Milford chronicle., 1959-02-06
Aunt M0lIg's History
Chats Are Resumed
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yourself comfortable and try the
cookies on the table behind you. "
what six men do you mean,
Aunt Molly?"
"The six men who served as
Governors OF the State of Delaware,
Bobby. Milford can be very proud
of this contribution to the state.
Bobby, we can make up riddles
about these six men. But first, let's
name them They were Daniel
Rogers, Joseph Haslet, William
Tharp, Peter F. Ea1sey, DR.. Will
liam d. Burton and William T. Wat
SON..
What are the riddles, Aunt Molly!
like riddles.
"All right Bobby, here they are
Two of the men owned and lived
in the same house in different CEN
turies; two men were grandfather
and grandson; two became governor
not by election, but by succession
two of them served during war
times"
Aunt Molly, you know ] can't
answer riddles like that. Please
tell me the angwers-"
Very we'll; Daniel Rogers and
Peter +. Causey both lived in the
house called "The Causey Man
sionv where Miss Carolyn Vinyard
lives; 1t could be called THE Gov
ernors Mansion. William Tharp
was the grandfather of William T.
Watson. Daniel Rogers and Will
liam T. Watson each succeeded to
the governorship on the death of
the incumbent. Joseph Haslet was
governor during the War of 1872
and William Burton served during
the Civil War. Now you have the
answers"
LETS talk about Daniel Rogers
first. He was born in Accomac
County, Virginia, on January 8,
1854. On coming to Delaware he
bought large farm in Cedar Creek
Hundred from Levin Crapper and
settled there. His life was very
busy. He built the Brick Granary"
on Cedar Greek, four miles from
Milford. You have probably never
seen it, but your daddy has passed
ii many times. Before the Rehoboth
highway was built, we went to
Rehob0th by a dirt road which took
us past the Brick Granaly'.s
'Mr. Rogers lived in the big yel-
low brick house in the center Of
town which, as I said s,efore, is
known as 1.-The Causey Mansion. .
When he lived there the front of
the house l:cW the back faced
Kings Highway AID tbs rear of
the house laced toward the river"
sis that Why the old slaves quar-
ters are in the front yard instead of
the Backyard"
Exactly so. Daniel Rogers was
elected twice to the State Senate
and in 1897 he was elected speaker,
now called the President Pro Tenn.
Consequently, when Governor Gum
ming Beford died on September %,
1897, Rogers succeeded him as gov
ernor and served until January %,
1899. When Governor Rogers died
January 2, 1906 he was buried on
his farm In South Milford in the
family plot which was located, we
are told, in the vacant lot behind
the hospital, where the fair was
held last spring. Years later the
State of Delaware bought a lot in
Odd Fellows Cemetery and had his
remains re-interred there"
'sMilford's next governor was Jo-
seph Haslet, also of Cedar Greek
Hundred He was the son of Col.
John Haslet of Revolutionary War
fame. Col. Haslet was killed in
1777 at the Battle of Princeton and
a few days later his wife died.
Their son, Joseph was reared by
Chancellor Killen in Dover. This
was the same William Killen who
had tutored John Dickinson. Young
Joseph learned the trade Of watch
maker from Ziba Ferris in Will
rnington, but evidently he didn't
care for it,.
why do you say that, Aunt
Molly?"
"The reason is that as soon as
he became twenty-one he settled
on a farm in Cedar Creek Hundred
and devoted his time to farming.
He was twice elected governor,
serving from January 1871 to jan
uary, 1914 and again from January
1928 until his death in June of the
same year"
Did he fight In the War of 1912
the way his father had fought in
the Revolution?"
mo. he stayed at home and took
care of his state. You know that
during this war the town of Lewes.
only twenty miles from here. was
bombarded bv the British. In his
message of January z, 1912 to the