What Every Small Town In Delaware Had In The 1930s. It Was A Simpler Time.
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Kim Magaraci
Author
Life in 1930s Delaware was simple and carefree, especially in the small towns. Take a look at these snapshots from 80 years ago, and you’ll see the lives that our parents and grandparents lived in the Diamond State. Every town in Delaware, small or large, had the following as part of their everyday, 1930s lives:
Whether it was the local pool, your neighbor's house, or the local lake or inlet, everyone in 1930s Delaware had a place to cool off in the summer heat.
Main Street was more than just the center of each town's business district! It served as a place to meet with your friends and neighbors and catch up on the town news.
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The town's General Store was the place to go for groceries, newspapers, and even clothing. They were integral to Delaware small town life.
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Sure, most small towns didn't have the gigantic hotel that Dover did, but there were still small lodging houses for weary travelers. And of course, each town had a bank.
Whether you were headed to the Town Hall for an official, political meeting or a public sock hop, the Town Hall was the place to be in 1930s Delaware!
Much like they are today, 1930s Delaware drug stores were the place to go when you were feeling ill, or if you needed to pick up some household items or health necessities. Each town's residents knew their pharmacists and drug store employees well.
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Many were one-room schoolhouses, even. These tiny learning centers are responsible for educating many of our parents and grandparents in 1930s Delaware.
Of course! I swear, there were still plenty of dirt roads in small-town Delaware when I was a child. It's no surprise that unpaved roadways were common in the 1930s.
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Some things really don't change! Even today, where else would you go to get a haircut? Each town's barber knew his clients like, well, the back of their heads.
Horses were still very much a part of daily life in 1930s Delaware, so skilled blacksmiths were needed to make their shoes. Of course, blacksmiths were also extremely skilled craftsmen who helped build the very towns they lived in.
The milkman was a common sight in 1930s Delaware, before modern refrigeration made milk delivery services nearly obsolete. Homemakers in Delaware certainly got to know their milkman!
Most towns had a place to grab a bite to eat and rest up from your journeys on the road. This Tavern was located along the Brandywine, on the border of Pennsylvania.
Sunday mornings were for church in nearly every 1930s Delaware town. Whether we're talking big congregations like Wilmington or small chapels like this one in Lewes, going to mass was a central part of the lives of many Delawareans.
I feel like I’ve just stepped into a time machine. Now that I’m feeling nostalgic, I think I’ll keep time traveling and grab dinner tonight at Delaware’s only colonial restaurant, Jessop’s Tavern.
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