Broad Creek Hundred in Blades in Sussex County, Delaware — The American Northeast (Mid-Atlantic)
Town of Blades
Photographed by Devry Becker Jones (CC0), August 24, 2019
1. Town of Blades Marker
Inscription.
Town of Blades. . Situated on the banks of the Nanticoke River, the town of Blades was first known as "Bladesville" and named for the Blades family. James Blades, an early railroad pioneer, purchased a tract of land which extended to present day High and Market Streets. A Methodist church and elementary school were established circa 1870 to serve the growing community comprised of farmers and other laborers who worked in nearby Seaford. Bladesville was chartered as a Delaware community by the Delaware General Assembly in 1910, with Henry Riggin serving as the first mayor. On March 10, 1915, Bladesville's formal incorporation as the "Town of Blades" was approved by the state legislature. Expansion of the town positively affected business, with residents involved in various commercial enterprises including grocery stores, factories, and the trucking industry. A town post office operated at Market and Second Streets until 1929, at which time it was closed and joined with the Seaford Post Office. In 1934, the Blades Volunteer Fire Company was organized and was first located on West High Street; a more modern station was constructed on East Fifth Street in 1974. One of the most noteworthy community organizations was the Blades Concert Band which was organized, trained, and conducted by Mr. Charles Robinson. The town is believed to have been the first in Delaware to elect a woman, Mrs. Margaret Hastings, to the office of mayor in 1947. Blades remains an active community committed to preserving a tranquil way of life in Sussex County.
Situated on the banks of the Nanticoke River, the town of Blades was first known as "Bladesville" and named for the Blades family. James Blades, an early railroad pioneer, purchased a tract of land which extended to present day High and Market Streets. A Methodist church and elementary school were established circa 1870 to serve the growing community comprised of farmers and other laborers who worked in nearby Seaford. Bladesville was chartered as a Delaware community by the Delaware General Assembly in 1910, with Henry Riggin serving as the first mayor. On March 10, 1915, Bladesville's formal incorporation as the "Town of Blades" was approved by the state legislature. Expansion of the town positively affected business, with residents involved in various commercial enterprises including grocery stores, factories, and the trucking industry. A town post office operated at Market and Second Streets until 1929, at which time it was closed and joined with the Seaford Post Office. In 1934, the Blades Volunteer Fire Company was organized and was first located on West High Street; a more modern station was constructed on East Fifth Street in 1974. One of the most noteworthy community organizations was the Blades Concert Band which was organized, trained, and conducted by Mr. Charles Robinson. The town is believed to have been the first in Delaware
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to elect a woman, Mrs. Margaret Hastings, to the office of mayor in 1947. Blades remains an active community committed to preserving a tranquil way of life in Sussex County.
Erected 2015 by Delaware Public Archives. (Marker Number SC-246.)
Location. 38° 38.273′ N, 75° 36.59′ W. Marker is in Blades, Delaware, in Sussex County. It is in Broad Creek Hundred. It is on South Market Street (Alternate U.S. 13) 0.1 miles north of East High Street, on the left when traveling north. Touch for map. Marker is at or near this postal address: 26 South Market Street, Seaford DE 19973, United States of America. Touch for directions.
Regionally, this marker is in the American Mid-Atlantic and on the Delmarva Peninsula. Globally, it is in the North Atlantic Region, North America, the Western Hemisphere, the Western World, and the Anglosphere. Historically, it finds itself in what was once New Netherland, one of the original Thirteen Colonies, and the Antebellum South.
Credits. This page was last revised on June 5, 2026. It was originally submitted on August 25, 2019, by Devry Becker Jones of Washington, District of Columbia. This page has been viewed 568 times since then and 45 times this year. Photos:1, 2. submitted on August 25, 2019, by Devry Becker Jones of Washington, District of Columbia.
