August 1, 1946 – Milford Light & Water Plant, constructed in 1886 or 87, stopped generating power at 2:30 PM. The plant provided electricity and water to the city and stood on the land directly across from what is now the Milford Public Library. The facility was relocated to land behind the city’s Customer Service Department and the location of the former power plant is now a park.
August 2, 1917 – The “Albert Paul,” launched in Milford. This was the largest sailing vessel built on the Mispillion and was constructed at the Abbott Shipyard. The ship measured 175 feet and required 30 days to float down the river during high tide to the Delaware Bay. She sailed along the eastern seaboard in the coal, salt, logwood and lumber trade. The Albert Paul traveled to Brazil, Bermuda, Maine and the Calico Islands, making a total of 99 voyages before the Paul family sold her in 1942. On the first trip with the new owners on March 4, 1942, she was struck by a German torpedo near Turks Island in the Bahamas. All hands were lost.
August 7, year unknown – The “Emma Rose” began running daily between Milford and Philadelphia. The fare was $1.50 for a roundtrip ticket. The “City of Milford” also travelled twice weekly steamship service between Milford and Philadelphia. The passage on the ship was $1.50 one-way but included a seafood dinner.
August 10, 1943 – Mrs. William Marshall, Jr., launched the U.S. Submarine Chaser 1354 at Vinyard’s Shipyard in Milford where the ship was built. In this photo, left to right, Captain Stern, USN; Mrs. Stern; Mrs. Marshall and Dr. William Marshall, Jr. The other photo is of another subchaser, one of fourteen built at Vineyard Shipyard between 1941 and 1944.
August 10, 1793 – Abner Dill was appointed as Milford’s first postmaster. During this era, there was no official post office and the postmaster operated out of his home. In this map, published in “Milford Delaware & The Milford Area After 1776,” written by E. Dallas Hitchens and E. Millis Hurley, Abner Dill owned lot #9 prior to 1810. This means the post office may have been located adjacent to the Mispillion River where the Division of Aging for the State of Delaware sits today.
