rescue mariners—to the morbid, like public whipping posts or the jolting tale of a child’s corpse being sent through the mail. The stories of trends, people, and material goods that Tabler highlights, in short and inviting bursts of text, are interesting and well buttressed by the copious illustrations.” — Booklife
“The contents are entertaining and varied, offering glimpses of little-known aspects of American history, from Colonial-era enmity between Whigs and Tories to inventions such as the Manby mortar, a cannon-like device used in rescuing people from sinking ships, to a bartending goose.” –– Kirkus Reviews
“Delaware from Railways to Freeways is the second book in a series that began with Delaware Before the Railroads and whose planned conclusion is Delaware from Freeways to e-Ways. In his preface, author Dave Tabler touts the advent of the railroad, saying that it “ushered in a prosperous era for the First State” due to Delaware’s “strategic location” on the Delaware Bay. The book is mostly photographs, all of which are vibrant and compelling and include objects that would not be present in most histories of the state, such as John Jones’s adjustable peach sorter: an 1874 invention that revolutionized peach sorting. Or the crawlspace in the home of Quaker couple Daniel and Mary Corbit, in which they hid a fugitive slave in 1845. Tabler’s captions are bite-sized yet satisfying, offering readers a plethora of history without making them feel overworked. …More a coffee-table book than a proper history, Dave Tabler’s Delaware from Railways to Freeways is a worthy read for any devotee of Delaware’s past.“ — Indie Reader
“Delaware from Railways to Freeways offers readers a captivating journey through Delaware’s lesser-known history. It is an excellent choice for those who relish reading about unusual facts and harbor a passion for history, even if it occasionally leans toward trivia. This book provides a valuable contribution to understanding Delaware’s rich heritage.“ — Literary Titan
Book Description:
Delaware from Railways to Freeways covers eye-opening information about the region and its residents from 1800 to 1907. Laying out a captivating journey through pictures and offering up little-known anecdotes, entertainingly educational stories, and a comprehensive deep dive, Tabler gives insightful commentary on inventions, contributors to society, and transformative technology. History lovers of all ages will immensely enjoy this trove of 19th-century lore.
How to speak in public.
When I first entered the workforce, an older colleague mentioned that he was a member of Toastmasters International, a group that trains professionals from different fields how to present a polished speech. He invited me to a meeting, and suggested getting training from the group would help my career tremendously.
He was correct. Learning to organize myself, learning to be comfortable in front of a large group, have indeed proven invaluable.
Speaking before a gathering is a terrifying experience for a large portion of the population. What if I forget my place in my speech? What if people fall asleep while I’m talking? What if they hate what I have to say? There are lots of stressors. But as in so many other areas of life, the more you prepare, the smoother things go.
I’ve been doing the rounds this year presenting a short spiel titled “10 Things You Might Not Know About Delaware.” Each setting, each group brings different energies. I presented before 100 people at the Delaware Agricultural Museum last spring. Very formal, part of a speaker lineup for a traveling Smithsonian Institution exhibit. Little time for Q&A, as there were other speakers on the roster. For that event I was expected to clip right along, make my points and wrap it up.
By contrast, I spoke at a library local to me more recently. Small, intimate group in a conference room, as opposed to a large hall. For that setting I did not use a microphone. I came out from behind the podium and sat in a chair almost as part of the group. There were plenty of pauses in the script as audience members asked questions. Much more conversational.
Toastmasters trains speakers to think on their feet. Glitches often happen, especially in the tech area. Microphones crackle or don’t work at all, presentation clickers do odd things if you stray too far from their range. It’s easy to get flustered, and inexperienced speakers often get thrown off stride.
This is where the preparation idea is crucial. If you know your topic inside and out, and don’t rely on verbatim reading from a script, you simply make a quick joke to the effect of “well, technology is our friend….until it’s not,” and find a workaround. Most audiences are on the side of the speaker and accept that things can go wrong. They soon forget about the hiccup if the speaker is able to gracefully move past it.
In every audience there seems to be that person who wants to show how much they know. Sometimes they are in fact an expert, sometimes they just enjoy tripping the speaker. The first time I encountered this situation I was caught like a deer in the headlights. The audience was going to think I was an idiot for not knowing this factoid brought up by the expert/skeptic. As I’ve spoken over the years I’ve learned not to get into an argument with such people. It’s best to simply stay humble and acknowledge that it’s amazing how much there is to learn still. I’ll often say something to the effect of “that’s a fascinating point you bring up. I’m looking forward to doing some digging on that. It might be a great thing to work into my next presentation!” That flatters both the expert and the skeptic, and allows the speaker to get back to their main focus.
Meet Author Dave Tabler:
Ten year old Dave Tabler decided he was going to read the ‘R’ volume from the family’s World Book Encyclopedia set over summer vacation. He never made it from beginning to end. He did, however, become interested in Norman Rockwell, rare-earth elements, and Run for the Roses.
Tabler’s father encouraged him to try his hand at taking pictures with the family camera. With visions of Rockwell dancing in his head, Tabler press-ganged his younger brother into wearing a straw hat and sitting next to a stream barefoot with a homemade fishing pole in his hand. The resulting image was terrible.
Dave Tabler went on to earn degrees in art history and photojournalism despite being told he needed a ‘Plan B.’
Fresh out of college, Tabler contributed the photography for The Illustrated History of American Civil War Relics, which taught him how to work with museum curators, collectors, and white cotton gloves. He met a man in the Shenandoah Valley who played the musical saw, a Knoxville fellow who specialized in collecting barbed wire, and Tom Dickey, brother of the man who wrote ‘Deliverance.’
In 2006 Tabler circled back to these earlier encounters with Appalachian culture as an idea for a blog. AppalachianHistory.net today reaches 375,000 readers a year.
Dave Tabler moved to Delaware in 2010 and became smitten with its rich past. He no longer copies Norman Rockwell, but his experience working with curators and collectors came in handy when he got the urge to photograph a love letter to Delaware’s early heritage. This may be the start of something.
connect with the author: website ~ twitter ~ facebook ~ pinterest ~ instagram ~ goodreads
DELAWARE FROM RAILWAYS TO FREEWAYS Spotlight Book Tour Giveaway
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